The Case Against Theater Ads

Roger Ebert's latest Movie Answer Man column addresses an important issue that has been pissing off the moviegoers of America for several years running and that is the idiotic inclusion of television commercials at the start of most theatrical films.

I'm not an expert on these things, but if you're paying upwards of $7 to see a movie, the last thing you want to see are big-screen versions of ads hawking Coca-Cola, American Express, and last (but stupidest) the Marines. Who in their right mind is going to report to a recruitment office and say "Yeah, I saw your Marines ad before Final Destination 3 and I thought, 'That's for me!!'"

So, I have devised a simple hypothesis: Maybe the reason theaters haven't cut down or eliminated ads before movies is that people aren't being vocal enough about it. So, the next time you're at a movie theater, snag a couple comment cards (or give one to each member of your party) and fill them out, noting in the comments field how much you are sick and tired of commercials when you go to the movies. Better yet, find a manager and let him or her know.

I'm going to try and see Woody Allen's new movie Match Point tonight. I'm going to keep track of how many ads I see before it and report back tomorrow on it. Later!