Cinema adverts

[beanzontoast]

Yesterday, we went to the cinema to see the new Harry Potter. [Quite good actually - bit darker than the previous ones].

Anyway...

First we had the rolling slideshow of adverts, half of which were not in focus, one of which was tilted at 10 degrees to the horizontal, interspersed with empty screens (? huh? what's all that about then?), all of which were accompanied by a deafening but faulty soundtrack in which some elements were whisper quiet while others nearly took out your eardrums.

The 'programme' then started, 10 mins late.

We then sat through 30 minutes of adverts, trailers for new films (3 times we saw the advert for the new Jack Black film. 3 times!!). It got to the point where I shut my eyes and told Mrs B to wake me up when the film we had paid to watch actually got around to starting!

40 minutes in now. She nudged me just as the 'And now your Feature Presentation' screen came on. Right, at last, I thought!...

But...

No.

Another advert, this time for the Jack Black film (grrr!!!!!!!!!!!) but morphing into an ad for Orange. (I think - I'd started playing eye-spy at that point).

Is this the way things are going in the cinema advertising world? If it is, I think I might give up going to the cinema.

 

[gb155]

I love the "Dont buy a bootleg version of this film, watch it in the cinema" adverts........HANG ON... I AM In the cinema.......

 

[Lizban]

If you sit in the gallary part of a well know chain - it's more expensive but when factoring free drinks/popcorn I think it is value, ask the nice man /lady to tell when the film is about to start and they get you from the bar 5 mins before actual KO.

Much better

 

[Melvil]

[QUOTE 1273201"]
I know. We were there last week and subjected to Martin Freeman telling us that film piracy is illegal. Like he, a millionaire, is bothered.
[/quote]


One thing that gets my goat is that when you buy a legal DVD you have a plethora of non skippable adverts/trailers/assorted rubbish before you actually get to the menu screen, whereas if you watch a copied DVD or avi recording there's none of that hassle - straight to the main feature! It's nuts!

We actually make it a point to get to the showing of the film 20 minutes late or so just to avoid all the tedious adverts (why do they show trailers for films that are 3 mins long, essentially all the best bits of it) - so we may well be that annoying family sorting everything out at the beginning of the film (apols!).

 

[asterix]

whereas if you watch a copied DVD or avi recording there's none of that hassle - straight to the main feature! It's nuts!

Yup, the bootleggers have missed a business opportunity there..

 

[beanzontoast]

If you sit in the gallary part of a well know chain - it's more expensive but when factoring free drinks/popcorn I think it is value, ask the nice man /lady to tell when the film is about to start and they get you from the bar 5 mins before actual KO.

Much better

I quite like the idea of playing 'film chicken' - waiting until the last possible moment before going in to watch the film - as long as I knew I would have a good seat*. In the new Showcase de Luxe in Derby, they used to have a system even in the general price auditorium where you could choose your seats when booking, but there was a lot of confusion when it first opened - people sitting anywhere. Not sure if it still applies.

(*And when I say 'good 'seat', this also means one that didn't have a huge lump in the stuffing like the one my daughter found herself perched on initially yesterday!)

 

[yello]

40 minutes in now.

40 minutes! That's taking the piss. Big time.

Yet another reason to download or buy pirate copies. I have little sympathy for the film industry when some elements of it seem hell bent on the merchandising deals, tie-ins etc.

I'm a self admitted luddite here; studios don't need to spend millions on special effects, or Bruce Willis/Will Smith/Arnie/whoever to make a decent movie. Or perhaps we are stupid?