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Posts Tagged ‘Kristen Stewart’
Tuesday, August 31st, 2010
Posted by: Brad Sturdivant
It seems like it has been forever since we had any news about TWILIGHT: BREAKING DAWN. For a while there, we were getting news updates every other day. Today we get a bit of casting news in that one of the stars of the HBO series ‘The Pacific’ is going to be starring in the final chapter(s) of the Twilight Saga. Rami Malek is all set to play the vampire Benjamin in the final film. Benjamin is an Egyptian vampire that serves as a witness for the Cullens. I haven’t read the books, so I have absolutely no idea what any of that means. This is not the first time Malek has played an Egyptian; he also played Ahkmenrah in NIGHT AT THE MUSEUM 2. Rami Malek is also set to have a part in the upcoming Tom Hanks’ film LARRY CROWNE.
As you know, the final two films will be directed by Bill Condon and will star Robert Pattinson, Kristen Stewart, Jackson Rathbone, Ashley Greene, Taylor Lautner, Kellan Lutz, Dakota Fanning and Nikki Reed.
Source: Entertainment Tonight
Tags: ashley greene, Kellan Lutz, Kristen Stewart, movie news, Rami Malek, Robert Pattinson, Taylor Lautner
Posted in News |
Thursday, August 5th, 2010
Posted by: Brad Sturdivant
I feel like I’ve been reading about Kristen Stewart starring in ON THE ROAD for so long that I just assumed filming was underway and the cast had been set. It wasn’t until today that I realized the main role hadn’t been cast yet. But all of that has changed now that Viggo Mortensen has signed on to star as Old Bull Lee and Amy Adams will star as Jane, his junkie wife and mother of his two kids. They join a cast that already includes Kristen Stewart, Kirsten Dunst, Sam Riley and Garrett Hedlund. Walter Salles will be directing the film, marking his return to the Jack Kerouac stories after directing THE MOTORCYCLE DIARIES.
Jack Kerouac is an acquired taste, but it seems like everyone in Hollywood is always trying to make one of his stories or novels into a feature film. ON THE ROAD has been a project for Francis Ford Coppola for years and it looks like he’ll finally be able to be a part of the film’s adaptation as a producer.
Source: Deadline
Tags: Amy Adams, garrett hedlund, kirsten dunst, Kristen Stewart, movie news, Viggo Mortensen
Posted in News |
Tuesday, August 3rd, 2010
Posted by: Brad Sturdivant
It seems like it has been a while since we had a Twilight related news story. Robert Pattinson is off filming WATER FOR ELEPHANTS and Kristen Stewart is off filming ON THE ROAD, so no one has time to talk about Twilight any more. Well, almost no one. Summit finally announced today that the second part to BREAKING DAWN and the very last movie in the Twilight series is coming a full year after the release of the first part. That’s right, THE TWILIGHT SAGA: BREAKING DAWN PART 2 isn’t coming to theaters until November 16th, 2012.
I understand Summit’s desire to milk this series for all it’s worth, but releasing the two films a year apart is ridiculous. The first part should hit in the fall and the second should hit in the summer. You still get the films on separate fiscal accounting sheets, but you don’t run the risk of the Twi-hards losing interest. I know that seems impossible now, but tween girls are finicky and this seems like a mildly risky move from Summit. But both films will feature the Twilight cast, which includes Robert Pattinson, Kristen Stewart, Jackson Rathbone, Ashley Greene, Taylor Lautner, Kellan Lutz, Nikki Reed and Dakota Fanning.
Tags: ashley greene, Kellan Lutz, Kristen Stewart, movie news, Robert Pattinson, Taylor Lautner
Posted in News |
Friday, July 30th, 2010
I’m your CH CH CH CH CH CHERRY BOMB! This lyric will be stuck in your head long after you watch the film. It will depend on you if you find it annoying. I for one dug it, along with most of The Runaways’ music. Unfortunately, THE RUNAWAYS the film offered much less in terms of storyline.
In 1975, a young Joan Jett (Kristen Stewart) is defying societal norms by playing electric guitar as a female. She meets up with flamboyant music producer Kim Fowler (Michael Shannon). The two of them like the look of very inexperienced 15- year-old Cherie Currie (Dakota Fanning) and enlist her as the lead singer to form one of the first all teenage girl rock bands called The Runaways. Their quick rise in fame leads to drug abuse and sexual exploration to Cherie’s final departure.
The performances here are top notch. While I’m not the biggest fan of Kristen Stewart in the TWILIGHT films, she does show some promising talent as Jett. Dakota Fanning is the true lead in the picture proving once again that she is a real force to be reckoned with in Hollywood. When most child actors hit an awkward stage in their teenage years (I’m looking at you Haley Joel Osment), Fanning flourishes with a gritty exposing performance as Currie. The major stand out is Michael Shannon who gives another scene stealing Oscar worthy performance as Fowler.
The music is terrific and is played throughout the picture. The use of color and visuals in cinematography are also very good. The entire feel of the film has great potential. However, everything else about the film felt very surfaced never delving deep enough into the characters and their story. Even though the film is called THE RUNAWAYS, the story is based on Cherie Currie’s book “Neon Angel” a biography of her two-year time with the band. I would have liked to seen more of the rest of the band and their relationship or at least gotten more in depth with Cherie’s feelings and what her motivations were.
I can never fully get into biography stories of famous musicians because they almost are nearly all the same, lacking any original storyline worth telling. It’s not that I think they are bad, it’s just I find them uninspiring. THE RUNAWAYS has a lot of talent working for it, but lacks too much substance and direction in story to propel it to anything great.
BLU-RAY REVIEW
Video: (1080p High Definition/ 2.35:1) The picture looks great and uses an interesting color pallet that really comes through giving a strong feel of the time period.
Audio: (5.1 DTS-HD MA) The music is fantastic and sounds great on the surround sound, however it does drown out the dialogue so the sound levels are too uneven.
Commentary with Joan Jett, Kristen Stewart and Dakota Fanning: The three of them give a fairly interesting and fun-listening commentary. Fanning being the youngest doesn’t speak too much, Joan Jett is informative on what was and wasn’t true from the film and Kristen Stewart is definitely the most candid, monopolizing most of the conversation using a surprisingly filthy potty mouth. Stewart also reveals a lot of over-protectiveness for Fanning and her adult scenes.
Plugged In: Making the Film (15:37): A typical featurette with interviews from Joan Jett, Cherie, actors, director and several other filmmakers discussing the process and how great the movie is.
The Runaways (2:19): A trailer of sort, but with the actors and filmmakers promoting the film as clips are shown. All are snippets from the previous featurette
Tags: Dakota Fanning, Floria Sigismondi, Kristen Stewart, Michael Shannon
Posted in Blu-Ray Reviews, Reviews |
Friday, July 16th, 2010
Posted by: Brad Sturdivant
I thought when we reported the final US domestic box office numbers for TWILIGHT: ECLIPSE, we’d be done reporting numbers for the third Twilight film. But I forgot that the film didn’t open in the United Kingdom until this past weekend and sure enough, it did exceptionally well across the pond as well. The film took in 13.75 million pounds (about $21 million US dollars) during it’s opening weekend, beating the previous 2010 best held by ALICE IN WONDERLAND, which took in 10.5 pounds ($15.9 million US). However, it should be noted that those numbers are skewed a little bit since they’re also counting he promo screenings that happened earlier in the week. So I guess it depends on how you look at it. Either way, the film is doing well everywhere in the world.
Even with the success of the film, it did drop pretty heavy this past week, in only its second weekend in release. So it looks like one of the many films that will explode the first weekend and then won’t make any more money until the eventual Blu-ray release. The film stars Robert Pattinson, Kristen Stewart, Jackson Rathbone, Ashley Greene, Taylor Lautner, Kellan Lutz, Nikki Reed and Dakota Fanning. And just for a change, here’s a picture of Ashley Greene and Jackson Rathbone.
Source: Reuters
Tags: ashley greene, Kellan Lutz, Kristen Stewart, movie news, Robert Pattinson, Taylor Lautner
Posted in News |
Sunday, July 11th, 2010
Posted by: Brad Sturdivant
Anytime a Twilight star branches out and does something other than Twilight, it’s big news these days. Not just for the Twi-hards, but for non-fans of the film that are anxious to see if the Twilight stars can make it without the help of Stephenie Meyer’s novels. A while back I went out and predicted the fates of the TWILIGHT stars after TWILIGHT and people were very vocal about their opinions, specifically Robert Pattinson and Kristen Stewart. I don’t mind Stewart, but I still don’t see WELCOME TO THE RILEYS as her branching out from her usual tough-girl-with-issues characters. With that said, this looks like a really good movie, mainly because of the great-looking performances from James Gandolfini and Melissa Leo.
The film is about a couple (Gandolfini and Leo) that lose their daughter and the aftermath from that tragedy. Things take a turn in their lives when the father takes it upon himself to help out a troubled girl (Stewart) that reminds him of his lost daughter. Ridley Scott’s son, Jake Scott is directing the film that hits theaters on November 5th. Watch the trailer here.
Tags: Jake Scott, James Gandolfini, Kristen Stewart, Melissa Leo, movie news
Posted in News |
Saturday, July 10th, 2010
Posted by: Brad Sturdivant
Summit formally announced today that both parts of the final chapter of the Twilight series will begin shooting this fall in Baton Rouge, Louisiana and Vancouver. As you know, THE TWILIGHT SAGA: BREAKING DAWN is going to be released in two parts, the first of which is coming on November 18th, 2011 and the second presumably in the summer of 2012. I like that Hollywood is continuing to support Louisiana. Anything they can do to add jobs and tourism back to that area will help at least a little.
The real question I have for the final two films is whether or not they can beat the impressive numbers put up by THE TWILIGHT SAGA: ECLIPSE. With the big time paydays the big three are getting for the BREAKING DAWN films, anything less than what Eclipse pulled in will be disappointing. BREAKING DAWN features the return of all the series stars, including Robert Pattinson, Kristen Stewart, Jackson Rathbone, Ashley Greene, Taylor Lautner, Kellan Lutz, Nikki Reed and Dakota Fanning.
Source: Summit Entertainment
Tags: ashley greene, Kellan Lutz, Kristen Stewart, movie news, Robert Pattinson, Taylor Lautner
Posted in News |
Wednesday, July 7th, 2010
Posted by: Brad Sturdivant
One of the unique aspects of the Twilight films is that virtually everyone that has anything to do with the film has turned into an international star. So when you hear that as part of their marketing campaign, Summit Entertainment sent several of the film’s stars around the country to surprise audiences during TWILIGHT: ECLIPSE, it’s actually pretty cool. Because even though Ashley Greene plays a small part, it would still be cool to see her show up at your local Cineplex while you’re watching the film. I mention that because Ashley Greene was in Jacksonville and she’s the only one that made a trip down to Florida.
Although Dakota Fanning, Robert Pattinson and Kristen Stewart stayed in California, Taylor Lautner showed up in Pittsburgh, Jodelle Ferland (Bree) went to New Orleans, Peter Facinelli was in Hawaii and Nikki Reed went to New Jersey. All total, about 20 cities featured surprise visits from about 20 different stars. Each of them handled the visits differently with some staying to sign autographs and answer questions while others made their appearance and left. Either way, it was a cool idea from Summit.
Source: MTV
Tags: ashley greene, Kellan Lutz, Kristen Stewart, movie news, Robert Pattinson, Taylor Lautner
Posted in News |
Monday, July 5th, 2010
Posted by: Brad Sturdivant
As is the policy in Hollywood to call something “final” before the day is even through, the “final” box office numbers for THE TWILIGHT SAGA: ECLIPSE are in. To recap, the film had the widest release, the biggest midnight opening and the biggest Wednesday opening of all time. Early numbers put it on pace to beat the all time Fourth of July weekend record, which is held by SPIDER-MAN 2′s $180 million, but it ell off quite a bit after its stellar opening. All total, the film made $68.5 million on Wednesday, $24.2 million on Thursday and then closed the weekend with $28.6, $23.9, $13.7 and $16.4 million estimated for Monday. The six day total will close out somewhere around $175.3 million. So it not only failed to match Spidey, but it didn’t beat THE TWILIGHT SAGA: NEW MOON, which opened over Thanksgiving with $179 million in six days. However, being disappointed because the film failed to make an additional 4.7 million is ridiculous considering everything over $68 million is pure profit for the studio.
So now that the studio has a summer opening and a Thanksgiving opening on their books, I wonder if it will change their thinking with the release of THE TWILIGHT SAGA: BREAKING DAWN films. Either way, anyone with a cut of the back-end profits is going to be rich after those movies are released. As you know, the series stars Robert Pattinson, Kristen Stewart, Jackson Rathbone, Ashley Greene, Taylor Lautner, Kellan Lutz, Nikki Reed and Dakota Fanning.
Source: Deadline
Tags: ashley greene, Kellan Lutz, Kristen Stewart, movie news, Robert Pattinson, Taylor Lautner
Posted in News |
Sunday, July 4th, 2010
Posted by: Brad Sturdivant
I’m guessing this is my second to last news update about the box office success of THE TWILIGHT SAGA: ECLIPSE, but if the numbers for Sunday and Monday prove higher than expected, who knows how many more there will be. But the other day, we told you that Eclipse opened up internationally to $19 million on Wednesday, but at that time, we didn’t know the opening numbers for Thursday and Friday. Well, today we learn that Eclipse has generated over $100 million in 42 countries/territories. So for those keeping track at home, that’s over $260 million worldwide. Oh, and the film only cost $68 million to make. So maybe the huge paydays for Taylor Lautner, Robert Pattinson and Kristen Stewart in TWILIGHT: BREAKING DAWN aren’t so outrageous after all.
I guess the $100 million internationally shouldn’t surprise me after the $19 million on opening day, but I’m still a little taken aback by the international appeal of the main stars and the saga in general. Even though it won’t hit the Fourth of July box office record, this film is an incredible success. Oh, and with all these Twilight stories, I’m running out of Eclipse pictures of Robert Pattinson and Kristen Stewart, so here’s one of Nikki Reed and Kellan Lutz, who have been kind of the forgotten stars of the sequel.
Source: Deadline
Tags: ashley greene, Kellan Lutz, Kristen Stewart, movie news, Robert Pattinson, Taylor Lautner
Posted in News |
Sunday, July 4th, 2010
Posted by: Brad Sturdivant
We’ve been updating the progress of THE TWILIGHT SAGA: ECLIPSE over the past few days as it chases down various records. But in case you weren’t aware, there were other movies playing at the theater this weekend as well. One of them THE LAST AIRBENDER dis surprisingly well considering the competition at the box office. The M. Night Shyamalan effort brought in $40 million, making it the most successful opening Shyamalan has had in quite a while. TOY STORY 3 continued its impressive run with over $30 million. And not to beat a dead horse, but JONAH HEX didn’t even make the top 20 this weekend, making it one of the most embarrassing box office performances in Hollywood history.
So the question remains: how long will Eclipse remain on top? Next week sees the opening of PREDATORS, so its likely Robert Pattinson and Kristen Stewart can handle the R-rated action film. But after that, it goes up against the high-concept INCEPTION with Leonardo DiCaprio, so it probably won’t last three weekends.
1 The Twilight Saga: Eclipse $69,000,000
2 The Last Airbender $40,650,000
3 Toy Story 3 $30,174,000
4 Grown Ups $18,500,000
5 Knight & Day $10,200,000
6 The Karate Kid $8,000,000
7 The A-Team $3,025,000
8 Get Him to the Greek $1,185,000
9 Shrek Forever After $799,000
10 Cyrus $770,000
Source: Box Office Mojo
Tags: Christopher Nolan, Kristen Stewart, Leonardo DiCaprio, M. Night Shyamalan, movie news, Robert Pattinson
Posted in News |
Sunday, July 4th, 2010
Posted by: Brad Sturdivant
Although THE TWILIGHT SAGA: ECLIPSE was on pace to break the highest ever 4th of July weekend record, it now looks like the film will fall well short of the $180 million currently held by SPIDER-MAN 2. Of course, the film is already uber-successful, breaking the record for most screens, biggest midnight opening and biggest Wednesday opening. But I know a lot of Twi-hards were hoping for the 4th of July record, of only to give a little beat down to Spidey. After Saturday’s numbers, Eclipse has about $143 million, needing about $37 more million in two days to best Spidey. Although not impossible, insiders are “only” expecting Eclipse to take in about another $30 million, leaving it anywhere from 5-10 million short of the record.
The Fourth of July weekend is a fun number to look at, but I’m more interested to see how Eclipse holds up over several weekends. TWILIGHT SAGA: NEW MOON dropped like a rock in its second weekend, so I’m curious if Eclipse will suffer the same fate. Of course, it doesn’t matter at this point because the film has already made a ton of cash. We’ll update later when the Sunday numbers are out.
Source: Deadline
Tags: ashley greene, Kellan Lutz, Kristen Stewart, movie news, Robert Pattinson, Taylor Lautner
Posted in News |
Saturday, July 3rd, 2010
Posted by: Brad Sturdivant
We’ve been trying to keep up with all of the success THE TWILIGHT SAGA: ECLIPSE is achieving at the box office. We know it broke the record for widest theatrical release and best Wednesday opening. Although this isn’t a record, it should be noted that TWILIGHT: ECLIPSE is doing exceptionally well overseas as well. Early estimates put the total haul on Wednesday at $19 million in only 22 markets, including Italy and Brazil. It opened in bigger markets like France and Australia on Thursday and Friday and those estimates haven’t come in yet. While the domestic haul for the film shouldn’t be much of a surprise, I think the rousing success the film is achieving internationally proves that people of all races, religions and ethnic backgrounds love their Twilight stars.
We’ll be updating the box office success as numbers come in and the film chases down the July 4th weekend record held by SPIDER-MAN 2. Eclipse stars Robert Pattinson, Kristen Stewart, Jackson Rathbone, Ashley Greene, Taylor Lautner, Kellan Lutz, Nikki Reed and Dakota Fanning.
Source: Deadline
Tags: ashley greene, Kellan Lutz, Kristen Stewart, movie news, Robert Pattinson, Taylor Lautner
Posted in News |
Friday, July 2nd, 2010
Posted by: Brad Sturdivant
Back in May, there were rumblings that many of the supporting cast members from the Twilight films were not going to come back for the final two-part chapter because Summit wasn’t going to pay them for two movies. At the time, I felt the big three of Taylor Lautner, Robert Pattinson and Kristen Stewart should have done more for their lesser-known co-stars to get them paid in line with two films. Today we get more details about how much money the big three will actually get paid for their performances in the final two films and it’s jaw-dropping. Taylor Lautner, Robert Pattinson and Kristen Stewart will each get $25 million against 7.5% of the gross. It’s tough to explain what that means, but assuming both TWILIGHT: BREAKING DAWN movies perform as well as TWILIGHT: NEW MOON, then each star will get an incredible $41 million for the two movies.
Although that number makes me sick at my stomach, I can’t argue with it. Each of the big three have proven time and time again that they’re international superstars. Although none of them have proven they can open a movie not called “Twilight”, it doesn’t change the fact that the final two films couldn’t be made without them.
Source: NY Mag
Tags: ashley greene, Kellan Lutz, Kristen Stewart, movie news, Robert Pattinson, Taylor Lautner
Posted in News |
Friday, July 2nd, 2010
It seems like just yesterday I was reviewing the second installment of the Twilight Saga, entitled NEW MOON. I wasn’t terribly impressed with NEW MOON and wasn’t too excited to continue my journey into Forks. So I was shocked to find that I was pleasantly surprised after leaving the theater from watching THE TWILIGHT SAGA: ECLIPSE. The poor quality of the previous installments were gone and in its place was a film with an actual plot and decent action. Of course, there were the obligatory “lust” scenes between Bella and Edward, but them’s the breaks when it comes to the Twilight Universe.
After Bella (Stewart) and Edward’s (Pattinson) reunion from the epic breakup in TWILIGHT SAGA: NEW MOON, we find the couple still madly in love and considering holy matrimony. However, their enemy from the previous movies, Victoria (Bryce Dallas Howard), is skillfully building a newborn vampire army to destroy the Cullen’s and Bella in order to exact her revenge. With the help of Jacob (Lautner) and his wolf pack, the Cullen’s will fight for their lives before the Volturi come and destroy all of them for exposing vampires to the rest of the world.
First off, I’d like to give kudos to David Slade for making TWILIGHT SAGA: ECLIPSE less corny and more entertaining than the previous two films. The first two chapters of Bella and Edward were tough to stomach because of the acting, directing and screenplay, but Slade was able to take the exact same characters with the same storyline and make the film more enjoyable to watch. If only he could have gotten Kristen Stewart to close her mouth more often, this film would be a complete success.
The best part of ECLIPSE would have to be the flashbacks where we get a little more information on a couple of the Cullen’s as well as the legend of the wolf pack. These scenes were done so well that it would have been nice to see a few more added. One of the biggest problems with the Twilightverse (films only) is that the audience doesn’t really get enough background information on the characters, so it’s hard to understand why they act the way they do. This disconnect was not present in this film and that can only be due to the director. Thankfully he decided it was more necessary to tell a story as opposed to giving the audience two hours of Bella and Edward staring longingly into each other’s eyes.
During this third part of the series, it was painfully clear to me that the biggest problem with the film (and story) is the relationship between Bella and Edward. Yes, I know that their love is a love that will last all time, but step back for a second and consider that Edward may be taking his jealously too far when he, for example, breaks Bella’s car and refuses to allow her to see Jacob, or gets overly upset when she comes home too late from the reservation. Could his overprotection for her (read: love) be making him go down a dangerous path of abuse? Maybe or maybe not, but the fact that I’m questioning it at all makes it clear that I’m firmly invested in these character’s plights.
Tags: David Slade, Kristen Stewart, movie reviews, Robert Pattinson, Taylor Lautner
Posted in Reviews |
Thursday, July 1st, 2010
Posted by: Brad Sturdivant
Yesterday, THE TWILIGHT SAGA: ECLIPSE managed to break the record for highest Wednesday opening of all time with a whopping $68.5 million, besting the mark set by TRANSFORMERS: REVENGE OF THE FALLEN, which managed only $62 million. By my count, this marks the third record the film has broken after opening in the most screens and bringing in the most ticket sales for a midnight showing. So the real question is whether or not it can continue the streak and break the highest weekend box office record opening, which is currently held by THE DARK KNIGHT with $158 million. I wouldn’t put that one out of reach, but I doubt it will come close to AVATAR’s all-time box office mark considering TWILIGHT: NEW MOON dropped off pretty heavily after its first weekend. It should also be noted that New Moon actually had a better opening day with $72.7 million, although that film didn’t open on a Wednesday.
So, it keeps getting crazier and crazier when it comes to anything Twilight related. As you know, the film stars Robert Pattinson, Kristen Stewart, Jackson Rathbone, Ashley Greene, Taylor Lautner, Kellan Lutz, Nikki Reed and Dakota Fanning.
Source: Deadline
Tags: ashley greene, Kellan Lutz, Kristen Stewart, movie news, Robert Pattinson, Taylor Lautner
Posted in News |
Wednesday, June 30th, 2010
Posted by: Brad Sturdivant
We learned earlier today that TWILIGHT: ECLIPSE broke the record for widest release in Hollywood history with showings on over 4,416 screens. Now, early word is that the film holds the record for highest midnight opening in history, beating the record held by TWILIGHT: NEW MOON. Eclipse has managed over $30 million, just with the midnight screenings alone. And we haven’t even gotten to the regular showings tonight. Theaters have been getting creative on how to handle the record sell-out crowds, some of which added in early morning shows to accommodate the demand. I thought the opening for SEX AND THE CITY was huge as far as get-togethers for women go, but girls around the world are turning the Eclipse opening into a huge event with camp-outs and slumber parties. As if it were ever in question; it’s official that Twilight fever is at an all time high.
What might be surprising to non Twi-hards is that the film is getting generally positive buzz from critics, at least compared to the first two. And once again, in case you’re not aware, the film stars Robert Pattinson, Kristen Stewart, Ashley Greene, Taylor Lautner, Kellan Lutz, Nikki Reed and Dakota Fanning.
Source: Deadline
Tags: ashley greene, Kellan Lutz, Kristen Stewart, movie news, Robert Pattinson, Taylor Lautner
Posted in News |
Wednesday, June 30th, 2010
Posted by: Brad Sturdivant
I’m eagerly awaiting the first day ticket sales that should be announced sometime tomorrow afternoon, just to see how much dough TWILIGHT: ECLIPSE will bring in. I have little to no interest in the movie, but since I’ve been reporting news about this movie for a year now, I’m anxious to see what happens to it. Early word is that midnight screenings were selling out all over the world and that theaters had to show 3 a.m. showings to accommodate the demand, so I’m sure the records are just starting to be broken. But Eclipse is officially the widest released film in Hollywood history, showing on 4,416 theaters, beating the record that was just set by IRON MAN 2, which opened on 4,380 screens.
This may seem like a trivial record, but with this many screens, the chances of the film beating the all time opening record is more in reach. As you know the film is now playing in theaters and stars Robert Pattinson, Kristen Stewart, Ashley Greene, Taylor Lautner, Kellan Lutz, Nikki Reed and Dakota Fanning.
Source: The Hollywood Reporter
Tags: ashley greene, Kellan Lutz, Kristen Stewart, movie news, Robert Pattinson, Taylor Lautner
Posted in News |
Thursday, June 24th, 2010
Posted by: Brad Sturdivant
Over 550 fans have been camping out for days at the Nokia theater in downtown Los Angeles just for a chance to see Robert Pattinson, Kristen Stewart, Taylor Lautner and all the Twilight stars walk the red carpet during the premiere of TWILIGHT: ECLIPSE. There was a time when the Twi-hards were compared to Star Wars fans, but with this crazy display for a seemingly fleeting moment and the attack on Emma Roberts, the only thing this can be compared to is the Beatle-mania that swept America in the 60′s. The Twilight fans have taken their obsession to a whole new level.
Watch all the TWILIGHT: ECLIPSE premier coverage live below starting later today. If you’re reading this, then you already know the movie comes out on June 30th and stars Robert Pattinson, Kristen Stewart, Dakota Fanning, Taylor Lautner, Kellan Lutz, Ashley Greene, Jackson Rathbone, Nikki Reed, Anna Kendrick and Bryce Dallas Howard.
Source: The Hollywood Reporter, MTV
Tags: ashley greene, Kellan Lutz, Kristen Stewart, movie news, Robert Pattinson, Taylor Lautner
Posted in News |
Saturday, June 12th, 2010
Posted by: Brad Sturdivant
On Wednesday, we had several new photos from the upcoming release of TWILIGHT: ECLIPSE and today we continue the trend with even more pictures. These are a little more obscure, but Twilight pictures are still Twilight pictures. I did like the behind the scenes look at Kristen Stewart and David Slade on the set of the film at the bottom. I’d like to see one of the makeup artist trying to apply pasty makeup to Robert Pattinson.
As you already know, the film stars Robert Pattinson, Kristen Stewart, Dakota Fanning, Taylor Lautner, Kellan Lutz, Ashley Greene, Jackson Rathbone, Nikki Reed, Anna Kendrick and Bryce Dallas Howard. June 30th can’t come fast enough. I’m anxious to start posting news about Twilight: Breaking Dawn. Although yesterday, we did confirm that TWILIGHT: BREAKING DAWN would officially be made into two separate films.
Tags: ashley greene, Kellan Lutz, Kristen Stewart, movie news, Robert Pattinson, Taylor Lautner
Posted in News |
Thursday, June 10th, 2010
Posted by: Brad Sturdivant
We’ve known this for several months now, but Summit Entertainment today officially confirmed that the final installment in the Twilight series will in fact be two films. I would have thought they would have made this announcement back when it was reported that stars Kellan Lutz, Nikki Reed, Ashley Greene and Jackson Rathbone were threatening not to return for TWILIGHT: BREAKING DAWN (which they later agreed to), but Summit wanted to keep anticipation building for as long as they could.
When HARRY POTTER AND THE DEATHLY HALLOWS was first announced to be made into two films, I assumed that would set the trend for two-part films for both the Twilight series and even the Hobbit. I haven’t read the book, but I’ve been told that it actually should be split into two films because of how much it covers. But I can’t shake the feeling that Summit wants to milk this for all it’s worth. As a reminder, Robert Pattinson and Kristen Stewart will return to the big screen on June 30th in TWILIGHT: ECLIPSE. Summit’s announcement is below:
Summit Entertainment confirmed today that “The Twilight Saga: Breaking Dawn” will be released as two separate films with the first of the two slated to be released in theatres on November 18, 2011. Academy Award® winner Bill Condon will direct both films…
Source: Summit Entertainment
Tags: ashley greene, Kellan Lutz, Kristen Stewart, movie news, Robert Pattinson, Taylor Lautner
Posted in News |
Wednesday, June 9th, 2010
Posted by: Brad Sturdivant
June 30th is only 21 days away and I’m so excited!* The anticipation and hype is boiling over as Summit released several never before seen images from the film featuring all of you favorite stars, including MTV Movie Award Best Kiss winners Robert Pattinson and Kristen Stewart. Along with them, there are pictures of Taylor Lautner, Kellan Lutz, Ashley Greene, Jackson Rathbone, Nikki Reed, Bryce Dallas Howard and the werewolves that all look like slight variations of Taylor Lautner.
Pattinson and the other stars have actually gone on the defensive with the film, saying numerous times that this one is going to be better and edgier than the previous two. Traditionally, whenever an actor goes on the defensive before a movie is released, it’s usually not a good sign. But in their defense, the trailer does look good when compared to the other films.
*I’m not actually excited
Tags: ashley greene, Kellan Lutz, Kristen Stewart, movie news, Robert Pattinson, Taylor Lautner
Posted in News |
Tuesday, June 1st, 2010
Posted by: Brad Sturdivant
It has been a while since I’ve been excited about a specific special feature for a Blu-ray release. I enjoy almost all picture in picture commentaries and deleted scenes are always fun, but there are very few features I actually want to watch. But the commentary track for the upcoming Blu-ray release for THE RUNAWAYS is one of those features. Although I wasn’t that big of a fan of the film, I’m excited to sit down and watch the film with a commentary track from Joan Jett, Kristen Stewart and Dakota Fanning. I wish they could have gotten Cherie Currie involved, but it still sounds like a fun track.
The Blu-ray hits store shelves on July 20th. Along with Stewart and Fanning, the film stars Michael Shannon and Alia Shawkat and was directed by Floria Sigismondi. I have to say I’m a little disappointed the Blu-ray doesn’t contain any archive footage of the real Runaways.
- Commentary with Joan Jett, Kristen Stewart and Dakota Fanning
- Featurettes:
- Plugged In: Making the Film
- The Runaways
- movieIQ+sync featuring “The Runaways” Playlist
Artwork coming soon
Tags: Alia Shawkat, Blu-ray, Dakota Fanning, Floria Sigismondi, Kristen Stewart, Michael Shannon, movie news
Posted in Blu-Ray News, News |
Saturday, May 29th, 2010
By: Nathan Swank
Trifecta #19: THE ADVENTURES OF SHARKBOY AND LAVAGIRL + HARRY POTTER AND THE GOBLET OF FIRE + PANIC ROOM
With all the craze surrounding the most popular kids in school who happen to be monsters in a romantic love triangle, we figured it was a good time to share where these little love mongers got their start. If you are living blissfully ignorant and unaware, I am speaking about Robert Pattinson, Kristen Stewart and Taylor Lautner, the dreamboats of The Munsters crossbred with the 90210esque films called The TWILIGHT SAGA. It’s no secret that we here at Flix are not the biggest fans of the films, so I’m gonna give you three alternative films where each of your favorite stars got their big breaks. Warning: Teen angst, deep emotional feelings and brooding will be absent.
THE ADVENTURES OF SHARKBOY AND LAVAGIRL 3-D (Team Jacob)- A young boy’s dream world comes to life and he must help his favorite superheroes; Sharkboy (Lautner) and Lavagirl, save their perfect dream world, Planet Drool. Directed by Robert Rodriguez unique style, this film is less like his DESPERADO and more like his SPY KIDS. OK, so this might be more for those new moms that don’t want to subject their children who are too young for a love/vamp movie but still need a Taylor Lautner fix while keeping their perverted crush. TL’s all of 13 years old so one would be kind of sick for this action, but hey he was all of 16 years old for the first Twilight. Guess What? He’s still illegal ladies…and fellas.
HARRY POTTER AND THE GOBLET OF FIRE (Team Edward)- This is the fourth Harry Potter installment and probably the most pivotal because Voldermort has risen and is finally revealed. Robert Pattinson plays Cedric Diggory, the most talented contender for Hogwarts in The Triwizard Tournament. Personally, I still think this is Bob Patty’s best performance. He doesn’t do much, but maybe that’s what makes the performance better- he doesn’t try so hard (REMEMBER ME, LITTLE ASHES, TWILIGHT’S). He’s charismatic, subtle and charming helping out another troubled unique teen in his own right, Potter. SPOILER ALERT: Unfortunately, his best scene is lying on the ground dead as his father screams, “IT’S MY BOY!”
PANIC ROOM (Team Bella)- The great David Fincher (SEVEN, FIGHT CLUB, all of his movies) directed this underrated gem about a mother (Jodie Foster) and her child locked in a highly secure panic room inside their own home while a few criminals (Forest Whitaker, Jared Leto, Dwight Yoakam) invade their home. What the criminals desire happens to be inside that very room. The ambiguous boy/girl child of Jodie Foster is played none other than Kristen Stewart. K Stew does a great job in this suspense thriller, but it did take me half the film to finally figure out she was a little girl rather than a little boy.
For the record, I’m Team Alice (Ashley Greene) and you can find her in her first staring role in the USA Canadian slasher flick SUMMER’S BLOOD. Greene plays the title character, who is being stalked by a family of Serial Killers. To be honest, I have yet to see this film, but that doesn’t stop Ashy G from being super hot and that seems to be all the necessary criteria to root for your team.
Tags: Kristen Stewart, Robert Pattinson, Taylor Lautner
Posted in Trifecta |
Thursday, May 20th, 2010
Posted by: Brad Sturdivant
True story: Last week I was out of the country on business and on my second day overseas, I got a horrible, horrible case of food poisoning. I’ll spare you the details, but I remember when I first realized I was sick, I stood up from my bed and looked across the room at my reflection in the mirror. I looked exactly like everyone in these new images from TWILIGHT: ECLIPSE. I’m not sure if they were trying to make everyone look sick and/or constipated in these pictures, but whatever they were going for, I think they failed. Everyone in these pictures is beautiful, but you’d never know it by looking at these.
If you’ve continued reading this far, then you already know that the film stars Robert Pattinson, Kristen Stewart and the officially signed, Nikki Reed, Ashley Greene, Elizabeth Reaser, Jackson Rathbone and Kellan Lutz. TWILIGHT: ECLIPSE hits theaters on June 30th.
Tags: ashley greene, Elizabeth Reaser, Jackson Rathbone, Kellan Lutz, Kristen Stewart, movie news, Nikki Reed, Robert Pattinson
Posted in News |
Wednesday, May 19th, 2010
Posted by: Brad Sturdivant
Twi-hards were all a-twitter last week when news broke that almost all of the cast members of Twilight, not named Robert Pattinson and Kristen Stewart, were holding out for more money before committing to doing TWILIGHT: BREAKING DAWN. Well, today we learn that three of the actors, Kellan Lutz, Nikki Reed and Elizabeth Reaser, have signed on for the final film(s). And Ashley Greene and Jackson Rathbone are close to signing. So everyone can rest easy now that the Twilight cast will remain intact for the final films.
When all of this was going down, I was disappointed with Robert Pattinson and Kristen Stewart for not getting involved. I felt they should have joined forces with the other actors to help them out. Everything worked out in the end, but if Summit had decided to recast all of their roles, I think it would have looked bad on Pattinson and Stewart. But no worries, everything is roses in Twilight-land.
Source: Deadline
Tags: ashley greene, Elizabeth Reaser, Jackson Rathbone, Kellan Lutz, Kristen Stewart, movie news, Nikki Reed, Robert Pattinson
Posted in News |
Thursday, May 13th, 2010
Posted by: Brad Sturdivant
We have three more images from THE TWILIGHT SAGA: ECLIPSE today, this time getting our first look at Bree Tanner, played by Jodelle Ferland. At least, I think these are new. The Bree pic might have been out for a while, but it’s still interesting since she has her own novella coming out. The others feature more smoochy-smoochy with Robert Pattinson and Kristen Stewart and the last one features the gang of vampires looking for some Cullen-flavored dinner. See, who says Twilight news can’t be fun?
As you already know, TWILIGHT SAGA: ECLIPSE opens everywhere on June 30th and features all of the returning cast members, including Pattinson, Stewart, Lautner, Kellan Lutz, Nikki Reed, Dakota Fanning and new cast member Bryce Dallas Howard.
Tags: Kellan Lutz, Kristen Stewart, movie news, Nikki Reed, Robert Pattinson, Taylor Lautner
Posted in News |
Thursday, May 13th, 2010
Posted by: Nathan Swank
Kirsten Dunst is joining the already mostly assembled team in ON THE ROAD. The film is based on Jack Kerouac’s 1957 novel, chronicling him and his friend, Neal Cassady traveling the North American Continent. The two “walk the earth” gaining self-knowledge and experience.
Francis Ford Coppola and Walter Salles, who is also directing, acquired the rights more than 30 years ago. The rest of the cast includes, Kristen Stewart (THE TWILIGHT SAGA), Garrett Hedlund (TRON LEGACY), and Sam Riley (CONTROL) and begins shooting in August. It should be no surprise that the creative team behind the beautiful and touching MOTORCYCLE DIARIES will be reuniting for another “leave your possessions behind and travel the world” film.
Source: Variety
Tags: Francis Ford Coppola, garrett hedlund, Jack Kerouac, kirsten dunst, Kristen Stewart, movie news, Sam Riley, Walter Salles
Posted in News |
Wednesday, May 12th, 2010
Posted by: Kristy Sturdivant
Actors Kellan Lutz and Ashley Green have reportedly asked for more money for their roles in the final films of the Twilight series. Although they were offered ten times more for TWILIGHT: BREAKING DAWN than they were paid for the original, they are finding the amount offered “offensive”. Summit Entertainment has no problem replacing actors in the series as they have already done so by booting Rachelle Lefevre, who played Victoria in TWILIGHT and TWILIGHT: NEW MOON, with Bryce Dallas Howard. A source stated: “We may have a situation where one of them is thrown out on the street to make a point.” Summit is also exploring the possibility of making the final film TWILIGHT: BREAKING DAWN into one film instead of two films, which was the original plan. As you know, Robert Pattinson, Kristen Stewart and Taylor Lautner are already signed on to do the final film(s).
Lutz and Green are going down a dangerous path. Yes, maybe they deserve more money since the franchise is making so much, but is more money worth the exposure these final two films will give them?
Source: New York Daily News
Tags: Ashley Green, Bryce Dallas Howard, Kellan Lutz, Kristen Stewart, movie news, Robert Pattinson
Posted in News |
Tuesday, May 11th, 2010
Posted by: Kristy Sturdivant
It’s six weeks before the opening of the summer film THE TWILIGHT SAGA: ECLIPSE and you’ve been planning your camp out party in front of your local theater to see your favorite sparkly vampire, surely you’re guaranteed a ticket, right? Maybe not. The two online movie ticket sites, MovieTickets and Fandango, have decided to make it easy on all the Edward and Bella fans by offering advanced ticket sales starting this Thursday, May 13, 2010 for the June 30th release of TWILIGHT: ECLIPSE. So for those that have been in eager anticipation to get your Robert Pattinson and Kristen Stewart fix, you can ensure your place in the theater by going to MovieTickets and Fandango this Thursday at midnight.
Source: The Hollywood Reporter
Tags: Kellan Lutz, Kristen Stewart, movie news, Nikki Reed, Robert Pattinson, Taylor Lautner
Posted in News |
Saturday, May 8th, 2010
Posted by: Brad Sturdivant
The TWILIGHT SAGA: ECLIPSE mania continues today with a couple of new images from the upcoming film. There’s nothing too earth shattering with these photos, but I haven’t seen them before and we’ve gone a while without any real Twilight news, so you have to take what you can get and at least they’re better than the promo images. It seems the stars of Twilight are busy doing other things right now. Robert Pattinson is working on Bel Ami, Kristen Stewart just signed on for ON THE ROAD and Taylor Lautner is busy signing on to everything.
In case you don’t know, TWILIGHT SAGA: ECLIPSE opens everywhere on June 30th and features all of the returning cast members, including Pattinson, Stewart, Lautner, Kellan Lutz, Nikki Reed, Dakota Fanning and new cast member Bryce Dallas Howard.
Tags: Kellan Lutz, Kristen Stewart, movie news, Nikki Reed, Robert Pattinson, Taylor Lautner
Posted in News |
Thursday, May 6th, 2010
Posted by: Brad Sturdivant
Kristen Stewart is set to take on another role that should help movie fans forget about TWILIGHT. She announced to USA Today that she will be playing Marylou in the upcoming film adaptation of the famous Jack Kerouac novel ‘On The Road’. She joins a cast that includes Garrett Hedlund as Dean Moriarity and Sam Riley as Sal. The film is set in the late 40’s and follows the exploits of two drifters that take a road trip while exploring various themes and theologies. Director Walter Salles is no stranger to road trip films as he directed the underrated THE MOTORCYCLE DIARIES.
‘On The Road’ is one of Kerouac’s more infamous novels and has gone through several trials over the years as many directors have tried to get it made. Kerouac has had several of his books get made into high profile movies, so now seems to be the right time to get this one through.
Source: USA Today
Tags: garrett hedlund, Kristen Stewart, movie news, Sam Riley, Walter Salles
Posted in News |
Monday, May 3rd, 2010
Posted by: Brad Sturdivant
It was probably the worst kept secret in Hollywood, but last week it was “official” that Bill Condon is set to direct THE TWILIGHT SAGA: BREAKING DAWN. To piggy-back on the excitement, Bill wrote a letter to the Twilight fans expressing how excited he is to take on the project;
Greetings Twihards, Twifans, Twilight Moms, Team Edward, Team Jacob and Team Switzerland,
I just want to say hello to all of you and let you know that I’m stoked to be getting underway on the adventure of making BREAKING DAWN. As you’ve probably heard, I’ve been given a very warm welcome by Stephenie and Team Summit – who are super-focused, as you know, on getting these movies right.
I’m pretty busy bringing myself up to speed on what you already know by heart: I’ve read BREAKING DAWN twice, rewatched Catherine’s and Chris’s movies 2-3 times each, have all four CDs playing in my car, and have Catherine’s notebook, Mark Cotta Vaz’s companion books, and even Volume 1 of the graphic novel here on my desk – a corner of my office is starting to look like Hot Topic. I realize that this barely qualifies me for “newborn” status in the universe you’ve been living inside for a few years now, but a guy’s gotta start somewhere.
Like many of you, I’ve always been slightly obsessed with vampires, dating back to the prime-time series DARK SHADOWS, which I followed avidly as a kid. But that alone hadn’t been enough to get me interested in making a vampire movie, even though my early screenwriting and directing efforts grew out of a great love for horror movies and thrillers. Since making GODS AND MONSTERS thirteen years ago, however, I’ve been yearning for a return to a story with Gothic overtones.
The wonderful world that Stephenie has created has obviously struck a chord with you, and I don’t think it’s difficult to see why. For me, her characters are simultaneously timeless, yet very modern. Rooted in a beautiful, real landscape with a great sense of place, Bella, Edward, Jacob, and the rest of the Forks/La Push menagerie, experience emotions that are primal, and universal: desire, despair, jealousy – and it all comes to fruition in BREAKING DAWN. This is a final chapter in the best sense; not just wide in scope and scale, but emotionally charged and intense throughout.
I’m a huge admirer of the already-iconic Kristen, Robert, and Taylor, and wanted to be the one to work with them as they face the challenges of bringing your beloved characters to the end of their journeys. Really, what could be more fun than that?
Please feel free to ask questions in the comments section below, and I’ll do my best to answer them. I hope that this will be the first of many occasions I’ll get to check in with you as we set to work bringing BREAKING DAWN to the screen. I am excited and grateful to have all of you alongside me for my TWILIGHT journey.
All best,
Bill Condon
P.S. Answer #1: No, there won’t be any musical numbers
So, if you’re a Twi-hard and you were worried about Condon taking over the franchise, it at least sounds like he’s prepared to finish out the series. He seems to like the three main stars and apparently, he’s doing is fair share of research on the series. Of course, simply stating he’s a fan of Taylor Lautner, Robert Pattinson and Kristen Stewart will endear him to most Twilight fans anyway, but at least he took the time.
Source: Facebook
Tags: bill condon, Kristen Stewart, movie news, Robert Pattinson, Taylor Lautner
Posted in News |
Wednesday, April 28th, 2010
Posted by: Brad Sturdivant
We learned late last year that THE TWILIGHT SAGA: ECLIPSE was going to be shown on Imax screens when it’s released on June 30th. At the time, there was speculation that the film would be shown in 3D, but Summit Entertainment never confirmed and until recently had dismissed the thought. But while following up an unrelated rumor today, I asked my Summit Entertainment rep about the rumor and she (in all caps) CONFIRMED the news that THE TWILIGHT SAGA: ECLIPSE is going to be shown in 3D. So there you have it ladies; Robert Pattinson’s pouting face and Taylor Lautner’s abs are going to be close enough to touch this summer.
This falls on the heels of the 2D to 3D debate, but given the increased ticket sales for 3D films, it makes sense that Summit would cave in. Now we have to wonder if TWILIGHT SAGA: BREAKING DAWN will be shot in 3D.
So, is this good news, or another bad trend for Hollywood?
UPDATE: When I had the conversation with my Summit rep, I asked three times to make sure they got the news right. They repeated, emphatically, that Eclipse was going to be in 3D. Doing what every good “journalist” does, I attempted to get a second source, just to confirm. Another Summit rep (on the East Coast) confirmed the news. At that point, I ran the story.
This morning I get this email:
“Hey Brad, our Summit manager got the verbiage confused when confirming the below. Eclipse WILL be in IMAX, but it will be regular 2D, not 3D. Sorry about that—most summer movies are IMAX AND 3D, but this is in just IMAX.”
So, there you have it. The Summit rep got “IMAX” and “3D” confused. Eclipse will NOT be in 3D. I sincerely apologize for the confusion.
Tags: Kristen Stewart, movie news, Robert Pattinson, Taylor Lautner
Posted in News |
Tuesday, April 27th, 2010
Posted by: Brad Sturdivant
There are a few minor news bits to report today on the TWILIGHT SAGA: ECLIPSE front. First, Summit Entertainment has done some work to the new Eclipse website, which now features the new trailer and all the official images from the film. It’s a pretty nice website, but I think Kristen Stewart is too predominant, even more so than her co-stars Robert Pattinson and Taylor Lautner. But the next bit of news that may be of more interest to you is that three promotional images from the film leaked online a couple of days ago. Most outlets are calling these “posters”, but I’m pretty sure they’re early images of the new TWILIGHT SAGA: ECLIPSE action figures from NECA. You can even see “NECA” in the bottom right corner. NECA is the company that makes the figures, in case you didn’t know.
The images, of course, are unofficial until someone from Summit or NECA releases them officially, but if you’re collecting the figures (and I know you are), at least now you know what to expect. No word yet on whether they’ll make likenesses of other Twilight stars such as Nikki Reed, Kellan Lutz, Ashley Greene or Jackson Rathbone. TWILIGHT SAGA: ECLIPSE opens everywhere on June 30th.
Tags: ashley greene, Kellan Lutz, Kristen Stewart, movie news, Nikki Reed, Robert Pattinson, Taylor Lautner
Posted in News |
Saturday, April 24th, 2010
Posted by: Brad Sturdivant
I cover a lot of Twilight news because that’s what people are interested in right now. But it’s no secret that I’m not the biggest fan of the movies. However, something happened on my way to disliking the trailer for THE TWILIGHT SAGA: ECLIPSE; I found myself kind of into it. The new trailer actually makes it look kind of fun. There’s action, violence and what might be construed as an actual plot. If they can tone down the extreme drama from Pattinson and Stewart, this could actually be a good movie. Maybe the third time’s the charm for the Twilight franchise.
As you know, the film stars Robert Pattinson, Kristen Stewart, Taylor Lautner, Ashley Greene, Nikki Reed and Kellan Lutz. David Slade is directing for a June 30th release date. Time is flying by so fast, it feels like TWILIGHT SAGA: BREAKING DAWN part 2 is just right around the corner.
Watch the trailer here.
Tags: ashley greene, Kristen Stewart, movie news, Robert Pattinson, Taylor Lautner
Posted in News |
Wednesday, April 21st, 2010
By: Brad Sturdivant
I have to say that these articles have been fun to write. I’ve been impressed with the responses I’ve gotten from them. I expected some blind hatred (which I’ve gotten), but I’ve been surprised with how some of these stars’ biggest fans can take a logical look at their careers and realize there are some trouble ahead for them.
I think the biggest question mark is still with the two biggest stars, Robert Pattinson and Kristen Stewart. I actually went back and watched a couple of Rob’s movies (LITTLE ASHES and HOW TO BE) and…wow…they were horrible. Hopefully you guys see something in him that I don’t. As for Taylor Lautner and Ashley Greene, I think most people agreed with my assessment and that we’re in kind of a “wait and see” mode.
The last of my three-part editorial is by far and away the hardest because they’re the “forgotten” stars of the series. The main four get so much credit, but these two have started to line up some projects that might shoot them past their co-stars if everything goes right.
KELLAN LUTZ
Before Twilight: I had never heard of Kellan before the Twilight series, but he’s been around for a while. He started out doing bit parts on TV shows, but then did a couple of tweenie-films with STICK-IT and ACCEPTED. His biggest break (before Twilight, obviously) was as Cpl. Lilley in ‘Generation Kill’, which gives hope that he has some acting talent.
After Twilight: Kellan has also done a fine job of lining up projects at a brisk pace. Following in Lautner’s “accept any offer” mold, Lutz has accepted parts in DEATHGAMES, WARRIOR, IMMORTALS and LOVE, WEDDING, MARRIAGE. So that’s two action movies and one rom-com, which isn’t bad for someone like Kellan. He’s already proven he can act, so getting a chance to shine in IMMORTALS should be a good break for him.
Prediction: This depends on what Kellan wants to do. I really think he could be a big action star in the vein of Dwayne Johnson or Jason Statham if he wants to go that route. There’s a void in the action movie genre that Kellan could fill. But we still need to see him carry his own film (DEATHGAMES should take care of that) before I have too much confidence. But his future is pretty bright and I give him a 50% chance of being relevant after TWILIGHT: BREAKING DAWN.
NIKKI REED
Before Twilight: Nikki probably had the most interesting and diverse career before Twilight. She broke onto the scene with 2003’s THIRTEEN, which she also wrote (at 13), then went away for a little bit and then came back in LORDS OF DOGTOWN. She’s done several smaller films, but hardly what I would consider a mainstream career.
After Twilight: Again, not a whole lot going on. She did a smaller film (LAST DAY OF SUMMER) and has a couple of upcoming projects; PRIVELEDGED and CHAIN LETTER, but I can’t say I’m blown away by either role. But I’m not sure this is because she’s intentionally not choosing bigger roles or if she’s not getting offers.
Prediction: Of the six stars I’ve talked about so far, I have to say that Nikki is the hardest to predict. I want to give her a lot of credit for THIRTEEN and say that she’ll have a career based off that alone. But I have to remind myself that THIRTEEN was seven years ago and she still hasn’t taken off. But with the Twilight films and some other projects coming up, I think Nikki has a good chance to break out of the mold and I give her a 60% chance of being relevant after Twilight: Breaking Dawn is over.
So now you might be wondering why I haven’t talked about Peter Facinelli, Anna Kendrick, Dakota Fanning or Michael Sheen. To be honest, I think all four of them have clearly distanced themselves from Twilight to the point that the saga now has no impact on them. For right or wrong, I think all of them will be fine from here on out.
Read part 1: Robert Pattinson and Kristen Stewart
Read part 2: Taylor Lautner and Ashley Greene
Tags: ashley greene, Kellan Lutz, Kristen Stewart, Nikki Reed, Robert Pattinson, Taylor Lautner
Posted in Driver's EDitorial |
Saturday, April 17th, 2010
Posted by: Brad Sturdivant
A few days ago, the news broke that Catherine Hardwicke and Chris Weitz were being called in to oversee reshoots on the upcoming TWILIGHT SAGA: ECLIPSE. The news seemed strange to me since Summit had more or less been displeased with both Hardwicke and Weitz’s directing jobs on the first two films. Typically, it wouldn’t make sense to bring in a former director, but in cases like this, the studio would bring in a seasoned, talented director to offer advice/help to the current director (David Slade). Within 24 hours of the story breaking, Summit Entertainment released a statement saying “the shoot has been planned for months, the picture is not in ‘trouble’ and, in fact, the studio thinks it may be the best of the three so far.” So according to Summit, these are “pick-up shots” (i.e. they were planned early in the production phase) and not “reshoots” (i.e. they found a problem and had to fix it).
However, there are unsubstantiated reports that Robert Pattinson and Kristen Stewart (among others and no, nothing about Taylor Lautner) are returning to Vancouver to reshoot some scenes in the film. I’m not going to site any of them because none of them have given any reliable sources and the “an anonymous source” or “someone close to me” are not sources, just excuses to make things up. The point is to say that there are problems with the film ranging from minor inconsistencies to all out failures. There are many reasons a director would call for reshoots and some of them are actually planned to coincide with the weather or something like that. So we’ll have to wait and see on June 30th if the finished product is to everyone’s liking. Oh, and check out our predictions on the careers of the various Twilight stars.
Source: The Playlist, Hitfix
Tags: David Slade, Kristen Stewart, movie news, Robert Pattinson, Taylor Lautner
Posted in News |
Thursday, April 15th, 2010
By: Brad Sturdivant
Last week, we looked at the careers of Robert Pattinson and Kristen Stewart and gave some mild predictions as to where they’re going to end up after the Twilight series is over. Today we look at the other two heartthrobs from the series, Taylor Lautner and Ashley Greene.
TAYLOR LAUTNER
Before Twilight: I don’t think it’s up to debate, but no one has benefited more from the Twilight series than Mr. Lautner. His character was barely an afterthought in the first film and rumor had it that he wasn’t even going to be invited back for the second. But he put on some muscle and convinced everyone to let him back in. But without that sequence of events, I can’t imagine Lautner would have been able to break into Hollywood. Although, people tend to forget that he was Sharkboy in Robert Rodriguez’s SHARKBOY AND LAVA GIRL.
After Twilight: More than any other Twilight alum, Lautner has lined up the projects at a lightning fast pace. STRETCH ARMSTRONG, CANCUN, ABDUCTION and the on again/off again MAX STEELE are just a few of his upcoming projects. The best part about what he’s doing is that they seem to be a variety of roles, thus giving him a chance to prove he’s more than just a shy werewolf. Oh, and he had a decent turn in VALENTINE’S DAY, although it was rough because of how bad Taylor Swift was.
Prediction: It’s really too early to tell because we need him to do a big project that will give him a chance to shine. He’s the bright spot in the Twilight series, but that’s not saying much. Based solely off the numerous projects he has lined up, I give Taylor a 60% chance of being relevant after TWILIGHT: BREAKING DAWN part 2. That may seem low, but I will say that he has the best chance of being a huge star, it’s just too early to say since he hasn’t done anything yet.
ASHLEY GREENE
Before Twilight: Well, this is short because she didn’t really do anything before her turn in TWILIGHT. She had a bit part in an episode of ‘Crossing Jordan’ and then an even smaller part in the Michael Douglas film KING OF CALIFORNIA. But other than that, nothing.
After Twilight: I guess when Sobe Water comes calling, you don’t ignore them. Ashley Greene made headlines and turned some heads when she signed on to be the official Sobe Water model. Her ads were on SI.com for weeks. If you look closely (and I know you will), you can see that she’s not wearing a swimsuit in the ads, but rather that’s body paint. As for movies, she did the horror film SUMMER’S BLOOD, which is better than nothing…I guess.
Prediction: There’s always room for beautiful women in Hollywood, but the question remains as to what she’s going to do with it. Other alumni have lined up projects, but Greene hasn’t done much more than advertise water. I think her best chance to “make it” is to do television. I can see her as the quirky hot girl in a sitcom. Unfortunately for her, I give her a 20% chance of being relevant in movies after TWILIGHT: BREAKING DAWN.
Check back next week when we wrap our post-Twilight predictions with a look at Kellan Lutz and Nikki Reed.
Read part 1: Robert Pattinson and Kristen Stewart
Read part 3: Kellan Lutz and Nikki Reed
Tags: ashley greene, Kristen Stewart, Robert Pattinson, Taylor Lautner
Posted in Driver's EDitorial |
Saturday, April 10th, 2010
By: Brad Sturdivant
With the insane hype surrounding anything with the Twilight series, I thought it would be fun to go through some of the series’ main stars and review what they’ve done and try and predict where they’re going. I want to be clear that I’m not a Twilight fan, but am going to attempt to clearly critique each star and the potential each of them possess. They’re huge now and every pre-teen girl loves them, but after THE TWILIGHT SAGA: ECLIPSE and the two TWILIGHT SAGA: BREAKING DAWN movies, the Twilight gravy train will be dry. It’s always nice to guess who will be the next Mark Hamill and who will be the next Harrison Ford.
So to start things off, we’ll look at the two main stars of the film; Kristen Stewart and Robert Pattinson. After the Twilight series is over, neither of these stars will have to work again. They can spend their days watching soap operas and then hit up the Twilight conventions when they need money. But both of them seem to have a desire to have successful careers, but I’m not sure either will succeed.
KRISTEN STEWART
Before Twilight: Kristen was really the only Twilight alum to have a career before the series began. Others had done a movie or two, but she actually had some great performances in a variety of films. Her debut was in David Fincher’s PANIC ROOM where she played the sickly daughter of Jodie Foster. It was a great debut and she followed it up with a couple of kids movies and then as the troubled, tomboy in IN THE LAND OF WOMEN.
After Twilight: She continued to get roles that required her to play the quiet, whiny high-school girl in films like ADVENTURELAND and INTO THE WILD. She did well in both films, garnering some critical acclaim for each. But the most exciting non-Twilight role is in the upcoming THE RUNAWAYS where she plays Joan Jett. Aside from that, she continues to do the same types of roles and that could prove to be her downfall. Obviously, everyone gets old and she’s eventually going to have to stretch her talents to something more than playing a troubled teenager.
Prediction: It’s tough to gauge her acting talent because she’s milked the teenage-angst angle so much over the past five years. Her role in THE RUNAWAYS didn’t do as much for me as I was hoping and it was basically Bella, but with a butch hair cut. However, given her non-Twilight success already, I give her an 80% chance of being remembered 5 years after part 2 of BREAKING DAWN.
ROBERT PATTINSON
Before Twilight: Robert had the honor to have a key role in Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire as Cedric Diggory. In what might be the weakest of the Potters, Bob Patty was actually the bright spot in the film.
After Twilight: Much like Stewart, Pattinson seems determined to play similar characters that are reserved and pouty. I was disappointed he chose to do REMEMBER ME and figured he would have chosen a role that could show off his acting chops and not something that cloned his Edward character.
Prediction: Pattinson’s biggest obstacle to making it as an A-list actor is his looks. I know that sounds strange, but the guy looks like a porcelain doll and I don’t think he’ll be playing any action heroes any time soon. That leaves serious dramas and love stories, which really limits what he can do. However, I can see him taking over the romantic comedy genre from Hugh Grant in a few years. Also, pre-teen girls are a finicky bunch and heartthrobs don’t tend to last very long. I give him a 40% chance of being relevant 5 years after BREAKING DAWN.
Read part 2: Taylor Lautner and Ashley Greene.
Read part 3: Kellan Lutz and Nikki Reed
Tags: ashley greene, Kristen Stewart, Robert Pattinson, Taylor Lautner
Posted in Driver's EDitorial |
Friday, April 9th, 2010
We’ve seen numerous music biographies over the years, covering all genres from country to hardcore rap music. Most musicians worthy enough to have a film typically fall into a pattern that includes a fast rise to the top, the inevitable drug addiction, the meteoric fall and then they finally find themselves as true musicians. So for the music bios going forward, it’s important to add something to the film that audiences haven’t seen and covering the standard elements just isn’t enough anymore. Unfortunately, THE RUNAWAYS focused too heavily on elements we’ve already seen a dozen times before and shied away from the aspects we wanted more of.
The year is 1975 and Joan Jett (Kristen Stewart) and Cherie Currie (Dakota Fanning) are two young, lost souls, desperate for something other than what their average lives can give them. Through a series of all too convenient events, Joan Jett winds up with music producer Kim Fowley (Michael Shannon), who teams her up with Cherie Currie to form the band The Runaways. After quickly writing the song “Cherry Bomb”, the band sets off on a tour, signs a record deal, discovers drugs and breaks up.
There are a lot of things going on in the film and a lot of relationships that come together during the band’s short lifespan. But by far and away the most fascinating relationship was that of Joan and Cherie. They started as band mates, then became best friends, then maybe lovers, then distant acquaintances. Unfortunately, the film didn’t focus on their relationship nearly enough. I wanted to follow them and learn more about their music and how it came to be. I also felt that the fact Cherie was only 16 years old was a huge deal, but her age never seemed to be an issue to anyone else. What the movie did focus on was Cherie Currie and her drug use. We didn’t learn why she used drugs or the extent to which drugs ruined her life, but we saw her take the drugs and then walk around stoned. We also saw the band break up, but the scene was so anti-climatic, I was left confused as to why Cherie actually left. I cared less about the drugs and more about the band.
I feel like I’m being hard on the film, so I don’t want to underscore the amazing performance by Dakota Fanning. If there was any question as to whether or not she could make the transition from child star to adult A-lister, rest assured that she is here to stay. She gives another incredible performance and between her and Michael Shannon, these were two of the best performances we’ve seen in a while. As for Kristen Stewart, it wasn’t her best performance, but part of that was the script in that it didn’t really focus on Joan Jett that much. The heart of the film was Cherie Currie.
At the end of the day, I think most audiences will get something out of THE RUNAWAYS, but probably not as much as you want. It has some great performances and some good music, but the really juicy aspects of the story are glossed over and too much attention is given to the drug use. Unfortunately, we’ve seen too many music bios with drug addicted musicians and the shock value isn’t there anymore. But to be fair, I did download “Cherry Bomb” when I got back from the theater.
Tags: Dakota Fanning, Floria Sigismondi, Kristen Stewart, Michael Shannon, movie reviews
Posted in Reviews |
Wednesday, April 7th, 2010
Posted by: Brad Sturdivant
I had high hopes that Summit Entertainment was going to open the checkbook and grab a really great director for THE TWILIGHT SAGA: BREAKING DAWN. Unfortunately, it looks like they picked another run of the mill, average director and have reportedly nabbed Bill Condon to direct both parts of the series finale. Condon has previously directed GODS AND MONSTERS, DREAMGIRLS and KINSEY. All of which are decent films, but none have shown he’s capable of handling a movie like TWILIGHT. Although he is far along in the process, it should be noted that he hasn’t officially signed on the dotted line.
What’s a little disheartening is that they brought in Gus Van Sant and Mark Waters to meet with the producers and author Stephenie Meyer and decided on Condon. Oh, and they also flirted with Sofia Coppola about directing the films, but she apparently only wanted to direct one film rather than milk split it into two. But how great would it have been to have Gus Van Sant direct a TWILIGHT film?
Source: Entertainment Weekly
Tags: bill condon, Gus Van Sant, Kristen Stewart, movie news, Robert Pattinson
Posted in News |
Saturday, April 3rd, 2010
Posted by: Brad Sturdivant
This technically isn’t movie news, but it more than likely will be some day. But Stephenie Meyer, author of the Twilight novels, finally announced through Little, Brown Books for Young Readers that her follow-up the Twilight series will be ‘The Short Second Life of Bree Tanner: An Eclipse Novella’. Now, some of you may be wondering who Bree Tanner is and as it turns out, I know someone that has read the books, so I can tell you that in the upcoming THE TWILIGHT SAGA: ECLIPSE, Victoria (the fiery redhead that wants to kill Bella) turns Bree into a vamp to help her with her revenge. So basically, what Meyer has done here is taken a small, bit character from one of her Twilight books and dedicated an entire book to her. I’d be angry if I wasn’t so impressed. I don’t think very highly of Meyer’s writing ability, but you have to hand it to her money-generating ability. If Bree is successful, there’s no end to how many of these novellas we could get.
But the real question is whether or not they’ll be able to get Robert Pattinson and Kristen Stewart to do cameos in the eventual movie. True, no formal announcement has been made about a movie, but Summit Entertainment isn’t going to let this slip through their fingers.
Pre-order a copy of the book here.
Source: Stephanie Meyer
Tags: Kristen Stewart, movie news, Robert Pattinson, Stephenie Meyer
Posted in News |
Thursday, April 1st, 2010
Posted by: Brad Sturdivant
The world’s a crazy place. I know I’ve said this before, but the continued fan obsession with Twilight is just baffling. I don’t remember this kind of interest in Star Wars, Lord of the Rings or Harry Potter. But what those films lacked is the pre-teen girl market. What people don’t seem to realize is that the pre-teen girl demographic is by far and away the most powerful consumer demographic in the world. That’s why new pictures for TWILIGHT SAGA: ECLIPSE are headline news these days.
The third film in the series opens this summer and features Robert Pattinson, Kristen Stewart, Taylor Lautner, Ashley Grene and Kellan Lutz. Without further adieu, here are the pics:
Tags: ashley greene, Kellan Lutz, Kristen Stewart, movie news, Robert Pattinson, Taylor Lautner
Posted in News |
Thursday, March 25th, 2010
Posted by: Brad Sturdivant
The Twilight news just doesn’t stop. I need to think of a way to relate “Flix 66” to something in the Twilight universe and just go to an all-Twilight movie site. Now the news is back to the TWILIGHT SAGA: NEW MOON Blu-ray. The Blu-ray sold 680,000 copies on its first day of release, or roughly 17% of the 4 million total units (DVD+Blu-ray) that were sold over the weekend. To put it in comparison, the first TWILIGHT film sold 3.8 million units, but only 3% of those were Blu-rays. However, those numbers are slightly skewed since there were a lot of retailer exclusives for the first TWILIGHT Blu-ray.
So Robert Pattinson, Kristen Stewart and Taylor Lautner strike again, injecting Twilight madness at every turn. I guess now would be a good time to admit that I also bought a copy of the film…go Team Edward!
Tags: Kristen Stewart, movie news, Robert Pattinson, Taylor Lautner
Posted in Blu-Ray News, News |
Wednesday, March 24th, 2010
Posted by: Brad Sturdivant
I usually don’t post news about movie posters, mainly because most people don’t care. That, and almost every poster looks the same. But with Twilight, all bets are off. I’ve never seen obsession like this before, even with Star Wars. So even though the new poster for THE TWILIGHT SAGA: ECLIPSE is nothing special to me, I guess we have to respect the fact that this, or a variation of this, will be gracing the bedroom walls of millions of pre-teen girls all over the world.
The poster is pretty pedestrian, but doesn’t Robert Pattinson look kind of weird in it? Taylor Lautner has that same look on his face and of course, Kristen Stewart is standing between them with her mouth open. Seriously, why can’t she close her mouth? Eclipse hits theaters on June 30th.
Tags: Kristen Stewart, movie news, Robert Pattinson, Taylor Lautner
Posted in News |
Tuesday, March 23rd, 2010
By: Brad Sturdivant
I don’t like the Twilight films. I want to make that clear before anyone thinks this is going to be some love-letter to anyone involved with the series. I hate that Stephenie Meyer has made a fortune off of these books and that people (mostly young women) continue to pour their money into a series that lacks originality or common sense and I despise the world that she’s created. Sparkling vampires…really? But putting aside my hatred, I have to acknowledge that the Twilight series is popular and that it has a very large and influential fan base. So with that in mind, Summit Entertainment owes it to their fan base and to movie fans everywhere to do something special with THE TWILIGHT SERIES: BREAKING DAWN.
I understand why the first one was so poorly made; they didn’t have much of a budget. No one knew that the film would blow up like it did and therefore they had to cut corners while making the film. The director, screenwriter and even the actors were all inexperienced and for the most part, amateurs. Summit is not a large powerhouse of a studio like Paramount or Fox, so they can’t pour hundreds of millions of dollars into a small film like this. It made sense and I accepted the first one for it. It was something that I thought fans could like in spite of the filmmaking failures and I had faith Summit would correct those problems in the sequel.
But the second film wasn’t much better and Summit didn’t have any of the same excuses. Everyone knew it would make money and the actors involved had done a few movies in-between, so everything should have been better, especially the acting. One thing that was common amongst all of the actors (in both films) is that every single one of them seemed to constantly miss their mark. In a movie or in a theatrical play or even on a TV show, there’s always a “mark” for the actors to say their lines. Saying your lines in the right place, at the right time is one of the most important aspects of acting and everyone that appeared in this film missed their marks almost every single time. It was as if there was a pause before and after they said something while they tried to figure out what to do next. Can you imagine me writing something like that about a film directed by someone like Francis Ford Coppola, Quentin Tarantino, David Fincher or any number of talented directors?
I have little to no faith in David Slade and THE TWILIGHT SAGA: ECLIPSE. I liked HARD CANDY, but judging by the trailer, I think we’re in for more of the same. So all the hopes for the series to end with a good film fall on BREAKING DAWN parts 1 and 2. The first thing we have to do is get rid of screenwriter Melissa Rosenberg. She’s qualified to write episodes or ‘The O.C.’, but not a major Hollywood film like this. She’s failed twice (and probably thrice) already and we have to stop the bleeding. Once we get a decent screenwriter, then we need a talented director.
They need a big name director for the two part finale to the Twilight saga. I’m not going to list all of the directors that could do a better job, but there’s about 25 names I’m thinking of and Summit would do well to take some of that cash they’ve made and throw it at a good director. They owe it to themselves and to the fans to make the best movie possible. As much as I don’t like the story, I do think it’s possible to make a quality film with the actors and storylines involved. It just hasn’t been done yet.
Tags: Kristen Stewart, Robert Pattinson, Taylor Lautner
Posted in Driver's EDitorial |
Monday, March 22nd, 2010
If you’re a Twilight fan, then I really want you to read this review because I’m going to attempt to explain why traditional movie fans don’t like the Twilight movies. It’s not because of the sappy love story or the refusal to acknowledge traditional vampire lore, it’s because the movies are just very poorly made. But as upset as I am at how bad these movies are, true fans of the books should be livid. By getting second rate directors and amateur screenwriters to handle the beloved books, Hollywood is basically telling fans that they don’t care and they have no interest in making quality films from Stephenie Meyer’s novels.
When I sat down to watch THE TWILIGHT SAGA: NEW MOON, I had high hopes. I couldn’t stand the first one, but I thought replacing Catherine Hardwicke with Chris Weitz was a step in the right direction and I hoped that some of the problems that plagued the first one would be fixed in the second. But alas, I was wrong. Weitz didn’t make many improvements and the long, drawn out scenes, meaningless dialogue and overall poor direction permeated throughout the film, just as they had in the original TWILIGHT.
The single biggest complaint I have with the film is with the acting, and I’m not so sure it’s the fault of the actors involved as much as it is the direction they’re given. I’ve seen Kristen Stewart, Robert Pattinson, Michael Sheen and Dakota Fanning excel in other films, why were they so bad here? And someone needs to tell Kristen Stewart that she needs to find a way to say her dialogue without making weird breathing sounds before and after. The moaning and heavy breathing is irritating and annoying. I don’t know if she’s trying to be sexy or if she needs an inhaler, but she sounds ridiculous. Again, I’ve seen her do fine in other movies, I don’t know why she’s so incompetent here. And let’s not forget that Anna Kendrick was nominated for an Oscar.
And no review of NEW MOON would be complete without touching on the story. The story is something you either love or hate and I know there are so many people out there that can’t get enough of the Twilight series. Being a Star Wars guy, I totally understand what it means to like something that other people don’t understand. But when it comes to NEW MOON, there were some major issues with the story. Bella was devastated when Edward left and that part I understand because we’ve all had failed high school romances. But Bella went into a deep depression and had ferocious nightmares for months after the breakup. Why? After asking the question to someone that read the book, they told me that Edward and Bella have some kind of special connection and that them being apart was like “not breathing” for them. Well, I NEVER got that from the movie, not once. Perhaps the single most important aspect of the series (the connection between Bella and Edward) is never fully explained or explored, yet we as an audience have to buy into all the events that happen because of their connection.
It’s rare that a film fails on every single aspect of filmmaking and still manages to be successful, but that’s somehow what NEW MOON managed to do. The acting, screenwriting, directing, editing, music, settings and cinematography were all failures. I freely admit that I don’t like the story, but if the basic filmmaking aspects were done properly, I think I could appreciate the films.
BLU-RAY REVIEW
Video: The 2.40:1 video presentation was decent, but the film quality still seems below average. I have to assume it’s the film quality and not the Blu-ray, but again, that’s something they need to fix in the future.
Audio: I had no complaints with the DTS-HD audio, although I didn’t think it was used utilized as well as it should have been.
Commentary with Chris Weitz and Peter Lambert: Chris was great in this commentary and I almost feel a little guilty for trashing his film. But he gives a much better commentary than he directs a film. But there were times when I thought that even he didn’t like the film. He didn’t come out and say it, but he made a few jokes here and there and it was clear he didn’t take it too seriously. There were a few long pauses, but overall I think fans will enjoy this.
The Journey Continues: The Making of The Twilight Saga: New Moon (65:24): Oh man, Twilight fans are going to love this. This is a 6-part documentary that covers everything you want to know. I intended to skip over this, but I couldn’t stop watching. Twilight fans are crazy, but I can’t look away. For the record, I enjoyed this waaaayyy more than the actual film.
Tags: Blu-ray, Chris Weitz, Kristen Stewart, movie reviews, Robert Pattinson, Taylor Lautner
Posted in Blu-Ray Reviews, Reviews |
Thursday, March 11th, 2010
Posted by: Brad Sturdivant
It’s here!!! Finally!!! The new trailer for THE TWILIGHT SAGA: ECLIPSE, featuring a dreamy Robert Pattinson, a forlorn Kristen Stewart and a shirtless Taylor Lautner. What’s going to happen to our love triangle? Will Bella choose the noble Jacob, or will she follow her heart and become a vampire for Edward? Director David Slade (HARD CANDY) will tell us on June 30th. That seems like such a long ways away, but it’s only 3 months.
Sigh. How was that? Did I feign excitement well enough? I’ve been accused of not respecting the Twilight series and I’m trying to do better. But no matter how hard I try, I just don’t care. I appreciate that people all over the world love this story and these characters, but I don’t get it.
Watch the trailer here.
Tags: Kristen Stewart, movie news, Robert Pattinson, Taylor Lautner
Posted in News |
Friday, March 5th, 2010
Posted by: Brad Sturdivant
Wild women, rock ‘n roll, drugs and living on the edge; reminds me of junior high…or not. But the second trailer for THE RUNAWAYS with Kristen Stewart, Dakota Fanning and Michael Shannon actually looks really good. For the first time in her career, Kristen Stewart managed to go almost two full minutes without completely annoying me. I actually think Stewart is a decent actress, but she picks roles that have her complaining constantly. And I didn’t even realize until this trailer that ‘Arrested Development’s Alia Sawkat is also in this. The film is directed by Floria Sigismondi and hits theaters everywhere on April 9th.
The real highlight of this film is Dakota Fanning. Since she was just a little girl, she just has a way of commanding the screen. I think this will thrust her into stardom as an adult. Not an “adult” film star, but you know, an actress that’s grown up.
Watch the trailer here.
Tags: Alia Shawkat, Dakota Fanning, Kristen Stewart, Michael Shannon, movie news
Posted in News |
Friday, January 15th, 2010
STRANGER THAN FICTION + INTO THE WILD + BLACK SNAKE MOAN
by: Jeremey Gingrich
You can’t go out and party every weekend, so on those nights you want to take it easy, Flix66.com has put together a bi-weekly column to help you with your movie selection. The Trifecta is a recommendation of three movies that set a mood, that showcase an actor or director, that acquaint the viewer with a geographic location, or maybe even have some obscure link like a Best Boy or Key Grip.
Musical talent has never been something I’ve possessed. I love music (Who doesn’t?), but I could never knuckle down and learn an instrument. Too much practice, too much work, and I have the attention span of a field mouse when it comes to things that don’t come easy. I have always harbored the desire to learn guitar most of all; partly out of respect for the instrument, but mostly out of knowledge that women are drawn to guitars like moths to a flame. You take a woman back to your place, she sees the guitar, you casually mention you play a little bit, she convinces you to (reluctantly, of course) play her a song, and somehow things just work out. End of story. Game, set, match: guitar. This trifecta combines three movies with my favorite scenes of guitar performances, some more obvious, some hidden treasures in a movie you didn’t expect.
The situation described above, girls drawn to a guy with a guitar, is almost exactly what happened in a surprising acting turn by Will Ferrell in Marc Forster’s STRANGER THAN FICTION. Ferrell plays Harold Crick, a numbers man who learns he is a character in a novel, written by Emma Thompson’s author, Karen Eiffel. He also learns, in hearing her narration in his head, that he is going to die. He takes this last chance opportunity to learn the guitar and to actively pursue his love interest, a baker named Ana Pascal (Maggie Gyllenhal). In having dinner with Ms. Pascal, he sees her guitar in the living room and realizing there will soon be no tomorrow for him, plays her a song. He plays “Whole Wide World” by Wreckless Eric and sings along softly with his eyes closed. He opens his eyes in time to see Ms. Pascal, sitting next to him on the couch, mesmerized by him… and the clothes melt away as Wreckless Eric belts out the main chorus. Also, Harold Crick uses the simple yet effective line to pick up Ms. Pascal, “I want you.” Not to be confused with Ron Burgundy’s “I want to be on you.”
A surprising entry into the guitar scene trifecta comes from the Sean Penn movie INTO THE WILD. Emile Hirsch plays Christopher McCandless/Alexander Supertramp in a great turn as the true story of a man who abandoned material possessions, burned or gave away his money to live and eventually die in Alaska. As he makes his way to the frozen North, he stays at a commune with two freethinking lovers played by Catherine Keener (in a great but small performance) and Brian H. Dierker. At the commune he meets Kristen Stewart’s young character, Tracy Tatro, and she falls hard for him. But alas nothing shall deter Supertramp from his goal, but he does offer to play and sing a song with her. He accompanies on piano, while Kristen Stewart (who proves here and in ADVENTURELAND that she is more than the TWILIGHT movies) plays guitar and sings the John Prine song “Angel from Montgomery.” This song is a sweet, tender country/folk song with a heartbreaking chorus, harmonized well by Hirsch and Stewart, and made me head out to iTunes to buy the song, the Bonnie Raitt version, which is saying a lot… because I hate Alabama.
The last entry focuses on a scene from the 2006 film BLACK SNAKE MOAN, directed by Crag Brewer. The movie itself is a tribute to the redemptive quality of music, and the lead characters, played by Samuel L. Jackson and Christina Ricci, are people in need of redemption. Jackson plays Lazarus, an old blues guitar player angry at the world over his wife leaving him for his brother and has “lost his swing” in regards to playing. Ricci plays Rae, a girl whose boyfriend (played well by Justin Timberlake) is deployed with the Tennessee National Guard, and deals with past parental sexual abuse by crawling into a variety of beds with a variety of people (“bed” is actually a loose term). The film’s titular song is an old Blind Lemon Jefferson tune from 1927, but Sam L. pulls out his old blues guitar and plays it for Rae with such passion and sorrow that you can see the emotions reflected in Ricci’s eyes as she flashes back to her years of abuse. The shots are even framed perfectly, as Rae is sprawled out on the open floor in front of Lazarus, who howls the lyrics as a storm brews outside. Every time I watch this scene I flirt with the idea of learning the guitar, if only for this one song.
Trifecta Length: 378 minutes (INTO THE WILD is 148)
Tags: Christina Ricci, Emile Hirsch, Kristen Stewart, samuel l. jackson, will ferrell
Posted in Trifecta |
Sunday, December 20th, 2009
Posted by: Brad Sturdivant
Last week we showed you the first picture from the upcoming girl-rock bio THE RUNAWAYS. Today we have the first trailer from the film, starring Kristen Stewart and Dakota Fanning. I had expressed concern that I wasn’t sure Dakota Fanning could pull off this kind of role, but from the bits I get from the trailer, it looks like she definitely can. Little Fanning is all grown up now.
Watch the trailer here.
Tags: Dakota Fanning, Floria Sigismondi, Kristen Stewart, Michael Shannon, movie news, Tatum O'Neal
Posted in News |
Sunday, December 13th, 2009
Posted by: Brad Sturdivant
The first picture from the upcoming film THE RUNAWAYS has hit the Sundance website. The pic features Kristen Stewart as Joan Jett and Dakota Fanning as Cherie Currie. The film tells the rise and struggles of one of the first all girl, teenage rock bands (The Runaways) that were just as famous for their music as they were for their hardcore partying and rock-star lifestyles. The film also stars Michael Shannon and Tatum O’Neal and is directed by Floria Sigismondi, who also wrote the screenplay.
This is a chance for Stewart to prove she’s more than just the whiny Bella from TWILIGHT. Music bios are always a good time and it seems like the Runaways have a very exciting story.
Tags: Dakota Fanning, Floria Sigismondi, Kristen Stewart, Michael Shannon, movie news, Tatum O'Neal
Posted in News |
Thursday, November 26th, 2009
It has been impossible this past year to walk into a bookstore or video store and not hear talk or see posters about Stephenie Meyer’s Twilight series. Although the first book came out in 2005, to most people over the age of 18, 2008 was the year of the Twilight craze. A decent series to read, the movie was less than stellar and prompted more than a few groans from my spouse and I, not to mention it was just plain tough to sit through. (Read the NEW MOON review)
 We meet Bella Swan, played by Kristen Stewart, as she is moving in with her father to a small Northeastern town in Washington called Forks. Bella is a typical introverted teenager with proper angst and nothing special to her name. That is until she meets Edward Cullen, played by Robert Pattinson. Edward is a mysterious character who has many strange and “special” qualities about him. Although he tries hard to ignore Bella, his love for her wins out and she discovers that he is actually a vampire, thus their adventure between teenager and vampire begins.
The story of Bella and Edward, although cheesy, is entertaining. I’m against making vampires all cuddly or sparkly and I prefer them with pointy teeth, agile and full of puns (see Buffy the Vampire Slayer) but I have to admit (tough as it is) that I enjoyed the overall love story in the books. However, the movie leaves much to be desired and was dreadful to watch. Most of that blame can be placed on director Catherine Hardwicke.
Although most of the actors/actresses are pleasant to look at and their acting was at least average, the directing was so bad I’m sure some of these people had a hard time not bursting out laughing during their scenes. The scene where we meet Edward for the first time (where he is coming into the cafeteria) was so ridiculous I almost choked on my popcorn. And the scenes where Bella is in her bedroom sleeping while Edward is watching is a bit disturbing and a little too stalker-like for this female reviewer. From a directing standpoint, everything was a little too dramatic and over the top for a teen love story, maybe that’s why New Moon will be moving “in a different direction”.
Another cringe-worthy (there were a lot of them) aspect of the film is the dialogue. Dialogue can make or break a film and although Twilight would have still been a mediocre movie, a better screenplay may have helped in this case. I know the movie is based on the novel and it followed the first book rather well, but actually watching the actors say some of the lines was physically painful. A lot of this fell on Robert Pattinson, who delivered every line as if he was fighting to get the words out. Yes, that’s just how Edward is, but not every single word has to be full of pain and sorrow.
Overall, this film will disappoint everyone that’s not a hardcore Twilight fan. I almost feel bad for the tween girls that flock to these movies because they really do deserve better than this amateurish effort. I probably could have looked past some of the cheesy moments and sappy dialogue, but the B-movie feel of the film was too much. And someone needs to tell Stewart and Pattinson to ease up on the melodramatic delivery of every line; it got old after a while.
Tags: Catherine Hardwicke, Kristen Stewart, movie reviews, Robert Pattinson, Taylor Lautner
Posted in Reviews |
Thursday, November 26th, 2009
It was tough to psych myself up to sit through the next film in The Twilight Saga, especially after the first one (TWILIGHT) was almost painful to watch. However, I took pleasure in that I would not have to suffer another two hours of Pattinson and Stewart staring deep into each other’s eyes. Thankfully, Edward Cullen doesn’t have a big part in this film.
At the beginning of NEW MOON, there is an incident involving Bella and the Cullen’s that makes Edward realize that maybe a human dating a vampire could lead to some bad situations. So he decides to leave Bella for her own good and the rest of the movie is spent watching her brood over her loss and then try to move on with the help of her best friend Jacob Black. As Bella recovers from Edward leaving, she discovers that her world is still full of monsters because her best friend happens to be a werewolf.
I’ve heard many complaints that New Moon was the weakest book in the Twilight Saga but it was actually my favorite. The story of Bella and Edward gets really old after awhile and having a character like Jacob Black was refreshing because he is just so warm and likeable. Taylor Lautner was by far and away the most impressive part of this film. He seemed to be the most natural actor of the bunch, not to mention that him and his wolf buddies were nice to look at. He had such a tough role to fill because he’s an underdog in the book, and with all the hype surrounding Robert Pattison it would have been really easy for him to get overlooked. Surprisingly he stood out and his performance made me scrutinize his surrounding cast, specifically Kristen Stewart.
This film made me realize that Ms. Stewart is really a poor actress. Her lines are delivered terribly with so many pauses that you can’t tell if she even memorized lines. Throughout the entire movie she has this weird look on her face with her mouth open. The look may have meant she was in deep thought or in pain but it was so distracting that it eventually became very irritating. I know some fans love her, but I think the films would be better without her. No amount of directing is going to make her any better in this role.
Speaking of directing, Chris Weitz did a much better job than his predecessor Catherine Hardwicke. The first film was so ridiculously over the top it was hard to concentrate on the story but Weitz turned that around. The scenes were well shot, the lighting was good and the CGI was done very well. Weitz just seemed to keep everything in check. It would have been easy for him to capitalize on the obsession surrounding Pattinson and give us more Edward via flashbacks or something, but he stuck to the story and it was a much better film because of it.
New Moon is not a great film but it is significantly better than TWILIGHT and I actually enjoyed myself (despite the theater full of giggly, annoying teens). The story is still cheesy and the dialogue is cringe-worthy at times, but Weitz did such a decent job directing that I won’t ban the next two movies like I was originally planning to.
Tags: Chris Weitz, Kristen Stewart, movie reviews, Robert Pattinson, Taylor Lautner
Posted in Reviews |
Saturday, November 7th, 2009
Posted by: Brad Sturdivant
The new trailer for YELLOW HANDKERCHIEF, starring Kristen Stewart, Maria Bello and William Hurt is out and this one looks like a tear-jerker. Or at least it looks like it will try to be. I know Kristen Stewart has her fans, but I wish she would try playing a character that isn’t a) obsessed with vampires or b) white trash. To be honest, I’m excited about seeing her in THE RUNAWAYS as Joan Jett. It’ll be interesting to see how she does in that role. Watch the trailer by clicking here.
Tags: Kristen Stewart, Maria Bello, movie news, William Hurt
Posted in News |
Sunday, October 11th, 2009
In the summer of 1987, James Brennan has graduated college and his plans to travel Europe have fallen through. He now must find work and the only thing available is as a thankless game attendant at the local amusement park (he can’t even make rides). Brennan’s summer of miserable, getting hit in the crotch, quickly turns into a summer of love, getting hit in the crotch, after meeting a challenging, interesting and beautiful girl named Em Lewin.
Jesse Eisenberg from the vastly underappreciated films Roger Dodger and The Squid and the Whale, does a fine job as Brennan, a deep thinking and emotional male who some might consider to be a word that rhymes with wussy. The girl he falls in love with is Em, who is strangely fascinating and troubled with some dark secrets of her own. Em is performed by Kristen Stewart who is much more charismatic, beautiful and all around likeable than her performances in Twilight. A major problem is I felt that all the characters and their actions seemed much more like they were in high school rather than graduate school. They walked into a bar at one point and I thought, “Why are they serving them?” I found the relationships somewhat relatable but far too juvenile. Some of the actions and lack of communication angered me more than intrigued me. The seriousness of the love story was short of some much needed humor.
The film is entertaining when it sticks with the friends, pot and other amusement park encompassing themes. Specifically Bill Hader as Bobby the crazy but kind hearted manager and owner along with his wife Paullette played by Kristen Wiig, create some of the most laugh inducing moments. The deleted scenes are particularly funny with more stuff from the two of them, which I think the movie badly needed.
One of the strongest characters in the film was the music with songs from the likes of Lou Reed, David Bowie, the Cure and many more. It nearly steals the show because that is what I remember most when thinking of the film, but I could always just buy the soundtrack rather than watch the film so the high points in music doesn’t weigh as heavily as points on story and entertainment.
Adventureland has all the makings for a funny teen comedy similar to DAZED AND CONFUSED but definitely falls a little short from that caliber. It tends to concentrate too strongly on the love story and not enough on the comedy. The soundtrack will help hide those flaws providing a great energy throughout the film.
Tags: Bill Hader, Greg Mottola, Jesse Eisenberg, Kristen Stewart, movie reviews
Posted in Reviews |
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