Who doesn't enjoy curling up on the couch in front of the TV for a good DVD? You have the popcorn ready, the lighting set just so, drink in hand, everything is in readiness. And by the time you have gone through all the useless disclaimers and warnings and skipped through two million coming attractions and actually get to the main menu, half the popcorn is gone, your toddler has wandered off out of boredom and you have to get up to fetch another drink, this time possibly alcoholic.
Why do the companies that put together DVDs do this? Why do I need to sit through warnings about the illegality of pirating DVDs, or where the particular DVD can be watched (apparently oil rigs are a no-no), or FBI warnings, or warnings about global warming or Ebola or Justin Bieber's latest single? I just want to watch the movie that I have legally purchased, for crying out loud! I collect DVDs so that I will have the movie that I am interested in readily available to watch at any time. I don't need previews of coming attractions! It is just not relevant! Most of the time I attempt some serious button mashing in order to skip said attractions anyway.
Disney DVDs are the absolute worst! My two year old wants to watch a specific Disney movie or cartoon series. So I put the DVD in and get the Disney logo and some warnings about copyright and the dangers of sniffing glue, and then some really cheerful guy informs you that this DVD has been "enhanced" (Ha! Yeah right!) with Disney's Fastplay. What this means is that if you do not press a button at a certain time, your toddler will have to sit through at least 5 previews of Disney movies that came out when you were their age. By that time you have a full scale riot on your hands! Your kid is now convinced that you do not have its best interest at heart and is pelting you with Legos. If you do manage to skip the Fastplay option, you get to the main menu where you triumphantly press the Play Movie button. And then you have to endure more Lego bombardment as yet more warnings about copyright and prostitution appear on the screen. By the time the movie actually starts, your kid is extremely frustrated and you have more bruises than someone who kicked a lion. Not to mention the fact that you will be sneezing out pink Lego blocks for a week!
I can understand adverts for everything from insurance to new cars when you are sitting in the cinema, as this generates revenue. Coming attractions also make sense in this setup, and is actually one of my favourite parts of the movie experience. But when I am at home attempting to watch a DVD that I have purchased, then I am not interested in ads or coming attractions. For crying out loud, just SHOW ME THE MOVIE!
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