bicker%prl.decnet@NWC.NAVY.MIL ("PRL::BICKER") (06/12/89)
I'd like to add my opinion in the debate on movie theaters vs TV. It seems to me that at best a person gets less than 10% out of a video as compared to being in a genuine theater. The atmosphere etc of the theater helps involve and connect the viewer emotionally with the film. This simply doesn't happen even under the best of conditions when watching the video version. BUT Going to a theater, paying $12.50 for 2 tickets, maybe another $9 for popcorn and drinks THEN having to sit though 20 minutes of commercials before the film AND maybe having commercials inserted into the film (soda pop, beer and munchies shown prominantly by brand name) is really getting to be to much. In fact, advertising has gotten to be EVERYWHERE and is way to much. But that's another topic. Regards; Cliff Bicker <BICKER%PRL.DECNET@NWC.ARPA>
miket@brspyr1.BRS.Com (Mike Trout) (06/13/89)
In article <8906112228.AA20686@multimax.encore.com>, bicker%prl.decnet@NWC.NAVY.MIL ("PRL::BICKER") writes: > Going to a theater, paying $12.50 for 2 tickets, maybe another > $9 for popcorn and drinks Sounds like you got off cheap on the munchies. A good alternative is to bring your own. Use caution, however; there are (apocryphal?) tales of patrons being ejected from theatres for bringing their own eats. Are there any "revamp" theatres in your area? We have a local theatre that is a recently refurbished BIG 1940's movie theatre, with $3.00 ticket prices and VERY cheap munchies. They show second-run films; right now they're showing _Working_Girl_, so that's not too far behind the mainstream theatres. If you have such a theatre in your area, patronize it and forget the others. Encourage your friends to do the same. > THEN having to sit though 20 minutes of commercials before the film This is unacceptable. Commercials were shown a few years back at some local theatres, and when the commercials came on the audience booed, hissed, and threw things at the screen. It didn't take long for the commercials to disappear. You could try the same thing. Now, if there were some way to similarly pressure theatre owners to show classic cartoons before the feature... > AND maybe having commercials inserted into the film (soda pop, beer and > munchies shown prominantly by brand name) is really getting to be to much. This is indeed becoming a major problem. I don't have any good thoughts on how to fight this trend. Does anybody have any ideas? -- NSA food: Iran sells Nicaraguan drugs to White House through CIA, SOD & NRO. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~Michael Trout (miket@brspyr1)~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ BRS Information Technologies, 1200 Rt. 7, Latham, N.Y. 12110 (518) 783-1161 "God forbid we should ever be 20 years without...a rebellion." Thomas Jefferson
exspes@gdr.bath.ac.uk (P E Smee) (06/14/89)
In article <6052@brspyr1.BRS.Com> miket@brspyr1.BRS.Com (Mike Trout) writes: >In article <8906112228.AA20686@multimax.encore.com>, bicker%prl.decnet@NWC.NAVY.MIL ("PRL::BICKER") writes: > >> THEN having to sit though 20 minutes of commercials before the film > >This is unacceptable. Commercials were shown a few years back at some local >theatres, and when the commercials came on the audience booed, hissed, and >threw things at the screen. It didn't take long for the commercials to >disappear. One of the cultural differences, I suppose. One of the things that surprised me when I came over here is that commercials (adverts) are run at the start of cinema shows. In the States, I'd only ever seen them at drive-ins. The adverts seem to be pretty well accepted for a number of reasons. (In fact, I positively enjoy them.) Firstly, most of them are big-budget mini- dramas in their own right. (None of the 'after you leave the drive-in, stop at Joe's diner on Main Street' jobs.) Often, you can't even tell what is being advertised until the end. They tend to be very well made, and, in their own way, a sort of minor cinematic art form. (You try writing a 2-minute coherent drama in three acts sometime. :-) Secondly, the lists of show times outside the theatre are much more complete than in most US states (though Boston, as I recall, used to require similar levels of detail). So, you know that the 'program' (meaning everything) starts at 8:00, the sub-feature (cartoon, travel film, something) starts at 8:20, and the main film at 8:40 -- for example. If you really object to the adverts, you come in at 8:15 or so, rather than being there for 8:00. This works for all but the most popular films, where you are more-or-less required to show up for the whole lot if you want to get a good seat.