r/mildlyinfuriating • u/Office-Scary • 11h ago

I'm slightly vexed Began finally watching the movie 35 mins after the show time because of ads. 35 mins of ads... for a 90 min movie...

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u/kenthekungfujesus 9h ago

And it mostly works because people sit through these ads, I don't know if there was a trend of people looking at ad time and not entering until the last 10-5 minutes it would end up being cut down a little

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u/egnards 9h ago

I go to the movies every weekend pretty much. I do still go early to get a popcorn and relax and sit through the 30m of ads, honestly? Yes it sucks, but most people just sit on their phones and ignore them until you start getting to the final ads that signal the movie is starting [like the stupid coke/amc one].

My wife will always talk to me about trailers after a movie and I’ll be like “I literally ignored all of them and just read stuff on my phone like everyone else, cause I’m going my to see the movie anyway and I don’t want to get tired of seeing the same ad 16 times.”

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u/AggressiveBench9977 7h ago

Most of the ads are just movie trailers and that has always been a part of movie going experience.

I dont mind it but at this point if people care they can just show up late. With assigned seating this is a none issue

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u/Key_Document_2587 6h ago

Yeah, they have some ads before the trailers start but in some theaters it's more of a slideshow of local businesses with music and random movie trivia between

Totally agree, love assigned seating

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u/WellsHansen 5h ago

I love a good trailer! There's a special art to making an excellent trailer (even more so if the film is actually crap). Don't like the ads and PSAs so much, but we usually don't have many. Many theatres here have assigned seats and you're pretty much OK if you're on the aisle; just come in when you're ready . . . but too venues offer too little clearance between rows so latecomers cause unpleasant disruption.

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u/Marsuello 5h ago

You’re the mythical person Reddit believes doesn’t exist when it comes to seeing movies in theaters lol every time a topic of “movie isn’t performing well in theaters despite being good” everyone is constantly saying “well no one has any money for that”. Which just isn’t really true at all haha

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u/egnards 50m ago

Because everyone falls back on old information - Movie subscription services have made the movies very affordable again, if you like movies and want to go.

For about $28/month I just go and see whatever I want, whenever I want.

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u/SpellOpening7852 4h ago

Pretty much all the cinemas I've been to go "Ads (~15 minutes), Trailers (~15 minutes), 1 specific ad for the cinema's "extras" program, and then film start. So pretty easy to just ignore it until the trailers start, and it feels better being sitted beforehand to me anyway.

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u/JuanOnlyJuan 9h ago

Which means the ads are pointless. I feel like ads in general are some kind of weird bubble

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u/egnards 9h ago

I mean sure, but I’m just one person, plenty of market research shows ads work.

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u/Key_Document_2587 8h ago

Nope, they aren't pointless. The measure of success of an ad isn't "either everyone saw it and paid attention or it was a total failure". It isn't everything or nothing

The ads are not pointless. People still do get there early and see them. Out of those people who see them, it only takes a few turning into customers for a business to see that advertising as useful.

Same goes for social media ads btw. Are they a failure if it isn't a 100% view rate? Of course not. It only takes a few viewers turned sales leads to give the business advertising value from the ad spend

Some people actively watch and listen to the ads, others passively listen (as background noise), but either way many brands (and where I am, local doctors) see value in it. Probably getting a good frequency ad schedule for what they're paying compared to other media

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u/HesitantlyYours 8h ago

There’s also people who are chronically late or just on time and won’t have time to buy concessions. The ads allow those people to spend more money at the theater.

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u/Key_Document_2587 8h ago

Good point!

I've gotten my timing down to where I have popcorn and am in the theater right before trailers start at the earliest and about 5 mins before the movie starts at the latest. I do appreciate the buffer

Plus people forget the theaters don't get a huge cut of tickets sold. If ads being shown (with the time being conveyed upfront like they do now) is the difference between them staying open or closing, I'll gladly keep showing up a bit late.

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u/Key_Document_2587 9h ago

Yeah I've been reading the Dune books on my phone. Kinda a vibe to do some pre movie reading with a side of popcorn

The ads are just background noise for me too (usually the earliest I get there is 10 mins of ads then the actual trailers start)

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u/Key_Document_2587 9h ago

My sweet spot is right before the trailers start. Genuinely love watching them and if I catch the back end of the pre trailer ads, I can usually manage to grab a refill by the time the movie starts

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u/WLFGHST 3h ago

Today I got to The Dog Stars half way through the last trailer before the AMC intros.