July 22, 2001

9:59 AM

AMC to add commercials?American Movie Classics, a cable TV channel which has for sixteen years been showing classic films without commercial interruptions, is considering adding commercial breaks to movies as early as this year. (The channel already shows commercials before and after movies and in its documentaries, but until now has kept the movies themselves intact.) If you're a movie buff and are distressed by this possibility, let AMC know about it. (Personally, I think this is a bad idea, if only because it will likely cost them lots and lots of viewers.)
posted by kindall (18 comments total)

I assume the station folks figured out what was to be gained and what lost and assumed that what viewers they lost would be easily offset with money they took in through ads. Me? I simplywon't watch a cut-up classic. There are times when it is a waste of time to fight something with little change of prevailing and wiser to find an alternative to avoid the nonsense and stress.
posted by Postroad at 10:10 AM on July 22, 2001

I felt that the truly stellar original AMC series REMEMBER WENN was unceremoniously dumped, without ever giving it any real support (when did it air, like 2:30 in the morning?).

I really doubt they'll do anything to "preserve" these movies: why should they? It's not like they're the only outlet for them.
posted by bjennings at 10:11 AM on July 22, 2001

It's always been great to watch movies on AMC without commercials in the middle, but if the alternative is to have no AMC at all, then I welcome the ads. Hopefully they can find a way to include ads in the middle of films without having to cut-up the running time or deleting scenes. AMC has always been a strong supporter of preserving films, restoring films, and has always had a strong sense of Hollywood history, so hopefully they will keep that attitude even if they have to add ads.
posted by sassone at 10:29 AM on July 22, 2001

Ads will kill AMC. Ever try to watch a Hitchcock movie cut up? It destroys the pacing. I can watch old movies on a variety of stations, I only watch AMC because of the presentation. Once you remove that, it's toast.
posted by dong_resin at 10:57 AM on July 22, 2001

Bravo was commercial free when it first came out. Now it has commercials every 10 minutes or so. I am migrating to TCM land for commercial free classic movies. I just wish TCM repeated some of the movies more often.
posted by tamim at 11:01 AM on July 22, 2001

For what it's worth, I just wrote them to ask them to not add commercial breaks.
posted by crunchland at 11:11 AM on July 22, 2001

If they add commercials, then it will be just like going to the movies.... They should group them all at the beginning. We're all ready used to almost twenty minutes of crap before we see the film we've paid $8 - 10 to see.

I don't know if it's the same where you all are, but there have been at least half a dozen commercials and another half dozen previews before most of the "blockbuster" flicks this summer. I don't think I'll ever buy another Samsung product and I'm actively boycotting M&M's.
posted by heather at 11:14 AM on July 22, 2001

"I actually think people would welcome some breaks," says AMC General Manager Marc Juris.

Now there's a case of corporate denial if I've ever seen one.
posted by mrbula at 11:20 AM on July 22, 2001

Why would they even bother trying to pretend they think viewers will enjoy commercials? I don't like people talking to me during a movie. I REALLY don't want them trying to sell me jock-itch cream.
I'll write them an email, and hope it makes a difference, but somehow, I doubt it will.
posted by Doug at 11:58 AM on July 22, 2001

Golly, I picked a great time to buy a tiVo!
posted by punkrockrat at 11:58 AM on July 22, 2001

Maybe they think that most of their viewers are geriatrics with overactive bladders who need commercial breaks every 10 minutes.
posted by crunchland at 12:10 PM on July 22, 2001

Doug: But what if you needed jock-itch cream and were unsure of the best brand? ;-)

If adding commercials will help AMC stay on the air, then go for it.

On a related note: The local cable system added Turner Classic Movies last Sunday - hooray! Last night I caught Grant, Hepburn, and Stewart in what has got to be one of the best movies (shameless plug alert) ever written & acted - The Philadelphia Story.
posted by davidmsc at 12:46 PM on July 22, 2001

I, for one, would much rather spend a dollar to rent a classic rather than watch it with commericals.
posted by Hackworth at 1:34 PM on July 22, 2001

Now I know where they went. My bookmark on their old weekly schedule kept saying No Schedule For This Month. I didn't look very far, I admit, because I don't watch AMC much anymore. But now you have to click for every few hours of schedule at a time? You need Flash, Quicktime and Shockwave. Now there's ad breaks coming. Yes, thank god for TCM, and I'm glad they don't repeat films as often as AMC. Their site is too flashy too, but none of this registration bulls**t. I will admit that if they show films I want to see, I'll still watch.
posted by aflakete at 1:56 PM on July 22, 2001

hmm, i thought AMC actually was showing commercials in the middle of movies shown at certain times. i may be wrong, though. i do know one thing for sure, the commercials are the only reason i stopped watching bravo - oh, and the censorship too. ok, the two reasons i stopped watching bravo were the ads and the censorship.
posted by cheesebot at 2:52 PM on July 22, 2001

Yeah, I watched Gods and Monsters last night on BRAVO, and they had fuzzied out a naked guy. But they didn't just fuzzy his "naughty bits" they fuzzied his whole body. Apparently BRAVO thinks if you are naked ALL of you is obscene.
posted by miss-lapin at 9:24 PM on July 22, 2001

Well, yeah, sometimes.
posted by dong_resin at 9:40 PM on July 22, 2001

i think they should show Classic Commercials!
posted by DiplomaticImmunity at 10:26 AM on July 23, 2001