2D or not 2D

Thanks to a busy spell and a crashed laptop a few things I would no doubt have blogged on have gone un-Wurzeled since my last blog. Like Saints getting to Wembley again and winning a trophy - great day out; a couple of new babies born to friends and family:; small matter of a general election announced; my Mum discovering she needs a heart by-pass; the start of the cricket season to name but a few.

But back up to date. Last night I went to the new Imax screen at the Odeon to see Alice in Wonderland. Not a film I was particularly fussed about (Mrs W's choice) but it was my first chance to experience not only the huge Imax screen, but also my first of the modern 3d movies.

At over £12 a ticket  (including the booking fee - why am I charged 75p a ticket for the privilege of saving the cinema the need for any employee to serve me?) I was expecting something special. Apparently it was. From the opening credits Mrs W was oohing and aahing, occasionally even dodging and ducking. I, meanwhile sat watching and wondering what the fuss was about. The trouble was that I have one eye that is  much weaker than the other. It's not blind, if I close the good one I still have vision in the weak one, but for purposes of focusing my brain simply ignores it. This can make perception of depth difficult, as an optician explained once if i lined up a snooker shot I'd have no way of gauging the distance between cue and object balls. I don't play much snooker, but was relieved to find that it wasn't imagination that, when playing cricket I can stand there bat in hand, watch the ball leave the bowlers hand and see (or rather not see) it disappear half way  between bowler and me, only to hear the dreaded noise of ball hitting stumps a split second later. But I digress. The same problem, I now discover only after paying my £12, prevents me from seeing a 3D film. I tired all sorts during the movie, crossed eyes, special glasses on, off, upside down, back to front - nothing made any difference. If you ever watch a 3D film shut one eye for a while, you'll see what I see. It's still perfectly watch-able (with the special glasses) but no different than watching a normal film.

Mrs W told me it was fantastic and never wants to bother with an ordinary film again. I guess we'll be parting company at the screen doors next time we visit the cinema.