[rudiger]

I like movie previews. Am I the only one?

[jwallaceparker]

I'm talking about "commercials" - not previews.

I love movie previews.

Some theaters I go to play commercials (i.e. ads for products) before the movie previews.

[anigbrowl]

No, you're not. I could do without the TV-like nonsense that runs in between shows, though - I can actually tolerate a blank screen.

[carbocation]

I would be more tolerant if there were 2 listed times: (1) when the previews will begin; (2) when the movie will begin.

[simonbrown]

Trailers were once shown after films finished, but theatres changed that to force people to watch them.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Trailer_(promotion)

[HeyImAlex]

For most theaters there are. Our local chain in my hometown started the actual film exactly fifteen minutes after the advertised time, and the same is true for the theaters where I live now.

[joshmlewis]

That's interesting. I would think there would be some kind of agreement with theaters and movie right suppliers to show the previews.

[MichaelApproved]

What do you do about getting good seats? If you show up just as the movie is starting, you're probably going to get bad seats.

[steelaz]

Movie theaters where I live let you choose the seats when buying tickets.

[tomjen3]

Most seats are numbered except in smaller cinemas.

[barrkel]

If you have pre-allocated seating, the cinema may have to employ people to ensure people are sitting in the right place (at least, people will want someone to complain to if someone else stole their seat).

But more importantly, pre-allocated seats encourages people to show up late to the screening and miss the ads and trailers, and potentially even miss out on the concession stand. If you don't have pre-allocated seats, you need to turn up early to be assured of a good seat; and what are you going to do in the (initially darkened) cinema waiting by yourself, if not consume some snacks that you bought.

The cinemas around me (London) charge extra for the privilege of pre-allocation.

[Aqwis]

> If you have pre-allocated seating, the cinema may have to employ people to ensure people are sitting in the right place (at least, people will want someone to complain to if someone else stole their seat).

Is this really a problem? All cinemas in Norway (that I know of) have pre-allocated seating, but there is never anybody who ensures that people sit in the right place. If you find that someone is sitting in your seat, you simply tell them to move. I've never heard of anyone refusing to move.

[randallsquared]

> All cinemas in Norway (that I know of) have pre-allocated seating

I've watched movies in cinemas all over North America, and the only one that ever had numbered seating was a dinner-and-a-movie place where your seat was used to keep track of your order.

[barrkel]

Probably a big-city problem.

[tomjen3]

At my local cinema you can select your seat when you reserve tickets.

I don't go there much since it is too expensive and it isn't kept clean but at least the seats are numbered.

The local cinema were we use to live didn't have numbered seats and was much more cozy.

[brown9-2]

This might be just regional - none of the larger cinemas in my area do this (yet).

[bennesvig]

I like them, though I've seen most of them already. It's still enjoyable to see them on the big screen.

[bmelton]

I like movie previews, and even some commercials. What I hate is anything that interrupts the show or movie that I'm watching.

I would more than happily sit through a long block of all the commercials before the show if it meant that I could watch the show, in its entirety and without interruption.

I can't find it, but I recall a conversation with Joss Whedon who proclaims the commercial interruption to be the hardest thing in TV-writing to accomodate, and are the most jarring obstacle to an otherwise well-told story.