# Right, that's it, I'm now going to Pirate movies **URL:** \ **Category:** The BBQ Pit\ **Created:** [June 22, 2004, 11:42am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/right-thats-it-im-now-going-to-pirate-movies/251607 "2004-06-22T11:42:37Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Silentgoldfish](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/e36b37/32.png) [@Silentgoldfish](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Silentgoldfish)\ **Post date:** [June 22, 2004, 11:42am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/right-thats-it-im-now-going-to-pirate-movies/251607/1 "2004-06-22T11:42:37Z")
Yaaarrrrharharrr!!! I mean, what the fuck! 15 bucks for tickets, 5 bucks for popcorn and half a FUCKING hour of previews and ads, a sanctimonious message about how pirating movies is illegal and a toll free number to dob your friends in, and TWO more trailers before the movie starts?? I WISH I was exagerating. The entire theatre was grumbling near the end of the neverending avalanche of sales pitches. When the don’t pirate movies ad came on some guy yelled “sorry!” and everyone cracked up. Pissing off audiences with 30 minutes of ads is not going to make us sympathetic to any studio or theatre chain’s piracy woes. ---
**Author:** ![Brutus](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/91b2a8/32.png) [@Brutus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Brutus)\ **Post date:** [June 22, 2004, 11:48am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/right-thats-it-im-now-going-to-pirate-movies/251607/2 "2004-06-22T11:48:06Z")
The commericals really are a bit much. But people keep going, so… Just buy a good TV (one time investment), and spend the ticket price on DVDs. ---
**Author:** ![Cheesesteak](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/cheesesteak/32/3694_2.png) [@Cheesesteak](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cheesesteak)\ **Post date:** [June 22, 2004, 12:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/right-thats-it-im-now-going-to-pirate-movies/251607/3 "2004-06-22T12:07:03Z")
Not to mention the idiocy of annoying a theater full of _paying customers_ with an anti-pirating ad. That’s like berating someone about shoplifting while they’re at the register paying for their stuff. :smack: ---
**Author:** ![friedo](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/8edcca/32.png) [@friedo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/friedo)\ **Post date:** [June 22, 2004, 12:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/right-thats-it-im-now-going-to-pirate-movies/251607/4 "2004-06-22T12:19:40Z")
Here’s my Million Dollar Idea[sup]TM[/sup] for a movie theater that could get away with charging $20 or more a seat. 1. No previews or commercials 2. Assigned seating, plus, all the seats are comfy sofas or big comfy livingroom chairs. 3. Waiters who come and take your popcorn and candy orders and bring you the stuff. 4. A ninja who flips out and kills anybody whose cellphone rings. ---
**Author:** ![bienville](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/4bbf92/32.png) [@bienville](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/bienville)\ **Post date:** [June 22, 2004, 12:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/right-thats-it-im-now-going-to-pirate-movies/251607/5 "2004-06-22T12:45:33Z")
> [@friedo](#): > > 1. No previews or commercials But I _like_ previews. The commercials we can do away with, I’ve overpaid as it is I don’t want them making _more_ money off me. The previews, however, are part of the cool movie-going experience for me. Also, if not for the previews, the asses who come in late would be walking in front of me while the actual movie was running rather than walking in front of me during previews. And I agree with the OP. Telling movie patrons “Don’t Pirate” is senseless as we’re the ones paying for overpriced tickets and \*not \*pirating. :mad: ---
**Author:** ![Ludovic](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/7ab992/32.png) [@Ludovic](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ludovic)\ **Post date:** [June 22, 2004, 1:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/right-thats-it-im-now-going-to-pirate-movies/251607/6 "2004-06-22T13:01:39Z")
Yaarrrrrrr! I bet I’m not the only one who thought the OP was going to movies _about_ pirates 😉 ---
**Author:** ![JeffB](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jeffb/32/188_2.png) [@JeffB](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/JeffB)\ **Post date:** [June 22, 2004, 1:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/right-thats-it-im-now-going-to-pirate-movies/251607/7 "2004-06-22T13:13:04Z")
> [@Ludovic](#): > > Yaarrrrrrr! > > I bet I’m not the only one who thought the OP was going to movies _about_ pirates 😉 Exactly! I thought _Pirates of the Carribbean 2_ was released early. ---
**Author:** ![dantheman](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dantheman/32/9421_2.png) [@dantheman](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/dantheman)\ **Post date:** [June 22, 2004, 1:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/right-thats-it-im-now-going-to-pirate-movies/251607/8 "2004-06-22T13:14:34Z")
> [@Cheesesteak](#): > > Not to mention the idiocy of annoying a theater full of _paying customers_ with an anti-pirating ad. That’s like berating someone about shoplifting while they’re at the register paying for their stuff. :smack: Ah, but **Cheesesteak** , that’s where the pirating takes place. Guy pays his $10 to see the thing and whips out his handy-dandy camcorder. Then makes copies and sells 'em for $5 each. (There might even be pirates in there who didn’t pay to get in. I know, perish the thought!) ---
**Author:** ![P\_T](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/a587f6/32.png) [@P\_T](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/P_T)\ **Post date:** [June 22, 2004, 1:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/right-thats-it-im-now-going-to-pirate-movies/251607/9 "2004-06-22T13:35:50Z")
> [@bienville](#): > > But I _like_ previews. The commercials we can do away with, I’ve overpaid as it is I don’t want them making _more_ money off me. The previews, however, are part of the cool movie-going experience for me. Also, if not for the previews, the asses who come in late would be walking in front of me while the actual movie was running rather than walking in front of me during previews. > > And I agree with the OP. Telling movie patrons “Don’t Pirate” is senseless as we’re the ones paying for overpriced tickets and \*not \*pirating. :mad: I like previews too, but when the movie is supposed to start at 8:10 and there are still previews running at 8:30, that’s a bit much. I say show all the previews you want between shows, but start that movie at the time you say you are starting the movie. As for the people coming in late, how about not selling tickets after a showing starts? ---
**Author:** ![tdn](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/94ad74/32.png) [@tdn](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/tdn)\ **Post date:** [June 22, 2004, 1:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/right-thats-it-im-now-going-to-pirate-movies/251607/10 "2004-06-22T13:36:47Z")
> [@Brutus](#): > > The commericals really are a bit much. But people keep going, so… Just buy a good TV (one time investment), and spend the ticket price on DVDs. What, and miss out on kids kicking my seat, stale popcorn drenched in butter-flavored motor oil, and the utter joy of hearing strangers converse? Perish the thought! ---
**Author:** ![Agrippina](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/8797f3/32.png) [@Agrippina](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Agrippina)\ **Post date:** [June 22, 2004, 1:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/right-thats-it-im-now-going-to-pirate-movies/251607/11 "2004-06-22T13:38:14Z")
> [@P\_T\_](#): > > I like previews too, but when the movie is supposed to start at 8:10 and there are still previews running at 8:30, that’s a bit much. Or when you have to remind yourself which movie you’re actually seeing, it’s also a bit much. Maybe that’s just me. 😃 Other than that, I like Previews too. ---
**Author:** ![Zebra](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/z/c0e974/32.png) [@Zebra](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Zebra)\ **Post date:** [June 22, 2004, 1:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/right-thats-it-im-now-going-to-pirate-movies/251607/12 "2004-06-22T13:46:26Z")
You only paid 5 bucks for popcorn? I guess you didn’t get a drink to go with it. ---
**Author:** ![Dead\_Badger](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/848f3c/32.png) [@Dead\_Badger](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dead_Badger)\ **Post date:** [June 22, 2004, 2:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/right-thats-it-im-now-going-to-pirate-movies/251607/13 "2004-06-22T14:07:50Z")
> [@Cheesesteak](#): > > Not to mention the idiocy of annoying a theater full of paying customers with an anti-pirating ad. Yup, just like it’s a peculiar feature of most copy protection mechanisms that they seem to serve largely to piss off people who’ve already bought the bloody product. I remember one particularly bad game that had a code lookup sheet with strings you had to enter every time you played the game. That was bad enough, but to make the sheet impossible to photocopy they’d printed it all in the palest blue you could imagine, which instantly faded in the sunlight, meaning the game only worked about 1 time in 10 because the codes were unreadable. Oh, and if you got the code wrong three times, the game locked. LOCKED I tell you. Jesus. And the copyright warnings you have to sit through when you buy a DVD? Gnnghhhh! **dantheman** , you’re right that the first round of piracy takes place in the cinema, but the pirates are hardly inconvenienced by the notices, are they? I imagine the numer of pirates who have a sudden change of heart when confronted by the FACT notice is relatively small. 🙂 And given that the stoicism of the cinema-going public is legendary (how many threads do we have about people sitting through films with sociopaths, doing little more than tut?), I don’t see folks rushing to dob in the guy at the back… ---
**Author:** ![dantheman](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dantheman/32/9421_2.png) [@dantheman](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/dantheman)\ **Post date:** [June 22, 2004, 2:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/right-thats-it-im-now-going-to-pirate-movies/251607/14 "2004-06-22T14:12:54Z")
> [@Dead Badger](#): > > **dantheman** , you’re right that the first round of piracy takes place in the cinema, but the pirates are hardly inconvenienced by the notices, are they? I imagine the numer of pirates who have a sudden change of heart when confronted by the FACT notice is relatively small. 🙂 And given that the stoicism of the cinema-going public is legendary (how many threads do we have about people sitting through films with sociopaths, doing little more than tut?), I don’t see folks rushing to dob in the guy at the back… Yeah, it probably doesn’t bother them in the least (the pirates, that is). But hey, that’s where the pirating is taking place, so I can’t say I blame the theater for putting their warnings there. Most moviegoers, stoic or not, probably wouldn’t notice someone videotaping the movie. I mean, the theater’s dark and crowded, and all the guy has to do is put the camera between two seats, one would think. ---
**Author:** ![World\_Eater](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/f04885/32.png) [@World\_Eater](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/World_Eater)\ **Post date:** [June 22, 2004, 2:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/right-thats-it-im-now-going-to-pirate-movies/251607/15 "2004-06-22T14:15:36Z")
> [@friedo](#): > > Here’s my Million Dollar Idea[sup]TM[/sup] for a movie theater that could get away with charging $20 or more a seat. > > 1. Assigned seating, plus, all the seats are comfy sofas or big comfy livingroom chairs. Sadly, they’re in the process of testing this. You get some “first class” chair in the middle of the theater for like $18 bucks or something. I’ll see if I can dig up a link. ---
**Author:** ![Ethilrist](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ethilrist/32/4604_2.png) [@Ethilrist](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ethilrist)\ **Post date:** [June 22, 2004, 2:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/right-thats-it-im-now-going-to-pirate-movies/251607/16 "2004-06-22T14:17:50Z")
Watching some DVD’s recently, I found my self wondering, “I’m in Minnesota. How much do I really need to worry about _Interpol_ getting on my case?” I’ve always thought they could have an hour of previews as a scheduled thing, completely separate from the actual movie. When there are previews out things like Star Wars or LOTR, people would gladly go see previews. ---
**Author:** ![c\_goat](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/f4b2a3/32.png) [@c\_goat](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/c_goat)\ **Post date:** [June 22, 2004, 2:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/right-thats-it-im-now-going-to-pirate-movies/251607/17 "2004-06-22T14:34:39Z")
The theater by me has “Director’s Hall”, where you get a roomier comfy seat, and assigned seats (it’s a separate theater). I don’t think it’s worth the extra price ($2 more per ticket), and I kind of enjoy watching the last minute arrivals get annoyed that there’s not 8 seats together (better than watching the damn commercials). ---
**Author:** ![mhendo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mhendo/32/3159_2.png) [@mhendo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/mhendo)\ **Post date:** [June 22, 2004, 4:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/right-thats-it-im-now-going-to-pirate-movies/251607/18 "2004-06-22T16:07:48Z")
> [@World Eater](#): > > Sadly, they’re in the process of testing this. You get some “first class” chair in the middle of the theater for like $18 bucks or something. I’ll see if I can dig up a link. They’ve had it in Sydney for a few years now. I give you [La Premiere](http://hoyts.ninemsn.com.au/cinema/lapremiere.asp). $A25 (about $US17.50). ---
**Author:** ![mhendo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mhendo/32/3159_2.png) [@mhendo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/mhendo)\ **Post date:** [June 22, 2004, 4:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/right-thats-it-im-now-going-to-pirate-movies/251607/19 "2004-06-22T16:10:38Z")
> [@dantheman](#): > > Ah, but **Cheesesteak** , that’s where the pirating takes place. Guy pays his $10 to see the thing and whips out his handy-dandy camcorder. Then makes copies and sells 'em for $5 each. Has anyone in this thread actually ever watched a movie pirated in this way? I ask because it seems to me that the quality would be pretty awful. ---
**Author:** ![mhendo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mhendo/32/3159_2.png) [@mhendo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/mhendo)\ **Post date:** [June 22, 2004, 4:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/right-thats-it-im-now-going-to-pirate-movies/251607/20 "2004-06-22T16:18:10Z")
And [here’s](http://www.readingcinemas.com.au/cinelounge.asp) another Australian luxury movie theatre that looks even more upscale than the previous one. > [@](#): > > The latest release movies in an exclusive environment featuring mega wall to wall screens and state of the art digital EX sound. Enjoy a glass of wine and something to eat from our snack and meal menu, while watching your film. > > Use of the elegant, fully licensed Regency Cinelounge where you can meet with colleagues and friends before or after a movie. > > The ultimate in comfort with luxurious armchair seating. > > A complimentary choice of soft drinks and popcorn. > > Advanced telephone ticket reservations. > > All theatres have Moran Lounge Chairs, Wheelchair Access available. Meals including desserts will be served to you in the cinema. A fully licensed bar offers a range of beer, spirits, and premium wines and cocktails. [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/right-thats-it-im-now-going-to-pirate-movies/251607.md?page=2)