Why cinemas can go to hell, and I will pirate [ MOD WARNING IN OP ]

speedboatchase · 09-07-2012 01:57PM

don ramo wrote: »

one of the complaints was the amount of unnecessary content packed into some of them, if you fork out E20 to buy a DVD then you have to shuffle through trailers for other films, and in some cases cant skip them, which TBF is unacceptable, i have a big enough collection and very few of the older DVDs dont go directly to the main DVD menu, if i want to watch trailers ill go to you tube,

there are many alternatives ways of getting these film coming out now but not nearly fast enough, if people have the means to get the stuff illegally then it must be possible to obtain it some way legally, 10meg broadband is available to a decent proportion of the population of ireland,

yet there is still a lot of geoblocking going on, and its totally uncalled for, why have a WWW at the start of every address bar, all these .ie .co.uk .fr .it should just be put at the start cause it certainly isnt world wide access anymore,

I hear this argument quite a lot but of the 150 or so DVDs that I own, none have unskippable adverts - I've only experienced that on rental copies. All I'm saying is that it's a bit silly of the OP to suggest that they are in some way being forced into piracy because of noisy cinema patrons or prices - they're doing so because it's convenient and they likely won't be punished.

All this quasi-martyrdom that pirates wrap themselves in - in order to claim some kind of moral highground - just makes me queasy. If you can't afford to go to the cinema, that doesn't mean that you have a right to see whatever's out there and if you don't support the movie industry in any way whatsoever and pirate everything, who are you to lambast the state of the industry's output? It's like never registering to vote and moaning about the government every day.

I get wound up as much as anyone when I head to the cinema by noisy audience members or people checking their phones but I still appreciate the cinema experience - watching something like The Dark Knight Rises in a few weeks on a blurry camcorder recording doesn't appeal.

09-07-2012 01:59PM

d@rk l0rd wrote: »

A bit off topic but going to the cinema has gotten so expensive and there's so much bad and selfish behaviour now - people being noisy, talking, using phones - and it's rarely addressed by the cinemas who don't seem to care, that it's often not really worth the stress or expense anymore!

Its a real problem alright, people are much more ignorant nowadays than they were say 20 years ago. Especially the younger generation.

speedboatchase · 09-07-2012 02:03PM

Deleted User wrote: »

Its a real problem alright, people are much more ignorant nowadays than they were say 20 years ago. Especially the younger generation.

Yep, it's a byproduct of a generation in which every child is equally special and mollycoddled by weak parents, leaving a gaggle of irritating children with incredible amounts of self-confidence!

Anyway, it could get worse. Several theatre chains at a recent Las Vegas convention have said that they are thinking of allowing patrons to text message during movies, so as to attract younger customers:

http://articles.latimes.com/2012/apr/28/business/la-fi-tn-texting-while-movie-watching-20120427

Mickeroo · 09-07-2012 02:08PM

Ironman76 wrote: »

4 - At Spiderman during the weekend a gang of lads hollering and heckling down the back. Thankfully they were thrown out (fair play to the staff I thought). But then as the end credits rolled the lights came on right away, and we missed the extra scene at the end credits.

Same thing happened to me, total sickener. It was opening night when I saw it so maybe the staff didn't know about it, but why is it I knew about it and they didn't? Do your feckin research people!!

jemmyboy · 09-07-2012 02:09PM

KiethM89 wrote: »

Sanjuro wrote: »

So for over a year, I've become increasingly disillusioned with one of my favourite past times, hitting up the cinema for the latest film release. With the drop in film quality and rise in prices, the cinema has become less a fun trip and more a source of annoyance. Last night was the straw that broke the camel's back.

I arrived in Vue in Liffey Valley to see Prometheus, a film I'd been looking forward to for months. Due to a busy work life and other commitments, I'd been unable to see the film until now.

The first thing that annoyed me was that I was unable to see the film in traditional 2D. Frankly, I find 3D to be a gimmick. A gimmick that almost always is an annoyance that detracts from the film experience. There's a loss of depth of field in some scenes, visual confusion as your eyes try to figure out what is going on, and the continuing problem with the darkness of the picture. And almost every 3D film I've seen has proven to look infinitely better upon second viewing in 2D. So for me, given the choice, I'll watch 2D.

And here's the first problem. Almost every cinema I looked at the listings for, either didn't give you the option of 2D, or had final 2D showings during the day. Post 5pm, it's 3D or nothing. You want choice? F[SIZE="2"]u[/SIZE]ck you. It's our way, or no way. Second problem. I went up to the desk to purchase the tickets. Two regular tickets, no premium bullsh[SIZE="2"]i[/SIZE]t seats. No extras. No popcorn. No drinks. Nothing but the damn seat tickets. My jaw hit the floor when I was charged €27.80. Almost thirty euros for two tickets. 'Wait, I have brought 3D glasses with me. I don't need to purchase any more.' I was told that I had no choice. The glasses were a mandatory charge. This further annoyed me. However, I paid the price as I was damned if I was waiting any longer to see the film. But the annoyance didn't stop there.

We were forced to sit through 25 minutes of ads and trailers, followed by the cinema blasting me with an ad for the damn cinema I was already sitting in. Then, a short presentation about the films coming out I had just seen the trailers for. At one point I lost my patience and futilely yelled 'GET ON WITH IT' into the darkness. Finally, after what seemed like an eternity, and my questioning as to why I'd bought a ticket to a screening of trailers (I'd almost forgotten I was in the cinema to see a film), the film began.

But this is where I draw the line. I don't want to be ripped off any longer. Two more films will drag me to the cinema this year. The Dark Knight Rises and The Hobbit. Thankfully, only one of those will be 3D. I may even pay the price for admission to The Master when that is released. But no more. I'm done with the big cinema chains. What I will say is that I'm glad that there is The IFI and The Lighthouse. Despite their flaws, at least they offer something different.

So I'm going to continue to download films. I'd always been more than willing to pay for a film in the cinema. I used to go once a week, no matter what crap I was seeing. The whole experience was worth it. But the pricing thing has just become ridiculous. I don't want premium seats. I don't want 3D. If I'm forced to see it, I don't want to have to pay extra for glasses. I've too many pairs already, as it is. The price of admission alone is already extortionate.

I know the arguments against torrenting. Frankly, some of them are ridiculous. The movie industry is unfathomably profitable. When films are pulling in over a billion dollars, any claim that piracy is hurting the industry are farcical. So from now on, I'll wait a few weeks extra for most films. I'll download the film and watch it on my own premium seat in my living room. With my own fresh food. And in two f[SIZE="2"]u[/SIZE]cking dimensions. Congratulations, film industry. Your attempt to bring the audience back to the cinema have driven me away from it.

I ain't reading all that !!

Joke :P ... Cinemas in Ireland have already gone to hell! They are an expensive rip off, they extort revenue both from the viewer and from advertisers. They are extracting an enormous amount of income from advertising and yet they still have the gall to charge 15 squids for a seat and force you to buy shoddy glasses and sit in an unclean environment. I agree with you, and I'm voting with my feet. No more will I ever grace the doorway of another cinema.

Totally agree!!!

johnny_ultimate · 09-07-2012 02:23PM

I'd like to know where all these cinemas featuring rampant anti-social behaviour are, so I can actively avoid them in future. Of the fifty-hundred cinema visits I've had in the last two years (mostly IFI, Cineworld and IMC Dun Laoghaire), can't say I've come across anything of the sort. Can barely recall the last time I've had people talking for the duration of the film. Except for the old lad who might have been having a w***, but that's an unhappy exception.

don ramo · 09-07-2012 02:42PM

speedboatchase wrote: »

I hear this argument quite a lot but of the 150 or so DVDs that I own, none have unskippable adverts - I've only experienced that on rental copies. All I'm saying is that it's a bit silly of the OP to suggest that they are in some way being forced into piracy because of noisy cinema patrons or prices - they're doing so because it's convenient and they likely won't be punished.

All this quasi-martyrdom that pirates wrap themselves in - in order to claim some kind of moral highground - just makes me queasy. If you can't afford to go to the cinema, that doesn't mean that you have a right to see whatever's out there and if you don't support the movie industry in any way whatsoever and pirate everything, who are you to lambast the state of the industry's output? It's like never registering to vote and moaning about the government every day.

I get wound up as much as anyone when I head to the cinema by noisy audience members or people checking their phones but I still appreciate the cinema experience - watching something like The Dark Knight Rises in a few weeks on a blurry camcorder recording doesn't appeal.

pretty much sums it up really, that is a key issue with it,

i pay to go to the cinema and pay for DVDs BRs, but i have cut down a lot in the last year or two, i only go to the cinema once every 2 weeks, wheras i used to go once if not twice a week before, im earning more or less the same money and my circumstances havent changed, its just purely cost,

think if you go to the cinema you could pay upto E15 for your ticket another 7-8 for food (purely optional of course) and then 6 months later they expect you to fork out another E20 -E30 for the film on disc, so you could end up paying nearly E45 for a film, plus the E1000 3D tv and another E2-300 for the disk player, maybe get the 7.1 surround sound system sure thatll only be another E5-600, might aswell just go buy a holodeck:D:p,

the vast vast majority pay for their entertainment, but it is swinging slowly, and if the people in charge dont get their sh1t in order they could run into a big ass problem in a few years, they gotta start rolling out the newer technology without people needing to donate body parts to get it,

DeepBlue · 09-07-2012 03:05PM

gbee wrote: »

I got the James Bond collection from my daughter for Christmas as example. Watched them all on my PC and I was able to skip a lot of the stuff so not too bad but a bother.

Recently, I wanted to view them on the 42" living room TV with surround sound and guess what, I gave up, I was treated to ads, actually for movies I've already bought, I was not able to skip them in most cases, the newer version were worse and I was also treated to you would not steal would you but you would steal a movie ~

I mentioned this in my earlier post. Total satisfaction deflation.

Why do whoever distribute dvds/blurays have to make the experience so crap for the consumer? Is it simply because they can?

filmbuffboy · 09-07-2012 03:05PM

i rarely go to the cinema anymore. overpriced, filthy environment. often filled with annoying and loud teenagers!

if its a film i really want to see ill just wait for the blu ray to be released.

Sleepy · 09-07-2012 03:16PM

Rabidlamb wrote: »

Netflix could be the solution if they offered a fuller library but they're never going to capture someone who's grown up on torrents, horse has bolted.

Get the Netflix library to the same standard as what I can torrent at dvdrip quality (i.e. movies available on the day the DVD/BR is released and TV the day after it's shown on HBO etc.) and I'll gladly buy a media player / console and sign up to it so that I'm contributing to the media I'm watching and I doubt I'm alone.

As it stands torrents are more convenient than DVD's / BR's. They're available before any legal download format is and typically there's a better "back catalogue". They're easier to use on multiple players. They don't force you to navigate overly complicated menu structures or watch ads or lectures. They don't have the extras or nice packaging but most of that goes unwatched anyhow. They're the superior product and you don't have to pay for them.

Studios need to learn from this and offer "better than free" or at the very least match the convenience, quality and availability of torrents in a subscription based model and rely on the consumers desire to see more good movies/tv made to get them to subscribe.

podgemonster · 09-07-2012 05:10PM

I love going to the cinema, the flashy trailers, the surround sound, fresh popcorn and the big screen. Nothing better than walking out at the end after seeing a great movie or the communal jump of the audience when something startling/scary happens.

I find to guarnatee myself a enjoyable evening you have to wise in your selection of cinema, screen time, seating, the length of release of a film and sometimes the film itself.

Seeing a movie on the week of its release is usually crazy busy, the busier the screen, the high probability of díckheads will be there. I waited 2.5 weeks to see Prometheus and the buzz had died down by then. Foreign movies or Independent movies are usually have plenty empty seat and in a cosy smaller screen.

City centre cinemas or large shopping centers Dundrum, Mahon Point and Liffey Valley too I avoid over the extorionate prices and an easier place for noisy teens to assemble and go to a film they have no interest in, usually avoid the cinema on Saturdays too for the same reason. I always try to select a seat near other couples when picking my seats and I have no problem calling in staff if someone is trying to impress his friends.

There are some great deals out there if you look for them, couples night, o2 treats, matinees shows, student deals, plus i'v no shame bring in a bottle of water and a bag of peanuts if I don't feel like splashing out on popcorn.

Greyjoy · 10-07-2012 12:45PM

speedboatchase wrote: »

Yep, it's a byproduct of a generation in which every child is equally special and mollycoddled by weak parents, leaving a gaggle of irritating children with incredible amounts of self-confidence!

I've been to a few films with noisy teenagers but the absolute worst perpetrators I've encountered were a pair of middle aged ladies at a screening of "Cabin in the woods". They had a loud, running commentary all the way through the film as they discussed what was happening onscreen.

krudler · 10-07-2012 03:14PM

podgemonster wrote: »

I love going to the cinema, the flashy trailers, the surround sound, fresh popcorn and the big screen. Nothing better than walking out at the end after seeing a great movie or the communal jump of the audience when something startling/scary happens.

I find to guarnatee myself a enjoyable evening you have to wise in your selection of cinema, screen time, seating, the length of release of a film and sometimes the film itself.

Seeing a movie on the week of its release is usually crazy busy, the busier the screen, the high probability of díckheads will be there. I waited 2.5 weeks to see Prometheus and the buzz had died down by then. Foreign movies or Independent movies are usually have plenty empty seat and in a cosy smaller screen.

City centre cinemas or large shopping centers Dundrum, Mahon Point and Liffey Valley too I avoid over the extorionate prices and an easier place for noisy teens to assemble and go to a film they have no interest in, usually avoid the cinema on Saturdays too for the same reason. I always try to select a seat near other couples when picking my seats and I have no problem calling in staff if someone is trying to impress his friends.

There are some great deals out there if you look for them, couples night, o2 treats, matinees shows, student deals, plus i'v no shame bring in a bottle of water and a bag of peanuts if I don't feel like splashing out on popcorn.

all of this basically, there's an omniplex less than 5 mins walk from my house and I go there during the day, midweek on days off, 4 quid in, bring my own stuff, its usually emtpy. filmwatching bliss.

Irish Aris · 10-07-2012 04:00PM

I am exclusively going to Cineworld in Parnell street because of the unlimited card. This means I have to travel an hour with the bus from Drogheda, which I don't mind.
In the nine months I've been to Ireland, I've seen 40+ movies. 2 incidents of teenagers being noisy, in one case the staff of the cinema threw them out (not sure why, it wasn't just the noise).
No matter what, I prefer the big screen to any hi tech home cinema.
I would go early to see all the trailers too! (don't mind ads as well, but I do tend to get in 5 minutes after beginning time to avoid them).
I don't mind 3Ds, I would usually choose 3D over 2D, in many cases it adds up to the film. In Cineworld, having the unlimited card I pay 1.40 for the 3D and I paid for the 3D glasses the first time only (I think 0.80).

Usually I would go and see a film (especially the blockbusters) on the second or third week, preferably on a Saturday or Sunday morning.
And I would very rarely buy anything from the bar, this is the real rip-off. Pop Corn and a refreshment is almost 10 euro.

Off topic, I need to start going to the Lighthouse and the IFI too. Lighthouse I've been there during JDIFF and it's a very beautiful cinema and in IFI you can get some arty films from the rest of teh world. Cineworld is great with the card, but it's almost exclusively mainstream Hollywwod.

e_e · 10-07-2012 04:35PM

filmbuffboy wrote: »

i rarely go to the cinema anymore. overpriced, filthy environment. often filled with annoying and loud teenagers!

if its a film i really want to see ill just wait for the blu ray to be released.

I wish users would stop posting such asinine rubbish in this thread. None of this is remotely true of the cinemas I frequently go to and it's this kind of collective mindset that stops the good cinemas from thriving and playing genuinely interesting movies.

filmbuffboy · 10-07-2012 04:41PM

e_e wrote: »

I wish users would stop posting such asinine rubbish in this thread. None of this is remotely true of the cinemas I frequently go to and it's this kind of collective mindset that stops the good cinemas from thriving and playing genuinely interesting movies.

asinine rubbish?

my local cinema is filty. toilets blocked up, not checked regularly, stink to high heavens!

sticky floor in the screen rooms, some of the seats smell, many are broken and have never been fixed.

i know there are deals out there these days, but for most people you still have to spend the guts of 15 euros, if not more, to go to the cinema

most of the time i go, there are large groups of teens who seem to prefer to disrput the enjoyment of the film for others rather than watch the bloody thing.

just because your experience of your local cinema is amazing, doesnt mean everyones is.

give me a nice fire, a blu ray/dvd, a few mates, some beers and a take away anyday over a trip to my local cinema!

10-07-2012 04:48PM

I like the cinema, but why does it take so long to get a popcorn and coke???

This is why i pirate my own popcorn and smuggle them into the cinema.

CL7 · 10-07-2012 04:50PM

filmbuffboy wrote: »

just because your experience of your local cinema is amazing, doesnt mean everyones is.

Most people have the choice of more than one cinema though surely?

filmbuffboy · 10-07-2012 04:52PM

CL7 wrote: »

Most people have the choice of more than one cinema though surely?

depends on where you live.

where i live there are two cinemas, but the other one is too far away for me to justify travelling to it.

while the one thats far away is of a higher standard, i still prefer to wait for the blu ray to be released and have mates over rather than pay 7 or 8 euros for a watered down coke and popcorn.

johnny_ultimate · 10-07-2012 04:57PM

I hate that Matrix JPG more everytime I see it. Of the several hundred DVDs / Blu-Rays I have, off the top of my head there maybe are one or two (the Disney ones particularly, and even they are usually skippable) that feature anything near that bad. 95% have a distributor's logo, a general copyright warning (much like you get on the first page of a book), menu and film. A minute tops. A few of the older ones have that old anti piracy ad and trailers, but haven't seen them on many if any releases I've bought over the last two or three years. Only a few rental DVDs.

There is a point where people will use any little thing to justify piracy. There are some that are more convincing than others, but yes bigger studio films are more likely going to fill up your DVD with some extraneous marketing materials. But it has never been any different (VHS, anyone?) and the likes of Eureka, Criterion and countless others provide excellent quality releases with only quality extras, packaging and booklets. The amount of DVDs containing genuinely annoying crap is, from my experience, an increasingly extreme minority.

e_e · 10-07-2012 06:37PM

filmbuffboy wrote: »

asinine rubbish?

my local cinema is filty. toilets blocked up, not checked regularly, stink to high heavens!

sticky floor in the screen rooms, some of the seats smell, many are broken and have never been fixed.

i know there are deals out there these days, but for most people you still have to spend the guts of 15 euros, if not more, to go to the cinema

most of the time i go, there are large groups of teens who seem to prefer to disrput the enjoyment of the film for others rather than watch the bloody thing.

just because your experience of your local cinema is amazing, doesnt mean everyones is.

give me a nice fire, a blu ray/dvd, a few mates, some beers and a take away anyday over a trip to my local cinema!

Well I own dozens of blu-rays but still find the cinema to be an infinitely more desirable place to watch a movie. There are about 3 suburban cinemas within a few miles of me but I still prefer to travel into the city to see a movie in a place like the IFI, Lighthouse or Savoy, and not once in any of these places have I experienced the same issues as you. I genuinely think that more film fans should go out of their way to get a better experience. I had to make time in a relatively busy week to see Himizu (plus I'll be buying the blu-ray) because I knew it would be the kind of film that would be ideal in such a setting and would need such support so that similar movies could be shown in the future. I'm not sure how far away from Dublin city you are, but I really don't think people in Dublin county have any right to complain about the quality of the cinema experience given how a far superior cinema may be a simple bus trip away. I read this thread and so many of the posts (not necessarily yours) seem like a shallow excuse for piracy and generalizations of the cinema experience.

Cantona's Collars · 10-07-2012 06:41PM

Deleted User wrote: »

I like the cinema, but why does it take so long to get a popcorn and coke???

This is why i pirate my own popcorn and smuggle them into the cinema.

Link please:D I use Lidl,big bag of jellies for 65c,same size bag is over €3 in the cinema.

I'll go see TDKR on the big screen,I'm tempted by the new Spiderman movie but it won't be the end of the world if I don't go see it.

Bullseye1 · 10-07-2012 07:36PM

Thankfully my local cinema is a pleasure to visit. Have not had a bad experience there yet and long may it continue. Most of the issue posted about bad experiences appear to revolve around the actions of other cinema goers. I think in general society in this country is broken. Parents don't want to take responsibility for their children and a large portion of kids have simply no respect for anyone.

Agricola · 10-07-2012 09:18PM

Not living in the capital means you don't get hit quite as bad the OP's post. I usually go to the Omniplexes in Wexford, Carlow or Kilkenny or Storm in Waterford.
While I have found that the annoying "3d only after 6pm" situation is getting more and and more common, the ridiculous ticket prices, the requirement to become a collector of 3d glasses and the endless ads before the show isnt really an issue in these cinemas. At some films, there can be one or two ads and a trailer before the off, for others there might be 10 minutes of it at most. But it isnt at a stage where Im considering going into every film late.
I fully agree about 3d though. With every film I see, Im becoming more and more convinced it will be a fad. The experience is almost always worse than seeing the film in 2d.

Thwip! · 11-07-2012 02:04AM

When i went to see Amazing Spider-man the other night, there was two trailers and one ad.

Mickeroo · 11-07-2012 02:14AM

jpcarlow wrote: »

When i went to see Amazing Spider-man the other night, there was two trailers and one ad.

Been hearing stuff like that from a lot of people. Got maybe 3 trailers and no ads at all at the screening I was at. Very surprising.

wandatowell · 11-07-2012 02:41AM

Going to the cinema in Ireland is becoming a horrendous experience.

I was at Mahon Point cinema on Sunday night to see Spiderman, we were in Screen 1 which I would think is one of the larger screen in the complex but the place was stinking. The smell was only aweful in there.

We eventually moved towards the back of the room but thats not really solving the issue of the smell of puke.

callaway92 · 11-07-2012 03:25AM

wandatowell wrote: »

Going to the cinema in Ireland is becoming a horrendous experience.

I was at Mahon Point cinema on Sunday night to see Spiderman, we were in Screen 1 which I would think is one of the larger screen in the complex but the place was stinking. The smell was only aweful in there.

We eventually moved towards the back of the room but thats not really solving the issue of the smell of puke.

Funny enough I actually like Mahon Point's cinema a lot. The Omniplex in Clonmel at home is fine, but anytime I'm shopping or with friends in Cork we usually go there to watch something. (or to watch sexy mammies with their babies during the week)

Rabidlamb · 11-07-2012 10:44AM

The Cinemas in Ireland are far better than they were 20 years ago.
Yes,they overcharge on snacks but that has built into their price structure due to the monopoly of the big distributors.
In the early weeks of a new release the studio might be taking 80% of the box office, this is why big opening weekends are so important to them.

So with the Cinema only making €2 on your ass in the seat, you can see why popcorn & Coke sales are so important to the business model.
So someone who sneaks in snacks or just doesn't buy any is almost as harmful to the Cinema's bottom as line as those of us who pirate.

I believe the most harm is done when we share our pirate material with friends who may have been potential paying customers.
In my experience less than 1 out of every 10 people posses the skills to pirate, the industry can probably suck this up, it's when people share their wares for free is when significant losses occur.

Thwip! · 11-07-2012 11:59AM

Mickeroo wrote: »

Been hearing stuff like that from a lot of people. Got maybe 3 trailers and no ads at all at the screening I was at. Very surprising.

yeah i was pleasantly suprised as when i went to see Avengers in Liffey Valley there was 4 trailers and a good few ads.

I was hoping to see something for Wreck it Ralph though, figured there was a good chance of seeing it with Spider-man seeing as Marvel are owned by disney (granted it was a sony, not a marvel, film but still)

Why cinemas can go to hell, and I will pirate [** MOD WARNING IN OP **]

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Why cinemas can go to hell, and I will pirate [ MOD WARNING IN OP ]