-TABLE OF CONTENTS-
[NOTE: To skip to a particular article, do a word search for its title
(written in CAPITALS).]
INTRODUCTION
Welcome to issue number 2!
THE NEWS
What's new in the "Millennium" world. Upcoming episodes, rumors, and
announcements from FOX, the producers, and our favorite actors. This issue,
will Morgan & Wong hit the road? Why can't "Millennium" hold on to any of its
fathers?
EPISODE REVIEW
This issue, the change of pace that hit the series with Chris Carter's pivotal
first season episode "Lamentation".
REALITY
The shocking news that proves "Millennium" isn't far from the truth! This
issue, a band of men in Papua New Guinea are arrested for executing local
"witches" in a most gruesome manner.
WEBSITE REVIEW
This time we take a look at "Shiver's Millennium Pages", a hilarious
alternative to your run of the mill fan page.
OFF TOPIC
David Duchovny takes a turn getting inside the mind of a serial killer, Brad
Pitt, in the tense and visceral dramatic masterpiece "Kalifornia".
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-INTRODUCTION-
Welcome to issue number two of "The Millennial Comet". I'm quite pleased at
the great feedback I've been getting regarding issue one, and I think that
this newsletter is going to turn out to be quite successful! A great deal of
readers have signed on since the distribution of the first issue. If you know
anyone else who would like to be added, please have them e-mail me!
This newsletter, like the first, is being included inside the e-mail document
sent to you. If you would rather receive "The Millennial Comet" as a TXT
attachment, please drop me a line and let me know. I have a seperate mailing
list for those who would like to receive the newsletter in this manner.
Also, if you find yourself falling upon a VALID and CONFIRMABLE piece of news
related to "Millennium", please let me know!!! It will be included in the
next issue so that all the fans can be alerted. Thanks.
The next issue, number three, should be in your mailbox by February 28th. I
have to kick myself to stick to these self-imposed deadlines, but if a kick or
two is what it takes........
Thank you!
--Brian A. Dixon
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-THE NEWS-
Upcoming Episodes:
2.15 "The Pest House" - 2/27/98
Written by Glen Morgan & James Wong, Edited by James Coblenz, Directed by Alan
Coulter
2.14 "Owls" (part 1 of 2) - 3/6/98
Written by Glen Morgan & James Wong, Edited by George R. Potter, Directed by
Thomas J. Wright.
2.16 "Roosters" (part 2 of 2) - 3/13/98
Written by Glen Morgan & James Wong, Edited by Chris Willingham, A.C.E.,
Directed by Thomas J. Wright.
2.17 "Siren" - 3/20/98
2.18 "In Arcadia Ego" - 04/03/98
The award nominations for "Millennium" just keep on coming! Brittany Tiplady,
better know to us as Jordan Black, received a nomination for the second year
in a row for Best Actress in a Dramatic Television Series from the Young
Artist Awards of Hollywood. Also, "Millennium" was among thirteen top
nominations for the television category of the 12th Annual American Society of
Cinematographers Outstanding Achievement Awards competition. Cheers to Robert
McLachlan, CSC, for the first season episode "The Thin White Line"!!!
In episode news, the upcoming "The Pest House" will bring back some Morgan &
Wong alumni as guest stars. Melinda McGraw, known on "The X-Files" as Melissa
Scully, will star alongside Michael Massee, of the XF episode "The Field Where
I Died", and Justin Louis, star of the failed M&W series "The Notorious 7".
Also, "Owls" and "Roosters" has been announced as a two part episode... with
some exciting revelations regarding the Millennium Group.
In other news, Executive Producers Glen Morgan and James Wong announced in a
recent online chat that they would NOT be willing to return next season on
"Millennium" in their current capacity. Due to a project of their own
creation being produced for CBS, the two will be moving onward and upward out
of the Executive Producer positions. Since Chris Carter has also expressed
that he has very little interest in contributing anything to "Millennium", now
or in the future, it looks as if we're in store for yet another Executive
Producer.
Each season of our favorite show looks as if it will have its own distinct
flavor, due to the fact that they each have their own separate Executive
Producer. Only time will tell who will take over for season three. Fans are
already discussing the possibilities, such as staff writer Chip Johannessen,
but as usual NOTHING has been announced by FOX on the subject yet.
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-EPISODE REVIEW-
(NOTE: Spoilers abound in the below review)
"Lamentation"
Episode #1.16
First aired 4/18/97
Written by: Chris Carter
Edited by: Chris Willingham, A.C.E.
Directed by: Winrich Kolbe
Abyss Rating: ***** (5 of 5)
Synopsis: When a psychopathic doctor in prison for killing several nurses
escapes his hospital bed after requiring an operation, Frank is called to
Washington D.C. to aid in his recapture. But as he and Peter Watts uncover
more and more clues, it is horribly apparent that the good doctor and his
accomplices have targets in mind that are MUCH closer to Frank's home, and
that evil itself has plans for Frank's life...
It is this episode, "Lamentation", that forever changed the face of
"Millennium". Chris Carter's brilliantly written story drove me to pure shock
on first viewing that night in April of '97, and I can recall having my mouth
go dry in disbelief at the completely unexpected death of Robert Bletcher. By
the end of the episode I was literally on the edge of my seat, reduced to a
gasping, frightened little child as my mind reeled with the realization that
Frank Black had just fallen into a very, very bad situation...
By midway through the first season, subtle changes and hints pointing towards
the supernatural and fantastic had began to imbed themselves in the storylines
of what had, up until this point, been simply a dark police drama. Episodes
like "Gehenna" and "Sacrament" had whispered the name of evil to Frank and
implied that there was more driving the villains he sought than the F.B.I. had
taught him. But, with "Lamentation", "Millennium" left no question about
it... evil was a tangible and powerful force that was most definitely present
here on Earth. We even had a character to represent evil itself: Lucy Butler.
Lucy, Lucifer... any connection? Her raw intellect and brilliant reasoning
spun circles around the legal red tape Peter, Frank, and Geiblehouse tried to
tie her up with. It was obvious that the tools these investigators had used
all their lives to trap criminals were no use. Lucy Butler had uncanny
abilities. She could be in two places at the same time, she always knew
exactly what was going to happen, and all evidence against her simply became
inconclusive or disappeared altogether.
When Peter and Frank took the case, they had assumed that Dr. Ephraim
Fabricant was the man behind all the crimes they were investigating. But, it
became shockingly obvious that Fabricant was responsible for none of the
actions blamed on him. He was a puppet. The man was so weakened, so sick,
that he was completely incapable of even rising from his make-shift hospital
bed. Someone else was doing this dirty work. Someone, or something.
If any viewer had doubted the presence of supernatural forces of evil driving
the events in "Lamentation" for the beginning of the episode, a single scene
turned that around. As Bob Bletcher confronts the intruder on the stairs in
Frank's own home, it changes form several times. A man, Lucy Butler, and a
vision of a demon (possibly even the devil itself) flash between each other.
Evil killed Bob Bletcher. Why? There had been enough games. Now it wanted
to grab Frank Black by the throat and scream "This is real." The idea that
there was a force driving the increased violence in our society as we approach
the end of the millennium given in the pilot episode was now brought to full
fruition.
Gone now were the mad serial killers that Frank had been able to capture using
his investigative means. Now he was up against a more difficult foe--an
impossible foe--who could not be cornered, could not be locked up, and could
not be destroyed. Frank Black had met true evil. In my favorite of all
scenes from the history of "Millennium", Ephraim Fabricant warns Frank of what
he has now learned himself: "It's bigger than we are... It knows you, Frank.
It feeds off your passion! It knows everything you hold sacred. Frank! Run!
Run!"
"Lamentation" also clearly sows the seeds of Frank and Catherine's separation.
You can see it in her eyes as she watches the Seattle Police officers enter
her home on that dark and stormy night. You can hear it in her voice when she
tells Frank, "I need some time." Catherine has seen what's got its eye on
Frank Black... and she's scared. Rightfully so. It's not everyday that true
evil takes an interest in your husband. Catherine's worry had begun.
Overall, a brilliant episode that would change the direction of the series.
Season two has taken this concept as its baseline. Frank still hunts human
monsters, but human monsters who may be influenced by something beyond us...
something powerful and terrifying. Frank Black had seen evil.
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-REALITY-
On Wednesday, February 11th, regional police commander Chief Inspector Buckley
Iarume in Port Moresby, Papua New Guinea, announced that five women accused of
being witches had been strangled and hacked to death by angry villagers in the
southern village of Navi. Six men, arrested for the crimes, will be tried on
February 24th. Chief Inspector Iarume said that the women were practicing
sorcery. They were killed by the men because they were believed to have been
responsible for the mysterious deaths of local villagers and livestock.
"They were demon-possessed, they had an evil spirit in them, they were
destroying other lives!" Iarume explained to reporters via telephone from
Goroka, a town nearbye the village.
Nearly all residents of Papua New Guinea are Christians but fear of sorcery
remains quite common.
The women, taken by surprise by the six men who were angered the "witches"
were responsible for the deaths of relatives, were either hacked to death with
machetes and axes or strangled. Several weeks have passed since the killings
and it has taken this long for the news to reach police forces. Heavy rain
prevented them from reaching the remote village for some time as well, and
only now have they been able to begin an investigation.
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-WEBSITE REVIEW-
"Shiver's Millennium Pages"
http://infomatch.com/~carrolln/into.htm
Managed by Shiver (siocarro@unixg.ubc.ca)
Shiver's page, self advertised as "the non-serious Millennium site", is a real
treat for "Millennium" fans. Forget episode guides and character studies.
Shiver goes for the gut of every human being... humor! On site stories
include SMEAT, The Demon Spotter Quiz, Frank's FBI Interview Transcript,
Ourobagels, The Millennium Group's Most Wanted Demons, Signs of the
Apocalypse, and dozens of hillarious fan fiction spoofs. What the site lacks
in original graphics and hight tech HTML is more than made up for in its quite
humorous original content. I always find myself grinning whenever I stop by.
Shiver pokes fun at everything on "Millennium". The page is definitely to be
reagarded as one of the top "Millennium" fan sites on the net... not because
of how fancy it is, not because of the fascinating show exploration..... but
because of the heart for the series that this fan displays. A must see.
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-OFF TOPIC-
The off topic section of this newsletter will focus on movies, books, or other
television series that have something strong in common with "Millennium".
These are things that most devout fans of the show will find of great
interest, even though they are not directly related to the show.
FILM: "Kalifornia" (1993)
We're more than used to seeing "Millennium" star Lance Henriksen try his
hardest to get inside the minds of the serial killers he seeks after an entire
season of just that on a weekly basis. Meanwhile, on Sunday nights, David
Duchovny does his best to chase down the aliens and swamp monsters in our
sister show, "The X-Files". But, back in the year when "The X-Files"
premiered for the very first time on the FOX network, Duchovny had a film role
far closer to Henriksen's Frank Black. "Kalifornia" is a gritty and realistic
drama definitely on par with some of the best "Millennium" serial-killer-of-
the-weeks that we've seen.
Mostly a character study, the combination of writer Tim Metcalfe's script and
the stunning acting of stars David Duchovny, Brad Pitt, Michelle Forbes, and
Juliette Lewis is quite powerful and makes this film into the masterpiece that
it is. Duchovny plays Brian, a liberal journalist researching a book about
the nation's most infamous serial killers and their crimes. He decides that
the best way to collect material for the book is to take a cross country road
trip with his amateur photographer of a girlfriend (Forbes) and actually visit
the scenes of the crimes. Duchovny's narrative of the film comes across as
earnest and we truly believe that he's on a mission to become sympathetic to
the monsters he's looking into. Scenes where he examines the despicable
locales and eagerly demands that Forbes take the best photographs she can
scream of his sincerity.
But, in order to afford their sickening road tour, Duchovny and Forbes must
hook up with another couple, a pair of travelling companions: Pitt and Lewis.
Pitt portrays Early, a white-trash sociopath who has, right from the start,
obviously got a screw or two loose and a big tendency towards working his
problems out with violence. Lewis is his tag-along, who has got to be one of
the least intelligent human beings alive. The contrast between the couples is
immediately obvious and makes for some great scenes, particularly one in a
motel room where Forbes tries to identify with what Lewis has been through.
As the film progresses, Early spirals farther and farther downward into
madness and violence. Brian is at first fascinated and intriuged by the man's
tendencies, due to the fact that killers are a subject matter that have always
interested him, but he soon begins to realize how serious the situation is
when Early starts to kill. Brian now knows that there is nothing desirable in
meeting a serial killer first hand. Duchovny's acting moves the Brian
character through several levels, from morbidly fascinated thrill-seeker to
frightened victim to desperate hero. Pitt, Lewis, and Forbes also turn out
magnificent performances. Any small bumps in the storyline are more than
compensated for with the superb acting of the film's stars.
Director Dominic Sena, who learned the ropes of the profession from making
music videos and Nike ads, does quite well on this, his first feature film, as
well. His direction is hypnotic at points. Keeping the photography of the
stars consistent with their dialogue makes for smooth conversation scenes.
Sena also does the vast and bleak desert locations that appear in the latter
half of the film some real justice.
So, how do "Kalifornia" and "Millennium" compare? Well, "Millennium" has
presented us with serial killer investigations from the side of the police
force that hunts down the monsters. The twists and turns of the cases
generally are geared towards sparking our minds into interest in highly
intelligent background information. "Kalifornia", on the other hand, takes us
for a spin from the side of the serial killer. It appeals to the viewer on a
far more primitive, visceral level. Instead of grabbing your mind it reaches
for your gut. Quite effective and almost brutal at points.
After watching the film for the first time, I reluctantly reached for my "1996
Video Movie Guide" to see what rating was given. My impression of the film
had been excellent, I'd loved it and truly thought it to be a modern
masterpiece, and I was fearful that the rating the "experts" gave it would not
be so well (you all know how film critics are). But, as I found the entry in
the guide, I was pleased to see that they agreed with me for once.
"Kalifornia" was given 4 and a half out of a perfect 5 stars. Indeed, after
further research, I've found that Siskel and Ebert listed "Kalifornia" as one
of the top ten films of 1993.
If you're looking for an excellent serial killer drama that's nearly flawless
to watch on a Friday when "Millennium"'s been pre-empted, "Kalifornia" is
definitely the way to go. One of the best there is. A modern masterpiece.
"Kalifornia", Viacom Pictures, 1993, 117 minutes, rated R for sex, voilence,
and profanity.
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"The Millennial Comet"
Volume 1, Issue 2 - February 15, 1998
this has been a publication of "The Millennial Abyss"
http://members.aol.com/Rings13/index.html
by Brian A. Dixon (WackiDixon@aol.com)
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