The hill I will die on: Cinemas have been getting away with lies. Films should begin on time | Jeffrey Ingold

If cinemas must run 20 minutes of adverts before a feature, they could at least be honest about it. Or, I have a better solution …

Do you remember the last time you were lied to? I certainly do. I was tricked by the North Finchley Vue, which sold me and my boyfriend tickets to a 7.15pm showing of The Odyssey. Guess what was playing at 7.15pm? A car advert. Ten minutes later, it was a trailer for the horror film Werwulf. Then there was an advert for Vue – as if I wasn’t already there. The film was half an hour late to its own showing when it finally started at 7.45pm.

I am sick and tired of cinemas getting away with such treachery. I don’t want to follow in the footsteps of my friend, who knows that the ads at her local run for 22 minutes so slinks in at just the right time. I shouldn’t have to do mental maths because I am being lied to by cinemas. We are all the victims of their predatory time-wasting system.

Jeffrey Ingold is a freelance journalist covering LGBTQ+ issues, music and culture

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