New Moon hits a home run!

Hi and welcome to Discussions with Annie!

First of all a big “Thank You” to all you Twi-fans who posted a comment for or against  my review of The Twilight Saga New Moon. I know I did not get around to you all, but I do read them and find your different points of view interesting. I’m studying for exams but I check back as often as I can. As always Twi-fans, you and your opinions are always welcome here! 

I’m wondering if I should change the name of this blog to Eclipse now that New Moon is out. What do you think? Maybe not. Anyway from what I can gather, the younger Twi-fans loved the movie, with most of the criticism coming from the older movie fans (and by older I mean - not ancient - but also not in the 12 to 19 year old bracket) like myself who are also Twilight fans but for whom the movie was not a true representation of the second book in the series. In other words…a sad disappointment!

I take back, not one single word  of what I said in the review. I remain unrepentant. I saw a shadow of what this movie could have been. Like my friend and fellow blogger Mac says…”…reading New moon made my heart ache”. I felt no emotion what so ever watching this movie. And the ingredients were certainly there.

The joy of first love. The agony of betrayal and heartbreak so profoundly felt in a teenage girl, it nearly destroyed her. The healing touch of a growing friendship. Living with supernatural secrets. Loyalty, burning jealousy, the excitement of discovering your something other.  Thrill seeking, fence mending, unbelievable hope and joy and finally the realisation that things have changed forever and that lines crossed now can never be retraced.

My favourite book ruined by actors who thought they were so deep, so totally “with it”  they didn’t have to invest in the emotional interpretation of the parts they played. A director who totally fragmented a beautiful story…or was that the fault of the script writer?. It was like pages were ripped in half and the film was made from fragments. This alone would put any writer off publishing their work.

New Moon is going to out do Twilight, I was right about that, when I said that during the summer. And what of Eclipse and Director David Slade?…we wait and see!

Twi -news 

New Moon has made over 140 million dollars in it’s opening weekend according to boston.com and 258.8 million worldwide so far. All thanks to the loyal fans who revisit the movie over and over.

I read somewhere today that Robert Pattinson’s Aunt Diana Nutley told of how he introduced Kristen Stewart to his parents whilst promoting New Moon in Paris. Aw! How sweet…so what’s the big secret then?

Speaking of Robert Pattinson and Kristen Stewart, both they and Taylor Lautner actually tweeted on Twitter recently. They each in their own words thanked the loyal fans for making the film New Moon such a success.

For those of you who don’t already know this and how could you not?…The third installment of The Twilight Saga - Eclipse will open next summer June 30th 2010. Also the news that the movie database IMDB has recorded an unusual occurrence. The top five actors on their IMDB STARmeter are all from Twilight, with Taylor Lautner taking the top spot. Source: hollywoodtoday.com.

And Taylor Lautner is “Picky”  according to Kristen Stewart. She says the New Moon hunk is so set in his ways he never tasted sushi before he met her. According to nydailynews.com when asked about whether he was in a relationship with Taylor Swift or not, he answered “possibly” and then gushed about how amazing she was. Taylor who will be hosting Saturday Night Live  on December 12th will have to be a bit more chatty if he is to make conversation with his guests on live tv.Lol!

And finally the sad news (to me anyway) that Chris Weitz will not be retiring. He will forego his books and surf board to direct “The Gardener“, the story of an LA immigrant who seeks to protect his son. From what, I don’t know. Read that story on collider.com.

Pics courtesy of Examiner.com.

Check out Mac’s blog at www.twilightmovies.org

Take care.

Annie  

The Twilight Saga New Moon! - A review.

Hi and welcome to Discussions with Annie!

It’s Saturday and it’s raining…and I’m depressed. No not because it’s a rainy Saturday, that’s life and life is something you roar at and say -  ” Come on, give me your best shot “.  No I’m depressed because I saw the New Moon movie last night and I was angry when I left the theatre. To say I was disappointed would be an understatement. But first, let’s hear what other people thought of the movie. Check out the links below.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tS5vdSMhHvs Some U.S kids review the movie.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4Haq1DD8k4I A more organised review.

http://www.ropeofsilicon.com/moviereviews A fantastic review of New Moon.

Now the theatre I went to was full. Not a spare seat in the house for any screen showing New Moon. I was surprised to see a large group of teenage boys taking their seats in front of me, but …ya know…school project maybe, or a dare.  Or they could have read the books. I wanted to ask them afterwards but they left quickly. The mood was excited as we all settled down to watch the movie. When it was over however , everyone was subdued and you didn’t have to be Edward Cullen to know what everyone was thinking. This movie was not what they expected. Summit Entertainment pulled out all the stops in every commercial way possible to get the fans into a spending frenzy. They promised a collective masterpiece but delivered fragmented mediocrity. I said months ago that New Moon will make more than Twilight and it probably will, but…was the end result worth the price of the ticket?

                 To be fair I should point out to any new and welcome visitors to my page, that this is my 120th article on Twilight related matters and I might have Twilight flu right about now. Also my opinion comes from the point of view of a lifetime movie fan who discusses the merits of movies and TV shows a lot. When I say our house is full of movies I’m being literal. I guess what I’m really saying is, I think I know what I’m talking about. Or at least I have an opinion.

ACTING: I will get to the point. The acting was terrible. Taylor Lautner of course could be forgiven for this because he is new to acting and for such a disciplined young man, emotions might be a struggle. No doubt he will get acting lessons because he works hard and doesn’t like failing. Kristen Stewart and Robert Pattinson were equally bad. Good actors draw from their own experiences however difficult to revisit. Really great actors know themselves very well, are well researched and have in spades a little thing called ‘talent’.  Not looks, not chiseled abs, (although in this shallow world they don’t seem to hurt a career) but raw talent. Marlon Brando reeked of raw unrefined talent. Others learned it and became masters. But let’s move on. The main acting was bad relieved only by the seeping malice of Aro played by Michael Sheen to perfection and the under utilised talents of Dakota Fanning, Billy Burke, Anna Kendrick, Chaske Spencer and so on. Michael Sheen (below left) was a joy to watch compared to the three main stars. 

DIRECTING: Director Chris Weitz (right)should retire as he’s often threatened to do and read more books (ref: article in NYdailynews.com). I liked The Golden Compass but thought the ending was rubbish. He blamed the interference of studios heads for that,  (Ref: same article). About a boy was about his best work. He had no clue how to direct this adaptation of the second book. Sure, he was laid back and everyone loved him but sometimes you have to fight for your vision (provided you had one in the first place) and drag, kicking and screaming, the best out of the actors. For directing New Moon 5/10. For having anything to do with the editing of the movie - zero. Time to wax that surf board Chris, no offence intended.

SCREENPLAY: Now Melissa Rosenberg (right) wrote the screenplay for all the Twilight Saga movies so far. Whilst I had no beef with the first one (mainly because I saw it as a standalone movie first and to comment now would be unfair)  I think she should have stuck to the second book more closely. As for changing the dialogue - I hate that. How can the fans make this plain to Melissa Rosenberg?. We love the books, the prose, the dialogue…”Don’t change the words“. Leave stuff out if you must but make sure it doesn’t detract from the flow of the story but “Don’t change the words”. Write your own book if you want but don’t take away from a beautiful story by putting words in the characters mouths that they wouldn’t normally say. Script 5/10.

CGI: Oh boy! do I have a problem with CGI. The wolves with human eyes…backfired! They look far more menacing with their beautiful yellow eyes. However author Stephenie Meyer does give Jacob Wolf black eyes. If I were to change anything of Stephenie’s well crafted work it would be just that one thing. You know by the colour of the coat which wolf is which. The “Paul wolf” was ok but wolves don’t lift their paws as if begging for food like a dog. Your talking about a super predator here. Intelligent, organised, social, super senses and that teeny tiny fact that they split up and can run you into the ground over many miles and hours. No other predator has that stamina. Yeah, I like wolves, they’re all over my pc. When I saw the two yellow points of light in the trees and the steam from the wolf’s breath I thought, oh boy this is going to be good. But I was disappointed. They fought and ran, not like wolves but dogs or cats. The CGI movements didn’t ring true and were so fast you could hide a plethora of mistakes in there and probably did. I know CGI is hard work but immensely rewarding when you get it right. I felt it wasn’t right.

The Music: - didn’t fit at all, unlike Twilight which was absolutely perfect, the whole film was fragmented to hell and back. Nothing ran smoothly and the ending was awful. I repeat..I am a Twilight fan, I loved the books and read them each three times. I loved the Twilight movie. I thought Robert and Kristen couldn’t act but that Taylor was ok, and so was the rest of the cast. Kudos to Catherine Hardwicke. I enjoyed it. Taylor’s “whole ‘nother notch’ in terms of acting in New Moon was not reached but he is new to movies so I will be forgiving. Work harder on your acting TL, your abs are just fine. Yeah, I’m still Team Jacob!

The Cullen vampire eyes were much better the old way. You could relate to them, not like this movie where they are distant, even lovable Emmett seems wrong. “Worst acting ever”, the girl next to me said. I agree, sadly I do. No, I’m not an idiot, I know the feel of New Moon is different, as is Eclipse and Breaking Dawn. That does not excuse the bad acting, directing, bad sets - ( The meadow was a soggy hay bed and the flowers in Bella’s meadow were stuck down iris’s for God’s sake. They made millions and you couldn’t get someone to design a decent set.

I’m sorry if I offended any Twi fans. You have been kind about my work and good company but this is how I feel and I think you deserved better for your loyalty. Yeah I know…”It’s just a movie”. Gettin’ p*****d off about it won’t save the ozone layer or one single child. But still…Let me know what you guys think !

Take care,   Annie.  

New Moon cast promote the movie!

Hi and welcome to discussions with Annie!

Coming soon - A review of The Twilight Saga New Moon…when I’ve calmed down!

Not long now twi fans! I can’t wait but I also have to study next year so I’m tired these days.

Well if I’m tired, the cast of TheTwilight Saga New Moon are exhausted travelling the world promoting the first sequel to Twilight. Of course they are having fun doing it unlike me. Here are some photos from their travels. Check out Kristen Stewart’s outfits. Why doesn’t anything look right on her?. Does she have the worst dress sense or is that just me? …Maybe. Photos courtesy of whom ever I got them from. Just place curser over photo and see. I know, lazy. Enjoy the photos anyway twi buddies.  And please …let me know what you thought of the  movie. Take care,    Annie.     

Junkets, jokes and just junk!

Hi and welcome to Discussions with Annie!

Well Twi fans, the countdown is nearing it’s end and they’re everywhere. If their image is not covering every surface, Robert Pattinson, Kristen Stewart and Taylor Lautner are burning up aviation fuel by the ton jetting around the world to promote New Moon, the very first sequel to the Twilight Saga. I’ve spent a whole day on an airplane…it’s not funny.  (Pics mtv.com - Rob and Chris in  Japan and Kristen and Taylor in Brazil. Pic: examiner.com)                   

What’s is funny however is the commentary that comes from the endless interviews. A mindless stream of drivel about asinine topics. I gave up after a while because what they had to say was too boring.

Sorry I’ve been away and didn’t get to some of the questions you asked. I will address them in the comment section where ever I find them. For now I will fill you in on what I did  find interesting in the news this week.

News in brief!

Robert Pattinson (here on in known as RP) goes to Tokyo, Japan. RP leaves Tokyo. RP goes back to LA. RP leaves LA and goes to France, same with Kristen Stewart and Taylor Lautner (here on in, known as KS and TL). In other words blah blah blah! (Ok, that wasn’t really interesting). Oh! and KS said “fiending” in an interview. Haaaaaaaaaaaaaaaa, ha ha ha, haaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaa ha ha and she graduated high school with honours. (Must not have been in English). Well it was funny when I read it. Geez!

Sorry, faithful Twi fans…but it always cracks me up when famous teenagers try to sound interesting, complex and smart. FYI…you just sound young. To be interesting you have to have lived a life and at 19 KS is nowhere near interesting. However she did ”do” something worthy lately. She actually did something for charity. Check out the pic with legend Sugar Ray Leonard at the LA Dodger Staduim along with 15,ooo others in support of Diabetes. Well done!

This Team Jacob fan officially became bored with Taylor Lautner when he started the same lark as Robert and Kristen of not answering a direct question about his relationship with Taylor Swift. When asked if he was dating Taylor Swift the “sullen of late” Taylor said ” The funny thing is, all of you have seen every single move I make, so I guess I can leave that up to you to decide “. Meaning make up your own answer. Taylor wants to stay unattached for his fans me thinks! And what did poor Taylor Swift have to say. This…” I don’t know ” (if we’re an item). “He’s an amazing guy and we’re really close “. Looks like the two Taylors need to get something straight. Well TL, keeping us out of the loop is cool, it’s none of our nosy business anyway, but tell her buster and don’t leave her believin’ otherwise. Keep it real  man!

Another far more interesting gem was the poll that teamed MTV and Fandango recently. They asked a series of questions and probably weren’t expecting the answers they got. Here’s a summary. Check out MTV.com for the rest.

Who is most like their character in Twilight?…47% said Ashley Greene.

Who is the best looking?…41% said Ashley Greene.

Which one is most likely to have their own spin off movie?…57% said Ashley Greene. Catchin’ the drift?  Hmmm interesting! Ashley is the most popular Twilight girl and not Kristen.

Whilst Ashley has become a firm favourite with the fans, Director Chris Weitz is also a favourite. 57% chose him to direct Breaking Dawn. Weitz was humbled but said wait and see the movie first and go see Eclipse too. How can anyone make a decision on who should direct when we haven’t even seen New Moon yet, never mind Eclipse. Silly people!.

But the silly prize goes to the fans who answered this question. Who will be first to get an oscar in their career? 43% said RP, 23% said KS, 1% said Anna Kendrick and 29% said Dakota Fanning. I would have said without a shadow of a doubt that Anna and Dakota were certain to get Oscars before Rob or Kristen.

You guys do know that celebrity is not the same thing as talent right?. But what do I know lol!.

Take care,

Annie  

New Moon Calendars 2010.

Hi and welcome to Discussions with Annie!

Check out these new New Moon Edward and Jacob calendars.

And what about this cool loop clip of Bella’s rescue by Jacob. Cool eh!

 See ya later   … Annie  

New Moon photo ops and fun!

Hi and welcome to Discussions with Annie!

Well Twi fans, the end is in sight and I’m so looking forward to the movie New Moon, the first sequel to the Twilight Saga. There’s a lot riding on this movie. I am expecting a high standard of acting, directing and especially CGI. The Edward fans (otherwise confused as Robert Pattinson fans) will love it no matter what, but those of us who are movie fans…who are fans of the book genre  (God, I said that awful word - sorry!) and believe the book series itself deserved the very best of all three, will be scathing in our criticism if it fails to deliver. (Pic courtesy of Harpers Bazaar photo shoot)

People are so overly impressed with Kristen, Robert, Taylor and the cast that they never fully cast a critical eye on their work. This time Twi fans I want you guys to really look at the acting and tell me if you felt they were worth the millions they get paid for their portrayal of the characters or not, ok? ok!. Way cool!

No not now sillies..after you see New Moon!  Geez Louise  (am so sticking out my tongue right now!)

Now let’s move on to other stuff.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0QhjDXD5bkY Rob singing “I’ll be your lover too“.

Personally I think his voice is overrated. Now I’m not saying that to be mean nor am I saying that from a purely ignorant point of view either. I have studied music and classical violin in the past and his voice does not appeal to me. It’s mind boggling the amount of famous singers out there that any decent vocal coach worth their salt would never call a singer. The whiners, the acrobatic warblers and the nose singers that make my ears bleed. But don’t get me started on that. There is however no denying his magical fingers. To play a piece well you have to understand it and feel it. He can do that.

I saw this interview of Kristen Stewart and Taylor Lautner on tele13 in Brazil. The obviously tired duo did their best but the travelling showed. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XMVnOHVcmIg

The wolves Chaske Spencer, Alex Meraz, Kiowa Gordon and Bronson Pelletier along with Christian Serratos and Edi Gathegi at Nordstrom in Canoga park, CA recently. Promotional tour yes, but not all work and no play as these happy faces prove. (Pic justjared).

Now this picture from Twilightersanonymous.com is very interesting. Remember how critical I was of the top original one…and now look at the second later one below it. Same CGI work but look at the difference. The face is much more wolf like. I’m still not impressed with the work so far but I also know how incredibly hard the CGI team work and I will wait and see how it is spliced in. I still think a day trip to see some wolves in action would have been very helpful. Look I like wolves ok so bite me…grrr! ha ha lol..made myself laugh there.

By the way…have you checked out Mac’sTwi Attack page lately. She’s doing a chapter by chapter synopsis of New Moon to bring it all back to you just before the movie. Check it out at www.twilightmovies.org/mac . 

Taylor Lautner has sure come a long way from little long haired 15 year old Jacob Black to 6′5″ and growing 16 year old Jacob (also werewolf) Black. Taylor 17 has aged himself over the past year and by the time Breaking Dawn opens in theatres we will see a very different Taylor. He’s growing up right in front of us.

 Ok well maybe not exactly growing “up”  as the picture below will show , but he has certainly filled out and besides boys are still growing in their late teens, so Taylor could still jump up. If not, he’s still tall in our eyes, right girls?. Team Jacob all the way.And finally a page from Glamour magazine who flew to Vancouver, Canada to catch up with the rest of the Cullen siblings and boy did they get a photo op of the century. I just love these photos of Ashley Greene and Jackson Rathbone.

Enjoy and take care of yourselves   :D   Annie.

Robert Pattinson captured!

Hi and welcome to Discussions with Annie!

Today I am in a good mood, so my very favourite Twi fans…I give you Robert Pattinson, just the way you like him. Enjoy!

All photos by kind courtesy of Vanity Fair, twilightersitalia.com, twilighsweden.com.

Where ever you are in the world …smile!

Annie  

Promotions and parties!

Hi and welcome to Discussions with Annie!

As the cast of the Twilight Saga Eclipse disperse around the globe to promote just the first sequel “New Moon”, the work of promoting Eclipse will not begin for some time to come. By all accounts New Moon will be fascinating. I hope so… I am so looking forward to seeing it. Having read the books many times for research I find still that New Moon is my favourite.                          

 As Kristen Stewart and Taylor Lautner arrive in Brazil to begin the rounds of promoting New Moon worldwide. Robert Pattinson headed to Tokyo, Japan to start his promotional duties. All parties seemed to be more relaxed and certainly in these two countries, are less likely to be mowed down by a frenzy of blood thirsty fans and photographers. Especially in Japan where people are incredibly polite and turning up on time is considered late. Yep! Want to be on time in Japan?…arrive fifteen minutes early. And what of Rob and Kristen’s relationship?…don’t know. Someone on Kristen’s side has reportedly denied the split, which means they accept that they are together. I don’t know what’s going on. The whole thing gives me the pips. (all pics courtesy of newmoonmovie)

I just pass on what I hear Twi fans. 

Ashley Greene and pal Kellan Lutz hosted a hallowe’en party in Tao, Las Vegas along with Sam Trammell and other cast members from True Blood. Their costumes were great but I’m not sure who Ashley was supposed to be dressed up as. Any clues Twi

 fans?.                                                                               

And for all you people out celebrating the spooky season, I sure hope you didn’t end up like this silly pumpkin. I bet he’s hiding in a haystack somewhere right now, he’s so ashamed lol! Drinking to excess is way past stupid.

Anyway guys I hope you had a fab time.

Take care

Annie.