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Movies

Connecticut Bill Requires Movie Theaters To Reveal How Long Those 'Coming Soon' Trailers Really Are (registercitizen.com) 47

Posted by msmash from the how-about-that dept.
Connecticut's highest-ranking state legislator has proposed a bill requiring movie theaters to disclose both preview and feature film start times, setting up a clash with theater operators who say the measure threatens their advertising revenue.

Senate President Pro Tempore Martin Looney's proposal aims to prevent moviegoers from sitting through up to 30 minutes of advertisements and trailers before features begin. The Democrat cited complaints from constituents about lengthy pre-show delays. Theater owners are pushing back, local outlet RegisterCitizen reports, with Avon Theatre's executive director Peter Gistelinck warning the measure could undermine their financial stability.

Connecticut Bill Requires Movie Theaters To Reveal How Long Those 'Coming Soon' Trailers Really Are More | Reply

Connecticut Bill Requires Movie Theaters To Reveal How Long Those 'Coming Soon' Trailers Really Are

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  • People still go to movie theaters? (Score:5, Insightful)

    by Firethorn ( 177587 ) on Monday February 10, 2025 @09:33PM (#65157683) Homepage Journal

    I haven't been to a movie theater in over a decade at this point. The popcorn tastes nasty anymore, the seats aren't comfortable, and the volume isn't right. The movies aren't interesting to see early.

    That said, 30 minutes of previews before a movie is just asking for people to show up late or, you know, not show up at all. If they're pissed off enough to spur talk of legislation/regulation, they're pissed off enough to stop coming. Let's see how your profit does with empty seats.

    • Re: (Score:2)

      by rta ( 559125 )

      In my area the seats are usually comfortable.
      But yeah, i literally wear ear plugs so that my ears aren't ringing after the movie.

      Though yeah, i also rarely go. But going with friends and talking about it afterwards can still be kinda fun.

    • Re: (Score:2)

      by Kisai ( 213879 )

      I'm not willing to sit through ads for a movie, because the popcorn gets cold. If I've already eaten all the popcorn so it doesn't get cold by the time the movie starts, something's wrong here.

      How many previews are logically enough? Two. How many pre-show ads? The point of pre-show is for people who arrive to the theatre early so they don't strike up loud conversations. But I'll compromise here. Give me the exact start time of the last preview. I'll go outside when the previews start, get my popcorn and ret

      • I'm not willing to sit through ads for a movie, because the popcorn gets cold.

        Popcorn would still get cold almost instantly even if the movie was being shown in hell. I'm really surprised someone hasn't done crowdfunding for some sort of portable heated popcorn bucket. Pretty sure with a backpack full of li-ion batteries you could pull it off.

    • They have, to be fair, really improved the seats lately. All the chain cinemas around here have full, large, reclining seats. Huge improvement on the crappy padded chairs they used to use.

      • Re: (Score:2)

        by AmiMoJo ( 196126 )

        And loads of grease where the last occupant wiped their hands after munching that popcorn.

        Between that and the likelihood of some asshat using their phone or providing running commentary throughout the movie, I'd rather wait and watch it at home.

    • Plus, you've got to get out of the house and deal with annoying pricks in the theater. You know the kind - rustling, talking, moving.

      Good TV, dark room, sofa and pyjamas is all you need.

  • I don't go to movies because of the ads and because there is nothing good. It's way to commercial. I wish more people would vote with there feet to stop the degredaton of everything. Now you can't even watch TV shows without seeing ads.

    Maybe more people would come to the theaters if it wasn't such a bad experience. The least they could do is tell you when to show up.

  • Excuse me?!? (Score:5, Insightful)

    by Sebby ( 238625 ) on Monday February 10, 2025 @09:48PM (#65157719)

    Theater owners are pushing back, local outlet RegisterCitizen reports, with Avon Theatre's executive director Peter Gistelinck warning the measure could undermine their financial stability

    You're making me pay to watch commercials, while you're receiving revenue from those same commercials, and you're bitching about this being a hit on your "financial stability".

    Fuck you!

    Fuck. You.

    • Haven't you heard? Making people pay to watch commercials is the new hotness. Netflix, Amazon Prime, Peacock...

      (They can all fuck themselves, especially if they charge an exorbitant amount to remove the ads - if you're ad funded, you're providing shows for advertisers, not subscribers.)

      • Re: (Score:2)

        by Sebby ( 238625 )

        I can understand and tolerate having non/paid tiers, and even different ad-supported lower tiers; I don't necessarily agree with them, but at least there's the options. And I've found Netflix to be worth the ad-free tier price (but to a limit).

        But when the only choice is to pay an exorbitant price, and being forced to sit through brain-cell killing ads, while execs cry like fucking 6 year old girls about the idea of not forcing me into that, then I call B.S.

        • I'm happy with free with ads. I'm happy with paid without ads. What I don't tolerate is paid + ads. You're basically subsidizing advertising and the wishes of advertisers at that point - the advertisers still get a massive, outsized, say in what the content is, but for some reason you're still expected to pay for it.

          They can all shit or get off the pot. Either make it free, or get rid of the advertising. This "We hate ordinary people, we'll take their money but fuck them" shit needs to stop.

    • Re: (Score:3)

      by v1 ( 525388 )

      "Your flooding me with advertisements after I've paid for your content is what's undermining your financial stability."

      I'd say they need to take responsibility for the results of their own actions, but I think we all know they understand perfectly what's going on here and it's just another ploy to maximize their profits. They do it because it works, and it's LEGAL. And they're going to fight tooth-and-nail to try to keep it legal.

      What I don't understand is this technique of "our customers are leaving beca

  • It's not the theatres its the studios (Score:5, Interesting)

    by Baron_Yam ( 643147 ) on Monday February 10, 2025 @09:50PM (#65157727)

    The system is ridiculous. The theatres have to pile on the ads and charge an arm and a leg for concessions because the movie fees from the studios are so high. Why? Sure, location shoots, high-end CGI, practical effects, costumes, etc. But when the directors and lead actors are all making multiple millions, that's ridiculous.

    There is a lot more than just a handful of people out there with talent, and how often are we bitching on social media because someone got lucky once and then seems to be given leeway to screw up again and again with big paydays each time?

    Cut the damn movie budgets, and forget the 'big name' directors and stars unless they're willing to take pay cuts to make it work. Let the theatres keep more of the box office receipts, and add more tiers of ticket - you should pay a premium to subsidize those blockbuster action movies that are so expensive to produce.

    It's epic greed from top to bottom.

    • I agree with Baron Yam. I actually groan when I see the same handful of actors again and again in movies over and over. Seeing Dave Bautista in the first scene of Bladerunner 2048 was really disappointing for example, and I think he's a fine actor, I've just seen him in way, way too much stuff.

      I know my position isn't a popular one, people have always gotten attached to celebs. But its boring to have the same actors in every movie and makes movies insanely expensive while adding nothing to their quality.

    • let the theaters keep at least 30% of the gate min not as low as 0%

    • There are a lot of people with some talent, but not a lot of people with a lot of talent. Then there's skill. Then there's the fact that to make something great, you need many people with talent and skill plus a lot of luck.

      But yes, the studios and theaters have enshitified the experience. Remember though that theaters have been barely hanging on since COVID, and things were somewhat rough before that with the move to streaming films.

      Then just show up at the theater 20 minutes after the start time. You'

    • If the movie makes hundreds of millions of dollars, why shouldn't the people who made it earn millions of dollars?

  • I don't go to the movies that often these days, but when I do I usually make a point to get there in time to see the trailers. It's advertising, yes, but it's actually useful advertising - it targets people who genuinely might not know about something and genuinely might be interested in purchasing it. I actually want to know what's coming soon.

    • I stopped going to theatres because they waste 30-40 min of my time with commercials and I can't plan my time, not knowing when the movie ends. But theatres are quite welcome to show as many trailers as they want after the credits. They could even rename them to Trailing Trailers.

  • I thought most Millennials and Gen Zers just played with their phones until the flick started (and some of 'em don't even put their phones away for that)? You'd assume this would've been a bigger annoyance back in the day when everyone didn't carry around a portable entertainment device in their pockets.

    • Re:I'm confused (Score:4, Interesting)

      by Kernel Kurtz ( 182424 ) on Monday February 10, 2025 @10:27PM (#65157815)

      I thought most Millennials and Gen Zers just played with their phones until the flick started (and some of 'em don't even put their phones away for that)? You'd assume this would've been a bigger annoyance back in the day when everyone didn't carry around a portable entertainment device in their pockets.

      Pretty much this. Good chance they are watching somebody else's ads instead.

  • But I will say, good riddance to half an hour of ads. I've been to a theater post-COVID, and it's worse than ever. I'd rather sit at home with a beer, freshly-made dinner, and sweatpants, with something on streaming or the latest thing gotten from that... probably can't say it out loud... the cove of marauders' ships? Good for Sen. Looney for bringing this up. It doesn't do jack about housing prices or inflation, but this also pisses me off, so hey, gun for some theater legislation.

    Or, theaters can get

  • I have never decided to go to a movie based on a preview that I saw at the theater.

    • On aggregate, ads do work otherwise you wouldn't have entire industries revolving around them. Even the obnoxiously annoying ones can be successful in creating brand recognition, like those Appliance Direct ads we have here in Orlando. I've never shopped there, but here I am mentioning their brand because, dear God, those TV ads were so annoying.

  • Glad they're tackling the important issues.

    Reminds me of the Oregon State Senator who tried to ban eating popcorn because it personally irked him: https://historianandrew.medium... [medium.com]

    Keep up the good work, boys.

    • Re: (Score:2)

      by Cyberax ( 705495 )
      And what's bad about it? This is a state senate, and they typically are not particularly busy. I actually appreciate that representatives try to fix issues that bother them personally.
  • I rarely goto the movies due to experiences like the long pre show ads among other things. Inevitability I get dragged into one a couple times a year by friends that want to go see something right when it comes out, than waiting a few weeks/months for it to be out on streaming and to just watch it on the 100" projection screen I have at home. The ads at the beginning of a move are so damn long now the movie aught to be free.

  • Image they made laws that help people instead. If it does go through they should really include amusement park ride wait times, that slow cashier that is super friendly but talks everyones ear off..

  • Used to, though. Often. Honestly not missing it. Dirt cheap big screen TVs starting around 15 years ago killed it for me.

  • It seems like the voters of Connecticut need to elect better legislators who don't try to control every little thing. OTOH, publishing a breakdown of movie time vs trailer time isn't going to change the behavior of movie goers very much. I actually want to see the trailers and even if I didn't, I don't want to try to find my seat in a dark theater so I'll be showing up in time to get my seat early. I think most people will be in that class. So the objection of the theater owners seem overblown. Still, CT go
  • Movie trailers are fun (to a point), but thats not the issue. No one is playing 30 minutes of movie trailers. The vast majority is just regular ads you'd see on TV.

  • Amazing special effects: 'Life of Pie' in 3D was something else, and '2001' remastered recently showed it still works...

    Concerts rebroadcasts: 'Dave Gilmour at Pompeii' was wonderful

    Sadly this isn't going to keep a dying industry alive. The business model also assumes the herd instinct of the population in wanting to experience things together. Maybe that will keep it going a bit longer.

  • I feel like the law of unintended consequences is going to bite the movie-goers. Right now if the posted showtime is 7:00, most people will show up to be at least just sitting down at 7:00 (because who the hell wants to find a seat in the dark?). And if they're late, at least they're just making a ruckus during the previews.

    But if everybody knows preview-time is 7:00 and movie-time is 7:20, idiots will hang out in the lobby until 7:18, then try to find an auditorium seat in the dark, after the movie sta

  • If they say the movie starts at 6 and it starts at 6:30 that's fraud.

    Fraud is a state crime so it makes some sense.

    I know theaters have been destroyed by Hollyweird and Lockdowns but fraud vitiates everything.

  • I would like to see a time limit to the ads shown.
    Movies: Advertise all you like, but keep it under 15 minutes.
    TV: 6 minutes per half hour. (Why most TV shows where 24 minutes long in the before time.)
    Streaming: Same as TV, but fractional based on the 24 minute / episode of the before internet TV shows.


    Congress Critters and Senate Sloths: Two Consecutive Term Limit
  • Ok, make the theaters put fine print that there may be up to 30 minutes of commercials during the show, so that people are clear what they are paying for. After than, let people vote with their money. There are no public safety aspects to this, so other than informing the customer, leave it alone. If the public doesn't like it, they will stop attending, forcing the theaters to change.

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