A single and sole local showing - and that late-night - of the recent British mainstream film Sexy Beast at The Duke of York's Cinema weeks after it had been given a general release in other parts of the country emphasises what a backwater Brighton has become for film buffs.

The problem seems to be with the distributors. The Odeon and UGC Cinemas appear to use the same, given that they duplicate each other all the time, cutting down on choice.

At one time one would have relied on The Duke Of York's to have picked up on a film that might seem to have "minority" appeal. But no longer. Recently, all three of our local cinemas were showing the rather indifferent Chocolat for over two weeks.

Could it be the cinema chains are deliberately eroding box-office returns in order to justify closing their properties down for resale as more profitable concerns such as hotels, luxury flats or supermarkets? Or is it merely there is no inter-planning one to the other and the whole distribution system is stymied by bureaucratic mismanagement?

-Graeme Campbell Marine Parade, Brighton