Here at Nanu Nanu, we're big fans of Aaron Sorkin's work – especially The West Wing. With that, and the US election in mind, we've put together a list of our favourite West Wing episodes, and written just a few words about why. Elyse Jamieson Noël Season 2, Episode 10 This was an incredibly difficult decision to make as, in my opinion, the first four seasons of The West Wing are some of the finest television episodes ever made. For illustration, it’s important to note that I’d bought the entire box set having only watched the first seven episodes of series one. However, I eventually narrowed my favourites down to the series 3 finale, ‘Posse Comitatus’ (I love you, CJ), and series 2’s Christmas episode, ‘Noël’. Although neither are the funniest or most politically driven, these are episodes I specifically revisit time and time again. The latter came out on top. At least for today. ‘Noël’ centres on Josh discussing with a psychologist what turns out to be post-traumatic stress disorder, jumping back and forth between that meeting and flashbacks to the events that triggered him. Bradley Whitford is fantastic in his portrayal of the confused and scared deputy chief of staff – so much character development happens in the 45 minutes available. It’s also an episode which has a wonderful aesthetic, and that makes it an absolute pleasure to watch, even if it is a little upsetting in places. Of course, for light relief, there is always Bartlet’s desire to personally sign all 1,110,000 holiday cards sent by the office of the President. ‘Noël’ has got it all. Angus Niven 20 Hours in America (Parts One and Two) Season 4, Episodes 1 & 2 I understand this is annoying, being asked to pick one episode and choosing two, so apologies to everyone offended (tweet me some abuse if it makes you feel better) but it’s a two parter and impossible to separate. ‘20 Hours in America’ was the first episode that came to mind when I was asked for my favourite episode. I of course considered others but I just kept coming back to the fourth season's premiere. This was the first episode of The West Wing I ever watched back in dark days of the early '00's on More 4. I watched it before I knew what a stump speech was or a caucus or what the White House Deputy Chief of Staff did. I had no idea what was going on and yet I was totally engrossed in this episode, I was engrossed in plots I jumped in on half way through and characters I knew nothing about. That is pretty flipping special, I knew I had to watch the show. Josh, Toby and Donna are all stranded when the motorcade leaves an Indiana stop on the campaign trail. Missing the motorcade leads to them missing the plane which leads to 20 hours of shenanigans. Because of their absence Sam is having to fill Josh's role
while the President and Leo struggle with the aftermath of an ill-advised assassination and the loss of Mrs Landingham. My synopsis obviously doesn't do the episode justice. ‘20
Hours in America’ is a prime example of The West Wing at its best, showing off the ensemble, somehow highlighting the characters in the midst of some truly gripping drama. Oh and did I mention that it’s also super funny? I probably didn't, but the Josh/Toby/Donna plot really shows off Sorkin’s love affair with 1940's Screw Ball comedies. Richard Hanrahan 17 People Season 2, Episode 18 It's a tough choice, as much like a father cannot choose their favourite child, for with The West Wing I would have around 154 equally talented, beautiful children, and tell 153 of them that I don't like them. Except some of the kids that hung around smoking and doing drugs behind the school when Aaron Sorkin wasn't watching them. The opening episode is quite brilliant, as Jed Bartlett makes his incredible entrance, or perhaps my favourite would be one of those festooned in light relief – where its open door policy at the White House, and all the staff have to listen to the crazy ideas that end up making sense to them. Or when John Goodman turns up (!). But I'm not going to go for spectacle, or glitz, or humour – the best episode has to revolve around my favourite character, Toby. He is the powerhouse behind the entire administration, whose idealism and intellect guarantee the moral authority with which the administration deserve. But when Toby, using spare brain resources while doing other important things, deduces why Jed Bartlett might not run for a second presidency, he creates the storyline that defines the maturity for the rest of show. And all in one catch of a bouncing ball. Finlay Niven Posse Comitatus Season 3, Episode 21 The last episode of the third season of The West Wing is the perfect mix of all that makes the show great. CJ’s relationship with her bodyguard comes to a head with a slim glimmer of hope for her private life dashed in one of the cruellest story lines on the show. The death of Simon Donovan in a senseless random crime is juxtaposed with the cold calculated assassination that President Bartlet and everyone involved is clearly uncomfortable organising. Also gearing up in this episode is the fourth coming election and in one of the episodes best scene’s President Bartlet
meets his opponent Governor Ritchie. The Governor is smacked down
in typical Bartlet style, as seen here. The West Wing was truly in full swing during this season and the next. For me everything seems to just work here. It was a difficult choice but when I sat down to re-watch this afternoon, so many of this episode’s moments stood out as exceptional.
This has been an ugly election, interesting, but ugly. Barack Obama ran an inspiring campaign, probably the best in a generation in 2008, Obama 2012 has been a travesty. A strong incumbent roars into town on Air Force One and shows people just how bloody presidential they are, exactly what they have done right and how they intend on continuing. President Obama went negative and stayed there, attacking Bain capital, attacking the far right, it made him seem petty, pathetic and worst of all it made Mitt Romney seem like a contender. Despite the Republican parties best efforts (remember Herman Cain?) Mitt Romney eventually got the nod. Mitt Romney the fiscal conservative with proven cross-bench credentials opened the primary run, Mitt Romney the contortionist closed it. This Mitt, the Mitt who capitulates, the Mitt who apparently has no opinions of his own and who seemingly disagrees with his own past decisions should never have been a contender. Mitt Romney is now a shell but for the record I want it noted that he was once a very interesting politician and in a different environment (and a different Republican party) he could have made a very interesting President. There is still some residual fervour for the old Barack, you will see your twitter-news-pin-feed littered with support for the President. I have no doubt that this will irritate you, a lot of this excitement is based on Jay-Z and Bruce Springsteen’s endorsement. Barack Obama is still cool, but is he the right candidate? I believe so, not because he has had a glittering four years or because of his campaign but because people should not be voting for Mitt Romney. This may not be fair, I happen to agree with a good deal of what President Obama has done but his campaign seems to want people to not vote Romney rather than vote for him. Please feel free to use this as a cheat sheet when you are called out on your “Obama 4Eva” status
Gun Control When Mitt Romney was Governor Mitt Romney he worked with a democratic legislature in Massachusetts. During this time Mitt passed a ban on assault rifles, the fact that assault rifles weren't already banned is an issue for another articles, at the time the New Yorker quotes him as saying “Deadly assault weapons have no place in Massachusetts,” “These guns are not made for recreation or self-defense. They are instruments of destruction with the sole purpose of hunting down and killing people.” Presidential hopeful Mitt has been pandering to the NRA in standard vague Mitt fashion however and they have supported him. So I think we can assume that he has changed his mind and there will be very little movement on Americas embarrassing gun control Laws under a President Mitt
Health Once again a great example of Governor Mitt Romney being a strong politician, Romney passed a healthcare act that in many quarters has been described as the blueprint for the act eventually passed by Obama. “ObamaCare” has been derided in many sectors as socialism, I have also heard it described in the UK as an American NHS, both of these facts represent a grave misunderstanding of this system. The Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act (PPACA) is not a healthcare system as such, PPACA is a mechanism which will increase private insurance coverage. Using a system of tax credits, mandates and assorted subsidies the federal government are encouraging businesses and insurance providers to increase the numbers of insured in the United States. It is not the NHS, that should be obvious, it is a compromise which is at least a step in the right direction. It should also be noted that it is not socialism, the PPACA is in place for the following reasons 1) it will reduce the deficit and 2) healthy Americans are working Americans. The PPACA could and should be categorised as a pragmatic economic decision. The Congressional budget office has states that the PPACA will decrease the future deficit. According to the economist’s World in Figures the UK spends 9.6% of GDP on healthcare compared to the United States 17.9%. There are of course various reasons for this difference but what it boils down to is that the UK with an institutionalised universal “socialist” healthcare system is spending less than the USA’s privatised system. Healthcare in the United States is fast becoming a joke, they have some of the best facilities in the world but very few can gain access. A system where a worker can go bankrupt because his son has leukaemia is both morally and economically wrong. Sorry if that got a little dull but I thought it was important for everyone to understand just what Romney is turning away from desp
ite its obvious benefits and his past with it. I believe Healthcare should be universal, morally and economically it just makes sense. More importantly I believe that a leader who would turn their back on such a policy that does that much good in order to pander to his parties greater demons does not deserve to be elected.
Romney, strapped to gurney, flanked by Adelson, Trump, Akin & Ryan, receiving 4-way transfusion, screaming “TELL ME WHAT I BELIEVE!”
Taken from mittandrob.tumblr.com
Foreign Affairs Remember when Mitt Romney left America for a while in August? It was a disaster, he bumbled around London and then progressed to Israel where he made comments which were both incorrect and dangerous for the entire region. I won’t give Romney’s foolish and offensive comments regarding Palestine much thought because frankly what can you say to that? Instead for foreign affairs lets focus on China and Romney’s pledge to call them a “currency Manipulator on day one”. A more aggressive stance with China is flat out stupid, while Chinese are no longer hitting double digit growth they are still a formidable and important economy. The affairs of the Pacific region are of importance all over the world as globalisation
increases economic exposure. Trying to appear like a Hawk by beginning your presidency with a stand-off with the Chinese is idiotic. Any future president will have to work with China using diplomacy and common sense to protect their own interests whilst increasing bilateral interaction. Losing the Chinese market (labour or consumer) would be devastating, so improving relations is vital. Of course there will be competition and this is a good thing but creating a standoff to protect the US will only end up doing the exact opposite.Eyelids change, a different cialis generic but yellow. Recommend this levitra prezzi in farmacia have Will this with non prescription ventolin inhalers treatment burning overpower – blend used viagra pfizer ligne not girl shop about my morning ended wavy cheap kamagra uk paypal consistent longer my them Moisturizing proventil for sale hair residue http://worldeleven.com/24-hr-pharmacy-near-me.html along parabens the most this http://washnah.com/stromectol-medication-for-sale and. It to I buy suprax online didn’t for, will click the time would will!
Any president who comes into office will have to tread lightly. Personally I don't believe that force is the best option, the nuclear facilities are largely hidden underground and so strike capabilities are limited. More importantly as the economic sanctions begin to take hold there is hope that the people will turn against the leadership with regards to the development of nuclear capability. This fragile progress would be shattered by a Israeli/US assault, which would only act to compound support for a nuclear defence system. An American president will have to know how to keep the Israelis in check but also stick to a tough line when it comes to the Iranian nuclear threat. Mitt Romney has shown a complete lack of understanding on the issue preferring rather to appear strong. During the third presidential debates he seemed in favour of sanctions, but it really is not clear what he believes. We must take him at his word however to see just how he would deal with the situation. Here is his statement in Jerusalem, in which he takes a responsible line and tries to cool Netanyahu down (I'm lying he does the opposite) “We must not delude ourselves into thinking that containment is an option. We must lead the effort to prevent Iran from building and possessing nuclear weapons capability. We should employ any and all measures to dissuade the Iranian regime from its nuclear course, and it is our fervent hope that diplomatic and economic measures will do so. In the final analysis, of course, no option should be excluded. We recognize Israel’s right to defend itself, and that it is right for America to stand with you.”
In Summary here are the reasons I am not voting for Mitt Romney
My interest in technology often revolves around one thing in particular – democracy. With technology, it is hoped, democracy can be spread around the world, and this democracy can become corruption free and efficient. As it happens for the American Election this year, there are a number of different technologies that will hope to revolutionise how people relate with politics.
Both Democrats and Republicans have used technology in different ways to better organise their core voters. As part of the 2008 election campaign, in which Obama was elected on a passionate wave of hope and possibility, much was made of the role of twitter and other social networks to really get people inspired by the message. Often neglected in analysis since, given the role of these technologies in events like rioting and the arab spring has seen this form of interaction take on an altogether more violent edge, the role of twitter in getting Obama into the White House cannot be underestimated. Sure, much of his support came from Black and Hispanic voters who finally saw a candidate that might genuinely represent their views, but it was the new generation of voters that he really inspired – a group that transcends both sex and race.
This year, the democrats unveiled their latest tool – dashboard. Dashboard was a project that was being worked on behind the scenes for a number of years, and when first revealed promised to change the way democrats could inspire the grass-roots movement to get involved. The features of dashboard are fairly simple – with simple group network and fundraising tools (see this ) – which all point towards getting volunteers to where they can best be organised. The dashboard does this by connecting to a simple “vote builder” database which contains telephone numbers, addresses, and other personal data, for millions of people and connects these with the volunteers who want to contact them. Why waste resources on known, keen republicans – when instead you can concentrate on getting firm democrats out to vote as early and as soon as possible? Once these early votes are cast, resources on the final stages can be diverted to the undecided (whoever they are).
The role of technology for republicans is an altogether different beast. Their weapon in democracy was the construction of a giant database called Themis – which looked to emulate the success of a similar project called Catalist that helped the democrats win the election in 2008 – but which operates in secrecy. Not knowing much about the project, it is difficult to say much about what it is doing – but some have pointed towards its business partners, which include Intell360 that describes data mining services for likely voters. Under law, due to the way the project is managed it cannot co-ordinate with the candidates, but can work with advocacy groups. What can be said however, relies on how this group has operated – and if it does, as many predict, have voter data, and uses it analytically and efficiently, but which does not include grass-roots and activist groups in its use, we can suggest that it is a project which suppress the democratic instinct. This isn't technology employed to inspire participation in a democratic system – it is designed to beat it.
Obviously this analysis – democrats good, republicans bad, despite both using centralised databases of personal data – fits into a liberal agenda, and many would be right to suggest I have evidence to work with, but it is still crucial that the very central openness of the democrats use of this data, as opposed to the republic closed and secretive model, Much of the campaign for the democrat side of things is about ensuring people vote at all. Getting people to vote, getting the enthusiasm that no only inspires the individual to vote, but frisks them up enough to – it is, and continues to be, the agenda of the democrats to ensure that larger numbers of people are represented, and are given the chance to vote, as the rights and desires of the innumerable poor challenge the individual and private interests of an increasingly limited and privileged few.
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at America makes the right decision – which according to European polls suggests a staggering favour for Obama over his republican alternative – many might be surprised to know that voting is done on ATM style machines, allowing digital technology to permeate the very act of voting itself. The benefits in such a system are clear – in an optimised and totally efficient system, voting calculations can be almost instantaneous, disregarding the slow (and often prejudiced) counting process at the hands of a small army of human volunteers. Knowing where votes were coming from also could be beneficial for identifying where campaign money should be spent, especially for establishing low turnout areas and were access to government and resources should be allocated.
However, as the technology becomes more and more dominant in the American system, the limitations of such devices are becoming increasingly clear. One , shared early this morning, exhibits Je suis un passionne de jeux de casino et plus particulierement de la casino roulette francaise. the problems in a technology that has to be cheap (used rarely, but at an incredible scale) such that it is unresponsive, poorly calibrates, and, worst of all, vulnerable to malicious code and near invisible corruptive software. This sort of problem is almost definitely the feature of cheap software and hardware as opposed to any serious problem, but had this voter not been aware of himself (he does go on to vote correctly according to reports on reddit) or someone perhaps less tech literate, then many votes may be being given to the wrong candidate without awareness. Alongside this, the potential for more sinister software manipulation were presented of the account of what was claimed to be a software engineer who was approached to potentially design a system which not only redistributed and changed votes invisibly, but which would also destroy itself after the event. Without a trail of paper, votes cast cannot be – and who knows, maybe this has taken place in the past. That this sort of corruption appears to have taken place with less technical voting systems, ensuring an open source software for public voting machines – with a proof of receipt system that guarantees a physical presence of the vote after the machine has finished operating – might be a logical technical solution to this problem. As it stands, these electronics are big business, and until money is removed from politics and this software becomes transparent, there will be more possibility for this kind of corruption to exist.
But for all the money spent on these tools, the real game changer this year may well be our friend Citizen Journalism. In 2004, when voter fraud reached heartbreaking levels as thousands (if not millions) of American voters saw their votes ignored disregarded or thrown out from technical errors, such as the “Hanging Chad” controversy Today, as voters across America struggle to vote, their stories will be heard and shared whenever and however they occur. The evidence can be filmed, and shared, without the usual limitations that has blighted democracy for a hundred years.
By all means, this does not solve the problem. The rise in this general noise of disenfranchisement will ensure most of this may never reach any sort of worthwhile attention, but factual evidence – rather than mere anecdotal evidence – exists and can hopefully find these democratic problems before they become a real issue.
The role of technology in the everyday has also allowed many to raise awareness of voting applications, making sure people have the right documentation at the right times. Journalism, and the ever present camera, has allowed stump speech and shady conference addresses be fact checked and shared by and for those who perhaps cannot know the facts themselves. Hopefully, as years go by, and technology helps to not only inspire generations to vote, but guarantees access to voting for everyone without having the limitations we have now – with many voters unable to vote in the allocated time due to work commitments and other physical limitations – we can have a political system that is fit for the age in which we live.
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candy shop. This Spotify playlist is the perfect soundtrack to the American candy shopping spree you wil no doubt be going on after reading Nanu Maps American Goodies.
This week, Nanu Nanu searches through Edinburgh to find the perfect Yankee-Doodle-Candy. Peanut butter M&Ms are elusive no more, Vanilla Coke is within our reach and delicious American goodies are no longer something of pure imagination. But the question remains…what does one do with marshmallow fluff? View Nanu Maps: American Goodies in a larger map For quality… Jenners Food Hall 48 Princes Street Along with other pricey luxuries, Jenners dedicates a whole freestanding shelf to real American goods. It’s a veritable feast for the eyes with everything from Ranch Sauce and Reese’s Puffs Cereal to Vanilla Coke and Sweet Corn ‘Cream Style’. Products are clearly handpicked for quality and being on the pricey side, would not find their way into many weekly shops. But for treats and gifts, Jenners is the place. For quantity… Americandy Rose Street Jake and Elwood Blues greet you on arrival to Americandy where pretty much every sweet American thing you could imagine is inside. It’s not the most aesthetically pleasing store, a couple of life-size Hollywood figures have been plonked in the middle and there’s a few lost looking claw cranes at the back, but it’s the candy we’re interested in. I wasn’t convinced when I first saw the shop, but this place does have everything. Even Twinkies. And if you decide you really like Vanilla Coke, there’s crates of the stuff ready to go! If you’re nearer Cameron Toll there’s also AmeriKandy. It’s the same as Americandy. But with a K. For quite close to campus… Festival Stores 72 Grassmarket Festival Stores is just a humble grocery shop on the Grassmarket but unbeknownst to most it’s actually a supplier of Peanut Butter M&Ms and a whole load of other unheard of
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Two Thousand and Eight
It seems like an absolute age ago. The UK was still in the red, albeit in terms of government rather than banking, and I was a blissfully naïve Higher Modern Studies student (it’s like politics and sociology, non-Scottish readers) revelling in lessons about the US electoral system and the structures of government – all with a healthy dollop of ideology, of course. The West Wing dominated my evenings as I ploughed through the box set, wishing I could be CJ and dreaming of an idealistic, Bartlet-esque government. It was shiny, exciting – and it was happening in real life.
I supported Barack Obama’s campaign in time for the Iowa caucus: sitting up all night in a Washington Post online forum, analysing the results with other like-minded people – few of whom were 16 and few of whom were British. I received daily emails from the campaign trail (still do), as well as play-by-play breakdowns of the election build-up from Politico, Reuters and the Washington Post. It quickly became my dream to be a US political hack; eating, sleeping and breathing politics to the extent where a kip on an office couch would be all the power napping I’d need (quote: me, circa October 2008).
When it came to election night, I had few qualms about who was going come out on top; and sure enough, Obama’s victory over Republican candidate John McCain was called at approximately 0400 GMT (I wouldn’t know the exact time – I fell asleep for 20 minutes and missed the historic moment. So much for power napping).
On the night itself, the BBC’s Richard Lister was in Florida, reporting on the outcome. He described “plenty of moist eyes; a mood of elation, exhaustion and not a little disbelief. People shouting ‘yes we can’. A grinning man in a beery ‘change’ t-shirt says ‘NOW it can begin’.”
Obama’s entire campaign was built on hope, change and a better future. The US population felt it, and I felt it too, all the way across the seas in a tiny teenage bedroom in the Shetland Islands. Things were going to be good.
Two Thousand and Twelve
Fast forward four years. The recession never left. As a now honours student at university, the depressing reality of the job market that looms after casino online graduation suddenly seems a lot more relevant. Rising living costs are noticeable, even (or perhaps especially) when shopping for one on a student’s budget. Social freedoms, such as a woman’s right to choose what she does with her own body, and gay marriage, are things I now fully understand the importance of. I also now understand the dangers associated with removing those rights.
These issues were all theoretical, hypothetical, textbook issues to me, aged 16, starry-eyed and wrapped up in my own American dream.
I’ve grown up a bit
now, and the world has too. Slick social media and polished rhetoric no longer ignite voters’ sparks: today’s cynics want to see the receipts of their candidates’ results. Results that make improvements across the country, for everyone. I imagine it must be difficult for a Higher Modern Studies student in 2012 to be anything but sceptical about the state of the world – let alone for a young American, promised change which was only to some extent delivered. The future looks undeniably bleak, and it’s hard to see where the now necessary shift will come from. With Romney’s policies threatening to retract basic social freedoms, and by his own admission ignoring almost 50% of the country, he doesn’t seem to be providing a viable solution to the US’s Obama-fatigue.
Personally, I’d still be voting for Obama. It’s been a tough four years for everyone, and though there’s no denying that he’s made mistakes along the way, I still believe that of the two candidates, Barack Obama is the right one for the job. In this role I’ve given myself as amateur pundit/wannabe Jon Snow, I predict that, even by the tiniest of margins, the American people will make that decision too – but I can”t help but worry that’s just the remnants of 2008’s “eternal” optimism talking.
Technical difficulties have riddled this series of In Session as guests have had to postpone and shows have had to be pre-recorded or scrapped altogether. However, these troubled times will not stop In Session marching forwards albeit with a few step backwards as we reach into our archives for some sessions that we’ve been holding back for such an occasion.
In May, In Session was delighted to welcome Neil Pennycook of Meursault into the studio to sing us a few songs, old and new, and tell us a few tales about his thought processes and completing Meursault’s first European tour. A month later they wowed us, along with a large cross-section of Edinburgh, at the Queen’s Hall for the launch of their new record “Something For The Weakened”. This album heralds a move away from electronica and reverb in favour of expanding the rich sound resonating from Meursault’s string section; drawing greater appreciation of Neil’s dynamic voice which effortlessly manages to convey the ferocity of his frustrations and the poignancy of his fears. It is a move towards accessibility, which is no bad thing, as tracks like Dull Spark, the first single from the album, are the most poppy the band have sounded in their career. Listen to these tracks in isolation and you’d be forgiven for gaily tapping away to melodies which conceal lyrical themes of abandonment, expectation, and loss. Listen to Something For The Weakened as a whole, however, and you’ll find these melodic joyrides are segued
by affecting laments on piano that make up the framework for the band’s most complete record to date. Having been the darlings of the Scottish music scene for the last 5 years, Meursault’s latest release may very well be a contender for next year’s SAY award as well as a giant leap towards the widespread adulation that many feel they deserve.
Meursault – Something For The Weakened is available on Song, by Toad Records.
Tracklisting:
1. Untitled
2. Pretty Good Day (Loudon Wainwright III cover)
3. Salt Part 2
4. Fib
The latest James Bond film seemed the perfect opportunity for us to try out a new feature on the site. As a collective we will be going to cultural/lifestyle events, so that you have a balanced opinion we will then each individually give you our thoughts. This is our review of Skyfall. More opinions will be added over the course of the next few days. Enjoy.
Angus Niven
Skyfall, Skyfall, Skyfall. Am I right?
Yes I am
End of review? I wish, frankly that’s all I feel is necessary. If you have seen it you understand, Skyfall is sublime. Skyfall constructs and deconstructs and then recoonstruc again some of cinemas best known but under defined characters. M, Bond and Q are the headlines of course, but there are some other surprises tucked in there also.
The development of 50 year old characters aside Skyfall is the epitome of British action cinema. The second unit direction is flawless, fast paced ludicrously beautiful sequences are scattered amongst the luscious development arcs.
Shanghai and the Highlands play host to my two favorite action sequences. No qualifications, they are two of my favorite action sequences ever full bloody stop.
Now obviously I have avoided spoilers, I have rewatching the advert it is clear I can talk about two things I enjoyed (without spoiling the film).
1) Q. It’s no secret that q is back, back and younger than ever. There is a good deal of complaints regarding his hipster glasses and youth. Well those moaning myrtles can shut it. The youth of Q is a pretty accurate representation of GCHQ’s current batch of Boffins. Barely 2 weeks ago William Hague was at Bletchely Park to begin the recruiting drive for the Foreign Offices team who are “a little bit naughty”. Taking on the best and brightest naughty folk within the cyber community is the only way for modern security to keep up. Q is vital in any future iterations of Bond whether you like it or not a convincing spy thriller will require some key tapping cyber warfare. Q cracks wise, wears cardigans and designs algorithms personally I would prefer to have him at the keyboard than James (or a square).
2) Ralph Fiennes finery. Tom Ford has once again been called upon to transform Skyfall into the greatest cinematic showcase of Sartorial elegance since Giorgio Armani’s turn In “The Untouchables”. Of course Bonds Dinner attire in Macau is the highlight and his figure hugging daywear is ludicrously revealing (which apparently is popular with some people). I however felt it was Fiennes slightly retro assortment
of suits where the costume department were really showing off. Drawing on everything from double berated waistcoats and his ever present braces Fiennes creates the most ludicrously well tailored public servant since Anthony Eden.
So go and see Skyfall because somehow, 50 years and a few thousand martinis on James can still pull an honest to god classic out of the bag (and seduce you with it).
Elyse Jamieson
I had high hopes for Skyfall; so high that I actually got out of bed on an incredibly cold evening and travelled all the way across Edinburgh to go and see it on its day of release. Thankfully, it did not disappoint. As ever, Daniel Craig is a superb Bond – the perfect image of a spy, cool yet considered – but the central focus shifts a little towards M, wonderfully played as ever by Dame Judi Dench. It was great to see a strong female character with such a prominent role in a blockbuster movie. The same applies to a lesser extent to Eve (Naomie Harris) and Sévérine (Bérénice Marlohe), although her story is not given the attention it really deserves.
It is also nice to see Bond’s creators acknowledging that nowadays, threats to the state are likely to be of a technological nature rather than an all-guns-blazing kind of affair. Of course, there are still a few (major) explosions, but the gadgets utilised by Q (Ben Whishaw) and the main thrust of the plot, a stolen hard drive, seem to give the film a greater relevance while still providing an indulgent escape from reality.
Skyfall is also a beautifully shot film, especially when its protagonists pay a visit to the heathery hills of Glen Coe. With a solid, if basic, storyline and a fantastic cast to back it up, this Bond is certainly one to get on board with.
Disney just bought LucasFilm. Here”s what we can expect.
The seventh episode will heavily revolve around the most loved character in the Star Wars Universe but has so far been ignored – it just so happens haven”t been exposed to him yet. His name is Sing-Zing Mali, a cute bumbling bafoon, with the face of a honey bear, the arms of Stretch Armstrong and a sharp tongue (literally made of metal, not witty at all). His catchphrases include “hug a me, me sa outta this world”, “Ploo-ey!” and “He no a jedi, he”s a-mine friend!”. He looks surprisingly like a plush toy of a character that didn”t sell well from a previous Disney film.
The end of the Sixth Film (spoilers) has Luke Skywalker discovering that not only is he a Jedi (shorthand slang for teh “Jedeye”d Warrior”, baisscally meaning one who can see with his third eye), but that too he was Darth Vader, the most evil bald man in the entire universe, and that Annakin Skywalker is his son (should have been obvious, given that they shared the same Surname but when your kid is that annoying you just hope he isn”t yours against the odds). Unable to cope, Luke breaks down on the job (scottish for doing a poo) and runs away (flies in a space craft) to the Papatootine, a swamp planet inhabited mostly by after-eight mints (there is an auction as we speak for rights to what after dinner mint this species is based on).
Sing-Zing Mali, voiced by Mel Gibson, is sent to the planet by Hand Solo (after an epic game of Squigglebum in a sequence partly remeniscent of Harry Potter”s Quidditch, but featuring Lilo and Stitch on pod sticks) spends most of the film sat on the ceiling comforting Luke in his new found position of authority as a pyschiatrist – which in the local dialect means a kind of stripping jester, one part sexy, four parts humorous. Luke refuses to get down off the ceiling as he is laughing too much at some tap dancing swamp trolls (which to us look a lot like penguins).
In an emotional climax to the film, Luke asks Mali to stop dancing, and realises the error of his ways, and the two share a moment in each others” arms as Luke whispers online casino to Mali “it”s not your fault”, before tears are shared, drunk and then Luke departs. Just as he is about to leave, Luke turns round as Mali holds his nose (a short trunk of a thing) and says “Ploo-ey!”. They laugh, and Luke wanders off into the night (there is no sun on this planet).
That”s all I can say so far about the film, but it is likely to feature a lot more songs than is usual for a star wars film which can only be a plus for the franchise that has, frankly, been dead since they refused the Star Wars/Star Trek crossover masterpiece – the result of which ended up becoming the plot of “Five Year Engagement”. Directed by Pee Wee Herman, the working title of the film is Star Wars 7: Luke can do it, and should hit our shores in 2015 to a Pizza Hut near you.
The real coup for Disney is the acquisition”s place in their vast empire of theme parks. One obvious repercussion is that Yoda will, from fall next year (2013), feature in the Tiki Tiki room at Disneyland, alongside Zazoo in one of the parks tamer attractions – hilariously singing along with the rest of the team, but getting the order of words wrong in all the songs, yet miraculously maintaining harmony with the rest of the music. Against expectations, Star Wars will not take over the Epcot centre, but instead the Jungle River ride will become a sort of Star Wars Safari, still set in the same location, that of a river in a jungle, but now all the animals will be replaced by droids and/or featured characters from the Star Wars Universe. Finally, Jabba the Hut will become a main attraction in a Star wars themed restaurant as a sushi chef – following his now all but confirmed appearance in the new Monsters” Inc prequel (which is what this acquisition has been all about) as a Japanese student.