American Inventor

I am still watching American Inventor. It is kind of wacky and offbeat and I enjoy that. One of the judges is a guy named Doug Hall. He is a bit obnoxious and odd in his own way.

He reminds me of Wallace Shawn, the guy from The Princess Bride. I keep waiting for him to look at one of the inventors and shout
"Inconceivable!"

Of course that leads into this great exchange from the movie:

Man in Black: All right. Where is the poison? The battle of wits has begun. It ends when you decide and we both drink, and find out who is right... and who is dead.
Vizzini: But it's so simple. All I have to do is divine from what I know of you: are you the sort of man who would put the poison into his own goblet or his enemy's? Now, a clever man would put the poison into his own goblet, because he would know that only a great fool would reach for what he was given. I am not a great fool, so I can clearly not choose the wine in front of you. But you must have known I was not a great fool, you would have counted on it, so I can clearly not choose the wine in front of me.
Man in Black: You've made your decision then?
Vizzini: Not remotely. Because iocane comes from Australia, as everyone knows, and Australia is entirely peopled with criminals, and criminals are used to having people not trust them, as you are not trusted by me, so I can clearly not choose the wine in front of you.
Man in Black: Truly, you have a dizzying intellect.
Vizzini: Wait til I get going! Now, where was I?
Man in Black: Australia.
Vizzini: Yes, Australia. And you must have suspected I would have known the powder's origin, so I can clearly not choose the wine in front of me.
Man in Black: You're just stalling now.
Vizzini: You'd like to think that, wouldn't you? You've beaten my giant, which means you're exceptionally strong, so you could've put the poison in your own goblet, trusting on your strength to save you, so I can clearly not choose the wine in front of you. But, you've also bested my Spaniard, which means you must have studied, and in studying you must have learned that man is mortal, so you would have put the poison as far from yourself as possible, so I can clearly not choose the wine in front of me.
Man in Black: You're trying to trick me into giving away something. It won't work.
Vizzini: IT HAS WORKED! YOU'VE GIVEN EVERYTHING AWAY! I KNOW WHERE THE POISON IS!
Man in Black: Then make your choice.
Vizzini: I will, and I choose - What in the world can that be?
Vizzini: [Vizzini gestures up and away from the table. Roberts looks. Vizzini swaps the goblets]
Man in Black: What? Where? I don't see anything.
Vizzini: Well, I- I could have sworn I saw something. No matter.First, let's drink. Me from my glass, and you from yours.
Man in Black, Vizzini: [they drink ]
Man in Black: You guessed wrong.
Vizzini: You only think I guessed wrong! That's what's so funny! I switched glasses when your back was turned! Ha ha! You fool! You fell victim to one of the classic blunders! The most famous is never get involved in a land war in Asia, but only slightly less well-known is this: never go in against a Sicilian when death is on the line! Ha ha ha ha ha ha ha! Ha ha ha ha ha ha ha! Ha ha ha -
Vizzini: [Vizzini stops suddenly, and falls dead to the right]
Now that was one fine movie. Anyway, back to the show. It is just kind of fun to see the crazy and kooky things that people come up with. And who knows, maybe, just maybe I'll be inspired by someone and come up with my own invention.

4 comments:

Anonymous said...

There's an interesting article on Doug Hall at the The Cincinnati Enquirer.

You can read it here at http://www.AmericanInventorSpot.com
AmericanInventorSpot.com

Regina said...

That's such a great movie- classic! I hear something about that movie, even just a line, almost every day! "Anybody want a peanut?"

Jack Steiner said...

Hi Elster,

It is my pleasure.

RCJ,

That is one of my favorite lines.

Jack Steiner said...

Mirty,

Probably many.

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