'Seven Psychopats': L.A at its best

Just saw 'Seven Psychopats'. Nice as follows.

Is against all gangsters cliches.
'Paulo: Put your hands up!
Hans: No.
Paulo: What?
Hans: I said no.
Paulo: Why not?
Hans: Because I don't want to.
Paulo: But I've got a gun...
Hans: I don't care.
Paulo: It doesn't make any sense!
Hans: Too bad!
..........................................................
Zachariah: I'm going to be over to kill you Tuesday.
Marty: [Nods] . That's good, I'm not doing anything Tuesday.'



Good underground actors. Michael Pitt , Michael Stuhlbarg (both from the TV series Boardwalk Empires), Sam Rockwell (know from some classics, but also 'Frost/Nixon' and 'Choke', being the same psychopath also back there. Not to mention Christopher Walken or let's say Colin Farrell.

Also, not to forget the natural born killer Woody Harrelson, although he did also political movies, plus No Country for Old Men and so on. + Tom Waits.

Credibility. Farrell is well known also in real life to have an alcohol addiction and to be living in Los Angeles. L.A is also depicted as real as it gets, except with the kidnapping dogs scam. When talking about L.A you get also those Californian cars. There's this screenwriting-video making-actor-building industry in L.A that is perfectly underlined in the movie.

Trivia. Farrell wakes up 5 times completely drunk in this movie. Is also funny how the gangsters are made humans by sticking them with some bunnies, flowers and cute dogs, crying and having problems handling condoms. You don't get that a lot in the gangester movies.

Music that gets you and good video cuts. So that seems very low cost and realistic / local for LA.

Screenwriting hints.'Is laywered', 'you cannot explode a head like that', some of the psychopaths really prove a screenwriter insight.

Excentric presidential race for Czechs, in their first direct election

Voters in the Czech Republic are choosing directly, for the first time, their next head-of-state, a successor for the President Vaclav Klaus.

The candidates? Nine personages from whom to choose - two former prime ministers (frontrunners according to opinion polls), the noble austrian Foreign Minister, then a drama professor and composer (covered all over his body in blue tattoos), an ex-communist, and 3 women (an ex-actrice, a MEP, and the head of Eurosceptic Movement).

Jan Fischer and Milos Zeman (billboard photo), the two ex-prime ministers had had hard times on getting over their past background - the former was member of the Communist Party, while the later's activity in the cabinet was quite controversial.

Milos Zeman (photo above), the leftiest prime minister during 1998-2002 is a hard-drinking, chain-smoking politician, known for his witty put-downs of his political opponents, remarks BBC. But locals seems to complain about the fact Zeman, and other names like Democrat civil, Premysl Sobotka, are in the politics for more than 20 years. Zeman was for two years even member of ex communist party (KSC) .

Vladimir Franz (photo above), also called 'The Avatar' communicates mostly on social networks. You're not supposed to know that much about his political platform when he has all his body, covered with blue tattoos, he is an art theacher, a painter, and a composer. All these, of course, for the delight of international press, mostly American journals.

Karel Schwarzenberg (foto above) designed his position as a favourite one among the young urban voters, telling by his bohemian personage - quite atypique for our days' politics, not that much of a stiff diplomate, even if he dealt with politics on the Foreign Minister position, but more of a historian- intelectual looking. Like a truly man from the Interbelics, a figure like that would have been validated 80 years ago without second-guesses.

One student told me about Schwarzenberg that 'he speaks very nice', when I asked why she's endorsing Karel with the funky yellow-pinky badge (photo down). Should the urban endorsing be enough? On the other side, youngsters were complaining that he's too old (75 years of age). Leaving this aside his name is closely linked to the country's first president, the late Vaclav Havel, and that of course is bringing him a nice image capital, for the second round.

In Romania (or other less open-minded country) all these personages would have been seriously scrutinized and analyzed in a very pejorative-caricaturistic way, both by tabloids and quality press, so from this point of view it seems fair enough how their platforms are received here.

Schwarzenberg represents also a political party TOP 09 (right) among candidates, together with the VP of social-democrats (CSSD) Jiri Dientsbier, and VP of another right movement OSD, Premysl Sobotka.

The election will go to a second round two weeks later as no candidate won 50% of the vote, Zeman scoring first (24,21%), followed by Schwarzenberg (23,40%). Polling stations opened on the 11th of January and they have been closed until this hour as everyone expects to see the first president chosen by direct vote, and not the Parliament as it was before. The change in the election system happened after the controversy over Klaus's re-election, and was officialised as a election method since 2012.

The president of Czech Republic has the right to name and dismiss the prime minister and other members of the cabinet, to promulgate laws voted by the Parliament or to cast his veto vote. Can also name members of Central Bank, jugdges and army generals.

The presence at the election polls is was said to have been around 70 percent for Friday and Saturday, 11 and 12 of January, according to Czech press. Whoever wins 2 weeks from now on, the Czech Republic will have a better cooperation with EU, after the end of Vaclav Klaus, the irascible president, who once likened the European Union to the Soviet Union.

# Cum comunică candidaţii prezidenţiali din Cehia - fostul ministrul de Externe Karel Schwarzenberg, (membru al unei monarhii) are insigne în care apare purtând o creastă roz, iar candidatul artist Vladimir Franz este tatuat pe tot corpul.

Jazzz from Brno: Gustav Brom, tell it like it is

Searching on Wikipedia for some beloved artistic figures of Brno I got clubbed by this Gustav Brom, fellow musician, big band leader, arranger, clarinetist and composer what-so-ever jazz man.

In just 20 ys of performances till the 60's, Brom’s band was worldwide one of the top ten big-bands according to American jazz polls. They jumped from bop or cool to jazz west coast and even dixieland and dance.

Fotograful român Kristian Schuller, dincolo de Penelope Cruz

Despre fotograful născut în Romania, germanizat, Paris-izat, presa română nu a înţeles mai nimic atunci când Schuller a realizat pictorialul cu Penelope Cruz pentru calendarul Campari 2013.

Uitându-te prin shooting-urile şi pozele semnate de el fotografia fashion - un sirop pentru tuse - pare mai uşor de înghiţit pentru că imaginile lui sunt atât de eterice şi de bine lucrate. Surprinzător, artistul spune chiar că e un prieten al minimalismului.

Bouton, Campari, Nike, Vogue Hellas, Harper’s Bazaar, Stiefelkonig şi Vogue Gioiello sunt câteva dintre brandurile pe care a lucrat, după ce a studiat atât fotografia, cât şi fashion design-ul (în Paris, sub tutela lui Vivienne Westwood).

Fotografia de modă nu e posibilă fără modă, după cum a spus-o iarăşi Schuller, dar dincolo de asta a făcut poze fotbaliştilor pentru GQ, lui Gisele Buendchen, sau lui Heidi Klum, pentru evenimente ruseşti, săptămâni de modă etc.

Asta, plus o soţie art director pentru proiectele sale. Aşadar nu e nicio surpriză că pe site-ul lui vei găsi portrete de oameni simpli din Transilvania alături de cele ale lui H. Klum sau G. Buendchen, spoturi avantgardiste şi printuri răvăşite de reclame pentru parfumuri şi reviste.

Proiectul interesant pentru un fotograf a fost un road story prin America, prin circuri părăsite, cu buget limitat şi multe improvizaţii:

# About the photo artist Kristian Schuller, trying to make the most out of fashion photo. The romanian born, now moved and working in an artistic arondisement in Paris, swings from fashion shootings to perfume prints and abandoned circuses in the middle of nowhere US, into a deserted field with Cadillacs in L.A - trying to make his image - not at all of a poshy fash' flash guy photographer.

'In the end is not about how you get the story, but just to be able to tell it'. (KS)

America, You Only Vote Once: Mad Men Obama-Romney

Status quo. Due to presidential elections all over America voting lines are longer than the gas lines created by Sandy.

So Obama's team is keep posting Facebook updates, Twitter updates, Reuters photos updating crazily on news agencies. Romney visited 2 states in the last hours of the race and he still asks for dollars on FB from his suporters. There's red and blue everywhere, the online is bleeding with hashtags like '#vote', '#2012 elections', '#ivoted', #patchelections ', and so on. We're getting politically mad.

# Emotions: Obama's winning on gender issues, that's clear. 

“Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell”, the message relates to LGBT communities, and also his support to women (pro-choice option) is a very  'outrageous' position pro- women if we think that one hundred years ago, they were not even allowed to vote. Romney gains voters on the economic issue, but his position on abortion flipped so many times in the last years and since 2002 he was declaring himself pro-life.

“We can't move backwards. We've got to go forward.[...] The women in your life need to see this. We can’t afford a president with Romnesia. Being married to Michelle, and having these tall, beautiful, strong-willed girls in my house, never allows me to underestimate women. [...] Our daughters should have the same opportunities as our sons', some of the declarations of the President.

Other flashbacks are presenting Obama with Jay-Z and Bruce Springsteen just on the finish line, Obama wearing a pink anti-breast cancer bracelet, or the actual president hugging up a victim of Sandy, or just having a speech in the rain. He had all the possible emotional images of this campaign, like in 2008, and in the end he magistrally finished literally in tears, just like another 'Putin'.

Obama has had also the jokes (the most twitted one during the last debate - 'we also have fewer horses and bayonets' refering to the capacity of the army. Plus, most of the newspapers are crediting the democrat with the most chances of winning, even if the difference is at a high stakes. What keeps him stiil in tension, though?

# Patriotic speaker, more a con-man?

On the other hand Romney is quite criticised by the media for accusing 47 percent of Americans for paying no taxes and seing themselves as victims. Also, he asked some british hosts publicly whether they were prepared for the London Olympics or not. What else?

Romney would get imediately rid of ObamaCare, (the healthcare plan that cover the uninsured) telling by his declaration, but apart of the patriotic platitudes he served since being a senator for Masachussetts and more recently in the primaries, he said nothing more. Maybe just the fact that he quite adopted the ubicous 'change' promise, re-launched even by his conter-candidate in 2008, saying that he is really gonna make a change. Yeah!

'We just can’t afford four more years of President Obama’s, says Romney continually, invoking mostly economical reasons. Also, he constantly ensures the Americans that he knows business.

On the other hand Obama tried to make his opponent unacceptable, a fact that made him lost some procents in the beginning of the race, and of course the first lost debate for the Democrat, when he admitted he had a 'nap'. Still, the democrat awaits the result of the elections playing basketball, while Romney goes even few hours before the election polls are opened to other 2 states (of which Ohio is decisive) and ends his campaign with a party in his adopting state - New Hampshire. Even a few hours before the elections are opened Romney's staff still asks for donations on the candidate FB page.

# $2.6 billion money spent in the campaign from both parties
# 30 million people who voted early this year, since 25 Oct.

Meanwhile, the American electors are disapointed they cannot vote on Iphone, or they're afraid that the touchscreen machines in the elections polls are stealing votes for the counter-candidate. And, just to be clear, Sandy erased the phrase “climate change” from the candidates vocabulaires and 2 days from the campaign, but on the finish Obama and Romney we're running like mad men on the streets for getting ultimate voters.

Red or blue. Experience or change. Obama or Romney. Or none.
UPDATE! Voters who cared about the economy picked Romney by only one point over Obama, 49 percent to 48 percent. Still, 'Obama simply neutralized his opponent; there's nothing in that number that suggests a mandate', as the American press beautifully remarks.

Romney vs Obama (III): Last call on national security

Through lots of grand statements and big words the candidates sounds like math teachers, as BBC remarks.

Romney offers simple solutions with a well dosed smile always on his face. Still, not trying to atack Obama, but 'sounding' more presidential. Active, he gives a tons of declarations/positions from other leaders (like he works in the media!), all numbers and images, in just one minute.

Obsessed about economy and army - Obama’s weakest points, R. enumerates things very often ( '5 Easy steps, 1,2,3,4,5..., 'I’m gonna put America back to work'). Also, he uses powerful words and adds unmerciful labels & diagnostics.
Syria: Very clear about that: 'We have to be the leader not the military force. [...] I would give arms to Syrian rebels.' 
Role of US in the world: How often Romney's shifting from foreign policy to the economy?
Terror: 'Can’t kill our way out.'
Egypt: Romney says he supported President Obama's decision to call for the former Egyptian leader Hosni Mubarak to step aside.

So for MR is that simple: images + enumerations. "I love teachers," he says. The moderator adds: "We all love teachers".


For Obama isn't that simple. He looks quite stressed & serious, staring intently at Romney as the former governor answers. Generally O. enlarges the discussion and adds more factors to every single problem questioned.
Syria: O. finally points out that both their Syria plans are identical.
Role of US in the world: 'Let me remind you... We did things.' [...] 'He (reffering to the republican) talks about little business, but in Massachusetts things are getting worst.'
Foreign policy:  'This foreign policy has been "all over the map".
Israel – Iran: Obama tells Romney that while it's true the US military has less heavy equipment today, it also has fewer horses and bayonets.

Obama to Romney: There were times when it sounded like you would do the same things as us, but you would say it louder.

There's just 15 days to go until the election and Florida is considered a very important state, with  29 electoral college votes. Till there, I'm already obsessed with cliques like 'balanced budget', 'commander-in-chief', and so on.