Film Bitch Awards - Early FYC Ads

Michael C here.

Now that the first Oscar ads of the season are upon us we dedicated Film Experience fans know what that means. Time to start getting excited about The Film Bitch Awards.

I'm guessing I speak for a lot of you when I say I've found myself anticipating them as an essential part of the awards season because A) Nathaniel has taken the time to see the films in question unlike some voting bodies I could name and B) he actually approaches the bestowing of honors with some thoughtfulness and imagination, honoring worthy elements from otherwise average movies and not paying any mind to group think momentum. Also, Oscar doesn't have a category for best sex scene. Just sayin'.

So I thought it would be a bit of fun on a Sunday evening to give a shout out to our own 2010 favorites before the year end films completely dominate the conversation. I'll get the ball rolling...

FYC - The Runaways for Best Poster

I've read a lot of praise for the striking design on posters for The Social Network and For Colored Girls but the stark simplicity of this design for The Runaways is still tops of 2010 for me. In the wake of the play-it-safe banality of The King's Speech's justly derided one sheet it's worth holding this up as an example of what one can accomplish with some daring and confidence. The actual movie didn't hold much interest for me but this image has had my thoughts returning to the film all year.

FYC - Ben Kingsley in Shutter Island for Best Line Reading

"You blew up my car. I loved that car."

The last thing I was expecting when Leo reached the top of that lighthouse was this laugh line from Kingsley. For all the mad scheming of the his character that was one bit of collateral damage he just did not see coming. Kingsley, of course, nails the deadpan delivery and also makes it seem like a bit of sly commentary on the convoluted plot. The story is about to spiral through a half dozen more heated twists, but first things first.

FYC - Hereafter for Best Action Sequence

I was clearly on the side of the underwhelmed when it came to Eastwood's shadowy psychic drama, but there is no denying the impact of the opening Tsunami scene. Who would have guessed that after Emmerich and Bay spent the better part of their careers destroying the planet dozens of times over, Clint would come out of nowhere and show them how it's done. More than any disaster sequence I've scene this communications that queasy pit-of-the-stomach panic accompanying the realization that escape isn't an option.

FYC - Douglas Urbanski in The Social Network for Best Limited Role 

Every cast member gets there share of killer lines in Sorkin's script, but nobody knocked them out of the park with more consistency than Urbanski as Harvard President and former Treasury Secretary Larry Summers. The confrontation with the "Winklevii" is a sustained comedic high point. His Summers may miss the scope of the issue at hand but he is right on target when it comes to sizing up the two young men across the desk from him and how they managed to claim three minutes of his time. Urbanski nails that mixture of obliviousness and perceptiveness.

FYC - The Ghost Writer for Best Ending

Here's a rare occurrence in modern films - the twist ending that feels completely earned and holds up to the scrutiny of repeated viewings. Over the past decade it felt like story redefining twists were the fashionable thing to tack on to screenplays whether they were supported by the material or not. The ending here not only shifts our perspective on everything that just occurred but brings the whole movie in for a flawless landing with the perfect few grace notes and a final image that sticks in the memory.

FYC - Winter's Bone for Best Individual Scene

A lot of Winter's Bone succeeds as a mood piece. Images and textures stand out as much as sequences - the dismembered squirrel, the sound of Ree screaming to be heard in the slaughterhouse, the trampoline. Yet director Debra Granik does stage a beautifully tense standoff between John Hawkes and the state trooper that deserves mention as a stand alone set piece. All through the film we are trying to get a handle on Teardrop's menacing character. All we know for certain is that he is dangerous and if he is making a threat it would be foolish to assume he's bluffing. Granik squeezes every last drop of suspense out the scene. It's a pleasure to see a potentially violent encounter play out without the characters on action movie autopilot.

I'll turn it over to you guys. What movie moments would you like to see remembered after the end-of-the-year deluge of prestige pictures? Here's a refresher on the categories if you need one.

La Mission (and Other New Releases)

In the first reel of Peter Bratt's LA MISSION we follow Che Rivera (picture left, embodied by Benjamin Bratt) through his typical day as a bus driver, lowrider enthusiast, recovering alcoholic, tough guy and respected man on the street in San Francisco's Mission district. Just when you begin to worry that the film is way too marinated in macho sweat -- you'll lose track of the number of "bros" uttered, fists bumped -- we're introduced to Che's teenage son Jes (Jeremy Ray Valdez) who happens to be secretly shacked up with rich white boy Jordan (Max Rosenak). The upcoming conflict is clear. How will the macho ex-con father ever deal once he finds out about his one and only son?

read the rest @ my weekly Towleroad column ...

...for my take on La Mission, Date Night and the tense Australian crime film The Square. I'll have a few more things to say about Christina Ricci's latest feature After.Life as soon as I can get to it.

In other theatrical news, apparently The Runaways is expanding back to its opening weekend size again. Which wasn't very big to begin with. I haven't a clue why that film (a rock biopic with two big stars) opened with such a small theatrical count or why they let the theater count drop for two weeks before re-expanding to opening weekend size. What is going on with that films release, Apparition? This is not as arthouse as Control. Why treat it like it wouldn't have mass appeal? If you haven't seen it yet it's definitely worth a look. It's at least on par if not better than its Oscar nominated blood relations (Ray, Walk the Line) though it's too youthful and edgy to incite similar golden showers. Wait! That came out wrong. Golden Showers. haha. Well, in my defence, Joan Jett (Kristen Stewart) does pee on a guitar.
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Sorry I Cannot Link You, I'm Kinda Busy. Ki-Kinda Busy. Ki-Kinda Busy

Guardian Hugh Jackman dancing for Lipton Iced Tea. I love it
/Film Abbie Cornish's next two projects (one for Madonna!)
Movie|Line on the Best Actress Curse. Win one, get divorced
My New Plaid Pants gets it right from the creator's mouth. Bryan Fuller of Pushing Daisies fame is now participating in the MNPP "ways not to die" series. Awesome
Allure Heidi Klum is ALWAYS pregnant on Project Runway. This is her just 3 months after giving birth for the umpteenth time. I suspect she's actually a mutant

Boy Culture Why did they remake Death at a Funeral anyway? I must agree with every word of this post
Deadline New York Tim Burton doing an 3D stop motion Addams Family movie? Hmmm. I'd rather see Wes Anderson take a crack at that personally, since Fantastic Mr Fox came out so fine. The gothic feel might stretch him a bit but he's already great with large family tableaus
The Critical Condition rejects our spoiler-filled culture. I agree. But unfortunately that preference means I hardly ever get to enjoy reviews any more (I can't read them unless I've seen the movie Too few reviewers care about telling you an entire plot even if they aren't doing "spoilers" per se) and I've had to drop some spoiler heavy sites from my reading list so I'm sometimes slow to read movie news
Blog Talk Radio (podcast) Kathryn Bigelow's Oscar win and an interview with Floria Sigismondi (The Runaways)

Finally, have you seen this bizarre but funny faux interview between Zach Galifianikis and Charlize Theron?

Why Do I Link?

Gold Derby talks to Robert Osborne about what went wrong with this year's Oscar ceremony
I Need My Fix Sharon Stone on 'Law & Order: SVU'? Are things really that dire for her? Sad.
The Independent Eye Gabby Sidibe can have a career, Howard Stern. Here are seven plus sized successes from Hollywood's past
Movie Marketing Madness looks at the promotional strategy on The Runaways


Coming Soon the first poster for Scott Pilgrim vs. The World
The Film Stage I'd somehow missed the news that Andrew Jarecki (Capturing The Friedmans) bought his Dunst/Gosling murder drama All Good Things back from the Weinsteins after they kept not releasing it (so typical). Sigh... the Weinsteins are basically like dragons who hoard shiny treasures (films) in dark caves (vaults).
Boy Culture attends the GLAAD awards. Lots of videos with the attendees! Here's one of Sigourney Weaver who starts out not wanting to give advice to closeted actors... but then does. Go Sigweavie

I think it's very important as an actor -- We can change into anyone but it's always very important to be true to yourself in the business. So I think it would actually be helpful and energy giving to absolutely be who you are.

The Independent looks at the topic Sigourney is speaking to. Playing gay is so great for careers, but few actors are yet willing to assume being gay will be.
Random Acts of Literary Vandalism discovers how endearing Drew Barrymore's Whip It is (more and more people will)
popbytes has details from that Glee promotional event we mentioned a couple of days ago.
Hollywood Reporter Jayma Mays (Glee) added to cast of The Smurfs

Hello World I'm Your Wild Girl

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JA from MNPP here, wishing Dakota Fanning a very happy Sweet 16 today. Hard to believe she's old enough to shove Tom Cruise outta the driver's seat and outrun alien-tripod-killing-machines all on her own now (and maybe stop that endless annoying shrieking from the backseat already for the love of god stop), but it's true.

Much has been said about Dakota's preternaturally adult-like demeanor - a whole series of SNL skits was devoted to it - and that was in keeping with the New Jodie Foster mantle placed on her back in the day. Every serious young actress has Jodie's name flung at them, after all. Anytime one goes to college, they're taking The Jodie Route!

Dakota got her Accused outta the way quick - some might say far, far too quick - with Hounddog. And now comes the sexually-ambiguous period. Jodie accomplished this by igniting exactly zero point zero-zero sparks opposite every man she's ever been cast across from, including Mel Gibson and Richard Gere. Looks like Dakota's bypassing that and instead gunning straight for Sappho with her soon-to-be-much-touted scene with (other New Jodie) Kristen Stewart in The Runaways. That's called progress, people!

So what do we think of Dakota? Will she steer herself out of the pack of her peers and past child-star shadows into a longtime career of her own? And who wins in a Jodie off - her or K. Stewart?

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poll by twiigs.com

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Sundance Day 5 & 6: The Runaways, Mother and Child, and More...

The day in which Nathaniel got sick (cough sneeze), wanted to jump on Ari Graynor (with love!), saw Paul Dano at a party (quite adorable), went to a gay party by himself (absolute torture) and saw a few movies. Which is what we're here to talk about. So here goes...

Holy Rollers
I've seen more than enough drug dramas in my lifetime but this one is about an ecstasy smuggling ring with Hasidic Jews as couriers. So ...that's new. Movies with unusual premises or angles win initial "potential" points right off the bat. Jesse Eisenberg plays Jesse Eisenberg again... only with payot. (somebody needs to start stretching. I'm just sayin'). He plays Sam Gold who, despite the fact that he's living an Orthodox life, he soon dives deep into crime with an older friend and fellow Hasid (Justin Bartha), as his guide. Ari Graynor, whom I love yet more with each new movie, plays their bosses arm candy. She enjoys torturing (i.e. flirting with) the Jewish boys and delighting me in my theater seat. There's a certain punch to a couple of the performances and the milieu is interesting, but I wish the movie were stronger. It lacks a certain urgency that's necessary for crime dramas (even non-violent ones like this) but the religious backdrop was refreshing. Holy Rollers also accepts and doesn't judge the way that people often retreat into religious ritual and habit, whenever they feel threatened by the waters they've tested outside. C+

P.S. At one point Ari Graynor offers Jesse ecstasy on her tongue. I've never done E but I've never been more tempted. I am becoming obsessed with Ari Graynor. Help me!

Mother and Child
The premise goes like so: Mother "Karen" (Annette Bening), pregnant when she was only 14, gave up Child "Elizabeth" (Naomi Watts) for adoption. Both of them live the next 37 years deeply affected by this decision. Mother spends the rest of her life thinking about this girl and who she might have become. Bening's performance, typically strong, is all brittle self-punishing defeat. Karen's anger isn't only internal, she's got enough of it to spread around, keeping potential friends and would be lovers at a (safe) distance. Bening has played icy women before but Karen feels like a fresh creation. There's no theatricality to her rudeness, no joy in her solitude.

Elizabeth, meanwhile, has become a skilled successful lawyer. Like her mother she also lashes out, only she knows she's doing it. There's an unsettling 'I dare you' challenge in her gaze and she seems to greatly enjoy undermining the happiness of neighbors and angling for power in her relationship with her boss (Samuel L Jackson). It's a difficult unlikeable character to wrap your head around. Watts is typically intense but she doesn't find a way to make the ice queen thaw feel like more than a forced screenplay choice. There's a third would be Mother in the film "Lucy" (Kerry Washington) and the film also runs into some trouble here. All the parallels and connections began to feel too schematic and less than organic.

Writer/director Rodrigo García's career from Things You Can Tell Just By Looking At Her through his television work and to Nine Things suggests that he loves actresses as much as I do. I thank him for that but next time I hope he loves them more spontaneously and energetically. Mother and Child has both sorrow and warmth but it needed more fire in its (pregnant) belly. C+

The Runaways
Joan Jett, Dakota Fanning and Kristen Stewart all came to town for the festival to promote this rock star bio film. And Sunday night Jett even performed -- she still loves rock and roll -- but I was not invited. The universe is cruel that way.


Though I had my worries about Kristen Stewart portraying this iconic 80s rock star, the mimicry seems to have encouraged her to drop some of the usual tics that she brings with her when playing fictional characters. She's fine here even though, as it turns out, she's nearly a supporting character despite her top billing. We meet Joan first but by the time Dakota Fanning takes the mic as the "ch-ch-ch-ch-ch-cherry bomb" jailbait, the catalyst for their success as the film argues, the film is hers. Or maybe it's Michael Shannon's? He gives the only comic performance in the film as their manager.

Director Floria Sigismondi has fashioned a visually exciting bio that is refreshingly punk in spirit: she doesn't shy away from the unsavory reckless behavior, the sexually fluid promiscuity (yes, Dakota & Kristen get it on), or the money-minded exploitation of underage Cherie. Speaking of: what will people make of the parallel exploitation of Dakota Fanning in this role? For all the snap of the music, the fun of the period details and the colorful aesthetic, The Runaways is hit and miss. Like many biopics, it suffers from a repetitive nature and some missed opportunities in focus and character development, particularly within the supporting cast who barely seem to exist. B

Catfish
The next day sidelined by general sickness miserabilism, I only took in one movie: the extremely buzzy documentary about... well, here's the catch. You're not allowed to talk about what it's about. I wrote a little bit more about it in my weekly Tribeca column. B+

What have you been watching this past week? Have you ever been to Sundance.
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Sundance Day 2: Last Flight Train To Vegetarianism

Time travel with me to yesterday
(and be back tonight for txtcritic's SAG liveblogging!)

So I did actually make it to Utah. Picked up press badge -- they apologized that my lanyard was pink. I promise you, festival volunteers, I'm not offended. Although I prefer the term 'lavender' -- and collapsed in hotel room for an hour. Went to first movie which, as it turned out, was a major slap-in-face perspective wise: it's tough to think about how much complaining I did about my 19 hour trip to get to a film festival in a resort town in the face of the world's largest hellish annual migration to places far less glamorous.

Last Train Home
Every year in China, millions upon millions of migrant workers travel out of the cities en masse for the Chinese New Year. It's the only time they see their families in the country all year. A more traditional documentary might have opened with a ton of onscreen text or talking head facts to tell you about this chaotic commuting phenomenon. Instead the film opens with evocative images of the migration, instantly engaging this Westerner's curiosity with only the slimmest factual details in text form, the rest you fill in from the drama you're watching. After the stunning opening, the film backtracks to watch a husband and wife working in the city and struggling to get tickets for this annual journey. Once we've settled in with the chatty worried mother and the quiet dad with unconcealed sadness all around his eyes, we travel with them to the bittersweet family reunion. It quickly sours. Their teenage daughter resents their annual lecture-heavy visits "stay in school, don't become like us" since she feels she barely knows them and they didn't raise her, their young son, who seems to have a bright sense of humor, might soon feel the same way since they harp on his grades continually. The family argues and everyone makes vague future promises everyone else knows they won't keep. And just when we're settling into the family drama, we're back in the city, the family separated again with the parents working their hands to the bone to provide cheap clothing to Westerners.


The subject is so rich that it could have easily prompted a multiple character examination or a lengthy complex fact-oriented talking head style docs. There's no 'talking heads' as it were, and even when the family members speak for the benefit of the camera, they'll rarely look at it... all of which makes this an intimate fly-on-the-wall experience. It's so hands off observational that it feels thisclose to being a dramatic narrative feature. For the most part this aesthetic is a strength but its not without its drawbacks. There's one breaking of the fourth wall moment that I'm not sure works -- despite taking place within the film's most gripping heartbreaking scene, since it makes you realize how much of the family story you might be missing since people know they're being filmed and all stories can be manipulated in the editing.

It's a heartbreaker but it's not without levity. We occasionally hear brief conversations among other migrant workers about their jobs, about the "fat" Westerners they know they're working for (the waist sizes on the jeans they make alarm them), about the Beijing Olympics (One man in a bar proclaims that the United States shouldn't win that many medals because they only have like 3 million citizens. Um...) and more of this would have been welcome since there's a lot of context and information that's only inferred but that we come closer to understanding in these tangential moments. This film was directed by a Canadian filmmaker and in addition to being quite a documentarian he also has one of the coolest names ever "Lixin Fan". A-

In other migration news... more important news apparently, he said sarcastically, considering the percentage of tweeting about it, Kristen Stewart arrived in Utah today. Didn't her mother tell her to dress warmly? This won't do.

photo src

I'm trying to find a way to love the Bella because I'm desperate to see The Runaways but the paparazzi (and Kristen) never help me in this goal. Does any super famous person today seem more bored by their fame? Note to Kristen: If you're bored with it, why shouldn't we be? The celebrity/civilian relationship is tricky and sacred and requires abstract reciprocation. When you enjoy it, we enjoy it. That's how it works, generally speaking. There are several ways to play the non-enjoyment of it and still delight fans but boredom is the trickiest one to get away with. That one usually only works if you're bored by it because of your principled devotion/obsession/commitment to something else.

But back to the movies.

Because I was exhausted after my 19 hour trip, I met Katey briefly for a cocktail party (turns out its hard to maneuver through crowded industry events when half the people are wearing huge winter coats. Who knew?), and then took in only one more film before sleep hit. Actually while sleep hit.

Vegetarian (Chaesikjuuija)
Lim Woo-seong's Korean debut feature was just weird enough to be thoroughly engaging despite the nodding off I was doing. [I can't say how well paced it was. It felt 7 hours long but I was struggling with heavy lids. not the movie's fault!] Vegetarians will definitely take issue with the movie for the simple reductive fact that the title character is gaunt and unhealthy and her diet is never separable from her mental illness: which, its immediately clear, is considerable.Why this isn't clear to her family members at the outset of the film is hard to gauge. Maybe they're all crazy, too?

All of the characters make questionable choices, but especially her violent domineering father and her brother-in-law who takes over the latter half of the movie with a new art project involving nude floral body art. Naturally, he wants his sister-in-law for the job.

Indeed, there's enough disturbing behavior in Vegetarian to power three films. At times it feels like the premise has done just that, with a psychological thriller, erotic liaison drama and family portrait all vying for control of the film and none of them really winning the war. Chea Min-Seo's performance in the lead role is brave. For whole scenes this haunted woman will seem barely there (an audience unfriendly choice given that she has to carry the film) but then flickers of truly vivid emotion: pain, alarm, sadness, arousal will flash across her face. Which is basically how the movie plays too: haunted and remote, with suddenly intriguing moments to seize your interest. B-

P.S. Given that two of the last three films I've seen from Korea have given actresses incredible roles (and that doesn't even include this year's failed Oscar submission "Mother", pictured right, which I haven't yet seen), I'm wondering if Korea is an unexplored cinematic landscape for my actressexuality? Are any of you well versed in Korean cinema. Are there more actressy riches awaiting me? Or is this all coincidental?

The Runaways Poster

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Brilliantly literal!
♫ ch-ch-ch-ch-cherry bomb ♫
Best poster of 2010 already?! I hope to see this tomorrow. Or at least soon. Sundance!
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Carol Beadle, Runaways Style

Revised Post

More and more photos of Kristen Stewart and lil' Dakota Fanning in their Joan Jett / Cherie Currie garb will now be surfacing since The Runaways filming is underway. Just Jared has lots of new snaps of these two costumes pictured left. Most film sites won't tell you this when they get costume shots -- because they don't care? I care. Oh how I care. I have love for you Behind the Scenes People o' Hollywood! -- but the costumes here are by Carol Beadle. She has a very short film resume (most recently, stylist work on Max Payne) but these costumes look great, don't they? Yay.

Obviously trendsetting will occur. Late 70s girl rocker chic coming at'cha on city streets soon. Or at least by the film's release date in 2010, TBA.

Here's a photo of the band below [via]. The cast also features Scout Taylor-Compton as Lita "Kiss Me Deadly" Ford (she has five movies nearly ready for release. Eeep. I guess she's counting on a big year), Stella Maeve as Sandy West, Alessandra Torresani as Jackie Fox (Maybe. There seems to be some confusion. She's not listed on IMDb and was originally rumored to be playing Lita Ford) and Alia Shawkat (Maeby from Arrested Development!) as Micki Steele who went on to become one of The Bangles. I haven't heard any confirmation on whether less major members of the band like Peggy Foster, Vickie Blue or Laura McAllister are in the movie.

If I were a somebody in Hollywood I'd be thinking about this movie very carefully and I'd be pitching an epic GO-GOs biopic as a chaser for 2012. They were HUGE and their story has a surplus of drama and all the stuff that Hollywood requires for a musical biopic (aka hit songs and cocaine).

Ginnifer Goodwin for Belinda Carlisle? Get up and go Hollywood. She's nearly too old and svelte for it now.

Ginnifer might've made a perfect Belinda in her more cherubic days

Oops. Off topic. Where were we?

You can read more about Carol Beadle at her site. She's worked with Runaways director Floria Sigismondi several times on music videos as well as Sophie Muller, Annie Lennox's bestie, who has made some of the best videos ever. I'll leave you with a famous Sigismondi/Beadle collaboration, Xtina's "Fighter", and a reel of Beadle's work from 2007. Enjoy.

Red Carpet Lineup & 1980 Pflashback

Another random sampling of ladies hitting the red carpet or being caught by the paparazzi these past few days...


Kathy Bates was not at the press day for Chéri. But that's good. I was experiencing sensory overload anyway. Imagine if I had been made to feel even crazier than I already did about being in the same room with Michelle Pfeiffer. I didn't need Bates there as a freaky "I'm your no. 1 fan" reminder of the obsessive vibe I was probably giving off (uhhhh) NEW TOPIC!

Remember how fun Bates was on Six Feet Under a few years back? I kind of want her to do another TV series which is uncommon for me, given that I like my film actresses to stay put.

Sacha Baron Cohen, excuse me, Brüno at a photocall in Spain. That outfit... he really can't help himself. I'm drawn to the "too much" factor, I think. I'm not someone who likes comedy shows or standup but the comedians who are willing to push things so far that they ended up feeling dangerous rather than 'funny' or punchline oriented... like Andy Kaufman or early Sandra Bernhard. Those people I tend to love.

♫ I don't give a damn about my bad reputation ♫ It's not every day you see an actor with the famous person they're about to recreate onscreen. This isn't from a red carpet event but the annoying Kristen Stewart and the great Joan Jett are actually communicating about Stewart's Jett performance in The Runaways. Do you think Dakota Fanning, not to be outdone, asked to meet with Cherie Currie?

Actress Dakota Fanning @ 15. Chainsaw Chick Cherie Currie @ 49

If they did meet I really hope Currie made her carve something with a chainsaw. I really do. I want The Runaways to be good. If Stewart and Fanning don't fully rock this, it won't be.

update: Dakota did meet with Cherie. Here's proof [thx bartzina]

Catherine Deneuve is 65 years old and still giving sensational performances. Her matriarch in Un conte de Noël has really stayed with me. My favorite thing about her (aside from her onscreen magnificence) is the cinephile vibe she gives off. That could be wishful thinking but you can also feel that possibility emanating from Kidman, Huppert and Julianne Moore on her good days. Deneuve's been playing muse to auteurs for decades. Can any actress match her collection: Buñuel, Von Trier, Demy, Polanski, Carax, Tony Scott (er...), Truffaut, Téchiné, Desplechin?

Oh, Christina Ricci. I really thought you were going to experience a bonafide resurgence post Black Snake Moan. Why is nothing major happening? Please to explain.

Michelle Pfeiffer was working the talk show circuit right after her press day in New York and I missed it. I am exceedingly forgetful. Plus I tend to be more big screen oriented than general media oriented all told. I frequently forget that my favorites are going to be interviewed somewhen and somewhere. I just want to see them act. The rest is icing. Unfortunately I skipped dessert. How was she on Letterman? Who watched? I love that she's working her 1992 Catwoman 'do again, don't you? The only thing I can find online is this anecdote about her screen test with Al Pacino for Scarface (1983) and I've paired it with her 2001 Letterman appearance for a comparison (the video clears up after a bit)



And, finally, just because it's so freaky to watch now, here's her first major talk show: Johnny Carson in 1980. Can you believe it? At this point she's 21 or 22 and because she's got virtually nothing on her resume, her intro is basically... 'um, this girl is ridiculously beautiful.' I love that Shelley Winters, ole blowsy Shelley Winters, who famously carried her Oscars to auditions with her to terrorize young casting directors, is on hand to welcome her to Hollywood.



My mind is blown.
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Dakota "Cherry Bomb" Fanning

Whoa. This news isn't entirely fresh (it's been in development for some two years) but I can't shake it now that it's actually happening.

Someone stop the doomsday clock. How is Dakota Fanning growing up so fast? She's a tiny adorable little kid. Sean Penn is her alien-battling father. Tom Cruise is her retarded dad. oops -- it sounded right as a typed it ;) How is she old enough to play "Cherry Bomb" Currie in The Runaways (2010)?

Joan Jett and Cherie Currie in the 70s / Their screen counterparts in the Aughts

For you youngsters out there (this is a before my time, too, for once... yay) Cherie Currie was the lead singer of the 70s girl rock band The Runaways (they preceded The Go-Gos, who often get credit for being the first all girl rock band to score hits because they actually had #1s). The Runaways also brought the world the enduring Joan Jett (she loved rock n' roll!) and headbanger fantasy chick Lita Ford (kiss her deadly!)

Cherie will be quite a meaty role for Fanning and even more controversial than Hounddog (on account of its higher profile). Those comedy skits about Fanning wanting an Oscar and my own joking about her ruthless ambitions still have the ring of truth, don't they? See, when Cherie wasn't tearing around on stage in lingerie at sweet 16 (Jett reportedly wrote "Cherry Bomb" specifically to celebrate Currie), she was cuddling with Jodie Foster onscreen and battling drugs and alcohol in her private life. Cherie, who turns 50 this year, is currently a chainsaw carving artist. I didn't know there was such a thing but it sounds so punk, so good for her for keeping her edge... a serrated one!

Here's Cherie, Joan and the girls performing their most infamous 'ch-ch-ch-ch-ch-cherry bomb!' in Japan in 1977.



Kristen Stewart will co-star as Joan Jett. Argh! I love Jett, Stewart not so much. I just haven't seen much evidence of range or skill. Weird casting I say. No word yet on who will be playing Lita Ford but production starts in the spring. Cherie joined The Runaways when she was only 15. Dakota Fanning turned 15 two weeks ago. [source]

Here's a little Joan Jett and Lita Ford to take you away...