"The Rain Chronicles" [PG] - Book IV

"The Rain Chronicles" [PG] - Book IV

Rain Robinson of ”Future’s End” ends up on Voyager, following her adventures with Tom Paris and Tuvok in late 20th century Earth. Here is Book IV.

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LIEUTENANT TOM PARIS - STARDATE 50394.46:


Never in my wildest dreams did I imagine I would find myself torn by three people. Two women and a man. Sounds almost kinky, but it's a hell of a lot more serious than that.

Ever since Rain Robinson managed to sneak aboard Voyager, my emotional state has been in turmoil. When I told her that I had never met anyone like her, I had been serious. Serious, but not completely truthful. I have met another like Rain - B'Elanna Torres. Both are vibrant, intelligent and independent women. Both are also very fascinating. At first, the pair seemed to have one major difference. B'Elanna built walls to keep herself emotionally distant from others. Rain didn't. At least she didn't, until she boarded Voyager.

Once she found herself stuck aboard ship, Rain became distant. Cool. Especially toward me. Back in Los Angeles, she seemed determined to get to know me. Now, Rain barely acknowledges my presence. I don't think she wants anything to do with me and I don't know why! B'Elanna seemed the same as usual. A little distant, yet still friendly. Neither woman seemed interested in romance. And yet, I would gladly accept either of them into my arms.

Where does the man fit into the picture? Well, it's Harry. Quite simply, he does not like Rain. He did at first. But ever since she had caught him unawares with her less than pristine view of the Federation, he has become increasingly hostile toward her. Poor Harry. His view on life, especially life in the Federation always tended to border on the idyllic. Like so many, he considers Earth . . . (sigh) as Paradise. He has never really been aware of the Federation's . . . or should I say, humanity's darker side. And we still have one. I know from experience.

As Harry's friend, I have always tried to make him aware of life's dangers and disappointments as gently as possible. Unfortunately, Rain beat me to the punch (in a not so gentle manner). And in one conversation, came close to shattering Harry's illusions. No wonder he resents her.

Rain's remarks managed to circulate throughout the ship. Some (including the majority of former Maquis) applauded her realistic viewpoint. Others, mainly a lot of 'Fleeters, reacted with as much hostility as Harry did. And there were those like the Delaney sisters who merely accepted Rain's opinions as her own and continued on with their lives. Sensible people.

Did the Captain ever learn about Rain's comments in the Mess Hall? I don't know. Before any of us could find out, the Captain and Neelix had left Voyager to set up trade negotiations with a race called the Tik Tak.

* * * *

RAIN ROBINSON - May 26, 2373:

It did not take Captain Janeway long to learn about my little debate with Harry Kim in the Mess Hall. Who told her? I have no idea. Two days after it happened, she summoned me to her office. What she called her Ready Room.

After I had entered from the corridor, she indicated the empty chair opposite and smiled. "Sit down, Miss Robinson." As I did as she asked, her smile remained fixed upon her face. Most would describe it as warm. Not me. I found it almost wolfish. Hey, what can I say? My instincts were practically screaming at me that this lady was pissed. The Captain continued, "Miss Robinson, I understand that you brought up a certain topic in the Mess Hall, some two days ago. Regarding the Maquis." Her smile lost a touch of warmth.

As calmly as possible, I told her about the discussion between Ensign Kim and me. And how I brought up the Maquis.

She leaned forward - all earnest. "I can understand how the subject might have came up. But you must understand, the subject about the Maquis is very . . . well, very touchy on this ship. At least one-third of the crew are former members of the Maquis, including the First Officer and the Chief Engineer. We've spent at least two years trying to forge two factions into one working crew. And I would hate for our efforts to be disrupted by . . . let's just say careless talk." Another smile touched her lips.

I stared at her. "Careless?"

Blue-gray eyes hardened. "Let's be honest, shall we, Miss Robinson? Aside from what you may have read from the computer database, you really have no knowledge on the Maquis. Do you?"

"I guess not." I paused. "So what are the Maquis about?"

Janeway's eyes flickered. Perhaps she didn't expect me to ask that question. A moment later, she quickly recovered her composure. "If you insist, Miss Robinson. About six or seven years ago, the Federation had just ended a costly war with a species called Cardassians. Realizing that peace was the only way to stabilize the quadrant, the Federation and the Cardassians decided upon a cease fire and agreed to begin talks for a treaty."

She went on to describe the events I had already learned from the ship's computer. The peace negotiations, Cardassia's insistence upon settling the matter of sovereignty in the Demilitarized Zone, the Federation's decision to hand over their DMZ colonies to placate the Cardassians, the colonists' reaction and the formation of the Maquis. Her explanation nearly matched the entries from the computer - word by word. Must be the Federation mantra.

"May I ask you something?" I said, after the Captain finished.

Janeway gave me a wary look. "Yes?"

"When the . . . uh, Federation decided to hand over those colonies to the Cardassians, did they consider how the colonists would react?" She opened her mouth to speak. Not a word came out. Hell, not even a sound. Right then, I knew. "That's okay, Captain," I continued. "You've answered my question."

"No, you don't understand, Miss Robinson." What do you know? She has spoken at last! "The Federation had offered to relocate the colonists on other worlds. And they rejected our offer."

I nodded. "Yeah. I see. Only the colonists didn't want to move. Okay. I get it."

"Miss Robinson . . ."

But I didn't let her finish. "Hey, look Captain. If you're worried that I'll go spreading my opinion on the Maquis, don't be. I'll just find some other topic to discuss. You know . . . like crime statistics on Earth."

A glacial sheen covered Janeway's eyes. She gave me one of those 'you've overstayed your welcome' smiles. "This has been quite an . . . interesting conversation, Miss Robinson. That will be all."

"Yes Captain." I rose from my chair, gave her a nod and quickly left the room, via the corridor.

So, the Federation had offered to relocate the colonists in the DMZ, huh? Now they seemed like greedy landlords, trying to get rid of inconvenient tenants. As I had promised Janeway, I never brought up the subject again. I really didn't have a chance. Janeway and Neelix left Voyage for some diplomatic mission.

* * * *

RAIN ROBINSON - June 6, 2373:

Macroviruses. At least that's what the holographic doctor called the beings that attacked the ship. I personally named the entire incident as 'the Attack of the Killer Fleas'. Or mosquitoes. Judging from a brief glimpse of them, they looked more like mosquitoes.

It had all started when the Doctor went on a mission to respond to a distress call from some mining colony. At least, that's what he told me. He transported to the colony and found several being suffering from some disease. Both he and the First Officer, Commander Cha-ko-tay had thought sending a hologram would be safer. Well, they were wrong.

Like most insects, these macroviruses became attracted to the light - namely the light from the Doctor's holoimage. And he brought them back, upon his return to the ship. I had no idea what was going on, until I heard a loud, buzzing noise outside my quarters. I risked a peek outside and spotted something that resembled a giant mosquito, along the corridor. It only took one look and I immediately went back inside and locked the door.

I am happy to report that I managed to remain hidden from these macroviruses. It seemed pretty easy, hiding myself underneath the bed during the entire incident. I don't know how many hours or days had passed before Captain Janeway and the Doctor managed to destroy the macroviruses. But when the Captain announced "all clear" over the Communications system, it was a hungry and frightened woman who crawled from under her bed. Dammit! Why in the hell did I stowaway on this damn ship? Anyway, the Captain also ordered any crewman still conscious, to report to Sick Bay.

Upon my arrival, the Doctor expressed relief at seeing another being, conscious and walking. He gave me a little medication, by pressing some gray tube he called a hypospray, against my neck. Then the Doctor told me everything about what happened. I don't think he meant to, but like I said - he was relieved to see someone else, aside from Janeway and some ensign named Wildman, conscious and not infected. And the other two women were no where to be seen.

"They are applying the antivirus to the rest of the crew," the Doctor explained. He handed me three of these hyprosprays. I stared at him, questioningly. "These are hyposprays. A twenty-fourth century version of a hypodermic needle. Less painful and more hygienic. All of them are filled with the antivirus and I need you to help apply it to some of the crew. Both the Captain and Ensign Wildman are doing the same. Just press the hypospray against the neck, like I did yours. You can start in the Mess Hall."

With nothing else to do, I agreed to help. The sight that greeted me inside the Mess Hall nearly sickened me. Bodies were strewn everywhere. Bodies plastered with sores, insect bites and some green ooze. However, I came upon another sight that disturbed me even further. I found two of the figures, seated at a table together. Tom and Lieutenant Torres.

What the hell were they doing together? I had heard from Jenny that Tom agreed to serve as the ship's cook, until Neelix's return. And Lieutenant Torres was supposed to be in Engineering. How did they end up sharing one of the tables inside the Mess Hall?

It took a lot of effort on my part to squelch the jealousy within me. Unfortunately, I couldn't fight against the despair. It seemed to me that the sight of them together was an obvious sign that I was never meant to be with Tom. Oh well. Might as well accept it.


END OF BOOK IV

"PUBLIC ENEMIES" Review

This month marks the 75th anniversary of when Depression-era bank robber, John Dillinger, was killed by the FBI in Chicago, Illinois. Below is my review of "PUBLIC ENEMIES", a recent movie on the last year of Dillinger's life:


”PUBLIC ENEMIES” Review

I must admit that when I first heard about Michael Mann’s plans to film a movie about Depression-era bank robber, John Dillinger, I became excited. It was not the subject that roused my interest. But I found the idea of Mann shooting a movie set during the height of the Great Depression – 1933 to 1934 – rather interesting. It has become a period in U.S. history that has caught my interest in the past five years. And the fact that Johnny Depp and Christian Bale had been cast in the leads as Dillinger and his nemesis, FBI Agent Melvin Purvis, merely increased my interest.

At first, I had assumed that I would love ”PUBLIC ENEMIES”. I assumed that Mann could do no wrong. Then to my surprise, I discovered that the film had received mixed reviews from film critics. From that moment on, I began to harbor doubts about the film’s quality. I never learn. Never. I had forgotten my most important rule about approaching a movie – the only opinion that should count for me is my own. And when I finally saw ”PUBLIC ENEMIES”, I realized that I had to learn that particular lesson all over again.

I want to point out that ”PUBLIC ENEMIES” is not perfect. This does not bother me one bit. Perfect movies are extremely rare. And I suspect . . . not know, but suspect I may have seen one or two in my lifetime. However, ”PUBLIC ENEMIES” is not one of those rare examples of cinematic perfection. First of all, the movie – especially its first hour - seemed to be marred by an uncomfortable number of close-ups by cinematographer Dante Spinotti. This discomfort was especially apparent in action scenes like the prison escape from the Indiana State Prison featured in the film’s opening scene , “Pretty Boy” Floyd’s death at the hands of FBI Agent Melvin Purvis, and John Dillinger’s first bank robbery featured in the film. These close-ups brought back memories of the ones featured in Disney’s ”PIRATES OF THE CARIBBEAN: THE CURSE OF THE BLACK PEARL”.

But at the least the close-ups in the 2003 film were not further marred by quick editing done by Paul Rubell and Jeffrey Ford for this film. Watching their zip fast editing reminded me of those featured in movies like the last two ”BOURNE” films, ”QUANTUM OF SOLACE”, both ”TRANSFORMERS” movies, ”THE TAKING OF PELHAM 1-2-3” and ”STAR TREK”. I suspect that this new editing style is fast becoming the new thing in the film industry. Personally, I hate it. I find it cheap and confusing.

I have one last complaint about the film and it has to do with David Wenham’s appearance in the film. The Australian actor portrayed Harry Pierpont, one of Dillinger’s closest friends and a mentor. Yet, he barely spoke a few words in the movie. In fact, he seemed more like a background character than a supporting one. Giovanni Ribisi had more lines in the film and his character, Alvin “Creepy” Karpis, had no real close ties with Dillinger. Why did Mann and the two other screenwriters, Ronan Bennett and Ann Biderman, bothered to include the Pierpont character in the first place? Instead of at least a minor exploration of the Dillinger-Pierpont relationship, the screenwriters reduced Pierpont – Dillinger’s mentor – to a minor character with a few lines.

Now that I have put all of that negativity behind me, it is time to discuss why I had enjoyed ”PUBLIC ENEMIES” so much. Perhaps I am being a bit too subtle. I did not merely enjoy ”PUBLIC ENEMIES”, I loved it. It has easily become my favorite movie this summer. So far. Fast editing and close-ups aside, I must admit that I admire how director Michael Mann handled the movie’s pacing. I was surprised to learn about the criticisms leveled at the movie’s running time (two hours and nineteen minutes) and especially its alleged running time. Personally, I was impressed by Mann’s steady pace. Expecting the movie to be over two hours long, I was surprised to discover that amount of time had passed when the end credits finally began to roll. Perhaps I had been so caught up in the story that I failed to notice the time. Which is a compliment to Mann’s direction . . . at least from me.

Many scenes directed by Man left me spellbound. They include Baby Face Nelson’s murder of a FBI Agent at a hotel ambush set up by Purvis; Dillinger’s press conference inside the warden’s office at the Crown Point Prison in Indiana; his escape from said prison; the FBI ‘s capture of Dillinger’s girlfriend, Billie Frichette; Frichette’s interrogation and beating at the hands of a FBI agent; and Purvis’ conversation with prostitute and brothel madam, Anna Sage.

But there were four scenes . . . actually, two scenes and two sequences that truly impressed me. The first one featured Purvis’ telephone conversation with his boss, FBI Director J. Edgar Hoover. In it, Purvis tries to convince the irate Hoover that many of their agents are not experienced enough to hunt down the likes of Dillinger and Nelson and that they need to recruit more experienced men . . . like Texas Rangers. Despite the fact that the two actors portraying Purvis and Hoover do not share the screen, the emotion between their characters crackled like flames, thanks to their performances and Mann’s direction. The other scene featured Dillinger’s arrival in Indiana by plane, after being arrested by Federal agents in Tucson, Arizona. Although brief, it struck a surreal note within me, thanks to Spinott’s photography. The cinematographer shot the entire scene with colors that projected a soft iron, mingled with a reddish-orange tint from the sun. Very beautiful.

Although I found the scenes mentioned above very memorable, I was rendered speechless by the following sequences. The first centered around the violent shootout at the Little Bohemia Lodge in Manitowish Waters, Wisconsin in April 1934. I am certain that many critics and moviegoers had ended up comparing this sequence with the famous Downtown Los Angeles shootout in Mann’s 1995 movie, ”HEAT”. Granted, the latter turned out longer and was filmed in the daytime, but this Little Bohemia shootout turned out to be just as effective and exciting, despite being filmed at night. But if there is one sequence that filled me with great satisfaction, it was the one that featured the last night of Dillinger’s life. Mann, along with Spinotti, production designer Nathan Crowley, Rosemary Brandenburg’s set designs, Patrick Lumb, William Ladd Skinner’s art direction, the screenwriters and the cast did a superb job in conveying the director’s own detailed account of that hot, July night in 1934. I, for one, was glad that Mann took his time in leading to that moment when Texas Ranger Charles Winstead shot Dillinger dead. The director gave movie audiences a glimpse of street life in Depression-era Chicago during the summertime. He also allowed the audience to experience Dillinger’s pleasure in viewing Clark Gable’s spunk and Myrna Loy’s beauty in the 1934 MGM movie, ”MANHATTAN MELODRAMA”. With the camera, the audience waited nervously along with Purvis, Winstead and the other lawmen who waited outside the Biograph Theater for Dillinger. This is one of the most detailed and marvelously shot sequences I have ever seen on film in the past decade or two.

Another aspect of ”PUBLIC ENEMIES” that struck me as unique was its style. Past movies about Depression-era criminals from the Midwest and the South like (1967) “BONNIE AND CLYDE”, (1974) “MELVIN PURVIS, G-MAN”, and (1975) “THE KANSAS CITY MASSACRE” tend to have this rural or “good ‘ole boy” style, similar to movies and television shows like (1977) “SMOKEY AND THE BANDIT” and (1979-85) “THE DUKES OF HAZZARD”. These films were usually filled with a great deal of wild car chases, over-the-top acting and a Country-Western tune emphasizing the action. ”PUBLIC ENEMIES” seemed to go against this rural style. Instead, most of Mann’s Midwestern criminals are not some wild, country boys that went on a crime spree as some reaction against the Depression’s economic woes. His criminals – especially Dillinger – are professional criminals, whose experiences go back long before the first impact of the Depression. Nor is Mann’s Melvin Purvis is some long experienced “good ‘ole boy” lawman with a Mississippi Valley or Southwestern accent like Ben Johnson in (1973) “DILLINGER” or Dale Robertson in his two TV movies about the FBI agent. His Purvis is a lot closer to the real one, a South Carolinian gentleman in his early thirties, who happened to be a trained lawyer and an excellent shot. Both Dillinger and Purvis come off as more sophisticated than their portrayals featured in earlier movies. And the characters’ sophistication certainly reflected the movie’s more serious tone. Something I certainly had no problems with.

John Dillinger may turn out to be one of my favorite characters portrayed by Johnny Depp. Much has been made of Dillinger’s charm and joie de vivre . . . and Depp certainly did not hesitate to replicate it in front of the camera. One prime example of this charm was featured in Dillinger’s press conference inside the warden’s office at the Crown Point Prison in Indiana. I have seen the original 1934 newsreel featuring the famous press conference and I must say that Depp did a beautiful job of recapturing Dillinger’s actions – from the bank robber’s attitude, right down to his body language.





But there were other aspects of Dillinger’s personality that Depp did not hesitate to portray – his romantic charm that won Billie Frichette’s heart and cynical sense of humor. Most importantly, Depp’s performance reminded the audience that Dillinger had been capable of being a cold-blooded criminal. After all, he had drifted into crime long before the economic upheaval of the Depression. And Depp’s performance made that clear, whether his Dillinger was expressing fury at one colleague, whose beating of a prison guard led to the death of an old friend in the film’s opening prison break; his lack of remorse toward his many crimes, his connection to the Chicago mob; and his willingness to murder anyone who got in his way. Depp not only perfectly portrayed Dillinger as a charming and extroverted rogue, but also as a tender lover, a hardened criminal unwilling to give up his profession and if need be, a killer.

I have noticed that in the past two or three years, Christian Bale has found himself in the thankless task of portraying characters less flamboyant than his co-stars. This certainly seemed to be the case in the 2006 Victorian melodrama ”THE PRESTIGE” with the more outgoing Hugh Jackman; in the 2008 Batman sequel, ”THE DARK KNIGHT”, in which his performance as Bruce Wayne/Batman contrasted sharply with Heath Ledger’s wildly chaotic Joker; and in the recent ”TERMINATOR SALVATION”, in which he seemed to be overshadowed in the eyes of many by the more overtly masculine Sam Worthington. Mind you, Bale gave superb performances in all of these films. Yet, his co-stars seemed to be grabbing most of the glory. This also seemed to be the case in ”PUBLIC ENEMIES”, in which he portrays Melvin Purvis, the FBI agent assigned to capture Dillinger, one way or the other. Whereas Depp’s Dillinger is all charm and flash, Bale’s Purvis is a resolute and educated South Carolina gentleman, who also happened to be a somewhat competent lawman determined to hunt down the bank robber by any means possible. And that included following Director Hoover’s insistence on ”taking the white gloves off” or insisting that the FBI recruit experienced Texas Rangers for the manhunt. Bale not only did an excellent job in conveying Purvis’ quiet determination in hunting down Dillinger, but the agent’s anxious fear that he may never capture the bank robber on a permanent basis. Bale also effectively portrayed Purvis’ ruthlessness in dealing with those who stood between him and Dillinger. Melvin Purvis is not a splashy role for Bale, but the latter certainly did an excellent job of portraying the lawman’s many personality facets.

Before I saw ”PUBLIC ENEMIES”, I had feared that the addition of Billie Frichette (Dillinger’s girlfriend) into the story would make her presence irrelevant and threaten to drag the film. Fortunately, Mann and the other two screenwriters – Bennett and Biderman – along with Oscar winner Marion Cotillard did justice to the Frichette character. Cotillard gave an excellent performance as a hatcheck woman who captured Dillinger’s heart. She portrayed Frichette as a slightly melancholy woman who not only resented society’s bigotry against her ancestry (her mother was half French, half –Menominee), but also feared that her relationship with Dillinger may not last very long. One of Cotillard’s best moments featured the hatcheck woman being interrogated and beaten by one of Purvis’ agents, who is determined to learn Dillinger’s whereabouts. And despite being French-born and raised, Cotillard proved that she could use a Midwestern accent circa 1933, just as well as an American actress.

”PUBLIC ENEMIES” seemed to be filled with some memorable supporting roles. And a handful of performances stood out for me. I enjoyed Jason Clarke's quiet and subtle performance as Dillinger’s close friend and colleague, the dependable John "Red" Hamilton, who seemed convinced that he and the bank robber were doomed to live short lives. Clarke especially shone in an emotional scene in which a badly wounded Hamilton tried to convince Dillinger to stop clinging fervently to all people and things that mattered too much to him. And there was Billy Crudup (a face I have been seeing with great frequency over the past few years), who gave an entertaining and sharp performance as FBI Director and publicity hound, J. Edgar Hoover. Crudup managed to capture a great deal of the legendary director’s personality as much as possible – especially Hoover’s staccato-style speech pattern. And his scenes with Bale brimmed with a layer of emotion that made their on-screen relationship one of the more interesting ones in the movie.

Another performance that caught my attention belonged to Stephen Graham as the trigger-happy Lester “Baby Face Nelson” Gillis. I have to give Graham kudos for effectively projecting a certain facet of Nelson’s persona from both Dillinger and Purvis’ points-of-view. In Dillinger’s eyes, Graham portrayed Nelson as a trigger happy clown and bad Cagney impersonator, whose criminal skills seemed to belong to an amateur. In his major scene with Purvis, Graham portrayed Nelson as a dangerous criminal, quite capable of efficiently killing Federal agents in cold blood. And it was a pleasant surprise to see the always competent Stephen Lang as Charles Winstead, one of the Texas Rangers recruited by Purvis to assist in the FBI manhunt for Dillinger. Lang first worked for Mann in 1986’s ”MANHUNTER” and the television series, ”CRIME STORY”. Since then, he has portrayed a vast array of memorable characters over the years. In ”PUBLIC ENEMIES”, he gave another excellent performance as the stoic and intimidating Winstead, whose vast experience with criminal manhunts allowed him to act as a de facto mentor for the less experienced Purvis. One last performance that caught my attention belonged to Branka Katić’s portrayal of Anna Sage, the so-called ”Woman in Red” who had betrayed Dillinger to the FBI in Chicago. Actually, Sage never wore red on the night she led the FBI to the Biograph Theater and Dillinger. But that is beside the point. Katić gave an intelligent performance as the world-weary, Romanian-born madam that found herself forced to help the FBI ambush the bank robber.

Every now and then, I eventually come across some comparisons between ”PUBLIC ENEMIES” and ”HEAT” in some of the articles I have read about the former. And the comparison usually ends in the 1995 movie’s favor. Do I agree with this assessment? Honestly, I have no answer. Both movies are superb crime dramas with a few flaws. Whereas ”HEAT” managed to capture the miasma of late 20th century Los Angeles, ”PUBLIC ENEMIES” reeked with the slightly gray aura of the Depression-era Midwest . . . especially Chicago. And whereas the pacing for ”HEAT” threatened to drag in its last hour, the quick editing and constant close-ups nearly marred the first hour of ”PUBLIC ENEMIES”. But you know what? I love both movies. And ”PUBLIC ENEMIES” proved to be another example of why Michael Mann continues to be one of my favorite movie directors.

Conflicting Views on the "NORTH AND SOUTH" Trilogy

I wrote the following article about many fans of the "NORTH AND SOUTH" trilogy:


CONFLICTING VIEWS ON THE “NORTH AND SOUTH” TRILOGY

I have been a fan of John Jakes’ ”NORTH AND SOUTH” trilogy, ever since I read the first novel - ”North and South” when I was in my twenties. After reading both the first and the second novel - ”Love and War”, I became a fan of the miniseries, upon which the miniseries are based. Because of my love of Jakes’ saga, I began perusing many websites created by fans of the saga and joined a few Yahoo discussion groups. And what I had discovered about the saga’s fandom has left me feeling not only shocked, but wondering if these fans had any idea what Jakes was trying to convey in his story.

Reading some of the ”NORTH AND SOUTH” websites and the Yahoo groups has led me to wonder if the majority of this particular fandom tend to place the saga into the same category as ”THE BIRTH OF A NATION” or ”GONE WITH THE WIND”. In other words, many of these fans tend to view Jakes’ saga with a conservative eye. Either they seemed mistaken by Jakes’ (and producer David Wolper’s) theme behind the saga . . . or they may have decided to ignore it. I suspect the latter.

Now, some might be wondering why I had even bothered to write this article. Frankly, so am I. I doubt that this article will ever change these fans’ perspective on the ”NORTH AND SOUTH” trilogy. So why do I bother? To be honest, this article is not about changing their perspective. It is about me expressing my frustration over the fact that I cannot find one fan of the saga who does NOT view it along the same lines as Margaret Mitchell’s famous novel (and David Selznick’s famous screen adaptation). I have yet to encounter a ”NORTH AND SOUTH” fan who does not view the story as some kind of ode to the Old South. Judging from Jakes’ three novels and Wolper’s miniseries adaptations, I certainly do not view it as such.

This conservative attitude has never been more apparent than in my clash with other fans over the role of the slaves owned by the family of one of the saga’s main characters – Orry Main. Aside from the character of Cuffey (portrayed by Oscar winner, Forest Whitaker), these fans try to view the slaves in a sympathetic light by labeling them as loyal to the Main family. This is especially true of the two characters – Semiramis (Erica Gimpel) and Ezra (Beau Billingslea). While perusing a ”NORTH AND SOUTH” website created by a European-born fan (the site has since disappeared ), I noticed that he had described both characters as ”loyal”, due to their decision to remain at Mont Royal (the Mains’ South Carolina plantation) after the other slaves had left in the second miniseries, set during the Civil War. What many fans failed to realize that Semiramis or Ezra had not remained at Mont Royal due to any loyalty to the Main family.

”NORTH AND SOUTH: Book 2” had started with a recently married Brett Main Hazard (Genie Francis) in Washington D.C. at the beginning of the war, and Semiramis acting as her personal servant. Hours before the Battle of Bull Run commenced, Brett received a message from South Carolina that her mother, Clarissa Main (Jean Simmons) had been injured in a barn fire. Brett made the sudden decision to make her way through battle lines in order to return back into Confederate territory and South Carolina. Semiramis accompanied her. The pair eventually reached Mont Royal in the middle of Episode 2. In the following episode, both Cuffey and Ezra separately questioned Semiramis’ decision to remain with Brett. Although the maid refused to acknowledge Cuffey’s question, she gave Ezra a vague answer about wanting to stick by Brett’s side. However, both men seemed to know the true answer. Charles Main. Semiramis had fallen in love with Orry Main’s younger cousin in the previous miniseries, ”Book 1”. And both men seemed appalled that she would harbor such feelings for a man who was related to their owner. But whereas Cuffey left Mont Royal (stealing Clarissa Main’s jewels along the way), Ezra remained behind, considering her treatment at the hands of the Mains’ former overseer, Salem Jones (Tony Frank). Even when the Main women – Clarissa, Madeline (Lesley Ann Down) and Brett – had permitted the other slaves to leave. And what was Ezra’s reason for remaining at Mont Royal? He wanted a chance to woo and win Semiramis’ heart. And Semiramis’ reason for remaining behind? She wanted a chance to see Charles Main again . . . on the chance he might return to the family’s plantation. Any loyalty toward the Main family had nothing to do with either slave’s decision to remain. However, many ”NORTH AND SOUTH” fans refused to acknowledge this. They simply wanted to believe that the two slaves had remained at Mont Royal, due to some kind of loyalty to the Main family. They especially seemed enamored of the idea of Semiramis remaining loyal to Brett. Judging from their remarks, the idea of a loyal servant . . . especially a black slave . . . seemed very appealing to them.

Another aspect about many of these fans of the trilogy seemed to be their belief that the Mains’ slaves should have been satisfied with their lot as the family’s servants and property . . . as long as they were well treated. In one of the Yahoo groups, one particular fan questioned this belief, expressing doubt that a slave would automatically love his or her master because of well treatment, pointing out that the master (or even mistress) was still robbing that slave of any kind of freedom. And another member responded in the following fashion:

”JESUS! BECAUSE THE SLAVE KNEW NO OTHER REALITY! THEY WERE SLAVES!
HOW WERE THEY SUPPOSED TO KNOW ANOTHER LIFE! AFTER A WHILE, IT HAS
TO AFFECT ONE'S SELF-BELIEF!”

Whoever had posted this response was obviously ignorant of his or her American history. If Southern slaves were unaware of the idea of freedom, why did so many of them escaped or attempted to escape from bondage? And that included famous fugitives such as Harriet Tubman, Frederick Douglass, William and Ellen Craft, Henry Box Brown, Robert Smalls, Thomas Sims and Anthony Burns. Even the ”NORTH AND SOUTH” trilogy featured two fugitive slaves – Semiramis’ older brother Priam (David Harris), and Grady (Georg Sanford Brown) – James Huntoon’s slave and Virgilia Hazard’s husband. Although both former slaves had encountered a great deal of bigotry and hardship in the North, neither of them had any inclination to return to their masters and slavery. Instead, both participated in John Brown’s failed raid on the U.S. Arsenal at Harper’s Ferry, Virginia. Another one of the Mains’ slave – an elderly gentleman named Joseph (Harry Caesar) – seemed to be on friendly terms with Clarissa Main. He even seemed concerned for her well-being. Despite the lack of hostility between slave and mistress, Joseph did not hesitate to leave Mont Royal during the summer of 1863, when given the opportunity. Despite the Mains’ decent treatment of their slaves, one of them – a man named Caleb – reminded Orry that Mont Royal had never been their home.

If there is one character in the ”NORTH AND SOUTH” trilogy that personified some of these fans’ more conservative view of the saga, it is abolitionist Virgilia Hazard. Virgilia was not the only abolitionist in the story. Her older brother, George and his wife, Constance (James Read and Wendy Kilbourne) were also abolitionists. And Charles Main seemed to have a more liberal view of African-Americans than the others in his family. Judging from his comments to Semiramis, he never seemed to have a high or matter-of-fact opinion of slavery. But Virgilia, portrayed by the wonderful Kirstie Alley, managed to take her views against slavery to great heights. One might as well describe her as a fanatic. She had no tolerance toward all Southerners – especially slave owners. And she was very passionate in her views toward abolition and women’s rights. Many fans hate her . . . even to this day.

One can understand an initial dislike of Virgilia. She was bigoted toward all Southerners and harbored a fanatical view of her political and social beliefs. On the other hand, it is easy to admire her more liberal view toward African-Americans – especially in the mid 19th century – and abolition. This tolerance led her to fall in love and marry Grady. In ”Book I”, George had accused her of marrying the fugitive slave for political reasons. But Constance insisted that she had loved him. Virgilia’s reaction to his death seemed to support Constance’s views. And unlike other unpopular characters like Ashton Main (Terri Garber), James Huntoon (Jim Metzler), Isabel Truscott Hazard (Wendy Fulton, Mary Crosby and Deborah Rush), Harry Venable (Keith Szarabajka) and Elkhanah Bent (Philip Casnoff); Virgilia was able to face and acknowledge her flaws before her death by a hangman’s noose in Episode 6 of ”Book II”. Not only did her opinions of Southerners ease – personified by her sympathy toward a wounded Confederate officer - she also managed to make her peace with both George (whom she had accused of being a sympathizer toward Southern slave owners) and more importantly, Orry. But many fans have refused to acknowledge this character development in Virgilia. And they continue to blind themselves from her virtues. Because of this, I cannot help but wonder if their dislike of Virgilia had more to do with her liberal views than her personal flaws.

I find it ironic that the only fans of the ”NORTH AND SOUTH” trilogy I have come across, seemed to view the saga with a conservative bent. This is especially ironic, considering that John Jakes take on history in the antebellum United States seemed to be a lot more liberal – especially in his criticism of our country’s slave system. Even producer David Wolper managed to capture this view of Jakes’ saga in his three miniseries that aired between 1985 and 1994. Yet, I rarely come across any fan who seemed to view the trilogy in the same manner – especially in regard to their views on the Mains’ slaves and criticism of the Virgilia Hazard character. It almost seemed as if they would prefer to place Jakes’ trilogy in the same political category as Margaret Mitchell’s saga, ”Gone With the Wind”. And I do not know whether to find this sad . . . or ironic.

"Revelations" [PG-13] - 4/4

"REVELATIONS"

PART 4

Cole stared at the thick file sitting on the glass table, in front of the sofa. And cringed out of sheer dismay.

What the hell had he been thinking? Why had he insisted upon accepting that ridiculously complicated case? Cole's employers had given him the perfect opportunity to avoid the case. Yet, he accepted it anyway. A land dispute between a wealthy winegrower and a corporation. Cole's firm represented the former.

The case promised to last several years in a series of lawsuits; counter-lawsuits and God only knew what other kinds of litigation. Cole sighed. He should have accepted Jackman's offer to hand the case to someone else. Grateful for Cole's successful handling of a pro bono case that involved the preservation of a community-based housing project. Since the successful verdict had reflected a positive light upon the firm's reputation, the senior partners decided to give Cole the chance to avoid the Giovanni case. And rather stupidly, he accepted the case anyway. All because he wanted to remain on the partners' good side. Damn idiot!

Angry with himself, Cole plopped down on the sofa and sighed. Hard. He needed a drink. A good martini with an onion. Only one person he knew made a first-rate Gibson. Cole glanced at the clock on the wall. Six-fifteen. Both Olivia and Cecile should be home, by now. The file caught his attention, again. At the moment, Cole felt more interested in a pre-dinner drink with Olivia . . . and Cecile, than a case doomed to last for . . .

The doorbell rang. Cole's mood brightened. He strode toward the door and glanced through the peephole. A surprise greeted his eyes. It was Paige. Now what in the hell did she want? Cole reluctantly opened the door. "Paige. What . . . what are you doing here? Is there something wrong?"

A nervous smile stretched Paige's mouth. "No. Well, in a way. May I come in?"

"Sure," Cole mumbled. He opened the door wide, allowing the young witch to enter.

Paige glanced around the penthouse. "So, long time, no see."

"Twelve days is your idea of a long time?" Cole shot back in his usual sardonic manner. "I mean I realize that we barely exchanged a word the last time we saw each other . . ."

Guilt flashed across Paige's face. Guilt? From Paige? What had happened to her? "What's wrong?" Cole asked for the second time. "Is . . . is Phoebe okay?"

"Phoebe?" Paige hesitated. "Well physically, yeah. But I think she's mad . . . Actually, I don't know if she's mad or not. Piper definitely is."

Cole frowned. "Piper mad at you? Why? What's this all about?"

Instead of answering Cole's questions, Paige asked if she could sit down. Cole led her to the sofa. He sat down in the opposite chair. "Okay," she continued, "how do I begin?" Paige paused dramatically. She took a deep breath and then, "I'm sorry. I'm sorry for what I did to you. For what all of us did to you. And I hope that you can forgive me."

Cole stared at his former sister-in-law, wondering if she had lost her mind. "Uh, what exactly are you apologizing for?"

Paige closed her eyes and sighed. "God, this is hard! I want to apologize for a lot of things, I guess. For believing that you had deliberately chosen to become the Source, when you were really possessed. For kil . . . uh, vanquishing you, when we should have tried to save you. And for . . . well, for encouraging Phoebe to stay away from you, when both of you really needed to talk." Her dark eyes pleaded with Cole. "What I'm trying to say is that I'm sorry for treating you like dirt, when you really needed a friend."

Cole remained silent. His emotions now in turmoil, he merely continued to stare at Paige. He did not know whether to feel relieved that a Charmed One had finally believed what really happened to him. Or angry, because of what he had endured for nearly a year before hearing so much as a kind word from a Halliwell.

The long pause continued. Paige's face now expressed concern. Uneasiness. "Uh, Cole? Did you hear what I just said? I had apologized for treating you so . . ."

"Yeah, I heard!" Cole growled. Anger had won. The half-daemon struggled to keep his emotions in check. He added in a tight voice. "And I forgive you."

Another pause. "Oh. Well, uh are you sure? You seem a little . . . I don't know. Pissed?"

It seemed a miracle to Cole that he did not incinerate his former sister-in-law at that moment with an energy or fireball. She was criticizing him for being pissed? Especially when he had every right to be? Instead of resorting to violence, Cole curled his lips into a sneer and retorted, "How perceptive of you! I forgot about those extra sensory powers of yours! Can you sense what I'm thinking right now?" He gave her a hard stare.

Paige's dark eyes grew wide. She literally wilted before him. "Get out?" she murmured.

Cole walked over to the door and opened it. "Good guess!"

"Cole, let me explain," Paige began. "I didn't mean . . ."

"Look, you've already apologized. I've accepted it. And I don't think we have anything further to say. Good-bye, Paige."

Paige shot him one last pleading glance. Her shoulders slumped with defeat, as she strode out of the penthouse. Cole slammed the door behind her, leaned against it, closed his eyes and heaved a large sigh.

* * * *

A half hour later, Paige returned to the manor on Prescott Street, where she found the living room empty. Sounds from a television seemed to drift from the kitchen. When Paige entered, she found Leo sitting by the table - watching TV and eating dinner. "Where's Piper and Paige?" she asked her brother-in-law.

Leo glanced up. "At P3. Someone had hired Piper to hold a private party there. Remember? Phoebe went to help."

"Oh God! I forgot. The Garner Christmas party." Paige sighed. "I was supposed to help Piper, but I guess I got side-tracked."

Something close to a smirk twisted Leo's lips. "I'm not surprised. Cole does have a talent for distracting others."

Paige stared at the whitelighter. Hard. "Why do we always do that?"

"Do what?" he asked.

A sigh left Paige's mouth. "Use Cole as a scapegoat for our troubles. I mean we had blamed him for Phoebe's problems with her powers. We blamed him for our troubles with the Source. Well, in a way, he was partly to blame, since he let the Seer trick him into using the Hol . . ."

Frowning, Leo interrupted. "Are we going to go through that, again?"

"Leo! We can't deny what Cecile and I saw. I don't know about you, but I'm tired of sticking my head in the ground like some ostrich." An odd expression appeared on Leo's face. It seemed to Paige that he could not make up his mind on whether to accept the truth, or not. "C'mon Leo! Don't tell me that you're changing your mind. Not after you had admitted that we might have been wrong about Cole."

Leo sighed. "No, I'm not. In fact, I'm beginning to suspect that you and Olivia are right about Cole being possessed by the Source. But that doesn't mean that Cole isn't dangerous. He is, you know. Especially with those new powers of his."

Paige hung her head low. Despite her new knowledge of what happened last year, not even she could deny the truth about Cole's new powers. They were dangerous. "I know," she murmured. "But like Piper said, he's the only one who can control them." Her voice grew louder. "But if that's true, why did you and Piper decided to help Tyler, last year? And just two months ago, Piper told me that the only difference between us and those we fight were our compassion, not our powers."

Leo's mouth hung open, but not a sound came out. Paige peered closely at him. "Leo? Are you okay?"

The whitelighter sighed. "Yeah. I . . . Look, I don't know what to think about Cole, Paige. I just . . . I don't know. I guess I just don't trust him. People change, yes. But that much and not as fast as you might think."

"You know, it's funny. When I first met Cole, I liked him a lot." Paige eased into one of the kitchen chairs. Recalling her early weeks as a Charmed One, she continued, "He seemed to be the only one who understood my twisted sense of humor. But when I found out that he was the same Belthazor who tried to kill Phoebe and Piper a year earlier," she frowned, "I guess I let my fears and prejudice change my opinion." Paige paused. "Maybe I shouldn't have let that happened. I don't know. I guess it's too late, because Cole doesn't want to talk to me, now."

Silence enveloped the kitchen. His face turning red, Leo glanced away. Paige sensed that he was becoming uncomfortable in her presence. "Well," she stood up, "I guess I better get to my room. It's been a long day."

Leo glanced at her and asked, "What about dinner? Piper left something in the oven for you."

Paige shrugged. "Maybe later. I'm too tired, right now." She started toward the doorway, when Leo called out her name. "What?" she asked.

"What about P3? Are you going to join Piper and Phoebe, to help?"

A smirk lifted the corners of Paige's mouth. "Somehow, I don't think either of them will feel comfortable with me hanging around, tonight. Do you?" When Leo failed to answer, Paige let out a sigh. It looked as if she was about to resume her position as the family's black sheep, again. Oh well. She had survived it once. She could do it again.

* * * *

"Are you sure you don't want to stay a little longer?" Olivia directed her question to her best friend.

Two large travel bags, along with a large shopping bag, stood in the middle of Olivia's living room. Today marked Cecile Dubois' last morning in San Francisco. She was due to board an eastbound plane for New Orleans in less than an hour. Cecile gave the red-haired woman a pitying look. "Oh honey! I'd love to stay, but it's time for me to go. I've already got a chance to celebrate the beginning of Winter Solace with the rest of you. Plus, it's three days until Christmas. I have a family and boyfriend to celebrate with." She glanced down at her belongings. "If only I didn't have to lug all this damn stuff around."

Cole stepped forward. "I'd be happy to give you and your stuff a lift," he suggested. "Right to your living room in New Orleans."

Cecile sighed. "You know, that would be just lovely. But I have a return ticket and it's gonna look real odd cashing it in New Orleans."

Olivia said, "Why don't you . . .?" A knock at the door interrupted her question. She walked over and peered through the peephole. "Oh! Paige."

Cole stiffened at the mention of his former sister-in-law's name. He had not spoken to her since her little revelation, three days ago. They had spotted each other at Sunday's Winter Solstice celebration. Only Cole went out of his way to avoid her.

What could he say? That he found it difficult to forgive Paige for his miseries of the past year? Hell, what had she expected? That he would be so grateful that one Halliwell seemed willing to acknowledge the misunderstandings that led to his vanquish, four months in the Wasteland and the end of his relationship with Phoebe? Did she really believe that one little apology would make him forget all that he had endured? Cole wrestled with the resentment that boiled within him. As Olivia opened the door, his face assumed a cool mask.

The youngest Halliwell stepped inside the apartment, wearing a nervous smile. "Hi!" she greeted. Her eyes glanced at Cole, who looked away. "I . . . uh, I thought I come by to say good-bye. To Cecile."

"Well thank you, cherie!" the New Orleans woman replied brightly. "I'm glad you came. Cole was about to take me home."

Olivia added, "But you need to cash in your ticket, first."

"Isn't it too late for that?" Paige asked. "I mean after all, today is your actual flight day."

Paige's words were met with defeated sighs. "So much for a quick trip home," Cecile bemoaned. She glanced at her watch. "And I now have less than forty-five minutes until my plane leaves."

"I can still give you a lift to the airport," Cole insisted.

Cecile nodded. "Okay. At least I can avoid a cab." The Vodoun priestess faced the two witches. She grabbed hold of Paige's hand and shook it. "You know, I've never met anyone who has been so interested in Vodoun as you, these past few days." Paige smiled. "Well, except for Livy, over here."

"Yeah, I'm gonna miss you too," Paige responded.

After Cecile released the Charmed One's hand, she turned to the other witch. The long-time friends enveloped each other with a bear hug. "I'll get in touch with you soon, cherie," Cecile said. "As soon as I get home. And thanks for the last three weeks. It's been . . ." she released Olivia and smiled, "very interesting, to say the least."

Olivia threw back her head and laughed. "You always say that whenever you visit. But then life with us McNeills can be very interesting."

"A little too interesting," Cole murmured. Fortunately, the others did not hear.

Olivia gave her friend one last hug. "You take care of yourself, Cecile. And tell Andre and your family, Merry Christmas for me."

Cole picked up Cecile's luggage. "Ready?" he asked.

Cecile nodded and picked up her shopping bag. "Yeah, let's go." She grabbed hold of his arm with her free hand and pair disappeared.

Seconds later, they reappeared in a deserted hallway, inside the airport terminal. "Here we are," Cole announced. "Delta Airlines, right?"

"Yeah." Cecile and Cole walked along the hallway, until they merged with the heavy crowd that filled the main terminal. The pair made their way to the Delta Airlines desk, where Cecile retrieved her boarding pass and checked her luggage. "Okay," she said, facing Cole. "That's it."

"You want me to hang around until you board?"

Cecile shook her head. "It's not necessary. I should be boarding in fifteen minutes or so. After that, I've got another twenty minutes until the plane takes off."

Smiling, Cole offered his hand. "Well, I guess this is it."

"Yeah." Cecile hesitated, arousing Cole's curiosity. "Listen Cole, before you leave, can I ask you something?"

"What?"

Dark eyes bored into his. "Have you spoken with Paige since Friday?"

"How did you . . .?"

Cecile spoke up. "She came to me, Friday morning. Asking me to help her find out what really happened to you, nearly a year ago."

Wariness crept into Cole's composure. "And why did she need your help?"

"She had figured that I'd be able to summon a vision from your past." Cecile paused, and glanced away. "And I did. From your . . . penthouse. I'm sorry."

Outrage and anger replaced Cole's wariness. "You . . . you were inside . . ." Realizing that he could be heard, Cole lowered his voice. "You and Paige were inside my apartment?" he hissed in a deadly whisper.

Cecile shrugged helplessly. "I'm sorry, but Paige beamed or transported me over there before I could say anything."

"Orbed," Cole muttered darkly.

"Look, I realize that you're already pissed at her . . ." Cole's eyes narrowed as Cecile continued, "but Paige thought we needed something of yours so I could get a vision. Actually, your . . . um, spirit or essence inside the penthouse was just fine. Especially from the spot where . . . you know, they killed you." While Cole's gaze remained unrelenting, Cecile added, "Look, I'm sorry for breaking into your place like that. I didn't mean to. Honestly."

Realizing that no harm had come from Cecile's actions, the anger passed and Cole accepted her apology. "It's okay," he said with a reassuring smile. "I guess you meant well."

"Thanks," Cecile replied. "But why are you so willing to forgive me? And not Paige?"

Oh God! Cole rolled his eyes. The last thing he wanted was to talk about Paige or any other Halliwell. Her confession had only ignited anger long suppressed for the past three months. "What the hell are you talking about?" he demanded. "I forgave her."

Cecile sighed. "Yeah. That was pretty obvious, yesterday. Especially since you spent most of the day trying to ignore her," she said sarcastically.

"Look . . ."

"No, you look," Cecile snapped back. "I can't order you to forgive Paige for what she and her sisters did to you. But do you really want to be like them? So unforgiving? Is it really worth it, especially since Paige is genuinely sorry for what she had done?"

Cecile's words hit Cole with the force of an energy ball. He imagined himself becoming like the Halliwells - unforgiving, quick to judge and self-righteous. And the image repelled him. Cole stared directly into Cecile's eyes . . . and his lips curved into a disarming smile. "I guess not," he finally said.

"No, it's not," Cecile replied softly, her own lips smiling. Then she glanced toward the direction of the boarding lounge. So did Cole. "I guess it's time for me to leave." She took the half-daemon by surprise and gave him a tight hug. "You probably don't believe this, but Olivia is pretty lucky to have you as a friend."

Cole replied, "She's lucky to have you. Andre's pretty lucky, too."

"I'll remind him."

The pair broke into soft laughter, as they disengaged. Cole quickly sobered and asked, "Why did you accept me so quickly after we first met?"

Again, Cecile shrugged. "I don't know. I guess because Olivia told me about you. And I liked your vibes. I have good instincts, you know."

"You'd be thinking differently if we had met three years ago."

Cecile replied, "Hey, we all have our pasts to deal with. Including me. Remember? Besides, look who's my boyfriend."

A sly smile quirked Cole's lips. "You've got a point." Cecile playfully slapped his arm. "Speaking of Andre, tell him I'll be seeing him in a few days. Both of you. Probably on Christmas."

"I'll be sure to tell him." Cecile gave Cole one last hug. "See you soon." Then she picked up her shopping bag, waved one last time and headed for the lounge.

* * * *

Inside Olivia's apartment, Paige sat on the sofa while she flipped through a fashion magazine. Her hostess was busy searching for a missing bottle of garlic inside the kitchen. As she continued to peruse the magazine, Paige came upon an advertisement that featured a blond woman modeling expensive lingerie. The model strongly reminded her of Cole's former secretary from his days as the Source. What was her name? Oh yeah, Julie.

A shadow cast over the magazine in Paige's lap. She glanced up and found Olivia standing over her. "Pretty woman," the older woman commented. "Is there a reason why you've been staring at that photo for the past several minutes?"

"I wasn't staring!" Paige protested.

A red eyebrow quirked upward. "So, exactly what were you staring at, while I called your name . . . three times?"

Paige felt her face grow hot. "Okay! So, I was staring at her. I'm not coming out of the closet, if that's what you think. I . . . she reminded me of someone I once met. Cole's assistant."

"She doesn't look anything like Ms. Read."

A sigh left Paige's mouth. "I'm talking about his former assistant, Julie. When Cole was the Source."

"Oh."

Paige continued, "She was also a demon. Phoebe ended up killing her by using a demonic power from Source Junior."

Olivia frowned. "Demonic power?"

"You know, evil power."

Green eyes regarded Paige with slight amusement. "Oh yes. I forgot that you and your sisters believe the whole 'good and evil powers' scenario. A good number of witches do."

Now, it was Paige's turn to frown. "You mean, you don't?"

"Not really. I think it's a lot of crap," Olivia replied. She sat down next to Paige. "To me, magical powers are simply powers and nothing else. Not good or evil, but neutral. It's not what they are that counts, but how you use them."

Paige's frown deepened. "But, how many witches do you know have pyrokinesis?"

"You'd be surprised." Olivia added, "I have a distant cousin in Scotland, who has the power of pyrokinesis. He's from my grandfather's generation. And his power is very strong. He's certainly not a warlock or daemon."

"Huh." A wry smile curved Paige's lips. "You know that reminds me of Tyler, that fire starter we had helped last year. And what Piper once said to me, two months ago. Only . . ." Her smile disappeared.

Olivia asked, "Only what?"

Paige continued, "Only when it came to Cole's powers, she had definitely believed they were evil. Like the rest of us. I guess it's because he got them while he was in the Wasteland." She glanced at Olivia. "That doesn't really count, does it?"

"No, not really. Aside from Ed Miller, has Cole ever used his new powers to deliberately harm someone?"

Paige shook her head. "Well, there was Barbas. But he had used them to save us from that bastard. And he has used his powers to help us on other occasions." Shame washed over her. She sighed. "I guess I forgot that."

At that moment, Cole appeared before the two women. "Well, Cecile's on her way home." He glanced at his watch. "Or should be in another ten minutes."

Silence fell between the trio. Paige glanced at the magazine, fearful of meeting the half-demon's eyes. Olivia stood up. "I think I better pay Mrs. DiCicco a visit and see if she has any garlic. Thank God I had decided to take the day off." She strode toward the door and disappeared into the hall, leaving the two former in-laws alone.

Mustering all of her courage, Paige glanced up. "Cole," she began, "I know you're still pissed at me . . ."

"No, not any longer," he said, surprising Paige. "In fact, I want to apologize, myself. For being so . . . unforgiving. You only meant well, and I let my anger get the best of me."

Paige glanced away. "I guess I'm no different," she said in a shy voice. "Of course, in my case, I let fear and prejudice get in the way."

A smile lit up Cole's face. "Look, I forgive you. Really. Hell, everyone deserves forgiveness. Don't you think?"

Paige responded with a wry grin. "Sure. Even half-demons." Her grin disappeared. "I only wish that Phoebe and Piper would apologize."

"How did they take . . .?"

"The news?" Paige slammed the magazine shut and tossed it on the table. "Piper refuses to believe that what we had done was wrong. And Phoebe . . . I don't know. It's like she can't even face what I've found out. Or don't want to talk about it, one way or the other. But she has been pretty quiet lately. I'm sorry."

Cole shrugged. "That's okay. Piper and . . . Phoebe will have to deal with what happened . . . eventually. Besides, I don't really expect them to apologize after I had killed Ed Miller."

Nodding, Paige said, "Maybe. I mean what you did was wrong. But Ed Miller was no innocent. And who are we to point fingers after what we had done to you?"

"Cecile told me that it was she who conjured up visions of my time as the Source. And projected them to you."

A burst of anxiety flared within Paige. "Don't blame Cecile! Please! It's not her fault! I had orbed her to your place, so she could pick up on your essence. And she did. We saw everything from when the Seer tricked you into using the Hollow, until when we . . . my sisters and I . . . well, van . . . killed you."

Cole inhaled deeply. Stared at his former sister-in-law, much to her discomfort. "It's okay," he said, to Paige's relief. Then he seared her with another hard stare. "Just don't do it again."

Paige raised her hand. "Never again. Unless it's an emergency." After a pause, she added soberly, "You ever wonder, Cole . . ."

"Wonder what?"

Taking a deep breath, Paige continued, "Wonder what would have happened if all of us had never met Olivia and her family? Do you think I would have found out what really happened to you, last spring?"

More than a minute passed before Cole finally answered. A shadow darkened his face momentarily. "That's a possibility I certainly don't want to consider." Paige realized with an inward shudder that she felt the same. Thank goodness her friendship with Cole would be given another chance.


THE END

The Five Worst BOND ACTRESSES

Below is a list of five actresses - professional or otherwise - who have appeared in James Bond movies throughout the franchise's 46-year history. I consider these five women to be the worst actresses that have ever appeared in a Bond movie. So, without further ado, I present . . .


The Five Worst BOND ACTRESSES



1. Marguerite LeWars aka "the Photographer" (Dr. No, 1962) - This former Miss Jamaica made her acting debut . . . and finale as a photographer in the employ of the movie's villain, Dr. No, hired to spy on secret agent James Bond. The reason why Ms. LeWars tops my list as the worst Bond actress is due to her stiff and unconvincing handling of the following line: "You . . . you rats!". I still wince just thinking about it.





2. Lana Wood aka "Plenty O'Toole" (Diamonds Are Forever, 1971) - Judging by her brief performance as a Las Vegas hustler who gets caught up in a diamond smuggling operation financed by SPECTRE, one can see that Natalie Wood's acting talent had not been extended to her younger sister, namely Lana. She barely made Number 2 on my list, which goes to show how little I thought of her acting.






3. Corinne Clery aka "Corinne Dufour" (Moonraker, 1979) - This actress, who portrayed Sir Hugo Drax's assistant and personal pilot seemed to be very popular with many Bond fans. I can only assume they were impressed by her physical attributes, because her acting skills left much to be desired. The only real emotion she managed to express was fear, while being chased by a pair of hunting dogs on Drax's California estate.






4. Mie Hama aka "Kissy Suzuki" (You Only Live Twice, 1967) - I wish I could say that the movie version of the Kissy Suzuki was interesting . . . but I am afraid that I cannot. I am surprised that Ms. Hama actually had film experience before she was cast as the Japanese Secret Service agent, who marries Bond in a fake wedding ceremony. She really struck me as uninspiring actress with barely any screen presence. I cannot help but feel that in the movie, the wrong Bond Girl - namely Akiko Wakabayashi as doomed agent Aki - was killed off.






5. Talisa Soto aka "Lupe Lamora" (License to Kill, 1989) - I must admit that I have a deep fondness for Ms. Soto's portrayal of the mistress of a Central American drug lord. She has a strong screen presence and there were moments when her performance seemed quite natural. The problem is that these moments were rare. Which is why Ms. Soto made this list. Of all the bad actresses who have appeared in a Bond film, she was my favorite.

"THE ADVENTURES OF ROBIN HOOD" (1938) Review

”THE ADVENTUERS OF ROBIN HOOD” (1938) Review

Seventy years ago today, the 1938 film, ”THE ADVENTUERS OF ROBIN HOOD”, was released in theaters for the first time. For many fans and film critics, the swashbuckler is considered the definitive Errol Flynn movie. They also view his character, Sir Robin of Locksley, as the pinnacle of the Australian actor’s career.

There have been previous versions of the Robin Hood tale before and after. The other most famous versions are the 1922 silent film that starred Douglas Fairbanks and the 1950s TV series that starred Richard Greene. Like the other versions, the movie told the story of the young Saxon nobleman (Flynn) who created a band of outlaws to protest against the reign of Prince John (Claude Rains) in England during the early 1190s. With King Richard the Lionhearted (Ian Hunter) a hostage of Austria’s king, John usurps the royal power to oppress the English poor – especially the Saxons – with the help of Sir Guy Gisbourne (Basil Rathbone) and the Sheriff of Nottingham (Melville Cooper). Robin and his right hand man, Will Scarlett (Patric Knowles), recruits the likes of Little John (Alan Hale, Sr.), Friar Tuck (Eugene Pallette), Much the Miller's Son (Herbert Mundin) and a band of outlaws. Soon, Prince John and his Norman cronies find their cruelties opposed and themselves harassed beyond all bearing. Robin also finds the time to fall in love with the Norman noblewoman and royal ward, Maid Marian Fitzwalter (Olivia de Havilland).

To be frank, ”THE ADVENTURES OF ROBIN HOOD” is a glorious triumph not only for the Warner Bros. studio, but for Flynn as well. It has everything that the moviegoer could possibly want in a swashbuckler – great action, rich color, a superb score by Erich Wolfgang Korngold and a leading man who more than embodied what the main character stood for. Warner Bros. executives Jack Warner and Hal Wallis had originally cast James Cagney in the lead. But the actor became embroiled in one of his many feuds with the studio and two years later, Flynn won the role. I cannot say how Cagney would have portrayed Robin of Locksley. But Warner and Wallis certainly struck it rich with Flynn in the lead. Not only did he look the part, he handled the physical aspects of the role, perfectly. And he managed to inject Robin with a great mixture of roguish humor and sincere compassion.

The rest of the cast were also superb. Olivia de Havilland was never more lovelier. Even better, her Maid Marian became more than just the love interest and damsel-in-distress. Once Robin had swayed her to his cause, she turned out to be a valuable recruit. Not only did she managed to come up with a plan to save Robin from execution, she was the one who discovered a plot by Prince John, Sir Guy and the Sheriff to assassinate the returning King Richard.

Claude Rains, with his soft voice, made a deliciously sly Prince John. Basil Rathbone was tough enough to serve as a physical adversary for Robin. Their duel in the final scene at Nottingham Castle is considered a classic, thanks to the fencing choreography staged by Fred Cavens. And Melville Cooper was his usual funny self as the buffoonish Sheriff of Nottingham. Although I find it odd that he was the only one who was able to come up with a successful plan to capture Sir Robin. And where would ”THE ADVENTURES OF ROBIN HOOD” be without its supporting cast that portrayed Robin’s Merry Men? The handsome Patric Knowles made a sly and witty Will Scarlett. Alan Dale Sr. returned as Little John, a role he had first made famous in the 1922 film. Eugene Pallette made great use of his frog voice and gruff demeanor as Friar Tuck. And Herbert Mundin, as Much the Miller’s Son, seemed to be the best of the bunch. Not only did he proved to be as brave as Robin, he also won the hand of Marian’s nurse, Bess, portrayed by the always memorable Una O’Connor.

Surprisingly, ”THE ADVENTUES OF ROBIN HOOD” had two directors. Hal Wallis first assigned the film to William Keighley, who had directed Flynn in ”THE PRINCE AND THE PAUPER” (1937). But Hal Wallis felt slightly dissatisfied with Keighley’s slow handling of the action sequences and replaced him with Warner Bros’ reliable warhorse, Michael Curtiz. Flynn, who detested the Hungarian-born director, must have screamed in frustration. But Curtiz’s direction gave the film a tighter pace and better action sequences for which the movie is famous. ”THE ADVENTURES OF ROBIN HOOD” was one of the first films of the studio to use the old three-strip Technicolor process. And it paid off, giving the movie a rich color and vibrancy. And what would this version of Robin Hood be without Erich Wolfgang Korngold’s Academy Award winning score. I am still surprised that Korngold had originally turned down the assignment because he felt that his score could not live up to the movie’s action. Thankfully, he proved himself wrong.

”THE ADVENTURES OF ROBIN HOOD” seemed to have everything going for it – great cast, great photography, great action and great music. And it all seemed to blend seamlessly. Yet . . . it is not my favorite Errol Flynn movie. I had come across a review of the film in which a critic stated that one of the reasons this was his favorite Flynn movie was its light-hearted tone and simplistic characterizations that allowed the audience to escape from the more complex, modern world. And I could see those traits in the movie.

But as much as I had enjoyed it, there were times when the movie came off as a little too light or simple for me. Sir Robin of Locksley may be considered Flynn’s best role, but I must admit that I found his portrayal of Geoffrey Vickers in ”THE CHARGE OF THE LIGHT BRIGADE” (1936) and Geoffrey Thorpe in ”THE SEA HAWK” (1940) more complex and interesting. In fact, I consider the two movies to be my favorites that Flynn ever made. However, I do love ”THE ADVENTURES OF ROBIN HOOD” and consider it one of the most entertaining films I have ever seen.

"PUBLIC ENEMIES" Photo Gallery

Below are photos from "PUBLIC ENEMIES", Michael Mann's new crime drama about the last years of John Dillinger. The movie stars Johnny Depp, Christian Bale and Marion Cotillard:


"PUBLIC ENEMIES" Photo Gallery

"Revelations" [PG-13] - 3/4

"REVELATIONS"

PART 3

It couldn't be true. The thought repeated inside Paige's mind, as she stood in front of the police station's entrance. It simply could not be true. That Cole had become the Source against his will.

Yet the images from Cecile's visions refused to go away. Neither would Olivia's words to Phoebe during that early Sunday afternoon at the McNeills' home. 'If the old Source didn't become a Charmed One after taking your sisters' powers, what makes you think Cole became the Source, after taking the latter's powers?' Those had been Olivia's precise words to Phoebe. But instead of answering the question, Paige's older sister merely avoided an answer.

Paige shook away the memory and stepped inside the precinct. She dodged a crowd of suspects being booked and made her way to the squad room for Homicide detectives. "Hey Paige," Darryl Morris greeted the young visitor. He stood next to a water cooler. "You wanted to see me about something?"

Smiling, Paige shook her head. "Not today. Actually, I . . ." Her smile disappeared. "I came here to see Olivia."

Darryl immediately sobered. "Is there a problem? Like something supernatural?" He obviously still remembered the last encounter with the Crozat warlocks and a Vodoun sorcerer, who had possessed him.

"No, it's . . ." Paige sighed. "This is about something else."

The police inspector's dark eyes penetrated Paige's. "Must be something serious." He hesitated. "Is this about Cole?"

"In a way." Paige took a deep breath. "It's about a mistake . . . a mistake that my sisters and I may have done."

Darryl gently replied, "About Cole being the Source. Right?" Paige's eyes widened. "Yeah, Olivia had told me what really happened to him."

"And you believed her? Believed everything?"

"This is Olivia we're talking about," Darryl continued. "She's a hard woman to fool. Even harder than you or Prue." Paige almost felt flattered that anyone would favorably compare her to late sister. Darryl added, "I can't think of the number of times she had stopped us from charging the wrong person."

Paige murmured, "Too bad we didn't know her last spring."

"What?" A moment passed before realization dawned in Darryl's eyes. "Oh. I see. Well, if you're looking for Olivia, she's at her desk."

A wan smile quirked Paige's lips. "Thanks." She headed toward the desk, where Darryl's red-haired partner sat. "Hey Olivia," she greeted.

Olivia gave Paige a polite smile. "Hi! I understand that you wanted to speak with me."

"Huh?" How did she . . . "How did you know?"

Holding up her cell phone, Olivia replied, "Cecile. She called me about an hour ago. Took you long enough." Olivia glanced at the clock on the wall. "It's only eleven-fifteen, but I guess I wouldn't mind an early lunch, today." She stood up and grabbed her purse. "Let's go."

* * * *

The two witches ended up at a popular eating spot called the San Francisco Brewing Company. The place served as both a beer brewery and a restaurant. The first sentence that came out of Paige's mouth was that she did not drink.

"Well, I don't drink beer," Olivia responded. "But the food here is great." She picked up her menu to examine it. "So, what do you want to talk about?"

Paige stared at the other woman. "Didn't Cecile tell you?"

"No, she only told me to expect a visit from you." Olivia tossed her menu on the table. "What's this about?"

Taking a deep breath, Paige revealed to the other witch on what had occurred inside Cole's penthouse, this morning. "It never really occurred to me, until today, that we had made a mistake. The Charmed Ones, I mean."

"Mistake?" Olivia's green eyes bored into Paige's dark ones. "Honey, spare me the bullshit. You did more than just made a mistake." Stunned by Olivia's words, Paige found herself speechless. "Well," the other woman continued, "is there anything else you wanted to say? Or is this lunch just a waste of time?"

Paige took another deep breath. "What else can I say? It was a mistake. I mean, how were we supposed to know that Cole . . . had been possessed against his will?" God, she sounded so lame! Apparently Olivia felt the same, judging from the hard stare in those green eyes. Olivia did not answer. Instead, she continued to stare at Paige. Who began feeling very uneasy. "Aren't you going to say something?" the latter asked in a wavering voice.

"I do have one question," Olivia said. "When did you first begin to have suspicions about Cole?"

Paige frowned. "What does that have to do with . . .?"

"When Paige?"

Before the young witch/whitelighter could answer, a waiter appeared with two glasses of water and a basket of warm rolls. He served the rolls and water, and asked the pair if they were ready to order. Once the two women placed their orders, Paige finally asked Olivia's question. "I began suspecting Cole," she murmured, "right after Phoebe and Cole's wedding."

Olivia added, "And they were married in March. Right?" Paige nodded. "And when did you three kill him?"

"About two months later."

"Two months," Olivia said with a shake of her head. She reached for a roll. "Uh, during these two months, did you ever bother to find out how Cole became the Source?"

Paige took a sip of her water and sighed. "None of us even knew he was the Source, until a week or two before his death."

"What about before? When you were suspicious about Cole during those two months following the wedding - did you bother to find out how that might be possible?"

No. The word formed on Paige's lips, but she did not utter it. No, she had never bothered to find out how Cole became demonic, again. She had been so obsessed with proving to Piper and the others that something was wrong with him that . . . "Oh God!" she murmured. "I just . . . I had assumed . . ."

Olivia nodded. "Yeah, I know. You assumed that he had chosen evil again, because of his past," she finished. She finished the last of her roll. "Would you have done the same if either Piper, Phoebe or Leo had turned evil?"

Paige's head hung low. "No," she replied quietly. "I would have tried to find out what happened. Maybe find a way to save any of them first, before vanquishing . . . Oh God! When that baby was taking control of Phoebe and Piper had considered vanquishing her, I stopped her. I stopped her from trying to kill Phoebe."

"Because Phoebe was your sister," Olivia calmly added. "I understand. I probably would have done the same with my own family. But since Cole was formerly a half-daemon . . ."

". . . we gave in to our fears and killed him," Paige finished in a stunned voice. "Without even bothering to find out what really happened. Or save him." She shook her head, eliminating any imaginary doubts. "But the Hollow! If that didn't turn him into the Source, how . . .?"

Olivia sighed. "Paige, what do you know about the Hollow?"

"It's a . . . it's a power absorbing box," Paige said. "It absorbs all magic, good and evil."

Nodding, Olivia continued. "Okay. So if that's true, how can it make Cole the Source? Yes, he used it to absorb the Source's power. Which was pretty stupid of him, by the way. But . . ."

"But if he had the Source's powers . . ."

An exasperated sigh left Olivia's mouth, causing Paige to wince. "Honey, you're not stupid. Think! The Hollow only took away the Source's power, not his essence. Now, how could Cole have become the Source at that moment, when he was still alive when you all used a Power of Three spell to vanquish the Source in the attic that night? Did the Source become a Charmed One when he stole your power? And Piper's?"

Paige murmured, "No."

"That's right. The Source only took away your powers, not your essence. Your strength as the Power of Three lay in your essence, not magical powers. My guess is that the Source's essence took possession of Cole after you had vanquished him." Olivia paused and gave Paige a hard stare. "You didn't consider that, did you?"

A long moment of silence followed, before Paige morosely answered, "No. No, I didn't. God! I can't believe . . . I mean . . . God! What have we done!"

"Paige?"

The younger witch glanced up. "Yeah?"

Olivia leaned forward. "Just admit to yourself that what you had done was wrong. You might even have to face Cole about this. But please, don't go into a tailspin of guilt. You want redemption? Face the consequences of your actions and if you receive forgiveness, fine. If you don't, tough shit. You still need to move on. The important thing to do is face your guilt and deal with it. Not wallow in it. Like every other being in this world, you're not perfect. You're capable of both a lot of good and evil. Trust me. I've done a lot of shit that I'm not proud of. What you and your sisters did to Cole was wrong. You wronged him. If someone like Cole can admit and face the evil he has done, so can you. Just take that first step."

First step. Was that admitting that she had been responsible for a horrible act against her former brother-in-law? Or would that be asking for his forgiveness? Even more important, how would Piper and Phoebe react to what she had discovered?

* * * *

The two older Halliwells stared at Paige with disbelief. So did Leo. Apparently, all three could not believe what she had just revealed.

"What?" Paige demanded.

Piper said in a voice that barely brimmed with anger. "How can you say such a thing? To us! Paige! You're practically accusing us of committing murder!"

Okay, so they did not understand what she had just learned. Paige closed her eyes and sighed. "Piper, try to understand. I'm not accusing us of anything. What we had done to Cole was wrong! He had been possessed by the Source and we did nothing to find out what happened . . ."

"He chose to become the Source!" Phoebe declared angrily. "Remember? Cole made that choice when he decided to use the Hollow! He got what he had deserved!"

Paige shook her head. "You're wrong, Phoebe. I saw Cecile's visions. Cole had no idea that he would become the Source. Besides, how could Cole become the Source by using the Hollow, when the Source didn't become a Charmed One after stealing my powers? And Piper's?"

Shock and disbelief filled her sisters' eyes. Leo stared at Paige in bewilderment. "Oh my God! That's what Olivia had said," he murmured.

Piper stabbed her husband with a piercing glare. "What did you say?"

"I . . ." Leo hesitated. "I guess she has a point. About the Hollow."

"Leo!"

The whitelighter shot back, "I'm sorry Piper, but there's a chance that Paige might be right. Olivia had more or less told me the same thing. So did the McNeills . . ."

"Well then, how did he become the Source?" Phoebe demanded.

Paige rolled her eyes. "Simple. The Source's essence took possession of Cole, after we vanquished the Source in the attic. I thought I had made that perfectly clear!"

Phoebe coolly added, "How do we know this isn't another trick of Cole's?"

Keeping her patience in check, Paige replied, "Phoebe, Cole has no idea that I was inside his penthouse, today. Nor does he know what Cecile had done. Well, maybe he does now. But that doesn't change what Cecile's vision had shown me. Cole was an innocent man who became a victim of the Source. And the Seer. And instead of helping him, we killed him." She paused, staring at her sisters. "With extreme prejudice." Phoebe's gaze dropped.

"May I remind you that Cole was the Source of All Evil?" Piper coolly retorted. "And that he had put us through a lot of hell?"

Paige returned the oldest sister's cool stare with a hard one. "Tell me Piper, if any of us had been possessed by the Source, would you have immediately tried to kill us? Or would you try to find a way to save us, first?"

"None of us were demons with a long history of evil!"

Paige retorted, "Gee Piper! Are you saying that it's okay to judge and kill an innocent man, because of his past? If you are, that's one opinion I no longer share."

Tension filled the manor's living room. A part of Paige wished she had never revealed what she learned this morning. In fact, she almost wished she could turn back the clock to that fateful day when the old Source had made his final attempt to kill the Charmed Ones. Paige even wished the Oracle had never stopped Cole from successfully killing the old Source, when the latter had kidnapped and brainwashed Piper over a year ago. There were so many things Paige wished had never happened. But . . .

"Look, I don't know about the rest of you," she continued, "but I'm going to see Cole. Tell him what I know, apologize and hope that he'll forgive me."

Phoebe remained uncharacteristically silent. However, a deep chill resonated from Piper. "Do what you want!" the latter retorted. "But you'll be doing it alone. I'll be damned if I go to that evil bastard and beg for forgiveness!"

Again, Phoebe remained silent. She looked up, gave Paige a long look - one mixed with disbelief . . . and horror, turned on her heels and marched upstairs. Piper stomped toward the kitchen, leaving Paige alone with Leo.

The whiteligher opened his mouth to speak. But a light noise interrupted the moment. Leo shrugged and orbed way. Paige remained in the middle of the living room. Alone. She had not felt like an outsider since those days following Phoebe and Cole's wedding. Which led her to remember the half-demon. Would he be willing to forgive her? Or will he shut her out, like her sisters?


END OF PART 3

"LOST": A Tale of Two Fathers

"LOST": A Tale of Two Fathers

Back in Season 2, "LOST" aired an episode called "What Kate Did". The episode revealed the crime that led castaway Kate Austen (Evangeline Lilly) to being a fugitive for three years - she had murdered her father, Wayne Jensen (James Horan), and used his death to collect insurance for her mother, Diane (Beth Broderick). The episode also revealed Kate's reason for her act of murder. She had just learned that Wayne - a man she had presumed to be her stepfather - was actually her father.

Kate had made it perfectly clear that she disliked Wayne Jensen. She held him responsible for her mother's break-up with Sam Austen, the man she had longed believed was her father. She certainly disliked the fact that he was an alcoholic who physically abused Diane. And she found his habit of occasionally leering at her disgusting and beneath contempt. Many believed that Kate had been a victim of sexual abuse. And that Wayne had been the perputrator. But "What Kate Did" hinted that Wayne may not have abused Kate. In this scene, Kate talks to an unconscious fellow castaway, Sawyer (Josh Holloway), whose body she believes has been temporarily possessed by her late father:

"Can you hear me? Sawyer? Wayne? [Sawyer stirs] I'm probably crazy and this doesn't matter, but maybe you're in there somehow. But you asked me a question. You asked me why I -- why I did it. It wasn't because you drove my father away, or the way you looked at me, or because you beat her. It's because I hated that you were a part of me -- that I would never be good. That I would never have anything good. And every time that I look at Sawyer -- every time I feel something for him -- I see you, Wayne. It makes me sick.".

Judging from her comments, it seems quite apparent that Wayne had never sexually abused her. Kate did accuse him of leering at her, which he proved in a flashback at the beginning of the episode. However, there are fans that still insist that Wayne may have abused her. They are entitled to their opinions. Frankly, I have doubts that Kate had ever been abused. But if she had . . . Wayne Jensen would not be on the top of my list of suspects.

When "What Kate Did" first aired during the 2005-2006 television season, I had also viewed an episode of "HOUSE" called “Skin Deep”. I noticed how Dr. Gregory House (portrayed by Hugh Laurie) had correctly guessed that a 15 year-old female patient, who happened to be a model, had been molested by “her” possessive father. How did House come to this conclusion? He noticed the close relationship between the model and her father. He noticed how the former seemed overtly concerned with pleasing said father.

This scene also brought about memories of the movie, "DOLORES CLAIRBORNE". Based on a Stephen King novel, it told the story about a Maine woman (played by Kathy Bates) who murders her husband (David Straitharn) in order to stop him from continuing his sexual abuse of their daughter (Jennifer Jason-Leigh). What I had found interesting was that the daughter over-idealized her abusive father. And he (in flashbacks) over-idealized his mother, who may have sexually abused him.

Both that particular episode of "HOUSE" and "DOLORES CLAIRBORNE" led me to suspect that if Kate had been sexually abused, her abuser could possibly be her step-father, Sgt. Sam Austen (Lindsey Ginter). After all, Kate has expressed nothing but contempt for Wayne. Yet, she had a tendency to idealize her step-father. And in an odd way, she may have extended or projected this same tendency to idealize over to other men who probably reminded her of Sgt. Austen - Tom Brennan (MacKenzie Astin), her husband Kevin Callis (Nathan Fillon) and leader of the island castaways, Jack Shephard (Matthew Fox).

Below is a link to a web page that lists traits of those (especially adult women) who may have suffered sexual abuse as a child - Beyond Victim. Included on the web page is a small list of the following traits of victims of sexual abuse:

*You feel powerless in important relationships and are terrified of honest confrontations. Yet you try to control and manipulate other people.

*If you were sexually abused by your father, you also may have felt unconsciously empowered by him; you are his special girl and you can do and be whatever you choose (as long as you don't replace daddy with a new man in your life with whom you can be truly intimate). Your troubled relationships with men present a sharp contrast to other areas of your life.

*You over-idealize your father and fail to see his destructive side while seeing the negative side of your mother and ignoring her positive attributes. Consequently, you over-value and misperceive men while devaluing and discounting women. (Or you may over-idealize your mother and see your father as totally bad. this pattern is common with men who were sexually abused by either their mothers or their fathers.)

I am not saying that Kate was definitely a victim of sexual abuse. I honestly do not know. Nearly three years have passed since "What Kate Did" aired and the producers of "LOST" have yet to follow up on that particular storyline. I do find it interesting that Kate's feelings toward Sam Austen seemed to follow a pattern similar to that of sexual abuse victims harbor toward their perputrators - as described above. Kate not only tend to over-idealize Jack, a man who not only reminded her of Austen, she ended up becoming a victim of his emotional abuse - both on the island and off.

"The Rain Chronicles" [PG] - Book III

"The Rain Chronicles" [PG] - Book III

Rain Robinson of ”Future’s End” ends up on Voyager, following her adventures with Tom Paris and Tuvok in late 20th century Earth. Here is Book III.

-------------

RAIN ROBINSON - May 27, 2373:

Today, I began my first shift in Stellar Cartography. It did not turn out too bad. I barely managed to keep up, but at least I didn't make a fool of myself. Even better, I also made two friends, who didn't seem to mind answering my questions every five or ten minutes.

My new friends happened to be sisters, twin sisters - Jenny and Megan Delaney. They seemed very friendly, a lot of fun to be with and a big help. Let's face it. My knowledge of astronomy and stellar cartography is at least 300 years outdated. Thanks to Jenny, Megan and some late-night study sessions with the ship's computer, I managed to catch up to the latest findings within two weeks. There is still a lot I don't know. But, if all goes well, I should be able to keep up with them and the rest in Stellar Cartography by the end of the year. One last thing I like about the Delaneys - they seemed to be among the few on this ship who don't seem full of themselves. In other words, they don't look upon me like some cavewoman from prehistoric times.

Megan is the quiet one. Dimples usually form on her cheeks whenever she smiles. I also believe that she once dated Tom Paris, some two years ago. Okay, I must admit that I felt a little . . . no, a lot jealous when I first heard this news. Until I also learned that Megan and Tom had put their relationship behind them, a long time ago. And now, they only consider themselves as good friend. In fact, Megan has now developed an interest in another crewman, whose name has escaped me.

Unlike Megan, Jenny does not have dimples when she smiles. And she also seemed more like the outgoing type. Very talkative and with a lot of jokes. In many ways, she reminded me of Tom. After learning about the holodecks from Jenny, I wonder if she would be interested in creating programs from some of my old favorite "B" movies. She seemed like the type who would enjoy them. There is one thing about Jenny Delaney that I cannot fathom. Namely, her interest in one Ensign Harry Kim. She seems to like him. A lot.

What Jenny sees in him, I have no idea. I suppose one could say that he is very good-looking and smart. Despite his quiet nature, he also seemed to have a sly sense of humor. I almost grew to like him. Until I encountered one of his less admirable traits. Like a lot of people on this ship, Harry Kim has this smug superiority that tends to manifest itself whenever the subject of Starfleet or the Federation comes up. He seemed proud . . . almost a little too proud over humanity's "evolvement" over the past 300 years.

One time, he came so proud and smug over the subject that I could not help but respond in a bitchy manner. Let's just say that Mr. Kim did not take kindly to my manner. Hey! What can I say? When I hear bullshit, I can't seem to keep my mouth shut.

* * * *

LIEUTENANT B'ELANNA TORRES - Stardate 50394.19:

I have a strong suspicion that Harry does not like Rain Robinson very much. At least, not anymore. However, that was not always the case.

When she first came aboard, Harry tried to make Rain feel at home. Typical Harry. Mister Collector-of-Lost-Souls. Both Tom and I had been amongst those lost souls during Voyager's first year in the Delta Quadrant. Rain became another. Both she and Harry seemed destined to become good friends. Until that little conversation between them in the Mess Hall.

It happened about a week following Voyager's encounter with the Q Continuum's civil war. Harry, Tom, Rain, Ken Dalby, Megan Delaney, Golwat and I had gathered around one of the Mess Hall's large tables, following dinner. Tom, Rain and I were recounting our adventures on 20th century Earth.

I had just finishing describing my and Chakotay's encounter with those Arizona terrorists. Rain immediately added, "You must have come across one of those groups of right-wing terrorists. They're people who feel that the government was slowly taking over their rights as citizens."

Ken nodded. "Freedom fighters, right?" he asked.

A snort left Rain's mouth. "Yeah, right. Freedom for white Americans. Especially if they're men. As far as they're concerned, everyone else deserves to be oppressed."

"I noticed how they seemed to view both Chakotay and myself with a lot of hostility," I added, remembering those stares. Curious, but hateful. "I guess it was a good thing Tuvok and the Doctor came to our rescue."

Harry shook his head. "You were very lucky, Maquis. Quite frankly, I'm glad I had remained on the ship." Then he faced Rain and made his big mistake. "I guess you're lucky, also. Now that you don't have to live in the 20th century, any longer."

"Lucky?" Rain's dark eyes narrowed. "How am I lucky?"

Harry continued, "Well, maybe not completely lucky. After all, you're stuck in the Delta Quadrant with the rest of us. But once we return to Earth, you'll find yourself in a better world. No wars, poverty, diseases and crime. It's paradise." His face lit up. Good old Starfleet. Optimistic, as always.

Another long pause followed. Rain continued to stare at Harry. Hard. "Hmmmph," she finally said. "I guess the Earth of today is probably a better place to live. However, I doubt very much that you can still call it paradise. There's no such place. At least not on this plane of existence."

"I see what you're getting at," Harry said with a dismissive laugh. Unbeknownst to him, Rain's body stiffened. "You're speaking from some kind of spiritual point of view. Which is fine for those who are religious. But from our point of view, Earth is paradise. You just have to see it for yourself." He looked as if he was ready to plant the Federation flag on the next planet.

A smirk threatened to tug the edges of Rain's lips. "No kidding," she said in a voice that dripped with sarcasm. "You know, I've been reading about your Federation in the ship's computer. Earth is like you said. Somewhat."

Golwat frowned. "What do you mean?" she asked.

"Well . . . there are no wars. At least on Earth. But I've noticed that your Federation has been involved in plenty of wars elsewhere. From what I've read, you were just involved in a war with some species called Cardassan . . . uh, Cardasaiann . . ."

"Cardassians," Tom added.

Rain shot him a grateful look. "Yeah. Thanks. Didn't your Federation just have a war with these Cardassians about . . . oh, five years ago?"

Again, Tom provided the correct answer. "Six or seven years ago." This time, Rain ignored him.

"But we're now at peace with the Cardassians," Harry explained. "The Federation signed a treaty with them about three years ago." Ken Dalby frowned. As a fellow ex-Maquis, I didn't blame him. Personally, I think the Federation should have dealt with the Cardassians when they had the chance.

And in typical Dalby fashion, Ken expressed what the rest of us former Maquis felt. "Not only did the Feds sign a treaty with the Cardies, they handed over their DMZ colonies in order to settle that treaty. A treaty that didn't have a chance of working out."

Rain nodded. "Yeah. I've read about that, too. Sort of reminds me of a certain event that happened on Earth, before my time."

None of us seemed to have any idea what Rain was talking about. Including Mr. Twentieth Century himself. A confused looking Harry asked her to be specific.

"I read how your Federation gave up those colonies to ensure peace with these Cardas-si-ans. It reminded me of how the British Prime Minister, Neville Chamberlain, signed a non-aggression pact with Hitler, allowing the latter to continue his conquest of smaller European nations in 1938. Chamberlain did all of this to avoid a war and yet, World War II began a year later."

Tom cried out, "I remember reading about that!" He failed to notice the dark glance from Harry. "Now that I think about it, you're right."

The 'Fleeters, with the exception of Megan Delaney, looked very upset. Especially Harry. Dalby naturally looked pleased by Rain's analogy. As for Tom . . . Let's just say that he seemed more enthralled by Miss Robinson herself, instead of what she had to say.

"You simply can't compare the Federation to this Chamberlain fellow," Harry declared in heated tones. "Especially since the Federation is still at peace with the Cardassians."

Rain shot back, "How do you know?"

A smug smile appeared on Ken's face. Golwait quietly excused herself. Megan remained seated. As for Harry - he opened his mouth to speak, but not a word came out. It didn't surprise me. After all, it has been two years since we were all thrown into the Delta Quadrant by the Caretaker. A lot could have happened in the Alpha Quadrant during that period. I never realized until this moment on how much Harry put the Federation on a pedestal.

"By the way," Rain added, "you also claimed that there was no poverty on Earth and . . ."

Harry nodded. "That's right."

". . . no crime. And yet," Rain continued, "you mean to tell me there is absolutely no crime on Earth? Including murder?"

Poor Harry. He looked as if he had walked into a trap. "We're not violent!" he declared.

"But you still have murder. Right? I mean, money isn't the only motive for all crimes. There are so many other emotions to deal with - lust, hatred, fear, you name it. I noticed that the Federation has a legal system."

Tom quietly added, "And prison." A faraway look had crept into his blue . . . I mean, his eyes. The ghost of prison in New Zealand seemed to have returned. I wonder if Rain knew about that aspect of his past? Or Caldik Prime?

Rain continued, "Look, what I'm trying to say is that this picture of Earth as 'Paradise' simply strikes me as being unrealistic. It might be a hell of a lot better than it was in my time. But from what I've read, it seemed far from perfect. And you've seemed to acquire a whole new set of problems over the past three centuries. Face it, there's no such thing as paradise. Your Federation just might be spouting propaganda."

Needless to say, Harry did not take Rain's little speech very well. I don't think even Golwat appreciated it and she wasn't Human. Since both were regular Starfleet officers and Federation citizens, naturally both took Rain's words very personal. Megan didn't. Which surprised me. Perhaps the Delaneys had a more realistic view of the world than your average Federation citizen. I know that Tom did. And Dalby, not surprisingly, gleefully agreed with Rain.

And me? I may have been a Starfleet officer for the past two years, but I've also been around. Like Dalby and Tom, I've seen too much of the Universe's dark side to view the Federation as paradise. Klingons believed that paradise awaits them in Sto-vo-kor. The Klingon afterlife. Judging from Rain's comments about no paradise on this plane of existence, I suspect that she would agree with them.


END OF BOOK III

"Portraying HARRY FLASHMAN"

I wrote this article about casting for the role of Harry Flashman in a possible adaptation of one of George MacDonald Fraser's novels:


"Portraying HARRY FLASHMAN"

Are there any fans of The Flashman Papers, a series of novels about a 19th century British Army officer, written by the late George MacDonald Fraser?

The origins of Fraser’s fictional series began with another British author, namely the 19th century lawyer and author, Thomas Hughes. It was Hughes who first introduced the character of Flashman in his 1857 semi-autobiographical novel, ”Tom Brown’s School Days”. The novel told the story of Hughes’ years at the famous public school for boys, Rugby. Among the characters featured in the novel turned out to be an older student named “Flashman”, who bullied both Tom Brown and another student named Harry “Scud” East. Flashman’s appearance in the novel ended when Headmaster Dr. Thomas Arnold kicked him for drunken behavior.

Over a century later, a Glasgow journalist named George MacDonald Fraser took the character of Flashman, gave him a full name – Harry Paget Flashman – and wrote a novel about his early years as a British Army office in Great Britain, India and Afghanistan, following his expulsion from Rugby. The novel also featured Flashman’s experiences during the First Afghan War. The results turned out to be ”FLASHMAN”, which was published in 1969. Fraser followed up ”FLASHMAN” with three short stories published under the title, ”FLASHMAN AND THE TIGER” and ten more novels. The last novel, ”FLASHMAN ON THE MARCH” was published three years before Fraser’s death.

Fraser had written Flashman’s tales from the latter’s point-of-view. The interesting thing about the character was that despite being a war hero – he had been decorated for his actions in the First Afghan War, the Sepoy Rebellion (aka the Indian Mutiny) and the American Civil War, and possibly other military actions – his character had not changed much from his portrayal in Hughes’ novel. Flashman’s character could be described as cowardly, cynical, unfaithful (although his wife Elspeth was equally so), spiteful, greedy, racist, sexist, and lustful. In short, he was completely amoral. However, Fraser also portrayed Flashman as a hilarious and very witty man with a pragmatic view of the world and society in the nineteenth century.

For a series of novels that have been very popular for the past forty years, only one novel has been adapted for the screen. In 1975, Dennis O'Dell and David V. Picker produced and released an adaption of Fraser’s 1970 novel, ”ROYAL FLASH”. Based loosely upon Anthony Hope’s1894 novel, ”THE PRISONER OF ZENDA”, ”ROYAL FLASH” told of Flashman’s experiences during the Revolutions of 1848 in Bavaria and the fictional Duchy of Strackenz, when he is coerced by German statesman Otto von Bismarck to impersonate a Danish prince set to marry a German princess. Bismarck fears that the marriage would tilt the balance on the Schleswig-Holstein Question and interfere with his plans for a united Germany. The producers hired Richard Lester (”A HARD DAY’S NIGHT”, ”THE THREE MUSKETEERS” and ”THE FOUR MUSKETEERS”) to direct the film. Fraser wrote the screenplay and Malcolm McDowell was cast as Harry Flashman. Being a talented actor, McDowell had Harry Flashman’s personality traits down pat. However, the actor looked nothing like the literary Flashman. McDowell possessed blond hair and stood under six feet tall. The literary Flashman stood at least six-feet-two and possessed dark hair and eyes. In fact, he was swarthy enough to pass for a native of the Indian sub-continent in at least two or three novels or a light-skinned African-American slave in ”FLASH FOR FREEDOM!”. Although the movie did receive some moderate acclaim from film critics, the majority of Flashman fans hated it. In fact, they refuse to acknowledge or watch the film. In their eyes, not only did McDowell bore no physical resemblance to the literary Flashman, director Lester had chosen to infuse the film with bawdy buffoonery and slapstick (as he had done with the MUSKETEERS films) and ignore both the story’s historical context and the novels’ cynically irreverent tone.

When ”ROYAL FLASH” failed to generate any real heat at the box office, the movie industries on both sides of the Atlantic ignored Fraser’s novels for several decades. Also, Fraser’s experience with the 1975 movie had made him reluctant to hand over control of any screenplay adaptation of his novels. The author also complained about a lack of a suitable British actor to portray Flashman – which seemed to come off as a backhanded slap at McDowell’s performance. Fraser has always favored the Australian-born Hollywood icon, Errol Flynn, to portray Flashman. The actor had not only possessed a similar physique with the literary Flashman (both stood at 6’2”), but he also – according to Fraser – had the looks, style and rakish personality for the role. Unfortunately, Flynn had died in 1959, ten years before Fraser’s ”FLASHMAN” was published. The author also suggested that Academy Award winning Daniel Day-Lewis might be right for the role, claiming that ”He's probably getting on a bit,” he "might make a Flashman . . . He's big, he's got presence and he's got style." In 2007, Celtic Films indicated on their website that they had a series of FLASHMAN TV films in development. Picture Palace have announced they are developing ”FLASHMAN AT THE CHARGE” for TV and that the script has been prepared by George Macdonald Fraser himself. Both companies took an extensive role in developing Bernard Cornwell's ”SHARPE” (TV series). However, no further news has been forthcoming since this time and the project has been removed from both companies' websites.

Hmmm . . . Daniel Day-Lewis. Granted Day-Lewis might have the height and dark looks of the literary Flashy, and he has the talent to carry the role; he seems a bit too lean for me. And he lacks the cowardly protagonist’s wide shoulders that made the latter look so impressive in a cavalryman’s uniform. But aside from Day-Lewis, who among today’s actors would be great for the role? I had once considered Australian actor Hugh Jackman, nearly a decade ago, when he first became famous thanks to ”X-MEN”. He stands at 6’2” tall and possess Flashman’s dark looks. But Jackman is now three months shy of 41. Perhaps he could still portray Flashman between the ages of 30-50, but that would make him unavailable for movie adaptations of the FLASHMAN stories set in the 1840s – when Flashman was in his 20s. And if I must be frank, Jackman seem incapable of portraying rakes. He can portray violent/aggressive types like Wolverine. But a rake? I once saw him portray a well-born rake in a movie with Ewan McGregor called ”DECEPTION”. For some reason, he did not seem like the right man for the role . . . at least to me. If there is one Australian who could possibly portray Harry Flashman, I would say it was Julian McMahon. Mind you, McMahon never had the same success in the movies that he has on television. But . . . like Jackman, he stands at 6’2” and possesses the same dark good looks. More importantly, he has the style and air to successfully portray a well-born rake. Hell, he could do it, standing on one foot and singing at the top of his lungs. However, McMahon is also pushing 41 and like Jackman, would be unable to portray Flashman in the adaptation of certain novels. His voice is a bit light and for some reason, I have great difficulty imagining him in a period piece.

Jonathan Rhys-Meyers might be a good choice. Granted, he does not have Day-Lewis, Jackman or McMahon’s height and build. But he has their dark looks. He is also talented and has the style to portray a rake. More importantly, Rhys-Meyers is at the right age to star in the adaptations of nearly all of the novel, being twelve days shy of his 32nd birthday. Another good choice would be Henry Cavill, Rhys-Meyer’s co-star in ”THE TUDORS”. He has the dark looks and talent to portray the 19th century rogue. And he has the height – 6’1” tall. And at age 26, he could portray Flashy in his 20s and 30s, which would make him available in the adaptation of most of the novels.

But there have been no plays to adapt any of the FLASHMAN novels. Not since Celtic Films had indicated an interest in adapting ”FLASHMAN AT THE CHARGE”, two years ago. But if Hollywood or the British film industry ever decide to adapt another story about Harry Flashman, I hope they will do right by the novels’ fans and pick the right actor . . . and director for the films.

"THE ADVENTURES OF ROBIN HOOD" (1938) Photo Gallery

Below is a gallery from the 1938 classic, "THE ADVENTURES OF ROBIN HOOD" , starring Errol Flynn and Olivia de Havilland:

"THE ADVENTURES OF ROBIN HOOD" (1938)

"THE DARK KNIGHT" (2008) Review

”THE DARK KNIGHT” Review

In 2005, director/writer Christopher Nolan rebooted the Batman franchise with the highly successful movie, ”BATMAN BEGINS” that starred Christian Bale as the Caped Crusader. Both men have reunited three years later for a new story centered around Batman’s conflict with his greatest nemesis, Joker in this sequel called ”THE DARK KNIGHT”.

There has been a great deal of attention surrounding this movie. Many have not only praised it, claiming that it is better than the 2005 movie. But most of the word-of-mouth have centered around Heath Ledger’s performance as the Joker, especially after his tragic death some six months ago. When ”THE DARK KNIGHT” was finally released, many critics and fans expressed the belief that the positive word-of-mouth had been justified. Not only have many judged Ledger’s performance as the best in his career, others have claimed that the movie is probably the best Comic Book Hero movie ever made. I do not know if the Joker featured Heath Ledger’s best performance. As for the claim about ”THE DARK KNIGHT” being the best comic book hero movie . . . I do not agree.

I am not saying that ”THE DARK KNIGHT” was a terrible or mediocre film. Frankly, I believe that it was one of the better movies I have seen this summer. Most of the movie featured an excellent story scripted by Christopher and Jonathan Nolan, and David S. Goyer, in which Gotham’s organized criminal element has found itself threatened by the law ever since the end of the Falsone family in ”BATMAN BEGINS”, thanks to Batman (Bale). A former inmate of Arkham Asylum named the Joker (Ledger) approaches the crime bosses, which include Salvatore "Sal" Maroni (Eric Roberts), with an offer to kill Batman for pay. At the same time, Batman and Lieutenant James Gordon (Gary Oldman) consider including the new District Attorney Harvey Dent (Aaron Eckhart) in their plan to eradicate the mob. Both feel that he could be the public hero that Batman cannot be. Harvey Dent happens to be dating Wayne's childhood friend and object of romantic desire, Rachel Dawes (Maggie Gyllenhaal). This conflict between Batman, the Joker and their allies escalates to a tragic and well-directed dénouement that leads to Rachel’s death. And it is here where I believe that the movie truly faltered.

”THE DARK KNIGHT” could have ended with Rachel’s death, followed by the Joker’s manipulation of a grieving Harvey Dent into madness and his eventual capture or death. Instead, the Nolan brothers and Goyer allowed the Joker to escape and continued the story with Dent’s vengeful hunt for those he considered responsible for Rachel’s death; and the Joker resorting to a Green Goblin scenario involving two ferryboats packed with explosives. The Joker informed the passengers on each boat that the only way to save themselves was to trigger the explosives on the other ferry; otherwise, at midnight he will destroy them both by remote control. All of this occurred during the movie’s last half hour and quite frankly, it was a half hour I could have done without. I found the entire ferryboats sequence so unbelievable and contrived. It seemed as if Nolan teased us with the possibility of seeing the darker side of the average citizen . . . and wimped out in the end, because he would rather stroke the moviegoers' egos with some "nobility of man" bullshit by allowing the passengers to resist blowing each other to kingdom come, instead of telling the truth about human nature. Very disappointing. It would have been more interesting or darker if both ferryboats had been destroyed, or . . . have Batman prevent the passengers from blowing up each other at the last minute. With this last scenario, Batman would have saved the people, but the Joker would have proven a point.

A fan had pointed out that Nolan used the ferryboat sequence to leave a sliver of hope to the audience about humanity's capacity to do good. If this was Nolan's aim, it was a message that has been done to death by moviemakers and television writers for eons. The problem is that screenwriters and moviemakers have developed a habit of giving the public this so-called "sliver of hope". They call themselves pointing out humanity's inner darkness and then they pervert the message by allowing them to come out of the mouths from villains like the Joker, before the latter is eventually proven wrong. It just seems like a cop out to me. Which was why I found the whole ferryboat sequence something of a joke. Sure, human beings are capable of doing some good. But in that particular situation? I rather doubt it. If there is one trait that humanity possess, it is a talent for self-preservation. It would have been more realistic to me if the boats had detonated or Batman had prevented this before anyone on one or both of those boats and activated the bombs. Granted, Batman/Bruce Wayne would have been disappointed in Gotham’s citizens, but he would have learned a valuable lesson about the very people he called himself protecting. Even better, I would have preferred if Nolan had never added that sequence in the first place.

As for Harvey Dent’s hunt for those he deemed responsible for Rachel’s death . . . I would have been more satisfied if Nolan and his co-writers had ended the movie with Dent’s eventual slide into darkness in that hospital room and saved his transformation into a twisted vigilante and arch villain in a third Batman film. This would have prevented the movie from being unnecessarily a half hour long. And it would have saved the talented Aaron Eckhart for the third film as “Two-Faced” Harvey. It would have also spared moviegoers from that ludicrous ending in which Batman and Gordon decided to allow the former assume blame of Dent's crimes in order to save the reputation of the D.A. I am still stunned by this little plot development. What were the Nolan brothers thinking? Why was it so necessary to save Dent's reputation in the first place? Did Batman and Gordon harbored such a low opinion of Gotham's citizens that they had to treat the latter like children?

The performances in ”THE DARK KNIGHT” were basically superb. Christian Bale beautifully captured the growing dilemma of Bruce Wayne’s desire for a normal life with Rachel Dawes, juxtaposed with his role as Gotham’s costumed vigilante and his growing power over the city’s criminal element, thanks to his alliance with police lieutenant James Gordon and the new District Attorney, Harvey Dent. There is one aspect of Bale’s performance I did not like – namely the growling tone he used, while in the Batman persona. I did not care for it in ”BATMAN BEGINS”. I cared for it even less in this film.

I have noticed how many have expressed the view that Maggie Gyllenhaal's portrayal of Rachel Dawes was better than Katie Holmes in the 2005 film. Personally, I did not see much of a difference in the quality of their performances. Both actresses gave good, solid performances. But . . . the screenwriters’ portrayal of Rachel in this film disappointed me. They had turned her characters into an object. She was Bruce Wayne's prize for giving up the Batman persona, as soon as he could get Dent to assume the role of Gotham's "hero". She was Dent’s love interest, Girl Friday and reason to go on a vengeful rampage. And for the Joker, she was a means to get at Batman, once he realized how the latter felt about her. There were times when Rachel's character seemed almost irrelevant and a sad decline from the legal and moral dynamo that Holmes had portrayed in ”BATMAN BEGINS”.

Heath Ledger as the Joker. What can I say? The man was brilliant. He made Jack Nicholson’s Joker look like chump change. Honestly. One of the reasons why I have never care for the Joker character in the past was due to his over-the-top persona. Cesar Romero’s Joker has never impressed me, regardless of the numerous insane clown laughs he had utilized. Nicholson’s Joker was too over-the-top for my tastes. As one can see, I do not have a love for overly theatrical characters, unless they are done right. Granted, Ledger portrayed the Joker as over-the-top. But somehow . . . I really do not know how to describe it. Somehow, he managed to infuse some kind of control in the character’s insanity – not only with his behavior, but also with a talent for emotional manipulation and the views he had spouted to Batman and other characters. Do I believe that the Joker was Ledger’s best performance? No. I believe that the character was one of his two best performances, the other being Ennis DelMar from 2005’s ”BROKEBACK MOUNTAIN”. Do I believe that Ledger deserves an Oscar nomination for his performance, despite his death? Hmmmm . . . yes. He was that good. I do have one quibble with Nolan's treatment of the Joker. Where was the character's backstory? The Joker spent most of the movie spouting false stories about his scars and background. I supposed this was Nolan's way of trying to make the character mysterious. I simply found it frustrating.

The other truly superb performance came from Aaron Eckhart as Gotham’s new District Attorney, Harvey Dent. One of Eckhart’s virtues was that he managed to form an excellent screen chemistry with Maggie Gyllenhaal. Frankly, I found Dent and Rachel's romance more believable than her relationship with Bruce Wayne. Eckhart projected a great deal of magnetism, charm and intensity into his portrayal of Dent. But I was more impressed by the way he expressed Dent’s descent into vengeful madness, following Rachel’s death. Granted, this turn of his character occurred in the movie’s last half hour. Although I disliked the movie’s last half hour, Eckhart’s performance in it almost made it bearable. Almost.

Gary Oldman, Michael Caine (Alfred Pennyworth), Morgan Freeman (Lucius Fox) and Cillian Murphy (Dr. Jonathan Crane/the Scarecrow) all reprised their roles from the first film. All four gave solid performances, but only Oldman’s role as James Gordon seemed bigger. I found Gordon’s fake death somewhat contrived and manipulative. Aside from the creation of the Rachel Dawes character, everything about the two Batman movies directed by Nolan have adhered to the Batman canon. Which is why I found it difficult to believe that Gordon was dead. Alfred’s role seemed to have diminished from the first film. Freeman’s Lucius Fox is now quite aware that Bruce is Batman and seemed to be acting as the latter’s armourer, as well as Wayne Enterprises’ CEO. The only problem I had with the Fox character was his opposition against Wayne/Batman’s development an advanced surveillance system that can listen in and track the movement of any of the thousands of cell phones in the city. I found the whole scenario contrived. As much as I had enjoyed Cillian Murphy’s portrayal of Dr. Crane/the Scarecrow in ”BATMAN BEGINS”, I found his less than ten minutes appearance in ”THE DARK KNIGHT” a waste of the actor’s time . . . and mine.

Composers Hans Zimmer and James Newton Howard returned to score the sequel. I must admit that I had been impressed by their work in ”BATMAN BEGINS” and had expected another exceptional score by them. Unfortunately, I barely remembered the score. I understand that they had rehashed the original score for this movie and added a new theme or two. But it all came off as unmemorable for me.

”THE DARK KNIGHT” had the potential to be this summer’s best film. But there were some aspects – the portrayal of Rachel Dawes’ character, Zimmer and Newton Howard’s score, the portrayal of some of the minor characters and the contrived writing that dominated the movie’s last half hour – that I believe had ruined the movie’s chances of achieving this potential. Fortunately, the virtues outweighed the flaws and in the end, ”THE DARK KNIGHT” managed to remain first-rate and become – in my view – one of the better films of Summer 2008.

"Revelations" [PG-13] - 2/4

"REVELATIONS"

*AUTHOR'S NOTES: All flashback scenes are from actual CHARMED Season 4 scripts that I had found on the CHARMED SCRIPTS site - www.charmedscripts.tv/*

--------------

PART 2

Inside the Top of the Mark Restaurant, at the Mark Hopkins Hotel, Cecile and her two dinner companions finished the last of their meals. Cole pushed back his plate, while Olivia drained the last of her white wine. A waiter immediately materialized next to their table and asked if any of them would like to order dessert.

As much as a sweet dish sounded appealing, Cecile realized that she could not eat another bite. Besides, Olivia's cheesecake awaited them back at the latter's apartment. She noticed that both Cole and Olivia had also rejected the waiter's offer. Instead, all three ordered a cup of coffee.

The waiter walked away. Olivia heaved a groan. "God! I think I've drank one two many glasses of wine." She stood up. So did Cole. "I'll be right back." She headed toward the Ladies' Restroom.

"Well," Cole said, after Olivia walked away, "looks like it's just the two of us."

Cecile smiled. "You know, I just realized that in the two weeks or so I've been here, this is the first time we've been alone. Together."

"Well, I don't want to give Andre a reason to be jealous," Cole joked lightly. He referred to Cecile's boyfriend and a close friend of his for the past ten years.

Eyeing him shrewdly, Cecile shot back, "Or maybe you're afraid to find out what I really think about you."

"And what exactly do you think?"

Cecile shrugged. "I don't know. You seem okay. It's obvious that you care for Olivia, a lot."

"As a friend," Cole quickly pointed out. "A close friend."

A knowing smile curved Cecile's lips. If only he knew. Instead, she replied, "If you say so. Although I don't recall asking."

"I . . ." Cole shook his head. "Never mind."

Cecile added, "I'm curious about one thing. What you had told Leon earlier, today. About what you went through, this year. Is it true?"

"Perhaps my account of the events were a little . . . well, exaggerated," Cole replied. "But yeah, it was true."

"Exaggerated?"

Cole sighed. "Actually, a lot of what happened was my fault."

"How?" Cecile insisted.

The half-demon admitted that his decision to use the Hollow - the source of all magic, had led to the disastrous event that unfolded last spring. If he had not used the Hollow to absorb the Source's powers and save the Charmed Ones, he would not given the Source the opportunity to possess him. "And perhaps," he added, "I should have put up more of a fight against his influence."

Cecile stared at her handsome companion. "Cherie, what makes you think you could have easily fought off this Source? Hell, it's damn near impossible to fight off possession of any spirit, evil or otherwise. Trust me, I know from experience."

"All I know is that the whole thing had cost me my marriage and Phoebe's good opinion."

Shaking her head, Cecile continued, "And that didn't piss you off? You certainly seemed pissed at Leon . . ."

"Leo."

"Sorry, Leo. You were certainly mad at him."

Cole replied, "Yeah, well I was pissed. I still am."

"Well, let it out, for God's sake! Don't let it fester inside you! You're just building up a lot of anger and resentment. Talk to whatshername - Phoebe, about how you feel. Maybe you two need to talk and get this thing behind you."

An increasingly moody-looking Cole retorted, "She won't talk to me! Let alone listen to me. None of them will. At first, I didn't bother to deny it was my entire fault. I figured that Phoebe wouldn't believe me, anyway. So, I tried to win her back and prove that I have some good in me." His demeanor became less hostile. "But it didn't work."

Cecile took a sip of water. "Well then, maybe you should just stay away from them. Sounds like Phoebe and her family aren't worth the trouble, if they're going to be like that."

"Now where have I heard that before?" Cole murmured sarcastically. "Oh yeah. Olivia's father."

"Well, he's right. If they can't handle or deal with what had happened, it's their problem. It's not yours, any longer. From what Olivia has told me, they keep insisting that you're pure evil. Well, the next time they do, tell 'em to kiss your ass!"

A regretful look appeared on Cole's face. "They're not far from the truth. Didn't Olivia tell you about Ed Miller?"

Cecile nodded. "Yeah. Did she ever tell you about Emile Mornay?"

"Who?"

Painful memories of Cecile's past reared its ugly head. She told Cole about Emile Mornay, a New Orleans trafficker in prostitution and white slavery. He had sold her younger cousin to a whorehouse in New Orleans. Cousin Leonora had tried to escape and ended up dead. Strangled by Mornay. Cecile and Andre tracked Mornay to a warehouse, just upriver from the Crescent City. There, Cecile came close to killing the man in cold blood.

"But at least you stopped," Cole said. "You didn't kill him."

Cecile leaned forward and stared directly into Cole's eyes. "You want to know why I didn't kill him? Because Andre had stopped me. If he hadn't, I would have killed Mornay without any remorse. I guess that deep down; we're really not that different. Magical or not."

Olivia's return ended the serious mood between the other two. The red-haired witch frowned. "What's with you two?" she asked, as she sat down. "You both look so earnest, it's sickening."

A pause followed before Cole answered, "It's nothing. Just talking about mistakes from the past."

"Sounds depressing." Olivia glanced around the restaurant's dining room. "Where's the waiter with our coffee? Hasn't he showed up, yet?" She continued to complain, while Cecile and Cole shared understanding smiles.

* * * *

The idea came to Paige in the middle of the night. She shot up into a sitting position, and her eyes popped open. Of course! Cecile Dubois!

Paige had wracked her brain all evening long, trying to think of someone with psychic abilities, who could help her. Help her find out what really happened to Cole, last spring. There was Elise McNeill, but the old lady was still in Palm Beach, visiting a relative. Harry McNeill, like his grandmother, was also a telepath. But also like her, he did not receive visions of the future . . . or the past. And a small part of Paige did not really trust either telepath's ability to get past the psyche of someone as powerful as Cole. That only left Cecile Dubois.

Not only was the Vodoun priestess a powerful telepath, but also like Phoebe, she received premonitions. Paige switched on the lamp, next to her bed and glanced at her clock. One forty-seven in the morning. Dammit! It was much too early to call anyone. She would simply have to wait another six or seven hours to contact Cecile. Unfortunately, she did not feel sleepy.

The youngest Charmed One remained awake all night long. She then spent the early morning hours contemplating on words she could use to convince Cecile Dubois to help her. By the time her small clock read seven, Paige bounded out of bed, grabbed her robe - it was December, after all - and rushed downstairs.

Paige ignored the voices that permeated from the kitchen, as she snatched up the telephone. Service to her cell telephone had ceased, due to her failure to pay the latest bill. As Paige began to dial, it struck her. She did not know Olivia McNeill's phone number. Paige marched into the kitchen, where she found Piper and Phoebe in the middle of a conversation.

". . . that every time I meet someone new, you always dismiss him?" Phoebe was saying. Then she and Piper became aware of Paige. "Oh, you're up," Phoebe remarked to the younger woman. Her cool manner told Paige that she had not forgotten their conversation from yesterday.

Paige smiled nervously. "Hey, morning everyone. Uh, does anyone know Olivia McNeill's phone number?"

The two older women stared at her with surprise. A slight frown creased Piper's forehead. "Why do you want Olivia's number?"

"That's a pretty good question," Phoebe added with a touch of suspicion.

After a brief hesitation, Paige replied, "Actually, I wanted to speak with her friend. Cecile Whatshername. I uh . . . I have a few questions about . . . you know."

"No we don't," Piper said.

Paige murmured the next word. "Voo . . . I mean, Vodoun."

Piper's brows formed arches. "Oh. You've really become interested in that, haven't you?"

"Well, being attacked by a Vodoun sorcerer inside Darryl's body is pretty hard to forget." A nervous cough escaped her mouth. "Um, about that phone number?"

"Right." Piper walked over to the kitchen's message board on the wall. She removed a small card. "Olivia gave us this when we first met her. Here you go." She handed the card to Paige.

Who took the card from Piper and slipped it inside her robe's pocket. "Thanks Piper," Paige quickly murmured and fled the kitchen.

To ensure privacy, Paige returned to the living room's telephone and dialed Olivia's home number. Three rings echoed in her ear before a voice finally answered, "Hello?"

"Hi Olivia. This is Paige. Paige Matthews." The youngest Charmed One glanced toward the direction of the kitchen to make sure that her sisters were not eavesdropping. "Uh, is Cecile available?"

A long pause followed. Then, "Paige? Did you just say that you wanted to speak to . . .?"

"Yeah, Cecile. It's . . . it's important."

Olivia McNeill sighed. "You're in luck. She's already up. Hold on a minute. Cecile?"

More silence greeted Paige's ear, until she heard the New Orleans-born woman's voice on the other end of the telephone line. "Hello?" Cecile sounded slightly groggy.

"Hi Cecile! It's me, Paige Matthews!" Did she just sound too chipper? Paige continued in a more serene voice. "Remember me? I'm Piper and Phoebe Halliwell's . . ."

The voice on the other end of the line interrupted, "Oh yeah. I remember. The one with the red hair." Paige self-consciously touched a strand. Cecile continued, "What can I do for you?"

"Uh, can I come by to see you, today?" Paige asked. "Maybe this morning? Around nine o'clock?"

No one answered. Paige wondered if Cecile was pissed at being awoken so early in the morning. Then, "Did you say something about seeing me?"

Paige heaved a sigh of relief. "Yeah. Around nine, today."

"Why don't we make it a little later? I have some extra shopping to do, this morning. Why don't you meet me, downtown? At Union Square, around eleven-thirty?"

Here came the tricky part. "Actually, I need to see you there. At Olivia's place. It's really important."

Cecile sighed. "All right. I'll still be at the apartment around nine." She sounded angry, but resigned.

"Great! See you then. Bye!" Paige crowed, and hung up. At least before the other woman had the chance to change her mind.

* * * *

At precisely nine o'clock, Cecile heard the doorbell ring. Olivia had already left for work. She could not fathom why the youngest Charmed One had insisted upon meeting here, in the apartment. And why so early in the morning? Cecile began to wonder if being a Charmed One meant possessing eccentric behavior. She glanced through the door's peephole. Sure enough, it was Paige Matthews. With a sigh on her lips, Cecile opened the door.

"Hi!" Paige greeted brightly. "Thanks for seeing me." Despite her cheerful façade, Cecile detected nervousness in the younger woman's demeanor.

Cecile smiled back. "You're welcome. So . . . why is it so important that we meet here? And at this hour?"

Paige took a deep breath. "It's about your powers. Especially your premonition power. I'd like to use them, if I can."

Cecile stared at the younger woman. A glimmering suspicion began to form in the back of her mind. "May I ask why?" she said sarcastically.

A red flush colored Paige's pale face. "I . . . It's hard to explain. I guess you know about Cole once being the Source, nearly a year ago. And that my sisters and I had to vanquish him when we thought he had deliberately chosen to become evil again."

Now Cecile understood. Her suspicion had been right. For some reason, the young witch had developed doubts over what really happened to Cole, last spring. And she wanted to use Cecile's premonition power to find the truth. "In other words, you want to find out if you and your sisters were right about Cole," she added. “Why didn't you ask your sister? The one who's psychic, like me?"

Paige hesitated. Embarrassment deepened the flush on her face. "Phoebe . . . it's a little too personal for her. Especially since she and Cole . . ."

Cecile sighed. "I understand. What about Harry? I'm sure that he's capable of reading Cole's mind." She paused. "In fact, isn't that what happened when Olivia's grandmother . . ." Paige's thoughts flashed in Cecile's mind and she immediately understood. "Oh, I see. You want to make sure that Cole had or had not manipulated their minds with phony memories."

The Charmed One's dark eyes cast downward. "Um, do you mind? I'm a little uncomfortable with you reading my mind, like that."

"Oh. Sorry, honey, but you were practically broadcasting your thoughts. And as for your favor," Cecile continued, "I'll do what you asked."

Paige smiled. "Great! Let's go." Before Cecile could do or say anything, the young witch grabbed her arm and within seconds, they were standing in the middle of Cole's penthouse.

"What the hell?" Cecile cried. "What in the hell are we doing here?"

Breathless, Paige rushed toward Cole's personal desk. "I figured that you might need something of his to summon a vision." She paused and glanced over her shoulder. "You can summon one from the past, right? Phoebe always seemed to have trouble deliberately forming a vision."

"Yeah, I can summon one, using a spell," Cecile said, frowning. "And why would I need something of Cole's?"

Now it was Paige's turn to frown. "Well, you have to touch something to get a vision. Right?"

"Wrong," Cecile shot back. "I don't need to touch anything." She sighed. "But, since we're here . . ."

Paige clapped her hands enthusiastically. "Right! So, what do we do?"

Cecile smiled. "One, take me back to Olivia's apartment. I need a few things for the ceremony I have in mind." Paige gently took hold of her arm and orbed the priestess back downstairs. After Cecile grabbed a candle and a few other objects for her makeshift mantle, the pair returned to the penthouse. Once she created her small altar on the large table in front of the sofa, Paige lit the candle. "Okay. Let's begin." Cecile closed her eyes. As she began to chant, her body began to sway, back and forth. Cool, slender hands gripped hers. Cecile opened her eyes. "What are you doing?" she demanded.

"Holding you so that you can transfer the vision to me," Paige answered matter-of-factly.

Suppressing a sigh, Cecile gently removed the younger woman's hand. "Cherie, it's not necessary."

"Oh." Paige cleared her throat.

Once more, Cecile closed her eyes and resumed the chant. Seconds passed. Then minutes. After fifteen minutes, Cecile began to wonder if the ceremony might end in failure. Once she pushed her thoughts aside, she resumed the chant. Several minutes later, the visions suddenly hit her.

* * * *

Paige had never felt anything like this, before. It seemed as if a surge of energy had struck the center of her psyche. The visions followed, one after the other. And Paige found herself witnessing all that Cole had experienced, earlier this year. In full color and sound.

* * *

[Cole appears in the Source's cave. He looks around.]
Seer: Don't be afraid. (He spins around. The Seer walks in.)
Cole: Who are you? Where am I?
Seer: Back in your once and future life... Belthazor.
Cole: Belthazor? (The Seer moves closer.) Seer.
Seer: Even now I can see the void where your demon half used to exist. It craves to be complete again.
Cole: How'd you know I was still alive?
Seer: I had a vision. One where you and I do great things together.
Cole: I don't work with evil anymore.
Seer: You might reconsider if you hope to save your precious witch. Only you and I can help to beat the Source.
Cole: I'm listening.
Seer: If you take in the Hollow, you can absorb the Source's power when he attacks. Once powerless, they can vanquish him.
(She picks up the Hollow box.)
Cole: And what happens to me after?
Seer: The witches and I will banish the Hollow back to its crypt. You will return to normal.
Cole: How do I know this isn't one of The Source's tricks? Or one of yours for that matter?
Seer: The Source has been corrupted by the Hollow. And is going to destroy us all. He cannot be allowed to continue with this path of madness.
Cole: If I do this, what do you see then?
Seer: A future for both sides.

* * *

Scene: Underworld. A dark cave. Cole walks in, topless, holding a sword. He looks around. He sees the Source across the room, chanting with his back turned. Cole creeps towards him and is about to swing the sword.]
The Source: Wait.
(The Source faces Cole and lifts off his hood. It's Cole.)
Cole/The Source: You don't really wanna kill me do you?
Cole: But how...
(Cole/The Source hits Cole and he lands on the ground. The sword flies up to Cole/The Source.)
Cole/The Source: We're one now. I'm reborn, within you.
Cole: I'll fight it. I'll kill us both if I have to. I won't let you hurt Phoebe.
Cole/The Source: You won't have a choice.
(He stabs Cole and he screams.)

* * *

Cole: How did I get here?
Seer: The Source's magic brought you. I see you accepting that very soon.
(Cole goes over and grabs her around the neck.)
Cole: You never told me I would become the Source if I help vanquish him!
Seer: Don't be naive. I told you of my vision. Of you and I doing great things together, this is just the beginning. (He falls to his knees.) You cannot change your fate. As you can see the evil within you wont allow it.
Cole: I'll fight it, I'll kill it. I'll find a way.

* * *

Cole: I just got back.
Phoebe: From where?
Cole: I had to, uh, get out of the house for a while, you know.
Phoebe: No, I don't know. Do we need to talk?
Cole: Phoebe, I... Ahh! (He holds his head.) Damn it!
Phoebe: What's the matter?
(She touches him but he pulls away.)
Cole: Uh, nothing. It's just a migraine, I gotta go.
Phoebe: Cole, where are you... (He walks away.) Cole

* * *

Seer: Holy matrimony will be the worst possible thing that could happen. It'll keep you from ever reigning as the Source.
Cole/The Source: That can't be right.
Seer: It's what I foresee. Unless of course you cancel the wedding.
Cole/The Source: I can't. I need Phoebe.
Seer: Yes, I can see that too.
Cole/The Source: We've been through this. Cole's love for Phoebe still exists within me. I can't overcome it. If I'm to regain what I've lost it has to be with Phoebe, marrying her.
Seer: Even if it means losing your son?
Cole/The Source: A son? You saw a son in my future?
Seer: More than a son. You and Phoebe Halliwell will produce the most powerful child the magical world has ever seen.
Cole/The Source: That's my boy.
Seer: No, he won't be your boy, he'll be theirs. On the side of good. Unless you marry the witch in a dark way.

* * *

Seer: Why would you save Paige after everything you do to destroy her?
Cole/The Source: They would've found a way to save her anyway. This way I get the credit.
Seer: Did you do it for credit? Or love? I supposed there's some things even the Source can't defeat.
Cole/The Source: Careful.
Seer: I am, but are you? We have worked too hard to let a nugget of humanity destroy a legacy of evil.
Cole/The Source: Paige has no memory. She's not a threat to us anymore.
Seer: I'm not talking about her, I'm talking about Cole. His is the one threat neither one of us can control. He saved Paige not you.

* * *

Cole: How much longer?
Wizard: Give me a break, will you, this is tricky stuff. It'd be a lot easier if I could do this in friendlier confines.
Cole: There are no friendly confines, not anymore. This had better work or you'll be joining the rest of your kind and not in the way you hoped for.
Wizard: Little tip. Pressure's not the best motivating technique. If you wanna lose the Source's powers, don't rush me.
Cole: Fine, but just so we're clear, once you get the Source's powers I never hear from you again.
Wizard: Understood. Not that I'm ungrateful, but why are you so willing to do this?
(He places some lit candles on the floor.)
Cole: I lost someone I love and I want her back. That's all you need to know.
Wizard: Love? The Source can love.
Cole: Just keep working.
Wizard: I'm done. Now, if the spell's going to work, blood needs to spill. (He picks up a dagger and Cole holds out his arm. He cuts Cole's arm.) Now me. (He cuts his own. Smoke starts to rise from the Grimoir.) "Holus into exitus omne. Holus into exitus omne. Holus into exitus omne! Holus into exitus omne."
(The both rise into the air and they start to glow. The wizard extends his arm and starts to pull the Source out of Cole. The Seer and Phoebe appear.)
Seer: Save him. For your son.
(Phoebe throws fire and vanquishes the wizard. Cole falls to the floor and Phoebe rushes over to him.)

* * *

Cole/The Source: (to Phoebe) I'm sorry, it's, it's for the best.
Phoebe: I know it is.
(She walks over to Cole and the fireball disappears. Phoebe kisses him.)
Piper: Phoebe?
(Phoebe moves away from Cole.)
Phoebe: I'm sorry too.
(She places the crystal in its place and the trap is activated.)
Cole/The Source: Phoebe, no. No!
Phoebe: I'm sorry, baby, I'm so sorry.
Piper: "Prudence, Penelope, Patricia, Melinda..."
(Fire appears near Cole's feet.)
Phoebe: "Ashford, Helen, Laura and Grace..."
Cole/The Source: I will always love you.
Paige: "Halliwell witches stand strong beside us."
Phoebe: "Vanquish this evil..."
Piper, Phoebe, Paige: "From time and space."
(They vanquish Cole and it makes a huge explosion, making the windows smash. Phoebe walks to the middle of the room and cries.)

* * *

The visions ended as quickly as they had began. Paige let out a gasp, and fell back upon the sofa, unconscious.

* * * *

The Vodoun priestess was the first to recover. Breathing deeply, she opened her eyes and found herself sprawled on the sofa. Then she spotted Paige sprawled next to her, out cold. Using her hands and arms, she raised herself to a sitting position. Cecile leaned over the younger woman. "Paige. Paige!" she cried, shaking the witch's shoulder. "Paige, wake up! Are you okay?"

Dark eyes fluttered open. Paige let out a groan. "Oh God! I think I'm going to have one hell of a headache. What happened?"

"I guess you're not exactly used to experiencing visions or anything like that," Cecile calmly replied. "And those visions were strong. Even for me." She paused and stared at the other woman. Contemplating over what she had just witnessed. "So, I guess it's true. Cole and Olivia were right, after all."

Paige stared at Cecile. Her dark eyes widened in realization over what Cecile had just said. "I . . ." Her voice broke off, as she shook her head, silently. "I don't understand."

Cecile stood up. "You don't understand what?" She stared into Paige's distressed eyes. "What exactly were you about to say?"

"I didn't know," Paige whispered. "I didn't realize that he . . . that Cole had been possessed. We all just . . ."

Nodding glumly, Cecile finished, "You all had assumed that he chose to become the Source." She paused. "Because of his past."

Eyes suddenly blazing, Paige retorted, "Can you blame us? Before we had killed the old Source, we saw Cole use his powers against him!"

Cecile sighed. "Look honey, I'm not going to argue with you about this. This is something that you need to speak to another witch about. Or your whitelighter." She blew out the candle's flame. "But in the end, you and Cole need to have a long talk."

The anger dissipated from Paige's eyes. She sank back into the sofa and stared at nothing in particular.


END OF PART 2

Ten (10) Favorite AMERICAN REVOLUTIONARY WAR Movies

I realize that nine days have passed since the Fourth of July, but I decided to go ahead and post my favorite movies and miniseries set during the American Revolutionary War. Hey . . . better late than never.


TEN (10) FAVORITE AMERICAN REVOLUTIONARY WAR MOVIES


1. "John Adams" (2008) - The first three episodes of this superb and award winning miniseries about the second U.S. president is set on the eve and during the American Revolution. The second episode is a classic. Paul Giamatti and Laura Linney starred.





2. "1776" (1972) - This adaptation of the Broadway musical about the signing of the Declaration of Independence was a box office bomb. But I love it. Both William Daniels and Howard DaSilva were brilliant as John Adams and Benjamin Franklin. And keep an eye out for John Cullum's solo number.




3. "Sweet Liberty" (1986) - This comedy about a small North Carolina town hosting a Hollywood film crew shooting a film set during the American Revolution is a favorite of mine. Alan Alda, Michael Caine, Michelle Pfieffer and Bob Hoskins starred in this comedic gem.




4. "April Morning" (1988) - This television adaptation of the Howard Fast novel about the Battle of Lexington and Concord is excellent. Stars Tommy Lee Jones, Robert Urich and Chad Lowe gave superb performances.





5. "The Patriot" (2000) - It is very popular to heap scorn upon this movie about a South Carolina family during the later years of the American Revolution, but I feel that it is pretty damn good. I find the complaints about it being a historical inaccurate propaganda piece rather ludicrous, since most historical films tend to be, in the first place. Mel Gibson, Heath Ledger, Joely Richardson and Jason Issacs starred.





6. "The Devil's Disciple" (1959) - This unknown comedic gem is an adaptation of George Bernard Shaw's story about the impact of the Battle of Saratoga upon two American patriots and a British officer. Burt Lancaster, Kirk Douglas and Laurence Olivier co-starred.




7. "The Crossing" (2000) - This television movie about the events leading up to the Battle of Trenton won a Peabody Award. Although it is also another historically inaccurate propaganda piece, it is still a first-class movie. Jeff Daniels starred as George Washington.





8. "Revolution" (1985) - Hugh Hudson directed this tale about the impact of the American Revolution upon a New York trapper, his son, a British sergeant, and the daughter of a Tory Manhattan merchant. Although flawed, it provided a unique view on the darker aspects of the war. Al Pacino, Donald Sutherland and Natasha Kinski starred.





9. "Johnny Tremain" (1957) - Walt Disney produced this entertaining story about an apprentice silversmith in Boston and the impact of the American Revolution in his life. This is the first movie I have seen that hinted the practice of slavery in the Massachusetts colony in the 18th century. Adapted from Edna Forbes' children story, the movie starred Hal Stalmaster and Luana Patten.





10. "Drums Along the Mohawk" (1939) - John Ford directed this Technicolor classic about a newlywed couple in upstate New York, during the American Revolution. Entertaining and action-filled, but the movie's portrayal of Native Americans is a little off putting. The movie starred Henry Fonda, Claudette Colbert, John Carradine and Edna May Oliver who stole the movie.

"TRANSFORMERS: Revenge of the Fallen" Review

Below is my review of the new movie by Michael Bay called "TRANSFORMERS: Revenge of the Fallen":


”TRANSFORMERS: Revenge of the Fallen” Review

When I had first saw "TRANSFORMERS" two years ago, I harbored an immediate low opinion of it. Since then, I have seen the movie at least once or twice on television cable. And my opinion of it has changed. Somewhat. My new opinion has led me to view its sequel, ”TRANSFORMERS: Revenge of the Fallen” with different eyes. Let me explain.

When I saw ”TRANSFORMERS” for the second and third times, I discovered a little secret. If a moviegoer harbors low or no expectations of films like the ones from the “TRANSFORMERS” franchise, that person might find him or herself actually enjoying such films. All it takes is the act of simply shutting down one’s brain. However, there are chances that this little tactic might not always work. It did work for me when I saw ”TRANSFORMERS” for the second time. It also worked when I finally saw ”TRANSFORMERS: Revenge of the Fallen”.

This second movie began two years after the first, when the main hero, teenager Sam Witwicky has graduated from high school and is ready to enter college. In this film, a revived Megatron (the main villain from the first film) and the rest of the Decepticons have returned to Earth in order to take Sam prisoner, after he learns about the ancient origins of the Transformers and some vital information about a certain machine from the remnants of the All Spark (please do not ask me to explain this – I suggest you read the Wikipedia entry). Joining the mission to protect humankind are the Transformers, their leader Optimus Prime, and members of the NEST Team (military Special Forces assigned to work with the Transformers).

And how was the movie? Honestly, it was not all that bad. But it was also far from perfect. One had to deal with a lot of overbearing action – Michael Bay style. In fact, I found it nearly impossible to distinguish between the Transformers and the Decepticons during their fights. The use of Eubonics by two of the Transformers – twins Skids and Mudflap – annoyed the hell out of me. Nor did I find it at all humorous. And could someone please explain how the National Air and Space Museum (where Sam and his friends found the former ancient Decepticon, Jetfire), which is supposed to be in Washington D.C., end up in a location that strongly resembled the western United States? Seeing John Tuturro’s nearly bare ass in one scene did not help matters. Nor did Ramón Rodríguez’s frantic portrayal of Sam’s new college roommate, Leo Spitz. He made Shia LaBeouf’s performance in the 2007 movie look downright subtle. And quite honestly? This movie was too goddamn long. A running time of two-and-a-half hours for a movie based upon toy robots?

But as I had earlier stated, I had no high expectations of the movie and I managed to shut down my brain – somewhat – while watching it. And the story was not that bad. Screenwriters Robert Orci, Alex Kurtzman and Ehren Kruges found a way to bring Megatron back from the dead in a believable manner. They also introduced another villain – an ancient Transformer Prime who went against the other Primes by constructing some kind of machine that can steal the heat and energy from Earth’s sun. Hmmm . . . not bad.

Another aspect of ”TRANSFORMERS: Revenge of the Fallen” that impressed me was Ben Seresin’s photography. Despite the movie’s fast action, Seresin did an excellent job in capturing the color and grandeur of various locations like New York, Washington D.C. and especially the Middle East. And although there were times when Michael Bay seemed to succumb to his penchant for MTV-style direction, he still managed to maintain a steady pace for the film. And through his direction, he expressed his talent for revealing the funny and quirky sides of the average American citizens.

Speaking of American citizens, I might as well talk about the cast. Shia LaBeouf gave a more subtle performance as the Transformers’ human friend, Sam Witwicky. With Ramón Rodríguez chewing the scenery, I guess that LaBeouf felt he could relax and tone down his performance. Megan Fox gave a nice and occasionally funny performance as Sam’s mechanic girlfriend, Mikaela Barnes. It was nice to see Josh Duhamel and Tyrese Gibson return as Army Rangers William Lennox and Robert Epps. As they had done in the 2007 movie, the pair made a solid screen team. Aside from his ass, it was nice to see John Tuturro reprise his role as Reggie Simmons, now a retired U.S. intelligence agent. However, I must give top kudos to Kevin Dunn and Julie White as Sam’s wacky parents, Ron and Judy Witwacky. More than they did so in the first film, they made a great comedy team, much to my surprise.

Should you go see ”TRANSFORMERS: Revenge of the Fallen”? I cannot answer that question. It is certainly not one of the best films I have seen this year. But if you are looking for the occasional mindless form of entertainment in which you can shut down your brain, this is definitely the movie for you.

"The Rain Chronicles" [PG] - Book II

"The Rain Chronicles" [PG] - Book II

Rain Robinson of ”Future’s End” ends up on Voyager, following her adventures with Tom Paris and Tuvok in late 20th century Earth. Here is Book II.


LIEUTENANT B'ELANNA TORRES - STARDATE 50327.93:

I had not seen much of Rain Robinson, following our discovery of her aboard ship. Come to think of it, I have not see much of Tom, either. One can only assume he was busy, getting her acquainted with Voyager. On her third day aboard ship, the two paid a visit to Engineering. Personally, I would have preferred if Tom had chosen someone else - preferably Sue Nicoletti or Vorik - to welcome the little newcomer. Fate has a way - it seems - of never going my way.

"Hi B'Elanna," Tom greeted in his usual affable manner. "You remember Rain Robinson, don't you? From the staff meeting, a few days ago?"

I gave them both a stiff smile. "Oh yeah. Our time traveler." I faced her. "So, is Tom giving you a tour of the ship?"

Miss Robinson responded with a brief nod. "Yeah." I noticed that her eyes seemed fixated on my face. Or to be exact, my forehead. Kahless! Where is a scarf when one is needed?

"You find something interesting?" I growled slightly.

"Sorry. I didn't mean to stare. It's just that . . . well, to be honest, I've been staring at a lot of people, lately." Translation: she had been staring at all the odd-looking aliens. Non-Terrans. "I guess everyone has a good reason to stare at me, as well. Considering I'm from the past. But I've got to be honest, that forehead of yours really looks exotic. I know a good number of men who would probably fall for you like crazy."

She must be insane. Or a bad judge of character. A lot of men fall over me? Huh! I still remember how that Arizona terrorist had stared at me. Like some animal that had escaped from a zoo.

Miss Robinson continued, "What exactly are you? I know that Tuvok is from some place called Vulcan."

"She's half-Klingon, half-Human," Tom answered before I could. He gave me a fond look. For some reason, it warmed me considerably. "There's no one in this universe quite like her."

Miss Robinson stared at Tom for what seemed like a long moment, before she murmured in an acid voice that took me by surprise, "Now that sounds familiar." Unless my senses were deceiving me, there seemed to be a hint of jealousy in her eyes. Or resentment.

"Did you say something?" Tom asked. Apparently, he had not heard her last remark. Nor did Miss Robinson bothered to answer.

I continued, "I suppose you require a tour of Engineering?" Both Tom and Miss Robinson nodded and I proceeded to give them the guided tour. While I rambled on about the ship's functions, I noticed a few things about my two visitors. One, Tom made every effort to express his continuing friendship toward Miss Robinson with every look or gesture he could muster. As for our intrepid time traveler, she continued to either reject or ignore his attempts. What the hell had brought on this sudden coldness?

When the tour finished, Miss Robinson thanked me and asked if we could meet for breakfast or lunch, one day. My first instinct was to say no. But a small part of me felt a little curious about her and what she had to say. Besides, I also wanted to learn what made her tick. So, I said yes.

* * * *

RAIN ROBINSON - April 29, 2373:

"There's no one in this universe quite like her." That is what Tom had said about that engineer, B'Elanna Torres. Hmmm. Sounded familiar. Very familiar. Hell, if one changed a few words, it would sound exactly like, "You're like no woman I've ever met." The very words Tom had spoken to me, when he had said good-bye to me in the California desert. Only in Lieutenant Torres's case, I suspect that Tom had been more sincere.

I saw the look he gave her. And I don't blame him. The lieutenant is a very beautiful woman - in an exotic way. So, why did I bother to make plans for breakfast or lunch with her? To learn about the competition? What competition? I already knew whom Tom preferred. It seemed useless to put a fight. Besides, I rather liked Lieutenant Torres. She seemed a little livelier than most of the jokers on this ship. Her and a few others - like Tom and Neelix.

Neelix is this strange-looking guy, who looks like a warthog with spots, whiskers and a Mohawk haircut. Despite his strange appearance, he is very nice and a lot of fun. Unlike the others, he is a native of this part of the galaxy - the Delta Quadrant. He's from this planet called Talax. About two years ago, he was a junk trader, who joined the ship to act as a guide and cook.

His girlfriend, Kes, is also a native of the Delta Quadrant. And Ocampan. Like Neelix, she is also nice - but in a quiet way. Kes is a pretty blonde with ears that made her look like an elf. She serves as the medical assistant to the ship's doctor. And like Tom, Neelix and Lieutenant Torres, she doesn't seem to possess this smug air that permeates the majority of the crew. In other words, she doesn't look upon me like some savage or Neanderthal from the past. Because the rest of them sure do. What the hell did I get myself into?

* * * *

B'ELANNA TORRES - STARDATE 50353.16

It's over. Between Neelix and Kes, I mean. It took the malevolent spirit of some dead warlord to break up Voyager's only permanent couple. Only, they are no longer permanent. Is it any wonder that I try to avoid relationships as much as possible?

Thanks to Tieran, the warlord who possessed Kes, the latter finally discovered her dark side. Kes also realized that she had outgrown Neelix and her gratitude toward him for saving her from the Kazon. Apparently, her feelings toward him had stemmed from gratitude.

From what Harry told me, Neelix is feeling desolate over his broken romance. Once we had left the Ilari homeworld, I decided to offer my condolences to him. Since Neelix has always proven to be one of the few willing to befriend me, I decided to offer my condolences. Cheer him up. Only, upon my arrival at the Mess Hall just before lunch, I found him deep in conversation with Rain Robinson.

She stood next to the counter, contemplating dishes that Neelix had set out for lunch. "What's this again?" she asked, pointing at some kind of custard pie with brown sticks protruding from it.

"Alarian pie," Neelix replied. "It's quite delicious. Made with Alarian eggs and Cancus mushrooms."

Miss Robinson pointed at the brown sticks. "And what are those?"

Neelix replied, "Hagellian roots. It gives the soufflé its flavor."

Eyeing the dish warily, Miss Robinson continued, "It doesn't taste like Leola root, does it?"

"You don't like Leola root?"

Unlike the rest of us, Miss Robinson happened to be a little more blunt. "Neelix, don't take this the wrong way, but your Leola root stew is hard to take! I took one bite and nearly gagged. Hasn't anyone else told you?"

"No," Neelix ruefully answered. "Well, I do recall that Commander Chakotay had once expressed distaste of it. But he hasn't said anything since." He paused and glanced at my direction. "Ah! B'Elanna! A bit early for lunch, are you?"

Miss Robinson also glanced at me and nodded. I returned the nod and glanced at the display of food on the counter. "Hi Neelix," I greeted. "Did I just hear you tell Miss Robinson that you had some pie for lunch?"

"Alvarian pie." Neelix cut a slice of the pie and served it on a plate. "Try some."

I hesitated. Mind you, I really like Neelix. He is a sweet man and a wonderful friend. But I have never been able to truly enjoy most of his Delta Quadrant delicacies. I like to use the replicators, unless I have no other choice. Which happened to be the case, today. "I, uh . . ." I began, trying to find words that would not insult him.

Miss Robinson suddenly volunteered in my stead. "Give it to me, Neelix. I'll try it." She gave me an understanding smile. "I don't mind being the guinea pig, today." Then she took a bite. Her eyes lit up with delight. "Hmmm, this is great! You should try it."

I did. Not bad, but I found the pie a tad too spicy for my taste. "Doesn't this spice bother you?" I asked the other woman.

Dark eyes stared at me in disbelief. "This is too spicy for you?"

"Well, I'm not used to so much spice," I replied, trying not to sound defensive. As much as I like our guest, she seemed to have a habit of questioning a person. Much like Tuvok in the middle of an interrogation.

Miss Robinson's eyes continued to penetrate mine. "Where is your family from?" she asked. "I mean, your Human family." I told her. Mexico. From the state of Nuevo León, not far from Monterrey. "And you're not used to spicy food?"

"I was mainly raised by my Klingon mother," I coolly replied. "Klingons do not eat spicy food. As for Humans, they're more inclined to eat healthier food."

Miss Robinson seemed horrified at the thought. "Good God! What is the fun in that?"

Neelix added in a conspiratorial manner, "To be honest, I have to agree with you, Miss Robinson."

"Call me Rain. All of you."

Orange-yellow eyes brightened considerably. Already, Miss Robinson . . . uh, Rain had managed to wrap the cook around her little finger. "If you insist," Neelix added happily. "As I was about to say, between you and me, I like my food with a little spice or zest. I didn't think there were any Humans who felt the same."

"On Earth . . . well, 20th century Earth, I'm from the Southwest. A Southern California girl. Spice is almost like table salt to us." While the two chatted happily, I did not have the heart to inform Miss . . . I mean, Rain that 24th century Humans also try to avoid salt. Oh well. She will eventually learn.

As for Neelix, judging by his happy countenance, I could see that he no longer needed any consolation from me or anyone else. Whatever he may still feel over his breakup with Kes, Rain has managed to put him a better mood. For the moment.


* * * *

KATHRYN JANEWAY - STARDATE 50388.37

Damn that Q! What an exasperating man . . . or omnipotent being! Or whatever. To be honest, I could say the same about him, his mate and the entire Q Continuum.

Not only did Q try to mate with me, behind the female Q's back, he had also dragged me into the Continuum's civil war. I nearly got killed - first by shells and gunfire, while dressed in some ridiculous 19th century dress. Wait. Perhaps I'm being a little harsh about the dress. I rather liked it. It would have been a perfect outfit to wear in my Gothic holonovel. But I digress. Not only did he and the Continuum drag both my crew and me into their war, he had refused to do me a favor in return for helping him settle the war.

Following the Continuum's civil war, Q returned to Voyager, with his new son in tow. To my surprise, he named me as the child's godmother. Image that - Kathryn Janeway, a guardian of an omnipotent being. I faced an even greater shock after I asked Q to return Miss Robinson to 20th century Earth. He refused. Q had the nerve to inform me that he could not do as I had asked.

"May I ask, why?" I demanded.

For once, Q looked serious. "I'm sorry Kathy. I may be capable of a lot of things, but tampering with the timeline is a no-no in the Continuum."

"Pardon me? Is this the same person who sent the Enterprise-D into the Delta Quadrant, forcing the Federation into a premature contact with the Borg?"

Q sighed. "And look what that has brought me. The Continuum punished me for my . . ." the man actually managed to pout, ". . . irresponsible behavior. Now that the civil war is over and I'm a father, I must learn to be a little more prudent."

"Prudent? Don't you consider returning Miss Robinson back to where she belong, prudent?" I cried. Not that I disliked the young lady, but Miss Robinson has a tendency to be a little . . . well, direct. Or should I say, blunt. She has become a strong reminder to the crew of what Humans were like in the past centuries. Quite frankly, it is a reminder I could do without.

A cryptic smile touched Q's lips. Damn the man! "Now Kathy, how do you know that Miss Robinson doesn't belong here? Has her presence upset the timeline in any way?" Right after we learned of Miss Robinson's presence, I had Tuvok and Tom Paris examine the ship's database for any discrepancies in the timeline. Apparently, neither man was unable to detect any. "Of course they haven't!" Q retorted. "Miss Robinson's presence on this ship has not changed anything. If she had not sneaked aboard Voyager," I winced at the imagery, "she would have been dead."

Hands on hips, I glared at Q. "What do you mean?"

With a sigh, Q explained that after parting from Helm . . . uh, Lieutenant Paris, Miss Robinson would have been killed in a crime that occurred at some store on her way back to Los Angeles. "And if that idiot Braxton had not sent you screaming into the 20th century, she would have been killed by some thuggish little cretin with no redeeming qualities."

"So, you're saying . . ."

The omnipotent being smiled grandly. "She's all yours, Kathy. Don't worry. I'm sure that Miss Robinson will put a little zest in your humdrum lives. Especially Helmboy's. That is, if your little Klingon engineer doesn't get her hands on him, first. I must say that I rather like Miss Robinson. She reminds me of how you Humans used to be . . . before you became dull and self-righteous."

"Q!" I gave him my deadliest glare. Unfortunately, the scamp ignored me. With Q Junior squirming in his arms, he said good-bye one last time and vanished. I sighed. It looked as if Miss Robinson is here to stay.


END OF BOOK II

"THE DARK KNIGHT" (2008) Photo Gallery

"THE DARK KNIGHT" Photo Gallery


Below is a gallery of photos from the new Batman movie that stars Christian Bale, Heath Ledger, Aaron Eckhart, Maggie Gyllenhaal, Gary Oldman, Morgan Freeman and Michael Caine:

"Revelations" [PG-13] - 1/4

"REVELATIONS"
SERIES: CHA
RATING: [PG-13]
SUMMARY: Paige discovers what had really happened between Cole and the Source during late Season 4. Sequel to "Return With Vengeance". Set in alternate Season 5.
FEEDBACK: deerush76@yahoo.com - Be my guest. But please, be kind.
DISCLAIMER: Cole Turner, the Charmed Ones, other characters from CHARMED and the transcripts featured in this story are the property of Spelling Productions, Brad Kern and Constance Burge. Olivia McNeill and Cecile Dubois are my creations.


*AUTHOR'S NOTES: All flashback scenes are from actual CHARMED Season 4 scripts that I had found on the CHARMED SCRIPTS TV website.

---------------


"REVELATIONS"

PART 1


The inhabitants of the Halliwell manor seemed to be in some emotional quandary, these days. Or so it seemed to one Paige Matthews - half-whitelighter/half-witch.

She remembered when it had first began. During a visit to one of the McNeills' Sunday brunches, over a week ago. That visit had resulted in a few startling revelations. The Halliwell family learned that several whitelighters, guardians of good witches, had defected to the Underworld with detailed information on their own charges, the Charmed Ones, the powerful McNeill clan, and Paige's former brother-in-law, the half-demon Cole Turner. Piper, Paige's oldest sister, had seemed particularly upset that her husband, also the family's whitelighter, had known about the defections.

An even bigger revelation had rocked the Halliwell household. In an outburst of anger toward middle sister Phoebe's attempt to warn Olivia McNeill about Cole, the red-haired McNeill witch accused the Charmed Ones of vanquishing Cole in a moment of haste and fear, when he was leader of the Underworld. The Halliwells had harbored the suspicion that Cole, unable to deal with the loss of his demonic powers, embraced evil once more by becoming the Source. The McNeills, Olivia included, had hinted that the Halliwells never really bothered to learn how Cole became the Source. Or consider that he had been a victim of possession.

Piper had dismissed Olivia's words to Phoebe as nonsense spouted by a woman who had transferred her dislike of the late Prue Halliwell to the rest of the family. Leo came forth with a theory that Cole may have manipulated the McNeills' minds with a lie. Phoebe, Cole's ex-wife, seemed inclined to believe Leo. Her stint as the Source's Queen of the Underworld, and Cole's reluctance to grant a divorce following his resurrection had left her burned out and emotionally drained.

In all honesty, Paige did not know what to believe. She wanted to believe either Leo or Piper. It would be much so easier to accept the family credo that Cole could not be trusted. And that he deserved to have his "evil ass" vanquished. Unfortunately, the McNeills' argument, especially Olivia's, seemed to make sense to the youngest Charmed One. When she finally dug up information on the Hollow, she realized that they might be right. Apparently, the Hollow only gave Cole the opportunity to absorb the Source's powers, not make him the Source.

But several questions remained unanswered. How did Cole become the Source in the first place? And had he deliberately chosen to become the Source? Or did it happen against his will, as the McNeills had suggested?

Paige sat on the bed, inside her bedroom. She stared at the painting she had begun, last week. If only she had the power of telepathy, like Harry and Elise McNeill. Or summon up images of the future . . . and the past. Like Phoebe. The closest thing to psychic powers that she possessed was the ability to sense evil. Today was one of those days when Paige envied Phoebe and two of the McNeills.

A wild idea suddenly came to Paige. Perhaps she could convince Phoebe to use her power to summon the past. Learn what happened to Cole, last spring. Wondering if Cole had left any belongings behind, Paige glanced at the clock on her nightstand. It was three-fifty in the afternoon. Phoebe should be leaving work in a little over an hour. All Paige had to do was ask Phoebe to . . .

The moment the idea popped into her head, Paige rejected it. She knew that any mention of Cole would send Phoebe into a fit. Despite the middle Halliwell's declaration that she wanted nothing to do with her ex-husband, she seemed obsessed with him. Obsessed by a fear that he would give in to evil and kill all of them. Not even Phoebe's doomed romance with the late Miles and attempts to ignore Cole could not squelch this obsession. And it had grown worse, thanks to Cole's friendship with Olivia McNeill.

Since asking Phoebe seemed out of the question, Paige realized that she needed another solution. Search Phoebe's bedroom for any of Cole's old possessions left behind, and seek help from someone else with psychic abilities similar to her older sister. If only she knew such a person.

* * * *

"Good grief, Cecile! How much stuff did you buy, today?" Olivia McNeill grumbled. She and her best friend, Cecile Dubois, stumbled out of her building's elevator. Each woman carried a large shopping bag loaded with purchases. Cecile's purchases. The New Orleans-born woman had spent most of the day raiding many of San Francisco's department stores for Christmas presents.

Huffing, as she lugged her bag along the hallway, Cecile protested, "I didn't buy that much! These are mainly presents for your family. Besides, I wanted to do most of my shopping before I return home. So I can save on postal fees."

"Cecile, you've been here for how long? Almost two weeks? If these presents are for us, what the hell took you so long?" Olivia paused to take a deep breath. The two friends stopped in front of her apartment door.

A third voice added, "I'd like to know, myself." The two friends turned around and found a tall, handsome man standing behind them. Cole Turner regarded the pair with amused eyes. "What did you do, Cecile? Clean out Macy's?"

Olivia sighed with relief. "Finally! Some help. Could you please help us carry these bags inside?"

A slight smirk curved Cole's lips. "Looks like you've managed to carry your bags, this far. Do you really need my help, now?"

"Do you want me to tell Cecile what the name Cole is short for?" Olivia sweetly threatened.

Seconds later, Cecile, Olivia, Cole and the two shopping bags disappeared from the corridor. Cecile thanked the half-daemon. Who leaned forward and murmured into Olivia's ear, "I'll get you for that."

"I can hardly wait," Olivia murmured back.

Cole followed the two women toward Olivia's apartment. "You'll find them inside your bedroom," he said to Cecile. "I am curious about one thing. What did you give me?"

The Vodoun priestess grinned. "You'll have to wait another week to find out."

An overdramatic groan escaped from Cole's mouth, as the trio paused outside Olivia's door. "Oh well. I have another question. Are you two free, tonight? I've just received a bonus for closing a very important case. And I'd like to celebrate."

The two women nodded. "Sure," Olivia said. "Where do you plan to take us?"

Cole opened his mouth. A second later, familiar blue lights appeared in the corridor. They converged into the form of Leo Wyatt, Olivia's whitelighter. And Cole's former brother-in-law.

"Hey, Olivia," Leo greeted. He spotted Cecile and smiled politely. "Cecile." His smile disappeared the moment his eyes lit upon the half-demon staring at him. "Oh. I didn't . . . uh, I didn't realize you had company."

The redhead sighed. "Hi Leo. Is there a problem?"

Again, the whitelighter shot a dark look toward Cole's direction. "Somewhat. Do you mind if I speak to you? Alone?"

Cole smiled nastily. "I see that I'm about to become the topic of conversation, again. Looks like it's time for me to leave."

"No!" Olivia's eyes narrowed dangerously. "No. Leo, if you're here to talk about Cole, don't do it behind his back." She stared at him with determination stamped on her face.

Leo stared back. His charge noticed that for once, Cole did not wear a smirk in the whitelighter's presence. With a sigh, Leo continued, "All right. If you insist." Once all four were inside Olivia's apartment, Leo continued, "It's about that conversation you had with Phoebe, over a week ago. At that last Sunday brunch we were at."

"You mean the one after Cecile had vanquished Dako?" Olivia asked. She sighed. "Oh God! She must have told you. Look, I'm sorry if I came off as negative, but she really annoyed me with her little warning about Cole."

Cecile frowned. A surprised expression appeared on Cole's face. "What was that?" he demanded.

Olivia faced her neighbor. "Phoebe tried to warn me that you might betray my family. For a moment, I thought she had some kind of premonition. But it turned out that she thought she was just being . . . helpful. I guess I should have told you, but I didn't think you wanted to know."

Cole heaved what sounded like a frustrated sigh. "I'm glad that you didn't tell me. Christ! I'm getting sick of her paranoia!"

"Can you blame her?" Leo retorted. "You had put Phoebe and the rest of us through a lot of hell!"

Cole angrily shot back, "Hey, I went through my own brand of hell! How would you like it if you lost your powers, became possessed by the Source, got vanquished by your wife and her sisters, spent four months in the Wasteland, and saw your marriage go down the drain within a month-and-a-half? I sure as hell didn't!"

"And you expect us to believe that? That you were possessed by the Source? And what's your excuse regarding Ed Miller?"

The half-demon's eyes became cold and deadly. Olivia shivered. No wonder Cole had a reputation for ruthlessness. At the moment, he reminded her of Andre Morrell . . . or her own father at their worst.

"You know, I'm getting damn sick and tired of you throwing my past back into my face!" Cole hissed. "Maybe you should concern yourself with your own sins - like risking the Halliwells' lives, so you could marry Piper behind the Elders' back! And quite frankly, I've had enough of the 'Halliwell Code of Ethnics' and your damn preoccupation with personal gain!"

The whitelighter's face now matched the color of beets. At least it seemed so to Olivia. She watched Leo, as he struggled not to retaliate against Cole's remarks. Instead, he turned to Olivia and in a low voice, said, "Olivia, I'm only going to say this once. This man . . . if you can call him one, will be the death of you, if you're not careful. Even the Elders are worried about your relationship with him."

"I'd say that the Elders have more important things to worry about," Olivia quietly replied. "Like the four whitelighters who had recently defected to the Underworld. Or that detailed file on all of us that ended up in the Crozats' hands."

Leo heaved a sigh. "Olivia . . ."

"For crying out loud, Leo! Now, I'm only going to say this . . . for the last time." Olivia fixed her whitelighter with a hard glare. "As far as I'm concerned, Cole is a friend. A close friend. I do not turn my back on friends in fear of what they 'might' do to me. That's call playing it safe, not friendship. And I find it repellent. If I do end up dead because of Cole, you can stand over my grave and shout 'I told you so,' until the cows come home. In the meantime, back off! And if you can't handle my friendship with Cole, I suggest that we end our friendship, right now. Understand?"

A long stretch of silence followed. Olivia found herself regretting her outburst to Leo. One glance at him and she could see that the poor man looked as if he could not decide whether to die from sheer embarrassment or angrily lash out at her and Cole. Especially Cole. Instead, Leo's cheek twitched, as he replied in a cool voice, "Fine. I'll back off. I guess I better leave. It's obvious that I'm not wanted."

"Leo!" Olivia cried. But it was too late. The whitelighter disappeared before she could utter another word. She let out a gust of breath. "Great! I guess I can kiss that friendship, good-bye." Olivia plopped down on the sofa.

Cecile sat next to her friend. "I'm still surprised that you and Leon had remained friends. Especially since you had ended your witch/whitelighter relationship, years ago."

"It's Leo," Olivia retorted. "And we are friends." She added soberly, "I hope. Leo came to me a lot, when he was having trouble with Piper, three years ago. And as for that other matter . . . Okay, it was difficult dealing with his obssession with the Charmed Ones. But I understood. He's there whitelighter. And there's Piper." She glanced at Cole. "Do you really think he'll learn to accept that we're friends?"

Cole snorted. "Leo?" Olivia shot him a quick glare. "Sorry. Look, I doubt that Leo would want to end his friendship with you, because of me. He's just upset, right now. He'll get over it."

"I hope you're right," Olivia said with a sigh. "About that dinner . . . where are you taking us?"

A dark eyebrow formed an arch. "Taking you? I've made reservations at the Top of the Mark, at the Mark Hopkins Hotel. Seven-thirty tonight.

The two women exchanged surprised looks. "You've already made reservations?" a frowning Cecile asked. "What if we had said no?"

"If I had considered that possibility, I would have never made the reservations," Cole responded with a knowing smile. "See you in two-and-a-half hours."

Olivia glared at him. "Cocky bastard!" Cole's smile widened and he disappeared.

Cecile shook her head. "Honey, you really have a talent for making friends with some odd people."

* * * *

Making sure that she was alone in the manor, Paige orbed inside Phoebe's bedroom. Minutes ticked by, while she searched for any of Cole's remaining possessions, inside the closet. Unfortunately, Paige ended up empty-handed. She sighed with frustration. Perhaps she should try Phoebe's desk or dresser bureau.

Several minutes later, more failure greeted Paige. A growing suspicion began to form in her mind that Phoebe had rid the bedroom of Cole's possessions. Or anything that might relate to the half-demon. Paige also wondered if Phoebe had performed some kind of exorcism, using a spell from the Book of Shadows.

Then another idea came to Paige. The Book of Shadows! Of course! There was an entry on both Cole, and his demonic half - Belthazor inside the book. Maybe if she tore it out . . . Paige raced out of the bedroom and headed upstairs to the attic. She barely heard the front door close, downstairs. Upon reaching the attic, she strode toward the stand that held the family's reference on the supernatural.

A quick flip through the Book of Shadows brought the youngest Halliwell to the page that featured Belthazor. Paige frowned. Something seemed wrong. Where was . . .? What happened to the page that featured Cole's human side? The entry that Phoebe had added just before Prue's death?

"Hey sis!"

Paige glanced up. Speak of the devil. The middle Charmed One stood inside the attic's doorway. Smiling. It was the first smile that Paige had seen on Phoebe's face since Miles, over a month ago.

The older sister marched inside the attic. "Guess what!" she crowed. "I have a date!"

So that was the reason behind the smile. Paige felt happy for her sister. "No kidding! Who's the lucky guy?"

"His name is Jake," Phoebe continued. She halted in front of the podium. "Jake Landers. He's a sports writer for the BAY-MIRROR. A 49ers fan. We met inside the building's cafeteria. Very high on the cute factor, if you know what I mean. We got to talking and the next thing I knew, he . . . uh, asked me out for a date. Tomorrow night."

Paige smiled. "That's great, Phoebe!"

"Yeah, and he's got this friend . . ."

Oh no! Double date! Paige's luck with boyfriends had not been that promising during the past two months. Her last relationship had ended on a dull note. In fact, she had not heard from her old friend, Glenn, in quite a while. The last thing she needed or wanted was a mercy date. "Listen Phoebe," Paige began, "I've just broke up with Simon, and I'm not ready for another boyfriend. Especially a blind date."

"It's only one date," Phoebe protested. "Jake and I decided that if all goes well tomorrow night, we thought that a double date on Saturday would . . ." Her eyes fell upon the opened Book of Shadows. She stiffened.

Paige's eyes followed her sister's. The book lay open on the page that featured Belthazor. Trouble.

"Why are you suddenly interested in Belthazor?" Phoebe coolly demanded. Her good mood had obviously vanished.

Should she tell Phoebe the truth? Paige seriously considered it, but that would mean admitting that she had been inside the latter's bedroom without permission. So Paige lied. "Actually, I was searching the book for a glamour spell. I only got this far." She paused. Although she hated to ruin Phoebe's mood, Paige could not avoid the subject. "Phoebe, I noticed that one page in the book is missing. The one with information about Cole's human side." After a pause, she continued, "You didn't . . . I mean, you didn't tear it out of the book, did you?"

An exasperated sigh escaped Phoebe's mouth. Paige recognized that sigh. It meant that her older sister would rather avoid the subject being discussed. "Yes Paige. I tore it out. So what? Cole is no longer in my . . . a part of our lives."

"And yet, Belthazor is still in the Book of Shadows?"

Now, Phoebe looked annoyed. "What is this all leading to?"

"Belthazor is gone, Phoebe. He's been gone for over a year. And yet, Cole is still among the living. With new powers. Don't you think we should have listed his new po . . .?"

Phoebe glanced away. "I don't need this, Paige. Not now," she said in a hard voice. "I don't want to talk about Cole or see his face anymore. Not after that crap I had to endure from Olivia McNeill. Don't you understand? I'm trying to move on."

Paige could not fathom her sudden desire to play devil's advocate. Even a month ago, she would have perfectly understood Phoebe's feelings. And support her sister's actions. Then again over a month ago, she did not harbor doubts over how the Source debacle had been handled.

"How can you move on?" Paige asked. "When you refuse to face or discuss what happened in the first place?" Aware of her sister's increasingly hostile expression, Paige continued. "I mean, both of us and Leo had forced Piper to face her feelings over Prue's death. And all of you forced me to deal with my step-parents." She paused. "Maybe it's time for you to face what happened between you and Cole, last spring. Talk about it before you move on."

Dark eyes coldly stared back at Paige. "You know what, Paige? Forget about the double date. Just . . . forget it." Phoebe turned away and headed for the doorway.

"Phoebe!" Paige called after her older sister. But the latter had already disappeared. Paige sighed. It looked as if she was in for a chilly evening.


END OF PART 1

"THE TAKING OF PELHAM 1-2-3" (2009) Review

Below is my review of Tony Scott's remake of the 1974 crima drama. "THE TAKING OF PELHAM 1-2-3" stars Denzel Washington and John Travolta:


”THE TAKING OF PELHAM 1-2-3” (2009) Review

Tony Scott’s new version of John Godey’s 1973 novel, ”The Taking of Pelham One Two Three” marked the third time Hollywood released a version of the crime drama about the hijacking of a New York City subway train. The first version, directed by Joseph Sargent, featured Walter Matthau and Robert Shaw. Nineteen eighty-eight saw the release of a television version that starred Edward James Olmos and Vincent D'Onofrio. I barely remember the 1974 version and I have never seen the 1998 version. But since I recently saw this new version, I might as well give my two-cents on the movie.

In ”THE TAKING OF PELHAM 1-2-3” (2009) , Denzel Washington portrays a MTA dispatcher named Walter Garber (Denzel Washington), who is assigned to the Rail Control Center due to an ongoing investigation that he took a bribe to recommend a Japanese car manufacturer for the next subway car contract. It is Garber who ends up as the liaison between the New York Police Department/the Mayor’s Office and a man named “Ryder” (John Travolta) who has led three other men to board one of the MTA trains and hijack in exchange for $10 million dollars in ransom money. Also in the cast are John Turturro as Lieutenant Camonett of the NYPD Emergency Service Unit, who guides Garber into communicating with “Ryder”; Luis Guzmán as Phil Ramos (a.k.a. "Mr. Green"), one of the hijackers; and James Gandolfini as an unpopular mayor of New York City, who is under heavy pressure to address the hostage crisis.

Since my memories of the 1974 version is vague, I might as well express my view of the movie. In a nutshell, it was a solid and decent movie that had the good luck to possess a decent script written by Oscar winner, Brian Helgeland (”L.A. CONFIDENTIAL”). Yes, Helgeland made changes not only from the original novel, but also from the 1974 movie. That was to be expected . . . even though I have no idea what the changes are. Wait a minute. I am aware of one particular change. The Walter Garber character portrayed by Walter Matthau was a transit cop. Not that I care, since I have very vague memories of the movie. And for once, Tony Scott’s penchant for MTV style direction did not bother me. I thought it mixed well with the movie’s story. However . . . the sequence that featured the NYPD’s attempt to deliver the ransom money through the streets of Manhattan struck me as slightly ridiculous and over-the-top . . . especially with the number of car crashes that occurred this scene. As one character had put it – why not deliver the money via helicopter? The audience would have been spared that ridiculous scene. And one last scene annoyed me. It had to do with Garber’s attempts to track down and arrest “Ryder” and recover the ransom money. I thought it was a silly and contrived scene. But I must admit that I enjoyed how Scott captured the kinetic energy of Manhattan and kept the movie’s pace from moving too fast or two slow. ”THE TAKING OF PELHAM 1-2-3” struck me as a well-paced film.

At least four performances in the movie managed to catch my attention. I found James Gandolfini’s performance as an unpopular mayor rather sharp and funny, and a nice departure from his some of his heavier past roles – including Tony Soprano. Another amusing performance came from Luis Guzman as one of the hijackers, Phil Ramos. Whereas the other hijackers – including Travolta – projected an over-the-top menace, Guzman gave a restrained and funny performance. John Turturro’s performance as the police hostage negotiator was also restrained, subtle . . . and intelligent. And last, but not least, I was very impressed by Denzel Washington’s performance as the MTA dispatcher forced into dealing with an erratic and dangerous hijacker. Like Guzman and Turturro, he gave a very restrained performance and did an excellent job in keeping in character with an ordinary man, dragged into an extraordinary situation. Washington also gave the best performance in a scene that featured “Ryder” forcing Garber to confess to the charges of bribery, in order to save the life of one of the hostages. The one performance that troubled me happened to be that of John Travolta as “Ryder”, leader of the hijackers. Not only was it over-the-top, it was the kind of performance he had given several times in the past in movies like ”BROKEN ARROW” and ”FACE-OFF”. Back in the 90s, these flashy performances were fun and amusing. In 2009, I found it a little tiresome. At least he was convincing as an intelligent and dangerous man.

Judging from other comments and reviews I have read about this film, many seem quite willing to dismiss it as a crappy film. As far as I am concerned, ”THE TAKING OF PELHAM 1-2-3” is not crap. Granted, it is not the best action thriller I have seen, because I have seen better ones. But I do believe that it is a pretty solid and entertaining movie that should not be dismissed, because it is not exceptional. But I can see the writing on the wall. Chances are it will fail at the box office. Too bad. ”THE TAKING OF PELHAM 1-2-3” may not be a masterpiece, but I think that it is a hell of a lot better than a very mediocre movie like ”STAR TREK”, which is getting rave reviews.

"TRANSFORMERS: Revenge of the Fallen" Photo Gallery

Below are photos from the new Michael Bay movie, "TRANSFORMERS: Revenge of the Fallen":


"TRANSFORMERS: Revenge of the Fallen" Photo Gallery

Notes and Observations on "STAR WARS: Episode I - THE PHANTOM MENACE"

The following is a list of minor notes and observations that came to me, during my recent viewing of “Episode I: The Phantom Menace”. I hope that you enjoy them:


"STAR WARS: Episode I - THE PHANTOM MENACE"

*Both the Trade Federation and Darth Sidious seemed surprised that Supreme Chancellor Valorum had dispatched Jedi Knights to act as mediators between the Trade Federation and Naboo. Apparently, this discovery had led Sidious to order a premature invasion of Naboo.

*Why were the Trade Federation fearful of the Jedi, acting as ambassadors?

*Why would Boss Nass and the Gungans want Jar-Jar Binks banished for simply being clumsy? Why did his clumsiness bother him so much? Was this an indication of the Gungans’ lack of tolerance toward imperfection? Could one say the same about those STAR WARS fans who dislike Jar-Jar with a vengeance?

*”You overdid it.” – Was that Obi-Wan Kenobi admonishing his master, Qui-Gon Jinn, for making Jar-Jar too relaxed?

*Isn’t it ironic that it was Obi-Wan who led Qui-Gon, Padme and himself to Anakin, by suggesting that the Queen’s ship seek repairs on Tatooine?

*After two attempts, Qui-Gon discovered that the Jedi Mind Trick did not work on Watto and other Toydarians. Perhaps this is why he had failed to free both Skywalkers from slavery.

*Many have complained that Lucas should have shown the Nabooans suffering under the Trade Federation’s invasion. Perhaps. Perhaps not. But after Sio Biddle had sent that message to the Queen about the suffering on the planet, both Qui-Gon and Obi-Wan expressed suspicion that the message might be a trick to lure the Queen back into the Trade Federation’s clutches. Of course, they were wrong.

*Darth Maul managed to track down the Queen’s whereabouts, via Sio Biddle’s transmission to Tatooine.

*Anakin told Qui-Gon and Padme that he had been working on a scanner to locate the transmitter in his head. As many know, the transmitter will blow up any slave attempting an escape. I wonder what would have happened if Qui-Gon and Obi-Wan had made an attempt to get Shmi away from Tatooine.

*Apparently, the idea to enter Anakin into the Boonta Eve Podrace was his own idea . . . supported very reluctantly by Shmi.

*”What if this plan fails, Master? We could be stuck here for a very long time.” – Obi-Wan’s remark seemed to foreshadow his own fate on Tatooine.

*Qui-Gon’s plan to free Anakin seemed to have been instigated by Shmi’s request that he find a way help Anakin leave Tatooine and slavery.

*If Watto believed that Sebula would win the race, why did he agree to support Qui-Gon’s backing of Anakin? I believe that Watto felt he would get his hands on Queen Amidala’s ship if Anakin had lost. And if the latter had won then he and Qui-Gon would split the victor’s fee. But Watto’s greed and lack of faith in Anakin allowed him to be manipulated by Qui-Gon into betting against his young slave.

*I LOVE the podrace sequence. I love every detail about it. Along with the Battle of Naboo, it is the highlight of the movie.

*Interesting. Qui-Gon, Obi-Wan, Panaka and Anakin had all bowed before Valorum and Palpatine. Yet, both the present and future chancellors did not bow before Queen Amidala, upon the latter’s arrival on Coruscant.

*Amidala seemed certain of Valorum’s support in the Naboo/Trade Federation matter. Yet, Palpatine immediately set out to undermine Valorum in Amidala’s eyes . . . and suggest that a new chancellor be elected.

*Yoda seemed particularly aggressive when questioning Qui-Gon’s belief that Anakin might be the Chosen One to fulfill the prophecy.

*Why does Palpatine want Padme to accept the Trade Federation’s control of Naboo? What plans did he have for this situation, once he became chancellor?

*Many have accused The Phantom Menace of lacking in emotion. Yet, there seemed to be a heavy undercurrent of emotion in the movie. In the scene which featured the Jedi Council’s initial rejection of Anakin, Yoda, Mace Windu, Ki-Adi Mundi and other Council members seemed smug and arrogant over their decision. Anakin looked angry at the Council, and Qui-Gon . . . disappointed. But most surprisingly, Obi-Wan looked both surprised and angry at Qui-Gon’s support of Anakin. I suspect that he felt a little rejected.

*Why did Palpatine warn Darth Maul to allow Padme, the Naboo and Gungan forces, and the Jedi to make the first move?

*I never realized that Anakin had saved Padme, Panaka and the Nabooans in the hangar, by shooting at the droidekas.

*So . . . R2-D2 wanted Anakin to return to Naboo, once they had joined Ric Olie and the other Nabooan pilots in their battle against the Federation ships.

*Anakin had ended up inside the Federation ship, because his fighter had been hit. And he had accidentally destroyed the shield generator.

*Before striking down Qui-Gon, Darth Maul seemed frustrated by his inability to kill the Jedi Master.

*If the Jedi Council had finally approved of Anakin’s entry into the Order, why didn’t Yoda use a less strident manner to convince Obi-Wan to allow someone else – someone more mature – to train Anakin? Who knows? Perhaps he may have been more convincing.

*The moment the camera focused upon Palpatine’s face during Qui-Gon’s funeral, you can hear the cheers of triumph that would lead to the victory celebration.

*Both Anakin and Obi-Wan seemed uneasy in each other’s company during the celebration. In fact, Anakin seemed unusually sober . . . until he exchanged a smile with Padme. I suspect that Obi-Wan had noticed that exchange, judging by his expression.