There's Something about Jennifer

This film always gives me goosebumps when watching it. It's uniquely personal
and even beautiful with the hypnotizing theme "The Valley" by Bill Wyman, the
wonderful Swiss setting and fine camerawork by Romano Albani giving it tonsof atmosphere.
The Foehn winds sweeping over the mountain forests and the valleys and causing madness,
a serial killer murdering young girls and a british entomologist trying to solve the crimes with
the assistance of his insects.

Highly unconventional ideas from Argento and with sudden (unappropriate ?) bursts of
heavy metal music disturbing the atmospherical synthesizer soundtrack and the gorgeous
visuals, plus a big dose of bad acting from the secondary characters shouldn't make this film
work .... but, it does, with the help of angelic out of this world beautiful child actor
Jennifer Connelly. OK, let's not forget Tanga the Chimpanzee here, Jennifer, John McGregor,
Tanga and the beautiful Egyptian Sarcophagus Fly makes it work.
Daria Nicolodi is always fun to watch also and she goes full throttle here.

Above: One of 6 collector cards in the Arrow Video 4K UHD blu-ray edition

The Dario Argento vs. Jennifer Connelly Mystery - If there is one ?

Yes, if I remember correctly Dario Argento in an early audio commentary actually badtalks
Goddess Jennifer Connelly when he spoke about her in a condescending way .... big boobs ....
But no one seems to have noticed this, and later on he changed his tune when he praised her
fervently in all future commentaries and interviews.
I find this to be interesting as Connelly yet have refused to take part in any commentary or
interview in the extras provided with any release of Phenomena. The Big Mystery of Phenomena
- did Jennifer and Argento get along during the filming ?

and .... whatabout Tanga the Chimpanzee ? Argento was known for being a bit rough
sometimes with the (for him annoying) actors and did Jennifer annoy him at some point ?
This almost scary beautiful 13 year old actress ? What about the "tame" monkey Inga (played by
the monkey Tanga) who allegedly bit off Jennifer's fingertip, which version is the true one ? One
says that Argento told Jennifer Connelly to turn the ape, who was in a grumpy mood, for him to
get a better shot, and the monkey became furious and bit off Jennifers finger.

Another one, told by Dario Argento in the 2017 Arrow Video documentary is that Tanga bit
Jennifer in the shooting of one of the lift scenes (at Donald Pleasence/John McGregor's house)
when Tanga got scared by the lift moving. Which version is the true one ?
Maybe Argento tries to make himself come in a better light. To make a 13 year old child
actress handle an already pissed-off powerful animal as a Chimpanzee instead of waiting for it's
handler to do it is not very good.
Anyway, Jennifer Connelly should have a noticeable scar on one of her fingers.

And .... a third version is given by Daria Nicolodi in the 50 minutes 2011 Arrow Video "Making
of documentary" where she says that Jennifer (who allegedly was afraid of Chimpanzee's) was
told to hug the monkey, and as she was nervous the monkey got nervous and bit her.

Three all different versions, which is true ?

Could this be the reason to why Jennifer Connelly is curiously absent from any audio
commentary or interview on any of the releases of Phenomena ? Or, maybe she just wants
to distance herself from her early pictures in the 1980's and early 1990's as she consider herself
to be a "serious" actress today ? Well, No, that's not it, as she hails the not very good US
version of the japanese horror "Dark Water" and also has acted in some atrocious flops.
She made some beautiful and beloved films early on in her career, as "Once Upon a Time in
America", "Phenomena", "Labyrinth" and the obscure but mystic and even fascinating art
drama "Some Girls". "The Hot Spot and The Rocketeer" were pretty great too.

An Audio Commentary with Jennifer - it Would be the Holy Grail of Audio Commentaries

There are so many questions: What about her relation with Inga/Tanga, was she scary, as
Chimpanzee's are strong animals ? How did she get along with Donald Pleasance (they seem
to have such good chemistry) ? How did Donald get along with Inga/Tanga ?
What does she really think about insects ? Did she bond with anyone on the set ? Did she
swim herself in the underwater scene at the end (yes it looks like her) ? How come she can't
see the beauty and uniqueness of Phenomena but is perfectly OK with hailing the not so
great "Dark Water" ?

Maybe Jennifer Connelly thinks that the film is a forgotten obscurity and doesn't understand
that "Phenomena" has become a beloved cult classic, and maybe even her most popular film.
She supposedly also shuns her other 1980's fan favorite, "Labyrinth" and won't talk about it
either. Why ? Maybe she feels uncomfortable looking at her young self (because of later
alterations made to her face and body) ? Maybe she doesn't like the fantasy or horror genre ?

Above: Booklet to the Arrow Video release

Arrow Video presents the film in 1.66: aspect ratio and in a 2 disc 4K UHD Blu-ray version,
with the long italian version 116 minutes on disc 1 and with the 110 minutes international
version and US 83 minutes Creepers version on disc 2.
Long 116 minutes version with hybrid english and some italian DTS-HD MA 5.1 audio or
Italian audio DTS-HD MA 5.1 or 2.0 with english subtitles. Six collector Cards, a Booklet
and a Poster. Region ALL. EXTRAS:

Disc One -

An AWFUL audio commentary by otherwise brilliant gialli expert Troy Howarth (see more
about this below), "Of Flies and Maggots - 2017 Documentary (2 whole hours, and where
i.a. Argento gives his Tanga/Inga bite version, maybe to put himself in a somewhat better
light than version 1), Jennifer Music Video, Italian trailer, International trailer, Japanese
press book.

Disc Two - Audio commentary to International 110 minutes version by David Del Valle
and author Derek Botelho. The Three Sarcophagi (31 minutes) Comparison of the Arrow
versions 110/116 and 83 minutes, Alternate International version 2.0 Stereo Mix, US
Theatrical trailer and US Radio Spots

Above: Japanese pic from somewhere

Warning ! The Awful Audio Commentary by Troy Howarth

First i have to say that i normally likes Troy Howarth's commentaries of Italian
gialli and horror movies as he's knowledgeable and never boring, so i was very,
very disappointed with him here. Only hardcore fans of this amazing and unique
film will buy this great release and they for sure don't want to hear someone who
hates the film spoil their fun.
Just as the 1945 Film Noir masterpiece "Leave Her to Heaven" for some unknown
reasons had two assholes who disliked the film comment it. That much hated on
commentary was a blunder from 20th Century Fox. Why release a beloved film
with a commentary where two pieces of shit pisses on the film, a masterpiece,
and on the leading actress, goddess Gene Tierney giving a haunting performance ?

Here the loser (Howarth) starts with telling us that he don't like the film, and
then he whines, whines and whines some more.
Endlessly he whines about scenes being too long. The lovely sleepwalking
scene being too long and he even tries to mock it. The scenes makes no sense
he says and Troy Howarth seems to want them to be more Mainstream .....
Yes, that would surely make the film better ! Or Not ? You idiot ! "Phenomena"
is Dario Argento's most personal and his favorite film, but Noooo, Troy Howarth
he knows better what would've made the film work. Just shut up you smug
bastard.

Howarth should've known better and not accepted to do the commentary.
He hates the film and fans of "Phenomena" don't want to listen to stuff like that.
But, maybe it's just me ? I haven't heard any complaints in any of the reviews
i've read. I do like the guy otherwise though.

I guess i'm a bit sensitive about these things regarding "Phenomena" as it
probaby is my favorite Dario Argento film, and i have watched some 40-50
times by now. At first on a Swedish 1980's VHS cassette (i think only the
ending razorblade scene was shortened by Swedish censors) and then on
the US Anchor Bay DVD, then the Arrow 2011 Blu-ray and now finally the
Arrow 4K UHD Blu-ray and the Synapse 4K UHD Blu-ray.
This awful commentary makes this supposedly "ultimate" release felt a bit
tainted for me sorry to say.

 

The 2011 UK Arrow Video Blu-ray and DVD 2 disc release above featured
the hybrid english and italian audio 116 minutes version with english
subtitles. Presented in 1.66:1 aspect ratio. Extras:

The Making of Phenomena - 50 minutes Documentary with Dario Argento,
Daria Nicolodi et.al. Music for Maggots: Interview with composer Claudio
Simonetti, Creepers for Creatures - Sergio Stivaletti Q&A (19 minutes),
Booklet

The old audio commentary with i.a. Dario Argento found on the US
Anchor Bay DVD edition has been removed here, and maybe that is as
well because Argento talked about Jennifer Connelly in a very condescending
way there ... Big Boobs ... he muttered. He wasn't nice at all when talking about
her, and that is strange as then only 13 year old Jennifer (born December 12th
1970 and the film was shot in 1984) with her angelic beauty and everything
horrific she courageously takes on during the film became something like the
Alchemist Stone. She makes every strange ingredience come together with
her performance and makes the film ascend to the highest level of Horror film.
The film has become a Cult Classic and there has also beena Jennifer Connelly
mania on Youtube.

Wisely in this new documentary Dario have had a change in his attitude
against Jennifer Connelly and he's now very respectful towards her part in
the film - "It was great working with her, she was only 13 at the time.
She was fantastic, elegant and very sensible. That sort of experience
made me want to do the same work with my own daughter Asia".

What happened between the first early audio commentary where Dario
actually disses Connelly and the Documentary where he hails her ?
Something is fishy (In Swedish: "Här ligger en gravad hund" Refat El
Sayed).
Maybe he just had a bad day during the commentary. Nobody mentions
this now and the commentary probably is buried.

Above: The Booklet

R.I.P. Daria Nicolodi. In the documentary we also get to hear Daria
complain about the sinister plans Dario may have had for her. She's
very funny. He wanted to kill her with a Chimpanzee and later in Opera
with explosives on her head for the door peephole scene.
She's joking surely. She also claims that it was her scripts that elevated
his earlier films to become Gialli/Horror masterworks and that his
scriptwriter from Phenomena and onwards, that's Franco Ferrini, is a
mediocre craftsman.

Maybe she has a valid point as Dario Argento's every film after "Opera"
has gotten worse and looks like Elephant dung.

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The Old US Anchor Bay DVD release

Presented in anamorphic widescreen 1.66:1 , english audio 5.1 or 2.0.
Extras: That audio commentary with Dario Argento, Sergio Stivaletti,
Claudio Simonetti and Loris Curci, where he strangely disses Jennifer
Connelly,
Featurette "A Dark Fairytale" with Dario Argento, Daria Nicolodi,
daughter Fiore Argento, Cinematographer Romano Albani, Sergio
Stivaletti et.al. (17 minutes, 2008), Luigi Cozzi and the art of
Macrophotograhy, Dario Argento at the Joe Franklin Show, Music
Videos: Claudio Simonetti's "Jennifer" with unique pictures of
Connelly, Bill Wyman's beautiful "The Valley", Trailer and an
Dario Argento biography