Focus Features

Changing appearances for the sake of entertainment is nothing new in Hollywood; it's all part of the gig. But when professional heartthrob Ryan Gosling tweaks his look, disgruntled fans are going to have something to say about it.

In "The Place Beyond the Pines," Gosling sports a bleach-blond 'do for his role as a motorcycle racer-turned-bank robber. As photos started surfacing during the film's production, people were wondering what the heck was going on with his hair. Serious drama.

But since Gosling isn't the first to drastically dye his hair for a film, we rounded up a few other male counterparts who didn't necessarily pull off going blond, to make him (and everyone else) feel a little better about it.

Javier Bardem, 'Skyfall'

MGM

Lucky for Bardem, the character of Raoul Silva in the 007 flick was just as eerie as his haircut and color. Some called it "deliciously wicked," while others compared him to characters like Stuart Smalley on SNL. The only real travesty about Bardem's golden locks in "Skyfall," though, was that he was snubbed from getting a golden trophy for his performance as one of the creepiest villains ever.
Better or Worse Blond: If we had to choose between his hair in this film or "No Country For Old Men," Silva wins by a skyfall … er, landslide.

Nicolas Cage, 'Drive Angry'

Dimension

In "Drive Angry," Cage escapes from Hell to vindicate his daughter's murder and find his kidnapped granddaughter. Maybe because he came from Hell, there was a need to make him look like it, too, because when Cage showed up to WonderCon back in 2010 with fried, shoulder-length blond hair, the masses were asking, "WTF?" Internet polls on his new look surfaced soon after, but the Washington Post nailed it when they suggested the "hair-do was no 'National Treasure.'"
Better or Worse Blond: Uh, worse.

Wesley Snipes, 'Demolition Man'

Warner Bros.

Wesley Snipes may have played the ultra-violent Simon Phoenix in "Demolition Man," but he gave some people a hearty laugh thanks to his unfortunate coiffe in the film. Named one of the "worst celebrity blond hair moments" ever, one critic couldn't get in enough ROTFLs when talking about Snipes' "Demolition" hair.
Better or Worse Blond: Oomph. Worse.

Bradley Cooper, 'Hit & Run'

Open Road

Obviously, Cooper's bleached dreadlocks in "Hit & Run" weren't taken into consideration when he was voted "Sexiest Man Alive." Playing a bank robber with terrible style (yellow-tinted sunglasses included), one has to wonder what's up with giving the bad guys a crappy blond look. Chalking it up to a casting choice by Dax Shepherd, one website said he had "a lot to answer for" after making Cooper so "unrecognizable."
Better or Worse Blond: Way, way worse.

Jared Leto, 'Fight Club'

Fox

Everything about "Fight Club" is so badass that even when Jared Leto appeared as Angel Face with his platinum hair and eyebrows, it wasn't as much of a shock as it was with those who've done it before him. While no one seemed to mind the change in hair or brow color — especially since he tends to be a chameleon on-screen and on-stage — it really didn't matter since his face was bashed in so hard during one fight scene that anything else was barely noticeable.
Better or Worse Blond: Factoring in the broken nose and non-existent eyebrows, worse.

Robert Downey Jr. & Jack Black, 'Tropic Thunder'

Paramount

Downey Jr. had a lot more going on in "Tropic Thunder" than just switching up his hair color. After starting off as a blond white guy, his character completely changed skin color in order to score the black male lead in a Vietnam War film. Debatable which way he looked better, but Downey Jr. may have been trumped by Jack Black's platinum spiked 'do. Maybe Black should've kept his hair blond long past the film's wrap, because his makeover had him being compared to the likes of David Beckham and Brad Pitt.
Better or Worse Blond: Downey — meh. Black — if it makes him look like Beckham or Pitt, then better.

Matt Damon, 'Invictus'

Warner Bros.

In "Invictus," Damon plays the captain of a South African Rugby team that he leads to victory. He bulked up and dyed his hair for the role, but apparently his hair wasn't up to par with what "Rugby Hair" should be, and there's even a site dedicated to just that. Questioning whether Damon perfected the right hair for the part, RugbyHair.com criticized him for not getting the "post match brushed-forward, tuft-on-top, blond hair with natural dark roots" look at all.
Better or Worse Blond: Worse, only because the experts over at Rugby Hair say he did it all wrong.

Peter Facinelli, 'Twilight'

Summit

If it's one thing that stood out from the pale skin and awkward eye color in the "Twilight" films, it was the shock of all that plus the color of Peter Facinelli's hair. During an interview, he admitted he'd never gone that blond for a role, saying, "When I was blond ... a lot of the guys wanted to kick my ass. You look like a pansy, and you could tell I was in the salon for six hours."
Better or Worse Blond: So much worse. Avoid the ass-kicking, Fac, and never do it again.

Kellan Lutz, 'Syrup'

CaughtOnSet.com

Long gone is the pale, dark vampire Emmett Cullen. For his upcoming role in "Syrup," a drama about a marketing grad who comes up with a million-dollar concept, Lutz switched gears and hit the other end of the color spectrum. Taking it to back in the day, he drew comparisons to Justin Timberlake's *NSync moments of frosty tipped curls, even getting called a "hot mess" after stepping out with a blond 'fro.
Better or Worse Blond: He looks good blond, but the curls have to go.

Guy Pearce, 'Memento'

Newmarket

It may seem unfair to focus on hair in "Memento" when there are so many brilliant other things about the Christopher Nolan thriller, but regardless of what Pearce looked like, the film was a success. 92% rating on Rotten Tomatoes? Check. Oscar noms? Check. Guy Pearce giving an awesome performance, regardless of bad hair? Check.
Better or Worse Blond: Worse.

Tom Felton, 'Harry Potter'

Warner Bros.

It's almost hard to imagine what Tom Felton, aka Draco Malfoy, looks like outside of his glorious platinum evilness. Having played Potter's bully for close to ten years, Felton was pretty much locked to bleached blondness for a long, long time. He even said that he'd been dying his hair for so long, he "couldn't remember" its natural color. Consensus rules: one poll voted him 68 percent better as a blond.
Better or Worse Blond: We're used to it, and agree with the masses. Better.

Ryan Reynolds, 'Paper Man'

MPI Media Group

The other Canadian Ryan bleached his hair long before Gosling had to. Prior to his days as the Green Lantern, Reynolds played an imaginary superhero with an interesting getup in "Paper Man." And just like Gosling, he can also claim Emma Stone as a co-star ... she, too, had a role in the forgotten film. While no one knows what happened to "Paper Man" after it played the festival circuit, Slash Film seemed to find Reynolds "goofy," but "super-charming as the bleach-blond and spandex-clad superhero."
Better or Worse Blond: Worse.

Josh Hutcherson, 'The Hunger Games'

Lionsgate

Peeta's blondness wasn't going to change just because a dark-haired actor was cast in the book-to-movie role. So when Josh Hutcherson stepped out with his hair all light and whatnot, no one was quite sure how to feel about the fake-looking dye job. Acceptable or not, Hutcherson bleached it all over again for the next film in the "Hunger Games" series, "Catching Fire."
Better or Worse Blond: Call it a draw.

Chris Hemsworth, 'Thor'

Marvel Films

The Australian Hemsworth is already fair-haired, so there weren't many complaints about the long bleached locks he sported to play the Marvel Comics superhero. In fact, he — and many others — liked it enough that Hemsworth did it again for both "The Avengers" and the upcoming "Thor: The Dark World."
Better or Worse Blond: Hemsworth looks good regardless. Biased? Maybe.

Brad Pitt, 'Troy'

Warner Bros.

The real battle may be between the two blond muscle men of "Troy" and "Thor"; Pitt's Achilles could easily give the mighty Asgard warrior a run for his money. Even though he didn't stray too far from his usual golden-boy good looks, Pitt didn't win over everyone with his "Troy" makeover. In a Guardian poll, Pitt's bleached hair was considered less than godly and voted lowest on the list of his "Best Cuts."
Better or Worse Blond: Super spray tan + platinum hair = too much to handle. Worse.

Sony

Dads are good guys. They put together our complicated toys, they taught us to drive, and they took us camping. But we've always considered him to be a total dork, or the big bad guy who Mom would call on to deliver the harshest punishments.

We wanted a father who was more like ones in movies. Why didn't we have a dad who built a magical baseball field, was fabulously wealthy, and who greeted crises with jokes, hugs, or lethal force instead of groundings?

We know our dads were cool, always there for us, and making us better people. We love them dearly. But in honor of Father's Day, here are 13 movie dads we still find ourselves admiring for their humor, cuddliness, special talents, and in some cases, bank vaults full of money.

13. Sam Baldwin (Tom Hanks), 'Sleepless in Seattle' (1993)

Sony

Tom Hanks is the very definition of calm, cool, and lovable. He can always be counted on to play a great dad, but his sad widower in "Sleepless in Seattle" tops the list for us. Instead of remaining distant from his son, Jonah, he clings to him so hard that Jonah decides he needs to start dating. When he calls a radio talk show on his dad's behalf, it kicks off a frenzy. Sam handles it all with surprising calm, good humor, and honesty. When Jonah flies all the way across the country to meet Annie, Sam freaks, but not so badly that he doesn't give Jonah the biggest and most tearful hug instead of a lecture. That's when we decided we wanted him to adopt us.

12. Jim's Dad (Eugene Levy), 'American Pie' (1999)

NBC

There comes a time in every kid's life that they start locking the bedroom or bathroom door behind them. We don't want our parents to know what's going on there. We don't want to have that discussion. Jim (Jason Biggs) not only has that discussion, he has his dad walk in on him as he's getting intimate with a pie. Jim's Dad (Eugene Levy) -- that's all we know him by throughout the series -- actually helps him dispose of the incriminating pastry, buys him some dirty magazines, and tries to offer a little, er, technical advice. Once the humiliation passes, it's a relief to know you've got a dad who recognizes you're all grown up, and even in need of sexual relief.

11. Ray Kinsella (Kevin Costner), 'Field of Dreams' (1989)

Universal

There are practical dads, and there are dads who throw caution to the wind and embrace the supernatural. Ray (Costner) receives an insistent whisper to "build it" so "he will come," and happily plows over his cornfield and builds a baseball field. When the ghosts of baseball greats turn up, Ray isn't in the least bit surprised. He fights to keep his mystical field despite a shrinking bank account and threats from his brother-in-law. We'd love a dad who could tap into the astral plane of baseball, and who never wavered in his belief that having Shoeless Joe Jackson over to play was worth a few acres of corn. If he believed they would come, so would we.

10. Carlisle Cullen (Peter Facinelli), 'The Twilight Saga' (2008-2012)

Summit

We wouldn't want Dracula as a dad, but Carlisle Cullen? Yes, please. His enhanced ability is compassion, for heaven's sake, and he has a penchant for adopting lost and lonely souls. Anyone you love, he'll love. (He may even offer to transform them.) His capacity for kindness means he won't spend the centuries lecturing you, reminding you of that one time you scratched his car. He'll probably just give you a big hug, and remind you that time washes everything away, and the material is immaterial. Oh, and he's loaded (Forbes estimates his fortune to be $34.5 billion). If you have to pick a dad to spend centuries with, Carlisle is the one to choose.

9. Daniel Hillard (Robin Williams), 'Mrs. Doubtfire' (1993)

Fox

We'd love a dad who, despite his unemployment, hires the zoo to throw us a birthday party. But Daniel (Williams) really goes the distance. Guilty over the breakup of his marriage and desperate to spend time with his kids, he willingly dresses up as a plump English nanny. We won't lie and say the big reveal wouldn't be a little traumatizing, but the sheer audacity of the scheme is just too adorable and sweet to be too upsetting. Besides, he cooks, cleans and sews even better than Mom!

8. Bryan Mills (Liam Neeson), 'Taken' (2008)

Fox

Any dad would happily risk his life for his child. But if we're in trouble – serious trouble, spanning numerous borders, languages, and laws – we want a dad with a very particular set of skills. We want Bryan Mills, who can build torture devices out of common items, rig telephones with walkie-talkies, and find us no matter how far off the grid we've strayed. He's a distant dad, but great in a pinch, and at least conscientious enough to encourage your singing career, and introduce you to his famous clients.

7. Daddy Warbucks, 'Annie'

Sony

It's a hard knock life and a really bad economy, so we could really use a father like Oliver "Daddy" Warbucks, whose fortune is estimated to be "ten zillion dollars," making him the richest fictional character ever. But money doesn't make the man! Daddy Warbucks is also charitable (he comes from a poor background which keeps him grounded), loves kids and dogs, enjoys globetrotting and adventure, and is a sharp dresser. He's a bit of a curmudgeon, but so is every parent, and you always have the household staff to mingle with if he's in a bad mood. And we did mention the"ten zillion dollars" in the vault, right?

6. Dill Penderghast (Stanley Tucci), 'Easy A' (2010)

Sony

We love the Penderghast family so much that we couldn't just wish for Mommy Penderghast ... we had to wish for Dad, too. Dill may have cheesy taste in Netflix rentals (We didn't have "The Bucket List" on our bucket list!), but he has a great sense of humor and an open mind about teenage sex. Neither Mom or Dad Penderghast would lecture us about what they saw on our Facebook or video blog, and even if Daddy Dill disapproves of your wardrobe, he'll temper it by saying you look like a high-end stripper. We feel our self-esteem soaring already!

5. Clark Griswold (Chevy Chase), The ‘Vacation’ Series (1983-2010)

Warner Brothers

Clark Griswold may be the most disaster-prone man on the planet, but you have to admire his guts and determination. This is a dad who will get you to Disney – er, Walley World at any cost, even if it means holding up a security guard with a BB gun. He will put on a pig suit to win a trip to Europe, and bravely drive on the right side of the road, even if that means taking you around Big Ben and Parliament all day. Finally, he'll plan a fun, old-fashioned family Christmas (which includes the ultimate gift of a backyard pool) and pursue it with manic ferocity, no matter how high the cost.

4. Mac MacGuff (J.K. Simmons), 'Juno' (2007)

Fox

Yes, Mac's other half made our Mom List too, but you just can't have one MacGuff parent without the other. A pregnant teenage daughter would probably make most dads get out a shotgun, and go on the hunt for the offending male. Mac merely expresses bewilderment, then dismay and criticism (he was hoping for hard drugs or a DWI) before switching to full sympathy and support. He can even manage to crack a few jokes about the situation. It's exactly how you hope your dad would react to unplanned grandparency.

3. Steve Martin in ANYTHING

Fox

Steve Martin is legendary for his snarky and sarcastic comedy. So why does he have a resume that's full of superdad roles? We don't know. We don't care. We just want him to be our dad. We'll take him in "Planes, Trains, and Automobiles," "Parenthood," "Father of the Bride" (I & II!), or "Cheaper by the Dozen." Sure, he can be uptight and anxious (he's an absolute wreck in "Parenthood"), but he's always a man willing to do whatever it takes to make his family safe, secure, and happy. Oh, and he tells really good jokes, even if he's covered in vomit. If dad has to be a comedian, he should at least be one like Steve Martin.

2. Atticus Finch (Gregory Peck), 'To Kill a Mockingbird' (1962)

Universal

Atticus Finch is one hell of a father figure. He's stern and serious, but he's also gentle, compassionate, and determined. No, he doesn't crack jokes. He doesn't engage in slick hand-to-hand combat. He doesn't have ten zillion dollars, and he's not big on playing games or hatching up zany parties. But Atticus is a hero, trying to single-handedly reverse the hideous racism of his town, and save an innocent man's life. Forget Superman; Finch is the real defender of truth, justice, and the American way. Other dads may be more fun, but Finch is the one you'd be proud to introduce to your friends or significant others.

1. Chris Gardner (Will Smith), 'The Pursuit of Happyness' (2006)

Universal

How does one dad emerge ahead of a pack of really awesome dads? By being Chris Gardner, who suffered setbacks that would have broken just about everyone (except maybe Liam Neeson or Atticus Finch) on the list. Gardner lost his savings and his wife thanks to a poor investment, hit rock bottom, and was forced to climb back out to provide for his son. The two wind up on the streets and in a homeless shelter before Gardner's hard work pays off, landing him a posh job as a stockbroker. The best part of the story? It's true. Gardner and his son went from being homeless to being multi-millionaires, and to a movie deal with Will Smith. And you thought awesome dads existed only in the movies.

Originally published June 17, 2011.

Entertainment Weekly

That's right: She has (officially) arrived. With "The Twilight Saga: Breaking Dawn: Part 2" just a sliver over five months from its release date on November 16, Summit has released the first look at the young Mackenzie Foy as Renesmee, the vampire hybrid love child of Bella (Kristen Stewart) and Edward (Robert Pattinson).

Too bad she's hiding behind Mommy, making it almost impossible to actually see her. Sigh.

But the gray-toned family portrait does reveal some interesting details, nonetheless. Like, Renesmee is almost up to Bella's shoulder—which seems a tad taller than your average newborn. She's also rocking some sassy boots, which we're totally into.

Overall, this family portrait, posted on Entertainment Weekly's Facebook page, has a definitely edgy vibe, what with Bella's leather jacket and Edward's military (inspired) coat and all. The proud parents also look rather serious if you ask us. It's like, hey—you had a baby—smile a little! But overall, it's still a powerful shot, and we're pretty sure movie-goers will flock to theaters come opening day to see what that stylishly dressed, freakishly tall vampire baby actually looks like.

"The Twilight Saga: Breaking Dawn: Part 2" also stars Taylor Lautner, Peter Facinelli, Ashley Greene, Kellan Lutz, Jackson Rathbone, Elizabeth Reaser, Nikki Reed, Billy Burke, Rami Malek and Maggie Grace. So, just in case Renesmee alone wasn't enough to get you to go, there's 10 more (gorgeous) reasons. You're welcome.

Update: EW.com has released a couple more images!

The "Twilight" gang has stayed plenty busy since launching straight into the cultural zeitgeist four years ago, and some of the franchise actors have had much more luck than others when it comes to scoring impressive and interesting roles.

One nabbed an Oscar nom, two had films in competition at Cannes this year, and another headlines an exciting new J.J. Abrams series this fall. Others have endured critical and box office flops, straight-to-DVD blunders and yes, even a Razzie "win."

Until this weekend, though, none have stretched their legs into new series territory -- but Kristen Stewart really puts her box-office muster to the test as she moves from the damp world of Forks into the clutches of Ravenna's evil queen-dom for "Snow White and the Huntsman." In celebration of her second franchise bid, we take a look at what all of the "Twilight" kids have been up to since first making their mark on modern pop culture not too long ago.

Summit

What exactly does it say about our culture that the two biggest superheroes of the summer movie season are also billionaires, and how does a Cullen family patriarch fit into it all?

Must be rich folk can afford better body armor than your average working class vigilante, and 400-years as a vampire gives you a leg up playing the stockmarket, as Forbes Magazine adds Bruce Wayne (#8) and Tony Stark (#5) as well as "Twilight" vampire Carlisle Cullen (Peter Facinelli) at #3, to their 2012 list of the "Fictional 15," the wealthiest made-up people in the world.

While Robert Downey Jr. has always erred on the side of light and bubbly in his role as Stark/Iron Man, a cool cat industrialist who enjoys a car, gadget or expensive suit as much as the next magnate, Christian Bale's portrayal of Bruce Wayne/Batman has been somewhat reluctant to savor his 1%-er lifestyle, preferring the solitude of a Batcave or a grimy alley.

Does the battle for box-office supremacy between "The Avengers" and "The Dark Knight Rises" parallel the longtime rivalry between billion-dollar CEOs Bill Gates and the late Steve Jobs? Despite their influence, we're pretty sure neither of those gentlemen had any sweet aircraft like The Bat or a Quinjet … that we know of. Perhaps next year Apple will unveil its paramilitary iTroops to replace soldiers the way the iPod replaced CDs.

Other well-to-do pop culture staples on Forbes' list include Orson Welles' Charles Foster Kane at #7, shrimp entrepreneur Forrest Gump (Tom Hanks) at #9, "The Girl With The Dragon Tattoo" hacker extraordinaire Lisbeth Salander (Rooney Mara) at #10, and coming in at #1 is Smaug the dragon, soon to enter legendary cinematic status in Peter Jackson's "Hobbit" movies voiced by Benedict Cumberbatch.

Male Twi-Hard Eats Chicken Wings With Peter Facinelli

Getty Images

It's not quite as shocking as a split between Edward and Bella would be, but this comes pretty close.

People is reporting that "Twilight Saga" star Peter Facinelli and his wife Jennie Garth are getting a divorce.

Sorry, Twihards, but not all love stories have happy endings.

"While we have decided to end our marriage, we both share the same deep love and devotion to our children," the couple said in a joint statement. "We remain dedicated to raising our beautiful daughters together. We ask for privacy and respect during this time."

Facinelli, of course, plays Carlisle Cullen, head of the Cullen clan of vampires, in the wildly popular "Twilight" films. Garth, meanwhile, is no stranger to fans of pop culture either, having played Kelly Taylor for over a decade on the hit TV series "Beverly Hills, 90120" before recently appearing on "Dancing with the Stars."

The couple, who have been married for 11 years, have three daughters.

NextMovie

Confession: When I started Confessions of a (Male) Twi-Hard and wrote my introductory Twi-Hard Bucket List, I wasn't honestly sure whether or not I would cross any of the items off the list. That isn't to say I didn't want to, I just looked at most of the items as pure fantasy. And besides, most of the personalities listed would probably be freaked out by a 30-something male "Twilight" superfan.

That's why my stomach kind of dropped when the NextMovie editor called me and said Peter Facinelli agreed to meet me for chicken wings. "Really? You've got to be kidding." He wasn't. That's how I found myself in Midtown Manhattan's Lansdowne Road bar at 11 a.m. on Friday morning, sitting across a table of Buffalo wings from the man who plays Carlisle Cullen.

I've met Facinelli once before, when I interviewed him during the DVD release of "New Moon" for Moviefone. When his publicist and I walked into his room, it appeared empty. She looked confused, "He was just ... here ..." As she turned around to see if he'd gone somewhere else, Facinelli jumped out from behind the door and scared the s**t out of both of us.

So, I already knew he has a sense of humor, but still felt nervous about creating small talk with a celebrity over beers (he orders Amstel Light, by the way). I mean, I'm not only a fan of "Twilight" ("Breaking Dawn - Part 1" hits Blu-ray and DVD Saturday, by the way) but Dr. Cooper, his character on "Nurse Jackie," is easily in my top-five contemporary TV characters (my homey also has a new indie film, "Loosies," which he wrote and stars in, and which is on demand and in theaters now).

Not having any formal journalism training, my interview style isn't conventional ... or even very well thought out. I use props, make things awkward and ask Facinelli for a chest bump (you won't see that in the video below, sorry). He's obviously a little thrown by all this, but is a great sport and plays along. My man crush on him stands.

Finally! I have crossed the first thing off my Twi-Hard Bucket List. See it all go down here, plus some bonus clips below:

Male Twi-Hard's Revised Bucket List:

1. Give Stephenie Meyer a long hug (and secretly sniff her hair).
2. Give the girl who sewed the Bella felt womb a psych evaluation.
3. Go hunting in the woods of Forks, Washington. Kill something.
4. Chest bump Kellan Lutz.
5. Taste Kristen Stewart's loquat pie.
6. Challenge Bitten by Blogging to a Twi-Off.
7. Drink Tru Blood with Kristen Stewart & Dakota Fanning.
8. Visit Tantas Toys, the maker of The Vamp dildo.
9. Ask the cast a question at a Comic-Con panel. (And then scream after they answer it.)
10. Get both Victorias (Bryce Dallas Howard and Rachelle Lefevre) in the same room.
11. Become an honorary TwilightMOMS member.
12. Touch Robert Pattinson's hair.
13.  Attend a "Twilight"-themed prom or wedding.
14. Eat chicken wings with Peter Facinelli.
15. Challenge a "Harry Potter" fan site writer to a slap fight.
16. See "Breaking Dawn" with Oprah.
17. Get 10,000 followers on Twitter (follow me here, fellow, Twi-Hards).

Bonus Clip: Facinelli on 'Twilight' Conventions

Bonus Clip: Facinelli on 'Loosies'

Bonus Clip: Facinelli on 'Nurse Jackie'

Confessions of a (Male) Twi-Hard is a “Twilight” humor column by Ryan McKee that publishes every other week on NextMovie. Read Ryan’s introductory post here and follow him on Twitter.

Getty Images

Just because he plays a vampire dad doesn't mean Peter Facinelli can't have human tastes. 

The actor has come a long way since first catching our eye as Mike Dexter, Jennifer Love-Hewitt's loser boyfriend in "Can't Hardly Wait." Now not only is he best known for playing vampire patriarch Dr. Carlisle Cullen in "The Twilight Saga," but he also stars as another doctor, Fitch Cooper, in Showtime's "Nurse Jackie."

The versatile actor, who wrote and stars in the film "Loosies," took a few moments to share some pop-culture picks that are pretty current for a 368-year-old vampire.

Movies

20th Century Fox

'I Saw the Devil'

Why? So damn creepy And some pretty awesome directing.

'Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid'

Watching this movie made me want to become an actor.

'Bullitt'

Steve McQueen -- enough said.

Music

La Face

LMFAO

Can’t listen to it without moving.

'Sober,' Pink

I love Pink. Yes, I said it.

'Scary Monsters and Nice Sprites,' Skrillex

There are no words, just listen.

TV Shows

ABC

'Workaholics'

Because funny is funny even when it is inappropriate.

'Modern Family'

Great cast.

'Swamp People'

Alligators are awesome.

Books

HarperLuxe

'Devil in the White City,' Erik Larson

The mix of history and entertainment and the suspense of murders is fast-paced and intriguing.

'Warlord,' Ted Bell

Alex Hawke feels like the new James Bond.

Web

Pinterest

It's a cool way to find and share new things.

Getty Images

I'm over a week late, but Happy New Year, Twi-hards. I hope you all had a great time covering yourselves in glitter and playing pin-the-tail on the R.Pattz, or whatever it is you choose to do on New Year's Eve.

Last year during this time, I urged you to make the resolution to watch more "Twilight" because "Eclipse" was only No. 4 in the 2010 box office numbers. Sadly, you didn't listen to me. "Breaking Dawn - Part 1" came in fifth in 2011, behind even "Kung Fu Panda 2." C'mon, people! That's just sad. Resolve right now to make "Breaking Dawn - Part 2" top the 2012 box office numbers, like the last installment of "Harry Potter" did this year. We can't lose to those Pot-heads ... again.

Enough with the browbeating, it's time to look ahead at an exciting year for "The Twilight Saga" cast. Not only will they be completing the best movie franchise of all time, but they'll be flying out on their own with new, more adult projects. Here's  a look into their future.

Kristen Stewart

Getty Images

2012 is shaping up to be KStew's biggest year yet. In addition to saying goodbye to the character that made her a superstar, she is starring in the summer fantasy blockbuster "Snow White and the Huntsman." Also featuring Charlize Theron as the Evil Queen and Chris Hemsworth as the Huntsman, the story is a darker twist on the classic fairy tale in which Snow White seems more like Joan of Arc than a fair maiden. Let's just hope it's better than last year's "Red Riding Hood." It couldn't be worse.

On the other side of the movie spectrum, Stewart is also appearing in the relatively shoestring budgeted "On the Road." I know I wrote about this film in last year's preview, but it actually seems like it's coming this year. Principal photography wrapped in 2010, so they've been in post over a year. Here's hoping the Jack Kerouac classic will finally see the silver screen in 2012.

Robert Pattinson

Getty Images

R.Pattz showed up at 2011's Comic-Con with f---ed up hair and caused hundreds of Twi-hard teens to experience minor heart palpitations. "Has our only reason for living gone crazy?" they wondered. Their worries eased when they found out it's only a haircut for his character in this year's "Cosmopolis," a film based on prolific writer Don DeLillo's 13th novel. It's being directed by dark genius David Cronenberg ("A History of Violence," "Eastern Promises"), so Pattinson may finally have a shot at winning critics over with his serious side.

In March, we'll finally get to see the long-promised movie "Bel Ami." From the trailer, it seems like a Victorian period piece oin which Pattinson gets to make love to Christina Ricci, Uma Thurman and Kristin Scott Thomas. I can't wait.

Taylor Lautner

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After the bomb known as "Abduction" dropped and sent Lautner's camp scurrying for the bunkers, he and his team seem to be keeping things on the DL this year. Other than "Breaking Dawn - Part 2," Lautner doesn't have any movies coming out in 2012. However, looking further on the horizon, he is planning a comeback in 2013 with the fantasy film "Incarceron," alongside actress Kavinda Dissanayake. Lautner is also rumored to star alongside Dwayne Johnson in the action film "Goliath" next year. Do you think he'll play The Rock's son?

Peter Facinelli

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The veteran actor and Cullen father is making his big screenwriting debut with "Loosies," opening this week. Facinelli also stars in the independent movie about a New York pickpocket who has a run of bad luck, including a former one-night stand (Jamie Alexander) telling him she's pregnant  and a cop (Michael Madsen) having a vendetta against him. Look for Facinelli also to revive my all-time favorite character of his, Dr. Cooper, in season 4 of Showtime's dark sitcom "Nurse Jackie" this year.

Jackson Rathbone

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Like his character Jasper Hale, Rathbone's projects outside of "Twilight" are an enigma. "Zombie Hamlet" and "DaZ: Vol. Too – NonSeNse" are supposed to be released this year, but they were also supposed to be released last year. The indie "Live at the Foxes Den" looks promising, but there isn't much information available. Finally, "Cowgirls n' Angels," in which Jackson plays a rodeo rider (but not a cowgirl), looks closest to completion.

Ashley Greene

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Lesbian kiss! That is what Greene will be known for in 2012: her Lesbian Kiss Scene with Christina Ricci in the ABC's "Pan Am." Unfortunately, the show may be cancelled soon owing to low ratings, but it'll be infamous for that. Greene also appears in the movies "LOL," "Butter" and "The Apparition," but I'm sure we'll forget about those the way we did "Skateland" and "A Warrior's Heart."

Kellan Lutz

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The big man is going funny this year in two comedies, "Syrup" and "Bumped," which got "bumped" from 2011 to 2012. Lutz is also doing the voice of anime hero Carson Stone in "Guardians of Luna." If all works out, there'll be a TV series by the same name.

Dakota Fanning

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2011 was sleepy for Dakota, but she's overcompensating for that in 2012. Sometime this summer, we'll see her playing a girl who wants to lose her virginity before dying of leukemia in "Now Is Good." She's starring in the bound-for-indie darling "The Motel Life," alongside Emile Hirsch and Stephen Dorff, and plays the teenage bride of Victorian art critic John Ruskin in the Emma Thompson-penned movie "Effie." I'm most excited to read that Dakota is attached to "Furious Angel," which sounds like the sequel to "The Professional," but that's not likely to happen until 2013.

Anna Kendrick

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Kendrick seems to have gone insane with the number of movies she's completed for 2012: "Pitch Perfect," "End of Watch," "What to Expect When You're Expecting," "Rapturepalooza," "ParaNorman," "The Company You Keep" and "Breaking Dawn - Part 2." We're either seriously going to love her this year or get really tired of her. I'm betting on the former.

Nikki Reed

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Outside of "Breaking Dawn - Part 2," Reed only has one movie slated for release in 2012, "Downer's Grove," but it has potential. It's a high school thriller written by famous edgy novelist Bret Easton Ellis ("American Psycho") that costars Hayden Panettiere and Lucy Hale. I feel like "Downer's Grove" may rewrite the teen thriller genre or bomb horribly, but nothing in between.

Confessions of a (Male) Twi-Hard is a “Twilight” humor column by Ryan McKee that publishes every other week on NextMovie. Read Ryan’s introductory post here and follow him on Twitter.

Lauren Cox

The 21st Annual Gotham Independent Film Awards earlier this week honored some of the year's best independent films at Cipriani Wall Street … and was the place to be to meet the stars.

I made my way to the restaurant shortly after arrivals had ended and the ceremony had begun in hopes that the crowd would have dissipated and I'd be able to catch the celebrities as they left the big event. Unfortunately, I was wrong. After the crowd continued to grow, security put up some barricades, of which I'm actually a fan. Even though they can be over-crowded and make your pictures a little awkward, they create a safer environment for the stars to greet the fans, and that only encourages them to do so.

Lake Bell, Penn Badgley and Jennifer Carpenter were among those to leave on the early side. Then, during a lull, I noticed some hustle and bustle between some of the event staff and the security. I thought it might be for the evening's biggest star, Charlize Theron, and I was right! Unfortunately, they somehow managed to sneak her out the back door completely unnoticed. Bummer.

Peter Facinelli was my first picture of the night. He is always very sweet and very gracious with his fans, and last night was no exception. We didn't get to chat much as he was on his way to the after party. As he walked away, he promised people on the other side of the street that he'd pose with them as well – so nice!

Zachary Quinto also stopped for pictures. I couldn't believe how tall he was. I mean he is really, really tall! Like Peter Facinelli, he was also in a rush to get to the after party but not before accepting a ton of compliments about his short stint on the new show, "American Horror Story." I must have been the only "Star Trek" nerd in the crowd.

Jason Reitman snuck out the front followed by Gary Oldman, who showed off his award on the way out while saying goodnight to everyone. Elizabeth Olsen and her entourage made a mad dash to her car from the entrance, but she looked stunning in her gown. Shailene Woodley kept the departures rolling without even waiting for her car to come and get her and instead walked down the block to find it herself.

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Last but not least of the evening was Hugh Dancy.

When he first came outside, no car was waiting for him, so he told me he would be back out in just a minute and disappeared inside. A few minutes later, he kept his promise and made his way over to me for quick picture. I congratulated him on the success of "Martha Marcy May Marlene" and he seemed very appreciative. We wished each other a good night and he was off.

And, needless to say, it was indeed a great night.

Like many of you, Professional Fan Girl Lauren Cox has always had a fascination with movie stars. She's turned her hobby – hitting premieres and other events in New York City to meet them – into a blog, and now a NextMovie column. Keep up with her adventures meeting celebs by following her on Twitter.

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Peter Facinelli has left his mark on many movies and TV shows since his debut in "Angela" in 1995, but most moviegoers now know and love the 37-year-old actor as the vampire Dr. Carlisle Cullen in the "Twilight" movies. Carlisle is head of the Cullen clan and Edward's maker, and his compassion and wisdom have helped keep his vampire family together for ages.

Carlisle also hosts the cinematic wedding of the year between Bella and Edward in "Breaking Dawn - Part 1," which opens in theaters on November 18. We caught up with the "father" of the groom as he spoke candidly about the end of "Twilight," playing doctor with chicken breasts, and which item of Carlisle's he once tried to steal.

Forbes magazine calculated that Carlisle Cullen was the wealthiest fictional character because some 350 years of compound interest and investments amassed him a fortune of $34.5 million. How does it feel to be the wealthiest vampire in history?
Actually I was voted number one the year before last, and last year I was voted number two. Scrooge McDuck beat me. I think it's because I spent a lot of money on the wedding [of Bella and Edward]. It knocked me down a peg.

How happy are you that you don't have to bleach your hair anymore?
It was tedious to get the blond hair and wear the contacts and have pale skin, but it was part of the character, and I don't think I would not want to do that. I like that I look different in "Twilight" than I normally do, and that Carlisle is so distinct from everything else that I've done. But I am excited that I can go in the sun now -- I don't have to hide in the shadows.

Also Check Out: Sate Your "Twilight" Thirst with 7 "Breaking Dawn" Clips

Carlisle is the patriarch of the Cullen clan and, in real life, you're married to actress Jennie Garth and have three children. Did that help you easily transition into the father figure in "Twilight"?
For sure! When I first heard about the role, I thought I was too young to play the father of a 17-year-old, so I didn't think I was right. But then I read Carlisle was actually a vampire who looks like a 23-year-old but is actually 350. The two things I think I have in common with Carlisle are that I like to think that I am a compassionate person and I am a father figure, so I know what it's like to be the head of a family. I did have those strengths going in and I had to create the rest of the character -- the way he walks, his cadence and the way he speaks. How do you bring 350 years of experience to the screen? I did a lot of history on the last 350 years of where his travels might have taken him, just because I wanted to have that information inside of me so it felt like I knew his journey.

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Do your daughters watch you in the "Twilight" movies?
My 8- and 14-year-old enjoy the movies, but my five-year-old -- I don't know how much she gets. The first time she saw one she was very young and she thought I was Skyping her, so she was talking to the screen.

Carlisle is a vampire doctor with centuries of practice, and you also play a doctor on "Nurse Jackie," albeit one with a variation of Tourette syndrome. After so much playing doctor, have you learned any medical procedures?
I learned how to stitch. I think if I had to, if someone got hurt, I could stitch someone up because I practiced a lot when we did "New Moon." They first gave me these Styrofoam pads but they didn't feel right, so I bought these chicken breasts and would slice them open and stitch them together. It was weird because I had a refrigerator full of stitched-up chicken and, while we were filming, I thought that the maid must come in and think I'm this weird guy who has this chicken obsession. I actually brought one of the pieces of chicken to set and showed Kris [Stewart] and she said, "Yeah, I'd never let you stitch me up."

I just did a stitching scene in "Nurse Jackie" yesterday, so that's become old hand for me. I do think about taking someone's vitals when they're sick because that's the first thing you'd do as a doctor, but I'm not going to do any transplants anytime soon.

Now that "Twilight" has ended filming, did you get to keep anything of Carlisle's to remember the experience? How about that house?
I wanted to keep his ring. I tried to keep it on one of the films, and they tracked me down and took it back. On the last film I asked if I could have a copy of it, and they gave me one. The house is actually a set. Well, in the first movie it was real, and in Portland; but they did a replica of that exact house on a stage in Canada and they did another exact replica in Baton Rouge. So it was weird to walk on set in a house that was in three different locations.

Also Check Out: My Favorite Movie: Peter Facinelli

Tell us about your new movie "Loosies."
I wrote, produced and starred in "Loosies" and it has a really fun cast, including Jaimie Alexander from "Thor," Michael Madsen, Vincent Gallo and Joe Pantoliano. I play a pickpocket in New York who has a Steve McQueen lifestyle until he finds out that he got Jaimie Alexander's character pregnant on a one-night stand. His whole life comes to a screeching halt because he has to take responsibility. At the core, it's a love story with comedic elements, but it's also a coming-of-age story for this 30-year-old guy who lives with his mom and must take responsibility for becoming a father. It's opening in limited release in January and we're doing a special pre-theatrical release starting November 9 on VOD.

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You filmed both parts of "Breaking Dawn" together over six months. Now that it's all over and you've played this character in every "Twilight" movie, do you think about what happens in Carlisle's life after the film series ends?
I'm done when the movie is done. I don't think about what happens to him after that because I'm off to the next project and I have to start thinking about that.

Would you think about it if someone decided to make another "Twilight" movie someday and asked you to return as Carlisle?
Yeah, maybe!

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"'Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid' is one of my favorites, mostly because it's the movie that I watched that inspired me to get into acting.

"When I watched Paul Newman and Robert Redford, I thought, 'Those two guys look like they are having fun, and that's what I want to do.' Thankfully I've been able to do that."

See Peter Facinelli again sink his teeth into the role of Dr. Carlisle Cullen in "The Twilight Saga: Breaking Dawn—Part 1," which opens in theaters everywhere Friday.

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America's favorite game show, "The Yes/No Show," is back on MTV -- and this time around, it's the cast of "The Twilight Saga: Breaking Dawn - Part 1" answering the toughest questions known to man.

Taylor Lautner, Robert Pattinson and the rest of the gang recently sat down with MTV's Josh Horowitz to answer a series of incisive (and occasionally random) series of questions about everything under the new moon.

So do Lautner's friends call him Sharkboy? Did Peter Facinelli once kill a dude? And has RPattz ever broken a headboard like that before? Head over to MTV or check out the video below to find out -- and say yes to "The Yes/No Show!"

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Not to sound like an old sea captain, but I've been covering entertainment since before you could swim. To be fair, some of you may be 40 and still can't swim -- I'm not judging. Sorry, it was just a some flashy language to get this second "Twilight: Breaking Dawn" Convention Diary post started.

Here's the rub: I've been interviewing celebrities for over 10 years. And what I've learned from interacting with celebrities like Tom Cruise, Vince Vaughn and Jaime Pressly is they're not always people you would want to hang out with if they weren't rich and famous. Coincidentally, those three names I just mentioned were actually surprisingly cool, but others, not so much.

The roundabout point I'm trying to make is that a number of the "Twilight" actors I've seen this weekend seem like dudes I'd like to call on Sunday for football. Let's be honest, they're all insanely rich by now, but they seem like they'd be down to hang out, especially these three guys. You might also entitle this piece: "Male Twi-hard's Newest Man Crushes." [Ed. Note: As you wish.]

Alex Meraz

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The actor who plays Wolf Pack member Paul is my pick for funniest person in the cast. He and actress Tinsel Korey did a panel taking questions from the audience, and almost all of Meraz's answers made the crowd laugh. When asked which vampire he would be, Alex Meraz answered, "I'd be Dracula from 'Bram Stoker's Dracula,' with those butt cheeks for hair." When asked about his feelings on "The Saga" ending, he deadpanned, "I cried ... all the way to the bank."

Not to be outdone, Korey played well with Meraz's humor and said, "He was paid 500 bucks." She also got one of the biggest laughs of the weekend: "Every time I see that Shake Weight, I think of you [Alex Meraz] using it in front of the mirror ... naked." Just the name Shake Weight became a recurring punchline for them.

Jackson Rathbone

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The only artists who take themselves more unbearably seriously than actors is musicians. So, just going in, Jackson Rathbone has two strikes against him. He plays Jasper Hale in "The Saga" and fronts the band 100 Monkeys. However, on stage with Ashley Greene, Elizabeth Reaser and Peter Facinelli, Rathbone made us feel like we were all in his living room, goofing around over beers before going out on a Saturday night. He spit out so many funny, nonchalant one-liners that the woman next to me asked if he's a comedian when not acting. I said, "No, a musician." And she nodded like that made sense. It doesn't.

When asked about his audition for "Twilight," Rathbone said that Catherine Hardwicke just asked him to look hungry. To which he replied, "I am hungry," and stone-faced his Jasper-longing face -- funny because that's the only thing his character does in the first movie. The crowd belly-laughed as he continued transforming his face into a eerily-spot-on Jasper. Plus, Rathbone gets bonus points in my book for naming "The Big Lebowski" as his favorite movie.

Peter Facinelli

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Not to brag, but this isn't my first experience with Peter Facinelli: I got to talk to him for the DVD release of "New Moon." When his publicist had led me into the room to interview him, it appeared empty. She looked perplexed and said that he must have stepped out. We walked in and "Boo!" -- Facinelli jumped out from behind the door and scared the crap out of both of us.

That alone made him one of my favorite celebrity meetings, but my man crush was sealed this weekend. When asked who in the cast is most like his character, everyone agreed Facinelli is most like Carlisle Cullen. And that "awesome older brother" air really came across as he interacted with his castmates on stage. His best story of the weekend? He and Kellan Lutz were hanging out on set when Lutz, about to leave for the night, reached by Facinelli for some food behind him. Facinelli mistook it as Lutz going in for a hug and embraced the muscle-bound actor ... making things awkward. A really good sport, Facinelli told the story for the Twi-hards, even reenacting the moment with Rathbone as Lutz.

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@NikkiReed_I_Am

With the arrival of "The Twilight Saga: Breaking Dawn Part 1" still a couple of months away, die-hard Twi-hards are champing at the bit for any tidbit associated with the continuation of their favorite franchise.

A photo of two of the movie's stars decked out as the ultra-cheesy '70s super-duo The Wonder Twins probably isn't what fans had in mind... but, hey, any port in a Twi-storm. The pic in question is actually pretty amusing, especially if you grew up watching the campy adventures of the purple-bedecked super-team and their pet monkey, Gleek, on the "Super Friends" cartoon show.

The pic showcases Cullen family members Peter Facinelli and Nikki Reed decked out as Zan and Jayna, respectively, and was posted on Reed's newly-operational Twitter feed. The costumes were part of a College Humor skit being directed by Facinelli set to debut in a week... but we prefer to believe this is just the kind of thing the cast of "Twilight" gets up to on the weekends, because they can.

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As the final installments of the phenomenally successful "Twilight" franchise head to the big screen, fans are faced with the difficult task of trying to move on. But fans aren't the only ones with a gap in their lives: the actors and actress who have brought the characters to life over the last three years have challenges of their own. After all, once you've been a vampire, what can you do that can possibly equal the rush?

Well, how about joining the mob?

That's what Peter Facinelli, better known as Carlisle Cullen, is about to do: according to Deadline, the patriarch of the Cullen clan is about to move behind the scenes to produce a new movie about the life -- and many deaths -- of Boston mobster James "Whitey" Bulger.

Bulger, as you may have heard, was recently nabbed by the fuzz after spending over a decade on the lam as one of the FBI's Ten Most Wanted fugitives. He's also no stranger to film fans, even though you may not realize it; his escapades, which include a reported 19 murders as well as a time as an informant for both the FBI and the Boston Police Department, was one of the main inspirations for the 2007 Best Picture winner "The Departed."

Considering the recent surge in interest in Bulger, then, Facinelli seems to have picked the perfect time for his adaptation of the memoir "Street Soldier: My Life as an Enforcer For Whitey Bulger and the Boston Irish Mob" by Edward MacKenzie and Phyllis Karas.

Unfortunately for Facinelli, though, he's not the only one thinking along the same lines, as one of Hollywood's most powerful producers has also staked a claim to the Bulger story -- and it's none other than Boston native Mark Wahlberg. According to The Los Angeles Times, Wahlberg, who recently proved himself as producer and star of the box office and critical success "The Fighter," has been working for years to get another memoir ("Rat Bastards," by John Shea, a former member of Bulger's Winter Hill Gang) to the big screen.

He's fought off supernatural foes for over three centuries. But can Facinelli defeat the combined might of "Whitey" Bulger and Mark Wahlberg? One thing is for sure: it looks like life after "Twilight" isn't going to be dull after all.

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Twi-hards (and, admittedly, some NextMovie staffers) will be shedding a tear when the final installment of "The Twilight Saga" reaches its closing credits. But we're not the only ones.

"It got a little melancholy," Peter Facinelli told MTV News of filming "Breaking Dawn"'s epic final scene. "It was sad."

Dr. Cullen wouldn't spill too many details on the final scene besides that it has "lots of vampires" in it. But he did offer his thoughts on director Bill Condon.

Take a bite into the full story over at the MTV News blog for all the juicy, blood-quenching details.