"DREAMGIRLS" (2006) Review

“DREAMGIRLS” (2006) Review

When I had first learned that the eight Academy Award nominations for the 2006 musical, "DREAMGIRLS", did not include one for Best Picture and a Best Director nod for Bill Condon, it seemed pretty odd to me. The movie, based upon the 1981 Broadway musical, had already won plenty of accolades – including a Best Musical/Comedy Picture and two other Golden Globe awards. Was it possible that "DREAMGIRLS" had failed to live up to its hype? 

Several movie critics, including one for “The New York Times” claimed that this might be the case. This critic and others went on to say that although "DREAMGIRLS" was a pretty good movie, it lacked the qualities to be considered as a nominee for Best Picture. Since I had yet to see "DREAMGIRLS" at the time, I began to wonder if my sister – who had first recommended the movie – had exaggerated its good qualities. Just recently, I had watched "DREAMGIRLS" for the umpteenth time. Needless to say that when I first saw the movie, I realized that my sister had not exaggerated. The movie not only possessed a rich, in-depth look at the music industry for African-Americans in the 1960s and 70s, it can also boast fine performances and a very unusual direction.

The cast, which included Jamie Foxx, Beyonce Knowles, Eddie Murphy, Anika Noni Rose, Danny Glover and Jennifer Hudson; were all excellent. Foxx, Knowles and Glover all did competent jobs in their respective roles. I was especially surprised to see Foxx (usually seen in comedy and action roles and an Oscar winner for his portrayal of Ray Charles) portrayed villainous record producer Curtis Taylor Jr. in a rather subtle, yet intimidating manner. Knowles proved that she could be a competent actress – especially in two scenes that feature her character’s (lead singer Deena Jones) growing resentment toward Taylor’s control over her career and life. It was good to see Glover in a substantial role again, after so many years. He was his usual competent self as the more conservative manager of Eddie Murphy’s character, James “Thunder” Early. Another character connected to the Early role was Lorrell Robinson, portrayed by Anika Noni Rose. I must admit that Rose’s portrayal of the young, star-struck Lorrell seemed a little hammy and unconvincing. Fortunately, her performance improved when her character matured. By the time Lorrell became convinced that her long affair with the mercurial James had been a mistake, Rose gave a very poignant performance.

Two of the best things about "DREAMGIRLS" turned out to be the show-stopping performances of Eddie Murphy and Jennifer Hudson as R&B singer, James “Thunder” Early and the Dreams’ real talent Effie White. Not only did both performers won Golden Globe awards for Best Supporting Actor and Supporting Actress respectively, both received Oscar nominations for the same categories. Murphy bypassed his usual comedic performances to portray James Early as a R&B singer doomed to have his raw talent being slowly squeezed to death by Curtis Taylor’s ambition for acceptance by the white audience in 1960s/70s America. Not only did Murphy give a brilliant performance as the doomed Early, he also proved that he could be a knock-out musical talent. "DREAMGIRLS" must have seemed like sweet revenge for Chicago native, Jennifer Hudson. After being dismissed by “American Idol” judges halfway into competition, Hudson managed to win the role of Effie White, a talented and mercurial singer forced to deal with rejection by Taylor because of her “soulful” voice and physical appearance. Hudson’s show-stopping performance of “And I’m Telling You I’m Not Going” combined the best of her acting ability and magnificent voice, and may have possibly rivaled Jennifer Holliday’s performance of the same song in the Broadway version.

Not only did “And I’m Telling You I’m Not Going” beautifully showcased Jennifer Hudson’s talent, it also proved a theory of mine. I had once told a friend that singing in front of a live audience took more than simply holding a microphone and singing. To get the song across to the audience, the performer needed to act out the meaning behind the song through facial expressions and body language. Such expressions through song has been shown before on both the screen and stage, but Hudson took it to a level that left me breathless . . . and almost crying. Not only did the song’s lyrics expressed Effie White’s desperation to maintain Curtis Taylor’s love, but her facial expression and body language effectively did so, as well. I also have to commend Knowles, Foxx, Rose, Keith Robinson (who played Effie’s songwriter brother C.C.) and Sharon Leal (who played Effie’s replacement, Michelle Morris) for their performances in a scene in which they all express their hostility and resentment toward Effie’s volatile behavior. For a moment, I thought I was watching an opera.

In fact, one felt the sense of watching an opera or an operetta, instead of the usual musical. Since the Astaire/Rogers series of the 1930s, movie musicals have perfected the art of movie dialogue seamlessly segueing in a song. In "DREAMGIRLS", not only does the dialogue segue into song, but sometimes segue back into dialogue in the middle of a song. Or . . . two characters would end either do the following: 1) interrupt the dialogue with a few lines of song; or 2) switch back and forth between song and dialogue. This made "DREAMGIRLS" feel like no other movie musical I have ever seen and I have to commend director Bill Condon for creating this unusual style for any musical.

Now, I find myself back to thinking about those Academy Award nominations. Had the critics been right to believe that "DREAMGIRLS" had never deserved the nominations for Best Picture and Best Director? In the end, those critics were entitled to their own opinions. But I had learned from another source that "DREAMGIRLS" had enough votes from the Academy members to receive a Best Picture nomination. But from my personal view, all I can say is . . . ”What in the hell had the Academy been thinking?”

"TOTAL RECALL" (2012) Photo Gallery

Below are images from "TOTAL RECALL", the new adaptation of Philip K. Dick's 1966 short story, "We Can Remember It for You Wholesale". Directed by Len Wiseman, the movie stars Colin Farrell, Kate Beckinsale and Jessica Biel:


"TOTAL RECALL" (2012) Photo Gallery

"LOST" RETROSPECT: (3.18) "D.O.C."

"LOST" RETROSPECT: (3.18) "D.O.C."

The treatment of "LOST" characters Jin and Sun Kwon has generated a great deal of emotion and some disappointment for the fans of the series. I can understand why. The series' portrayal of the South Korean couple - especially during the last three seasons - has been pretty shaky. But once in a while, viewers were able to see an outstanding episode that featured the Kwons. And one of them happened to be the Season Three episode, (3.18) "D.O.C.". 

Back in the Season Two episode, (2.16) "The Whole Truth", Sun-Hwa Kwon discovered that she was pregnant. Although initially happy by the news, Sun found herself wondering over the identity of the unborn baby's father. At the time of"The Whole Truth", she had been on the island for two months. The episode's flashbacks revealed her discovery that husband Jin-Soo Kwon was sterile and she was secretly learning English from a former suitor named Jae Lee. Audiences eventually learned in the Season Three episode, (3.02) "The Glass Ballerina" of her affair with Jae. When fellow castaway Kate Austen informed Sun about the doomed fates of pregnant women on the island in "D.O.C.", the latter turned to former Other Dr. Juliet Burke for more information. When Juliet revealed the unborn baby's D.O.C. (Date of Conception), Sun experienced both relief and heartache. 

The episode's B-plot centered around the discovery of an injured parachutist by Charlie Pace, Sayid Jarrah, Hugo Reyes and Desmond Hume. The four castaways tried to find a way to deal with the injured and incoherent Naomi Dorrit. An unexpected savior appeared in the form of an Other named Mikhail Bakunin, who apparently HAD NOT been killed by castaway John Locke in (3.12) "Par Avion". A cat-and-mouse ensured between Mikhail and the Lostaways over Ms. Dorrit's life and the walkie-talkie in her possession.

I must admit that "D.O.C." proved to be one of my favorite episodes from Season Three. And I have to thank writers Edward Kitsis and Adam Horowitz's handling of the plot featuring Sun's baby. Although Naomi Dorrit's appearance proved to be a bigger impact upon the series' major story arc, the dilemma surrounding Sun's baby still managed to pack quite a wallop not only for the Kwons' marriage, but also for defector Juliet. After all, it was Sun's determination to learn about her unborn baby's fate that led audiences to discover that Juliet was a spy planted the Others' leader, Benjamin Linus. Ben, who was obsessed with finding a way to help pregnant women survive on the island, wanted to determine the physical state of the female castaways of child bearing age. This plot was further enhanced by superb performances from Yunjin Kim and Elizabeth Mitchell, whom I consider to be the two best actresses in the cast.

The Kwon baby plot also benefited from an interesting flashback in which Sun found herself blackmailed by a middle-aged woman, claiming to be Jin's mother. Apparently, the woman was a former prostitute who was allegedly unaware of the true identity of Jin's father. Not being the maternal type, she handed over baby Jin to Mr. Kwon, a fisherman and former customer. The woman threatened to expose Jin's parentage and humiliate Sun's family, the affluent Paiks. Personally, I could not see how this subplot had anything to do with Sun's dilemma over her baby's conception date. I suspect that Kitsis and Horowitz wanted to use the mystery over Jin's parentage as a comparison to a similar mystery that hung over the Kwon baby's parentage. Until the writers tossed in a brilliant twist with a revelation that Sun had borrowed money from her father to pay off Jin's mother. Due to her refusal to explain her request, Mr. Paik informed her that Jin would be in debt to him as a personal enforcer - a turn of events that eventually soured the Kwons' marriage. But in the end, Sun's intimidation of her mother-in-law/blackmailer also provided to be the second best moment in the episode. 

Speaking of Jin, he was involved in subplot regarding Naomi Dorrit's arrival on the island. As I had stated earlier, this subplot ended up having a bigger impact on the series' main arc. Oddly enough, I merely found it amusing, but without any real emotional wallop for me. I was surprised to learn that Mikhail Bakunin was still alive, following Locke's so-called "murder" of him in "Par Avion". His so-called resurrection was never really explained in the episode. And why bother having both Hurley and Charlie explain that Kate had told them about Mikhail's death, instead of having Sayid, who had been there, reveal the incident? The subplot did reveal two interesting moments. One, Jin managed to prevent Mikhail from stealing Naomi's walkie-talkie in a neat martial arts move. And the audience and Losties discovered from Naomi that a fake Oceanic 815 plane had been discovered, with all of the passengers dead. And actor Andrew Divoff continued to give an interesting, yet entertaining performance as the Russian-born Other.

Overall, "D.O.C." proved to be a highly satisfying episode for me. Although I found the Naomi Dorrit subplot a little shaky, I felt that the major plot surrounding Sun Kwon's unborn baby benefited from superb writing by Edward Kitsis and Adam Horowitz, along with excellent performances from Yunjin Kim and Elizabeth Mitchell made this one of my all time favorite "LOST" episode.

"The Uninvited" [PG-13] - Act I

"THE UNINVITED"

ACT I

"Not bad," Paige declared, as she glanced around the elegant room. She took a sip of her gingerale. "Although, this party could use some decent music."

Harry smirked. "By decent music, are you referring to Alanis Morissette? Aimee Mann or the Bare Naked Ladies? Don't forget that Mom and Dad are hosting this engagement party for Cole and Olivia - and they come from a different generation." He and Paige sat at one of the tables that filled the Colonial Room at the Westin St. Francis Hotel. "Besides, what's wrong with 'The Look of Love'? I've always liked Burt Bacharach."

"I'm not into Oldies. I like my music, contemporary."

With a sigh, Harry shook his head. "Sometimes Paige, I think you have no sense of history."

The music finally stopped. One of the many couples on the dance floor broke away and approached Paige and Harry's table. "Why aren't you two dancing?" Piper asked. She sat in the chair, next to Paige's.

Harry replied, "It seems Paige isn't into Oldies." He glanced up at Piper's companion. "So Scott, are you enjoying yourself?"

"Great party." Scott Yi shot a friendly smile at Piper. Who responded with one of her own. Earlier in the evening, Olivia had introduced other members of her squad to the Halliwells. Paige and Piper learned that one of them, Scott Yi, not only knew about the existence of magic, but was also a practitioner. A powerful sorcerer. Scott's eyes scanned the hotel ballroom. "What happened to sister number three?"

Piper replied, "Phoebe? She's in Hong Kong. With her boyfriend. And boss."

"Oh, Jason Dean." The two sisters stared at him. "I remembered him from the DeWolfe Mann case. He was always calling the station about an update. And Olivia has told me about him."

Paige added, "Yeah, well Phoebe had decided to stay with Jason for a while."

"Have you heard from her, yet?" Harry asked.

Piper sighed. "She called about three days ago. Apparently, she and Jason had just returned from some party aboard a . . . taipan's yacht."

Both Harry and Scott exchanged amused glances at Piper's mention of the word, "taipan". Still smiling, the red-haired witch commented, "Taipan, huh? Boy, she really must be turning native."

"Turning 'Chinese' would be more like it," Scott added. "I guess that usually happens when someone becomes exposed to a new culture for a period of time."

Paige rolled her eyes. "Tell me about it! Every time we have a conversation with her, Phoebe starts spouting Eastern philosophy. Really gets on my nerves." Aware of Scott's presence, she shot him an embarrassed glance. "Ooops! Sorry, no offense."

"None taken," Scott shot back. "Besides, I understand. I knew a guy who became a born-again Christian. I was happy for him, but unfortunately, he wouldn't stop talking about it."

Piper nodded. "Knowing Phoebe, I'm sure that she'll get over her philosophical musings, once she returns home for good."

A soft, Irish voice said, "Phoebe is out of town?" The three witches and the sorcerer glanced up and found Cole's mother looming before them. Paige could not help but admire the demoness' chic, powder-green cocktail dress and stylish haircut. Mrs. Turner regarded the quartet with observant, blue eyes. "I wondered why I didn't see her, this evening."

Piper coolly replied, "Phoebe is . . ." She paused and broke off - as if she realized that she had said too much.

"Phoebe is . . . where?" Cole's mother asked.

Scott added, "Actually, she's in Hong Kong." Ignoring the Charmed Ones' dark glances, he stood up and held out his hand. "How do you do? I'm a friend of the bride-to-be. My name is Scott Yi."

"Elizabeth Turner," the demoness replied, shaking the police inspector's hand. "Cole's mother." She turned her gaze upon Harry. "And you must be one of Olivia's brothers. I see the family resemblance."

Harry stood up and smiled politely. "Yes, I'm Harry McNeill, Olivia's younger brother. It's nice meeting you." He shook hands with the demoness.

Mrs. Turner continued, "So, Phoebe is in Hong Kong. How charming. She must be with that publisher companion of hers. Jason Dean?"

The two Charmed Ones regarded Cole's mother with surprise . . . and suspicion. "How did you know about Jason?" Paige demanded.

"Well, after meeting my former daughter-in-law, last summer; I took it upon myself to learn more about her. And you." Mrs. Turner gave the two sisters a bright smile. "After all, Bel . . . Cole used to be part of your family." She returned her attention to Scott. "Have you, by any chance, ever heard of a man named Yi Tse Lao? I believe that he once owned a pharmacy on Grant Avenue."

Scott nodded. "Uh, that would be my great-uncle. My grandfather's brother."

"Really? As I recall, Mr. Yi owned a most remarkable shop. His collection of herbs and other . . . medicines was most extensive."

Piper demanded, "Is there a reason why you're here?"

With eyes that reflected a lack of emotion, Mrs. Turner glanced at Piper. Paige found the demoness unsettling. Then she turned to Harry. "By the way, Mr. McNeill, I'm looking for your parents. There is . . . something I wish to discuss with them."

"Discuss what?" Paige asked.

The demoness coolly replied, "Something. It's for Cole and Olivia's engagement." Her eyes pierced Paige's. "Anything else?"

Feeling slightly embarrassed, Paige murmured, "No."

Harry added, "They were dancing not long ago. I, uh . . ." He scanned the ballroom. "Oh, there they are. Near the refreshment tables."

"Thank you, my dear. Ladies, gentlemen." Mrs. Turner flashed one last smile at the quartet and walked away.

"Whew!" Paige released a gust of breath. "That is one scary woman. I can't understand why your parents would invite her to this party."

Harry replied, "Because she happens to be Cole's mother. And this is a family affair."

"She's also dangerous," Piper added. "In fact, I don't think even Cole is comfortable about her being here."

With a shrug of his shoulders, Scott said, "He should have thought about that before he told her about his engagement."

Harry stared at Paige. "I'm a little surprised that you would be against Mrs. Turner being here, considering that she had helped Olivia regain Cole's powers from that daemon."

"Did you really have to bring that up?" Paige retorted, still embarrassed over her part in that incident. "Besides, what Piper was trying to point out is that Cole's mom is a dangerous and powerful demon."

"Aren't we all dangerous? Good, evil, witch, daemon, sorcerer or whatever . . . our powers make us dangerous. In fact, any kind of power can be dangerous if not used properly. Don't you agree?" Scott shot back.

Paige opened her mouth to retort. But past memories of Cole's problems with the Source and the incident regarding Darryl and the Valkyries led the Charmed One to hold her tongue.

Piper avoided answering Scott's question. Instead, she changed the subject, much to Paige's relief. "I wonder if Cole and Olivia's engagement is really on Nimue's mind?" she asked. "Or is there something else she might want to discuss?"

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

Nimue found her son's future in-laws standing near a refreshment table, while a uniformed attendant served them food. "Hello!" she greeted the couple. Her eyes briefly glanced at the spread before them. "I must say that this food is quite lovely."

"Yes, it is," Gweneth McNeill said with a nod. "Thomas Rimpel is a marvelous chef. He's one of the few here in San Francisco whom I consider first-rate."

Jack McNeill smiled politely at the demoness. "Here for a bite to eat?"

"Oh no." Nimue shook her head. "I've just finished eating about ten minutes ago. I'm stuff. Actually . . . I wanted to speak with you, regarding a private matter. I'll wait for you, at your table." She smiled once more and headed for an empty table.

A few minutes later, the McNeills joined her, carrying plates of food. Once they had sat down, Jack said, "So, what exactly can we do for you?"

Nimue smiled. "I just wanted to thank you for inviting me to this party."

"Well, you are Cole's mother."

"Of course." Nimue continued, "And as Olivia's parents, I would like to invite you to my own engagement party for her and Belthazor. In fact, your entire family is invited."

Gweneth frowned. "I didn't realize that you were living in San Francisco."

"Oh, I'm not. I own a townhouse in Boston. On Beacon Hill." Nimue hesitated. "However, I don't plan to hold the party there. I . . . Have you ever heard of the Melora dimension?"

A gasp escaped from Gweneth's mouth. Her husband and Nimue stared at her. "Gwen?" Jack said. "You've heard of this place?"

"I only went there once," the redheaded witch replied. "When I was nineteen. Bloody gorgeous, it was. Melora is regarded as some kind of sanctuary from any conflicts between all kinds of magical beings - witches, whitelighters, darklighters, warlocks, daemons, wizards, fairies . . . you name it. Everyone put all of their conflicts aside and enjoy themselves at any of the dimension's resorts."

Nimue added, "That is about right. I felt that the Melora dimension would be the perfect place to hold the party. Considering the guest list.

Jack's eyes narrowed warily. "Guest list?"

"Oh . . . there will be a few members from my order. A wizard or two. I plan to hold the party at the Berisa Resort Hotel." Nimue gave the couple a reassuring smile. "It is quite lovely."

"You need to hold the party for a few guests . . . at a hotel?"

Bloody hell! Nimue sighed. "To be perfectly honest, there will be more than a few guests." She noticed the alarmed expression on the couple's faces. "Oh, but don't worry. I plan to have a variety of guests. My brother and his family will be there. Along with a few members of the Gimle Order, Belthazor's friend - Riggerio, and perhaps a witch or two. Like the Charmed Ones, perhaps? And hopefully Olivia's friend, Miss Green."

Jack and Gweneth McNeill seemed to relax slightly. "Well, I guess I won't mind accepting your invitation." The former turned to his wife. "Gwen?"

"I'm looking forward to seeing the Melora dimension again," Gweneth added.

Nimue smiled. "Good. I'm sure that you'll enjoy yourselves."

Two figures appeared beside the table. "Enjoy what?" Nimue glanced up and met the suspicious eyes of her son. Olivia stood next to him. His eyes still gleaming with suspicion, Belthazor added, "What exactly are you talking about?"

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

Chris orbed into the middle of the manor's Solarium. The two sisters glanced up from the television set. "Well, look who's here," Piper caustically announced. "Have you finally decided to tell us the truth about yourself? And why you're here?"

"I told you everything," the whitelighter protested. "About the fact that Wyatt might be in danger. About me being half-witch and half-whitelighter. About Bianca." His blue eyes reflected momentary pain at his mention of his former lover. "What more do you want?"

Paige replied, "How about who your parents are, and how you became to be half-witch? Or how we're supposed to save Wyatt? Or the fact that you didn't seem that concerned about Cole and Olivia's engagement?"

"My parents are my own concern," Chris shot back. "And as for Cole and Olivia - contrary to what Leo believes, their marriage won't be a future threat. Trust me."

Piper coolly regarded her whitelighter. "Why should we? You've either been lying to us, or trying to manipulate us. Why should we trust anything you say?"

Chris sighed. "Because I can't tell you everything, right now. This isn't the right time."

"When is the right time?" Paige demanded.

The half-whitelighter glanced around. "Where's Phoebe? Out on a date?"

A caustic Piper replied, "Try Hong Kong. She's with Jason Dean."

"What?" Chris looked horrified. "What the hell is she doing in Hong Kong? What about the Power of Three?"

Paige sighed. "We think that Phoebe's personal life is more important than killing demons, right now. Besides, she needed some time alone with Jason."

"But in Hong Kong?"

Piper retorted, "Hey! We had managed to do without the Power of Three, when Paige was in Europe, last summer. We can do it, again. And if we do need extra help, Paige can orb Phoebe back here. Or we can get the McNeills or Cole to help."

But Chris refused to be placated. "Are you serious? What if Phoebe being in Hong Kong and not here, leads to Wyatt . . ." He quickly broke off.

Paige stared at him. "What does Phoebe being in Hong Kong have to do with Wyatt?" Before Chris could answer, the doorbell rang. Paige jumped to her feet. "I'll get it."

Chris turned to Piper. "Listen, this idea of you allowing Phoebe to be in Hong Kong is a mistake."

"Who said that I had . . . allowed Phoebe to be with Jason?" Piper retorted. "She's a grown woman."

An anxious-looking Paige returned, escorting their visitor. Piper took one look at the latter and immediately shot to her feet. "Guess who's joined us for dinner?" the younger woman quipped nervously.

Elizabeth Turner emerged from behind Paige. A polite smile stretched her lips. "Good evening, Miss Halliwell. How are you?"

Piper glared at her sister. "Paige! You let her in?"

"I . . . I mean . . . she . . ." Paige began sheepishly.

Mrs. Turner's smile became tart. "Oh, there's no need for concern, my dear. I'm not here for any nefarious reason. If I were, I would not have used the doorbell."

Keeping her hostility in check, Piper demanded, "Then why are you here?"

Still smiling, the demoness eased herself into one of the wicker chairs. Piper burned inwardly burned at the woman's boldness. "To issue an invitation, Miss Halliwell. For an engagement party I'm hosting, in honor of Bel . . ." She paused, as her gaze fell upon Chris. ". . . in honor of Cole and Olivia." Then, "Do I know you, young man?"

"Uh . . . I don't . . ." Looking insecure, Chris glanced at Piper. "I don't think so. I'm a friend of the family."

Blue eyes continued to bore into the young whiteligher's. "And do you have a name?"

Again, Chris glanced at Piper. "Uh, Chris. Chris Perry."

"Hmm. It's a pleasure to meet you, Mr. Perry." Mrs. Turner returned her attention to the sisters. "As I was saying, I'll be hosting an engagement party for . . . Cole and Olivia. And I'm here to invite you."

The two sisters stared at each other. Should they accept? Paige shrugged her shoulders, as if conveying the message - "Why not?" Then Piper sighed and replied, "We, uh . . . would love . . . to come."

"Excellent!" Mrs. Turner responded with a brilliant smile. "They party will be held on Friday. You can pop up at any time you like."

Paige frowned. "Pop up? To where?"

The demoness hesitated, as her gaze returned to Chris. Piper sighed. "For heaven's sake! He's our whitelighter."

"Oh. I see." Mrs. Turner nodded. "Well then . . . the party will be held at the Berisa Resort Hotel, in the Melora Dimension. Like I said, you can pop in at any time. I'm sure that Miss Matthews will have no trouble in teleporting you." She smiled at Chris. "And Mr. Perry can join you, if he likes."

Looking slightly embarrassed, Chris mumbled, "I don't know . . . I . . . maybe I'll come. I think."

Mrs. Turner stood up. "Well, it's up to you. And I believe it is time for me to depart. I do look forward to seeing all of you. And say hello to Phoebe and young Wyatt, for me. Good evening." She flashed one last smile and shimmered out of the room.

The two Charmed Ones heaved a sigh. Chris regarded them with eyes shining with disbelief . . . and yelled, "Are you two out of your damn minds?"

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

Around the same time, the engaged couple returned to Cole's penthouse that he now shared with Olivia. After the Thanksgiving holiday, it had become her permanent residence. Although most of her furnishings had been placed in a storeroom, Cole and Olivia managed to move a few of her belongings into his penthouse - allowing the latter to look more hospitable.

"An engagement party in the Melora Dimension." Cole shook his head. "Why would she hold a party for us, in the first place? I'm not exactly beloved by the demonic community. And I sure as hell don't look forward to a reunion with the Thorn Brotherhood."

Olivia dumped her purse on the coffee table, and sat down on the sofa. "Do you think that one of your former colleagues might want revenge for Raynor's death?"

Cole flopped down on the sofa, next to Olivia, and sighed. "I doubt that any one of them would be able to kill me. At least outright. But any one of them could hurt you. Besides, I'm still wondering why Mother wants to hold a party for us."

"Let's see," Olivia commented sardonically. "You are her only son. And you did tell her about her engagement . . . which she had accepted a lot better than you said she would."

Cole grumbled, "I remember. I also remember that she has plans for a big bash in the Melora Dimension. And my question is - why?"

Olivia grabbed hold of one of Cole's hands. "Maybe she's trying to win back her son. How long have you two been estranged?"

"Since I was fifteen," Cole replied. "Or maybe sixteen. We had a brief reunion back in the late 30s. But I managed to remember why I distrusted her in the first place."

A tight smile stretched Olivia's lips. "Courtesy of Raynor, I'd bet."

Cole shot her a dark look. "What makes you . . . never mind."

"You know, Cole, even if your mom does have another reason to hold this party, I don't think her plans include harming either of us." Olivia shook her head. "I don't know. I just have this feeling. Maybe she wants our help, regarding a certain matter. Or information."

Rolling his eyes in disgust, Cole muttered, "Great! It's nice to know that Mother's 'little' party will be more than just about her son's happiness."

A sigh left Olivia's mouth, as she stood up and shook her head. "You know, I'm beginning to wonder why you had such difficulty in becoming part of the Halliwell family. You have so much in common with them. I'm going to bed." She shot a disappointed look at her fiancé and marched toward the master bedroom, leaving him to ponder her last words.

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

The warlock stood before Prax, feeling calm and collected. At five-feet eleven, he possessed a lithe and wiry body, dark-brown hair and sharp features. The warlock, otherwise known as Eric Logan, regarded the daemon with chilly, gray eyes. "I was told that you wanted to see me."

Prax indicated an empty chair in front of his desk. "Yes. My boss, Mr. Winslow, has a job for you."

"Mr. Winslow?" Logan allowed himself an amused smile. "Is he still using that name?"

The daemon glared at his visitor. "Yes. Now . . . he has a job for you. One that promises a very high fee." Prax tossed a thick, yellow envelope to the other side of the desk. "You will find information on the assignment, inside."

Logan grabbed the envelope from the desk and opened it. He removed a brown folder from inside. "What's this?"

"Like I said, information on your next target."

"Oh?" Logan opened the file. Inside laid a photograph of a beautiful, red-haired woman. The warlock whistled. "Not bad! Who is she?"

Prax leaned back into his chair, and locked his fingers together. "Olivia McNeill. She's a witch, who lives here in San Francisco."

A gasp left Logan's mouth. "Are you . . . You want me to kill . . ."

"To kill her, Mr. Logan," Prax coolly replied. "Yes."

Logan stared at the photograph. "But she's a McNeill witch. They're not exactly easy to kill, you know. My old mentor, Morella Walters tried to kill a McNeill witch in Boston, some fifteen years ago. Morella was one of the best assassins around. And she ended up dead, because of that last assignment."

"The McNeills might be difficult to kill, Mr. Logan." Prax leaned forward. "But they can be killed."

As he struggled to maintain his calm, Logan read the file, once more. "Wait a minute! It says here that she's dating Belthazor. Belthazor?"

"Actually Mr. Logan, they're engaged to be married."

At that moment, the warlock wondered if his potential employer had lost his mind. "My God! Even if I do succeed in killing the witch, my hide won't be worth a penny once Belthazor finds out I'm responsible! And he will find out!"

Prax sighed. "I don't see how. You're a shapeshifter. That's why we hired you. If you're in disguise, no one will find out that you were responsible for Miss McNeill's death. And you're one of our best contract assassins. We would never allow you to fall into Belthazor's hands."

"Bullshit! You could have given this job to a demonic assassin." Logan's eyes narrowed suspiciously. "Why give it to me? A warlock?"

"Like I said, Mr. Logan, you're one of the best."

Another thought entered Logan's mind. "And you can't afford to have this hit traced to someone from your order. Am I right?"

"Please, Mr. Logan. Try to keep your paranoia in check." Prax hesitated. "I agree that a warlock would be more preferable for this assignment than a daemon. After all, you would be more difficult for Belthazor, his mother or any other daemon to detect. And if you're worried about that traitorous half-daemon getting revenge, we're in the process of planning something special for him. Now, inside the folder, you'll also find information we have received from a source."

Logan snickered. "You mean a spy."

Again, Prax sighed. "Whatever. Anyway, our source has given us information on Miss McNeill's whereabouts, this weekend. We have made arrangement for you to meet this . . ." A knowing smile curved Prax's lips. ". . . spy, who will help you reach Miss McNeill's destination." He pressed a button. An attractive female with chestnut hair and a shapely figure entered the office. Prax added, "By the way, Mr. Logan, would you like a drink?"

The warlock smiled at Prax's assistant. "A cup of coffee with sugar only. Thank you." The assistant nodded and left the office. Logan turned to Prax. "How much is the witch's death worth to you?"

One of Prax's eyebrows quirked upward. "I beg your pardon?"

"What will be my fee?" Logan leaned forward. "Considering whom I'm being hired to kill, along with the fact that my life will be in jeopardy if Belthazor ever finds out about me, I will be expecting a rather substantial fee."

Prax smiled. "Oh! May I assume that you have accepted the assignment?"

A sigh left Logan's mouth. "I would like for you to state your fee, first."

After a brief hesitation, Prax answered, "Ten million . . . Euros."

The moment Logan heard the amount, he realized that he would not being able to resist the assignment. Or its challenge. Again, he sighed. "Then you may assume that I have accepted this assignment. Shall we go over the particulars?" He returned his attention to the file's contents, while Prax resumed his instructions.


END OF ACT I