| The long awaited and much-touted mini-series, | | | | engineers, scientists and technical writers. Then |
| The Triangle, made it's debut on the Sci-Fi cable | | | | there was what I experienced myself. |
| channel recently. As a person who has studied the | | | | Our home was built in the 1950s on what had |
| paranormal for most of his life, I always watch | | | | been farm property. It was the first house built |
| these kinds of fictional entertainment projects | | | | on our block. It didn't take long for all the houses |
| based on unexplained events with a slightly more | | | | that were subsequently erected to be purchased. |
| critical eye then the average viewer or sci-fi fan | | | | All of the homes except one were occupied by |
| might. Unlike other Sci-Fi projects that attempted | | | | families. That home was across the street and a |
| to report on or fictionalize various areas of the | | | | couple of houses down from us. It was occupied |
| unexplained, this one is a gem. There are several | | | | by an elderly couple who liked their privacy and, it |
| reasons why I believe that The Triangle is one of | | | | was rumored, had been involved in some sort of |
| the best science fiction projects based on | | | | scientific research for the U.S. Government. If you |
| unexplained events I have ever seen. | | | | were a kid, you knew better then to play in front |
| Beyond the fact that the cast really delivered the | | | | of their home. They would call your parents, the |
| goods, those responsible for the project know | | | | police or both. Obviously, they were not the most |
| good science fiction. Rockne S. O'Bannon is | | | | beloved people on the block. However, that |
| credited with writing the teleplay and as Executive | | | | became a non-issue one summer morning. |
| Producer. With projects like Alien Nation, | | | | It was the mid-1960s and I was enjoying my |
| SeaQuest DSV, Amazing Stories and the 1980's | | | | summer break from elementary school. Since |
| incarnation of The Twilight Zone under his belt, | | | | most people went on vacation during that time, I |
| O'Bannon knows how to tell a story well. Dean | | | | was left to roam the block and rummage up |
| Devlin is also one of the Executive Producers and | | | | what friends I could. With stores, a library, park |
| is given writing credits. Despite the disaster that | | | | and even a bowling alley close by, I was always |
| was Godzilla, Devlin gave us Star Gate and | | | | looking for someone to venture out with me to |
| Independence Day. Craig R. Baxley is Director and | | | | those places. Each time I walked pass the house |
| is certainly no stranger to the weird having been | | | | owned by the elderly couple, I admired how well it |
| involved with Left Behind, Rose Red and Kingdom | | | | was kept. Window boxes were filled with carefully |
| Hospital. | | | | chosen flowers, the lawn was manicured to |
| Despite the luminaries that acted in, wrote, | | | | perfection and bird droppings were quickly cleaned |
| produced and directed The Triangle, the most | | | | off the sidewalk or driveway whenever any dirty |
| important reason for the success of this | | | | bird dared to poop on the property. |
| mini-series may be its willingness to offer The | | | | As I walked toward the elderly couple's house to |
| Philadelphia Experiment as an explanation for all | | | | visit a friend next store on that particular day, I |
| the weird happenings. It's obvious that those | | | | was frozen in my tracks. The house was gone! I |
| responsible for this production did their homework. | | | | mean it just wasn't there and looked like it never |
| Paranormal Investigators have been linking people, | | | | had been. When I mentioned this to my parents, |
| planes and ships lost or missing in the Bermuda | | | | they assumed it was a joke. They had never |
| Triangle to the infamous Navy project for many | | | | seen or heard about the couple. When they saw |
| years. Anyone wanting to create a fictional | | | | how serious I was, my parents assured me that |
| entertainment project about weird events that | | | | no house like I described had ever existed in our |
| occur in the area also known as the Devil's | | | | neighborhood. My friends and their parents said |
| Triangle would be foolish to ignore the interest | | | | the same thing. In the interest of not being labeled |
| people have in the possible Philadelphia Experiment | | | | the neighbor nut cake, I dropped the matter. |
| connection. | | | | Beyond the fact that a house and its occupants |
| Unlike other Sci-Fi channel projects based on the | | | | had managed to vanish overnight, what really |
| unexplained, The Triangle doesn't bother to | | | | bothered me was why I was the only person |
| apologize for what's presented. I was especially | | | | who remembered the structure and the people |
| impressed with the no-nonsense manner in which | | | | who lived in it. Then I remembered something. |
| the Philadelphia Experiment material was worked | | | | A few days after the couple had moved in, I was |
| into the plot. Anyone who has studied the alleged | | | | walking past the house when the elderly man |
| U.S. Government experimentation with time | | | | called out to me. He asked if I wouldn't mind |
| travel, invisibility and mind control as deeply as I | | | | helping him hang some pictures and do some odd |
| have knows what a hard sell that material is. The | | | | jobs. I ran home to ask my parents for |
| Philadelphia Experiment was never just some | | | | permission to go into the house. They said it |
| World War II project to make Navy ships invisible. | | | | would be fine. So I spent most of that afternoon |
| It was and is an incredibly complicated and diverse | | | | helping the man with various jobs inside and |
| program that is able to exist based on the fact of | | | | outside the house. I earned five dollars and some |
| non-existence in the public mind, propped up by | | | | good will for my efforts. To my knowledge, I |
| over fifty years of disinformation and secrecy. | | | | was the only person living in that neighborhood |
| I have always said that paranormal reality is | | | | who had ever actually been inside the house. That |
| better then any science fiction ever presented in | | | | is the only reason I can think of for possessing |
| book, film or other forms. The cases I have | | | | the memories of the house and the elderly couple. |
| investigated involving the unexplained have | | | | I gave up thinking about the incident until I started |
| challenged everything I believe or have been | | | | the seventh grade. My junior high school had a |
| taught about the world we live in. I'm not speaking | | | | well stocked library. After reading The Time |
| of ethereal New Age concepts, but actual | | | | Machine, A Wrinkle in Time and some comments |
| occurrences which defy you to explain them. | | | | by physicists published in a scholastic magazine, I |
| That is what I liked about The Triangle. The | | | | began to consider the possibility that a natural or |
| characters were average people mulling through | | | | deliberate event involving alteration of the space |
| life until they were suddenly slammed in the face | | | | time continuum had occurred. The comments by |
| by paranormal events. Whether believers or | | | | the physicists in an article about modern science |
| disbelievers by nature, none of them could deny | | | | introduced me to the idea of alternative realities |
| what they were experiencing. | | | | and dimensions. While some felt that there were |
| Most mini-series start off with a bang, then end in | | | | only a few physical dimensions, others saw a |
| the most disappointing way possible. That certainly | | | | universe full of alterative realities that could |
| wasn't true of The Triangle. In the end, the | | | | eventually be accessed if the technology to do so |
| characters involved found themselves in a new | | | | was available. |
| and permanently altered reality. For me, it was a | | | | With that foundation, it wasn't hard to imagine |
| more then worthwhile payoff for watching the six | | | | what someone with access to technology of the |
| hour presentation over three nights. That's | | | | type described as being used in the Philadelphia |
| because I not only believe it's possible, but have | | | | Experiment project could do. Playing with time |
| seen evidence that such things have already | | | | would be as easy as riding a bike; until you fell off. |
| happened. | | | | It's always the aftereffects that anyone wanting |
| As a child growing up on Long Island, I found | | | | to play Time God would have to take into |
| myself constantly confronted by things I couldn't | | | | consideration. The consequence of messing with |
| understand. Stories of UFO sightings, odd | | | | the fabric of time and space would be a new and |
| disappearances, alien abductions and even strange | | | | possibly undesirable reality. That's if you view |
| creature sightings were not uncommon in a place | | | | Time as a line. I believe that people involved in the |
| less then a one hour drive from New York City. | | | | real Philadelphia Experiment and related projects |
| Add to that the weird stories I heard from our | | | | look at Time as a continuous circle without |
| mostly ex-military neighbors. Despite government | | | | beginning or end. If you have the right technology, |
| claims that paranormal events were often | | | | you can jump anywhere into the circle, make |
| reported by untrained observers or unstable | | | | subtle changes and still retain the overall stability |
| people, most of those I met with unusual stories | | | | of the reality in which you live. Your reality would |
| to tell were very credible. These included active | | | | be where you were born in the circle. |
| and retired military pilots, police, firefighters, | | | | |