Tag Archives: sorkin

This is a time for heroes and we reach for the stars

Via Daisy, o mirifica selectie a motivelor pentru care iubim serialul The West Wing:

Two Cathedrals [2.22]


Bartlet: You’re a son-of-a-bitch, you know that? She bought her first new car and you hit her with a drunk driver. What, was that supposed to be funny? “You can’t conceive, nor can I, the appalling strangeness of the mercy of God,” says Graham Greene. I don’t know whose ass he was kissing there ’cause I think you’re just vindictive. What was Josh Lyman? A warning shot? That was my son. What did I ever do to yours except praise his glory and praise his name? There’s a tropical storm that gaining speed and power. They say we haven’t had a storm this bad since you took out that tender ship of mine in the north Atlantic last year, 68 crew. Do you know what a tender ship does? Fixes the other ships. Doesn’t even carry guns, just goes around, fixes the other ships and delivers the mail, that’s all it can do. Gratias tibi ago, domine. Yes, I lied. It was a sin. I’ve committed many sins. Have I displeased you, you feckless thug? 3.8 million new jobs, that wasn’t good? Bailed out Mexico, increased foreign trade, 30 million new acres of land for conservation, put Mendoza on the bench, we’re not fighting a war, I’ve raised three children… that’s not enough to buy me out of the doghouse? Haec credam a deo pio? A deo iusto? A deo scito? Cruciatus in crucem! Tuus in terra servus nuntius fui officium perfeci. Cruciatus in crucem. Eas in crucem!
[Translation from the Latin: I give thanks to you, O Lord. Am I to believe those were the acts of a loving God? A just God? A wise God? To hell with your punishments! I was your servant on Earth - I spread Your word and did Your work. To hell with your punishments. To hell with you.] (more…)

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More As The Story Develops

Pentru cine s-a ascuns intr-o pestera pentru ultima jumatate de an: More As The Story Develops este noul serial al lui Sorkin, serial care urmeaza sa apara candva in toamna 2012. Scenariul primului episod a “scapat” pe internet si acum toata lumea se distreaza comentandu-l de bine. A venit si randul meu. (more…)

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Sorkin lied

As these last five years of blogging have proven, I’m mad as a hatter about Aaron Sorkin. I love his work more than words can describe. I love his characters, I love his dialogue, I love his plots, I just love every little word he comes up with, even when it’s the wrong one, like in Studio 60. I’ve seen every single episode of The West Wing (as you can see in this review, I’d lock myself in a room with water, salad and this show and live happily ever after) and Sports Night so many times that i know them better than, well, my left foot.

As I’ve said before, I identify with Danny and love every single joke of his, so his impressive effort with Rebecca in Sword of Orion has always been close to me, and I just have to mention, for everyone who didn’t get the memo: real life is not like a Sorkin episode. I know, I know, we all wish it were, but i’m serious, when you try, like Danny, to do something, it’s not adorable, cute, funny or winning. It’s just the object of a restraining order, not the prelude to a dinner while watching Orlando Rojas pitch. At the end of the day, you’re just left with your superior wit and guile, and, trust me when I say this, you can’t defend yourself with it. Good night and good luck.

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#02 Best Of – West Wing

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Because the idea of American exceptionalism doesn’t extend to Americans being exceptional!

Bartlet:

GET ANGRIER! Call them liars, because that’s what they are. Sarah Palin didn’t say “thanks but no thanks” to the Bridge to Nowhere. She just said “Thanks.” You were raised by a single mother on food stamps — where does a guy with eight houses who was legacied into Annapolis get off calling you an elitist? And by the way, if you do nothing else, take that word back. Elite is a good word, it means well above average. I’d ask them what their problem is with excellence. While you’re at it, I want the word “patriot” back. McCain can say that the transcendent issue of our time is the spread of Islamic fanaticism or he can choose a running mate who doesn’t know the Bush doctrine from the Monroe Doctrine, but he can’t do both at the same time and call it patriotic. They have to lie — the truth isn’t their friend right now. Get angry. Mock them mercilessly; they’ve earned it. McCain decried agents of intolerance, then chose a running mate who had to ask if she was allowed to ban books from a public library. It’s not bad enough she thinks the planet Earth was created in six days 6,000 years ago complete with a man, a woman and a talking snake, she wants schools to teach the rest of our kids to deny geology, anthropology, archaeology and common sense too? It’s not bad enough she’s forcing her own daughter into a loveless marriage to a teenage hood, she wants the rest of us to guide our daughters in that direction too? It’s not enough that a woman shouldn’t have the right to choose, it should be the law of the land that she has to carry and deliver her rapist’s baby too? I don’t know whether or not Governor Palin has the tenacity of a pit bull, but I know for sure she’s got the qualifications of one. And you’re worried about seeming angry? You could eat their lunch, make them cry and tell their mamas about it and God himself would call it restrained. There are times when you are simply required to be impolite. There are times when condescension is called for!

… o parte din magnificul text formulat de ilustrul Sorkin intr-o opera de fictiune in care Obama se intalneste cu Bartlet, ocazie cu care Jed revine la forma sa fenomenala din ‘Game On‘ (da, inca deplang moartea lui Sports Night, West Wing si Studio 60, get over it!).

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Playing The Game

O leapsa de la Roxa – in ce film mi-ar placea sa traiesc. Adica in acelasi univers, in acelasi grup de ‘prieteni’, nu sa iau locul personajului principal. Greu, greu, greu. Hai s-o taiem in doua: cinci premii pentru TV, cinci pentru filme, iar cum TV-ul are personaje si cadre mai bine definite, incep cu el.

5. Veronica Mars – reusirea integrarii cu succes a vietii noir intr-un serial de adolescenti este, sa recunoastem, o realizare extraordinara. Dialogurile superbe, umorul negru, twisturile fenomenale, povestile excelente, distributia bine aleasa, totul a fost perfect. Ah, de-as fi Logan Echolls… iarasi.

4. Aici e un dublu entry – sitcomurile mele preferate – Frasier si Scrubs – personaje eclectice din abundenta si nelipsitul umor de calitate. Ce n-as da sa vad o cearta intre Frasier si Perry Cox…

3. Gilmore Girls (S1-3) – na, o alegere mai putin glorioasa, dar inca buna. Un serial extraordinar (in primele trei sezoane), cu dialoguri, deseori, exceptionale de la Amy Sherman si personaje mirobolante, extrem de bine definite si teribil de adorabile. Mi-e cam greu sa recunosc, dar chiar n-as vrea sa plec vreodata din Stars Hollow.

2. Northern Exposure – definitia umorului offbeat care timp de cinci sezoane m-a amuzat la culme cu ilustrarea ‘culture clash’. Locatia misto si personajele grozave fac din Cicely, Alaska unul din cele mai interesante si provocatoare locuri in care poti locui.

1. Indubitabil si inevitabil – The West Wing (S1-4) – basmul serialul meu preferat in materie de personaje, actiune si dialoguri. Produsul meu favorit de la Sorkinpe care nu ma pot opri din a-l elogia. Asa, deci eu chiar mi-as da piciorul drept (pe care, na, l-am luxat ieri la fotbal la picnicul de la Cheile Dobrogei si nu mai pot sa-l misc defel, asa ca n-ar fi mare bai) ca sa fac parte din echipa mirifica a utopiei Bartlet.

Mentiuni speciale: Weeds, Dead Like Me, Sports Night, Eerie, Indiana.

Asa, acum trecem la filme, unde stilul predomina deasupra substantei. Filmele-mi preferate sunt: Blade Runner, Fight Club, Reservoir Dogs, The Godfather, Double Indemnity, Casablanca, His Girl Friday, The Good, The Bad & The Ugly, Braveheart si Edward Scissorhands, dar n-as vrea sa traiesc in niciunul din aceste universe (nu ca n-ar fi incantator, doar ca toate universurile din aceste filme se destrama la sfarsit).

5. Army of Darkness (Evil Dead III) – pe langa faptul ca e una din cele mai bune comedii/filme de actiune/splatter horror, e si filmul cu ajutorul caruia mi-am facut primii mei prieteni adevarati. Sam, te rog, nu fa niciun remake! Trilogia asta e perfecta asa cum este!

4. Lat sau san taam (Hard-Boiled) – visul umed al oricarui pasionat de actiune. John Woo la ultima sa reusita, cel mai extravagant film de actiune facut vreodata, un exemplu minunat din genul ‘hero bloodshed’. Yun-Fat Chow dovedeste o data pentru totdeauna (A Better Tomorrow, The Killer) ca este starul definitiv al filmelor de actiune de calitate.

3. C’era una volta il West (Once Upon a Time in the West) – desi sunt un imens fan Clint (inimioare Trilogia Dolarilor, The Outlaw Josey Wales, Unforgiven, Pale Rider, High Plains Drifter, Hang ‘em High, Joe Kidd), favoritul meu western revizionist este aceasta capodopera epica. Sergio Leone regizand un scenariu scris de el, Dario Argento si Bernardo Bertolucci, pe muzica bantuitoare a lui Morricone, in care Henry Fonda, Charles Bronson, Jason Robards si Claudia Cardinale fac rolurile vietii lor. Povestea aceasta a razbunarii pustiului cu armonica este favorita mea, chiar peste Kill Bill, Man On Fire, The Crow, Straw Dogs, Payback samd.

2. Big Fish – lumea feerica a lui Burton – un basm fermecator, o lume incitanta si misterioasa… acasa.

1. Dark City - un SF noir sau, mai bine zis, propriul meu Mecca.

Mentiuni speciale: Sin City, L.A. Confidential, The Outsiders, The Philadelphia Story.

Leapsa merge mai departe la Meekuu.

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Charlie Wilson’s War

 

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“Charlie: — You’re no James Bond.

 

Gust:– You’re no Thomas Jefferson either so call us even.”

Doua replici geniale, absolut candide, ce descriu perfect situatia in care se aflau cei doi patrioti infocati care vroiau sa aduca tirania ruseasca la un final sordid.

Acum de la capat: Afganistan, 25 decembrie 1979. Armata rusa invadeaza Kabul si astfel incepe un razboi ce avea sa tina noua ani si sa rezulte in moartea a mai bine de 1 milion de civili afgani si emigrarea a mai bine de 5 milioane. Presedinte american pe acea vreme, Jimmy Carter, un democrat care a facut doar mizerii in sederea sa la Casa Alba, a criticat miscarea ruseasca si a spus ca reprezinta cel mai serios atentat asupra pacii de la inceperea WW2… dar a decis ca tara sa sa stea cu mainile in san. Pe 6 aprilie 1980, ridicandu-si capul dintr-un jacuzzi fierbinte, in care se mai aflau doua dame de companie si un model Playboy, Charlie Wilson, eroul nostru, congresmanul ales al statului Texas, vede un material la televizor in care Dan Rather, purtand un turban, transmitea in direct din Afganistan, povestind despre atrocitatile din zona. Intrigat, incearca sa se puna la curent cu ce naiba se intampla. Asa incepe povestea noastra in care aflam despre modul in care un democrat, remarcabil de liberal, ce abuza de alcool, cocaina si ‘doamne ale noptii’, a ‘sponsorizat’ armata afgana si-a ajutat la naruirea URSS. (more…)

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