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Kristen Stewart and Dakota Fanning in a Runaways Clip - Plus New Photos!

BuzzSugar — Thu, 21 Jan 2010 12:30:33 -0800

As I head to Sundance today, The Runaways is one of the films at the top of my must-sees. I'm so curious if Kristen Stewart can leave Twilight's meek Bella behind and channel the ferocity needed for a musical icon like Joan Jett. Judging by last month's teaser trailer, she has the rock-n-roll attitude (and the hair) down, and now we're getting a closer look with a just-released clip and several new pics.

In the brief snippet, we watch as Cherie Currie (Dakota Fanning) is introduced to Joan, thus beginning their collaboration. Fanning is totally trying to give off tough chick vibes to the camera, which is taking me some getting used to (sorry, Dakota, but your sweet, child actor days aren't the easiest to block out of memory). Still, the new footage and stills are piquing my interest even more to catch the movie in its entirety over the next few festival days.

Watch the clip, and check out all of the new photos (seven total!) when you read more.

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Photos courtesy of Apparition

Kristen Stewart and Dakota Fanning Rock Out in The Runaways Teaser!

BuzzSugar — Thu, 17 Dec 2009 08:06:33 -0800

OK, I admit it - I'm just a teensy bit curious to see Kristen Stewart and Dakota Fanning channeling their inner rocker goddesses in The Runaways, and it's not just because I fell victim to the Twilight craze. It's always intriguing to see an actor take on an icon, and now we're getting two for the price of one - and from teenage actresses, no less. Anyway, the photo we saw earlier this week is no match for the real thing, so feast your eyes on one minute of singing, lip-licking, and dirty looks. Here's the twist: it's ridden with angst but doesn't look half bad.

See for yourself and let me know what you think when you read more.

Kristen Stewart and Dakota Fanning in The Runaways - First Photo!

BuzzSugar — Mon, 14 Dec 2009 06:30:00 -0800

UPDATE: As it turns out, the poster image was not official and has been removed.

In case you hadn't heard, the stars of New Moon have some pretty big projects around the corner - and I'm not just talking about Eclipse and Breaking Dawn. At Sundance next month, Kristen Stewart and Dakota Fanning will premiere The Runaways - their biopic about the lives of Joan Jett and Cherie Currie. We saw tons of photos of Stewart rockin' that black mullet on the set over the Summer, but here is the first official still from the film.

So what do you think? Are you ready for Stewart's first big post-Bella Swan role? Personally I'm most looking forward to hearing the ladies work their vocal cords - I'm already pretty sure that Stewart won't have a hard time nailing down the rocker chick motif. Are you excited about the movie or would you rather just fast-forward to the rest of the Twilight saga?

New Moon: Better Than Twilight

BuzzSugar — Fri, 20 Nov 2009 05:45:00 -0800

Let's be honest: for most of you, it doesn't matter what I - or any critics for that matter - have to say about New Moon, the incredibly anticipated sequel to last year's Twilight. The film started breaking box office records before it was even released, and audiences will flock to the theaters for weeks to come. On the plus side, a ticket to New Moon is a win even if you're not a Twihard - provided that you know what you're getting into.

New Moon is not incredibly acted, and it doesn't boast impressive dialogue or larger-than-life special effects. But it's not trying to be the Best Picture of the Year, so I can only critique it for what it is: a fantasy movie about a love triangle between a werewolf, a vampire, and a teenage girl. To see what I mean, just read more.

The movie picks up a few months after where Twilight left off. Bella Swan (Kristen Stewart) is blissfully in love but she can't fight her insecurities about growing older than her perpetually seventeen vampire boyfriend Edward Cullen (Robert Pattinson). All Bella wants for her eighteenth birthday is for Edward to change her into a bloodsucker, but a close call with his brother drives Edward to break up with Bella and leave town instead.

The drama following Bella's abandonment is everything we remember from high school heartbreak, from Bella's night terrors to the glazed over look in her eye. The anguish and pain are easily seen on Stewart's face, and her innermost thoughts are revealed to the audience through letters to Edward's sister Alice that will never be sent. After months of moping, Bella finally starts to open up to Jacob Black (Taylor Lautner), a family friend. As Bella struggles to find hope in a life without Edward, her friendship is complicated by Jacob's romantic feelings for Bella and made worse when Jacob discovers that he's a werewolf (and an enemy to all vampires).

The surprise of the movie is Lautner's performance. We've seen and heard about those muscles countless times before, but he also packs enough charm and charisma into his Jacob that you truly see him as more than just Bella's unrelenting admirer / best friend. He presents himself as a viable suitor for Bella's heart, and it's hard not to root for him against Robert Pattinson's wooden (albeit handsome) Edward. Stewart and Pattinson have chemistry to spare in Twilight, but in New Moon, Bella's relationship with Jacob seems hopeful and comfortable while her scenes with Edward are mostly awkward and frankly not as much fun to watch.

The movie belongs to Stewart and Lautner, but their melodrama is balanced out by the characters who pad out the cast. Yes, we meet the wolf pack and the Volturi, but for the most part the Forks residents and beyond make for some much-needed comic relief. The downside is that while it's funnier than what you'd expect, not all of the laughs are intentional (a scene where Jacob's temper rivals that of The Incredible Hulk comes to mind).

It doesn't take more than a grain of salt to appreciate New Moon for what it is - a film that stays true to its origin and delivers the necessary elements to ensure that you'll be back when the next installment of the franchise comes our way.

Photos courtesy of Summit Entertainment

Before They Were New Moon Stars

BuzzSugar — Thu, 22 Oct 2009 16:30:13 -0700

In honor of today's very exciting launch of TwilightSugar, I thought it would be fun to take a look back at what the red-hot actors were doing before they were cast in New Moon. Some were unknown, others were child stars, so let's take a look back at their careers. Plus, now you can brush up on their old projects while you're waiting for New Moon!

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New Moon Update - Meet Your Volturi, Plus New Photos From the Film!

BuzzSugar — Fri, 28 Aug 2009 11:26:56 -0700

While the Twilight kids are hard at work on Eclipse, their fans are still anxiously anticipating New Moon's November arrival. We've already seen the trailer, but here's a closer look at some of the new faces we can expect Bella and Edward to run into in the sequel. Most of you think Dakota Fanning looks great as Jane, so check out the rest of her Volturi colleagues.
Photos courtesy of Summit Entertainment

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2009 Tribeca Film Festival Spotlight: Kate Hudson's Cutlass

BuzzSugar — Wed, 29 Apr 2009 08:15:00 -0700

I've been perusing the long list of interesting-looking movies scheduled for this year's Tribeca Film Festival, which continues in New York this week. It will be a while till many of the buzzworthy feature films hit theaters, so I'm excited that some of the festival's short films are online for anyone to view. One of those I was particularly curious to see is Cutlass.

The 16-minute film marks Kate Hudson's directorial debut, and she also wrote the screenplay. Compared to most shorts (at least the ones without celebrity directors), this movie has a pretty amazing cast, including Kristen Stewart, Kurt Russell, Virginia Madsen, Dakota Fanning, and Chevy Chase. The quick summary of the story: A mom (Madsen) can relate to her daughter (Fanning) about wanting to buy something really, really badly. The cinematography looks gorgeous, as does Stewart, who plays a younger version of Madsen's character and is kind of a knockout as a blonde.

You can watch the entire movie right here, so to check it out and let me know what you think about Hudson's filmmaking skills, just read more.

Dakota Fanning Indeed Set For New Moon

BuzzSugar — Mon, 09 Mar 2009 06:30:40 -0700

Turns out the rumors are true about Dakota Fanning's involvement in the next Twilight movie, New Moon. Back in January, EW reported that Fanning had been offered a role, and now it's official: Fanning will play Jane, "a sinister vampire with an angelic exterior who works for the Volturi." I wonder if this means they'll be beefing up the Volturi sequences in Italy for the movie, which I think might be a wise choice.

For some reason, as I read New Moon I kept picturing Kirsten Dunst's little vampire role in Interview With a Vampire as Jane. But Fanning is certainly good at angelic and sweet-seeming. I bet she'll have fun with this role. Thoughts, Twilight fans?

Source and source

Dakota Fanning to Rock Out in Joan Jett Movie

BuzzSugar — Thu, 05 Mar 2009 10:30:36 -0800

She's not playing Joan Jett herself - that role has gone to Kristen Stewart - but Dakota Fanning is in talks to join the cast of The Runaways as the lead singer of Jett's all-girl band. Here's more:

At 15, Fanning is the same age [Cherie] Currie was when she made her debut with the Runaways as the lead singer who belted out hard-edged tunes like "Cherry Bomb." Currie became caught up in drugs and a hard-partying lifestyle.

Now, I know Fanning has done dark stuff as she's gotten older and moved away from some of the precious little girl roles, but a hard-partying rocker? I'll be very curious to see how this turns out. In general, I'm fascinated by Fanning's career as she transitions into adulthood as it's a rocky path that not every actor seems to be able to navigate. Do you think Fanning is able to pull off these heavier, tougher roles?

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Coraline: Spooky and Awe-Inspiring

BuzzSugar — Sat, 07 Feb 2009 13:30:09 -0800

It's pretty darn hard not to be impressed by the miniature, handmade world brought to life in Coraline. The painstakingly careful process of making the movie is mind-boggling when you think about it and the end result is extremely cool to watch on a giant screen in 3-D. Stop-motion animation is an art form all its own, and it's truly a delight to watch this strange and sometimes very scary story told using this medium. Whether it's the real-life objects that are moving and talking or the 3-D experience, the fact is that it's remarkably easy to become absorbed into this world. Basically, Coraline is immensely entertaining.

The story, from Neil Gaiman's book, is more intriguing - and way darker - than most animated movies that are ostensibly geared toward children. The look and feel of the visuals only further darkens the tone. Coraline is a clever, no-nonsense girl who just moved into a new home with her parents. Both parents are writers who work from home - but that doesn't mean Coraline has constant companionship as they shoo her away at practically every turn. But one night, Coraline opens a small door in the living room, which leads her to a warm, colorful alternate world in which everything about her life is the same - only better. She has all the food and sweets she desires, her mother and father are engaging and attentive, and they create spectacular things for her. There's always a catch, though, so read more.

If Coraline wishes to stay in this world, she must replace her eyes with buttons and promise to stay with her "Other Mother" forever. The ghosts of children who succumbed to the appeal of their "other" worlds haunt Coraline and warn her not to give in, but by that point, the Other Mother has trapped Coraline and she must figure out how to escape, while helping the ghosts of those children along the way.

Admittedly, I'm not sure what the movie would be like if one were watching it on a small screen, or if the magic would be less potent if it weren't for the 3-D aspect. I wondered at times if I were so engaged in the story because of the visuals, or whether I'd find it so cool without the larger-than-life screen. I really don't know. Still, it doesn't take away from the accomplishment of bringing to jerky, spooky life this miniature world, all blown up.

I spent the duration of the film enraptured by this tale, these characters, and the visual ride I was on, and I spent days afterward excitedly marveling at the wonder of it all. If you already dislike animation and stop-motion, then Coraline won't change that. But if you allow yourself to be pulled in completely, the reward is an eerie-sweet feast for the eyes.

Images courtesy of Focus Features