Top Five Favorite Episodes of "CHARMED" - Season Four (2001-2002)

 

Below is a list of my top five (5) favorite episodes from Season Four (2001-2002) of "CHARMED". Developed for television by Constance Burge and produced by Brad Kern, the series starred Alyssa Milano, Rose McGowan and Holly Marie Combs:

TOP FIVE FAVORITE EPISODES OF "CHARMED" - SEASON FOUR (2001-2002)



1. (4.15) "The Fifth Halliwell" - In this slightly perverse episode, new half-sister Paige Matthews feels like a fifth wheel among her happily married sisters and their husbands, but becomes firmly convinced that one brother-in-law, the demonically possessed Cole Turner, is still evil and a demon. Meanwhile new (temporary) Source and The Seer secretly plot to impregnate Phoebe using Cole's possessed body.

2. (4.03) "Hell Hath No Fury" - Piper, who remains angry over the death of oldest sister Prue and Paige's recent actions, becomes a member of a supernatural band of vigilantes known as the Furies. Meanwhile, Paige takes the Book of Shadows into her work to cast spells, which help her co-workers.

3. (4.10) "A Paige From the Past" - With whitelighter brother-in-law Leo Wyatt as her guide, Paige goes back in time to her teen years, in an attempt to resolve her feelings about the accident that killed her adoptive parents. Meanwhile, ghosts have taken possession of Phoebe and Cole's bodies and Piper must prevent them from fulfilling a mission.

4. (4.07) "Brain Drain" - The Source sends Piper into a deep coma, where she perceives an alternate reality. Phoebe, Paige, Leo and Cole must find a way to return her to reality and save her from giving up her powers, while she is delusional.

5. (4.13) "Charmed and Dangerous" - The Source breaks an age-old agreement between good and evil by stealing an ancient grimoire called The Hollow, which he uses to absorb Piper and Paige's powers. Meanwhile, Phoebe must allow Cole to help them, despite her having a premonition that involves Cole sacrificing his life to save her from evil.

"NATIONAL TREASURE 2: THE BOOK OF SECRETS" (2007) Review

"NATIONAL TREASURE 2: BOOK OF SECRETS" (2007) Review

Released in movie theaters nearly eleven years ago, "NATIONAL TREASURE 2: BOOK OF SECRETS" was the 2007 sequel to the 2004 Disney hit film, "NATIONAL TREASURE". Directed by Jon Turteltaub, the movie starred Nicholas Cage, Diane Kruger, Justin Bartha and Jon Voight.

"NATIONAL TREASURE 2: BOOK OF SECRETS" opens with a black market dealer named Mitch Wilkinson revealing to Benjamin and Patrick Gates that their 19th century ancestory, Thomas Gates, may have been the mastermind behind Abraham Lincoln's assassination. Wilkinson's alleged proof came from assassin John Wilkes Booth's diary. To prove their ancestor's innocence and family honor, Ben and Patrick recruit the aid of family friend Riley Poole and Ben's estranged girlfriend Abigail Chase to help them find that proof. Their investigation leads to the discovery that one of Riley's conspiracy theories - the existence of a secret presidential publication called "the Book of Secrets" might lead to a treasure of gold and vindication of Thomas Gates and the family's name.

Like its 2004 predecessor, "NATIONAL TREASURE: BOOK OF SECRETS" was not perfect. One . . . why end the movie at Mount Rushmore? Why end it with the discovery of the City of Gold? I understand that in the movie, Confederates had learned about the City of Gold and wished to use it for their goals. But a part of me wishes that the story had remained on the East Coast and used or created another treasure for the protagonists to find. Perhaps I would have been spared the boredom of the protagonists and the villain struggling inside some cavern longer than I thought necessary. And if I must be honest, the revelation of the City of Gold proved to be less dramatic that the Templar treasure's revelation in "NATIONAL TREASURE". This movie's finale struck me as more anti-climatic than climatic.

Despite my disappointment with the film's finale, I must admit that overall, it turned out to be just as fun and exciting as the first movie. In their goal to exonerate Thomas Gates and the family name; Ben Gates, and company followed clues that led them from Paris, to London, back to Washington D.C. and finally to Mount Rushmore in the Dakota Black Hills. The movie featured some exciting and funny sequences that I found utterly entertaining. Among my favorites were Ben's successful soothing of a Parisian traffic cop's ego; Ben, Abigail and Riley's successful attempt to gain access to one of the Buckingham Palace rooms; Ben and Abigail's minor adventure inside the White House with the latter's current boyfriend; and their adventure at the Library of Congress.

If I had to select two sequences that I found truly outstanding, they had to be the London car chase. In this funny and very exciting sequence; Ben, Riley and Abigail raced to evade the film's main antagonist, Mitch Wilkinson and his minions through the crowded streets of London. Very well executed by director Jon Turtletaub. Another sequence that I truly enjoyed proved to be the one in which the others help Ben crash the U.S. President's birthday bash held at Mount Vernon. From the moment in which the quartet manipulated the White House staff into holding the party at George Washington's former home to which Ben "kidnapped" the President in order to learn information about the so-called "Book of Secrets". The whole thing was a joy to watch, especially Nicholas Cage and Bruce Greenwood's performances.

Commenting on Cage and Greenwood's performances in the Mount Vernon sequence made me realize that the film's most valuable asset was its cast. Cage gave a very energetic and entertaining performance as Dr. Benjamin "Ben" Gates, who is determined to clear his family's name. Watching Justin Bartha's subtle, yet hilarious performance as Ben's close friend and tech specialist, Riley Poole, made me realized that he had been vastly underused in "THE HANGOVER" movie franchise. Diane Kruger gave a very charming and this time, a funnier performance as Ben's love of his life and ex-girlfriend, Dr. Abigail Chase.

For the first time, Jon Voight played a major role in the adventure as Ben's father and fellow historian, Dr. Patrick Gates. He was especially effective in his scenes with Helen Mirren, who portrayed his estranged ex-wife and Ben's mother. The latter was a blast as the no-nonsense Dr. Emily Appleton-Gates, who seemed to focus all of her affection upon her son. Ed Harris gave a first-rate performance as the ruthless and manipulative black market dealer, Mitch Wilkinson. Ironically, his reason for manipulating the Gates family into finding the treasure proved to be surprisingly poignant. I had earlier commented on Bruce Greenwood's performance as the President. Let me add that I found his performance very humorous and very sly. The movie also featured solid performances from the likes of Peter Woodward; Alicia Coppola; Albert Hall; Armando Riesco; a rather funny Ty Burrell; Joel Gretch, who portrayed the family's 19th century descendant Thomas Gates; and the always dependable Harvey Keitel, who returned as FBI Special Agent Sadusky.

Aside from my gripe about the film's finale sequence and the treasure itself, I must admit that I enjoyed "NATIONAL TREASURE: BOOK OF SECRETS". Thanks to Jon Turtletaub's lively direction, Cormac and Marianne Wibberley's screenplay and an outstanding cast led by Nicholas Cage, this 2007 sequel proved to be just as entertaining as the first film.

"NATIONAL TREASURE 2: THE BOOK OF SECRETS" (2007) Photo Gallery

Below are images from "NATIONAL TREASURE 2: BOOK OF SECRETS", the 2007 sequel to the 2004 hit film, "NATIONAL TREASURE". Directed by Jon Turteltaub, the movie starred Nicholas Cage, Diane Kruger, Justin Bartha and Jon Voight:




"NATIONAL TREASURE 2: THE BOOK OF SECRETS" (2007) Photo Gallery

"SENSE AND SENSIBILITY" (1981) Review

"SENSE AND SENSIBILITY" (1981) Review

Jane Austen's 1811 novel, "Sense and Sensibility" has been a favorite with her modern-day fans. The novel has produced at least three television and two movie adaptations and a literary parody. However, this review is about the seven-part, 1981 BBC adaptation. 

Directed by Rodney Bennett and adapted by Alexander Baron and Denis Constanduros, "SENSE AND SENSIBILITY"starred Irene Richards and Tracey Childs as the two main protagonists - sisters Elinor and Marianne Dashwood. The story focused on the sisters' attempts to find happiness in the tightly structured society of early 19th century England. Through their experiences with men and their relationship with each other, Elinor and Marianne learn that one must strive for a balance of both sense and sensibility.

From an overall point of view, this "SENSE AND SENSIBILITY" seemed to be a solid adaptation of Austen's 1811 novel. I have noticed in many articles and reviews of Austen adaptations made in the 1970s and 1980s, fans tend to view them as"faithful" in compare to later ones. Frankly, I have yet to see an Austen adaptation made before or after 1986 as completely faithful. And I can extend this opinion to this 1981 production. One, Baron and Constanduros' screenplay began with the grieving Dashwood women returning to Norland Hall, after viewing a potential new home. And there is no sign of a Margaret Dashwood - the youngest of the three sisters - in sight. But since the other versions of the novel are no more or less faithful, I do not have a problem with this. But I did have a problem with the miniseries' ending. It featured Edward Ferrars asking for Elinor's hand in marriage and Colonel Brandon commencing his courtship of a receptive Marianne. That is it. The ending seemed a bit too abrupt for my tastes.

And I had other problems with "SENSE AND SENSIBILITY". I realize that the male characters in Austen's novel were not as strongly written as the female characters. But the uninspiring casting in this production made their roles seem even weaker. I am sorry to say that Bosco Hogan as Edward Ferrars did not impress me. He gave a solid, yet lackluster performance. Peter Woodward gave a charming performance as the novel's ne'er-do-well, John Willoughby. Unfortunately, Woodward's presence barely made a dent in the production. And his biggest scene - in which Willoughby expressed remorse for his bad treatment of Marianne to Elinor - featured some over-the-top acting. But not all of the male performers disappointed me. 

Watching Diana Fairfax's performance as Mrs. Dashwood, I found myself wondering why Elinor was forced to assume so much responsibility for their household at Barton Cottage. Fairfax's Mrs. Dashwood barely seemed like the emotional widow who was forced to come down to earth by her more sensible older daughter. She seemed just as sensible in her own way. Annie Leon's portrayal of Mrs. Jennings struck me as pleasant, affable and very supportive of the Dashwood sisters. But there was something missing in her performance. She seemed subdued in compare to Austen's portrayal of the character. Leon's Mrs. Jennings failed to be the nosy, cheeful vulgarian that I had come to love. I barely remember Marjorie Bland's portrayal of Mrs. Jennings' older daughter, Lady Middleton. She failed to leave a mark in my memories. I could say the same about Hetty Baynes as Mrs. Jennings' younger daughter, Mrs. Charlotte Palmer. And Margot Van der Burgh's Mrs. Ferrars seemed more like a dress rehearsal for Lady Catherine de Bourgh in Austen's "Pride and Prejudice".

But there were performances that impressed me. Julia Chambers and Pippa Sparks made a very entertaining Lucy and Ann Steele. I was especially impressed by Chambers' performance, which struck a fine balance between Lucy's scheming and desperation to become a member of the respectable and wealthy Ferrars family. Philip Bowen's portrayal of Robert Ferrars struck me as rather funny. He gave the character a foppish edge that I have never seen in other portrayals of the character. Donald Douglas was certainly down-to-earth in an affable manner as Mrs. Dashwood's cousin, Sir John Middleton. Amanda Boxer gave a spot-on portrayal of the cold-blooded and domineering Fanny Dashwood. At first, I was not that impressed by Robert Swann's portrayal of Colonel Brandon. However, as the story progressed, Swann skillfully revealed the character's passion and emotions behind the stoic facade. But the one performance that really impressed me was Peter Gale's as the Dashwood family's new patriarch, John. Although he gave a solid performance in the miniseries' early episodes, he really came into his own in the role, when the story shifted to London. I was especially impressed by one scene in which Gale's John tried to point out the suitability of Colonel Brandon as a match for Elinor. Both Irene Richards and Tracey Childs gave solid performances as Elinor and Marianne Dashwood. The two actresses did a first-rate job of holding the miniseries together as the the leads. And both were somewhat spot-on in their portrayal of the two sisters. Mind you, I would have liked if Richards had revealed the passion that Elinor harbored for Edward in small moments. And I wish that Childs' Marianne was not so sober - especially in a few scenes in the miniseries' earlier episodes. But in the end, they did a good job.

As far as production design goes, I am afraid that Paul Joel did a solid job. But there was nothing about his work that I found particularly impressive. I suspect that he may have been hampered by the budget. I was NOT impressed by Dorothea Wallace's costumes. Frankly, I found them rather cheap looking and in some cases, slightly ill fitting. Like the miniseries' production design, it was probably hampered by the budget. Overall, I would have to say that this "SENSE AND SENSIBILITY" was the least impressive looking adaptation I have ever seen.

"SENSE AND SENSIBILITY" had its virtues. Both Irene Richards and Tracey Childs gave solid performances and kept this production together, along with director Rodney Bennett. The supporting cast also included memorable performances from the likes of Peter Gale, Amanda Boxer, Donald Douglas, Julia Chambers and Peter Woodward. And screenwriters Alexander Baron and Denis Constanduros managed to create a solid script that was nearly faithful to the story. But due to a good number of disappointing performances and a rather cheap looking production, this is probably my least favorite adaptation of Austen's novel.

"SENSE AND SENSIBILITY" (1981) Photo Gallery

Below are images of "SENSE AND SENSIBILITY", the 1981 BBC adaptation of Jane Austen's 1811 novel. Directed by Rodney Bennett and adapted by Alexander Baron, the miniseries starred Irene Richards and Tracey Childs:

 


"SENSE AND SENSIBILITY" (1981) Screencaps Gallery