Still, economy collapsing, the country in chaos, and what they're protesting is ticket prices.
Regards, Ivan
Posted on 01/13/2003 7:52:12 AM PST by MadIvan
Film fans in Germany are threatening a boycott unless cinema managers reduce the amount of adverts shown before films.
It's reported cinema-goers have to sit through about 50 minutes of adverts even before trailers begin.
Some audiences in Berlin were left stranded after going to see a screening of Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets.
It had been scheduled to start at 10.15pm, but because of 45 minutes of ads, it didn't end until 1.30am by which time the city's public transport system had stopped for the night.
Cinema bosses however say the commercials are necessary in order to keep ticket prices down and many cinema owners make more money from the adverts than they do from box office revenues.
Spokesman for cinema chain Cinemaxx, Arne Schmidt, said: "Without commercial revenues, we'd have to increase our ticket prices by up to a euro more than what they are now."
Other cinemas have bowed to the pressure from customers and have agreed to return to a 30-minute maximum for commercials.
Gregor Welles from the UCI chain said: "It's our tried-and-true time limit and audiences are telling us they want it back. It is show business, after all. And what the audience wants is what it gets."
Still, economy collapsing, the country in chaos, and what they're protesting is ticket prices.
Regards, Ivan
Love, Ivan
How many Euros in Deutschland?
Yeah no sh!t.
I went to see the Two Towers again last night (really disappointed in that movie). We have a fair amount of adverts in UK movie theatres as well but I don't believe it's 45 minute's worth.
My personal fantasy is to have a cinema with higher ticket prices, no concessions (bring your own) and a guaranteed start time with no trailers or adverts beforehand. They would be run afterwards and if anyone felt like sitting through 'em they could. There'd be a big digital readout meter above the screen that diplayed the ticket price. At the appointed start time, that figure would start ticking backwards $.05 per ten seconds and would continue doing so until the film started. However much the meter counted off- that's how much they refund you as you walk out the door.
I bet you'd pack 'em into a place like that.
One thing about Germany though- I remember a Kino (cinema) in Nurnberg where you could smoke in the cinema. And of course they sell beer at the concession stands. Hard to beat that.
I know what you mean about the trailers though. I waited and waited for a movie called "Lucky Star" to come out. Turns out it was a BMW commercial done up to look like a movie trailer. I thought it was going to be a damned good flick... LOL! That's how they get you.
You vill vatch und you vill like zem....ve hav ways of making you vatch!
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