Attn: Great way to stop commercials at the movies!

[Christopher C. Murphy]

Hey everyone,

I've recently decided to try different movie theatre's in my area. It's strange, but the larger theatre's like Loew's play commercials and the smaller ones don't..so, that tells me something.

Here is what I plan to do - become a mystery shopper at Loew's. I've provided the link below, so you can also do it in your local area. In my opinion, it's the best way to show the higher-ups at Loew's that "no-commercials" is important. I plan to tell them that I dislike them as a mystery shopper.

Let's do this all over the country and send a message!

http://www.loewscineplex.com/mysteryshopper/

Murph

[Paul Tauger]

While you're at it, please tell them that crying babies don't belong in movie theaters.

[John Hudson]

Forget all of the commericals.

How about the geniuses that show up not 5 minutes before the show starts but AS THE OPENING TRAILERS ARE PLAYING.

It oughta be like broadway. IF you're not there by the time the show starts, you ain't getting in!

[Rick Bravo]

Although I DO hate commercials in movie theatres, I have to remember that these commercials were created by folks like us, whose livelyhood may lie in commercial work or folks that are aspiring to be like us.

During my down-time between TV shows and Features, I made a very nice living working on hundreds of commercials...wouldn't it be a bitch if no one played them?

If I remember correctly, the first, affordable (not $80.00) blockbuster on VHS was Top Gun. This was largley due to the product placement and commercial that lead on the tape prior to the movie. Now they are just advertising everything throughout the whole movie. It used to be that we would have to "greek" everything out...today there are keylights for the soda can, go figure.

So, while I do think they are obnoxious, I would rather watch ads on film prior to the movie instead of those chintzy slide shows touting everything from flower shops to septic tank cleaning companies, and let's not forget the canned music they play in the BG.

Sit back, watch them, enjoy some and learn new techniques or just rip the SH*& out of them. Plus, this IS the time when all the knuckleheads are trying to find their seats in the dark while carrying enough junk food and drinks to feed a small army.

Now THAT'S entertainment!

RB

P.S. What really gets my goat are the forced commercials or trailers for other movies that are not on the disk you are watching and there is no way to by-pass them in the menu...AAAAAAAAARRRRRRRRRGGGGGGGGGGHHHHHHHHHHHHH!

Sorry, I think it's time to increase the dosage.

[John Hudson]

You could'nt say it any better than that. :)

[Frank Granovski]

I love commercials, and more often the commercials are better than the movie. :-))

[John Hudson]

:/

What movies have you been watching? lol

[Sharon Fraats]

If any of your recall in the news last year at this time there was a lawsuit started to the movie chains as to the times of the movies starting. Stated in the suit is the fact that the times for the movie and the times they showed up was not right. Well my friend and his three others filed that class action lawsuit as to the times being posted to the times of the showing of the movie. Still in the courts yet we will see what the out come is.

As to the commercials the movie theater owners place them there as they are losing money from the movies. It used to be that they made their money form the concession stands well since the distributors asked that they show the movies with less time in between each showing they lose from their sales as the distributor wants more showings. So to make up for this they started showing commercials to make up for this. Found this out from my friend who started the lawsuit.

[Frank Granovski]

What movies have you been watching? lol

The ones I get free tickets to (Westender newspaper), or the ones at those cheaper family owned theatres, like The Hollywood. I'd never go pay full price unless it's a good foreign film.

[Christopher C. Murphy]

I've read all the comments, but I'm sticking to my original idea.

When I pay $9.00 for a movie - that's all I want and I want it at the time I've been told. If it's different - then the movie theatre should be sued or boycotted. We're consumers and they should give us what we pay for in droves...it's not a small industry. The #1 export in the USA is entertainment, so the "make up" argument is crap. Someone is double dipping somewhere and making LOTS extra, so the theatre's make less. It's the theatre's responsibility to sue whoever is messing with their profits - not the consumer to sue them for screwing with our time. We're paying them, they're paying the studios - so, they need to sue the studios. (man, i hate suing in general though)

I love the fact that digital quaility home entertainment is affordable! In the next few years we won't have to be subjected to only Hollywood shlock. I'm already happy with my "on demand" cable from Comcast - lots of movies at the tip of my fingers and there is a mixure of Hollywood and Indies. I've got a HDTV, 5.1 surround sound and some cheap buttered popcorn!

Hey, I love the movie theatre experience as much as the next person. But, we're talking almost $20.00 just to get for two people. That's a lot of cash for hundreds of people sitting in the theatre...at one showing! If they can't make money without getting into commercial television - then close all the theatre's and let's start renting for $4.00 a pop. Let's not forget - some of the best movies are independent and they could benefit from more people renting.

My 2 cents!

Murph

[Mike Butler]

Hey! For $20 (monthly) you could get all the DVDs you can watch and have three out at a time. It's called Netflix, and I have wound up seeing many more movies than I ever would have, including "oldies" that somehow I missed when they came out. Yes I know DVD release is delayed from theatrical release, but that doesn't stop you from putting new movies in your queue so you'll get'em as soon as the DVD is out. Plus with the DVD you get things theatre viewers don't get: documentaries, director's comments etc. Who needs to go to the movies??

As for the unrelated trailers before the menu as Rick pointed out, I do agree but there's a solution. Just lollygag around the kitchen fixing snacks and beverages whilst the undesired trailers play. Then when you get to the menu, you are in control (and have wasted no time). Oh yes, and if the need comes for a bathroom break or a refill on your drink, just hit pause.

Wow, makes me want that Infocus DLP projector even more now.

[Christopher C. Murphy]

I do have Netflix - I've had it for a long time actually!

It's awesome for every reason you mentioned. I also have watched way to many movies since I've been a member. But, I believe my movie experiences have been better. My local rental place only carries the hits...which su*k in my opinion. It's great with Netflix because they have like 15,000 titles and growing.

The only issue with Netflix is occasionally you have to wait a little while for a title to get back in rotation. But, they tell you in the list how long the estimated wait is...I've got 200 movies in my queue. There are about 4-5 movies that have "short wait" or "long wait". That's not bad...and those are usually the hot titles anyway. So, who needs those the second they're available? Not me.

Also, the other small thing...a scratched disk. That is a bummer, but not much more than if the store is down the street. It's probably better because Netflix will send you the same thing if you want...and the local store will usually trash the title if its old. You're sh*t out of luck then...

Murph

[Charles Papert]

Yeah, big thumbs up from me for Netflix. I personally think they should be handling all of the mail delivery in this country--does it not seem like an impossibly short amount of time elapses between dropping the old discs in the mail and getting the new ones!? It's like a Warner Bros' cartoon--Bugs puts a letter in the mailbox and the truck pulls up two seconds later, "special delivery for Bugs Bunny!"

[Mike Butler]

It's really cool to be able to get an old John Wayne flick, plus maybe a Ken Burns docu, along with the number 1 hit of last summer, plus make a reservation for brand new titles in pre-release, all in the same place (without leaving my desktop, no lines, no parking hassles, etc.) I just reserved Cold Mountain so they'll get it to me whenever it's out on disk.

[Christopher C. Murphy]

Three cheers for Netflix!

Watchout for competition - I read a review about Wal-Mart trying to beat Netflix. Also, a few others..

You know what? Movies will be tainted if Wal-Mart is the place we get movies...it just won't be good. Agreed?

Murph