The Rush Blog

"THE HULK" (2003) Photo Gallery

2010-01-07T11:36:00.001-08:00

Below are photos from the 2003 adaptation of the Marvel comic book character, the Incredible Hulk. Directed by Ang Lee, the movie starred Eric Bana, Jennifer Connolly, Nick Nolte, Sam Elliot and Josh Lucas:

"THE HULK" (2003) Photo Gallery

"Obssessions" [PG] - Chapter 3

2010-01-06T20:08:00.000-08:00

"OBSSESSIONS"

Chapter 3

Inspector Darryl Morris sat opposite Captain McPherson, inside the latter's office. He stared in silent shock, as the older man revealed some news. "Uh, could you . . . could you repeat that again, Captain?" he mumbled. Had he heard right?

"I said," McPherson's deep voice rumbled, "that you have received a promotion." He tossed a badge over to Darryl. "Congratulations, Lieutenant Morris."

Numbly, Darryl nodded. "Thanks . . . Captain. Uh," his partner's face flashed in his mind, "what about Olivia? Will she . . .?"

"No, she wasn't in line for a promotion." McPherson leaned forward. "But she will continue working with you. If you want. You'll be heading your own task force. One that investigates the more . . . difficult cases."

Darryl had a pretty good idea what kind of difficult cases he would be handling. Those of the supernatural kind. The freaky cases. He sighed. And wondered if this meant he would end up spending the rest of his career as a lieutenant.

McPherson cut into Darryl's thoughts. "About your unit . . . McNeill will be part of it. As sergeant, she'll be your second-in-command. The others include Scott Yi, Marcus Anderson and Carmen Trujillo. The task force goes into effect at the beginning of next month."

Nodding, Darryl continued, "Got it. Anything else?"

"One last thing. Just received word from the DA's Office. There will be a new ADA assigned to the DiMatteo case. Someone named Paul Margolin from Buffalo. From what I hear, he's good. You and McNeill will be seeing a lot of him over the next month or so. Other than that," McPherson smiled, "congratulations."

Darryl returned the captain's smile. "Thanks." Then he rose from his chair and left McPherson's office, clutching his new badge. The first place he headed for was Olivia's desk. "I've got some news," he announced.

The red-haired woman glanced up, smiling. "Is it about your new promotion?" she asked, taking his breath away.

"How did you . . .?"

Olivia's smile widened. "A little tip I had received from Hugo." She referred to one of the precinct's clerks. Olivia stood up and enveloped Darryl into a bear hug. "Congratulations, partner!"

"Yeah, thanks," Darryl said, feeling a touch dazed.

"Since we don't have anything urgent at the moment," Olivia continued, "why don't we celebrate with a lunch at Morgan's? Or better yet, dinner tonight at the Golden Horn? You, me, Sheila and . . ."

A voice interrupted. "Excuse me, are you Inspector Darryl Morris?"

Darryl turned around and faced a very attractive-looking man with chestnut hair and hazel green eyes. "Yeah. May I help . . .?"

"Paul?" Olivia's outburst took Darryl by surprise. She grabbed the stranger's hand and shook it. I wondered when we would see each other, again. You must be here about the DiMatteo case. Darryl, this is Paul Margolin, the new ADA. He's . . ."

"Yeah, I know," Darryl added. "He's the new prosecutor for the DiMatteo case. The captain had just told me. Nice to meet you." He held out his hand.

Margolin shook Darryl's hand. "Same here. By the way, congratulations on your promotion. I overheard."

Olivia continued, "Darryl here, is the only one who knows I'm a W-I-T-C-H. If you know what I mean."

Astounded by his partner's revelation, Darryl stared at her. "Wait a minute! He knows that you're a," he added in sotto voice, "a witch? Does that mean Mr. Margolin, here, is also one? How did you two . . .?"

Olivia grabbed her partner's arm. "I'll explain it during lunch, Darryl."

Before she and Darryl could leave, a fourth figure appeared before the trio. "Explain what?" Cole Turner asked.

* * * *

Thank goodness he had called in sick, today. This gave Nick the opportunity to not only summon the succubus, but also prepare some kind of protection for himself. Protection that called for some Angelica Root. Knowing that Barbara usually went to lunch around one o'clock, Nick headed for Ostera's around a half hour, before noon. He found the shop's two assistants helping customers with their purchases. Nick drifted toward one of the shelves and began his search for the root.

One minute later, Nick overheard Paige bid the last customer, good-bye. He continued his search, until a voice behind him asked, "What are you looking for?" It was Paige.

Nick hesitated before he answered, "Oh nothing in particular. Just some Angelica Root, if you have any."

"Hmmm." Paige searched the shelves for the herb in question. Nick followed closely behind. However, the search ended in failure. "Sorry Nick. Looks like I couldn't find any. Hey Maddy?" she called to the other assistant, "could you check the shelves again for some Angelica Root? I'll be in the stockroom."

While Paige headed for the stockroom, Nick and Madeline Oser, the shop's other assistant, continued the search for the Angelica Root. He asked Maddy if Barbara was in today. Before the young woman could answer, Paige returned, along with the person in question, beside her. "We found it!" Paige crowed in a triumphant voice. "Actually, Barbara found it." She handed the package to Nick. "Here you go - one jar of Angelica Root. What do you need it for? A protection potion?"

Caught off guard by Paige's question, Nick hesitated. Then he answered, "Uh, no . . . actually . . . yeah. Yeah, it's for a protection . . . potion."

"Protection from what?" Maddy asked. The youngest of Ostera's staff, she was a pretty, dark-haired twenty-three year-old who had recently graduated from college.

Nick stared at her. "Huh? Oh, uh . . . I'm trying to create this new potion." He paused, until an idea came to him. "A . . . a traveling potion. A strong one." Again he paused. With all eyes upon him, he felt like an idiot. Or that something was wrong with him. "And I need a protection spell . . . uh, potion . . . just in case something goes . . . wrong." Desperate to change the subject, he asked Barbara what she was doing in the storeroom.

"Checking the Internet on my plant," she answered. "You know, the one we told you about."

"The Soma plant that your friend gave you, last Friday? The one that warlock was after?"

Barbara nodded. "Yeah. Well, I finally learned something about it." According to the blond-haired witch, the Soma plant happened to be a shrub from Hindu mythology. Its leaves not only cured diseases of all kinds, but also granted immortality. "Which is probably why that warlock was after it."

"At least you won't have to worry about a demon coming after it," Paige added. "Especially since they're already immortal." Silence filled the shop. Everyone smiled at Paige. Even in his nervous state, Nick could not help but smile at the Charmed One's naivety. "What?" she demanded. "Did I say something wrong?"

Barbara patted her shoulder. "No, it's just that not all of us believe that daemons are completely immortal. I mean, yes they have very long life spans and cannot be killed by . . . say, a bullet. But even something ordinary like a knife or sword can kill them. In my book that does not make them immortal."

"Oh."

"Of course, it's only my opinion. And the opinions of others. We all have our different interpretations." Barbara sighed. "Also, the last thing anyone want is any magical being becoming immune to any kind of death . . . supernatural or otherwise. That's why I have the plant at Bruce's house. His family is strong enough to protect it."

While the others continued to discuss the Soma plant, Nick allowed his mind to wander. Or to be more accurate, contemplate upon what he had just heard. Soma plant. Immortality. Perhaps this plant might turn out to be the perfect bargaining unit to use with the succubus.

"Oh! Hey!" Paige cried out, interrupting Nick's thoughts. "Speaking of Bruce, did you hear the news? The BAY-MIRROR columnist, DeWolfe Mann, will be interviewing him and Mrs. McNeill for an article on the Golden Horn. You know, for its 25th anniversary. Phoebe told me."

Hip-hip-hooray, Nick thought sourly. The 'Golden Man' strikes again. He could not care less about Bruce McNeill or any other McNeill's stroke of good luck. Especially since the bastard will not be around long enough to enjoy it. Hopefully.

* * * *

Four people gathered inside a booth at Morgan's to celebrate one Inspector Darryl Morris' promotion to lieutenant. One person too many, as far as Cole was concerned.

After learning about Darryl's promotion from Olivia, Cole had volunteered to treat the two partners to a celebration lunch at Morgan's - the McNeill family's second restaurant. An unpleasant surprise awaited him upon arriving at the police station. A surprise in the form of a handsome, chestnut-haired man exchanging smiles with Olivia. One glance at the pair and an uncomfortable feeling struck Cole that this burgeoning friendship could easily develop into something more serious. He saw fascination in the ADA's eyes and interest in Olivia's.

Cole had to struggle to maintain his emotions, when Olivia introduced him Paul Margolin. Who turned out to be the newly hired Assistant District Attorney. New ADA, huh? Cole would have laughed at the irony, if he was not feeling on edge at the moment. He received a bigger shock when Olivia revealed that Margolin happened to be a witch. One of Leo's charges, whom she had just met last night. He finally understood why the whitelighter's dinner invitation had not been extended to him.

"Paul had just moved from Buffalo," Olivia explained with a smile. "He was a . . . a public prosecutor. Right?" She directed her last word to the New Yorker.

Margolin returned Olivia's smile. "Right."

Cole's lips formed an arch smile. "No kidding," he commented with a slight sardonic tone. "And now you're an ADA. So what made you decide to move here to San Francisco?"

"I heard about the new position of ADA," Margolin replied. "Through a friend."

"A friend, huh? Leo?"

Darryl frowned at Cole. "How would Leo know about job openings in the DA's Office?"

Cole responded with a shrug. "Well, since Leo happens to be the only person that Mar . . . uh, Paul knew here in Frisco, I simply made the connection."

Paul quickly added, "Actually, I heard about it through another friend."

Silence enveloped the booth. A waitress approached to take orders. After she left, Olivia said to Margolin, "Speaking of the DA's Office, did you know that Cole used to be a ADA? About two-and-a-half years ago?"

One of Margolin's brows lifted out of curiosity. "Really? Why did you leave?" he asked Cole. "Better job offer?"

Cole replied coolly, "Out of necessity. Actually, I had no choice. The Charmed Ones had discovered that I was a daemon sent by the old Triad to kill them."

More silence followed. Cole noted with pleasure that Margolin's eyes grew wide with shock. A sigh left Darryl's mouth and Olivia glared at the half-daemon. "Um," the new ADA began nervously, "did you just say . . .?"

". . . that I'm a daemon?" Cole finished. "Yeah. Actually, half-daemon. My father was a mortal. But the reason I really left was due to the fact that I had failed to kill Phoebe and her sisters, and killed the Triad, instead. So, I ended up on the run from the Source's zoltars." He paused, wearing an innocent expression - and relishing the witch's discomfort. "What? Didn't Leo and the others tell you about me?"

Margolin's mouth merely hung open in silence. Then he turned to Olivia and Darryl. "Um, did you two . . .? I mean, how long have you kn . . .?"

Olivia immediately replied, "Since I first met Cole, five months ago. He had saved me from a warlock. And Darryl has known him longer."

The new police lieutenant shot his partner a resentful look. "Yeah, I've known about Cole, ever since the Halliwells first found out that he was a de . . . a half-demon."

"Belthazor," Cole added, barely containing a smirk. "I was known as Belthazor. You know, one of the Source's top assassins. To make a long story short, I ended up helping the Charmed Ones, lost my powers, got possessed by the Source's essence and ruled the Underworld for a few months. Then the Halliwells killed me, I acquired new powers to escape the Wasteland and now I'm back. With new powers. I'm sure that Leo could fill in the details."

Margolin responded with a numb nod. "So, uh . . . Leo and his family . . . they know about you? I mean, they . . . worked with you . . . even . . ."

"Well, yes," Cole answered. "I was also married to the middle sister. Phoebe. Didn't last very long."

This time, the ADA remained silent. He reached for his glass of water. Took a few gulps. "I don't . . ." Margolin took a deep breath. "This is . . . all so, um . . . interesting."

Cole's pleasure in Margolin's discomfort soured, as he watched Olivia regard the other man with concerned eyes. "Paul? Are you okay? Would you like me to explain everything?"

"I guess I better talk to Leo," Margolin said. Cole looked away in disgust. The man was an experienced witch, for crying out loud! Surely he had been taught to expect the unexpected? And now here he was, freaking out over meeting a half-daemon.

To avoid the sickening scene unfolding between Olivia and Margolin, Cole's gaze turned away and swept over the restaurant's dining room. He spotted a familiar pair weaving their way between tables. A knot formed in his stomach, as he recognized Phoebe and her newest paramour - Jason Dean. Oh shit!

END OF PART 3

"Janeway's Decision in (3.04) "THE SWARM"

2010-01-05T18:23:00.000-08:00

JANEWAY'S DECISION IN (3.04) "THE SWARM"

Over an hour ago, I had just finished watching the early Season 3 VOYAGER episode, (3.04) "The Swarm". And after watching it, I was reminded on why I have disliked it so much for so many years.

Although most of the story focused around Kes' efforts to save the Doctor's degrading matrix, the B-plot focused around Voyager's efforts to cut short fifteen months of their journey by trespassing through the territory of a species named by Voyager's crew as the Swarm. Now, Tuvok tried to remind Janeway that the territory belonged to these aliens and that they had every right not to allow other travelers through their space. After two seasons, Janeway decided to adopt the "Maquis way" and ignore Tuvok. Instead, she labeled the Swarm as "bullies" - as if that was a sufficient reason for Voyager to trespass into their space.

I am quite certain that most Trek fans would disagree with me, but I found Janeway's actions to be more of a "bully" than the Swarm. If some aliens had decided to trespass into Federation space, despite Starfleet's decision to ban them, I bet that both Janeway and Chakotay would be among the first to defend Starfleet's decision. But being the arrogant Starfleet officers that they were, I guess they decided that they simply lacked the patience to add fifteen months to a journey that already left Voyager with 68 or 69 years left to reach Earth. Fifteen months against 68 or 69 years. Hmmmm. Was Janeway's effort to ignore the Swarm's wishes really worth it? Personally . . . I don't think so.

In the first two seasons, Janeway struggled to rigidly stick to Starfleet protocols. In "The Swarm", she decided to drop this command style and adopt Chakotay's method of utilizing "the Maquis way". This decision eventually led to Janeway's disasterous alliance with the Borg during their war against Species 8472.

I have read both Jim Wright and Julia Houston's reviews of this particular episode. Wright practically celebrated Janeway's decision to ignore Tuvok's advise and trespass into the Swarm's territory. Frankly, I was not surprised. During the show's first three seasons, Wright had made it clear that he disliked Tuvok. In fact, I can only wonder if his dislike of Tuvok had blinded him to Chakotay's constant taunting of the Vulcan during the show's first season. Apparently, anything that would cut the Vulcan down to size seemed to satisfy him. And I also noticed that he also seemed to enjoy a vicarious thrill in Janeway telling the Swarm to go fuck themselves. Perhaps her aggressive aggressive move brought back memories of the "good old days" of James Kirk's arrogant "gunboat diplomacy" attitude toward species hostile toward the Federation.

Then I read Julia Houston's review. Although she seemed to believe that Tuvok was right in advising Janeway not to invade the Swarm's territory, a small part of her felt a "twinge of imperialistic satisfaction" that Voyager did it anyway. Apparently, the Swarm's attitude to keeping invaders at bay irked her. What can I say? I get the feeling that deep down, she was just as thrilled as Wright.

Frankly, I found Janeway's decision a little repellent. I have never cared for any of the other Starfleet captains' arrogant attitude toward other aliens. It was this same attitude that led Starfleet to ignore the Dominion's wishes and invade their space in the Gamma Quadrant in "DEEP SPACE NINE". A decision that led to a brutal two-year war against the Dominion. I also recalled an ORIGINAL SERIES episode called (1.23) "A Taste of Armageddon" in which Kirk forced two societies to end their war by destroying the computers that had conducted the war, and insisted that Federation society was better than theirs. This act forced the two warring aliens to turn to the Federation in the end. That episode had repelled me just as much as Janeway's decision in "The Swarm".

Do not get me wrong. I am a big fan of the STAR TREK franchise. I always have and I always will. But there are some aspects of STAR TREK in all five TV shows that have turned me off. One of those aspects was the habit of Starfleet captains making arrogant decisions against the wishes of those aliens they sometimes encounter. Decisions that the Federation would have definitely resented if some group of aliens had done the same to them. I guess that in their view, what is good for the Federation (or Starfleet) was not good for those other aliens. I find such attitudes rather distasteful.

"VANTAGE POINT" (2008) Photo Gallery

2010-01-04T10:08:00.001-08:00

Written by Barry Levy and directed by Pete Travis, ”VANTAGE POINT” is a political thriller about eight strangers with eight different points of view each trying to piece together the truth behind an assassination attempt on the president of the United States. The movie stars Dennis Quaid, Matthew Fox, Forest Whitaker, Sigourney Weaver and William Hurt:

"VANTAGE POINT" (2008) Photo Gallery

"AVATAR" (2009) Review

2010-01-03T21:41:00.001-08:00

Here is my review of "AVATAR", James Cameron's long awaited new film:

”AVATAR” Review

Has it really been twelve (12) years since director/producer James Cameron had released his last movie? Twelve years? And yet, it is true. Twelve years have passed since the releases of the Academy Award winning movie, ”TITANIC” and Cameron’s latest epic, ”AVATAR”. And I must say that it was worth the wait.

Set in the year 2154, ”AVATAR” told the story of Jake Sully (Sam Worthington), a paraplegic former U.S. Marine, who arrived on the planet of Pandora to replace his murdered twin brother in a program that have created human-Na’vi hybrids called avatars, which are controlled by genetically matched human operators, due to humans’ inability to breathe the moon’s atmosphere. Dr. Grace Augustine (Sigourney Weaver), the head of the Avatar Program, considered him an inadequate replacement for his brother, relegating him to a bodyguard role. Pandora, a lush, Earth-like moon of the planet Polyphemus, in the Alpha Centauri system, has been targeted by an Earth corporation administered by Parker Selfridge (Giovanni Ribisi) called RDA. It wants to mine Pandora for a valuable mineral called unobtanium. Colonel Miles Quaritch (Stephen Lang), a former Marine and leader of the Humans’ security forces, promised Jake his "real legs" back in exchange for intelligence about the natives and what it will take to make them abandon Hometree, which rests above a large deposit of unobtanium.

When Jake escorted Augustine and biologist Norm Spellman (Joel David Moore) on an exploratory mission in their avatar forms, the group is attacked by a large predator, and Jake became separated and lost. Attempting to survive the night in Pandora’s dangerous jungles, he is rescued by Neytiri (Zoë Saldaña), a female Na'vi. Neytiri brings Jake back to Hometree, which is inhabited by Neytiri’s clan, the Omaticaya. Mo'at, (C. C. H. Pounder), the Na'vi shaman and Neytiri's mother, instructed her to teach him their ways. Within three months or so, Jake fell in love with Neytiri. Unfortunately, he found himself conflicted between his feelings for the female Na’vi and her clan, and his deal with Colonel Quaritch.

Judging by the reactions of many critics and filmgoers, James Cameron seemed to have created a very unique film. I would certainly agree with this opinion – especially in regard to the physical and visual world of Pandora. Quite frankly, I found it lush and strangely beautiful. I also have to commend Cameron for not only creating Pandora’s strange world, but also for guiding crew members like production designers Rick Carter and Robert Stromberg; the art direction team led by Todd Cherniawsky, Kevin Ishioka, and Kim Sinclair; cinematographer Mauro Fiore; the special effects team led by Dave Booth; and the visual effects team. Cameron took his work even further by hiring Dr. Paul Frommer of USC to create a Na'vi language and culture. Actors like Sam Worthington, Zoë Saldaña and C.C.H. Pounder had to learn the new language.

I did not have any real problems with the movie’s plot. Cameron did a solid job in writing a story that dealt with environmental issues, along with imperialism and biodiversity by consolidating them into a conflict between the nature-based (or primitive in certain circles) Na’vi and the Humans’ military-industrial complex represented by the RDA Corporation and its military force. Sounds familiar? It should. Cameron claimed that he was inspired from such movies as ”AT PLAY IN THE FIELDS OF THE LORD” and ”THE EMERALD FOREST”, which feature clashes between cultures and civilizations. He also acknowledged his film’s connection to the 1990 Academy Award winning film, ”DANCES WITH WOLVES” in the storyline featuring Jake’s connection to the Na’vi. Personally, I found myself wondering if ”AVATAR” was simply ”DANCES WITH WOLVES” on another planet. Honestly. The two movies struck me as being that similar.

Some fans might accuse me of hinting that Cameron’s story lacked any originality. Well, they would be right. I am hinting exactly that. After all, this would not be the first time for the Canadian-born director. At least three of his most famous films, ”AVATAR” included, bore strong similarities to other fictional works. In an ARTICLE I had posted on my blog, I had pointed out the strong similarities between ”TITANIC” to the 1937 Jeanette MacDonald/Nelson Eddy film, ”MAYTIME”. And after his 1984 film, ”THE TERMINATOR” hit the theaters, a well-known science-fiction writer named Harlan Ellison pointed out that the movie bore a strong resemblance to two television episodes he had written. The writer ended up receiving ”acknowledgement to the works of” credit on video and cable releases of the movie, as well as a cash settlement of an undisclosed amount. And if the love story between Jake and Neytiri bore a strong resemblance with the one featured in the 1990 film (in that story, the female lead was a white woman raised by the Lakota), the movie’s score written by James Horner seemed to seal the deal for me. It bore a very strong resemblance to Native American music.

Another aspect of Cameron’s script that struck a similar note with me was its dialogue. Let me be frank. I found it just as cheesy and unoriginal as the dialogue found in ”TITANIC”. A good example could be found in Colonel Quaritch’s speech to the human newcomers to Pandora. When he uttered the phrase, ”You’re not in Kansas anymore”, I practically winced. The Wachowski Brothers used that phrase with a more memorable and original twist in their 1999 movie, ”THE MATRIX”. However, I must admit that ”AVATAR” did have one quote that I found particularly memorable. During one of his narratives about the Na’vi, Jake Scully said the following:

” Everything is backwards now, like out there is the true world and in here is the dream.”

Okay, it does not really seem like much in written form. But Sam Worthington’s interpretation of the line made it memorable for me.

One complaint lobbied against the movie was that it pandered to the cliché of the ”white man savior of the noble savage”. Frankly, I believe that the only grounds for this accusation centered around Jake rallying the Na’vi to fight against the Human assault against the Hometree. I figured that since he was responsible for giving Quaritch the means to launch the assault, I could let the scene slide. However, I failed to spot any further evidence to support this argument. After all, it was Neytiri’s father Eytucan, who allowed Jake to remain with the Na’vi. Neytiri's mother Mo'at ordered Neytiri to introduce him to Na’vi culture. Mo'at was also responsible for giving Jake a chance to redeem himself for his earlier betrayal. Another female - namely Trudy - was responsible for rescuing Jake, Grace and Norm from the RDA cell. And it certainly was NOT Jake who defeated the movie’s main villain, Colonel Quaritch, in the end. No one could ever mistake this film for the 1953 movie, ”HIS MAJESTY’S O’KEEFE”.

Speaking of Sam Worthington, he led the cast as the a paraplegic former U.S. Marine Jake Scully, who found himself drawn to Pandora and the Na’vi culture. Although I would not consider Jake to be one of his more complicated or complex characters, I thought that Worthington did an excellent job in conveying Jake’s conflict between the Humans’ agenda and his love for Neytiri and the Na’vi. He also managed to effectively project Jake’s array of emotions following the character’s arrival on Pandora, whether in Human form or connected to his Na’vi-Human form. And he also did a top-notch job as the film’s narrator. Believe or not, not every actor or actress has a talent for verbal narration.

Zoë Saldaña was cast as Neytiri, the Na’vi huntress with whom Jake fell in love. Saldaña did not simply provide Neytiri’s voice. She also provided the character’s body language and facial expression via a process called motion/performance capture. This process has already been used in movies such as two of the latest ”STAR WARS” movies, the ”MUMMY” films, ”KING KONG” and the last two ”LORD OF THE RINGS” movies. I must admit that Saldaña did an excellent job in guiding Neytiri’s character from being slightly resentful and contemptuous toward Jake, to being a female in love and finally to the fierce and determined Na’vi warrior determined to protect her home. Frankly, she was my favorite character in the movie.

Sigourney Weaver found herself being directed by Cameron for the second time as Dr. Grace Augustine, a scientist and creator of the Avatar Program. Her Grace is a no-nonsense woman with a dislike toward Selfridge, Quaritch and the RDA Corporation. Her bluntness was tempered by a genuine desire to study the Na’vi and Pandora. Weaver did a solid job in portraying these aspects of Grace’s character. Stephen Lang could have easily portray Colonel Quaritch as a one-dimensional villain. In fact, he nearly drifted into such a portrayal on one or two occasions. But in the end, Lang managed to control himself and give a first-rate performance. He even infused a touch of homme fatale into his performance in scenes that featured Colonel Quaritch’s attempts to “seduce” Jake into providing information about the Na’vi and their Hometree. I found that aspect an interesting twist.

Many critics have dismissed Michelle Rodriguez’s performance as Marine pilot Trudy Chacon as another one of her many tough chick roles. From a superficial viewpoint, they might be right. But if I must be honest, I found that Neytiri seemed to fit that role a lot better than Trudy. There was something about Rodriguez’s role that struck me as different from her previous ones. Her Trudy seemed like a laid back type with a warm and cheeky sense of humor – completely different from the roles that the actress had portrayed on ”LOST” and ”THE FAST AND THE FURIOUS”. I consider this a good thing, for it told me that Rodriguez was quite capable of portraying more than one type of role. If I must be frank, I would not consider Parker Selfridge to be one of Giovanni Ribisi’s best roles. Mind you, the actor managed to keep himself from drifting into a purely hammy performance. But I found his portrayal of the RDA Corporation’s administrator as a walking cliché of corporate greed and rather unoriginal. The only other movies I have ever seen Laz Alonso in were ”JARHEAD” and last year’s ”THE MIRACLE OF ST. ANNA”. I found his role as Neyriti’s fiancé, Tsu'Tey, to be a different kettle of fish. His Tsu’Tey was an aggressive and slightly arrogant warrior with a deep distrust of Jake and the other Humans. Like Lang, Alonso could have easily allowed his character to drift into a one-dimensional performance. I have to give kudos to the actor for making Tsu’Tey somewhat sympathetic in the end. I suspect that deep down, the character truly loved and respected Neytiri, despite the political and cultural nature of their betrothal. I also enjoyed the way Alonso used the motion capture suit and body language to convey his character’s aggressive nature.

I have already commented upon the special and visual effects in ”AVATAR” that managed to blow everyone’s minds, including mine. However, I could have done without viewing the movie with 3-D glasses. I simply did not see how filming the movie with a 3-D camera was worth the effort. I found the 3-D effects found in the TERMINATOR 2: 3-D show at Universal Studios Hollywood more impressive. And since I already wear glasses, wearing an extra pair of 3-D glasses proved to be very annoying for me. And while we are on the subject of quibbles, I found Horner’s score and the theme song performed by Leona Lewis called ”I See You” not that impressive, either. In fact, I am surprised that the song managed to earn a Golden Globe Award nomination.

After reading most of this article, one might end up with the belief that I have mixed feelings about ”AVATAR”. Let me assure you that my views are not mixed. Yes, I have some quibbles with the story’s lack of originality and sometimes pedestrian dialogue. And I found the 3-D photography not worth the effort. But I still enjoyed the movie’s plot very much. It was a solid tale that centered on a theme I wholeheartedly support. The cast, led by Sam Worthington and Zoë Saldaña did an excellent job. As Leonardo di Caprio and Kate Winslet did twelve years ago, Worthington and Saldaña managed to create a great screen team that proved to be the heart and soul of the film through their performances. And from a visual point-of-view, Cameron outdid himself in his creation of the world of Pandora.

"Obssessions" [PG] - Chapter 2

2010-01-02T19:18:00.000-08:00

"OBSSESSIONS"

Chapter 2

"How is dinner coming along?" Leo demanded after bursting into the kitchen. He shot his wife an anxious look.

Piper sighed. "Everything's fine, Leo! For the seventeenth time! And I've been counting, by the way."

"I'm sorry, honey, but I'm really anxious about tonight's dinner. I want everything to be perfect."

After checking the London Broil in the oven one last time, Piper sighed and left the kitchen. Leo followed her into the living room. "It's nice that you want to welcome this charge of yours, Leo, but . . . well, he's only a charge. What makes him so special?"

"That's what I'd like to know," a third voice added. It belonged to Paige, the youngest Charmed One. She and Phoebe descended the staircase. The Halliwells all wore semi-formal dresses for the dinner. Even Leo managed to scrounge up a suit and tie.

The whitelighter faced his wife and sisters-in-law. "Next to you guys, Paul is one of my best charges. He's a talented witch and we've worked well, together. And I thought that since he has moved here, it would be a great idea if you all get to know one another."

"Well that's great, honey," Piper murmured. Her voice was tinged with its usual sarcasm. "Except how do the McNeills fit in? Do you consider them among your best charges?"

Ignoring his wife's barb, Leo replied, "Well, they are talented witches. And both Bruce and Olivia used to be my charges here in San Francisco. So, who knows? Maybe all of you can work together, every now and then."

Piper's voice became even more tart. "Us? Work with the McNeills?"

"Yes Piper," Paige responded in an acid tone. "We have done it before. In fact, they've managed to save our asses at least two times."

The doorbell rang before Piper could retort. Leo quickly dashed to the front door. He opened it and found his Buffalo-born charge standing on the stoop. "Paul!" he warmly greeted the other man. "Come on in!"

The new visitor entered the manor. He stood in the foyer, while Leo introduced him to the sisters. "Ladies, I would like you to meet Paul Margolin. Paul, this is my wife, Piper Halliwell; and my sisters-in-law, Phoebe and Paige."

"Paige Matthews," the youngest added.

A winning smile lit up Paul's face. "The Charmed Ones! I never thought I would live to meet such three lovely ladies." The sisters gaped at the handsome witch - obviously captivated. Leo found himself wondering how Olivia would react.

* * * *

". . . course miss Buffalo," the main guest was saying. He, along with the Halliwells and the McNeills, sat round the manor's spacious living room. "But I must admit that San Francisco is one beautiful-looking city. I only wish I had moved here a few months ago. You know, to avoid the winter storms."

Piper happily regarded the scene around her. Her family and guests had gathered in the manor's living room, following a well-cooked meal. Dinner had turned out to be better than she had expected. Paul Margolin proved to be a charming guest that all of the women found attractive. Including herself. With the exception of Leo, the men seemed to feel differently.

Both of the McNeill brothers - Bruce and Harry - did not seem impressed by the handsome witch. The red-haired Harry looked completely bored by Paul's conversation. Piper found his behavior slightly offensive. The oldest McNeill sibling regarded his fiancée's open admiration of the guest of honor with mild annoyance. Which led Piper to wonder how Barbara had ended up invited in the first place. Especially since she was not one of Leo's charges - past or present. Oh well. Piper realized that she should be grateful that Olivia had not brought along Cole.

Despite the McNeill brothers' less-than-positive attitude toward Paul, the dinner had proceeded without a hitch. Her London Broil proved to be perfect. At least everyone seemed to believe so - including Bruce, who happened to be one of San Francisco's top chefs. And they all loved the dessert - Chocolate Raspberry Cake. Upon finishing it, everyone had retired to the living-room for after dinner drinks. There, Piper's sisters, Olivia and Barbara bombarded Paul with personal questions.

"Where did you go to school?" Olivia asked.

Paul replied, "Columbia University." He regarded Olivia with as much interest as she regarded him. "What about you?"

"Stanford University," Olivia answered. "I also received my law degree from there."

"Law degree?" The Halliwells and Paul gaped at the redheaded woman with astonishment. "You're an attorney?" the latter asked. "I thought Leo told me that you were a cop."

To Piper's astonishment, Leo nodded. "She is. But Olivia does have a law degree. Heck, she even passed the State bar exam with high marks."

Piper glared at her husband. Who had the decency to squirm with discomfort. Leo had a lot to answer for not telling her this little tidbit. It still rankled Piper that the McNeills - especially Olivia - knew so much about her family, thanks to her blabbermouth husband. And yet, the Halliwells still did not know everything about the McNeills.

"So instead of practicing law, you decided to protect the innocent as a police officer?" Paul asked.

A cross between a snicker and a grunt escaped Harry's mouth. Olivia shot a quick glare at her younger brother. "If you want to put it that way," she said.

"Gee Livy," Harry added, his voice dripping with insincerity, "I thought you had decided to become a cop, because you were an action junkie? And that being a lawyer bored you?"

Olivia graced her brother with a too sweet smile. "Not really, Harry. I only said that to appeal to that adolescent mind of yours." Harry rolled his eyes. Piper suppressed a smile. It was not Olivia's retort that had amused her. A part of her wanted to hug Harry McNeill for his little remark. Piper did not buy Olivia's "protect the innocent" excuse any more than Harry did.

A mutual admiration society seemed to have sprung between Paul and Olivia. And it caused a little consternation within Piper's breasts. It also gave her the incentive to commence upon her own plans. "Paul," she said to her guest, "Leo has told me that you're an orphan. Is that true?"

The New Yorker nodded sadly. "Yeah. My parents were killed in a plane crash, when I was seven. I was staying with my grandparents at the time. They raised me."

Leo added, "I was whitelighter for Paul's dad."

"What a coincidence!" Piper continued brightly. "Paige had also lost her parents . . . well, her step-parents, several years ago."

Paul looked confused. "I don't understand. Aren't you all . . .?"

"I'm Piper and Phoebe's half-sister," Paige explained. "We all had the same mother. But my dad was her whitelighter. And I'm sure you know what that meant."

"Oh." Paul nodded. "I see."

Paige continued, "For some reason, my parents kept me a secret from the Elders, so I was put up for adoption. When I was seventeen, my step-parents . . . were killed in a car accident." She paused momentarily, as pain briefly flickered in her dark eyes. "My Uncle Dave and his family took me in until I went to college."

Shaking her head sympathetically, Piper gushed, "Isn't it odd how you two seemed to have a lot in common?" Her comment drew odd looks from the others. Except for Paul, who seemed oblivious of Piper's remark. And Olivia, who responded with a slight smirk.

Paige shot a quick glare at her older sister. "Yeah," she coolly added, "a lot."

A deep silence enveloped the living room. Feeling slightly humiliated, Piper wondered if she had went too far with her matchmaking plans. Paul seemed to be more interested in Olivia, who finally broke the silence with a question. "So Paul, have you received an assignment, yet?"

The ADA nodded. "The DiMatteo case. Someone named . . ."

"Michael DiMatteo," Olivia finished. "He's facing charges of first-degree murder of his mother and step-father. My partner and I were the ones who had arrested him."

"Really?" Paul's sherry-brown eyes sparkled, as he smiled. "Then I guess we'll be seeing a lot of each other."

Olivia smiled, as well. "I guess so."

Piper struggled to keep her irritation in check. Damn! So much for her attempt at matchmaking. She glanced at Leo and noticed the satisfied gleam in his eyes, as he observed Olivia and Paul. It finally dawned upon Piper that she had not been the only one with matchmaking plans, this evening. Another thought occurred to her. No one had bothered to mention that Paul was not the first Assistant District Attorney they had met.

* * * *

"That's it!" Barbara firmly stated, as Bruce's Jaguar drove her, Bruce, Olivia and Harry away from the Halliwell manor. "We're issuing those invitations to Piper, Leo and Phoebe. Especially after tonight."

Bruce sighed. "All right! I don't see what's the big fuss is about. All I did was misplace their invitations."

"Oh please!" Barbara rolled her eyes. "You deliberately failed to mail them. Didn't you?"

From the corner of her eyes, Olivia saw Harry's mouth curve into a knowing smile. "I still see that you haven't forgiven Leo for not inviting us to his wedding, have you Bruce?"

"Is that why you did it?" Barbara challenged her fiancé. "Because Leo didn't invite you to his wedding? How petty, Bruce!"

Bruce shot back, "Petty or not, I don't see why we have to invite them. Aside from Paige, neither of us can't stand the rest of the family."

"I'll tell you why! Because I don't want to explain to Paige why we didn't bother to invite her sisters. I don't want to look like a complete shit in her eyes!"

While Barbara and Bruce continued to argue over the Halliwells, Olivia found herself thinking about the Halliwells' guest. Paul Margolis. A very attractive man. He had a smile that seemed to light up his entire face. And Olivia had to admit that she found his interest in her very flattering.

Flashes of a dark-haired, blue-eyed half-daemon mingled with Olivia's thoughts of the new Assistant District Attorney. Cole. For the past three months, she and Cole had managed to repair the rift in their friendship, following the disastrous New Year's Eve kiss. But something else had happened. The kiss also awakened Olivia's desire for the half-daemon. Part of her wanted to see that desire come to fruition. Another part of her feared it would happen - not because of what Cole was - a daemon. Olivia harbored another fear. Namely one in the form of Phoebe Halliwell. She recalled Paige's mention of how Phoebe had discovered that Cole was her "true love", during a trip to the past. How does one deal with a "true love"? If Phoebe and Cole were each other's true love, why should she waste her time mooning over the half-daemon?

". . . can I look Paige in the face, knowing that we deliberately cut out her family from the guest list?" Barbara was saying. "And let's not forget Leo's dinner invitation. How can we not invite him, after tonight?"

Bruce shot back, "I think we all know the reason behind Leo's little dinner party. He's got this idea of forming some kind of Wiccan crime fighting unit. Especially now that he has four charges and two former ones all living in one city."

"That's not all he has in mind," Harry added. The others, aside from Bruce, stared at him.

Olivia demanded, "What do you mean?"

The two redheads stared at each other. Then Harry glanced away. "Nothing," he murmured. "It's just . . . I don't know. Maybe he's trying to reconcile both families, again. Just like Gran and Aunt Penny tried to make us all become friends, years ago." Olivia had the strangest sensation that her younger brother was lying. Unfortunately, he was the one who possessed telepathy and not her.

Barbara added, "There's nothing wrong with that. I mean, the Halliwells can be a bit too self-righteous at times, but they're pretty nice people."

"Pretty nice people, whose whitelighter didn't bother to invite us to a certain wedding," Bruce growled.

Barbara let out a huff. "Bruce!"

"Okay, okay! I'll find the damn invitations and mail them." Bruce was saying. "But don't be surprise, when you find yourself wishing that we had ever invited them in the first place!"

The Jaguar sped on through San Francisco's dark streets.

* * * *

Nick closed the demonology book and rubbed his eyes. He had been pouring over the book for the past three or four hours . . . and has been unable to find a damn thing to help him. Of course, he had only reached the "G" section. However, not even that could disguise the fact that he was beginning to feel discouraged.

Perhaps he should simply forget this little scheme to get rid of Bruce McNeill. After all, he had no guarantee that Barbara would turn to him, if Bruce died. She had never given him any hints that she felt anything other than friendship. Nick glanced at the photograph of the blond witch. New determination surged within his chest. He had to have her. Take care of her. Ensure that they spend the rest of their lives together. He had to save Barbara from a future with a rich, over-privileged and self-absorbed nobody. Despite all that Bruce had, Nick felt certain that Barbara needed more to make her happy. And that only he truly understood her.

Picking up the book, Nick continued his research. He skipped certain parts and found himself in the section marked, "I". The word jumped at him, from the book. Incubus. Hmm, interesting. According to the book, an incubus was a male spirit or daemon that sought sexual intercourse with mortals - especially women. All to draw the soul or spirit of their victim, leaving a residue of nightmares.

Nick considered summoning an incubus and placing him in Bruce's path. Only, he suspected that it would be difficult for an incubus to attract a heterosexual male like Bruce. There was another possibility . . . He leafed through the pages, until he came upon the "S" section. Ah yes. Succubus. The female version of an incubus.

Now, all he had to do was summon the right succubus for Bruce. And all of his trouble would soon be over.

END OF PART 2

"LICENSE TO KILL" Photo Gallery

2010-01-02T05:03:00.000-08:00

Below is a gallery featuring photos from the 1989 James Bond movie, "LICENSE TO KILL". Directed by John Glen, the movie starred Timothy Dalton as James Bond, along with Carey Lowell, Talisa Soto and Robert Davi:

"LICENSE TO KILL" PHOTO GALLERY

Top Ten (10) Favorite Movies of 2009

2009-12-31T22:58:00.001-08:00

Below is a countdown list of my favorite movies of 2009. Mind you, this is not a list of movies that I believe are the best. Such a list would only be subjective anyway. So without further ado, here are my favorite movies of 2009:

TOP TEN (10) FAVORITE MOVIES OF 2009:

10. "X-Men Origins: Wolverine" - Gavin Hood directed and Hugh Jackman starred in this well-made origin tale about X-Men Wolverine aka James Logan. Liev Schrieber and Danny Huston co-starred. Better than I had originally thought.

9. "State of Play" - Kevin MacDonald directed this surprisingly entertaining adaptation of the acclaimed British miniseries about a journalist's probe into the death of a congressman's mistress. Russell Crowe, Ben Affleck, Rachel McAdams and Helen Mirren starred.

8. "The Informant!" - Matt Damon earned a well-deserved Golden Globe nomination for his portrayal of industrial whistle blower Mark Whitacre, who also happened to be a chronic liar, an embezzler and all around bizarre individual. Directed by Steven Soderbergh, the movie co-starred Scott Bakula, Melanie Lynskey and Joel McHale.

7. "The Young Victoria" - Jean-Marc Vallée directed this colorful account of Queen Victoria's accession to the British throne and her early years as queen. Emily Blunt and Rupert Friend shine as Victoria and Albert.

6. "2012" - Roland Emmerich directed this exciting disaster tale centered around the Mayan myth about a worldwide apocalypse during the year 2012. John Cusak, Chiwetel Ejiofor, Amanda Peet, Thandie Newton and Oliver Platt starred.

5. "Avatar" - James Cameron produced, wrote and directed this visually stunning science-fiction tale about a paraplegic ex-marine who becomes part of a unique science program on the moon of another planet and becomes torn between his employers' agenda and the world he has fallen in love with. Sam Worthington, Zoe Saldana, Stephen Lang and Sigourney Weaver star.

4. "Sherlock Holmes" - Guy Ritchie directed this entertaining and thrilling adaptation of Doyle's character about Holmes' conflict against a nefarious aristocratic with plans to assume political control of the British Empire. Robert Downey Jr., Jude Law, Rachel McAdams and Mark Strong star.

3. "Inglourious Basterds" - Quentin Tarantino struck gold at the box office in this fascinating and well written tale about two attempts to assassinate Adolf Hitler in 1944 Nazi-occupied Paris. Brad Pitt, Christoph Waltz, Diane Kruger, Michael Fassbender and Mélanie Laurent co-starred.

2. "Terminator Salvation" - Director McG's entry in the TERMINATOR franchise became a surprise hit for me this summer. Christian Bale and Sam Worthington co-starred in this tale about a group of survivors led by John Connor who struggle to keep the machines from destroying humanity.

1. Public Enemies - Once again, Michael Mann proved why he has become one of my favorite directors with his direction of this exciting and well-made biopic about Depression era bank robber, John Dillinger. Johnny Depp, Christian Bale and Marion Cotillard co-starred.

"LOST": The Death of Nathan

2009-12-30T18:47:00.001-08:00

(2.07) ”The Other 48 Hours” is the 31st episode of ”LOST” that aired on November 16, 2005. This episode featured the Tail Section passengers of Oceanic Air Flight 815 and the story of their first forty-eight (48) days on the island. A controversy popped out from nowhere in this episode and it featured a fellow survivor named Nathan, whose death led to a barrage of criticism aimed at another character – Ana-Lucia Cortez, portrayed by Michelle Rodriguez.

”LOST”: The Death of Nathan

The previous episode, (2.06) ”Abandoned” ended with the kidnapping of one of the Tail Section survivors, stewardess Cindy Chandler (Kimberly Joseph) and Ana-Lucia’s accidental shooting of one of the regular Fuselage survivors, Shannon Rutherford (Maggie Grace). ”The Other 48 Days” unfolded the events experienced by the Tailies that led Ana-Lucia to pull the trigger in such haste. And one of those events included the death of a Canadian-born passenger named Nathan (Josh Randall) at the hands of the Others’ spy, Goodwin Stanhope (Brett Cullen), The ironic thing about Nathan’s death is that when this episode had first aired, many of the series’ fans blamed Ana-Lucia for the Canadian’s fate.

When Flight 815 of Oceanic Airlines had first crashed on September 22, 2004, the plane broke into several pieces. One of those pieces included the tail section, which landed in the water, somewhere opposite of the Fuselage passengers’ camp. Not long after the survivors swam ashore, some of them – Ana-Lucia Cortez, Mr. Eko (Adewale Akinnuoye-Agbaje), Libby (Cynthia Watros) and Others spy Goodwin included – helped the others. But after Tail Sections passengers (aka the Tailies) settled down for the night, the Others snatched three adult males and Eko managed to kill two of them with a rock when they try to take him. It was Nathan who pointed out the disappearance of the three male survivors. Several injured survivors die in the passing days before the Others attacked again on the twelfth night and snatched nine more survivors – including two children named Emma and Zack. Ana-Lucia managed to kill one of the Others. The remaining survivors – Ana-Lucia, Mr. Eko, Libby, Cindy, Nathan and Bernard Nadler (Sam Anderson) – and Goodwin head into the jungle to evade the Others.

During their trek into the jungle, Nathan peevishly insisted that they break for rest and water. Although against the idea, Ana-Lucia obliged due to the arguments from the other survivors. She eventually dug a pit – on her own – and converted it into a cage. For Nathan. Apparently, Ana-Lucia had developed a suspicion toward the Canadian-born survivor since the Others’ second attack. Along with Cindy, he wanted to stay on the beach, following the Others’ first attack on Day One. Nathan also lengthy trips into the jungle, supposedly to take a bathroom break. He also seemed rebellious toward Ana-Lucia. Nathan spent four days in the pit without food, despite protests from Bernard and Goodwin. He also had to endure unrelenting questioning by Ana-Lucia. When she indicated her intention to torture him, Goodwin helped Nathan out of the pit. Then he killed the Canadian by snapping the latter’s neck.

Ever since Nathan’s death, many fans – but not all – have dumped most of the blame on Ana-Lucia’s shoulders. In the recap for ”The Other 48 Days”, someone named Daniel had this to say:

”She kneels by a stream, and starts to break down. Who says Michelle Rodriguez can't act? She stops herself when she sees Eko standing there watching her. She barks at him, for no one must see her cry. He tells her that everything's going to be okay, and he crouches beside her. "What, you're talking now?" he says. "It's been forty days," he says simply. "You waited forty days to talk?" she says. "You waited forty days to cry," he says, and that totally sets her off, and she collapses, sobbing in his arms. I'm going to hope that the tears aren't strictly of the "even a girlfighter needs to let it out once in a while" variety, and that some of these tears are being shed for Nathan, whose death Ana-Lucia bears some of the responsibility for, whether you like her or not."

He was right to claim that Ana-Lucia bore some of the responsibility for Nathan’s death. I only wished he had included the others who were also responsible in the above passage. Even one of the series’ screenwriters got into the act. Both Elizabeth Sarnoff and Christina M. Kim, who wrote (2.16) ”The Whole Truth” had Ana-Lucia assume all of the blame for what happened to Nathan:

GALE: I don't mean to be ungrateful, but why are you going to help me get out of here?
ANA: On the other side of the Island there was this guy with us. I was 100 percent convinced that he wasn't on the plane. So I dug a whole and I threw him in it.
GALE: And what happened?
ANA: I was wrong. And now he's dead. But good news for you Henry -- I don't make the same mistake twice. So how about you tell me your story?

Well, it is all peachy keen that Ana-Lucia was able to accept responsibility for Nathan’s death. But it would have been sweeter for me if the other Tailies had accepted responsibility on screen, as well. Yes, I am saying that the other Tailies – along with Goodwin – were responsible. Let us exam how each individual in that group was responsible:

*Nathan – You read it right. I believe that Nathan was partially responsible for his own death. I realize that he had spoken the truth that intestinal problems led him to disappear from the Tailies’ camp every few hours. But Nathan had been the one who first noticed that the Others had kidnapped three survivors on that first night. He should have realized that disappearing into the jungle by himself for several hours – for whatever the reason – was a stupid move. The Others’ attack on the first night would have convinced me to overcome any embarrassment and insist upon company so that I could groan and fart for two hours with some semblance of safety. And there was the problem of Nathan’s personality. Not only did he have an ornery personality that irritated Ana-Lucia and the other Tailies, he also had a secretive nature that aroused many suspicions amongst his companions.

*Ana-Lucia Cortez – As I had stated earlier, Ana-Lucia was partially responsible for Nathan’s death. She was the one who had dug the pit. She was the one who dumped Nathan into the pit, starved him and questioned him constantly. She also threatened to torture him. And although Nathan’s behavior failed to help his cause, I suspect that Ana-Lucia’s own dislike of him allowed her to easily believe that he was a spy for the Others.

*Bernard Nadler – Although Bernard had protested against Nathan being dumped and kept in that pit, he did nothing to help the latter escape. Despite knowing that Ana-Lucia was attempting to starve Nathan into confessing.

*Libby – Like Ana-Lucia, she disliked Nathan’s behavior. And she had expressed her distrust of Nathan before Ana-Lucia had finished digging the pit:

LIBBY [entering]: Hey.
ANA: Hey.
LIBBY: Back at the beach -- the night they came back -- you said that Nathan was gone for 2 hours? That he was missing? Creeps me out, Ana. Do you really think it's possible that one of us is one of them?

Later, she responded to Goodwin’s protest:

GOODWIN: You're not all serious.
LIBBY: He never talks about himself, Nathan. Every time I ask him anything, he just dodges.

You know what really irritated me about Libby in the end? She dumped all of the blame for Nathan’s death on Ana-Lucia in (2.08) ”Collision”:

ANA [to Libby]: What about you?
LIBBY: I just don't think you're the best judge of character. I was with you when you put Nathan in the pit.

That is correct. Not only was she there when Ana-Lucia dumped Nathan’s ass into that pit, she was one of those who had supported the act. Her hypocrisy toward Ana-Lucia really annoyed me.

* Cindy Chandler – Like Libby, Cindy expressed distrust of Nathan. She also claimed that she had never seen him on board Flight 815 before the crash – despite her gift for knowing faces:

ANA: We were in the air for 2 hours -- I didn't see him once -- not once.
GOODWIN: It's a big plane, Ana, just because you didn't...
CINDY: No, I didn't see him either. I'm pretty good with faces, you know, with the passengers, and I did not see him.

I believe that Cindy may have overestimated her talent for faces. Apparently, she had failed to spot Nathan before spent time in one of the plane’s restrooms, dealing with his “problem”. And she failed to realize that Goodwin had never been a passenger on Flight 815.

*Mr. Eko – He was kind enough to feed a banana to Nathan, while the latter was being deliberately starved by Ana-Lucia. And yet . . . he did not bother to free Nathan from the pit. One could argue that Mr. Eko had feared incurring Ana-Lucia’s wrath. But we all know that he was the last person on that island who could ever be intimidated by her. Like most of his companions, Mr. Eko probably harbored suspicions about Nathan.

*Goodwin Stanhope - Naturally, he is the main person to blame for Nathan’s death. After all, he snapped the other man’s neck. Goodwin had helped Nathan escape from the pit. He realized that if Ana-Lucia had tortured the other man, she would have realized that Nathan had been speaking the truth. As a spy for the Others, he could not afford for her to continue any suspicions. But . . . there had been no need for Goodwin to commit murder. He could have simply allowed Nathan to maintain his distance from the other Tailies. But he chose murder instead.

From the above statements, it is easy to see that I have managed to place the blame for Nathan’s death on just about every member of the group that had left the beach, following the Others’ second attack. Yet, because Ana-Lucia happened to be so unpopular with many fans of ”LOST”, she has received most of the blame. I hope this will finally set the record straight.

"THE ILLUSIONIST" (2006) Review

2009-12-29T19:06:00.000-08:00

Below is a review I had written on the 2006 romantic drama, "THE ILLUSIONIST". Written and directed by Neil Burger, the movie starred Edward Norton, Jessica Biel, Paul Giamatti and Rufus Sewell:

”THE ILLUSIONIST” (2006) Review

Neil Burger wrote and directed this loose adaptation of Steven Millhauser's story called "Eisenheim the Illusionist”. This story about a magician in turn-of-the-century Vienna starred Edward Norton, Jessica Biel, Paul Giamatti and Rufus Sewell.

The movie’s plot focused upon the romance that had first formed between the magician Eisenheim (Norton) and his childhood friend, the socially superior Sophie, Duchess von Teschen (Biel) – a romance that ends up threatening the political plans of Crown Prince Leopold of Austria-Hungary (Sewell) and Chief Inspector Uhl’s position with the Vienna police and his role as the Crown Prince’s henchman. ”THE ILLUSIONIST” began in the middle of the story – with Chief Inspector Uhl revealing Eisenheim ‘s background and childhood friendship with Sophie. The movie continued with the events that led to the Crown Prince’s interest in the magician – Eisenheim’s arrival in Vienna, his reunion with Sophie during a performance and a special performance by the magician for the Crown Prince and his entourage, in which Eisenheim embarrasses the prince for a brief moment. Sophie appears at Eisenheim’s quarters to warn him about his actions at the royal palace. The two end up declaring their feelings for one another by making love. After Sophie reveals Crown Prince’s Leopold’s reasons for proposing marriage – he needs her Hungarian family connections to build a power base strong enough to usurp his father from the Imperial throne – both come to the conclusion that Leopold would never let her go. Even if they decide to make a run for it, the prince would hunt them down and kill them. Realizing this, Eisenheim decides to unfold plans that would allow Sophie to escape from Leopold’s clutches and guarantee the couple’s future safety and happiness.

I have never read Millhauser’s story about Eisenheim. But I must admit that I became enamored of Burger’s cinematic adaptation since the first time I saw it. The story possessed many elements that made it entertaining and unique for me. One, it had plenty of romance, due to the romance between Eisenheim and Sophie; along with the love triangle between the two and Crown Prince Leopold. It had intrigue from the plot centered around the Crown Prince’s efforts to rid Eisenheim as a rival for not only Sophie’s affections, but those of the Austrian people. It had mystery thanks to Eisenheim’s mind-blowing magic, Chief Inspector Uhl’s attempts to expose it, and the tragic events that dominate the film’s latter half. And Crown Prince Leopold’s plans to dethrone his father, along with his competition with Eisenheim for the Viennese public’s affections gave the movie a political tone. It simply had everything and Burger managed to combine it all with a superb script.

The cast in ”THE ILLUSIONIST” contributed to the movie’s superior quality, as well. Edward Norton was superb as the magician Eisenheim. Despite being the movie’s main character, he did a great job in conveying the character’s many personality facets – including his love for Sophie (which makes this role one of Norton’s most romantic), and his contempt toward both Crown Prince Leopold and Chief Inspector Ulh Even more importantly, Norton managed to convey some of these emotional aspects of Eisenheim’s personality, while retaining the man’s enigmatic nature. Jessica Biel literally glowed as Sophie, Duchess von Teschen. Frankly, I believe the character might be one of her best roles. Biel had portrayed Sophie more than just an elegant and charming woman from the Austro-Hungarian ruling class. She revealed Sophie’s inner sadness from her earlier disrupted relationship with Eisenheim and fear of facing a lifetime with the odious Crown Prince. Speaking of which . . . kudos to Rufus Sewell for portraying one of the most complex screen villains in recent years. Sewell’s Leopold was not simply a one-note villain who sneered at everyone he deemed inferior to himself. The actor portrayed the prince as an ambitious and emotional man who desired respect and even love from the public and those close to him. Yet, despite this desire, he seemed capable of returning such feelings to others, especially Sophie, due to his arrogance and vindictive nature. But if you had asked me which performance in ”THE ILLUSIONIST” really impressed me, I would have to say Paul Giamatti as Chief Inspector Walter Uhl. Giamatti either had the bad or good luck – it depends upon one’s point of view – to portray the most complex character in the movie. This is a man torn between his curiosity over Einheim’s talent as a magician, his ambition to be more than just a policeman, and his sense of justice and outrage toward the tragic event revealed in the second half. Giamatti’s Chief Inspector Ulh is a man literally torn apart over toward whom he should direct his loyalty. And the actor did a superb job in portraying every nuance in the character. In my opinion, he managed to dominate the film without being its main star.

I really do not have much to say about the film’s production values. Granted, production designer Ondrej Nekvasil; along with costume designer Ngila Dickson, and art directors Stefan Kovacik and Vlasta Svoboda, did an admirable job of re-creating turn-of-the-century Vienna on the screen. And yet . . . aside from Dickson’s elegant costumes, I found the movie’s Viennese setting to be slightly colorless. And empty. The setting lacked the color of that particular period shown in other movies like 1969’s ”THE ASSASSINATION BUREAU, LTD” and 1976’s ”THE SEVEN PERCENT SOLUTION”.

Despite my complaint against the film’s colorless production designs, I have to give kudos to Neil Burger for writing a rich adaptation of Millhauser’s story. He also did an excellent job of conveying his vision of the story through his direction of the crew and a cast of talented actors that included Norton, Biel, Sewell and Giamatti. ”THE ILLUSIONST” is a beautiful and mysterious love story filled with magic and political intrigue. After three years, I still find it enjoyable to watch.

"SHERLOCK HOLMES" Photo Gallery

2009-12-28T21:29:00.000-08:00

Below is a gallery featuring photos from Guy Ritchie's movie about Sir Arthur Conan Doyle's famous literary detective called "SHERLOCK HOLMES". The movie stars Robert Downey Jr., Jude Law, Rachel McAdams and Mark Strong:

"SHERLOCK HOLMES" Photo Gallery

"Obssession" [PG-13] - Chapter 1

2009-12-27T22:21:00.000-08:00

"OBSSESSIONS"

PART 1

Ignoring the stares of a few co-workers, Phoebe Halliwell left her office and strode across the main newsroom of the SAN FRANCISCO BAY-MIRROR. Her destination? The elevator, and eventually the office of the BAY-MIRROR's new owner and her new boyfriend, Jason Dean. Her purpose? To learn about his alleged past with one Olivia McNeill.

Phoebe still recalled that night when Jason had appeared at the manor to take her to the Lowe-Choiset party. Everything seemed perfect. Until Olivia and Cole dropped by. The redheaded witch wanted to retrieve a package she had left at Ostera's - the herbal shop where Paige worked. It had been bad enough seeing Cole looking handsome as ever, in Olivia's company. But when the latter and Jason expressed shock at seeing each other, Phoebe immediately knew they were old acquaintances. Even worse, Cole came the same conclusion and seemed rather upset. Phoebe eventually demanded an explanation, which Jason only responded with reluctant silence. In the end, it was Paige who informed her that Jason and Olivia used to date.

But she needed to learn more. She needed to hear from Jason's lips, everything about his past relationship with Olivia. The elevator reached the fourteenth floor. Once she reached the reception area outside Jason's office, Phoebe strode past his secretary, ignoring the other woman's protests. And strode inside Jason's private office.

Jason Dean was a tall man. Like her ex-husband. Only Cole stood at least an inch or two taller and possessed broader shoulders. Yet, Jason still possessed a commanding presence with his handsome features, dark-blue eyes and shock of dirty-blond hair. He also had a boyish enthusiasm, mingled with moral righteousness that Phoebe found refreshing after Cole's own moral turpitude. Jason seemed like the epitome of light, in compare to Cole's darkness. Upright. Honest. Forthright. At least until three days ago.

Phoebe slammed the door shut and faced her boyfriend, hands on hips. Jason glanced up with wary eyes. "Phoebe, uh what are you . . .? Is there a problem?"

"Yes, there is," she stated quietly. "Olivia McNeill."

Jason heaved a long suffering sigh. "Oh God! Are you going to bombard me with questions again? Because I'm getting tired of this."

"Too bad!" Phoebe shot back. Hands on hips, she marched around Jason's desk, until she stood next to him. "You know, you could have at least told me that you and Olivia had dated a few years ago. Would that have been so hard? Why the silence, Jason? Something more happened between you two?"

The young newspaper publisher dropped his head in defeat. "All right! Yes, we dated three years ago. We dated for a month or two and then we broke up. End of story."

End of story? The memory of Jason's reaction to Olivia flashed in Phoebe's mind. Not likely. Instinct told her that Jason had been strongly affected by his romance with Olivia. "End of story, huh?" Phoebe said. "So, why do I feel that . . .?"

"Why am I getting the third degree, here?" Jason protested. His eyes flashed with anger. "So, Olivia and I once dated. So what? She's only an ex-girlfriend. Cole Turner was a hell of a lot more to you!"

Phoebe's eyes widened from Jason's outburst. He rose from his chair and brushed past her. "Why is it that you've never talked about your marriage?" he demanded. "Was it that traumatic? Did you have problems seeing him with Olivia that ni . . .?"

The intercom on his desk buzzed. "Mr. Dean," his secretary's voice announced, "DeWolfe Mann is demanding to see you. He has an urgent matter to discuss."

Phoebe recognized the name. DeWolfe Mann happened to be one of the BAY-MIRROR's featured food columnists and one of San Francisco's top restaurant critics. Phoebe saw this interruption from her fellow columnist as an opportunity to beat a hasty retreat, following Jason's outburst. "I better go," she said quietly, before starting for the door.

Before she could leave, Jason stopped her. "Wait! This shouldn't take long." Then he ordered his secretary to usher in the new visitor.

Seconds later, a portly man of medium height walked into the office. With thick dark hair that reached slightly past the nape of his neck, a mustache and goatee, he was not someone a person would easily forget. His dark eyes spotted Phoebe, before he greeted her with a nod. Some of Phoebe's colleagues viewed her office romance with a tolerant eye. DeWolfe, miraculously, happened to be among that group - considering his virulent dislike of Jason.

"Mr. Mann," Jason coolly greeted. "How may I help you?"

Again, DeWolfe glanced at Phoebe. Who immediately resumed her intention to leave. "You don't have to go, Phoebe," the food columnist assured her. "I won't take long." He turned his attention to Jason. "I just spoke to my editor, Milo O'Keefe. He tells me that you've scotched the Golden Horn restaurant story that I had suggested. And Milo had approved." Phoebe nearly winced at the mention of Gweneth McNeill's restaurant. "Why?"

"The Golden Horn has been around for nearly twenty-five years," Jason shot back. "In other words, it's old news. I'm sure that other local papers and news organizations will be doing a story about it, since it will be celebrating its Silver anniversary. I don't think that the BAY-MIRROR should join the crowd."

DeWolfe retorted, "First of all, no other paper is writing a story about it. I've checked. Second of all, this Silver anniversary is the perfect time to write about it and . . ."

"I'm not interested." Jason sounded adamant.

Without thinking, Phoebe spoke up. "Why? I think Wolfie's idea is great."

Jason's dark blue eyes coolly pinpointed hers. "I feel otherwise. And since when were you ever interested in the paper's Food section?"

"Well pardon me, but I can't help but wonder why you're not interested in Wolfie's idea," Phoebe retorted. "Especially since he's just confirmed that no other paper will be doing a story on the restaurant's anniversary. Or is there another reason why you don't want to do this story? Like the fact that the restaurant is owned by a certain family?"

Strained silence filled the office. Jason glared at Phoebe. She glared back. DeWolfe Mann merely observed the pair, obviously trying to appear inconspicuous. To Phoebe's relief, defeat glimmered in Jason's eyes. "All right," he said with a sigh. "You win." He faced the food critic. "I'll tell O'Keefe that you can go ahead with the story."

DeWolfe flashed a grateful smile and left. Phoebe started for the door. Jason called out her name. She stopped in her tracks and faced him. "Yeah?"

The newspaper publisher gave her a grave stare. "I have very strong feelings for you, Phoebe. I care for you very much. But that doesn't give you the right to tell me how to do my job. As your boss, I have that right, not you. Understand?"

Resentment flashed through Phoebe's mind. "Yeah, Jason. I understand. But at least I know how to separate my feelings from my job," she retorted. "I think that's a lesson you need to learn. I know why you didn't want Wolfie to do that story. It's just a shame that you can't admit it out loud." She seared him with a hard look, before turning away. "See you later."

* * * *

Blue lights appeared in the middle of a half-furnished living room of a large apartment. Seconds later, Leo Wyatt materialized. He glanced around, expecting to find a familiar figure. "Hello?" he cried out. "Paul? Are you here?"

A good-looking man of medium height, chestnut hair and mesmerizing brown eyes strode into the living room. "Hey Leo!" The man broke into a smile. "My first visitor!"

The whitelighter shook hands with his host. "Just wanted to welcome you to San Francisco. And that it's a relief I don't have to orb all the way, across country, just to see one of my most reliable charges."

"That's right," Paul added with a shrewd look. "Most of your charges are here in Frisco. This was your hometown, right?"

Leo nodded. "It's also my wife's hometown. And her sisters'. And we call it San Francisco, not Frisco."

"Ah yes! The famous Charmed Ones! Lucky you!" Paul Margolin's smile broadened into a grin. A native of Buffalo, New York, he had moved to San Francisco after obtaining a position as Assistant District Attorney, at the city's D.A. Office. Not only was Paul a talented witch, but also a promising prosecutor with a ruthless reputation for pursuing justice.

Smiling, Leo added, "Yeah, lucky me, all right. Especially now that Piper and I have a son. Wyatt will be two months old, soon."

"I'd like to meet him," Paul said."

"That's why I'm here. To invite you over for dinner, tonight. Piper and I thought it would be a great chance for all of my other charges here in the city, to meet you."

One of Paul's eyebrows formed an arch. "All? How many charges are we talking about?"

"Well, there's you and the girls. That makes four. And there are the McNeills . . ." Leo hesitated. "Actually, Bruce and Olivia used to be my charges. As for Harry, well he had never accepted me as his whitelighter. But they do work with Piper and her sisters, every now and then."

Paul let out a low whistle. "I didn't realize you had so many of them in this city, alone. And what do you mean that they used to be your charges? What happened?"

Leo sighed. "About thirteen years ago, Olivia and Bruce had ended our whitelighter/witch relationship. You know, all charges have the right to do so. But I'm still a close friend of theirs." He continued, "And I also had a charge named Amelia Theissen. But she was killed by a warlock, two years ago. Three months after Amelia's death, Prue - my wife's older sister - was killed by a demonic hit man named Shax."

"Oh yeah," a sombered Paul added, "I remember hearing about that. It's too bad that I've never met Prue and Amelia. Now about these McNeills, their name sounds familiar. Who are they?"

Jack and Gwen McNeill's offspring flashed through Leo's mind. "Two brothers and a sister. They're also very talented witches . . . although a little unorthodox. Actually, they're probably more unorthodox than the Charmed Ones. Hopefully, you'll get to meet them as well. The sister is a cop."

Again, Paul smiled. "Hmmm, she sounds very interesting."

"You have no idea how much."

* * * *

The man and the woman stood side by side, inside Ostera's stockroom, examining the merchandise on the shelves. The woman, who also happened to be the shop's owner, sighed. "This is going to take forever," she moaned.

Nick glanced at Barbara and felt a rush of love. She was so beautiful! The most beautiful creature on the face of this earth. When he had stopped by Ostera's during his lunch break, he had no idea that he would be spending such precious moments with Barbara - alone.

"Maybe we should just forget . . ." Nick began, hoping that Barbara would dismiss his words. Sure enough . . .

Blonde hair fluttered like a flag, as Barbara shook her head. "No! No, I'm sure that I have a bottle of Shepherd's Purse somewhere. All we have to do is look . . . ah! I found it!" Barbara reached for the desired bottle.

Nick felt a surge of disappointment. He had hoped it would have taken Barbara a little longer to find the Shepherd's Purse. But alas . . .

The returned to the store's showroom, where more disappointment awaited Nick. He and Barbara found Paige Matthews, Barbara's assistant, in deep conversation with Bruce McNeill. ". . . excited to finally get my wedding invitation," Paige was saying. A frown appeared on her face. "But the others didn't get theirs. What happened?"

Barbara replied, "Perhaps their invitations haven't arrived in the mail, yet." She threw her fiancé a suspicious look. "Bruce mailed 'all' of them, last Saturday." Then she lightly kissed his cheek, causing Nick's heart to lurch.

Nodding, Bruce added, "Don't worry. They'll get them. And if they don't . . . they're still invited." He rolled his eyes, while Paige became distracted by a new customer. Then he spotted Nick. "Hey, look who's here! Again!" Giving Nick a curious stare, he added, "If I didn't know any better, Nick, I'd swear that you're practically becoming a daily visitor here. Soon, you'll be camping out in front of the store."

Nick nervously said, "I'm . . . I'm uh, working. On a project to create a new spell."

"Oh." Bruce turned away and focused his attention on Barbara. Who ignored Nick, all together. His heart sank. Anger and despair threatened to flare within the Streghone. But he kept his emotions in check and bid the distracted couple good-bye.

* * * *

"Inspector McNeill, San Francisco PD. May I help you?"

The voice on the other end of the phone line replied, "Olivia? It's me, Leo."

"Leo?" A call from her whitelighter took Olivia by surprise. "What can I do for you?"

The whitelighter continued, "Um, Piper and I are having a dinner, tonight. For one of my charges. He's just moved here from Buffalo and I would like him to meet my other charges . . . and friends in the area. Are you available tonight?"

Olivia hesitated. "Just me?"

"Uh . . . well, yes. Bruce has already said yes, and I'll be calling Harry, next."

In other words, Olivia surmised, Cole was not invited. Her first instinct was to say no. But curiosity overcame her. "Okay," she said. "What time should I be there?"

* * * *

It had been the last straw for Nick. Seeing Barbara with Bruce, this afternoon. When he had made the private vow to win Barbara's affections, he had imagined using friendship and love. But seeing them discuss the upcoming wedding, together had made him realize that he would have to go ahead with his plans to use drastic measures.

Four hours later, Nick left work and made his way to the city library's central branch. After nearly searching the Theology Department for nearly a half-hour, he found an old book on Demonology, dated 1932. The book listed nearly every daemon known in the world's religions. Not only did it provide information and statistics on each daemon, but methods on how to vanquish them. Even more important, the book also provided spells to summon each daemon.

Ignoring the librarian's curious stare, Nick checked out the book. He decided that the only way to win Barbara Bowen was to get rid of the competition. Namely Bruce McNeill. And since he had no desire to end up in prison for murder, he would resort to summoning a daemon to get rid of the man.

* * * *

Olivia eased her dark-green BMW convertible into her assigned parking space and stopped. The red-haired witch switched off the car's engine and glanced at her watch. Five forty-three. Goddess! She had less than two hours to get ready for Leo's little dinner party.

Grabbing her suitcase, Olivia climbed out of the convertible. As she made her way across the underground parking lot, a familiar black Porshe entered. Cole. Olivia continued striding toward the elevator. There she waited for her neighbor to join her. When he did, the pair greeted each other with quiet hellos.

"So, how was your day?" Cole Turner asked, as they entered the elevator.

A sigh left Olivia's mouth. "Not bad. Darryl and I must have spent the better part of the day preparing our report for the DiMatteo case. Hell, we've been working on that damn case since last November."

Smiling, Cole gave her arm a reassuring pat. "Well, at least the end is near."

"Until the trial." Olivia paused. "Mike Velo from the DA's Office was suppose to prosecute, but we've heard that he has resigned to join some law firm in L.A."

Cole nodded. "I remember Mike. Well, barely. Who's been given the case?"

"We don't know yet."

The elevator continued its climb up. Two more passengers boarded and deposited them on the eighth floor. Then Cole turned to Olivia, "Say, why don't you join me for dinner, tonight? I can prepare one of my best dishes - Broiled Lemon Chicken."

"Oh." Leo's invitation came to Olivia's mind.

Cole frowned. "What? Not feeling well?"

"No, it's just . . ." Olivia hesitated. "Uh, I had received a dinner invitation, today."

Jealousy briefly flicked in Cole's blue eyes. "Oh? From whom?"

"Leo." Now Cole looked surprised. Olivia continued, "One of his charges had just moved out here, recently. And Leo . . . has invited us to meet him. Bruce, Harry and me. Along with the Halliwells, of course."

"Of course." Silence enveloped the pair, as the elevator reached Olivia's floor. Both stepped out, as Cole added, "I guess that invitation didn't extend to me, huh?"

Oh God! Olivia thought despairingly. "He didn't . . . Leo didn't mention you."

A wan smile touched Cole's lips. "Hmmm, not surprised. "Oh well." He tried to broaden his smile. And failed. "Hope you enjoy yourself." He turned away and pushed the elevator button.

"Oh, hey!" Olivia cried. "Can I take a rain check on that Lemon Chicken?"

Cole nodded. "Yeah. Sure." He flashed another wan smile and disappeared into the elevator's closing doors.

Olivia sighed. Heavily. This damn dinner party better be worth the disappointment, she thought.

END OF PART 1

Look Back - "NORTH AND SOUTH: Book II" (1986)

2009-12-26T18:31:00.000-08:00

Look Back – “NORTH AND SOUTH: BOOK II” (1986)

Judging from past articles I have written about the ”NORTH AND SOUTH” Trilogy, one would surmise that of the three miniseries that have aired in the past decades (two in the 1980s and one in the 1990s) that I seemed to have the most problem with the second miniseries in the trilogy, namely ”BOOK II”. And if I have to be honest, one would be right.

It is odd that I would choose the second miniseries as the most problematic of the three. ”BOOK II” is set during the years of the Civil War – a historical conflict that has heavily attracted my attention for so many years that I cannot measure how long. ”BOOK III”, which aired at least eight years after the second miniseries, was set during the early years of Reconstruction and has a reputation amongst the ”NORTH AND SOUTH” fans as being inferior to the other two. But for some reason, I have had more of a problem with ”BOOK II”. So I have decided to examine each of the six episodes of the 1986 miniseries to determine why this chapter in the ”NORTH AND SOUTH” trilogy is such a problem for me.

Episode 1

Without a doubt, Episode 1 of ”BOOK II” is my favorite in the entire miniseries. It re-introduced the main characters in the story. It also set the stage for the main characters’ experiences during the war, for the rest of the miniseries. It featured an excellent opening shot on the streets of Washington D.C. that introduced both Brett Main Hazard, and the slave Semiramis. It also featured a well shot sequence that centered around a colorful ball at the Spotswood Hotel in Richmond, attended by Ashton and James Huntoon. Most importantly, it featured one of my favorite battle scenes – namely the Battle of Bull Run that was fought near Manassas, Virginia on July 18, 1861. If I have to be frank, this interpretation of Bull Run remains my favorite. Director Kevin Connors filmed the entire sequence with great style and skill and composer Bill Conti injected it with a brash, yet haunting score that still give me goose bumps whenever I watch it. Even better, the sequence ended with actress Wendy Kilbourne uttering one of the best lines in the entire trilogy.

I do have a few quibbles about ”BOOK I”. First of all, it introduced Charles Main’s role as a cavalry scout for the Confederate Army. Considering that he started out as a Captain in this miniseries, it made no sense to me that he and another officer - a first lieutenant - would be participating in scout duties that usually fell to enlisted men. I guess one could call it as an example of the story being historically inaccurate.

My last quibble featured the character of Elkhannah Bent. What was he doing with the portrait of Madeline Fabray LaMotte’s mother? The audience knew that he had procured it from an expensive whorehouse in New Orleans. But Bent had no idea that Madeline was romantically involved with one of his nemesis, Orry Main, until after Ashton Main Huntoon informed him. So, why did he bother to get his hands on the painting at a time when he was ignorant of the romantic and emotional connection between Orry and Madeline?

Episode 2

This episode featured the aftermath of Bull Run, Brett Main Hazard and Semiramis' trip to South Carolina, Orry Main's wedding to his widowed neighbor Madeline LaMotte, and Elkhannah Bent and Ashton Main Huntoon's smuggling operations. I wish I could be objective about this particular episode, but I cannot. I dislike it too much. It is one of the main reasons why I have so much difficulty with Book II in the first place.

My main beef with this episode’s story centered around the plotline that featured Brett and Semiramis' journey south to Mont Royal, following the Bull Run battle. First of all, I believe that this particular plotline was badly written. Brett and Semiramis should not have had any difficulties getting past Union lines, since nearly the entire Union Army had fled to Washington in disarray, following the battle. Second, once they had reached Richmond and delivered the message about Clarissa, they could have accompanied Orry back to South Carolina. They would have arrived at Mont Royal in late July or early August 1861, instead of November 1861. And why did it take them so long to reach South Carolina in the first place? Surely, the two could have traveled by train. The Union Army had not began destroying Southern railroad tracks during the summer of 1861. And one last question – why on earth was a message sent to Brett in Washington D.C. in the first place? An accommodating neighbor of the Mains or a local doctor could have sent the message about Clarissa to Orry in Richmond. It would have been a lot easier. And quicker. Talk about bad writing!

However, there were some good moments in this episode. George and Orry had a bittersweet reunion inside a barn, while both were traveling to their respective capitals. Charles visited the widowed Augusta Barclay’s farm after being injured by Union cavalry. And in one brief scene, Congressman Greene had an embarrassed reaction to a wounded soldier that did David Odgen Stiers’ skills proud as an actor. Unfortunately, these well done moments could not save an otherwise dull episode.

Episode 3

I have mixed feelings about this particular episode. Fortunately, most of my feelings are positive. Aside from the Antietam battle that included Billy Hazard and Charles Main’s brief and dramatic reunion, I found the first half hour of Episode 3 to be rather dull. I also have a small quibble about the Antietam battle. How did Charles and Ambrose go from being calvary scouts to leading men on the field? Were the troops' officers dead? And what kind of troops were they leading? Infantry or dismounted calvary? The death of Semiramis’ friend, Jim, at the hands of the former Main overseer (Salem Jones) and Cuffey’s bitter departure from Mont Royal proved to be mildly interesting; thanks to the excellent acting by Erica Gimbel and especially Forest Whittaker. However, I found Brett and Madeline's presence Jim's funeral a touch patronizing. But that is merely a private opinion.

The second half of the episode turned out to be a big improvement. Most of the slaves left Mont Royal and I did not blame them one bit. Orry's reaction to their departure was interesting, considering how ”BOOK I” had established his slight aversion to slavery. More importantly, his character came off as increasingly conservative, considering that in the novel, his view on slavery and racial relations become slightly more radical. That little moment between Patrick Swayze and Jean Simmons was lovely and touching. I have mixed feelings about Billy's decision to go AWOL in order to see Brett in South Carolina. Frankly, I found it disturbing. I do not blame him for missing Brett. But if the writers had not sent her to South Carolina in that ridiculous storyline in Episode 2, she would have remained in the North and Billy would not have went AWOL.

Ashton's appearance at Mont Royal really stirred things a bit. I found it to be the episode's most enjoyable segment. However, I found Ashton and Bent's revenge against Orry by using Madeline's family secret, a bit anti-climatic. Frankly, I thought they could have exposed Madeline's secret in a more dramatic and satisfying moment - like during a political party in Richmond (which happened in the novel) or expose the secret to the Mains' neighbors. However, their act of revenge did result in a marvelous scene well acted by Terri Garber and Lesley Anne Down. Semiramis' rant against Ashton was nice touch, although a bit fruitless. But it was Brett's confrontation with Ashton that really did justice to this episode. Kudos to Garber and especially Genie Francis.

Veteran stars James Stewart and Olivia DeHavilland appeared near the end of this episode. Did anyone know that those two had once dated in the late 1930s? Anyway, Stewart's appearance as Madeline’s attorney was charming. However, DeHavilland's appearance in the episode showed more promise. I could not decide on what was more irritating - Virgilia's arrogant disregard for her supervisor or Mrs. Neal's patronizing concern for Southern patients. And both DeHavilland and Kirstie Alley did a great job with their roles. Despite a few quibbles and a dull first half hour, Episode 3 was an improvement over Episode 2.

Episode 4

What can I say about Episode 4? It was pretty strong. At least the first half. I found the second half a little dull, aside from two scenes – one poignant and one creepy.

The episode started out with a strong sequence that featured George's capture by Mosby’s Rangers. This first half hour also featured the beginning of Charles’ affair with Augusta Barclay and the Battle of the Wilderness. I have one minor and one major quibble. I wish that Charles and Augusta's affair had begun a lot sooner than three years after they first met. This matter will prove to be a problem in Episode 6. My major quibble had to do with Billy’s return to his regiment, after being AWOL for nearly ten months (he had left after the Gettysburg battle in July 1863 and returned to his regiment in early May 1864). And what happened? He was lectured by Colonel Berdan and passed over for a promotion to captain (were there any captains in Berdan’s Sharpshooters?) All I can say is what on earth were the writers thinking? Billy should have faced a court-martial for being absent without leave for ten months. Whoever had written this episode must have been completely ignorant of military protocol. If found guilty, Billy would have faced a prison sentence or a dishonorable discharge. An enlisted man would probably have been shot. Berdan’s excuse for his leniency toward Billy? He needed all available men. Hogwash! This was the Spring of 1864, when the Union Army's ranks were literally for the remaining year or so of the war. No other TV show, novel, play or etc., would have featured such a major writing gaffe. Then again, you never know.

On the other hand, I was very impressed by the Battle of the Wilderness sequence. Director Kevin Connor shot the sequence in a documentary style that gave it a stark and realistic look. I also enjoyed General Grant’s response to his staff’s fears over Robert E. Lee. Good acting by Anthony Zerbe, by the way. Another positive aspect of Episode 4 turned out to be Ashton and James Huntoon’s marriage woes. Terri Garber and Jim Metzler did an excellent job of conveying how Ashton’s infidelity, Huntoon’s political failures and the war had put a toll on a marriage that had been loveless from the start. I found Madeline's efforts to help war refugees in Charleston both noble . . . and dull as hell. The sequence also introduced a young former slave named Michael and his mother, who came from Tennessee. I really had a problem with this. Why on earth would Tennessee slaves head deep into Confederate territory, when they could have easily ended up in Union held cities like Nashville, Memphis and Vicksburg? However, this sequence featured a young Bumper Robinson as Michael, who managed to act circles around Lesley Anne Down (as if that were possible). And it introduced the delicious Lee Horsley as a disgraced army officer-turned-wastrel. He and Down managed to create a sparkling screen chemistry.

I did not find other parts of Episode 4 particularly interesting - except for George's capture and incarceration inside Libby Prison. I never thought I would say this, but Wayne Newton made a damn fine villain. He nearly put Philip Casnoff, David Carradine and Terri Garber to shame. His performance certainly gave the Libby Prison sequence a creep factor that I found very effective. Virgilia's feud with Mrs.Neal continued in a venomous manner. I found both ladies unsympathetic, until Mrs. Neal decided to harass Virgilia, while the other was having trouble staying awake after long hours of work. I found that simply bitchy. And both DeHavilland and Alley continue to shine in their scenes together.

Other than that, Episode 4 was a mixed bag. It was not one of my favorites and it had two very questionable storylines, but was certainly not a disappointment either.

Episode 5

This is hard . . . well, perhaps it is not as hard as I thought. Next to Episode 2, Episode 5 is my least favorite episode in the entire ”NORTH AND SOUTH” Trilogy. Aside from a few interesting moments, I found it incredibly slow.

The good moments featured Orry and Charles’ rescue of George from Libby Prison. Following a vague reunion with his old friend, George is reunited with his wife Constance and the rest of his family on Christmas Day. Which was a nice. And George’s discovery of his older brother Stanley and sister-in-law Isabel’s illegal connection to Axol Iron turned out to be an excellent dramatic moment. I was especially impressed by James Read and Jonathan Frakes’ performances. The only other moments I found interesting were Virgilia’s travails with the hostile Mrs. Neal; her sad willingness to sell herself to Congressman Greene for protection from prosecution; and the death Rafe Beaudine, of whom I had became a bigger fan. I also have to commend Patrick Swayze for his excellent performance at the end of the episode. In this scene, he did a beautiful job of expressing Orry’s rage over Ashton and Bent’s plot against Madeline.

Other than that, I do not have much to recommend about Episode 5. It featured Charles and Augusta’s last days together. I will say more about this for Episode 6. All I can say that there was something terribly wrong with this scene. Brett and Semiramis’ travails with Salem Jones bored me senseless . . . along with Madeline’s continuing efforts to feed all of Charleston’s war refugees. Only Rafe Beaudine’s death made this particular sequence interesting. Ashton and Bent's attempts to recruit Huntoon into their planned coup d'état against Jefferson Davis bored me senseless and I was glad to see them all gone by the end of the episode. Episode 5 was generally a depressing and boring episode. Time to move on.

Episode 6

This particular episode could have been considered my favorite of ”BOOK II”, if it were not for a few matters. My problems with Episode 6? First of all, two months after he last saw Augusta Barclay in Episode 5, Charles discovered that he was the father of an infant boy. Apparently Augusta had died in childbirth. However . . . Augusta definitely DID NOT look pregnant during her last meeting with Charles. And considering that they had made love, her pregnancy should not have come as a surprise to him. Even worse, young Augustus Charles Main looked as if he had been conceived nearly two years ago. Honestly. The kid looked at least one year old. And Charles and Augusta had started their affair eleven months earlier. One last problem I had with this episode was Patrick Swayze’s performance as he expressed Orry's grief over Clarissa Main's death. Can I say . . . OVER-THE-TOP?

Fortunately, there were more for me to praise about Episode 6. One of the miniseries’ strengths has always been its battle scenes. And this particular episode featured an exciting interpretation of the Battle at Petersburg. Also included in this episode was the recreation of the Surrender at Appomattox, made poignant by Anthony Zerbe and William Schallert’s performances as Generals Grant and Lee. Both James Read and Kirstie Alley once again displayed their acting skills in a tearful scene that featured George and Virgilia’s reconciliation before her execution for the murder of Sam Greene. Last, but not least was Salem Jones and Cuffey’s action-packed assault on Mont Royal near the end of the episode.

Conclusion

Do not get me wrong. There is a lot to admire about ”NORTH AND SOUTH: BOOK II”. Like its predecessor, ”NORTH AND SOUTH”, it has its share of good acting, exciting sequences, drama, superb production values, and probably the best costume design in the entire trilogy thanks to Robert Fletcher’s work. Unfortunately, the miniseries has its share of major flaws that included clunky dialogue and probably some of the worst writing in the entire trilogy. Writing that featured a great deal of plot holes and historical inaccuracies. Still . . . I love it anyway.

FRANCHISE RANKING: The "LORD OF THE RINGS" Movies

2009-12-24T18:35:00.000-08:00

Below is my ranking of the three "LORD OF THE RINGS" movies from my favorite to my least favorite. Here they are:

FRANCHISE RANKING: The "LORD OF THE RINGS" Movies

1. "The Fellowship of the Ring" (2001) - This adaptation of J.R. Tolkien's novel is, without a doubt, my favorite in the trilogy. Hell, it is among my top ten favorite movies of this past decade. Although the saga is basically about a war in the fictional land of Middle Earth, this story sets the saga in motion with a journey for the main characters (who form a fellowship) to return the evil Lord Sauron's dreaded ring to the fires of Mount Doom. And if there is nothing I love more, it is a road picture. This particular film also featured some of my favorite battles in the entire trilogy, including the superb battle within the Mines of Moria. This chapter of the story ends with the deaths of two major characters and the parting of ways for the Fellowship. Pity that it failed to win the Best Picture Oscar for 2001.

2. "The Two Towers" (2002) - In this adaptation of Tolkien's second novel in the trilogy, the saga begins to fray at the edges. Mind you, there were a few plot inconsistencies in the first film, they pop up with more consistency in this second movie. And then there was Gollum. I am about to commit a sacriledge with "LORD OF THE RINGS" fans, but he was never a favorite of mine. I could barely stand his soliloquies, let alone the character itself. I understood his presence in the saga . . . but not a fan. The film was still enjoyable to watch . . . somewhat. But once some of the main characters reached Helm's Deep, it became something of a struggle to enjoy the rest of the film. Only the Ents' attack at Isengard save the movie's last hour for me.

3. "The Return of the King" (2003) - This is the one movie in the trilogy that snagged the Best Picture Oscar. And I wish to God it never had. I realize that Oscar was for all three movies . . . but I feel the Academy could have simply given director Peter Jackson a special award for his efforts, instead of naming this film as Best Picture. I do not hate this film. It had moments that I found entertaining and it featured the budding romance of two of my favorite characters - namely Faramir and Éowyn. And the Battle of the Pelennor Fields was enjoyable to watch. Unfortunately, the trilogy's list of plot inconsistencies began to really build in the movie's first hour. Watching Frodo and Sam's struggles to reach the fires of Mount Doom became an exercise in torture. And if I must be honest, I have to say the same about the "ending that would not end".

"THE SACKETTS" (1979) Review

2009-12-23T18:21:00.001-08:00

Below is my review of the 1979 television miniseries called ”THE SACKETTS”:

”THE SACKETTS” (1979) Review

Thirty years ago, CBS aired a two-part miniseries (or television movie) based upon two novels written by the late Louis L’Amour. Directed by Robert Totten, ”THE SACKETTS” starred Sam Elliott, Tom Selleck and Jeff Osterhage as the three Sackett brothers.

”THE SACKETTS” told the story of Tell (Elliott), Orrin (Selleck) and Tyrel (Osterhage) Sackett and their efforts to make new lives for themselves in the post-Civil War West. Screenwriter Jim Byrnes took two novels about the Sackett brothers - ”The Daybreakers” (1960) and ”Sackett” (1961) - and weaved them into one story. ”The Daybreakers” mainly focused upon Tyrel and Orrin’s efforts to settle out West following the tragic circumstances of a family feud in East Tennessee. The two brothers eventually become involved in a between an elderly New Mexican rancher (Gilbert Roland) and a bigoted American businessman (John Vernon) in Santa Fe. At the same time, Tyrel struggles to keep the peace between a former New Orleans attorney named Tom Sunday (Glenn Ford), whom the two brothers had befriended during a cattle drive and Orrin. ”Sackett”, on the other hand, focused upon the oldest Sackett brother and former Civil War veteran, Tell. Tell’s story centered around his search for gold in the Sangre de Cristo Mountains and his problems with a family of outlaws who want revenge for Tell’s killing of their brother, a crooked gambler.

To Totten and Byrnes’ credit, they did an admirable job of fusing the two novels by adding two reunions between the brothers near the ends of Parts 1 and 2. They also allowed the supporting character of Cap Roundtree (Ben Johnson), a grizzled former mountain man whom Tyrel and Orrin also meet on the cattle drive; to break away from the two younger brothers and join Tell’s hunt for gold following the three brothers’ reunion at the end of Part 1. ”THE SACKETTS” is also an entertaining and solid Western with two interesting tales that involve land feuds, romance, brotherly love, political change, vengeance and plenty of action.

One of the best aspects of the miniseries focused upon the developing hostility between the middle Sackett brother Orrin, and the brothers’ friend, Tom Sunday in Part 2. It was an interesting tale on how a solid friendship could easily sour over a difference of opinion regarding moral compass. After Cap had hooked up with Tell; Tyrel, Orrin and Sunday encountered the smoking remains of an emigrant family that had been killed by Ute warriors. Sunday wanted to split the money between the three of them. Orrin, upon discovering a letter written to the family by a relative, wanted to send the money back to said relative. Orrin got his way. And Tom’s resentment toward Orrin ignited. That same resentment exacerbated when he lost the election of Santa Fe’s new sheriff to the middle Sackett.

Politics also played a major role in the miniseries. The topic focused upon a feud between an aging New Mexican rancher Don Luis Alvarado (Gilbert Roland) and American businessman Jonathan Pritts (John Vernon). The feud was mainly the old Anglos vs. Mexican conflict that still dominates the Southwest to this day. The Sacketts became dragged into it, due to Orrin’s courtship of Pritts’ daughter (Marcy Hanson) and Tyrel’s romance with Don Luis’ granddaughter, Drusilla (Ana Alicia). In the end, the Sacketts and even Sunday sided with the New Mexicans. One has to applaud L’Amour for introducing this topic into the story, and for screenwriter Byrnes for maintaining it. But if I must be honest, I thought the execution of Don Luis’ feud with Pritts came off as heavy-handed and preachy.

One would think that Tell Sackett’s hunt for gold would dominate his storyline. Amazingly, it did not. Well, Tell did meet and fall in love with a woman named Ange Kerry (Wendy Rastattar), who had been stranded in the Sangre de Cristo Mountains for several years. But his story mainly focused upon his problems with the brothers (Jack Elam, Slim Pickens and Gene Evans) of crooked gambler named Bigelow (James Gammon), whom he had killed early in Part 1. This reminded me of a line from the 1984 adventure-comedy, ”ROMANCING THE STONE” - ”But if there was one law of the West, bastards had brothers . . . who seemed to ride forever.” And both Tell and Cap eventually discovered, the Bigelows had brothers and allies everywhere. One ally turned out to be an insecure gunfighter named Kid Newton (Paul Kelso), who had an unfortunate and humiliating encounter with Tell and Cap. Tell’s problems with the Bigelows culminated in a tense situation in the Sangre de Cristo foothills and a violent showdown in a nearby town.

Most of the performances featured in ”THE SACKETTS” struck me as pretty solid. To the cast’s credit, they managed to use mid-to-late 19th century dialogue without being sloppy or indulging in what I considered the cliché ”Frontier” speech pattern that seemed popular in the Westerns of the late 1970s and early 1980s. However, I found at least four performances that really impressed me. One of them belonged to Sam Elliott, who portrayed the oldest brother, Tell. I might as well be frank. He has always been a favorite actor of mine for a long time. With his grizzled, deep voice and demeanor, the man looked as if he had stepped out of a 19th century daguerreotype. He also did an effective job of conveying Tell Sackett’s loner personality, making it easy for viewers to accept the idea that this is a man who would wait years before contacting any members of his family.

Another performance that impressed me belonged to Jeff Osterhage as the tense, yet pragmatic youngest Sackett, Tyrel. To this day, I am amazed that Osterhage never became a big star in television or movies. He seemed to have possessed both the looks and screen presence to become one. And I was certainly impressed by his ability to portray Tyrel’s pragmatic, yet intimidating nature. Traits that led him to be the best shot in the family.

I also enjoyed Wendy Rastattar’s performance as Ange Kerry, the young woman that Tell and Cap had discovered in the mountains. Rastattar did a first-rate job in portraying a tough, yet passionate young woman, who ended up falling in love with Tell. But the best performance came from Hollywood icon, Glenn Ford as the enigmatic friend of the Sacketts, Tom Sunday. In Ford’s hands, Sunday became one of a gallery of complex characters he had portrayed during his career. For me, it was sad to watch Sunday regress from Orrin and Tyrel’s wise mentor to Orrin’s drunken and embittered foe. And Ford did an excellent job in exploring Sunday’s many nuances, including those flaws that led to his downfall.

One might noticed that I had failed to include Tom Selleck’s performance as one of the more impressive ones, considering that both Elliott and Osterhage made the list. I found nothing wrong with Selleck’s performance. Unfortunately, he had the bad luck to portray Orrin, the least interesting member of the Sackett family. Orrin is an affable, yet solid character that lacked any nuances that could have made him as interesting as his brothers. A great deal happened to Orrin in this story – he lost his bride in a family feud, fell briefly in love with the main villain's daughter and pissed off Tom Sunday. Yet, he was not very interesting. Which left Selleck, usually a top-notch performer, with very little to work with.

The movie’s production values struck me as very impressive. Production designer Johannes Larson, costume designers Carole Brown-James and Barton Kent James, and cinematographer Jack Whitman did an excellent job in capturing the ambiance of the Old West circa 1869-1870. Along with the director Totten, they managed to create a West during a period before it truly threatened to become settled. They managed to capture the ruggedness and beauty of the West without overcompensating themselves, like many other Westerns released after the 1960s tend to do.

Many years have passed since I have read ”The Daybreakers” and ”Sackett”. Which is my way of saying that I cannot tell whether the miniseries was a completely faithful adaptation of the two novels. If I must be honest, I really do not care whether it is faithful or not. The television version of the two novels – namely ”THE SACKETTS” - is a first-rate and entertaining saga. I am certain that many fans of Louis L’Amour will continue to enjoy it.

"AVATAR" Photo Gallery

2009-12-21T21:22:00.000-08:00

Below is a gallery featuring images from James Cameron's new fantasy epic called "AVATAR". The movie stars Sam Worthington, Zoe Saldana, Stephen Lang, Sigourney Weaver, Michelle Rodriguez, Giovanni Ribisi, Wes Studi and CCH Pounder:

"AVATAR" Photo Gallery

"Obssession" [PG-13] - Prologue

2009-12-20T19:33:00.001-08:00

"OBSSESSIONS"

RATING: [PG-13]
SUMMARY: Paige's boss attracts the attentions of an obsessive witch. Olivia becomes friends with one of Leo's charges. Set less than a week after "A Day in the Life of Paige Matthews".
FEEDBACK: deerush76@yahoo.com - Be my guest. But please, be kind.
DISCLAIMER: Cole Turner, Darryl Morris, Leo Wyatt and the Charmed Ones and other characters are related to Charmed to Spelling Productions, Brad Kern and Constance Burge. The McNeills and a few other characters are my own creation.

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"OBSSESSIONS"

PROLOGUE

The dark-haired man clumsily eased his blue Toyota Corolla into the small parking space. And sighed. He really needed to move - find an apartment building that offered a parking space. He was getting sick and tired of the daily struggle to find adequate space near his building.

After sighing once more, Nick Marcano grabbed his tote bag, climbed out of the Toyota and made his way to the Spanish Colonial-style apartment complex, several yards away. He hated his life. No, that was not true. Nick did not really hate his life. He simply found it boring. How could any man feel satisfied, living alone in a cramped apartment or driving a car that had seen better days, half a decade ago? How could a man find satisfaction in a tedious job as a low-level accountant at an investment firm? Or in a non-existent love life?

Nick entered the complex's courtyard and headed straight for the rows of mailboxes. He inserted a key into his mailbox and opened it. The sight of envelopes stuffed inside did nothing for his mood. He knew what they were. Bills and more bills that will drain most of his hard-earned wages. Dammit! What was the point in earning a living, when he could not use the cash to enjoy life? Instead of enjoying a fine meal at an expensive restaurant or a long vacation to an exotic locale, he had to resort to local fast-food joints, cheap restaurants and "exciting" locales like Santa Cruz, Monterey and the Yosimite National Park. Not exactly the sense of adventure he desired.

If Nick did not know any better, he would swear that he was drifting into a depression. His life may not be worth shit, but he certainly lacked the urge to commit suicide. Right? After all, there were certain elements in his life one could consider worthwhile.

For one, he was a witch. A witch that practiced the pagan religion of Stregheria. A Streghone. Granted, he did not possess the gift of a practical power. His body lacked the ability to channel magic. Yet, no one in his boschetto (coven) could deny that he was a talented Streghone, with a knack for spells and an extensive knowledge of magic. Unfortunately for Nick, he suspected that his fellow witches saw his talents as a tool to be used for their purposes . . . and nothing more.

There seemed to be one person who felt differently. Nick's gaze focused upon a photograph sitting on the whatnot's second shelf. It was a photo of a vibrant blonde woman, around thirty. Judging from her stance and gaze, she obviously had no knowledge of the photographer's lens. Barbara Bowen. Nick heaved a forlorn sigh, as he continued to gaze at the photograph. Unlike him, Barbara did not practice Stegheria. She practiced a Celtic form of Paganism, known as Wicca. But like Nick, she did not possess a particular psi power. Like him, she only possessed a talent for spells and potions that exceeded his own. Even better, she managed to appreciate Nick's own talent.

Nick's aunt, Carla Bianchi, happened to be close friends of another Wicca witch named Gweneth McNeill. Nick had known Gweneth's three children since childhood. And it was through the two older McNeill siblings, Bruce and Olivia, that he first met Barbara. God, she was beautiful! Beautiful, strong, funny and full of life. And unlike the red-haired Olivia, the blonde witch did not come off as intimidating.

Feeling hungry, Nick went into the kitchen and opened his small refrigerator. Disappointment greeted his eyes. Aside from a carton half filled with milk, two celery sticks and some leftovers, he did not have a goddamn thing to eat. Frustrated, he slammed the refrigerator shut.

It sometimes seemed to Nick that his life was filled with nothing but disappointments. Even with Barbara. Despite their close friendship, she ended up engaged to Bruce McNeill. Of course he was handsome, a successful chef and rich. What woman in her right mind would resist him? Barbara and Bruce had first become engaged, last October. Six months ago. Nick could only surmise that they had not bothered to set a wedding date. Or maybe one or the other was simply reluctant to march down the aisle. Whatever the reason, Nick saw the long engagement as an opportunity to get even closer to his lady love, and hopefully prevent this potentially matrimonial travesty.

Meanwhile, he had to eat. And since Nick had no desire to lose his hard won parking space, he decided that a meal at the IHOP restaurant down the street would have to do. He could shop for groceries, tomorrow.

Nick sat down on his sofa and began to sort through his mail. Just as he had suspected - bills and junk mail. Then he came across a large, thick envelope. Dread gripped him. Could it be . . .? With nervous fingers, Nick opened the envelope and pulled out an engraved card. The inside read:

"Barbara Helen Bowen and Bruce James McNeill request the honors

of your presence at their wedding on Saturday, the 26th of April,

two thousand and three, at two o'clock in the afternoon, the McNeill

House, 353 California Street, San Francisco, California."

April 26. Nick glanced at the calendar on the wall. In less than three weeks, Barbara will be beyond his reach. Devastation struck Nick. But it did not last. He still had time to prevent Barbara's marriage to that overprivledged pissant, Bruce McNeill. And he was not a talented witch for nothing. If using magic could salvage his happiness, then so be it. He planned to do so - by any means necessary.

END OF PROLOGUE

"THERE WILL BE BLOOD" (2007) Review

2009-12-19T21:56:00.001-08:00

”THERE WILL BE BLOOD” (2007) Review

I really do not know what to say about Paul Thomas Anderson’s movie, ”THERE WILL BE BLOOD”. This movie, based upon Upton Sinclair’s 1927 novel ”Oil!”, is about a ruthless oilman in California between 1898 and 1927. I cannot deny that this is basically an excellent film and that Daniel Day-Lewis gave one of the best performances of career. I cannot also deny that ”THERE WILL BE BLOOD” was basically well written, produced and directed by director Anderson. I basically enjoyed it very much and consider it to be one of the better films released this year. But for some reason, I cannot muster any real passion for it.

I must admit that there were times that I found the movie fascinating. One has to thank leading Daniel Day-Lewis’ riveting performance maintaining my interest. He portrayed the ruthless Daniel Plainview, a hard-working silver prospector who discovered an oil well, while prospecting for silver. On the very day he discovers his first oil well, one of his employees die in an accident and Plainview adopts the dead man’s infant son. By 1911, he is one of the most successful oil men in California. In order to convince many farmers and other small landowners to drill on their land, he uses his adoptive son, whom he names H.W. (Dillon Freasier), as his "partner" to project his status as a family man and a family businessman. Plainview is approached by a young man named Paul Sunday (Paul Dano) who sells Plainview an oil lead located on his family's property in Little Boston, California. Plainview and H.W. travel to Little Boston, and, pretending to be hunting quail, scout out the Sunday property and discover a good amount of seepage oil. Plainview attempts to buy the property without notifying Paul's father Abel (David Willis) of the oil, but Paul's twin brother, Eli (again Paul Dano), knows of the oil and raises the price to $10,000, the bulk of which he intends to put into the founding of his own Church. Plainview pays him $5000 up front and promises the other $5000 as a donation to the church. In order to ensure the monopoly on the Little Boston oil, Plainview buys the "ranches" of a number of the surrounding neighbors, with the exception of one property, which the owner, a Mr. Bandy (Hans Howes), was hesitant to sell.

As I had earlier stated, the heart and soul of ”THERE WILL BE BLOOD” for me was Daniel Day-Lewis. His Daniel Plainview has to be one of the most fascinating characters in movie history. Certainly not in literary history, since Plainview was a character created for the screen by Anderson. I really do not know how to describe him. He seemed to be the epitome of those ruthless tycoons of the late 19th century and early 20th century. He is certainly not typical. Utilizing a John Huston accent, Day-Lewis captured all of the malevolence , cunning and emotional perversity of Plainview, as he draws the audience into the character’s unchecked greed for wealth and power. The ironic thing is that Plainview does not seem to care for the trappings of wealth. One example of this is his habit of sleeping on the floor, even when a comfortable bed is available. And even in that exclusive mansion he has built by the end of the film, he sleeps on the floor inside the mansion’s bowling alley. But the money and power, he definitely needs. And he needs an audience to witness his financial triumphs, judging how he had temporarily abandoned H.W. when the latter first lost his hearing in an accident and how he took under his wings, a man claiming to be a long lost brother named Henry Brands (Kevin J. O’Connor). Day-Lewis has already won a Golden Globe for Best Actor in a Drama for his performance. And he is a front-runner for the Best Actor Oscar. If he does win the award on February 24th, I will not be surprised.

It is a shame that the Golden Globes and the Academy of Motion Pictures Arts and Science could not acknowledge Paul Dano for his performances as the twin brothers – Paul and Eli Sunday, and Dillon Freasier as the young H.W. Plainview. Dano, who had last impressed critics with his supporting role in ”LITTLE MISS SUNSHINE”, had studied evangelism for his role as the Sunday twins. The Paul Sunday character made a brief appearance near the beginning of the story, but Dano’s performance as the other twin Eli really impressed me. Dano’s performance revealed the malevolence and greed for wealth and power behind Eli’s meek and religious demeanor – traits that seemed to match Plainview’s. Anderson could not find a child actor to portray Plainview’s adoptive son, H.W., so he had hired the son of a Texas state trooper who had pulled over the movie’s casting agent for speeding. Like Dakota Blue Richards in ”THE GOLDEN COMPASS”, Dillon Freasier turned out to be find. Especially for Anderson and the movie. With very few words, the young actor managed to convey all of his character’s array of emotions experienced in the film – from his intelligence and warmth, to his suspicions and resentment of Plainview’s relationship with Henry Brands.

Most of ”THERE WILL BE BLOOD” seemed to be set during 1911. Sinclair’s novel seemed to be a condemnation of the oil industry itself and a response to the infamous Teapot Dome Scandal during the Warren G. Harding administration. Anderson does condemn the oil industry in California, especially in his revelation of how many small landowners were cheated out of millions of dollars through the manipulations of oil companies and tycoons. But for me, ”THERE WILL BE BLOOD” seemed more like a character study than an expose on a major industry. But I must admit that it is a first-class movie and probably one of the better ones of 2007. Anderson paced the movie very well, making one ALMOST forget that this movie is fifteen minutes short of three hours. With actors like Day-Lewis, Dano, Freasier, Ciarán Hinds and Kevin J. O’Connor, Anderson managed to make the most of a first-class cast. Well, almost. More on that later. Does it deserve to win the Best Picture Oscar? Quite frankly, I am not sure. As excellent as the movie is . . . as first-rate as was Day-Lewis’ performance, it did not exactly rock my boat. Quite frankly, I do have a few problems with the film.

As I had stated earlier, ”THERE WILL BE BLOOD” seemed more like a character study, instead of an expose. And because of that, I feel that it could have been at least a half hour or forty-five minutes shorter. When I said that Anderson had almost made me forget that this movie was nearly three hours long, I was serious. He ALMOST made me forget about the film’s running time. Until the story shifted to 1927. Frankly, I do not see why Anderson had even bothered. Following the time shift, the movie lost its epic scope. Even Plainview’s personality seemed to have lost some of its steam . . . until his last encounter with Eli Sunday. Speaking of those two, I believe that the make-up artist may have done both Day-Lewis and Dano a bit of a disservice. Despite the fifteen to sixteen year difference between the two time shifts, I never really got the impression that either Plainview or Sunday had aged at all. There was barely a strand of gray in Day-Lewis’ hair and Dano still looked like a young man in his early twenties, despite the fact that Eli Sunday must have been at least in his mid-to-late thirties during the film's last half hour. But the one thing I actually disliked about the film was its abrupt ending. One can say that the movie ended with the final confrontation between the two adversaries. But there is this feeling in my gut that Anderson had ended the movie in the middle of the story’s finale. He probably had a reason for ending it in this manner. Whatever reason he had, it has eluded me.

Despite some of my disenchantment with ”THERE WILL BE BLOOD”, I must admit that it is overall, an excellent film. It may not have rocked my boat, but I did find it fascinating. And if you can deal with a two hour and forty-five minute study about a fictional character, then I suggest that you go see the movie.

"ON HER MAJESTY'S SECRET SERVICE" (1969) 40th Anniversary Photo Gallery

2009-12-18T17:35:00.001-08:00

Today marks the 40th anniversary of the original release of the 6th James Bond film, "ON HER MAJESTY'S SECRET SERVICE". Directed by former film editor Peter Hunt, the movie marked the only time George Lazenby portrayed James Bond for EON Production. The movie also starred Diana Rigg, Telly Savalas, Gabriele Ferzetti and Ilse Steppat:

"ON HER MAJESTY'S SECRET SERVICE" (1969) 40th Anniversary Photo Gallery

"LOST": "Kidnapping a Child"

2009-12-17T21:00:00.000-08:00

"LOST": "KIDNAPPING A CHILD"

I was reading this ARTICLE about the girl who had been kidnapped at 11 and found, 18 years later. And it made me think of the numerous child kidnappings that have occurred on "LOST":

*Ben Linus' kidnapping of Alex Rousseau, Danielle's infant daughter. Ben had kidnapped Alex when she was an infant, against Charles Widmore's orders. He pretended to be her father for sixteen years. Eventually, mother and daughter were finally able to reunite. But they were never able to enjoy their reunion, due to them both being killed by Charles Widmore's hired thugs within a few days.

*Walt Lloyd's kidnapping by Tom, at Ben's orders. We all know the circumstances that resulted from that particular kidnapping. Walt's father, Michael Dawson, disappeared for a while to search for Walt. Once he found the Others, he made a deal with them to free Ben, who had become the Losties' prisoner. In order to free Ben, he murdered Ana-Lucia Cortez and accidentally killed Libby. Then he made a deal with the Others to lead Jack Shephard, Kate Austen, James Ford and Hugo Reyes to their camp. Upon leaving the island, Walt forced him to tell the truth about his deal with the Others and his shooting of Ana-Lucia and Libby. Father and son became estranged. And later, Michael returned to the island to atone for his actions . . . and ended up deal in a freighter explosion. All because Ben Linus had ordered Walt's kidnapping.

*Kate Austen's kidnapping of Aaron. Upset over Sawyer's decision to jump from a rescue helicopter and return to the island, Kate decided to claim Aaron Littleton, the infant son of missing castaway Claire Littleton, as her own. She convinced Jack to help her. And both of them convinced Sun Kwon, Sayid Jarrah, and Hurley Reyes to pretend that Aaron was Kate's son. Kate kept Aaron from his grandmother, Carole Littleton, for nearly three years; despite knowing that the woman was alive. And I cannot help but wonder if Carole Littleton would have ever learned about her grandson if Sawyer's ex-girlfriend, Clemmentine, had not convinced Kate to give him up or Kate had decided to do so on her own.

"Perils of a Matchmaker" [PG-13] - 2/2

2009-12-15T21:32:00.000-08:00

"PERILS OF A MATCHMAKER"

SUMMARY: Tom Paris helps Pablo Baytart win the affections of Sue Nicoletti and endangers his own pursuit of the Chief Engineer in the process. Set during late Season 3.

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Part 2

"Where in the hell were you?" Sue Nicoletti demanded, as she glared at Tom, inside Voyager's Engineering Section. "We were supposed to work on your holoprogram, together! Instead, I nearly got electrocuted by that klutz, Baytart!"

In his most persuasive voice, Tom begged forgiveness. "Since it was a training program for pilots, I thought Baytart could take my place. Besides, I didn't think you would be this upset."

"Upset? I nearly died!" Sue's voice nearly rose to a shrill, attracting stares. Looking embarrassed, her face turned pink. Tom's eyes fell to the floor, avoiding the stares of others.

"For God's sake, Sue!" Tom hissed through clenched teeth. "You merely suffered a few burns! There's no need to exaggerate!"

Cold blue eyes stared pointedly at Tom. "If that's the way you feel, Paris, I'm sure you can finish your program all on your own!" Sue turned her back on the pilot and stalked away.

"Sue . . . Sue! Dammit!" Tom rushed after the engineer, ignoring more stares. He followed her to a console on the upper level. "I'm sorry, Sue," he said, after catching up with her. "Look . . ."

"I have work to do, Lieutenant Paris," she replied icily. "Do you mind?"

One glance at that haughty expression and Tom knew he was facing defeat. Dammit! Cold Hands, Cold Heart Nicoletti!. He had forgotten how cold and stubborn Nicoletti could be. As far as Tom was concerned, Pablo was on his own.

* * * *

Later that evening in the Mess Hall, Tom broke the news to Baytart. The latter responded with uncharacteristic panic. "You can't stop! Not now! What am I going to do?"

"Why don't you take a chance, Pablo?" Tom wearily suggested. Hours of flying Voyager and fielding off curious stares and questions about Sue had left him exhausted. "Ask her out. You don't need my help."

Panic filled the ensign's dark eyes. "I can't!" he cried. "I can't face her like that! Please Lieutenant! I can't do this on my own! Not after what happened in the Hololab." The young pilot stared at Tom with beseeching eyes.

A long sigh escaped Tom's mouth. If only Pablo could face Sue at this moment. He would have broken the engineer's defenses within seconds. "All right," Tom conceded with great reluctance. "I'll help you. I still say you should be up front with Sue. But, if you're that reluctant . . ."

"Thanks a lot, Lieutenant!" Pablo was all smiles. "I won't forget this."

A familiar voice asked, "Won't forget what?"

Both Tom and Baytart glanced up to find two newcomers standing before them. Both Harry and B'Elanna held lunch trays. "What are you two talking about?" Harry continued.

Tom opened to mouth to answer, but Pablo spoke first. "It's nothing, Ensign Kim. We were talking about a personal matter. Uh, see ya!" The pilot stood up, flashed a quick smile and beat a hasty retreat out of the Mess Hall.

B'Elanna and Harry stared at Tom. Who indicated the two empty chairs, opposite him. "Have a seat," he said. The pair quickly filled the seats.

"Did Baytart say something about a favor?" Harry asked. He took a sip of his juice. "Has this anything to do with Sue and the Hololab?"

Tom shrugged. "Somewhat. He did a favor for me by working with Sue. So, I'm doing a favor for him in return."

"Which is?" Harry insisted.

Aware of Pablo's desire for secrecy, Tom merely replied, "A favor." Relief appeared in the form of Sue Nicoletti. Who had just entered the Mess Hall. Tom rose to his feet. "Excuse me, guys. I have a personal matter to deal with." And he headed straight for Sue.

* * * *

Two pairs of dark eyes followed Tom, as he strode toward Nicoletti. B'Elanna struggled to fight back a wave of jealousy. "I guess Tom wants to apologize for what happened in the Hololab," Harry commented.

B'Elanna gave her friend a pointed look and grumbled, "I wouldn't be surprised if he had a lot more to apologize for than Sue getting electrocuted by Baytart."

"What else could it be? You don't think Tom would ask Baytart to take his place during a date, would you?"

B'Elanna sighed. "Of course not, Harry. Maybe Tom had hoped it would become a date. I don't know!" Her last sentence came out in an angry outburst.

Harry's next question threw B'Elanna into a fix. "Why are you so upset?"

"Wha . . .?" Shock immediately became annoyance. "What are you talking about? I'm not upset! Do I look upset?"

"Well, to be hon . . ."

B'Elanna continued to growl, "Kahless, Harry! If you must know, I don't give a rat's ass about anybody's social life! Including Tom Paris!"

A knowing smile curled Harry's lips. "Whatever you say, Maquis."

B'Elanna glared at her friend.

* * * *

"No!" Sue continued eating her pleeka rind casserole.

Tom let out a sigh. "C'mon Sue. How many times do I have to apologize?"

"As far as I'm concerned, you're wasting your breath," Sue snapped.

Ignoring the curious eyes around him, Tom fell to his knees. "Look at me, Sue. I'm no my knees. Begging for your forgiveness. Please?" He blasted her with every ounce of emotion his blue eyes could muster.

Not even "Cold Hands, Cold Heart" Nicoletti could resist the pilot's pleading eyes. She sighed. "All right! I forgive you." She gave him a slight smile. "When do you want to resume working on the program?"

Tom smiled with relief. "Tonight would be just fine. At 20:00?"

Sue nodded. "Okay, 20:00, the Hololab. But if you're running late or unable to meet me, just let me know. I don't need anymore surprises," she added. "And that includes sending Ensign Baytart in your place."

Tom's smile disappeared. He had no intention of repeating his earlier mistake. Yet, Sue's words hinted that she wanted nothing to do with his second-in-command. Silently, he realized he would have to take the gloves off. Try something a little less subtle. Like the old "stuck-in-the-turbolift" trick.

* * * *

Baytart stared at Tom with confused eyes. "I don't understand," he said. The two pilots stood inside the Shuttle Bay, where Tom had just completed a staff meeting for the Conn Division. "You want me to get into Turbolift One on Deck Ten and head for Deck Two?"

"That's right," Tom calmly replied. "At 13:03 hours, to be precise. Tomorrow."

"Why?"

In preparation for his latest scheme, Tom had spent a least a week observing Sue Nicoletti's daily habits. He explained one particular habit to Pablo. Unless a special project, a battle or any other special situation made it impossible, Sue always left Engineering at 13:00 hours and boarded Turbolift One for the Mess Hall. "Only tomorrow," he added, "you will join her when the lift reaches Deck Ten. Somewhere between Decks Six and Seven, the turbolift will stop."

"Stop?" Pablo frowned momentarily, until realization lit up his eyes. "Wait a minute! Is this the old "stuck-in-the-turbolift" routine? Is the best you can do?"

Tom gave him a cool stare. "Well, I had better ideas, but they didn't exactly work. Gee, I wonder why?"

Baytart had the good grace to blush. "I'll be in Turbolift One at exactly 13:00 hours, tomorrow."

"Good," Tom said, nodding. "Now, if something happens to prevent Sue from leaving Engineering on time, I'll let you know." He gave the young pilot a friendly pat on the back. "Don't worry, Pablo. If everything goes according to plan, you'll soon have Sue Nicoletti in your arms."

* * * *

Everything went according to plan. At precisely 13:00 hours, the following afternoon, Lieutenant Nicoletti interrupted work on the magnetic constrictors and left Engineering to have lunch. The minute she headed for the doors, Carl Ashmore contacted Tom.

The Chief Helmsman then alerted Pablo Baytart to head for Turbolift One. The junior pilot followed his chief's orders. When he stepped inside, he was relieved to find the object of his desire, alone. The dark-haired engineer took one look at Pablo and immediately stiffened. His heart sank at the realization that Lieutenant Paris' participation in this scheme was easy - getting him and Sue together. He had the more difficult task of wooing the haughty engineer.

Don't freeze, Pablo, he said to himself. For once in your life, get your thumb out of your ass and talk with the woman. You've already done it, twice. Before dumping a plate of dim sum on her lap and electrocuting her. Pablo took a deep breath. Think positive thoughts. Remember, you're a Starfleet officer, not an idiot.

Pablo turned to the engineer to speak. Before he could open his mouth, he realized that the turbolift had failed to stop between Decks Six and Seven. Instead, it continued on, until it stopped at Deck Two. The doors slid open and Sue Nicoletti stepped out, leaving behind a flabbergasted pilot.

* * * *

Tom watched the entire debacle from his monitor on the Conn Station. Once again, fate, this time in the form of an unstoppable turbolift, came between Pablo Baytart and Sue Nicoletti.

"What the hell happened?" a stunned Tom muttered under his breath.

Another voice broke him out of his reverie. "Did you say something, Mister Paris?" Captain Janeway asked.

Tom's heart nearly leaped out of his chest. He took a few deep breaths and managed to subdue his rapidly beating heart. "Everything's fine, Captain," he calmly replied. "Just a little problem with the navigational relays."

"Oh. Perhaps I should summon someone from Engineering."

"Don't bother, Captain. If you don't mind, I'll just head down to Engineering, myself. I'm soon due for my lunch break. That way, I can kill two birds with one stone." He flashed the red-haired captain his most reassuring smile.

Fortunately, Janeway nodded her assent and Tom immediately headed for the turbolift. His first stop - the Mess Hall on Deck Two. Tom popped his head inside the doorway and spotted both Pablo and Sue - sitting yards apart. The young pilot immediately saw the older man and sprang toward the doorway.

"What the hell happened?" Pablo demanded, once the pair retired to the corridor, outside. "The turbolift was supposed to stop between Decks Six and Seven! It didn't!"

Tom retorted, "I know what the damn thing was suppose to do! Something must have gone wrong the programming."

"Now what do I do?"

There were times Tom wondered how Baytart ever managed to become a Starfleet officer. Hell! Even Harry Kim has shown more boldness in pursuit of other females. And he was two years younger than Pablo. And less experienced. An impatient sigh left Tom's mouth. "Why don't you just ask her out, Pablo? At least try to strike up a conversation. You were doing great at the party and in the Hololab."

Pablo cried out, "Until I dumped food on her and nearly electrocuted! I just can't do it on my own, Lieutenant! I can't!"

"Then why in the hell did I even bother to plan that little turbolift scheme in the first lace? Surely, you didn't expect me to hold your hand all the way to Deck Two?"

A little shrug from Pablo's shoulder reminded Tom of himself at the age of twelve. "I almost said something in the turbolift," the younger man mumbled. "But it continued on to Deck Two before I could."

"Look," Tom said, "I'm heading down to Engineering. Maybe Ashmore can help me find out what went wrong." He paused. "And hopefully, we can try again."

Hope brimmed in Pablo's eyes. "We will?"

Tom reassured the pilot that they would make another attempt to trap Nicoletti in the turbolift. Smiling, Pablo returned to the Mess Hall. And Tom continued on to Deck Eleven. Upon reaching Engineering, he found Ensign Carl Ashmore working at a console on the upper level.

"What happened?" were the pilot's first words to the engineer, repeating both himself and Baytart.

Ashmore's light brown face puckered into a frown. "It didn't work?"

"The damn thing didn't even stop. What went wrong?" Tom watched as the other man punched in a few codes into the console.

"According to the computer," Ashmore continued, "there's nothing wrong with the program. So, it must be . . ." He punched in a few more entries. "Oh, here it is. We've been having problems with the computer's relay circuits."

A crewman appeared out of the blue, startling the two officers. "Excuse me, Ensign Ashmore?"

Ashmore glanced at the crewman. "Yes, Soltay, what is it?"

Crewman Soltay expressed difficulty with several ESP circuits connected to one of the ship's gel packs. Ashmore excused himself to help the crewman. He told Tom, "I'll get to you about this. How about later this evening?"

Tom sighed. All this scheming on Baytart's behalf has proven to be very exhausting. And distracting him from his own pursuit of B'Elanna. "At the resort," he said wearily. "Holodeck One, at 20:00 hours."

Ashmore and Soltay left. Tom glanced at the chronometer. It read 13:53 hours. Realizing that he had an extra seven minutes, along with an hour for his lunch break, he left Engineering and headed for the nearest turbolift. Might as well enjoy every free moment until his return to duty. The moment he stepped into the turbolift, a voice cried out, "Hold the lift!" Was that . . .? Seconds later, B'Elanna Torres dashed into the turbolift. Tom could not believe his luck.

* * * *

The moment the turbolift doors slid shut, B'Elanna barked an order to the computer. "Deck Two." Slightly winded, she took a deep breath. A familiar scent filled her nostrils. Kahless! Was that . . .?

"On your way to the Mess Hall?" Tom Paris asked in his usual soft voice. B'Elanna closed her eyes momentarily. Off all the people to find herself alone with! Dammit! "Hello? B'Elanna?" Tom continued. "Voyager to Torres! Cat caught your tongue? Or is this some new ploy of yours? The silent treatment?"

Her dark eyes flashed with irritation. B'Elanna whirled on the pilot. "Keep it up, Flyboy! And I'll give you my version of the silent treatment! Only you'll be the one unable to speak. Especially with a broken jaw."

"Ah! Nice to see that your tongue hasn't been paralyzed after all."

An impatient growl rose from B'Elanna's throat. "What the hell you want, Paris?"

Tom protested. "Hey! All I did was ask you a question! Like, are you heading for the Mess Hall?"

"I asked for Deck Two!" B'Elanna snapped. "What do you think?"

"Well," Tom leaned forward and waggled his brows lavisciously, "maybe we can share lunch. Like a bowl of Ktarian pudding?"

Only Tom Paris could make a simple lunch between friends seem suggestive. B'Elanna sighed. What did he have in mind, anyway? Ktarian pudding spread all over her body for him to lick? The idea of Paris' tongue on her body brought forth erotic visions and feelings that immediately aroused B'Elanna. Even worse, were thoughts of her licking the pudding from his body. She took a deep breath to vanquish the images and Tom's familiar scent hit her again. Good grief! Couldn't she stop thinking about the man?

"Hello? Hey, B'Elanna!" Tom's voice interrupted her forbidden musings. "Why am I having trouble in holding your attention for a few minutes?"

B'Elanna shot him a dark look. "Perhaps you haven't said anything worth my attention. And as for lunch . . ." The turbolift lurched to a stop, taking the two occupants by surprise. "What the hell? Computer, resume turbolift!"

"Unable to comply," the computer's voice droned. "Turbolift One is malfunctioning."

Irritated, B'Elanna shot back, "Malfunctioning? Where is the turbolift located now?"

"Turbolift One is located between Deck Six and Deck Seven."

Something like a gasp escaped Tom's mouth. B'Elanna stared at him. Then she tapped her combadge. "Torres to Engineering, what the hell is going on? I'm stuck in one of the turbolifts."

A voice responded. It belonged to Carl Ashmore. "Uh, sorry Lieutenant. There seemed to be some problem with the computer's circuitry. It must have affected the turbolift."

"Well, do something about it!" B'Elanna barked.

Nervousness tinged Ashmore's voice. "Uh, yes ma'am. I mean, uh, sir." A pause followed. Then, "I'll get to right away. Ashmore out."

An amused Tom commented, "Poor Carl. After the way you had applied the whip, he's probably pissing in his pants, by now."

B'Elanna glared at the pilot. "Never mind about Ashmore," she retorted. "What do you know about this?"

Blue eyes widened innocently. "What do you mean?"

"I saw the way you reacted when the computer mentioned we were stuck between Decks Six and Seven." B'Elanna stepped closer, invading Tom's personal space. "You know something about all this, Tom Paris. And I want the truth."

A self-deprecating smile touched the pilot's lips. "Okay. If you must know, I had Carl program the turbolift to stop right here."

"I knew it!" B'Elanna crowed triumphantly. "I just knew you had something to do with this! What's your game, Tom? Another half-assed attempt to get me alone? First, I'm going to tear Carl's limbs apart and feed them to the warp core. But that's . . ."

Tom interrupted, "Okay, B'Elanna. Before you go off half-cock, let . . ."

"What I'm going to do with Carl is nothing in compare to what I have planned for you! Of all the immature, idiotic . . ."

"WILL YOU PLEASE SHUT THE HELL UP?"

Immobile with shock, B'Elanna stared at the pilot. "What did you just say?" she asked in a deadly whisper. "Did you just tell me to . . ."

"Yes! I told you to shut up and let me explain!" Tom grabbed hold of the engineer's shoulder, surprising her even further. "Now, are you going to let me talk?"

B'Elanna's eyes narrowed dangerously. Tom did not realize it, but he was seconds away from a broken jaw. "Okay, explain."

He took a deep breath. "Like I said, Carl and I had programmed the turbolift to stop her for a good reason." Tom hoped that Baytart would forgive him for this next bit of indiscretion. But if it meant saving him from pain at the hands of an angry, half-Klingon, too bad. "The reason we programmed the lift to stop was to trap Baytart and Sue Nicoletti inside, for a half-hour or so."

A small frown creased B'Elanna's brow. "Wait a minute! Are you saying . . .?"

"Look, this goes no further than you." Tom paused. "Pablo had asked me to help him win over Sue Nicoletti. He's in love with her and it seems he is too shy to approach her, himself." He went on to explain his failed attempts at matchmaking - the dinner party, the Hololab and this latest attempt in the turbolift.

Comprehension hit B'Elanna like a wet rag. "That explains everything," she murmured. "The little talks with Nicoletti and why you were always . . ." B'Elanna glanced up and became aware of the blue eyes staring at her. "Never mind."

"Never mind, what?" Tom demanded. "What were you talking about? What talks with Sue?" He eyed B'Elanna questioningly.

Her mouth hung open. "I . . ." A wave of embarrassment washed over her. Kahless! When will she ever learn to think before she opened her mouth?

Tom's eyes lit up mischievously. He slowly maneuvered B'Elanna against the turbolift's walls. "You were about to say, Lieutenant?" he whispered in suggestive tones. His mouth hovered inches away from hers.

Keep hold of your emotions, Torres. Don't let it overwhelm you. B'Elanna's eyes refused to meet Tom's. Instead, they focused on his square jaw. That delicious piece of flesh that she felt tempted to sink her teeth into. She took a deep breath. Big mistake! Tom's scent, again invaded her senses. With great effort, B'Elanna ignored the scent and replied, "Actually, I meant to offer my help."

"Excuse me?" Tom's brows quirked upward.

B'Elanna continued, "I want to help. I'll have a talk with Sue. Let her know that Baytart is interested in her. And suggest that she go on a date with him."

Tom frowned. "What if she says no? I don't think Sue is in any mood to give Pablo a chance. Especially after what happened at my party and in the Hololab."

"Then he's screwed," B'Elanna replied bluntly. "And I would suggest he search in greener pastures."

A sigh left Tom's mouth. "That's what I've been telling Pablo. Only he can be such a stubborn bastard, sometimes."

"Sounds like someone I know," B'Elanna murmured. She ignored the pilot's pointed stare and tapped her combadge. "Torres to Engineering. How are those repairs coming along?"

Ashmore's voice replied, "We're almost finished, Chief. The turbolift should be back on line . . ." Before he could finish, B'Elanna felt a jolt. The turbolift began to move.

"Never mind, Carl. It's moving. Good work."

"No problem, Chief. Ashmore out."

The turbolift resumed its journey. The two occupants rode in silence. Once it reached Deck Two, the doors slid open and the pair strode out and into the corridor. "Like I said," B'Elanna continued, "I'll have a talk with Sue. And you can convince Baytart to ask her out. Who knows?" They finally reached their destination. "Maybe something will happen between them." She flashed Tom a smile and the two entered the Mess Hall. Dammit! Why did she have to smile at him, like that?

* * * *

"Nicoletti! I need to see you in my office, right away!"

The dark-haired woman warily headed for her superior's office. B'Elanna could see by the set of her shoulders that she would rather keep her distance away from the Chief Engineer.

"Yes, Lieutenant?" Nicoletti answered, once she stepped inside the glass-encased room. "You want something?"

B'Elanna hesitated. She hated getting involved in the affairs of others. On the other hand, she had opened her big mouth and promised Tom to help him with his little matchmaking scheme. "Uh . . . Sue," she began, "have you been noticing something odd, lately?"

"Odd?" Blue eyes stared at B'Elanna with one of those 'what-did-I-do-now?' looks. "What do you mean? What's wrong?"

"Nothing's wrong. I . . ." Again, a hesitation. This felt so embarrassing! Why in the hell did she allow Paris to talk her into this? B'Elanna conveniently forgot that she had volunteered. Dammit! She might as well get this over with now! "Look Sue, have you been encountering Ensign Baytart a lot? Lately?"

Slowly, Nicoletti replied, "Ye-ess-ss." She paused and blinked. Realization lit up her eyes. "Yeah," she added in a soft voice. "I wonder why." B'Elanna told her about Tom's matchmaking efforts. Nicoletti's eyes grew wide with disbelief. "What?"

"All those little encounters with Baytart - the dinner party, the Hololab and the turbolift - had all been engineered by Paris. He's been helping Baytart to get a date with . . ."

Sue angrily cut in. "Get a date with me! So, that's why Paris has been hounding me all week long! And those damn accidents with Baytart! They were all his fault?"

An uneasy feeling grew inside B'Elanna. She wondered if Nicoletti felt disappointed that Baytart was the interested party and not Tom. "Sue, calm down. Neither Tom or Baytart meant any harm."

"Any harm?" The other woman's blue eyes blazed with anger. "How would you like to be the target of some cheap, matchmaking scheme?"

Impatience and her volatile temper finally caught up with B'Elanna. "Kahless, Sue! You act as if Baytart and Tom had played some dirty trick on you! Don't you get it? Baytart is interested in you! He's so infatuated that he risked his pride and asked Tom to help him. You asked if I would like to be the target of someone's matchmaking? A part of me would say no. But another part of me would say . . ." Realizing that she was about to reveal one of her inner feelings, B'Elanna immediately clamped her mouth shut.

Nicoletti stared at the Chief Engineer. "You would say, yes?"

B'Elanna took a deep breath. She had not expected matters to get out of hand, like this. But, Sue deserved an answer. "Yeah," she murmured. "Maybe."

The two women fell silent. Then Sue asked, "Do you really think I should go on a date with Pablo?" For the first time, B'Elanna wondered if she and Sue shared a lot of traits - a tendency to become too involved in work, insecurity and a reserved nature.

"Sure. Why not?" B'Elanna replied, with a shrug. "Unless you're interested in someone else."

A knowing smile curved Nicoletti's lips. "You mean, someone like Tom Paris. Hmm." She paused, as if contemplating a decision. "Well, I have to admit that I wouldn't be the only female on this ship to consider a date with Paris. Of course, what's the point in longing for a man who has eyes for someone else?"

"Who are you talk . . .?" B'Elanna paused, suddenly aware of the mischief in Nicoletti's eyes. She growled, "Never mind!"

"Chief?"

B'Elanna grabbed a PADD from her desk and pretended to be interested in the contents. "If Baytart ever finds the courage to ask you out," she continued, "will you say yes?"

Nicoletti shrugged. "Maybe. We'll see." Which meant, B'Elanna realized, yes.

* * * *

Sheer panic filled Pablo Baytart's eyes. "You told Lieutenant Torres everything?" he cried out. The two pilots stood inside Tom's quarters. The latter had just finished his shift on the Bridge. "Why? I thought this was between the two of us!"

"I had to tell her," Tom insisted. "It was either that or let her beat me to death for causing the turbolift to stop."

Pablo demanded, "What are you talking about? That damn lift didn't even stop! Or have you forgotten?"

Tom sighed. "It did stop, Pablo. Only an hour later than it was suppose to. And I ended up trapped with Torres." He sat down in one of his chairs. Baytart sank onto the sofa. "Once she found out the truth, she offered to help."

"Help?" Baytart frowned. "How?"

Here comes the tricky part, Tom realized. "Well, B'Elanna had volunteered to have a talk with Sue and convince her to go out on a date with you, if you asked. In fact, I believe they've already had their conversation."

"WHAT?" The young pilot's voice vibrated around the cabin.

Tom winced from the cry that rang in his ears. "God, Pablo! Not so loud!"

"Are you . . . do you mean to say that Sue knows everything? She'll never go out with me, now!"

"She won't if you try to avoid her like some ten year-old who's frightened of girls!" Tom retorted. He heaved another sigh. "Look, according to B'Elanna, Sue is willing to have a talk with you. Give you a chance. All you have to do is face her and ask for a date."

Baytart's face expressed uncertainty. "But, what if . . .?"

"Dammit Pablo! You can't hide from her, forever! What do you want me to do? Go on the date for you?"

Apparently, the idea did not appeal to Baytart. "N-n-no," he stammered. He sighed. "I guess not. Maybe I should face her. Do you know where she is at the moment?"

Holding back his glee, Tom shrugged. "Why don't you check with the computer?"

According to the computer, Lieutenant Nicoletti could be found in Engineering. Just as Tom had expected. "Well?" he said to Pablo.

The younger stood up and flashed an uneasy smile. "Well, wish me luck." He squared his shoulders and gave Tom a nod. "Thanks for the advice, Lieutenant. And for helping me find my nerve."

"Good luck, Pablo," Tom replied, before Baytart left his quarters. Once alone, Tom raised his eyes heavenward and allowed himself a heartfelt sigh. "Thank God!" he shouted to know one in particular. Now, he finally had the time to return his attentions to other matters. Namely, a certain chief engineer.

* * * *

FOUR DAYS LATER . . .

"I don't believe it!" Harry declared in a disbelieving tone. "I see it, but I don't believe it! Is that Pablo Baytart with Sue Nicoletti?" He pointed at a couple, sharing a table on the other side of Sandrine's, inside Holodeck One.

Both B'Elanna and Tom glanced at the couple. The former allowed herself a satisfied smile. As she had suggested, Sue accepted Pablo's invitation to a date. She learned from Tom that the pair ended up having dinner together at simulation of a Parisian bistro, created by the Chief Helmsman. Fortunately, the date turned out to be a success.

"I had a great time!" Sue had gushed on the morning, following her first date with the pilot. "The dinner was delicious and the atmosphere, fantastic! Later, Pablo and I took a walk along the Left Bank. Very romantic." Naturally, B'Elanna had not demand any further details.

Tom chuckled over Harry's comments. "Well, they look like Pablo and Sue to me. Make a cute couple, don't they?" His blue eyes danced merrily, sending shivers up B'Elanna's spine.

"Yeah, I guess," Harry said reluctantly. His eyes returned to Tom's face. "What are you grinning about? You look like the cat who just swallowed a canary." Suspicion gleamed in his dark eyes. "Say, did you have anything to do with . . .?"

Laughter poured out of Tom's mouth. "Boy, Harry! You do catch on 'fast', don't you?" Harry's face turned red. "As a matter of fact, I had everything to do with them being together."

B'Elanna arched an eyebrow and stared at Tom. "Excuse me, Flyboy," she said caustically. "Only YOU were responsible?"

Embarrassment quickly replaced Tom's triumphant expression. "Sorry. I meant us. I managed to convince Pablo to get over his shyness and ask Sue for a date. And B'Elanna had convinced her to give him a chance." He went on to explain the entire situation to Harry.

The Ops officer shook his head after Tom finished. "The pilot and the engineer. Who would have believed it?" His remark caused B'Elanna to nearly choke on her drink. Both Harry and Tom stared at her with concerned eyes. "Are you okay, Maquis?"

"I'm fine," a slightly hoarse B'Elanna replied. "My scotch went down the wrong way."

Harry again, contemplated the two newly formed lovebirds. "So Tom, you were helping Baytart set up a date with Sue? That explains all those lunches and dates with Sue in the Hololab. And to think, B'Elanna thought . . ."

The moment he spoke her name, B'Elanna knew what Harry was about to say. She panicked and gave him a swift kick in the shin. Followed by a menacing stare that expressly ordered him to shut up. The younger man winced in pain. But B'Elanna also achieved her goal. Harry quickly clamped his mouth shut.

Tom glanced at his friends with barely concealed amusement. "Are you okay, Harry?"

"Fine," the Ops officer muttered. "Just a muscle twinge in the calf."

Feign innocence lit up Tom's eyes. "Oh. I see. By the way, you also mentioned B'Elanna. What exactly were you about to say?" A smile threatened to quirk his lips.

He knew! Embarrassment filled B'Elanna's guts. The teasing bastard had obviously guessed what Harry nearly revealed. Dammit! She had to get out of here. In order to make her escape, B'Elanna rose from her chair. "I just remembered. I have an Engineering report to finish," she gushed. "I'll see you two, later."

Tom stood up. "Okay. I'll walk you home."

"I don't need an escort, Paris!" B'Elanna retorted. Couldn't the man take a hint? "I'm a big girl now."

An appreciative smile curled Tom's lips. "All the more reason to walk you back to your quarters."

B'Elanna speared the pilot with her deadliest glare. His smile grew wider. She sighed in defeat. "All right, you can follow me."

"Have fun you two," Harry added. His eyes danced with glee. Both B'Elanna and Tom glared at him, but he ignored their stares and continued drinking.

Once they left Holodeck One, Tom did not follow B'Elanna to Deck Nine. Instead, the pair strolled together, side-by-side, without touching each other. B'Elanna made sure of that. They finally reached her quarters. She punched in the codes to her room and turned to face the pilot. "Well, here we are. Thanks for the uh, escort." The doors slid open.

To her horror, Tom did not walk away. Instead, he brought up an embarrassing subject she long thought dead. "What exactly did you think about Sue and me?"

B'Elanna's eyes grew wide. "What?"

"Harry mentioned something about why I was having all those lunches with Sue. Then he said that you thought . . . before everything went blank and he suddenly developed a 'muscle cramp'." A smirk touched Tom's lips.

Again, B'Elanna's breathing became irregular. "Nothing," she quickly replied. "It was nothing. I . . ." Her mouth hung open.

Tom leaned closer, his mouth less than a millimeter from hers. "You what?" he whispered. The soft timbre of his voice sent waves of heat throughout B'Elanna's body.

Dark brown eyes met blue ones. B'Elanna found her resistance to the handsome pilot slipping away. 'Kiss him' her mind barked. 'Just lean forward and press your mouth against those soft, firm . . .' Voices in the corridor broke B'Elanna out of her trance. She snapped back, growled a quick "good night" and immediately slipped inside her quarters.

Once the doors slid shut, the Chief Engineer leaned against them and sighed. Her body still shook from the memory of her close call with Tom. She felt relieved that she had escaped from becoming Tom Paris's next conquest. Yet, she could not forget the disappointment that flashed in his blue eyes. Or ignore that same disappointment that refused to leave her heart.

THE END

"THE ILLUSIONIST" (2006) Photo Gallery

2009-12-14T18:07:00.001-08:00

Below is a gallery of photos from the 2006 movie, "THE ILLUSIONIST". Based upon Steven Millhauser's story "Eisenheim the Illusionist" and Directed by Neil Burger, the movie starred Edward Norton, Paul Giamatti, Jessica Biel and Rufus Sewell:

"THE ILLUSIONIST" (2006) Photo Gallery

"THE MEN WHO STARE AT GOATS" Review

2009-12-12T20:37:00.000-08:00

Below is my review of "THE MEN WHO STARE AT GOATS", a new comedy-drama directed by Grant Heslov that stars George Clooney and Ewan McGregor:

”THE MEN WHO STARE AT GOATS” Review

Grant Heslov directed this comedic adaptation of Jon Ronson’s book about the U.S. Army's exploration of New Age concepts and the potential military applications of the paranormal. The movie starred George Clooney as one of the participants in this program and Ewan McGregor, who portrayed a journalist who stumbles across the story, while reporting on businesses with military contracts in Iraq. One of the surprising aspects of this movie is that its story is based upon fact. According to author Jon Ronson, there was actually a similar unit actually existed within the U.S. Army. The names were changed . . . and probably some of the facts, but the Army did explore New Age concepts and military applications of the paranormal.

The movie followed McGregor’s character, a journalist with the Ann Arbor Daily Telegram named Bob Wilton who stumbles onto the story of a lifetime when he meets a Special Forces operator named Lyn Cassady (Clooney) after flying to Kuwait out of anger, due to a recent divorce with his wife. During a trip across the Iraqi countryside, Cassady revealed his participation in an Army unit that trained to develop a range of par psychological skills by using New Age concepts. The unit ended up being named the New Earth Army. While the pair endured a journey that included encounters with a gang of Iraqi criminals, their fellow kidnap victim (Waleed Zuaiter), the head of a private security firm named Todd Nixon (Robert Patrick) and two rival groups of American contractors who engage in a gunfight against each other in Ramadi.

During Wilton and Cassady’s journey, the latter revealed the story behind the creation of the New Earth Army and its founder, a Vietnam War veteran named Bill Django (Jeff Bridges) who travelled across America in the 1970s for six years to explore a range of New Age movements (including the Human potential movement) after getting shot during the Vietnam War. Django used these experiences to create the New Earth Army. Django’s recruits ended up being nicknamed ”Jedi Warriors”. By the 1980s, two of Django's best recruits were Lyn Cassady and Larry Hooper (Kevin Spacey), who developed a lifelong rivalry because of their opposing views of how to implement the First Earth philosophy. Lyn wanted to emphasize the positive side of the teachings, whereas Larry was more interested in the dark side of the philosophy. Wilton and Cassady’s journey ended when they located a military base in the middle of the desert. They discovered that Larry Hooper has become the founder and head of PSIC, a private research firm engaged in psychological and psychic experiments on a herd of goats and some captured locals. A dismayed Cassady also learned that a now decrepit Django has become an employee of PSIC.

I must admit that I was not in a big hurry to see ”THE MEN WHO STARE AT GOATS”. In fact, I never had any intention of seeing it in the first place. The only reason I went to see the movie in the first place was that I was desperate for something to watch. The movie season for the past two months has seemed pretty deplorable to me. Aside from ”THE INFORMANT’, I have not been able to stumble across a movie that I would find appealing. And what about ”THE MEN WHO STARE AT GOATS”? Did I find it appealing? Honestly? It is not the best movie I have seen this year. But I must admit that thanks to Grant Heslov’s direction and Peter Straughan’s screenplay, I found the movie rather humorous in an off-kilter manner. Some of the most humorous scenes featured:

*Wilton and Cassady’s flight from a group of Iraqi criminals

*The ”Battle of Ramadi” between two American private security armies

*Bill Django’s six year exploration of New Age movements

*The results of Wilton and Django’s spiking of the Army base food with LSD.

At first, the movie’s approach to New Age religion and movements seemed inconsistent. The first half of the film did not seem to treat it as a joke. However, once Wilton and Cassady reached the base housing the PSIC, Straughan’s script treated the subject with a lot more respect. It took me a while to realize that the story was told from Bob Wilton’s point-of-view. It only seemed natural that he would first view the New Earth Army and New Age beliefs as a joke. But after time spent with Cassady and later Django at the PSIC base, Wilton naturally developed a newfound respect for both topics. The movie also provided a slightly pointed attack upon the U.S. military presence in Iraq. Normally, I would have cringed at such protesting in a comedy. Fortunately, Heslov used humor – and very sharp humor at that – to mock American presence in the Middle Eastern country.

I think that Lyn Cassady might turn out to be one of my favorite roles portrayed by George Clooney. One, he gave a hilarious performance. And two, he also did a marvelous job in infusing Cassady’s role with a mixture of super-military machismo and wide-eyed innocence. And despite his questionable American accent, I was very impressed by Ewan McGregor’s poignant performance as the lovelorn Michigan journalist (his wife left him for his editor), who travels to Iraq to prove his bravery to his former wife . . . only to discover something more unique. Another joyous addition to the cast turned out to be Jeff Bridges, who gave a wonderfully off-kilter performance as Cassady’s mentor and founder of the New Earth Army, Bill Django. And Larry Hooper, the one man allegedly responsible for bringing down Django’s New Earth Army, turned out to be another one of Kevin Spacey’s delicious villainous roles.

If ”THE MEN WHO STARE AT GOATS” ever turn out to be a hit film, I would be very surprise. There is a good chance that many moviegoers might find the film’s use of topics such as the Army’s exploration of New Age movements and the paranormal to mock American military presence in Iraq a bit hard to take. And there is the possibility that filmgoers might find Straughan’s script used constant flashbacks to tell the story of the New Earth Army during Cassady and Wilton’s journey throughout Iraq rather confusing. Personally, I rather liked the movie. I doubt that it will ever be a big favorite of mine, but I still found it entertaining and interesting.

"MAD MEN" Season Three Quibbles

2009-12-11T18:11:00.001-08:00

Three weeks ago, AMC-TV’s award winning series, ”MAD MEN” ended its third season. And although I consider the previous season slightly better, I still ended up enjoying Season Three very much. It also brought about some drastic changes into the lives of the characters. But I am not here to discuss what I had liked about Season Three. I am here to discuss the quibbles I had with this latest season. Some of the problems I had with Season Three had to do with creator Matthew Weiner’s story. And some of the problems I had were with the fans. Perhaps I will start with the fans.

”MAD MEN” Season Three Quibbles

Fan Reactions

Betty Draper - I get the feeling that many fans of ”MAD MEN” have this great desire to brand certain characters as the villain or villainess of the season. Both Herman “Duck” Phillips and Bobbie Barrett were castigated by many fans as the “bad guys” of Season Two, despite the fact that they were no better or worse than the rest of the major characters. This season, it became Betty Draper’s turn to attract the fans’ ire. For an entire season, I came across comments and articles that branded Betty as a cold wife and an even colder and abusive mother. The fans dumped their shit on poor Betty’s head so much that they managed to ignore the fallible of other characters – especially Don’s lack of parental skills. Every time Betty scolded her children, the fans labeled her as abusive, cold or the worst mother in television history. I do not believe that Betty is a wonderful mother. Then again, she is not a terrible mother. She is not very demonstrative or warm. But compare to Don, she is usually there for her children.

The only two times she was not available happened when her father, Gene Hofstadt died in (3.04) “The Arrangement”. Dealing with her father’s death and a grieving daughter screaming in her face that she did not care caused Betty to order said daughter to her room. Fans dumped a lot of shit on Betty for that act. Yet, at the same time, many of them failed to notice that Don seemed more concerned about Betty than Sally. In the season finale, (3.13) “Shut the Door. Have a Seat”, she left New York with baby Eugene and new beau, Henry Francis, to get a quickie divorce in Reno, Nevada. Fans castigated her for leaving Sally and Bobby behind in New York with the Drapers’ maid, Carla. And yet . . . no one speculated on why Don was not keeping an eye on the kids, during her absence. So much shit has been dished out about Betty that I found myself coming to her defense in two essays. Two. And Betty is not even my favorite character.

Peggy Olson’s Romance With Duck Phillips - I never understood the reaction to this romance. Then again, I never understood the fans’ aversion to Duck Phillips. In (3.05) “The Fog, Duck Phillips had approached Peggy Olson and Pete Campbell in an attempt to recruit them for the agency he worked for – Grey’s. Pete, who had not forgiven Peggy for her revelations about their son, left before Duck could begin his recruitment speech. Peggy heard the speech, but rejected Duck’s offer out of some misplaced (in my opinion) loyalty toward Don and Sterling Cooper. When Don had chewed her out for asking him to work on the Hilton account, Peggy arrived at the hotel suite that Duck was working at to return a gift . . . and began an affair with him. The reaction to this affair was unbelievable. Critics like Matt Maul began spouting this view of Peggy as this naïve woman being sexually and emotionally exploited by Duck. All because most of the fans disapproved of Duck abandoning his lousy dog into the streets of Manhattan in last year’s (2.06) “Maidenform”. The ironic thing is that Peggy and Duck’s relationship did not bring about any personal catastrophe for Peggy. She simply had a healthy, sexual relationship with an older man with no strings attached. And for some reason, many fans could not deal with this. Especially when the man in question was Duck Phillips.

The Adulation of Joan Harris née Holloway - By the end of Season Three, I found myself wondering if I had developed a dislike or even hatred of former Office Manager, Joan Harris. Why? I have noticed that in the eyes of many fans, Joan cannot do any wrong. And I found this attitude annoying. It was bad enough when fans defended or excused her racist remark to Paul Kinsey’s ex-girlfriend, Sheila White, last season. Sometime between Greg Harris’ rape of her in (2.12) “The Mountain King” and the Season Three premiere, (3.01) “Out of Town”, Joan married him. She married the fiancé who had raped her. On a certain level, I understood why Joan did it. She internalized this belief that being married to a successful professional with kids and a house in the suburbs was an ideal life. She had internalized this belief to the point that she upped and married her rapist, instead of dumping his ass and search for another potential husband. And instead of criticizing Joan for this incredibly stupid act, many fans came to her rescue and created all sorts of excuses for her action. One of the Lipp sisters on the ”Basket of Kisses” site even accused this woman of stating that it was Joan’s fault that Greg had raped her. That was one of the most stupid accusations I have ever come across. In (3.11) “The Gypsy and the Hobo”, Greg whined about his failed job interview for a position as a psychiatrist. In a fit of anger, Joan took a vase and slammed it against his head. And many fans cheered. That is correct. Fans cheered over an act of domestic violence. Why? Because they disliked Greg for raping Joan, last season. Which is understandable. I also disliked Greg. But these same fans believed that because Greg had raped Joan last season, she had every time to bash him over the head in a fit of temper. What can I say? I would have cheered if Joan had been defending herself. But self-defense did not seemed to be Joan’s aim. Instead, she committed an act of mindless violence to express her anger and frustration at her loser husband. Yet, her act garnered cheers, much to my disgust. Every time Joan’s name was mentioned, a slew of complimentary adjectives followed. By the time the season ended, the woman seemed to be on a damn pedestal. Yep, I do believe I am in danger of developing a deep dislike toward Joan. And it is not even her fault.

Don Draper . . . Father of the Year - Pardon me, while I take some time out to control my laughter over this. I am going to make this short. I agree that Don is a warmer parent than Betty. He knows how to be friends with their kids. And I had applauded his decision to take that dead German soldier’s helmet away from his son, who had received it from Granpa Gene Hofstadt. But that is the best I can say about Don as a father. Being a warm parent only tells me that he knows how to be a pal to his kids. But I still believe that he is a lousy parent. Why? He is hardly there for Betty and his kids. A heavily drugged Betty had complained about Don’s unreliability, as she was about to give birth in ”The Fog”. And in the season finale, Sally pointed out that Don was rarely at home with his family. This was certainly the case during his affair with Sally’s teacher, Suzanne Farrell. Following Gene Hofstadt’s death, Don consoled a grieving Betty and failed to show any concern for a grieving Sally, until the last moment – while she was asleep. And when Carla had confronted both Betty and Don about Sally’s infraction against Bobby in (3.08) “The Souvenir”, Don sneaked away in an effort to avoid responsibility in dealing with his daughter. I believe that Betty Draper is a mediocre parent. As for her warm and friendly husband, he is a lousy one.

Season Three Story

Suzanne Farrell - I understand that Matt Weiner wanted the fans to believe that Don had fallen in love with Sally’s schoolteacher. And although I managed to accept this by (3.10) “The Color Blue”, I thought the storyline surrounding the Don/Suzanne romance was one of the worst to be featured on the show. I had a problem with it on two major counts:

a) Actress Abigail Spencer (who portrayed Miss Farrell) had NO chemistry with Jon Hamm. Many fans have claimed that Hamm is one of those actors who can create chemistry with just about anyone. I think that his interactions with Ms. Spencer had disproved this theory.

b) The Don/Abigail romance ended with a whimper in ”The Gypsy and the Hobo”. Don and Abigail had plans for a trip to Connecticut, while Betty and the kids were out of town. But when his family returned unexpectedly and Betty confronted Don about his false identity and the items found in his study, Don left Abigail sitting in his car and waiting for hours. She eventually slinked away back to her little home. The following morning, Don informed her that their affair was over . . . for the moment. A rather lame ending to a rather disappointing affair.

The British Invasion - Nothing really came from Putnam, Powell, and Lowe’s purchase of Sterling Cooper. Well . . . Lane Pryce, the parent company’s financial officer for Sterling Cooper, was responsible for the dismissal of several staff members by the time ”Out of Town” aired. In that particular episode, he fired someone named Burt Peterson, who had succeeded Duck Phillips as Head of Accounts. At PP&L’s orders, he set Pete Campbell and Ken Cosgrove against each other for the position of Head of Accounts. Sterling Cooper nearly ended up with Guy Kendricks, a PP&L executive, to helm Sterling Cooper in (3.06) “Guy Walks Into an Advertising Agency”. But Kendricks’ encounter with Lois Sadler at the wheel of a John Deere lawnmower severed his foot and his budding career as an ad man. In ”The Color Blue”, Lane Pryce learned that PP&L planned to sell Sterling Cooper and revealed the news in ”Shut the Door. Have a Seat”. This led to Pryce, Bert Cooper, Roger Sterling and Don Draper raiding some of Sterling Cooper’s talent to form their own agency. And that is it. Weiner failed to develop a steady storyline regarding PP&L’s ownership of Sterling Cooper and the so-called British Invasion ended without any real drama between the season premiere and the finale.

Gene Hofstad and Sally Draper - I understand that Sally had been devastated by the death of her maternal grandfather, Gene Hofstadt. But I found myself unable to empathize wholeheartedly with her. Perhaps that was due to my belief that Weiner and his writers had failed to engage in any prolonged exploration of their relationship (which was only covered in two episodes) before the old man’s death.

Betty Draper’s Pregnancy and Gene Draper’s Birth - According to Matt Weiner, he had decided to set Season Three nearly six months after the end of Season Two because he wanted to depict the effect of Betty’s pregnancy and young Eugene’s birth upon the Draper family. I hate to say this, but he failed. Baby Eugene was barely focused upon, following his birth.

Carla - I am certain that many fans of the show are relieved that Matt Weiner has allowed the role of Carla, the Drapers' maid to have a bigger role, this season. And so am I. But . . . once again, Weiner proved himself incapable of creating an interesting and complex African-American character. What is my beef? Many fans have praised Carla for being "dignified and sympathetic". Unfortunately, these traits simply made her another Hollywood stereotype - the dignified black servant. In other words, Carla is boring.

There are no imperfections in Carla's character at all. In fact, there seemed to be nothing wrong with Carla. I realize that as a servant, she has to maintain a facade in front of her employers, but . . . good grief! If the secretaries and minor employees can show their warts when their bosses are not around, why not Carla? Why not allow her to interact in a more interesting way with other servants in the Drapers' Ossing neighborhood? Why dump her with a stereotype that has been around since the 1950s?

Peggy Olson and Duck Phillips’ Affair - I can only wonder if Weiner plans to explore Peggy and Duck’s affair in Season Four. He certainly failed to do so in Season Three. Fans had been prophesying disaster for Peggy ever since it started in ”Seven Twenty-Three”. Instead, nothing really came of it. Since the new offices of Sterling Cooper Draper and Pryce are now located in one of the suites at the Pierre Hotel, the scene of Duck’s working location, perhaps some kind of drama will unfold between Peggy and Duck. I hope so for Weiner’s sake . . . and for the sake of the fans.

"Perils of a Matchmaker" [PG-13] - 1/2

2009-12-10T17:39:00.000-08:00

"PERILS OF A MATCHMAKER"

CODE: P/T, B/N, Kim
RATING: [PG-13]
SUMMARY: Tom Paris helps Pablo Baytart win the affections of Sue Nicoletti and endangers his own pursuit of the Chief Engineer in the process. Set during late Season 3.
FEEDBACK: deerush76@yahoo.com - Be my guest. But please, be kind.
DISCLAIMER: Tom, B'Elanna and all other characters related to Star Trek Voyager belong to Paramount, Viacom and the usual Trek Powers to Be.

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

Part 1

Tom Paris heard footsteps behind him as he walked along the corridor of Deck Six. "Lieutenant! Lieutenant Paris!" a voice cried out. "Lieutenant, may I speak to you?" The voice belonged to Ensign Pablo Baytart, one of the pilots under the Chief Helmsman's command.

"Can I help you, Pablo?" Tom paused to face the younger man.

Breathing heavily, Baytart replied, "Yeah, I . . ." He paused momentarily. "I need to speak with you. About a private matter."

Private matter meant Baytart wanted to conduct this conversation somewhere other than in the middle of the corridor. Tom nodded. "I'm heading for Holodeck One. For the resort. Why don't you join me?"

"Well, I . . ." Hesitation loomed in Baytart's eyes. "Can we go somewhere a little more private?"

Tom sighed and promised to initiate the privacy lock on the holodeck. The two pilots reached Holodeck One and entered. Although Neelix's resort program was running, no one seemed to be inside. Much to Baytart's obvious relief. After Tom ordered the computer to initiate the lock, he turned to the junior pilot. "Okay Pablo, we're alone. Now what's the problem?"

It all came tumbling out of Baytart's mouth. In a nutshell, the young pilot was in love with Lieutenant Sue Nicoletti, from Engineering. And he required Tom's help to play matchmaker. The older man gave Baytart a blank look. "Matchmaker? Why me?"

"I . . . uh . . ." Baytart blushed. "Well, I heard how you helped Culhane with Jenna Carlson in Exobiology, a couple of months ago. And I wondered if you could . . ." The pilot's face now turned deep red. "You see, it's Sue. I heard she can be difficult to pursue."

The understatement of the century, Tom thought wryly. He recalled his own six-month long efforts to pursue Sue Nicoletti, last year. Efforts that eventually ended in failure. Not that Tom felt any bitterness over the matter, despite the "cold hands, cold heart" comment he once made to Harry Kim about the engineer. He had never felt anything more than lust for the dark-haired Sue. Something he wished he could say about his present goal - namely Sue's commanding officer - a certain half-Klingon, half-Human chief engineer. Images of the recent events on Sakari IV flashed through Tom's mind. Along with memories of a conversation inside a turbolift. "Careful of what you wish for, Lieutenant." With a sigh, Tom realized he may have taken on a more impossible goal.

"Lieutenant?" Baytart's voice interrupted Tom's thoughts.

The older man shook his head. "Sorry. My mind was elsewhere. Uh, as for the elusive Lieutenant Nicoletti, I'll see what I can do."

A bright smile lit up Pablo's face. "Thanks, Lieutenant."

"Don't get too excited, Pablo. This is Sue Nicoletti we're dealing with." Cold hands, cold heart. "It might take a while before we achieve success."

Still smiling, Pablo stood up. "I'm sure you'll get the job done, Lieutenant. I'll see you later. And again, thanks." He left the holodeck.

"Yeah, sure," Tom murmured under his breath. He realized, to his regret, that he might have to put his pursuit of B'Elanna Torres on hold.

* * * *

Sable eyes watched the doors to Engineering slide open. Watched a sandy blond-haired figure in Command black-and-red, stroll inside. Those same eyes quickly glanced away the moment Voyager's Chief Pilot walked toward the Chief Engineer's private office. B'Elanna Torres's heart began to beat rapidly.

Breathe Torres. Calm down. Tom Paris is no one to get excited over. What happened on Sakari IV had been a mere fluke. An unfortunate incident caused by a chemical imbalance forced upon her by a Vulcan in . . .

"Hey B'Elanna." Tom Paris's soft, masculine voice filled her ears. The same voice that told her over two months ago that he would like to see more of her Klingon side. Tom entered her office, his scent pervading her senses. B'Elanna struggled not to breathe deeply. He tossed a PADD on her desk. "The navigation reports. Just as you had requested."

B'Elanna snatched the PADD from the desk. "Thanks," she said, giving Tom a curt nod. She did not even bother to look at him. The last thing she wanted was to look deeply into the pilot's blue eyes. Unfortunately for B'Elanna, once she received the report, Tom refused to move. Another sigh left her mouth. He possessed a stubborn streak that rivaled any Klingon's. "Is there something else you wanted, Paris?" She glanced up and frowned. It helped that her eyes focused upon his forehead.

"Paris?" One of Tom's sandy brows quirked upward. "I thought we had put surnames behind us a long time ago." Over a year, to be exact.

B'Elanna growled. "What do you want, Tom?"

A slow smile curled the pilot's lips. B'Elanna forced herself to ignore the electric currents shooting up her spine. "Well, I was thinking of holding this party," Tom replied, "and I thought you would like . . ."

"I'll be busy," B'Elanna shot back, interrupting him.

Tom frowned. "Oh? When? I don't recall mentioning a specific date."

Idiot! B'Elanna mentally castigated herself. She should have kept her mouth shut, until he finished. Now, how in the hell was she going to get out of this mess?

B'Elanna eventually asked herself why she would want to avoid an evening with Tom. She could no longer deny her interest in the pilot. At least, privately. Publicly admitting her interest seemed another matter. A little voice inside her mind - one that she labeled "FEAR" - told her that it would be a matter of time before Tom Paris grew weary of her Klingon side. And that in the end, he would reject her.

Heaving a sigh, B'Elanna deliberately examined the PADD in her hand. "Look Tom," she commented in her usual gruff manner, "I'm sure that your party will be a lot of fun, but I don't know when I'll have time to enjoy it. Between our encounter with that Borg cube and the Doctor's foray into homicidal schizophrenia, I don't know when."

"Oh." Tom's voice permeated with disappointment. At least that was how it sounded to B'Elanna. "Well . . . uh, hopefully you'll be free, sooner than you think."

"Hopefully."

Another moment passed before Tom murmured a quick good day. And then he left. Only his scent lingered inside the office. The half-Klingon kept her eyes fixed on the report. At least, she tried to concentrate. The moment she felt safe enough to do so, she glanced up to watch Tom leave Engineering. Only, he did not leave. Instead, he made his way toward one of her engineers working at a console near the warp core. Sue Nicoletti. B'Elanna's eyes narrowed.

* * * *

"Say that again?" Sue Nicoletti demanded. "You're inviting me to where?" Her voice rang throughout Engineering, drawing stares.

There were times Tom wished the engineer would learn to keep her voice at a moderate level. Ignoring the curious stares, Tom repeated his question. "I asked if you would like to join me in my quarters, tomorrow evening."

Sue shot an uneasy glance at the Chief Engineer's office. "Uh, just us alone?"

"Huh?" Tom realized that he had misinterpreted his intent. The last thing he wanted was to give Sue the idea that he had renewed his interest in her. "Oh! Uh . . . damn! No, it's not what you think." He exhaled a gust of breath. "I'm holding a little sociable, tomorrow night. You know, food, drinks, music and perhaps a little game of poker."

Disbelief replaced the wariness in Sue's blue eyes. "This is new. You haven't asked me to a friendly get-together in months. Ten months, to be exact."

Tom shrugged. "Considering the number of times you've turned me down in the past, can you blame me?"

"Uh-huh."

A nervous laugh escaped Tom's mouth. "Look Sue, it's not what you think. I'm not interested in romance. Just a little get together with people I consider to be my friends."

"I don't know whether to be relieved or insulted," Sue commented wryly. Again, she shot a glance toward B'Elanna's office. "Will Lieutenant Torres be there?"

Tom quickly squelched the disappointment he felt over B'Elanna's recent rejection. "It seems she'll be busy for a while. I'm only surprised that you aren't."

"Busy doing what?"

Of course. Tom realized he should have known that B'Elanna's excuses for turning down his invitation were mere smoke screens. Either she had no desire to spend her off-duty hours with him. Or she was afraid. Tom hoped it was the latter.

Sue repeated her question. "Well? Busy doing what?"

"Nothing," Tom responded with a sigh. "Forget what I said. All I want to know is will you be able to show up at my quarters, tomorrow night. Say, 20:00 hours?"

"I'll be there."

Tom smiled. "Good. Now be sure . . ."

"Nicoletti!" a throaty female's voice cried out. "Haven't you finished recalibrating those specs, yet?" Tom and Sue stared at the glass-encased office. B'Elanna stood in the doorway, hands on hips. Glaring.

Sue threw Tom a long-suffering glance. One that pleaded with him to leave before either of them piss off the Chief Engineer any further. Tom quickly got the message and left Engineering before he could further inflame B'Elanna's wrath.

* * * *

Around 21:45, the following night, Tom glanced around his quarters. His guests were due to arrive any minute. And sure enough, the first one arrived three minutes later. Pablo Baytart. Harry Kim arrived with both Delaney sisters, two minutes after Pablo. Before 20:00, the rest of Tom's guests arrived, with the exception of Sue Nicoletti. The engineer showed up fifteen minutes late.

Soft jazz music filled the pilot's cabin. A tempting array of Earth and Bajoran dishes stretched across a table, set up against a bare wall. The food had been replicated, thanks to additional credits provided by Baytart and Harry.

The party seemed to proceed smoothly. Talk focused on topics other than survival in the Delta Quadrant. Everyone seemed to enjoy the food. Tom did not blame them. He had to keep the party a secret from Voyager's Talaxian cook - who would have undoubtedly volunteered to prepare the food. And to Tom's delight, Pablo and Sue managed to strike up a conversation on famous jazz musicians. If everything went according to plan, the engineer and the pilot will drift from acquaintance to friendship, and eventually toward romance. Then disaster struck.

Pablo volunteered to fetch a plate of dim sum for Sue. Eager to please the engineer, he set out on his task. As he headed back toward Sue, Pablo failed to notice Mike Ayala's protruding foot. He tripped over the latter and the plate of dim sum with soy sauce, sailed out of his hands and landed on Sue's lap.

The engineer cried out with dismay. Pablo laid sprawled on the floor, wearing a horrified expression. Tom closed his eyes and sighed. Getting Pablo and Sue together, he realized, might proved to be more elusive than him winning the hand of one B'Elanna Torres.

* * * *

"Hey, Starfleet!"

Harry glanced up from his breakfast and found the Chief Engineer standing beside his table inside the Mess Hall. "Hey, Maquis. Have a seat." He gestured toward the empty chair, opposite him.

Once B'Elanna eased into a chair, she began poking at her food. Either she was not hungry or like Harry, found Neelix's idea of Eggs Benedict, unappetizing. "Doesn't look that hot, does it?" Harry commented.

B'Elanna smiled wryly. "Not really. I would have replicated something, but I'm low on credits, right now."

"Yeah, so am I. Tom managed to win most of my credits during a pool game, day before yesterday." Harry scooped up a forkful of orange-colored eggs. "He must have used them for that party in his quarters, last night." The moment he mentioned Tom's party, he saw B'Elanna's mouth tightened into a grim line. "What's wrong?"

Her mouth quickly relaxed. Dark eyes widened in innocence. "What do you mean?"

"Is there something wrong?" Harry continued. "You looked upset for a moment. When I mentioned Tom's party." He deliberately paused. "Were you upset over that?"

B'Elanna's nose wrinkled in distaste. "Of course not! Why should I be upset? Tom had invited me. I just didn't . . . I mean, I was busy, last night." She began to attack her food.

"Busy?" Harry frowned. "Doing what? Most of the major repairs were finished three days ago."

An exasperated sigh escaped B'Elanna's mouth. "There were minor repairs to deal with," she replied through gritted teeth.

"Which could have been done by your staff. After all, you are the Chief Engineer."

"What's your point, Harry?"

The Operations Chief realized that he was about to tread through dangerous waters. But he also remembered that he was a Starfleet officer. Not only was weird part of the job, but also danger. Harry took a deep breath. "It sounds as if you had turned down Tom's invitation. To avoid Tom."

B'Elanna rolled her eyes. "Kahless, Harry! The world does not revolve around Thomas Paris!" The moment she spoke his name, the Mess Hall doors slid open and in strode the object of their conversation. Harry glanced at B'Elanna, whose cheeks immediately turned red. A smile tugged at his lips.

"Hey Harry!" Tom greeted in his usual gregarious manner. He joined the two friends at their table. His eyes slid toward the Chief Engineer. "B'Elanna." The latter responded with a murmur.

Harry smiled at his friend. "Hey, Tom. Where's your breakfast?"

"I ate some of the leftovers from last night's party. You should taken some yourself, Harry." Tom shot a withering glance at the orange eggs. "And maybe spare yourself from Neelix's latest sample of Delta Quadrant cuisine."

Harry dismally poked his eggs with his fork. "Oh God, please don't remind me!"

Tom turned to face B'Elanna. "Say B'Elanna, you miss one hell of a party, last night. We had a great time. Right, Har?"

"I have to admit that I did enjoy myself, last night," Harry conceded, recalling the festivities. "Tom's right, B'Elanna. It's a shame that you missed it."

Mischief sparkled in Tom's blue eyes. "Well, B'Elanna was busy last night, Harry," he drawled. "With repairs. Of course that does seem odd, since all of the major repairs were finished three days ago."

B'Elanna gave Harry an accusing stare. "You told!"

"What are you talking about?" a bewildered Harry protested. "I didn't say a word!"

"Then who . . .?" B'Elanna's gaze pierced the Chief Helmsman. "All right, Flyboy! Who told you?"

Projecting an air of innocence, Tom shrugged. "Told me what?"

"Tom!"

Chuckling, Tom finally gave in. "All right, all right. It was Sue Nicoletti. I asked her about the repairs, last night."

Sable eyes slitted dangerously. Harry prepared to calm down B'Elanna. Before he could do so, the doors slid open again and Sue Nicoletti entered. As she strode toward the galley's counter, Tom rose from his chair. "Excuse me for a minute." His eyes focused on the dark-haired engineer. "I have some business to attend to." The pilot walked toward Sue, leaving behind two speechless friends.

B'Elanna finally spoke out. "What the hell does he want with her?" she growled.

Harry noticed the grim expression on his friend's face. And the envy in her dark eyes. Interesting, he thought. B'Elanna was jealous. Harry glanced at his other friend. And what exactly did Tom want with Sue Nicoletti?

* * * *

Tom approached the engineer, flashing his trademark effervescent grin. "Sue!"

Nicoletti eyed the helmsman with a wary eye. "Tom. What can I do for you?" She picked up a breakfast tray and began to examine the dishes on the counter.

"Just wanted to know if you enjoyed last night's party." From the corner of his eye, Tom noticed the perked interest on Neelix's face.

Sue quietly made her breakfast selections. "I enjoyed it," she coolly replied replied, "aside from getting a plate full of dim sum and soy sauce on one of my best dresses."

Tom winced at her answer. It seemed Pablo's clumsy act had failed to fade from Sue's memory. "Yeah, I'm real sorry about that. Mike should really learn to keep his feet tucked in."

"And Baytart should learn to watch where he steps," Sue retorted. Oh, oh! Things did not look promising. Once Neelix filled her plate with food, Sue carried it over to the nearest empty table. Tom followed. She eased into a chair with a sigh. "Okay, Tom. What do you want, now?"

Tom sat down in a chair, opposite her. "I have a favor to ask." He paused.

"What favor?"

In a breathless rush, Tom informed Sue of his plans (phony ones, at that) to develop a training simulation holoprogram for the pilots in his division. "Holoprogram?" Sue took a bite of her Eggs Benedict and grimaced. Then she chewed her food and swallowed. "What do you need me for? You're one of the best holoprogrammers on the ship."

It amazed Tom how a compliment could sound so cold. What on earth did Baytart see in this woman? Better yet, what on earth made him pursue her for six months? The challenge? Tom gathered all of his patience and replied, "It's not your programming skills I need, Sue. It's your memory. Of Geminian Prime. I understand that your last assignment before Voyager was the Hiriku. And that it was the first starship to chart the Geminian Prime system."

"So what? I'm an engineer, not a astrophysicist."

Tom sighed. Patience, Tommy boy, patience. Hell, you've been practicing it long enough with B'Elanna. His lips still fixed in a smile, Tom continued, "That may be true, but I heard you were part of the original survey team. To study the geological and metallurgical details of several of the planets. I need to provide me some details of the system."

Sue warily speared a piece of Ragealan sausage. "You can find all the information you need in the ship's database."

"The database cannot provide those little details that make a program exciting. C'mon Sue! Please?" Tom gave the engineer the full blast of his blue eyes.

A sigh left Sue's mouth. "Okay," she said, surprising Tom. "I'll help you. I may not remember much, but I'll help. When do we start?"

So much for Cold Hands/Cold Hearts Nicoletti, Tom decided. Maybe he should have tried begging, when he pursued her, a year ago. "How about tomorrow evening? Around 1900 hours? I'll meet you outside the Hololab."

"It's a date," Sue replied. Unfortunately, she had spoken loud enough to draw stares from nearby diners.

Tom decided it was time to leave before a false rumor could start. He bid Sue a quick good-bye and returned to Harry's table. However, one person seemed to be missing. Tom's eyes narrowed. "Where's B'Elanna?" he asked. Harry did not say a word and instead, responded with a sardonic smirk.

* * * *

Somewhere on Deck 8, B'Elanna crawled through Jeffries tube 26, lugging her toolkit with her. Several of the EPS conduits had malfunctioned and for some reason, the two engineers she assigned to make repairs seemed capable of completing the task. A firm believer in the old adage - "If you want something done, do it yourself" - B'Elanna decided to deal with the repairs, personally.

She came upon a console, located a few feet away from one of the tube's opened doors. After removing the console's panel, B'Elanna's dark eyes examined the circuitry. Obviously, Ensigns Mulcahey and Ballard's repairs had failed to solve the problem. In fact, their work only seemed to have made matters worse. How in Kahless's name did Starfleet allow such incompetents on their starships?

A sigh left the Chief Engineer's mouth. She picked up a hydro-spanner and set about making repairs. B'Elanna hoped that a little work would help her forget that scene she had witnessed in the Mess Hall. Unfortunately, no sooner had she begun repairs, her hopes quickly dashed. The circuits before her, soon transformed into the unwelcome vision of Tom Paris and Susan Nicoletti, engaged in an intimate conversation.

What in the hell made Tom rush to Sue's side, the moment she entered the Mess Hall? Did he have an innocent matter to discuss? Or did he invite her to another one of his private parties? B'Elanna began to wonder if Tom's romantic interest in the dark-haired woman had revived, after his failure to woo the Chief Engineer. The latter longed to know. And yet, a part of her had no desire to concern herself with the notorious Chief Helmsman. Ah, conflict! Her constant companion in life.

". . . has to be," a voice beyond the tube's door, was saying. "How else can you explain it?"

Another voice sighed. "Explain what?" B'Elanna recognized that soft, sarcastic voice anywhere. It belonged to her second-in-command, Joe Carey. "Pat, you don't know what you're talking about."

Ensign Patrick Mulcahey snorted. "Of course, I do! I was sitting at the table next to them, inside the Mess Hall . . ."

B'Elanna's hands paused over the console. She placed the spanner on the floor and quietly crept toward the door. When Mulcahey mentioned the words, "Mess Hall", she realized that he and Joe were discussing Paris and Nicoletti. At that moment, B'Elanna refused to even think of the Chief Pilot as Tom.

"You mean to say," Carey sarcastically continued, "that you and Lindsay overheard the entire conversation?"

Mulcahey retorted, "We heard enough." He paused, causing B'Elanna to mentally scream for the man to continue. "Paris asked Sue to help him with a holodeck program."

"And?"

B'Elanna's heart lurched at the news. Since when did Tom Paris need help with a holoprogram?

"Tom Paris, asking for help with a holoprogram?" Mulcahey cried out, repeating B'Elanna's thoughts. "He's one of the best programmers on the ship! Probably the best! What the hell does he need Sue's help for?"

A sigh from Carey. "What are you leading to, Pat?"

"I think Paris is interested in Sue, again. C'mon Joe! What else can it be? He invites her to a party inside his quarters . . ."

Joe shot back, "I was there!" I could have been, B'Elanna added silently. "There were at least ten to fifteen people at that party."

Mulcahey continued, "And what about this morning? Paris seeking help for his new holoprogram?"

Silence followed. B'Elanna immediately knew the answer to Mulcahey's suggestion. Tom Paris wanted Sue Nicoletti. Quite simple. He had apparently grown weary of pursuing B'Elanna and now focused his attention upon another woman. Surely, Joe could see that?

Seconds later, B'Elanna had her answer. "I guess Paris finally got tired of chasing the Chief after Sakaris IV," Joe finally said. "Too bad."

"Too bad?" Mulcahey's voice rang with disbelief. "Are you kidding me? Can you imagine the Chief and Playboy Paris as a couple? It would never work! She's too intense for a guy like that!" Intense could only mean one thing - too Klingon in Mulcahey's eyes. He did not realize it, but he had just earned another black mark in the Chief Engineer's book.

Carey responded, "I don't know. Personally, I thought they had something. Like I said, too bad." He almost sounded mournful. But not as much as B'Elanna felt.

* * * *

Tom strode along Deck Six's corridor in his usual, easygoing manner. He was on his way to Pablo Baytart's quarters, located right next door to Harry. Upon reaching his destination, he rang the announciator. Several times. After six weeks of accumulating extra flying time, Baytart managed to get two days off for his troubles. Today was the first of his off-duty time. A groggy voice from inside cried out, "Wha . . . Who's there?"

"It's me, Pablo! Paris! I have something for you." Seconds passed before the door opened, allowing Tom to enter.

Tom's eyes glanced around the immaculate cabin. There were a few facts about Pablo Baytart. He was an excellent pilot, a good juggler, a friendly soul, he constantly complained about Harry's clarinet and he also happened to be a neat freak. Tom barely saw an object out of place or a piece of clothing scattered about. Amazing.

"Lieutenant," Baytart greeted his superior, while tugging at his robe. "Can I help you?"

Tom replied, "Not really. Actually, I'm here to help you. Here," he tossed a PADD at the ensign. "Read that. You're going to be helping Sue with a holoprogram, tomorrow. Nineteen hundred hours. Be there." He turned on his heels and started toward the door.

"Wait!" Pablo cried out. He ran a hand through his dark hair. "What do I need this PADD for?"

"I told Sue that I needed help with a pilot training program. It's all there on the PADD. She'll be expecting me, but you'll show up, instead. Tell her . . ." Tom's mind raced for a plausible explanation. "Tell her that I was called unexpectedly by Ensign Kim, regarding an Operations matter." He slapped the younger man's back. "After that, it's up to you."

Before Tom could leave, Pablo thanked him. "I really appreciate this, Lieutenant." The Chief Pilot responded with a quick grin and left.

* * * *

At precisely 19:00 hours, the following evening, Tom deliberately failed to meet Lieutenant Nicoletti in the Hololab. Instead, he turned on his computer inside his quarters and watched Ensign Baytart make the appointment in his place, by activating the lab's video monitor.

The expression on Sue's face expressed annoyance at Tom's failure to meet her. However, the engineer seemed willing to work with Pablo. Within twenty minutes, Tom could see that his plan was going smoothly. Both Sue and Pablo worked well, together. And unlike the party from a few days ago, there seemed to be no mishaps.

No sooner had those words entered Tom's thoughts, Pablo punched in a few entries on his console, his eyes fixed upon Sue with unabashed admiration. Sparks immediately lit up the engineer's workstation. Sue cried out in pain, before she fell to the floor, unconscious.

Tom lowered his head into his hand and let out a heavy sigh. He realized, with a touch of despair that his efforts to help Baytart win Nicoletti's affections had just risen from difficult to near impossible.

* * * *

"One last item on the agenda, this morning," Captain Janeway declared, "is Lieutenant Nicoletti's injuries." The auburn-haired captain and her senior officers sat around the large table, inside Voyager's Conference Room. "Doctor, can you give us the details on this matter?"

Due to his possession of a 29th century holoemitter four-and-a-half months ago, the Chief Medical Officer had been able to appear outside Sick Bay and the holodecks. And finally even make personal appearances at senior staff meetings. Much to Tom's annoyance. The latter preferred the good old days when they communicated with the EMH via a computer monitor. Which meant anyone could switch off the ponderous hologram whenever he became annoying.

The Doctor gave a slight cough. "Lieutenant Nicoletti had suffered minor burns and electric shock from an outage in her console in the Hololab. She healed quite nicely, following a minor surgery and a few hours of rest."

"How on earth did that happened?" the Captain demanded. She turned to B'Elanna with concerned eyes. "Lieutenant, was there something wrong with one of the Hololab's computer terminals?"

The Chief Engineer's mouth formed a grim line. Tom almost smiled. She looked very Klingon at that moment. And quite gorgeous. "There was nothing wrong, Captain," B'Elanna grumbled. "It seemed Ensign Baytart had accidentally caused a surge in the console Sue was working from."

A puzzled frown appeared on Chakotay's face. "I'm surprised those two were working together. Neither really struck me as being exceptional holoprogrammers."

Tom spoke out. "It was my idea." All eyes fell upon him. "I needed Sue's help on a particular program, but I had to bow out at the last moment. So I asked Ensign Baytart to take my place."

"Why?" Janeway asked.

Tom shrugged. "It's nothing. I'm creating a new training program for the Conn Division."

"Is that what you two were talking about in the Mess Hall?" Harry blurted out.

The question took Tom off guard. He had no idea that his little conversation with Sue had generated so much speculation. "Well . . . yeah," he replied slowly. "What did you think?" He stared at his best friend, whose face turned red. Even more surprisingly, so did B'Elanna's.

Before Harry could answer, Neelix had a question of his own. "Why would you need Lieutenant Nicoletti's help with a holoprogram?" His question reflected in the eyes of the others.

"There's a certain system in the . . ." Tom paused. Why on earth was everyone interested in him and Sue Nicoletti? "Look, it's a private matter," he quickly explained. "Excuse me, but isn't this suppose to be a staff meeting and not gossip time in the Mess Hall?"

The majority of the staff glanced away, looking embarrassed. Except for the Captain, who let out a small cough. "You're right, Mister Paris. This is turning into a gossip session. However, you cannot blame us for being a little curious." She gave Tom a small smile. "If there is nothing more to discuss, everyone is dismissed."

The rest of the staff filed out, one by one. Tom started toward B'Elanna, but she walked past the door and toward the turbolift, before he could stop her. Damn! And he thought he had problems with Pablo and Sue.

* * * *

Two hours later, B'Elanna paused outside the doors to Engineering and took a deep breath. Disappointment threatened to overwhelm her. Disappointment that Tom Paris had found someone new to pursue. Or to be more accurate, someone he had pursued before. Namely, Sue Nicoletti. After the senior staff meeting, there was no doubt in B'Elanna's mind.

So many regrets filled her thoughts and heart. Regret that she had resisted Tom's overtures for a date. Or that he had resisted her pon farr-induced overtures on Sakaris IV. And that Vorik had interrupted when she and Tom were finally about to have sex. After receiving rejection after rejection, Tom had finally lost interest in her.

"Going in, Chief?"

B'Elanna snapped out of her funk and stared at the figure next to her. Carl Ashmore. She gave the engineer a tight smile. "After you, Ensign." She indicated the door with a wave and followed him inside Engineering.

The moment she stepped inside, B'Elanna froze in her tracks. Just ahead stood both Sue and Tom, their heads together in deep conversation. And judging by the animated expressions on their faces, Tom may have finally succeeded in his pursuit of the dark-haired engineer. A surge of anger flared briefly inside B'Elanna, followed by jealousy and despair. Life was so damn unfair!

END OF PART 1