Local buses, trains and even some train stations have been slathered in advertising in recent years to raise money for cash-strapped transit agencies.

On Tuesday, commercial messages on mass transit in the Southland reached a new frontier when subway riders began seeing a 15-second video floating outside the train's window in a dark tunnel near Universal City.

The first ad was a short promo for the film "Speed Racer," featuring the main character's car zipping and flipping about. An ad for Target began showing later in the morning, complete with dancing models.

"It's intrusive to me," said passenger Roberta Richey, an actress. "If I want to see that, I'll turn on the TV or pick up a newspaper."

Reaction from most other passengers on a northbound Red Line train Tuesday morning was muted or nonexistent. The videos have no sound, and some riders didn't notice them. Others read; some slept or stared blankly ahead in the way that subway riders do.

And others liked what they saw in the tunnel between the Hollywood and Highland and Universal City stations.