Jason Connery Tagged Articles at Cinematical

There are the great actors, men and women with an uncanny ability to transform themselves anew with each and every performance. There are popular actors, who are known for one thing and one thing only, but who have reached iconic status purely because audiences adore them. Then, there's Christopher Walken. Sure, there's The Deer Hunter and Annie Hall, but he also built Optimis Prime in his garage one lazy Sunday afternoon. He told us what the prescription for a fever was. And in 1988, he demanded a pair of boots from Jason Connery. I can say no more. Watch the clip, and experience new depths of horror and hilarity.

(When you're done pondering that, let's all ask Erik Davis why he immediately thought of me when he watched this. This is all thanks to him.)

I dunno... There may be something to this "secret" thing. Just yesterday I wished that Henry Rollins would make the movie rounds again, and I wake up today to find out that he is. However, this is probably more a case of good timing, since I imagine this whole deal was made before my wish. Anyhow, The Hollywood Reporter has listed the cast that are a part of an upcoming action thriller currently called the Untitled Gehenna Project. It's strange, diverse, and kind of irresistible -- Cuba Gooding Jr., Taryn Manning, Ron Perlman, Henry Rollins, Valerie Cruz (The Dresden Files), and Ray Winstone have joined a cast that includes Jason London (the Dazed one, not the mallrat), Franky G (Saw), Zack Ward (Transformers), Stephanie Jacobson (Razor), Bill Moseley (Repo! The Genetic Opera), Sarah Ann Morris (Las Vegas), and Brandon Fobbs (The Wire).

The only thing more surprising than that group of actors is what they get to do. It seems that the film is about a group of elite soldiers who are on a covert mission "to retrieve a missing scientist from an undergound lab." Cruz sends them on the mission, and Perlman is the scientist -- so far, so believable. But get this -- the group consists of Gooding, London, G, Ward, and Manning. Yes, Taryn Manning is an elite soldier. While this strange collection of tough guys/girl are on their mission, they happen upon a priestly Rollins, "who tells them that an 'ancient evil' has been released, causing their greatest fears to come to life." (Team him up with Cheech's tough priest in Machete and they'd be an unstoppable force of religious power.) Rounding things out is Winstone, who is the ed-head of the group, and Moseley and Morris, who are part of the research team.

Keith Kjornes wrote the script, and it's going to be directed by Jason Connery, who just happens to be 007 Sean's son. The script sounds like any strange thriller, but man, this cast is weird enough that it could be completely enjoyable, in that pulp sort of way.

First, I must disappoint some of you by warning: This film is NOT some strange remake of the classic line-animation La Linea. Remember that? It's the cartoon about a line that becomes a little guy who walks around, often walking into things and always either making requests of the artist, or yelling at him for something. While we won't see a big line on the big screen, this new La Linea incarnation is looking like it's worth the time. The Hollywood Reporter posted that Ray Liotta has signed on to star in the crime drama with Esai Morales and Valerie Cruz, and they've got one heck of an ensemble cast in final talks. There's two of my favorite actors, Joe Morton and Danny Trejo, as well as Armand Assante, Kevin Cage (the porn star, or did THR typo?), and Jason Connery. Plus: Andy Garcia is in early talks for a small role.

The film, loosely-based on the Arellano Felix drug cartel, is about a lieutenant of a drug cartel (Morales) who takes over business and becomes a loose cannon. (Garcia would play the ill kingpin of the cartel.) An LA-based assassin, played by Liotta, is hired to kill him. Cruz, meanwhile, will play a woman named Olivia, who is a meth addict in Tijuana trying to get clean for her kid -- how she fits into the rest remains to be seen. The feature was written by R. Ellis Frazier, who is also producing with Geoffrey Ross, and will be directed by James Cotten. Production is scheduled to begin next month in LA and Tijuana.