IFE SELECTION FOR APRIL - HAS VS GONE MAD???

Hi all

So, with a little over 4 weeks to go before me and Mrs Amex go off to MCO I thought I'd go onto the website to see what offerings we could expect movie wise.

I look through the listings and there are some great films that I haven't got around to seeing in the cinema. However, 1 film in particular stands out.

FLIGHT - starring Denzel Washington, the subject matter of which revolves around a PLANE CRASH!!!! :0 Now, I know that Denzel was nominated for an oscar for his role in the film so it is a very good movie. But if I was a nervous passenger and I stumbled across this on a flight it would probably ruin my flight.

Now, admittedly VS does say on the site - contains scenes that may upset nervous passengers, but still a strange choice

I have watched this and it is pretty shocking Virgin are showing it. Maybe somebody from Virgin could shine some light on this?

it is pretty shocking Virgin are showing it.

Why? I don't mean to sound indelicate but if they have put a disclaimer stating "contains scenes that may upset nervous passengers" then personally I don't see a prob

However, I would be shocked if they did not show Oscar nominated movies.. you cannot cater to everyone after all ii)

[mitchja]

I believe VS where also the only airline that screened Lost, which also had a plane crash in the first episode.

It seems to be a VS thing.

I've no issues with VS showing films that contain plane crashes, after all, no-one forces you to watch them.

Is it not down to VS to select a wide range of options that will appeal to the widest selection of paxs??

I watched Flight whist on my last VS flight to the East Coast. Very good film IMHO.
To make a point VS also showed the documentary Fahrenheit 9/11 a few years back. Again, interesting watch, not sure I agree with all his points of view and that has similar content.
I was glad it was shown, some others may not have been.
My own view is that entertainment on-board should be the same on whilst on the ground. You have the choice to watch or not.
There is always the channel button I guess.
If VS start to lobby pax about what to show we may well be left with just a selection of kids movies by the time everyone has had their input.
I know what scares me more :0

Ah, i remember the days when I was a nervous flyer, sitting in the exit row in the bubble, trying to take my mind off being on a plane by watching 'the new show everyone is talking about'... :0

If it was on overhead screens I could see the shock value but a personal entertainment system is just that...

I watched castaway on a VS flight years back, there were clear warnings before watching about the crash and I see no problem whatsoever, it's your choice whether to watch or not!

If VS start to lobby pax about what to show we may well be left with just a selection of kids movies by the time everyone has had their input.
I know what scares me more :0

Me too. In the early days of flying VS - when IFE was still something of a novelty - someone telling me of an LHR-LAX flight on ANZ where the overhead screens showed only "Cheaper By The Dozen". :0

You could quite easily end up with showing none of the Oscar nominated films if you polled and found individuals didn't want depressing films about old age / re-enactments of brutal civil war battles / dodgy late 70's fashion / Russell Crowe "singing".

No-one will force you to watch it. Just choose something else. What doesn't appeal to some, may appeal to others!

To be honest, after I had got over the initial shock of watching the first two episodes of Lost and it's aftermath of a plane crash, I realised it was really good and watched it again.
Snakes On A Plane would have REALLY bothered me though xx(

VS have always had a rep as an airline that shows movies whole (no US-style censorship) and even when the content may be sensitive. The Day After Tomorrow was another movie they showed (and I saw on one of their flights) where planes fall from the sky left and right. It's always been their thing, and frankly when I see the kind of dubbing of bad words and cutting of scenes that can happen on most other airlines ("This movie's been edited for your own good, as interpreted by Willie Walsh/Jeff Smisek/Richard Anderson etc etc"), I am 100% with VS on this one.

Yep no one is forced to watch it - unlike on a Zoom flight I was on where they they showed 'The Shooter' which had an 'R' rating on the overhead TVs. There were children on the flight as well !

just a side note but last night we watched a film on pay per view that ,given the preview ....'in French with sub-titles, a story of a handicapped millionaire and his carer from the projects' ...I wouldnt normally have even considered....I can now say the Intouchables is brilliant and well worth watching if it is on the IFE

Snakes On A Plane would have REALLY bothered me though xx(

Yep that was on VS too - watched it on a flight home from Shanghai.

Ok, maybe not the best choice of film to show whilst on a flight, but as others have said, it's personal choice whether you watch it or not.

I actually contemplating watching it when I'm head off to NYC next month as it does look like a good film. I'm not scared.

Some interesting comments on this subject. I am well aware that it is down to individual viewers choice when on board, never knew that VS don't go for what I think is termed 'an airline edition' of a movie which I think is 8D

Now, just got to make sure that Mrs Amex is careful when selecting. I remember when we saw the trailer to FLIGHT in the cinema her initial comment was 'wouldn't want to see that when I'm on a plane' v(

Think i'll just skirt around the subject if she asks ):

I've got to say I was not majorly fussed if I watched it knowing that I was going to fly soon as I prefer to know about stuff than not, and to be honest it does have a scene in it where the plane crashes but the main part of the story focuses on his life and his actions so not much to worry about really, watching Air Crash Investigation (to which I enjoy of the other hand for information purposes) might have the opposing effect.

But I believe they are still showing the possible selection for March the website isn't normally updated till the following few days at the begining of the month for the selection on the month or have the done something which they don't normally do and update it early? :-O

No it's up to u to watch what u want. No one forces u to watch that movie. Lighten up.

Virgins movie pick for july.

Flight

An airline pilot saves almost all his passengers on his malfunctioning airliner which eventually crashed, but an investigation into the accident reveals something troubling.

I thought that rule 1 for ife was not to show films about crashing planes. the pick seems a bit odd.

Source: http://virginatlantic.mymovies.net

[Nottingham Nick]

There has already been quite a long discussion about this subject. I will merge the two topics.

Nick

I watched "Flight" on a BA trip to JFK, a couple of weeks ago.
Not a particularly great film... but the crash sequence was entertaining..

I remember watching "Buried" on a VS flight, the whole film is a man buiried alive film in the box he was buried in. Was quite a surreal experience while sat in the cacoon that is the UC suite...

I must be quite hardfaced I don't see a problem.

I must be quite hardfaced I don't see a problem.

I don't see a problem either, I've even watched airplane on VS!