30 Movie Insiders to Follow Right Now on Twitter


By Brent Lang
Published: October 26, 2009

Because of their large fan bases, television actors and showrunners have flocked to Twitter since its inception. Not so the movie insiders.

But that's all changing. No, you still won't find parenting tips from Brangelina, twitpics from Steven Spielberg or "Pirates 4" revelations from the Tweetdeck of Johnny Depp. But over the last few months, Twitter has become the place to get tips about upcoming blockbusters like "Iron Man 2" or "New Moon," or read riffs by the droll likes of Russell Brand.

In deciding on the 30 tweeters to follow, TheWrap weighed certain criteria. It wasn't enough to have an account (hint, hint, Zooey Deschanel) -- stars, directors, scribes and journalists had to update frequently, too.

We also tried to reward quality of tweets. Screenwriter Roger Avary's tweets crackle with the same love of language that made his collaboration with Quentin Tarantino on "Pulp Fiction" a classic.

And we had to make space for the bloggers and reporters who cover the studio scene. From fanboy favorites like Ain't It Cool News' Harry Knowles to veteran reviewers like Rolling Stone's Peter Travers, they're all must stops to find breaking news and fresh takes on buzzworthy movies.

Most underrepresented is the corporate suite. Maybe studio executives are too busy worrying about profit points to bother tweeting, but there is a dearth of the folks who actually greenlight pictures on Twitter. True, Jerry Bruckheimer reportedly has joined the site, but his meager 10 tweets kept him off our list.

Who did we miss? Be sure to weigh in with your own lists of tweeting Hollywood insiders in the comments section.



Directors


Jon Favreau
How can you go wrong? Updates from the set and editing suite of the director's hotly anticipated follow-up to 2008's "Iron Man." For that we'll even forgive him for writing "Couples Retreat."


Adam Shankman
Now that he's just been crowned Oscar co-producer, something tells us the "Hairspray" director's tweets are about to get a little more interesting and a lot more widely read.


Jason Reitman
Keeping a chart of the moronic questions he's being asked while promoting his next Oscar-bait project, "Up in the Air" starring George Clooney. Expresses genuine shock and pleasure that NPR mentioned his birthday.


Wes Craven
Horror film maestro has turned Twitter into the place for all things "Scream 4"-related. Craven shares everything from updates on a deal to direct to takeaways from script meetings with "Scream" scribe Kevin Williamson.


Brett Ratner
The "Rush Hour" director has mastered the art of the twitpic. Shares snapshots of Russell Simmons, Mike Tyson and Wayne Newton, as well as keeping fans in the loop on his busy production schedule.


ONTD Boyfran Eli Roth
The "Hostel" director offers a dry assessment of the horror landscape -- offering his take on everything from recent releases like "Paranormal" to macabre chestnuts like "Slumber Party Massacre." The pictures he took of his parents with actors playing Hitler and Goebbels from the "Inglourious Basterds" set are priceless.


Michael Moore
The firebrand of the left is busy using Twitter to rally fans of his documentaries "Capitalism: A Love Story" and "Farenheit 9/11" to get involved in pressuring politicians in Washington on everything from health care to Wall Street bonuses.


Tyler Perry
Producer, director and actor only took to Twitter recently, but since joining in August, he's been busy debunking rumors, promoting Oscar hopeful "Precious" and relaying news about promotional appearances.


David Lynch
He built a fish. He's wearing a hat. This weekend he might paint a picture of a girl in a red dress. They're all updates from Lynch's Twitter feed. Welcome to the bizarro world of the legendary avant garde director.


Kevin Smith
Prolific and potty-mouthed. Smith doesn't always hit it out of the park, but his sheer volume of tweets, massive following and wry take on celebrity culture make him worth checking out.

Actors


Peter Facinelli
Facinelli shares tips and tidbits about the upcoming season of "Nurse Jackie" ... and, oh yeah, his under-the-radar film franchise: "The Twilight Saga." Crowned "Worldwide Mr. Twitter" by Twitter users, the head of the Cullen vampire brood also urges the faithful to get involved in blood drives and charities such as Alex's Lemonade Stand Foundation, which raises money to fight childhood cancer


Elizabeth Taylor
Yes, Elizabeth Taylor. The Hollywood legend even tweeted pre- and post-surgery updates on an operation to repair a leaky heart valve. Plus Twitter is the platform she used to tell the world she wouldn't be attending Michael Jackson's celebrity-soaked tribute in downtown Los Angeles last summer.


Kevin Spacey
The Oscar winner keeps his million-plus followers in the loop about upcoming plays at London's Old Vic and this fall's "Men Who Stare At Goats," which finds him sharing the screen with George Clooney. Lots of information -- but one complaint: His tweets can be a little humorless.


Russell Brand
Cheeky and profane, yet oddly endearing, the "Forgetting Sarah Marshall" star tweets updates from his globe-trotting schedule. Sample travelogue entry: "I'm in Thailand is wrong to ride an elephant? From an animal rights perspective? Or to pull its tail? Or have sex with it? It's a moral maze."


Ben Stiller
Twitter smackdowns with director Kevin Smith, riffs on President Obama's winning the Nobel Peace Prize and reflections on the "Hannah Montana" movie -- it's all on Stiller's feed.


Elizabeth Banks
Whether tweeting from the red carpet or rhapsodizing about pumpkin pancakes, the star of "W." and "Zack and Miri Make a Porno" comes off as likable and approachable.


Simon Pegg
"Star Trek" star's tweets mostly focus on his domestic life, with a dash of stream of consciousness, but they have the same kooky style that made his "Shaun of the Dead" and "Hot Fuzz" such fun.


Dane Cook
Cook mostly tweets about his standup tours, but he's never dull. Expect lots of quips and lots of baseball updates.


Kristen Bell
Funny lady shares YouTube videos, articles and reflections on Dolly Parton's physical assets. Sadly, she also tells folks that rumors of a "Veronica Mars" movie are unfounded. Say it ain't so, Kristen, say it ain't so.


Ashton Kutcher
Have you heard? Ashton tweets.

Writers


Roger Avary
"Pulp Fiction" scribe posts in a terse, Chandler-esque style. He doesn't tweet much, but he offers up some atmospheric gems. (We don't know if he'll tweet more or less once he reports to prison on a drunk driving-related manslaughter charge.)


Carrie Fisher
As befits the acid-tongued script doctor and memoirist, Fisher's tweets are self-deflating and confessional. Admits to reading Samuel Johnson just so she can name-drop.

Journalists/Bloggers


Roger Ebert
Critic and originator of "Two Thumbs Up" shares movie trivia, box office reports and mini-reviews of current releases. Ebert doesn't pull punches. On the possibility that Leonardo DiCaprio would star in a remake of "The Third Man," he writes, "vomitvomitvomit."


Harry Knowles
Like his website Ain't It Cool News, Knowles can come across as self-important and hopelessly juvenile. It's undeniable, however, that Knowles and the comic-crazy movie fans who flock t his site have one real thing going for them -- power. Read his feed and get a sense of where the movie business is today.


Peter Travers
Rolling Stone's longtime movie critic solicits questions from followers to ask the Hollywood players who stop by his interview chair. Extra credit for dismissing the "Stepfather" remake with a perfectly chosen acronym -- "POS."


Pat Saperstein
Criminally under the radar.


Chase Whale
Co-founder of the killer movie blog Gordon and the Whale provides updates from film festivals and junkets. He's good for reading the pulse of fanboy enthusiasm for upcoming projects like Chris Nolan's "Inception" and Wes Anderson's "Fantastic Mr. Fox."


Peter Sciretta
Film blogger does a nice job sifting through the day's movie news and highlighting cool trailers and promo pictures. Bit too much information on his personal life. With Elizabeth Banks it's endearing ... you, not so much.


Neil Miller
"Film School Reject" creator has mastered the art of the micro-blog review. Take his curt assessment of Mira Nair's "Amelia": "The quality of AMELIA disappears at 1,000 ft. somewhere around the two-minute mark, never to be seen again." Truer words were never tweeted.




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