Every silver screen has a cloudy lining

Re “ ‘Bubble’ Bursts Film Tradition, Jan. 22

I’d like to go to the planet where Hollywood people view movies. To quote Ron Howard: “Viewing in a theater is the optimum experience.” Hardly!

On Earth, you pay your $10 for a ticket, get your $5 popcorn and $4 drink, and then the fun begins. You scramble for a seat, preferably not next to the kids fighting with each other while their mother studiously ignores them. As the picture starts, you begin to thank God for the decibel level; it’s a great distraction from the guy two seats down saying, “Ethel, what did he say?” to his wife. You settle in to see the film, becoming one with the magic of movies, and then the little pain starts nagging at you. You’ve just finished your 32-ounce coke, and your bladder is about to burst. With a sinking feeling, it dawns on you that the movie is more than three hours long, with two hours to go -- and there’s no intermission.

VICTOR REINHARDT

Rancho Palos Verdes