Looking4Answers Posted May 3, 2009 Share Posted May 3, 2009 I went to see Wolverine: Origins last night (decent flick, by the way). As usual, before the show and previews, they had the usual advertisements. One advertisement featured a little boy with a kite. Here is the commercial: http://www.tangle.com/view_video.php?viewk...538e72702874557 This was created and sponsored by the Virginia Conference United Methodist Church: http://www.vaumc.org/index.cfm/fa/press.item/PressID/174.htm I went to the damn movies to see a movie. I did not want to see a commercial trying to tell me to "believe again." I paid $9 to see this movie and I almost walked out. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Vomit Comet Posted May 3, 2009 Share Posted May 3, 2009 The day they show a commercial like that in a Las Vegas movie theater is the day that the galaxy implodes. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Vixentrox Posted May 3, 2009 Share Posted May 3, 2009 They show ads for churches here in Colorado Springs. Doesn't bother me me really. I suppose any business can pay for an ad. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Marty Posted May 3, 2009 Share Posted May 3, 2009 I definitely would have gone and asked for my money back. I DO NOT need and/or want to be preached to on MY dime. It's bad enough they play church ads on TV down here, but I'm not paying for TV. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Amethyst Posted May 3, 2009 Share Posted May 3, 2009 They show ads of all kinds in my state - an ad for a church would not surprise me in the least. IMO if you can't stand certain types of advertising, wait until the movie comes out on DVD, and watch it ad-free. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Super Moderator florduh Posted May 3, 2009 Super Moderator Share Posted May 3, 2009 It's been so long since I've been to a movie theater, I had no idea they subjected paying audiences to advertising. Do they do this at plays and the opera as well? Passive advertising printed in programs or displayed on lobby walls is one thing, but presenting them on screen is another. If I paid the currently outrageous price for a ticket, I would expect no advertising at all, other than previews. Sure, previews are advertisement, but is it reasonable to assume that moviegoers are interested in upcoming movies so it's more of a service to them. If they're not making enough money selling nine dollar tickets and ten dollar sodas they should just close the doors. I guess I won't be going to any movies and paying to watch ads. Being forced to pay for the privilege of watching an ad for an atheist bookstore would bother me just as much as seeing ads for churches. The product is irrelevant to me. I remember many years ago I went to a movie and after the previews, they showed a six or eight minute film about the retired actors home or some shit like that. When it was over, they turned up the house lights and ushers walked up the aisles collecting donations for their "charity." I ended up having to literally yell in the lobby just to see the manager, and when he finally showed up I demanded my money back, and the money I'd spent on drinks and snacks as well (which was more than the ticket cost). I got it, and the practice was stopped. I just refuse to pay to be a captive audience that gets subjected to such tactics. The place is gone now - turned into more condos, of course - but there was a movie theater I loved going to. The Cinema Draft House showed good movies, but not new releases. Admission was a couple of bucks, and they sold reasonably good pizzas and pitchers of beer at reasonable prices. Seating was, of course, at tables. Those were the days! And no ads! Edit: I should say that as long as I can remember going to movies since childhood, there were ads for local car dealers, plumbers, etc. that were silent slides shown before the film started, and the house lights were still on. Passive advertising, like posters on the wall. During that time people were finding seats and getting their snacks, so it wasn't intrusive. After the lights go down and my attention is on the screen, I don't want to see ads with soundtracks, which is what I'm assuming is the norm now. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Super Moderator buffettphan Posted May 4, 2009 Super Moderator Share Posted May 4, 2009 but there was a movie theater I loved going to. The Cinema Draft House showed good movies, but not new releases. Admission was a couple of bucks, and they sold reasonably good pizzas and pitchers of beer at reasonable prices. Seating was, of course, at tables. Those were the days! And no ads! florduh, just the other day, I mentioned to my husband how much I missed the Cinema Draft House. We first went to one while visiting his parents in Florida. Then one opened here (Richmond, VA). Guess it closed at least 15 years ago. It was a very sad day. Based on this article from USA Today, maybe those old theaters were just ahead of their time. (But I hate to imagine what the price of a beer would be in a first-run theater since a small watered-down soda costs at least five bucks.) http://www.usatoday.com/news/nation/2008-0...holmovies_N.htm Cinemas bet on alcohol, flick combination By Marissa DeCuir, Special for USA TODAY Movie theater owners from California to Massachusetts are increasingly giving patrons the option of sipping a beer or a glass of wine with an expanding array of snacks. About 150 first-run theaters serving alcohol have opened within the past three years, bringing the total of such establishments from 14 in 1997 to more than 400 today, says Patrick Corcoran, director of media and research for the National Association of Theatre Owners. The growth is happening, Corcoran says, despite concerns that those theaters could draw underage drinkers — concerns that have kept some theaters in Illinois, Idaho and California from selling alcohol. "The boyfriend's 21 and the girlfriend's 19, and next thing you know, she's already had three drinks underage," says Alderman John Hanson, who voted against a proposal last year by a theater in Bloomington, Ill., to serve alcohol. The increase in alcohol at the movies comes amid a decline in ticket sales in the USA and Canada. About 1.40 billion movie tickets were sold last year — up slightly from 1.395 billion in 2006 but lower than the 1.52 billion in 2003, according to the theater owners' association.... ....The added services come with a price, though. The average cost of a U.S. movie ticket last year was $6.88, and luxury cinemas charge more, Corcoran says. A ticket at Regal's Asheville location with alcohol is $9. A ticket at Showcase Cinemas in Randolph, Mass., costs $10.25, plus $10 to sit in the 21-plus level. That includes a $5 coupon for food or drink... ..."We have a bar in the middle of the theater...It's the coolest concept ever. People say movie theaters are on the downward, but this is two steps ahead." Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Marty Posted May 4, 2009 Share Posted May 4, 2009 floriduh, you are correct. They play coke and pepsi ads, etc. Mostly its the very same ads you can see on CBS during a CSI episode, which is why I get so irritated about it. I agree with everything you said. It would also not be "that bad" if they at least made "theatre ads" they were unique to movie houses, but even though that would be pushing it. I've learned to deal with the ads over the years, but I would not ever stand for any church advertisement of any kind. I would get up, ask for my money back, and walk home if I needed to. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AKR Posted May 4, 2009 Share Posted May 4, 2009 I definitely would have gone and asked for my money back. I DO NOT need and/or want to be preached to on MY dime. It's bad enough they play church ads on TV down here, but I'm not paying for TV. You would seriously ask for your money back? Damn, dude, you're hard core. I hate religion and all, especially Christianity, but I certainly wouldn't walk out because of a silly commercial. Do you complain to TV stations for them displaying religious commercials? Your dime? You think movies are expensive now, guess what they would be if they didn't have advertising. Anytime you have to sit through advertising, it's because those advertisers are paying for their ads, which in turn, makes it so you don't have to pay or pay as much for something else. Network TV is free because of ads like that. Maybe you wouldn't mind paying more to see movies, but I rarely go at all because they're so damn expensive, and it ain't gonna kill me to sit through a 30 second religious commercial if that means paying less for a movie. Lighten up, man. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Looking4Answers Posted May 4, 2009 Author Share Posted May 4, 2009 You think movies are expensive now, guess what they would be if they didn't have advertising. This makes me think and wonder: would movies have to be any more expensive if there was not advertising before the show? Isn't it an assumption that these advertisements are what are keeping the prices from rising? I mean, X-Men Origins: Wolverine netted something like $87 million the first night alone! Personally, I think they charge what they charge because they can, not because of need. You would seriously ask for your money back? Damn, dude, you're hard core. I hate religion and all, especially Christianity, but I certainly wouldn't walk out because of a silly commercial. I didn't ask for my money back, but I was tempted to. I really don't want that stuff shoved in my face. By not doing anything, I only encourage the theater. My lack of action causes the theater owner to believe that a church advertising is OK and accepted by the general population (which it might well be, for all I know). However, had I at least said something, then perhaps they may get the impression that some people don't like that and they may take someone else's dollar for advertising instead. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kyle Posted May 4, 2009 Share Posted May 4, 2009 I have friends that own the local theatre. Even if the big movies are making millions, the small town theatres are still struggling. I'm sure they rely on local advertisers to make ends meet. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ShallowByThyGame Posted May 4, 2009 Share Posted May 4, 2009 random advertisements are better than the repeating slides that used to be on the screen if you got there too early, though I agree you should let the theater know you will not go there until they stop advertising brainwashing services. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Looking4Answers Posted May 4, 2009 Author Share Posted May 4, 2009 I have friends that own the local theatre. Even if the big movies are making millions, the small town theatres are still struggling. I'm sure they rely on local advertisers to make ends meet. But why are they struggling? Is it because of the franchise theaters like Carmike? Is it because of the price they are being charged to lease the movie (and I don't even know if "lease" is the right term here)? I mean, if the companies that produce the movies are making the millions, then what is keeping some of that from trickling down? And if the theaters don't make any money and have to rely on advertising to make it each month, then why are there so many theaters? I'm sure advertising makes them money and I cannot blame them for doing everything to make as much as possible, but I am just not convinced that I have to pay $9+ to see a movie and that that does not cover the cost so the theaters have to resort to taking any and every commercial in order to make ends meet. I could well be wrong. I admit that. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BlueGiant Posted May 4, 2009 Share Posted May 4, 2009 They are struggling because of where most of that ticket price goes. I know the theater doesn't see >90% of that ticket price i.e. it's mostly going back to the studio that produced the movie. Ads are apparently how they pay for their operations, well, that and the massive concession stand overcharging. It's not too much different from other entertainment businesses that way. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
R. S. Martin Posted May 4, 2009 Share Posted May 4, 2009 From link in the OP: “If you can wish, you can believe.” http://www.vaumc.org/index.cfm/fa/press.item/PressID/174.htm That so??? I see. I believe that, despite current appearances, the day of the demise of religion--uh, relationships with Christ--is at hand. To folk here, they do say the words "believe" and "wish" are interchangeable. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Vomit Comet Posted May 5, 2009 Share Posted May 5, 2009 random advertisements are better than the repeating slides that used to be on the screen if you got there too early, though I agree you should let the theater know you will not go there until they stop advertising brainwashing services. I preferred the repeating slides with the easy listening music turned down low. You could at least talk to the person next to you before the previews came on. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Looking4Answers Posted May 5, 2009 Author Share Posted May 5, 2009 I preferred the repeating slides with the easy listening music turned down low. You could at least talk to the person next to you before the previews came on. Completely agree. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Marty Posted May 5, 2009 Share Posted May 5, 2009 I definitely would have gone and asked for my money back. I DO NOT need and/or want to be preached to on MY dime. It's bad enough they play church ads on TV down here, but I'm not paying for TV. You would seriously ask for your money back? Damn, dude, you're hard core. I hate religion and all, especially Christianity, but I certainly wouldn't walk out because of a silly commercial. Do you complain to TV stations for them displaying religious commercials? Your dime? You think movies are expensive now, guess what they would be if they didn't have advertising. Anytime you have to sit through advertising, it's because those advertisers are paying for their ads, which in turn, makes it so you don't have to pay or pay as much for something else. Network TV is free because of ads like that. Maybe you wouldn't mind paying more to see movies, but I rarely go at all because they're so damn expensive, and it ain't gonna kill me to sit through a 30 second religious commercial if that means paying less for a movie. Lighten up, man. Yes, I absolutely would. We have ads for churches on TV here, and I've even considered writing in and complaining about that, but since TV is free I don't really think I have a leg to stand on. But at a movie house I'm a captive audience, (and I've paid good money for that "privilege")and that's what the church's look for to distribute their messages. I'm paying money, I DO NOT want to see/hear/process xtian messages. I do not want to be reminded that they even exist. There is a church on every corner, if I wanted to hear that dribble, I know exactly where to go, and so does every other person in America. Religion pushing itself into the public square is a trigger point for me (see my threads about looking for a new therapist) that I'm trying to get over, but imagine if we all asked for our money back when local churches have ads in movie houses? There would be no more church advertising in movie houses. It is only there because nobody complains. It's not that hard to get up, go home, and wait 2 months for the movie to come out on DVD, which is what I prefer to do anyway, cause you can eat, lie down, pause it, get inebriated,etc. and generally be more comfortable. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AKR Posted May 6, 2009 Share Posted May 6, 2009 They are struggling because of where most of that ticket price goes. I know the theater doesn't see >90% of that ticket price i.e. it's mostly going back to the studio that produced the movie. Ads are apparently how they pay for their operations, well, that and the massive concession stand overcharging. It's not too much different from other entertainment businesses that way. Or the oil industry. I've heard that theaters don't stay in business because of ticket sales but because of the food they sell, which is like gas stations who don't stay out of the red because of gas sales but because of the food they sell inside. Meanwhile, the people at the top are making bank. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Looking4Answers Posted May 6, 2009 Author Share Posted May 6, 2009 Or the oil industry. I've heard that theaters don't stay in business because of ticket sales but because of the food they sell, which is like gas stations who don't stay out of the red because of gas sales but because of the food they sell inside. Meanwhile, the people at the top are making bank. Theaters are the means of distributing the movies and, thus, generating sales which is what pays the producers, etc. So if the movie theaters wanted to make some money from ticket sales it seems like they could do something about it. If they told the movie companies that they were not going to show the movies unless they got more from their ticket sales, what would the movie companies do? They are dependent on the theaters. So the theaters seem to be hurting their own selves. Food prices at a theater are ridiculous. I cannot see paying the same price as a premium meal for a medium popcorn and a coke. Its one of the reasons that I may only go to the theater two or three times a year. However, when I was a teenager I would go virtually every weekend. I bet the theaters would fill up more frequently if their prices were lower all around (ticket prices and food prices). It seems to me that the ones distributing the movies to theaters (or whoever is charging the theaters so much that the theaters are forced to charge high prices) are hurting themselves with their current business model. But back on topic: I realize (now, more than before) that the theater needs to sell advertising in order to make money. However, just because they need to sell advertising does not mean they should allow for anything and everything to be advertised. In fact, if people who are offended by religious advertising (such as myself) were to make it known, then the theater would realize that by allowing for the religious advertising then they are, in affect, robbing Peter to pay Paul. In other words, what they gain in the sale of the advertising could potentially be lost in both ticket and food sales. Not only that, word of mouth (such as what happened in this very thread) could cost them even more ticket and food sales and, as a result, showing the ad could actually cost them more than they made off the ad itself. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
R. S. Martin Posted May 6, 2009 Share Posted May 6, 2009 I realize (now, more than before) that the theater needs to sell advertising in order to make money. However, just because they need to sell advertising does not mean they should allow for anything and everything to be advertised. In fact, if people who are offended by religious advertising (such as myself) were to make it known, then the theater would realize that by allowing for the religious advertising then they are, in affect, robbing Peter to pay Paul. That's what I've been thinking since the start of this thread. They may have to sell advertizing but they can choose what they advertize. For example, if I set up a website on a free internet server I have to choose a topic category. My topic happens to be debating religion but the closest option available is "religion/philosophy," so I choose it. That gets me stuck with having to look at an ad for a Muslim dating website--a head and shoulders of a cute girl in a red kerchief or whatever the Muslims call it. And Christian evangelizing. Etc. At times it really bugs me. Then I realize that my site is in the religion category so it does make sense even though I protest what these people advocate. When signing up for a hotmail account, one is also asked what type of advertizing one prefers. /rant Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
OpheliaGinger Posted May 8, 2009 Share Posted May 8, 2009 I guess I now have a reason to continue not going to theaters to see a movie. I much prefer to watch a movie alone in my home. I don't know if I would just simply walk out or just sit there if I saw a church advert. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Super Moderator buffettphan Posted May 9, 2009 Super Moderator Share Posted May 9, 2009 That UMC "boy and the kite" ad was shown before the Star Trek movie today (Richmond, VA). Fortunately, the volume was messed up before the movie and all of the ads were barely audible. Hmmmmm.... was the volume turned down low deliberately??????? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Looking4Answers Posted May 9, 2009 Author Share Posted May 9, 2009 I guess I now have a reason to continue not going to theaters to see a movie. I much prefer to watch a movie alone in my home. I like watching movies at home as well. But there are times when I really enjoy the HUGE screen and the incredible sound system turned up so loud that you can feel the sound! I don't dare turn up my speakers that loud in my apartment! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
therunner Posted May 15, 2009 Share Posted May 15, 2009 They show ads for churches here in Colorado Springs. Doesn't bother me me really. I suppose any business can pay for an ad. any business that's paying taxes! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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