Moviegoers trapped by pre-show ads

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November movies
The “Twilight” sequel, “New Moon” hits the big screen, along with George Clooney in “The Men Who Stare at Goats” and “Fantastic Mr. Fox” and the apocalyptic “2012” and “The Road.”

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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.

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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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