The Film:

Not to be confused with Disney’s The Suite Life of Zack & Cody, The Sweet Life offers a fast-paced, comic romp through the love lives of several characters in Lower Manhattan. Billed as “a romantic comedy for people who hate romantic comedy” (an esoteric audience at best), the story revolves around the love lives of four characters: the heroic columnist Michael (James Lorinz of King of New York, Frankenhooker), his scummy brother Frankie (Robert Mobley), their common girlfriend Lila (Barbara Sicuranza of Anamorph) and her roommate Sherri, played by the rocker Joan Jett. In scripting characters, Lila would have made a better Sherri as the two brothers “share” her–but not in a kinky way. Anyway, the protagonist Michael is a likeable enough character (think Rex Harrison in a modern My Fair Lady), but one certainly out of this element. Always ready with a bon mot, he is surprised that Lila finds Fellini’s black-and-white La Dolce Vita boring. Know your audience, Michael: no wonder you strike out with women!

The jacket yields a couple of hints to the quality of this movie: 1) The film’s copyright reads 2003, but the DVD was not released until this year, and 2) The blurb highlights Joan Jett who lights up the screen only handful of minutes. The former Runaway sports a crew cut and at times seems long in the tooth at forty-five to play the sex-crazed roommate two decades younger. The indie production level is admittedly low-end, but if you have a jones for “a romantic comedy for people who hate romantic comedy,” this film is for you.

The DVD:

Audio/Video: It’s fine from Synapse films. Superior DVD quality could not make up for production values my father would describe as, “el cheapo.” Had to wait until the end of the movie for Joan Jett and the Blackhearts to perform the title track. Otherwise, the audio was fine for the caliber of film.

The Making of The Sweet Life (34:57): Sadly in the eight years between the film and DVD, the final cut of the documentary was lost. Instead, viewers are treated to an earlier version. Nonetheless, “The Making” contains some juicy nuggets about the film and independent films in general. For instance, Barbara Sicuranza is married to Chris Stein of the band “Blondie,” who showed the script first to Debbie Harry before Joan Jett.

Deleted and Extended Scenes (13:00): A half-dozen longer scenes from the film.

The Outtakes (7:21): Here a late night scene between Michael and Sherri is highlighted, punctuated by angry dog barks. Really good if you like silent close-ups on an orgasmic JJ.

Theatrical Trailer (2:28): If the film were as good as the trailer, this movie would have been When Harry Met Sally.

The Film: Rating: 3 out of 5 stars

The DVD: Rating: 4 out of 5 stars

Today the first photos have been released via the folks at Just Jared, and in the images we get our first look at Dakota Fanning as Cherie Currie, and Kristen Stewart as Joan Jett for their upcoming biopic of the all girl punk band The Runaways.

Source: Just Jared

Source: THR

Do you think Fanning can pull it off? Check out a clip HERE of The Runaways in action.

Source: Variety

According to the THR the plot will follow :  will revolve around Jett and Currie and follow them from the band’s meteoric rise as teenagers to their dissolution and disillusionment.

No specific start date has been given as they will have to work around Stewarts schedule as two sequels for the twilight franchise have been greenlit, with production for the second film to start this spring.

Source: THR