Uncomfortable Questions

Was the destruction of the Death Star an inside job? Even so many years after the fact, many questions remain.

Grindhouse!

If you don't mind a little gratuitous violence and blood, go see Grindhouse. As soon as possible. Seriously. Yes, I'd pay $8 to see it again in the theater, in case you're interested. Don't wait for the DVD - see this on as large a screen as possible, and with a big crowd. We caught it at the Senator, Baltimore's biggest screen, on Friday night, it was packed (700+, easily, in the 900 seat theater) with quite the enthusiastic crowd. It's the most fun I've had at the movies in years, no exaggeration. Better, in terms of sheer entertainment value (not story or acting, mind you) than Kill Bill.

Both of the films are excellent, but also take very different approaches; Rodriguez' Planet Terror is almost non-stop, blood-soaked, campy action from beginning to end, while Tarantino's Death Proof has a slow build-up, and is a masterful piece of emotional manipulation with a cool payoff. And then there are the trailers, 3 out of 4 which are hilarious, each in its own way.

For those of you who are fortunate enough to have already seen the movie(s), here's a clip that puts some of Death Proof into context. [recommendation: Don't visit this link before seeing the film!]

Also, if you've seen Grindhouse and didn't like it, please don't bother leaving a comment to that effect- it will be removed.

Iraq Funding

The majority of commentators - online, on TV, wherever - seem to think that it's a foregone conclusion that the Democrat-controlled Congress will roll over on Iraq funding, and eventually strip withdrawal deadlines out of their funding bills. Why? Pelosi and Reid can hammer away at Bush's upcoming vetoes as the real obstacle to funding, just as easily as he can hammer them. And if the majority of Americans want us out of Iraq, why would cutting off funding be so terrible? It's not like the troops are getting all the armor and equipment they need anyway. So much of that money is going to contractors, that the most serious damage a funding cut-off can do is cut into the profit margins of companies like Blackwater. And are the soldiers who are over in Iraq getting shot and bombed really rooting for more funding to come through, so they can stay in the war zone longer? I know it's about politics more than anything, and I know I'm simplifying this a great deal, but I just don't see the downside for the Democrats or the troops if the funding is cut off.