Moviegoers trapped by pre-show ads

No socializing, no relief
Movie-going is often described as an antisocial activity. In fact, for those who see films with others, it's the opposite.

Although staring forward in a darkened room does not, on its surface, appear to be a communal activity, what occurs before and after the film is quite social. Seeing a movie is a shared experience that occurs in real-time; it’s like reading the same novel simultaneously and being able to discuss it after only a couple of hours have elapsed. And now we can't enter a theater and have a conversation with our friends.

Seeing films in theaters is about transition. We break from one part of our lives and settle into the lives of others. With pre-show films, there’s no time to make the transition, to settle into the semi-darkened room. One of the major reasons to see films in theaters, besides being able to watch on a large screen with surround-sound, is to be in an isolated environment that allows total immersion in the on-screen action. Films viewed in theaters are removed from everyday life, whereas DVD viewing can be interrupted by the telephone, a hungry cat or any number of other distractions. The quiet time before the film begins — even if it is preceded by commercials and trailers — allows us to shift into a mode that we don't normally experience in everyday life.

Entering a theater that’s overwhelmed by cacophonous advertising doesn't allow us to leave one world behind to enter another. The traffic on the way to the theater; the noisy, popcorn- and children-infested lobby; the pre-show ads; the trailers and commercials that begin at the advertised time; and the film all become part of the same thing, a giant blur of noise and sound.

We may watch these new ads, but somehow, that doesn’t seem like the best way for advertisers to get our attention.

Andy Dehnart is a writer and teacher who publishes reality blurred, a daily summary of reality TV news.

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