Here's a question. Is it really worth going to the cinema (or movie theater if you are in the increasing blob that is my american readership)? The reason I ask is this. Last night two of us went to see the latest Ben Stiller movie: Night At The Museum. This cost just short of 14 pounds. It's rare that a Dvd release costs much more than that, and you get to watch it when you want, as often as you want, and even pause it. Plus, you don't get the experience of watching it marred by the imbeciles around you crunching their popcorn, talking, or otherwise drawing attention away from the screen. The argument about seeing things on the big screen is a good one, but I could buy a fairly big ass high definition screen for a few hundred guid and sit closer to it. The other argument that it's good to enjoy the movie as part of a crowd is one that I'm uncertain of. There's no doubt in my mind that I enjoyed Borat more because of the live audience. However, last night's movie left me wondering if this isn't a bit of a gamble. I suppose that going to the movies is a night out, where staying in and watching a Dvd clearly isn't!

As for last night's movie. It was distracting enough with some good comedy performances and a cast clearly geared towards pleasing the whole family. Given that we were watching in Reading, it should have come as no surprise to find that local boy Ricky Gervais was particularly enjoyed while on screen. It seemed like some people present were determined to find every nuance of his behaviour to be hilarious. He was okay. He looked a bit awkward in places, but he managed to bumble through in his role as official bumbler.

So, I'll probably keep going to the cinema, especially if being in the house feels like something worth taking a break from now and then.