Settle the f*ck down Twihards

I find this story equal parts annoying and amusing. Normally I would call bullsh*t on a story like this, but it comes from Deadline Hollywood - a source that is generally pretty spot on. Nikki Finke - love her or hate her - normally gets her stuff right.

According to a report on her site, fans of Kristen Stewart have been bombarding potential buyers of Welcome To The Rileys, pleading with them to purchase the rights to release the film. In an effort to ensure that they are able to see Kristen on screen as a teenage stripper, apparently these fans have gotten a hold of said executives emails and are using twitter, text and email to beg for a distribution deal for this movie. No word yet on whether their efforts have been successful.

Holy mother of crazy. Assuming this is true, and I am going with it being true simply because it is hysterical and disturbing, What the f*ck?? Badgering movie executives to buy a movie because you are a fan of one of the actors in it is one of the most ridiculous things I have ever heard. But I am not surprised. These are the same fans that have been known to write petitions because they don't like the proposed director of Eclipse. The same fans that wrote and delivered a letter to Summit when the very small role of Victoria was recast. Fans that will inundate message boards to defend Kristen Stewart, Robert Pattinson and the Twilight series if someone deigns to say something even remotely disparaging. Some of them are just a little crazy.

Now, don't mistake me. I am a fan of Kristen Stewart. Look back through previous posts. I think she is a little bit of awesome and have even been known to write a few comments on message boards in defensive of the Stew. I really want to see Welcome to the Rileys. I read the script and think it has potential. What I take issue with is the fact that although the intentions are from a good place, treating the makers, cast and crew of this movie with such disrespect irritates me. WTF were they thinking? That this would make the buyers want to purchase the film? They are turning what is a complicated high level decision into the equivalent of a high school petition to get a new brand of pop in the cafeteria.

XO

Sundance Portraits Make Me Smile and/or Quiver

At the start of this years Sundance Film Festival founder Robert Redford pronounced that this year would see a return to it's roots and that it would again enable unknown filmmakers to find an audience. That declaration remains to be seen and will be debated by much cleverer people than me in the weeks and months to come. I am pretty much here to post pictures of people I like and ridicule posted images of those I don't like. This specific post is more on the love side....

Let's begin with 2 of my absolute fave indie queens. On the left we have the amazing Catherine Keener - a staple at film festivals. One of the most respected working actors around, she never seems allows herself to be sucked in by the Hollyweird bullsh*t. She is with Oliver Platt - her costar in the upcoming film Cyrus. On the right is one hi-larious lady - Parker Posey. She has been in a ton of films, I especially loved her the Christopher Guest movies - Best In Show, Waiting for Guffman, A Mighty Wind. She was also too funny in Scream 3....do not judge my love of the Scream Trilogy. I will fight you on this. Parker was not promoting anything at Sundance this year - she was one of the judges.

Next up is my girl crush Kristen Stewart who is the indisputable Princess of the festival with 2 films showing. The top right picture is with her director Jake Scott and co-star Melissa Leo from Welcome to the Riley's. The other pictures, of course, are with her costar Dakota Fanning as well the totally bad ass Joan Jet and Cherie Currie who Kristen and Dakota are playing in The Runaways. I have already written a ton of stuff about both these films, so won't say anthing further.

I have already posted candid pictures of my new favourite imaginary couple Ryan Gosling and Michelle Williams. I love these pictures, although they do make me rather distracted. And I have already had to wipe the drool off of my keyboard once this week... I don;t want to do it again. Their film Blue Valentine is getting good reviews and looks like it will get picked up. Yay!

Cute boys in flannel, dirty jeans and boots are always a good thing in my mind..... Oh James Franco, another many who makes me quiver in my nether regions. Howl was one of the first films screened at the Festival this year and seems to have gotten decent (but not fantastic) reviews. It has a great cast (including the dreamy Jon Hamm, Bob Balaban, Mary Louise Parker & David Strathairn) and a very interesting premise. On the right is the Orlando Bloom - who still makes me quiver - and Juliette Lewis who are costarring in Mark Rufallo's film Sympathy for Delicious about a newly paralysed DJ who seeks out a world of faith healing. Hmmm. Interesting!!

Sarah Polley is the Queen of Canada's indy film scene and an Oscar nominee. She is pictures here with her director for the thriller Splice. No specific reason why she is included in this set of pics. I just admire her a lot. Such a young and talented young lady! I adore Naomi Watts. Ever since Brides of Christ and Hey Dad! - which unless you are an Aussie you will have no idea what I am talking about. She is very very very talented. Her movie Mother and Child looks very interesting. Watts plays the daughter of Anette Benning who was given up for adoption by Benning when she was born. It also costars Kerry Washington, Samuel L Jackson, David Morse and Jimmy Smitts. The few reviews I have read are all positive, which is a good! I also just saw on IMDb that Watts is signed on for a remake of The Birds - inspired casting if you ask me!

Last up is a group of Aussie actors who were in town for their crime drama film Animal Kingdom. Guy Pearce is probably the best known of the cast, but was not in Sundance sadly. But Ben Mendelsohn was. I heart him. Very well known and respected in my home and native Australia. Not so much elsewhere. He has had a number of smallish roles in some films, but nothing substantial. He did costar in one of my favourite movies from Australia - The Year My Voice Broke - such a good movie!!! The chick - Jackie Weaver - at the front is best known to me for being married to a very well known personality in Australia (Bert Newton). But she has also done a ton of TV and Film work in Oz. She was actually the one I initially recognised in this picture for some bizarre reason!

All of these shots are from the EW Photo Studio - an annual tradition at Sundance. I am such a fan of these shots and the photographer - Ture Lillegraven. Sundance wraps up over the weekend and then the focus will be on Tuesday's Oscar nominations. I am finally going to see Crazy Heart over the weekend. I may actually write a quick review - it has been a while!

XO

Kristen Stewart - The Princess of Sundance?

I find it a little odd to think that a 19 year old girl will likely be the most photographed and talked about star at this year's Sundance Film Festival in Park City Utah. There are Academy award winners, fame whores, Industry heavy hitters galore. But all the photogs, all the reporters... they are all hoping for one thing. Kristen Stewart. Granted, Kristen is in 2 films at Sundance this year. But it is not like that has ever happened before. What is bizarre to me is that from the second she landed by private jet on Friday until she leaves, all eyes will be on her. And considering that Kristen Stewart is as fond of attention as women are of Brazilian's, I am sure this experience will be interesting!

Welcome the the Riley's is in competition at Sundance. This is the much anticipated K-Stew as a stripper role that was filmed before, during and after the press junket for Twilight back in late 2008. Lurking on some of the boards apparently there are a large number of fans who simply want to see their K-Stew naked. Sorry to disappoint all you skeevy pervs, but from what I have read, it isn't gonna happen. The film premiered yesterday and Kristen and co-star Melissa Leo were on hand to promote promote promote. I have not seen any inkling of James Gandolfini in Park City, so I am assuming that he has opted out of the press duties for this one

The reviews have been mixed. While most have consistently praised the performances, a number of reviewers have found the story to be cliched and lacking in originality. There has also been quite a bit of criticism heaped on Jake Scott's directorial efforts. I have read the script. And I agree that the story of a little girl lost who is saved by a couple who in turn are saved by the little girl lost is a little cliched. But, I am looking forward to seeing Kristen as something other than Bella Swan and for her to show to the world that she is capable of so much more than Twilight. One teeny beef I have with the reviews I have heard is that they are saying that Kristen is trying to "break free" from Bella Swan. Ummm.... no. She made this movie when Twilight was on the cusp of becoming the worldwide crazy insane phenomenon that it is now. I am pretty sure that Welcome to The Riley's does not have a distributor yet. So I don't know when we will get to see it.

Kristen's other movie at Sundance has distribution (yay!) and will be released in North America in March. It is also not part of the competition for Sundance. This is The Runaways - the Rock biopic about the Joan Jett, Cherie Currie band - The Runaways. This film is also very "buzzy" as it features fishnets, drugs, same-sex kissing, booze, rock and roll.... all those fun things that make a film buzz-worthy. Especially when they involve a kiss between Kristen Stewart and Dakota Fanning.

Although this was touted as a K-Stew film - early reports say that the standout in this is most definitely 15 year old Dakota Fanning. Dakota and Michael Shannon as sleazy manager Kim Fowley are apparently the stand outs in this movie. And before you lynch me, I am not saying that Kristen sucks in any way shape or form. Or that reviewers are saying she sucks. What reviewers are saying is that this is such a departure for Dakota - who has been America's sweetheart for how may years now? - that she becomes so immersed in her role that she is barely recognisable in parts. Even looking at these pictures, she is so grown up! And so pretty! Can't wait to see her strung out, in a fishnet stockings behaving in a decidedly non-Dakota way.

But really, I am sad to say that much of the focus on Kristen at Sundance will not be about the work that she has poured her heart and soul into. I think that most of the bloggers and detractors will be focusing on the number of times that Kristen smiles during interviews, how she doesn't look as polished as the Disney starlets she is constantly compared to, how she doesn't answer interviewers questions with that perfect sound byte. You know, the really important stuff. Gah. To dispel at least one of these things: I have purposefully included as many pics of Kristen looking at least half-way happy. Some are from The Runaways shoot and for those of you not as obsessed as I am: the top left photo is with director Floria Sigismondi

I wonder if Phillip Seymour Hoffman is ever talked about for his Sundance ensembles? Prolly not.

XO

Ch-Ch-Ch-Cherry Bomb!

I am not really a "I must do XYZ before I die" kind of person. I do not have one of those Bucket Lists that Jack and Morgan made a movie about a few years ago. I think it was even called The Bucket List. Anyways, although I am not a Bucket List maker, there are some things I really want to do at some point in my life. Comic-con is one. The South By South West Music Fest is another. TIFF - most definitely up there. Sundance. Oh Sundance. Especially this year.

The Sundance Film Festival is taking place in Park City Utah from now until the end of the month and I so wish I could be there. In spite of the invasion of Sundance by such dubious celebrities as Paris Hilton and Jon Gossellin (WTF?), and the over abundance of gifting lounges, I would still love to go one day. To be around so many small little films that are fighting for an audience. To witness the discovery of a film such as sex lies and videotape or Precious…. Anyways, 2 of the most anticipated films of Sundance star my girl crush Kristen Stewart. While only one of them is in the competition portion of the Festival – Welcome to the Rileys – the other movie – The Runaways – looks pretty damned awesome.

The Runaways makes its big Sundance debut this Sunday in Park City, and we have something that will keep your rocker hearts beating until then: an exclusive first look at the movie's teaser poster. We know, we know: now that you've gotten to see plenty more stills and a clip from the Kristen Stewart and Dakota Fanning-headlined flick, a "teaser" isn't exactly the sort of juice you're looking for. But…..Behold the full teaser poster above. In case you're scratching your head in wonderment: the fruity explosive device is a nod to The Runaways' famous hit song, "Cherry Bomb," which we saw Kristen rock out to in the teaser trailer

Source

And these stills released a few days ago! Oh la! This movie looks pretty fricking cool. They seem to have the look down perfectly. I can’t wait t see Dakota Fanning as a bad ass sexually adventurous rocker chick. I forget that she is not a baby anymore (well, she is, but she is not 10 years old anymore). I am also thoroughly impressed with Michael Shannon as the smarmy smarmy manager Kim Fowley. Doesn’t he make your skin crawl? Each time I see him in character I feel an overwhelming need to take a shower. *Shudder*

The Runaways premiers over the weekend in Park City, but the rest of us have to wait until March 19th or so to see this movie. Sadly I will be in a place where films do not premier on their opening weekend. :( Not sure when I will get a chance to see it. Hopefully it will still be on in Vancity when I get back from visiting my momma in Tasmania.

XO

Trailer Trash - The Runaways

Finally, a trailer has been released for The Runaways. And although it doesn't really tell you much, and there is no dialogue save a few snippets of songs and Michael Shannon as skeevy band manager Kim Fowley. If you were not aware, this film is a rock biopic about 1970's rock band The Runaways. Starring Kristen Stewart as Joan Jett and Dakota Fanning as Cherie Currie - the movie will debut at Sundance in a few weeks. The girls will not only be playing their own instruments, they are also lending their own voices to such classic songs as Cherry Bomb, Queens of Noise, Born to be Bad and many others. I hope that it gets a theatrical release soon after.

I also managed to get my grubby little paws on a copy of the script. Wowsers. Lotsa sex, drugs and rock and roll. I think that Dakota's good girl image is gonna go up in flames after her first girl on girl kiss with Kristen Stewart. And as for the actress best known as Bella Swan, she already has a reputation as quite the bad ass. This film is definitely gonna foster that image.

Can't fricking wait

XO

"The Runaways" gets a Poster and a 1st Screening Date

Kristen Stewart is gonna be one busy girl at The Sundance Film Festival in January 2010. Not only is Welcome to The Rileys part of the official program at the Festival in Park City, Utah but word has just come out that another film she completed in between filming New Moon and Eclipse here in Vancouver will be screened, likely looking for a distributor. I wasn't aware that they had a "non-competition" section to Sundance, but I am glad that they do.

The Runaways is the story of 1970's all-girl rock band of the same name. Starring Kristen Stewart as Joan Jett and Dakota Fanning as Cherie Currie, the film chronicles the band from their formation in 1975 until 1977 when Currie left at the height of their success. Also starring Academy Award nominee Michael Shannon as their manipulative manager Kim Fowley, and Alia Shawkett, Scout Taylor-Compton & Stella Maeve, I really really hope that someone picks this film up. I would hate for it to languish on a shelf somewhere.

I think this story is so fascinating. They were a manufactured group, but they turned the music industry, particularly the hard-rock music industry, on it's head. A bunch of 15-16 chicks filling stadiums, taking on what had always been a male dominated world, living the rockstar lifestyle as teenage girls. Looks pretty f*cking rad if you ask me. The first poster and promotional pictures were released recently. The poster is all about the legs and the guitars - and the red. I like it! I absolutely love the picture of Kristen and Dakota - they look fricking amazing and bad ass in this shot. I can't wait to see this movie.


Gah! Why do I not have a life that affords me the ability to go to Sundance? Or TIFF? Or SXSW? Sigh.... Maybe one day I will....


XO

Bella Swan ain't in Forks anymore.....

After the insane press tour for Twilight last November, Kirsten Stewart quietly slipped back to New Orleans to continue filming an indie flick she wasn't sure would ever find an audience. That film is Welcome to The Rileys and also stars James Gandolfini (Tony Soprano) and Academy Award nominee Melissa Leo. In Jake Scott's (son of Ridley Scott) feature directorial debut, Stewart plays Mallory, a stripper and prostitute who comes into the lives of the Riley's (Gandolfini and Leo), who are struggling with the death of their daughter.

Rumours abound that Stewart will be nekkid in this role, but I doubt it. She was only 18 when this was being filmed and there are many ways to cut a film to hide the nekkidness. Regardless, it looks like she will be barely clothed for much of it, if these first images are anything to go by. I have read the script and I have to say that the film has potential. The cast is impressive and story is interesting.

Gone is the sweet, doe eyed girl Twihards know and idolise. "Bella" is replaced instead by a heavily made-up, stringy haired girl who swears like a sailor and continually offers herself to a man old enough to be her father. Oh and if my memory of the script serves me correctly, she does work the stripper pole at some point during the film.

Welcome to the Rileys will be shown at The Sundance Film Festival in January, and hopefully will find a distributor so that the rest of us can see this film at the theatre as opposed to DVD. I am a fan of Kristen. I truly believe that she will go far beyond the Twilight Saga and will be able to overcome the potential stigma of being attached to such a cheesy franchise. Thankfully, she doesn't seem to be interested in the celebrity of acting, but the craft. Either that or she is an even better actor than I thought!

Before she even signed on for Twilight, Kristen made another indie flick that has yet to see the light of day. The Yellow Handkerchief is the story of three strangers who embark on a road trip through post Katrina Louisiana. The trio head out together, each motivated by his/her own reasons: Brett (William Hurt) must decide whether he wants to return to the uncertainty of his life and his ex-wife May (Maria Bello) for whom he longs, Martine (Stewart) yearns to escape her family, and Gordy (Eddie Redmayne) hopes to get close to Martine. Likely based partly on Kristen's probable ability to open a movie, The Yellow Handkerchief is now scheduled for an April release.

Stewart also has the Joan Jett biopic The Runaways set to open next year and the James Wood directed An American Girl in the works, amongst other things. Busy, busy time for my girl Kristen. Thankfully she seems to have had a little break for the past few weeks. I haven't heard a peep from her (or should I say, I haven't seen a shot of her anywhere). Yay to some small semblance of privacy.

XO

Confessions of a Music Lovers I-Pod

Trying to get back on track with this here little musical interlude.

For those of you new to this game, "shuffle all" your i-pod and write down the first 15 songs that come up. No cheating! Unless artists show up more than once :)

1. The Replacements: Talent Show
2. Adele: Cold Shoulder
3: Robert Pattinson: To Roam (he he he)
4. The Smiths: Girlfriend in a Coma (weird coincidence - I am reading Douglas Copeland's book of the same name right now!)
5. She & Him: I Should Have Known Better
6. Cast of Spring Awakening: My Junk (with Lea Michelle from Glee!)
7. Joshua Radin: Friend Like You
8. George Harrison: What is Life
9. Lily Allen: The Fear
10: Nirvana: Polly
11. Monsters of Folk: Slow Down Joe
12. Mika: Grace Kelly
13. The Filthy Youth: Come Flash All Your Ladies (Ed Westwick from Gossip Girl's band)
14. Regina Spektor: Begin to Hope
15. Damien Rice: Sweet Avenue

Well there you have it. Anything new and exciting for you to scope out? Hit me up with some suggestions.

Although they didn't show up on this 15 I am throwing out a special mention to Bon Iver. Kristen Stewart was on Jimmy Fallon this week and mentioned them (I think they are on the soundtrack?) and she specifically mentioned an amazing acapella version of For Emma done in the hallway of a venue somewhere in Paris. I had heard it before, but forgotten about it. Thanks for the reminder Kristen! I was supposed to see Bon Iver at the Sasquatch festival earlier this year, but they were 20 minutes late and I got peeved and went back to The Yeah Yeah Yeahs.

And yes I kinda regret it as I saw the Yeah X3 again at Bumbershoot a few months later.

PS: Julian Casablancas tomorrow night at The Commodore! Very excited. It has been like 2 weeks since I have seen a live show!

XO

New Moon Review

Yesterday was the day. I took a long weekend, dragged my 30+ year old self down the street to the Scotiabank Theatre to meet my friend Emma, waited in a line up for 90 minutes with a bunch of teenagers to see: squeal – The Twilight Saga: New Moon – squeal.

In the interests of full disclosure, I should confess that any comments on the movie are clouded by the bottle of wine that I drank before and during the film. I will be seeing it again next week with another friend, and am gonna be sober for the second sitting. I am pretty sure there are a few things I don’t remember. On a somewhat unrelated note, did you know that if you pour an entire bottle of wine into a Nalgene bottle, it really doesn’t look like that much?

Anyways…..New Moon is infinitely better than Twilight. This movie is not and is unlikely to ever be a critically acclaimed movie series. It is currently sitting at 38% amongst the Top Critics on Rotten Tomatoes. But the critics have not in any way discouraged the masses from seeing it. The Twilight Saga: New Moon has shattered the opening day record previously held by The Dark Knight, taking in an estimated $72.7 million dollars on Friday. Which is more than Twilight made on it’s opening weekend.

Considering the grand fromage of the source material, I think that script writer Melissa Rosenberg and director Chris Weitz did a decent job keep the schmaltz in check. It was and will always be total cheese, but there were only a few times when I actually threw up in my mouth just a little. Case in point: the scene where Alice “sees” Edward and Bella running through the woods – which I guess was supposed to be our first glimpse of a “changed” Bella. Snort. It was ridiculous and completely overdone. And other, much better known bloggers have commented on the catwalk style of Edward's entrance in the film.... totally spot on. And while I understand that Edward is much more intelligent than anyone in the school, couldn't he fake the fact that he is a student by bringing a notebook, or at least a pen? Come on, if you are worried about being found out, wouldn't you at least carry a backpack?

Thankfully the dark and moody blue lighting was replaced with more earth tones. Chris Weitz also chose to ditch the swirling, disjointed camera shots that Catherine Hardwick used in Twilight – except for the scene with Bella moping in the same chair (and strangely in the same sweatpants) while the camera panned around her, showing time passing outside her window after Edward leaves. I thought it was really well done.

Overall I thought the acting from all was decent. Nothing award winning, but not as amateurish as Twilight was. I am an unabashed fan of Kristen Stewart, and I thought that she did a great job again. I much prefer the Bella that she portrays as opposed to the Bella from Stephanie Meyer’s books. Rob was very very pretty and tortured and brooding. And did I mention pretty? Taylor Lautner did good – but, I’m sorry, I just can’t take him seriously in the role of Jacob. He looks 16. Jacob is supposed to look 25. It just doesn’t do it for me. But he was fine. And his abs are crazy sick.

As I expected, I very much enjoyed Anna Kendrick's Jessica. For the few lines she had - amazing. According to an interview I saw recently with Melissa Rosenberg, she was one of the only cast members whose improvised lines were consistently better than the scripted lines written by Rosenberg. Love her. Can't wait for Up in the Air. Also – can I tell you how much I love Billy Burke as Charlie? Funny and sweet and fantastic. He can rock that moustache like no-one I have seen before. Love the 'stache.

The Volturi were appropriately menacing. Michael Sheen’s Aro was perfectly over the top – a little campy, but clearly dangerous. Dakota Fanning needs to play a villain more often. With one sideways glance her Jane could cut anyone down to size. The wolfpack were shirtless. Which is pretty much all I have to say. They were shirtless. A lot. Actually, the whole time. Shirtless brown boys = goodness.

With few exceptions, the styling and look of the Vampires was far superior to Twilight. From the red and topaz eyes, to the clothes, to most of their hair. One noticeable exception is the incredibly hot in real life Jackson Rathbone. Jackson plays the unfortunate Jasper, whose hair made me laugh out loud. What was with that lock that was falling into his eyes? Bwahhhh. Even though Rachelle Lefevre was only in the film for about 2 minutes in total she looked awesome – her hair was flaming red as it should have been in Twilight.

The effects were good in parts and laughable in others. When Bella went cliff diving for instance. The diving - good. Even when she is getting hammered by the waves = good. but when she was knocked out? WTF was that? The position of her body was ridiculous. It was stiff and unnatural and not what would happen if you were in the water. Badness. The wolves were decent – their few fight scenes were fast and furious and pretty hard to follow. The scenes in Italy were beautifully shot – from Bella running through the crowds to find Edward to the Volturi chambers.

Overall, I found The Twilight Saga: New Moon the movie to be vastly superior to Twilight. Granted the budget was almost double that of the first flick. But the whole thing was just better for me. Yes it was cheese. Yes I laughed out loud at a few of the lines (but that was due to the horror that is Stephanie Meyer’s writing). But I am much happier with this one than with Twilight. Well done Chris Weitz. Well done!

XO