Person at theater sues since they have to sit through commercials

The BBQ Pit
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The biggest problem with the advertising before the movie is that it makes it impossible to judge how long you’re going to be there. This has implications if you have post-movie restaurant reservations, if you are expecting someone to pick you up after the movie, if, as mentioned above, you have a babysitter watching your kids, etc.

I decided to go see LOTR in the afternoon of a day when there was a Dopefest scheduled. Calculating from the movie start and running times, with a little leeway for previews, I figured I could just make the Dopefest. I did not expect that there would be a good 20-25 minutes of commercials before the movie. Fortunately other Dopers were even later than I was, so no harm was done. But if I had been planning to be somewhere less flexible than a Dopefest, I would have been extremely annoyed.

Show the commercials if you must, but at least give the audience some idea of how long the entire procedure is going to last.

That said, while I applaud the sentiment behind the lawsuit, I don’t think it has a chance of being successful, and probably rightly so.

42

Any UK Dopers want to answer a question? Specifically, how does TV work on your side of the pond?

I have this vague notion (admittedly ignorant here) that it is state run, but that folks pay for it as well (like a utility bill). How far off am I, and what is advertising like for you guys (all venues)?

43

Former independant movie theatre owner and manager for a large chain checking in here.
If you agree with this lawsuit to any extent you are an idiot.

You think a theatre that ‘drops paid ads’ as some sort of promotional ploy will do better?

WRONG

You think a theatre might do this?

Yeah right, I can see someone in a circuits home office saying to the big boss, ‘Ummm, hey you know those checks for tons of money people give us to play ads? Lets give that up cold turkey’

Running a theatre is an expensive business. I’ll bet there are pretty good odds that the theatre you attend was built in the last 5 to 10 years, with a good chunk of those being under 5 years old. Theatres today are MUCH better places to see a movie than say 20 years ago. Stadium seats (guess how much one of those chairs cost), digital sound, lots of screens so they can have multiple prints so you won’t go ballistic on the teenage girl selling tickets when it happens to be sold out. Theatres (in general) have made vast quality improvements.

You think the ticket price is too high. Where do you think Adam Sandler’s 20 million dollar paycheck comes from? The studio? Well yes but where does the studio get their money? From the THEATRES! When you hear that LotR TTT made 320 million dollars remember that of that total about 40% was kept at the theatre the rest went to New Line. So theatres stated selling concessions. But that’s sooooo expensive! Are the movie theatre prices as high as the concession prices at sporting events? If you are lucky enough to have pro sports in your town and you can afford tickets to watch.

So now they want to make some money with ads. They are on the popcorn bags, the kiddie trays, (though most of those are for movies they are still paid for in one way or another) Some ads are in lobbies, there is preshow slide advertising and yes some actual moving ads.

BIG FAT FUCKING HAIRY DEAL

This is worthy of a LAWSUIT? This is worthy of 5 min on Good Morning America?

The movie doesn’t start when the ticket says it will.

So will you sue Delta Airlines the next time your flight is late?

Will you sue the producers of a play if it doesn’t start on time?

What about my doctor? My appointment never starts at the predetermined time.

Or my barber?

I rarely bash stupid lawsiuts but this one really pisses me OFF.

As a theatre manager I was subjected to the most vile abuse for OTHER PEOPLES STUPIDITY EVERY DAMN DAY!

Our standard practice was to tell people to arrive 30 mins BEFORE THE SHOWTIME. You want the movie to start just as your personal ass hits the seats? What the fuck is wrong with you people have you NEVER WORKED A CUSTOMER SERVICE JOB IN YOUR LIFE?

Oh and let me guess. You want to sit down right befor the movie starts in the middle of the house without a tall person in front of you and without anyone blocking your acces to the asile and without some teenagers sitting behind you and you want the temp set to just how you like it and you don’t want to wait in line. Oh and four seats together.

Well stay the fuck home.

I do not applaud this lawsuit. I do not applaud the lawyer who took their case and I do not applaud GMA for broadcasting this without saying Are You Nuts?

Movie theatres are expensive to build, operate and maintain. Oh and guess what? The companies that run want to make a profit. That means that after paying for everything they want some left over. They want to MAXIMIZE profits. There are NEVER ENOUGH PROFITS. If a theatre is profitable without ads, but more profit will be made with ads they will do it. THEY HAVE TO DO IT. (most circuits are ‘owned’ by stockholders)

If you want more information you can call the theatre befor hand. The box office usually has a running time that includes the pre-show. Some theatre will tell you how long the pre-show is on the recording but if you have a 24 plex saying 'Daredevil screen one, preshow at 12 noon feature starts at 12:14, preshow at 2 feature starts at 2:14, preshow at 4:15 featurs starts at 4:29… would take about three hours to explain that all to people.

And Yes, working in a movie theatre pretty much makes you hate movie goes because

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FOR THE MOST PART THEY ARE ALL A BUNCH OF CRYBABIES WHO CAN’T FIND THEIR THEATRE AFTER GOING TO THE BATHROOM, WHO WANT EVERYTHING TO BE TO THEIR PERSONLA TASTES AND THEY WANT IT ALL TO BE INEXPENSIVE

fucking tab key

45

I agree. I fail to see why theatre owners have to have something besides the outrageous amount we pay for food and tickets to “defray their costs”. And I’d like to think that this suit might change that, but I doubt it will.

That being said, even though it annoys me to have to see commercials when I’ve already paid for the product, I do what I do at home during the commercials, I talk to my movie going buddies and ignore them (the commercials, not my friends, lol).

Maybe my family is “weird” but we like to get to the theatre early anyway to get decent seats. And I’m not sure if theatres in anyone else’s neck of the woods does this or not, but there are “slide presentation” type commercials for local businesses on the screen the whole time the theatre is open.

So, if you’re early you’re bombarded with some sort of ad anyway, so what’s 5 more minutes? Don’t most people spend the preview time “settling in” and winding down on their talking and visiting with their friends anyway?

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And you’re an asshole with an attitude.

Really, really, REALLY awful analogies. Delta Airlines, your Doc, the local live theater and your barber are not planning on being late from the get go. The theaters know damn good and well ahead of time they will, and plan being so.

30 minutes? WTF? Are you running a airline or a movie theater? If the movie starts at 7, and my ass hits the seat at 7, yes, I expect it to start very shortly thereafter. I don’t think that is an unreasonable request.

What the fuck does any of this have to do with working at a customer service job? FYI - I worked at resturants and dept stores until my early 20s.

No. And you’re rambling again.

I agree. Thats why I do. It sounds like you have a lot of anger. Maybe you should too. It might help.

No shit they’re expensive. I’m also paying 3 times what I used to for a movie ticket than in the 80s. That’s also why you pay $4 for a box of popcorn and $3 for a coke.

There is gouging, and then there is GOUGING. Where the fuck does it stop?

NO. It is really easy. Say Daredevil starts at 7:15. Then, <gasp> START THE FEATURE AT 7:15!!! What is so difficult about that?

Do you have any dip to go with that big chip on you shoulder?

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Zebra, thank you for an informative post. It is good to hear from someone who actually has worked in the industry.

I guess that this is the question that I have for you here: You mention that the business of running a theater is an expensive on. I can buy that, between equipment maintenance and paying the staff (to say nothing of the mortgage or rent on the place), however I wonder if the expense is proportionally higher than, say 15-20 years ago.

The reason that I ask this is that I am old enough to remember (at least the tail end) when theaters would show cartoons and newsreels at the beginning of films, followed by the preview. This seems to have worked then, and I wonder why it can’t now. Is it just greed on the part of the Movie Stars/Studios/Stock Holders that is rolling down hill, or what?

As to hating moviegoers, I can relate. My feeling is that basically any situation where one is regularly exposed to the general public with result in misanthropy.

48

I don’t know that I’ve ever been to a sporting event that started at the time listed on the ticket. They intentionally start late as well, according to a set schedule hidden from the public. And they often have advertising in the form of promotions in that time! Why can’t I sue?

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I guess I can see the point of the lawsuit. The time in the paper is supposed to be the time the movie will be shown. Or perhaps it’s the time at which the entertainment starts (and commercials don’t count as entertainment).

You could have a case where a theater owner decides he makes more from the commercials than the movie. So he puts a start time of 9:00 in the paper but doesn’t start the movie until 10. So he runs commercials for an hour to a packed house and generates a bunch of revenue. Or maybe he has an MLM salesman make his pitch. Ugh.

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Zebra,

I agree with most of your post. A big fat THANK YOU to you!

People are going to file stupid lawsuits until someone stands up and says, “Are you serious!?!?! Get the hell outta here!”

Pleaaaaaaahhhhhhhse. That lady on GMA who filed the lawsuit looks like she has nothing better to do. Absurd. Just absurd.

Sorry, but it’s my opinion and I’m sticking to it.

Perhaps she SHOULD just rent a DVD or video and fast forward through the previews.

Would that satisfy her? Probably not.

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But aren’t they making some of that media so that you can’t do that?

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Then learn something about it. Movie theaters keep about 1% of the money from ticket sales. The vast majority of it goes straight to the studios. Just about the only place where movie theaters make money is the concession stands… and advertising.

So if they got rid of advertising, that wouldn’t necessarily affect ticket sales… they’d just need to raise the prices at concessions, or close.

You guys think owning a movie theater is a lucrative business? Most of ‘em are barely in the black all the time. There is NO “fucking the customers” going on. There is no “fleecing”. A friggin’ McDonald’s makes more money than a movie theater.

Know what I suggest? Stop whining and grow up. Or stop going to the movies.

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Oh ouch Spoofe, read the rest of my post eh? I don’t whine, I just ignore them (the commercials). And secondly, mine was a mild, question, not whining.

And thanks to the theatre owner’s post (which I didn’t see prior to posting mine), while a bit harsh (um if you hate your customers THAT much, aren’t you in the wrong business?) that was interesting and informative.

I would be interested in either your, or the theatre owner’s input regarding a question someone else has posted in this thread. To the effect of “How did the theatres make money in the 80 some odd years they’ve been in business BEFORE they started this commercials in theatres business”?

(an honestly interested, NOT snide question).

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This is, unfortunately, the motto of the modern age. The ads aren’t going anywhere, and they’ll keep figuring out more places to put them until they finally solve the problem once and for all and beam them directly into our brains.

And Zebra, I have worked customer service, and it didn’t turn me into a pissy, self-righteous misanthrope.

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The bottom line is, it’s a business. If they want to drive away their customers by making the experience less pleasurable, I say more power to 'em. Zebra will get laid off, and we won’t have to listen to his/her asinine rants when the ISP bill gets too high.

Personally, I make a point of talking loudly whenever ads are on in the theater for the 1 or 2 movies I go to each year. I’m thinking of bringing in a radio next time… Another strategy would be for people to agree to boo and hiss. Also, write the advertiser complaining about the placement and telling them you won’t buy their product until they stop marketing that way.

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Let me see if I have this right: theatres have lousy profit margins, so they jack up the price of the tickets and gouge at the concession and subject the audience to x minutes of advertising and if we don’t like the prices and the ads, we should just stay home.

When people start taking that advice, the profits will go down, the prices and number of ads will go up to make up the money… yeah, I can definitely see how this is going to be a good thing for the business.

I’m sure it must be a relief to know that there’s no competition from any kind of home systems that would play movies, or some sort of bizarre theatre that would run movies after they’d been out for a while and only charge a buck or two to get in.

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Er, even at worst, it seems to be no less than 20-30% ( http://money.cnn.com/2002/03/08/smbusiness/q_movies/), rising each week that the picture runs.

Still, the fact that theater owners are being bent over their projectors by the studios doesn’t seem to me to be my problem. (Well, it’s definitely not my problem because I go to maybe one movie a year.) While independant theaters don’t have much of an option, most theaters nowadays belong to a few large chains, and should be able to act in concert in order to strike better deals with the studios. Through creative accounting, movie studios manage to claim that they make no profits on even the most extravagant blockbuster, so I’m not particularly willing to believe that the entire movie industry is just scraping along, dependent on the few hundred dollars a month that advertising brings to the theater.

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Well I am also a former movie theater manager for a large national theater chain, bailing out of a thankless job before the company filed for Chapter 11 (though they’re still operating, obviously). I’ve opened mega-plexes, overseen marketing strategies large urban markets, and run one of the most successful “flagship” theaters in the company (and the country).

And I can say that most of what Zebra has to say avoids the reality of the situation, which is that the theaters are 100% to blame for their financial problems. All the whining about profit margins and revenue options draws Zero sympathy from me for the simple reason that the theater chains got greedy. Exceptionally greedy. They expanded way too fast, built these enormous complexes everywhere, and then realized that the only people they’ve hurt is themselves.

Movie previews are not optional for a theater. They are contractually obligated to show them as part of the negotiation process every Film Office has with the studios. They have trailer checkers–people whose job it is to go from theater to theater, unscheduled and randomly, to confirm that such-&-such trailer is showing on such-&-such film. They are not an option.

But the other cinema advertising is most definitely optional. The theater chains tied up enormous amounts of money and resources into these megaplexes that are largely underperforming. That’s why theaters are dirtier than before and concession lines are longer: because staffing is getting cut. Unfortunately, there’s very little else you can do on a day-to-day to impact your costs, so the excuse is that they have to have this advertising just to make ends meet.

Utter crap. Of course, now, they probably do need to because of the hole they’ve dug themselves in, but when I managed (less than a decade ago), we weren’t showing ads. We didn’t need to to make ends meet. But that was before the area got inundated with redundant screens, both by the competition and by our own chain.

What SPOOFE says about 1% of the take going to the theaters is also crap. Zebra got it right with 40% (typically less for the first or second weekend of a blockbuster). Theaters traditionally depended on films with legs; the longer a film is out, the bigger percentage the theater gets each subsequent week. It was in their own best interests to maintain a market that was condusive to films having legs.

But now that you have so many screens everywhere, big films are readily available, Sold Out shows are rarer and rarer, and you have films that make $120 with virtually no legs. They vanish after a month, and it’s killing theaters. But most chains didn’t want to see this; they wanted to see the short-term gain. “Hey, we’ll open this megaplex with stadium-seating and digital doo-dads and make a killing, even though the market isn’t demanding it.” And they did. That is, until their competitors built a competing 20-screener blocks away six months later, oversaturating what the market required and putting themselves in the mess they’re in.

IMNAL, so I can’t argue for the worthiness of the case. But I hope it forces theaters to rethink their attitudes toward their customers. Sure, I dealt with more than my share of pains-in-the-ass in customer service situations; but I also know that very often, I was not given the resources necessary to create an exemplary movie-going experience because my division heads chose to expand fast instead of slow.

So the mealy-mouthed whining of the theaters falls on these deaf ears. Selling ad time is easy; coming up with some creative means of cutting costs and generating new revenue is harder. If they’re willing to non-chalantly piss off their customer base in order to take the easy way out, then they should expect some backlash.

I’ve lived in England and having the separate start time for features was nice (and no, not all of them required reserved seating and it still worked OK). This is an easy step the theaters can take, but they’re so dependant on this quick revenue fix from Coke & VW, et al. that they’re terrified at the prospect of doing anything that might force them to Think Differently. Boo-Hoo to them. :rolleyes:

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Wow! Ask and ye shall receive!! Thanks for the research ArchiveGuy!

Interesting post.

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Yes, especially when I’m charged $75 when I “miss” my appointment by leaving the waiting room when I’m told the orthodontist is running thirty minutes late. Some people don’t have that time to waste.