Cheapskate cinema

The holiday season is officially in full swing, and no doubt money is flying out of bank accounts faster than University of California regents are raising tuition. It almost seems impossible for people to scrounge up the cash to pay regular bills, buy presents for their holiday of choice and have leftover funds to enjoy a bit of entertainment. But it’s actually quite simple: Go to a free movie. The folks at La Raza Galería Posada will continue their series of Literature in Mexican Film with screenings of Pedro Paramo (1977) Thursday and Doña Bárbara (1943) Friday. These films are not jolly holiday tales; they’re dramatic and deal with themes of love, despair, rape and bribery. But it’ll be a necessary break in the spamness that is the holiday season. Also showing this week is the 1941 Orson Welles classic Citizen Kane at the Auburn Library. Sure, it may be a little bit of a drive for anyone south of Roseville, but it’s totally worth it to watch the characters trying to figure out what the hell “rosebud” means. Pedro