From Wikipedia under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License ===== Boris, an apprentice film director, meets Marilyne, a young senior executive, during an evening in Paris and they declare their love for one another, despite their barely knowing each other. Five years later, during a business trip to the Balearic Islands, with Boris and their children, Marilyne runs away at the very moment when Boris is going to leave her. Five years down the road, Marilyne reappears at the other end of the Pyrenees mountains, with a group of Americans. The man who will be their guide is none other than Boris, who is unrecognisable. ===== Plot relating standardized Kt/V, Kt/V and treatment frequency per week. One can create a plot to relate the three grouping (standardized Kt/V, Kt/V, treatment frequency per week), sufficient to define a dialysis schedule. The equations are strongly dependent on session length; the numbers will change substantially between two sessions given at the same schedule, but with different session lengths. For the present plot, a session length of 0.4 Kt/V units per hour was assumed, with a minimum dialysis session length of 2.0 hours. ===== Phil is an extraterrestrial with shape-shifting ability and telekinetic powers. After crash-landing in Northern Ontario, Phil befriends a red neck child, his father, and a talking beaver as he wanders the Canadian wilderness. Phil is soon introduced to the trappings of small town northern Ontario and adopts the persona and mannerisms of a stereotypical Canadian small town alcoholic while hiding from the ineffectual and mentally traumatized military general who is trying to capture him. Hilarity ensues as his telekinetic powers convince some that he is the Christian messiah and soon joins a local rock band as a singer. A cold hearted assassin from Quebec attempts to end his existence as he and the band go out on tour. The ending consists of suspense, treachery, and dolphins. ===== Robin Turner is an inept hairdresser. He does hair and makeup for the local drag shows but longs to get up on stage himself. His best friend, Liza, is schizophrenic. She had been institutionalized but decided to leave the facility. Liza has a delusional episode in which she believes that "The Bonecrusher" from "The Other Place" is lying on top of her. Robin helps her push the Bonecrusher off and Liza tells him about the Other Place and her friend from there, Zara. Zara protects her from the Bonecrusher, who tells Liza that she is "the one born dead" and wants to take her to live in the Other Place forever. A social worker visits Liza and they review Liza's lengthy list of medications. The social worker stresses that it would be very dangerous for Liza to become pregnant. When Robin comes home from work, Liza is excited that she was able to function with the social worker. Robin, however, is depressed. A client had urged him to be adventurous with her hairstyle but then reacted badly when Robin styled it like Elizabeth Taylor in Cleopatra. Robin and Liza meet Robin's friend Perry and Liza's friend from the institution, Martin. Martin seems to suffer from some form of paranoid delusions, believing that his eyes are turning Chinese and ranting about Mao Zedong. Perry and Robin discuss their costumes for an upcoming Halloween party. Perry decides to go as Karen Black as the flight attendant from Airport 1975. Liza suggests that Robin go as Tallulah Bankhead and agrees to make his dress. Robin is a smash at the Halloween party, winning first prize in the costume contest and being offered the chance to perform regularly. His boss at the hair salon, a closet case who thinks that women won't want to have their hair done by "fags", is at first reluctant to give Robin the time off to shop for fabric for new dresses but finally relents. Robin debuts at the club as Bette Davis, doing a routine mocking Joan Crawford's performances in Mildred Pierce, Autumn Leaves and What Ever Happened to Baby Jane? and singing live rather than lip synching. Meanwhile, Liza is continuing therapy. She keeps a journal of her thoughts and dreams and reads them for her psychiatrist, who suggests that she return to the institution. She adamantly refuses. Her doctor cautions her again about becoming pregnant. Liza's lesbian editor friend Anne reads through Liza's journal and tells her that she might be able to sell some of her stories. Robin continues to make appearances at the club, including a turn as Barbra Streisand, but loses his job at the salon after a client finds out about it and complains to his boss. Liza, who is somewhat sexually promiscuous, has become pregnant. With bills piling up, Robin leaves Canada for New York City seeking success as a female impersonator. On his way to his first gig at the "Jackrabbit Club", he meets Bob, a cab driver who was formerly a talent agent and agrees to allow Bob to represent him. Robin performs Diamonds Are a Girl's Best Friend while rapidly changing drag personas, starting off as Carol Channing and transforming into Marlene Dietrich, Ethel Merman, Ella Fitzgerald, Pearl Bailey and Bette Midler before concluding as Carol again. For an encore he performs Give My Regards to Broadway as Judy Garland. Robin is a triumph and books a regular slot at the club. Liza enters the hospital to give birth. Tragically, the baby is stillborn. She goes into a deep depression, calling Robin to tell him about the stillbirth and that she believes now that she is "the one born dead." Robin has Bob drive him to Canada to retrieve Liza. He moves her into his New York apartment and instructs Bob to get her dressed and to his show at the Jackrabbit. That night Robin performs as Peggy Lee. Liza, initially completely withdrawn, slowly begins to respond to her surroundings. Following the number, still depressed, Liza tells Robin that the Bonecrusher's not there but that she's of his domain, that she's dead. Robin tells her that she's not dead, but crazy, and so is he, and that they need to embrace it. To him, she is as normal as anyone else in New York. At first reluctant, she begins to smile and agree. He then pulls her out to the floor to dance with the rest of the performers and patrons. ===== Destiny Astray focuses on war photo- journalist Jess Rabble and his ZGMF-X12 Astray Out Frame. The Astray Out Frame was built by Lowe (using the incomplete frame of a ZAFT ZGMF-X12A Testament), and later given to Jess. Jess is often accompanied by Kaite Madigan, a mercenary and former ZAFT mobile suit pilot who serves as his bodyguard and owns several customized mobile suits of his own. Both are currently employees of a mysterious industrialist named Matias, who claims to have "no grasp of history", therefore he wishes for Jess to record history as it unfolds. Lowe is effectively removed from the story in the first chapter of Destiny Astray where he begins a long journey to Mars. He returns in later chapters that are set two years later. Many other Astray characters, including Gai, Canard, and Rondo Mina, also continue to appear in supporting roles. The story provides the reader with background information not shown in the TV series. ===== Sands China's application for Cotai plots 7 and 8 was submitted after a freeze on gaming land concession was announced back in 2008, secretary for Economy and Finance, Francis Tam Pak Yuen, explained on 15 December 2010 on the sidelines of a meeting at the Legislative Assembly. On the other hand, the three gaming operators Wynn Macau, MGM Macau and SJM Holdings who are yet to be granted plots in Cotai have filed applications before that policy was stated. As such it is likely the land concession requests of will be approved, the secretary said. But the Land, Public Works and Transport Bureau (DSSOPT) director Jaime Carion told local media on Thursday 16 December 2010 that the plots 7 and 8 in Cotai will not be granted to either gaming operators SJM Holdings or Sands China. After the Government snub, Las Vegas Sands (LVS) has dropped its interest in developing plots 7 and 8 in Cotai. "If somebody else builds on [parcels] 7 and 8, I will be happy. Happier than if I were going to build on it," LVS chairman Sheldon Adelson said at the Bank of America Merrill Lynch Global Gaming Conference in Las Vegas, on 9 January 2011. ===== The story focuses on two families, the Jewish Blitzteins and the Cockney Lockes. Mrs Blitztein and Alfie Locke have adjacent stalls on Petticoat Lane: she sells herring, he sells fruit; they do not like each other. Their children, Georgie Locke and Carol Blitztein, are in love with one another. ===== Pepi, a young independent woman living in Madrid, is filling up her Superman sticker album when she receives an unexpected visit from a neighbor policeman who has spotted her marijuana plants whilst spying on her via binoculars from across the street. Pepi tries to buy his silence with an offer of oral sex, but instead the policeman rapes her. This ruins her hopes of selling her virginity for a good amount of money. Thirsty for revenge, Pepi arranges for her friend Bom, a teenage punk singer, and her band, Bomitoni (Bom and Toni and also a pun of Vomitoni-vomitona=big puke), to beat up the policeman. Wearing Madrilenian costumes and singing a zarzuela, Pepi's friends give the man a merciless beating one night. However, the next day Pepi realizes that they had attacked the policeman's innocent twin brother by mistake. Undaunted, Pepi decides on a more complex form of revenge. She befriends the policeman's docile wife, Luci, from Murcia, with the excuse of receiving knitting lessons. Pepi's idea is to corrupt Luci and take her away from the wife-beating policeman. During the first knitting class, Pepi's friend, Bom, arrives at the apartment heading for the restroom in order to pee. This leads to the suggestion that, since Luci feels hot, Bom should stand on a chair and urinate over Luci's face. Bom's aggressive behavior satisfies Luci's masochism and the two women become lovers. Back home, Luci has an argument with her husband in which she complains about what he had done to Pepi. When he threatens to whip and kick her out, with a renewed sense of liberation Luci leaves her husband and her home, moving in with Bom. The three friends, Pepi, Luci and Bom are immersed in Madrid's youth scene, attending parties, clubs, concerts and meeting outrageous characters. In one of the concerts, Bom sings with her band, the Bomitonis, a song called "Murciana marrana" (i.e. the slut from Murcia). Luci becomes a proud groupie. The highlight of one of the parties is a penis size contest called General Erections, a competition looking for the biggest, most svelte, most inordinate penis. The winner receives the opportunity to do what he wants, how he wants, with whomever he wants. He selects Luci to give him oral sex, which makes her the most envied woman at the party. Eventually Pepi is forced to find work as her father decides to stop her income. She becomes a creative writer for advertising spots designing ads for sweating, menstruating dolls and multipurpose panties that absorb urine and can double as a dildo. Pepi also begins to write a script which will be the story of lesbian lovers Luci and Bom. The chauvinist policeman is desperately looking for his wife. Meanwhile, he takes advantage of naive neighbor Charito, who is in love with Juan, his twin brother. Pretending to be Juan, the policeman slaps, then sexually assaults Charito. Finally, the policeman finds Luci coming out of a disco and kidnaps her from her two friends. He gives Luci a terrible beating that sends her to the hospital, where Pepi and Bom visit her. They quickly realize that they have lost Luci. She has decided to return to the person who mistreats her best – her sadistic and tyrannical husband. His brutality is what Luci has always wanted or became accustomed to. Bruised and bandaged in her hospital bed, Luci tells Bom she is returning to him for a life of abuse. Bom is lost without Luci and laments that pop is also out of fashion. Pepi has the solution to both problems. Bom should move in with Pepi as her bodyguard and start singing boleros. ===== The protagonist, a boy called Paul Crabbe, is taught piano by his teacher (or maestro), Eduard Keller. Paul does not like his teacher at first, but by the end of the novel has grown to appreciate him dearly. Paul learns the limits of his own musical ability through Keller, but he also grows to understand himself and Keller enough to write the novel. Additionally, he has a loving relationship with his sweetheart, Rosie. This book deals with the main idea of contrasts, as well as other themes. Contrasts are shown by Paul's mother and father – how they differ; Vienna and Darwin – high culture vs. low culture; Paul as an adolescent and Paul as an adult – through the continual change in narrator, as Paul changes. Paul slowly comes to realisation that he is now learning from the maestro, and that his talent starts growing day by day. The most influential character, Eduard Keller, lost his family during The Holocaust, despite performing for Adolf Hitler in private concerts in the belief Hitler would spare his Jewish family. For Keller, the grand piano is his sanctity and security, assisting him to deal with the horrors of the world; "safe beneath that grand piano," and likewise offering Eduard a method of deconstructing life. As Paul matures, Keller's phrasings, which seemed absurd in adolescence, ossify into a "musical bible whose texts I knew by heart" but Paul does not relate them to his life until middle-age, leaving him "smug, insufferable," throughout his life. Keller originates from Vienna, where he was a renowned musician "becoming so visible so that nothing can touch him", therefore believing he is exempt from the effects of war. Eventually he lost his wife and son and disappeared from the country, leaving every-one to believe he was dead. Filled with remorse and regret, Keller transforms and evolves to become a completely different man, "if we are discussing the same man how different our two versions." Keller understands the frivolities and foolish nature of human society, passed onto Paul in the form of clippings from newspapers, Keller's "textbooks." "The thousands of stories of human foolishness and greed and cruelty that he had tried to patch together into some kind of understanding of his fellow beings" depicts Keller's knowledge. When Paul initially began lessons with Keller, his first impressions were misleading, "a boozers incandescent glow", "I'd seen nothing like him before." As Paul matures, his attitudes towards the Maestro become warmer and they develop an unexpressed bond. "I slipped my arm beneath his head and kissed him" represent Paul's final realisation of his connection with Keller in death. Throughout his life, Paul took the Maestro for granted, believing his advice was "irritating – and also contradictory." After Keller's death, Paul realises the opportunities Keller had presented him. "Mourning for a great man, yes, but also mourning for myself – for times and possibilities that will never come again." Throughout the novella the tone shifts from egotism and selfishness to regret and wisdom depicting Paul's growth. In conclusion, Maestro has the main themes of adolescence and growing up. Paul is educated about life through music and Keller's experiences in Vienna and understanding of human nature contribute to Paul's knowledge of the world. The book tracks Paul as he develops into a responsible, mature man from an obnoxious, egotistical teenager. ===== ===== The player controls a young messenger boy named Knight who is joined by his best friend, a fairy girl named Nehani. While running a routine errand for the mayor, the two stumble upon a small pink monster they later name "Baby". Soon after meeting the creature, Knight has a vision of a spirit who tells him to deliver Baby to an ancient monument called "God's Tower" in order to find its mother. After a few minor setbacks (and the discovery of the mysterious Living Toys, magical dolls that come to life and assist you in battle) the group sets off on its journey. Along the way, the group runs into several other colorful groups of characters, each of whom are intent on "saving the world" in their own radically different way. The first enigmatic Artema Cult, a network of churches who believe their leader Artema to be a messiah. Soon after the group encounters the pair of Darkbeat, a mercenary who fancies himself "The Chosen One" and has vowed revenge against a man named Karmine, and his sister Ibkee, a kind-hearted dinosaur-like creature who runs an orphanage. The third group of would-be heroes is led by Kalkanor, a pompous royal knight on a journey to collect magic stones in order to imprison a vicious titan called "Xizan". Though they initially seem unrelated, the paths of these different groups (including your own) gradually become more and more intertwined as the quest goes on, climaxing in the rise of an evil that threatens the entire world. As the future looks more and more bleak, it is up to Knight, Baby, Nehani, and their friends to save the Earth from certain doom. ===== Birdy Cephon Altera is a Federation agent chasing interplanetary criminals to the planet Earth. While in pursuit of one such criminal, she accidentally kills a high school boy named Tsutomu Senkawa. However, there is a way to keep him alive. He ends up being merged into Birdy's body and must remain so until the repair of his body is complete. So, Tsutomu is stuck sharing a body with an attractive, strong, and impulsive space police agent while trying to keep his family and friends from finding out about Birdy. In the meantime, Birdy continues her investigation. Together, they take on a secretive group of evil aliens planning to perform experiments on the unsuspecting inhabitants of Earth. ===== Doug Ireland is a concierge at the Bradbury, a luxurious hotel in New York City. Doug is very well-connected and is very good at his job, giving personal attention to guests like Gene Salvatore while occasionally pocketing a big tip. He also helps people who don’t tip as well, such as Harry Wegman. Doug's dream is to open his own hotel on Roosevelt Island. He has saved every cent and obtained an option on an old hotel. But he only has a few weeks to begin development and needs at least $3 million immediately to start or the development goes back to the city. Doug's best chance is Christian Hanover, a somewhat unscrupulous billionaire. Christian considers the proposal and asks Doug to "take care" of his mistress, Andy Hart, a perfume saleswoman. Christian has been leading Andy on, making her believe that he was divorcing his wife. Doug had been flirting with Andy before he knew she was seeing Christian, and had asked her out multiple times. However, she always stated that she had a boyfriend. Doug spends time with Andy when Christian neglects her, (as a “favor” for Christian) and he saves Andy and Christian from an embarrassing scene at a party in Christian house with his wife, Elenor. Doug learns that Christian is deceiving Andy about getting a divorce, stating, “you don’t divorce your third wife.” But because his hotel proposal is urgent and Andy is old enough to make her own decisions, he doesn't intervene. However, as he and Andy spend time together, he develops feelings for her, going to an elegant restaurant with her after Christian is late due to a date with his wife. He simultaneously helps Harry Wegman with his failing marriage, helping him get his wife to love him again. Andy learns that a document Christian has asked Doug to sign was intended to permit the billionaire to take over the hotel project and force Doug out. Christian reveals that an IRS agent who was tailing Doug about the real estate property he (Doug) bought until he (Christian) and his lawyers took care of it was actually working with Christian to get the property. Christian smugly tells Andy that the project was going to make a fortune and he wasn't going to share it with a mere concierge. Andy abandons him to warn Doug, who is chasing after her to tell her Christian isn’t divorcing his wife. After the two reunite at the Queensboro Bridge and reveal to each other about the deception, Doug says he never signed the document due to leaving to warn Andy, so Christian can't take over the property. In the end, after Doug and Andy marry, he gets a call from Harry Wegman, who has accidentally been sent Doug's business plan by a senile member of the hotel staff Doug refused to fire and has decided to put up the $3 million that Doug needs. ===== At the dawn of Japan's Azuchi-Momoyama period (the late 16th century) two rival ninja clans, the Iga Tsubagakure and Kouga Manjidani, are engaged in a bitter blood feud that has spanned for centuries. The fighting finally ends when Hattori Hanzō the 1st succeeds in forging a cease fire between the two clans by conscripting both into the service of Tokugawa Ieyasu (the man who seized power to become Shogun and form Japan's first truly stable form of centralized government). Regardless, hostilities and bad blood remain between Kouga and Iga, ensuring a tenuous co- existence at best. Fast forward to the year 1614; Ieyasu has retired from power (although he still wields considerable influence within the government) and passed the torch to his son Hidetada. Unfortunately, a succession dispute has risen concerning which of Ieyasu's grandsons are destined to take up the reins of power when their father finally decides to step down. The various government retainers are beginning to take sides and the Tokugawa Shogunate is on the verge of tearing itself apart. In order to solve the problem before it spirals out of control, Ieyasu orders the no hostilities pact between Kouga and Iga canceled and promptly commands each clan to send 10 of their best ninja to enter a ruthless and bloody competition of kill or be killed. Each clan will represent one of the two factions supporting Ieyasu's grandsons; the names of their selected fighters recorded on two identical scrolls to be marked out in blood upon their death. The clan that slays the chosen ten of the other will be given favor for a thousand years while the grandson they represent will be pronounced the undisputed heir to the Shogunate. Prior to the conflicts renewal, Kouga and Iga's two young heirs (Gennosuke and Oboro respectively) were betrothed to each other in the hopes that their union would finally dispel their clan's long-seated animosity toward each other. Forced headlong onto separate sides of a conflict they want no part of, Gennosuke and Oboro must now choose whether to kill the person they love or lead their entire clan to annihilation. ===== A disaster of some type has occurred, of which the audience only knows that uncontaminated water is scarce, and livestock has to be burned. Having fled Paris, the Laurent family arrives at their country home, hoping to find refuge and security, only to discover that it is already occupied by strangers. The family is assaulted by the strangers and forced to leave, with no supplies or transport. As they seek help from people they have known in the village, they are repeatedly turned away. The family makes its way to a train station where they wait with other survivors, in the hope that a train will stop for them and take them back to the city. ===== Colour Me Kubrick begins with a direct homage to A Clockwork Orange in the aftermath of one of Alan Conway's (Malkovich) minor cons: two thugs are sent to collect a bar bill that Conway has generated by impersonating Kubrick. Unbeknown to them, Conway has provided the address of an elderly couple as Kubrick's home address. Conway is nowhere to be seen and after the thugs cause a ruckus outside the house, the police are called and they are arrested. Following these events, the audience is taken through several of Conway's scams, including tricking a fashion designer, members of a heavy metal band, and a popular bar owner. All of the victims are deceived into giving "Kubrick" sums of money, free food and drinks, and even sexual favours. Conway actually knows little about Kubrick or his films, so he simply puts on a different persona--from reserved English gentleman to flamboyant Jewish stereotype--with each victim. Conway deceives just about everyone he meets into believing he is the reclusive director, except for a rent boy at a bar, who tests Conway by saying that his favourite Kubrick film is Judgment at Nuremberg; when Conway begins an anecdote about directing the film, the young man tells him casually that Judgment at Nuremberg was in fact directed by Stanley Kramer, and Conway walks away. Conway also has a run-in with Frank Rich (William Hootkins), a journalist from The New York Times. He meets Rich and his wife in a restaurant and confronts him about an article The New York Times ran on the real Kubrick. He is personally offended that the paper called Kubrick a recluse, and wants them to know that he shaved off his beard. After this chance meeting, Rich investigates Kubrick and finds a picture of him, learning that the real Kubrick looks nothing like the man he met in the restaurant. Rich then instigates Kubrick to look further into the identity of the con man. One of the biggest scams is when Conway promises to help establish Lee Pratt (Jim Davidson) as a headliner act in Las Vegas. Pratt is a British entertainer who's had limited success as a flamboyant dancer and stage singer. Pratt is described as a "low-rent Liberace with an Elvis gleam in his eye." Conway makes huge promises to get Pratt a permanent seat in the spotlight in Las Vegas. While Pratt, Conway and Pratt's manager try to decide how to conquer America, Conway lives a life of luxury at Pratt's expense. He sleeps in a high class hotel consuming vodka and cigarettes until a cleaning woman, possibly under the direction of Pratt's manager, discovers a passport with his real moniker printed inside. Conway is thrown out of Pratt's life and off of a pier in a visual and musical homage to A Clockwork Orange. From there, Rich exposes Alan's lies, and Conway is sent to a hospital after an apparent nervous breakdown which (of course) is just another one of Conway's elaborate ruses. His case is published by his doctor in the medical literature and, courtesy of the British government, he is sent to the Rimini Clinic, a centre where celebrities go for rehabilitation. Conway is shown to be living the good life, and the film ends with him relaxing in a giant, luxurious hot tub whilst the Ray Noble Orchestra plays the Al Bowlly version of "Midnight, the Stars and You" on the soundtrack, harking back to the finale of The Shining. ===== Kyle is playing Saint Joseph in the South Park Elementary School's Christmas nativity play, but he is forced to quit when his mother hears of the play and expresses outrage that her Jewish son is being forced to participate in a Christian production. She demands that the religious elements be taken out of the public school, and threatens to take her case to the mayor. Kyle suggests he could sing the "Mr. Hankey, the Christmas Poo" song as a non-religious substitute, but his suggestion is rejected because nobody else believes in Mr. Hankey, a living and talking "Christmas Poo". Kyle leaves the school feeling lonely and excluded because he cannot celebrate Christmas with everyone else. Mayor McDaniels decides that anything offensive to anyone will be removed from the Christmas celebrations, including Santa Claus, Christmas trees, wreaths, fairy lights, candy canes, mistletoe and the Star of Bethlehem. Kyle once again tries to suggest that they use Mr. Hankey as a non-religious Christmas icon since he does not discriminate against anyone. At home, Kyle is scolded by his parents for believing in Mr. Hankey. While Kyle is brushing his teeth, Mr. Hankey comes out of the toilet, singing "Carols" and writing words, like "Noel" on the mirror and spreading feces stains everywhere he goes, prompting Kyle's father to blame Kyle for the mess and as added punishment, to think about his "poor mother stuck cleaning up this mess*. Kyle decides he will bring Mr. Hankey to school to prove he is real, but this only causes more problems as Mr. Hankey disguises himself as an unadorned, dried-out piece of feces when he is around people who do not believe in him, leading Cartman to ask if carrying around boxes with feces in them is some kind of Jewish tradition. Mr. Hankey leaps at Cartman's face as he sings "Kyle's Mom is a Big Fat Bitch" in D Minor, and Kyle is blamed. He is sent to talk to guidance counselor, Mr. Mackey, but Kyle only gets into further trouble when Mr. Hankey takes a bath in Mr. Mackey's coffee. Eric, Stan, and Kenny believe Kyle is insane, diagnosed as an Acute Fecalphilliac on Prozac, and take him into a mental institution where Kyle is hastily committed. Like the whole town, the school Christmas pageant is stripped of all symbols of Christmas, and the children instead present a minimalist song and dance created by composer Philip Glass. The parents, astounded by how awful the pageant has turned out, begin blaming one another for destroying Christmas and a fight breaks out. When Chef finds out where Kyle is, he reveals to the children that Mr. Hankey does actually exist. When all the children start believing, Mr. Hankey finally reveals himself to everyone and scolds them for losing sight of the good things of Christmas and focusing on the bad. The townspeople release Kyle from the asylum and apologize, then they all sing Christmas songs and watch Mr. Hankey fly away with Santa Claus. Cartman, Stan, and Kyle feel that something is still missing. "THE END" then appears, and Kenny is excited and relieved that he has survived the entire episode without getting killed in spite of being involved in dangerous and life-threatening situations throughout. (This would not happen again until "Rainforest Shmainforest.") During the end credits, Jesus dejectedly sings, "Happy Birthday" to himself alone in his television studio. ===== The Seventh Doctor and Ace arrive on Heritage in the year 6048 to visit the Heyworths, who are old friends of the Doctor's. Nobody seems to want them on the planet, and certainly not poking their noses in. But they are stuck there until the next day. The Doctor doesn't want to get involved, but Ace can't help herself: by talking to Lee Marks she finds out that the Heyworths were murdered by the townsfolk, because they threatened to disrupt Professor Wakeling's experiments into cloning. Without the cloning technology, Heritage would have nothing going for it at all. The Doctor suspects all this, and also that the Heyworth's surviving daughter Sweetness is a clone of her mother created by Professor Wakeling. What he doesn't tell Ace is that Sweetness's mother is his old companion Melanie Bush. The Doctor confronts Wakeling and ruins his chances of announcing his discoveries to the universe. As Wakeling tries to take revenge on the Doctor, he is caught in a landslide and probably killed. ===== Everyone on staff at Tottney Castle knows that the lovely Lady Alyce Marshmorton (Joan Fontaine) must marry soon, so a wager is proposed as to the identity of the lucky man. With all the likely candidates already claimed, young footman Albert (Harry Watson) places a bet on a "Mr. X," someone totally out of the blue. Lady Alyce secretly has a romantic interest in an American no one from her family has yet met. She leaves the castle one day to venture into London, where by chance she encounters Jerry Halliday (Fred Astaire). He is an American entertainer, accompanied by press agent George (George Burns) and secretary Gracie (Gracie Allen), but he is not well enough known to be recognized by Lady Alyce. Jerry is incorrectly led to believe that he is the American that Lady Alyce is in love with. He goes to the castle, encouraged by Albert but discouraged by Keggs (Reginald Gardiner), a scheming butler whose money is on another beau. The closest Jerry can get to Lady Alyce is a castle tour, at least until Albert can sneak him upstairs. False impressions abound, as Jerry also fails to recognize Lady Alyce's father (Montagu Love), the lord of the manor. He is slapped in the face in a Tunnel of Love, misunderstanding the young lady's intentions entirely. In the end, however, he and Lady Alyce do find romance. The song "Things Are Looking Up" by George and Ira Gershwin appears in the film. ===== Lee Winters (Fonda) is the widow of the Chairman and primary stockholder of Winterchem Enterprises, a chemical company, who is attempting to obtain financing of the purchase of a processing plant in Spain, while trying to determine why her husband was murdered. Apparently, her late husband discovered some damning information about an Account Number 21214, a secret slush fund involving asset transfers. Respected financier Hubbell Smith (Kristofferson) takes over as president of Borough National Bank at the request of First New York Bank chairman Maxwell Emery (Cronyn), in an attempt to have Smith discover the financial status of Borough National. Smith discovers that the bank isn't just in trouble, it's essentially so insolvent that it can't even pay its next dividend. It needs to find a customer who needs to borrow a lot of money and either loan the money or act as broker in the deal in order to raise some quick cash and stave off intervention by the Federal Reserve. One of the largest customers of Borough National is Winterchem, but because of federal lending limits, the bank "can't loan them a dime" but conceivably could be involved in brokering a deal between Winterchem and some other lender capable of loaning the approximately $500 million needed to buy the plant, and the bank would receive a 1% finder's fee for making the arrangement. Smith becomes involved, both financially and romantically, with Winters in her attempts to finance the purchase of the petrochemical plant and in the discovery of the mystery of account 21214. They finally do so by brokering a deal with some Arab investors who take control of her stock as security for the transaction. Smith later discovers that account 21214 is actually a slush fund where Emery is moving money belonging to the Arabs into gold as a safe haven against potential losses if the dollar collapses. The Arabs are extremely worried that if anyone finds out, their assets will vanish in a public panic as American currency becomes worthless. Winters also discovers the Arabs are behind account 21214, and wants her stock back in exchange for her silence; she has overheard part of Smith's conversation with Emery and mistakenly believes he was double-crossing her. A fake limo driver who is actually working for the Arab investors tries to kidnap her with the intent of killing her—as it turns out they did to her husband—to prevent her from disclosing what she knows, and when the attempt on her life fails, the Arabs panic and pull all of their money out of every bank in America, and possibly the entire world. The globe is gripped by panic and rioting as people discover all of their money is now worthless. Emery is shown in his office - dead, an apparent suicide. The economic crisis paralyzes the world, but by spilling over boundaries between east and west blocs, and between developing and industrialized nations, it also unites the world in common cause. In the penultimate scene, workers at Borough National stand idle while listening to a report of the growing economic crisis. As the camera pans across the trading floor of the bank, the viewer sees that it's now empty of workers, the lights off, the desks and machines covered - completely inactive. Only Smith remains. Winters joins him in the final scene. Smith tells her that he's looking for a way to start anew. Winters offers to become his partner. ===== The player takes on the role of a cyborg (Experimental Unit AP-127) who awakens in a cell on Daedalus with no prior memories. After escaping the cell, the protagonist finds themselves one of the few survivors of an incident that has devastated the station. The player must unravel the truth about themselves, the research station, the Mondites that control it, and the mysterious alien race that once inhabited the moon. The game ends after the player escapes Daedalus in an experimental Mondite spacecraft in the wake of the moon's destruction, along with several Phyxx ships. ===== At the beginning of the story, Jimmy's mother and father are murdered by their best friend, who is also the youngster's godfather and appointed guardian as well as the inventors' trustee. It leaves the protagonist—who has had the plans of his parents' invention eidetically and indelibly imprinted in his mind—to destroy the physical copies of these plans before his "uncle" can finish him off as well. Jimmy must survive his guardian's efforts to squeeze the secret of the invention out of him (whereupon his death will most certainly be arranged, just as his parents' were), and then escape into hiding until he can grow into a physical stature commensurate with his mental age. In the process, the character must make for himself a living and a safe place of residence, and Smith uses his protagonist's situation and capabilities to examine the nature of childhood and the "protections" (including incapacitations) imposed upon legal infants in American civil society at the time of writing. ===== A man known only as Rennie (Jim Caviezel) is motivated by revenge to track down and kill the man who ran over his wife, a serial killer (Colm Feore) immobilized by the man himself. The killer uses a wheelchair. He drives a 1972 Cadillac Eldorado to stalk and kill his victims in car accidents. When the serial killer makes a young woman (Rhona Mitra) his next target, the man has to stop the killer once and for all. ===== During a battle in the Aragonese town of Saragossa (Zaragoza) during the Napoleonic Wars, an officer retreats to the second floor of an inn. He finds a large book with drawings of two men hanging on a gallows and two women in a bed. An enemy officer tries to arrest him but ends up translating the book for him; the second officer recognizes its author as his own grandfather, who was a captain in the Walloon Guard. The ancestor, Alfonso van Worden (Zbigniew Cybulski), appears with two servants, seeking the shortest route through the Sierra Morena Mountains. The two men warn him against taking his chosen route because it leads through haunted territory. At an apparently deserted inn, the Venta Quemada, he is invited to dine with two Moorish princesses, Emina (Iga Cembrzyńska) and Zibelda (Joanna Jędryka) in a secret inner room. They inform the captain that they are his cousins and, as the last of the Gomelez line, he must marry them both to provide heirs. However, he must convert to Islam. He jokingly calls them ghosts (despite having told his servants with great bravado that ghosts do not exist). Then they seduce him and give him a skull goblet to drink. He wakes and finds himself back in the desolate countryside, lying next to a heap of skulls under a gallows. He meets a hermit priest who is trying to cure a possessed man; the latter tells his story, which also involves two sisters and a different kind of forbidden love. Alfonso sleeps in the hermitage's chapel, hearing strange voices at night. When he wakes and rides off, he is captured by the Spanish Inquisition. But he is rescued by the two princesses, aided by the gang of the Zoto brothers (two of whom had appeared dead on the ground near the gallows). Back in the inner room, the two princesses become amorous with Alfonso but they are interrupted by Sheikh Gomelez, who forces the captain to drink the skull goblet at sword point. Again Alfonso awakens at the gallows, but this time a cabalist is lying next to him. As they ride to the Cabalist's castle, they are joined by a skeptical mathematician, who remarks, "The human mind is ready to accept anything, if it is used knowingly." Thus ends part 1 of the film. Part 2 is primarily filled with the nested tales told by the leader of a band of gypsies who visit the castle. Frame story or tale-within-a-tale-within-a-tale only begins to describe the complexity, because some of the inner tales intertwine, so that later tales shed new light on earlier experiences recounted by other characters. Multiple viewings of the film are recommended in order to comprehend the plot, as well as identify the appearance of certain characters before they are "introduced" by the gypsy raconteur to tell their own tales.Martin Schell's Saragossa Manuscript website Finally, Alfonso is told to return to the Venta Quemada, where he meets the two princesses. They bid him farewell and the Sheikh gives him the large book so that he can write the end of his own story. The Sheikh explains that the whole adventure was a "game" designed to test Alfonso's character. Alfonso wakes under the gallows again, but his two servants are nearby – it is as if they are about to begin the journey that he has just "dreamed". At the small inn in Saragossa, he writes in the large book until someone tells him that the two princesses are waiting for him. He flings the book aside and it lands on the table where his descendant's enemy found it at the beginning of the film. ===== Under Illefarn is a scenario designed for beginning players in the Forgotten Realms setting. The player characters are residents of the town of Daggerford, and are therefore automatically members of the town militia and thus required to deal with local perils, such as fighting lizardmen raiders, rescuing a kidnapped noblewoman, and guarding a caravan. The module describes Daggerford and its personalities, as well as the nearby dwarf and orc lairs of Illefarn. Daggerford is fairly quiet for a frontier town. Sure, lizard men raid the local baron's holding now and then, orcs sneak out of the Misty Forest to raid caravans on the Trade Way, and lady Bronwyn has a few suitors who are a touch too passionate, but there's nothing going on that a member of the renowned Daggerford militia can't handle. Except that the Shining River has turned green, the cattle are dying. Except that the Elf King of Laughing Hollow, a place where no human dares to go without fearing for his life, is asking the militia for help. Except that strange substances are oozing from the fissures caused by a recent earthquake. Except that the earthquake also has opened an entrance in the cliffs around Laughing Hollow that might lead to the fabled dwarf mines of Illefarn. Suddenly, being a militiaman isn't quite as easy as it used to be... ===== The Simpsons visit the local multiplex: Bart and Lisa see Space MutantsVI, while Homer, Marge, and Maggie see The Stockholm Affair. After Homer makes distracting sounds and loudly reveals the film's ending to the audience, Marge berates him and the other patrons heckle and pelt him with refreshments. Marge tries to apologize on the way home, but Homer is so angry that he drops Marge and the children at home and drives into the night. Homer stops at a redneck bar, where an attractive waitress and singer-songwriter named Lurleen performs country songs on stage. After she sings a song that perfectly matches Homer's predicament, he drives to her mobile home several days later to beg a copy. When Lurleen reveals she has not recorded the song, Homer persuades her to join him at a recording studio. Lurleen's songs are instant hits on local radio stations. Marge disapproves of Homer seeing Lurleen because she fears they will form a romantic relationship. Her fears increase after Homer becomes Lurleen's manager and she buys him an expensive white cowboy suit which he wears at home. Homer denies having an affair with Lurleen but insists he will manage her career with or without Marge's approval. Lurleen's new single, a suggestive love metaphor called "Bagged Me a Homer", angers Marge. Homer gets Lurleen a gig on Ya-Hoo!, a country western television show modeled on Hee Haw. Homer and Lurleen spend the night before her performance in her mobile home. When she sings a new song asking Homer to "bunk" with her, he realizes that would violate his marital vows and leaves. During Lurleen's performance, Homer is approached by a business agent who asks to buy Lurleen's contract, but he refuses. When Homer becomes locked in an embrace with Lurleen in her dressing room, his love life flashes before his eyes and he remembers Marge saying she will always love him. Homer tells Lurleen that he only wanted to share her voice with the world and leaves to avoid committing adultery. He sees the agent again outside the dressing room and sells him Lurleen's contract for fifty dollars. Marge is watching Ya-Hoo! at home when Homer returns. Lurleen's bluesy song reveals what Homer did – and did not — do with her. Marge forgives Homer and they kiss passionately. ===== Grampa falls in love with Beatrice "Bea" Simmons, a resident at the Springfield Retirement Castle. Homer insists Grampa join the rest of the Simpsons at a cheap lion safari, which causes him to miss Bea's birthday. When he finally returns to the home, Jasper tells him that Bea has died of a burst ventricle, though Grampa believes she died of a broken heart. Deeply distressed by her death, Grampa attends her funeral, where he angrily lashes out at Homer and disowns him. Grampa inherits $106,000 from Bea's estate and initially plans to spend it on himself. After Bea's ghost visits him on an amusement park roller coaster, he instead decides to give the money to people in need. Several of the townspeople visit Grampa with frivolous, greedy, and destructive proposals, disgusting him so much that he goes for a walk to clear his mind. Seeing the plight of Springfield's homeless residents during his walk, he realizes he does not have enough money to solve the city's problems. Grampa goes on a gambling junket hoping to win more money. Homer finds him on a winning streak at a casino's roulette tables and pleads for him to stop while he is ahead. The two struggle over the bet, and Homer manages to drag Grampa's chips off the table just before the wheel stops on a number he had not covered. After Grampa thanks Homer for saving him from losing the inheritance, they reconcile. Grampa uses the money to renovate the retirement home and has the dining room renamed in Bea's honor. ===== The film is set in the 1950s in a large country residence as a family and its servants are preparing for Christmas. When the master of the house is discovered dead in his bed with a dagger in his back, it is presumed that the murderer must be one of the eight women in the house. Over the course of the investigation, each woman has a tale to tell and secrets to hide. The scene opens with Suzon returning from school for Christmas break, finding her mother Gaby, her younger sister Catherine, and her wheelchair-bound grandmother Mamy in the living room, where most of the action of the film takes place. Their conversation drifts to the subject of the patriarch of the family, Marcel, and Catherine leads the first song of the film, "Papa t'es plus dans le coup" (roughly, "Dad, you're out of touch"). The singing wakes up Suzon and Catherine's aunt Augustine, who initiates arguments with the rest of the family and the two servants (Madame Chanel and Louise), eventually returning upstairs and threatening to commit suicide. Mamy jumps out of her wheelchair trying to stop her, haphazardly explaining her ability to walk as a "Christmas miracle." Augustine is eventually calmed down, and she sings her song of longing, "Message personnel" (Personal Message). The maid takes a tray upstairs, finds Marcel's stabbed body, and screams. Catherine goes up to see what has happened and locks the door. The others finally go up to Marcel's room to see him stabbed in the back. Catherine tells the others that they should not disturb the room until the police arrive, so they re-lock the door. Realizing that the dogs did not bark the night before the incident, it becomes clear that the murderer was known to the dogs and therefore must be one of the women in the house. Attempting to call the authorities, they find that the telephone line has been cut, so they will have to go in person to the police station. Before they can do so, the women are distracted by the announcement that someone is roaming the garden, someone whom the guard dogs are not chasing. The person turns out to be Marcel's sister Pierrette, a nightclub singer who is also rumored to be a prostitute, and who has not been allowed into the house before due to Gaby's dislike for her. When questioned, she claims that she received a mysterious telephone call in which she was informed her that her brother was dead. She sings "A quoi sert de vivre libre" (What's the point of living free?), commenting on her sexual freedom. It is realized that she has been to the house before, as the dogs did not bark and she knew immediately which room belonged to her brother, making her the eighth potential killer. The women try to start the car, and find that it has been sabotaged, cutting them off from help until the storm subsides and they can hitchhike to town. The women spend their time trying to identify the murderer amongst them. It is learned that Suzon returned the night before to tell her father in secret that she was pregnant. She sings a song to Catherine, "Mon amour, mon ami" ("My Lover, My Friend"), about her lover; however, she was sexually abused by her father. We later learn that Suzon is not Marcel's child but is the child of Gaby's first great love who was killed not long after the child was conceived; every time Gaby looks at Suzon she is reminded of her love for him. Suspicion then swings to Madame Chanel, the housekeeper, whose actions the night before seem suspicious. It is revealed that she had been having an affair with Pierrette, who went to see her brother that night to ask for money to pay off her debts. When some members of the family react in outrage to the fact that she is a lesbian, Madame Chanel retreats to the kitchen, and sings "Pour ne pas vivre seul" (So as to not live alone). In the meantime we find out that Mamy, Suzon and Catherine's "old and sick" grandmother, not only can walk but also possesses some valuable stock shares that could have saved Marcel from his bankruptcy. Out of greed, she lied that her shares had been stolen by someone who knew where she was hiding them. The spotlight moves to Louise, the new maid, who is found out to be Marcel's mistress. She declares affection for Gaby, but also expresses disappointment in her for her weakness and indecision. She sings "Pile ou face" (literally "Heads or Tails", but referring to the ups and downs of life), and removes the symbols of her servitude, her maid's cap and apron, asserting herself as an equal to the other women. Gaby sings "Toi Jamais" (Never You), about Marcel, saying that he never paid enough attention to her, while other men did. It is revealed that she had an affair with Marcel's business partner, Jacques Farneaux, the same man who has been having an affair with Pierrette. The two women get into a fight that turns into a passionate make-out session on the living room floor, a scene which the others walk in on and are stunned by. Eventually, Madame Chanel discovers the solution to the mystery, but she is silenced by a gunshot. While not struck by the bullet, she becomes mute out of shock. Catherine takes the lead, revealing that she hid in her father's closet from where she saw all the other women talk to Marcel the night before. She explains the mystery: Marcel faked his own death, with her help, to see what was really going on in his house. She says that he is now free of the other women's clutches and rushes to his bedroom only to witness Marcel shoot himself in the head. Mamy closes the film with the song "Il n'y a pas d'amour heureux" (There is no happy love) as the women clasp hands and face the audience. ===== Bigwiz the wizard has left the castle in a hurry and has been a bit forgetful. He forgot to pack his spare wand, he forgot to lock his laboratory door and forgot to take his nephew Slightly with him. To make matters worse, a sunburnt dragon has run off with the Princess Croak and the spell cabinet has been knocked over spreading the spells everywhere. ===== In a modern-day prologue, a group of hikers caught in a storm seek shelter in a cave. They encounter an anthropologist (Conrad Nagel) who interprets prehistoric carvings that introduce the story of a young caveman. Akhoba, head of the Rock Tribe, leads a hunting party. His son Tumak begs the right to his first kill, a small triceratops which he wrestles to death. An elderly man in the party falls from a cliff and is left to die. The party arrives at the Rock Tribe's cave with their prey. The beast is cooked on a fire. When it is done, the strongest feed first, next the women and children, then the few elderly pick the scraps. Tumak defends his portion from demands by Akhoba. They fight and Akhoba knocks Tumak over a cliff as his mother watches. Tumak recovers to find a mastodon attacking him. He runs and climbs a tree. The mastodon rams the tree and knocks it into a river. Tumak floats downstream unconscious and is found by Loana of the Shell Tribe. Her tribesmen answer her shell horn call and take Tumak to their cave. The tribe gathers for a meal of vegetables, shared orderly with the children, women and elderly served first. Tumak awakes and Loana gives him food, which he guards as he eats, perplexing the tribe who share and do not fight. Tumak looks on, confused by the customs of the Shell Tribe. Meanwhile, Akhoba leads a hunting party into the hills but is injured trying to take down a muskox. As Akhoba lies injured, a younger hunter asserts authority over the others and takes Akhoba's place as leader, leaving Akhoba to die. Later, Akhoba, crippled, shows up at the cave but is treated with contempt. Tumak adjusts slowly to life with the Shell Tribe. He helps the children gather food by shaking fruit out of a tree and they teach him how to laugh. He tries to fish with Loana but grows frustrated, as spearfishing is not like land hunting. While he is fishing, an Allosaurus traps a child in a tree. Tumak uses a borrowed spear to kill the animal and save the child, but does not want to return the spear to its owner. Later that night, Tumak steals the spear and a hammer from their maker, and attacks him when he tries to reclaim them. The tribal leader, Loana's father, banishes Tumak. As Tumak departs, Loana, who has fallen in love with him, leaves her tribe to follow him, much to his dismay. Tumak pulls apples from a tree for himself, ignoring Loana. Seeing that she has trouble reaching apples herself, he relents and helps her. Along the way, they spot an armored creature (similar to a glyptodont) which chases them up a tree. Later, as Tumak and Loana reach Rock Tribe territory, they are trapped in a fissure during a fight between a dimetrodon and a lizard-like dinosaur. Loana escapes, but is menaced by the leader who previously displaced Akhoba. She blows her shell horn, leading Tumak to her rescue. He saves her by defeating the leader and becomes the new leader. Tumak has Loana handle the meals, which confuses the Rock Tribe, since she feeds the women and children first, then Akhoba whom she has sat on his former throne, and then the other elders. Lastly, Tumak and the able-bodied men are fed. The next day, Akhoba comes outside to see his tribe learning to gather fruits and vegetables, with Loana showing them which are good to eat and which are not. Loana and Tumak sit and talk, but Tumak is called away to help hunt a deer while Loana helps search for a missing child. A nearby volcano erupts, scattering the Rock Tribe and destroying their cave. A child's mother is engulfed by a lava flow to death; Loana saves the child but is cut off from the others by the lava flow. She and the child head to the Shell Tribe. Many animals fall into the crevasses opened by the eruption. Tumak searches for Loana but finds only a scrap of her clothing near the lava flow and presumes her to be dead. Later, a Shell tribesman seeks out Tumak and tells him that Loana is still alive, but the Shell Tribe is trapped in their cave by a large Monitor lizard-like dinosaur. Tumak leads his men to attack and kill the animal. Akohba and the women with the children follow. The Shell Tribe hold off the beast with torches. Tumak's direct spear attack is futile. Akhoba advises Tumak to distract the dinosaur while the rest of the men climb to higher ground. They start a rockslide that kills the beast. The formerly despised Akhoba becomes recognized for his experience and wisdom. The two tribes unite as one. Tumak, Loana, and the rescued child are framed in the dawn of a new day. ===== Many of Springfield's residents purchase "Juice Looseners" through the mail, which are inefficient and loud juicers built in Osaka and shipped from there. One of the assembly line workers has the flu and coughs into the box destined for Homer, filling it with airborne germs. When the Juice Looseners arrive in Springfield, the Osaka Flu hits the town and many of the townspeople are affected by the illness. Due to exhaustion from having to look after the rest of her ill family, Marge accidentally forgets to pay for Grampa's bottle of bourbon when shopping at the Kwik-E-Mart. She is then arrested for shoplifting. Chief Wiggum tells Mayor Quimby about the arrest in confidence, and Mayor Quimby later reveals this fact to everyone in town during a public address. Marge's reputation is lowered dramatically among the townspeople, who now distrust her around their possessions. The family hires Lionel Hutz to defend Marge at her trial, but Hutz loses the case and the jury finds Marge guilty. She is sentenced to 30 days imprisonment at Springfield Women's Prison. Marge's absence is felt at home as Homer and the rest of the family struggles to cope without her. The annual bake sale also suffers – without Marge's marshmallow squares, the Springfield Park Commission fails to raise enough money to pay for a statue of Abraham Lincoln; they instead purchase a statue of Jimmy Carter. The townspeople are enraged by this, and riot. When Marge is released from jail, the townspeople welcome her back and apologize for suspecting her. They then unveil a statue for Marge, though it is just the Carter statue with Marge's hair added to it. The last scene shows Bart and Lisa playing on the statue, which has been converted into a tether ball post. ===== Set in the South Florida cities of West Palm Beach and Miami, Rum Punch follows Jackie Burke, a forty-four-year- old stewardess for a bottom-rung airline, who has been smuggling illegal cash into the U.S. from Jamaica for small-time gunrunner and aspiring crime boss Ordell Robbie. When U.S. agents arrest Jackie after catching her smuggling this "dirty money", they use the threat of prison and job loss to pressure her into acting as bait in their plan to catch Ordell. Upon learning of this, Ordell pressures Jackie into intentionally misleading and stalling the police long enough for her to smuggle the remainder of his "retirement score" money into the U.S. Hopelessly caught between two no-win scenarios, both dooming her to lifelong poverty as she's too old to start over again, a desperate Jackie devises a secret, risky plan of her own to double-cross Ordell and the police, save herself, and secure her future. To execute this plan, Jackie must enlist the help of Max Cherry—the same bail bondsman Ordell hired to get Jackie out of jail. ===== After donating money to public television, Marge receives complimentary ballet tickets. Homer agrees to accompany her but gets both of his arms stuck in vending machines at work. Disappointed and doubting Homer's story, Marge invites her neighbor, Ruth Powers, to go with her instead. They enjoy themselves and continue spending time together visiting bars and clubs in Springfield. Ruth demonstrates how to use a pistol to Marge, who uses a forlorn farmer's "precious antique cans" for target practice. To show he can have a good time without Marge, Homer hires Lionel Hutz to babysit Bart, Lisa and Maggie. Finding Moe's Tavern more depressing than usual, Homer visits the hilltop where he and Marge used to spend time before they got married. Homer tries bashing a weather station -- which he used to do on their dates -- but finds it is no fun without Marge. While tending his moonshine still on the hill, Chief Wiggum spots Homer and offers him a ride. Wiggum tries to make a routine traffic stop, but Ruth leads him on a high-speed chase instead. Ruth reveals that she is driving her ex-husband's stolen car as revenge for his failure to pay child support. Still in Wiggum's backseat, Homer realizes Marge is in Ruth's car and suspects she is leaving him after discovering that she can have a better time without him. Ruth successfully evades Wiggum by turning off her headlights, making him think he is chasing a ghost car. After seeing Marge and Ruth again the next morning, Wiggum continues his chase, joined by other police cars. Homer sees a cliff ahead and mistakenly thinks Marge and Ruth are attempting suicide. He uses a megaphone to apologize to Marge for all of his shortcomings and urges them not to drive into the Grand Chasm. Ruth, suddenly aware of the cliff, slams on the brakes and stops near its edge. Homer and Wiggum fail to stop in time, fly off the cliff's edge, and land in a mountain of landfill debris. They emerge slightly soiled from the garbage but otherwise unscathed. A narrator describes the fates of the characters: * Ruth is accused of auto theft by her ex-husband, who is forced to pay the child support he owes her after his attorney, Hutz, botches the case. * Hutz gladly receives $8 for 32 hours of babysitting the Simpsons' children. * Marge is forced to pay $2000.50 in compensation to the farmer for destroying his cans. * Homer, whose baldness is implied to be the result of a US Army experiment he volunteered for as a human guinea pig to avoid visiting Patty and Selma, is remanded to their Neurological Research Center in Fort Meade, Maryland for further testing. ===== The film introduces Liz Reynolds, a young woman whose psychic bond to Mike Pearson and the Tall Man manifests in the form of prophetic nightmares. Liz pleads for Mike to find her, as she fears that when her grandfather dies, the Tall Man will take him. The scene then transitions where the first film left off, the Tall Man and his minions attempt to kidnap Mike but Reggie manages to save him by blowing up the house. In 1986, after being institutionalized for seven years, Mike, now 19, has faked his recovery to get released. That night he returns to Morningside Cemetery where he proceeds to dig up graves. Reggie interrupts him and explains that what happened in 1978 and the Tall Man were not real. In response, Mike reveals all the coffins he exhumed are empty and urges Reggie to help him hunt down the Tall Man. En route to Reggie's house, Mike has a premonition and frantically tries to warn Reggie seconds before an explosion kills Reggie's entire family. Convinced by Mike's precognition, Reggie agrees to accompany Mike. They break into a hardware store and stock up on supplies and weapons. Traveling north- western country roads, they encounter abandoned towns, pillaged graveyards, and a few of the Tall Man's traps; one is the apparition of a young woman's naked corpse. A gruesome encounter with a creature resembling Liz leads them to travel east towards the town of Perigord, Oregon. Meanwhile, Liz's grandfather dies, and her sister Jeri disappears during the funeral; while searching for Jeri, Liz finds the Tall Man and flees. The presiding priest, Father Meyers, maddened with fear and alcoholism, desecrates the grandfather's body with a knife in a desperate attempt to thwart its reanimation, but the corpse rises and kidnaps Liz's grandmother. In the morning, Liz finds a funeral pin in her grandmother's empty bed, and the Tall Man psychically tells Liz to return at night if she wants to rescue her grandmother. Prior to their arrival in Perigord, Mike awakens to find that Reggie has picked up a hitchhiker named Alchemy who eerily resembles the nude apparition. They find Perigord deserted and dilapidated. When Liz arrives at the mortuary, she is confronted by Father Meyers, who tries to convince her to escape with him, but he is killed by a flying sphere. She encounters the Tall Man and discovers that her grandmother is now one of his Lurkers; she flees and runs into Mike in the cemetery. Later that night, the Tall Man captures Liz and drives away in his hearse; Mike and Reggie chase after him. After the Tall Man runs them off the road, their car explodes. At the crematorium, Liz is taken to the furnace room by the Tall Man's mortician assistants, but she escapes and sends one into the furnace. Mike and Reggie break into the mortuary and find the embalming room. While Reggie pours acid into the embalming fluid, Mike discovers a dimensional portal that requires a sphere to open. They then split up to find Liz. Reggie searches the basement, where he fights off a Graver and several Lurkers with a chainsaw and quadruple shotgun. After a vicious fight Reggie castrates the Graver to death and guns down the Lurkers. Mike saves Liz from a silver sphere, and, when it becomes embedded in the wall, they use it to access the portal. Before they can destroy the building, the Tall Man surprises them, but they fight him off and pump him full of the acid- contaminated embalming fluid, which causes him to melt. They set the building on fire, escape, and are greeted by Alchemy, who has procured an abandoned hearse. As they ride off, Alchemy reveals herself to not be human, and the hearse swerves wildly, then stops. Reggie, bloody and battered, falls to the ground; Mike and Liz, trapped in the hearse, try to convince themselves that this is all just a dream, but the slot to the driver's cabin opens and reveals the Tall Man, who tells them, "No, it's not." Hands break the rear window and pull Mike and Liz through it, mirroring the ending of the first film. ===== The protagonist of this story is a boy named Myrddin Emrys, also known as Merlin, which is the Welsh form of the word "falcon". (Welsh dd is pronounced th as in thus, so Myrddin is roughly pronounced Murthin.) This story is told in first-person narrative and includes his journey to find a home as he travels through Wales, Brittany, England and Ireland. Emrys is also known as Ambrosius, or Prince of Light. ===== The story starts on Earth in the future. Global warming and over population has caused an imminent apocalypse. The hope for the survival of the human race is a spaceship called the Willflower, which will take a small number of the world's best minds on a journey to colonize another planet. Eddie O'Hare, the protagonist, is not one of them. He is deep in debt due to his computer having mysteriously stolen several million dollars online, then sending it to an unknown location. As such, he decides to gamble what money he has left in the hope of getting enough to pay back the debts. On his way to the casino, he meets a pink-socked assassin who he fears may have been sent to kill him. It turns out that he has not (or at least, Eddie is not the man's current target). When gambling the last of his money, Eddie wins- thanks to him mimicking the gambling decisions of a man who looks uncannily like himself-, but the casino is no longer operational; due to the Willflower's imminent departure, the town (which was created only to house people working on the project), is closing down, and the casino has already lost all its money to the other man. He leaves and decides to hide. Whilst doing so, he happens to meet the man whose luck he 'piggy-backed' on earlier. He discovers that the other man, Charles Perry Gordon, is due to go on the Willflower but doesn't want to go now that he was won such a vast amount of money. Due to the ramifications for the rest of his family Gordon cannot refuse to leave, so he offers Eddie a place in place of himself. Eddie successfully smuggles himself on board (Unaware that Gordon had intended to sell him out as an impostor once the ship took off and it was too late for him to join the mission, only for Gordon to be killed by the hitmen he hired to simulate Eddie's alleged 'assault' because they had also been hired by the casino staff to get the money back). As Gordon's job is the community planner, Eddie reads the plans so far to learn more about his job and discovers that the man he is replacing has enforced a fascist, totalitarian system: crew members are paired for life before they are even born, and jobs- even unpleasant ones such as prostitution- are inherited. However, shortly after the ship sets off he is murdered by an unknown assailant. The story then jumps forward several generations. Eddy is revived as a cyborg with only his head and spinal column remaining of his original body, and trapped forever in a jar of green slime (Even worse, the nerve endings are incorrectly wired, so that, for example, he moves his right arm when trying to move his left foot). He finds himself on a ship full of idiots and that there is something going wrong with the ship; all but one of its engines are gone and it has only 20% of its manoeuvring thrusters. The ship needs to land soon, but only three planets are available: Thrrrppp, which is the most habitable but with no way for the ship to enter orbit, Penis, which the ship has a 50% chance of docking with but is covered in volcanoes, and Panties, which is totally hostile but has a 90% chance of docking. As the only intelligent life form on board it is up to him to find out what is happening. As he explores the ship, he meets more of the ship's mentally retarded crew, none of which have even the slightest ability to perform their jobs. He is puzzled by this, the fact that the crew is totally illiterate and, most importantly, the fact that the ship, which has been shown to be able to self-repair itself if it takes damage, has not done so. The ship is also on a collision course with a massive gas giant which does not appear on the radar system. The ship's less than moral priest attempts to leave in the nuclear-powered escape pod, but fails thanks to the captain overriding the system. Eddie decides to cause the escape pod to self-destruct in the hope that the explosion will force the ship towards planet Thrrrppp. This fails when the priest steals the pod- accompanied by some of the ship's prostitutes to help him 'rebuild' human society, destroying the remaining engines in the process. Eddy is forced to leave the ship and go and see what is happening. Outside, he is drawn back into the ship by an unknown force. He encounters the assassin from the beginning of the novel, who was revived in another survival suit but driven completely homicidally insane by the process, still intent on fulfilling his centuries-old contract (At the same time, Eddie has a flashback where he realises that the original Father Lewis killed him to stop him spreading 'his' mad plans any further). Before he can do so, however, the ship kills him. It then talks to Eddy and reveals what has been happening. Its internal self-repair systems, it transpires, were also capable of self- modification, eventually becoming self-aware. Realizing the madness that the original crew had instigated, it made the crew members illiterate to erase all memory of the old system. It has also gained the ability to time travel into the past, where it can affect electronics, but not take a physical form. Back on Earth, humanity has become extinct; the crew of the Willflower are all that is left. The ship had selected Eddie to look after the crew as he was the only person with sufficiently low self-esteem to survive the cybernetic revival system; the sheer horror of the suit would have driven anyone else insane, but Eddie expected so little out of life that he actually came through the process as a better person. The ship causes Eddy's computer to steal the money (instigating the series of events that caused Eddie to arrive on the ship), then repairs itself and flies the crew to planet Thrrrppp. First paperback edition cover ===== Maria, a young girl from a remote village of Brazil, whose first encounters with love had left her heartbroken, goes to seek her fortune in Switzerland. She works for a time in a nightclub but soon becomes dissatisfied and after a heated discussion with her manager one night, she quits her job. She tries to become a model but is unsuccessful. Because she is running out of money, she accepts 1000 francs from an Arab man to spend the night with him. She then decides to become a prostitute and ends up in a brothel on Rue de Berne, the heart of Geneva's red-light district. There she befriends Nyah who gives her advice on her "new profession" and after learning the tricks of the trade from Milan, the brothel owner, she enters the job with her body and mind shutting all doors for love and keeps her heart open only for her diary. Quickly she becomes quite successful and famous and her colleagues begin to envy her. Months pass and Maria grows into a professionally groomed prostitute who not only relaxes her clients' minds, but also calms their souls by talking to them about their problems. Her world turns upside down when she meets Ralf, a young Swiss painter, who sees her "inner light". Maria falls in love with him immediately and begins to experience what "true love" is (according to the author, it is a sense of being for someone without actually possessing him/her). Maria is now split between her sexual fantasies and true love for Ralf. Eventually she decides that it is time for her to leave Geneva with her memory of Ralf, because she realizes that they are worlds apart. But before leaving, she decides to rekindle the dead sexual fire in Ralf and learns from him about the nature of Sacred Sex, sex which is mingled with true love and which involves the giving up of one's soul for the loved one. ===== Bloodstone Pass combines a role-playing scenario with Battlesystem combat. In the plot, the player characters are hired to organize the defense of the town of Bloodstone Pass against an army of orcs, goblins, giants. The army also included human renegades led by a powerful assassin. The module's action focuses on leading the armies rather than having the battle occur in the background while the players adventure to find a MacGuffin. ===== A brown bear roams the streets of Springfield, frightening the townspeople, so the police subdue it with a tranquilizer dart. Homer leads a march of angry citizens to city hall, where they demand Mayor Quimby do something to protect them from bears. After Quimby deploys a bear patrol, Homer is angry to learn his taxes have increased by $5 to maintain the patrol. Another crowd of angry citizens marches to the mayor's office demanding lower taxes. To appease them, Quimby blames the higher taxes on illegal immigrants. He creates Proposition 24, which will force all illegal immigrants in Springfield to be deported. Springfield residents start to harass local immigrants. At the Kwik-E-Mart, Apu confides in Homer that he is in fact, an illegal immigrant. Apu fears that if Proposition 24 passes, he will be forced to leave the United States, since his visa expired many years ago. Apu visits Fat Tony to obtain false citizenship. Feeling guilty about committing fraud and abandoning his Indian heritage, he destroys the fake passport. After seeing how distraught Apu is at the prospect of being deported, Homer vows that he and his family will help him. Lisa discovers that Apu will not have to leave if he passes a citizenship test. Homer agrees to tutor Apu, but is unable to teach him accurate historical facts needed to pass the exam. After Lisa intervenes, Apu passes the test and becomes a US citizen. At a congratulatory party, Homer tells his guests deporting immigrants is awful because they help the country thrive. He inspires them to vote no on Proposition 24, but it still passes with 95% of the vote. When Proposition 24 is enacted, Groundskeeper Willie is the only resident deported. ===== Marge is reading The Bridges of Madison County one night and wakes up Homer to ask if he thinks the romance has gone out of their marriage. Homer ignores her and tosses the book into the fireplace. The next morning, Marge gets the family together to discuss romance, but they can only come up with vignettes from their failed relationships in the form of clips from previous episodes. Homer, however, saves the day when he brings up how he and Marge got together. Ultimately, the kids do not care for this one and wind up watching Itchy & Scratchy, while Homer and Marge share a moment together. ===== The story begins in 1986 when Coelho undertakes his initiation into the order Regnus Agnus Mundi (RAM), which he subsequently fails. He is then told that he must embark on a pilgrimage along the Camino de Santiago to find the sword that is the symbol of his acceptance into the ranks of RAM. He must do this to gain insight into the simplicity of life. The journey transforms him as he learns to understand the nature of truth through the simplicity of life. He begins his journey with a guide, also a member of RAM, who goes by the alias Petrus. During the journey Petrus shows him meditation exercises and introduces him to some of the more down-to-earth elements of Western mystical thought and philosophy, and teaches him about love and its forms: agape, philia and eros. ===== An unnamed narrator tells the following story: Chu-Bu is the accustomed resident in a temple where he is worshipped. Sheemish is a freshly carved idol added to the same temple one day—and from that moment the two deities become jealous, taunt each other and attempt to outdo the other in achieving miracles. Eventually their combined efforts result in a minor earthquake which destroys the temple. Their worshippers each claim their preferred god has caused the earthquake, but all of them stay away and do not rebuild the temple out of fear of such powerful gods. The narrator remarks that he found the demolished, abandoned temple one day and that Sheemish had been smashed but Chu-bu was intact, found on his back with his hands and feet in the air. The narrator brought Chu-bu home, keeps him in that same position on his mantle, and every so often will offer token worship to Chu-bu to keep the god's spirits up. ===== In 1975, Duncan's, a fast-food restaurant owned by Norm Duncan in the tiny hamlet of Scotland, Pennsylvania, hosts a variety of workers. Joe “Mac” McBeth is passed over for a promotion to manager by Douglas McKenna, who has been embezzling the restaurant's money. Three stoned hippies, one a fortune teller, inform Mac that they see a bank drive-thru style restaurant in his future as management. Mac and his wife Pat then play informants on McKenna, and Duncan recognizes the value of Mac's efforts on behalf of the restaurant. Duncan shares with the McBeths his plans to turn his failing burger joint into a drive-through, and Mac realizes how profitable the drive-through could be, after which he is hit in the head with a refrigerator door and passes out briefly. Pat then decides to murder Duncan in a staged robbery. Mac and Pat attack Duncan to acquire the combination to the restaurant's safe, and Mac assaults Duncan, but is distracted by a vision of the three hippies, allowing Duncan to fall head first into a deep fryer that splatters and burns Pat's hand. Investigator McDuff arrests a local homeless man, to whom Pat has given Duncan's jewelry, and the restaurant is willed to Duncan's eldest son, Malcolm. Malcolm sells the restaurant to the McBeths who immediately realize Mac's ideas, and the restaurant's business takes off. Investigator McDuff returns to Scotland, where the homeless man is cleared, and the McBeths focus their attention on Malcolm. Banko, Mac's friend, questions why Mac had never mentioned the drive- thru concept. Mac grows withdrawn and paranoid and on a hunting trip contemplates killing off Banko, but a vision of the three hippies dressed as deer distracts him. Pat becomes obsessed with her burn injury and accuses people of staring at her repulsive-looking hand, though no scar is visible. Mac then kills Banko with the homeless man's gun, and the body is discovered while new celebrity Mac gives a press conference. Mac calls on an hallucination of Banko to ask a question at the press conference and loses his sanity as the town watches on TV. He then returns to the woods to look for the hippies while Pat becomes deluded into thinking her hand is falling off. Mac then completely loses his sanity, answering and talking on the phone when no one is on the other end. In one conversation, the hippies suggest he kill McDuff's family. Mac grabs the sheriff's gun and orders the officer to call McDuff to the restaurant, where he then shoots McDuff, but the gun proves to be empty. They then wrestle for the inspector's gun on the roof of the restaurant and both fall off. Mac is impaled on the horns of his car. Pat self-medicates with alcohol, but then cuts her hand off and bleeds to death. McDuff takes over the restaurant, fulfilling his dream of working with food. ===== The story alternates between the experiences of Conan and Lanna. A New Order ship discovers the island where Conan has been surviving for five years since the helicopter crash and captures him, taking him back to the city of Industria as a worker. Meanwhile, Lanna and her parents at High Harbor have to deal with Dyce, who wants her people to supply lumber faster than they can with the tools they have and is desperate for knowledge of the whereabouts of Briac Roa. The New Order seems to be resurrecting only the worst of the fallen civilization's qualities, putting together a military-industrial complex without a culture or conscience. Without telling him what it will mean, they mark his forehead with a tattoo that designates him as an "apprentice citizen," meaning that he will have to work to pay off the "debt" that he owes in gratitude for having "rescued" him. Enraged, he seizes the tattooing device and marks several self- important officials before he is subdued, and they assign him to work for a crazy old man named Patch, who turns out to be Teacher. Teacher has been hiding in Industria since the cataclysm, since it's the last place where the New Order would ever look for him, hiding his identity by acting like an insane, crippled old man. At High Harbor, Lanna and her parents are continuing to deal with Dyce and his demands—now he wants some wrecked aircraft that are on the island and some sassafras roots. Teacher has said that the New Order should by no means have those aircraft or the roots (the trees haven't yet multiplied to populations where there are enough to trade). Lanna finds out that they also have to deal with Orlo, who has been leading a rebellious tribe of children and teenagers that has broken away from the rest of High Harbor. Teacher, in the guise of Patch, is still an apprentice citizen despite having been in Industria for years, because he likes where he is: in a boat shop, building boats. No one else in Industria knows how to build them—the city wasn't even on the coast before the Change. But Teacher has been planning to leave, and now that Conan is here, Teacher can put those plans into motion. Sickness breaks out at High Harbor, and Dyce is the only one who has any medicines. Lanna discovers that not only is Orlo trying to take over High Harbor, he's making deals with Dyce. Teacher discovers that there's going to be another earthquake, and this one will drop half of what remains of Industria into the sea. His humanitarian nature forces him to go to the Council and tell them who he really is so he can warn them, but he wants Conan to take the boat he's been building and wait for him at a designated rendezvous point. Meanwhile, a child has died from the illness at High Harbor, and Shann and Mazal agree to let Dyce have the aircraft in exchange for the medicine they need, although Shann thinks Dyce deliberately started the sickness as a bargaining chip. Conan waits for Teacher, but Teacher doesn't come. Realizing that Teacher is in trouble, he returns to Industria and rescues him, and they set sail for High Harbor, hoping that the searchers from Industria don't find them. They run deliberately into a storm as the only way to escape pursuit, but Teacher nearly drowns. Conan manages to get them to the island where he had survived for five years, and with Teacher's help he modifies their ship for the voyage to High Harbor—but they will have to hurry, because they know that with the coming earthquake will also come a tsunami. To their surprise, they discover that Dr. Manski has also washed up on this island, because her survey ship was ordered to search for Briac Roa and went down in the same storm. They can't just leave her there with a tsunami on the way, and she has no choice but to go with them, but she still can't believe that he is Briac Roa or that such things as telepathy—or God—exist. Lanna despairs when Dyce entices more and more of the High Harbor people onto his trading vessel to show them the goods he has to trade—things that people don't need but that he can entice them into believing they want. She wishes she could see the ship for herself, because it might give her a better idea what to do, but she doesn't dare go there for fear of looking as if she were herself endorsing Dyce and his goods. So she tries something that has worked for her in the past; she sends her tern Tikki to fly over the ship and attempts to see through his eyes. But this fails. Instead, she climbs to the highest point on the island and tells Tikki to find Conan and bring him safely to High Harbor. Teacher tells Dr. Manski about how Dyce had traded for the flying machines and their power cells for medicine to stop the sickness that had killed one child at High Harbor, and how he may in fact have spread the sickness in the first place. Manski thinks he's lying, because she doesn't trust how he gets his information and because he's an enemy of the New Order. But she begins to believe that he really is Briac Roa. Tikki makes it to their ship, but the fog has closed in, and they can't follow him because they can't see what direction he flies in. Lanna and her parents learn that Orlo and Dyce have a plan to take over their house and move in, throwing Shann and Mazal out but keeping Lanna around, presumably as a plaything for Orlo. They resolve that this will not happen without a fight and arm themselves. Teacher has warned Mazal about the coming tsunami, and she has warned Dyce to take his ship out to sea, but he doesn't believe her. Lanna tries once more to put her psyche into Tikki and help him lead Conan and Teacher home, and this time she succeeds. Conan, Teacher and Dr. Manski arrive at High Harbor right in the middle of the strife. Orlo and Dyce's faction immediately moves to seize Conan and Teacher, but Conan fights back and tells them to take shelter because there's a tsunami coming. Neither Dyce nor Orlo believe either Conan or Dr. Manski. Orlo captures Lanna, but lets her go when Conan challenges him directly, and Conan easily defeats him, awing his followers. Conan then uses the situation to get them all to seek higher ground, carrying the semi- conscious Orlo himself as the tsunami waters start to rush in. The story ends rather abruptly as it appears they will all make it to safety by working together. ===== Homer invests in pumpkins, but loses his entire investment. Late on a mortgage payment, he tries to borrow money, to no avail. After Patty and Selma receive promotions at the DMV, Homer realizes they are his last resort. They agree to lend him money on the condition that he become their humble servant. Homer begs Patty and Selma to help conceal his money woes from Marge, who soon finds out after seeing his IOU note to her sisters. Homer becomes a chauffeur to earn more money, but is stopped by Chief Wiggum for not having a chauffeur's license. Homer visits the DMV with Marge to apply for one; Patty and Selma are his evaluators. The two mercilessly fail his driving and written test. To celebrate Homer's failure, they light up cigarettes but are caught by their supervisor, who threatens to demote them for smoking on the job. After seeing Marge's dismay at the situation, Homer reluctantly covers for them by claiming the lit cigarettes are his. To thank Homer for helping them avoid demotion, Patty and Selma forgive the loan. In the subplot, Bart is late for school on the day students choose their physical education classes. When he arrives, ballet is the only class that is available. Despite his initial reluctance, Bart soon discovers he is a talented dancer and is invited to star in a school ballet. After his performance, school bullies chase Bart, intending to beat him. He tries to escape by jumping over a trench but injures himself after failing the leap. Seeing that Bart is hurt from the fall, the bullies leave without pummeling him. Lisa tells Bart she is proud of him for showing his sensitive side. ===== Victor Norman (Clark Gable) is a radio advertising executive just returned from serving in World War II and looking for a job in his old field. He literally throws a few loose dollars out the hotel window, telling the hotel valet that being down to his last even $50 "will help me seem sincere about not needing a job." On his way to his interview, he stops and spends thirty-five of them on a "sincere" hand-painted necktie. Victor Norman: back from the war and looking for big money on Madison Avenue His appointment is at the Kimberly Advertising Agency, with Mr. Kimberly himself (Adolphe Menjou). As the two size each other up, they are interrupted by a phone call from Evan Llewellyn Evans (Sydney Greenstreet), the tyrannical, high-volume chief of the Beautee Soap company, the agency's largest account. The call throws the staff into turmoil and derails Vic's interview, so he offers to perform an unpleasant task for Kimberly: recruit Mrs. Kay Dorrance (Deborah Kerr), widow of a WWII U.S. general and of noble British birth, for a Beautee soap campaign featuring Manhattan socialites. A phone call to the Dorrance home misrepresenting himself as being from the "Charity League" gets him an appointment. At the elegant Sutton Place townhouse he rapidly charms Kay into agreeing, learning in the process she's not so well-heeled as the home and address suggest. But when they later arrive at the photo shoot, the Beautee art director produces a layout featuring "a loose and flouncy" negligee. Vic overrules the concept and directs a dignified portrait of Kay, in an evening gown, flanked by her children. In the next day's maelstrom, Vic and "Kim" are summoned to Beautee's offices where they are confronted by Mr. Evans, whose first action is to expectorate heartily onto his conference table. He summarizes his philosophy on advertising: "You have just seen me do a disgusting thing. But you will always remember it!" He confronts Vic about the change to his Dorrance ad, and Vic tells him that "Beautee soap is a clean product—and your advertisement is not clean." When Vic plays the radio commercial he produced overnight—"Love That Soap"—Evans likes it and directs Kim to hire Vic. "You have your teeth in our problems," he says, removing and brandishing his own dentures. Vic finds himself attracted to Kay. When the two double-date with Mr. and Mrs. Kimberly, a belligerently drunken Kim confesses that he started his agency by informing on his mentor to government authorities and stealing the Beautee soap account. The featured performer at the nightclub the couples attend is an apparent old flame of Vic's, Jean Ogilvie (Ava Gardner), a torch singer he'd run into and chatted up at his first visit to the Kimberly agency just days earlier. She acts very familiar with Vic in front of his date, unsettling Kay. In the wake of an evening spoiled by Kimberly's behavior, Vic persuades Kay to watch the sunset together at the beach, where they grow close. In the morning glow he arranges a purportedly above-board weekend getaway for the couple at a seaside haunt in Connecticut he'd used for pre-war trysting. When Kay arrives and finds that the place has slipped under its new owner and that the pair have been booked into adjoining rooms with a connecting door she leaves, disgusted at the circumstances and profoundly disappointed in Vic. Evans summons Vic and Kim to an abrupt Sunday morning "chat-chat" and reveals he wants a new radio variety show built around C-list ex-burlesque comedian Buddy Hare (Keenan Wynn). Chastising the ad men for his having to do their work for them, Evans informs them that Hare's agent Dave Lash (Edward Arnold) will be leaving for the coast on that evening's train. Vic promises to ink a deal on board, before word of Evans's interest leaks out and boosts Hare's price. On the way to the station, he stops at Kay's house, but she is remote: "You'll make any promise to make your point," and he replies, "That's the kind of guy I am." Their parting is unsettling for each. Evan Llewellyn Evans: tyrant head of Beautee Soap, the agency's biggest account On the train, Vic bumps again into Jean Ogilvie, whom he recruits for his plan to sign Hare: with her shilling, he gets Lash to offer Hare at a bargain basement price. They shake on the deal, and when Lash realizes he has been had, he graciously agrees to honor it. Once in Hollywood, Vic and his writers set about creating the radio show for Hare; early on, they ban him from the proceedings because he is so obnoxious and his jokes are both off-key and threadbare. Vic accepts an invitation from Jeanne for dinner at her place, where both ruefully discover Vic is still in love with Kay. He is surprised to find Kay in the shadows outside his bungalow when he returns, there to try to patch things up. She is successful—Vic starts talking marriage, and seeing himself as a breadwinner for Kay and her children. Trouble intervenes when a legal technicality threatens the contract with Buddy Hare. Though it appears to be based on an honest mistake by Lash, Vic uses cruel innuendo about Lash's childhood and implied blackmail to get the agent to agree to absorb the large loss he will face making good. Vic immediately regrets the tactic, and Lash's wounded demeanor makes him feel even shabbier. Back in New York with a recording of the proposed show in hand, Vic and Kim are summoned to a 2 AM meeting with Evans immediately upon Vic's arrival. The newly-compliant Vic—now with thoughts of a family to feed—finds himself groveling like everyone else in the room, and realizes it is not for him. Even though Evans liked the show, Vic gets up, tells Evans off for his imperious and belittling behavior, and strides out of the room. Outside in Kay's car, Vic announces their marriage will have to wait until he can regain his earning power. She replies that the kind of money he thinks he needs and believes she'd both desire and deserve isn't important—that he "can sell things with dignity and taste." He reaches in his pocket, fetches out his last pocket money, and hurls it up the street. "Now we're starting with exactly nothing," he says, "it's neater that way." ===== Stan, Kyle, Kenny, and Cartman visit the Booktastic Bus, a mobile library. They are initially intrigued, but become uninterested in reading after meeting the strange driver. Word spreads that a pervert is molesting chickens in town. When Officer Barbrady starts the investigation, he is confronted with his illiteracy. He resigns in shame and anarchy immediately breaks out. Later, he is put into the boys' class to learn to read. Barbrady recruits the boys to help him with his task, showing his knowledge of the police code. From then on, Cartman patrols the town on his Big Wheel, enforcing his own brand of justice. The molester is finally caught in the petting zoo and turns out to be the bookmobile driver. He plotted this all along to encourage Barbrady to learn to read. After being given a copy of Ayn Rand's Atlas Shrugged, Barbrady knocks down the man with a club to the head to teach Cartman how to properly deal with criminals. The town holds a parade for Barbrady, and when he is asked to give a speech, he reveals how Atlas Shrugged convinced him to never read again. ===== The initial stages of the novel are told in the first person, from the narrative voice of a woman who travels to India, to find out more about her step-grandmother, Olivia. She has various letters written by Olivia, and through reading these, and learning from her own experiences in India, she uncovers the truth about Olivia and her life during the British Raj in the 1920s. Through the use of flashbacks the reader experiences the story from Olivia's point of view. We discover that Olivia, although at first glance she seems simply to be a proper Englishwoman, is actually smothered by British social restrictions, and longs for excitement. She meets the Nawab, who instantly charms her, and gradually lets her into his life. Olivia is drawn to the charm and charisma of the Nawab, and he slowly gains control over her, as he does with other characters such as Harry. Harry is portrayed as weak due to his homosexuality and inability to withstand the Indian climate and food. Olivia eventually becomes pregnant with the Nawab's baby, and out of fear decides to abort the child. This causes scandal in the town of Satipur. She then resides in an unnamed town ("Town X") for her remaining years. The novel ends with the present-day narrator (whose name is not mentioned) also becoming pregnant, deciding to spend her years in Town X, just as Olivia did. ===== Sultan Mangogul of Congo is bored of court life and suspects his mistress Mirzoza of infidelity. Happily for him, a genie presents him with a magical ring with unique properties. When the ring is rubbed and pointed at the genitals of any woman in the vicinity, the genitals ("discreet jewels") begin speaking of their past amorous experiences to the confusion and consternation of their owner. In the book, the Sultan uses the ring in this manner about thirty times—usually at a dinner or a social meeting; on these occasions, the Sultan is typically visible to the woman. However, since the ring has the additional property of making its owner invisible when required, a few of the sexual experiences recounted are through direct observation with the Sultan making himself invisible and placing his person in the unsuspecting woman's boudoir. ===== ;The Beginning Chaos arises in the now-failing Hacienda Buenavista, located in the province of Punta Verde, with a revolution forming among its farmers. Doña Benita Buenavista (Liza Lorena) orders her youngest son, Diego Buenavista (Jestoni Alarcon) to summon his older brother, Eduardo (Tonton Gutierrez). Unbeknownst to them, Eduardo is currently consummating his love with Amor de Jesus ( Eula Valdes), a maid from the hacienda, who he is in a secret relationship with. Amor hides under the bed, while Eduardo leaves with Diego to aid their mother. Doña Benita expresses her distress with their family's falling empire, and finds that the only solution to their financial troubles would be if Eduardo marries the mayor's daughter. Amor, who is now back in the mansion, overhears their conversation. As Benita leaves, Eduardo reassures Amor that he will not give in to his mother's desires. Unfortunately, Benita overhears; she degrades Amor, embarrassing her while making false accusations that she is only with Eduardo for wealth. Desperate to get rid of Amor, Benita orders her henchmen to throw her out of the mansion and restrain Eduardo. However, Eduardo chases after his lover. Out of desperation, Benita orders Diego, who is also in love with Amor, to do everything at all costs to separate them. Diego, who is also desperate for his mother's love and affection, gives in to her plans. Diego offers Amor a lift to her love shack with Eduardo, claiming his brother will soon follow. Benita then makes false claims that Amor left with Diego and insinuates that Eduardo follows them. Meanwhile, Diego attempts to rape Amor; Eduardo arrives, catching the two, and falsely accuses Amor of cheating on him. Amor chases Eduardo back to the mansion, begging for his mercy and for Diego to tell the truth. Under his mother's commands, Diego lies and clams that he has had a relationship with Amor long before she was with Eduardo, and that they planned to embezzle money from the hacienda and move away from Punta Verde. Eduardo believes Diego, thus, disowning Amor. He throws her into the trash, claiming the scent of her unfaithfulness will forever be stuck to her identity. With nowhere to go, Amor goes to the church, where she encounters a priest. The kind priest offers her to stay at the church while he goes to the Hacienda Buenavista to clear things up with Eduardo for Amor. However, the priest comes into contact with Benita, and after being blackmailed, is forced to banish Amor from the church and also Punta Verde. Finally homeless, Amor leaves Punta Verde and returns to the Talimpao dumpsite, where she resides with her mother. With Amor out of the picture, Benita sets her plan into motion to make Eduardo marry Claudia Zalameda (Jean Garcia), the daughter of the mayor of Punta Verde. Meanwhile, Amor finds out that she is pregnant with Eduardo's child and, out of anger at the Buenavistas, tries to kill the child. Amor decides to keep the child and sees an image on a newspaper of Eduardo and Claudia's union. Amor lets out a cry of anger and despair and promises that one day she will return and have her vengeance against the Buenavistas. Two years pass; Amor has given birth to a baby girl named María Amor. Wanting to provide a better life for her daughter, Amor survives by working as a female escort and dancer at a nightclub, together with her friend, Lourdes Magpantay (Amy Austria). Amor catches the eye of a rich African-American man named James Powers (James Cooper). Amor decides to leave her daughter with her mother, Chayong (Perla Bautista), and go with James to the United States in order to seek a better future for María Amor. As a keepsake, Amor leaves a bracelet with her daughter. On the other hand, Eduardo and Claudia marriage was proven to be a disaster, however, they produced a son named Angelo; Eduardo had become a drunk, while Claudia had become a woman of foul-language and cruel character. Later on, Diego confronts Benita about her lies, stating that she never loved him the way she loved Eduardo and only used him as a pawn to breakup Amor and Eduardo, and blames her for all of the misfortunes that happened to their family. Benita tries to chase after Diego to explain but, unfortunately, suffers a heart attack. Benita begs Claudia to help her, however, she chooses to leave her on the staircase to die. While on her deathbed, Benita seeks forgiveness from Eduardo, while trying to explain that she was the one who broke his relationship with Amor. However, she was unable to do so and died shortly after. After the funeral, Eduardo attempts to make amends with Diego and decides to give him the hacienda. However, Claudia fabricates documents claiming that Diego has been embezzling money; Eduardo banishes Diego from the hacienda. Attempting to forget Amor, Eduardo tries to open up his heart to Claudia; the two have sex and are summoned after a fire has broken out in a hut in the hacienda. In horror, Eduardo watches his love shack with Amor go to ruins. Meanwhile, a large landslide in the Talimpao dumpsite separated María Amor from her grandmother. Chayong is killed after a roll of garbage boulders at her, while María Amor survives after being placed under trash. The next day, the gravity of the situation unfolds as it is revealed that thousands of people lost their lives and homes. Among the people who lost their home is Belen (Eva Darren) and Isko Macaspac (Cris Daluz). Isko finds María Amor underneath the garbage and, coming to the conclusion that her family is dead, decides to adopt her; a small box is placed with the toddler. Belen and Isko find a drawing of Amor inside of the box with the word "Ynamorata." They assume that is the child's mother's name and decide to name her "Ynamorata Macaspac" or "Yna" for short. ;Story The story begins with the romance between Amor de Jesús (Eula Valdez) and Eduardo Buenavista (Tonton Gutierrez). Eduardo's mother, Doña Benita (Liza Lorena), opposes the relationship since Amor was a housemaid and because she wanted Eduardo to marry Claudia Zalameda (Jean Garcia) for political reasons. Doña Benita asked Eduardo's older brother, Diego (Jestoni Alarcon), who was also attracted to Amor, to separate them. Upon seeing Diego trying to rape Amor, Eduardo mistook it as them having a relationship, breaking his heart and prompts him to marry Claudia. The now-pregnant Amor was banished from the Buenavista hacienda and she returns to her mother in Manila, who was living at the Payatas dumpsite. She vows revenge on the Buenavista family when she learns that Eduardo has married Claudia. After giving birth to her daughter, María Amor (Kristine Hermosa), Amor and her friend, Lourdes (Amy Austria-Ventura), survived by working in clubs. Amor caught the eye of a rich American named James Powers (James Cooper), who brings her to the United States. She leaves María Amor and her mother, Chayong (Perla Bautista), behind at the dumpsite and sends money to them from time to time. James Powers proves abusive towards Amor, forbidding her from returning home when a landslide hit the dumpsite. Amor, thinking that her mother and daughter had died, and in retaliation for all his abuses towards her, does not get her husband medical help when he suffered a stroke. James Powers dies and Amor inherits his fortune. Eduardo and Claudia have two children: Angelo (Jericho Rosales) and Lia (Jodi Sta. Maria). Eduardo is the governor of the province of Punta Verde while Claudia has become the ever-elusive queen of illegal gambling in Punta Verde. Angelo is a rebel who dislikes his father while Lia is a sweet, devout Catholic teenager who cares for the feelings of her loved ones. Amor's daughter survives the landslide and is adopted by Isko (Cris Daluz) and Belen Macaspac (Eva Darren). The couple found drawings Eduardo made for Amor, signed "Ynamorata" near the abandoned child, so they decided to call the little girl they found Ynamorata. Isko and Belen have their own children: Caloy, who hates Yna, and teenager Flerida (Hazel Ann Mendoza). Doña Benita regretted forcing Eduardo to marry Claudia, as her daughter-in-law turned out to be cruel. On her deathbed, she tried to explain that she was the one who broke Eduardo's relationship with Amor, but died before being able to do so. To atone for her sins, Doña Benita's spirit haunts the dreams of the grown Yna. Twenty years later, Yna and Eduardo accidentally meet, and Yna dreams of Doña Benita showing her that her past lies in the Buenavista family. Intrigued, she gets a job working as a housemaid in Eduardo's household. Yna and Angelo fall in love, much to Claudia's chagrin. She looks down on housemaids and servants, and actively makes Yna's life a living hell. Amor Powers returns to the Philippines after making a name for herself in the business world in the United States. Amor had been planning her revenge on the Buenavistas, whom she blames for her past sufferings, as well as the assumed death of María Amor. The dilemma was that, after finding out that Yna's true father was Eduardo, Angelo and Yna were therefore thought to be half-siblings. It was later revealed that Angelo's biological father was not Eduardo, nor was it Simon Barcial (John Arcilla), Claudia's former, impoverished lover. Angelo's biological father was later revealed to be Eduardo's brother, Diego (who was also revealed to be adopted), who sired Angelo with a poor woman named Thelma, who had later died. It also turns out that Claudia had a daughter with Simon. Claudia's father switched the babies after Doña Benita demanded a male heir (the boy that replaced the girl was revealed to be Angelo). The daughter was Clarissa (Dianne dela Fuente) and she was raised by an old woman named Puríng (Anita Linda) as María Amor. Puring had Clarissa believe she was Maria Amor de Jesús, the daughter of Amor. To exact revenge on Amor, Claudia kills María Amor/Clarissa, but was deeply crushed when she later learned the girl's true identity. Her heart filled with more anger towards Amor, as well as regret. Claudia, together with Coring (Minnie Aguilar) and her henchmen, planned to kill the entire Buenavista family at Yna and Angelo's wedding. Thus, confronting them while holding a gun. But everyone especially Angelo and Lia made her realize how important she is to them and how she should bring out the goodness in her heart that was once filled with evil, hatred, greed and revenge. She realizes everything after Lia and Angelo gave her a hug and reconciles with everyone at the wedding. People from the wedding especially Amor and Angelo also asked forgiveness from Claudia, which she immediately accepted. While she was kneeling in front of everyone, she sees Clarissa's spirit at the altar and begs forgiveness. Claudia was forgiven by everyone but because of her past crimes, she was sentenced to lifelong imprisonment. And a little while later, Amor gave her Clarissa's ashes. Five years later, each of the major characters are happy and reunited with their true loves: Yna becomes pregnant and marries Angelo, Claudia meets her granddaughter from her now-deceased daughter, Lia. Afterwards, she and Simon married each other inside prison. Meanwhile, Amor and Eduardo decided to live happily as a couple and married each other after 27 years of their unbreakable love for each other. ===== Steven Davis comes home one day to find a letter from his wife, Diane, coldly stating she has left him and intends to get a divorce. He finds himself baffled as to what led her to do this, and over time becomes increasingly depressed. Diane's departure prompts him to give up cigarettes, and he begins to suffer nicotine withdrawal. Diane's lawyer, William Humboldt, calls Steve with plans to meet with the two of them for lunch. He decides on the Gotham Café, and sets a date. Steve's lawyer is unable to attend due to a family crisis. Despite his lawyer's warnings, however, Steve is determined to keep the date and see Diane again. While waiting he impulsively buys an umbrella, despite the weather being clear and sunny. Upon entering, he finds the maître d', eventually revealed to be named Guy, apparently in the beginnings of a psychotic break, talking senselessly about a non-existent dog. Convening with Diane and Humboldt at a table near the kitchen, Steve pleads with his estranged wife for an explanation. Much to Steve's consternation, she refuses to go into details and regards him with a mixture of apprehension and contempt. They immediately fall into petty squabbling as Humboldt attempts to get the meeting back on track. Suddenly, Guy the maître d' makes a surprise reappearance, homicidally insane, screaming "Eeeee!", ranting in word salad, and brandishing a chef's knife. Going berserk, Guy brutally kills Humboldt. Steve briefly fends off the lunatic with his umbrella, then drags the helplessly terrified Diane into the kitchen. Guy gives chase and leaves the café's cook with a grisly injury. Desperately struggling to hold off the lunatic, Steve implores Diane to unbolt the rear entrance door so they can both escape, but she remains in a state of gaping shock. Steve is able to incapacitate Guy by dousing him with scalding water, and hitting him with a metal frying pan. After finally escaping both the Café and Guy, Steve attempts to make sure Diane is all right. Diane recoils from his touch, and rants at him venomously. Devoid of any shred of gratitude for his protection, the events of the last few minutes have only reinforced her perception of Steve as a bullying control freak, and she's decided it is time to stand up to him. When Steve tries to point out that he just saved her life, Diane flatly denies that he did. Incredulous and overwhelmed with fury, he loses interest in reconciliation; Diane's self-empowering harangue is sharply interrupted by Steve slapping her across the face. After attempting to wound him with spurious claims of extramarital lovers, Diane leaves him for good. As Steve sits on the curb watching an ambulance haul away both victims and the heavily- restrained Guy, he is left wondering about Guy's private life, and the nature of insanity. He imagines Guy living in a similar situation to his own, driven insane by the irrationality of his wife, whom he may have murdered before coming to work this day, and the constant barking of the neighbor's dog. Under his breath, he starts to say, "Eeeee," perhaps wondering what appeal going insane might hold... ===== A small Castilian town, Villar del Río is alerted to an upcoming visit of American diplomats; the town begins preparations to impress the American visitors, in the hopes of benefiting under the Marshall Plan. Hoping to demonstrate the side of Spanish culture with which the visiting American officials will be most accustomed, the citizens don unfamiliar Andalusian costumes, hire a renowned flamenco performer, and re-decorate their town in Andalusian style. A flamenco impresario (Manolo Morán) who spent time in Boston advises the locals to think of what they will ask from the Americans. On the eve of the Americans' visit, three of the central characters dream of stereotypical American culture and history, based uniquely on their lives and experiences. The mayor dreams of a Western-like bar brawl, the hidalgo dreams of the arrival of a conquistador on New World shores, and the priest sees the hoods of a Holy Week procession turn into Klansmen dragging him before the Committee on Un-American Activities accompanied by jazz music. Also, a poorer man dreams that the Americans, shown as the Three Kings, fly over his field and parachute a new tractor into his field. The day of the Americans' visit arrives - and the whole town is prepared to put on a show. However, the American motorcade speeds through the village without stopping. The locals are left to remove the decorations and pay for the expenses with their personal belongings - including the flamenco impresario, who gives up a gold ring given to him by the Americans in Boston. ===== Two angels, Hong Luanxing (Jacelyn Tay, the Love Star) and Gu Guaxing (Wong Li-Lin, the Lonesome Star), are sent to Earth as a punishment for breaking a rule in heaven. On Earth, they take on new identities as Song Xingxing, a lawyer, and Song Jingjing, a matchmaker from the Social Development Board. Their punishment is to complete conflicting tasks: Hong Luanxing, the Love Star, now is a lawyer and has to break couples up. Gu Guaxing, the Lonesome Star, now has to pair singles up. Each of them has to break up/pair up 100 couples before their punishment is considered complete. Xingxing and Jingjing fell in love with Ziyan and Yiqin respectively later on in the show. In the end, both of the angels went back to heaven after completing their punishments and Xingxing broke another rule on purpose again in order to be sent back to Earth, so that she can be with Ziyan again. Yiqin was hit by a coconut on his head and died, thus went to heaven and Jingjing can be with him once again with a happy ending. ===== Laurent Chevalier is a nearly 15-year-old boy living in Dijon in 1954 who loves jazz, always receives the highest grades in his class and who opposes the First Indochina War. He has an unloving father Charles, who is a gynecologist, an affectionate Italian mother, Clara, and two older brothers, Thomas and Marc. Thomas and Marc are notorious pranksters, while Laurent engages in taboos such as shoplifting and masturbation. Laurent also witnesses Clara meeting with a lover, and upset with the adultery, runs to tell Charles. Charles, busy with his practice, angrily turns him away. One night, Thomas and Marc take Laurent to a brothel, where Laurent loses his virginity to a prostitute, Freda, before they are disrupted by his drunken brothers. Upset, Laurent leaves on a scouting trip, where he catches scarlet fever and is left with a heart murmur. Laurent is bedridden and cared for and entertained by Clara and their maid Augusta. Laurent's teacher at his Catholic school suggests that Laurent's illness has matured him, so that he has made progress in his studies, and urges Clara to treat him more like an adult. As Laurent requires treatment at a sanatorium, he and Clara check into a hotel. Due to an error by Charles' secretary Solange, the hotel books one room for both Clara and Laurent, and given the hotel is completely full, hotel staff cannot offer an additional room. Laurent takes interest in two young girls at the hotel, Hélène and Daphne, and also spies on his mother in the bathtub. Though Laurent pursues Hélène, Hélène says she is not ready for sex; Laurent accuses her of being a lesbian. Clara temporarily leaves with her lover, but comes back distraught after their breakup, and is comforted by her son. After a night of heavy drinking on Bastille Day, Laurent and Clara have sex. Clara tells him afterwards that this incest will not be repeated, but that they should not look back on it with remorse. Afterwards, Laurent leaves their room, and after unsuccessfully trying to seduce Hélène, spends the night with Daphne. ===== The plot centers around a young ex-prisoner who takes up boxing ("Tekken" is Japanese for "iron fist"). ===== The story opens with a brief first-person account of the funeral of Emily Grierson, an elderly Southern woman whose funeral is the obligation of their small town. It then proceeds in a non- linear fashion to the narrator's recollections of Emily's archaic and increasingly strange behavior throughout the years. Emily is a member of a family of the antebellum Southern aristocracy. After the Civil War, the family falls into hard times. She and her father, the last two of the clan, continue to live as if in the past; Emily's father refuses for her to marry. Her father dies when Emily is about the age of 30, which takes her by surprise. She refuses to give up his corpse, and the townspeople write it off as her grieving process. The townspeople pity Emily not only after her father's death but also during his life when he wouldn't let Emily marry. Emily depended heavily on her father, believing he would never leave her; he was all she had. After her father's death, the only person seen moving about Emily's home is Tobe, a black man serving as Emily's butler. He is frequently seen entering and exiting the house for groceries. Although Emily did not have a strong relationship with her community, she did give art lessons to young children within her town at the age of forty. A prime reason why she gave art lessons was her financial problem since she was running out of money. The townspeople make cruel comments and nasty looks behind Miss Emily's back, as she wasn't respected in her town. With the acceptance of her father's death, Emily somewhat revives, even changing the style of her hair, and becomes friendly with Homer Barron. He is a Northern laborer who comes to town shortly after Mr. Grierson's death. The connection surprises some of the community while others are glad she is taking an interest; however, "Homer likes men and claims that he is not a marrying man." This draws attention to Homer's questionable sexuality in the story. Emily shortly buys arsenic from a druggist in town, presumably to kill rats, however, the townspeople are convinced that she will use it to poison herself. Emily's distant cousins are called into town by the minister's wife to supervise Miss Emily and Homer Barron. Homer leaves town for some time, reputedly to give Emily a chance to get rid of her cousins, and returns three days later after the cousins have left. After he is observed entering Miss Emily's home one evening, Homer is never seen alive again. Despite these turnabouts in her social status, Emily continues to behave mysteriously, as she had before her father died. Her reputation is such that the city council finds itself unable to confront her about a strong smell that has begun to emanate from the house. They believed Tobe was unable to maintain the house and something was rotting, unaware that a death has occurred. Instead, the council decide to send men to her house under the cover of darkness to sprinkle lime around the house, after which the smell dissipates. The mayor of the town, Colonel Sartorius, makes a gentleman's agreement to overlook her taxes as an act of charity, though it is done under a pretense of repayment towards her father, to assuage Emily's pride after her father's death. Years later, when the next generation has come to power, Emily insists on this informal arrangement, flatly refusing that she owes any taxes, stating "I have no taxes in Jefferson." After this, the council declines to press the issue due to her stubbornness. Emily has become a recluse: she is never seen outside of the house, and only rarely accepts people into it. The community eventually comes to view her as a "hereditary obligation" on the town, who must be humored and tolerated. The funeral is a large affair: Emily had become an institution, so her death sparks a great deal of curiosity about her reclusive nature and what remains of her house. After she is buried, a group of townsfolk enters her house to see what remains of her life there. Tobe walked out of the house and was never seen again, giving the townspeople access to Miss Emily's home. The door to her upstairs bedroom is locked, and some of the townsfolk break down the door to see what has been hidden for so long. Inside, among the possessions that Emily had bought for Homer, lies the decomposed corpse of Homer Barron on the bed. On the pillow beside him is the indentation of a head and a single strand of gray hair, indicating that Emily had slept with Homer's corpse. The house is an indicator revealing how Emily struggled to keep everything the same, in a frozen time period, avoiding change. ===== When Storm Warning begins, Emperor Charliss, the Eastern Emperor (first mentioned in Winds of Fury) knows he is dying and must name a successor. Grand Duke Tremane, a Commander in the Army, is currently his favorite choice. Tremane is sent to Hardorn, a country the Imperial Army recently invaded after the Hardornen King, Ancar, was killed by a group of assassins from Valdemar. Tremane understands that he must succeed in this mission or he will be killed. Meanwhile, in Haven, the capital city of Valdemar, An'desha shena Jor'ethan, a young Shin'a'in Adept, is feeling lonely. While Adept Firesong k'Treva, his lover, is perfectly at home in Haven, An'desha feels left out and alien. He spends almost all of his time in Firesong's ekele, an environment something like a cross between a sukkah and a treehouse and something like the flets of the elves in Tolkien's The Lord of the Rings, where he meditates and tends the plants in the garden. However, he has been having premonitions of approaching doom. Neither he nor Firesong can explain these premonitions. Also, An'desha has an Adept-class (the highest level of ability of magic) potential, but refuses to be trained, believing his powers to be tainted by Falconsbane, by whom An'desha was earlier possessed. Ambassador Ulrich of Karse has been sent with his assistant, Karal Austreben, a novice Sun-priest, to negotiate peace between Karse and Valdemar. At the border, a single escort arrives, who seems to Karal to be some sort of Court official dressed in white and mounted on a white stallion; he later discovers this man is a Herald. As they ride north, Karal examines himself and his attitudes towards the people of Valdemar and the Heralds. Karsites are taught to fear the Heralds and Mages, who are said to have "witch powers". On their arrival in Haven they are greeted by the Seneschal, Lord Palinor, Kyril, the Seneschal's Herald, and Prince-Consort Daren. Karel is glad of the rest, but as the weeks pass, begins to feel lonely. Talia, the Queen's Own Herald, introduces him to An'desha. Karal and Ulrich, much to Firesong's chagrin and jealousy, help An'desha to become less afraid of his power, as well as to become more independent. ===== The Springfield Investorettes -- Maude Flanders, Helen Lovejoy, Agnes Skinner, Luann Van Houten and Edna Krabappel -- expel Marge from their investment group because she is wary of high-risk ventures. The group returns Marge's $500 initial investment and Lisa convinces her to use the money to buy her own franchise. To compete with the Investorettes' Fleet-A-Pita franchise, Marge buys a Pretzel Wagon, franchised by its owner, Frank Ormand. Marge parks her Pretzel Wagon outside the Springfield Nuclear Power Plant and Homer persuades his coworkers to patronize it. The Investorettes' Fleet-A-Pita van parks nearby and lures away Marge's customers. To drum up business, the Pretzel Wagon sponsors Free Pretzel Day at the Springfield Isotopes baseball stadium. Before fans can consume their pretzels, they learn that Mr. Burns has won a 1997 Pontiac Astro Wagon when an announcement blares from a loudspeaker. The fans react angrily to the news and bombard the field with pretzels, knocking out Whitey Ford. Marge's efforts end in vain again and she becomes deeply depressed, so Homer searches for someone who can help her. After discovering that Frank Ormand has died in a car accident along with the executor of his estate, Homer establishes a secret business agreement with Fat Tony, the Springfield Mafia don. The next day, Marge receives a surprisingly large order for pretzels, reinvigorating the Pretzel Wagon. The mob drives several of Marge's competitors out of business through intimidation, eventually destroying the Investorettes' Fleet-A-Pita van with a car bomb. Soon, Marge receives an order to be delivered to a remote location on the outskirts of town, where she is approached by Fat Tony and his gang. He informs her of the deal he made with Homer and claims that he is entitled to a 100% stake of Marge's profits. Marge confronts Homer and he explains that he was only trying to help. She then refuses to pay Fat Tony and continues making pretzels. As the mob advances on Marge, the Investorettes arrive with the Japanese yakuza to counter Marge's alliance with Fat Tony. The rival gangs get into a brutal fight and the Simpsons retreat into their house. Marge forgives Homer for meddling and making the situation worse, and instructs the kids to go back to bed when they overhear the racket caused by the gangs. ===== South Island has been peaceful since Dr. Robotnik's defeat. Sonic, bored, decides to go on a journey in search of other adventures. Upon his return, he is shocked to find the island nearly abandoned. The only clue as to where all his friends might have disappeared to was Tails being chased by Dr. Robotnik. Sonic chases after him, but he is too late to save Tails. Sonic finds out that he's been kidnapped by Dr. Robotnik and is being held in a place called Crystal Egg. The price for Tails' safe return are the 6 Chaos Emeralds, to be delivered to 6 new boss robots. Thus, Sonic goes on a quest to find the Chaos Emeralds and rescue Tails. ===== The Adventures of Teddy Ruxpin follows young Teddy Ruxpin as he leaves his home on the island of Rillonia with his best friend Grubby to follow an ancient map which leads him to find a collection of crystals on the mainland of Grundo. With the help of his new friend Dr. Newton Gimmick, Teddy and Grubby discover the magical powers of what turns out to be an ancestral treasure as well as an organization with ambitions to use it for evil known as M.A.V.O. (short for Monsters and Villains Organization). Along the way, Teddy learns the long-lost history of his species and clues to the location of his missing father.Lovable Teddy Ruxpin evolves from toy to animated star of his own half-hour program thanks to Crawley Films, Toronto Star – October 31, 1987 ===== While his cousin Rusty Williams (Jay Kirby) is away at Agricultural College, prospector Shorty (Moe) fills in at Rusty's struggling Reno, Nevada spread as the ranch foreman. He spends his time looking for an angle at the Wagon Wheel Cafe Casino, and hooks up with two vagrants (Larry and Curly) after they accidentally win big at roulette. Along with two stranded New York singers (Mary Beth Hughes, Gladys Blake) and their money, the Stooges and the girls head for the ranch with prospecting plans. Rusty returns home with hope that investor Sam Clemens (Forrest Taylor) will save the ranch's cattle and mining operations, and finds Shorty and the gang's plans interfering. Complicating matters further, inept ranch hands (The Hoosier Hotshots) mistake Clemens for a cattle rustler, and Shorty, Curly and Larry cook up a scheme to get the girls an audition with a vacationing Broadway producer (Tim Ryan). ===== At Moe's Tavern, Homer notices that Moe is depressed because he cannot get a date. Homer decides to take Moe out to meet a woman. The trip to a disco proves to be unsuccessful, but on their way home, a flower vendor named Renee starts a conversation with Moe, and he ends up asking her out. Moe and Renee seem to form a strong relationship, but Moe is insecure about his hold on her and he feels he must spend large amounts of money so she will stay with him. Upon maxing out his credit card, Moe comes up with a scheme to commit insurance fraud by having Homer steal his car and park it on train tracks so it would be destroyed. The night the scheme is supposed to take place, Moe and Renee attend a police charity event aboard a yacht; the event's attendance by all the officers in town ensures Homer will not get caught perpetrating the scheme, and gives Moe an alibi so that no one will suspect he was behind the act. Homer botches the plan by stopping to watch a drive-in movie, while the train they were counting on to destroy Moe's car passes by. Deciding all is not lost, Homer drives the car over a cliff — but his attempt to exit the car before it sinks into the water below fails. The car ends up sinking just near the yacht where the police charity event is taking place, and when Homer swims to the surface, he is arrested. Moe speaks to Homer through the bars of his jail cell window and promises to bail him out, but changes his mind when Renee talks about wanting to vacation in Hawaii. While packing for the trip, Moe is confronted by his own conscience, in the form of Homer, who makes him feel bad for his betrayal. Moe ends up telling Renee the truth about the insurance fraud scheme, and she is at first happy he was honest. However, when Moe starts scheming again for a way to get Homer out of jail without paying the bail, Renee is disgusted and leaves him. Moe's idea involved setting his bar on fire, which he ends up doing by accident as he realizes Renee has left. Meanwhile, Homer escapes jail by attacking Hans Moleman, who was delivering books to the inmates. He enters the burning bar to confront Moe, and the two start fighting. They are both soon rendered unconscious from smoke inhalation, but Barney appears and rescues them. The bar is completely destroyed, and during their reconciliation Homer promises to help Moe get back on his feet. In the final scene, Homer has allowed Moe to temporarily relocate his bar to the Simpsons' home. ===== In 2005, U.S. Army librarian Corporal Joe Bauers is selected for a suspended animation experiment as the "most average" individual in the entire armed forces. Lacking a suitable female candidate, the military hires a prostitute named Rita, and bribes her pimp Upgrayedd. When the officer in charge is arrested for running his own prostitution ring under Upgrayedd's tutelage, the experiment is forgotten. Over the next five centuries, societal expectations lead the most intelligent humans to choose not to have children while the least intelligent reproduce indiscriminately, creating increasingly dumber generations. In 2505, Joe and Rita's suspension chambers are unearthed by the collapse of a mountain-sized garbage pile; Joe's chamber crashes into the apartment of Frito Pendejo. Wandering what was once Washington, D.C., Joe is faced with a population that has become profoundly anti-intellectual, speaking only low registers of English and wallowing in overconsumption and crass popular entertainment. Their technology is advanced but often malfunctioning, driven by garish commercialism. Believing that he is hallucinating after only a year of hibernation, Joe enters a hospital and realizes the truth. He is arrested for not having a bar code tattoo to pay for his doctor's appointment, and is sent to prison after being assigned the grossly incompetent Pendejo as his lawyer. Rita also escapes her chamber and resumes work as a prostitute, but soon realizes that people have become so stupid that she can charge customers money without actual services. Joe is renamed "Not Sure" by a faulty speech-recognition tattooing machine and takes a rudimentary IQ test, then tricks a guard by claiming that he is meant to be released, and simply walks out the door. He finds Frito, who reveals that a time machine exists to return him to 2005, and Joe bribes him with promises of riches through compound interest on a bank account he will open for Frito in the 21st century. Leading Joe and Rita to the time machine, Frito takes them into a gigantic Costco store, where Joe is identified by a tattoo scanner and apprehended. Taken to the White House, Joe is appointed Secretary of the Interior, as the IQ test identified him as the most intelligent person alive. President Camacho introduces Joe to the legislative body, and gives him the impossible job of fixing the nationwide food shortages, dust bowls, and crippled economy within a week. Joe discovers that the nation's crops are irrigated with Brawndo, a "thirst mutilator" whose parent corporation purchased the FDA, FCC, and USDA. When Joe has the irrigation system replaced with water drawn from toilets, Brawndo's stock drops to zero and half of the population lose their jobs, causing mass riots. Joe is sentenced to die in a monster truck demolition derby featuring undefeated "rehabilitation officer" Beef Supreme. However, Beef's oversized vehicle is crushed trying to enter the arena, and Joe manages to defeat the other vehicles. Rita and Frito discover that Joe's reintroduction of water to the soil has allowed vegetation to grow. They arrange for the sprouting crops to be shown on the stadium's Jumbotron, prompting Camacho to give Joe a presidential pardon. Joe and Rita decide to stay in the future, though discover they had no choice as the "time masheen" Frito mentioned is merely a childishly inaccurate history-themed amusement ride. Following Camacho's term, Joe is elected president and marries Rita. They conceive the world's three smartest children, while new Vice President Frito takes eight wives and fathers thirty-two of the world's stupidest children. In a post-credits scene, Upgrayedd awakens from his own suspension chamber and sets off in search of Rita. ===== The three men - Peter, Michael, and Jack - are living happily together with Mary, who is now five, and her mother, Sylvia. Peter and Michael continue their careers as an architect and cartoonist, while Jack has very few acting roles. Sylvia has become a famous actress and is dating her director Edward who wishes to marry her, but Sylvia is unsure how it will affect Mary. Sylvia and Peter are clearly in love with each other, although Peter has difficulty admitting his true feelings. When visiting, Sylvia's mother advises her daughter that Peter may never be able to properly express or admit his true feelings. Sylvia, realizing she wants to get married and start a real family, accepts Edward's marriage proposal and announces to the group that she and Mary will be moving to the United Kingdom after the wedding. The group invites Edward to a get together at the apartment. Peter tells Edward that he has no experience with children and believes he won't be a good father for Mary. When Edward leaves, Sylvia confronts Peter about his behavior, leading to a falling out when Sylvia tells Peter he is selfish and Peter reminds Sylvia about abandoning Mary during the events of the first film. Sylvia and Mary leave the next day for the UK. This depresses Peter, Michael and Jack, who attempt to cheer themselves by renewing their bachelor lifestyle and throwing a party, but still find themselves miserable without Mary or Sylvia. The gang decides to go to the UK to visit Mary, who is miserable and lonely without them. Peter and Michael (Jack plans to fly over later) are reunited with Mary and Sylvia at the rehearsal dinner. Peter is introduced to Miss Elspeth Lomax, headmistress of Pileforth Academy for Girls, who takes a liking to Peter. Edward leads her to believe that Peter has feelings for her, but has difficulty admitting them. Peter and Sylvia reconcile, apologizing for their previous behavior. With the wedding fast approaching, Peter is troubled to hear Mary reveal that Edward dislikes her. Peter and Michael realize that Edward intends to pack Mary off to the Pileforth boarding school, but Edward denies everything and Sylvia refuses to believe Peter, knowing he has disliked Edward from the beginning. In the middle of the argument, Jack arrives and Sylvia and Edward leave. Jack confronts Peter about his true feelings for Sylvia, and Peter finally admits he always expected Jack and Sylvia would reconcile and he ultimately would have caused everyone to get hurt. Jack assures Peter that Sylvia loves only him and he must be true to his feelings. The night before the wedding, Peter goes to Pileforth in a successful attempt to get proof of Edward's scheme, but Elspeth believes that Peter is finally admitting his "feelings" for her and she reciprocates. After initial surprise and then unsuccessfully attempting to deflect her advances, Peter manages to get away. When his car breaks down, he calls Jack and Michael, confirming he has the proof, but he will be delayed. Michael, Jack and Mary conspire to stall the wedding. Michael kidnaps the vicar and Jack disguises himself as an elderly replacement. Peter, with help from Elspeth, heads to the wedding and during the ride, she confesses that Edward informed her of Peter's affections. Peter reveals that Edward made it all up, but apologizes for the misunderstanding. Peter and Elspeth arrive at the church after numerous delays. He confronts Sylvia with the truth, Elspeth herself confirming that Edward has been lying and his trying to defend himself prompts Mary to accuse him of lying again. Edward reveals his true colors when he then swears at Mary and Peter in turn knocks him out by punching him. Sylvia declares her intention to go home, but Peter stops her and declares his love for her, whereupon Edward re-emerges and states it is too late as they are already married. Jack then reveals himself - not only has he finally proven his acting skills, but the marriage is null and void. Peter and Sylvia wed with Mary as their bridesmaid, who afterwards throws the bouquet into the air and it is caught by an obviously shocked Jack. ===== Stella Payne is a very successful 40-year-old stockbroker raising her son, Quincy, and living in Marin County, California, who is persuaded by her best friend from college, Delilah Abraham, to take a well-deserved, first-class vacation to Montego Bay, Jamaica. As she soaks in the beauty of the island, she encounters a handsome young islander, Winston Shakespeare, who is twenty years her junior. His pursuit of her turns into a blossoming romance that forces Stella to take personal inventory of her life and try to find a balance between her desire for love and companionship, and her responsibilities as a mother and corporate executive. ===== In the 20 years since the events chronicled in The Voyage of the Jerle Shannara, Grianne Ohmsford has become High Druid, or Ard Rhys, of the new Druid Council, but not without misgivings by many over her former life as the evil Ilse Witch. In a bid for power, a group of Druids led by Shadea a'Ru use unorthodox magic called "liquid night" to send Grianne out of the Four Lands and into the Demon-infested world of the Forbidding. Tagwen, Grianne's loyal Dwarf aid, sets out to restore her, seeking the aid of her brother Bek Ohmsford. Finding Bek and his wife Rue Meridian otherwise disposed, Tagwen joins forces with their son Pen, who has a supernatural ability to commune with nature. Advised by the King of the Silver River, they set out in search of the legendary Tanequil tree, which they are told can provide a means to reach Grianne in the Forbidding. They are joined by the elf Ahren Elessedil, now a Druid, and his niece Khyber (heir to the magic Elfstones), as well as the mysteriously empathic Rover girl Cinnaminson, for whom Pen develops strong feelings. Along the way, they are stalked by traitorous Druid minions and their spider-like assassin accomplice, Aphasia Wye. They manage to defeat one of the pursuing Druid airships, but at the cost of Ahren's life and Cinamminson's capture. Meanwhile, Grianne finds the Forbidding to be a dark mirror of the Four Lands. Exploring this horrific land known locally as Jarka Ruus, she encounters an enigmatic and somewhat annoying creature called Weka Dart. After defeating a dragon like creature and knocking Weka Dart out of a tree, she has a frightening encounter with the shade of Brona, the most legendary evil from the Four Lands, and Grianne is captured by a party of Demons. ===== Pen, Khyber, and company rescue Cinnaminson and continue their journey north, pursued continuously by traitorous Druids and the assassin Aphasia Wye. Meanwhile, the traitourous Druids find Pen's parents, Bek and Rue, and they agree to go back to Paranor to help to try to find their son Pen. The senior Ohmsfords recognize the deception and lies that the Druids have been telling them, so Bek attempts to locate Pen by using the magical scrye waters in the depths of Paranor. However, Bek and Rue are captured and unwillingly give Pen's position away. Pen and his friends find allies among the Troll people, led by Kermadec and his semi-estranged brother Atalan, who aid them in locating the mystical Tanequil tree on a ravine-surrounded island. From the Tanequil, Pen receives the enchanted wooden "darkwand," a talisman that can aid him in saving his aunt. However, two of his fingers, as well as Cinnaminson, are taken in exchange. Pen and Aphasia meet in one last confrontation in which the assassin is killed by the Tanequil, but as Pen leaves the island, he finds the rest of his party taken hostage by the enemy Druid traitors. Meanwhile, the corrupt Federation army has unleashed a devastating new airship-mounted weapon in their war against the Elven and Free-born armies. A shape-shifting Demon called the Moric, has crossed over into the Four Lands from the Forbidding in exchange for Grianne's banishment. This creature, who has taken the form of a Druid advisor to the Federation leader, is intent on using the weapon to destroy the Ellcrys tree in Arborlon, which would allow the Demon hordes from the Forbidding to flood into the Four Lands. Finally, caged inside a Demon stronghold in the Forbidding, Grianne discovers the Straken Lord's master plan to have the Ellcrys destroyed, and how he manipulated Grianne's nemesis Shadea a'Ru to advance towards this goal. When Grianne is pitted in a contest against a horde of demonic Furies, she is forced to take a Demon-like form in a desperate attempt to survive. She then finds herself trapped in this form and unable to break free because she is unable to control the Wishsong's hold on her. However, the Straken Lord uses the enchanted conjure collar to subside her magic and she is again turned back to Grianne, but with the magic having taken an effect on her. Grianne's only hope for survival lies in the Straken Lord's former minion, Weka Dart. ===== After receiving the darkwand from the Tanequil tree, Pen Ohmsford finds his companions—the Dwarf Tagwen and a small troll force led by Kermadec and his brother Atalan—captured by Druid forces under the command of the illegitimate High Druid Shadea a'Ru. Pen agrees to be taken prisoner in exchange for their release. The elf-girl Khyber Elessedil, however, manages to stow away on the Druid airship before it leaves for Paranor. Meanwhile, Trefen Morys and Bellizen, Druids still loyal to the banished Ard Rhys, help spring Bek and Rue from Paranor's dungeons. After barely escaping with their lives, Bek is directed in a dream by the King of the Silver River to seek Pen's abandoned friends in Taupo Rough. He is told that Pen has made it into the Forbidding in order to save Grianne Ohmsford (the banished High Druid) and Bek will have to work together with each of Pen's companions to ensure their safe return. In a daring airship rescue, Bek and company save the Trolls and Tagwen from a marauding flood of wraithlike Urdas and return to Paranor, picking up a new army of Kermadec's Trolls along the way. Pen is imprisoned in Paranor and the darkwand is confiscated. Khyber soon springs him free, and together they make their way up to the High Druid's sleeping quarters, where the darkwand is secured. Pen grabs the darkwand and is transported to the realm of the Forbidding, while Khyber is taken prisoner and sentenced to death. On the Prekkendoran Plains, Pied Sanderling, Captain of the Elven Home Guard, successfully rallies the remaining Elven army to repel the advancing Federation forces and take refuge in a besieged Free-born camp. He leads a daring raid on the Federation base and manages to destroy the Dechtera, the airship that bears a devastating crystal-powered fire-launching weapon prototype. Unshaken, Prime Minister of the Federation Sen Dunsidan commissions the building of another such weapon, but continues to refuse the advice of his vizier Iridia, who wants him to attack Arborlon, the Elven capital. He finds out too late that Iridia is a Moric, a changeling Demon who escaped from the Forbidding when Grianne Ohmsford was banished, and is killed along with the weapon engineer Etan Orek. Taking the Prime Minister's form, the Moric takes the newly created weapon upon the airship Zolomach towards Arborlon, with the intent of destroying the Ellcrys tree-the only barrier keeping the armies of Demons from the Forbidding from flooding the Four Lands. Grianne Ohmsford, meanwhile, escapes the stronghold of the Straken Lord with the help of the Straken Lord's turncoat minion Weka Dart, promising him that she will take him back to the Four Lands if at all possible. They are chased through the tunnels under the fortress by a huge worm-like Graumth, and in a final stand, Grianne unleashes a powerfully destructive Wishsong that reminds her of her former life as the evil Ilse Witch, although the Wishsong had never before been this powerful or irrepressible. She speculates that her recent forced psychological transformation into a Fury may have awoken this frightening power in her. Escaping the catacombs, Grianne and Weka Dart are found by Pen, who has been guided to her location by the darkwand. Pen, too, has discovered magic within him, magic more powerful than the simple animal communication skills that he had been previously blessed with. Having survived several encounters with a massive dragon, Pen found that the darkwand had awoken in him the magic of the Wishsong, the magic that both his father and his aunt possess, and that it has not fully revealed itself even yet. Together, Pen, Grianne, and Weka Dart travel back to the place where they can use the darkwand to return to the Four Lands. Unfortunately, Grianne is forced to tell Weka Dart that it is unlikely that the darkwand will be able bring Weka back as well, sending him into a frenzy. After being explained to about the world that Grianne is returning to, he decided not to go to the world after all. He leaves in the middle of the night, never to be seen again. Pen and Grianne prepare to transport back to Paranor. Having returned to Paranor to help Pen and Grianne when they return, Bek, Rue, and Tagwen sneak in through a tunnel of Tagwen's finding, while Kermadec and his Troll army besiege the keep. Using a secret passage to the Ard Rhys' chambers, they discover Khyber, who escaped her executioners, hiding in the shadows. They find that Shadea a'Ru and her followers have set an inescapable magic trap, called a triagenel, in the chamber to incapacitate Grianne should she return from the Forbidding. Through the combined powers of Bek's Wishsong and Khyber's elfstones, the two manage to weaken the triagenel so that Grianne will be able to break free when it collapses upon her and Pen. Pen and Grianne return to Paranor and, after the triagenel is sprung, Grianne unleashes the power of her Wishsong upon it. This not only utterly destroys the triagenel, but also obliterates one of the walls of the room. Grianne sends Pen with his family and Khyber to find the Moric, while she confronts Shadea, Traunt, and Pyson herself. Reinforced at the last minute by Kermadec and his brother Atalan, Grianne defeats Shadea and her followers and retakes her rightful name as Ard Rhys. Aboard the airship Swift Sure, Khyber uses the Elfstones to discover that the Moric has taken the form of Sen Dunsidan and is headed for Arborlon. They catch up to him, and under the guise of a diplomatic meeting, trick him into taking the darkwand which transports both the Moric and the darkwand back into the Forbidding. The Moric is then presumably devoured by Pen's giant dragon. Finally, Grianne, having negotiated an arms treaty calling for the elimination of all crystal-based weapons research, retires as Ard Rhys. She travels with Pen to try to save Pen's girlfriend Cinnaminson, who was transformed into an Aeriad spirit of the Tanequil tree. She is able to, but only by taking the Rover girl's place as an Aeriad. As a spirit, she lives unfettered by both her guilt over her history as the Ilse Witch and her fear of evil awakening in her, and thus finds freedom. ===== For twenty years, the remnants of the human race, fought against the Cybrid oppressors aided by pre-Cybrid Hercs. After the destruction of the Cybrid army, the humans maintained their control on Earth, but another Cybrid army came from space colonies for another attack. The humans were able to prevent initial landings, but were about to face the Cybrids as they built their strength on the moon. ===== The Purple Cloud was reprinted in the June 1949 issue of Famous Fantastic Mysteries The story, a recording of a medium's meditation over the future writing of the text, details the narrator, Adam Jeffson, on an expedition to the North Pole during the 20th century on board the Boreal. Jeffson's fiancée, the Countess Clodagh, poisons her own cousin to secure a place on the ship for Jeffson, because the expedition was known to be one of the best ever planned. A millionaire, who died some years previously, had provided in his will for the payment of millions of dollars to the first person to reach the Pole. Before Jeffson leaves, he hears a priest speaking against polar research, calling the failure of all previous expeditions the will of God, and prophesying a terrible fate for those who attempt to go against God's will. Jeffson remembers meeting with a man who claimed that the universe is a place of strife between vague "powers", "The White" and "The Black", which vie for dominance. Throughout the polar journey, Jeffson discovers that his course has been guided by these mysterious forces. He finds a huge lake of spinning water, with a rocky island inlaid with inscriptions. Upon seeing this, Jeffson faints. When he returns to his camp he feels nauseated after having smelled a peculiar peach-like odour. He also notices a moving purple cloud, spreading in the heavens. During the journey, he discovers dead animals, all without injury, and he learns of the death of his crew. The ship being fairly easy to operate,John D. Squires, "Shiel's Liquid Air Engines in The Purple Cloud",The New York Review of Science Fiction, December 2009, # 256, Vol 22, No 4 (Dec 2009), 6. he sets out by himself. First, he travels towards northern islands, but upon seeing the death of all various races from around the Earth there (the result of an exodus, escaping the death-bringing cloud), and meeting ships crowded with corpses, he comes instead to the dead continent, walking through London, searching for news of the cloud. He looks for any survivors, but finds all barricades broken through by mad crowds. Later, he goes to the house of Arthur Machen (a close friend of Shiel's), whom he finds dead, having been writing a poem until the very end. There, he finds the notebook into which he writes his whole narrative. The later parts of the book describe Jeffson's descent into mad pompousness: adopting Turkish attire, he declares himself monarch and burns down cities (including Paris, Bordeaux, London, and San Francisco) for pleasure. He then commits his life to one task, the construction of a huge and colossal golden palace on the isle of Imbros, which he means to dedicate as an altar to God and a palace to himself. He spends seventeen years on the palace, several times abandoning the work, until its completion, when he recognises the vanity of it. While travelling through Constantinople, which he also burns down, he meets a twenty-year-old naked woman who is without the slightest knowledge of anything in the world. She continues to follow him, no matter how he mistreats her. Gradually, he accepts her, but forces her to wear a veil over her mouth. Her speed at learning astonishes him, so he teaches her to speak, read, cook, fish, and dress. The girl (who is unable to pronounce "r", instead saying "l") reveals that she had lived her whole life in a cellar below the royal palace of Turkey, and that she knew nothing of the world until she was freed when Jeffson burned down Constantinople. She becomes absorbed in the Bible and declares the humans who sought for riches as "spoiled". Jeffson struggles mightily against his growing affection towards the girl, wishing to end the human race. At the end, when he leaves to go to England, she telephones him about the re-appearance of the Purple Cloud over France. He rushes to her, embracing her as his wife and now hoping to find a way to escape the cloud. She tells him to trust that God will not allow her to die. He concludes his writing by saying that he has accepted his role and that after three weeks have passed no purple cloud has appeared, and he looks forward to the two of them becoming the progenitors of future humanity. ===== The series follows Esperanza's search for her real family. Esperanza's parents, Isabel and Juan Salgado, elope and marry without their family's approval, breaking Isabel's betrothal to Jaime Elustre, and Juan’s planned engagement to his long time girlfriend, Sandra. Isabel and Jaime have three children: two daughters and a son. One day Isabel takes them on a bus trip but somehow are separated after an accident. Both Isabel and Juan believe all three perished. The three siblings survive, but due to their very young age with nothing to identify them, are adopted by families in the same neighborhood. The eldest Socorro, renamed Esperanza by a poor family who takes her in but never tells her she is adopted. They treat her like a servant child. She grows up in this sad environment where she is mistreated or ignored by a couple she thinks are her parents, and yet sees them lavish attention towards their own children JunJun and Andrea. Esperanza’s only bright moments while growing up is spending time with her childhood friend and later her sweetheart Anton. Raphael, Esperanza's younger brother is more fortunate. He is rescued by another poor family: Ester and Luis who have a son named Noel, and they treat him as if he were their own son. He thrives in the happy and loving environment and is renamed Danilo. Regina, the youngest of the three siblings, is adopted by a rich couple, Belinda and Mayor Joaquin Montejo who are childless. They rename her Cecille. She grows up in wealth but her parents are controlling and secretly beats her. Esperanza eventually learns about her parentage, and sets out to find out the truth about her real family. She thinks her mother and brother died in the accident, and her adoptive father saves her and youngest sister, Regina but couldn’t support them both so he gives up Regina to the Majors. Danilo and Esperanza stumble upon the newspaper article featuring Juan's story about his search for his missing family. Piecing together the information stated in the article fit their story and both realize they are siblings. While Danilo now knows the truth he initially refuses to join in Esperanza's search for their father because his heart is with the family who loves him and the only family he wants. Esperanza understands and she goes on to tell Cecille the truth, and who begs Esperanza to take her away. Esperanza and Cecille make their escape to Manila, and in the last moment are joined by Danilo. They find their father but learn that their father remarried his ex fiancé, Sandra. All these years, Sandra knows his children are alive and has been keeping this secret from him. Cecille's adoptive father Mayor Montejo takes Cecille once again and discovers that Anton is his son, a product of rape. He works out a deal to exchange Cecile with Anton. Because of his love for Esperanza, Anton agrees, and is sent to America to study, and as the Major hopes, to forget Esperanza. In Manila, Esperanza meets Brian, a new suitor and finds a job as the nurse maid or companion to Isabel Elustre, Jaime's wife. Isabel had suffered a nervous breakdown after she believed her children perished in the bus accident decades ago. In a manic depressed state she agrees to marry her original betrothed, Jaime. Isabel and Jaime do not recognize Esperanza as Isabel's daughter, but the nursemaid forms a bond with Isabel and helps her heal. Years pass and Esperanza never hears from Anton, except that he is marrying Donna, Jaime's niece who is pregnant with his baby. When they see each other again, Anton attempts to resolve their issues but Esperanza refuses because does not want to hurt Donna. She later changes her mind but it's too late. Donna learns that her Aunt Isabel does not love her Uncle Jaime who has stolen her away from her family. She tries to help her aunt escape from her uncle's clutches and Anton assists them. Jaime tries to shoot Anton but instead hits Donna, killing her. Meanwhile, Sandra abducts Cecille and Danilo away from Esperanza and takes them to her place to make them her slaves along with their grandmother Isabel's mother and discovers that Isabel and Sandra are half-sisters. Esperanza gets help from a lawyer named Cynthia Lazaro to get her brother and sister back from Sandra, which she eventually does. Cynthia has her own sinister plot against Sandra, Esperanza and her whole family. She is Rosella Salgado, the illegitimate daughter of Juan Salgado whom everyone has rejected. She has been planning for years to get vengeance on her father's family, even sending her lover Brian as her spy who accidentally fell in love with Esperanza. She has also taken Isabel captive after the "escape" and kills Sandra. Cecille dies in a car accident when she crashes with Cynthia who both survives. Cynthia reunites the whole Salgado family, including Juan. Brian loses interest in Esperanza, Anton and the police come to the rescue and to capture Cynthia. She dies just before she can shoot Esperanza, who shot Cecilia instead, dying in the arms of her family. After all the pain and suffering, in her quest to complete her family, Esperanza finally gets reunited with them, even though Cecille is gone. ===== Four friends go on a fishing trip but only three return. After an absence of four years, the fourth man, Philip Vickers, returns home an amnesiac. He tells of a "friend" who knocked him out, drugged him, and left him to die. Any one of the remaining men could be a suspect as Job Crandall, Bill Saul and Harry Bryce are all interested in Philip's attractive widow, Angie. Unfortunately, Philip's return coincides with a murder and he becomes the main suspect. Angie joins forces with her husband to help solve the mystery and clear his name. ===== Robin Grant (David Robb), his wife Tilly (Hayley Mills) and daughter Elspeth (Holly Aird) move to British East Africa (now called Kenya) to set up a coffee plantation. They meet Piet Roos (Morgan Sheppard), a Boer big game hunter and Njombo, a native who goes to work for them. The Grants face many travails in getting established, but these improve after they hire Sammy as the headman of the plantation. Hereward (Nicholas Jones) and Lettice Palmer (Sharon Maughan) move to the area. There is a fight between Roos and Sammy. Then Njombo kills Kimon, who was the Palmers' headman. As a result, his chief strips him of his property and Sammy marries the girl Njombo wanted. Elspeth has a very interesting New Year’s Eve party with Mrs. Nimmo and a newcomer to the area, Alec Wilson while her parents and the Palmers go to Nairobi. A big game hunter, Ian Crawford (Ben Cross) arrives in the area and becomes infatuated with Lettice Palmer, who gives a pony to Elspeth. We learn Lettice left her first husband to elope with Hereward, and Elspeth develops an intense dislike for Hereward Palmer after he shoots a baby antelope on a hunt. Sammy arranges for a curse to be put on Njombo, and it literally takes an “Act of God” to get it lifted. After the railroad reaches Thika, Lettice gets a piano, but during a party held to celebrate its arrival, a leopard kills one of her dogs. During the hunt to get it, Hereward kills the leopard, but is almost killed by its mate, but saved by Roos. The Palmers, Tilly, and Crawford go on a safari, during which Lettice and Crawford have an affair. Hereward and Crawford are about to have a brawl when Crawford’s servant stabs Hereward. As a result, Crawford leaves and Lettice stays with Hereward. Then, on 4 August 1914, the Grants learn war has been declared on Germany. Robin joins the army, while Tilly becomes a nurse and Elspeth goes to school, where she is bullied for being a know-it-all. She runs away back to Thika. Ian Crawford is killed. Then Robin is transferred to France so all the Grants leave Africa and return to Europe for the duration. ===== The story of Aleste concerns the manmade supercomputer DIA 51, which has been infected by a hybrid virus that is spreading like wildfire, eventually leading DIA 51 to eliminate the human race. When Yuri, Ray's girlfriend, gets injured in DIA's assault, Raymond Waizen has all the reason in the world to get rid of DIA 51 once and for all in his Aleste fighter.Zanac USA Manual ===== After saying their goodbyes to Jackie and Mickey, The Tenth Doctor takes Rose to the year 5,000,000,023 to a world humanity settled on after the destruction of the Earth called "New Earth". The Face of Boe summons the Doctor to Ward 26 in a hospital in New New York through the Doctor's psychic paper. In the ward, the Doctor notices humanoid feline nuns of the Sisters of Plenitude have been curing incurable diseases. Meanwhile, Rose is separated from the Doctor and is tricked by Lady Cassandra into having Cassandra's mind implanted in Rose's body, using a psychic graft. The Sisters of Plenitude as shown at the Doctor Who Experience. The Doctor is suspicious of Cassandra's actions after she kisses him and displays knowledge of advanced computer systems. They discover that the hospital houses thousands of pods containing artificially grown humans in what is supposedly the intensive care unit. The artificial humans are forcibly infected with every disease in the galaxy so that the Sisters can discover the cures as a way of dealing with the influx of settlers and the diseases they brought with them. Cassandra reveals she is in Rose's body and knocks the Doctor out with a perfume gas, locking him in a pod. Cassandra then approaches Sister Jatt and demands payment in exchange for keeping the human test subjects secret. The Sisters refuse, and Cassandra releases the Doctor and some of the humans as a distraction. The infected humans release others from their pods and soon a zombie-like attack begins, with those infected trying to attack others in the hospital. The Doctor and Cassandra reach Ward 26 and grab all the intravenous medical solutions, emptying them into a disinfectant shower installed in a lift. They apply the mixture to a group of infected humans, who within moments become cured of their diseases. The Doctor encourages them to go and spread the cure to the other infected people, and soon the attack is over. The police arrest the surviving Sisters, while the Face of Boe tells the Doctor that the message for him can wait until they meet for the third and final time. The Doctor orders Cassandra out of Rose's body. Cassandra's servant Chip volunteers to accept her consciousness. Chip's cloned body begins to fail, and Cassandra finally accepts her death. The Doctor takes Cassandra back to see herself on the last night someone had called her beautiful. Cassandra, in Chip's body, approaches her younger self at a party and tells her that she is beautiful, before collapsing and dying in her arms. ===== A young female magician, already an experienced performer, is chosen by an old man named Tenko to come to his school for magicians and learn real magic. At the school, the young magician befriends a number of other magicians already attending the school and learning magic from Tenko. The new magician begins her training and quickly becomes the best magician at the school. Impressed by her abilities, the master names the young magician "Princess Tenko" in recognition as his successor as the next Tenko and the Master Guardian of the Tenko Box, a magical wardrobe that contains many magic gems known as the Starfire Gems. Two of the most senior students, the twins Jana and Jason watch on. Jana become jealous of the newcomer when she is chosen to become Tenko's successor and conspires for rebellion. Jason tries to talk some sense stating that unlike Jana who had slacked off during training, Mariko is more responsible and therefore Tenko could trust her. She convinces him to help her and succeed at stealing two of the Starfire Gems for their own use. When Jana and Jason are discovered, Master Tenko is overcome by their magic. In the scuffle, the Tenko Box is damaged, and the remaining Starfire gems are scattered all over the world and some through time. The twins escape as the new Tenko arrives in an attempt to stop them. Pleased with the young magician's abilities, Master Tenko entrusts Princess Tenko and his remaining students with Starfire Gems he had hidden away and the duty of recovering and protecting the other Starfire Gems from the forces of evil. ===== ===== Two sisters, Grace and Marion, live happily in an English village with their two servants, Clemency Newcome and Ben Britain, and their good-natured widower father Dr Jeddler. Dr Jeddler is a man whose philosophy is to treat life as a farce. Marion, the younger sister, is betrothed to Alfred Heathfield, Jeddler's ward who is leaving the village to complete his studies. He entrusts Marion to Grace's care and makes a promise to return to win Marion's hand. Michael Warden, a libertine who is about to leave the country, is thought by the barristers Snitchey and Craggs to be about to seduce the younger sister into an elopement. Clemency spies Marion one night in her clandestine rendezvous with Warden. On the day that Alfred is to return, however, it is discovered that Marion has run off. Her supposed elopement causes much grief to both her father and her sister. Six years pass. Clemency is now married to Britain and the two have set up a tavern in the village. After nursing heartbreak, Alfred marries Grace instead of Marion and she bears him a daughter, also called Marion. On the birthday of Marion, Grace confides to Alfred that Marion has made a promise to explain her so-called "elopement" in person. Marion indeed appears that evening by sunset and explains her disappearance to the parties involved. It turns out that Marion has not "eloped" but has instead been living at her aunt Martha's place so as to allow Alfred to fall in love with Grace. Tears are shed and happiness and forgiveness reign as the missing sister is reunited with the rest. Warden also returns, and, forgiven by Dr Jeddler, marries Marion. ===== Shame and fear have kept Amelia Bennett silent about the sexual molestation she's been suffering at the hands of her father, Steven. But as Amelia starts to believe that Steven might harm her younger sibling in similar ways, she unburdens herself of her awful secret. Confronted with this horrifying piece of news, Steven's wife, Gail, can't believe it's true, and he professes his innocence. But as new details emerge, the family is shaken to its core. ===== ===== Following the destruction of the Legion Outpost base by a tear in the fabric of space, Saturn Girl, Brainiac 5.1, Chameleon, Umbra, Kid Quantum, Live Wire, Apparition, and Monstress find themselves lost on the far side of the universe.Legion of the Super-Heroes (vol. 4) #125 (March 2000) They are discovered by Shikari, a half-bug/half-humanoid alien whose people are being hunted by an alien race known as "The Progeny". Later on, the group is also joined by their teammate "ERG-1" (who soon takes the name Wildfire after Shikari mistakenly calls him that), who had been sucked into the rift prior to the other Legionnaires; with Shikari and her tracking power acting as their guide, they start looking for ways home.Legion Lost (vol. 1) #1 (May 2000)Legion Lost (vol. 1) #3 (July 2000) As they cross the galaxy, the Legion discover that the Progeny have been actively slaughtering entire species in genocide inspired by their radical belief that they are the "perfect" life form.Legion Lost (vol. 1) #2 (June 2000) They also encounter a mysterious super-hero known as Singularity and a creature known as the Omniphagos, a world destroying monster imprisoned in a "hard light" pyramid. The creature's prison possesses cosmic teleportation capabilities that the Legion attempt to use to return home.Legion Lost (vol. 1) #5 (September 2000)Legion Lost (vol. 1) #6 (October 2000) Meanwhile, tensions flare up between the various Legion members: Umbra struggles from her previous possession at the hands of "The Blight",Legion Lost (vol. 1) #4 (August 2000) Monstress struggles to abide by the Legion's "no killing" rule when faced with the Progeny's atrocities, and Ultra Boy rages over being stranded millions of light years away from his other friends and family. These problems come to a head when it is revealed that Saturn Girl has been repeatedly "manipulating" the team's minds with her psychic powers. While she claims she was trying to keep the team level headed and calm, the revelation that Apparition was merely a psychic illusion designed to pacify Ultra Boy turn the group against Saturn Girl. Saturn Girl's actions are discovered after she forces herself into Umbra's head and unknowingly creates two psychic entities: one representing the totality of Umbra's darkest fears and one that represents Saturn Girl's own psyche run amuck. Both entities are defeated and Saturn Girl is ultimately forgiven.Legion Lost (vol. 1) #8–9 (December 2000 – January 2001) During the course of the series, two additional mysteries haunt the Legion: the fate of Element Lad (who went through the rift along with his teammates but ultimately vanished after placing them in crystals designed to protect them while traveling through the rift and the identity of "The Progenitor", the supreme leader of the murderous "Progeny".Legion Lost (vol. 1) #7 (November 2000)Legion Lost (vol. 1) #10 (February 2001) In the end, the Legion are captured and taken to the Progenitor, who is revealed to be an insane Element Lad. Element Lad explains that in trying to save the team as they came through the rift, he was cast back to the beginning of time, and that he has now lived for over a billion years. To (unsuccessfully) try and stay sane during those eons, Element Lad used his powers to create life forms, culminating in him believing himself "God" and his creation the Progeny, his most perfect creation.Legion Lost (vol. 1) #11 (March 2001) Realizing that their friend is insane, they confront him, during which he murders Monstress after she acknowledges that she is not one of his creations. A battle erupts and the Legion eventually escape by way of a dimensional gateway Element Lad possesses—the hard light pyramid they had discovered earlier. As they escape, Element Lad merges with the Omniphagos and attack the Legion's ship. In order to stop the now-combined Element Lad/Omniphagos from killing his friends before they can escape back to their section of the universe, acting leader Live Wire abandons the ship and kills the monster by giving it a stroke. As he is consumed in the blast that kills his former friend and teammate, Live Wire watches his friends return home as the portal closes behind them.Legion Lost (vol. 1) #12 (April 2001) Each issue of Legion Lost (vol. 1) was narrated by a particular Legionnaire: #1 Shikari, #2 Monstress, #3 Kid Quantum, #4 Apparition, #5 Brainiac 5, #6 Umbra, #7 Ultra Boy, #8 Chameleon, #9 Saturn Girl, #10 Wildfire, #11 Element Lad, #12 Live Wire. This was largely done to help new fans get to know the Legionnaires better. This gimmick would be repeated with the follow-up miniseries Legion Worlds. ===== Overdevelopment and crowding in Japan has forced many of its indigenous spirits and ghosts to lose their homes. Due to problems caused by the homeless spirits, a new profession was created, the Ghost Sweepers (GS). Private exorcists for hire, they serve only the highest bidder to survive in the cutthroat corporate world. Among this, the Mikami GS Company, led by 20-year-old Reiko Mikami and her two assistants, the 17-year- old boy Tadao Yokoshima and the ghost girl Okinu, is said to be the best. The manga setup is scenario-to-scenario, with many plots intertwining classic Japanese culture and modern day realities, with occasional references to Western influences. In between these plots are some longer story arcs where new characters are introduced and the existing characters are further developed. There is no one ongoing storyline, therefore the plots are character-driven and serve to gradually develop characters, especially the main protagonists. ===== Mr. Popper is a house painter of modest means, living with his wife and two children (Bill and Janie) in the small town of Stillwater, Minnesota. He has a happy life, however, he is also a restless dreamer, spending his time reading of famous explorers in faraway places. One day, the Popper family tunes in to a radio broadcast by an Admiral exploring polar regions. Mr. Popper had previously sent the Admiral fan mail, and the Admiral promises Mr. Popper a surprise. The surprise turns out to be a penguin, which comes in a large box. Mr. Popper names the penguin "Captain Cook" after the famous James Cook. Mr. Popper cleans out the icebox so that the penguin can sleep inside. As time goes by, the Poppers find that Captain Cook is growing larger, but his health is failing. Mr. Popper writes to the curator of a large aquarium, asking for help. The curator replies that the aquarium has a female penguin who unfortunately, is also experiencing the same symptoms, and he suggests that perhaps the penguins are simply lonely. Soon after, the Poppers receive their second penguin in the mail. Mr. Popper names the second penguin Greta and the pair of penguins are revitalized by each other's presence. As both birds cannot fit into the icebox together, Mr. Popper opens the window to let in the cold winter air, creating a snow-covered habitat. As this solution will not work in springtime, Mr. Popper has the main things moved upstairs and a freezing plant installed in the basement for the birds. This makes for happy penguins, but strains the family budget. As time passes, Greta lays eggs. She continues laying a new egg every three days until the total reaches ten. As penguins do not normally lay so many eggs, Mr. Popper attributes this to the change in climate the birds have experienced. When the eggs hatch, the Popper family now has twelve penguins to feed, and the contractor is looking for payment on the household changes. Mr. Popper decides to raise money by training the twelve penguins and turning them into a circus act. The act debuts at the local theater, and soon the "Popper's Performing Penguins" are featured throughout the country. But in the theater in New York City, the penguins cause trouble; what's worse, they've accidentally shown up at the wrong theater. The manager of the wrong theater is extremely angry and has Mr. Popper arrested, along with the penguins. Admiral Drake, having arrived to see Popper's Performing Penguins for himself, posts bail for Mr. Popper. After speaking with the Admiral, Mr. Popper decides that show business is no life for a penguin. Drake lets all of the twelve penguins go with him on his expedition to the North Pole, where they will be released experimentally into the Arctic. The Poppers are sad to see the penguins go, especially Mr. Popper himself — that is, until Admiral Drake invites Mr. Popper to accompany him on the trip. The Poppers wave goodbye as Mr. Popper and his penguins sail away towards the North Pole and Mr. Popper promises to be back in a year or two. ===== Sing (Stephen Chow) is a mainland China country boy who arrives in Hong Kong to visit his Uncle "Blackie Tat" (Ng Man- tat). When Sing stays with his uncle and his friends in their apartment, Blackie soon learns of Sing's supernatural ability to see through objects and, later on, his ability to change playing cards by rubbing them. He takes advantage of this and turns Sing into the Dou Seng or the "Saint of Gamblers". After getting into a fight with several alleyway gamblers he meets the lovely Yee-mung A.K.A. "Lady Dream" (lit. trans: Beautiful Dream, but euphemistically as wet dream), a henchman for the "King of Gamblers", and becomes infatuated with her. Sing quickly becomes a rival to the King and must win his way through a world competition to prove his skill. ===== Aldo Sax is an FBI agent using "anomaly theory", a method that correlates seemingly unrelated data into a cohesive whole, to investigate three seemingly unrelated ritual murders around the United States. His investigation leads him to a nightclub in Red Hook, Brooklyn, where he hears of a psychoactive drug called Aklo, peddled by a mysterious veiled man named Johnny Carcosa. Sax sets up a meet with Carcosa at the dealer's apartment building, where he is given a hallucinogenic white powder as a prelude to the Aklo. Carcosa speaks an unknown language to Sax, who experiences visions of spectral planes and hideous primordial creatures, while understanding the truth that Aklo is not a drug, but the language Carcosa spoke to him. The visions, given to him by Aklo, drive Sax to murder his neighbor using the same modus operandi as the killers he was investigating. ===== Scooby-Doo and the rest of the Mystery Inc. gang have solved so many mysteries and become so popular that they now have their own television show in Hollywood based on their adventures. One day, after Scooby and Shaggy run from "The Crabby Creature of Creepy Crag", they start getting tired of doing the same routine after falling into a catapult, and decide to become real movie stars. They show the president of a network, C.J., a pilot film called How Scooby Won the West, where Sheriff Scooby and Deputy Shaggy undergo the ornery Jesse Rotten. C.J. believes the film is a joke, and throws Shaggy and Scooby out, laughing. After the gang finds out Scooby is leaving the show, they are heartbroken and protest while Shaggy tells them how Scooby will become famous. At the roller-skating rink, Shaggy is filming another pilot (Lavonne and Scooby) while Lavonne skates with Scooby, turning out to be a disaster with several accidents such as when they accidentally crash into Shaggy while filming. They show another film called Scooby Days where "the Scoob" meets "the Groove", an obvious parody of the Fonz, in Harold's Drive- In. C.J. suggests that Scooby go back to his own show. Scooby refuses, later trying to mingle with celebrities. Back in the gang's dressing room, Fred reads the newspaper in shock, making all of them miss Scooby and Shaggy terribly and wish they came back on the show. Looking at a theater, Scooby imagines a premiere of his two new movies (Super Scooby and The Sound of Scooby). In Super Scooby, he saves a Lois Lane clone from a rocket heading toward Big City, only to get blown up himself. In The Sound of Scooby, Scooby wears a pink dress, twirls in the mountain, but as he begins to sing, he falls down a cliff into a stream. Back at the Chinese theater, Shaggy finds out that the studio is holding dog auditions to replace Scooby's role on his show. He and Scooby go down to see the results of the auditions, and have a laugh upon witnessing the terrible performances. Without them knowing, it is actually a trick set up by C.J. and the rest of the gang to get Scooby back on the show once again. C.J. hires a dog with no talent to take Scooby's role, leaving Scooby and Shaggy in shock. Later, Shaggy shows C.J. a new film, Scooby and Cherie where Scooby is a magician and Cherie, his assistant. The next film is The Love Ship where Captain Scooby forgets to untie the rope from the piers, taking all the people on it with the cruise. To confirm his new career, Scooby is featured on The Jackie Carson show, saying he's leaving his cartoon series, upsetting his fans. The next (and last) pilot film shown is Scooby's Angels where the Angels look into criminal headquarters and Scooby lands from an aeroplane without a parachute. Scooby then yells, "Rop the rameras! Rop the rameras!" in which C.J. agrees. C.J. then reveals a massive crowd of Scooby’s fans outside chanting "Scooby-Doo, we need you!". Fred, Daphne, and Velma are among them. In fact, all across Los Angeles, Scooby’s fans are begging him to come back. Upon seeing this, Scooby realizes everyone loves him for who he is and agrees to go back to his original show. After things have quieted down in C.J.'s office, Shaggy (who doesn't want to go back so easily) knocks on the door, showing him the tape of his own pilots such as "Mork and Shaggy", "Welcome Back, Shaggy!", and "Shaggy and Hutch". Shaggy (tied up in the film reel) is then thrown out of the studio and he chases the Mystery Machine into the sunset, realizing that he too, belongs on his old show. ===== After Alice Holbrook (Jennifer Love Hewitt), a happily married English woman living in Bristol, receives an anonymous Valentine's Day card with radish seeds in it, she automatically assumes the card is from her supposedly loving lawyer husband, Sam (Jimi Mistry), and that he is trying to be romantic. In return, Alice decides to write an anonymous reply to her husband to keep the gimmick going, but only accidentally sends the card after a drunken night with her sister. What Alice does not realise, however, is that her husband did, in fact, not send her the original Valentine's Day card; her husband's best friend and lawyer partner, Archie (Dougray Scott), did. When Alice's husband does not mention that he has received her card, Alice becomes suspicious that he is cheating on her with another woman. In an attempt to discover the truth, Alice calls her husband and pretends to be another woman with a deep, sultry voice who she calls "Anonymous." After her husband agrees to meet with "Anonymous," Alice becomes even more distraught, but continues to try and win her husband back. However, in the process, she discovers her husband Sam is already having another affair with a woman named Katya and is now knowingly starting a second affair with "Anonymous." After breaking down over this fact, she goes to visit Archie in the sexy outfit she planned to woo Sam back with, and while Archie and she kiss, he assumes she is having an extra-marital affair with someone other than Sam and refuses to be a part of it. Alice decides to forge ahead with her "affair" with Sam as "Anonymous," and while having supposedly extramarital sex with him, she removes his wedding ring from his finger with her lips. Afterwards, however, Sam declares "Alice is nothing compared to [Anonymous]" and that he has never truly loved Alice, and so she becomes very upset and flees the hotel. When she is running away, however, she runs into Katya, who discovers that Sam is not only cheating on his wife but also on her. While Sam does win his big court case next, he returns home to find his precious wine scattered throughout the neighborhood and his clothes thrown in the street (all done by Alice), as well as Katya waiting at his house to tell Alice of their affair as revenge. When Katya sees Alice, however, she calls her "Anonymous," and so Sam realizes that Alice has been "Anonymous" all the while. Alice even shows Sam how she removed the ring from his finger to prove it. While Sam attempt to plead with the United Nations Conference on Trade and Development, Alice insists on a divorce and Katya walks out on Sam as well. The film then fast forwards to a little time later. Katya took her story as well as that of "Anonymous" to the press and so Sam's reputation as an upstanding lawyer has been ruined. Furthermore, the press exposes that Alice was, in fact, not having an extramarital affair as Archie previously thought. This realisation prompts Archie to attempt to tell Alice about his feelings for her, but she cannot see past their friendship. Because of this, Archie decides he cannot get over Alice while still in Bristol, so he takes a job in Japan. First though, he sends a goodbye letter to Alice, in which he includes "P.S. I hope you liked the radishes," finally letting her know that the original Valentine's Day card was from him and not Sam. Alice chases after Archie and finally catches him after a series of debacles at the train station, including him having to actually stop the train. They kiss and declare they love each other. The movie ends when Alice lovingly looks up at the man who really thinks she is "the perfect woman" and says "Take me home and radish me." ===== Advertising executive Nick Beam (Tim Robbins) thinks his life is going very well, until he returns home from work and finds his wife Ann (Kelly Preston) apparently having an affair with another man. He deduces that the man is his boss, Philip Barrow (Michael McKean), after finding a pair of Philip's cufflinks in the kitchen. On the edge of a nervous breakdown, Nick drives around the city until carjacker T. Paul (Martin Lawrence) jumps into his car and attempts to rob him. Turning the tables on his mugger, Nick kidnaps T. Paul and drives him to a diner in the Arizona desert. After T. Paul robs a gas station, Nick teams up with him and plans to rob Philip in revenge for the affair. Nick knows the combination to a safe in Philip's office containing a large amount of cash, as well as the best time to enter, and where not to venture in the building. T. Paul knows the weaknesses of the security system, how to avoid the cameras, and how to get through any electronic locks that they might encounter. Another criminal duo, Davis "Rig" Lanlow and Charles "Charlie" Dunt (John C. McGinley and Giancarlo Esposito) get blamed for the gas station robbery. When they find Nick and T. Paul, the duo ram Nick's truck off the road and hold the pair at gunpoint. After a brief confrontation, T. Paul manages to disarm them, but accidentally shoots Nick in the arm. They make their escape as Rig and Charlie follow them back to Los Angeles. Meanwhile, T. Paul takes Nick to his apartment so they can rest and his wife can bandage Nick's arm; while at the apartment, Nick sees T. Paul's electrical engineering certification and a stack of rejection letters from prospective employers. The next night, the pair execute their plan. During the robbery, Nick damages Philip's prize fertility statue and reveals himself to the security camera, taunting his boss about getting revenge. The pair then hide from a security guard (Steve Oedekerk) who lip-synches to music for over an hour. The guard soon leaves and they leave the office unseen and they settle at a hotel. It becomes bad when Rig and Charlie, who stole Nick's business card and followed them from the office to the hotel, show up at their room, take T. Paul hostage and steal the money. Meanwhile, Nick has gone to the bar to have a drink, where he meets Danielle (Rebecca Gayheart), a flower shop woman he met earlier. When Danielle takes him up to her room to have sex with him, Nick is about to sleep with her until he refuses and leaves. Nick calls Ann to confront her about the affair, but she explains that he was wrong. Nick actually caught Ann's sister and her fiancee in bed when they came into town earlier than expected; having never seen her sister before, Nick mistook her for Ann. He learns that Philip's cufflinks were left behind at a past Christmas party and Ann left them out for Nick to return them to Philip and Ann still loves him. Overcome with remorse, Nick remembers about T. Paul, returns to the room and saves T. Paul from a trap that Rig and Charlie placed him in. They catch up to Rig and Charlie and chase them into an alley. Nick shoots the gun out of Rig's hand and the pair get back the money as they leave Rig and Charlie tied up for the police to find them. As they're driving away, Nick insists on returning the money back to the office, but T. Paul, who had planned on using the money to move his family out of their troubled neighborhood, refuses to take it back and they get into a fight. After they stop fighting, Nick assures T. Paul that nobody will bother to look at the security tapes unless something is missing or damaged and that he can still make things right. T. Paul decides to give the money to Nick and ends their partnership. He walks back home to his family, while Nick drives back home and reunites with Ann. Returning to his job, Nick is told that Philip is reviewing the security tapes to investigate a burglar who vandalized his statue. Nick races to his boss' office but he is too late to stop them, only to discover that the tape was recorded over right before the "burglar" removed his mask, and that a man identifying himself as an electrician was allowed into the building earlier in the day. Knowing that T. Paul is the one who recorded over the tape, Nick goes to see T. Paul and thanks him for saving Nick from losing his job. In return, Nick offers T. Paul a job as an electrician and a security expert to work on a new security system for his company, which he happily accepts. In the post-credit scene, a mailman shows up at the gas station in Arizona and returns the money that T. Paul stole. ===== The film opens focused upon James's friend Ryan Quinn, who is being forced to put on his gum boots to go to visit his father, who is in jail. Ryan chose to play with James instead, and runs off while his mother is not looking. Ryan meets James at the canal and during some rough-house play he is drowned, clearly with James bearing much of the blame for not having raised the alarm. James believes his inaction has gone unnoticed. Ryan's family is eventually re-housed and on the day of leaving, Ryan's mother gives James the pair of brown sandals that she'd bought for Ryan on the day of his death. The film follows the sensitive James as he tries to come to terms with his guilt, and make sense of the insensitive aspects of his environment. James's one escape comes when he takes a bus to the end of the line and ends up in the outskirts of the city, where a new housing estate is under construction. He explores the half-built houses, and wonders in awe at the view from the kitchen window: an expansive field of wheat, blowing in the wind and reaching to the horizon. In a scene central to the film, he climbs through the window and escapes into the blissful freedom of the field. James befriends a girl, Margaret Anne, who he tries to help after her glasses are thrown into the canal by the local gang. James and Margaret Anne become close friends. She is his only other relief from his home environment. Margaret Anne has problems of her own, being abused by the local gang. The duo find comfort in each other's company. One of James' friends, Kenny, receives a pet mouse as a birthday present. After the gang throw the mouse around in the air to make him "fly", Kenny ties the mouse's tail to a balloon, and the film shows it floating to the moon. Then, Kenny's mouse joins a whole colony of other mice frolicking on the moon. Kenny later falls in the canal and is rescued by James' father, making him briefly into a local hero. Though the military eventually comes and cleans up all the garbage in the neighbourhood, James realizes that his situation will most likely never change. He plunges himself into the canal, and a brief scene is shown, in which James and his family are moving into a new neighbourhood. ===== Archie Goodwin introduces Nero Wolfe as "a man who thinks he's the world's greatest detective. Truth being, he is." Grandly obese and famously eccentric, Wolfe is a genius who lives in—and rarely leaves—a large and comfortably furnished brownstone he owns on West 35th Street in Manhattan. Wolfe maintains an inflexible schedule of reading, tending his 10,000 orchids in the rooftop plant rooms, and dining on the fine cuisine of his master chef, Fritz Brenner. To support his opulent lifestyle and meet the payroll of his live-in staff, Wolfe charges high fees for solving crimes that are beyond the abilities of the police, most often the cigar-chewing Inspector Cramer of Manhattan Homicide. Wolfe sometimes calls upon freelance detectives Saul Panzer, Fred Durkin and Orrie Cather; but he depends upon his assistant Archie Goodwin, the street-smart legman whose wisecracking, irreverent voice narrates the stories. The wardrobe, cars, furnishings and music place A Nero Wolfe Mystery primarily in the 1940s–1950s. It is technically a whodunit series, but like the original Rex Stout stories Nero Wolfe is less concerned with plot than with the interplay between its characters. "I think that's something that's appreciated by Nero Wolfe fans," said Maury Chaykin, who stars as Nero Wolfe. "If you become focused on the crime, I think you're kind of in the wrong place. It's more the enjoyment of the characters and their eccentricities, and the reality of those characters." ===== As a child in Lugash, Princess Dala receives a gift from her father, the Maharajah: the "Pink Panther", the largest diamond in the world. This huge pink gem has an unusual flaw: by looking deeply into the stone, one perceives a tiny discoloration resembling a leaping panther. Twenty years later, Dala (now played by Claudia Cardinale) has been forced into exile following her father's death and the subsequent military takeover of her country. The new government declares her precious diamond the property of the people and petitions the World Court to determine ownership. However, Dala refuses to relinquish it. Dala goes on holiday at an exclusive ski resort in Cortina d'Ampezzo. Also staying there is English playboy Sir Charles Lytton (David Niven)--who leads a secret life as a jewel thief called "the Phantom"-- and has his eyes on the Pink Panther. His brash American nephew George (Robert Wagner) arrives at the resort unexpectedly. George is really a playboy drowning in gambling debts, but poses as a recent college graduate about to enter the Peace Corps so his uncle continues to support his lavish lifestyle. On the Phantom's trail is French police detective Inspector Jacques Clouseau (Peter Sellers), whose wife Simone (Capucine) is having an affair with Sir Charles. She has become rich by acting as a fence for the Phantom under the nose of her amorous but oblivious husband. She dodges him while trying to avoid her lover's playboy nephew, who has decided to make the seductive older woman his latest conquest. Sir Charles has grown enamored of Dala and is ambivalent about carrying out the heist. The night before their departure, George accidentally learns of his uncle's criminal activities. During a costume party at Dala's villa in Rome, Sir Charles and his nephew separately attempt to steal the diamond, only to find it already missing from the safe. The Inspector discovers both men at the crime scene. They escape during the confusion of the evening's climactic fireworks display. A frantic car chase through the streets of Rome ensues. Sir Charles and George are both arrested after all the vehicles collide with one another in the town square. Later, Simone informs Dala that Sir Charles wished to call off the theft and asks her to help in his defense. Dala then reveals that she stole the diamond herself, to avoid turning it over to the new government of her homeland. However, the Princess is also smitten with Sir Charles and has a plan to save him from prison. At the trial, the defense calls as their sole witness a surprised Inspector Clouseau. The barrister (John Le Mesurier) asks a series of questions that suggest Clouseau himself could be the Phantom. An unnerved Clouseau pulls out his handkerchief to wipe the perspiration from his brow, and the jewel drops from it. As Clouseau is taken away to prison, he is mobbed by a throng of enamored women. Watching from a distance, Simone expresses regret, but Sir Charles reassures her that when the Phantom strikes again, Clouseau will be exonerated. Sir Charles invites George to join them on the Phantom's next heist in South America. Meanwhile, on the way to prison, the Roman police express their envy that Clouseau is now desired by so many women. They ask him with obvious admiration how he committed all of those crimes; Clouseau considers his newfound fame and replies, "Well, you know... it wasn't easy." The film ends after the police car carrying Clouseau to prison runs over a traffic warden--the cartoon Pink Panther from the animated opening credits. He gets back up, holding a card reading THE END. ===== College roommates Alexis "Alex" Roberts and Sandy Grayson have been evicted from their dorm after a series of infractions, the latest involving showing lewd anime, and the antics of Sandy's pet hamster, Echiboo. After seeing a flyer for the anime clubhouse AOI House, the two men believed they found the perfect place. However, the two boys soon learn that the clubhouse consists of five crazed yaoi fangirls who have mistaken Alex and Sandy for a gay couple—the flyer having neglected to mention that only girls and gay guys were permitted and the clubhouse's original name was "Yaoi House", but the "Y" fell off of the clubhouse's sign. Once the truth is revealed that Sandy and Alex are two straight males, the two boys are allowed to stay because the housing committee has been on AOI House's case to get more members. The girls have some fun with Sandy and Alex in an attempt to turn them into yaoi-lovers, or at least make them the lodge's token gay couple. ===== Lisa finds herself unable to do any sports in PE class, taught by Brunella Pommelhorst, and finds herself failing physical education. She then signs up to do gymnastics with Coach Lugash. There, she receives encouragement from the ghost of John F. Kennedy in a vision. With boosted self-confidence, and her large head which gives her perfect balance, Lisa passes with flying colors. Lisa also meets two girls and becomes friends with them, but with their fractals and parking permits, she realizes they are college students "with small gymnast bodies!" They give Lisa a ride home, and she acts like a college student to fit in with them. The two girls invite her to a poetry reading by former Poet Laureate Robert Pinsky soon after. Meanwhile, Bart gets bitten by a Chinese mosquito that was in his Krusty-saurus toy, and becomes infected with "Panda virus". To prevent others from getting sick, Dr. Hibbert puts Bart in a plastic bubble for the next few days. Bart has trouble adapting to life in the bubble; he has trouble eating and Homer gives him a bath by filling up the bubble with the hose and rolling Bart around the house. Lisa tries to keep up her double life, attending poetry readings at night wearing a beret and falling asleep in her second grade class during the day. While going to Springfield University, she is tracked by Milhouse, Martin, and Database who see her ride away. At a lecture about Itchy & Scratchy cartoons, Milhouse blows Lisa's cover and she flees at being unaccepted by her friends. Lisa tries to convince Homer and Marge that college suits her, but they tell her that college is no place for her at her age. Lisa is also ridiculed by Groundskeeper Willie and all of her friends at school, saying that she is too "college for them". In the meantime, Bart gets used to his bubble, as it brings him a lot of popularity after he is able to bounce off the attacks from the bullies. Bart tells Lisa what she should do to get her friends back: she has to pull a prank on Principal Skinner. The next day, Chalmers is dedicating the Seymour Skinner parking annex. While Martin takes pictures of Skinner posing next to a giant chocolate cake in his white polyester suit, Bart rolls Lisa, who is inside his bubble, to the edge of the school's roof. He then pushes her over the edge, splattering the cake all over Skinner. Lisa gets her friends back, while Bart goes paranoid after being outside of his bubble for the first time in days. He stays in an air vent, but gets sucked in after fiddling with the air conditioning controls. ===== Blade for Barter is the story of Ryusuke Washington, a private samurai for hire. He lives in New Edo, a hodgepodge city-state where New York City meets ancient Japan, where monolithic skyscrapers tower over ramshackle wooden huts, and salarymen and samurai walk side by side. Along with his loyal dog Hachiko, Ryusuke must deal with the likes of the corrupt Samurai Union, the Mafuza (a cross between the Italian mafia and the Yakuza); a Ninja Union of clumsy ninja; a sinister Zen monk televangelist, and more - not to mention the temper-tantrum prone Lord Hoseki, who rules New Edo with bejeweled fingers and an iron fist. The world in which Hachiko and Ryusuke find themselves is an eclectic mix of Eastern and Western cultures. Such blending of East and West also is found to typify, Ryusuke Washington himself, a warrior for hire. The side effects of such a mixed culture come back to haunt Ryusuke as he has to face striking ronin who actively demonstrate, their very existence in real Japan would have violated traditional codes. He also has to face the control hungry Samurai union. Ryusuke is soon joined by the cute but over affectionate Hachiko the dog and Mac, a kunoichi who takes a certain obsessive pride in her fuzz boots. The first volume also contains omake content not seen online. ===== Do you believe in alternate dimensions? Ikuko, her friend Colleen, and Alvin at Hawaii's Maunaloa Institute for International Studies become believers when the class hunk, Hiro, confesses to them that he's really a prince from another world on the run from the evil Lord Kumagai! Now that they've been dragged into it, Hiro, Ikuko, and their friends must traverse countless alternate dimensions and survive the terrors they find there or die trying; whether at the hands of the ruthless Lord Kumagai or the alternate dimensions' hostile inhabitants. ===== The four dissimilar students attending the fictional Scumbag College go about their day-to-day life in their shared house, which includes a lentil casserole made with Lux washing powder and some of Neil's snot for dinner, and one of several of Neil's suicide attempts. The lentil casserole is spilled on the floor several times during the episode. Vyvyan acquires an amputated human leg from the morgue on which he has to write an essay for anatomy class, though he would prefer to mount it on the bonnet of his Ford Anglia. Balowski visits and admits that he isn't really a foreigner. Vyvyan later announces that they had received a letter from the council, who are planning to demolish their house the next day. Meanwhile, Vyvyan drops his pet hamster in the casserole after it bites his hand. It proceeds to eat all the casserole and blow up to balloon size. Rick then sees two rats and smashes one to death with Neil's guitar. Neil is unhappy as he says the guitar was made by his grandfather out of matchsticks while dying; the living rat proceeds to mournfully eat the remains of his friend. Each character throughout the show's pilot episode has their own plan to fight the council's decision. Rick plans a protest, involving hanging himself from a cross on the front of the house and reading bad poetry from a sheet of paper in his hand, which he drops and thus begins singing Cliff Richard's song "Living Doll"; Vyvyan begins knocking down the house himself, using extreme methods; Neil has planned to hang himself, but his rope is too long and he can't do it. Neil later plans to hide in the wall cavity and "pretend to be thermal insulation" so that he will be killed when the house is knocked down; and Mike tries to seduce the female council representative. None of their schemes work, as an aeroplane ultimately crashes on their house instead. ===== In 1913, in Carlton, Pennsylvania (shot in Bulgaria), the cruel owner of the Carlton mine exploits poor immigrant children. In order to excavate a new shaft quickly, he employs a dynamite charge, but the explosion causes the mine to collapse, burying a large group of the children alive. Following his later trial for wilfully causing the death of his workers, Carlton is acquitted and the mine closed down. In present day, eighty years later, Karen Tunny has just lost her husband after a long period of terminal disease and has inherited his birthhome near the since-abandoned Carlton mine. She moves to the house with her daughters, Sarah and Emma. The three stop by the local market for supplies and are told by Walter, the shopkeeper, that he doesn't deliver to the area they live in. While driving, Karen has a near miss with a man crossing the road. She exits the car, looking for the man, but he's nowhere to be found. They arrive at the house and Sarah points out the blood on the door while Karen declares it's just "paint." When Emma hears children giggling, she leaves the house, following the sound of it. Karen goes out looking for Emma and finds her in an old mine. As they try to find their way back to the house, it becomes nightfall and they get lost. They find a house, which is occupied by Hanks, and enter. Karen is advised by Hanks to stay at home during the night, and he also tells her that there is no need to thank him for the blood smeared on his and the Tunny's door. William Carlton, the last surviving heir of the Carlton estate, which has owned the mine since 1913, is hungrily devouring property and kicking people off his own property. Meanwhile, the zombie children begin to kill, which is dismissed among the community as disappearances, though it is hinted that most of the community is aware of the presence of the children. As it turns out, the Tunny and Hanks families are relatives of the zombie children who happen to leave blood relatives alive while killing all others. Emma, who has had friendly contact with a less-violent zombie named Mary, informs her mother that the zombies won't eat her, and that Mary would not directly hurt her mother (who is not a direct Tunny blood relative), but passes on the warning that the other children might. Karen finds some old family photo albums in the basement that contain pictures of her late husband, as well as the Tunny and Hanks children who died in the mine disaster, thus revealing that the family is related to some of the children who died in the mine. Karen and Sarah leave the house to go look for Emma. As they exit the mine, not being able to find Emma, they become surrounded by a dozen of the children. They escape, with the children pursuing them, and find a car passing through with Carlton inside. They enter, telling him to drive, but the tires are slashed before they can pull away. Karen and Sarah run to Hanks' house, unsure of what to do. Soon enough, Karen figures out that Hanks' blood has a supposed repellent effect on the zombie children. As both Hanks and Carlton attempt to shoot the children, they realize the bullets are ineffective, and run to the barn. Hanks realizes that, as he and Emma are direct blood relatives, it turns out Mary has an older brother that's also a Tunny, and Karen is in some way protected by Emma's relationship with Mary. The children are really after Carlton, as they blame his family for the mining accident that killed them. After Carlton is killed by the children, Emma remarks that they won't be hurting anyone anymore. At the end, the Tunny family drives away and reveals that the house has not been sold. Now, Mary lives in the house, with the bear that Emma gave her, and a few of the other children as well. ===== In "Some Time and Some Place," a loving young couple is riding in a carriage on a country road, when they pick up a hitchhiker, offering him a ride into town. Little do they know, this stranger is Death himself. In town, Death visits the mayor's office, where he purchases a small piece of land adjacent to the town cemetery. Surrounding this property, Death erects a giant, mysterious wall. At the local tavern, the young couple encounters Death again, and when the young woman is distracted, her lover disappears. Grief stricken, she sobs in front of the mysterious wall, when she sees a large group of ghosts walk past her, and through the wall. The last among these ghosts is her lover; and despite her protests, he also moves through the wall, entering the realm of Death. Relentless, the young woman confronts Death, begging him to bring her to her lover. He leads her to a large, dark room, with numerous long candles, each one in different stages of burning. The young woman demands to know why Death took her lover away, to which Death explains that he was simply following God's will, and that it was her lover's time to die. She asks if there is anything that can be done to get her love back, arguing that love is stronger than Death. Death tells her that each candle in the room represents a human life, and that currently, three candles are flickering, representing three lives hanging in the balance. Death promises the young woman that, if she can save one of these lives with love, he will return her lover to the living. ===== The story begins at Northstar at Tahoe, with the main character "Player 1" dressed in a pink bunny suit heading up the mountain with friends Wienerboy, Sebastian, J Dawg, and Hunter. Player 1 snowboards down the mountain and takes a big drop off of a cliff. Once there, Player 1 meets Dandelion, a snow goddess with a passion for scrap-booking. From here, you can choose Player 1's gender and appearance. As the story progresses, it is revealed that Player 1 and his crew are saving up for a vacation to a ski resort in Chile. After completing several training challenges, Player 1 and his crew participate in an Easter Egg Roll to earn more money for their vacation fund. After saving Wienerboy from a trio of mysterious thugs, the player follows them to see what they are up to. During the chase J Dawg confronts Player 1 and accuses him of stealing the vacation money from Hunter's locker. The rest of the crew heads to Chile, while Player 1 tries to earn money to replace the stolen funds. As the story moves to Snowbird, Player 1 accepts several jobs for a marketing company. These jobs require the player to perform several dangerous stunts. After the marketing company decides to relocate, Player 1 meets up with his friend Roman who suggests he try out for the ski patrol. After making some more money, Roman sets up Player 1 with a new job: taking pictures of celebrity Berlin Sheridan on her snowboard trip. Player 1 manages to avoid Sheridan's bodyguards and makes enough money to replace the stolen vacation fund. The story cuts to a news report of a comet on a collision course with Earth. Another reporter cuts in to share Player 1's photos of Berlin Sheridan in embarrassing positions during her trip. Player 1 makes it to Valle Nevado and sets out to investigate what happened to his friends. He finds out they were selected for sponsorship by a company called Colonotronic Arts Inc. Player 1 reunites with Wienerboy first and finds out he was rejected by C.A.I. Next, he meets up with Sebastian who was sent by H.R. to assist in Player 1's “re-orientation.” Player 1 destroys Sebastian's laptop (which has a red eye similar to HAL from 2001: A Space Odyssey). This breaks C.A.I.’s influence over him. Sebastian directs Player 1 to Laax Resort where Hunter has been sent to recruit more minions for Colonotronic Arts. The cut-scenes reveal that a villain named Baron von Havoc is behind this, as he seeks to create a game called Emag Live. Upon arriving at Laax, Player 1 confronts Hunter and beats her in two snowboarding challenges. The crew discovers that J Dawg has been made a part of a boy band whose music contains subliminal messages. Player 1 manages to stop J Dawg’s concert before it broadcasts its message around the world. Once J Dawg has been rescued the crew meets up with Dandelion again. She informs them that she was the one who stole their vacation fund and framed Player 1 for it so the crew would be split up and wouldn’t fall under Baron von Havoc’s mind control. The crew makes their way to Baron von Havoc’s zeppelin and stops his plan. The game ends with a musical number featuring the main characters in the story. At the song’s conclusion the comet hits the Earth and destroys everything. ===== The story follows Rino Rando, who has been on her own since the death of her mother, Chieri, as she transfers to Miyagami Private Academy with the recommendation of her mysterious pen pal, Mr. Poppit. Shortly after her arrival, Rino surprisingly becomes a member of elite group of girls called the Best Student Council. Rino learns that Kanade Jinguji founded Miyagami Private Academy as a place where students can live free from restrictions and that the Best Student Council was formed to ensure that freedom. Best Student Council Members receive free tuition, room and board. The story takes place at Miyagami Private Academy, a mysterious all-girl high school, its student council, the Miyagami Academy Maximum Authority Wielding Best Student Council, also known as the Best Student Council (Gokujou Seitokai), having their own Assault, Covert, and vehicle divisions. This council has more authority power than any of the faculty and staff members. The Best Student Council is divided into the four main divisions: Executive, Assault and Covert plus the Vehicle Squad. Each member of the council has their own special ability, such as special fighting techniques, the gathering of information, or weaponry such as cards, a yo-yo, or, in Rino's case, her hand puppet, Pucchan. It is revealed in an early episode that no one really knows how many members are actually in the best Student Council except the President. ===== In the forest of Dapplewood, four "Furlings" – Abigail, a woodmouse; Edgar, a mole; Russell, a hedgehog, and Michelle, a badger – live alongside their teacher and Michelle's uncle, Cornelius. One day, the Furlings go on a trip through the forest with Cornelius, where they see a road for the first time. Russell is almost run over by a Range Rover and the driver throws away a glass bottle that shatters in the middle of the road. Afterward, they go back to the forest to find that it has been destroyed by poison gas from an overturned tanker truck that blew a tire from the broken glass bottle. Michelle panics and runs to her home to find her parents, breathing in the gas and becoming severely ill. Abigail risks her own life and saves a comatose Michelle, but can do nothing for Michelle's parents. The Furlings go to Cornelius' house nearby for shelter after they find their homes deserted, believing everyone else to have succumbed to the gas. Cornelius tells the Furlings of his past encounter with humans that claimed the lives of his parents, hence why he is fearful of all human beings. He says he needs two herbs to make a potion that will save Michelle's life: lungwort and eyebright. With limited time, the Furlings head off for their journey the next day. After facing numerous dangers, including a hungry barn owl, receiving aid from a flock of religious wrens led by preacher Phineas, and encountering intimidating construction vehicles that the wrens call "Yellow Dragons", the Furlings make it to the meadow with the herbs they need. There, they meet the bully squirrel Waggs, and Willy, a tough but sensible mouse who grows a liking for Abigail. After getting the eyebright, they discover that the lungwort is on a giant cliff making it inaccessible by foot. Russell suggests they use Cornelius' airship, the Flapper-Wing-a-Ma- Thing, to get to the lungwort. The Furlings manage to get the lungwort after a dangerous flight up the cliff, then steer their airship back for Dapplewood. They crash-land back in the forest after a storm, and bring the herbs to Michelle and Cornelius. A group of humans appear and the animals, thinking the humans mean them harm, escape through the backdoor of Cornelius' house. Edgar gets separated from the group and gets caught in an old trap. When one of the workers finds him, the animals are surprised when he frees Edgar and destroys the trap, revealing that the men are cleaning up the gas. The group, especially Cornelius, realize that there are good humans in the world. Michelle is given the herbs. The next day, she appears unresponsive, but a single tear from Cornelius awakens her from her coma. Cornelius sees the Flapper-Wing-a-Ma-Thing and becomes amazed by how the Furlings have grown up. The Furlings' families and many of the other inhabitants arrive as well, except for Michelle's parents; Cornelius promises to do his best on taking care of her. The Furlings happily reunite with their families, who are relieved to see that their children are alright. Michelle asks Cornelius if anything will ever be the same again. Cornelius looks at the dead trees in the forest and says to her that if everyone works as hard to save Dapplewood as the Furlings did to save Michelle, it will be. ===== The book begins with the words "There's been an accident! Something's wrong!" – and something is. There is a ghost. She does not know who she is, or how she died, or quite where she is. All she knows is that there has been a terrible accident. The as-yet unnamed heroine finds herself attracted to a large building, a boys' boarding school, which she finds to be strangely familiar. After a little detective work, the disembodied spirit concludes that she is Sally Melford, one of a quartet of eccentric sisters (Imogen, Cart, Fenella and Sally) who live at the school and are neglected by their overworked parents, both of whom teach at the school. Their father, only known as Himself, is the headmaster, and his wife, Phyllis, is the school nurse. Both of them are constantly busy with school business, and leave their daughters to fend for themselves. As the plot continues, evidence of time- travel begins to emerge. In the present day, the adult, university-age Sally is in a hospital, badly injured after her abusive boyfriend threw her from a speeding car. Some part of her has journeyed back seven years into the past, where, with the help of her sisters and their schoolboy friends, she must undo a rash bargain with the powerful and ancient goddess, Monigan. The Worship of Monigan is a game that the sisters made up, in which an old rag doll supposedly represents the goddess Monigan. Throughout the story, the sisters vary from treat the Worship of Monigan as a game to believing in it quite seriously. Sally also seems to be romantically involved with a student at the school, the enigmatic fifth-former Julian Addiman, who mocks at how the sisters seem to take the Worship of Monigan very seriously. After a deal of detective work, Sally (in her ghostly form) discovers the truth. The young Sally had dedicated herself to Monigan in a midnight ritual, with the help of Julian. Monigan had taken her up on the offer, and had agreed that Sally would be hers in seven years' time. The seven years are now up, and Monigan had attempted to call in the debt, in the form of the boyfriend (now revealed to be the same Julian Addiman) tossing her out of the car. However, Sally survived; with the help of her sisters and her childhood friends, she is determined to cheat Monigan, and take back her life. ===== It is September 1939, the start of World War Two, and Vivian Smith is being evacuated. On arriving at the station, she is kidnapped by two boys, Jonathan and Sam, and taken to Time City, which exists outside of what we know as History. Most of the plot takes place in Time City, the purpose of which is to oversee the course of history and ensure that it stays on its "correct" path. To stop it straying from this path, the Time Police have Observers out in history, tweaking events to make sure that they go the right way. Jonathan and Sam have kidnapped Vivian because they (incorrectly) believe that she is the "Time Lady," a legendary figure in Time City. The Time Lady is the consort of Faber John, another legendary figure. The legend states that at the end of history, Faber John and the Time Lady will return to Time City. Sam and Jonathan overheard the Chronologue, powerful authorities in Time City, talking about history going wrong and it being the fault of the Time Lady. They reasoned that, since she is Faber John's (in translation, John Smith's) wife, she must be calling herself Smith, and disguised as a young girl. Since Vivian fits these criteria, they had reasoned that she must be the Time Lady. Vivian manages to convince them that she is not the Time Lady. However, the boys cannot return her to her own time, since the repeated use of the time-locks would be picked up on by the Time Police and they would be found out. Vivian ends up staying with Jonathan's family, disguised as his cousin Vivian Lee. Jonathan and Sam are especially concerned about the disruptions in history because it may mean that Time City will also break apart. However, they learn from Vivian's tutor, Doctor Wilander, that there is another legend about Faber John. This one states that Faber John created four Caskets – Gold, Silver, Iron and Lead – which, after being placed out in history, provide the power needed to keep Time City running. They discover that the Caskets are hidden in what are known as the Unstable Eras – eras of history in which events are not fixed and which might change at any moment. However, there are only three large Unstable Eras, so the fourth Casket must be hidden somewhere else. Undeterred, Jonathan, Vivian, Sam and the android Elio go in search of the Caskets, using an ancient time-travel device they find in a secret room beneath a museum. They discover that the Iron Casket, which was hidden in Vivian's time, had already been stolen, and it was this that was causing the disturbances in history. They see the so- called "Iron Guardian" as a ghost, in Time City, and talk to him. They realise that they will have to go back in time to stop the theft, and actually see the casket being stolen, but they are unable to catch the thief. They fare no better with the Gold Casket; they find it, and its Guardian, but the Guardian refuses to hand it over, saying that at midday on the final day of Time City, he will come to the Gnomon Tower and return it. Although they try to convince him that they urgently need it, he refuses to hand it over, and promptly vanishes. The Silver Casket is unfortunately hidden in the middle of the Mind Wars, but they still manage to find it, and the Silver Guardian, who, surprisingly, lets them have it. But, as it turns out, it is a fake, and the real Silver Casket had already been stolen, probably by the woman who posed as the Silver Guardian. On returning to Time City, they see that things have gone terribly wrong. Since the Silver Casket had gone, history has gone into convulsions, and nothing is as it was supposed to be, with World War II starting in 1937 and involving napalm and atom bombs from the start, and World War I melding into the Boer War. In a final attempt to catch the thieves, Jonathan, Vivian and Sam return to the station where they had kidnapped Vivian, and where they are sure the thief must be. This goes badly wrong when they fail to catch the thief, cause an accidental explosion of a train carrying radioactive fuel, and return to Time City with two hundred evacuees in tow. Because of this final disturbance of history, Time City has practically shut down. The Observers are being recalled from history, and this includes the real Vivian Lee and her family. But when they arrive, Vivian, Sam and Jonathan have a nasty surprise; the real Vivian Lee is the child thief that they saw stealing the Iron Casket, her mother is the false Silver Guardian, and her father is a man that they saw in the Age of Gold who tried to kill Jonathan. As Time City starts to fall to pieces around them, the Lees force Vivian, Sam and Jonathan to go to the Gnomon Tower with them as hostages. The trio realise the ancient time-travel device they found is in fact the Lead Casket, and Sam manages to escape from the clock tower to tell Elio, who returns with the city officials. When the clock struck twelve, the Gold Watcher appears at the steps of the Tower (with the Gold Casket, of course) and begins to climb the stairs. Hiding in a bush to prevent Vivian or Jonathan from being shot, Elio uses the Lead Casket to stop the Gold Watcher from reaching the top. This drained the Silver and Iron Caskets of "force", all of which went back into the Lead one. Dr. Wilander banishes Inga Lee, the daughter of an Icelandic emperor, to the earliest settlements of Iceland; Viv Lee to the last days of the "Depopulation of Earth". Vivan (Lee) is sent to Ancient China, but not before Dr. Wilander lets Vivian (Smith) shove the butter-pie she (VL) had been eating into her own eye, then inside her collar. The three Guardians, who Vivian notices are all exactly the same height as Dr. Wilander, bring the Caskets together with the Lead one, which Dr. Wilander is still holding, and they all blend together. Vivian realises he is in fact Faber John. The Time Lady, who as well as a horse she found in the Age of Gold, was the sleeping figure under Aeon Square Jonathan and Sam had showed Vivian, and also the woman who had cured Jonathan in the Age of Gold. Vivian, Sam, and Jonathan are put on trial for breaking the law. Mr. Donegal (Sam's father and Chief of Time Patrol) explains that they had pinpointed the source of a massive amount of chronons (which cause chaos and could harm the city) to September 1939 as Vivian Smith. The plan was to extract her from history and to a Fixed Era where the load could be neutralised. Jonathan and Elio tell the rest of the story. Jonathan and Sam's trials are postponed until Chronologue gets back together again and until he's older, respectively. The Time Lady tells Vivian that she would disturb every bit of history she comes in contact with, with the amount of chronons and temporons (which anyone from history has)... and her solution is to send Vivian out to the stars. A very lonely Vivian realises she truly is lost – home was at war, and now had nowhere to go. The Walkers, Jonathan, and Elio all jump up and vouch for Vivian, saying they could all bear to live in the Stone Age as punishment for doing so. Faber John and the Time Lady relent; Time City has endured her so far and anyway, it could always be built back up again. They arrange for her parents to be brought to Time City as well. "Very well, he said to Vivian, "we can't do anything until the time locks open, but I'll tell you if it's possible when you come for your next lesson." This, Vivian had not expected. "You're going to go on teaching me?" "I never give up on anything once I've started," said Faber John. "Once I persuade you to use your brain, you might even be a good pupil. Come to me with Jonathan in three days time, in SELDOM END as usual." ===== The story begins with a flashback to when Olivia is thirteen. Olivia is in arranged marriage that she is determined to escape. The ship she and her parents are traveling on is taken by the Destiny's Hand. When Diego threatens her father, Olivia manages to defeat him with a knife and her wits. Captain Blaine gives her a favor, and Olivia asks to join the crew of the Destiny's Hand. Her father disowns her, and she joins the crew of Destiny's Hand. Three years later, it is Owen who is telling Olivia's story to their captives. When they are about to depart, they are attacked by the 'Kraken', Mulgrew's ship. After a fierce battle, Blaine's only good lung had been pierced. With Captain Blaine dying, he appoints the only person he considers brave enough to lead a crew to find the Devil's Eye: Olivia Soldana. Blaine then tells of Destiny's Hand's Five Fingers that guide her, Olivia, Diego, Matthau, and Badru. He also tells them of the Fifth finger, a scholar who reads the ancient language of Priscus. After, the crew heads to Vickensburg where they attempt to recruit Elias, the Governor's son and the Index finger who should point the way to the Devil's Eye. Blaine gives them a picture of the ship's Figurehead, Lady Kate and tells them that showing it to him should convince him to join them. Olivia and Badru sneak into the governor's mansion and ask Elias. Elias refuses to join them, so Olivia and Badru leave the picture and return to the ship. Upon their return, it is revealed that Elias is Blaine's son. It also reveals some of Blaine's past and the story of Lady Kate. Lady Kate was actually based on a woman named Katherine who was going to be forced to marry the governor's son. She asked for passage of Blaine's ship. Katherine practiced some sort of magic, a form of future sight and used it to steer Blaine's ship in the right direction, and avoid storms. She also sees the future Mulgrew's attempt to capture the Devil's Eye, and when she was pregnant, she told Blaine she had to marry the governor's son so that their son would grow up to be a scholar. Katherine later died in childbirth. Olivia then goes back to the governor's mansion and kidnaps Elias and brings him back to Destiny's Hand. She then tells him Blaine is his father. When Elias and Blaine meet face-to-face, Elias points a gun to Blaine's head, stating that his father is the Governor of Vickensburg. Blaine tells the others to leave while he talks with Elias. After some time, Elias joins them in the search for the Devil's Eye and calls Blaine “father”. Inside the library in Valroux, Elias and Olivia learn that a new law has been passed: “Any pirate found on Valroux soil is to be detained, tried, and executed.” Even the pirates of Destiny's Hand are no exception. Olivia is forced to wound Michel so he isn't seen allied with the pirates. From the book Elias stole, he manages to figure out that the book was about Josiah Zevon's quest in search of the Devil's Eye. Apparently he had a map to Isle du Diablo. He tore it into quarters, gave three to his most trusted lieutenants, and kept the fourth to himself. Matthau was once a cabin boy aboard Zevon's ship. He knew that Zevon retired to a small island, northwest of Permonde. Later, the Kraken is following them. From a message inside a bottle, Mulgrew learns of Destiny's Hand's crew fallout and that they have a piece of the map and going to get another. Sometime later, Blaine asks Owen to write the tales of Olivia's adventures after he finishes with Blaine's. When Owen leaves, Blaine tells Olivia that he wants the crew to accept her as captain before telling them of Blaine's sickness. Olivia, Matthau, Badru, and Owen journey to Zevon's island. They learn that Zevon burnt his piece of the map. When they leave, Zevon didn't burn it but hid it. Back on the ship, Elias touches Lady Kate figurehead and hears a voice in his head. She tells him that they are in danger. When Zevon tried to finally burn the map, Mulgrew stopped him. ===== Ian George, the head of an exclusive school, is asked to take a look at Hope Park Comprehensive School, which is in special measures, and asked to confirm its closure. When he visits the school, he's greeted by disaffected students and teachers alike. The sixth form centre was derelict after it was torched a few years previously, and the music room is full of expensive equipment, unused because the school could not attract a music teacher. The outgoing head (Peter Davison) breaks down during his farewell speech and delivers an emotional rant against the students, telling them how worthless they are. After meeting staff and pupils at the school, in particular pupil Keeley Porter and teacher Debbie "Debs" Bryan, Ian George believes there is some hope for the school. He is offered help by the chair of governors, whose son died young and would have been at the school. Ian turns down a Governmental job to take over as the new Head. With the help of Deputy Head "Debs" (Redman), George rectified these issues. He identified the talents of rebellious students, and the music equipment was finally used. Romances developed between Ian and Debs, and Tony (Lee Warburton) and Sally (Sara Stephens). Philip Whitchurch played Derek, the chair of governors, who was desperate to save the school. The refurbished and replenished library was subsequently dedicated to his dead son. The Chief Education Officer was played by Richard Griffiths. ===== In the near future, Michael Jennings is a reverse engineer; he analyzes his clients' competitors' technology and recreates it with improvements. To protect his clients' intellectual property and himself, Jennings undergoes memory wipe to remove knowledge of his engineering with aid of his friend Shorty. Jennings is contacted by his college roommate James Rethrick, the CEO of technology company Allcom. Rethrick offers Jennings a lengthy three-year job, during which he will be required to stay on Allcom's campus, in exchange for company stock. Jennings is hesitant but agrees. After being injected with the memory marker, Jennings is given a tour of the campus, where he meets and flirts with biologist Dr. Rachel Porter. Rethrick then introduces Jennings to his work partner, physicist William Dekker. Three years later, Jennings wakes from the memory wipe and is congratulated by Rethrick. Jennings finds that the Allcom stock he earned is valued at over , but when he goes to see his lawyer to get the funds, he discovers that he had given all the stock away just weeks ago. Further, he is given an envelope claiming to be his possessions on entering Allcom, but it contains a random assortment of items. Confused, Jennings soon finds himself detained by the FBI. Agent Dodge accuses Jennings of having access to classified government designs that had been taken by Dekker, who is now dead. Jennings cannot answer due to the memory wipe, but finds a means to escape using the items in the envelope. As he evades the FBI, Rethrick's right-hand-man John Wolfe sees Jennings walking away and warns Rethrick they have a problem. Jennings meets with Shorty to try to figure out what happened, but then sees a lottery number result on a television, the numbers matching those on a fortune cookie message in the envelope. He realizes that he must have built a machine at Allcom to see into the future, planting items in that envelope to help fix things. At Allcom, Rethrick tries to use Jennings' machine, but instead finds that it was jury-rigged to go offline after Jennings had left. Rethrick studies Jennings' habits while at Allcom and discovers that he got romantically involved with Porter and left a secret message to meet her at a cafe later that day. Rethrick sends a body double to try to coerce Jennings to turn over the envelope, but the real Porter shows up and rescues Jennings. The two elude the FBI and Rethrick's men. While hiding, they find that the stamps on the envelopes contain microdot images taken from the device, showing newspaper headlines from the future that while Allcom became incredibly successful with the device, it led to international political strife and the United States launching a pre-emptive nuclear strike. They agree that the machine must be destroyed. Using the last items in the envelope, Jennings and Porter gain access to Allcom and the machine, while separately the FBI have started to investigate Allcom. Jennings discovers the circuit he rigged and fixes it, while booby-trapping the machine to be destroyed in a few minutes. He uses the machine one last time to see himself being shot at by an FBI agent in the catwalks about the machine. Rethrick, Wolfe, and other men arrive, and Jennings and Porter escape to the catwalks. Wolfe tries to use the machine to help track Jennings, while Rethrick corners the pair on the catwalk. FBI storm the lab, and one appears on the catwalk, the same tableau that Jennings had seen. As the FBI fires, a watch from the envelope beeps, and Jennings dodges in time for the bullet to fatally hit Rethrick. Wolfe is killed as Jennings' booby-trap goes off and destroys the machine. After the chaos dies down and the FBI begin a full investigation, Agent Dodge finds the watch Jennings had used. Elsewhere, Jennings, Porter, and Shorty have moved to the countryside. Shorty was able to use his influence to rescue the cage of a pair of lovebirds Porter had been raising at Allcom. Recalling the fortune cookie message from the envelope, Jennings looks in the cage and finds a lottery ticket for the winning jackpot of . ===== A series of child abductions and murders have left the police force perplexed and unable to solve the case. Hence the case is handed over to the CBI, who designate trainee Reet Oberoi (Preity Zinta) to solve the case. After some investigation the evidence points towards Lajja Shankar Pandey (Ashutosh Rana), a religious fanatic who believes in the sacrifice of children to gain immortality. Pandey's erratic behaviour and Reet's traumas (as a child she witnesses her older brother Jassi, a terrorist, being gunned down by the police in their home) forces Reet to seek help from a prisoner, an unjustly implicated genius by the name Professor Aman Verma (Akshay Kumar). At first he's rude towards Reet and refuses to help her, but with some help she manages to sway him into helping her. The case gets even more tough as she finds out that the Home Minister's only child has been kidnapped by Pandey. Reet cannot handle the pressure alone due to her traumatic childhood and her phobias, she also faces opposition from the local police partly because of Verma's methods. As they begin to spend more time together, he helps her overcome her fears and both fall in love. They eventually track down Pandey, who is about to begin the last sacrifice on the day of a solar eclipse (Soorya Grahan), which he believes will finally help him attain immortality. Aman and Reet eventually save the child, killing Pandey in the process, however Aman is fatally injured. Reet and Aman share a last kiss before he dies in her arms. Reet is given a hero's welcome and she finds a new sense of life in herself. ===== Takeshis progresses through the nested storyline of the dual protagonists, Beat Takeshi and Mr. Kitano (both played by Kitano himself). Beat Takeshi, a prominent actor, meets a look-alike named Mr. Kitano, who is a struggling actor. After the meeting, Mr. Kitano's dreams take a violent, surreal turn. The film opens with a nightmare vision. American soldiers with carbines move down the fallen base filled up with bodies of Japanese combatants. One of dying combatants appears to be (Beat or Kitano) Takeshi. This opening scene is followed by the gun battle of a yakuza film where one of the protagonists, 'Beat' Takeshi, plays the principal role. Flashbacks of this gun battle are frequently used throughout the film. 'Beat' Takeshi is a showbiz star. He lives through business in film studio and TV stations where main casts appear in one of their dual roles (Takeshi's Girlfriend (Kotomi Kyono), Takeshi's Manager (Ren Osugi), and Takeshi's former partner of stand-up comedy (Susumu Terajima)). The first appearance sequence of 'Beat' Takeshi also introduces some repetitive motives of Takeshis. (The caterpillar in a bouquet, a female impersonator of taishū engeki (Taichi Saotome), tap dancers in a rehearsal set, Akihiro Miwa (a transvestite chanson singer), a pair of fat twins, and dialogs at a ramen restaurant repeated later in varied situations.) Mr. Kitano, the other protagonist, appears in a clown costume among the guys in a wardrobe of TV station. Mr. Kitano is an everyman, obsessed with his appearance identical to 'Beat' Takeshi. When two Takeshis encounter for the first time, Mr. Kitano seeks his heartthrob charisma's autograph. 'Beat' Takeshi gives the autograph to him. Kitano, earning a living as a convenience store clerk, never gets ahead as an actor. He begins to fantasize himself as 'Beat' Takeshi in daydreams. Fragments of surreal dream crosses over into his life. We see bizarre things accompanied by dead bodies on the road while he is moonlighting as a taxi driver. Kitano then happens to pick up a gun at a yakuza quarrel. He shoots first his yakuza neighbor (Susumu Terajima), and begins to kill people around his world. The film implies it is some kind of a dream, showing deceased guys appear again in blood and yell alive normally. Kitano takes out his female neighbor (Kotomi Kyono) and commits a bank robbery. Accomplishing his fantasies of acting like a movie star 'Beat' Takeshi, Kitano takes a journey into the absolutely bizarre, surreal world (an underground nightclub, night gun battles, and the catastrophe at a Boiling Point-, or Sonatine-like tropical island). Cut suddenly back to Kitano's real life where he is still confused himself and 'Beat' Takeshi. He finds the movie star's autograph greeting, "Hello Mr. Clown!". It triggers 'Beat' Takeshi's assassination by Mr. Kitano. Cut suddenly again back to a close-up of 'Beat' Takeshi, which implies all of the film might be a dream of 'Beat' Takeshi. The film ends with flashback images of an American Soldier and the gun battle of a yakuza film at the beginning. ===== The series starred John Thaw as barrister James Kavanagh QC, who comes from a working-class upbringing in Bolton, Greater Manchester. This is only discovered in later episodes as his parents' health deteriorates and through an exchange with a colleague who presumed that Kavanagh was actually a Yorkshireman. Plus, on one occasion Kavanagh dashes off to catch Bolton Wanderers play in a televised football match. The series deals with his battles in the courtroom as well as his domestic dramas which include the death of his devoted and affectionate wife. Later he begins dating a fellow barrister. In court, Kavanagh is usually seen to be defending a client who seems likely to be convicted until a twist in the case occurs, but occasionally Kavanagh is seen in a prosecuting role. The main plot often features Kavanagh confronting cases with a subtext of racism, sexism or other prejudice. In sub-plots comedy came from the pomposity and self-absorption of Jeremy, a posh barrister in chambers. Kavanagh will not stand for injustice and is never bullied by threats or bribes from those whom he is up against in the courtroom. ===== The story opens with Bud being placed with a new foster family, the Amoses'. Bud soon meets Todd Amos, their 12-year-old son, who teases him mercilessly and calls him Buddy. After a fight with Todd, Bud is forced to spend the night in the garden shed. In the shed, he mistakes a hornet nest for a vampire bat and hits the nest with a rake. This upsets the hornets and Bud gets stung. During his adrenaline rush, he breaks through the window of the shed. After escaping the shed, Bud takes revenge on Todd by making him wet his bed by pouring warm water on Todd. He escapes and sleeps under a Christmas tree for the night. His friend Bugs wakes him up so they can go to the West. Bud runs away with Bugs. They try to hop on a train, but Bud fails to make it and is left behind. Bud starts walking to Grand Rapids, Michigan. On the way, he meets Lefty Lewis, who gives him a ride in his car to Grand Rapids to find his father, who he believes is Herman E. Calloway. He stays with Lefty for a short while, then leaves to find his father. Bud meets Herman and his band and declares himself to be Herman's son, though his confidence is shaken when he sees that Herman is elderly. The band treats Bud with kindness, but Herman treats Bud with great animosity. Bud delivers the news that his mom, Angela, is dead. This brings great grief to Herman, who is revealed to in fact be Bud's grandfather and Angela's estranged father. The story ends with Bud becoming friends with the band members and receives a horn. Herman apologizes to Bud for his animosity and allows him to stay with him and the band. Despite all of his dilemmas and all of his grief, Bud may finally have a happy ending. ===== Set in New Orleans, Frank's Place chronicles the life of Frank Parrish (Tim Reid), a well-to-do African-American professor at Brown University, an Ivy League university in Providence, Rhode Island, who inherits a restaurant, Chez Louisiane. In the premiere, Frank travels to New Orleans intending to sell the restaurant. However, waitress Emerita (she waits only on customers with twenty years or more of patronage) of Chez Louisiane—Miss Marie (Frances E. Williams) has a voodoo spin (curse) put on Frank ensuring that he will come back to carry on his family's business. Consequently, when Frank returns to New England, the life he's known there suddenly goes inexplicably haywire. Feeling he has no choice, Frank returns to New Orleans and makes many discoveries about black culture in New Orleans, the differences between northern and southern lifestyles, and himself. On its surface, Frank's Place was a fish-out-of-water story, like The Beverly Hillbillies or Green Acres. However, the series' story lines featured weightier topics such as race and class issues. ===== A young boy named Tadashi Ino moves to a small town after his parents' divorce. At a local festival, he is chosen to be that year's Kirin Rider, referring to the legendary Chinese chimera, the Qilin: a protector of all things good. He soon discovers that his new title is quite literal, as a nefarious spirit named Yasunori Katō appears. Katō - a demon whose mystical powers are born of his rage at the annihilation of Japan's local tribes - desires vengeance against the modern Japanese for their actions against the yōkai. To carry out his revenge, Katō allies himself with a yōkai named Agi, summoning a fiery spirit called Yomotsumono: a creature composed of the resentment carried by the multitudinous things mankind has discarded. Katō feeds yokai into Yomotsumono's flames, fusing them with the numerous discarded tools and items to form kikai. These kikai - under Katō's control - capture other yōkai to build their numbers while killing humans. One such yokai, a sunekosuri escapes and befriends Tadashi who attempts to obtain the Daitenguken from the mountain as a right of passage for the role of Kirin Rider. Scared by the tales told of the mountain, Tadashi falters upon his arrival at the mountain and tries to flee. However, tricked by the sea spirit Shōjō, who picked Tadashi out, he manages to overcome a test to prove his worth. Accompanied by Shōjō, Kawahime, and Kawatarō, Tadashi makes his way to the Daitengu who gives him the sword before being taken away by the kikai. In spite of Tadashi's attempts, the sword is broken as Agi takes the sunekosuri as her captive before the boy is knocked unconscious. When Tadashi comes to his senses, he finds himself among yōkai as they discuss how to fix the sword; they ultimately decide to request the aid of the blacksmith Ippondatara. Upon learning that Ippondatara was also captured, General Nurarihyon and his group leave. Kawataro restrains an ittan-momen, praising the bumbling Azukiarai, unaware that he only remained behind due to his foot getting numb. When Katō's industrial fortress takes flight towards Tokyo, Tadashi and company pursue it. They arrive shortly after the fortress ingests Tokyo's Shinjuku Capital Building, finding Ippondatara who reforges the sword. Ippondatara refuses to talk about how he escaped, ashamed that the sunekosuri took his place in becoming a kikai. Donning new attire, Tadashi and company go into battle. They are greatly outnumbered until they receive unlikely aid from thousands of yōkai who believe they are coming to a party; their festival brawl with the kikai allows Tadashi and Kawahime to enter the fortress safely, followed by a yōkai-obsessed reporter named Sata whom Kawahime saved in the past. Tadashi is forced to slay the kikai that the sunekosuri became, restoring it to its original form yet leaving it gravely injured. In a rage, Tadashi battles Agi before she is called back by Katō to begin the final phase by joining with Yomotsumono. Despite Tadashi's attempts, Katō outmatches him. Kawahime attempts to protect the boy, stating that while she hates humans due to them abandoning her, she has no desire for revenge as she considers it a human emotion. Unfazed, Katō takes the two out as Azukiarai awkwardly arrives. Katō calls Agi to join him. However, her love for him is a hindrance to the process, so Katō kills her instead before entering the oven to become one with Yomotsumono. However, due to Sata's actions, one of Azukiarai's adzuki beans ends up in the mix with Katō, causing a chain reaction of positive emotion that destroys Yomotsumono. After the yokai take their leave, Tadashi and Sata find themselves on the street and the boy tells his first white lie to the reporter about Kawahime's feelings towards him. Years later, Tadashi is a grown man who has lost the ability to see yokai, even the sunekosuri. The film ends with the sunekosuri being confronted by an Azuki-pupiled Katō. ===== Mary Astor and Clark Gable in Red Dust On a rubber plantation in French Indochina during the monsoon season, the plantation's owner/manager Dennis Carson (Gable), a prostitute named Vantine (Harlow), and Barbara Willis (Astor), the wife of engineer Gary Willis (Gene Raymond) are involved in a love triangle. Carson abandons an informal relationship with Vantine to pursue Barbara, but has a change of heart and returns to Vantine. Vantine arrives at the plantation first, on the lam from the authorities in Saigon. She shows an easy comfort in the plantation's harsh environment, wisecracks continually, and begins playfully teasing Carson as soon as she meets him. He resists her charm at first, but soon gives in, and they quickly develop a friendly, casual relationship where they tease each other and pretend to be too tough for affection. They call each other "Fred" and "Lily", as though neither can be bothered to remember the other's name. However, Carson loses interest in Vantine when the Willises arrive. Gary Willis is a young, inexperienced engineer, and his wife Barbara a classy, ladylike beauty. Carson is immediately attracted to Barbara, and, after sending Gary on a lengthy surveying trip, he spends the next week seducing Barbara as Vantine watches jealously. He successfully persuades Barbara to leave Gary, but recants after visiting Gary in the swamp and learning how deeply he loves Barbara. Carson has also seen that Barbara is unsuited for the plantation's primitive conditions, as is Gary, and has a painful memory of his own mother's death on the plantation when he was a boy. He decides to send both of them back to more civilized surroundings. At the story's climax, Carson turns Barbara's feelings against him by pretending he never loved her, at which point she shoots him. This provides a cover for Vantine and Carson to save Barbara's marriage and reputation by insisting to Gary that Barbara rejected Carson's advances. The film ends after Carson has sent the Willises away, with Vantine reading bedtime stories to him as he recuperates from the gunshot wound, as he playfully tries to fondle her. Jean Harlow ===== Brothers Zach and Gray Mitchell visit Jurassic World, a dinosaur theme park on Isla Nublar, of which their aunt Claire Dearing is the operations manager. Claire assigns her assistant Zara as the boys' guide, but they evade her and explore on their own. Elsewhere on the island, U.S. Navy veteran and ethologist Owen Grady has been training four Velociraptors named Blue, Echo, Delta, and Charlie, and researching their intelligence. Based on the raptors' ability to follow commands, head of InGen security Vic Hoskins believes that the animals can be weaponized, an idea Owen and his assistant Barry strongly oppose. Prior to its opening, Claire and park owner Simon Masrani inspect the park's newest attraction, the Indominus rex, a transgenic dinosaur created by geneticist Dr. Henry Wu. Masrani tasks Owen with evaluating the enclosure. Owen warns Claire that the Indominus lacks social skills, making it dangerous and unpredictable. When it seems that the Indominus has escaped, Owen and two park workers enter the enclosure. The Indominus, which can camouflage itself and mask its heat signature, suddenly appears. Owen survives, but it devours the other two men before escaping into the island's interior. Owen advises Masrani to have the Indominus executed, but to protect his company's investment, Masrani dispatches a specialized unit to subdue it with non-lethal weaponry, so it can safely be returned to its paddock. After most of the unit is slaughtered, Claire orders the evacuation of the island's northern sector. While exploring the park in a tour vehicle, Zach and Gray enter a restricted area. The Indominus arrives and destroys the vehicle but the boys narrowly escape. They find the ruins of the original Jurassic Park visitor center, repair an old Jeep Wrangler, and drive back to the park resort. As Claire and Owen search for the boys, they barely escape the Indominus. Masrani and two troopers hunt down the Indominus by helicopter, but it breaks into the park's aviary. The aviary's pterosaurs crash Masrani's helicopter, killing all three inside, before converging onto the resort, and terrorizing many of the visitors, including Zara who is later devoured by the park's Mosasaurus. Gray and Zach find Owen and Claire at the resort as armed personnel shoot down the pterosaurs. Assuming command, Hoskins orders the raptors to be used to track the Indominus. Forced to comply, Owen leads the raptors. Upon finding the Indominus, the dinosaurs begin communicating among themselves. Owen realizes that the Indominus has Velociraptor DNA in it and it usurps Owen's dominance, becoming the pack's new alpha. Troops fire on the Indominus, but it escapes. The raptors slaughter most of the troops, who only manage to kill Charlie. Hoskins evacuates Wu and the dinosaur embryos from the island to protect Wu's research. Owen, Claire, and the boys find Hoskins at the lab trying to secure more embryos, but Delta breaks in and kills him. Owen re-establishes his bond with the three surviving raptors before the Indominus reappears. They attack the Indominus, but Delta and Echo are killed while Blue is knocked unconscious. Claire releases the veteran Tyrannosaurus rex from its paddock and lures it into a decisive battle with the Indominus, which gains the advantage over the T. rex until Blue recovers and rejoins the battle. They corner the Indominus at the lagoon's edge, where it is dragged underwater by the park's Mosasaurus. The survivors are evacuated and the island is abandoned again. Zach and Gray are reunited with their parents, while Owen and Claire decide to stay together. ===== The background of the game's story is minimal. All that is truly known is that the player character, either a boy named Ken (Kou in Japan), or a girl named Mery (Nami in Japan) (the names are optional), has become stranded on a deserted island after a storm capsizes the player's boat, and must actively work to survive and possibly find a way to escape back to civilization. Interaction with other characters is scarce or entirely absent, depending on how the player chooses to progress throughout the game. ===== In 1933, film director Carl Denham (Jack Black), has acquired a mysterious map, which reveals the secret location of a large island known as Skull Island, located in the far reaches of the Pacific Ocean. Carl hires playwright Jack Driscoll (Adrien Brody) to write his script and plucks a starving, out-of-work actress Ann Darrow (Naomi Watts) to play the part of leading lady and a tramp steamer called the Venture to take them to the island. The ship, controlled by Captain Englehorn (Thomas Kretschmann) arrives at the island on October 12. Three lifeboats containing the cast, crew and sailors are dispatched to the island. Due to stormy seas and large rocks, the lifeboat containing Jack, Carl, Ann, Hayes (Evan Parke), and Briggs smashes into a chunk of rocks, killing Briggs. Hayes shoots out a distress signal, causing Englehorn to come looking for them via the ship's plane and drop ammo supplies for them. The group, after fighting off giant crabs, head onto a rocky outcrop. Carl suggests shooting some test shots for his movie, asking Ann to scream. Her classic damsel-in-distress style wailing is answered by a loud roar. The party progresses forward, meeting up with the second lifeboat containing Preston (Colin Hanks), Jimmy (Jamie Bell) and Lumpy (Andy Serkis), although it cannot land because of the strong current of the sea. The team continue traversing the island, battling with many vicious creatures, and are eventually forced to split up. After a huge battle with Megapedes and Scorpiopedes through a seemingly abandoned village, Jack and Ann are captured by the island natives. Jack is tied to a stake, and watches helplessly as Ann is taken by Kong, a gorilla during a native sacrifice. Carl saves Jack and the two give chase. During the dangerous journey through the jungle, they have an encounter with Venatosaurus who are feasting on a dead Ferrucutus. Jack and Carl reunite with Hayes after defeating a pack of Venatosaurus with a .45 caliber Thompson submachine gun. Soon after, they find Preston, Lumpy, Jimmy and Baxter, who are crossing a bridge, but they are attacked by a Vastatosaurus rex. Lumpy is torn apart, Jimmy and Baxter fall down into the crevasse, but Preston gets to the other side. Jack is separated from Carl and Hayes, who tell him to continue looking for Ann. Jack eventually finds Ann, but she is kidnapped by a Terapusmordax. Kong comes to the rescue and saves Ann. Jack continues on into the canyon, where he sees a migrating herd of Brontosaurus, and also battles Megapedes and Scorpio-Pedes. A V. rex attacks the sauropods and Jack meets up with Carl and Hayes, and continue on their path. In the jungle, they save Jimmy, who is being attacked by the Venatosaurs. They eventually get on a raft, where Jimmy tells the group that everyone else is dead. After escaping the Skull Islanders, the team are pursued by two V. rexes. Kong battles and kills them. As the team continue their journey, they enter a swamp, and fight against Udusaurs. After leaving the swamp, Kong interrupts their log crossing and tips them into a huge ravine. Carl's camera is broken and he gives up, heading downstream towards the Venture. Jack, Jimmy and Hayes continue their pursuit of Ann. Jack eventually saves Ann from a V. rex, and the party attempt to find a long stretch of water of which Englehorn's seaplane can land on. After fighting off some Venatosaurus and a juvenile V. rex in a cave, and leaving a swamp, they finally come across a long stretch of water. Englehorn lands on the water, but is forced to take flight as a V. rex arrives on the scene and chases the group. Ann signals for Kong to come. Eventually, Kong comes to the rescue while Jack shoots some Terapusmordax to distract the carnivore. As Hayes tries to stop the fight, opening fire on Kong, the V. rex charges at Kong and inadvertently steps on Hayes, injuring him. Jack and Jimmy stand over Hayes, who tells Jimmy before he dies to get back to the ship. Jack and Jimmy fight many raptors and head back to the stretch of water and find the seaplane. Jimmy leaves with Englehorn and Jack climbs up into the mountains to save Ann. Jack discovers Kong's lair and kills two juvenile V. rexes and the Skin-Birds roosting above the entrance. He rescues Ann while Kong fights several cave serpents. After leaving the jungle, Ann is captured by the natives once again but Kong saves her. He then heads for the shore where he gets gassed by sailors. He eventually passes out and is taken to New York City, where he is put on display on Broadway. Kong escapes and rampages New York destroying many army trucks. He eventually finds Ann and takes her up the Empire State Building. He tries to destroy a swarm of biplanes but is eventually shot down. Carl stands beside Kong's body and says "It wasn't the airplanes. It was Beauty that killed the Beast." An alternate ending is possible. This ending can be unlocked by gamers when they replay through various maps and earn a total of 250,000 points. If the player defeats enough biplanes as Kong, the army will light up searchlights on the building so that the biplanes can get clearer shots at Kong, causing Jack and Englehorn to appear in the Venture's seaplane. The player will switch to Jack piloting the seaplane and destroying the searchlights, and shooting down the remaining biplanes to save Kong. Although emergency searchlights are set up, Kong climbs down the Empire State Building. Kong is taken back aboard the Venture and is safely returned to Skull Island. Ann and Jack (or Englehorn) on board the seaplane fly around Kong's lair to see Kong one last time to bid farewell to him, as Kong roars triumphantly. The seaplane returns to the departing Venture. ===== Arthur Pendennis ("Pen" to his friends) is the only child of a prosperous physician and former apothecary now deceased. He and his foster sister Laura are raised in the village of Fairoaks by his indulgent mother, Mrs. Pendennis. The family has risen to gentility in the past generation or two but is not wealthy: the late Mr. Pendennis left only a house and investments producing about 500 pounds a year. The Pendennises, however, claim descent from an ancient family, and Arthur's uncle Major Pendennis, though he has only his retired Army pay, associates with wealthy and titled people. As Pen and Laura grow up, Mrs. Pendennis tells them she hopes they will marry someday. At age 18, however, Pen falls in love with an actress, Emily Fotheringay (a stage name), who is about ten years his senior. Emily's father, Captain Costigan, believes Pen is rich and wants Pen to marry his daughter, but Pen's mother is horrified. She summons Major Pendennis from London, and the Major derails the marriage simply by telling Costigan his nephew is not rich. Emily jilts Pen. Pen, heartbroken, leaves home to study at St Boniface's college in Oxbridge. There he lives extravagantly, unwittingly causing his mother and Laura to live in near poverty. After two years, Pen fails his final examination and remorsefully returns home where, unfortunately, his mother and Laura easily forgive him and Laura sacrifices her small personal fortune to pay Pen's debts. He soon returns to Oxbridge, retakes the exam, and obtains a degree, but returns to Fairoaks as his mother thinks earning a living is both beneath her son and harmful to his health. Soon a large house in the neighbourhood that has stood empty for years is reoccupied by its owners, the Clavering family, consisting of Sir Francis, a baronet and Member of Parliament addicted to gambling; his rich and kindly but low-born wife, whose father earned his fortune in India; their young son; and Lady Clavering's daughter from her first marriage, Blanche Amory. The Pendennises become friendly with the Claverings and Pen becomes infatuated with Blanche, but the flirtation doesn't last long. To please his mother, Pen at this point languidly proposes to Laura but she turns him down essentially because she thinks he's not mature enough. Pen then sets out for London, where he meets George Warrington, a journalist, with whom Pen takes cheap lodgings and who helps Pen get started as a writer. Pen achieves some success and starts to support himself, swearing he'll take no more of his mother's or Laura's money. The Clavering family also comes up to London, where they live very well, and Blanche continues to flirt with Pen and many other men. One of them, Pen's college friend Henry Foker, falls in love with Blanche but cannot propose to her as his father will disinherit him unless he marries his cousin Ann. Pen—by now rather cynical about love and life—toys with the idea of a marriage of convenience to Blanche, and his uncle encourages him in this, but—partly because he knows Harry Foker loves Blanche—Pen doesn't propose. Foker leaves England for a year or two, unable to marry Blanche but unwilling to marry his cousin. A new character, Colonel Altamont, is introduced at this point: he knows a secret about the Clavering family and uses it to extort money from the baronet. Major Pendennis meets Colonel Altamont, recognises him from his Army service in India, and knows "Altamont" is Lady Clavering's supposedly dead first husband Mr. Amory. He is an escaped convict and a murderer as well. Major Pendennis, however, doesn't act on his knowledge. In addition to being blackmailed, Sir Francis Clavering loses a tremendous sum of money at the races and hides from his wife and creditors in an obscure part of London. Thackeray's dedication to his friend John Elliotson, the editor of The Zoist—the model for Dr Goodenough, in The Adventures of Philip (1862)—who attended him when suffering a life-threatening illness 1849.Schneck, J.M., "John Elliotson, William Makepeace Thackeray, and Doctor Goodenough", International Journal of Clinical and Experimental Hypnosis, Vol.11, No.2, (April 1963), p.122-130. doi=10.1080/00207146308409236 Meanwhile, Pen meets Fanny Bolton, who is pretty and young, but ignorant and lower-class. They fall in love a little, but after a very short and innocent relationship, Pen decides not to see her any more for the good of both. Brooding and keeping to his comfortless room to avoid seeing Fanny, Pen falls very ill. When malicious gossip reaches Helen and Laura that Pen is "entangled" with a girl of low station, they rush to his side: they find Fanny in his room, where she has just arrived to nurse him, but Helen and Laura think the worst and treat Fanny very rudely. Pen, unconscious, is unable to defend Fanny and himself. Recovering after several weeks of illness, Pen takes a journey with his mother, Laura, and Warrington, who falls in love with Laura but cannot marry her because of his own catastrophic early marriage. (He is separated from his venal wife and her children—of whom he is only legally, not biologically, the father. He supports them but does not see them, and has no ambition because if he earns more money, his wife will demand it.) Helen's health deteriorates because of her belief in Pen's immoral connection with Fanny. Pen finally discovers how Helen treated Fanny; he is very angry at his mother and tells her he and Fanny are innocent. She is overjoyed to hear it, and soon mother and son forgive each other. Helen's health is nevertheless too much shaken and she dies soon afterward. Pen thus comes into possession of the family property of 500 pounds a year. He leases his house at Fairoaks to tenants and returns to London, while Laura goes to live as companion to a Lady Rockminster. Pen does send a small amount of money to Fanny Bolton with his thanks; she eventually marries a Mr. Huxter (who had started the gossip about her and Pen). Major Pendennis, still hoping to arrange a profitable marriage between Pen and Blanche Amory, meets Sir Francis and threatens to divulge his secret—that he is not really married to Lady Clavering—if Sir Francis will not retire and turn over his seat in Parliament to Pen. Sir Francis consents. Major Pendennis' shrewd valet Morgan overhears the conversation and makes plans to extort everyone—the Major, Pen, Altamont, Sir Francis, and Lady Clavering. When Morgan tries this on Major Pendennis, however, the Major won't stand for it, as he has as much to threaten Morgan with (theft) as Morgan has to threaten others with. At this point, Pen has finally become engaged to Blanche though they do not love each other. Then he learns, through Morgan, of the scandal concerning the Claverings. Pen does what he considers the honourable thing: he maintains his engagement with Blanche, but refuses her family money and the seat in Parliament. Now Henry Foker comes back into the picture: his father has died and his fiancee-cousin Ann has eloped with another man, leaving Harry rich and free to marry as he likes. He returns to England and immediately proposes to Blanche. She accepts because he is richer than Pen. On learning that Blanche has broken their engagement, Pen proposes to Laura, whom he has come to love, and is accepted, because she has long loved him—even when she refused his first marriage proposal. The secret of the Clavering family finally becomes known to everybody and Henry Foker breaks his engagement to Blanche—not because of her disreputable father, but because she deceived him and doesn't love him. There is one final surprise: Altamont/Amory, although he is Blanche's father, was bigamously married to several women before he "married" Blanche's mother, so the Clavering marriage is legal after all—but Blanche is illegitimate. Blanche leaves for Paris, where she apparently marries a con man. Foker remains unmarried. Pen and Laura marry; soon their income increases, and he enters Parliament through his own honest efforts. ===== The plot centers on misfit Jerry Plunkett (James Cagney), a tough-talking New Yorker who displays a mixture of bravado and cowardice. Caught up in patriotic fervor when the United States enters WWI, he proves to be a coward in battle. The chaplain, Father Francis P. Duffy (Pat O'Brien) attempts to reform Plunkett. Sgt. "Big Mike" Wynn (Alan Hale, Sr.) loses both his brothers in action due to Plunkett's blunders. Major Donovan ultimately orders Plunkett to be court- martialed. While he is awaiting execution, his jail cell is destroyed by a German shell, freeing him. He then sees Father Duffy ministering to several wounded troops, urging them to keep their faith and have courage. Shamed and inspired by Donovan's forbearance, Plunkett runs to rejoin his unit at the front. Coming across a mortar whose crew have almost all been killed, he forces the only surviving soldier, Sgt. "Big Mike" Wynn, to show him how to operate it. He then uses it to save his entire unit. Finally, he sacrifices his life to protect "Big Mike" by covering a grenade with his body. While Jerry Plunkett was a fictional character, Father Duffy, Major Donovan, Lt. Ames, and poet Joyce Kilmer were all real members of the 69th. Many of the events depicted (training at Camp Mills, the Mud March, dugout collapse at Rouge Bouquet, crossing the Ourcq River, Victory Parade, etc.) actually happened. ===== This Showcase Original Series explores erotic desires, passions and fantasies of women from a female perspective, with the episodes themselves directed and written by women. ===== The film begins in 1842, following the British victory of the First Opium War and the seizure of Hong Kong. Although the island is largely uninhabited and the terrain unfriendly, it has a large port that both the British government and various trading companies believe will be useful for the import of merchandise to be traded on mainland China, a highly lucrative market. Although the film features many characters, it is arguably Dirk Struan and Tyler Brock, former shipmates and the owners of two massive (fictional) trading companies who are the main focal points of the story. Their rocky and often abusive relationship as seamen initiated an intense amount of competitive tension. Throughout, both men seek to destroy each other in matters of business and personal affairs. Struan is referred to as tai-pan (which author Clavell translates as "Supreme Leader", although this is not the accepted translation of the term) indicating his position as head of the largest and most profitable of all the trading companies operating in Asia. Brock, owner of the second largest of the trading companies, constantly vies to destroy Struan's company and reputation in an attempt to both exact revenge on Struan and become the new "Tai-Pan" of Chinese trade. While the film follows a similar structure as the novel, one major and notable event is left out. Struan's meeting with Jin Qua early in the film to obtain the forty lac dollars of silver to pay Brock omits Jin Qua's stipulation that four special coins be broken in half, with Struan keeping four halves and the other four being distributed by Jin Qua. When a half coin is presented to Struan that matches his own half, he is obligated to do a favor to the bearer. The first favor is called in later in the novel, by the pirate Wu Kwok. The film does not convey this. ===== When his ranch hands abandon him to join a gold rush, aging rancher William ‘Wil’ Andersen (John Wayne) is forced to find replacement drovers for his upcoming long cattle drive. He rides into deserted Bozeman, Montana. There, his friend Anse Peterson (Slim Pickens) suggests using local schoolboys. Andersen visits the school but departs unconvinced by the boys' immature behavior. The next morning, the boys arrive at Andersen's ranch to volunteer for the drive. Andersen reluctantly tests the boys' ability to stay on a bucking horse. As the boys successfully take turns, Cimarron (A Martinez), another young man slightly older than the others, rides up. After successfully subduing and riding the test horse, Cimarron gets into a fight with Slim (Robert Carradine), the oldest of the boys, after Cimarron refers to Slim's mother as a prostitute. Andersen, though impressed by Cimarron's abilities, has misgivings because of his angry nature and sends him away. With no other options, Andersen decides to hire the boys. While Andersen and the boys prepare for the cattle drive, a group of mysterious men led by Asa "Long Hair" Watts (Bruce Dern) show up asking for work. Andersen catches Long Hair in a lie about his past and refuses to hire them. Jebediah "Jeb" Nightlinger (Roscoe Lee Browne), a Black camp cook arrives with a chuck wagon, making Anderson's trail crew complete. Under Andersen's continued tutelage, the boys learn to rope, as well as brand and herd the cattle and horses, and the group later officially sets off on the cattle drive. Much to Andersen's concern, Cimarron follows the drive from afar. However, while crossing a river, Slim slips off his horse and, unable to swim, starts to drown. Although Slim is saved by Cimarron, Andersen berates one of the boys, Bob, for his stuttering problem (which nearly caused Slim's death as he was unable to alert Andersen in time) and delivers an ultimatum to either quit stuttering immediately or else go back home alone. Bob then swears at Andersen repeatedly in anger and loses his stutter in the process. Satisfied, Andersen decides to let Cimarron and Bob stay. As the cattle drive progresses, the boys steal Nightlinger's whiskey and drink it, all of them getting severely drunk. Afterwards, one boy named Charlie falls off his horse and is trampled to death by the herd. Cimarron and another boy named Homer encounter a group of traveling prostitutes led by Madame Kate Collingwood but leave after Nightlinger intervenes. Slowly, the boys become rather good cowhands through their experiences and Andersen's guidance, impressing both Andersen and Nightlinger. Meanwhile, one of the boys, Dan, discovers a gang of cattle rustlers led by Long Hair are secretly following the herd from a distance but keeps quiet after Long Hair threatens to slit his throat if he says anything to Andersen. Soon after, the chuck wagon throws a wheel. While the rest of the boys continue to drive the herd, Nightlinger stays behind with Homer to fix the wagon. Long Hair then announces his presence to Andersen by openly paralleling the herd with his gang. Knowing the rustlers are after the herd, Andersen sends a boy named Weedy back to find Nightlinger, with instructions to make his way back to the herd with his rifle as soon as possible. When Nightlinger and Weedy don't show up several hours later, Andersen gathers the boys together and tells them that no matter what happens, if they act like boys and don’t resist, the rustlers should spare their lives. That night, Long Hair's gang surrounds Andersen and the boys in their camp with a captured and beaten Weedy. After forcing Andersen to surrender his gun, Long Hair announces his intention to steal the herd and taunts Dan and the rest of the boys, who follow Andersen's instructions and don’t resist. When Long Hair crushes Dan's glasses, Andersen intervenes and tells Long Hair his argument is with him and not the boys, leading to a brutal fist fight while the boys and the rustlers watch. Long Hair initially dominates the fight, but Andersen ultimately gains the upper hand by beating Long Hair repeatedly against a tree. An infuriated Long Hair then grabs a gun from one of his men and shoots the unarmed Andersen in both arms and the leg before shooting him twice more in the torso. The rustlers steal the herd and abandon the boys. The following morning, Nightlinger and Homer catch up to the group to find the boys tending to the dying Andersen. Before he dies, Andersen tells the boys with his last breaths how proud he is of all of them, that every man wants his children to be better than he was, and that they have become so. Following Andersen's funeral and on a prearranged signal, the boys overpower Nightlinger and seize the firearms stored in his chuck wagon, vowing to avenge Andersen's death and finish the trail drive as he hired them to do. When the group catches up to the herd and the rustlers, Nightlinger offers to help the boys make a plan to take back the herd. Using ruses and trickery, Nightlinger and the boys kill three of the outlaws and lure Long Hair and the rest of his gang into an ambush. In the ensuing shootout, all of the rustlers are killed while Long Hair finds his leg broken beneath his fallen horse and tangled up in the harness. Long Hair pleads for help from Dan, but Cimarron shoots a gun in the air that spooks the horse and drags the screaming Long Hair to his apparent death. After the boys complete the drive to Belle Fourche and sell the cattle, they use some of the proceeds to pay a stonemason to carve a marker with Andersen's name and the legend "Beloved Husband and Father", in clear reference to the position that Andersen had earned in their lives. They place the marker in the approximate location of Andersen's grave and head for home as the credits roll. ===== The player takes the role of Bill Rizer, who must neutralize an enemy force that is secretly storing an alien cell in their base. As with the previous Contra games for the NES, the exact details of the game's settings varies between supplemental materials: in the Japanese version, the enemies are identified as the army of an unnamed hostile nation that is seeking to use an alien cell to produce weapons; in the American version, the enemies are working for an alien entity calling itself "Black Viper". Likewise, the main character's identity was changed from Bill (the Player 1 character from the previous arcade and console games) to Lance (the Player 2 character from the previous installments as well).The Database mode of Contra: Shattered Soldier uses the original Japanese plot of the game (as with other Contra games released up to that point), whereas the instruction manual for the American developed Contra 4 reinterprets the events of Operation C as a previous mission of Mad Dog and Scorpion (the two new characters of Contra 4) against the alien invader Black Viper. ===== Pierre Brochant, a Parisian publisher, attends a weekly "idiots' dinner", where guests, who are modish, prominent Parisian businessmen, must bring along an "idiot" whom the other guests can ridicule. At the end of the dinner, the evening's "champion idiot" is selected. With the help of an "idiot scout", Brochant manages to find a "gem", François Pignon, a sprightly employee of the Finance Ministry (which Brochant, a tax cheat, loathes). Pignon has a passion for building matchstick replicas of famous landmarks. Shortly after inviting Pignon to his home, Brochant is suddenly stricken with back pain while playing golf at his exclusive country club. His wife, Christine, leaves him shortly before Pignon arrives at his apartment, as she realizes that he still wants to go to the "idiots' dinner." Brochant initially wants Pignon to leave, but instead becomes reliant on him, because of his back problem and his need to resolve his relationship problems. He solicits Pignon's assistance in making a series of telephone calls to locate his wife, but Pignon blunders each time, including revealing the existence of Brochant's mistress, Marlene Sasseur (thinking that she is Brochant's sister, since her name sounds like "sa soeur"), to his wife Christine and inviting tax inspector Lucien Cheval to Brochant's house where Brochant is forced quickly to hide most of his valuables in an attempt to disguise his tax evasion. In the meantime, Brochant is able to make amends with an old friend, Just Leblanc, from whom he stole Christine, and through the evening's events is forced to reassess his mistakes. ===== Gidget centers on the father-daughter relationship between Frances "Gidget" Lawrence and her widowed father Russell Lawrence. Episodes follow Gidget's adventures in school, at home, and at nearby beaches. Russell Lawrence guides his fifteen year-old daughter, while married sister Anne and husband John offer often unsolicited child-rearing tips. Gidget's friend Larue sometimes takes part in her escapades. More often than not, Gidget receives moral instruction from her father and gains wisdom from her experiences. Each episode is narrated by Gidget; on occasion, she breaks the "fourth wall" and directly addresses her audience, usually reflecting on what she has learned from the evening's story, sometimes ending with "Toodles!" (an expression Field improvised during production). ===== Theater owner and womanizer Martin Cortland (Robert Benchley) enlists the aid of his manager Robert Curtis (Fred Astaire) to woo dancer Sheila Winthrop (Rita Hayworth) but is caught by his long-suffering wife Julia (Frieda Inescort), who hints that he's gone too far this time and his increasingly unbelievable excuses might soon be judged by "twelve strange men." Robert and Sheila are attracted to one another but Robert is caught in Martin's continual attempts to deceive his wife (and keep his marriage, and thus his fortune, intact) and Sheila doubts Robert's sincerity. Captain Tom Barton (John Hubbard), an old friend and potential suitor, invites Sheila and her Aunt Louise (Marjorie Gateson) to visit him and his mother (Ann Shoemaker) on his Army base. Coincidentally, Curtis is drafted into the Army and posted to the same base under the command of The Top Sergeant (Donald McBride), where he quickly befriends fellow draftees Swiv (Cliff Nazarro) and Blain (Guinn 'Big Boy' Williams). Curtis finds himself imprisoned in the guardhouse, where he encounters the visiting Sheila and quickly spins his own web of lies (including a fictitious promotion to Captain) in an attempt to impress her and win her heart. He "borrows" a Captain's uniform and visits her, where he is introduced as Captain Curtis to several other officers, including Barton and the officer whose coat he was wearing. Sheila takes pity on him and allows him a graceful exit. On his return to the guardhouse, he finds his friends also confined for aiding him. Martin appears on the base to produce a show for the enlisted men and (at his request) is assigned Curtis as his assistant, who offers Martin the use of his apartment in town and insists that Sheila be included as his partner in the show. However, Martin is now in pursuit of another dancer, Sonya (Osa Massen), and has promised the lead to her. Captain Barton learns that he is being transferred to Panama and asks Sheila to marry him and accompany him there. Alarmed, Curtis races to his apartment to retrieve an engraved diamond bracelet that Martin had purchased for Sheila; unknown to him, Martin had had the bracelet re-engraved for Sonya. Martin sends Sheila to town to bring Robert back before he's declared AWOL. In his apartment Robert is startled to find Sonya, who was staying there at the invitation of Martin. Sheila arrives with the MPs on her heels and helps Robert escape, but encounters Sonya and sees her name engraved on the bracelet. She decides to marry Captain Barton and withdraws from the show. Martin's ever-suspicious wife, invited by Curtis, arrives and Sonya is forced to leave the show as well, which is canceled for want of a leading lady. Curtis' friends hold a demonstration to convince Sheila to return to the show. Curtis arranges for a genuine Justice of the Peace to participate in a wedding scene, resulting in (unknown to her) their actual marriage on stage. Martin confesses his machinations to Sheila, who embraces him in relief and calls on her new husband in the guardhouse. The jilted Captain Barton generously arranges for Curtis' release for his honeymoon; the film ends with Swiv and Blain's inept attempt to break into the guardhouse to free Curtis. ===== Peter Grey is a clergyman appointed to a new parish. He is married to neurotic Brenda. He forms a friendship with his predecessor, Rev Henry Marner and the latter's daughter Jane. ===== Troublemaker student Sebastian Valmont (Robin Dunne) is transferring to Manchester Prep following his father's new marriage to a wealthy divorcee. His current principal is insistent on having Sebastian's permanent record relayed to his new school, thereby hampering his chance for a fresh start, but Sebastian already retaliated by pulling a cruel stunt on his wife. Following his arrival in New York, Sebastian discovers the wealth of his new family and first meets his deceitful and determined step- sister Kathryn Merteuil (Amy Adams). Sebastian quickly proves to be able to better her both at piano and vocabulary. This leads to a confrontation between Kathryn and Sebastian whereby she states that she has a comfortable lifestyle and that he "better not interfere". Sebastian begins school. While waiting to see his new headmaster, he encounters Danielle Sherman (Sarah Thompson), who is, unbeknownst to him, Headmaster Sherman's daughter. Luckily, Sebastian swapped his permanent record for an excelling one before it was sent to the headmaster's office, and he can now start over with a clean slate. A school assembly follows, showing Kathryn delivering a speech to her classmates, but being persistently interrupted by uncontrollable hiccups coming from a student, who then begins to choke on the gum that she was chewing in a bid to stop her hiccups. She is saved by the quick action of Danielle who performs the Heimlich maneuver, allowing the student to expel the gum, which ends up flying into Kathryn's hair. A meeting of a secret society of student elites presided by Kathryn takes place, deciding upon the fate of the new students. This leads them to Cherie (Keri Lynn Pratt), the student with the hiccups, as well as the discovery that Cherie's family is wealthier than that of Kathryn; this, along with the events of the assembly, causes Kathryn to seek a vendetta against Cherie. Sebastain and Danielle become fast friends and Sebastian has a crush on her. They even swap stories about their lives. Sebastian mother was a drug addict and his parents split up when he was a kid. His father was a chartered boats in Miami and met Katherine's mother and married her. Sebastian is living one day at a time with all that wealth. Sebastian and Kathryn just started out of bickering step siblings. Sebastian already caught his father sleeping around in his yacht behind Kathryn's mother back. Sebastian, coming from a more humble upbringing, wishes to befriend his house staff. Doing so angers Kathryn, whose day is interrupted by not being able to contact her driver. This, combined with Kathryn's jealousy of Sebastian, causes her to admit that she is unhappy with her life. Sebastian attempts to woo Danielle: first, asking her for coffee at her work; then later, conversing with her over the telephone. Eventually, this evolves into a relationship, but Kathryn, seeing this, uses it as a way to get back at Sebastian. She tries to lure him away from Danielle by tempting him with identical twins, who confide to Sebastian that Danielle is the only virgin at Manchester. Kathryn's attempt to sabotage Cherie backfires, as Kathryn's mother tells her to become best friends with Cherie, in an attempt to encourage Cherie's mother to donate a large amount of money to the school. In the end, Sebastian stays with Danielle; he professes his love for her, only to find that she does not reciprocate. It turns out that Danielle is actually working alongside Kathryn in a secret plan to dupe Sebastian. Defeated by Kathryn's manipulation, Sebastian states "if you can't beat them, join them", thus leading to a threesome with Danielle and Kathryn, followed by an alliance of the three to dominate and manipulate others. Danielle gave Sebastian a journal to write down everything. In the last scene, Cherie is seen riding her bike, which is run over by Sebastian's car. Sebastian offers to give her a ride, and has sex with her. Kathryn and Danielle are seen, in the front of the car, pleased with the results. ===== Within a small town in Tennessee, seed and sod entrepreneur Daltry Calhoun is a local celebrity who has made a name for himself by selling locally produced turf to many of the nation's most exclusive golf courses, and his television spots are well-liked by viewers across town. Daltry's ex-girlfriend arrives unannounced with their teenage daughter, a 14-year-old musical prodigy. She confides that her terminal illness has forced her to seek him out in hopes that he can care for their daughter after she is gone. Despite the early success of Daltry's business and the popularity of his commercials, Daltry's career has become unstable and he's forced to liquidate his assets in hopes of salvaging what he can. Now, faced with much adversity, Daltry vows to make up for lost time by doing right in the eyes of his family and community, caring for his distant daughter, and all the while getting his business back on track. *Tagline: Proudly spreading his seeds across America. ===== In the initial episode, the gang are thrown off course on a trip to Honolulu in Daphne's plane, landing instead in Himalayas. While inside a temple, Scooby and Shaggy are tricked by two bumbling ghosts named Weerd and Bogel into opening the Chest of Demons, a magical artifact which houses the 13 most terrifying and powerful ghosts and demons ever to walk the face of the Earth. As the ghosts can only be returned to the chest by those who originally set them free, Scooby and Shaggy, accompanied by Daphne, Scrappy-Doo, and a young con artist named Flim Flam, embark on a worldwide quest to recapture them before they wreak irreversible havoc upon the world. Assisting them is Flim Flam's friend, a warlock named Vincent Van Ghoul (based upon and voiced by Vincent Price), who contacts the gang using his crystal ball and often employs magic and witchcraft to assist them. The 13 escaped ghosts, meanwhile, each attempt to do away with the gang lest they are returned to the chest, often employing Weerd and Bogel as lackeys. ===== In Revolutionary War–era Salem, Massachusetts, a young Nat Bowditch, the smallest member of a sea-faring family, astounds his schoolteacher with his talent for mathematics. He dreams of someday attending Harvard University but is forced by his family's financial hardships to quit school and work in his father's cooperage. Even that sacrifice isn't enough, and his family contracts him into indentured servitude at a chandlery. Determined to continue his education, he uses his nine years as a clerk to teach himself subjects such as trigonometry, calculus, Latin, and French. Upon the fulfillment of his servitude, he takes a job as a surveyor, which quickly evolves into a career as an officer and supercargo on various merchant ships. Numerous voyages take him to ports around the world and sometime into brushes with the wars being fought by the young United States. In his duties as a navigator, he discovers that many of the navigational sources available contain dangerous errors, and he is compelled to compile a new book of navigational data. His experiences educating crew members on his watch allow him to supplement his numeric tables with information that allow sailors with limited educations to learn the trade of navigation. Eventually Nat becomes a captain and he faces his greatest navigational challenge of all. ===== This movie starts when, atop the roof of an observatory at their cloud-filled home of Care-a-lot, the Care Bears hear Wish Bear's story of how she (as a cub) found her new friend, a wishing star named Twinkers. The Care Bears are touched by this tale, but are a bit worried when she uses Twinkers' inherent power to wish them all some popcorn. Cheer Bear raises concern that this may be a frivolous use of Twinkers' power. Wish Bear, however, assures everyone that she is a trained professional. The next day, Wish Bear uses the wishing power to help her friends. She wishes for plenty of rainbow sap for Share Bear, and for Grumpy Bear's rocket to have "zoom", but the wishes backfire when the sap overflows and the rocket spins out of control. A monthly meeting of Care-a-lot's steering committee (with Champ Bear presiding) reveals a problem with the Caring Meter. The machine, which measures how much caring there is in Care-a-lot, has moved towards the rain-cloud side. Wish Bear suggests using her wishes, but is rejected since not all of them work as intended; they didn't like their wishes ("I Wish"). Disappointed, she decides to wish for other bears who like wishing as much as she does. This causes three new bears to arrive in Care-a-lot: Too Loud Bear, Me Bear, and Messy Bear. Everyone is pleased to welcome the new neighbors at first, but things soon get out of control. The new bears unwittingly make a huge mess of everything (especially when the huge mansion they asked for causes pollution). Then, after a confrontation with them at a picnic ("Get a Lot"), Wish Bear accidentally wishes Twinkers away to the new bears; they soon abuse the star's power with a huge noisy motorcycle for Too Loud Bear, an amusement park focusing on Me Bear, and making a mud pie for Messy Bear. Once the new bears finally realize their problem, they try to fix it with more wishes, but to no avail--Care-a-lot becomes a blank white space (wishing that all of this was gone), the bears begin to glow in color (wishing for everything to be back how it was, but with more color), Grumpy Bear turns black and white (wishing for less color), and Messy Bear turns himself into a cub (wishing for everything to be like it used to be). When they try to wish Twinkers back to Wish Bear, the star ultimately loses his power from exhaustion (because they had been pushing him much too hard). Wish Bear uses Grumpy Bear's rocket to bring him to the Big Wish, a grandmother star, in the sky. Big Wish restores his power, but not before Wish Bear assures her that she has learned her lesson, which is wishing is fun, but it is far more important to work hard to achieve your dreams. Wish Bear tells them that wishes are not an effective solution any more, and everyone works together to make their home beautiful again ("It Takes You and Me"). At the end, Me Bear, Messy Bear, and Too Loud Bear, having seen the error of their ways, apologize and ask if they can still live in Care-a-lot. The rest of the bears agree and decide to go on a road trip. ===== The novel begins with the trial of Obi Okonkwo on the charge of accepting a bribe. It then jumps back in time to a point before his departure for England and works its way forward to describe how Obi ended up on trial. The members of the Umuofia Progressive Union (UPU), a group of Umuofia natives who have left their villages to live in major Nigerian cities, have taken up a collection to send Obi to England to study Law, in the hope that he will return to help his people by representing them in the colonial legal system, particularly with respect to land cases. However, Obi switches his major to English and meets Clara Okeke, a student nurse, for the first time during a dance. Obi returns to Nigeria after four years of studies and lives in Lagos with his friend Joseph. He takes a job with the Scholarship Board and is almost immediately offered a bribe by a man who is trying to obtain a scholarship for his sister. When Obi indignantly rejects the offer, he is visited by the girl herself, who implies that she will bribe him with sexual favors for the scholarship, another offer Obi rejects. At the same time, Obi is developing a romantic relationship with Clara who reveals that she is an osu, an outcast by her descendants, meaning that Obi cannot marry her under the traditional ways of the Igbos. He remains intent on marrying Clara, but even his Christian father opposes, albeit reluctantly due to his desire to progress and eschew the "heathen" customs of pre-colonial Nigeria. His mother begs him on her deathbed not to marry Clara until after her death, threatening to kill herself if her son disobeys. When Obi informs Clara of these events, Clara breaks the engagement and intimates that she is pregnant. Obi arranges an abortion which Clara reluctantly undergoes, but she suffers complications and refuses to see Obi. Obi sinks deeper into financial trouble partly due to poor planning on his end, in part due to the need to repay his loan to the UPU and to pay for his siblings' education, and in part due to the cost of the illegal abortion. After hearing of his mother's death, Obi sinks into a deep depression and doesn't go home for the funeral, this is because he thought that the money he would have used to go and come back would be better served in the funeral and to help out across the house. When he recovers, he begins to accept bribes in a reluctant acknowledgement that it is the way of his world. The novel closes as Obi takes a bribe and tells himself that it is the last one he will take, only to discover that the bribe was part of a sting operation. He is arrested, bringing us up to the events that opened the story. ===== Han Jung-yeon is an interior designer living in Hong Kong who's engaged to rich tycoon Choi Kang-hyuk. But before she can marry her rich boyfriend, she comes across her old flame Kang Min-soo. Adding to Jung-yeon's confusion about her love life, is a murder in which both men may be involved. ===== SFPD Inspector Scott Roper (Eddie Murphy) is the best hostage negotiator in his department. He is called in to deal with a bank robber, Earl (Donal Logue), demanding a getaway vehicle and police escort. He manages to defuse the situation, shooting Earl non-fatally in the shoulder and rescuing his 17 hostages. That night, Scott accompanies his friend and former partner Sam Baffert (Art Evans) to the apartment of Michael Korda (Michael Wincott), a jewel thief involved in Baffert's investigation. When Sam questions Korda about his involvement, Korda stabs him to death and leaves his corpse inside an elevator for Scott to find. Despite demanding to go after Korda, Captain Frank Solis (Denis Arndt) refuses to let him take the case due to the probable conflict-of-interest. Scott resolves to bring Korda to justice, but in the meanwhile must adjust to his new partner, SWAT sharpshooter Kevin McCall (Michael Rapaport). Scott and Kevin are called to a hostage situation at a downtown jewelry store, with Korda as the hostage taker. When Scott and Korda see each other, the latter grabs a hostage and makes a getaway in a truck. Scott and Kevin use Solis' car to pursue him. Korda wrecks the truck, and boards a cable car, shooting the operator. Scott and Kevin manage to stop the cable car and chase Korda into a parking garage, where they apprehend him. During visitation at the jail with his cousin Clarence Teal (Paul Ben-Victor), Korda orders Teal to kill Ronnie (Carmen Ejogo), Scott's girlfriend, as a way to seek revenge on Scott. Teal attacks Ronnie at her apartment, but Scott intervenes and chases Teal down the fire escape, where the latter is struck and killed by a passing car. An angry Scott visits Korda in jail and warns him to stay away from Ronnie, showing him an autopsy picture of Teal, which enrages Korda. The next morning, Korda escapes from the jail and kidnaps Ronnie, leading Scott and Kevin into a confrontation at an abandoned shipyard. Korda threatens to kill Ronnie by decapitating her on the cutting machine she is pinned to if Scott doesn't follow his instructions. Korda charges toward Scott in a sports car, but is shot from a vantage point by Kevin, causing him to swerve and crash through the warehouse entrance. Scott frees Ronnie, while Kevin engages Korda in a shootout where the former is shot in the abdomen. Korda tries to escape in Scott's truck, but Scott fights for control of it and leaps out of the way as Korda rams into a stack of explosive barrels and is killed in a massive explosion. The movie ends with Scott and Ronnie relaxing on vacation at a Tahitian beach resort. ===== This adventure follows along relatively traditional paths. The group of player characters finds a message that indicates a long hidden treasure lies somewhere in a swampy region. An expedition led by an intrepid explorer attempted to find the treasure but came to an untimely end. The group eventually fights their way through various enemies to secure the treasure and learn the fate of the original expedition. The module lists several possible treasures to choose as the final reward. Despite the shortness of the adventure it requires a fairly advanced party because of the presence of Rosentos the Vampire. ===== Phoenix 2772 is set in the distant future where the planet Earth is dying from a lack of energy resources and a subjugating political climate sees all human beings produced in test tubes and their roles in society selected by computers, from pilot to politician, etc. Godo is one such child brought up to be a cadet and nursed by a beautiful robot-maid Olga. After noticing his exceptional abilities, Rock, a dictatorial candidate for prime minister, selects Godo to fulfil his agenda and travel into deep space and capture the mystical Phoenix – its blood will manifestly heal the Earth, but Rock out of selfishness wants this to make him both prime minister and immortal by drinking its blood. The assignment troubles Godo partly because he has a love of all living creatures and he detests being trained to be a ruthless space hunter. He is told he will also have to leave his best friend Olga behind and that she will be destroyed. Most importantly he is romantically involved with Rena, daughter of Lord Eat (an "elite") and bride-to-be of Rock which is forbidden for his rank to be involved with such a woman. Godo and Rena are caught together and for his crime, Godo loses his citizenship and is sent to a labour camp in Iceland where energy from the Earth's mantle is being harnessed in a bid to solve the world's energy shortage (but is causing instability between the mantle and Earth's crust and serious long term harm to the planet therefore). While interned and heart- broken over losing Rena, Godo meets Doctor Saruta, a prison professor who wishes to tutor the young pilot, only to secretly plot with him a plan to escape and search for the Phoenix themselves to save the Earth. After a serious earthquake causes chaos and destruction in the facility, Godo is saved by Olga and Pincho (a pet creature of Rena that had helped Olga and found out where Godo had been taken), and they set of into space by stealing a "Space Shark" ship that Godo would have been given in his mission to capture the Phoenix. After stopping at a planet and meeting Saruta's hermit friend Ban, Godo and the crew of the ship track the Phoenix but find it impossibly powerful and it changes into many monstrous shapes and sizes, from dragons, tentacular leeches and even mimicking a small planet. After learning that Rena has married Rock, Godo had become stricken with misery and pushes away Olga's advances when she shows signs of love for Godo (and previously jealousy for Rena). With the crew all killed one-by-one by the Phoenix and the secret of its weakness lost in Saruta's last words, the Phoenix finally destroys Olga by burning her. Godo is broken and forgets the Phoenix as he cradles the blackened metal body of Olga, realizing how selfish he had been towards his life-long and devoted companion. The Phoenix tries to attack the ship but is repelled each time it gets close by the power of Godo's love and the giant vengeful form dissolves with the bird then appearing inside the ship in a more feminine, peacock-like form. Admiring the power of Godo's love of living creatures, the Phoenix, speaking to Godo through telepathy "speaking to his heart" admits he is too strong for her and offers to grant his wish of reviving Olga on the condition he gives her something she wants of him (not revealing that this is his love and that the Phoenix inhabits the body of the restored Olga to obtain this). After being reunited with Olga and given a paradisaical planet to live on, Godo still has feelings towards the dying Earth and sets out to return with vegetables and resources, only to be met with Rock (and a now content Rena) and is arrested. But what follows is a series of catastrophic earthquakes that level the whole world and bring about final destruction, Rena dying in the advent by trying to escape on Godo's ship and Rock blinded by a lava emission. Godo gives Rock his last rites and he and Olga stand together on a beach contemplating the impending death of the planet. Godo is so distraught that the Phoenix reveals itself to him through Olga and in an attempt to console him, says he can live forever if he drinks the Firebird's blood and wait the many centuries for the earth's eventual revival. Godo instead offers his life for the revival of the Earth. The Phoenix agrees, admiring Godo's selfless nature despite her own wish that he stay alive. After saying their fondest farewells, Godo collapses, dead into Olga's arms. Olga lays Godo's body on the shore and then lays down beside him, the Phoenix leaves her and the two lifeless forms then transform during the earth's revival - Godo becomes a newborn baby again and Olga becomes a beautiful human woman taking the baby in her arms as her son. ===== Willie Dynamite appears as the film's opening credits begin, with Martha Reeves singing the title song, 'Willie Dynamite.' Willie is driving his 'pimped-out' purple Cadillac on the streets of midtown Manhattan. The front license plate reading the first part of his nickname - 'Willie,' and the back license plate reading the second part - 'Dynamite.' Willie's destination is a midtown hotel, to collect payment from his women - who work the midtown hotels, attracting the many businessmen, conventioneers, who are looking for sex. Willie's 'stable' of seven women are of all ethnicities, dressed in vibrant outfits. Their entrance into the Business International Association convention - by entering as an ensemble through the hotel's main doors in-sync with the title song's description of them - has all the men in the room ogling them. Many conventioneers - including even a pair of police officers - take the women to their hotel rooms. Pashen is the newest hooker working for Willie, and she is last in line to hand in her payments. Willie gets mad at her for producing less than expected. Willie compares his business with those of a production line: "Seven girls out there. Every ten minutes, one comes off the production line, like that. This is a business, baby, a production line, and just like GM, Ford, Chrysler, Willie's comin' through." Willie tells of his dreams of being the number one, top-pimp in New York City. Bell, currently the number one pimp, holds a 'pimp council,' and tells the gathered pimps of the police cracking down on prostitution activities across the city. Bell makes a business proposal, wherein each pimp will get his own area to run, instead of the pimps competing for territory. Everyone agrees, except Willie. He argues the idea would hurt his business. Willie says his women are akin to 'animals of the jungle,' having the need to 'roam free,' and 'conquer all that can be controlled.' Soon after the meeting ends, Willie learns Pashen has been arrested. Cora is a social worker, who tries to get the prostitutes in jail, to get out of the business, and turn their lives around. Cora meets Pashen, and tries to educate her on the dangers of being a prostitute. Cora encourages Pashen to change her life, and, as she's so young and pretty, to become a model and get paid for it. Being naïve, Pashen dismisses the idea, believing she can make more money as a hooker for Willie. Willie comes to post bail and gets Pashen out of jail. While Willie is out of his apartment, Cora makes an unexpected visit, and tells the women they are being ripped off by Willie. They ponder what Cora said as she leaves the apartment. When Willie comes back, he learns Pashen has been arrested again and the other women are reluctant to work. Willie threatens them if they decide to not work. Cora visits the jail and tries again to persuade Pashen to get out of prostitution. Pashen still insists prostitution - and being part of Willie's 'stable' - is okay, as she's making a lot of money, and she likes the men's attention while working, because she feels like someone 'important,' wanted & beautiful. Cora tells Pashen that she, too, was once a prostitute, on the streets. Cora sneaks into Willie's apartment to find records of Willie's bank accounts, which could provide evidence of his illegal activity, but, the materials she takes would not be able to stand up in court. After this second arrest, Pashen finally decides to take Cora's advice about pursuing modeling, and does a photo-shoot for which she gets paid. She tries to tell Willie she wants out, but, he tells her of his dreams and hopes for her (and for himself), which she's not able to refuse. Willie goes to the hotel convention, and finds his territory has been invaded and his lead hooker, Honey, has been killed after a territorial battle. Willie's life is spiraling downward, as he finds all his bank accounts have been frozen, and he's under investigation by the Internal Revenue Service. Two detectives chase Willie through New York. Willie's seven hookers are arrested after the hotel fight, but Willie can't post bail, and the women are sent to the women's detention center for holding. While in the detention center, Pashen's face gets cut, and she's traumatized by her loss of beauty. When Willie returns home, he is met by Bell and his men, who tells Willie to quit the business, and a fight ensues. Later, Willie is caught by the same two detectives, for possession of drugs. They have to free Willie, as the evidence obtained was done so without a warrant. In the end, Willie thinks back on past events, and after hearing news of his mother's dying, leaves his car - and by inference, pimping - for good. The film ends with Willie walking happily down the streets. ===== Wan Tin-sau (Chow) is the head of his village's community centre, where he gives acting lessons and host community plays. On the side, he is an aspiring actor moonlighting as a movie extra, often taking his work too seriously for the roles he receives. One day, a group of club girls come to ask Wan to help them act like innocent schoolgirls so they can make more money. One of the girls, Lau Piu-piu (Cecilia Cheung), although skeptical of advice from an unsuccessful actor, becomes a better actress through Wan's instruction and falls in love with him. When both characters finally make love, Wan searches his home for enough money to pay Piu-piu for her "services", since he thinks she slept with him for money (not knowing it was for love). After Piu-piu leaves him in anger, he goes back to the film studio and receives a part as leading actor next to a legendary actress, Sister Cuckoo (Karen Mok). During this time, Wan reconciles with Piu-piu and he pledges to support her for the rest of his life. Just as Wan is about to settle in the life of a movie star, his part is given back to a highly sought after male lead. Luckily, he regains his confidence with the help of the misanthropic lunchman at the studio (Ng Man-tat), who is secretly a C.I.B. agent. Wan is used in an undercover operation, where he is disguised as a delivery boy and made to deliver a hidden gun and listening device inside take-out food. Although the ruse is discovered and the C.I.B. undercover agent is shot, Wan takes up the gun and saves the day. The lunchman is rushed to the hospital and survives his wounds. After a somewhat successful sting, Wan finally becomes famous through a performance of the Thunder Storm. The actors include Piu-piu, Sister Cuckoo, and his wanna-be Triad students. The end of the film involves a blatant marketing plug for Pringles brand potato chips. The entire cast of the play stands backstage rehearsing their lines while literally stuffing their mouths full of Pringles, with the logos of all five cans clearly facing towards the camera. At one point, Wan and one of his triad students argue over who should play the role of Bruce Lee's character, when another actor screams "don't fight, eat chips!" When the closing credits roll, a quick Pringles advertisement appears on the screen. ===== The story takes place in a "territory" (Universe separate from the "Second Earth" universe of the story, there are ten territories in all) called Denduron. Denduron has three suns, one to the east, the north, and the south, but besides that, it has most of the same characteristics as Earth. The story is based around two tribes: the Milago and the Bedoowan. The Milago are treated very poorly by the Bedoowan, who live in luxury; they live in little huts without running water or even outhouses, and have to mine for a valuable stone called glaze every hour of the day in order to meet the demands of Kagan, the queen of the Bedoowan. If the Milago do not meet the required supply of glaze which changes for each day, then one of them is killed by being pushed into an abandoned mine shaft. This process is used by a weight system that weighs the person in glaze. The Bedoowan have more advanced tools and technologies such as running water, stoves, and artificial light. ===== Near the location of the Mushroom Kingdom, a fabled land known as Vibe Island is said to hide a treasure known as the Vibe Scepter, a magical weapon that can be used to control the emotions of other people. Hearing of the island's legendary powers, Bowser builds a summer getaway home on the island in hopes of using it to his advantage. After his second-in-command, Army Hammer Bro finds the Scepter for him, Bowser hatches a plan to capture the Mario Brothers. Army Hammer Bro. entrusts the scepter to a Goomba and sends it into the castle. With the residents of the castle under the influence of the Scepter, the Army Hammer Bro. and his troops successfully capture Mario, Luigi, and several Toads, imprisoning them all across the island. However, Goomba becomes influenced by the Vibe Scepter and begins swinging it around, causing Bowser and his minions to lose control of their emotions. Meanwhile, Princess Peach and Toadsworth return to her castle after a short walk only to find the residents in emotional disarray and a note from Bowser saying that he has captured Mario and Luigi. Maddened with rage, Peach decides that she is the only one who can rescue the Mario Brothers and sets out to go to Vibe Island to do so. Shortly before her departure, Toadsworth, who is reluctant to see Peach travel on her own, gives Peach a magical, sentient parasol named Perry to help her on her journey. With Perry now on her side, Peach finally sets out for Vibe Island to rescue Mario and Luigi. Peach and Perry travel through eight different areas across the island, rescuing various Toads and defeating various enemies along the way. Because of the Goomba's earlier flaunting of the scepter, emotional energy had been dispersed all over the island, causing the residents to experience various moods. Even Peach is affected, but has better control, even gaining new abilities from each emotion. After defeating a boss and clearing the current area, Perry's backstory is revealed in the form of several flashbacks; long ago, Perry was a young man with magical powers, and was adopted by an old man who he came to call "Grandpa". Later, Perry transformed himself into an umbrella and was captured by a wizard and his henchman, but managed to escape by wiggling free from his captors and fell on the road. Sometime later, a traveling merchant found him and sold him to Toadsworth. After defeating Giant Kamek and freeing Luigi, the duo arrive at Bowser's Villa, where they meet Bowser and Army Hammer Bro. Bowser uses the Vibe Scepter to increase Army Hammer Bro's power with rage, but Peach bests him nonetheless. Peach then fights and defeats Bowser. However, the Koopa King uses the Vibe Scepter to turn into a giant, yet Peach and Perry defeat him once again by throwing Bob-ombs at him, and then whack him out of the villa with the Scepter in hand. After Bowser's defeat, Peach frees Mario, after which they rejoice and return to the Mushroom Kingdom alongside Luigi and the Toads, with the fate of the Vibe Scepter left unknown. ===== Willard Isenbaum, a lonely insurance man with wild sexual fantasies, decides to propose to the new secretary, Susie, whom he has only known for a day and to whom he has never spoken. He spends the entire morning before work fantasizing about having sex with her, but his attempts to approach her fail. His female boss sends him to investigate a claim filed by Painless Martha, an aging tattoo artist, who works in a prison. Martha believes in a Ouija board message saying that she will be killed by a wizard on a Tuesday. When Willard tells her that the insurance company will not pay until her death, she dies of a heart attack. Her will stipulates that her killer must take care of her duck. After the duo spend a night in jail, the duck takes Willard to a brothel. After a wild night of partying, they wind up in the desert, where the duck dresses Willard in women's clothing in an attempt to get a ride. After several encounters with an old prospector dying of thirst, a racist police officer, two lesbians, and a short Mexican man, they are finally picked up by a trucker. Back at his apartment, Willard creates a makeshift sex object, which the duck eats. Shortly after, Willard discovers that the duck is female, and has sex with her. The following morning, Willard and the duck go to Willard's job, where Willard has sex with his female boss and quits his job shortly after. Willard and the duck leave, and the movie ends with Willard saying that Duck was a good duck after all. ===== The TARDIS, along with its crew of the Doctor, Peri and Erimem, lands at the Axis, a mysterious realm where the Time Lords keep broken timelines, splitting them off from the rest of the universe, so as not to affect the rest of the space-time continuum. However, experiments in one of these timelines is causing the others to fracture, and the Axis's Overseer has just been replaced by The Jester in a coup. Soon, the whole of reality begins to disintegrate... ===== Imaginative, emotionally sensitive, and hard working, Sara Louise Bradshaw, a young girl growing up on an isolated fishing island off the coast of Maryland during WWII, is made to feel second-best from the moment of her birth. Her impoverished family consists of her rough but gentle father, always absent due to his working-class job on his oyster boat; her ladylike and intelligent mother, who had arrived on the island as a school teacher and stayed after falling in love; her grandmother, a bitter and nasty woman with a religious bent; and Caroline, Sara Louise's younger twin sister who is the main impediment of Sara Louise's struggle to distinguish herself and obtain the affection she craves. Caroline is fragile, beautiful, and admired—everything Sara Louise is not. Caroline is offered a scholarship to a mainland school for voice lessons, due to her rare singing skills, and the rest of the family, mainly Sara Louise, must sacrifice to make this happen. To raise money, Sara Louise catches crabs with her only friend, McCall "Call" Purnell, a dumpy, short-sighted boy. One day, Hiram Wallace, the only islander to leave to go to college in fifty years, returns to the island. Hiram, whom they call "the Captain", bonds with Call over their shared sense of humor, becoming a father figure. After Sara Louise finds a local spinster from Hiram's generation (Trudy) suffering from a stroke that necessitates sending her to the inland hospital, Call, Sara Louise, and Hiram work to clear Trudy's house for her return. Hiram tells the children how Trudy may have a fortune hidden in the building, which is filthy and overrun by a starving feral cat colony. Unable to keep the cats, Hiram determines the most humane thing would be to drown them. This horrifies Sara Louise, who protests vigorously, but her friends overrule her. Unable to go through with it, Sara Louise jumps from the rowboat on the way to perform the deed and swims to shore. Call and Hiram reveal they could not bring themselves to kill the cats after Sara Louise's display, and Caroline steps in to introduce herself. Going door to door and charming the locals into taking in the mangy cats, Caroline is lauded by Call and Hiram as the cats' savior, forgetting Sara Louise's role. The island is struck by a ravaging hurricane. Sara Louise's father sends her into the storm to fetch the Captain and bring him to their home. This act saves Hiram's life; his entire home is demolished. Meanwhile, Caroline is allowed to sleep through the storm. Hiram, now homeless, moves into Sara Louise's home. A 14-year-old Sara Louise realizes she is in love with Hiram, despite his being older than her grandmother and oblivious to her feelings. Caroline mocks Sara Louise for her crush, and her grandmother begins accusing her of being a harlot and quoting scriptures at her. Caroline suggests the homeless Hiram enter into a marriage of convenience with Trudy, exchanging a place to live with living assistance, and Hiram lauds Caroline for saving the day. Eventually, the economic hardships after the hurricane result in Caroline being pulled from her voice lessons inland. As a thank you for the pleasure Trudy received from Caroline's singing, Hiram offers to pay for Caroline to attend a prestigious boarding school in Baltimore and have a private voice tutor. Sara Louise has always wanted to attend a better school, but Hiram does not offer, and there is no money to send her anywhere equivalent. She struggles with feeling of resentment and jealousy. Call enlists in the navy and leaves to join the war. Sara Louise drops out of school and takes over Call's duties, finally allowed on her father's oyster boat. Sara Louise is largely content. The hard work leaves no time for thought and, absent Caroline's shadow, Sara Louise enjoys the attention she finally receives from her family, earning her high school diploma with her mother's help. Released from needing to provide for Caroline ever again after Caroline graduates and is awarded a full-ride scholarship to Juilliard, Sara Louise awaits the return of Call to take her place on her father's boat and finally free her from her obligations to her family. Call's return at the end of the war is not what Sara Louise was expecting. Much- changed, Call announces he is not returning permanently but will attend university and marry Caroline. Staying behind to watch her grandmother while her parents travel to Caroline and Call's wedding, Sara Louise gets a wake up call from the Captain when he is the first person to ask her what she'd like to do with her life. Sara Louise confesses she would like to see the mountains and become a doctor but can't leave her family. Sara Louise eventually explodes and demands to be let go, finally expressing some of her resentment at Caroline's privilege. Her mother replies that Sara Louise was always free to go but never said she wanted to. Receiving assurance that she will be missed, Sara Louise applies to college as a pre-med student and leaves the island. She is also made to realize that her parents have always paid more attention to Caroline in part because they believed Caroline to be the weaker, not the better, of the two girls. Denied entry to medical school due to her gender and the influx of GI Bill students, Sara Louise graduates as a nurse. She then goes to work in a small Appalachian Mountains town as a nurse and midwife. She thrives and marries a widowed father. Sara Louise has a baby boy, Caroline is debuting as an opera singer in New Haven, their father and grandmother die, and their mother leaves the island permanently. On a snowy winter night, Sara Louise assists in delivering twins. The mother has the first one, a boy, safely. When the second one comes out, it is a small and cold girl. Since she doesn't have an incubator, Sara Louise rushes the baby to the fireside and much effort is made to revive her. She then realizes the boy has been forgotten and tells the mother to breastfeed him. Lactating from her own child, Sara Louise breastfeeds the younger twin. ===== Mini Mo (Sammi Cheng) is a Hong Kong resident living in Japan. She suffers from depression, low self-esteem and a binge eating disorder – the result which sees her suffers from extreme obesity. A suicide attempt causes her to meet Fatso (Andy Lau), a Hong Kong salesman working in Japan who is also obese. Mini sticks with Fatso everywhere, and although initially vexed by Mini, Fatso discovers the reason behind her depression. Mini cannot forget her former boyfriend, Kurokawa, who is now a world-famous pianist. Ten years ago, the two had pledged to meet at the foot of Yokohama Marine Tower on the night of their break-up. Mini is fearful of meeting Kurokawa in her present size. Touched by her story and her sweet nature, Fatso promises to whip her back into shape. After trying desperate means of losing weight (such as swallowing tapeworms and exercising to Dance Dance Revolution), Mini finally sheds pounds. But Fatso finds his funds running low. To earn enough to finance Mini's weight-loss programs, he opens a boxing gig on the streets allowing on-lookers to punch him to vent their pent- up frustrations. He next enrolls Mini on an expensive weight-loss program, which proves to be very successful. Mini regains her former slim and pretty look. On the night of her reunion with Kurokawa, Fatso drops Mini off at Tokyo Tower and she meets up with former beau under the gazing eyes of the local media. The pair are interviewed by a local network, but Mini notices another broadcast featuring Fatso's street boxing gig. She finally realizes how much Fatso has sacrificed himself for her and is moved to tears. Turning to apologize to Kurokawa, she leaves hastily. Months later, Mini publishes a bestseller on dieting, and finds a slimmed-down Fatso carrying her book in a park. The two kiss, promising never to leave each other again. ===== Anthropologist Stanley Shephard is brought to an arctic base when explorers discover the body of a prehistoric man who has been frozen for 40,000 years. After thawing the body to perform an autopsy, scientists first attemptand succeedto resuscitate the "iceman". The dazed caveman is alarmed by the surgical-masked figures; only Shephard has the presence of mind to remove his mask and reveal his humanity and somewhat familiar (bearded) face, permitting the iceman to settle into a peaceful recuperating sleep. The scientists place the iceman in an artificial, simulated environment for study, though the caveman quickly deduces that he is far from home. Shephard believes that the caveman's culture may provide clues to learning about the human body's adaptability, citing ceremonies such as firewalking. Other scientists see the potential in studying the caveman's DNA and his survival in the ice, for possible "freezing" of the sick until treatment is possible. Shephard defends the caveman's right to be considered a human being and not a scientific specimen. Despite opposition from the others, Shephard initiates an encounter with the caveman. Shephard names him "Charlie" after the iceman introduces himself as "Char-u". Shephard and Charlie bond, but it becomes obvious to the anthropologist that Charlie misses his world. A linguist is brought to the Arctic base, and the scientists make progress communicating with Charlie. Shephard introduces Charlie to colleague Dr. Diane Brady. Assuming that the woman is Shephard's mate, Charlie makes chalk marks which indicate that he likely was a married man with children before he was frozen. Shephard strives to understand what motivates Charlie and why he survived being frozen. At one point, Shephard begins to sing "Heart of Gold", inspiring Charlie to sing one of his own songs. Charlie's line drawings in the ground resemble a bird, matching body markings on his chest. When the base's helicopter strays over the roof of Charlie's area, he takes on an obsessive zeal as he climbs towards the roof. Shouting the word Beedha, he lifts his arms towards the helicopter in a sign of worship. Even though the helicopter pulls away from the dome, Shephard knows that Charlie can now think of nothing else. Shephard consults local Inuit who recognize the name that Charlie chanted and explain that it is a mythical bird, a messenger for the gods. Shephard understands that Charlie has a spiritual side and that he was on a dreamwalk pilgrimage, a mythical quest for redemption. His people were dying in the sudden ice age; he must have offered himself to the gods in the form of a self-sacrifice or appealing to the gods to redeem his tribe. Charlie escapes after watching Shephard exit the biosphere. In a panic of seeing unfamiliar modern devices, and believing they are his enemies, he spears Maynard, one of the base's technicians, before being recaptured and Shephard's experiment is put to an end. However, Shephard helps Charlie to escape into the wild. Charlie races on ahead of Shephard as they pass by glaciers and ice-shelves, and a crevasse opens up in front of Shephard, cutting him off from Charlie. When the helicopter emerges over an ice-shelf, Shephard looks on helplessly as Charlie grabs hold of one of its landing skis. In an attempt to evade Charlie's grasp, the helicopter pilot pulls up, but Charlie dangles beneath the aircraft while it continues to climb high into the sky. Charlie is ecstatic, believing the "messenger" is taking him to his god. He releases his grip, seeming to float through the sky while he plunges. Shephard's initial horror turns into joy, as he realizes that Charlie has reached his "dreamwalk" goal that he began 40,000 years earlier, even though it means his death. ===== In the prologue, gangster Angelo "Snaps" Provolone promises his dying father that he will give up a life of crime, and instead "go straight". A month later, Snaps awakes at his mansion and begins his important morning. He has a meeting with several prominent bankers, as he hopes to donate a large sum of cash and join the bank’s board of trustees, thereby having an honest job and keeping his word to his father. Anthony Rossano, Snaps's young, good-natured accountant, arrives at the mansion and tells his boss that he’s in love, asks for a 250% raise, then tells Snaps the true love he speaks of is actually "Snaps' daughter." Snaps is furious, does not want his daughter marrying Anthony and goes to talk to his daughter, Lisa. The only child of Snaps and Sofia, Lisa is a spoiled daughter whose dreams of seeing the world’s great sights run into a roadblock because of her overly protective father. Wishing to move out of the house, she lies to her parents at the suggestion of the maid, Nora and claims to be pregnant. Snaps, believing the father to be Anthony (as he wants to marry "Snaps's daughter"), is shocked when Lisa says the father is Oscar, the former chauffeur who is now serving overseas in the military. Things get even more complicated when Anthony learns that Theresa, the woman he fell in love with, is not actually Snaps' daughter as she had claimed to be. Before Anthony can catch on, Snaps tricks him into agreeing to marry his actual daughter, Lisa, who is supposedly pregnant but without a husband. Both Lisa and Anthony are unhappy at the hasty arrangement, and the pair luck out when Lisa falls in love with someone else: Dr. Thornton Poole, Snaps's dialectician, whose frequent world travels appeal to her adventurous nature. Meanwhile, local police lieutenant Toomey is keeping an eye on the mansion, believing that Snaps is meeting with Chicago mobsters soon. Also watching Snaps is mob rival Vendetti, who also believes that Snaps is meeting Chicago mobsters. Vendetti plans a hit on Snaps in the early afternoon while Toomey plans a raid at the same time to catch Snaps red-handed. While Anthony seeks out Theresa, Snaps meets his mansion's new maid, Roxie. As it turns out, Roxie is an old flame of Snaps, and the pair talk memories and the life that never was. Theresa comes to the mansion and is revealed to be Roxie's daughter—who was actually fathered by Snaps long ago—making Snaps her dad after all. The impromptu celebration of both his daughters' engagements is cut short by the arrival of the bankers. During the meeting, Snaps senses the bankers are giving him a raw deal—they don't intend to give him any actual influence in the bank's operations, despite the money he's willing to invest. The meeting is interrupted by police officers and Toomey, who is embarrassed to find no money or gangsters present on site. He leaves the mansion just in time for Vendetti's car full of armed men to crash right outside. Toomey smiles for reporters and arrests the men. With the realization that he'd rather deal with gangsters and gunmen than "respectable" bankers, Snaps decides to abandon his short-lived honest ways and return to a life of crime (looking skyward and admitting to his father, "Sorry, pop... I did the best I could"). The final scene of the movie shows a double wedding for both his daughters. Oscar himself finally appears and objects to Lisa's marriage, but he is carried off by Snaps' men and the weddings end happily. ===== Harry Baldwin (Ray Milland), his wife Ann (Jean Hagen), their son Rick (Frankie Avalon), and daughter Karen (Mary Mitchell) leave suburban Los Angeles on a camping trip just after sunrise. The Baldwins notice unusually bright light flashes coming from a great distance behind them. Sporadic news reports broadcast on CONELRAD hint at the start of an atomic war, later confirmed when the Baldwins see a large mushroom cloud over what was Los Angeles. The family initially attempts to return to rescue Ann's mother, but they soon abandon the plan as panicked people climb over one another to escape the fallout from multiple nuclear explosions. Witnessing society being torn apart, Harry decides that the family must find refuge at their secluded vacation spot. The Baldwins stop to buy supplies at a small town off the main road, which has not yet been inundated by the crowd fleeing Los Angeles. When Harry attempts buy tools and guns from hardware store owner Ed Johnson (Richard Garland), who believes only Los Angeles has been hit and assumes the government will remain intact, Johnson withholds the guns per state law since Harry can only cover them with checks. With Rick's help, Harry absconds with the weapons, but insists to Johnson that he will eventually return to pay for them in full. On the road, the family encounters three threatening young hoodlums, Carl (Richard Bakalyan), Mickey (Rex Holman), and Andy (Neil Nephew), but manage to drive them off. After a harrowing journey, the Baldwins reach their destination and find shelter in a cave, while they wait for order to be restored. On their portable radio, they listen to war news and learn that what remains of the United Nations has declared this to be "Year Zero". Harry and Rick soon discover that Ed Johnson and his wife are their neighbors, but not for long: the Johnsons are killed by the three thugs encountered earlier. While doing laundry, Ann drops a blouse in a stream, which draws the attention of the hoodlums. As Karen sits and reads a book, they accost her. Ann scares them off with a rifle and comforts her traumatized daughter. They return to the cave, where it is confirmed that Karen was raped. Upon hearing this, the Baldwin men search for the two rapists, find them at a farm house, and Harry shoots both dead. He and Rick hear a noise and discover a teenage girl, Marilyn (Joan Freeman), kept in a locked room as a sex slave. When questioned, she tells them she lived there with her parents, the Johnsons, before both were murdered by the thugs. Freeing her, Marilyn returns with them to the cave, where Ann cares for her. Some time later, Rick is out with Marilyn chopping wood. Carl, the third hoodlum, sneaks up behind Marilyn, forcing her to drop the rifle she is holding. He questions her about what happened to his brothers. Rick tells him to back off and throws a piece of wood at him, while Marilyn breaks away, grabs the dropped rifle, and shoots Carl dead. In the midst of the struggle, Carl fires a shot, striking Rick in the leg. The family begins a journey to find a doctor Marilyn knows in Paxton, California. On the drive there, they hear "the enemy" has asked for a truce and that "Year Zero" is ending. They find Doctor Strong (Willis Bouchey, billed as Willis Buchet), and he does what he can for Rick, who has lost so much blood that he now needs a blood transfusion; he must be taken to an Army hospital more than 100 miles (160 km) away or he will die. Along the way, they encounter an Army military patrol that is reestablishing order. After a tense meeting with both soldiers, they are allowed to continue. Watching them depart, the soldiers note they are among the "good ones" who escaped radiation sickness by being in the mountains when the atomic bombs exploded. As the family drives on, a closing title card states: "There must be no end – only a new beginning". ===== The novel proposes invasions from alternate Earths in alternate universes. None of these universes are quite like our universe; however, they all have some element or other in common, many of which Pohl develops to satiric effect. * In one universe, Nancy Reagan is the President of the United States and her mostly disregarded husband Ronald is known as "The First Gentleman". John F. Kennedy is a Senator from Massachusetts who is married to a woman called Marilyn. * In another universe, America's political spectrum has shifted far to the right; Ronald Reagan remained true to his early left-wing politics and is still married to his first wife Jane Wyman. * In the past of some of the worlds, the young revolutionary Joseph Dzhugashvili (not known in these worlds as Joseph Stalin) had escaped from Russia to America in the 1900s, taking with him the proceeds of a robbery (the 1907 Tiflis bank robbery) conducted on behalf of the Bolsheviks and using the money to set himself up as a big American capitalist. The book presents multiple versions of three characters—Dominic DeSota, Nyla Christophe, and Larry Douglas—and their interactions as different versions of the characters travel from one Earth to another. Dominic DeSota is the main character, with most of the book told from the divergent viewpoints of three of his avatars (see following), with brief glimpses of numerous additional Dominic DeSotas scattered throughout the novel as varying between a nuclear scientist and a hunter scrabbling for bare existence in the ruins left after a nuclear holocaust. The book seems to argue in favor of the idea that social conditions rather than heredity shape a person's character and behavior (the nature versus nurture debate). As depicted again and again in the course of the book, people born with precisely the same genetic heritage can - given different social conditions - develop completely different character traits (timid or assertive, benevolent or predatory, etc.) ===== The novel begins with Nicky DeSota as a timid mortgage broker in a fascist America, who draws the unwelcome attention of Nyla Christophe, an agent of the FBI (a brutal, full- fledged secret police in his world), who is investigating a break-in at a government lab by someone who proves to be a Dominic DeSota from an alternate universe. Used as a pawn by Christophe's con-man boyfriend Larry Douglas to entrap an left-wing activist and former actor (who turns out to be Ronald Reagan), he is later detained and brought to New Mexico to unravel a mystery. The focus then shifts to another Dominic DeSota, a United States Senator having an affair with Nyla Christophe Bowquist, who in this world is a famous violinist. Contacted by the military, he travels to Sandia National Laboratories, where he meets an identical version of himself—a "Cat" from an alternate universe. As Senator DeSota interviews his alternate-universe counterpart, the man vanishes after offering a cryptic warning. As the senator leaves the building, the base commander and he are captured by a detachment of troops led by Major Dominic P. DeSota, the commander of a military force from yet another universe. Major DeSota's mission is revealed to be to secure the parallel-world research facilities of Senator DeSota's universe, which is the first step in a larger military operation. In Major DeSota's universe (which is subsequently designated Paratime Gamma), a militaristic United States is engaged in a tense standoff with the Soviet Union, and wants to use Senator DeSota's universe (Paratime Epsilon) to launch sneak attacks against them. After being transported to Paratime Gamma, Senator DeSota manages to escape by distracting his guard, Sgt. Nyla Sambok (Gamma's version of Nyla Christophe) and escaping through a portal with a scientist to Paratime Tau—the home universe of Nicky DeSota. After being discovered in the desert, Senator DeSota and the scientist—who is Larry Douglas from another universe—are captured and interrogated by Agent Christophe. In an interrogation session involving the senator, the scientist, and their counterparts from Paratime Tau, Douglas reveals that he is from Paratime Alpha, and that he was forced by the military in Paratime Gamma to give them the ability to travel between universes. As Agent Christophe begins to pressure Douglas to give her government similar assistance, the other FBI agent with her and she are rendered unconscious by knockout darts fired by Dominic DeSota—the same one who had escaped interrogation in Sandia. DeSota brings the entire group back to his universe—Paratime Alpha—where he explains that since the senator's escape that Paratime Gamma has invaded the Epsilon's Washington DC in a failed bid to capture the president. He also reveals that travel between universes is creating a growing problem of "ballistic recoil", where the boundaries between the universes is growing weaker, causing matter and energy to cross unintentionally from one universe to the next (something depicted in interludes between the chapters). He brings the travelers to Washington DC, where they cross over to Paratime Epsilon in an effort to help stop the invasion. Before they can help, however, every "Cat" located in a different universe disappears, along with any scientists involved in paratime research. There, they are informed that they have been transported by a group of more advanced alternate Earths to stop ballistic recoil before it escalates and the barriers between universes become irreparably permeable. The "Cats" are relocated to New York City on a new Earth, one being resettled after its inhabitants wiped themselves out. There, the paratime transplants gradually settle into new lives. Six months after his arrival, Nicky DeSota returns to New York to propose to Agent Christophe. Now working on a collective farm in Palm Springs, he has embraced the opportunity for a new life and developed into a much more confident man. After considering his proposal, the Nyla of his world accepts. On their trip back to California, however, Nicky reveals to her his expectation that their transplantation has not solved the problem of paratime travel—that with an infinite number of Earths, the number of them that will develop the ability to cross into alternate worlds will only increase, so many that the problem of ballistic recoil may prove to be unavoidable. ===== The Golden Globe takes place in Varley’s "Eight Worlds" universe. The solar system has been colonized by human refugees fleeing aliens (known as "the Invaders"). Earth and Jupiter are off-limits to humanity, but Earth's moon and the other planets and moons of the solar system have all become populated. There are also minor colonies set in the Oort cloud beyond the solar system itself. The Golden Globe story is told initially from a first person perspective, but a substantial portion of the book comes in the form of extended flashbacks. The Golden Globe in question is Luna, Earth's moon and the most heavily inhabited world in the solar system since the Invaders obliterated human civilization on Earth. The novel begins as a first person account of Valentine's adventures in the outer worlds of the solar system as he attempts to make his way to Luna in order to play King Lear in an upcoming production. Valentine is a consummate actor and a skilled con man. It is by exercising the latter skill that he runs afoul of the Charonese Mafia, personified by the cold-blooded and nigh-unkillable assassin Isambard Comfort. The story is punctuated by several extended flashback sequences in which we learn that Valentine's father, a supremely egotistical and domineering stage actor, has groomed his son almost from birth to follow in his footsteps. It is Valentine, Sr.'s megalomania and obsession with the stage that sets the tone for much of the flashback material. While his father is auditioning for a role and has left young Kenneth sitting in a waiting room, Valentine wanders a little and gets swept up to audition for a part in a new children's adventure show called "Sparky and His Gang" and is cast in the lead role. As the show becomes increasingly popular, Valentine, Sr. interferes more and more, and becomes more difficult for his son and the producers of the show to deal with. We learn in these flashback segments that Valentine, Sr. subjects his son to monstrous and potentially fatal child abuse. This is framed quite realistically and Valentine, Sr. is apparently aware of but unable to control his nearly homicidal rage. At times, both in the main story and in flashback, Valentine meets with a mysterious character named Elwood. It is ambiguous in the narrative exactly what type of being Elwood is; however, as the novel progresses, both in the present and in flashback, the character is more fully identified as Elwood P. Dowd and said to look very much like actor James Stewart, who played a character of the same name in Harvey. Though the reader gradually comes to believe Elwood is a figment of Valentine's imagination, the climactic confrontation between Valentine and his father blurs this distinction considerably. However, Valentine narrates his own flashbacks for the reader, and as much as states that he may be an unreliable narrator. It is revealed in both the main and flashback storylines that Valentine killed (or believed himself to have killed) his father. In the main storyline, he is, after 70 years on the run, eventually put on trial for this murder, and his case is weighed by the Central Computer of Luna. Genetic tests reveal that Valentine is actually a clone of his father (further evidence of the maniacal self-absorption of the father). The fact that cloning was illegal at the time of his father's murder causes the Central Computer to declare that no crime was committed, as the only legal remedy in place at the time was for one clone or the other to be destroyed. At the conclusion of the novel, Valentine says that he has reclaimed his fortune (long inaccessible to him during his life on the run) and thrown in his lot with the Heinleiners, a reclusive group of libertarian idealists who are building a starship and planning a voyage to the stars. ===== The other characters think, correctly, that Laurey (Joan Roberts) and Curly (Alfred Drake) are in love. In this song they warn each other not to behave indiscreetly, lest people misinterpret their intentions. Neither wants to admit to the other - or themselves - his or her true feelings. Towards the end of the musical the characters reprise the number after becoming engaged, saying "Let people say we're in love." ===== "At the dawn of the 20th century" a band of British adventurers, led by adventurer and scholar Professor George Challenger, embark on an expedition to prove the existence of an isolated lost world. The team, consisting of a mismatched group of enthusiasts with less than selfless reasons for making the journey, begin their trip under less than ideal conditions. The members are Challenger, Professor Arthur Summerlee, Marguerite Krux, Major Lord John Richard Roxton and Edward T. Malone. Their hot air balloon crashes in the Amazon rainforest on an uncharted plateau where prehistoric creatures survive. The group is assisted by a young jungle-savvy woman named Veronica Layton, whose parents disappeared eleven years before. Her family was part of a research group known to have vanished under mysterious circumstances. Together, the group fights to survive against carnivorous dinosaurs, vicious Neanderthals, a race of lizard men, and other perils as they search for a way to escape. Each episode detailed two separate, simultaneous adventures. The later series established that the party became stranded in 1919. ===== Bud Corliss is a young man with a ruthless drive to rise above his working-class origins to a life of wealth and importance. He serves in the Pacific in World War II, and upon his honorable discharge in 1947 he learns that his father was killed in an automobile accident while he was overseas. The most pivotal moment in his life occurs during the war, when he first wounds, then kills, a Japanese sniper, who is so terrified that he wets his pants and begs for mercy. Corliss is elated by the total power he holds over the soldier; at the same time, he is disgusted by the man's display of abject terror. Upon returning to the U.S., he enrolls in college and meets Dorothy Kingship, the daughter of a wealthy copper tycoon. Seeing an opportunity to attain the riches he has always craved, he becomes Dorothy's lover. When she tells him she is pregnant, however, he panics; he is sure that her stern, conservative father will disinherit her. Resolving to get rid of Dorothy, he tricks her into writing a letter that, to an unknowing observer, would look like a suicide note, and then throws her from the roof of a tall building. He runs no risk of getting caught, having urged Dorothy to keep their relationship a secret from her family and friends. He continues to live with his mother, who dotes on him and has no clue as to what he has done. Corliss lies low for a few months until the press coverage of Dorothy's death has subsided. Then he pursues Dorothy's sister, Ellen. The romance is going according to plan until Ellen begins to probe into Dorothy's death, convinced her sister did not kill herself. Eventually, Ellen uncovers the truth about Corliss and confronts him. Corliss nonchalantly confesses to the crime and kills Ellen as well. Unfazed by this setback, Corliss courts the last remaining Kingship daughter, Marion. This affair is the most successful; Corliss sweeps her off her feet and charms her father, and soon he and Marion are engaged. Local college DJ Gordon Gant, who met Ellen during her investigation of Dorothy's death, begins investigating the case, and is immediately suspicious of Corliss. He breaks into Corliss' childhood home and steals a written plan for meeting and seducing Marion to get her family's money. Days before the wedding, he shows up at the Kingship family home and presents Marion and her father with the evidence of Corliss' deception. On a trip to one of the Kingship family's copper manufacturing plants, Marion, her father and Gant all corner Corliss while he is standing over a vat of molten copper and threaten to expose him. Corliss frantically pleads his innocence, but his accusers are unmoved. Realizing his luck has finally run out, Bud Corliss panics and wets his pants – just as the Japanese soldier, his symbol of pathetic cowardice, had done. Delirious with fear and shame, Bud Corliss stumbles and falls to his death into the vat below. ===== The narrator and protagonist of the story, Hermann Karlovich, a Russian of German descent and owner of a chocolate factory, meets a homeless man in the city of Prague, whom he believes is his doppelgänger. Even though Felix, the supposed doppelgänger, is seemingly unaware of their resemblance, Hermann insists that their likeness is most striking. Hermann is married to Lydia, a sometimes silly and forgetful wife (according to Hermann) who has a cousin named Ardalion. It is heavily hinted that Lydia and Ardalion are, in fact, lovers, although Hermann continually stresses how much Lydia loves him. On one occasion Hermann actually walks in on the pair, naked, but Hermann appears to be completely oblivious of the situation, perhaps deliberately so. After some time, Hermann shares with Felix a plan for both of them to profit off their shared likeness by having Felix briefly pretend to be Hermann. But after Felix is disguised as Hermann, Hermann kills Felix in order to collect the insurance money on Hermann on March 9. Hermann considers the presumably perfect murder plot to be a work of art rather than a scheme to gain money. But as it turns out, there is no resemblance whatsoever between the two men, the murder is not 'perfect', and the murderer is about to be captured by the police in a small hotel in France, where he is hiding. Hermann who is writing the narrative switches to a diary mode at the very end just before his captivity, the last entry is on April 1. ===== In the kingdom of Ehb, a man known only as Farmer is living a happy life with his wife Solana and their young son Zeph in the town of Stonebridge. One day, the town gets attacked by creatures known as the Krug. The Krug, who are known to be primitive and animal-like, surprise the people by taking up arms, donning armor and are fighting with courage, intelligence and ferocity. It's all because of they're magically controlled by Gallian, a powerful Magus who has become sadistic and megalomaniacal and seeks to conquer and rule Ehb. During the attack, Farmer, along with his friend Norick and his brother-in-law Bastian, fights off the Krug but fails to save Zeph, who gets killed by Gallian via a Krug avatar. Solana and other Stonebridge inhabitants are taken prisoner. King Konreid, Commander Tarish and a company of Ehb's army arrives at Stonebridge to survey the damage and recruit others to join their army. Merick, another Magus who serves Konreid, tries to learn of Farmer's identity when he notices Norick, who he believes he's seen before. Farmer, Norick and Bastian set off on their own to find Solana. Meanwhile, Merick's daughter Muriella, who fell in love with Gallian, ends her romance with him after seeing his dark nature and realizing that he only trained her power so he can take it away. She confesses to her father, who believes that her love for Gallian has created an imbalance of their powers in Gallian's favor. Meanwhile, Konreid's selfish and immature nephew Duke Fallow is in league with Gallian and he seeks to take his uncle's place. He attempts to poison Konreid and takes a company of Ehb soldiers for his own. Soon after, Konreid heals and leads his army to go and fight Gallian's forces. Going through Sedgwick Forest, Farmer and his companions encounter the reclusive nymphs led by Elora, who leads them out of the forest. When they attempt to rescue Solana from the Krug, Farmer gets knocked out and Norick and Bastian get captured. When Farmer is getting hanged by another one of Gallian's avatars, he kills the avatar, frees himself and is rescued by Merick. Farmer is taken to Konreid and his army's camp, where Merick reveals that Farmer is Konreid's long lost son and his real name is Camden Konreid. He explains that many years ago, a young Farmer was present during a battle at a place known as Oxley Pass, where he was found by Norick. Norick was considered to be the adoptive father but Farmer was cared for by Stonebridge's inhabitants and was kept safe from all the chaos that ravaged Ehb. Konreid and Farmer both disapprove of Merick's claims. Konreid catches Duke in his treachery, which leaves Duke only his personal guard as the company turns from him and joins the rest of the army. Soon after, a battle erupts between Ehb's army and the Krug. Ehb's army, along with Farmer, eventually gain the upper hand and force the Krug to retreat, but Duke succeeds in mortally wounding Konreid. After the battle, Konreid and Farmer learn that they both share similar knowledge as Konreid declares Farmer his son with his dying breath and dies. Meanwhile, Tarish challenges Duke to a duel. Tarish wins and Duke gets taken away. Farmer, who is now the new King, gets everybody ready for the next battle. Meanwhile, Norick, Bastian and Solana are taken to Gallian's lair at Christwind Hold. Norick gets killed while trying to fight back and Solana gets taken to Gallian, whose sense of royal blood reveals that Solana is pregnant with Farmer's second child. Going on a mission to infiltrate Gallian's lair, Farmer is joined by Merick, Muriella and Elora, who has sided with Ehb against Gallian, while Tarish and the remaining army hold off against the advancing Krug. Merick magically enters the lair and fights Gallian, who manages to kill Merick. Farmer and Muriella manage to get into the lair as well, but Elora stays behind. Farmer finds Solana and fights Gallian in a sword battle. When Gallian resorts to using his magic to gain the upper hand, he prepares to kill him until Solana stabs him in the back. Muriella arrives and tries to save Farmer but Gallian defeats Muriella by weakening her magic. With him wounded, Farmer quickly defeats Gallian by slitting his throat and killing him. Gallian's magic influence goes away and the Krug go back to being primitive, saving Bastian and the prisoners and Tarish and his battered forces. Having finally avenged his son, Farmer and Solana are happily reunited as the kingdom is saved. ===== The opening scene shows Frankie being beaten by a small group of men, and the rest of the film is shown as a flashback leading up to that point. The film is split into three sections: Frankie's troubled childhood, his violent adolescence as a ska- loving skinhead who commands a small gang, and a period of change, in which Frankie tries to believe in hope and love. Frankie starts a relationship with Helen (Laura Fraser), a young woman who studies art and works in a record store. When the differences between them became too obvious, Helen breaks up with Frankie, and he joins Alcoholics Anonymous (or a similar program) and a theatre group along with Mary (Susan Lynch), a good-hearted alcoholic. This allows Frankie to exorcise some of his demons, and he loses his desire to fight. An incident in a pub leads Frankie to believe that Mary is cheating on him with the theatre group's director. This reignites doubts created by his parents a long time ago. Feeling deceived, Frankie rejects Mary without a valid reason. When he's preparing to drink a glass of scotch, he begins to muse how the past has destroyed his life up to this point and he decides to stay sober and call Mary to apologise. The events merge with the beginning of the film, and Frankie's former comrades chase and beat him up. Whether Frankie dies or not is left open to the viewer. ===== The movie is set between approximately 3 p.m. and just after midnight on a day in November 1959. Managing Editor Sam Gatlin and his staff put together the early edition of the Examiner, a morning newspaper in Los Angeles. During a particularly active news night, Gatlin and his second wife (of three years), Peggy, disagree about adopting a seven-year-old boy named Billy. (Peggy can't have children and wants to adopt. Gatlin's young son from his first marriage had been killed several years before, presumably in some sort of accident. Gatlin tells Peggy he can't ever let himself love another child because losing that child, too, would destroy him.) Longtime reporter Lady Wilson's grandson pilots a military bomber from Honolulu to New York, intending to set a speed record. A child is lost and feared drowned in the L.A. sewers during this night's torrential rainstorm; Gatlin composes a warning headline with a two-page-wide picture of a storm drain: "DANGER, KIDS! STAY OUT OF THESE! One little girl didn't!". Copy boy Earl Collins considers quitting after failing to place a $1 bet for city editor Jim Bathgate concerning how many babies a famous Italian actress would give birth to that day. (It was twins, at 50-1 odds.) Bathgate demands and gets an IOU from the woefully underpaid Collins to cover the $50 Bathgate would have won, but Bathgate tears it up, smiling to himself, on his way out of the newsroom at the end of the film. ===== Spencer Tracy in portrait publicizing his new MGM contract, for which The Murder Man was the first film. Steve Grey (Spencer Tracy) is a hotshot New York newspaper reporter specializing in murder. When a crooked businessman named Halford is murdered, Steve pins the blame on the dead man's associate, Henry Mander (Harvey Stephens), theorizing that Halford was killed by a rifle from a shooting gallery across the street. Mander is arrested, tried, convicted and sentenced to death. Steve visits his father, who is depressed because his business has been ruined. The hard-working, hard- drinking Steve is urged by Mary (Virginia Bruce), a gossip columnist who loves him, to take some time off. Another colleague, Shorty (James Stewart), arrives to tell Steve that their editor wants an exclusive interview with Mander in prison. He goes to Sing Sing to conduct the interview. Driven by guilt, Steve shocks everyone by confessing to having committed the murder himself, as revenge for Halford and Mander having ruined his father. Steve's last act is to tell his editor that he's got his biggest story ever. =====