In comfort we trust

On a weekend trip visiting the girlfriend in Bury St Edmunds, we decided to step out to the cinema to see the Best Exotic Marigold Hotel (keeping a recent tradition of film titles seemingly designed to be hard to remember, hello Martha Marcy May Marlene). The film was OK, a tad long and seemed to forget about some of its characters when what little plot it had did not require them, but the experience is worth proclaiming about because of the venue. We went not to an Odeon, a Cineworld or an Empire, but to a Picturehouse, something I haven't done for a while. We arrived a little late, after a last minute snack dash, so the only remaining sets of two seats were fairly near the front, but we didn't mind because they were on sofas. Not hard-backed, squeeze yourself in wooden benches, but full-on sofas, with leg room and cushions, separate cup holders and everything. No fighting for the arm rest with your neighbour, no hunching up to fit in a ridiculously narrow corridor whilst simultaneously ducking down to ensure the person behind can see (I'm 6' 3", though the chairs at my local Odeon seem designed more for those 4' 5" and under). Just sit back, relax, stretch out a little and enjoy. And these weren't even premier seats, just standard, used to encourage patrons to sit nearer the front of the screen, and I'd strongly recommend other cinemas to employ them too. One of the main reasons I don't go to the cinema that often - other than the exponentially increasing ticket prices - is because the seats are so damn uncomfortable, and I'm fairly sure I'd go at least once a week if I knew I wouldn't be shifting and squirming throughout the film, else it really is more worthwhile just to wait for the DVD.