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"The Day the Earth Stood Still" for Jennifer ConnellyA brief history lesson before I begin. In the 1950s and 1960s, following the development of the atomic bomb, folks were a tad bit nervous. Atomic bombs are scary things, after all. Boys and their toys, especially powerful boys with powerful toys, tend to make the rest of us a wee bit frightened. Folks had nuclear fallout shelters. (Watch Grease 2 for an example of one good use for such things.) School children were taught to hide under their desks in the event of a nuclear attack, because elementary school desks were apparently made of some kind of nuclear protection device. As is often the case, science fiction writers saw an opportunity to point out the futility of such weapons by telling the big boys what fools they were being for developing such destructive toys. One movie from 1951 that did just that, and has since become a sci-fi classic, was The Day the Earth Stood Still.
Here's the trailer for those of you who are unfamiliar. In that film, an alien and his robot land on Earth to warn us of our destructive behavior and the effects this behavior has on the rest of the galaxy. Seems the atomic fallout doesn't affect just us earthlings, but the folks from his planet as well. He's come to offer an ultimatum. Learn to live peacefully or be destroyed. I'm still haunted by images of the gigantic robot with no eyes, having seen this film when I was far too young to watch such things. But I'm excited by the prospect of a planned remake scheduled to film in December for a summer 2008 release. I'm not usually excited by the prospect of remakes, generally because they so often get things wrong or take on films that really should be left alone. Psycho comes to mind, no offense to Anne Heche. But, in this case, I will admit to a certain willingness to overlook such potential flaws. Here's why:
Yes, Jennifer Connelly is slated to star in the new version alongside Keanu Reeves. Reeves will be playing the alien, named Klaatu, while Connelly will play Helen Benson, the scientist who first encounters Klaatu upon his arrival. Patricia Neal played the role in the original.
Let me fill you in on my Jennifer Connelly infatuation for a moment. I fell in love with her while watching David Bowie eat scenery in Labyrinth.
I wanted to be Billy Campbell so I could woo her in The Rocketeer.
I sat through the not-so-incredible Hulk just so I could see her save Eric Bana from himself.
And I cheered during her acceptance speech after she won the Oscar for playing opposite Russell Crowe and his many voices in A Beautiful Mind.
So as I prepare to watch the amount of fresh TV programming dwindle over the course of the coming months, I will be anxiously awaiting this new release next summer. Anything that lets me see Connelly in action will certainly help ease any potential summer doldrums.
Submitted by on November 6, 2007 - 4:27pm. |
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You had me at Jennifer Connelly!
Jen
I heart Jennifer Connelly
She is stunning
!!
Sand & Fog?
If you'd like to see her previous appearance in sci-fi
oh em gee
jennifer connelly is *hot*
i, too, fell in love with her in Labyrinth and have kept falling through-out the years.
hope to hear more about this movie as filming starts up in December :)
too bad
keanu would have been better suited to actually play the robot.
jennifer connelly is YUM!
highly recommend blood diamonds as well.
The robot
"keanu would have been better suited to actually play the robot."
LOL! You're absolutely right.
o shit, you're right.blood
o shit, you're right.
blood diamonds also. yeehaw!!!!
It's a great Sci-fi movie...
...but I am surprised you make no mention of the fact that the film also makes very strong allusions to the second coming of Christ. Not that I wish to stir up controversy, but it is also a big part of the film and the social climate in which it was created. ^^
It also presents an issue that would need to be addressed, if the film were to be remade: ignoring/removing this very obvious dimension of the original would provoke comment as might a mishandling of it's inclusion in the new version.
You're correct
The symbolism regarding Christ is rather clear through out the film. Thanks for reminding me.
Personally, I hope they choose to include it rather than ignore it. Frankly, the ultra-conservative bent to many of our current "leaders" make this aspect of the film almost more relevant than what I can only assume will be some sort of terrorism slant on the atomic bomb references of the original.
Jennifer Connelly
YES.
YES.
YES!
she is, hands down, the actress of my dreams. i would like to work with her. or be her. or be married to her. ......um
it's interesting that you hit up rocketeer and hulk [which i still havent seen even though she is the best selling point for me to watch any movie] ... but not requiem and little children. darren aronofsky is the man... the DP was unbelievable, the cast was remarkable... whew! and little children.... well... playing as the anti-kate-winslet's-character-- must see.
oh, i loved a beautiful mind as well... but ya know.. those two stand out.
you know what? i did see her in Dark Water too... but i went with my mother, and JC [whoa it's like jesus] totally capitalized on the intense mother-daughter relationship in that movie.... i wasn't very scared, but i was engaged the whole time!
last... forgot-- the period one with the sisters was obv not memorable but watchable [inventing the abbots??] .......... but what i was gonna say was:
JENNIFER CONNELLY OPPOSITE BEN KINGSLEY.
hands down. best thing ever. anyone else see House of Sand & Fog??? ughhh. the guy they cast to be the not-quite-so-good-cop/her lover could NOT HOLD A CANDLE to either of those actors... it was so cringeworthy.
keanu reeves in a position to work with her makes me want to vomit. will he at least wear a big buiky white costume too??? and maybe get another actor to do all the vocal work???
Everytime
Don't forget
Mmm hmmm Jennifer Connelly
She looks AMAZING in that last picture. I agree with the rest of you - she is so talented and beautiful and Labyrinth (although a bit painful to watch now) will always be my favorite
:-)
"Even if you are on the right track, you will get run over if you just sit there"
Observation
Is is just me ... ?
Or does that last picture make anyone else imagine Jennifer Connelly as a better Bionic Woman? I mean it. She's got the same compelling green eyes as Michelle Ryan, only she's way more captivating an actress. I can even imagine her eye (the one that's most visible in the last picture) doing that cool light up thing to let the audience know that Jamie (Ryan's character) is using her bionic optical enhancements.
Come on... someone else must see it!