Graduation Junk is Expensive

I decided to purchase the required graduation materials today. I was going to go the cheapo root, as a starving grad student, but I had complaints come in from my family. I was pushed into one of the graduation packages for extended family, it was extremely expensive. I think the bookstore is operating like a corrupt monopoly of the highest order. Personally, I despise graduation ceremonies in all varieties and I feel hypocritical even attending my own. I get bored about 30 seconds in, and the entire audience usually wants to get it over with as soon as possible. Graduations are one of those strange self-perpetuating social rituals that most people dislike, yet everyone feels obligated to go to. I am such a sellout to cave in to my family's request, but I don't want to have to live it down for the next few years. I hope everyone has a lovely week and enjoys the rejuvenation of spring! That's about as cheery as I get lately as I have not been sleeping well.

A Strange Combo for Easter Weekend

I ventured to the new theater again this weekend to see the new Rodriguez/Tarantino flick. It was pure homage to the 70's style B-movie genre dominated by extreme violence, revenge, sexual exploitation, porno music, and all other things not politically correct in this present world of feigned hyper-sensitivity. Grindhouse even employed ridiculous caricatures of the cliche of 70's power feminism that had seeped into the ultra-exploitive movies of that era. The audience loved it, especially the retro feel to the mock trailers (Machete, Werewolf Women of the SS, Don't, and Thanksgiving), in addition to other internal advertisements and missing reel notices. I was one of the few people old enough in the audience to actually remember those types of films and trailers prevalent in the 70's because my hometown in the sticks still has one of the few drive-ins around that used to run that stuff into the early 80's. While this film is definitely not for all, I think El Machetito, Matto, and especially Kungfuramone might find it hilarious as a spoof of formulaic B-movies. I found the deliberate nature of the Easter weekend release date fitting for this type of self-mockery, even though box-office receipts are likely to lag compared to Kill Bill or Sin City.