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From: pilgrim@dec-thrint.UUCP
Newsgroups: net.movies
Subject: Cinema commercials - UK
Message-ID: <3475@decwrl.UUCP>
Date: Thu, 30-Aug-84 05:51:54 EDT
Article-I.D.: decwrl.3475
Posted: Thu Aug 30 05:51:54 1984
Date-Received: Sat, 1-Sep-84 13:09:25 EDT
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>    The closest I come to violent behavior is when I see a commercial starting
>in a movie theater.  This is just unacceptable behavior...

>I agree completely though that ads shown before the movie are not
>acceptable.


Aw...c'mon you guys...

In England commercials are an integral part of the show. They allow time
for latecomers and for people to settle down (get their coats off, open
their crunchy packets of sweets etc.) and generally get into the 'atmosphere'
of a film show.

The commercials are usually split into two batches; the nationals and the
locals.  The locals are usually dreadful and often consist of a series of
standard stills (i've seen the same set of stills all around the country
with the last still customised to show the local address) and a voice over
(almost always with a BBC accent) that almost always mis-pronounces the local
address of the firm advertising. These ads are so bad they usually raise
a chuckle or two from the audience.

The nationals are in a different league. They usually consist of the most
'artistic' of the television commercials and are often in their full form
(in the same way that an album version is often different to the single
version of the same song). Sometimes the cinema version appears to be a
trial run before committing to the expense of booking time on national
television. Most of these commercials benefit tremendously from the facilities
that only a cinema can offer (well you can't really expect much from a 26"
screen and mono sound!). The latest British Airways commercials are a case
in point.

Much as I hate to say it, perhaps the masters of this form of advertising are
the tobacco companies. Their commercials look as if a lot of time and money
has been spent on them. They are generally extremely good. (This may be
due, in part, to the fact that cigarette advertising is banned from British
television.) Alcohol importers/manufacturers also tend to do good commercials.

I guess that what I'm trying to say is don't be too hard on those cinemas
that show commercials. They both serve a useful purpose and they often have
artistic merit.

cheers
alf	...decwrl::dec-rhea::dec-thrint::pilgrim

Thu 30-Aug-1984 10:48 GMT