I can remember in my youth, going to a movie with my brothers to see a James Bond movie. It cost 75 cents to get in and for that money I saw not only a " double feature" but also a cartoon before the show started. I remember walking about two miles to the high tech " multiplex" theater that had two movie houses under one roof. It was the theater to go to, as it was so modern. I remember the day very clearly and in my mind's eye I can still see the snow drifting down from the elevated train platform, as the train went by me. That was in New York about 1975 and that was then. Now is such a different reality.
Last night I went to the movies and I saw a movie that took place in New York. I did not flinch when I spent over eight dollars to get in the theater. Heck, I did not even think twice about the fact that I should have taken out a loan before getting popcorn, candy and soda. The crux of my brief tirade here is not the cost of the evening, as I have come to expect to pay a small fortune for my choice of going to a movie. I know what I am am getting into and I accept my fate. Although tonight I received more than I bargained for, and what I received was no bargain at all.
The movie was scheduled to start at 7:30 PM, so I arrived at 7:20 PM to be in my seat and settled before the show began. It was not a new release so I did not fear of not getting a seat. I hate crowded seating so I only attend movies right before they seem to show up on the DVD scene.
When I sat down at 7:20 there were some local commercials running over and over again until 7:30. I prepared for the usual coming attractions but instead I was visually bombarded for 15 minutes with hand cream commercials, car commercials and a host of other products from websites to how I could have bought my ticket on line at some now forgotten website. It was now 7:45 PM and I had now been focused on 25 minutes of commercials. The lights then dimmed and the curtain widened a bit more and I settled in for the coming attractions, which are not as bad as the commercials I just witnessed.
Instead of previews there was another round of commercials followed by 5 minutes of coming attractions. When the movie finally started at 8:00, I realized I just paid an amount of money almost equal to a mortgage payment, to see commercials. I had just sat through 40 minutes of products being hawked on the screen for the low price of $8.00!! I paid to sit through commercials.
Yesterday I saw cartoons and today I see commercials. The fun was sucked out of that movie experience and I wonder if, and when I will ever want to go back to a movie again? I am tempted to send the theater a bill for my time because I was subjected to advertisements I did not want to see and I definely did not want to pay for. Hollywood take notice......You will not get my $8.00 anytime soon. The power always begins with one.
Does anyone else feel like I do today?
Keith spends most of his time as a manager in big box retail and when he is not he is tinkering with the internet.
I agree the ads have to go. The last movie I saw (Gran Torino) was almost as unbearable as your experience. If they have to show commercials, why don't they do it until the starting time. That is, if the movie starts at 7:30pm, start showing the commercials at 7:15. That way, the commercials are shown and the movie starts on time. Wouldn't that work?
Yeah, I know: it's so simple it would never work . . .
Unbelievable...40 minutes! I liked your comment about taking a loan out for the popcorn etc--things have changed in this arena and not for the better. Great article.
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