BigDMcGee 3,352 Posted June 10, 2014 Author Share Posted June 10, 2014 That rudy scene is mind bending, I'm telling you. Link to post Share on other sites
timwakefield 68 Posted June 15, 2014 Share Posted June 15, 2014 I watched exactly Zero minutes of west wing. I didn't watch his Sketch comedy dramady show Studio 60 or w/e it was called, with Mathew Perry. Louis CK loved to hate it, that's all I know about it. I did watch Sports night back in the day, and liked it, but i honestly don't remember it well. I don't think I've seen one of his movies I've disliked. Studio 60 was pretty bad. It's basically 30 Rock except unfunny, and none of the main characters are particularly likeable. I knew it wasn't gonna be great but I checked it out for Bradley Whitford because he's so endearing on The West Wing. It was actually okayish for a couple episodes but pretty quickly went terrible. I keep planning to watch The Newsroom, but so far all I've managed to sit through is the first scene of the first episode. I wonder if you'd like The West Wing. I feel like there would be a lot of things that annoy you about it, and a few things which you'd find insufferable, but it's pretty goddam witty, and Martin Sheen is fucking great. Really the whole cast is impressive, particularly Stockard Channing and Rob Lowe (and Martin Sheen, as I said already). I've only skimmed this thread cuz I didn't want any spoilers, but what's the verdict on season 2? Is it actually good, or just good compared to season 1? Link to post Share on other sites
BigDMcGee 3,352 Posted June 15, 2014 Author Share Posted June 15, 2014 It has much less of what made season one memorable. It is mediocre whereas season one was amazingly bad. I liked season one more. Link to post Share on other sites
frautotenkinder 1,025 Posted June 15, 2014 Share Posted June 15, 2014 I hated Newsroom season 2 so much that it made me retroactively dislike other Sorkin product I had enjoyed. I found the storytelling patronizing, smug, and over the top sexist. Calling Sorkin sexist is so very late to the game, and most of the time I can live with it--I usually like the Sorkin bromances, the only-from-a-rich-kid odes to the love of the workplace and career, and the truly stunted and juvenile viewpoints on contemporary pop culture. (Would the ultimate pompous American golden-light nostalgia story and commentary come from a Ken Burns/Aaron Sorkin project?) I hated this season so much I still feel uptight about it when I think about a week later. I'm not able to articulate where and why this show has lit my fuse. I've spoken about it with some friends who are sympatico, they didn't like it, but not like me. I've seen all of the West Wing (multiple, via reruns and Netflix), Studio 60, and Newsroom--also Moneyball (also read book), Social Network, and American President. I've only seen Few Good Men on stage. 1 Link to post Share on other sites
frautotenkinder 1,025 Posted June 15, 2014 Share Posted June 15, 2014 I'm not able to articulate where and why this show has lit my fuse. I'm kidding, I can tell you part of why I hate it so much. Here's Sloan. I can tell she's smart because the show has her sprinkle in some finance talk and from time-to-time she wears glasses with a serious face. She has no peers, though. She does her research off camera, and it is complete and trustworthy. To balance out her hotness, her almost unworldly attractiveness, I am supposed to believe she is socially awkward. [Have you met anyone this good looking in real life? They are like genetic lottery winners in the sense society puts these people on television to convince the rest of us that it's possible. Statistically speaking, no one can win the lottery, no one can look like this.] Sloan's problem comes with naughty photos on the internet. Her beauty (not demanding career) is her obstacle. She gets to punch out the smarmy ex-boyfriend, but on the way out the door, her male not-quite-love-interest stops the ex from really pursuing her. Whew! Super happy that guy was there. Link to post Share on other sites
Theraflu 1,035 Posted June 17, 2014 Share Posted June 17, 2014 Yea, Sloan's the best. 1 Link to post Share on other sites
Ron_Mexico 4,219 Posted June 17, 2014 Share Posted June 17, 2014 I've seen all of the West Wing (multiple, via reruns and Netflix), Studio 60, and Newsroom--also Moneyball (also read book), Social Network, and American President. I've only seen Few Good Men on stage. Never watched the West Wing, only seen bits and pieces of Sports Night and didnt like it, but I really enjoyed Studio 60, Social Network, American President and love A Few Good Men. I also enjoy The Newsroom. I guess I just enjoy Sorkin's style. I know this probably makes me a pariah. I'm sorry Link to post Share on other sites
JubilantLankyLad 1,957 Posted June 17, 2014 Share Posted June 17, 2014 Never watched the West Wing, only seen bits and pieces of Sports Night and didnt like it, but I really enjoyed Studio 60, Social Network, American President and love A Few Good Men. I also enjoy The Newsroom. I guess I just enjoy Sorkin's style. I know this probably makes me a pariah. I'm sorry You're right. Sports night was clearly (in retrospect) a developing voice. I watched it after season 1 of The Newsroom because I realized how much I liked everything else sorkin has written. You should watch the west wing though. Link to post Share on other sites
timwakefield 68 Posted June 17, 2014 Share Posted June 17, 2014 You should watch the west wing though. Seriously. If you like all his other stuff (I agree Sports Night was meh), even Studio 60, you'd love The West Wing, especially since you also mentioned American President which was kind of its predecessor. It's hard to compare a 90 minute movie to a 150-hour tv series, but it's easily his best tv work. Link to post Share on other sites
Ron_Mexico 4,219 Posted June 17, 2014 Share Posted June 17, 2014 Do you think it holds up after all of these years? Link to post Share on other sites
frautotenkinder 1,025 Posted June 17, 2014 Share Posted June 17, 2014 Never watched the West Wing, only seen bits and pieces of Sports Night and didnt like it, but I really enjoyed Studio 60, Social Network, American President and love A Few Good Men. I also enjoy The Newsroom. I guess I just enjoy Sorkin's style. I know this probably makes me a pariah. I'm sorry Do you think it holds up after all of these years? Yes, I get cranky about it, because I have such an affection for the West Wing characters. I love watching smart people talk about smart work--some of West Wing might feel a little dated, and there are some clunky episodes, but overall the whole seven seasons are absolutely worth it. Link to post Share on other sites
JubilantLankyLad 1,957 Posted June 17, 2014 Share Posted June 17, 2014 Actually I remember about halfway through Season 1 of Sports Night thinking that the show seemed confused, and then in Season 2 that it had found itself. Then I learned that Sorkin had conceived Season 1 as a 1hr drama but the network forced him to chop it up into 30 minute sitcom episodes and added a laugh track. Season 2 he kept the laugh track out and the show was much improved as a result. Link to post Share on other sites
timwakefield 68 Posted June 17, 2014 Share Posted June 17, 2014 Do you think it holds up after all of these years? Frau already answered this but yes, it totally holds up. Sorkin (and Rob Lowe) left the show after season 4 and people generally agree that the show dipped in quality after that. I actually think it got back on track for awhile though and there are some pretty excellent episodes scattered through the final 3 seasons. But the first 4 seasons are thoroughly outstanding, with only a couple lesser episodes sprinkled here and there. Link to post Share on other sites
brvheart 1,752 Posted June 17, 2014 Share Posted June 17, 2014 Never watched the West Wing, only seen bits and pieces of Sports Night and didnt like it, but I really enjoyed Studio 60, Social Network, American President and love A Few Good Men. I also enjoy The Newsroom. I guess I just enjoy Sorkin's style. I know this probably makes me a pariah. I'm sorry Have you never watched Moneyball? It's very very good. However, I give all credit to Bennet Miller(sp?) on that one. The dialogue is almost taken verbatim from the novel, which is also very very good. Link to post Share on other sites
Ron_Mexico 4,219 Posted June 17, 2014 Share Posted June 17, 2014 You seem to like Moneyball more than anyone should. I found it decent. Link to post Share on other sites
brvheart 1,752 Posted June 17, 2014 Share Posted June 17, 2014 That's possible, but I'm a statistics nerd. I took 3 stat classes as electives in college. Link to post Share on other sites
timwakefield 68 Posted June 18, 2014 Share Posted June 18, 2014 Have you never watched Moneyball? It's very very good. However, I give all credit to Bennet Miller(sp?) on that one. The dialogue is almost taken verbatim from the novel, which is also very very good. I'm with you, I thought it was great, not just good. A few things though: I think Sorkin added a lot that wasn't in the book. (Also you called the book a novel, which I'm sure was just a grammatical mistake, but I still feel like somebody should point out that it's non-fiction.) The whole relationship with Pitt and his daughter was beautifully done, and I don't think that was in the book at all beyond maybe a mention that Billy Beane had a daughter and an ex-wife. Jonah Hill was an amalgamation of a bunch of different characters in the book, which isn't always succesful. I think all the stuff where Pitt hires Hill and begins working with him was created by Sorkin. I also thought the relationship between Beane and Art Howe (Philip Seymour Hoffman) was really well done. It could have been cheesy or inflated, but like the whole film it was kind of understated and interesting and cool. Obviously it helped that it was well directed and had amazing actors, but I think Sorkin definitely shares the credit for it. 1 Link to post Share on other sites
Ron_Mexico 4,219 Posted June 18, 2014 Share Posted June 18, 2014 Art Howe hated it Link to post Share on other sites
timwakefield 68 Posted June 18, 2014 Share Posted June 18, 2014 Yeah. It may not have been entirely accurate regarding his character (which was his issue with it) but I thought it was interesting and well written. Link to post Share on other sites
brvheart 1,752 Posted June 18, 2014 Share Posted June 18, 2014 Art Howe's role seemed to be very true to the book, so if it wasn't accurate in the movie, then the blame rests on Michael Lewis. Other the the daughter relationship, it seemed to follow the book very closely. Link to post Share on other sites
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