A film odyssey with a built-in interval | Brief letters

Long movies | Football and private equity | Dating dinosaurs | Cause of death I have never had a problem with the lack of intervals in screenings of films like the three-hour Andrei Rublev or even the four-hour The Travelling Players (‘An intermission is a must’: why Greek cinemas are adding a loo break to The Odyssey, 31 July). But my DVD of the two-and-a-half-hour 2001: A Space Odyssey contains an “intermission” lasting several minutes. It’s almost as if the manufacturers were unaware of the existence of a pause button.Alan PavelinChislehurst, London Children’s homes, care homes, doctors’ surgeries, dentists and even vets are among the caring services left exposed to the ravages of private equity. Yet when it comes to football, there is a massive outcry (Andy Burnham calls on Infantino to resign over ‘outrageous’ World Cup plans, 1 August). Do we really believe that kicking a ball is more important than protecting vulnerable people?Liam BrowneLondon As the curator of geology at Whitby Museum, I sometimes ask visitors if they have any questions about our exhibits (Letters, 2 August). One day, a man pointed at the giant ichthyosaur skeletons and said: “Am I right that these reptile