movies - cinematic complaints
When it comes to going to the movies, it sometimes seems like there is a lot not to like.
loud movies | pre-movie ads | product placement | movie manners | other cinematic concerns | related pages
Turn It Down!
- Are Movies Getting Too Loud?
"Digital doesn't make movies too loud, people do!" But which people? Randy Thom, a Hollywood audio veteran writing in this article from www.filmsound.org, suggests it is ... the director. - Are Movies Too Loud?
A presentation by Ioan Allen, Vice-President of Dolby Laboratories, given at a conference of the Society For Motion Picture and Television Engineers (SMPTE). Note: loads in pdf format. - Ensuring That Every Trailer's Volume Level Is Sound
The work of the Trailer Audio Standards Association (TASA) as detailed in Box Office Magazine. - Loud Movies: Could A Trip To The Theatre Harm Your Hearing?
The Canadian Broadcasting Coporations's Marketplace TV show investigates. - Loud Movies: What Have We Achieved
Robin Bransbury, who won an Academy Award Commendation in 2001 for his work assuring a better sound balance between trailers and feature presentations, offers his opinion of the TASA initiative mentioned above. - Movie Noise: Turn That Fish Down
The Globe And Mail's Luma Muhtadie tries to cover her childrens' ears. - Pardon? Speak Up! I've Just Been to the Movies
Tales from Canada's own Right to Quiet Society. - NoiseWatch
Site of the Canadian organisation dedicated to raising public awareness of the negative effects of noise -- an extensive resource of articles and links.
Turn Them Off
Pre-movie advertising
- A Brief History Of The Trailer
According to Jack Atlas, who headed up the trailer department at Columbia until 1973, trailers were merely "supposed to get people bored enough to leave the theater and make room for someone else." What happened? - Advertising Takes Over The Movies
Toronto's Eyeweekly sees red and takes on the burning issue. - But First A Word From Our Sponsor...
Noted online reviewer James Berardinelli sometimes watches a movie just like the rest of us -- and he doesn't like what he sees. - Captive Motion Picture Audience of America - CMPAA
The CMPAA says "Say NO to TV commercials before feature films at movie theaters." Join the cause and stay up to date at their recent news page. - Cinema Advertising Study
Arbitron, a broadcast media research and marketing firm (they also perform ratings), decided to do the cinema industry a favour by compiling a report that suggests audiences are surprisingly receptive to pre-movie advertising. Take note, they refer to movie fans as "a young, affluent, captive audience." You've been warned! - Didn't I Already Pay For This Movie?
"Boycott the companies that advertise at the movies." Didn't I Already Pay For This Movie? tells you how. - Movie Goers Targeted For More Ads
Things will get worse according to this Advertising Educational Foundation site. - No Movie Ads.com
Back in 2003, the people at No Movie Ads launched The Movie Theater Lawsuit Web Site. - Stop Pre-Movie Ads!
If you're annoyed by pre-movie ads, the site suggests some easy things that you can do. - Theatre Ads Glorify Smoking
Smoke Free Movies highlights the problem of in-theater advertisements to be run before youth-rated PG-13 movies.
Tune Them Out
In-movie ads (aka product placement)
- Brandcameo
Wise consumers can now spot them in advance at Brandcameo, which tracks product placement and whose site is searchable by film and brand name. Be sure to check their 2004 Product Placement Awards. - Coming Soon To A Theater Near You: The Moviemercial
Advertisements won't only be in the movies -- they WILL be the movies! - Hollywood Product Placement
Official site for a company in the business of providing "the ultimate solution to building your brand." - How Product Placement Works
From the folks at How Stuff Works. - Product Placement
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia. See also their entry for undercover marketing. - Product Placement News
Jeff Greenfield keeps you up to date.
Movie Manners
- Drive-In Etiquette
Advice from the San Antonio Outdoor and Drive-In Theater tribute site. - The Living Room Factor
It seems even film critics get peeved -- read noted online reviewer James Berardinelli's biggest complaints about contemporary movie audiences and why he feels the recent downturn in ticket sales is because boys and girls treat theatre auditoriums like their personal living rooms. - Movie Etiquette
A list of rules which movie-goers should consider before heading back to the theatres. - Movie Etiquette
Fourteen suggestions to make movie-going easy. - Movie Etiquette For Dummies
"Jesus, people annoy me," writes Kristina. - Movie Manners
Robert Churchwell, copy editor of the Trincoll Journal, vents. - No. 1 Rule Of Theater Etiquette: Just Watch The Movie
Lonnie Harris has some advice. - Quiet Please! Theater Etiquette
PoolMan hits the head on several nails. - Thoughts On Movie Etiquette
Matthew Toomey sounds off at his Film Pie in Australia. - Top 10 Theater Annoyances
The guys at Movies For Guys list their favourite menaces to a pleasant movie experience. - No Talking, Please!
A collection of early movie etiquette lantern slides. From the American Treasures of the Library of Congress collection.
Other Cinematic Concerns
- Fight Back - Please
Henry Sheehan urges you to complain about sloppy projection. - Movie Rage: Death In The Aisles
Stu Kobak takes on talkers, projectionists, multiplexes -- and even the seats! - What Are The Dots That Appear In The Upper-Right Corner Of A Movie Screen?
Ask Yahoo! provides the answer.
- Theatres: Things to Look For
Evans A Criswell, a Hunstville Alabama film enthusiast, gives you an idea of things to look for when attending a movie. - Where Is The Best Place To Sit When I Go To The Movies?
From the folks at How Stuff Works. - Why I Hate Movies
Gerf Haro muses about the theatre-going experience in Southern California.
- SceneSmoking.org
A project from the American Lung Association of Sacramento, California. - Smoke Free Movies
The site demands that Hollywood stop doing Big Tobacco's dirty work. - Smoking In The Movies
A list of movies that go up in smoke.
- Justin's Guide to Moviegoers
A catalogue of people usually found in the seats. - Movie Expectations
Kyle wonders if it wasn't better in the good old days. - Pet Peeves In Movies
Leonard Maltin has some complaints ... about the movies. - Pursuing the Scarcer Moviegoers
Sharon Waxman of the New York Times is in search of the disappearing audience. - What Theaters Can Do
Noted online reviewer James Berardinelli has some thoughts about DVD release dates, theatrical presentation and the advantages of home theatre. - Why Do Movie Subtitles Stink?
Cynthia Joyce of Salon Magazine looks up from the bottom of the screen. - Why TV Commercials Sound Louder
The engineering staff at ABC-TV's WWSB Channel 40 explain why.
Related Pages