WTF! Theater shows a commercial for health insurance company before showing SiCKO

[PA Democrat]

I just came back from seeing SiCKO with my family. We walked into the theater at precisely 1:15 which is when the movie was scheduled to start. I expected movie previews, but not more than 15 minutes of commercials, including one for Highmark Blue Cross Blue Shield, a health insurance company!

There were more than 15 minutes of commercials, then 15 minutes of movie previews. The movie finally started at 1:47, more than a half hour after the scheduled time.

Since when do theaters show commercials before a movie that you have PAID money to see? Is this something new? Besides the commercial for health insurance, there was one for the Marines, a couple for cell phone service, several for Coke, and some others I cannot recall.

[SoCalDem]

1. Same here in SoCal.. I LOATHE movie-going these days.

You pay thru the nose to have your eardrums broken, freeze to death and on top of it you have to endure 30-45 minutes of commercials..

sucks!!

[PA Democrat]

4. This was not a theater chain that we usually patronize, and it was a first for me.

The theater we usually go to does not show any commercials. Our favorite theater had SiCKO showing there the week it opened, but it's not there any longer, so we tried this other local theater. First and last time. Movies are way too expensive to have to sit through commercials.

[Whoa_Nelly]

12. But, it's not just ANY ol' commercial

Have been seeing commercials before movies for years, but I highly doubt that the Blue Cross one was just random as being shown before SICKO.

Ever since SICKO came out, the insurance industry is making sure that they can intrude and debase Moore's film.

http://www.michaelmoore.com/words/message/index.php?id=215

Friday, July 6th, 2007
BlueCross Secret Memo Re: 'Sicko'
... "You would have to be dead to be unaffected by Moore's movie..."

July 6th, 2007

Friends,

An employee who works at Capital BlueCross has sent us a confidential memo written and circulated by its Vice President of Corporate Communications, Barclay Fitzpatrick. His job, it seems, was to go and watch "Sicko," observe the audience's reaction, and then suggest a plan of action for how to deal with the movie.

The memo, which I am releasing publicly in this email, is a fascinating look at how one health care company views "Sicko" -- and what it fears its larger impact will be on the public. The industry's only hope, the memo seems to indicate, is if the movie "flops."

Mr. Fitzpatrick writes: "In typical Moore fashion, Government and business leaders are behind a conspiracy to keep the little guy down and dominated while getting rich."

No. You don't say! That can't be!

BlueCross V.P. Fitzpatrick seems downright depressed about the movie he just saw. "You would have to be dead to be unaffected by Moore's movie," he writes. "Sicko" leaves audiences feeling "ashamed to be...a capitalist, and part of a 'me' society instead of a 'we' society."

He walks out of the theater only to witness an unusual sight: people -- strangers -- mingling and talking to each other. "'I didn't know they (the insurers) did that!' was a common exclamation followed by a discussion of the example," according to Fitzpatrick.

He then assesses the film's impact: "he impact on small business decision makers, our members, the community, and our employees could be significant. Ignoring its impact might be a successful strategy only if it flops, but that has not been the history of Moore's films ... If popular, the movie will have a negative impact on our image in this community."

The BlueCross memo then suggests a strategy in dealing with "Sicko" and offers the BCBS "talking points" to be used in discounting the film.

My heartfelt thanks to the employee who sent this to me.

And now a word from me to Capital BlueCross:

How 'bout a debate? No more secret memos and hand wringing about the millions seeing "Sicko." Just me and your CEO openly debating the merits of a system that kills thousands of innocent Americans every year.

In the meantime, I hope you don't mind me sharing your thoughts and impressions in your well-written memo. And if the rest of your executive team hasn't seen "Sicko," it opens in an additional 100 cities tonight for a total of over 700 screens across North America. Attendance went up a whopping 56% on the 4th of July, higher than any other film in the theaters right now. But don't be scared, and certainly don't be ashamed to be a capitalist. Greed is good! Especially good for you. There's nothing like having the pre-existing condition of being rich, should you ever get sick and need help.

Yours,

Michael Moore
[e-mail]
www.michaelmoore.com

[movonne]

9. I go to the movies very seldom...but the same thing happened...but

the part the really bothered me was the loud commercials, I could hardly stand it...I only go when something very special is there and thank God that is not very often...

[Deja Q]

2. In 2002, I whined about the same thing when going to see Star Trek Nemesis

which was a truly excruciatingly bad film, BTW...

Given the cost of making movies, theatres need to do more than sell overpriced popcorn to people to make up the costs.

Pre-movie Commercials are one way of doing so.

So why are there in-movie product placement bits, which always stick out like a sore thumb painted fluorescent pink with a sign reading "Buy me! It's better than an orgasm! Brought to you by Trojan."

[Whoa_Nelly]

3. Maybe share that with Mike Moore?

And include all the details re: city/town, state, name of theater, etc.

You can write to him at:
[e-mail]

[PA Democrat]

6. Thanks, good idea.

[That Is Quite Enough]

5. Same thing here in South Dakota.

They *always* show tons of commercials out here. Ones for Coke, the National Guard, Yahoo OneSearch and others.

[FormerDittoHead]

7. They've shown commercials for YEARS AND YEARS. In fact there's a group to stop them. CMPAA.

The Coke commercials are especially irritating, IMO. Like am I going to drink WATER with my popcorn?

Say NO to TV commercials before feature films at movie theaters:
http://www.captiveaudience.org/

I especially like this:

[PA Democrat]

10. Thanks for the link.

[RB TexLa]

8. They used to stop the movie somewhere and ask everyone to go buy food

[AZBlue]

11. Knowing how movie ads are sold, it was no conspiracy.

That was just an unfortunate coincidence.

[AX10]

13. I hope you are right, but I have to have doubts about this.

Seeing what the right wing/corporations have done to this country, one can never be to vigilant regarding accountability.

[AZBlue]

23. It's part of my job to buy media, including a lot of movie ads. Trust me, it wasn't planned.

Most are even national and those that aren't are not film-specific.

[cynatnite]

14. We get commercials...

Insurance, funeral home, furniture, etc. Varies. Sucks, too.

[Orangepeel]

15. they've been showing commercials b/f the movie for years

I can't remember the last movie I saw that didn't have a Coke ad and a Marines ad in front of it. There is usually a "don't do drugs" ad, too.

I haven't seen a health insurance ad that I can remember, but I SERIOUSLY doubt it was intentionally placed before Sicko. Somebody bought a package and that's where it fell. In fact, someone at the media placement agency is probably going to have to do some serious explaining to the company, because they are the ones who will look bad. It's like showing an ad for a cruise line before Titanic.

[PA Democrat]

16. There is a large cinema complex where I live that does NOT show commercials.

I've seen probably 20 movies there in the past 5 years, and had never seen a commercial. I guess I should consider myself lucky. Guess where I will go to see my next movie?

I am not saying that the ad was a conspiracy, just extremely ironic. That same insurance company just turned down our family's application for health insurance because our daughter has autism.

[Donnachaidh]

17. NOT new -- it's freaking awful.

And our local theatres won't let you go in after the movie "start time", so you can't get away from the ads. It's one of the main reasons we don't go to most releases. But we did go for Sicko and Harry Potter.

[Imagevision]

18. Hey, if you were an Insurance Co. how would you deal with SiCKO? - it's only business, don't

be naive. Actually it sounds quite clever, how are the people in your area responding??

[fed-up]

19. I also was surprised at commercials before seeing Sicko-my last movie was probably 6 months ago nt

[SarahB]

20. Fucking Snuggle fabric softener commercials before a movie I just saw!

$10.50 a ticket for shit like that? :mad:

[BlooInBloo]

21. As long as movie makes and movie theaters treat their customers so badly...

... I don't feel bad about finding alternative sources to see my movies.

[JerseygirlCT]

22. Commercials have been happening for a few years now.

They do it because they can get away with it.

As to the insurance company ad before Sicko, I think that's funny! What a waste of their money that was!

[Tulum_Moon]

24. So what

They paid for it. Don't watch it.