An article in the Chicago Sun-Times today relates a case where several cinemas are being sued because they advertise a film as starting at a particular time, but then delay the film with several minutes of commercials.

The attourney claims the cinema theatres are committing consumer fraud, false advertising and breach of contract. Consumers are actually paying to watch commercials.

How much is three or four minutes of your time worth?
The two suits being filed quote patrons who had to sit through four minutes of unwanted ads. The individual claims for damages are for no more than $75 per person, plus they want the ads dropped or the film's actual starting time to be stated in the advertising.

The suits don't take issue with movie trailers, accepting that they are a "time-honored part of the movie experience".

A cinema representative says that the advertised times are for the entire presentation, not the movie itself.

$75 US dollars ? For four minutes of my time? Last time I took notice in an Australian cinema, the movie didn't commence until FIFTEEN minutes past the appointed time.
If our legal system followed the same 'logic' as the US, that'd be the equivalent of about $500 Australian dollars owing!

(Mind you, don't know yet if the claim was accepted).

And on the other hand, if no one's complaining about advertising to this value being thrust on us in the cinema...should we start to introduce ads in the theatre?
Vagabond did it for their sponsors last year in Frankenstein, and I thought it quite a novel approach.
If cinema audiences are already conditioned to accept it or ignore it, the crossover would be fairly painless and could perhaps generate a huge new revenue from corporate sponsors..??

Cheers,
Craig

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