Lawsuits target ads at start of films

From Associated Press

February 22 2003

The practice of showing commercials before the start of movies defrauds the public and should be stopped, according to lawsuits filed in Chicago against two movie-theater chains.

The on-screen commercials delay the start of films beyond the posted times, which deceives theatergoers, the lawsuits claim.

The class-action lawsuits were filed in Cook County Circuit Court this week against Classic Cinemas and Loews Cineplex Entertainment. Both suits ask that theaters state films' actual start times in their ads or pay no more than $75 "for anybody who's had to sit through these things, millions of people," said attorney Mark Weinberg.

John McCauley, Loews vice president of marketing, declined to comment.

Chris Johnson, a vice president with Tivoli Enterprises, which operates Classic Cinemas, called the lawsuits "ridiculous." He said his company's 12 theaters show no more than three minutes of commercials.

Douglas Litowitz, another of the attorneys who filed the suits, said the movie industry went for 100 years without commercials. "Our basic proposition is that if you are forced to watch commercials, you should be compensated for it," he said.

The lawsuits don't take issue with movie previews, which also often precede films.

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