Below is a list of my favorite movies set during the Victorian Age:
FAVORITE MOVIES SET DURING THE VICTORIAN AGE (1837-1901)
"The Four Feathers" (2002) - Shekhar Kapur directed this seventh and latest version of A.E.W. Mason's novel about disgraced British officer Harry Faversham's efforts to redeem himself for leaving the Army at the start of a war in the Sudan. Heath Ledger, Kate Hudson and Wes Bentley star.
"Wuthering Heights" (1939) - William Wyler directed this only version of Emily Bronte's brooding tale of a star-crossed romance on the Yorkshire moors to be set during the mid-19th century. Laurence Olivier, Merle Oberon and David Niven starred.
"The Great Train Robbery" (1979) - Michael Crighton directed and wrote this loose adaptation of an actual robbery of a train filled with gold headed for the Crimea in 1855. Sean Connery, Lesley Anne Down, and Donald Sutherland starred.
"Without a Clue" (1988) - Michael Caine and Ben Kingsley starred in this humorous spoof of the Sherlock Holmes legend, in which Holmes is a fictional character created by Dr. John Watson.
"An Ideal Husband" (1999) - Based upon Oscar Wilde's 1895 play about political corrpution and blackmail in high society, this movie starred Rupert Everett, Cate Blanchett, Minnie Driver, Jeremy Northam and Julianne Moore.
"Angels and Insects" (1995) - Philip Haas directed this drama based upon A.S. Byatt's novella about a British naturalist who marries into an aristocratic . . . with surprising results. Mark Rylance, Kristin Scott-Thomas and Patsy Kensit star.
"Stardust" (2007) - Based upon Neil Gaiman's fantasy novel set during 19th century England, this movie starred Charlie Cox, Claire Danes, Michelle Pfieffer and Robert DeNiro.
"Mrs. Brown" (1997) - Judi Dench and Billy Connolly star in this historical drama about a widowed Queen Victoria's relationship with her Scottish servant, John Brown. John Madden directed.
"Gaslight" (1944) - Ingrid Bergman won her first Oscar, while starring in this second version of Patrick Hamilton's play, "Angel Street". Charles Boyer is the sinister husband who attempts to drive her insane and Joseph Cotten portrays a suspicious Scotland Yard inspector. George Cukor directed.
"The Mudlark" (1950) - Jean Negulesco directed this version of Theodore Bonnet's novel about how Queen Victoria was brought out of her mourning for Prince Albert with the help of a homeless boy who managed to sneak into Windsor Castle. Irene Dunne, Andrew Ray, Finlay Currie and Alec Guinness starred.
”MIDNIGHT” (1939) Review
I believe that I can say in all honesty that I have been a major fan of some of Billy Wilder’s work for years. Movies like ”SUNSET BOULEVARD”, ”SOME LIKE IT HOT” and ”DOUBLE INDEMNITY” have been amongst my top favorite movies of all time. But all of these movies have not only been written or co-written by Wilder, but also directed by him. It is rare for me to say the same about any of the movies he had written before he had become a director. Rare, but not completely impossible. One such movie is the 1939 comedy classic, ”MIDNIGHT”.
Directed by Mitchell Leisen (whom Wilder detested), ”MIDNIGHT” told the story of an American showgirl named Eve Peabody, who finds herself stranded in Paris during a rainstorm. Tibor Czerny, a Hungarian taxi driver, takes pity on her and drives her around Paris in a fruitless attempt to help her find a new job. When Tibor offers Eve refuge at his apartment, she decides to reject his offer – despite being attracted to him – and gives him the slip. Eve manages to crash a Parisian socialite’s late night party, where she meets Georges Flammarion, a wealthy industrialist who is desperate to end his wife Helene’s affair with a wealthy playboy named Jacques Picot. Georges hires Eve to pose as Baroness Czerny, an American married to a wealthy Hungarian aristocrat, in order for her to seduce and lure Jacques away from Helene’s arms. Unfortunately for Eve, one of Tibor’s taxi colleagues discover her whereabouts and appears at the Flammarions’ estate as Eve’s husband, the Baron Czerny.
Thanks to Billy Wilder and Preston Surges, Mitchell Leisen had undeservedly earned a reputation as a hack director with a penchant for set décor, due to his homosexuality. In other words, they saw him as nothing more than a window dresser. This opinion of Leisen remained fixed by film critics for years, until recent years. Perhaps these same critics had finally remembered that Leisen had directed movies such as ”EASY LIVING”, ”HOLD BACK THE DAWN” and especially ”MIDNIGHT”, which I believe is one of the funniest screwball comedies from the 1930s. How could film critics ignore this elegant and hilarious tale of love, adultery and deception in pre-World War II France? Did they believe that someone other than Leisen had directed it? I do have to give kudos to Wilder and partner Charles Brackett for concocting this sharply funny tale of love and deception.
The cast of ”MIDNIGHT” is first-rate. Claudette Colbert brought great wit and charm to the role of the stranded Eve Peabody. As her performances in both ”MIDNIGHT” and 1942’s ”THE PALM BEACH STORY” attested, Colbert seemed to have a talent for portraying witty and charming golddiggers. Don Ameche portrayed Hungarian Tibor Czerny, Eve’s would-be suitor with an earnest aggressiveness that I found charming and occasionally disturbing. Ameche gave Tibor a tenacious air that struck me as slightly intense. Portraying Eve’s wealthy benefactor was the legendary John Barrymore in what was probably his last good role on film. He was very witty and effective as the manipulative, yet unhappy Georges Flammarion, who recruits Eve into a deception to win back his wife’s affections from her playboy lover. Mary Astor, who would reunite with Colbert in ”THE PALM BEACH STORY”, did a fabulous job as the jealous and acid-minded Helene Flammarion. Francis Lederer did a charming, yet competent job as Helene’s lover, but I did not find him particularly impressive. Also included in the cast was Rex O’Malley, who portrayed Helene’s faithful and witty companion, Marcel Renaud. O’Malley’s character struck me as a more comic version of a similar character he had portrayed in 1936’s ”CAMILLE”, starring Greta Garbo. Last but not least, the cast included famous columnist Hedda Hopper portraying a French socialite, whose late night party that Eve crashes.
”MIDNIGHT” has a lot to offer – even for today’s viewers. It had a competent director in Mitchell Leisen (despite his past reputation with critics), a first-rate cast led by Claudette Colbert and Don Ameche and a sharp and funny screenplay written by Billy Wilder and Charles Brackett. But what I really love about this movie is its setting – Parisian high society in the late 1930s. Thanks to certain contract directors like Josef von Sternberg and Ernst Lubitsch, Paramount Studios had developed a reputation for possessing an European infliction in its house style by the 1930s. And ”MIDNIGHT” possessed this infliction in droves, thanks to scenes that featured Eve crashing Madame Stephanie’s late night party, Tibor and his fellow taxi drivers’ search for Eve through the streets of Paris, Eve waking up in her new hotel suite in the nude, her meeting with Helene at a Parisian couture house and the dazzling party held by the Flammarions’ country estate, which included an entertaining Latin band. All of these scenes would strike any viewer as examples of the Lubitsch ”touch”. Yet these scenes and many others were photographed by the Utah-born Charles Lang and directed by Leisen, who was born in Michigan.
For a movie that is seventy years old, ”MIDNIGHT” has not really aged one bit. It is still a very entertaining film filled with superb comic acting and razor sharp wit. I certainly had fun watching it and I suspect that many others would feel the same.
Below is a gallery of photos from Peter Jackson's adaptation of the first novel of J.R. Tolkien's classic fantasy saga, "LORD OF THE RINGS" - "Fellowship of the Ring", which was released in 2001. The movie starred Elijah Woods, Viggo Mortensen, Sean Astin and Sir Ian McKellan:
"LORD OF THE RING - Fellowship of the Ring" (2001) Photo Gallery
"A WEDDING IN FOUR ACTS"
ACT II - Part 3
Cole and Andre were among the last guest to arrive at the Vorando Club that night. Everyone else seemed to be there - including the McNeill men, Darryl, Leo, Paul Margolin, personal friends of Bruce, a handful of Golden Horn employees and . . . Jason Dean. The latter's presence took Cole by surprise. He had no idea that Dean was friends with either Bruce or Harry.
The red-haired witch rushed forth to greet the two newcomers. "I see you finally made it," he commented. "I was beginning to worry."
"Sorry we're late," Cole apologized. "I had an errand to run, on my way home." He nodded at the newspaper publisher. "I uh, didn't realize you were going to invite him."
Harry sighed. "I really had not planned on it. But Bruce asked me to extend an invitation."
Cole's brows lifted questioningly. "The question is . . . why?"
"After that article on the Golden Horn in SAN FRANCISCO TODAY, Jason had changed his mind about printing his own article in the BAY-MIRROR. Bruce found out about it and asked me to invite him to the party."
"Great," Cole grumbled. "Now I have to deal with both Margolin and Dean, tonight."
Andre asked, "And who is this Dean character?"
"Jason Dean, publisher of the SAN FRANCISCO BAY-MIRROR newspaper," Cole answered. "He's Phoebe's boss and present boyfriend." He paused momentarily. "And Olivia's ex."
Harry added, "Ex-boyfriend."
A light chuckle escaped from Andre's mouth. "Wait a minute! You mean to say that you and this fellow Dean . . . switched partners?"
"Considering that I've never dated Olivia, I don't see how that's possible," Cole retorted.
Harry quickly spoke up. "Hey, why don't you two mingle a little? I have to speak with Riggerio about the booze. Would you believe it? We're already running low." He walked away.
The two friends glanced around the club and spotted Darryl Morris sampling food from the refreshment table. "Darryl!" Cole greeted cheerfully.
The police inspector whirled around. "Hey Cole," he replied. His eyes scrutinized the half-demon's companion. "I guess you must be . . ."
"Andre. Andre Morrell." The houngan offered his hand. Darryl shook it. "I'm uh, an old friend of Cole's. And Cecile's boyfriend."
Nodding, Darryl replied, "Yeah, Cecile. Are you . . . Voo . . . I mean, Vodoun, like her?"
Cole spoke up. "Andre is a priest. A houngan."
"And are you as powerful as Cecile?" Darryl asked.
Andre shrugged his shoulders. "Not really."
"Bullshit!" Cole retorted fondly. "Don't let him fool you, Darryl. He's very powerful. Anyway, Andre, this is Darryl Morris, Olivia's partner. He is also an old friend of the Halliwells."
The Vodoun priest's eyes narrowed. "Darryl Morris? You're the one who was possessed by Dako's spirit, last December. Right?"
"Unfortunately, yes." Darryl heaved a large sigh. "That's one experience I never want to experience again. Cecile told me that his spirit hasn't really been vanquished."
Andre responded with a disarming smile. "Afraid not. His spirit was probably returned to the netherworld. We Vodouns believe that death is not the end . . . if you know what I mean. Dako can be summoned again . . . unless his loa has been reborn in another body."
"Loa?" Darryl frowned. "That's spirit, right?"
"Yeah." Andre added, "Cecile had told me that some warlocks had Dako's spirit trapped in some urn or jug. And that someone had sent it to them."
Cole said, "Some bokor named William Dagbani. He's never been found by the police. Just disappeared . . ." He halted at the sight of Leo, Margolin and Jason Dean approaching them. "Look who's here," he murmured. "Three of the Horsemen of the Apocalypse."
"Gentlemen," Jason announced politely. "Enjoying yourself?"
Darryl smiled. "Very much. How about you?"
Jason replied, "I'm fine." He turned to Andre. "Are you a friend of Bruce's?"
"You can say that," Andre said. "But I'm also a friend of Cecile Dubois'. And Cole's. Andre Morrell."
The publisher's smile lost some of its warmth. "Oh. Yeah. Nice to meet you, too."
Margolin offered his hand to Andre. "Paul Margolin. I met Cecile, two days ago."
Andre shook Paul's hand. "Oh yeah. She told me. She also told me that you work at the . . ."
"At the District Attorney's Office. I'm an ADA." Paul finally acknowledged Cole's presence with a nod. "Turner." Then he returned his attention to Andre. "What exactly do you do?"
Andre replied, "I'm a private investigator in New Orleans."
"Oh really," Jason said. "I'm a newspaper publisher. For the SAN FRANCISCO BAY-MIRROR. Perhaps we can use your skills here in San Francisco. Especially since our police department," he gave Darryl a pointed look, "seemed to be having trouble doing their job."
Rolling his eyes, Darryl sarcastically retorted, "May I assume that you're referring to Nick Marcano's escape?"
Blue eyes frosted slightly. "Yes Inspector, you may assume. This isn't just another rant against the police force, about the press. Marcano had killed one of my employees. Remember DeWolfe Mann?"
Darryl stiffened. "I'm well aware of that fact, Mr. Dean," he replied coolly. "I'm also aware that whoever helped him escape, killed two County Sheriff guards."
Jason added, "Don't you mean, incinerate? One of my employees got the details on the killings. Do the police have any idea how that happened?"
"I have no idea," Darryl said with a shrug of his shoulders.
Sensing an opportunity for mischief, Cole spoke up. "Perhaps the killings happened because of some supernatural phenomenon." His companions stared at him.
"Cole . . ." Leo began, wearing a disapproving frown.
Jason quickly interrupted, "Is this your idea of a sick joke, Turner? DeWolfe Mann was one of your clients." His face expressed outrage at Cole's comment.
Cole coolly added, "I'm not joking. Tell me this - how do you explain the burnt bodies? Or for that matter, Portia Della Scalla? She mysteriously appears at your newspaper and you hire her without any references." Jason visibly winced, much to Cole's pleasure. "And when Marcano is arrested, she quickly disappears. I mean, exactly who . . . or what is Portia Della Scalla? And how did the bodies of those guards end up scorched like that? Did someone at the County jail see Marcano's rescuer with a blow torch, or something?"
Caution radiated from Darryl's tone. "Cole, maybe this isn't the right . . ."
"Wait a minute!" a shocked Jason cried out. "Are you trying to say that Portia Della Scalla is some kind of supernatural being? And that magical forces were behind DeWolfe Mann's mur . . ."
Andre quickly interrupted. "Uh . . . say Cole, look over there!" he said in a falsely jovial voice. "I do believe I see an old friend." He grabbed Cole's arm. "Why don't we say hello?" Cole allowed the other man to drag him away from the others. The moment they were out of earshot, Andre rounded on the half-daemon. "Dammit man! What the hell's wrong with you? Are you crazy? Speaking out on magic like that?"
"Oh c'mon!" Cole protested. "I was just having a little fun with the guy. He was getting on my nerves."
Andre gave Cole a shrewd look. "This doesn't have anything to do with the fact that he's Phoebe's boyfriend?" He paused. "Or that he used to date Olivia?"
Cole responded by rolling his eyes. "Look, the guy is annoying bastard. Olivia's family seemed to think so. And didn't you see the way Darryl was looking at him?"
"Uh-huh," Andre grunted. The two friends approached the nightclub's owner, who was engrossed in a conversation with one of his employees. After the latter walked away, Andre rushed toward the owner, grinning widely. "Well, look who's here!" he proclaimed loudly.
Riggerio stared at the pair and his lips broke into a grin. "Andre! Mio amico! What are you doing here? I have not seen you in a long time!"
"Not that long," Andre shot back. "Maybe four years." He enveloped the daemon into a bear hug.
Riggerio returned Andre's hug. "Longer than that. Perhaps five. We last saw each other in Marsailles, in 1998. What have you been doing, since?"
Andre shrugged. "Oh, not much. Gave up on being a bokor."
A frown appeared on Riggerio's face. "You no longer practice magic?"
"Oh! Oh no!" Andre said with a laugh. "No, I haven't given up on that. I just . . . uh, I'm a hougan now, not a bokor.
Nodding, Riggerio said, "Ah! I understand. You are one of the 'buoni tipi', now. Good guys. Or how do you say it? 'Sul percorso diritto e stretto'. Sì?"
"Straight and narrow . . .? Me?" One of Andre's brows formed a dubious arch. "Listen man, I may have given up being a bokor, but I'm no saint."
Riggerio nodded. "My apologies," he replied smoothly. "I did not mean to insult you. I must say that you and Belthazor seemed to be creating a trend of our kind rejecting the uh . . . dark side. Becoming good guys. No?"
Cole smirked. "C'mon Riggerio. We all know there those among our kind who don't follow a darker path. And I seem to recall that your coven does not serve one side or the other. In fact, you never have. And you're offering your club for a witch's bachelor party."
A disarming smile graced Riggerio's lips. "I am a businessman, il mio amico. Why should I pass up an opportunity for profit?"
"Why indeed?" Cole added. "By the way, I was wondering if you could help me on an important matter."
"You are speaking of the Streghone who had recently escaped from jail. Yes?"
Cole nodded. "Right, as usual." He paused. "When you first told us about Portia Della Scalla, you had also mentioned an older sis . . ."
Riggerio interrupted. "Claudia. She is . . . was Portia's older sister."
"Do you know if she's . . .?"
Again, the daemon interrupted. "Yes, she is here in San Francisco. I have just recently discovered. The word is that she is looking for revenge ag . . ."
This time, Cole interrupted. "Against Bruce." He sighed. "So, she must have been the one responsible for the jail break. I should have known."
"Should have known what?" a new voice asked. The other three stared at the guest of honor, who stood behind Cole. "What are you talking about?"
Cole, Andre and Riggerio hesitated. Finally, the half-daemon spoke. "We were talking about Nick Marcano. We uh, might have an idea who's behind his escape."
Bruce stared at the trio. "Like who? Portia Della Scalla is dead. I killed her."
"She had a sister," Cole continued. "Claudia Della Scalla."
A sigh left Bruce's mouth. "Great! And I bet she's after me. Right?" When Cole and the others failed to answer, he nodded. "Yeah. Thanks for the answer. I think that any chance of me enjoying this party has been shot. Other than surviving long enough to marry Barbara, I can't see anything that will put me in a good mood."
Harry's voice boomed above the music. "Take a seat, everyone! It's time for our stripper!"
Andre turned to Bruce. "Well, there's something to look forward to."
---------
"So, when is the stripper going to perform?" Paige impatiently asked Cecile. The pair sat before P3's bar, sipping their drinks. Paige held a glass of Seven-Up, while Cecile nursed a margarita. An Aimee Mann song blasted from the club's sound system. "Don't get me wrong. The party's great, but I've been looking forward to my first male stripper."
Disbelief shone in Cecile's dark eyes. "Your first?"
"Okay, my fifth," Paige retorted. "But I've never seen one at a bridal shower."
Cecile frowned. "What about Piper and Phoebe's bridal showers?"
Paige took a sip of her Seven-Up. "I wasn't around when Piper and Leo got married. And Phoebe and Cole had a pre-wedding supper for the family. It was nice, but considering that Cole was possessed at the time . . ."
"Well, be thankful that neither Barbara or Bruce are demonically possessed," Cecile said to the younger woman.
"Yeah, but they still have a vengeful succubus and Nick Marcano to worry about." A sigh left Paige's mouth. "Why can't Wiccan weddings go smoothly?"
Cecile added, "From what Cole had told me, he and Phoebe were married by a priest."
Paige corrected her. "A demon disguised as a priest. I mean, a dark priest from the Underworld."
"And yet, weren't they originally supposed to be married in a Catholic chapel?" Cecile demanded. "So, why didn't they have a Wiccan ceremony?"
"I don't know. I never really bothered to ask." The music continued to fill the nightclub. Paige watched some of the guests sway to the music. She saw Piper leave the club's kitchen, carrying a tray of canapés. Phoebe sat on the Halliwells' official sofa, holding Wyatt. The younger Mrs. McNeill sat with her. The others - including Olivia, Mrs. Dubois, and Barbara, were on the dance floor. Caught up in the music and the atmosphere, Paige failed to hear Cecile's next words. "What did you say?"
Barely shouting above the music, Cecile repeated, "I was asking about the daemon who had taken Cole's powers!"
Paige frowned at the other woman. "You mean Barbas? Why are you interested in him? He's dead. Cole killed him."
"Oh." Cecile paused. Took a sip of her margarita. Then, "Before Cole got his powers back, did you and your sisters try to kill Barbas?"
Wondering what this conversation was leading to, Paige stared at the priestess. "Uh, yeah. We tried using the Power of Three spell - the same one we had used on the Source - but it didn't work. With Cole's powers, Barbas was too strong."
Cecile took another sip. "This Power of Three spell, it's the one in which you had also invoke the powers of your ancestors. Right?"
Paige forgot about her drink. "Okay Cecile, what's this about?"
"Listen, I'm not sure I should tell you this," Cecile began. "In fact, I'm not sure if I should tell anyone. It started when I first met . . ." She broke off, as two other figures approached the bar. Her mother and Olivia's grandmother. "Hey Mama, Mrs. McNeill! Enjoying the party?"
Elise McNeill smiled at the two younger women. "It's not bad. Although I could use a little Tony Bennett. Or Nat King Cole." She said to Cecile, "When is the stripper going to perform?"
"Huh?" Paige blinked. Did she just hear a seventy-something woman ask about a male stripper.
Blue eyes twinkled merrily. "I was asking about the stripper. I may be seventy-nine, but I'm also a woman."
"Ditto," Mrs. Dubois added.
"Why is everyone asking me?" Cecile demanded. "Olivia planned this party." The other three continued to stare at her. She sighed. "Okay, the stripper should be showing up around nine. Happy?" Both Mrs. McNeill and Mrs. Dubois expressed delight. Cecile rolled her eyes.
Recalling her previous conversation with the younger Vodoun priestess, Paige decided to bring it up. "Cecile, what were you about to tell me? Something about Cole's powers, I think."
Discomfort flashed across Cecile's face. "Oh. That. Uh, it's nothing. Well, maybe . . ." She sighed. "Okay, I might as well mention it, especially since I wanted to talk to you, Mama, about it. And Mrs. McNeill. I had a vision. When I met Olivia's new friend at Pier 39, Wednesday night."
"Paul Margolin?" Mrs. McNeill demanded. "What did you . . .?"
Mrs. Dubois added, "Why don't you just show us, cherie?"
Cecile glanced around. Then her eyes widened. Paige realized that the telepath was about to send her vision. "Uh, wait . . ." The Charmed One gasped, as the vision overwhelmed her mind. Once it had ended, she cried out, "Oh my God!"
"You're telling me!" Mrs. McNeill added in astonished tones. "Did I just see Olivia kill Cole?"
Nodding, Cecile said to Paige, "That's why I was asking about that Barbas guy."
"But that's impossible!" Paige exclaimed. "How could . . . how would Livy be able to kill Cole, when we weren't able to vanquish Barbas when he had Cole's powers?"
Cecile shrugged. "Don't ask me."
"Why would Olivia kill Cole in the first place?" Cecile's mother asked.
An uneasy feeling overcame Paige. "Maybe . . . Do you think that Cole will turn evil, again?"
Mrs. McNeill commented, "I'm wondering why this vision came to Cecile, 'after' she had shook Paul's hand. And why did he have that strange expression on his face? He looked so . . ."
"Smug?" Mrs. Dubois suggested. The elderly woman nodded.
"Yeah, I also noticed that," Cecile added. "There's just something about him that . . . I don't know. He just makes me feel uneasy."
Paige asked, "Will you tell Olivia?"
Cecile sighed. "I don't know. What am I going to say? Tell her to break up with . . . what's his name?"
"Paul," Mrs. McNeill added.
Continuing, Cecile said, "What do I say to Livy? Tell her to break up with Paul, because I had a vision of her killing Cole . . . after shaking Paul's hand?"
"Don't tell her," Mrs. McNeill ordered. "At least not yet. Wait and see how this . . . friendship with Paul turn out. If it becomes serious and affects Cole, then tell her." She sighed. "Or maybe you should simply go ahead and tell her, anyway."
Cecile's mouth formed a grim line. "Shit! There are times I wish I never had this damn power! Seeing the future sure can be a curse!"
A sympathetic Paige nodded. "Yeah, think that's how Phoebe feels, sometimes."
----------
A tall, muscular figure emerged from the apartment building and started toward the blue-gray Toyota, parked next to the curb. Just as Lee Carver leaned forward to open the car door, a second figure materialized beside him, causing the dancer to nearly jump out of his skin.
"Christ! You scared the hell out of me! What do you want?" he demanded in an irritated voice.
"Pardon signor," the man replied in a smooth accent. Italian. "I am . . . eh, new to San Francisco and I am trying to find someone. Uh, a Signor Lee Carver. Do you know him?"
Lee peered closely at the man. The latter seemed respectable. Non-threatening. He was a tall, dark-haired man with a slender, yet wiry frame. "I'm Lee Carver. What do you want?"
The stranger expressed surprise. "Oh! You are Signor Carver? Who works at the Strobe Light Club as a dancer?"
Wariness overcame Lee. How in the hell did this guy knew where he worked? "Okay Dude, who in the hell are you?"
The man responded with an easy smile. "My name is Alessandro Pelligio. I am the . . . new owner of a club in North Beach. I am looking for new dancers. After seeing your act at the Strobe Light, I thought you would be interested in a new job. That is . . . if you're the same Signor Carver."
"I'm him!" Lee's interest perked a bit. "I'm Lee Carver. Listen, I have a gig, tonight. At a private party. So, why don't we deal with this later?"
A smile stretched Pelligio's lips. "Don't worry, Signor. This will not take long." His eyes suddenly glowed red.
Lee's eyes widened in fear. "What the . . .?" Seconds later, his entire body seared with heat. Lee blacked out, but not before his voice filled the air with screams of pain.
---------
Cheers and whistles from onlookers filled the Vorando Club. On stage, a scantily-clad female gyrated to the music blasting from the club's sound system. Every man had his eyes glued to the dancer - save for a handful. Both Jack McNeill and Riggerio were engaged in some kind of conversation. Leo seemed downright embarrassed by the dancer's performance and focused elsewhere. Cole simply felt bored. Strippers had never done much for him.
Once the performance ended, the bachelor party's guests broke into a round of applause. The stripper waved and left the stage. Riggerio left Mr. McNeill's side and walked onstage to present the next act. Cole rolled his eyes in disgust. It was another stripper. Great. When the next act began, Cole slipped off the bar stool and strode out of the club.
Outside of the club, Cole took a few deep breaths and watched the cars speed along Powell. A few minutes passed and he became aware another figure leaving the nightclub. "Cole?" a voice declared in a surprised tone. "I didn't realize . . ."
The half-daemon glanced to his left and heaved an annoyed sigh. "Leo. Is there something I can do for you?"
"Huh?" The whitelighter's blue eyes widened. "No! I mean . . . no, I uh, I just stepped out for some fresh air."
A smirk curled Cole's lips. "Oh, I see. The entertainment wasn't much to your taste."
"No." Even in the dark, Cole could tell that Leo was blushing. "I mean . . . it's like I said - I needed the air. That's all."
"Okay. Sure." Cole turned away from the whitelighter and continued to watch the passing traffic. He added, "Personally, I didn't care for the entertainment. Watching strippers were never my style."
Frustration tinged Leo's sigh. "Look, I wasn't bothered by the strippers, okay?. They were around in my day too, you know."
"I didn't say that you were bothered by them," Cole shot back.
Leo retorted, "Maybe not, but you seemed bent on hinting that I . . . that I'm some kind of prude."
His sense of peace shattered, Cole snarled, "You know Leo? I don't give a rat's ass what you think about the strippers! Okay?"
"You never seemed to care what anyone thinks," Leo shot back. "At least, lately."
Cole glared at his former brother-in-law. "That's right. I don't care! You see, I've grown wiser over the past several months."
"Well, if you were so 'wise', you would have never made that crack about magic to Jason!"
Rolling his eyes, Cole retorted, "I was just pulling the guy's leg! Besides, he will have to learn the truth about Phoebe and the others, one of these days."
"It was dangerous, Cole! Just like that deal you made with the Seer to become the Source. Tell me, was it wise for you to come back from the Wasteland?" Leo faced Cole, his blue eyes chips of ice. "Had it ever occurred to you, Cole that you should have stayed dead?"
Anger washed over Cole. "First of all, I had made a deal to use the Hollow to take the Source's powers temporarily, not become the Source! Second . . ."
"Oh come on, Cole! Who are you kidding? Those powers turned you into the Source!"
Cole took a deep breath and counted to three. One . . . two . . . three . . . "Leo, those damn powers DID NOT turn me into the Source," he growled. "If they had, then Piper and Paige's powers should have made the Source two-thirds of the Charmed Ones! And they, along with Phoebe would have never been able to vanquish the Source using a Power of Three spell! But they did, because the Hollow didn't give him their essence. In fact, it wasn't until after they had killed the bastard that his essence began to take possession of my body. If you and the Self-Righteous Ones had bothered to stop and consider how I became the Source, you probably would have found out! How many fucking times does someone have to tell you?"
Leo began, "And what about . . .?"
"As for my decision to leave the Wasteland," Cole continued, "I didn't plan on it. Not at first. I was about to give myself up to the Beast when the power of a vanquished daemon fell upon me. So I took advantage of the situation and gathered more powers."
Shaking his head with dismay, Leo replied, "And you never stopped to think that you shouldn't have done it?"
"Maybe the Halliwells shouldn't have killed me when I was possessed!" Cole snarled. "Or . . . did you ever stop to think that your little scheme to marry Piper behind your bosses' backs was wrong?"
Leo's face hardened. "You were responsible for them finding out! And I wanted to marry Piper! How is that wrong?"
Cole retorted, "I don't know, Leo. Perhaps it was, because you were so willing to risk the sisters' lives to get what you wanted. Well, I wanted a second chance with Phoebe! Unlike you, I didn't get my wish. Hopefully, I might have a chance with someone else."
"If you're speaking of Olivia, forget it!" Leo's voice bridled with contempt. "She has interests, elsewhere."
Cole gave the whitelighter a shrewd look. "And all according to plan. Right Leo? Isn't Olivia the reason you had talked Margolin into applying for a job, here on the West Coast?"
Leo shot back, "It's for her own good! Considering your talent for bringing chaos in your wake, I thought it was prudent that Olivia became interested in someone who's a lot safer and more dependable!" He paused, as horror over his revelation filled his eyes.
A knowing smile touched Cole's lips. "So, Paige was right after all. She told me what Margolin had said to her at Nathalie Gleason's party. About your little matchmaking scheme."
The whitelighter's body stiffened. "I suppose you're going to tell her. Tell Olivia."
"Perhaps." Cole grinned. "Then again, maybe I won't have to. Your plan for Margolin and Olivia wasn't the only thing I had learned at Nathalie's party."
"What do you mean?" Leo demanded.
Cole paused dramatically. "That's between me and Olivia, Leo. Enjoy yourself." He turned his back on Leo and returned to the bachelor party.
--------
Strains of Rod Stewart singing "Do Ya Think I'm Sexy?" filled P3. All eyes were focused on the muscular man gyrating on the stage. When ripped away a pair of white trousers, revealing a black thong underneath, whistles and screams filled the club. Even Barbara could not help but admire the man's . . . assets. Although Bruce could definitely give him competition.
The dancer completed his performance and the women broke into applause. The only person missing seemed to be the club's owner. Piper had disappeared into her office with baby Wyatt, once the stripper had appeared on stage. Sure enough, the applause died down, the stripper left the stage and Piper - with Wyatt in her arms - reappeared. "Is the show over?" she asked. The oldest Charmed One glanced at the stage. "Oh, I guess he is."
Nathalie Gleason heaved a mournful sigh. "Unfortunately." She turned to Olivia, who sat next to the bar with Mrs. Dubois. "Where did you find that guy, anyway?"
Olivia shrugged. "At some place called the Strobe Light Club. Apparently, he's very popular with the customers."
"Apparently?" Barbara replied knowingly.
"All right! I saw him there!" Olivia shot back. She glared at the blond woman. "You have to admit that he's not bad."
Nathalie snorted. "Not bad? Honey, he's more than just 'not bad'!"
A smile tugged at Mrs. Dubois' lips. "I don't know. I've seen better, myself."
"Oh!" Olivia's face lit up. "That dancer at the Hurricane Club on Bourbon Street! I remember him."
Mrs. Dubois heaved a heartfelt sigh. "Yeah, so do I."
Looking somewhat dubious, Nathalie replied, "Oh-kaay. Although I can't see anyone being better than Surfer Boy, up there."
"Uh, now that the entertainment is over," Piper said, cutting into the conversation, "is everyone ready for dessert?"
Detecting a familiar pressure on her bladder, Barbara said, "In a minute. I have to make a little trip to the Ladies Room." She slid off the bar stool and strode toward the bathroom.
After completing her tasks, a few minutes later, Barbara washed her hands and left the bathroom. She had not taken more than eight steps, when she collided with a burly figure. It was the stripper that Olivia had hired. Fully dressed, this time.
"Oh," she said, feeling a wave of heat flame her cheeks. "It's you. Excuse me."
The dancer responded with a dazzling smile. With those blond looks and smile, Nathalie had been right to nickname him, Surfer Boy. "Of course. I . . . uh, I hope that you enjoyed the show."
"Actually, I did. You were pretty . . ." Barbara halted in mid-sentence. The dancer's looks transformed right before her eyes. Blond hair became dark. Blue eyes now shone dark-brown. The wide face narrowed. And so did the body, which changed from broad and muscular to slim and wiry. "What the hell?" she cried.
Before Barbara could say anything further, those dark eyes became penetrating. Hypnotic. And the blond witch's mind slipped into oblivion.
--------
Claudia Della Scalla teleported into the middle of P3's narrow hallway. She saw her minion, Alessandro, holding a blond woman in his arms. "Excellent work, Sandro," she said. "Now, take her back to the house."
Alessandro hesitated. "I understand that you do not want her dead, Padronessa, but do I have to stay with her? I have not . . . eh, received my pay. Yet." His eyes cast downward. "And I have another dance to perform."
"And I look forward to seeing it." The older succubus's eyes swept appreciatively over her younger counterpart's body, causing the latter to blush. "Do not worry, Sandro. Just take her to the villa and return. The Streghone, Rosa and Giancarlo will look after her." Claudia added, "About the amulet I gave you . . . did it work? Or were the old lady and the Vodoun priestess able to sense your true identity?
Shaking his head, Alessandro replied that both telepaths had not detected him. "Nor had the Halliwell seer." A groan left his mouth. "Scusatemi Signorina, but may I leave now? The witch . . . she is getting heavy."
Claudia nodded. Alessandro sighed and disappeared with the witch in his arms. The succubus grabbed hold of the amulet around her neck and stared at it. After learning from Marcano about the three telepaths, she had invoked a spell around three amulets to block any telepathic activity toward her or her assistants. Satisfied by Alessandro's assurances that it worked, Claudia allowed her body to transform into another. She slipped into the Ladies' Room and checked her image in the mirror. A smug smile curled her lips. Perfect. She looked exactly like Barbara Bowen.
END OF ACT II - Part 3
”FREQUENCY” (2000) Review
Directed by Gregory Hoblit and written by Toby Emmerich, ”FREQUENCY” is an entertaining and intriguing time travel story about a New York City firefighter in 1969, who is able to communicate with his adult son in 1999, via a short wave radio. The movie starred Dennis Quaid, Jim Cavielzel, Elizabeth Mitchell, Andre Braugher, screenwriter Emmerich and Shawn Doyle.
A rare atmospheric phenomenon – the Aurora Borealis - allows a New York City firefighter named Frank Sullivan (Quaid) to communicate with his police detective son, John Sullivan (Cavielzel) 30 years in the future via short-wave radio. John uses this opportunity to warn Frank of his impending death in a warehouse fire, and manages to save the latter’s life. However, what he does not realize is that changing history has triggered a new set of tragic events, including the murder of his mother, Julia Sullivan (Mitchell). Father and son must now work together, 30 years apart, to find the murderer (Doyle) before he strikes so that they can change history - again.
Many have compared the plotlines of ”FREQUENCY” to the 1985 classic, ”BACK TO THE FUTURE”. I never understood why, since many time travel stories have dealt with different generations within a family interacting with each other – including two episodes of the television fantasy, ”CHARMED”. What made ”FREQUENCY” unique . . . at least for me is that neither of the two major characters actually travel through time – whether through the use of magic or a time machine. In fact, not one character does. The two major characters communicate with each other via a short wave radio and the atmospheric phenomenon, the Aurora Borealis. Frank and John Sullivan manage to change time . . . without leaving their respective time period. I have to admit that this was very clever of screenwriter Emmerich.
Another reason why I find the comparisons between ”FREQUENCY” and ”BACK TO THE FUTURE” hard to buy is the fact that ”FREQUENCY” is not only a time travel story, but also a thriller. In another clever plot twist, there is a serial killer loose called "the Nightingale” murdering nurses in 1969. The case is re-opened by John and his partner/mentor, an old friend of his father named Satch DeLeon (Braugher), when an old corpse is discovered. As it turned out, the Nightingale killings had stopped after three victims, following Frank’s death in a warehouse fire. But when John warns his father of his impending death, Frank manages to save his life and that of a teenage girl. And his wife Julia, who is a nurse, is at the hospital to save the life of the killer, a cop named Jack Shephard. An act that leads to her violent death at his hands – and the deaths of six other nurses. Realizing the consequences of their actions, Frank and John race to save Julia’s life and the lives of Shephard’s other victims – and expose the cop as a serial murderer.
I must say that I ended up being very impressed by Emmerich’s script. He wrote an emotional and suspenseful story filled with family drama, fantasy and suspense. He took an original approach to time travel by having the two main characters travel through time via an object – namely a shorthand radio – without actually leaving their respective periods in time. The only misstep in Emmerich’s script occurred near the end in which featured Shepard’s attempt to kill members of the Sullivan family in both 1969 and 1999 – two incidents that cut back and forth within one sequence. I understood the killer’s attempt to commit murder in 1969. After all, he probably wanted to get even with Frank for exposing him as a serial killer, by murdering Julia. That episode ended with Frank blowing away Shephard’s hand with a shotgun before the latter escaped. But he came back to the Sullivan house, thirty years later to kill John. That simply did not make any sense to me . . . and it almost ruined the sequence for me. Not even Gregory Hoblit’s first-class direction or the competent editing of David Rosenbloom could elevate the scene.
When Hoblit took on the job as director of ”FREQUENCY”, he had difficulty in casting the two leads. Sylvester Stallone was originally considered for the role of Frank Sullivan. But Stallone pulled out over a dispute regarding his paycheck. In the end, Dennis Quaid won the role. And he turned out to be the perfect Frank – the boisterous and charming firefighter who loved his family and baseball. He managed to create a strong chemistry with the talented and surprisingly dark-haired Elizabeth Mitchell, who gave a charming performance as his wife, Julia. And despite the fact that both actors came from Texas (although Mitchell was born in Los Angeles), Quaid and Mitchell managed to create a convincing Queens accent. Well . . . almost. Andre Braugher gave solid support as Satch, Frank’s close friend and John’s mentor. He also had a delicious moment on screen when he discovered that Frank had been telling the truth about communicating with John through time. Screenwriter Toby Emmerich gave a funny performance as John’s best friend, Gordo Hersch. I also have to give kudos to Shawn Doyle for portraying a convincingly scary killer without any signs of acting histrionics. And of course, there is James Cavielzel, who did an excellent job of portraying Frank and Julia’s brooding and slightly obsessive adult son, John Sullivan. And although Cavielzel comes from the Pacific Northwest, his Queens accent turned out to be slightly better than Quaid and Mitchell’s. Hoblit managed to gather quite a cast and he did an excellent job with them.
Despite my misgivings over the film’s climatic action sequence featuring Shephard’s two attacks upon the Sullivan family, I must admit that I enjoyed ”FREQUENCY” very much. Screenwriter Toby Emmerich created a first-class and original screenplay. And director Gregory Hoblit did an excellent job of conveying Emmerich’s story with a group of talented actors led by Dennis Quaid and James Cavielzel, and a competent crew that included film editor David Rosenbloom. Not only is ”FREQUENCY” is a compelling science-fiction story about time travel and the consequences; it is also a suspenseful thriller and heartwarming family drama. I highly recommend it.
The following is a list of minor notes and observations that came to me, during my recent viewing of “Episode VI: Return of the Jedi”. I hope that you enjoy them:
Notes and Observations of “STAR WARS: Episode VI – Return of the Jedi”
*I have always found the launching of shuttles rather different in the STAR WARS saga, in compare to other science-fiction sagas. The Imperial shuttles leave the starships like drops of water from a faucet.
*The commander of the Death Star II seemed to react with horror at the news of the Emperor’s impending arrival. Quite a contrast to his mild nervousness at Vader’s arrival.*When I first saw ”Return of the Jedi”, I must admit that I found the numerous creatures inside Jabba’s palace a bit overwhelming. Okay, a lot overwhelming.
*I like the way the camera suddenly in on the image of a frozen Han Solo hanging on Jabba’s wall. Very dramatic.
*Why would anyone torture a droid with hot irons?
*Why was Jabba suspicious of Leia’s bounty hunter disguise? Why did he suspect that she would attempt to free Han?
*Why did Luke use the Force to briefly strangle Jabba’s guards? Was it necessary, considering that all they did was block his path?
*I hope that getting captured by Jabba was part of Luke’s plan. If not, he was being rather arrogant in his belief that his initial plan to rescue Han would work. He reminded me of Padme’s display of arrogance in ”Attack of the Clones”, when she believed that she would be able to rescue Obi-Wan from Count Dooku.
*”Vader’s March” seemed intensified in the scene featuring the Emperor Palpatine’s arrival on the Death Star II.
*It is interesting that Yoda had warned Luke about facing Sidious . . . and not Vader.
*Yoda is the only major Jedi character from the Old Republic that died peacefully. Even more odd is that although he has never been a favorite character of mine, I found myself crying over his death.
*”When your father left, he didn’t know your mother was pregnant. Your mother and I knew he would find out eventually, but we wanted to keep you both safe as possible, for as long as possible. So I took you to live with my brother Owen on Tatooine . . . and your mother took Leia to live as the daughter of Senator Organa on Alderaan.”
A lot is wrong with the above statement by Obi-Wan. Anakin knew that Padme was pregnant. He just did not know that she was carrying twins. Owen Lars turned out not to be Obi-Wan’s brothers. Which is a good thing, because Obi-Wan had seemed unnaturally cool over Owen and Beru Lars’ deaths in "A New Hope". He ended up reacting more strongly over the destruction of Alderaan and his encounter with Vader. And Padme did not survive giving birth to Luke and Leia – which also makes sense, considering that I cannot see her giving up one child to the Lars and taking the other one with her to Alderaan.
*I found it disturbing that even as a Force ghost, Obi-Wan tried to encourage Luke to commit patricide.
*I hate to say this, but Harrison Ford did some truly atrocious acting in the scenes that featured Han volunteering for the mission on Endor and saying good-bye to Lando before his departure.
*I wonder if Vader had any idea that Sidious had been planning to replace him with Luke.
*Every time I watch this movie, I have to be reminded that Han, Leia, Chewbacca and the droids were accompanied by Rebel troops.
*The speeder bike chase sequence through the Endor Forest is still a classic with me and the Redwood State and National Forests were never more beautiful.
*Oh God! Ewoks! Just what I need. DAMN YOU, George Lucas!
*It is interesting that the Ewoks did not take the threats of their . . . ”deity”, Threepio, very seriously. Until Luke used the Force.
*Threepio’s tale of the past two movies was rather emotional, but I think it would have been better if Bail Organa had not ordered his memories of the Republic wiped.
*The minute Luke and Leia began to talk about Padme, I started to cry.
*The quarrel between Leia and Han . . . featured some sloppy acting by Carrie Fisher and Harrison Ford. Geez! What is with them in this movie?
*Great moment between Luke and Vader at the Imperial base on Endor. It is odd that Luke had advised Vader to let go of his hate. I never got the feeling that hate was Vader’s problem in this movie. He seemed too lethargic and resigned to his fate.
*EMPEROR: Ah, yes, a Jedi's weapon. Much like your father's. By now you must know your father
can never be turned from the dark side. So will it be with you.
LUKE: You're wrong. Soon I'll be dead...and you with me.
Both Luke and Palpatine seemed to be suffering from massive ego trips.
*Despite my dislike of the Ewoks, I must admit that I found their battle against the Imperial forces on Endor well shot. Many fans believe that Lucas was trying to convey the idea of the futility of technology against nature. I can see their point.
*That old bugaboo about attachments seemed to have reared its ugly head, as Palpatine goaded Luke into attacking first.
*Many fans have claimed that Luke had become more powerful than Vader in this movie. However, I have this odd feeling that Vader’s heart was not really into that last duel. When he discovered that he has a daughter, he used this knowledge to goad Luke into attacking him. Was he trying to turn Luke to the ”Dark Side”? Or trying to goad the latter into killing him? Suicide by duel?
*It is easy to see that Palpatine has become too arrogant and sloppy in his old age. He has developed a big mouth over the past two decades. If he had kept his mouth shut during Vader and Luke’s duel, the latter would have killed his old apprentice, and the Emperor would have acquired a new one.
*Ah yes! The ultimate moment when Anakin saved Luke and killed the Emperor. Still brings tears to my eyes.
*Great special effects used in the sequence featuring Admiral Needa’s death.
*I think that I like the destruction of the Death Star II a little better than the destruction of the first one in ”A New Hope”.
*After watching Anakin’s death scene, it occurred to me that all of the movie’s best scenes centered around Luke and Anakin.
*Why in the hell did Leia wait so long to tell Han that Luke was her brother? I knew that she was upset to learn that Anakin/Vader was her father, but . . . geez!
*What goes around, comes around. Anakin received a funeral pyre just like his first Jedi mentor – Qui-Gon Jinn, the very man who had discovered him.
*The celebration music at the end of the movie seemed like a slight improvement over the original version. I can also say the same about Hayden Christiansen’s appearance as the ghost Force Anakin Skywalker.
*Even though this is my least favorite STAR WARS movie, I must commend it for the strong emotional ties it seemed to have with the Prequel Trilogy.
About a year ago, I had posted a REVIEW of the 1936 disaster film, "SAN FRANCISCO", starring Clark Gable, Jeanette MacDonald and Spencer Tracy. Below is a gallery featuring photos from the movie:
"SAN FRANCISCO" (1936) Photo Gallery
Below is an article I had written on my opinion and observations of the latest episode of "LOST" - (5.08) "LaFleur":
”LOST” – (5.08) “LaFleur” Review
Many fans of ”LOST” have claimed that its Season Five has been the series’ best since the first season. I have to be honest. I do not think I can agree with that sentiment. At least not for Season Five’s first five episodes. I have mixed feelings for it, just as I had for Seasons Two to Four. But there are elements of the fifth season that I have enjoyed so far. And many of those elements had a lot to do with the story arcs surrounding the island castaways left behind when the Oceanic Six departed the island at the end of Season Four.
”LaFleur”, the eighth episode of Season Five, picked up where (5.05) “This Place Is Death” left off – when John Locke turned the Frozen Donkey Wheel from ”(4.13) “There’s No Place Like Home, Part II” and vanished from the island and into the future. Following Locke’s departure, Sawyer, Juliet, Jin, Miles and Daniel are relieved to discover that they no longer have to endure the constant time jumps that have threatened their existence and ended Charlotte Lewis’ in ”This Place Is Death”. However, they are surprised to discover that the time jumps have stopped in 1974, when the Dharma Initiative has been in existence for at least four years. The five survivors decide to return to the beach and make camp, when they comes across a pair of Dharma Initiative members who have been captured by some of the island's native inhabitants, known as the Others. Juliet and Sawyer kill the two Others and free Amy (Reiko Aylesworth), but her husband has been killed. The group returns to the Barracks, where Amy resides; however, she tricks them into walking through the sonic fence which surrounds the Barracks, knocking them unconscious. The rest of the episode focused upon how the five survivors ended up joining the Dharma Initiative in 1974 and the state of their lives, three years later in 1977.
Remember when I had stated that I had mixed feelings about the series’ Season Five? Well, some of those reasons had a lot to do with how Carlton Cuse and Damon Lindehof’s writers handled the story arcs surrounding the two groups of characters during this season. Of course, there are the members of the Oceanic Six who made it off the island – Jack Shephard, Kate Austen, Sayid Jarrah, Sun Kwon, Hugo “Hurley” Reyes and the infant Aaron Littleton. And there are the members of those left behind on the island, included James “Sawyer” Ford, Juliet Burke, John Locke, Jin Kwon, Miles Straume, Charlotte Lewis, Daniel Faraday, Bernard Nadler and his wife, Rose Henderson. Quite frankly, I did not care for the episodes that heavily featured the Oceanic Six. One, I never cared for their lie that left the infant Aaron in the hands of fugitive Kate Austen for nearly three years. Two, I simply did not care for their story arc in the first half of Season Five. I found it contrived, trite and a waste of my time. The story arc featuring those survivors left behind turned out to be a different kettle of fish.
On the other hand, I found myself enjoying the segments surrounding the ‘Left Behinders’ in episodes like (5.01) “Because You Left”, (5.02) “The Lie” and ”This Place Is Death”. So, it is no surprise that after eight episodes, my favorite Season Five episodes turned out to be both (5.03) “The Jughead” and ”LaFleur”, which heavily featured Sawyer, Juliet and the gang. But . . . I am not here to discuss both episodes. Only ”LaFleur”.
What can I say? I loved the episode. I love it so much that I now consider it to be one of my ten favorite episodes of the entire series. And I never thought I would be saying this about a Sawyer-centric episode. Five days after it first aired, I found myself still thinking about it. I am sitting in front of my computer, trying to think of something meaningful or witty to say about this episode. But the words continue to elude me. I have a deep suspicion that my high opinion of ”LaFleur” had more to do with how this episode had such an emotional impact upon me.
Like the Left Behinders, I felt the relief they must have felt over the end of the time jumps, following Locke’s departure. Or the confusion and they had felt upon stumbling across Amy, her dead husband Paul and the two Others. I felt Daniel’s continuing grief over Charlotte’s death . . . or Amy’s grief over Paul’s death. I felt Richard’s curiosity during his conversation with Sawyer (from now on . . . James) about Locke’s appearance twenty years earlier. I felt Horace’s despair over his suspicions that his new wife, Amy, had yet to get over her grief for her husband now dead for three years. I felt James’ desperation to find help for Amy, who was in labor with Horace’s child . . . and Juliet’s reluctance to deal with another childbirth. I certainly felt James’ relief and happiness over the successful birth of Amy’s child and Juliet’s tearful joy. I felt James’ relief and disbelief in discovering that some of the Oceanic Six – Jack, Kate and Hurley – had made it back to the island. And I especially felt the friendship and love both James and Juliet had for one another.
But the above paragraph strikes me as being too simple a way to describe my enjoyment of ”LaFleur”. Foremost, I have to commend writers Elizabeth Sarnoff and Kyle Pennington for penning a well-written episode that revealed the Left Behinders’ experiences with the Dharma Initiative in two time periods without disintegrating into a big mess. The fact that Sarnoff and Pennington also managed to inject some character development – mainly James and Juliet – into a complicated plot has raised my admiration toward their work. Another thing that I liked about ”LaFleur” is that for some reason, it strongly reminded me of one of my favorite ”LOST” episodes of all time - (2.07) “The Other 48 Days”.
This episode is not an exact replica of the Season Two episode that revealed the backstory of the Tail Section passengers' first 48 days on the island. But I feel that both "The Other 48 Days" and "LaFleur" allowed viewers to experience the interactions of a small group - in the case of the Season Five episode, the Left Behinders - developing a close relationship through shared experiences. Mind you, most of James, Juliet, Miles, Jin and Daniel's worst experiences occurred in previous Season Five episodes like "Jughead" and "This Place Is Death". Still, we got to see how they became part of the Dharma Initiative in 1974. And how they had managed to settle into their new lives in 1977.
Josh Holloway literally owned this episode with a performance that nearly knocked my socks off. His James Ford aka James LaFleur has come a long way that rough-hewed Southern con man who had irritated just about everyone back in Season One. This transformation did not happen overnight. In fact, I suspect that it had its origins during late Season Three, when Hugo Reyes forced him to take the mantle of leadership of the Losties during Jack, Sayid, Kate and Locke's absence during that period. The Southern accent has remained intact and so has the snarky sense of humor and talent for pulling a con job. Not only did he managed to convince one of the Dharma Initiative leaders - Horace Goodspeed - that he and his fellow castaways were survivors of a wrecked salvage vessel looking for the Black Rock. Within three years, James had become Head of Security for the Initiative and a new love, namely one Dr. Juliet Burke.
When I had earlier stated that Hollowy had owned this episode, perhaps I should have said almost. After all, Elizabeth Mitchell (who has become one of my favorite actors on this series) was just as good as Juliet Burke. After three years, she has forgo her profession as a fertility doctor by becoming an auto mechanic for the Dharma Initiative. At first, I was surprised that she would choose to become a mechanic, instead of continuing her role as a doctor. But considering her past heartaches in dealing with previously pregnant Others, I eventually understood. But the premature labor of one of the Dharma members, Amy Goodspeed (portrayed by Reiko Aylesworth of "24" fame), led James to convince Juliet to act as midwife for the new Goodspeed baby. The result of Amy's labor led to one of the most beautifully acted moments in the series' entire history, when Mitchell and Holloway expressed Juliet and James' relief and happiness over the baby's successful delivery. I could go on about the strong screen chemistry between the two actors. But I have been aware of that chemistry ever since the Season Three finale - (3.22) "Through the Looking Glass". The interesting thing about James and Juliet's relationship is that the series used their growing friendship in the previous six or seven episodes to show how they eventually became a couple. They seemed to have become the first romantic pairing, whose relationship started out as a mature friendship. Perhaps that is the reason why I find it so appealing.
The other cast members in this episode also did a fine job - especially Jeremy Davies, as the grieving Daniel Farady, Doug Hutchison as the Dharma Initiative mathematician who came off as less self-assured than he did in past episodes, Nestor Campbell as the Others' ageless second-in-command, Richard Alpert and Reiko Aylesworth's sly performance as Amy, another Dharma member, whose life James and Juliet save. Daniel Dae Kim had a nice moment when Jin witnessed Juliet's news about the successful birth of Amy and Horace's baby.
There were many moments in "LaFleur" that have remained stuck in my mind . . . even after five days. Here are a few that I consider truly memorable:
*James, Juliet, Miles and Jin spot a giant, Egyptian-style statue following Locke's disappearance.
*The brief look on James' face after Juliet saves him from being shot by one of the Others.
*Amy tricks the Left Behinders into walking past the sonic fence.
*James mentions Richard's encounter with Locke and the 'Jughead' bomb in 1954 to the very surprised Other.
*James convinces Juliet to remain on the island for a while.
*Juliet and James' happy reaction to the successful birth of Amy and Horace's child.
*James' conversation with Horace about dealing with past loves.
*The sight of James and Juliet in bed, with her body spooning his. She really 'had his back' in that scene.
*Jin delivers three of the Oceanic Six members - Jack, Kate and Hurley - to an awaiting James.
Even thought that last scene was memorable, I must admit that I found myself comparing it to the sight of a roach crawling across a white rug. It also made me wonder how the Oceanic Six's arrival will affect the Left Behinders - now members of the Dharma Initiative. Both Kate and Jack's presence might prove to be a trial for the James/Juliet romance. Right now, I am beginning to wonder if it will survive. And will the Oceanic Six's presence threaten the Left Behinders' standing with the Dharma Initiative? Or will another threat emerge - mainly in the form of the still grieving Daniel Faraday? I guess that in the remaining eight episodes, we will find out.
"A WEDDING IN FOUR ACTS"
Act II - Part 2
"Debo . . ." Cole paused, while he listened to his client ramble on. "Yeah, Deb . . . Yes, I realize this must be disturbing for you." The voice on the other end of the telephone continued. "Uh, yeah. Look, Deborah . . . No! No, I don't think that will accomplish anything. It's obvious . . . Yeah, but didn't you just say that the police believe he had an accomplice?" He sighed, while Deborah Mann ranted and raved about the San Francisco Police and the County Sherriff's Department. "Look Deborah, suing them is not going to accomplish anything. Just give them a little time and I'm sure they'll catch Marcano."
Deborah Mann responded in a wavering voice, "Are you sure, Cole? What if . . . what if that monster decides to come after me?"
"I'm sure that he won't," Cole said in his most reassuring voice. "If he wanted to, he would have came after you before he was caught."
A long sigh filled the telephone's earpiece. "I guess you're right. But if the police doesn't capture that bastard by the following Monday," Cole's client said in a voice that suddenly hardened with resolve, "I'm suing their ass!"
"Of course, Deborah! I understand. Look, why don't you get some rest? Okay?"
A pause followed before she finally answered in a defeated voice, "Yeah, I guess you're right. It's just this news . . ."
"I understand," Cole said gently. Then, "Bye Deborah. I'll talk to you, later."
"Good-bye Cole," Deborah replied. "And thanks." She hung up.
Cole hung up and heaved a large sigh. For the second time this week, he had to stop a client from making a big mistake. If Deborah Mann had gone ahead with her lawsuit, the circumstances surrounding Nick Marcano's escape would have made matters . . . difficult. For him, and especially for the McNeill family. According to Deborah, Darryl Morris had informed her that the police believed that Portia Della Scalla may have been responsible for the escape. If demonic forces were behind it, Cole surmised that the succubus' sister might be in town. And the idea of facing another succubus filled him with dread. He still harbored vague memories of Portia taking away his control through seductive promises, kisses, a pair of hypnotic sherry-brown eyes and a few other magical means. After being manipulated by Andras, Raynor, the Seer, the Source's essence, the Siren, Barbas and Portia, Cole hated the idea of facing someone else capable of assuming control over him on that level.
He needed a drink. Badly. Only Cole desired a cup of coffee. Just as he was about to buzz his assistant to fetch him a cup, her voice blasted from the intercom box. "Mr. Turner," she announced, "Ms. Altman would like to see you."
"Show her in," Cole replied. "And Eleanor, could you get me a cup of coffee? Milk and two sugars."
Seconds later, a tall, dark-haired woman with gray eyes and dressed in an expensive tailored suit, entered Cole's office. "Good afternoon, Mr. Turner," she greeted gaily. Veronica Altman happened to be one of Cole's fellow attorneys, who worked also worked in Jackman, Carter and Kline's Corporate Division.
"Veronica," Cole politely replied. "If I didn't know any better, I would say that you wanted something from me."
The other attorney's smile stretched into a wide grin. "As a matter of fact, I do. Remember that contract you had written for the Markham case, last December? You know, the one that got you the bonus from the Senior Partners?"
"Yes, I remember." Cole's eyes bored into Veronica's. "Why?"
A sigh left Veronica's mouth. "Because, I would like to see it. Borrow it. Use it as a template for this contract I have in mind."
Shaking his head, Cole could not help but smile. "In other words, you want to borrow my work to impress your client."
"You don't mind, do you?" Veronica gave him one of her patent innocent looks that have made her such a success in the courtroom.
Cole gave in. He really did not mind if Veronica wanted to copy his work. Besides, she happened to be one of the few people at Jackman, Carter and Kline with whom he was friendly. She was a pleasant, outgoing woman, who did not allow her own ambition to get in the way of friendship.
When Eleanor entered the office, carrying a cup of coffee, he asked her to fetch the Markham files. Once the assistant left, Veronica smiled at him. "Thanks Turner. You're a true friend. If you ever need a favor, just ask."
Favor. Cole then remembered his conversation with Andre, last night. The one about him finding a date for Bruce's wedding. Hmmmm. "Listen Veronica, there is a favor you can do for me."
Gray eyes narrowed. "Like what?"
"How would you like to go to a wedding?"
Veronica paused. Confusion whirled in her eyes. "You want to take me . . . to a wedding? Me?" Again, she regarded him with suspicion. "Why? Is this some kind of date?"
"Well, no . . . uh, I mean . . ." Cole found himself in the undesirable position of being tongue-tied. He squirmed under Veronica's direct gaze. "What I meant was . . ." Hell, he might as well be truthful! "Yeah. Yeah, this is a date."
Veronica continued to stare at him. "Uh-huh. Well, I would accept . . . if I knew the reason behind this offer."
Now Cole did not know whether to feel insulted or embarrassed that he might have just been found out. So, he assumed an outraged expression and shot back, "What the hell? It's just an offer for a date! What the hell did you mean by that?"
"Cole?" Veronica's tone assumed one of a patient mother speaking to her child. "Now, you know that in the entire year you have been here . . . aside from those few months you were gone . . . not once have you ever expressed interest in me. Or I in you." She gave him another close scrutiny. "Why haven't you asked your friend, Olivia?"
"It's her brother's wedding."
Veronica shrugged. "So?"
Cole paused. "She's going to the wedding with someone else."
"Oh." Gray eyes widened with realization. "Oh!" Veronica declared. "Now, I understand. I heard that she was seen at Top-of-the-Marks with that new ADA from the East Coast. What's his name?"
Through clenched teeth, Cole murmured, "Paul Margolin."
"Oh yes," Veronica continued, nodding. "I've seen him at the Hall of Justice. Delicious."
Maintaining his temper, Cole snapped back, "Look, are you interested in going to the wedding? Or do you want me to arrange a date between you and Margolin?"
"I'd bet you'd like that," Veronica murmured.
Cole glared at his colleague. "Veronica?"
"Is this an attempt to get Olivia, jealous?" she asked shrewdly.
Realizing that he had lost of the game of deception, Cole sighed. Women. Or else he must be losing his touch. "Yes," he replied in a defeated voice. "If you must know, I'm . . ." Another sigh left his mouth. "Shit! I'm trying to get Olivia jealous. Yes."
"Thought so," Veronica shot back. "I could tell you two were interested in each other, as far back as February. Too bad you didn't realize this, back then."
"Veronica . . ." Cole's voice radiated strained patience.
She quickly spoke up. "I would love to go."
"Great!"
Veronica added, "By the way, if I meet someone I like at the wedding, consider yourself abandoned. Okay Turner?"
"Deal," Cole shot back.
Eleanor entered the office, carrying two thick files and a coffee mug. "Here you go, Ms. Altman," she said to Cole's colleague. Then she placed the mug on Cole's desk. "And your coffee, Mr. Turner."
"Thank you, Eleanor." Veronica flashed a smile at the legal assistant. Then she said to Cole, "See you on . . ."
"Saturday," Cole finished. "I'll pick you up around eleven."
"I'll be ready." Veronica turned on her heels and left the office. Eleanor followed closely.
The moment the door closed behind the two women, Cole leaned back against his leather chair and sighed. Satisfied that he had completed at least one task.
-------
Inside Carla Bianchi's North Beach home, Olivia consoled the older woman after delivering the news of Nick Marcano's escape. The Strega, who happened to be an old friend of Gweneth McNeill and Olivia's godmother, stared ahead, her face etched in deep anxiety. On the other side of her sat Michael Bianchi, Aunt Carla's oldest son.
"I can't believe it!" Carla declared in shocked tones. "Nick has escaped? And with the help of a daemon?"
Olivia nodded. "I'm afraid so, Aunt Carla. I wish that Darryl and I had come by earlier, but we had an investigation to do. Plus, we had to warn Bruce and Barbara."
"You think he's going to go after them, again?" Michael Bianchi demanded. He was a good-looking, stocky man around thirty-seven years-old. Just three years older than Bruce. Like Carla, he possessed penetrating black eyes, and thick dark brown hair. Only he merely displayed hints of gray near the sideburns.
Darryl, who had accompanied Olivia to the older woman's home, said, "It's a possibility. Considering his feelings for Barbara."
"I still can't believe that Nick had killed some newspaper columnist, plotted to kill Bruce and summoned a succubus!" Michael's voice tinged with dislike. "I mean, I knew the guy had a few screws loose, but good grief! Sometimes I wish that Aunt Nina had never married that jerk." Olivia knew to whom Michael referred. Nick's late father - Joseph Marcano.
Carla's eyes pinpointed her oldest son's with a hard stare. "Michael! You're talking about your cousin!"
"Look Mom, I know! But . . ."
With quiet intensity, Carla continued, "Your cousin may have committed a few mistakes, but he's a human being. A living being. And like all living beings, he is capable of following the wrong path." Michael's face turned red, as she paused and took a deep breath. "The question is . . . where is he now?"
Olivia shrugged. "I'm sorry, Aunt Carla, but we don't know. We believe that it was a daemon who had sprung him, but there was no way Nick could have summoned one without the proper tools. So there's the possibility. . ." She hesitated.
Both Carla and her son stared at Olivia. "Possibility of what?" Michael demanded.
Sighing, Olivia continued, "There's the possibility that another succubus may be responsible for Nick's escape." She paused. "It seems Portia Della Scalla has a sis . . ."
"Claudia." Carla's comment took both Olivia and Darryl by surprise.
Darryl demanded, "You've heard of this demon?"
Nodding Carla continued, "Yes. I've heard of the Della Scalla sisters." She turned to Olivia. "I'm surprised that you didn't ask me about the other sister - Portia. When Nick was first arrested."
"Considering that the two succubus come from another part of Italy, Aunt Carla, I'm surprised that you even knew about them," Olivia said.
With a shrug, Carla said, "My mother came from Venice. That's where she and Papa met. During the war. World War II. She used to tell me a lot of stories about the Della Scalla sisters. Especially since one of them - Portia - tried to seduce my grandfather, once."
Looking confused, Darryl said, "I don't understand. Why do you keep calling them by human names? Especially since they're supposed to be demons?"
"Because they're descended from a human," Michael replied. "Their grandfather."
Carla added, "He was a member of a noble Venetian family, who was seduced by their grandmother. Their child, an adamitici . . . or a wizard, took his father's name of Della Scalla. This wizard was the sisters' father. Portia, the younger sister, is the one whom Bruce had killed. She was smart, like her sister. Only . . . a bit rash. And she didn't stick with the coven."
A frowning Olivia asked, "What coven?"
"La Congrega de Della Scalla," Carla announced.
"The coven is named after them?"
Carla nodded. "Claudia, the oldest, founded it over 150 years ago. It mainly consists of other incubus, succubus and some low-level daemons."
Olivia dreaded asking the next question. "How big is this coven?"
A long stretch of silence followed, increasing Olivia's feeling of dread. Finally, Carla answered. "Very big. If she is behind Nick's escape . . . I only hope and pray that she will not come after Bruce or Barbara." In other words, the McNeill family had a major problem on their hands.
With forced brightness, Carla asked both Olivia and Darryl if they would each like a slice of tiramisu. Darryl immediately said yes. Olivia considered the added calories . . . and Cecile's reaction to a missed opportunity for a sample of the dessert. She sighed. "Sure. Why not? Could you also cut an extra slice for Cecile?"
--------------
Around ten, the following morning, Paige descended the staircase leading to P3, the nightclub owned by Piper. There, she found her older sister supervising workers for tonight's party. "Hey! What's up, Sis?" she greeted. "Need any help?"
Piper frowned at the younger witch. "I already have Cecile helping me. She and her boyfriend are due here, any minute. Aren't you supposed to be at work?"
"Nah, Barbara closed the shop for the day," Paige explained. "Wedding rehearsals."
"Well, aren't you supposed to be there?" Piper added. "After all, you're one of the bridesmaids."
Paige replied, "Rehearsals aren't until two, this afternoon. Olivia is a little busy this morning. You know, the escape."
Piper ordered one of her employees to inflate more balloons. "Oh. You mean that . . ." She glanced around uneasily, to ensure that no one was listening. ". . . that witch who's in love with Barbara?"
"Yeah, Nick. Everyone's in an uproar over it. Remember how Jason reacted, last night?"
Recalling the BAY-MIRROR owner's rant over the Nick Marcano escape, last night, Piper shuddered. "Remind me to wait a while before I consider inviting him to dinner again. At least until he cools down."
"I thought you liked Jason," Paige said, giving her a light punch on the shoulder.
Piper sighed. "I do. And I think he's good for Phoebe. Especially after Cole." From the corner of her eye, she noticed the slight frown on Paige's face. "But I just wish . . . God! I wish he could be a little more . . . subtle. And not so intimidating. Anyway, why are the McNeills in an uproar over . . . whats-his-name, Nick? The demon he had summoned is dead."
"She had a sister. Remember what Cole's friend, Riggerio, told us?"
"And they're not going to cancel the wedding?" Piper asked in a dubious voice.
Shrugging, Paige replied, "Barbara insists upon going ahead with the wedding. You should be happy. Olivia is paying you a nice amount for holding the bridal shower, here at P3." She paused. "Unless she has cancelled . . ."
"No, she hasn't," Piper said, interrupting. "Thank goodness. I can use the money."
Paige walked behind the bar. Piper watched, as she reached for a glass and filled it with tap water. "By the way, who have you hired for tonight's . . . entertainment?"
Piper's eyes narrowed, as she examined her sister. Despite the innocent expression on the latter's face, Piper could spot a hint of anticipation in those dark eyes. "If you must know, we'll be having a male stripper."
A broad smile creased Paige's lips.
"Olivia gave me a name," Piper continued. "Some guy named Lee Carver, who works at some place called the Strobe Light Club." From the corner of her eye, she saw one of her employees walk toward a stack of boxes. "I'm supposed to be calling him, tonight."
A noise heralded the arrival of two newcomers - Cecile Dubois, and a tall, black man with rich brown skin and a handsome regal face that had both Piper and Paige staring, open-mouthed and wide-eyed.
"Hey guys!" Cecile greeted with a smile. "Where ya at?" She indicated her handsome companion with a tug at the arm. "I'd like y'all to meet a friend of mine. Andre Morrell."
Piper opened her mouth to speak, until she realized that not a sound had come out. She gave her head a small shake. "Hi," she said, clasping Andre's outstretched hand, "I'm Piper Halliwell."
He smiled. Radiantly. "Andre Morrell." His voice was deep. And rich. He turned to face Paige. "And you are?"
"Huh?" Piper jabbed her sister's side with her elbow. "Oh." Paige blinked. "Paige. Paige Matthews."
Confusion lit up Andre's brown eyes. Cecile added, "Paige is Piper and Phoebe's half sister."
"Oh." Andre nodded. "So, what do you want me to do?"
Certain thoughts entered Piper's mind, until she remembered that she was a married woman. "Oh . . . uh, could you and Cecile help decorate the place with balloons and streamers?"
"Sure thing," Cecile said. She grabbed Andre by the arm. "Let's go, cherie."
The two Charmed Ones watched the New Orleans couple walk over to the other employees. Their eyes remained fixed on the tall man, whose body radiated a lean, muscular frame. "My God!" Paige exclaimed. "Too bad he's not the male stripper."
"Paige!" Piper tried to sound outraged, but failed. She felt the same. Then she remembered. "Isn't he an old friend of Cole's?"
Paige nodded. "Yeah. They've known each other for nearly ten years. Apparently, Andre used to be a bokor. You know, like that guy who had possessed Darryl, last December."
"Figures," Piper muttered. "Great body and looks like a god. Like our former brother-in-law. Must be a requisite for the evil male. Thank goodness Leo is simply good-looking." She glanced around the club and frowned.
"What is it?" Paige asked.
Piper replied, "I don't know. What happened to that guy who was here?"
"What guy?"
Once more, Piper looked around. Maybe she had imagined things. "Nothing. It's nothing." And she and Paige returned to work.
END OF ACT II - Part 2
