Thursday, November 27, 2008

Twilight pulls in $70.6 Million!

Hi there you crazy Twilight fans, you! Just wanted to put this out there so you'll be aware. Twilight made $70.6 million dollars opening weekend! That's quite a haul! AND Twilight's director Catherine Hardwicke snagged the distinction of highest grossing opening weekend for a female directed movie! She blew away the last person to hold that spot, Mimi Leder who directed Deep Impact in 1998 (it made $41 million). Go Catherine!

Summit Entertainment has already announced the green-light for New Moon. So, expect to see it in 2010 (hopefully early 2010). They have pretty much committed to adapting the who saga for the silver screen!

I'm really stoked about all this. The only down side is that I've read in several different articles that Taylor Lautner will reprise the role of Jacob Black. I can't deny that I'm bummed by this. I've read that maybe they'll just ignore the fact that Jacob sprouted up so quickly into a big ole boy. That would suck. His unintentionally imposing stature played a major part in his description in New Moon, Eclipse and Breaking Dawn. Guess they'll just work around it (to my consternation!)

New Moon is almost my favorite in the saga. I can't put it above Twilight, so I'll call it a draw. But the book is largely a dialog between Bella and Jacob. It's going to be imperative that Kristen Stewart not be so dramatic. And Taylor Lautner will just have to grow a whole foot and ...be more engaging! Yeah he was cute and nice in Twilight. But that was because he was there in small doses, just as a supportive character. In New Moon he'll be front and center, main character all the way. I just don't know if he will pull it off. I guess we'll see, we have no choice. :)

I will expound on this subject another time friends! I only intended to give you the straight (subtle reference to my wishes that Steven Strait would be cast as Jacob? Yep.) facts on how Twilight did over the opening weekend. But in true form, I blathered on! Believe me, I'll have more on this topic later.

Oh, by the way, Happy Thanksgiving!!

Friday, November 21, 2008

Twilight MOVIE REVIEW!!


My friends and I arrived at the movie theater at 11 pm last night, giving us an hour to get inside and claim our seats.

The parking lot was full.

We got inside the mall and there was a line outside the theater doors that span halfway through the mall. There were 200 or 300 people in the presale ticket line. (Sorry, no pictures allowed or I'd have gotten some). Luckily the theater staff had prepared and the line moved quickly.

There was a 30 minute wait for the concession stand. Inside each theater 2 or 3 ushers worked together to seat everyone. Kudos to the staff for their efforts. They really kept everything efficient, insuring everyone got a seat and got seated together.

There was a happy buzz in the theater and that hour passed quickly. Finally when the Summit Entertainment logo came onto the screen there were a few "Shhh!"s and then people clapped as the movie started. We all watched quietly and anxiously. My heart was literally racing.

...Then Edward made his on screen debut and everyone clapped. It was so much fun to share this special midnight showing with others who love the Saga as much as I do.

After that it was quiet except for lots of giggles (when Edward was onscreen) interspersed with 'ooohs' and 'ahhh's. And a couple of "I love you, Edward!!"s. It was a surreal experience.

Twilight was made on a small budget because Summit Entertainment took a chance. They saw making Twilight as a possible risk. Little did they know how very devoted the fans are. They took the chance because they wanted Twilight to succeed and had no idea if it would. They stayed true to Stephenie Meyer's vision and so, they deserve for it to succeed. And succeed it will. If Twilight lacks anything it's because production was strapped for cash. You can be assured though that New Moon won't be. When the money is counted after this opening weekend, there will be no doubt about the rest of the Saga being made into movies. Summit will be able to throw hoards of cash at the remaining three.

Now, on to the action! I am going to give you my opinions and conjectures. But I am going to try very hard to not reveal anything that would spoil the experience for those who haven't seen it yet.

This movie was good. Catherine Hardwicke is a fan of the saga and you can tell because she did a phenomenal job making Twilight. The movie has the feel of a stage production. It didn't feel like a big Hollywood movie. It had an aura of realism, it was kind of 'gritty'. The acting was good with a shining performance by Billy Burke as Charlie Swan. He's obviously an acting veteran, very natural and charming. Kristen Stewart (Bella Swan) gave an okay performance, over embellishing at times. Robert Pattinson (Edward Cullen) was wonderful, if at times awkward (intentional? Maybe). Peter Facinelli (Dr. Carlisle Cullen) did a very good job. For me he was not physically what I imagined for Dr. Cullen. But his acting was convincing and I found I believed him as the good doc very soon into it. Taylor Lautner was surprisingly believable as Jacob Black. For those of you who read my previous post, you'll know I was not in favor of Lautner playing Jacob (my Jacob!). Also I have to mention that still photos do not do Jackson Rathbone (Jasper Cullen) justice. He truly is a strikingly beautiful individual and pulls off Jasper wonderfully. He was intimidating and alluring. All the other actors I've not mentioned by name were fine, but I do not want to run on about every single performance. Just believe that no one sucked!

My favorite scene in the movie was the baseball scene. It was exciting and fun. It also did a great job of familiarizing the audience with the Cullen family. You should know that my favorite scene in the book is the meadow scene. The reason it wasn't my favorite scene in the movie is because, well, it really didn't exist. It was kind of represented but I'm disappointed that more emphasis wasn't put on it because it's a pivotal point in the book. The movie's 'meadow' scene happened quickly and like, right behind the Forks High School (???). That ruined the 'enchanted private Edward place' feel for me. I guess he did take her up the mountain first but it just didn't feel right. I have to mention the 'sparkly Edward' scene. When he stepped into the sun with his shirt open, he looked exactly how I'd imagined. His skin looked like diamond encrusted vinyl. He didn't refract rainbows of light though, but that's ok. And I'm surprised and completely happy that they opted not to wax Robert Pattinson's chest for the scene! Although I doubt many teen Twilighters will feel the same.

I also enjoyed the heated first kiss scene between Bella and Edward (duh). Although, the danger of being that close to Edward didn't translate well, which subtracted slightly from the intensity. It could've been done a little better. Even so, Kristen Stewart and Robert Pattinson's on screen chemistry was palpable. Every scene was great, don't get me wrong. I'm just keeping it real :) You'll love every minute of it! I just wanted to point out some ups and downs so you'll know what to expect.

The scenery was breathtaking. Rainy spanses of woods and mountain ranges and stormy seas abound. I had to mention that because like I've said in the past, the surly climate of Forks, WA was every bit as prominent a character as the humans were.

Now I'm going to give you the 411 for the overall feel and intentions of Twilight the movie. There is some incongruity to the scenes and some things completely changed. But not enough to detract from the quality of the story. A lot of scenes felt rushed. I think it was like that so Catherine Hardwicke could get as many things from the book into the movie as possible. It kind of feels like a Cliff's Notes version of a much longer movie. Things that were revealed slowly over time in the book had to be hurried to be succinct. Otherwise, the movie would have been three or four hours long. Which, lets face it, would have been absolutely wonderful for all of us but impossible on the budget of $40 million. You have to overlook that and enjoy the movie for what it is: the physical incarnation of our beloved, special world created by Stephenie Meyer. Who by the way shows up briefly in one scene, so keep your eyes peeled!

In conclusion, Twilight is a great movie that lives up to my expectations. And my recommendation is that if you've enjoyed the books, any of the hype surrounding the movie or anything remotely connected to the Twilight Saga, do not deprive yourself of the opportunity to get out there and be a part of something big and special. Go! Revel in the camaraderie surrounding the release of the biggest thing since Harry Potter. Be a part of it! Do us Twilighters/Twi-Hards proud! I'm really glad I did.

My movie rating for Twilight as a Twilight fan: A+
My movie rating for Twilight as a discernible movie goer: A

Tuesday, November 18, 2008

Casting Jacob Black: What Went Wrong?

I have consistently said good things about the Twilight movie, sometimes acting on good faith. I believe in the movie. I know I'll love it. Stephenie Meyer's herself was involved every step of the way. She rejected the initial screen play. Did you know the first screenplay completely edited out the entire Cullen family except Edward? How weird would that have been? Stephenie put her foot down and said 'No thank you.' Then she made casting suggestions, good ones too. She loved Rob Pattinson for Edward right away and stuck to it. Even though a lot of people pushed for Edward to be played by Tom Welling from Smallville (Yuk, heaven forbid!) Thank goodness she stuck to her guns on that one, he's too white bread, average okay looking for the mesmerizing Edward Cullen.

Below: Tom Welling


There were other characters whose casting for the movie were pivotal. They are (in my opinion) Bella, Jacob, Alice, Jasper, Emmett, Carlisle, Esme, Charlie and Renee. The casting is important for those characters because they had strong presences in the books. They were so prominent in the story that the reader really invests in a mental image of how they look. So it was imperative for those doing the casting of Twilight to really find actors that fit the bill. It was hit and miss for the actors chosen to play these characters. I won't go into the details of them all right now. Now, for the characters that I didn't mention above, the casting fit into one of the following:

1. actor fit the character
2. actor has grown on me and come to fit the character or
3. actor doesn't have a strong enough presence in the movie so I don't care

I have some minor beefs about some of the important character's casting. But my major complaint is with the casting of Taylor Lautner as Jacob Black. Jacob is an important character. Whether you are Team Edward or Team Jacob, you have to concede that Jacob is a major player in the Twilight Saga.

I know that Jacob Black is only 15 in Twilight. But even so, he is already showing signs that he's going to be manly early. This Lautner kid is wrong for a lot of reasons. I don't think his looks match at all what Jacob should look like. I pictured Jacob with an open, sincere face. And this guy is all scrunchy looking. Also, Jacob is supposed to have a deep, manly timber to his voice, even at 15. I've watched Taylor Lautner interviews and when he talks he has a very effeminate voice, NOT right for Jacob at all. The elocution of his dialog is all wrong. Taylor sounds prissy. I imagined Jacob's elocution to be very rhythmic and paced, calming and slow. Jacob should sound laid back. I got the impression from the books that Jacob was a pretty introspective guy. Taylor reminds me of those 'Oh MY God, no way!' types of kids that hang out at the mall. Maybe a little too peppy for his own good. And, I don't want to get too nit picky here but while I'm at it, I might as well mention that I just don't like his smile. He has girl's lips. Okay, enough verbal beating up on Taylor, I'm sure he's a good egg.

No more hits below the belt for Taylor, but I would be remiss if I didn't mention his height (or lack there of). From pictures taken of the cast, you'll notice that Taylor is hardly taller than Bella. Again, I know Jacob is supposed to be young and hasn't had his 'growth spurt' yet. But in Twilight he was at least taller than Bella. One thing for sure, Taylor may be able to pull off the physical characteristics of Jacob in Twilight, but there's no way he'll be able to reprise the role for New Moon. That alone gives me hope that my dream Jacob guy will be casted. I really wanted Steven Strait to play Jacob. (More on that later.)

Below: Taylor Lautner cast as Jacob Black in Twilight


I don't have anyone in mind to play the young Jacob, mostly because I'm in my thirties and have no idea who the available teeny bopper actors are. They could have cast probably anyone else and that would've been a better choice for me. But I'll deal, just so long as Taylor isn't back for New Moon.

Lautner: Long hair not flattering


As for an older (at least physically) Jacob, I have ideas... Steven Strait is exactly how I pictured Jacob. He has beautiful eyes and an incredible (manly) smile that makes a girl weak in the knees. PLUS, he's a big guy. At 6'2" he could really do Jacob justice. Even though Jacob becomes taller than 6'2", it would be easier to work with an actor that height to make them appear taller than to try it with a guy of smaller stature. He's beautiful and he looks great with long hair. No offense but long hair on Taylor Lautner is not flattering.

MY Jacob: Steven Strait


Strait: That gorgeous smile


Another convincing argument for Steven


I had to get this blog posted before seeing the movie because I want to be able to come back and either:

1. confirm that I was absolutely right. Taylor Lautner was a wrong fit or
2. come back and say 'He didn't work out too bad at all...'

I want you all to know that I'll stay open minded when I see the movie. I don't think I'm going to like Taylor portraying my lovely Jacob. But he may be a master thespian and totally blow me away. That'd be okay.

So there you have my long winded rant about the casting of Taylor Lautner as Jacob Black and my future hopes for casting. May the best man win!

After Seeing Twilight
After seeing the movie, I had to come back here and update this particular post. I want to tell you readers that Taylor Lautner did okay as Jacob Black. Although I would never accuse him of being a master thespian. But I'll give him a break, he's young and we can't all be Dakota Fanning. That said, you should know that Taylor has a charm that can't be detected in still pictures. On screen he was cute and a little backwards, very alluring qualities. And I was way off on his smile, it's great; wide and inviting with the whitest teeth I've ever seen! I would imagine in 10 years he'll be a heart breaker.

Now, that I've settled the score on that, let it be known that I still want Steven Strait to play Jacob in the rest of the Twilight movies. Steven is in his mid to late twenties which will suit the role of Jacob Black from here on out because in New Moon it's mentioned that with Jacob's growth spurt and ...'life experiences' he has matured physically way beyond his years. He should look like an adult man.

I love Steven's open and happy face. He really looks like a ray of sunshine when he smiles and it makes you want to smile back. THAT's Jacob right there. He is so attractive and friendly looking! But he is manly too. I can totally imagine him crushing on Bella. Or being intimidating when Edward comes back around as well.

Monday, November 17, 2008

3 DAYS, people!!

Let me just take this opportunity to say ARGGGGGGG!!!! YAY, WOO HOO!!!

Ok, that is basically it. Just to let you Twilight lovers out there know, my friends and I are going to see the 12:01 showing of Twilight. I've never been to a midnight showing of a movie before and I'm extremely excited about it.

I know that Twilight is going to live up to my expectations. I can hardly wait to see it and fill in all the gaps in my mind created by the teaser trailers. I love Catherine Hardwicke (director of Twilight) by now. She is just so amped and excited about the Twilight saga as the rest of us and I believe that she put her heart and soul into creating a vision true to all of our imaginations. I hope that she is signed to direct the rest of them, as I am sure the sequels will be made. I read that Summit Entertainment claimed that in order to merit making New Moon, Twilight would have to make at least $20 million the opening weekend and at least $160 million all together.

Well, let me be the first to go out on a limb here and say I'd be surprised if Twilight doesn't haul in $60 million this coming weekend, and that's my conservative estimation. They just don't want to underestimate us Twilighters, Twi-hards - whatever you want to call the masses out here who clung to every written word spoken by Bella, Edward, Alice and the rest of the gang. I can foresee us out in hoards seeing the movie 2, 3, 4+ times in theaters.

We romantics at heart aren't going to be able to get enough of our star crossed lovers, Edward & Bella. I feel like they are old friends and it'll be wonderful to hear (and see) the words that are so dear to me spoken aloud on the big screen.

And just to think, Rob Pattinson said in an interview that when he read Twilight, he knew a few pages in that he'd never get casted as Edward Cullen after reading how heavenly beautiful he was describe. Silly boy. We can't wait to pine for your softly brooding angel's face. You'll do Edward justice, I just know it.

Thursday, November 13, 2008

Sexy Fright Night Chris Sarandon Dance Scene

Hello fellow vamp lovers! I got to thinking about it and figured it couldn't be too hard to find the sexy Fright Night dance scene. Low and behold, youtube to the rescue!

Check it out:



That's what I was talking about. Yeah, it has a corniness factor, but it's HOT too!

Saturday, November 8, 2008

HOT Memorable Vampire List!!

Here's an interesting list of movie and TV vamps as compiled by the folks at EW. Some of them are really hokey (Blackula? Lost Boys?). But I suppose because they are so recognizable, even as being hokey, proves that they deserve to make the list.

Edward's on it so that's basically the most important thing.

Here's their list:
But for your viewing pleasure, I'm going to compile MY list of favorite vampires of all time. The one's who may my heart flutter and set my blood on fire!
Here goes:

1. Edward Cullen - Twilight
Edward Cullen, the fastest and definitely the most intriguing of all the Cullens. Dark and brooding, subtle and introspective, attentive and intellectual= 'sigh'... How can you not fall for a guy whose only goal of existence it to protect you. And nothing else matters more than being with you, even if that entails just watching you sleep. I think most romantic girls in their heart of hearts want that level of devotion, true devotion. And it's not crazy for us to want that because if ever an Edward Cullen really existed and put forth such effort, it would eagerly be reciprocated by any lucky girl. So, human guys; what's so frinkin' hard to figure out here?


3. Emmett Cullen - Twilight
Emmett Cullen, the beefy protector. All brawn, almost. He's happy go lucky and quick to fight. But he is also quick to love. A passionate character all around. No doubt about it, he'd be a fun date and always a treat to look at. He'd be a hit with the jock-lover types.

3. Jasper Cullen - Twilight
Ahh, Jasper. Jasper Cullen has that way about him that causes a slow burn within a girl. A southern gentleman with whom no bad guy would want to tangle. He seems the quiet strong type whose mother probably taught him to put a lady's needs before his own. Yes, Jasper is A-Okay with me. This guy is all kinds of mysterious. But I'll bet behind closed doors there's a depth of character so rich that any gal would blush to know. He seems like he is all about making a connection to his special someone. He wouldn't have to tell you he'll always protect you, he just would. Actions, not words. *SWOON*


4. Mick St. John - Moonlight
Mick would have placed numero uno on this list if the Cullen Boys hadn't nudged him out. But hey, placing right after the Cullen's isn't a bad spot. Okay, Mick is definitely a heart stopper for us *ahem* more seasoned vampire lovers. He's 30-ish and crazy handsome. He was the main character in the short lived CBS series 'Moonlight'. And from what I gathered, pretty much every person who watched the show LOVED it. But CBS had a hair up their arse (pardon my French) and canceled it after one season. Dumb move on CBS's part I think. It's like they had a personal vendetta against this show. Anyhow, I digress... My point is, Mick St. John had charisma, he was manly, gorgeous and interesting. A hot vamp who sleeps in the freezer. What's not to love?


5. Eric Northman - A Southern Vampire Series
Eric Northman is the hunky vampire bar owner in the Sookie Stackhouse series of books by Charlaine Harris. It was adapted for an HBO series called True Blood. Let me say that HBO has wholey ruined the book series by turning it into a lurid, campy debacle that resembles almost nothing of the books. But, before I knew that I was ticked at how poorly the show was cast. I'm not going to bore you with the details of how bad HBO screwed up the casting, but just wanted to warn you that they did so you'd understand why I'm going to post a picture of the guy they actually cast as Eric and the guy I would have liked seen cast.

Alright, Eric is a huge blond viking vampire centuries old. He's very manly, stands 6'4" and is subconsciously smitten with the book's heroine Sookie. He was made amnesiac by a witch once and stayed with Sookie for a while but now remembers none of that. It's a long story. But just let me say that the steamy scenes between Sookie and Eric were memorable to say the least. Bottom line: he's a powerful, virile tower of sexy. Rrrr.
HBO Casted:
This ugly guy

HBO SHOULD HAVE Cast:
Dolph Lundgren

6. Jerry Dandridge - Fright Night
Any vampire lovers old enough to remember the 1980's will place Jerry Dandridge on their favorite vamp list. He was a very proper, neat looking guy. His appeal wasn't immediately appreciated, it sort of crept up on you. But let me tell you, there is a dance scene between Jerry and Charlie Brewster's teenage girly-friend that takes place in a disco-tech (I know, I know. But it was the 80's!) that was nothing short of STEAMY. Charlie Brewster is Fright Night's protagonist who's trying to get rid of the vamp who lives next door to him (Jerry). But Jerry falls in love with Charlie's girl Amy and will do anything to have her. Fright Night is the perfect mix of scary, funny and fun so the hot-assed dance scene was out of the blue! Think sensual. If you've never seen Fright Night and/or can't imagine Jerry (Chris Sarandon) as crazy-sexy, rent it, you'll see!

7. Gary Oldman's Count Dracula - Dracula
I think Gary Oldman is sexy whatever he does but as Count Dracula? Forget about it! He is the best Dracula EVER, hands down. Bela Lugosi might as well step out into the sunlight, he was an egg headed nerd compared to Gary. And Gary's accent was accurate too. Bela sounded like he was hearing impaired instead of Transylvanian.

Gary's wardrobe was sexy and he had this deliberate slowness to his actions that made him seem very dangerous. Easy to see why Mina was so compelled.























8. Gerard Butler - Dracula 2000
Last but certainly not least is Gerard Butler as Dracula 2000. Personally I think Gerard Butler is one of the most inhumanly HOTTEST men on the face of the planet but ironically one of his least sexy roles was that of Dracula. I don't know, for me, he requires some sort of facial hair to reach his full hotty potential; be it chin and lip stubble, a mustache or goatee. It doesn't matter, just as long as he's not clean shaved (as he was in Dracula 2000). I mean, if he'd have been a vampire in 300, he probably would have topped this list (LOVED the pointy beard!). But even though he wasn't at his dreamy best in Dracula 2000, his overall manly juiciness earned him a spot on my fantasy fodder vampire list. Here's to you, you delicious Scottish rogue!


Remember, this & this is why we LOVE Gerard (see what I mean about the facial hair?!):



Sunday, November 2, 2008

Midnight Sun


Image borrowed from www.damnimcute.com

You know how I've been putting off finishing the partial Midnight Sun draft? Well, I've felt particularly self indulgent today. It is exquisite being in Edward's mind, I gotta say.

I mean, the most striking thing about Midnight Sun is the total consuming love Edward feels for Bella from pretty much the beginning. He knew before she did. It's so delicious learning that he was a gooey ball of love inside while having such a cool and aloof exterior. He really kept it hidden well in Twilight. Had Bella known Edward's feelings, imagine how much faster she'd have realized how completely and irrevocably she loved him.

I also really like hearing the normalcy of Edward's family life through his conversations with Emmett, Alice and Carlisle. It's so neat eavesdropping on their private world.

I really hope that Stephenie Meyer's reconsiders finishing Midnight Sun and I hope it's 1000 pages long. I know I've probably said that before but it's true. I want some new material on Edward and Bella.

Just when I think I'm over them, it creeps back up on me again. ~sigh~ I guess I'll just start reading the saga yet again.