Posts Tagged ‘jennifer connelly’

I was nine years old when The Rocketeer flew into theaters, and I loved it. Flying men, lots of action and Nazis… what more could a little boy ask for? Thankfully, 20 years later, The Rocketeer stands the test of time surprisingly well. The Disney movie is just as enjoyable now as it was then, especially since I appreciate watching a young Jennifer Connelly strut around in a sexy white dress.

Read the full article »

Of all the movies I watched at the Seattle International Film Festival (SIFF) this year, none was more rewarding than Salvation Boulevard, the agnostic comedy starring Greg Kinnear, Pierce Brsonan, Marisa Tomei, Jennifer Connelly and Ed Harris. A lighthearted, offbeat laugh fest, the movie wasn’t as awarding as the experience, that of being crammed into a theater full of atheists who relate all too well to the jokes on display.

Read FilmJabber’s full Salvation Boulevard movie review.

Is a comedy a comedy if there are no jokes? Is a comedy a comedy if no one laughs? These questions are the unintended side effects of Ron Howard’s The Dilemma, the Vince Vaughn/Kevin James “something” that was recently released to DVD.

Read FilmJabber’s full The Dilemma movie review.

This weekend, I flew down to Florida to visit my uncle. As my uncle had a tendency to like any kind of B-grade, C-grade, D-grade or even F-grade horror movies, we ended up watching one of those movies found on those “50 horror movie” DVD packs, which are typically a septic tank of movies no one ever wants to see. Luckily, my uncle decided to be nice and chose Phenomena (also known as Creepers), an early Jennifer Connelly movie that is surprisingly decent – if not still rather cheesy.

Phenomena is about a 15-year old girl (Connelly in her pre-eyebrow trimming days) who finds herself at a private, all-girls school in Europe. Daughter of a popular actor, she has the looks and smarts to be popular herself, except she has a rare gift that is subject to making her quite weird: in addition to sleepwalking, she can also talk to insects.

Aside from the fact that the main character can control bugs not unlike Carrie could control objects, the movie is a relatively straightforward horror movie. Someone has been killing young women (and decapitating them), and young Jennifer Connelly believes that with the help of her insect friends, she can find the killer. As she learns from Donald Pleasance, the maggots found in a rotting corpse have a story to tell. It’s an early “CSI” if I ever saw one, but the film eventually relies on Connelly to make her way to the truth.

The movie is definitely cheesy in parts, doesn’t always make sense and has a few moments completely out of left field, but it is mildly entertaining. What really makes the film are a few scenes near the end. While the gore isn’t anything spectacular, there are a few gory scenes, and a sequence where Connelly is thrown into a pit of rotting carcases and maggots is especially appetizing. Also, the introduction of a deformed maggot boy who likes to tear the flesh off his own face is also a highlight.

Fans of B-grade horror movies should find some entertainment here, as Phenomena is definitely on the high end of “crappy” horror. It isn’t that good, but it isn’t bad at all.

The latest remake to hit the fast track is The Day the Earth Stood Still, a reimagining of the 1951 classic about a heavily armed robot who arrives to warn of impending doom if Earth’s leaders continue their aggressive ways. The movie stars Keanu Reeves in what is sure to be his biggest blockbuster since The Matrix. Also joining him is the lovely Jennifer Connelly and the talented Kathy Bates.

I am assuming Connelly will plays Reeves’ mother and Bates the love interest. Wouldn’t that be a sight.

Anyway, I’m writing this post so I can research a picture of Jennifer Connelly to put on here, but come to think of it, where has Kathy Bates in for the last several years? Sure, she shows up sporadically, but how come she hasn’t done some big drama recently? She is one of the most talented actresses out there. Hell, do Misery 2 – I’d go watch that.