Reviews (8)

Milk-mustard with tomato relish...indeed
In the teen sci-fi romp "Seven Minutes in Heaven," an early Jennifer Connelly stars as Natalie, a young girl coming to terms with being fifteen while trapped in a town that has a dark secret. Natalie is not alone, however, as she and two friends, Jeff and a sex-starved Gollum, unearth the forces behind their town's mystery. To the audience, this secret soon becomes apparent, but it is unfortunately lost on Natalie and her friends. A force-field surrounds the town, and all the men who enter through it undergo a radical metamorphosis, growing tall and thin with dark hair. At first, this would seem merely coincidental, but further examination reveals that not only do these men look the same, but they all share the exact same haircut. It is scruffy on top, with mid-length curls and what can only be described as "poof" in the back. Beware; this haircut is not a mullet, but rather something far more sinister.

Jeff soon falls victim to the town's curse and flees his home, seeking shelter with Natalie, whose father, in search of a cure, has left her alone for an undetermined amount of time. Their friend Gollum, whose feeble mind has been warped by the town's force-field, joins them and attempts to mate with any young man who will look at her for more than two minutes (the special effects on Gollum are especially impressive, considering this film was made in 1985. They way the filmmakers managed to digitally transplant Whitesnake frontman David Coverdale's hair onto Gollum's head is astounding and seamless). When her sexually crazed efforts are rebuffed by every able-bodied man in the town, Gollum is forced to seek solace elsewhere. Enter professional baseball star Zoo Knudsen (played by real-life Zoo!), who, upon entering the town, is quickly transformed into a tall, skinny, and dark-poofy-haired young man. Gollum mates with Zoo, but while her wish for physical intimacy is granted, it soon becomes her curse. Gollum loses what is left of her mind and attacks Natalie, calling her "swine" and subjecting her to a nonsensical and sexually-confused puppet show.

While obviously rooted in science fiction, the film does impart many lessons for young adult viewers, such as "it is perfectly okay for fifteen year old girls to accept lingerie from grown-up professional baseball players and later try to have sex with them in a car," and the timeless "never question a stranger if he wants you to sleep over in his squalor-turned studio beneath a baseball stadium and teach you all about orgasms ['It is like being released from torture']," and-in true 1980s fashion-"all step-parents are evil."

Does Natalie's father find a cure before it is too late? Will Natalie ever be able to tell the difference between her love-interest Casey and the nine extras who look exactly like him? What about Jeff--in this mixed-up, crazy world, can he find love with a cave-troll like Gollum? As a teen, it sometimes takes guts and an early intelligence to be able to answer these questions. Of course, sometimes it only takes "Seven Minutes in Heaven."

Seven minutes in heaven, honest, vulnerable
An off-beat tale of young girl's affection, loyalty, trust, and sexual curiosity. Still timely today. Solid performances given by everyone in this film. It's an honest look at the depth of emotions during this age.

This movie is so charming!
Just like the title says folks, watching this movie will take you through "Seven Minutes in Heaven". It's a great coming of age movie featuring a very young Jennifer Connelly, star of "Requiem for a Dream" and "A Beautiful Mind". You meet her friend Polly, who is a bit boy crazy. All the characters in this film are so endearing that you want to laugh and cry with them as they discover themselves.

A Teenage Movie That Adults Will Love...
Seven Minutes In Heaven Is A Witty And Lovable Teen Comedy That's Lots Of Fun And Easily Recognizable By Anyone Who Has Survived Or Is Surviving Growing Up...When Her Only Parent Leaves Town On Business, Natalie (Jennifer Connelly) Invites Classmate Jeff (Byron Thames) To Move In...Their Relationship Is Purely Platonic, But No One Seems To Beleive Them...Meanwhile, Polly (Maddie Corman) Falls For A Ballplayer, And The Fun Starts...Just Like Life Itself, These Situations Interwind With Each Other, And The Story Continues...An Average, But Well Meant Teen Comedy...

Stacey's Review
Hi- I am a 15 year old that was home sick one day when I saw this movie on HBO. Honestly, I was moved. I thought this movie moved people's minds from most sterotypes about kids my age, and I thought it was much better than any teen movies they are making today. I am very dissapointed to find that they are not selling this video anymore. I hope the re-distribute it soon, because they have one definite customer already! ... Read more

Reviews (14)

The first meteor-hits-earth movie - solid performances.
This is the first movie (1979) to deal with the subject of a meteor hitting the earth and what the scenerio or consequences might be like. For its day, a very well done film. The acting is very good with performances by many well known experienced actors and actresses. By today's standards the special effects seem a bit like spliced in stock footage, but is convincing enough not to distract from the performances of the stars. The story is believable and engaging, as well as the realism the actors and actresses portray. The art direction is superb, as you feel you are really at the places the scenes depict; subway tunnels, missle control centers, etc. Though not a high-end "Sci-Fi Special Effects Thriller" like we may see today (sometimes devoid of believable or understandable plot and full of bad acting!), Meteor is very entertaining and generally a good watch; an example of solid filmaking where all the parts come together harmoniously...and who knows, it may have stayed within budget!

Superb forerunner of recent hits
When you see this, you may learn where some of the inspirations for ARMAGEDDON and DEEP IMPACT came from. Sean Connery gives a strong performance as a scientist trying to convince the military and government that a giant meteor five miles wide(apparently a rock from the producer's back garden was used and it shows!) is heading for Earth, preceeded by deadly fragments. After the talk comes some action and effects which were good for the time, and sometimes still look great even now. An avalanche in Switzerland, a tidal wave flooding Hong Kong, and as a preview of ARMAGEDDON, a huge fragment demolishes New York(although you can tell it's stock film in parts, even though it's kept to a minimum). And the space scenes towards the end of the movie are great! The characters are much more well-created and acted than in many films of this genre from the 1970s, particularly Connery(he makes anything worth watching when he's in it, with the obvious exceptions of ZARDOZ and HIGHLANDER 2: THE QUICKENING), Henry Fonda(as the President), Brian Keith not speaking a word of English except when he mocks the Brooklyn Dodgers(!), Natalie Wood as his interpreter and MISSION IMPOSSIBLE's Martin Landau as a caricature hot-headed Air Force general! Altogether, if you enjoyed DEEP IMPACT and ARMAGEDDON, don't miss METEOR. You'll be just as entertained!

How The Heck?
In 1979, I would probably guess that big name studios like MGM would have better morals than to put out this pathetic excuse of a movie. Boring, unintriging, and badly acted, this movie will have you on the edge of your seat, to run into the next room covering your eyes at it's badness.

I don't mean to diss, but man. This movie is awful. Why would I recommend this? How can I? I'll just simply put it like this. I'm not.

Cooperating to Save the World
This 1979 movie presents a real threat from Outer Space. An asteroid is hit by a comet and explodes into a million pieces. One piece destroys the observing space shuttle; another is heading for earth - a big one. Orpheus is five miles wide! Even if it only hit the Atlantic, the result would be a cataclysm creating another Ice Age and the possible extinction of most life. The problem is that destroying the asteroid would reveal the presence of nuclear rockets in space, a violation of numerous treaties!

The President addresses the nation to tell of this emergency, and Project Hercules as the solution. Cooperation with the Soviet Union is needed to destroy this meteor. But it is hard to change old ways. The film shows a meteor striking in Siberia, and creating earthquake-like tremors. (Something like this did happen circa 1911.) The first meteors enter the atmosphere and burn up harmlessly. But a bigger chunk hits a snow mountain, causing an avalanche that destroys a small village. One hits the Pacific and creates a tidal wave that wipes out Taiwan. The threat is real and imminent. There is one political problem: because of the difference in orbits, the Soviet rockets would have to be fired first. Trust is needed.

But a new threat arises: a "splinter" is headed for the Eastern Seaboard of the US. It strikes Manhattan, damaging the Twin Towers and other buildings. The command center is damaged, but most survive to escape by a subway tunnel. Then the river starts to break through and threaten the survivors; they muddle through to hear that Orpheus was destroyed.

This story recalls "Ragnarok" by Ignatius Donnelly which analyzed the common legends of mankind and explained them as the remembrance of a comet hitting the earth and causing great climatic changes. Read this 1883 international best seller for its pioneering story.

GREAT MOVIE!
I love this movie! It is a great "feel good" movie. The Russians and Americans working together to save the world. What could be a better movie concept in the Cold War era in which this movie was made. Two great ideas for an exciting movie are brought together beautifully: a meteor five miles wide striking the Earth and a satellite orbiting the Earth armed with the devestating destructive power of nuclear missles now forced to be used to save the planet. If you want great special effects, forget it. This move was made in 1979 when special effects were still in their infancy. But, I still think the special effects are more than adequate and quite believeable. The makers of Meteor did a fine job. The story is believeable and the director lets you feel the emotions of the moment through the characters involved using the little side stories without making the movie to complex. In short, Meteor is one of my favorite movies and one I enjoy watching again and again. If you want to see a lousy movie, try one of the new Star Wars films. ... Read more

Reviews (9)

Train wreck
We love this movie only because you can make so much fun of it during the entire film. Not really sure what the true plot of the movie is? Truly can say that we do not root for the Didi Conn character at all during the movie or do we feel the warm fuzzies that others express. Her ruthless abandonment of her father at the end of the movie goes against all of morality she tried to uphold during the movie. Best parts of the film: The Neptune Wedding Chapel, Didi Conn being picked up in a bar with the worst one-liners ever, watching her flat hair become even flatter during each scene, her feeble attempt to lip-sync to the song "You Light up my Life" and the one after another disastrous 70's wardrobe outfits. This movie also leaves you with a lot of questions: If the film is based in LA then why does everyone talk with a New York accent? Why does she not take better care of her classic Thunderbird? Why was there not a "Light Up my Life 2" made so all the unanswered plots of the end of this movie could be answered?

Simple plot, simple story- but timeless life lesson
I remember going to the theatre to see this film during the summer of '77. No, it's not of a "Meryl Streep/Oscar winning" level in production or acting. If it were, the true power of this film would have been lost. Some of the critical reviews are overlooking the lesson this movie delivered. The movie is about believing in yourself despite obstacles, "sudden punches," and quick turns life can give hand out. It's about staying true to your chosen course and the power and belief in one's self because of the support and belief others have in you.

I remember walking out of the film more affected than I thought I would be due to the last scene of the movie with Didi Conn's affecting performance and some her last lines: "I learned something today, Pop. It was really painful, but I learned something. I learned that I have to depend on myself. I can't depend on anybody else and that's ok. You know why? Because I'm a really good person to depend on. Maybe I don't have someone that I thought I loved a lot really, but that's ok because I've got me. And I've got my work. And I've got my music. And I love that- more than anything else on this earth."

I was 25 and at the beginning of making my life choices in career, living on my own, and all the other "adult responsibilites" that come at you in that time in your life whether you're ready or not. I think that's why this film had the impact on me that it did. Maybe if some of the other reviewers- and people who watch this film- look back at that phase in their lives and evaluate the film again in comparison to their 20-something "coming into the real world" experiences, they may modify their original opinions as to the movie's quality.

Yes, I think the film ended a bit abruptly. It would have been a bit of a happy, selfish, enjoyable pleasure to see Laurie Robinson revel in her success because of her perseverance and hard work. At least the viewer was left with the fact that she did become a winner. Everyone needs "happy ending" movies every once in awhile! I am now going to put this DVD in my player and watch this movie I haven't seen in 26 years just so I can see Ms. Conn's ending performance/scene that has stayed with me all this time and hope it still has the same positive power and impression....

HOW CAN YOU NOT LOVE IT?
Is it corny - yes. Is the acting terrific - no. Why do I like it so much? - it depicts what to me is one of the most important, beautiful things in life - unqualified love between parent and child and vica versa.

Beyond campy and beyond bad!!!!
BUT,,,,,I loved this movie. It doesn't get anymore corny than this but still this movie has feelings and warmth. This is the underdog of bad films. It's like cheering for the most unpopular kid you went to high school with. Sorry folks and critics, i'm cheering for this one. I really loved it. (maybe it's the song)

It's not THAT bad...
I saw this movie when I was about 11 or 12 and I LOVED it--it was a very sensitive, sentimental story of a woman becoming independent, and it had my favorite song at the time in it--the kind of movie that was made for a sensitive girl like me--what more could I ask for? I recently saw it again (very surprised to see it on DVD!), expecting it to be really bad, but it was pretty good! Sure it has aged a bit, but it's certainly no worse than a lot of other 1970s melodramas. Didi Conn is a good actress! I think it's amazing that Joseph Brooks wrote, directed, produced, acts in (small part) this movie PLUS wrote, arranged and conducted all the music! He should get props for that. A very nice memento of the small character films of the 70s. ... Read more