The Nicholas Brothers in "THE BLACK NETWORK" (1936)

THE NICHOLAS BROTHERS in "THE BLACK NETWORK" (1936)

Fayard and Harold Nicholas (aka the Nicholas Brothers) appeared in the 1936 all-black musical called "THE BLACK NETWORK". HERE is a video clip of them in a song-and-dance routine called "Lucky Numbers"

"THE PACIFIC" (Episode Five) Commentary

”THE PACIFIC” (Episode Five) Commentary

I wrote this commentary on the fifth episode of "THE PACIFIC":

Episode Five began with war hero John Basilone in the middle of a war bond drive with Hollywood actress, Virginia Grey. Everything seemed to be hunky-dory with the Marine. Many servicemen seemed recognize his face on sight. And the good sergeant is also enjoying more passionate moments with the actress. This brief scene into the life of Basilone also featured his reunion with his younger brother George, already a Marine sergeant. The younger Basilone tried to express hope that he would be able to live to the older sibling’s name and reputation. But John immediately warned him not to bother. The last thing Basilone wants is his younger brother getting killed in combat over some reckless attempt to live up to his reputation.

This episode also marked Eugene Sledge’s baptism of fire, as he join Robert Leckie and his other fellow Marines of the First Division land on Peleliu for a major assault in September 1944. Three months earlier, Sledge had arrived on Pavuvu, where he had a joyful reunion with his childhood buddy, Sid Phillips and engaged in a brief conversation with Leckie on the meaning of war. But the privations of Pavuvu proved to be minor for Sledge, when the First Marines land on the hellish beaches of Peleliu.

Around the same time Sledge arrived on Pavuvu, Leckie returned to How Company and enjoyed a happy reunion with his three buddies – Chuckler, Runner and Hoosier. In typical Leckie fashion, he kept silent about his experiences at the psych ward on Banika and his encounter with the mentally unstable Ronnie Gibson. But he did find the time for a brief conversation in which he expressed his slightly more cynical views on what the war really meant. Sledge’s expression seemed to hint a reluctance to consider Leckie’s view. Peleliu will end up providing a different lesson for the Mobile, Alabama native. As for Leckie, Peleliu – at least in this episode – provided both some pain and a great personal fear.

Producers Gary Goetzman, Steven Spielberg and Tom Hanks made it clear that the Battle of Peleliu (which was fought between September and November 1944) would be shown in three episodes. Episode Five featured the First Marines Division landing on the island. And director Carl Franklin did a superb job in conveying the horrors that Leckie, Sledge and their fellow Marines had experienced in landing on the island and establishing a beach hold. The most interesting aspect of that landing came from Sledge’s point-of-view, as the camera followed him from his boarding of the amtrack (amphibious tracked vehicles) to the fury of battle on the beach.

With Sledge finally experiencing combat for the first time, the miniseries introduced new characters - Merriell "SNAFU" Shelton (Rami Malek); Bill Leyden (Brendan Fletcher); R.V. Burgin (Martin McCann); and Captain Andrew "Ack Ack" Haldane (Scott Gibson). Burgin barely uttered a word in this episode. I cannot even remember Leyden’s face. And Haldane seemed to be an officer in the tradition of Richard Winters of ”BAND OF BROTHERS”. Shelton is another matter. Judging from the comments on the Web, I suspect that many viewers had been looking forward to experiencing Malek’s performance as Shelton, as much as seeing Sledge experience combat for the first time. And the actor did not fail to deliver. He gave a riveting, yet eccentric performance as the slightly soulless Shelton.

As I had stated earlier, Peleliu provided a great deal of pain and anxiety for Leckie. One, his breakdown in Episode Four led Hoosier to fret over him during the Peleliu landing – much to his annoyance. The two eventually got separated from Chuckler and Runner before disaster happened. Poor Hoosier became seriously wounded in the leg. Although Leckie managed to summon a medic, poor Hoosier lost consciousness before he was carried away. Both Leckie and the audience were left in a state of anxiety over the Marine’s fate. Leckie finally managed to hook up with Runner. Unfortunately, both men seemed to be at a loss over Chuckler, who has yet to make an appearance. And they, along with Sledge and the rest of the First Marines Division were poised to begin the assault on the airfield on Peleliu.

In the end, Episode Five proved to be a solid and very interesting look into Eugene Sledge’s arrival in the Pacific Theater’s war zone. It also provided a peak into John Basilone’s experiences as a war hero on the homefront and what might possibly be the beginning of the end of Robert Leckie’s circle of friends. The episode provided some interesting moments. I enjoyed hometown friends Sledge and Phillips’ immediate reconciliation and its interruption by Sledge’s company commander, Captain Andy Haldane. For some reason, it reminded me of a scene from 1994’s ”FORREST GUMP” depicting the lead character’s arrival in Vietnam. Their reunion became more serious as Phillips tries to warn Sledge that combat was not as they had imaged when they were kids. Leckie’s reunion with his friends brought a smile to my face. I have grown accustomed to all four of them that much. Did anyone notice the grizzled sergeant who was practicing bayonet thrusts when Sledge first arrived on Parvuvu? Keep an eye on him. The episode also featured a poignant moment when Sledge discovered that Phillips had left Parvuvu for leave, back home in Mobile.

But the one scene that caught me by surprise centered on a brief conversation between Leckie and Sledge, inside the former’s tent. That the producers would feature a meeting between the two did not surprise me. After all, ”THE PACIFIC” is a historical drama, not a documentary. There were bound to be some historical inaccuracies. I have yet to see a historical drama that DID NOT have historical inaccuracies – including the much lauded ”BAND OF BROTHERS”. What I found surprising about this scene was that actors James Badge Dale and Joseph Mazello made it clear in this ARTICLE that they did not have any scenes togethers. Guys? Lying is a big “no, no” to me.

The episode finally shifted to the First Marines Division’s landing on Peleliu and it was a doozy. The scene featuring Sledge’s beach landing struck me as surreal, especially in that brief moment when the sun shone in the Marine’s eyes as the amtrack conveying his regiment prepared to leave the ship and hit the water. The actual beach landings for both Sledge and Leckie were graphic and rather scary. The scene in which Sledge witnessed Shelton removing gold teeth from a Japanese soldier struck me as an ominous sign of more darkness for the naïve Sledge to encounter. But the biggest heartbreak – at least for me – was the moment when Leckie witnessed Hoosier being seriously wounded by Japanese artillery.

The acting, as usual, was up to par. Joseph Mazello gave a excellent performance as the intense, yet naïve Sledge. In fact, I have to point out that the actor really knows how to use his eyes to convey his character’s emotional state. I could probably say the same about James Badge Dale, who continued to give consistently first-rate performances as Robert Leckie. Both he and Mazello were perfectly understated in their one scene together. Jon Seda, whom we have not seen since Episode Three was solid as war hero John Basilone. I especially enjoyed his performance in a scene with Mark Casamento, who portrayed his younger brother George. As Sid Phillips, Ashton Holmes gave one of his better performances by perfectly balancing his character’s joy at seeing childhood friend Sledge and war weariness at trying to explain the realities of combat to his buddy. Many fans had been anticipating Rami Malek’s debut as Sledge’s very eccentric comrade, Merriell “SNAFU” Shelton. And Malek managed to brilliantly live up to Shelton’s reputation as an eccentric and somewhat cold-blooded warrior. However, I felt a slight disappointment that the Shelton character had already arrived at this emotional point upon his introduction. Considering that his character was already a veteran of the Cape Gloucester campaign, I am not surprised. But the audience will never get to witness Malek develop his character to that point, as we got to witness Ronnie Gibson develop from a rather nervous Marine, to a slightly demented warrior and emotional wreck.

Episode Five was a pretty damn good episode. Audiences managed to witness a full-fledged battle sequence in the daylight for the first time since this episode aired. But I have one major complaint. It ended too soon. I realize that the Peleliu campaign will stretch out in two more episodes, but I still believe that this particular episode should have had a longer running time. Other than that I am looking forward to Episode Six.

"DATE NIGHT" (2010) Photo Gallery

Below is a photo gallery featuring images from the new comedy, "DATE NIGHT". Directed by Shawn Levy, the movie stars Steve Carell and Tina Fey:


"DATE NIGHT" (2010) Photo Gallery

Top Ten (10) Favorite Episodes of "HOMICIDE: LIFE ON THE STREETS"

Below are my top ten (10) episodes from NBC's "HOMICIDE: LIFE ON THE STREETS" (1993-1999):


TOP TEN (10) FAVORITE EPISODES OF "HOMICIDE: LIFE ON THE STREETS"



1. (5.19) "Deception" - The murder of a Nigerian drug courier sets the scene for an explosive encounter between gangster Luthor Mahoney and Detectives Mike Kellerman, Meldrick Lewis and Terri Stivers. Kellerman's action will result in repercussion for the squad in over a year.





2. (1.06) "Three Men and Adena" - Tim Bayliss and Frank Pembleton bring in an arabber named Risley Tucker as the prime suspect in the murder of the 11 year-old girl, Adena Watson. With a 12-hour time limit, the two partners try one last interrogation in a desperate attempt to get a confession. Writer Tom Fontana won an Emmy for writing this episode.





3. (3.04) "Crosetti" - The squad reels with shock over the news of Detective Steve Crosetti's suicide death - especially former partner Lewis, who has difficulty accepting the detective's death.





4. (3.10) "Every Mother's Son" - Pembleton and Bayliss investigate the shooting of a 13-year-old boy, Darryl Nawls. During the course of their investigation, the mother of the shooter unknowingly meets the mother of the victim and finds that they have much in common.





5. (6.22) "Fallen Heroes (Part 1) - Junior Bunk is arrested for the death of a corrupt judge named Gibbons. After stealing a revolver from an officer's death while no one is looking, Junior engages in a shooting spree, killing and wounding several officers - including Laura Ballard and Stu Gharty.





6. (6.23) "Fallen Heroes (Part 2) - The squad goes after the Mahoney organization, following Junior Bunk's shooting spree in Part 1. This leads to Bayliss getting seriously wounded. Meanwhile, Lieutenant Al Giardello and Pemberton eventually learn about Kellerman's killing of Luthor Mahoney.





7. (2.02) "Black and Blue" - The department and community pressure the Homicide Unit to solve a cop-involved killing. With the lives and reputations of fellow officers at stake, Giardello clashes with Pembleton over the investigations. Giardello demands a pursuit of civilian suspects, but Pembleton's instincts tell him the cops are lying.





8. (5.13) "Betrayal" - Bayliss's shaky history with child victims leads him to reveal a family secret to Pemberton after the two work the beating death of a young girl found by the interstate. Kellerman rejects the Fifth Amendment before a grand jury, and is let off the hook.





9. (7.10) "Shades of Gray" - Rene Sheppard is assaulted when she and Lewis investigate an incident involving the accidental death of a West Indian immigrant at the hands of a white bus driver.





10. (1.07) "And the Rockets' Dead Glare" - When a student who was a political refugee is murdered, Lewis and Crosetti take it upon themselves to investigate individuals at the Chinese Embassy in Washington, DC. Kay Howard and Beau Felton spend the day in court testifying in the ongoing case against "Pony" Johnson. Pembleton weighs the pros and cons of a possible promotion within the department.

"Obssessions" [PG-13] - Chapter 16

"OBSSESSIONS"

Part 16

Darryl parked the sedan across the street from Nick Marcano's apartment building. "Okay," he said to his companions, "we're here. I sure wish we had a squad car or two for backup."

"Somehow, I don't think that police backup will help." The words came from Paul Margolin, who sat in the car's back seat. He had accompanied Darryl and Olivia to Marcano's apartment in North Beach. "Especially if there's a chance he's involved with a demon or warlock," the ADA added.

Olivia said, "To be honest, I'm not sure about us being here. Other than Nick, I have no idea who or what we'll be facing. I hope that Nick won't give us any trouble, when we arrest him. I can't believe that he's behind all this."

"At least the Captain will be very happy," Darryl added. "He's been pressuring me to find a suspect for nearly a week. And now that we have one, we might as well deal with him. I just . . . I don't know. I still wish we had backup." He opened the door and climbed out of the car. Olivia and Margolin followed. The trio crossed the street and entered the apartment building.

Once inside, they paid a visit to the building's manager and demanded the key to Nick's apartment. The manager happily obliged - especially after Darryl showed him the search warrant. Once the trio reached outside Marcano's apartment, Darryl hesitated. "Think he's here? Marcano?" he asked.

"Well, we called his office," Olivia reminded her partner. "And he wasn't there."

Darryl knocked on the door. Seconds passed and no one answered. Then Olivia knocked. "Nick? It's Olivia McNeill. Are you home?"

More silence greeted the trio. Olivia suggested to Darryl that he use the key he had received from the manager. The two partners whipped out their revolvers. After Darryl unlocked the door, the two police officers and the ADA entered the apartment. "What exactly are we looking for?" Margolin asked.

Olivia replied, "Anything that can lead us to Nick's whereabouts. Or at least link him to DeWolfe Mann's death." She began to rummage through Marcano's desk.

Darryl went inside the bedroom and began his search with a highboy dresser. He did not find anything important, but he did notice that some of Marcano's clothing seemed to be missing. But he did find an interesting piece of female clothing behind the dresser. Everything else seemed to be normal. However, Darryl noticed that a few personal items seemed to be missing. Like a toothbrush, toothpaste and deodorant.

Then his eyes fell upon the sink. Darryl noticed a faint red streak on the edge. One touch indicated that it was dry. After removing a napkin and a pair of tweezers from his pocket, he delicately scraped at the red streak, using the tweezers. Then he brushed some of the residue onto the napkin. Darryl only hoped that his efforts would amount to something. Or that his "evidence" would not linger in Forensics for a week.

Just as he left the bathroom, Darryl overheard Olivia cry out, "Found something!" He rushed into the living room and spotted his red-haired partner waving a thick book in the air. "I found this in a tote bag, underneath the desk." Olivia glanced at it. "Looks like a library book. Huh. It's a book on . . . demonology?"

"On what?" Darryl took the book from Olivia's hand. He read the title. "FORMMAN'S ENCYCLOPEDIA ON WORLD DEMONOLOGY?" What the hell?" Then he peered inside the book. "Damn, this thing is old! Published in 1932."

Olivia nodded. "I know. I have a copy of it, at home." She retrieved the book. "And it looks as if I was right about Nick summoning a daemon to kill Bruce. The problem is we don't know what kind of daemon he had summoned." She sighed. "God, I wish that Cole was here."

Darryl noticed the dark look that flitted across Margolin's face. "Why?" the latter demanded. "We seem to be doing fine on our own."

"Because he was trying to get information on Miss Della Scalla, last night," Olivia explained. "From another daemon."

Margolin's mouth formed a tight line. "So, Belthazor is still in contact with other demons? I thought he had put that life behind him."

Olivia heaved a deep sigh. "You're not going to have a problem with Cole, are you Paul? Yes, he's still in contact with other daemons. They're a source of information. Besides, Cole's friend had promised he would find all he can about . . . or whatever her name."

"Can he be trusted?" Darryl wondered if Margolin meant Cole or the other demon. Fortunately, the ADA clarified matters. "This friend of Belthazor's. Can he be trusted?"

Shrugging her shoulders, Olivia replied, "I wouldn't know. I've never met this Riggerio, but I've heard of him. Very . . . ambiguous. He's a daemon known among Stregheria practioners."

"Stregheria. Like Nick," Darryl added.

Olivia nodded. "Precisely. It was Aunt Car . . . Mom's friend, Carla, who once told me about Riggerio. I just wish she were here in town. She could have told us about Portia."

One glance at the ADA told Darryl that the former still disapproved of Cole's decision to seek help from another demon. Probably disapproved of Cole, period. Darryl would have understood over two years ago. But now, he only wished that Margolin would learn to be a little more open-minded.

"I've been going through Marcano's dresser," Darryl added. "Looks like he's packed a few things. And his suitcase is missing. But I found this." He held up the piece of clothing found behind the highboy. A half-slip. "And this." He displayed the residue of dried blood inside the folded napkin.

Olivia grabbed the half-slip. "This must belong to Miss Della Scalla."

"That's what I figured," Darryl said.

Margolin asked, "If this Nick and his suitcase are missing, where is he?"

Darryl's cell phone rang. He answered it. "Hello? Oh, Phoebe. Wha . . .?" He fell silent, while the witch explained a premonition that she had experienced. Once she finished, he said, "Look Phoebe, if you're having trouble in reaching Leo, call Paige. I'm sure that she can get you to the McNeills' home in time." From the corner of his eye, he saw Olivia turn pale. "We'll see you there. Bye." He disconnected his phone.

Concern flared in Olivia's green eyes. "The McNeills' home? What's going on, Darryl?"

"That was Phoebe. She had a premonition of Bruce being kidnapped by Portia Della Scalla. And Piper can't get a hold of Leo."

Margolin added, "Then we better get over there, as soon as possible. And stop her." He turned to Olivia, who looked very upset. "Perhaps you better give your brother a call. That is, if he's at home."

"Yeah. Right." Olivia retrieved her cell phone from her purse. "God, I knew I should have called Bruce, again!"

Meanwhile, Darryl dialed the number to the precinct. And placed an All Points Bulletin for one Nicholas Marcano.

* * * *

The telephone rang. Paige rushed toward the counter to answer. "Ostera's," she greeted politely. "How may I help you?"

"Paige? It's Piper." The oldest Charmed One's voice sounded urgent. "Listen, can you orb to Phoebe's office at the BAY-MIRROR and pick us up? We have an emergency."

The youngest Charmed One glanced at her boss, who was busy with a customer. "Uh, what kind of emergency?"

Piper sighed. "Of the demonic kind. Look, I don't have time to explain. We need you. Now. I'm sure that Barbara would understand. It involves Bruce."

"Bruce? What about him?" Paige spoke loud enough to capture Barbara's attention. The latter shot a quick glance at her.

"Phoebe saw him being kidnapped by that Portia woman. Now get your butt over here, so we can save him!"

A sigh left Paige's mouth. She hated it when Piper assumed a bossy attitude. It made her elder sister seem bitchy - a trait that did not suit Piper at all. As much as she loved Piper, the latter never struck Paige as a natural leader. "All right, Piper! Gee! I'll be there as soon as I tell Barbara."

After she hung up, Paige looked at Barbraa. The latter turned over the customer to the shop's other assistant, Madeline. Then she approached Paige. "What's going on?" she demanded. "Is it Bruce? Is he in trouble?"

"Yeah. Um, that was Piper." Paige went on to describe her sister's news about Phoebe's premonition and Leo's missing status. "They need me to orb them over to the McNeills' house and . . ."

Barbara immediately interjected, "I'm going with you." She turned to Madeline, who had just bid a customer good-bye a few minutes ago. "Maddy, Paige and I have an emergency. We'll be gone for a few hours."

"But my lunch . . ." the younger woman protested.

"Don't worry. I'll give you an extra hour or two of overtime. We'll be back." Barbara led Paige to the storeroom. "Okay, let's go," she quietly ordered. The pair immediately orbed from the store.

* * * *

About fifteen minutes before Phoebe had experienced her premonition, Harry sat inside his father's study, working on a merger proposition between McNeill Corporation and a real estate company. Unfortunately, his mind seemed to linger on something other than his work. Matters like his older brother's odd behavior and the voice he thought he had overheard, last night.

Harry realized that there was no way a daemon or any other magical being could have entered the house. Not without the protection spell that Gran had cast over the house. Unless . . . Harry immediately dismissed the disturbing thought. No. If someone had managed to enter Bruce's apartment, he or possibly she had to be strong enough to bypass the spell. Or . . . Harry realized that he could not deny it any longer. The possibility that someone inside the house had removed the spell.

Heaving a sigh, Harry left the study and began a tour of the house, to check on the protection herbs. Ten minutes later, he discovered, to his dismay, that every sprig of Mallow planted around the house, had disappeared. Who had removed . . .?

The disturbing thought returned. That and memories of Bruce's behavior, this morning. Harry began to wonder if his older brother had been responsible for the removal of the Mallow. Determined to find out, he made his way upstairs, to Bruce's bedroom. As he raised his hand to knock on the door, Harry could hear a voice. A woman's voice that sounded very familiar. A mental alert rang inside his head. This time, he planned to discover the identity of Bruce's visitor. As he grasped the doorknob, Harry gently opened the door.

Inside, he saw a beautiful, dark-haired woman on the edge of Bruce's bed, leaning over the older man's inert figure. "What the hell?" Harry cried out. The woman's head whipped around. Sherry-brown eyes flew open. "Who the hell are you?"

The woman slowly rose from the bed. Her eyes widened further, as she stared at Harry. A sudden attack of lethargy overcame him, and he found himself struggling to remain conscious. "Sleep," he heard the woman command. "do not fight it." Harry's knees gave way and he slowly slid to the floor. "Yes, yes," the woman murmured in her soft accent, "allow the sleep to wash over you."

"No!" Using every ounce of his will and his telepathy, Harry deflected the woman's psychic attack. She gasped out loud and fell to her knees. Harry crawled toward her, as he used his mind to apply pressure to hers. She clasped both hands to each side of her head and screamed. Then she disappeared in a cloud of smoke.

Harry sighed with relief and slowly rose to his feet. He took one step toward the bed, when the woman reappeared. "Hey!" he cried. She smiled at him, grabbed Bruce's arm and disappeared. This time, with the oldest McNeill sibling in tow.

Oh no! Panic struck Harry. He had failed to save Bruce, despite his best efforts. Shit! What the hell was he supposed to do, now? At first, Harry considered calling his parents or grandmother. Then he thought of one person truly capable of tracking down Bruce. He reached for the cordless telephone on the nightstand and dialed the number for the offices of Jackman, Kline and Carter.

* * * *

Cole glanced at the clock on his desk and sighed with relief. Two minutes past noon. Which meant it was time for lunch. Only he did not feel like eating. A liquid lunch seemed more preferable. Something alcoholic.

This morning, he barely had time to recover from his latest one-night stand, when he realized that he had to go to work. Encountering Olivia in the building's parking lot had done nothing for his mood. Cole still felt embarrassed over her discovery of the lipstick on his chin. And a little pissed. After all, who in the hell was she to strike an attitude over his late night activities? Especially since she had dinner with her saintly new ADA, last night. God only knew what else happened between them once that dinner ended.

And yet, Cole could not rid himself of the guilt or the embarrassment. Or the longing for a return to their old relationship. Before Paul Margolin had entered their lives. It would be even better if they could take their relationship toward a new . . . The intercom box on his desk buzzed. "Mr. Turner," his assistant announced, "you have a call on Line 3. It's Harry McNeill."

Harry? Why would he be calling around this time of the day? Cole calmed down and replied, "Thanks Eleanor. Buzz him through." She connected the call to Cole's desk and he answered. "Hello? Harry?"

The youngest McNeill literally shouted into the phone. "Cole! Thank God I reached you! I need your help! Badly!"

"Harry, calm down. What's wrong?"

"It's Bruce," Harry continued. "He's gone!" The young witch went on to explain about the demonic visitor that had snatched Bruce. Judging from the kidnapper's description, Cole realized that Portia Della Scalla had paid a visit. His mind on the present emergency, Cole sat up in his chair. "Listen Harry, get a hold of Olivia, Leo, your parents, or anyone who might help. Don't . . . don't worry, Harry! I'll help as well. Listen, make sure that you tell Olivia first. I have something to do, first."

"Oh. Okay," Harry replied. "Anything else?"

An idea came to Cole. "Remember how you managed to tap into Phoebe's premonition, last fall? Just before she and her sisters got caught by those warlocks?"

Hesitation crept into Harry's voice. "Uh, yeah. Are you . . . are you suggesting that I . . .?"

"Harry, just try it. Try to make a connection with Bruce and find out where he is."

Harry replied doubtfully, "I don't know. I had only managed to connect with Phoebe by accident. I was meditating at the time."

"Well, a little meditation wouldn't help right now," Cole said. "Meanwhile, I have a little errand to run. It's regarding Bruce. I should be at your house, soon." He hung up before Harry could respond. Then Cole grabbed his jacket and left the office. "Eleanor," he said to his assistant, "I'll be out of the office for the rest of the day. If anyone calls or comes looking for me, tell them I'm at an important meeting."

Eleanor nodded. "Yes, Mr. Turner." But Cole barely heard her, as he marched toward the elevator.

* * * *

Seconds later, Cole materialized in the middle of a long corridor, deep within the Source's Realm. He immediately recognized the corridor as the very one that led to the Source's throne room. Dismissing memories that threatened to overwhelm him, Cole made his way toward the aforementioned room and entered.

"Who the hell are you?" a voice from behind, demanded.

Cole whirled around and faced a young man who looked to be in his twenties. The latter was of medium height and possessed dark hair, dark eyes and a swarthy complexion. There seemed to be something oddly familiar about him.

The young daemon repeated his question. "Who are you? What are . . .?" His dark eyes widened in recognition. "Belthazor! I mean you're the Source! The last Source!"

"And you are?" Cole demanded.

"Sirius." The demon stood proudly. "My father was Bacchus. He was part of the old Source's Council."

An image of an older version of Sirius popped into Cole's head. "Of course! Bacchus was also part of my council. You . . . uh, you look a lot like your father. Was he among those who perished when the Seer tried to become the new Source?"

Sirius shook his head. "No, he wasn't at the ceremony. He was killed six months later. By Barbas. Thankfully that bastard is dead."

"Yeah, thankfully," Cole murmured, recalling his part in Barbas' death.

Dark eyes swept over the older daemon. "It's good to see you again, Your Eminence. Are you here to reclaim leadership of the Realm?"

"No," Cole curtly replied.

Sirius frowned. "Then why are you here?"

Cole walked past the younger daemon and headed toward the altar. "I'm here for another matter. To retrieve something." He stepped behind the altar and used his telekinesis to remove a heavy stone embedded in the wall.

Sirius leaned over Cole, irritating the latter. "What are you doing? What is that?"

Cole held up a small black box. He replaced the stone. "A little personal item that I had left behind," he replied. "Now that I have it, I'll be on my way." He started to walk away from the altar. Sirius blocked his path. Cole glared at the younger daemon. "Look, do you mind getting out of my way?"

"No. I cannot allow you to leave with whatever you have. It belongs here."

A long sigh left Cole's mouth. "Actually, it doesn't. Not really. Now please, get out of my way." When the younger daemon refused to move, Cole's expression hardened. "Let me remind you of a few facts of life, Sirius. One, this realm is in chaos, which means there is no reason for you to act as guardian of the Source's throne room. Two, this little item in my hand does belong to someone else - another daemon - and I intend to return it to him. For a price. And three, if you don't get out of my way, I will kill you." Cole took a threatening step forward. "Slowly and painfully. And you're not strong enough to stop me."

A few seconds passed before Sirius finally stepped aside. He seemed to humiliated and embarrassed to face Cole. Which produced a spark of pity within the latter. Cole gave the younger daemon a quick punch to the shoulder. "Look, there's no reason to feel humiliated. Neither your father or the Old Source would have been able to stop me. Besides, you strike me as an intelligent person. Like your father. Keep it up and you might have an important place if the Source's Realm ever becomes reorganized." Sirius gave Cole a grateful nod, before the latter disappeared from the Source's chamber.


END OF PART 16

"GREEN ZONE" (2010) Review

”GREEN ZONE” (2010) Review

Over three years ago, journalist Rajiv Chandrasekaran wrote a book about the early days after the 2003 U.S. invasion of Iraq, the occupation and governance particularly of Baghdad and the search for weapons of mass destruction. Director Paul Greengrass and actor Matt Damon took ”Imperial Life in the Emerald City: Inside Iraq's Green Zone” and turned it into a political thriller about the clashing ideals of U.S. personnel on how to handle the occupation of Iraq.

The story began with U.S. Army Warrant Officer Roy Miller’s search of a third location for weapons of mass destruction (WMDs) allegedly created by Saddam Hussein’s government. Upon arriving at this third location, Miller discovered no signs of mass destruction weapons being manufactured or stored . . . just as he had discovered at the two previous locations. During a debriefing at the American “Green Zone” (the location of the U.S. Coalition Provisional Authority in Baghdad), Miller announced his discoveries or lack of them and openly questioned the intelligence reports regarding the weapons. His comments earned the attention of the CIA’s Baghdad bureau chief, Martin Brown and Clark Poundstone, a Pentagon Special Intelligence official. The two men have different agendas regarding the U.S. occupation of Iraq. Brown wanted to utilize Saddam Hussein’s Army generals to help the U.S. keep the peace and prevent the country from succumbing to civil war. Poundstone, on the other hand, wanted nothing to do with the generals. Instead, he wanted them dead and to install a pro-American puppet named Ahmed Zubadi as Iraq’s new leader. When an Iraqui man named ‘Freddy’ informed Miller of the location of the Iraqi generals, the warrant officer not only found himself caught between Brown and Poundstone’s agendas, but those of other characters – including his own.

”GREEN ZONE” is not the best political thriller I have ever seen. But I must admit that it is a pretty damn good movie. What made this particular movie interesting is that nearly all of the major characters have their own agendas. Some managed to achieve their agendas. Some did not. And at least one managed to achieve his agenda, only to lose in the end. ”GREEN ZONE” turned out to be one of the most ambiguous stories I have seen in recent years. Ambiguous on a level that would surprise many. And I suspect that many moviegoers would have preferred if the supporting characters’ moral compass – especially those of the Iraqi characters - had been a little less murky. But Greengrass and screenwriter Brian Helgeland decided not to take that route. And I am glad. The supporting characters’ ambiguity not only forced the lead character, Roy Miller, to become a wiser man; but made the story more interesting to me.

In another review of ”GREEN ZONE”, I read a complaint that none of the main characters really developed. I would disagree . . . from a certain point of view. What happened to most of the main characters was that most found themselves forced to face the realities of their situations. They spent so much of their time pursuing a particular agenda, until they realized that what they had wanted or were fighting for was nothing more than an illusion. Not only did Miller come to this realization, but also the movie’s main antagonist, Clark Poundstone.

”GREEN ZONE” marked Matt Damon’s third collaboration with director Paul Greengrass. If anyone had expected U.S. Warrant Officer Roy Miller to be another Jason Bourne, they would end up disappointed. Damon’s Roy Miller was not some superspy trying to come to terms with his violent past. Miller was a well-trained and competent Army warrant officer (ranked below a commissioned officer and above a high ranking non-commissioned officer) who had naively believed the Bush Administration’s propaganda about Iraq’s mass destruction weapons program. Damon did a top-notch job in conveying Miller’s slow realization that not only had he been naïve regarding his country’s decision to invade Iraq, but also about Iraq’s political situation. By the movie’s end, his Miller was still a very competent Army warrant officer. But the character also became a wiser and slightly embittered man. As a side note, the Miller character was based upon Warrant Officer Richard (Monty) Gonzales, whose Mobile Exploitation Team was charged with finding the WMDs during the 2003 invasion of Iraq.

Greg Kinnear was excellent as usual in his portrayal of the Pentagon Special Intelligence official, Clark Poundstone. His Poundstone seemed to have an air of a typical politician – charming, manipulative and very arrogant. Yet, these very traits blinded Poundstone from the true state of Iraqi politics. And Kinnear ably conveyed the official’s shock upon realizing that he had been very naïve. Brendan Gleeson’s character, CIA bureau chief Martin Brown, seemed like a different kettle of fish. Although both men were manipulative, Brown seemed more appraised of Iraq’s political situation and a lot more honest with Miller – a situation that would lead him to make the warrant officer an ally. And Gleeson did an excellent job in conveying Brown’s failure to consider the lengths Poundstone would go to achieve his goal.

The rest of the supporting cast also provided first-rate support – aside from one. Khalid Abdalla gave an emotional performance as ‘Freddy’, an Iraqi man who revealed the presence of Saddam’s generals and became Miller’s interpreter. His own personal agenda would prove to be the story’s wild card. Amy Ryan gave a complex performance as Lawrie Dayne, the journalist who realized that Poundstone had used her as a propaganda machine for the U.S. invasion of Iraq. Her character was based upon former New York Times reporter, Judith Miller. Ambiguity seemed to be the name of the game in Yigal Naor’s performance as the ruthless General Al-Rawi, the Iraqi general who eventually discovered that Poundstone had lied to him about utilizing the Iraqi Army to help the U.S. keep the peace. The one performance that struck a negative note to me belonged to Jason Isaacs, who portrayed Major Briggs, an unscrupulous Delta Force officer, who portrayed Poundstone’s personal thug. I am not accusing Isaacs of a bad performance. I have to lay the blame upon Brian Helgeland, who wrote the character as one-dimensional. I doubt that any actor as talented as Isaacs could have done anything with the role except portray him as written – a murderous, yet competent thug.

Production designer Dominic Watkins did a solid job in recapturing the chaos of those early months of the American presence in Iraq. The contrast between war-torn Baghdad and the resort-like atmosphere of ‘the Green Zone’ struck me as amazing. Do not ask me about John Powell’s score for the movie, because I found it unmemorable. However, I cannot say the same about Barry Ackroyd’s photography. For me, it brought back bad memories of the shaky cam style featured in previous Greengrass/Damon movies like ”THE BOURNE SUPREMACY” and ”THE BOURNE ULTIMATUM”. This particular cinematography style struck me as even more confusing in ”GREEN ZONE” This was especially apparent in the movie’s final action sequence. Just imagine the shaky cam photography and editing from the last two BOURNE films in a sequence shot at night and you might see how confused and dizzy I had felt from the experience.

As I had stated earlier, I would never call ”GREEN ZONE” one of the best political thrillers or war movies I have seen. The movie possessed certain elements I did not care for – the cinematography, Christopher Rouse’s editing and the portrayal of Jason Isaacs’ character. But the movie did have an interesting and complex story. The rest of the cast gave first-rate performances, given the ambiguous roles written for them. In the end, both Paul Greengrass and Matt Damon did themselves proud.

"THE PACIFIC" (Episode Four) Commentary

I wrote this commentary on the fourth episode of "THE PACIFIC":


”THE PACIFIC” (Episode Four) Commentary

When I first saw the featurettes about ”THE PACIFIC” on HBO, I noticed that the filmmakers and screenwriters had made a big deal about the miniseries’ ninth episode, which featured the battle on Okinawa. From what I had gathered, this particular episode might serve as the miniseries’ darkest. Then I saw Episode Four, which featured the U.S. Marines First Division’s experiences during the Battle of Cape Gloucester. And I realized that I had been wrong.

Very little combat played a role in Episode Four. One scene featured Robert Leckie’s brief confrontation with a Japanese scout patrol near the beginning of the episode. And another scene featured Company “H” repelling an intense banzai attack by the Japanese, a few minutes later. But as the documentary had hinted around the beginning of the episode, the Marines’ main conflict during the Cape Gloucester campaign seemed to be the environment – the thick jungle and the rain. And because of this environment, Leckie and his fellow Marines suffered a drop in morale.

Before watching this episode, I had no idea how depressing it would be. So much about this episode struck me as depressing . . . especially from Leckie’s point of view. One, both he and Sidney Phillips had the bad luck to witness Gibson’s murder of the Japanese soldier. Judging from the slightly demented expression on Gibson’s face, I suspect that neither Leckie nor Phillips was willing to interrupt the murder. But they both obviously found the experience disturbing. Eventually, the rain, the mud and the jungles of Cape Gloucester on New Britain got to Leckie and he eventually found himself begging for someone to shoot him after he lost his shoes in the mud and fell down a slope. It got worse. Leckie found his confiscated Japanese chest stolen by a Marine officer. And instead of dismissing the chest lost, he stubbornly tried to get his chest back during a hostile confrontation. Leckie never got the chest back. Instead, the Marine officer transferred him from his duties as an intelligence scout to kitchen and latrine duties. The Marine officer also humiliated Leckie for wetting his trousers. But that was nothing in compare to Leckie witnessing the suicide of a Canadian-born Marine.

Company “H” of the First Marines Division was eventually sent to the island of Pavuvu for some rest and relaxation. Only, the island proved to be nothing like Melbourne. The Marines had to deal with pests like rats and crabs. Leckie’s sense of humor became increasingly irritating to Hoosier. And his bedwetting (enuresis) became even worse. At one point, “Chuckler” Juergens found Leckie lying on his cot, pissing uncontrollably and staring into space. Leckie had finally reached the nadir of his existence. The company’s doctor shipped Leckie to a Naval hospital located on Banika. Leckie discovered that the wing he had been assigned to was for psychiatric patients. Fortunately for him, the Naval doctor assigned to him – a Dr. Grant – realized that Leckie was simply suffering from enuresis and a case of exhaustion. By the end of the episode, he allowed the Marine to return to his company. Before that happened, Leckie made another discovery . . . Ronnie Gibson was also a patient at the hospital. Leckie learned from Dr. Grant that Gibson tried to steal a plane and later commit suicide, while Company “H” were on Pavuvu.

I doubt very much that Episode Four will ever be considered a personal favorite of mine. I simply found it too depressing. But I must admit that I also found it fascinating. And it is a credit to screenwriters Robert Schenkkan and Graham Yost, along with Yost’s direction that I managed to remain fascinated by it all. While watching Episode Four, it occurred to me that in some ways, it reminded me of the 2005 movie, ”JARHEAD”. The Marines in Sam Mendes’ movie were suffering psychological stress, due to their inability to relieve their built-up aggression via combat. The Marines in Episode Four were suffering from a number of factors – no combat against the Japanese, who had decamped to Rabaul on the other side of New Britain.

For the umpteenth time, actor James Badge Dale managed to knock it out of the ballpark with his portrayal of Robert Leckie. In fact, I would say that this episode marked his best performance in the miniseries to date. He did a superb job in portraying Leckie’s emotional descent without any heavy-handed acting. I especially enjoyed his performance during a scene that featured Leckie’s confrontation with the officer who had stolen the Japanese chest. Badge Dale’s performance conveyed a delicious mixture of aggression, sarcasm and subtlety. I also have to give kudos to Tom Budge’s portrayal of the demented Gibson. Mind you, his performance was not as subtle as Badge Dale’s, but it was just as convincing. And I believe I will never forget that expression on his face, after his character had strangled that Japanese soldier. I also found Leckie’s stay at that Naval hospital equally depressing. It reminded me of a line that the Bill Guernere character had said about military hospitals in one of the episodes of ”BAND OF BROTHERS”. Thanks to this episode, I finally understand what he was trying to say. The Banika sequence also featured Matt Craven, who gave a wonderfully subtle performance as Leckie’s doctor, the slightly sarcastic Dr. Grant. Thinking about this episode, it occurred to me that the one character who managed to remain steady throughout the entire mess was Chuckler, thanks to Josh Helman’s solid performance. It is easy to see why Lieutenant Corrigan had promoted him to corporal following the Alligator Creek action on Guadalcanal in Episode One.

After watching Episode Four, I found myself dubbing it ”Heart of Darkness – Part One”, considering that the entire episode featured a little combat, a murder, a suicide, illness, rodents and crabs and a stay for Leckie at a Naval psych ward. And I had no idea I would be watching this before it aired. The reason I had dubbed it ”Part One” is that I suspect that the Okinawa episode will proved to be just as depressing . . . or perhaps a little more.

Next week . . . Leckie and Sledge experience their beach landings at Peleliu.