Jennifer's Shadow

Over a year trying to find my copy of chronicle of the raven, and now i finally got it. It is a great horror film i love it, the film is pretty original, not a remake or something unoriginal u will find in this Gothic gem. I love the story it was pretty interesting,original and creepy, the atmosphere is something to die for is one of the best things in this beautiful film, the acting was pretty good Gina Philips (jeepers creepers, ring around the Rossie) she did a great job her acting was very believable as always, Faye Dunaway (chinatown) she was fabulous and fantastic. And the other actors were so, so but they were decent. Thought that the film was a little slow at parts but that doesn't matter this film is one of the best Gothic horror i've seen recently. It is a hidden Gothic horror gem this film is worth watching, renting or buying. It is a big surprise the film is hard to found believe me but try to find it u will be impressed and u will not be disappointed, like i said it is a hidden Gothic gem. I gave it a 8/10

Imagine if you will that it's your birthday and you wake up and feeling exuberant thinking of all the wonders that today will offer. Then just as your leaving your house you get a phone call saying that your entire family was just killed by a freak accident. You ask what they were all doing together and the police say that all evidence reveals that they all secretly hated you and were planning a glorious murder to rid you from their life; and in fact that documents had been found in your mother's possession saying and they quote "my offspring is a horrible cancer upon this earth who I regret not drowning at birth." You break down in tears and stumble over to your car and just start to drive to the scene of the accident. While in route your sideswiped by a drunk driver. Waking up in the hospital three years later you discover that your paralyzed from the waist down, and while the doctor had you in the emergency room they happened to discover that you have a brand new type of illness, unique only to you. They don't know how to treat it and your death will be slow and painful, also your insurance has dropped you and their throwing you out. That night as you meekly wallow in terror and your own feces under your new underpass home you try to think of what went wrong, desperately trying to find something to give you hope. Then it comes to you lighting up your brain. At least you've never seen Chronicle of the Raven, realizing this you suddenly have nothing to complain about and drift off to sleep.

That said I watch of lot movies especially horror movies and this is probably the second worst i've ever seen. Don't let the premise trick you like it did me. I'm hear to warn you. Stay away! eating glass would be a better use of your time.

First, let me say that this movie is not a total waste of time. It has good visuals, strong atmosphere, and an effective musical score.

That said, it pains me to report that it falls apart because of really bad performances by the two leads. Faye Dunaway's bad performance was expected. When I saw MOMMIE DEAREST I knew she was sacrificing her career, and here she strictly shows up for the paycheck. But what happened to Gina Phillips? Her performance as Trish in JEEPERS CREEPERS was so strong, especially the reversal in her character as she boldly stood up to the Creeper in an attempt to protect her brother.

Here she seems even less interested in what's going on than Ms. Dunaway. Seeing that she's playing the title role, it would have been nice if she had tried to do something- anything- to develop a character we cared about. But she just sleepwalks through this.

My take on it is that acting is a job. If you're being directed by Sidney Lumet in an award winning screenplay or if you're being someone obscure in a script that seems more a series of scribbled notes isn't relevant.

What both Ms. Dunaway and Ms. Phillips need to remember is that Martin Scorsese might be channel surfing at two in the morning and watch JENNIFER'S SHADOW. Nothing either one of these usually dependable actresses does here is anything that would make any director want to cast them.

If you're cast in it and they're paying you, give it your best. If you feel that the project is beneath you, let someone who wants to play the part have a shot at it.

Jennifer Cassi (Gina Philips from "Dead and Breakfast") returns back to the house she grew up in which she recently inherited from her deceased sister, unbeknownst to her grandmother (Fay Dunaway) who's still living in it. Jennifer decides to sell it as she's in dire need of the money much to Granny's chagrin. She also begins to have troublesome recurring nightmares of a mysterious raven. There was really no one to relate to in this film. Jennifer seemed cold, distant, unsentimental, and narcissistic, whereas the grandmother seemed spiteful, sad, and also narcissistic. The film is good and well-made, but with no one to empathize with I found it hard to care about what happened to them.

My Grade: C-

(2004) Chronicle Of The Raven HORROR

Co-written and directed by Daniel de la Vega and Pablo Parés centers on twin sister, Jennifer Cassi (Gina Philips) inheriting a manor after her twin had currently died. Upon hanging around there, also lives her aunt Emma (Hilda Bernard) who just lies in bed with a paralyzed stance on her face and her suspicious granny, Mary Ellen Cassi (Faye Dunaway). As soon as Jennifer finally decides to sell the manor is when when she begin to receive nighmarish dreams about ravens, making her life rather difficult! Another interesting premised with a twist from an idea thought up by Edgar Allen Poe but with plot holes as the film progresses.