New Bill Aims To Return Sanity to Movie Start Times

A Connecticut state senator is trying to force movie theaters to reveal exactly what time the actual movie starts, to let people reduce the amount of trailers and ads they have to watch.

If you’re a regular movie-goer you’re probably well aware that revenue-seeking theaters are cramming more and more movie trailers and straight-up commercials into their screenings, dramatically increasing the amount of time between the announced and actual movie start times.

(From personal experience, in recent years our favorite Akron-area theaters have expanded from a relatively acceptable 20 minutes to a more unpleasant half-hour of trailers and ads. At a recent screening of Moana 2 that gap was stretched even further, to 35 minutes, which is a completely unacceptable amount of extra time to try and hold children’s attention. Or, if you left the kids home, to pay for extra babysitting.)

As reported by the CT Insider, state senator Martin Looney has put forth a bill that would “require that each movie advertisement or listing include, and separately list, the scheduled start time for (1) the movie trailers and advertisements that precede the advertised or listed movie, and (2) the advertised or listed movie.”

Read More: 45 Sequels That Will Rule the Box Office in 2025

Theoretically, this bill would make movie-going a less time-wasting process, particularly if you’re going to a theater that offers advanced reserved seating. You’d know the real start time and could plan your arrival accordingly. But as the AV Club points out, declining movie attendance means more theaters are counting on that ad revenue, and the advertising companies may cut their spending if they think even fewer people will be there to watch these promotional clips.

The other problem would come from your less considerate fellow movie-goers. There are always a few stragglers who arrive after the movie starts, even with the current half-hour cushions. Imagine how much worse that’ll get when they try to arrive at the exact start time? Or how fun it’ll be for you to get there two minutes before your movie, then find out that somebody else is mistakenly (or opportunistically) sitting in your seats, and someone else is sitting in their seats, setting off a chain reaction of arguments and noisy re-alignments that run well past the movie’s actual start time?

(Sorry, I was looking for a more positive ending, but we hosted 12 kids for a sleepover last night. Maybe tomorrow?)