Kellan Lutz Tagged Articles at Cinematical

By all appearances, it looks like the gouging of Twilight fans is going to continue unabated. There I was thinking that $255 to attend a fan convention was a steep price, but as it turns out it can get much, much, worse -- because if a weekend talking Twilight just isn't enough, now you can get your own Twilight-themed vacation courtesy of Vancouver Twilight Saga Set and Sightseeing Tours. Their tag line is: "By Fans...For Fans," and if you believe their website, Twihards willing to make the trip to Vancouver are going to get an awful lot for their money.

The tours are run by self-proclaimed fans who will pick you up in a luxury car and take you on tailored excursions to relive moments from the film, visit sets from the latest installment, New Moon (just as long as you book your tour at the right time and aren't hauled off by security for trying to cut off a piece of Robert Pattinson's hair), or help you camp outside the cast and crew's favorite bars and restaurants for a photo op. They even guarantee that they will refund your money if you don't get to meet the star of your choice. Personally I would want to score a minute with Michael Sheen just to ask why exactly he agreed to be in this film, but that's probably just me.

So how much will all of this Cullen-goodness run you? Well, there is a sliding scale on the price tag, and it can get as cheap as $60 an hour or you can go for the Cadillac of tours and shell out two grand for a custom designed trip. With a price tag like that, you can guarantee that only the dedicated will be attending. But, at least unlike some other movie vacation-destinations, the Twilight fans don't have to schlep all the way out to New Zealand for their fan fix.

I have to tell you, when it was announced that David Slade (Hard Candy) would be taking the reigns for the third installment of Twilight, I actually thought there was a chance the franchise could overcome its reputation as a pop-culture punch line. But, just because I'm willing to give the story of Edward and Bella another chance doesn't mean I'm up to attending a four-day convention. That's right Twihards, if you're willing to make the trip to Dallas on July 30th and shell out $255 per person, you can spend four days indulging in all things Cullen at TwiCon, the official Twilight fan convention.

So what exactly will $255 get you at the ultra-Gothic location of the Sheraton Dallas Hotel? Well, there will be vendors, panel discussions, a masked ball, Twilight inspired bands, and even some appearances from cast members. But before you get too excited, keep in mind that Robert Pattinson and Kristen Stewart will not be in attendance; instead fans can line up for a chance to see Ashley Green (Alice), Peter Facinelli (Carlisle), Kellan Lutz (Emmett), and Jackson Rathbone (Jasper) in the (pale) flesh.

Even though Twilight fans usually get a bum rap, it's not like TwiCon is any sillier than other fan conventions out there. Fandom is a funny thing, and for most of us, how geeky you want to get is a personal choice. I mean, I may have spent more time than I care to admit reading Watcher Junior, but I'm not writing Xander and Spike fan fiction in my spare time (see what I mean about personal choices?). I guess in the end there really isn't that much difference between dressing up as Volturi for a fancy dress ball and getting in touch with your inner Klingon -- well, maybe not to me, but how about you?

There's a real communication problem going on with the follow up to the vampire romance Twilight. Everywhere you look there are conflicting casting announcements, different release dates, and even one of the stars was shocked to find out that he had a job until 2010 -- so you'll forgive me if this seems a little confusing. Twilight newcomer Kellan Lutz recently spoke with MTV and spilled the news that not only is Drew Barrymore out, but Summit might have already hired and lost another director for the third Twilight installment, Eclipse. Lutz tells MTV, "I actually heard rumors that they did have a third director, and he fell out, and then they saw more people." According to Lutz, another director has already been hired, but unfortunately, he just isn't sure who it is: "I would say [the name] if I could remember it. But I know it was a guy."

So why has it been so hard to find a new director for Eclipse? I know it wasn't exactly a surprise when Catherine Hardwicke did not return for a second film, but you would have thought that there would be a bunch of folks lining up, willing to take a shot at the franchise. One theory that's emerged (for better or for worse) is that finding a director has been difficult because a woman is better suited to handle the hearts and flowers of the story, and the sad truth is there just aren't many working female directors that studios are willing to take a chance on. (Wow, here we are in 2009 and the best we can come up with is "chicks are better at the mushy stuff"?)

I've been writing so much about the upcoming young adult vamp horror adaptation Twilight that I'm beginning to think I should read it. I probably would have if I were 10 or 15 years younger, as I used to devour every vamp or horror-themed YA book out there. (Oh, how I loved The Vampire Diaries.) Now it's just picking at those old interests.

Anyway, that's Stephenie Meyers' first vampire family up above, and yes, that means the casting for the Cullen family has been completed. Following up the casting of Nikkie Reed and Robert Pattinson, MTV reports that Peter Facinelli (Can't Hardly Wait) will play Carlisle, Elizabeth Reaser (the once faceless girl on Grey's Anatomy) will play Esme, Jackson Rathbone (The O.C.) will play Jasper, Ashley Greene (King of California) will be Alice, and Kellan Lutz (Stick It) will play Emmett McCarty Cullen.

I have no idea if these guys are right for the roles, but I'm really getting a kick out of Facinelli with blonde hair. Go to MTV to see a bigger version of that pic, plus two more.

If you stretch your memory back, you might remember that Cinematical mentioned an indie snow flick last year, which was going to star Michael Madsen. Yes, ear-chopper extraordinaire. The Mikey Hilb film, called Deep Winter, is a buddy sports film about a skier and snowboarder who want to ski a dangerous peak in Alaska, and Madsen plays a bad-ass helicopter guide. I always thought that people who ski those ultra-dangerous slopes were crazy, so I'm not too shocked that they have added a little Madsen madness to the list.

Now the film has been shot and has a nifty trailer which you can check out. It seems to have all the bits that make a classic winter sports film -- the naysayers, life-long dedication, snow, avalanches, the pushing coach, gorgeous mountain shots and a little sexy lip action to boot. Personally, I'm digging it for the darkness to the non-snow scenes. The indie feel to those shots really seems to strengthen the tone -- instead of a bunch of snow bunnies, bright colors and typical mainstream hi-jinx. The cast is also pretty solid, beyond the creepy Mr. Madsen. There's Kellan Lutz, who is starring in the upcoming Prom Night remake, and Eric Lively, who played the creepy voyeuristic perv Mark on The L Word. Topping that off, there's also Luke Goss and Robert Carradine. I wonder if we'll get some screen time with Madsen and Carradine together -- a Sin City meets Lizzie McGuire faceoff!