A night at the movies

Where's the one place in America you are guaranteed to escape from the heat? The movie theater, right? They crank up the A/C so high in those theaters that my mother used to send us to the movies in coats (stuffed with candy, because you know that theater candy is way overpriced).

But, as we discovered last night, not so in London! In fact, there were signs everywhere in the theater warning us: NONE OF THE AUDITORIA ARE AIR CONDITIONED. So I really felt like I was on location in the West Indies as we took in the new "Pirates of the Caribbean" movie, which I can describe in one word: Tedious.

Now, one of the classier things about going to a film in London, at least the two times that I have done it, is that you actually get assigned seats. It's not like U.S. theaters, where it's first come, first served seating. Oh no. And there are different levels, just like in a when you go to the West End for a musical. "Would you like regular, premiere, or luxury seating?" the gent at the door asked us. We went for luxury seats, which meant we were sitting on a love seat (comfy) at the upper level of the theater (uncomfy, as heat rises). I can't wait to go back -- in November.