Comments on: Why Commercials Before Movies Is Worse Than Piracy

By: Krisys

Krisys — Mon, 04 Jun 2012 20:31:40 +0000

20 dollars an hour is measly?!? Jeesh.

By: warmtrooper

warmtrooper — Tue, 08 May 2012 14:40:03 +0000

Hi John,
Early in the article you stated it’s “no skin off your nose” if you are subjected to 15 min of commercials before the movie starts. But then you take a different tack, and complain about the 15 min. Is your main gripe that these 15 min cause the movie to start later than it says? Personally, I am disgusted by theaters showing ANY commercials to me after I paid $11 to watch a MOVIE. Paying money should actually EXEMPT us from watching commercials, but the corporations are so slimy they find a way to subject a “captive audience” to a vulgar parade of advertising. Even cable “on-demand” selections include commercials; it’s unbelievable how powerful these advertisers are, that they can even convince TiVo to make it harder for their customers to simply “skip” the commercials, forcing them to fast-forward through them, even though the technology exists to skip them.

By: warmtrooper

warmtrooper — Tue, 08 May 2012 14:33:21 +0000

@ed7020 show up 20 min later? You mean when it’s completely dark and all the seats are taken?

By: ed7020

ed7020 — Tue, 01 May 2012 20:31:52 +0000

You know there are going to be 20 mins of commercials, turn up 20 mins later. If everyone did this then they would not generate as much revenue for the ads as provider would be willing to pay less. Therefore the cinema would stop showing them as it would be more profitable for them to get an extra showing in each day that pack it full of ads. If you are that bothered by something do something about it, explain to people who are about to go in that if they stand outside now then you will be saving their time in the future. Start a movement. Create a solution.

Personally I enjoy the commercials!

By: Alex Coulstring

Alex Coulstring — Fri, 13 Jan 2012 01:53:04 +0000

I remember actually enjoying the previews of upcoming movies before the actual movie starts. But when I saw 20 minutes of regular TV type commercials, it got sickening. They make 1000% on their food sales and the cost of going to the movies has grown over the years and I am OK with that. But like you John, I find the ads before the movies a bad move and actually sets a negative mood before the movie starts. Thanks for the article!!! good read and good to know I’m not alone!

By: sanity now

sanity now — Tue, 22 Nov 2011 12:59:59 +0000

I am personally boycotting all movie theaters that play commercials. This is just another reason why Netflix will continue to make money. The old model of advertising is dead. Hollywood and the big guys need to get the younger generation involved in determining the direction to go with smart advertising. It really doesnt amaze me that all the sheep will watch what is put in front of them, but forcing someone who paid to see a movie to watch commercials is unacceptable. And they know this. Their hope is that the movie gower is made up of either young or poor who think that by letting the Cinemas show commercials to them, that this will stem the cost of tickets. The real issue is the one caused by the FREE generation. When you torrent or watch “free” online, 80% of your movies and then only go to that movie that you feel is worth the $!5 movie ticket, you really arent playing it smart. As attendance goes down, ticket prices must go up. I will say that recently Hollywood has produced more film then quality and that doesnt help the matter.

This is just the beginning of a more pressing issue. In a downed economy how far will we allow advertisers to go so that we can falsely believe that we still have the same quality of life?

Now airlines have followed the movie industry and soon enough we ALL will have to be subject to the unacceptable commercials. On a TV I have the choice of turning it off and not watching it. But in a movie theater it is impossible to turn off the “super surround sound” so the only action I have is to leave and demand my money back from the manager.

In an airplane… I cannot leave. And in fact if I made a scene I would probably have to talk to TSA or be arrested.

If showing commercials in a theater is piracy, then showing commercials before the captains message on an airline is criminal….

When will we stand up for what is decent? Ask your grandparents if they think these things are acceptable since most of you are probably to young to know better…

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By: Johnnie

Johnnie — Fri, 04 Nov 2011 14:08:51 +0000

I hate “TV Ads” at the theater too, but it is not the same thing as piracy. Your time that you paid to watch the movie is real and measurable. Piracy deals with 1′s and 0′s, it is a victim-less crime. Piracy really shows the inconsistency between Capitalism and reality. “Intellectual property” is an invented term to allow copyrights to become ridiculous. Read the short story “The right to read” by Richard Stallman.

By: openthepoddoorhal

openthepoddoorhal — Fri, 04 Nov 2011 04:23:41 +0000

Dear John … haha … my first ever “Dear John” letter. You are much too soft on this issue. Showing commercials in movie theatres (at any time) should be illegal. I stopped going to theatres … let’s see … 14 years ago when I knew this was a “losing battle” with, not just my local theatre, but with, movie theatres everywhere. I am not a mindless, passive, low IQ, money punching bag zombie … I just refuse to be a “victim” of this money grab. I can even tolerate product placement and movie ads within the movie, if the movie is entertaining, but I recommend to anyone and everyone who reads your blog – stop going to movie theatres completely. We can become the majority, one day. What? Stop laughing …. it could happen!

By: Frederic Nourry

Frederic Nourry — Fri, 21 Oct 2011 15:18:16 +0000

I have found worst then ads in theater … ads in DVD or worst BlueRay. I have recently moved from dvd to BD and most movies ( that I bought ) have ads and you can’t skip them. So why is it that every time that I want to see a movie that I have bought I have to watch the same ads. This is why people rip their DVD and Bd to get rid of those ‘features’.

By: Norah

Norah — Fri, 16 Sep 2011 10:02:02 +0000

hey, great article.. can you please help me find more info about the cost of commercials in movie theatres , im doing some research for my sociology class about ads. :)
Norah
from Norway.

By: baidu

baidu — Thu, 08 Sep 2011 10:00:43 +0000

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By: georgeodjungle

georgeodjungle — Thu, 19 May 2011 22:54:42 +0000

whats even worse
is my wife refuses to call a preview a commercial for movies
ho well if that’s all we got to fight about we’re having a good time

By: Ken

Ken — Wed, 03 Nov 2010 14:23:13 +0000

When I go to a theater I am expecting an experience above and beyond being bombarded by advertising. The commercials should go the way of the dinosaurs!

By: Morgan

Morgan — Mon, 19 Jul 2010 03:23:45 +0000

I don’t support online movie piracy because it takes away from the amount of money the filmmakers make. I like supporting the people who created the film so they can continue to make more great movies.
I hope that you’re exaggerating the point that movie piracy and pre-movie advertisements are the same thing only to emphasize your frustration with Cineplex, AMC, or whoever it may be that’s ‘wasting your time’.
You bring up an interesting point, but quite frankly, I just don’t care. I’ll allow 15 minutes extra for previews if it means I’m supporting the filmmakers.
I think they should maybe use the money they make from those ads to enforce no cellphones in theatres though. I didn’t pay good money and wait 2 hours to see inception in IMAX for a texter to sit next to me and flash her cellphone in my face.

By: harrylime

harrylime — Mon, 07 Jun 2010 05:27:55 +0000

Okay, you rush like mad to get to theatre. stand in line. buy the ickets aridiculous pries to begin with. take a mortg on your house to scarf down buttered or what appears o be poltically correct butter. do a balance act, pirouette towards the ticket guy. He tears your ticket hands it back to you and you begin that long ponderous trek to your seat a semi-darkened room. You find it. settle don. check your watch. great seats. fiftennminutes to and then it begins. the commercials begin slowly tantalizing you with inane quizes about one hit wonders, a new ar? an old car? is it sfae. you feellike Dustin Hoffman in Marathon Man. Sir Laurence is smiliong at you “is it safe” one more commercial for the sensuality fo movie going. No I lied. five or six or seven even. Then the room grows darker. ther is a reprieve. Here comes the real trick. The trailers. making the worst written, directed fiolms look so marvelous that you want to repet the agony again and ahain. Like sheep we are drawn back and why? Either we really love the whole ritual of movie going or we are just too stupid or lazy to put up with all of tyhe ommercials we get on cable. Someone wrote but thje actor salaries push up the price so we bnneed commerials. tell me what ctor is worth 20 million? now becof commercials, if the movie does not start on time i ask fo a discount. if the movie bores the hll out me i ask for money back. I did that in dustrict nine, the manger was very nice, gave me a pass for the net film an ilently said. “Ge I’m glad more people do not follow your eample. But guess what. I love the movies and i aways go back for more. Excuse my typing. it’s anj age thing. I feel like Harry Brown.

By: Linda

Linda — Tue, 18 May 2010 23:02:45 +0000

Just simply annoying , , ,

By: PaleBlue

PaleBlue — Fri, 19 Mar 2010 14:55:48 +0000

Your $50 per month is supposed to pay for the infrastructure of cable/satellite. The cable company doesn’t produce the shows, they maintain the wires and try to make sure you have uninterrupted access. At least that’s the theory. Networks that produce the shows you watch make their money with ad revenues.