Snow White's Discovery About Daniel's Fate

 Recently, I watched the Season One episode of "ONCE UPON A TIME" called (1.07) "The Heart Is a Lonely Hunter" and found myself confused over a matter regarding Snow White and her knowledge of Daniel's fate.

SNOW WHITE DISCOVERY ABOUT DANIEL'S FATE

In one of the flashbacks for "The Heart Is a Lonely Hunter", the Huntsman was commissioned by Regina aka the Evil Queen to take the recently orphaned Snow White into the woods, kill her and cut out her heart. Sensing the Huntsman's odd behavior, Snow tried to make a run for it. She realized that that she would not get very far, Snow stopped running and sat down to write a letter to her stepmother. The Huntsman failed to kill Snow White and later, presented a stag's heart to Regina, claiming that it came from Snow. He also presented Snow's letter to Regina.

The letter expressed Snow White's knowledge of Regina's desire for revenge and that her unintentional act of indiscretion led to the death of Regina's love, namely her family’s stable boy, whose name was Daniel:

Dearest Stepmother, 

By the time you read this, I will be dead. I understand that you will never have love in your life because of me, so it's only fitting that I'll be denied that same joy as well. For the sake of the kingdom, I hope my death satisfies your need for revenge allowing you to rule my father's subjects as they deserve with compassion and a gentle hand. I know what you think you're doing is vengeance, I prefer to think of it as sacrifice for the good of all with that in mind I welcome the end. I want you to take my last message to heart. I'm sorry and I forgive you.

I never paid attention to or even remembered this letter when I first saw "The Heart Is a Lonely Hunter". However, one of the flashbacks for (2.02) "We Are Both" featured a scene in which a young Regina and an even younger Snow White are discussing the former's upcoming marriage to the latter's father, King Leopold. Snow White still seemed oblivious to the circumstances behind Daniel's death.

In the years between Regina's marriage to King Leopold and the latter's death, Snow White learned the truth behind Daniel's death and Regina's desire for revenge. My question is . . . how? How and when did Snow White learn the truth behind Daniel's death? And if she knew the truth by the time the Huntsman had been recruited to kill her, why did she seemed so open to Regina's fake grief and words of condolences at the funeral, following Leopold's death? Was Snow White faking it, as well? Or had the writers simply created another plot hole?

"BATTLESHIP" (2012) Photo Gallery

Below are images from the 2012 science-fiction thriller, "BATTLESHIP". Directed by Peter Berg, the movie starred Taylor Kitsch, Tadanobu Asano and Rihanna:




"BATTLESHIP" (2012) Photo Gallery

"Strange Bedfellows" [R] - Part 2

"STRANGE BEDFELLOWS"

Part 2

PRESENT DAY . . . Inside the Daily Grill restaurant, the waiter delivered the couple's food. He politely asked, "Will there be anything else?"

Cole shook his head. "Nothing, thanks." The waiter nodded politely and walked away.

Olivia took a sip of her iced tea. "So, that's how you and Idril first met." She paused briefly. "You know, I have this strange feeling that Raynor had wanted you to meet her. Was it a set up?"

"Of course it was," Cole replied. "Only I didn't realize it at the time. Not even when I met Idril for the second time."

"At Raynor's wedding?"

Cole shook his head. "Oh no. As a matter of fact, I don't recall seeing her at the wedding." He snorted derisively. "Now, I know why."

Olivia asked, "So, when did you two meet again?"

A sigh left Cole's mouth. "In London. About a week after Raynor's wedding."

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JUNE 5, 1969; LONDON, ENGLAND . . . Cole and Tarkin passed through a beaded curtain, as they entered a semi-dark nightclub, barely lit by strobe lights and neon signs glaring from the walls. A gaudily dressed disk jockey stood behind a record console that provided music for the numerous patrons who filled the club.

"What did I tell you about this place?" Tarkin shouted above the music. "It's really happening!"

Cole shouted back, "It's not bad! Although I would have preferred a jazz club."

Disbelief shone in the other daemon's dark eyes. "Are you serious? Would you find 'that' at a jazz club?" He pointed at a strawberry blond woman dancing on a platform in the middle of the dance floor. Actually, she seemed to be slithering around a pole that rose from the platform's middle. She wore white hot pants, knee-high boots, a royal blue knitted vest than enabled anyone to see her full, pink-tipped breasts.

Coolly, the half-daemon observed the semi-topless woman and felt his body grow hard. "Not bad," he murmured.

"What?"

Heaving a sigh, Cole shouted, "I said, NOT BAD!"

Tarkin retorted, "Are you kidding? She's magnificent! Have you ever seen a body like that? She's the reason why I brought you here!"

Cole felt inclined to tell his friend that their trip had been wasted. But as he continued to observe the blond, he had to admit that Tarkin had been right. She did look quite magnificent. He wondered if her performance in bed was as vibrant as she was on the dance floor. But he remained silent and followed Tarkin into the club. The two daemons found seats at the long bar. After they had ordered their drinks, Cole said to his friend, "You've been here, before. Haven't you?"

Nodding, Tarkin said, "Of course. I always come here, when I'm in London." His gaze returned to the blond dancer. "To see Tina."

"To see Tina?" Cole smiled slyly at the other daemon. "In love, are we?"

Tarkin lightly punched his friend in the arm. "You really are a bastard, Belthazor! You know that?" The two friends laughed.

The bartender returned with their drinks - a Gibson martini for Cole and absinthe for Tarkin. As the two friends began to sip their drinks, a familiar figure appeared beside Cole. "Hey! Don't I know you?" Tarkin asked.

The half-daemon turned to stare at the dark-haired female through narrowed eyes. "You do look familiar."

It was Tarkin who first identified her. "Idril! Now I remember you. From the Brotherhood. You're with . . ."

"Melkora's sect," the demoness finished. She said to Cole, "And I remember you. Coming out of Raynor's office."

Cole's thoughts returned to the day of Raynor's engagement announcement. And the young female he had bumped into. "Oh course," he said with a nod. "Now I remember."

Idril flashed a pretty smile at her two fellow daemons. "So, what brings you here? Business?"

"Pleasure," Cole immediately replied. "You?"

"The same."

The music finally stopped. The blond dancer stepped down from the platform and made her way toward the bar. Cole noticed how her skin glistened with pesperation. "Whew!" she exclaimed breathlessly in an English accent. "Bloody hard work this is. Makes me wonder why I even bother in the first place."

"Because you're talented." An admiring Tarkin drew the semi-topless woman into his arms and kissed her. When their lips parted, he introduced her to the others. "Everyone, this is Tina Bloome. Or Christine, if you like. She's one of the club's dancers."

The blond woman . . . or Christine smiled. "How do you do?" Her green eyes lingered briefly upon Cole. He returned the gaze, feeling even more aroused. Then he glanced to his side and saw the annoyed expression on Idril's face.

Tarkin continued with the introductions. "This is Belthazor, my comrade-in-arms. And over there is Idril. She also belongs to our order, but she's in a different sect."

Christine regarded Idril with curious eyes. "Now, I know I've seen you somewhere before. I just can't . . ."

"I used to be in the movies," Idril explained, with a proud rise of her chin. "I went by the name, Diane Hayward."

Realization lit up Christine's eyes. "Oh yeah! Now I remember. From 'DESERT WEEKEND' and 'THE MARAUDERS'. Not bad."

Idril preened from the other female's compliment. "Thanks." Cole rolled his eyes. He had seen 'THE MARAUDERS' and considered it complete shit.

Christine turned to Tarkin. "Would you mind waiting a bit, while I change, love? I reckon I can't leave this club dressed like this."

"Of course not," a clearly besotted Tarkin replied. Cole struggled to hide his amusement.

"Good. Then we can all go to my flat. I'll whip you up a proper meal that you won't find at any restaurant in this town." Christine kissed Tarkin's lips. "I won't take long." She walked away from the bar, her rear end swaying provocatively. Or so Cole thought.

Idril asked, "What demonic order does she belong to?"

"She's not a daemon," Tarkin answered. "Well, her grandfather's a daemon. But Tina is a witch." Both Cole and Idril stared at him. "Not a Wiccan or anything like that," he added sarcastically. "What do you take me for?"

Idril commented, "If she's not a daemon, what is she doing here, at a daemon's club?"

"The Triple Six is not a daemon's club," Tarkin shot back. "It's for all magic practioners."

Cole nodded. "Like Riggerio's club in Venice. Or this place I know in San Francisco."

A few minutes later, Christine returned, dressed in a short, aquamarine dress with long, flowing sleeves. "Ready to leave?" And the two couples finally left the nightclub.

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

Christine Bloome had not exaggerated about her culinary skills. After the quartet had arrived at her flat, the blond witch had prepared an excellent meal of Prime Rib and Yorkshire Pudding and Jacket Potatoes. Idril personally felt that the witch could give any professional London chef some stiff competition. Which led her to wonder why Christine had become a nightclub dancer, instead.

"It's bloody hard becoming a successful chef," the dancer replied, answering Idril's question. "Especially for a woman. And I hate working at a restaurant. The work is hard and unless one's a head chef, the pay isn't much. And I like dancing at the club."

"If you like it so much, why not own one?" Tarkin asked. "I'm sure that I'll be able . . ."

Christine stood up and began collecting the empty dishes. "Thanks, but no thanks," she said.

"Why not"? her lover demanded.

The witch planted a light kiss on his cheek. "I already own the Triple Six and several other clubs around London and other cities. Haven't you noticed how posh this flat is?"

Idril glanced around the apartment. She had been amazed by the apartment's expensive and tasteful furnishings. And its exclusive location near the Thames River.

"I did," Belthazor commented. Idril also noticed how he regarded the blond witch with admiring eyes. Much to her annoyance.

Christine flashed a quick smile at the half-daemon. Then she finished cleaning the table, while the others heading toward the living room. Ten minutes later, she joined them, carrying a large, silver box. "Now that we've finished supper, how about some dessert? I had considered Sherry Trifle, but that would take too long. I thought you might like this." She placed the box on the coffee table.

A dubious expression appeared on Belthazor's face, as he stared at the box. "This is dessert?"

Christine opened the box. Idril saw that it was filled with small, handmade cigarettes. "Is this marijuana?" Her nose wrinkled with contempt. "A bit mild for us, don't you think?"

"Not marijuana, pet," Christine said rather smugly. Or so Idril thought. "Something a bit stronger. Weed from a plant called Pectoralis. It grows along the Amazon River. Oddly enough, I found this supply in the Beleriand Dimension. Apparently, it's very popular among other magical beings." She added with a whisper, "It's an aphrodisiac."

Tarkin plucked a cigarette from the box. "Not a bad idea for dessert. All we need is some music."

"If you say so, love." With a flick of her wrist, Christine turned on the large stereo on the other side of the room. The song, 'Grazin in the Grass' by the American group, Friends of Distinction, filled the room. The others also picked up a cigarette - including Idril.

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

Three cigarettes and forty-five minutes later, a hazy Idril stood by one of the large windows that overlooked the Thames. 'Crystal Blue Persuasion' by Tommy James and the Shondells drifted from the stereo. Idril could see Tarkin and Christine's dancing figures reflected in the window. Belthazor was no where to be seen.

"Hmmm, I love this song," Idril overheard Tina commented. "Makes me feel all soft and warm. Does it make you feel warm, love?" Tarkin merely groaned.

Idril glanced over her shoulder and saw one of Christine's hands slide inside Tarkin's trousers. "Yeah," the daemon groaned. "Very warm."

Instead of feeling disgusted, Idril merely leaned against the wall and regarded the couple with curious eyes. She watched as Christine continued to stroke Tarkin. Meanwhile, one of her own hands unconsciously lifted her skirt, slipped inside her panties and began to stroke the soft flesh between her legs. Idril glanced to her right and noticed Belthazor sitting in a leather chair, smoking his 'cigarette' . . . and watching. Everyone.

While swaying to the music, Idril continued to stroke herself. Oddly enough, both she and Tarkin ended up climaxing at the same time. Then Christine removed her hand from inside the daemon's trousers and walked over to Idril. By this time, another song from Friends of Distinction - 'Going in Circles' - blared from the stereo. The witch led Idril to a pile of pillows in a corner and gently forced her to lay against them. Then she knelt before the demoness and removed the demoness' panties. Idril held her breath, as Christine gently forced her legs apart and thrust two fingers inside her.

Idril closed her eyes and reveled in the witch's strokes. She then opened them and saw Tarkin remove his trousers, revealing boxer shorts. He lifted Tina's skirt, slipped down her panties and thrust into her from behind. It did not take long for Idril to become wet and tight from the witch's ministrations. She eventually fell over the edge with another small orgasm - the second one this evening. But Idril needed more than just a few strokes from herself and Christine. She needed . . .

A strong hand gripped the demoness' forearm and jerked her to her feet and away from Christine. Idril soon found herself led to the leather chair by Belthazor and into his lap. She glanced over her shoulder. Tarkin's thrusts into Christine, who was now on all fours, had grown faster and more earnest. But with Belthazor removing her red halter top, all thoughts of the other couple faded from her mind. Warm hands cupped her breasts. Idril arched back and moaned, while Belthazor's thumbs pressed against her aching nipples.

"My trousers," the half-daemon growled.

Idril opened her eyes and saw that he seemed to be in a state of frustrated desire. "Huh?"

"My trousers. Unzip it."

Without hesitation, Idril unzipped his trousers and his member sprang out - erect and ready. Belthazor's hands slid to her waist. He lifted the demoness slightly, allowing himself to thrust up into her. Idril felt waves of heat and pleasure, as he slid deep inside her. She became so caught up in the moment that she barely heard Tarkin and Christine's cries filled the room. Instead, her attention remained focused upon the hard, masculine body underneath her - and his thrusts, which became faster and deeper. Waves of heat washed over her, as the half-daemon's final thrusts triggered a massive orgasm. Idril arched her back even further and cried out in pleasure. Once she finally recovered, sank against Belthazor, feeling too exhausted to move from his lap.

-----------

PRESENT DAY . . . Idril shifted uncomfortably in her bed, as memories of that first night in Christine Bloome's flat rushed back to her. She reached for her glass of brandy on the nightstand and took a sip. A heavy sigh passed her lips.

Following that first bout of sex, Idril and her three companions had partook more cigarettes made from the Pectoralis weed. Eventually, more sex followed. At one point, Tarkin, Christine and Belthazor became engaged in a ménage a troi. Tarkin took Christine from behind - again - while she orally serviced the half-daemon sprawled against those pillows on the floor. Unable to tolerate Belthazor's blissful expression, Idril had shoved the witch aside, straddled the half-daemon and rode him as hard as she could.

Idril had awoken several hours later, laying on those very same pillows and with a blanket spread over her. Both Belthazor and Tarkin had left and Tina ended up preparing breakfast for the demoness. Idril returned to the Triple Six, later that night. She encountered both Tarkin and Christine, but Belthazor could not be found.

With brandy, Idril tried to forget the anxiety and disappointment she had felt, but she could not shake her memories. She recalled spending six days searching London for the half-daemon. Eventually, she found him at a small jazz club in Soho. Flirting with some red-haired female. At that moment, realization had struck the demoness that Belthazor saw her as nothing more than a one-night experience.

Fearful that her plans might go awry and startled by her sudden pique of jealousy at Belthazor's new companion, Idril had turned to Raynor for advice. The Thorn Brotherhood's leader barely had time to help her with her dilemma, especially since he was in the middle of his honeymoon with Avara. He did managed to give Idril a piece of information - that Belthazor liked to attend horse races. Since the Derby and Epsom races had already passed, Idril had decided to try her luck at the Royal Ascot at Windsor. On the third day, her good luck had returned.


End of Part 2

The Making of HBO's "MILDRED PIERCE" (2011)

THE MAKING OF HBO's "MILDRED PIERCE" (2011)

Here is a video clip featuring a behind-the-scenes look at "MILDRED PIERCE", HBO's new adaptation of James M. Cain's 1941 novel. Directed by Todd Haynes, the miniseries stars Kate Winslet.

"LOOPER" (2012) Review

"LOOPER" (2012) Review

Time travel can be a tricky topic for a fictional story. Some writers can do wonders with a story featuring time traveling. Some writers start out well end up creating a mass of confusion. And other writers . . . well, they end up simply creating a bad story. When I first learned about the premise for the new science-fiction movie, "LOOPER", I feared I was about to see a time travel movie with a bad plot.

According to writer/director Rian Johnson's tale, the United States is in a state of economic collapse in the year 2044. There is social decay, a high rise in crime and a mutation has developed within a small number of the Earth's population that gives them a telekinetic ability. Thirty years later, time travel has been invented, but immediately outlawed. Tracking technology has made it impossible for criminals to dispose of bodies. Crime bosses use illicit time travel to send their victims back in time, where they are killed by assassins called "loopers". These assassins are paid with silver bars strapped to the back of their targets. When the crime bosses want to end a looper's contract, they send his older self back to be killed by his younger self, paying the latter with gold bars as a last payoff. Failure to kill the older self is punishable by death.

Joe Simmons is a looper in 2044 Kansas, whose boss - a time traveler named Abe - is sent back to the past to supervise him and his fellow loopers in the area. Best friend and fellow looper Seth tells Joe that he failed to kill his old self and that the latter informed him of a criminal mastermind named the Rainmaker, who is closing down all loops. Joe eventually betrays Seth in order to maintain his secret stash of silver. Joe's older self eventually arrives from the past and Joe first kills him. But due to a tragic incident thirty years in the future, Old Joe changes time by escaping to the past on his own. He escapes and Joe tracks him down to a diner, where he tells Joe that the Rainmaker sent him back to be killed, and that Old Joe's wife was killed during his capture. Old Joe killed his captors and traveled back to kill the Rainmaker as a child. Joe attempts to kill Old Joe and fulfill his contract, but both of them flee when they are attacked by Abe's hit men or "Gat Men". Due to a piece of a map in Old Joe's possession, Joe finds a string of digits that leads him to farm owned by a woman named Sara, who lives with her son, Cid. Meanwhile, Old Joe uses the remaining digits on the map to track down the location of three candidates who might turn out to be the Rainmaker as a child. Old Joe intends to kill all three to prevent his future wife's death.

Sounds complicated? Trust me, that was only the beginning. For reasons that escape me, Rian Johnson, along with Kimberly Amacker and the rest of the movie's makeup team decided to use prosthetic makeup to ensure that Joseph Gordon-Levitt, who portrayed the younger Joe Simmons, bear some resemblance to Bruce Willis. They hired Kazuhiro Tsuji for the job. Tsuji did his best in altering Gordon-Levitt's looks, but in the end, it all depended more on the actor's performance to make the transformation work. A part of me feels that his prosthetic makeup was not really necessary.

Also, complicated time travel stories such as the one for "LOOPER" tend to turn me off. Dealing with the subject of time travel is bad enough. But I tend to view complicated plot twists, such as the ones found in "LOOPER" as impossible to follow. But thanks to Rian Johnson's direction and script, I found the movie surprisingly easy to follow . . . aside from one particular scene. I might as well talk about the latter. The sequence featuring Old Joe's first escape from death at the hands of Joe ended with the latter falling out of the window of his apartment. The movie never made it clear whether he lived or died. But the next scene featured Old Joe's reappearance at the fatal cornfield again. This time, Joe killed Old Joe, leaving me somewhat confused. Was there a time reset of some kind? It finally occurred to me that Johnson simply revealed that Old Joe had escaped death, left his fate a mystery . . . and then went back to how this scenario came to be. In other words, following Old Joe's second appearance in the cornfield, audiences learn of the circumstances that led to that moment - Joe's murder of Old Joe, his retirement as a looper, his years in China as a hired killer, his marriage and eventually, his wife's death. The latter drove Old Joe over the edge and he set out time travel on his own, prevent his younger self from killing him and kill the younger self of the Rainmaker, before the latter can grow and cause the death of his wife. Now, I understood.

Once I realized what was going on, I was able to enjoy "LOOPER" a lot more. Not only did Johnson create a fascinating tale in which time travel played a heavy role, he created some fascinating characters - especially the leading one, Joe Simmons. Johnson did an excellent job in showing how the time traveling not only affected Joe Simmons' character, but was also responsible for the creation of the Rainmaker. I was amazed at how Johnson's story revealed the ugly consequences of time travel in a way no other writer or filmmaker has done before. His story also developed from the typical science-fiction action thriller into a poignant, character-driven tale about the consequences of grief and revenge. By the time I left the movie theater, I realized that I had seen one of the most original science-fiction thrillers in recent years.

"LOOPER" also had the good luck to have some first-rate performers to grace its cast. The movie featured interesting performances from the likes of Paul Dano, who gave an emotional performance as the looper Seth, who set things in motion by warning Joe about the Rainmaker. I also enjoyed the performances of Noah Segan, who gave a colorful performance as Abe's main "Gat Man", Kid Blue, who is eager to earn his boss' respect by going after Joe; Piper Perabo's sexy take on showgirl Suzy; Qing Xu, who projected the perfect air of sensibility and calm for Old Joe; and Garret Dillahunt, who oozed intelligence and danger as another "Gat Man", who manages to track down Joe to the Kansas farmhouse.

But there were performances that really impressed me. One of them came from Jeff Daniels, who was an absolute delight as the sharp-tongued crime boss Abe. His advice to Joe about relocating to China upon retirement turned out to be one of the movie's highlights. Emily Blunt acquired an impressive American accent for her role as Sara, the practical farm owner that gave Joe shelter. Not only was I impressed by her different accent, but also her performance and strong screen presence. I cannot say enough about Pierce Gagnon, the child actor who portrayed Sara's son, Cid. Gagnon gave one of the best child performances I have seen in years . . . and one of the creepiest. Of the entire cast, Joseph Gordon-Levitt had the most difficult role. Not only did he have to capture many aspects of Bruce Willis' portrayal of the older Joe, but also the older actor's speech pattern, body language and screen persona. And too my surprise, he stood up to the plate and knocked it out of the ballpark. I can also say the same Bruce Willis' performance as Old Joe. Sure, his usual wise ass screen persona was there . . . somewhat. But he also took his character beyond the usual persona and to greater heights by portraying Old Joe as a man caught up in his grief over a dead wife and obsessed with vengeance and determination to change time.

I would not say that "LOOPER" was perfect. Instead of writing a clear and straight narrative that a story of this complexity needed, director-writer Rian Johnson tried to be a little clever in explaining Old Joe's arrival in the past. And I feel that the prosthetic makeup for Joseph Gordon-Levitt was unnecessary. But despite these quibbles, I was surprised by how much I enjoyed this movie. Johnson, along with an excellent cast led by Bruce Willis and Joseph Gordon-Levitt, delivered one of the most original movies I have seen in years.

"CLOUD ATLAS" (2012) Photo Gallery

Below are images from "CLOUD ATLAS", the recent adaptation of David Mitchell's 2004 novel. Directed by Tom Tykwer, along with Lana and Andy Wachowski; the movie stars Tom Hanks and Halle Berry:


"CLOUD ATLAS" (2012) Photo Gallery

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