Attn: Great way to stop commercials at the movies!

[John Hudson]

ONCE AGAIN, well put Mr. Murphy.

Frank, I was just playing (I see your point in your comment!)

[Christopher C. Murphy]

Hey John, we agree a lot!

Murph

[Robert Knecht Schmidt]

Whatever happened to throwing tomatoes at the screen?

[John Hudson]

<<<-- Originally posted by Christopher C. Murphy : Hey John, we agree a lot!

Murph -->>>

Yeah, I noticed. Freaky.

everytime I read your posts, I'm like "Yeah."

[Nick Kerpchar]

Murph,
You are right on target. The arguement that stopping commercials in movie theaters will put people out of business is fatally flawed, because if you extend that arguement then we need to support a long list of undesirable industries so as not to put people out of business. The movie theater is a dinosaur just waiting for the final asteroid.

Nick

[Christopher C. Murphy]

In the end, the whole movie going experience will survive and morph into something new.

However, I do believe that it's our responsibility as "filmmakers" or "video professionals" to at LEAST voice our opinion beyond our inner circle here. That's why I'm specifically targeting my energies at the theatre's in my area - it's local to me and they'll know where I am coming from. I can't speak for everyone, but in general I'm confident that "commercialism" is rampant in way to many places.

I feel like it's out of control - we have middle and high schools taking cash from corporations like Coke and Nextel to build sports fields, new classrooms and whatever else. The fields are called, "Coca Cola's Blah Blah Field"...and the concession stand only sells Coke products?! Inside the classroom...it's all Nextel crap? Basically, it's turning into a situation where developing minds are being manipulated into using products before they can even buy them! As they mature, they're becoming addicted to junk that they would probably not even use. But, because the stupid adults let all this garbage invade private spaces...it's morphing the new generations into some bizarre "spend what you don't have" consumer nightmare!

In my humble opinion - corporations decided that the best way to stay in business is to weave themselves into the fabric of our young...and they'll be completely stuck as adults! We all brush our teeth right? I think coporations want to be seen as toothpaste...you don't even think about it as adults...you just pay for it and accept it!

I know we need to brush our teeth - regardless. :)

What does this have to do with movies? I don't know! I lost track in my rant...ok, wait. Yeah, commercials at the movies...it's all part of the long trail back to invading our private spaces without our consent! We can not accept it.

Murph

[Rick Bravo]

Christopher,

You almost seem surprised by all of this commercialism!

Here's a little history lesson:

1948-1953 TEXACO Star Theater- aka, The Milton Berle Show

1953-1956 The BUICK-Berle Show

1958-1959 The KRAFT Music Hall starring Milton Berle.

1957-1960 ALCOA-GOODYEAR Theater.

1959-1968 The BELL TELEPHONE Hour- Musical

1948-1950 The CHESTERFIELD Supper Club.

1952-1953 The CHEVRON Theater-Stars Over Hollywood.

1963-1967 The CHRYSLER Theatre-Bob Hope Specials

1959-1961 The DUPONT Show with Juane Allyson.

This is just a sampling of how this evil invaded our homes during the prime time television hours! Not only were the products showcased in the titles, most, if not all of the commercials during the show also pitched the sponsor. Of special note is that damned near everyone on shows sponsored by cigarette companies smoked their cigarettes on camera during the shows.

The huge difference between today and the dates shown above is the incredible amount of information that can be disemminated and the speed at which it happens in today's world.

Sometimes advertisers are sublte, sometimes they just hit you over the head to get your attention.

How about exiting a Disney or Universal ride...right into a store that sells nothing but products that have to do with that particular ride or movie?

How about...billboards? Flyers? Radio spots? The GoodYear Blimp? Signs on buses? Door hangers? "On Hold" music with ads? Tommy Hilfiger shirts? There's just no getting away from it.

Is it annoying? YES!

Would you like to throttle the people responsible for these terrible transgressions. YES!

Are you going to put a stop to it? Not likely.

The bottom line is that it has become a way of life all over the world and realistically, there isn't a whole hell of allot that we can do about it.

As for the lawsuits, it sure seems like a whole lot of trouble, expense and inconvenience in order to combat just a little inconvenience, just doesn't make a whole bunch of sense to me.

Sorry if I disagree with some of your points but there are just too many other really important things out there in the cold cruel world to worry about...but then again...what the hell do I know!?

If you really must go after someone, how about killing all the spammers and pop-up ads? Sign me up!!! :)

RB

[J. Clayton Stansberry]

The movie going experience has become a troublesome and tainted one for me, 1) because of the extra stuff, 2) because of the people there, and 3) because of the money. I am one of "those people" that when I go see a movie I walk in during the previews because I want to miss the commercials, etc. I plan to do that on purpose. Also, I am one of those people who will turn around and tell you to be quiet if you are talking behind or infront of me during a movie. Several times I have had to get the manager to throw people out because they wouldn't shut up or their cell phone kept ringing and they just carried on a conversation during the movie. Last summer, I went to a movie and some guy and girl got into a huge argument, he threw the cell phone at the screen and the chic walked out crying hysterically. And, I don't think paying around $30 (including popcorn and a $4.00 bottle of water) is worth putting up with rude people or commercials I can watch at home. All in all, I'll take the privacy of my own home anyday, and I'll just wait for the DVD new releases to come out! Here's an idea of how to get rid of the commercials: "Boycott the movies!" Join my boycott! Fight the man! To each their own...

[Rick Bravo]

J.

I completely agree with you. There is nothing worse than today's theater goers. It is probably the main reason why I don't often go to the movies.

The only problem with walking into a popular movie during previews is that it is impossible to get perfect seating for optimum viewing, too bad they don't have reserved seating!

RB

[Mike Butler]

Well, I actually enjoy trailers, partly because it quickly lets me know about new movies (in fact, I have been able to identify some movies I DON'T want to see that way, what a time-saver!)...and partly because some of what I do is similar to trailers, both in length and in intent: "Coming soon to a city near you, the Sauza Get Lost Tour!"

As for commercials, as Rick accurately pointed out, they have been with us since the beginning of time in the TV realm. It's just that full-production-value video spots didn't come to the movie-house screen until much later in history, which is what causes congitive dissonance. We can, however, remember the low-impact, cheezy slide show of still-image ads for local merchants, usually with awful graphic design and accompanied by "whatever" music.

Since you mentioned Disney, I recently had lunch at a restaurant (Sci-Fi Dine-In) in one of their parks (Disney-MGM Studios) where the interior was done up to simulate a drive-in theater. The tables and booths were simulated replicas of '50s era cars, the waitstaff were carhops, and the kitchen was designed to resemble a drive-in movie snack bar. Which brings me to my point: what was playing on the screen between the hilariously corny sci-fi B&W movies of old were those old self-promotion adverts for the theater snack bar, just like they used to be, reminding me of how long this practice has existed in one form or another.

I do agree that advertising and promotion has inserted itself more aggressively and pervasively in our lives, now that a college football championship game is named after a cell phone manufacturer (Nokia), etc.

Oh yeah, and today's moviegoers must have been brought up in a cave, such total idiots...Hooray for Netflix!

[Dan Holly]

I received a series 2 Tivo for my b-day back in August, and I'm still way to busy and satisfied with the quality programming I record to even go to the movies......

Commercials ???? What are those ????
Bloop-bloop-bloop (the sound of Tivo fast forwarding past all lame commercials)

Yes, I've had several broadcast commercials aired....but it's not my forte.....so no offense to those who are paying the bills with them.

[Robert Knecht Schmidt]

I don't think today's moviegoers are any more or less polite than those of other eras. These days at least we have title cards reminding people to be silent during the film, turn off their cell phones, not smoke, etc.

[Rick Bravo]

Yeah, except here in Miami the cards are in Eeeengleeesh...comprendo?

And when the audience don't comprendo too good they call each other on the cell phones for clarification although they are a whole 3 seats away from each other and then they really go to town. Tiki tiki tiki...

Movie audiences in the Greater Miami area suck. Period. Too many cells, too many pagers, too many people who already saw the movie and feel compelled to describe every scene that is coming up, such as..."Watch what happens now...You're not going to beleive this next part...ese tipo es un hijo de puta"...and the infamous...don't worry, they all die at the end!"

I don't know if it is intentional rudeness or just a carryover from another culture where this type of behaviour is common and expected.

I was born and raised by Cuban parents, in NY City and I was always taught that I should speak ONLY English around only English speakers...to do otherwise was incosiderate and rude. I was also taught to shut the hell up in a movie theater and enjoy the show so others might enjoy it also, and so my Dad didn't have to land an attention getter across my bean!

My folks, may they rest in peace, did the right thing. They taught me and my siblings the correct way to act when interacting within another culture, mainly, the American culture.

Frankly, I honestly feel that if you stopped the "caveat" slide show prior to the movie and held a quiz, the majority of the audience couldn't tell you what the message was.

OK, dame mas papcorn y empiesa la pelicula!!!

And BEFORE any self righteous activists out there start wanting to make me a project...I was born in NY City, Manhattan to be exact, of Cuban parents who came here as immigrants, not refugees. My first language is Spanish, in which I am fluent in speaking, writing and reading, although I am infinitely more comfortable in English. I went to a Jewish pre-school and an Irish/Christian Brothers school for my formative years. And to boot, I am a practicing Roman Catholic. I feel I have a little ownership here, so please, save any complaints, grievances, law suits, nasty grams, etc. for other more worthy opponents with deeper pockets! :)


RB (Still trying to figure out how to spell RB in Spanish!!!)

[Christopher C. Murphy]

Hey Rick, El Polo Loco!

That's the only Spanish I know... :)

Murph

[Rick Bravo]

Add one l to Polo and you get Pollo, or the chicken part of Crazy Chicken!

Some very tasty food if it is the same one they have here!

One very important life saving phrase you should never be without is...una cerveza fria por favor! "One cold beer please." (repeat as necessary)

I call that survival Spanish!

Enjoy, papi.

RB