I go to the cinema to watch films – not 19 adverts

It is good to read this. Ads do put me off buying products and it is good to hear that I am not the only one.

Couldn’t agree more Victoria. I stopped going some time ago as I also found the smell of popcorn etc. off-putting and the sticky floors unpleasant. Last week my wife persuaded me to try again for a recent release but I was disappointed again. It was the same as before but now there’s the added distraction of people constantly ‘playing’ with mobile ‘phones, even during the main feature. Oh for the days of my youth, when there were just a few local ad’s, the main feature, an intermission (when the usherettes brought out ice creams or KiaOra to buy) and then a second film all for the price of a single ticket. No wonder cinema going was so popular then, you didn’t feel ripped-off and the atmosphere was pleasant!

Count me in as another miserable so and so here. I ‘used’ to go to the ubiquitous multiplex a lot – I stopped going about 3 years ago.
Noisy Kids.
Tedious Adverts.
Allocated Seating.
Too Loud Audio.
Sticky Floors.

They should advertise the actual FILM START times. You don’t go to a football match and wonder what time kick off will be !

Though funnily enough last time I went to a Showcase Cinema, it did go straight in to the film at the appointed hour, so I missed the first 15 minutes as I always used to go in 15 mins after the start time to miss the ads…..

I agree with all of the above coments except that I love the trailers and am a supporter of allocated seating. I have noticed a growing trend of adults talking through the main film, usually groups of women who are getting together to catch up. Why they don’t meet up for coffee or a meal instead I cannot imagine. Feet on seats or on the back of the seat in front is another ignorant habit I cannot abide – why do cinema staff ignore this when they have night vision cctv to observe the audience? Very often I just wait for the dvd to come out just so I don’t have to endure blood pressure rises / confrontations or nausea from wafts of cheesy nacho’s and popcorn.

This is why on the rare occasion i go to the cinema i arrive half an hour late. No que for the tickets as everyone has already rushed in, no que for the food and drink as everyone rushed in early to sit in the screen and watch Ads. Usually timed just brilliantly.

I’m showing my age here, but I used to love going to the cinema when there was a shortie first (short length film), usually a documentary, a cartoon, or a short, quirky, “arty” film, then there was a break with the lights back when an usherette sold icecream and other nice things, then they would show a few ads, which usually were a pleasure to watch on the big screen, and then finally there was the main, feature length film. People would all arrive on time and find a seat they were happy with without disturbing anyone in the dark, they would stop talking the second something appeared on the screen, and they didn’t make any other noise, munching or otherwise, for the rest of the show or the usherettes would get them telt! Going to the cinema was an absolute treat. Now it’s just about a chore and certainly not worth the money.

Call me weird but I actually enjoy the adverts before the film, especially ones where the creators actually go to the effort of making an effort for the big screen – surround sound effects and dramatic scenes, car adverts do this very well!

I’m with Martyn though, the stupid Orange adverts are unnecessary, as are the ones trying to sell me the overpriced cinema confectionery; if I’d wanted it I would have got it when I walked past the kiosk!

I also love the upcoming film trailers, without them I probably wouldn’t know what was on at the cinema and what I’d like to go and watch.

I totally agree with the other comments, cinema going is not now enjoyable anymore.
The adverts are too long and the people watching are totally anti social.
People talk all the way through, rustle bags of sweets and popcorn, slurp drinks and then drop the empties on the floor. The worst is the flashing of mobile phone screens in the corner of your eye.
I cringe now at the thought of been asked to go to the cinema.
Each cinema should have a person in the room at all times and they should have a torch and the power to remove noisy people and those that use their mobiles.
How about asking for volunteers to act as ‘ wardens’ in exchange for free annual passes for so many nights attendance. It wouldn’t cost anything apart from a tabbard and ID badge, and people would be more likely to attend if they knew that at least they stood a chance of seeing the film without disturbance.

One of the issues is that cinemas are paid to show the adverts and this is budgeted for when setting prices.

However I have never had more than 15mins of adverts and 2 trailers at my local independent cinema and usually it is only 10 mins worth.

I can’t afford to go to the cinema now I’m an OAP – far cheaper to wait awhile and buy a used DVD on Ebay or Amazon. No adverts either.

….and on a completely disassociated matter – sort of – did anybody notice the overly gratuitous product placement of ‘Apple’ products in Spooks last night?
I know it goes on, but it was overkill aplenty.
Yuck.

The Odeon website says that adverts and trailers are normally 25 minutes long and that is my experience. Having enjoyed my annual visit for the final Harry Potter, I guess the next will be December 2012 for “The Hobbit” Part 1.

Oh and bad news for those planning to escape the adverts by watching the DVD. They now put adverts on DVDs of popular films. When trying to skip over the adverts on a previous Harry Potter DVD, I found myself watching an unfamiliar set of adverts in German! Well at least it made a change!

Except Joanna, when they do. Such as at my local Showcase – depending on which showing it is – but they don’t tell you in advance…

I’m confused by this article, in no way are you required or forced to view the adverts preceding your film at the cinema. If you ask the personnel at the kiosk for the start time of the film and not the ‘Start’ time that includes the trails you can easily avoid them.

Consider the ads an added tax for ensuring you have the best seats.

Yes I agree with most of the other comments although we do like the opportunity to choose which seat number we will park our bodies in, usually ones in the aisle so we can stretch out old legs. We are at the age when we can get discounts on ticket prices and we only go on Orange Wednesdays, best price so far £5.60 for two, not bad for an evenings entertainment even with the sticky floors, yes we aslo have them in Tunbridge Wells!!!

Hate most adverts in cinema but that’s life.
Disagree on Orange ads though. The current one with the stupid american’s is hilarious.

I sat through 33 minutes of ads and other nonsense at the Clapham Picturehouse the other afternoon – a quarter of the overall time I spent in the theatre. I was offended – I thought it a damn cheek, really. Just because they have you as a captive audience, they think they can bombard you with that nonsense. It’s getting longer and longer each time I return to the cinema. The woman next to me had to leave before the film ended because she hadn’t anticipated it starting so late! They should warn you: “The film is 90 minutes, but will start after 33 minutes of ads and stuff, so you’ll be out of there at least 2 hours later.” I don’t think that’s on. I wont go back there in a hurry. Good luck to them!

Just visited the local Odeon to watch Promethius and had to sit through a staggering 30 minutes of adverts for rubbish beer, mobile phones, junk food, sweets, rubbish films that no-one in their right mind would want to go and watch – Abraham Lincoln vampire slayer – give me a break…………

Incidentally why can you not skip adverts on legally purchased blu rays and dvd’s???? No problem with the copied ones…..

Won’t be going again and will be laughing my ass off next time I hear the industry whining about their profits waning.

I also noticed the “premier seats” extending into what would normally be the normal seating rows and the whole experience has become a shameless tatty stealth raid on my wallet just like a Ryan Air flight….

Yep, went to see the bond film recently and loved the film, but the cinema-going experience as a whole was horrible. Some guy had bought his toddler along; a chap next to me was chatting with his kid, explaining what was going on in the film; babies crying; and a staggering 30+ mins of brainwashing before the film – and I’m sitting there thinking, I paid for this!?!

I think there are some great films being made, even now, and would like to support them, but for me, the industry at large has nothing but contempt for its customers.

Went to Vue Cinema in Inverness to watch the latest Bond movie, paid in advance. The advertised start was 8.30pm. We arrived at 8.15 to pick up tickets after travelling 30 miles and then queued to get in the cinema at just before 8.30pm.

Thus began what can only be described as an assault of booming advert after trailer with all the usual explosive noises, including even an advert to do with the film we were waiting to see. Finally, at 8.58pm, sickened and with a sore head, my friend and I got up and left – made sure we got money back.
When i asked how long the trailers usually lasted, a Vue employee said it changed from film to film, so there was no way to know when to arrive.

What a joke! After paying £8.50 you get assaulted by stuff you never wanted.

There needs to be a change in the law to stop this – let them say when the film begins – in your house you have a switch to turn the dross off, but not in the cinema.

The answer to not to go then they will ago away. Down loading a film to watch at home is an all together a better experence