Death Race 2000 and Grilled Cheese: Our Valentine’s Day Tradition Continues
[dc]F[/dc]amily traditions are like Wes Anderson films: the quirkier, the better. Although Stephanie and I have only been married for a few months, we have been a couple for much longer. Over the years, Stephanie and I slowly cultivated our own traditions, like the Qwirkle dance¹, camping in the summer, and how we spend Valentine’s Day.
Valentine’s Day for Stephanie and I involves two things: I make dinner and we watch a sci-fi movie. This year’s film? The 1975 dystopian classic Death Race 2000. The meal was ‘fancy’ grilled cheese and tomato soup.
Not Driving Miss Daisy. Image via Amazon.
Grandpa Dan Hates Waiting for a Table
Our Valentine’s Day tradition dates back to when Stephanie and I began dating. Not wanting to fight crowds at restaurants on Valentine’s Day, I offered to cook Stephanie dinner at my place. Yes, our beloved tradition has its roots in my not wanting to wait for a table at a busy restaurant on Valentine’s Day. Deal with it, haters.
Dinner was homemade sushi². The film was Predator.
Not ALF. Image via Amazon.
Yes, Predator. Stephanie loves Arnold Schwarzenegger films.
“I Want Dystopian”
Stephanie had an idea for this year’s Valentine’s Day movie. “I want something dystopian. But I don’t want future dystopian. I want now dystopian.”
Me: “A new movie?”
S: “No, not made now. Takes place now.”
Me: “Something dystopian that takes place in the 2000s?”
S: “Or happened before now. There’s gotta be a movie like that.”
Me: “There’s Escape From New York. It takes place in the 1990s.”
S: “Which one’s that?”
Me: “Kurt Russel is a bad-ass with an eye-patch. He has to rescue the president.”
S: “WHAT. Wait, is that the one where Manhattan is a prison?”
Me: “Yeah.”
S: “What else?”
Me: “Um, there’s always 1984.”
S: “I’m so angry I didn’t think of that first.”
I scanned through my Netflix Watch Instant Queue. “There’s Death Race 2000.”
S: “…Does it take place in the year 2000?”
Me: “Yeah. There’s crazy cars running people over. It stars David Carradine.”
S: “I don’t know who that is.”
Me: “He was Bill in Kill Bill.”
S: “That’s not helping.”
Me: “He was on the Kung-Fu TV show.”
S: “…”
Me: “Q? Circle of Iron?”
S: “…AnyWAY. When was Death Race 2000 made?”
Me: “1975.”
S: “Yes! Play it!”
Let’s Cook
Valentine’s Day dinner was simple, but tasty. I picked up fontina cheese, sopressata salami, fresh basil, and a loaf of garlic herb bread. Joining our cheesy sandwiches were bowls of tomato soup. A simple dinner, yes, but fancy its own way. And tasty. So very tasty.
Although, after a few blood-soaked scenes into Death Race 2000, my bowl of tomato soup wasn’t so appetizing.
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¹ When one scores a Qwirkle, they must dance around and say “Qwirkle, qwirkle, qwirkle.” It is very scientific.
² I think just used fake crab and such. There wasn’t any real raw fish.
