What the Hell Happened to Kirsten Dunst?

Kirsten Dunst was a child actor who successfully transitioned into adult roles.  She worked opposite Brad Pitt, Robin Williams and Jim Carrey.  She was directed by the likes of Woody Allen, Sam Raimi and Neil Jordan.  She played a cheerleader, a vampire and Spider-man’s true love.  But when her web-slinging stopped, Dunst disappeared from the once-hot spotlight.

What the hell happened?

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Kirsten Dunst – Age 3

Dunst started modeling at the ripe old age of three.  Clearly, she had committed herself to her craft rather than being pushed into the spotlight by a stage mom.  Surprisingly, Dunst would later express some anger over having been “pushed” into show biz by her mom.  Hard to believe since her mom waited three entire years to put her child to work.

Soon, Dunst was doing commercials like this one for Pillsbury microwave potatoes from 1985:

[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=w1_NO6lgxr4]

And here she is shilling for Crayola Christmas of 1989:

[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XhchiSFDMQw]

Good lord was she adorable!  That same year, she was pitching Baby Doll Surprise, a baby doll whose hair grew:

[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rE9o0TC4ANU]

This was also the year in which I graduated from high school which makes me feel a little weird about those Maxim covers I found while I was doing my research for this article.  In 1989, Dunst had her first movie role in Woody Allen’s short film, Oedipus WrecksOedipus Wrecks was part of a collection of films set in New York called New York Stories.  Dunst had a small role as one of Mia Farrow’s children.  Hopefully she kept a safe distance from Woody.  He has a history with Farrow’s kids.

Kirsten Dunst - Bonfire of the Vanities - 1990
Kirsten Dunst – Bonfire of the Vanities – 1990

In 1990, Dunst had another small role as Tom Hanks’ daughter in Brian DePalma’s infamous adaptation of Tom Wolfe’s Bonfire of the Vanities.

The book was an acidic social satire which took on race relations, journalism, and Wall Street amongst other things.  DePalma decided to make it silly.  It didn’t work at all.  The movie received scathing reviews and flopped at the box office.  It was a major career speed bump for Hanks (who reinvented himself as a dramatic actor shortly afterwards), DePalma (who was basically exiled for a while) and Melanie Griffith (who would continue working but stopped getting good roles).  Bruce Willis was lucky he had Die Hard to fall back on.

For Dunst, the final fate of Bonfire wasn’t all that important.  As a child actor, the fact she worked in a major motion picture with A-list talent was a stepping stone.  Here’s a scene in which Hanks’ character tries to explain his Wall Street job to his daughter only to be corrected by his wife played by Kim Cattrall.

In 1991, Dunst appeared in a low budget comedy called High Strung.  The movie was co-written by and starred Steve Oedekerk.  It is best known for featuring a pre-fame Jim Carrey in a supporting role.

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Kirsten Dunst – Star Trek: The Next Generation – 1993

 In the early 90s, Dunst paid her dues with guest roles on TV shows.  In 1993, she appeared on the network drama, Sisters and the syndicated sci-fi show, Star Trek: The Next Generation.  On Star Trek, Dunst played a telepath with really disturbing flaps on the side of her head that make it look like she has some kind of space mullet.

Once again, it’s kind of hard to believe you are looking at a future Maxim cover girl.

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Kirsten Dunst – Greedy – 1994

1994 was a big year for Dunst.  She appeared in supporting roles in three films two of which were big hits with good reviews.  Greedy, her first film of the year, was neither of those things.  The comedy starred Kirk Douglas as a rich elderly man who’s relatives suck up to him in hopes of a big inheritance.  Michael J. Fox played one of the only members of the family who wasn’t after the old man’s money.  But slowly, he gets sucked into their competitive ways.  Dunst played one of the younger kids in the family.

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Kirsten Dunst – Interview With the Vampire – 1994

Later that year, Dunst had her break-out role as Claudia, the child-like vampire in Neil Jordan’s adaptation of Anne Rice’s gothic novel, Interview With the Vampire.

Brad Pitt and Tom Cruise played immortal vampires caught in a love/hate relationship which was significantly less homoerotic in the movie than it was in the book.  In a moment of cruelty, Cruise’s Lestat changes a child into a vampire in order to bind Pitt’s Louis to him.  As time passes, the girl played by Dunst matures in spite of the fact she is forever trapped in the body of a child.

Dunst later talked about her first on-screen kiss with Pitt: “I thought it was gross, that Brad had cooties. I mean, I was 10.”

Reviews were mixed to positive, but Dunst was singled out for praise for her performance.  She conveyed wisdom beyond her years.  She was rewarded with several nominations including a Golden Globe nomination for Best Supporting Actress.  She won some critic’s awards and an MTV Movie Award for Best Breakthrough Performance.

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Winona Ryder and Kirsten Dunst – Little Women – 1994

Dunst rounded out 1994 by appearing opposite Winona Ryder and Susan Sarandon in an adaptation of the Louisa May Alcott novel Little Women.

Little Women opened to low expectations.  But it received surprisingly good reviews and became a sleeper hit of the Christmas season.

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Robin Williams and Kirsten Dunst – Jumanji – 1995

In 1995, Dunst starred opposite Robin Williams, Bonnie Hunt and a lot of CGI animals in the big screen family adventure film, Jumanji.

Jumanji was based on a popular children’s book in which a board game brings the dangers of the jungle to life.  Dunst played one of the children who inadvertently turn their house into a wild safari.

The special effects-driven movie got mixed reviews but was a hit at the box office.

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Kirsten Dunst – Mother Night – 1996

In 1996, Dunst starred opposite Nick Nolte in the romantic World War 2 drama, Mother Night.  The movie is based on Kurt Vonnegut’s book of the same name.

Nolte played an American playwright who wrote German-language plays in Nazi Germany.  He is approached by a man who claims to be from the United States Department of War, and is recruited to spy for the U.S.  But no one will ever know that he was not in fact a Nazi sympathizer.

Dunst played Nolte’s sister-in-law.  After Nolte’s character learns that his wife has died, he goes to visit her family.  Dunst’s character professes that she loves him.  Later in the film, Nolte is reunited with his sister-in-law who has grown up to look like his late wife played by Sheryl Lee (aka Laura Palmer from Twin Peaks).

Mother Night received mixed to positive reviews, but it bombed at the box office.

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Kirsten Dunst – The Siege at Ruby Ridge – 1996

Meanwhile, Dunst continued to pay her dues on TV.  She played Randy Quaid and Laura Dern’s daughter in the CBS mini-series, The Siege at Ruby Ridge.

Kisten Dunst - Touched by an Angel - 1996
Kisten Dunst – Touched by an Angel – 1996

She played a sick kid who I’m guessing was miraculously healed on the show, Touched by an Angel.

Kirsten Dunst - E/E - 1996
Kirsten Dunst – E/R – 1996

And she appeared in six episodes of the hit medical drama, ER.

This time she was saved by a hunky miracle when she was touched by George Clooney.

11/15/97-Westwood,Ca- Kristen Dunst with
Kirsten Dunst – Anastasia – 1997

In 1997, Dunst leant her voice to the animated feature, Anastasia.  Dunst voiced the title character as a child.  Adult Anastasia was voiced by Meg Ryan.  Her young and adult singing voices were, respectively, supplied by Lacey Chabert (of Mean Girls fame)and Liz Callaway.  So four different actresses were required to play a single character.

Anastasia received mostly positive reviews and was a modest hit at the box office.

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Steve Guttenberg and Kirsten Dunst – Tower of Terror – 1997

Later that year, Dunst starred opposite forgotten 80’s icon, Steve Guttenberg (aka “the Gutte”) in the TV movie, Tower of Terror.

I don’t usually spend a lot of time talking about TV movies.  Especially ones I haven’t seen.  But this one has two things going for it.  One, it stars a way-past-his-prime Guttenberg who just looks happy to be getting a paycheck.  And two, it is based on one of the greatest theme park attractions in the world, the Twilight Zone Tower of Terror at Walt Disney World (specifically Disney’s Hollywood Studios).

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Twilight Zone Tower of Terror at Walt Disney World

Regular readers know that Disney World is an obsession of mine.  And Tower of Terror is my wife’s favorite ride.  Every time we ride it, we see the DVD for this movie in the gift shop you enter as you leave (because all the good rides exit through a gift shop).

Much of the movie was actually filmed at the attraction!  That’s pretty freaking cool if you’re a theme park nut like me.  Not cool enough to get me to watch the silly thing.  But still pretty cool.

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Kirsten Dunst – The Outer Limits – 1997

Dunst played another sick kid in the sci-fi show, The Outer Limits.  Although I don’t think George Clooney or that angel are going to be able to help her this time.

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Kirsten Dunst – Celebrity Jeopardy – 1997

Heck, Dunst even showed up on Celebrity Jeopardy.  Dunst played against Joseph-Gordon Levitt (then going by the name Joey) and some kid from The Nanny.

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Kirsten Dunst – Wag the Dog – 1997

Dunst ended the year with a small role in Barry Levinson’s satire of Hollywood and politics, Wag the Dog.

Robert DeNiro starred as a Washington spin doctor hired to help a president get re-elected after a Clintonesque scandal.  He hires a director played by Hoffman to stage a fake war in the media to take people’s attention away from the scandal.  Dunst has a small role as an actress in the made-up war coverage.

Reviews were mostly positive and the movie was a modest hit at the box office.  Although many thought that the real-life Clinton headlines hurt the film.  Either way, Dunst got to work with some A-list talent.

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Kirsten Dunst – Fifteen and Pregnant – 1998

In 1998, Dunst starred in the TV movie, Fifteen and Pregnant.  I think the title says it all.  Teen Mom for the Lifetime set.

Kirsten Dunst - All I Wanna Do - 1998
Kirsten Dunst – All I Wanna Do – 1998

Dunst also starred in a Canadian coming of age comedy called All I Wanna Do in the US, Strike! in Canada and The Hairy Bird in Australia.  The movie co-starred Monica Keena, and Rachael Leigh Cook.

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Kiki’s Delivery Service – 1998

Dunst did some more voice work.  This time it was for the American release of Hayao Miyazaki animated feature, Kiki’s Delivery Service.

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Kirsten Dunst – Small Soldiers – 1998

Finally, Dunst starred in Joe Dante’s action/adventure film, Small Soldiers.

The movie is about a couple of teens (one of whom is played by Dunst) who get caught in the middle of a war between two groups of rival action figures.  I have never seen the movie, but a friend described it to me as Gremlins with toys.

Reviews were mixed and the movie disappointed at the box office.

Kisten Dunst - The Virgin Suicides - 1999
Kisten Dunst – The Virgin Suicides – 1999

In 1999, Dunst starred opposite Josh Hartnett, James Woods and Kathleen Turner in Sophia Coppola’s The Virgin Suicides.

Woods and Turner play a pair of over-protective parents in the Detroit suburbs in the 70’s.  As the movie beings, their youngest daughter has committed suicide which makes them all the more protective of their four remaining girls.  One of their daughters played by Kirsten Dunst develops a friendship with the school heartthrob played by Hartnett.  Frustrated by their strict upbringing, the girls eventually make a tragic suicide pact.

The Virgin Suicides was based on Jeffrey Eugenides’ novel of the same name.  After Coppola had written her adaptation, she was heartbroken to discover that there was already an adaptation in development elsewhere.  She showed them her script which they prefered to their own, so they ended up using it.

Critics were impressed by Coppola’s assured direction.  Despite mostly positive reviews, The Virgin Suicides received a limited release in only 275 theaters.

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Kirsten Dunst – Drop Dead Gorgeous – 1999

Later that year, Dunst played a beauty pageant contestant in the dark comedy, Drop Dead Gorgeous.

The movie depicts beauty pageants as a cut-throat world in which contestants will go to any lengths to win.  Even murder.

Kirstie Alley, Ellen Barkin, Allison Janney and Denise Richards co-star.  Adam West appears as himself.  And yes, that was a pre-fame Amy Adams in the trailer.

Reviews were mixed and the movie flopped at the box office.

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Kirsten Dunst – Dick – 1999

Finally, Dunst starred opposite Michelle Williams in the political comedy, Dick.

Be very careful if you do an image search for this movie.  There are some things you can’t unsee.

The movie is set during the Watergate scandal with the always great Dan Heydaya playing Richard Nixon.  The premise is that two not-so-bright 15-year-old girls were actually the informants known as Deep Throat.  Bruce McCulloch and Will Ferrell appear and Woodward and Bernstein.

Despite mostly good reviews and a terrific cast, Dick flopped at the box office.

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Kirsten Dunst – Crow: Salvation – 2000

In 2000, Dunst appeared in the third movie in the Crow series, Crow: Salvation.  The movie’s theatrical release was cancelled after the second film in the series received negative reviews and flopped at the box office.  Crow 3 was released direct-to-video instead.

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Kisten Dunst – Bring It On – 2000

Later that year, Dunst starred in the competitive cheer-leading comedy, Bring It On.

It’s part high school movie, part sports comedy, part exploration of race relations and part hot teen girls in cheerleader outfits jumping around.

Reviews were mostly positive and Bring It On was a surprise hit at the box office.  The film has spawned several direct-to-video sequels.  More importantly, Dunst had just headlined a hit movie.

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Kisten Dunst – Get Over It – 2001

Dunst started 2001 with another teen comedy.  She starred opposite Ben Foster, Mila Kunis and Sisqó in Get Over It.

The film is very loosely based on Shakespeare’s A Midsummer Night’s Dream.  It’s what you would get if Shakespeare had written a part for the guy who sand The Thong Song.  The movie was originally rated R, but it was recut to get a PG-13 rating while retaining as much “girls in bikinis” content as possible,

Reviews were mixed.  But what do you expect?  Teens made the movie a modest hit at the box office.

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Kirsten Dunst – Crazy/Beautiful – 2001

Later that year, Dunst starred in the romantic drama, Crazy/Beautiful.

Dunst played a troubled teen who supplies the “crazy” part of the title.  Dunst’s teen starts a relationship with a Latino boy from the other side of the tracks.  Surprise, surprise!  Her distant dad doesn’t approve.  Soon, the young couple is trying to do for dark room photography what Ghost did for pottery.

Reviews were mixed to positive.  It didn’t make much of an impression at the box office although it did manage to turn a profit.

Kirsten Dunst - The Cat's Meow - 2002
Kirsten Dunst – The Cat’s Meow – 2001

Next, Dunst starred as silent film star Marion Davies in Peter Bogdanovich’s period drama, The Cat’s Meow.

The movie is based on an incident that was rumored to have taken place on William Randolph Hearst’s yacht on a weekend cruise celebrating film mogul Thomas H. Ince’s 42nd birthday.  Bogdanovich became interested in the story after interviewing Orson Welles for a book.  Welles had originally written a scene based on the incident into his film, Citizen Kane which was based on Hearst.  Welles eventually cut the scene from his movie, so Bogdanovich decided to make his own movie about the incident.

Reviews were mostly positive.  But despite good reviews and a low budget, the movie was still a flop.  Box office was more or less besides the point.  For Dunst, the important part was that she was being noticed by critics.

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Kisten Dunst – Spider-man – 2002

In 2002, Dunst starred opposite Tobey Maguire in Sam Raimi’s Spider-man.

Maguire played the high school nerd who is bitten by a radioactive spider and learns that with great power comes great responsibility.  Dunst played his high school sweetheart, Mary Jane.  Willem Dafoe played the villainous Green Goblin and James Franco played his son who also happens to be Maguire’s best friend.  The first movie tells the character’s origin story well enough that there was no need to ever film it again (or so we all thought at the time.)

Spider-man had a long and difficult road to the big screen.  For years, the film rights were tied up in a legal battle.  An original script treatment was written by James Cameron.  But by the time the rights were settled, Cameron had moved on.  Several directors were considered before Raimi was eventually given the job.  Raimi originally wanted Alicia Witt for the role of Mary Jane Watson.  After Maguire was cast as Peter Parker, Dunst decided to audition.  She thought Maguire would give the movie the feeling of an independent film.

During filming, Maguire and Dunst were dating in secret.  According to Raimi, he was completely unaware of their relationship:

I’m so dumb, because I met with them for dinner one night during the shooting to talk about the next day’s scenes. And I go, ‘Okay, well, that’s it for the meeting.’ And then I ask Kirsten, ‘Can I drive you home?’ And they look at each other and she goes, ‘No, no, I’m going to play a game of Touch 10 with Tobey.’ I don’t know, it was some game. I thought, ‘That’s weird. She’s got to work tomorrow.’

The critics liked Spider-man a lot.  Reviews were almost universally positive and it was a hit at the box office.  Spider-man opened in first place and set a record for the biggest opening day ever.  It was also the highest-grossing movie of the year.  The romantic elements allowed the movie to cross over to audiences who weren’t necessarily the target audience for a superhero movie.  The success of Spider-man didn’t just launch a franchise.  It gave a huge shot in the arm to the entire superhero genre.

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Kirsten Dunst – Mona Lisa Smile – 2003

In 2003, Dunst starred opposite Julia Roberts, Julia Stiles and Maggie Gyllenhaal in the period drama, Mona Lisa Smile.

Roberts played a teacher who inspires independence in her young students in the 1950’s.  It aimed to be the female version of Dead Poet’s Society.

Reviews were mostly negative.  The movie disappointed in the US where it failed to recoup its $65 million dollar budget (Roberts alone costs $25 million).  Fortunately, the movie performed well enough over seas to turn a profit.

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Kisten Dunst – Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind – 2004

Dunst started off 2004 with a supporting role in Michel Gondry’s romantic fantasy, Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind.

The main story focuses on Jim Carrey and Kate Winslet.  They play a couple who have erased their memories of each other.  Dunst played the receptionist at the company that provides the memory-erasing services.  Her character has her own subplot which ties into the main story.

Reviews were positive and the movie was an art house hit.

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Kirsten Dunst – Spider-man 2 – 2004

Later that year, Dunst reprised her role as Mary Jane in Spider-man 2.

Having told the origin story in the first movie, the sequel is able to spend a little more time on the villainous Doctor Octopus.  As played by Alfred Molina, Dr. Octavius is a good scientist who is pushed into villainy by an experiment gone wrong.  Meanwhile, Maguire’s Peter Parker is wrestling with what it means to be Spider-man and Mary Jane is engaged to another man.

Raimi’s original treatment for the first Spider-man film included Dr. Octopus as a secondary villain.  Since Raimi nixed the idea for the first film, he used Doc Ock as the villain in the sequel.  Originally, Doc Ock was written to be younger.  The script included a romantic triangle among Peter, MJ and Doc Ock.  The studio nixed that the idea.  So Raimi went back to the drawing board.  The next treatment was partially based on a classic comic book story in which Peter Parker walked away from his duties as Spider-man and partially influenced by Superman II –  a sequel in which he hero gives up his powers to pursue romance.

Most everyone involved in the first Spider-man film returned for the second.  However, Tobey Maguire almost didn’t reprise the title role.  He claimed he had sustained a back injury while filming Seabiscuit.  Some have suggested that Maguire was actually looking for a raise.  If that was his intent, it backfired.  The studio temporarily replaced him with Jake Gyllenhaal, who  was dating Dunst at the time.

Critics liked Spider-man 2 even better than the first film with many calling it the best superhero movie ever made.  The sequel broke the record for the biggest opening weekend ever that was set by the first film.  It ended up grossing a little less than the first Spider-man but was still a massive hit.

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Kirsten Dunst – Wimbledon – 2004

Next, Dunst starred opposite Paul Bettany in the romantic comedy, Wimbledon.

Bettany played a down-on-his luck tennis pro who begins a relationship with an up-and-coming tennis player played by Dunst.

Reviews were mixed to positive.  But the movie was not a hit at the box office.

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Kirsten Dunst and Orlando Bloom – Elizabethtown – 2005

In 2005, Dunst starred opposite Orlando Bloom in Cameron Crowe’s romantic comedy, Elizabethtown.

Crowe had been riding high with hits like Jerry Maguire and Almost Famous.  Then, he had a pretty major misfire with the sci fi thriller, Vanilla SkyElizabethtown was meant to be Crowe’s return to form.  Unfortunately, it didn’t turn out that way.

Elizabethtown is best known for a term it inspired.  Film critic Nathan Rabin coined the term “manic pixie dream girl” to describe characters like the one played by Dunst.  He writes that the MPDG is “that bubbly, shallow cinematic creature that exists solely in the fevered imaginations of sensitive writer-directors to teach broodingly soulful young men to embrace life and its infinite mysteries and adventures.”

In fairness, MPDGs have been around for decades.  Katherine Hepburn played one in Bringing Up Baby.  Dunst was hardly the first, but she was the first to be referred to as such.  As it turns out, Dunst isn’t a big fan of the term.  She says “it’s weird.”  It’s also devastatingly descriptive of a certain kind of stock character frequently used by Crowe and other directors.

The reviews were negative and Elizabethtown disappointed at the box office.  Crowe wouldn’t release another feature film for six years!

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Kirsten Dunst – Marie Antoinette – 2006

In 2006, Dunst reunited with her Virgin Suicides director, Sophia Coppola for the highly stylized period drama, Marie Antoinette.

Dunst played the queen who famously suggested that the peasants of France should eat cake.  History tells us the peasants did not take kindly to the suggestion and as a result, the queen lost her head.

Coppola’s gave the film a very modern style and soundtrack in an attempt to humanize the characters.  However, many critics felt the style dominated story and characters.  Reviews were mixed.  Several critics complained that the movie was all style and no substance.  But a few high profile critics like Roger Ebert championed the film.   Marie Antoinette bombed in the US, but it managed to make its money back overseas.

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Kirsten Dunst – Spider-man 3 – 2007

The release date for Spider-man 3 was announced before Spider-man 2 even opened.  This time, there was no doubt Maguire would be back.

In this one, Peter faces off against Thomas Hayden Church as the shape-shifting Sandman who it is revealed is actually responsible for killing his Uncle Ben.  He also finds a black Spider-man suit that brings out his dark side.  He ends up struggling against his desire to avenge his uncle.  Meanwhile, Harry finds out that Peter is responsible for the death of his father.  He sets about getting revenge as well.  Topher Grace was brought on board to play the popular villain, Venom and Bryce Dallas Howard was cast as love interest Gwen Stacy.

Raimi had been vocally opposed to using Venom for years.  He said he objected to the character’s “lack of humanity”.  He had wanted to use Sandman and another old school Spider-man villain for the sequel.  Rumors swirled that Ben Kingsley was in negotiations to play the Vulture.  But producer Avi Arad convinced Raimi that fans wanted to see Venom.

As characters continued to be added to the script, there was talk of splitting the story into two movies.  According to the screenwriter, the idea was nixed when no one could come up with a satisfactory climax.  The fact that none of the regulars were signed to make a fourth movie was probably also a consideration.

Following the critical and commercial success of the first two Spider-man films, expectations for the final movie in the trilogy were high.  Unfortunately, Spider-man 3 was not nearly as well-received as the first two movies.  Critics complained that the script was over-stuffed with characters and subplots.  Fans were upset to see their favorite character turned into some kind of hipster doofus.  Under the influence of an alien symbiote, Peter got in touch with his musical side:

[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SPN1BvR02Xo]

But Raimi’s Spider-musical wasn’t done yet.  He followed up his 70’s strut with a dance scene at a jazz club:

[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GRPoiTHMuzc&feature=fvwp]

Raimi himself eventually admitted that Spider-man 3 “just didn’t work very well.”  He took full blame for the movie’s short-comings:

I messed up plenty with the third Spider-Man, so people hated me for years — they still hate me for it.

Tobey Maguire and Kirsten Dunst - Spider-man 3 - 2007
Tobey Maguire and Kirsten Dunst – Spider-man 3 – 2007

Despite negative reviews and angry fans, Spider-man 3 broke the record set by Spider-man 2 for the biggest opening weekend of all time.  That record was eventually broken by The Dark Knight in 2008 and has since been topped several times.  Bad word of mouth made Spider-man 3 the least successful of the three Spider-man movies starring Maguire.  But it was still a big enough hit to warrant another sequel.

The studio had been considering rebooting the Spider-man franchise, but they approached Raimi about making one final movie.  The proposed Spider-man 4 was given a release date of summer 2011.  Raimi kicked around ideas which reportedly included John Malkovich as the Vulture, Dylan Baker’s character finally becoming the Lizard and Anne Hathaway as Felcia Hardy who may or may not have been the Black Cat.

Once again, Raimi was up against a tight deadline and couldn’t come to an agreement with the studio over what a new Spider-man movie should be.  So rather than repeat what happened on Spider-man 3, Raimi walked away:

It really was the most amicable and undramatic of breakups: It was simply that we had a deadline and I couldn’t get the story to work on a level that I wanted it to work. I was very unhappy with Spider-Man 3, and I wanted to make Spider-Man 4 to end on a very high note, the best Spider-Man of them all. But I couldn’t get the script together in time, due to my own failings, and I said to Sony, “I don’t want to make a movie that is less than great, so I think we shouldn’t make this picture. Go ahead with your reboot, which you’ve been planning anyway.”

That’s ultimately what Sony decided to do.  In 2012, the series was rebooted with Andrew Garfield and Emma Stone.  And then in 2014, a sequel followed.  Sony had plans to turn the Spider-man franchise into something like Marvel’s Avengers series.  But the box office failure of Amazing Spider-man 2 put an end to those plans.  Rumors actually circulated that Raimi and Maguire might return to the series.  Instead, Sony reached a deal with Marvel to jointly reboot the character again.

How to Lose Friends and Alienate People image Simon Pegg and Kirsten Dunst
Kirsten Dunst – How to Lose Friends and Alienate People – 2008

Following the Spider-man films, Dunst seems to have lost interest in big budget Hollywood movies.  Her next film was 2008’s How to Lose Friends and Alienate People, a British comedy starring Simon Pegg.  Jeff Bridges and Megan Fox co-starred.

The movie accomplished what the title promised.  Reviews were bad and the movie grossed less than 40% of its production budget worldwide.  Ouch.  It opened 19th at the box office when it was released in the US.  Double ouch.

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Kisten Dunst – All Good Things – 2010

In 2010, Dunst starred opposite Ryan Gosling in the thriller, All Good Things.

All Good Things is based on the fascinating true story of accused killer, Robert Durst.  Gosling plays a troubled rich kid who finds happiness with a young woman played by Dunst.  At first, the movie plays like a romantic comedy where the couple leaves the big city to open a health food store.  The store was called All Good Things and as the saying goes, all good things must come to an end.  Eventually the couple move back to the big city where Gosling’s character takes up the family business – which is criminal.

Once things go bad, they just keep getting worse.  Before the movie ends, Gosling’s seemingly charming character has turned into a real-life Norman Bates.  All of the actors deliver terrific performances.  But some critics found the movie too formulaic.  Reviews were mixed.  The movie had trouble finding a distributor when the Weinstein Company backed out.  It had a very small theatrical release before going to video.

Dunst actually filmed All Good Things in 2008 after spending some time being treated for chronic depression.  Dunst checked herself out after a few months of treatment to make the film which was then delayed until its 2010 release.

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Kirsten Dunst – Melancholia – 2011

In 2011, Dunst starred in Lars von Trier’s apocalyptic drama, Melancholia.

Dunst plays a chronically depressed woman who faces both marriage and the end of the world.  Don’t we all?

Von Trier got the idea for the movie while he was being treated for his own depression.  The talented and sometimes maddening director made what is easily one of the most beautiful movies of the year.  It truly has to be experienced.  Words fail.

Reviews were mostly positive.  But the movie was never intended for mainstream audiences.  Dunst was nominated for a whole host of critics awards and won quite a few as well.

Kirsten Dunst - Bachelorette - 2012
Kirsten Dunst – Bachelorette – 2012

In 2012, Dunst starred opposite Isla Fisher, Lizzy Caplan, James Marsden and Rebel Wilson in the comedy, Bachelorette.

Dunst, Fisher and Caplan play grown-up mean girls who are horrified to realize their dumpy friend is going to get married before them.

Most of the characters are pretty unsympathetic for most of the movie.  But if you can deal with that, there are some really good laughs to be had.  Reviews were mixed with some critics claiming that the third act betrays the characters by having them learn the error of their ways.  It received a small theatrical release before going to video on demand.

So, what the hell happened?

For one, Dunst struggled with her personal life.  She has claimed her mother forced her into show business at a young age.  She was also the product of a broken home.  Those two things are bound to do a number on a person.  Factor in that Dunst never had a normal childhood and grew up more or less famous.  All things considered, Dunst seems to have a pretty good take on it.  She acknowledged that her mother had the best intentions.  She described her childhood saying:

“Well, it’s not a natural way to grow up, but it’s the way I grew up and I wouldn’t change it. I have my stuff to work out … I don’t think anybody can sit around and say: ‘My life is more screwed up than yours.’ Everybody has their issues.”

After having spent three decades in modeling and acting and having earned enough money to not have to work any more, I think Dunst is only making movies that appeal to her.  And those movies, like All Good Things and Melancholia, don’t really appeal to mainstream audiences.  This has given mainstream audiences the perception that Dunst has disappeared.  But the truth is, Dunst is still working.  She’s just making movies most people will never see.

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Terrence Michael Clay
10 years ago

How divas were lost in Hollywood history: http://www.independent.co.uk/arts-entertainment/films/features/how-divas-were-lost-in-hollywood-history-8197983.html What ever happened to Kirsten Dunst? The American actress’s recent screen career underlines how difficult it is to be a movie star in a digital world. Two of her most recent films, the raucous comedy-drama Bachelorette and Lars von Trier’s apocalyptic Melancholia were released first on VOD (video-on-demand) in the US. It is fitting, although not very flattering to her, that Bachelorette should have become a No. 1 hit on iTunes at just the time that Robert Aldrich’s caustic thriller What Ever Happened To Baby Jane? (1962) is being revived. (Marking its… Read more »

Terrence Michael Clay
10 years ago

The Kirsten Dunst Comeback Rolls On: http://www.blackbookmag.com/movies/the-kirsten-dunst-comeback-rolls-on-1.40732 Kirsten Dunst disappeared from the big screen for two years (a fact we can blame for the rise of Anne Hathaway), was always seen drunk in the tabloids, went to rehab and battled depression. She pulled it back together and is suddenly everywhere from All Good Things with Ryan Gosling, Lars von Trier’s Melancholia, and staring uncomfortably at the camera in the last R.E.M. video. If she’s looking for a comeback she’s succeeding and has just picked up a new role. ComingSoon reports that Dunst will be starring in Cities, which is set… Read more »

Terrence Michael Clay
10 years ago

The 25 Worst Movies By Good Directors: http://www.complex.com/pop-culture/2012/08/the-25-worst-movies-by-good-directors/elizabethtown 14. Elizabethtown (2005) Director: Cameron Crowe With his one-two punch of Jerry Maguire (1996) and Almost Famous (2000), writer-director Cameron Crowe massively endeared himself to both critics and ticket-purchasing audiences. In each Oscar-nominated film, Crowe demonstrated his uncanny knack for mature laughs and warm-hearted characterization, done in ways that set him apart from damn near all of his filmmaking peers. The honeymoon seemed over in 2001, however, when Crowe’s convoluted trainwreck Vanilla Sky disregarded the wonderful simplicity found in his previous movies. Elizabethtown, starring Orlando Bloom as a flashy shoe designer who… Read more »

Terrence Michael Clay
10 years ago

And speaking of Orlando Bloom: http://officialfan.proboards.com/thread/443142?page=1 But Orlando Bloom has poor charisma. He went from Lord Of The Rings as a character who did not need much acting range, then to Pirates Of The Caribbean, to Troy, and then he headlined a major Hollywood blockbuster directed by Ridley Scott (Kingdom of Heaven) that bombed, and now the most recent thing he was a minor villain in ‘The Three Musketeers’ … But he was teased to play the main villain in the sequel… but that won’t happen since the first film bombed At the start I could tell Bloom was being… Read more »

Terrence Clay (@TMC1982)

Death of the Rom-Com: 11 Worst Cliches of the Moribund Genre:
http://www.hitfix.com/galleries/death-of-the-rom-com-11-worst-cliches-of-the-moribund-genre#10

‘Manic Pixie Dream Girl’

Worst offenders: “Elizabethtown,” “Garden State,” “500 Days of Summer,” “Forces of Nature”

A gendered spin on the “Magical Negro” trope, the “Manic Pixie Dream Girl” is a spontaneous eccentric who exists solely to pull her male love interest out of his shell. Interestingly, this cliche bears some hallmarks of the “best friend” trope, most poignantly in the idea that possessing a complex inner life is optional and in fact not encouraged. It’s all about his journey, after all.

Terrence Clay (@TMC1982)

Maybe ‘Aloha’ Director Cameron Crowe’s ‘Elizabethtown’ Isn’t As Bad As You Remember It Being: http://uproxx.com/movies/2015/05/cameron-crowes-elizabethtown-may-be-underated/ By Alyssa Fikse • 05.29.15 Cameron Crowe does not make movies for cynics. If audiences are going to accept lines like “I gave her my heart and she gave me a pen” and “I was just nowhere near your neighborhood“, they must put aside their usual snark and just let Crowe’s verbose optimism overwhelm them until they submit while shouting, “OK! You’re right! The world is beautiful and Tom Petty sounds like America!” To watch a Cameron Crowe film is to feel alive and powerful.… Read more »

Terrence Clay (@TMC1982)

The decline of Cameron Crowe’s battered idealists: http://thedissolve.com/features/exposition/1046-the-decline-of-cameron-crowes-battered-idealists/ “I love him. I love him for the man he wants to be. And I love him for the man he almost is.” —Renée Zellweger, Jerry Maguire Way back in 2000, when Cameron Crowe was doing press for Almost Famous, I asked him what defines “the Cameron Crowe hero.” His response: “The battered idealist. It’s just my favorite character. I write it no matter what I do. It sort of comes from my upbringing. My mom would always say, “Be positive, be positive. It’s rough out there, but don’t succumb. Don’t succumb… Read more »

Terrence Clay (@TMC1982)

ELIZABETHTOWN (2005): http://www.cinefilestv.blogspot.com/2015/08/elizabethtown-2005.html Written & Directed By: Cameron Crowe Cinematography By: John Toll Editor: David Moritz Music By: Nancy Wilson Cast: Orlando Bloom, Kirsten Dunst, Susan Sarandon, Jessica Biel, Judy Greer, Bruce McGill, Paul Schneider, Loudon Wainwright III, Alec Baldwin, Jed Rees, Paula Deen After causing a loss of almost one billion dollars in his company, the shoe designer Drew Baylor decides to commit suicide. However, in the exact moment of his act of despair, he receives a phone call from his sister telling him that his beloved father had just died in Elizabethtown, and he should bring him back… Read more »

Terrence Clay (@TMC1982)

Kirsten Dunst 2014: ‘Spider-Man’ Actress Talks Indie Movie Career, Aging And Women In Hollywood: http://www.designntrend.com/articles/19711/20140917/kirsten-dunst-2014-spiderman-actress-talks-indie-movie-career-aging-women-hollywood.htm Kirsten Dunst, unlike the vast majority of other actresses, doesn’t think women have a harder time in Hollywood as they get older. “I don’t buy that stuff about things getting harder for actresses as they get older,” the 32-year-old actress told The Edit. “Actually, I think it’s going to get easier. I mean, it’s the golden age of television and I’m only about five years away from doing a TV show, for sure. I’m not going to record an album or anything but I would… Read more »

Terrence Clay (@TMC1982)

Kirsten Dunst’s First Kiss Was Brad Pitt: http://teamcoco.com/video/kirsten-dunst-brad-pitt-kiss CONAN: you’ve done so many big movies. what is the one you get recognized most for? KIRSTEN DUNST: definitely “spider-man.” yeah. and actually, what was funny is I was at Bloomingdale’s recently. I live in the valley, which is close to the studio. I was in fashion square mall and this woman comes up to me. I’m shopping for shoes. she looks at me and she takes my hand and she goes, I miss you in film.” she’s like, I’ve seen you in the “spider-man” movies, but why don’t we see you… Read more »

Terrence Clay (@TMC1982)

Future of Movie Stars: Who Will Shine? Who Will Fade Away? http://forums.previously.tv/topic/7750-future-of-movie-stars-who-will-shine-who-will-fade-away/page-2#entry128515 Kirsten Dunst. I really think she’s someone who just flat out burned out. I mean really, she was EVERYWHERE in the mid-90’s up to the early 2000’s. It seems like she’s slowed the pace waaaayyyy down, but I’m not so sure if it’s that no one wants to work with her, or it’s her own choice. She did get good reviews for Melancholia, which came out recently. I wonder if she’ll go the way of another 90’s teen starlet and become the lead actress on a gritty cable… Read more »

Terrence Clay (@TMC1982)

Clash of the Egos: On-Set Drama and Feuds:
http://forums.previously.tv/topic/20764-clash-of-the-egos-on-set-drama-and-feuds/page-2#entry750641

Lars Von Trier, I’ll never forget the side eye Kirsten Dunst gave him.

When he started talking out the a** about Hitler, during a press event for Melancolia.

In hindsight, I’d say he pretty much killed her chance for an Oscar nom.

Terrence Michael Clay
10 years ago

Something that really irked me about “Spider-Man 3” is when the 3 main castmembers (Tobey Maguire, Kirsten Dunst, and James Franco) would do interviews and stuff to promote the movie (e.g. “Live w/ Regis & Kelly”, NBC’s “Today Show”, and MTV’s “Total Request Live”), it sounded like they were all really tired of playing the characters (more to the point, there were rumors that Tobey Maguire couldn’t handle the role anymore, as it was too strenuous on his back). The bottom-line is that you don’t have any enthusiasm for the movie you’re in, then why should I therefore, have enthusiasm… Read more »

Terrence Michael Clay
10 years ago

The third Spider-Man movie suffered from a bad case of laziness (there are way too many plot coincidences) and “too many cooks in the kitchen”. You had the stuff that the studio wanted (e.g. Venom and to a lesser extent, Gwen Stacy), stuff that Sam Raimi wanted (e.g. Sandman, who is needlessly retcon into being the true killer of Peter Parker’s Uncle Ben, albeit “accidentally”), and stuff that needed to be included from a narrative standpoint because of the previous movies (e.g. the Harry Osborn/New Goblin stuff). I really don’t think (especially in retrospect) that anybody’s hearts (from the main… Read more »

admin
Admin
admin
10 years ago

Agreed. Although I actually think Raimi was invested. He can just make weird choices some times. To me, the New Goblin stuff derails the movie the most. I appreciate that they made an effort to tie up the Osborne storyline. But once you start getting into convenient soap opera amnesia, you have lost the plot. They probably should have just done a movie focusing on Harry as the New Goblin while introducing the black suit to set up Venom for a 4th movie. No matter how you slice it, there was enough material in Spider-man 3 for two movies. But… Read more »

Terrence Clay (@TMC1982)
Reply to  admin

From what I’ve just gathered, JK Simmons (J. Jonah Jameson) said in an interview, I think it was to AV Club, that the studio pretty much threw out the script and made them add and change things on a daily basis. That’s why the finished product for “Spider-Man 3” feels like such a colossal mess, because even the cast and filmmakers had no idea what they were doing and how they were going to put it all together.

http://forum.earwolf.com/topic/7604-episode-41-—-spider-man-3/page__st__20

Terrence Clay (@TMC1982)
Reply to  admin

Analyzing Spider-Man 3: A Major Disappointment:
http://scriptgeek.net/news/2014/04/24/analysing-spiderman-3-disappointment/

Terrence Clay (@TMC1982)

Cinematic Excrement: Episode 56 – Spider-Man 3:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4gafsrrSElA&index=95&list=PLH08EHfGcY-1W_7_vhaFxN3ByVI5z1Yem

Three words: dancing emo Peter.

NOTE: Since making this video, I have been made aware that sharks do not, in fact, have bones. They do have skeletons, but they are made of cartilage rather than bone. I’m an idiot.

Terrence Clay (@TMC1982)

Spider-Man: All Movies Ranked From Worst To Best: http://whatculture.com/film/spider-man-movies-ranked-worst-best.php/4 Spider-Man 3 What makes The Amazing Spider-Man 2 such a heinous crime is that at its core is was repeating the exact same problems that brought down Spider-Man 3 and the whole Raimi run of the series. What edges the original threequel ahead of the recent sequel is that there’s still a clear attempt to tell a coherent, stand-alone story. At its heart Spider-Man 3 has too many villains. It is an unavoidable problem that is central to everything else that went wrong with the film. But as Christopher Nolan showed… Read more »

Terrence Clay (@TMC1982)

Re: Are we too harsh on SM3? http://forums.superherohype.com/showpost.php?p=31634107&postcount=702 We know that Venom was technically forced into SM3 by the studio, but to me, the film itself makes it seem like Sandman is the character that was shoehorned into the film. I’ve always said that I think SM3 could have been an amazing movie if Sandman was removed from it altogether and Brock/Venom was utilized as the main villain/conflict. If you think about it, Sandman in this film ultimately has little to no bearing or impact on the story itself. The story could have been told more competently and effectively if… Read more »

Terrence Clay (@TMC1982)

I’ve suggested this before in Michael Keaton’s WTHHT article (in relation to actors in superhero movies like Keaton’s “Batman” and Dunst’s “Spider-Man”) that Kirsten’s “Spider-Man” co-star, Tobey Maguire just might be due for his own WTHHT in the near future. Here’s something to give you a better idea: http://frettsonfilm.com/2012/09/05/tobey-maguire-curse-of-the-spider-man/ The funny thing about Tobey Maguire is that arguably at the end of the day, his Spider-Man “fame” really didn’t add to much. It was almost as if the public really wasn’t clamoring for more of him outside of the Spider-Man franchise. I mean, he barely did any other movies during… Read more »

Terrence Clay (@TMC1982)

More to the point: What happened to Tobey Maguire’s career? (forums.icine): Posted: Thu Jan 03, 2008 1:24 am Post subject: I’d compare him to Matt Damon perhaps, an actor who is five years older, but similar in that neither are particularly gifted actors from a technical standpoint, but each relied on a likable boyishness well into his 30s. The difference is that Damon has managed to adapt to truly adult roles, not by changing his persona so much as by adding layers to it. It feels like he’s really grown, and you get the sense that he wants to challenge… Read more »

Terrence Clay (@TMC1982)

One other side-note regarding Tobey Maguire is that I’ve read various stories on his IMDb page about him being aloof and otherwise unpleasant towards fans. For example, it’s easy to count on Tobey to be the type of celebrity who will flat out refuse to sign an autograph or take a photo w/ you. He must have known that by taking on an iconic role like Spider-Man would immediately create a lot of fans, yet he never appeared to be nice to any of them.

Terrence Clay (@TMC1982)

Here’s another good reason why Tobey Maguire perhaps, also deserves a WTHHT: http://pagesix.com/2014/06/11/tobey-maguire-is-a-royal-jerk-at-the-poker-table/ Former “Spider-Man” actor Tobey Maguire — a regular winner in high-stakes poker games — “was the worst tipper, the best player, and the absolute worst loser,” according to Molly Bloom, who organized games for Maguire, Leonardo DiCaprio and Ben Affleck. A Vanity Fair excerpt of Bloom’s new memoir, “Molly’s Game” (ItBooks/HarperCollins), tells how a cocktail waitress from Colorado became Hollywood’s “Poker Princess,” taking home more than $50,000 a night. Bloom, 36, details how the games ended for good when Maguire decided she was making too much money.… Read more »

Terrence Clay (@TMC1982)

9 Terrible Movies That Ruined Promising Careers: http://www.eatsleeplivefilm.com/9-terrible-movies-that-ruined-promising-careers/8/ 3. Spider-Man 3 – Sam Raimi And Tobey Maguire Before my friends and family read this and tell me off for being a hypocrite, I must just say: I loved Spider-Man 3, I re-watched it over and over and I felt like crying when James Franco’s Goblin died. Nevertheless, I can appreciate why so many people call it a terrible film, so I had to fit it into this list. Sam Raimi made some very hated stylistic decisions on Spider-Man 3, including emo Peter Parker, some dodgy dancing, fighting three villains at… Read more »

Terrence Clay (@TMC1982)

9 TV Stars Who Horribly Botched Their Big Leap Into Films: http://whatculture.com/film/9-tv-stars-horribly-botched-big-leap-films.php/2 Topher Grace Of all the young actors who starred on That ’70s Show, only the youngest, Mila Kunis, has been able to sustain a successful movie career after the series ended in 2006. Both Topher Grace and Ashton Kutcher made only sporadic appearances in the final season as they attempted big screen careers. While Kutcher has had a few minor hits, Grace likely wonders if he should have stayed on television. The movies that Grace has starred in, like Win a Date with Tad Hamilton and In Good… Read more »

Terrence Clay (@TMC1982)

Tobey Maguire told poker hostess to ‘bark like a seal’ to earn a tip: http://www.celebitchy.com/371273/tobey_maguire_told_poker_hostess_to_bark_like_a_seal_to_earn_a_tip/ Bridget says: June 13, 2014 at 10:05 am Yep, I believe it. And what a piece of work – it certainly makes sense why Tobey rarely works anymore. Reply Brin says: June 13, 2014 at 10:38 am This^^. A piece of work who doesn’t work and we know why. Reply Bridget says: June 13, 2014 at 11:21 am If you look at the other guys in the posse, most of them are still working (even the ones that have made a lot of money): DiCaprio,… Read more »

Terrence Clay (@TMC1982)

Re: T0bey Mcguire and Ke.r.ry Washingtun Tea:
http://www.lipstickalley.com/showthread.php/843866-T0bey-Mcguire-and-Ke-r-ry-Washingtun-Tea?p=21202676&viewfull=1#post21202676

If I remember his wife was friends with Rshda Jonez then went after him behind her back. He went for it cause he knew the connections of her dad but it backfired on him cause his career has tanked. He’s doing tv work now and not good tv work. So, maybe that’s why he’s so angry and nasty now.

Terrence Clay (@TMC1982)

10 Actors Who Are About To Make A Huge Comeback: http://whatculture.com/film/10-actors-who-are-about-to-make-a-huge-comeback.php/2 Tobey Maguire – Pawn Sacrifice Remember Tobey Maguire? Of course you do. Can’t blame you if you’ve forgotten, though, given that Maguire hasn’t really featured in anything noteworthy since Spider-Man 3 – and even that movie was something of a huge critical bomb. Now, reminded that Tobey Maguire is still alive and well, some of you might be wondering: “Yeah, where is Tobey Maguire? What’s he up to these days?” Well, aside from appearing in The Great Gatsby with Leonardo DiCaprio back in 2013, nothing much, actually. In fact,… Read more »

admin
Admin
admin
8 years ago

I will have more to say on this very, very soon.

Mastro
Mastro
10 years ago

“When you watch a scene on the big screen and think that even Tobey Maguire is slumming it, I think you need to reconsider casting your lead actress.”

Er- what? she might not be your movie crush- but she’s very attractive- and outside of movies- certainly out of Tobey’s league.

Maybe your perspective is messed up by Tobey romancing Theron in Cider House Rules- but that was almost certainly because all the men were in WWII.

admin
Admin
admin
10 years ago
Reply to  Mastro

A lot of other bloggers who write about entertainment make me feel good about what I do here. I get snark. I love snark. But sometimes, there’s a fine line between being snarky and just being stupid. I’m sure I’ve crossed it myself more than once. But these guys who write articles bashing the looks of Hollywood actresses who wouldn’t look at them twice should really reconsider their writing style. Dunst is all over those Maxim hot 100 lists. You’re telling me that this is “slumming”?

Terrence Michael Clay
10 years ago

Kirsten Dunst stars in ‘Upside Down’: http://www.examiner.com/article/kirsten-dunst-stars-upside-down Q: You’ve made a lot of interesting career choices lately with roles in offbeat films like “Melancholia,” “On the Road” and now this. Do you feel you’ve gravitated towards the unusual? Dunst: For me, I gravitate towards the director. Always. Usually, I’d rather do a script that I find—and I’m not talking about this film, but in general—that maybe is not amazing, but I’d rather work with a great director than on something that has an amazing script and a director who I think is mediocre. That’s because I think it’s really all… Read more »

Terrence Michael Clay
10 years ago

Kirsten Dunst: ‘I’m proud of my career’: http://www.digitalspy.com/movies/news/a350512/kirsten-dunst-im-proud-of-my-career.html Kirsten Dunst has revealed that she is proud of many of the movies she has made throughout her long career. The actress, who received a Golden Globe nomination for her breakthrough performance in 1994’s Interview with the Vampire, said she finds the positive reaction from the public rewarding. She told Moviefone: “I’m proud of so many movies. I’ve always done things that… I was proud of Virgin Suicides. “I’m proud of a lot of things in my career. Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind, I was very proud to be in that… Read more »

admin
Admin
admin
10 years ago

Sneaky good choice, Lebeau! As soon as I saw the topic, I thought “hey, yeah! What’s she been doing since Spider-Man?” A few stray thoughts: -every child actor who graduates to adult roles from here on out can count on lots of continued Youtube exposure. -I’m pretty sure that watching the Tower of Terror movie could only decrease my enthusiasm for the ride, not enhance it. -what’s up with your google? It has a dirty mind. I’m actually constantly surprised how little blue content I get on searches I get nervous about milliseconds after hitting “search.” -I haven’t seen it,… Read more »

admin
Admin
admin
10 years ago
Reply to  admin

Thanks, Daffy. I’m finding I need to be a little creative with my candidates these days. I have done most of the obvious ones. In Dunst’s case, I knew she had been working, but I had not seen a single one of her movies since the last Spider-man. To research, I went back and watched All Good Things, Melancholia and The Bachelorette. All three are conveniently available on Netflix. And they all have good qualities worth recommending. It has become fashionable to trash Raimi’s Spider-man the same way it has become trendy to put down Donner’s Superman. I don’t get… Read more »

admin
Admin
admin
10 years ago
Reply to  admin

http://www.cracked.com/video_18435_the-awful-spider-man-movie-james-cameron-almost-made.html

check out this link to find out more about Cameron’s take on Spider-Man.

admin
Admin
admin
10 years ago
Reply to  admin

Unfortunately, I could only get about a minute and a half of that video to play. I remember reading all that stuff back when it became public. But I have to think that Cameron the perfectionist would have fixed things up had he actually made the film.

Terrence Clay (@TMC1982)
Reply to  admin

10 Reasons You’re Wrong About Spider-Man 3:
http://whatculture.com/film/10-reasons-youre-wrong-about-spider-man-3.php

It wasn’t all bad…

Terrence Clay (@TMC1982)

The Mother Brain Files: Web Head Blues: http://cosblog.cosmelentertainment.com/2014/12/15/the-mother-brain-files-web-head-blues/ Avi Arad was the CEO of Toy Biz, the home of all Marvel action figures, in the 1990s. When Marvel fell into bankruptcy in 1996, Arad swooped in and took control. He got Marvel out of their financial woes and sought to expand through selling the film licenses to the major studios. He exerted his influence increasingly with each Marvel film, including Spider-Man 3. Initially, Raimi had a tremendous amount of creative control on the previous entries and had hoped to follow in the same direction in the third outing. Raimi crafted… Read more »

Terrence Michael Clay
10 years ago
Reply to  admin

6 WTF Comic Book Movies That Almost Got Made: http://whatculture.com/film/6-wtf-comic-movies-that-almost-got-made.php/2 5. Spider-Man Here’s where we really start to get into some WTF territory. When James Cameron was involved with Spider-Man, the studio was worried that he’d go over budget. So they told him that he wouldn’t get a single cent of his fee until he turned in a script that could be budgeted under a certain amount. Proving that you don’t get James Cameron until you pay James Cameron, he basically took an existing script, changed a few lines, and added his name to the title page. Cameron would go… Read more »

RB
RB
10 years ago

Have I ever mentioned how much I love this blog? 🙂 Several WTHH entries ago, it really started to hit me how I was only tangentially aware of the film world between around 1995 to late 2012 while being consumed with work. Kirsten Dunst is a perfect A list yet under the radar choice, she is a much more accomplished actress than I would have imagined. “Melancholia” is now in my Amazon cart. Really, the category of “works but doesn’t have to” can lead to interesting projects. The limited release, or even direct DVD market seems to provide some creative… Read more »

admin
Admin
admin
10 years ago
Reply to  RB

*blush* During the 90s up through around 2003 I saw just about everything. But at some point, that stopped being the case. Definitely after the birth of my first child, I stopped watching nearly as many movies. That’s part of why WTHH is such a good fit for me. I followed all of these careers when they were relevant and now I miss a lot of these actors. The thing that I find frustrating is that 10 years ago a movie like Melancholia would have gotten a bigger theatrical release. It wouldn’t have shown in multiplexes. But every college town… Read more »

johnny88
10 years ago

When I saw “Spider-Man 2” I said a very nasty thing about Kirsten Dunst. There’s the scene when MJ is playing on stage giving a terrible performance. At that moment I said “Playing a bad actress it’s almost natural for Dunst”. Then I watched her in “Melancholia” and “Virgin suicides” and I have to change my mind on her, both performances were very good. If I’m not wrong Dunst won a Best Actress award in Cannes for “Melancholia”. Two things 1-Marie Antoinette never said the infamous phrase about “cakes”. She’s often quoted saying it, but she never said anything like… Read more »

Terrence Michael Clay
10 years ago
Reply to  johnny88

5 Woefully Cast Roles In Comic Book Movies: http://whatculture.com/film/5-woefully-cast-roles-in-comic-book-movies.php/2 5. Kirsten Dunst As Mary-Jane Watson – Spider-Man Trilogy This could be a rather controversial choice to begin things. The Sam Raimi Spider-Man series of movies tends to polarise many audiences who see it as either the beginning of the modern superhero movie or just a wasted opportunity to do something interesting with Marvel’s biggest selling superhero. One of the main threads that ran through it though was the story of Peter Parker and Mary Jane Watson and their ‘will they/won’t they’ love for each other. On the face of it… Read more »

admin
Admin
admin
10 years ago

yes yes, and they placed MJ in a plot from the books that involved Gwen Stacy. I sort of felt like this was Raimi and co messing with the core audience a little and letting us think that they might kill MJ instead of Gwen. It didn’t bother me much at the time, and I certainly never blamed Dunst. She was given a script and performed it based on her own talents.
What seems a little weirder to me is how the reboot has cast an actress who is PERFECT for MJ, but put her in the role of Gwen.

admin
Admin
admin
10 years ago
Reply to  admin

Agreed on Raimi and co messing with audience expectations. Any time you see the Goblin and a bridge, Spidey fans are thinking the outcome might be lethal. Casting Stone as Gwen was a little odd given how perfectly she would have fit MJ. But she pulled off Gwen just as well. I can see wanting to use Gwen over MJ in the reboot since the Peter-MJ relationship was so central in the Raimi films I think it made sense given the use of Gwen to go ahead and cast Stone in the role rather than wait for her to potentially… Read more »

Terrence Clay (@TMC1982)
Reply to  admin

The Amazing Spider-Man 3: 9 Actresses Who Could Play Mary Jane Watson: http://www.denofgeek.us/movies/the-amazing-spider-man-3/235369/the-amazing-spider-man-3-9-actresses-who-could-play-mary-jane-watson Jane Levy When in doubt, always bet on red. And at the moment, one of the most promising and talented actresses in Young Hollywood is an auburn haired beauty that is a near-doppelganger for Mark Bagley’s image of MJ from the Ultimate Spider-Man comic book series. But more importantly, she is ever increasingly proving that she’s a fantastic actress. First making a splash on Suburgatory, ABC’s amusing family show about the hell that is Suburbia, USA, Levy showcases an instant charisma and wit that should come natural… Read more »

Terrence Clay (@TMC1982)
Reply to  admin

Amazing Spider-man 3 woulda been.. interesting: http://officialfan.proboards.com/thread/526874/amazing-spider-man-woulda-interesting Post by mitchelhayes on 16 minutes ago Excluding the Peter Parker character I thought the Amazing Spider-Man series was far better casted. Better Aunt May, better lover interest (Emma Stone is just far more likable than Kirsten Dunst) and I did enjoy the more serious tone. Outside of Peter, in the first 3 Spider-Man films, no one is likable at all. Mary Jane cheated on everyone she was with, Aunt May shunned Peter after realizing that Pete was there when he died (this made no sense, it’s not like Pete shot him), The… Read more »

Terrence Clay (@TMC1982)
Reply to  admin

10 Franchises That Killed Off The Wrong Person http://whatculture.com/film/10-franchises-that-killed-off-the-wrong-person.php/10 Gwen Stacy In The Amazing Spider-Man 2 Why she shouldn’t have died: Emma Stone was one of the few good things about Sony’s hasty reboot of the Spider-Man franchise, having lost faith in Sam Raimi’s vision right around the time he put Tobey Maguire’s Peter Parker in a black suit and emo fringe. The Amazing Spider-Man turned out to be an equally slip-shod tonal mess, but there was always that one bright shining beacon amidst the awful film-making. The actress brought something genuine to the films, her natural chemistry with Andrew… Read more »

admin
Admin
admin
8 years ago

Emma Stone had me after “Zombieland”. I couldn’t imagine writing a screenplay (suspend belief and imagine me writing a screenplay) in which I’d kill her character. Heroine, cool friend, love interest? Oh yeah.
Anyway, I don’t know why Spiderman needed to be rebooted so soon like that.

Terrence Clay (@TMC1982)

Spider-Man 2017: 10 Things Marvel Must Get Right: http://whatculture.com/film/spider-man-2017-10-things-it-must-get-right.php/5 A Great Portrayal Of Mary Jane Watson Thanks to Emma Stone, audiences have had the definitive Gwen Stacey on the big screen. The same can’t be said for Mary Jane Watson. Kirsten Dunst started off well enough in the first Spider-Man but became bland and irritating by the end of the third film. Watching Sam Raimi’s trilogy now it is clear that there is minimal chemistry between Dunst and Maguire compared to the electricity between Stone and Garfield. It probably helped that the latter became a couple in real life. Shailene… Read more »

Terrence Clay (@TMC1982)

Read This: The surprising, subtle feminism of the Spider-Man trilogy http://www.avclub.com/article/read-surprising-subtle-feminism-spider-man-trilogy-235019 In her reassessment of the Sam Raimi/Tobey Maguire trilogy, writer Sarah Barrett actually finds a lot of stuff to praise. For instance, Peter Parker’s love interest Mary Jane Watson (Kirsten Dunst) is allowed to be a flawed character in her own right with insecurities that stem from her emotionally abusive father. And Barrett argues that Spider-Man is explicitly interested in challenging Peter’s desire to put Mary Jane on a pedestal. Plus as she puts it, “A woman in a movie trilogy wearing low-cut tops, portraying herself as sexy, dating… Read more »

admin
Admin
admin
10 years ago
Reply to  johnny88

Dunst was the subject of a backlash from Spider-man fans for reasons I don’t understand. Well, I sort of do. Comic book fans are really picky about who plays their heroes girlfriends. I have heard a lot of people complain that Dunst was not good looking enough to play Mary Jane. Wha-huh?!? But then, fans make the same complaint about just about every super hero love interest. I have seen a lot of bitching over the new MJ in the Amazing Spider-man sequel. I know lots of people who overlook Margot Kidder’s terrific Lois Lane because of her looks. It’s… Read more »

paolov69
10 years ago
Reply to  admin

Watch her in Marie-Antoinette and see that she can easily handle a leading role (furthermore, in that film there were no other “names” as support characters). To me she has everything: beauty, charisma and acting ability. I guess that now she prefers to do arthouse stuff (what Hilary Swank should actually do, IMHO), but she has nevertheless A-list class.

admin
Admin
admin
10 years ago
Reply to  paolov69

I’m kicking myself because MA was on cable a while back and I missed it. I’ll keep an eye out.

johnny88
10 years ago
Reply to  admin

I think that Dunst was miscast as MJ. I think the reason why I didn’t like her as MJ is because she’s not the “Mary Jane” type of girl. I always thought of Mary Jane as a sexy pin-up of the 50’s, while Dunst is more a “girl-next-door” kind of girl. I think Dunst was much more adapted to play Gwen Stacy instead of playing Mary Jane. And forgive my ignorance, I honestly thought “Upside Down” was a Hollywood movie. As for Marie Antoinette, I never had the occasion to watch it but I think I’ll check it out ASAP.… Read more »

admin
Admin
admin
10 years ago
Reply to  johnny88

It’s funny how things play out differently here vs. other countries. I don’t think many people in America have even heard of Upside Down. And yet, based on its budget, it was a major release (and flop) in Europe. It apparently played in 11 theaters in the US and was dumped on video a month ago. As for Dunst as MJ, I hear from people all the time that she was miscast. But really, who would have been better in the role? Part of the problem is that MJ has been different things to different people over decades of comic… Read more »

johnny88
10 years ago
Reply to  admin

I’m sorry if my comment made you angry 🙁 However my bad reaction to Dunst as MJ wasn’t only about her being not “sexy” enough (although when I watched Spider-Man for the first time I was 15 yo, so that dimension used to be very important at the time 😉 ), but I also perceived a lack of charisma, and MJ is a very charismatic character. You say Dunst play well only in movies she clearly care about, and probabily you’re right. In both “Virgin Suicides” and “Melancholia” she was very good while in Elizabethtown she was only so and… Read more »

admin
Admin
admin
10 years ago
Reply to  johnny88

Angry? Me? No way, man. I’m not angry. I’m just opinionated. 😉 I was mostly talking about people who have complained about Dunst or other actresses in super hero movies over the years. I actually do agree that Dunst was a bit on auto pilot during the Spider-man films. Especially the last one. Her heart wasn’t in it the way it is in other movies. I’m not sure who else you could have cast who would have done a better job. I feel the same way when people criticize Maguire as Peter/Spidey. I can see he is a little one-note.… Read more »

RB
RB
10 years ago

Just did some more research on Melancholia. I can see the genius from the distance of clips but watching this from beginning to end might leave me in the care of a psychiatrist. It can’t stay in the Amazon cart. My kids need me.

admin
Admin
admin
10 years ago
Reply to  RB

That’s true of any Lars von Treir movie. I enjoyed Dogville well enough, but it was a slog at times. Great film to watch while folding lots of loads of laundry on a Sunday afternoon. I haven’t yet mustered up the courage to watch Anti-Christ.

Terrence Clay (@TMC1982)
Reply to  RB

10 Overly Pretentious Movies We Should’ve Walked Out Of: http://whatculture.com/film/10-overly-pretentious-movies-shouldve-walked.php/9 Melancholia From its startling slow motion opening sequence, complete with music from the prelude of Richard Wagner’s Tristan und Isolde, it’s immediately clear that Melancholia, Lars Von Triers’s 2011 movie starring Kirsten Dunst, Charlotte Gainsbourg and Alexander Skarsgård, considers itself as a weighty and significant movie. Admittedly, the same could be said for most of Von Triers’s filmography, a director who never shies away from controversy and experimentation. As the title clearly suggests, this is a film about depression both personal and universal. Newly weds Justine and Michael (Dunst and… Read more »

Terrence Michael Clay
10 years ago

There’s no doubt in my mind that Kirsten’s personal problems (whether it be alcohol-related as often rumored or depression as her official claim) curtailed her post-“Spider-Man” (the mostly critically indifference towards the third movie and the subsequent reboot certainly didn’t help matters) momentum. That sort of thing could make it hard on an actor/actress in terms of how one could be marketed. Kirsten herself even admitted that she likes to smoke pot: http://www.starpulse.com/news/index.php/2007/04/09/kirsten_dunst_admits_she_likes_smoking_m What didn’t help matters is that you can argue that because of stuff like the “Spider-Man” movies and “Bring it On”, Kirsten had a bit of a… Read more »

Terrence Clay (@TMC1982)

Career Prospectus: Kirsten Dunst: http://www.laineygossip.com/Career-Prospectus-Kirsten-Dunst/28213 Could you please do a Career Prospectus on Kirsten Dunst? I loved her as an actress with Drop Dead Gorgeous, Bring It On and Dick being the best! She blossomed with Sofia Coppola and got millions for Spiderman. Things were looking good. Then came a break-up with Jakey, public outcry over her teeth (WTF!), drunkenness followed by rehab and, as we’ve read on your blog, bitchiness. So in recent history she had Bachelorette, and now she has coming up Two Faces of January with Viggo Mortensen and Oscar Isaac. She has nothing else booked, except… Read more »

Terrence Clay (@TMC1982)

Then again, “Bring it On” could serve as an prime example of Kirsten being able to carrying a “hit movie” on her own but I guess that’s right there w/ her “Spider-Man” successor, Emma Stone in “Easy A”. Both movies were more or less, bridges or stepping stones (they weren’t officially box office stars yet) to a full fledged adult career (and both movies incidentally, came shortly before landing “Spider-Man”).

RB
RB
10 years ago

She has that combination of subtle dramatic ability and almost Pfeifferesque, ethereal beauty that made her the perfect choice for Melancholia. She’s also still young.

admin
Admin
admin
10 years ago
Reply to  RB

I never compared her to Pfeiffer myself. But you’re right. She has that quality.

mr. ngoc
mr. ngoc
10 years ago

Dunst had to treat depression for a while (2008-ish) however from what I’ve read so far it was rumoured to be a cover for her addiction. Glad that she finally got through it. Upside Down is mostly a Russian production, I’ve seen it – nothing to write home about. For a while, Dunst was rumoured to be impossible for insurance – much like Lindsay Lohan, except her problems were kept tighter (probably because she got a better team, generally a better actress and most ppl in Hollywood expect her to recover unlike Linds). Melancholia was a true comeback story for… Read more »

admin
Admin
admin
10 years ago
Reply to  mr. ngoc

There were definitely rumors swirling about substance abuse. It’s one of those things where you hear the rumor so often you can’t help but believe it. If she really was as bad as rumors suggest, her team did a great job containing it. I said in the Lohan article than she really needs to hire a driver. It’s the DUIs that make everything public record. If a celeb can just stay in the passenger seat, they can avoid a lot of bad press. There is something about Dunst that makes her more compelling when she’s playing less sympathetic characters. I… Read more »

Mastro
Mastro
10 years ago
Reply to  admin

I remember reading a quote by Charlie Sheen that these other actors need to hire limo’s etc- as bad as he got- no DUI’s.

admin
Admin
admin
10 years ago
Reply to  Mastro

That’s called WINNING!

Seriously, how hard is it to call a cab? They can afford it.

Shemp
10 years ago

2 observations: 1) Mary Jane, err, Ms. KD went into “rehab.” NOT that it’s a bad thing, but it shows she has a troubled “inner life.” (I know, so do a LOT of people, me included, but if you’re “troubled” — see Sean Young, La Lohan — some people do not want to work with you.) 2) I saw her on some talk show — Leno’s I think — and she came across [not to be mean] as a dingbat, practically the stereotype of the flaky, flighty, shallow Hollywood actress, one rung above a bimbo. But you bring up a… Read more »

admin
Admin
admin
10 years ago
Reply to  Shemp

It sounds like rehab – whether it was for depression, substance abuse, or both – has done Dunst some good. Child actors and models so often miss out on a proper education and socialization. I’m never surprised when one of the turns out to be uneducated, flighty, self-centered, etc. I’ve seen interviews with Dunst and she does not seem like the best conversationalist. Fortunately, a lot of people catch up with those independent films on Netflix or video these days. I think American audiences will watch movies they never would have sought out at a theater if they happen to… Read more »

RB
RB
10 years ago
Reply to  admin

Many times a beautiful screen idol can disappoint at a live interview. I don’t think it’s fair to send Dunst, etc. into such an interview without the intense prepping that vacuous politicians get. I remember being a little shocked in the 80s hearing my then hero, Madonna, being interviewed live. Many, many people in their 20s sound less intelligent than they really are, until maybe their 40s when powers of articulation begin to translate intuition. And, as you point out Lebeau, missing out on a proper education and socialization only compounds the effect.

admin
Admin
admin
10 years ago
Reply to  RB

You have to take into consideration how these interviews work. When you’re on a big talk show like Letterman or Leno, they have talking points. The intervire isn’t scripted per se. But often it’s been rehearsed. When Letterman acts surprised or angry, odds are he’s playing along with a gag that was worked out in advance. Exceptions include Farrah Fawcett and Crispin Glover. But when these stars are promoting a film, they are flying all over the country and sometimes the world. It’s a permanent state of jet lag sometimes compounded by bad habits and partying. On top of that,… Read more »

Terrence Clay (@TMC1982)
Reply to  admin

Kirsten Dunst is getting hammered on straight vodka all the time: http://www.celebitchy.com/68333/kirsten_dunst_is_getting_hammered_on_straight_vodka_all_the_time/ Last week there was an interesting report from Radar that claimed Kirsten Dunst is still drinking all the time, despite her stay in rehab in 2008. As some pointed out, Kirsten seemed to encourage the view that her rehab stint was because of “exhaustion” or something like that, but the facility she checked into is known mainly for substance abuse and alcohol abuse. So I feel pretty confident in saying that at one point, Kirsten felt she had some kind of drug-or-alcohol abuse problems, and she tried to… Read more »

Terrence Clay (@TMC1982)
Reply to  admin

What annoys me about Kirsten based on some of the more recent interviews that I posted on here is that it seems like she’s awfully bewildered when “regular people” ask her about not seeing her in high profile movies since “Spider-Man 3”. I don’t know, I guess it somewhat strikes me as Kirsten sounding a bit snobby on her part. It’s like she can’t totally fathom the idea that most people would rather see her in more “commercial”/”mainstream” stuff (besides “Spider-Man” of course) like “Bring it On”, “Get Over It”, “Jumanji”, etc. Kirsten’s point of view seems to be that… Read more »

admin
Admin
admin
8 years ago
Reply to  Shemp

I was always under the impression that Megan Fox is the type to rip out your heart and show it to you anyway.

RB
RB
10 years ago

“Drop Dead Gorgeous” watched last night. Dunst was absolutely adorable in the movie. i might be off base here… or I might just finally be noticing something everyone else already knew… but 1999 seems like it was a very interesting movie year. DDG followed the lead of Spinal Tap (“Mockumentary”) as critics have noted. Because of the interesting genre, definitely worth watching once. The satire of beauty pagents was good but the dark elements didn’t work for me. Plus it seemed to lose focus for about the last third and kind of fell apart. Dunst and her costars performed the… Read more »

admin
Admin
admin
10 years ago
Reply to  RB

My impression of a movie like DDG is that it probably started off with an incredibly wicked script which got defanged by committee and test screenings until it was too toothless for the intended audience and too dark for the mainstream. I don’t think I have ever actually say through DDG so I can’t speak to it specifically. But I see it all the time. A prime example is The Invention of Lying which clearly started off as a blistering satire of religion before morphing into a rom com that still offended most religious viewers.

RB
RB
10 years ago
Reply to  admin

There is something lacking that is difficult for me to analyze. It isn’t toothless … the satire itself is biting. My complaint is more that it would have been good to see the satire further developed. The writer, or writers, clearly have imagination and the script is often indeed wickedly good. If the committee or test screening process weakened the finished result, that’s kind of a shame because this definitely has the feel of a project that could have much better. I agree that the dark elements might have alienated mainstream audiences. Fans of dark comedy seemed to have loved… Read more »

Terrence Clay (@TMC1982)
Reply to  admin

Drop Dead Gorgeous (1999): http://officialfan.proboards.com/thread/486787/drop-dead-gorgeous-1999 Post by CrazySting on yesterday at 3:54pm Am I the only one who totally loves this movie? It’s by Lona Williams, who was on The Simpsons writing crew for a while and, interestingly, the film comes off like a live action version of that show. It didn’t do too well in cinemas, so not too many seem to have heard of it. Which is a shame because it has to be one of the funniest films of the ’90s. I see a lot of Arrested Development-style comedy in it too. -Easily one of Kirsten Dunst’s… Read more »

Terrence Clay (@TMC1982)

Kirsten Dunst’s career is about showing up in random music videos: http://www.celebitchy.com/93385/kirsten_dunsts_career_is_about_showing_up_in_random_music_videos/ Most of you know that I’m not any kind of fan of Kirsten “Kiki” Dunst. I’ve always found her flaky, and her “I’m a ditzy starlet” act grates on my last nerve. That being said, I don’t generally hate on her looks. Kiki can be – and often is – a very pretty girl. This cover is one of those times where she looks great. She’s the cover girl for the new (I’m assuming April) issue of V Magazine, in a lovely, striking shot by Mario Testino. Now,… Read more »

Terrence Clay (@TMC1982)

“What the Hell Happened to” Kirsten Dunst’s “Mona Lisa Smile” co-star Julia Stiles: http://www.ehollywoodnonsense.com/?p=548 Julia Stiles broke out into the mainstream with her widely acclaimed performance in 1998’s 10 Things I Hate About You. Just how acclaimed was she? She walked home that year with an MTV Movie Award for Best Breakthrough Performance and the Chicago Film Critics Award for most promising actress of the year and film critic Adina Hoffman of the Jerusalem Post, even called her “a young, serious looking Diane Lane!” If praise like that doesn’t make phones start ringing at CAA I don’t know what does.… Read more »

Terrence Clay (@TMC1982)

What Ever Happened to Julia Stiles? http://www.clarehenney.com/2012/09/what-ever-happened-to-julia-stiles.html I was watching a bunch of old movies one weekend and I decided to re-watch the movie The Prince and Me, starring Julia Stiles. My first thought when I was watching was, “Whatever happened to Julia Stiles?” The last I saw of her was in the Bourne movies that starred Matt Damon but I nothing more after that. I heard that she went to college but I’m pretty sure that she would be done by now. I really liked her in Ten Things I Hate About You and in the Save the Last… Read more »

Terrence Clay (@TMC1982)

Re: Who is Blacklisted in Hollywood and why (bring the tea):
http://www.lipstickalley.com/showthread.php/832224-Who-is-Blacklisted-in-Hollywood-and-why-(bring-the-tea)?p=20961045&viewfull=1#post20961045

J.u.l.i.a. S.t.i.l.e.s.

Her career was about to take off again after her stint on Dex/ter (she even received a golden globes nomination for her work) but she got blacklisted after her on-set affair the Dex/ter came out. Word on the street is that JenCarpen.ter (scorned (ex)wife of Dexter) badmouthed her all over town and got her blacklisted. And now, the best the girl can do is a low-rate web series and Lifetime movies. So sad.

admin
Admin
admin
9 years ago

Yeah, I heard the affair that Micheal C. Hall had was with Julia Stiles (the timeline correlates as well). I didn’t know Jennifer Carpenter badmouthed her (LOVE the Debra character), but I know she got quite emotional about her relationship with MCH during this “Dexter” panel I caught on video.

Terrence Clay (@TMC1982)

Where is Julia Stiles? What Happened to Julia Stiles? http://gazettereview.com/2015/06/where-is-julia-stiles-what-happened-to-julia-stiles/ Born on March 28th, 1981, Julia Stiles is an American actress who has starred in many blockbuster films. Most famous for her roles in 10 Things I Hate About You, Down to You, Save the Last Dance, The Business of Strangers, Mona Lisa Smile, and The Omen, Stiles has won numerous awards and accolades for her acting performances. She kept on earning roles in major movies throughout the years, until recently it seems she has disappeared. What happened to Julia Stiles? Julia stiles was born and raised in the iconic… Read more »

Terrence Clay (@TMC1982)

10 Movie Stars Who Could Really, Really Use A Hit Right Now: http://www.cinemablend.com/new/10-Movie-Stars-Who-Could-Really-Really-Use-Hit-Right-Now-40183-p7.html Julia Stiles I am all for former leading actors taking smaller roles in order to create a different kind of career with a supporting bend to it, but there’s a difference between being the third lead and being the seventh lead, as Stiles was in last year’s brilliant Silver Linings Playbook. Even more troubling, she hasn’t had any other role of any kind in anything that made any real dent at the box office since 2007’s The Bourne Ultimatum, unless you count her one season guest role… Read more »

Terrence Clay (@TMC1982)

Future of Movie Stars: Who Will Shine? Who Will Fade Away?

http://forums.previously.tv/topic/7750-future-of-movie-stars-who-will-shine-who-will-fade-away/?do=findComment&comment=2186668

Julia Stiles did the break thing, and she also the problem of having a babyface until her early 30’s. It was hard to take her seriously as a grown woman in The Omen remake.

Tracy
Tracy
10 years ago

You hit the proverbial nail on the head with Melancholia. That movie is maddening and mesmerizing. The word itself- melancholia- is beautiful. I always recommend that movie to my friends. I like to see who “gets it’ and who doesn’t. I could talk about that movie for hours. If that is the new direction Kirsten Dunst wants to take her career, then I am totally on board. Also, people should give Marie Antoinette another chance. It’s a gorgeous film.

admin
Admin
admin
10 years ago
Reply to  Tracy

Dunst isn’t as popular as she once was, but I find her movies more interesting than ever before.

Elisa
Elisa
10 years ago

I agree with some of whats been said regarding Orland Bloom and Kristin Dunst. I completely disagree regarding Ryan O’neal. Have you ever seen “Whats up Doc”. Probably one of the funniest movies ever. Ryan Oneal was brilliant as the nerdy yet adorible Howard Bannister. O’neal’s comedic timing was immpeccible. He held his own opposite Barbara Striesand and Madaline Kahn. Its too bad he didn’t do more comedy because he’s brilliant in that genre. Too say he’s an awful actor is completely ridiclious.

admin
Admin
admin
10 years ago
Reply to  Elisa

I don’t have a strong opinion on O’Neal either way. I saw What’s Up Doc and was not impressed. I was a huge fan of Bringing Up Baby, the Cary Grant/Katherine Hepburn film What’s Up Doc was based on. I probably couldn’t give What’s Up Doc an unbiased viewing. Grant and Hepburn are a tough act to follow.

Christian
Christian
10 years ago

Actually, the reviews for Marie-Antoinette were mostly positive (http://www.metacritic.com/movie/marie-antoinette) and have only increased with time. It has gained quite a bit of respect now that people recognize the film’s character study intentions rather than expecting a historical film. It also made 20 million more than its budget overseas.

admin
Admin
admin
10 years ago
Reply to  Christian

65 is a pretty middle-of-the-road metacritic score. (It holds a less-impressive score of 55 on RT.com) While technically that may qualify as “mostly positive” in that it is greater than 50%, you have to take into account that reviews tend to skew positive on aggregators. Aggregate sites like metacritic also have the flaw of including modern reviews. If, as you say, the movie has increased in respect since it was released, that would be reflected in its current score. At the time of its release, the reviews were far from glowing. However, my assessment that the reviews were “mostly negative”… Read more »

Christian
Christian
10 years ago
Reply to  admin

Well, in comparison with other film ratings from aggregate sites, it does lean towards the positive territory…hence the classification. If you sort by 2006 films, you will see how many ended up in the red with scores lower than 40. Also, “mostly positive” on Metacritic is attributed to scores about 60, rather than 50. MetaCritic does not include modern reviews…those are all from 2006-2007 when the film was released. RottenTomatoes, however, is all-inclusive. The film has gained a reputation for receiving negative reviews because of the Cannes “booing” ordeal, which was debunked by Ebert (who was one of several top… Read more »

admin
Admin
admin
10 years ago
Reply to  Christian

You have convinced me there is more to the story. I am going to look into it further and I will update the article with something more in-depth than “mixed”. I do enjoy busting up movie myths.

Thanks for sharing your point of view. These kinds of conversations always improve the overall depth and quality of the articles.

Christian
Christian
10 years ago
Reply to  admin

These conversations are what makes me love film!

admin
Admin
admin
9 years ago

I can relate to depression: I have friends that suffer directly or are bipolar. My heart goes out to Kirsten Dunst.

admin
Admin
admin
9 years ago
Reply to  admin

Depression is no joke. It seems like she is doing well. So good for her.

Terrence Clay (@TMC1982)

Kirsten Dunst Offends With Traditional Gender Role Comments in Harper’s Bazaar UK: “You Need a Man to Be…:
http://www.usmagazine.com/celebrity-news/news/kirsten-dunst-traditional-gender-role-comments-harpers-bazaar-uk-201484

Terrence Clay (@TMC1982)

Feminist Says Actress Kirsten Dunst Too ‘Dumb’ to Have Opinion on Gender:
http://pjmedia.com/lifestyle/2014/04/13/feminist-says-dunst-too-dumb/

Wanderer
Wanderer
9 years ago

All Good Things … A favorite Dunst movie

admin
Admin
admin
9 years ago
Reply to  Wanderer

I thought it was a hidden gem. I’m surprised it hasn’t developed more of a cult following.

gluserty
9 years ago

Yeah, i liked the film as well (I’m familiar with the actual case through true crime shows and articles; the guy got busted shoplifting at a supermarket). I’m surprised there isn’t more of an audience for this film, considering many people consider Ryan Gosling such a beefcake (I’m just in it for the performances and storylines:-).

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