New Moon Midnight Madness

If you hit the comfort of your bed between 3am and 4am this morning, you might have just been someone out past closing time at your local Cheers bar or perhaps you were just someone who got lost in the excellent choices of Thursday night television over at a friends place - but most likely you were actually a die-hard Twi-hard, just getting out of one of the multiple midnight showings of New Moon. If you were of the latter, then you should have been pleasantly surprised to find that having to wait all night for the comfort of your bed was, many times over, worth the wait (unlike the last time that you might have put forth the effort to see a midnight showing of another certain vampire themed love story).

Late last night, gaggles of twittering, giggling teenage girls piled into the multiple theaters at the Atlantic Station Regal that would house the premiere of New Moon. They began to fill the seats around nine o'clock, the most hardcore of the fans arriving hours early in order to procure the perfect seating arrangement for the special event. The proceeding hours were spent gossiping about Robert Pattinson and Kristen Stewart, swooning over thoughts of Taylor Lautner's chiseled abs and debating the pros and cons of Team Edward verses Team Jacob. High school students, grad students and adults who should know better, from all over the Atlanta area, came together to celebrate their love/obsession for everything Twilight - and let's face it, that's pretty much just Edward. Morgan King (18), Brein Millea (19), and Kiersten Smith (18) were just one of several groups of girls that arrived at the theater early enough to claim some prized front-and-center seats. They confessed to being all Team Edward but differed on their opinions on the much-criticized Twilight. "I loved it because I'm a true fan...A lot of people think that the movie sucked because it didn't do the books justice but I think that if you love the characters, you love the movie anyway", Morgan argued. Brein and Kiersten had slightly different thoughts on the first film. "The acting, we thought the acting was quite comical but we still enjoyed it. We still had fun. It was just more hysterical laughing, most of it". No matter their differing opinions on Twilight, they could all agree upon their excitement about seeing New Moon. "There's a different director right, so I think that it's going to improve and I'm looking forward to that", Brein and Kiersten agree.

A slightly older group of women could be found a couple rows up. Twilight Mom Gina Roche (39) and sisters Tina (24) and Katie Hrinda (24), all Atlanta locals (and incidentally all Team Edward), took time away from their smartly packed Twilight-themed crosswords and word-searches to discuss the merits and downfalls of having read the novels before seeing the films. "I was not a huge fan [of Twilight]. I was slightly disappointed but I loved the books so much, I think that had a large part to do with it", Tina said. However, she is was still very excited about seeing New Moon. "It looks like they did a much better job on it". Katie agrees wholeheartedly with her sister. "I was not a fan of the first movie. It was very disappointing." Katie is taking a unique approach to the viewing of New Moon. "I'm trying not to be too excited so I won't be disappointed if it's not good", she reasons. Gina, mostly likely one of the very few in the crowd who has not read the books, had a very different opinion on the first movie. "Because I did not read the books, my perspective is, I loved it! But if I read the books, I would be interested to see how I felt afterwards".

As for the film itself, shockingly after the quality of the first movie, it was a stirring and quite thrilling ride, even for those who already knew all the twists and turns. Under the gentle and knowledgeable ministrations of director Chris Weitz, the acting was elevated several notches from the previous film's performances, which was extremely helpful in taking down the level of cheese and corniness and allowing for more time to "ooohhh" and "ahhhh" instead of giggling uncontrollably. Most prominent in the improvement area were the three main actors, Kristen Stewart, Robert Pattinson and young Taylor Lautner. Lautner, though young and still in need of some polishing, gave both an uplifting and heartbreaking performance as Jacob Black. Not only did he obviously train physically to keep his role, he also proved to be someone worth watching over the next few years, showing that he has what it takes to become an excellent and versatile actor. Stewart and Pattinson also both showed signs of having got to know their characters on a much deeper level than for Twilight. Stewart's Bella was much warmer and much more accessible in this film and Pattinson proved Edward could be more than what the swooning girls force him to be, which is merely an objectified sexual being. As for the developing relationship between Bella and Jacob, Weitz's tendency towards close-ups and medium close-ups gave the audience an intimate and emotional view of their story - most likely with the effect of giving those of Team Edward a moment of doubt over their chosen alliance.

All in all, the film was far more enjoyable than its predecessor and certainly worth missing bedtime for. Feel differently or want to throw your weight into the yay-New Moon camp? Make your opinions heard below.

*New* New Moon Posters

Yahoo! Movies has recently released three new New Moon posters. They are all themed; one for Bella and the Cullens, one for Jacob and the wolf pack and one for the Volturi. Check them out below:

I have to say, these are pretty cheese-tastic. I don't really think they could have spread more cheese over these posters if they had that big block of Cheez-It cheese from those commercials. What do you think? Too much cheese or just cheesy enough?

Thanks to HGE for the pictures.

New Moon Set Pics

For those of you who just can't get enough of steamy jail-bait Taylor Lautner and oddly gorgeous Rob Pattinson (though in my opinion, Rob is beginning to sound a little bit like an over-played song on the radio), you'll be pleased to check out these 40 new pictures from the set of New Moon. They are actually pretty cool and I have to admit my blood pressure did rise a bit when I came across the shirtless Lautner pictures. Between him and Zac Efron, I've been feeling mighty pervy lately. Robbing the cradle, indeed.

They are a bit spoiler-ish, so click here to see the rest AT YOUR OWN RISK. Thanks to HGE for the link.

New Moon Trailer

I promised myself I wouldn't get excited about this film. I got extremely excited about Twilight when I saw the trailer and I was severely disappointed with the movie. So I promised myself I wouldn't walk into New Moon with high expectations. I would just enjoy it for what it ended up being - total crap or Chris Weitz awesomeness. But seriously - this trailer is the SHIT. It's going to be REALLY difficult to keep my Totally Psyched levels down for the November release. Check it out:

Movie Trailers - Movies Blog

Way more Edward in this trailer than the last one. Not that I care. I am so over Robert Pattinson...well...kinda. Hehe.

Thanks to HGE for the trailer. Mine's a little cut-off, so follow the link for the full window.

San Diego Comic-Con 2009 - Day 1

It wasn't exactly surprising to discover that spending four, whirlwind days at the San Diego Comic-Con is very similar to spending four days in a highly geekified Disneyland. Honestly, I know this for a fact, considering I also went to Disneyland a couple days after Comic-Con. One surrounds you with eye-rolling fairyland creatures (and the poor people who must be burning up in those costumes!) and the other surrounds you with eye-popping Nerdonia peoples (and the poor gals in those tight, black-leather costumes!). In both places you spend way too much time in long lines and yet both places make it their duty to entertain you as much as possible while you cool your jets with others of your kind (ie: see unexpected arrival of Pirate Band in Comic-Con line and elaborate set designs for Disneyland rides).

All in all (and if it weren't for walking up Sunset Blvd in massively painful heels last Friday night), this trip to California smelled suspiciously of childhood - right down to me staring in total awe and adoration at Craig Ferguson, much like I once stared adoringly at JTT's photograph in Teen Beat magazine.

However, underneath the childlike fantasy-facade of Comic-Con, there is a very adult, very passionate understanding of why we were there. This place wasn't filled with 150, 000 flimsy fangirls, twittering about how dreamy and sexy Robert Pattinson is (there were only about 7,000 of those), or nonsensical fanboys, dreaming of videogame violence and Michael Bay films (those only took up about 40% of their thoughts - and that's mostly due to the in-your-face, sizzling Megan Fox). No, I can honestly claim that Comic-Con attendees were friendly, charming and extremely intelligent - if a little eccentric in their own right. You'll not find another group more in-tuned to the world of pop culture entertainment than the group you'd find at Comic-Con. These people - nerds, wanna-be nerds, ashamed-to-admit-your-a-nerd nerds - not only love beyond words their nerd-attachments (whether that be comic books, comic book movies, sci-fi television shows or just the actors that personify their favorite characters), they have spent thousands of hours on researching and enjoying every little aspect about them, making them all literal experts on multiple types media and their creators, across the whole vast spectrum of pop culture. Needless to say, it was a pretty intense atmosphere, especially in the Exhibition Halls. But more on that later.

Enough small talk. Let's get to the dirty details...

Day 1

We didn't arrive at the Con until around 2-3pm, having thoroughly enjoyed the breezy and beautiful weather while walking to the convention center. We grabbed our badges (line-less, woohoo!) and immediately got in line for the Evolution of Fantasy panel, with panalist Pat Rothfuss ("The Name of the Wind") and other fantasy authors. Once Tina and Katie realized the panelists was focused more on bashing Harry Potter and Twilight than discussing them, we had to sneak out early before a small riot began. Note to panel authors: You cannot compare your novels, which are vastly more complicated, to young adult books such as HP and Twilight. They don't even dwell in the same solar system. Personally, I enjoy the highly-complicated, epic-battle fantasies as much as I enjoy the more diluted, YA fantasies. There is no need for badmouthing - it's not two sides of the same war. Anyhow, we snuck out of the panel and hit the line for the Legend of the Seeker panel. It was at this time that I realized my camera was dead. A cute, young jock (a jock! At a Con! Full of wonders indeed!) took my mind off the sad realization that I wouldn't get any pictures that day while we waited in line.

Legend of the Seeker scoop: Charisma Carpenter, of Buffy and Angel fame, will guest star in the second season premiere as a Mord Sith! She looks uber-cool! Also, they plan to focus the second season on the main quest from the second book in the series, "The Stone of Tears".

At least they are sticking to the correct timeline, even though they veer off the course the book sets the majority of the time. I'm not complaining. It's a great, really fun show. The main stars, Craig Horner and Bridget Regan, couldn't make it (they were in New Zealand filming), but they sent in a cute video saying hi to the fans. Bruce Spence, who plays Zedd, was there, along with the author of the series, Terry Goodkind and some other showrunners. Overall, a pretty fun panel - even if Terry Goodkind did came off as a bit of a creepster.

Since we didn't have another panel until 9:30pm, we walked to the Gaslamp (Gaslight?) district, across from the convention center, and got some dinner. The streets were incredibly crowded and it wasn't even dinner time yet. We found a cute Mexican restaurant that had reprinted their menus to reflect a superhero theme. It was too cute.

After dinner, I had an 8pm meet and greet with Michael Ausiello from Entertainment magazine at the Hard Rock Hotel, poolside. I was really excited, since I'm a big fan of his column. It turned out harder than I had imagined to get the chance to talk to him, since he was surrounded by adoring fans the whole time. I dropped my butt on a comfortable mattress-like thing next to the pool and waited my turn like a good little Southern girl. Before I knew what was happening, one of his helpers (?), who was a little TOO helpful, had me up (along with the nice girl I had befriended) and shoved into Michael's circle of fans. Yet, even here I didn't get the chance to talk to him. I pulled my classic move of shoving someone else in front of me in order to avoid any undue attention and I slipped away to the opposite side of the pool, still close to him, but in no mood to test my meager conversational skills against those of his other, more eager fans. That changed when a familiar looking, handsome guy walked into Michael's little circle, hugged him and said he was leaving. I walked over to get a better look and to see if I could recognize him. By way of the Aushole grapevine, I made my discovery - it was Bryan Fuller! Now, I'm sure most of you have no idea who that is, but I certainly did and if I ever had the courage to go up to someone and sincerely tell them that I absolutely LOVED their work, it was with Bryan Fuller. Alas, it was not to be. While I was pumping myself up to go speak to him, he slipped out into the crowd and I missed him. Ah, well. Story of my life.

At the very end, as everyone was leaving, Michael was still engulfed by eager scoop addicts, so I walked by him, touching him lightly on the arm and said, "It was nice semi-meeting you". He looked up, surprised and asked, "Did I meet you"? I said "kind of", and then he shook my hand and thanked me for coming. I thanked him for having us and then headed back to the convention center to meet back up with Tina and Katie for our last panel of the night...

The last panel was a screening of a Halloween movie called "Trick 'r Treat", directed by Michael Dougherty. What really drew us to the panel was the fact that Anna Paquin (True Blood) and Tahmoh Penikett (Battlestar Galactica and Dollhouse) were supposed to join the panel. We're big fans of both, so we though we could endure the horror film in order to see them. The end result was good and bad. It turns out that both didn't show (it was Anna's birthday and we got to call her and sing Happy Birthday to her voicemail), which was upsetting, but the film was actually pretty good and Brian Cox joined Dougherty on the panel, and I really like Brian Cox. He has a nice voice... What? He does!

So, that concluded our first day at Comic-Con. We missed the mass teenage hysteria that was the New Moon panel but we couldn't say we were sorry about that. I probably would have smacked Kristen Stewart over the head if I saw her, so it was probably better that we stayed away. There's no need for a cat fight during Comic-Con. There's already too much female eye-candy walking around in little outfits for the geek fanboy mind to deal with. There's no need to overload them.

Lessons learned: Always try your hardest to say what you need to say to your famous heroes and never eat Mexican before meeting said heroes. It was a hard lesson to learn...

Day 2, 3, and 4 coming soon!

San Diego Comic-Con

So, tomorrow I embark on the largest and most commercial Geek Right of Passage of this age; San Diego Comic-Con. The way will be treacherous, oh yes, but the journey will be worth it's weight in airfare, hotel costs and more importantly, the cost of my dignity. Tomorrow will see my ritual partners (Tina and Katie) and I as we push and shove our way through screeching tween fangirls (the New Moon panel is tomorrow), lost first-timers (that'd be us!) and throngs of the not-so-elusive Geek Fanboy (in his most natural habitat). This yearly nerd ritual, one that will forever cement our places in Nerdodia (a welcoming and exciting country situated next door to Buffonia), is an life-changing event that any serious nerd must eventually partake in. Since its my first time (I do hope they'll be gentle), I'm not exactly sure what to expect besides grand superhero costumes and fleeting glimpses of my favorite geek celebrities, but my expectations are high.

I will offer up a nice, long blog post documenting the experience once I return (that'd be the week of August 3rd) but until then, I will be tweeting (@bufyluver5) pictures and uploading them to Facebook as well.

Until then, Viva Comic-Con!

Quick Hits - Summer Movie Reviews

I know it's been forever and a weekday since I last posted. I must apologize for that - and immediately start throwing excuses your way. In my defense, they are pretty good excuses. For one, work has been kicking my backside lately but that is to be expected, what with our rise in original programming. Also, there really hasn't been that much to discuss since my DVR has become depressingly empty due to the end of the fall TV season.

But never fear my faithful readers! The Summer Movie Season has begun and I have some quick reviews from my most recent cinematic adventures:

Angels and Demons

I definitely enjoyed this one more than The DaVinci Code. It had more action, more suspense, more villains and it had Ewan McGregor. That fact in and of itself was enough to bring up the entertainment level. And if I should be felled by God for lusting after a fake priest - then so be it. It was worth it. However, even though this film was better than DaVinci Code, it's still the lowest on my summer movie list.

My Grade: B-

$/Theater or DVD: This could wait until the DVD release. I wouldn't say it's worth $10 - but if you can check it out in south GA for $6, then maybe then it's worth seeing in the theater. Otherwise, Netflix that sucker and check it out on a big-screen and all will be well.

Terminator Salvation

I am not sure what you've heard about this film, but my review is shining. Apparently, if you are a gung-ho James Cameron Terminator fan and you're expecting something like those films, then you'll be disappointed. But honestly, who really went into that movie thinking it would be exactly like those Arnold bomb-a-thons? Besides, I was never much of a Terminator fan. I enjoyed the films and they are certainly classics, but I wouldn't call myself a Terminator fangirl. So, that being said, I LOVED this movie. It was gritty, dark, exciting, new and just plain fun. It was all these things and that is exactly what I expected when I walked into the theater. And it was more. It was - egads! - emotional! Yeah, yeah, I know. I'm such a girly-girl, but I did tear up a bit at the end. The story of John Conner and even more so, the story of Marcus Wright (played by the yummy Sam Worthington) really tugged at my easily-tugged heart-strings. Call me sappy, call me blasphemous for sobbing during a Terminator film, call me whatever you like - but that doesn't change the truth. And the truth is - this film rocked my socks (if I had had socks on to rock) off. Not only that but Sam Worthington is my new favorite swoon-causer. It takes some pretty big cahonas (not to mention an insanely chiseled jaw) to upstage Christan Bale in his own film, but Worthington pulled it off, shocking and awe-ing and bringing tears to my eyes doing it.

My Grade: A

$/Theater or DVD: No question about it - dish out the $10 and see this in the theater. It's worth it, I cross my heart.

UP

This movie has been raved about for the last couple weeks and I am sorry to disappoint you but after seeing it last night, I am of a like mind with the UP-ravers. This movie was excellent, even if it did err more on the side of sad and depressing - at least more so than other Disney/Pixar films. Instead of bringing in tissues for happy Disney tears, bring them in for sad Disney tears. This is not to say that the film ended badly (honestly, it's a Disney film, people!) or that its appeal was lessened by its weepy scenes. On the contrary, the sad scenes brought a charm and depth to the movie, an aspect that has been rather prevalent in recent Disney/Pixar films. Except, unlike Wall-E, I could easily connect and sympathize with the characters (seeing as they were actual humans with human speaking skills). This movie was charmingly grumpy, a bittersweet adventure that reflected the mood and nature of the main character. The little boy, Russell, kept it from tipping over into depressing territory with his little boyscout antics, fearful heroism and a love for any creature that crossed his path.

My Grade: A

$/Theater or DVD: This could really go either way. I guess it all depends on what you have in the bank. All Pixar films are better watched in a theater and I would suggest paying the money to see it there instead of waiting to rent it. Still, if you can't see it in the theater, you should definitely rent it and watch it.

So, that's all the time and money worth of summer movies I've had so far but keep checking in for new and improved summer movie updates. And of course, because I am a Twihard (though not one of those screeching, tween ones), I will leave you with the newly released trailer for New Moon. I'm sure you've already seen it a ka-billion times, but go ahead, watch it again. You know you want to...

Blue October - SotD

So, as any good Stephenie Meyer fan knows, Blue October recently released a new album, Approaching Normal, and even though I'm not a huge fan, there are some really great songs on the album. Meyer's number one pick was "My Never", which as she claimed at the New York City Breaking Dawn concert, it made her immediately think of the Jacob/Bella relationship. It really is a beautiful song, but I think I'm going to go with one of my own favorites for your Song of the Day. Enjoy!




"Picking Up The Pieces"
By: Blue October

I really need to talk with you
I keep stepping on the vein
That keeps my lifeline flowing through
I wanna be your perfect stick of glue
But I don't feel perfect at all
Sad and insecure flaw

I find it hard to hold conversation
I get sweaty sick and I wanna walk away
Its not you its strictly me in this situation
I'm wondering will it ever go away...just go away

Sometimes I feel like weeping
Awake and when I'm sleeping
Perfecting how to put a game face on

This puzzle I've been keeping
Has been in hiding creeping out the closet door
Spilling out onto the floor

How long will I be picking up pieces
How long will I be picking up my heart

I'll be as honest as I feel
I'm getting more paranoid and I'm hearing things
And they never turn out real
It feels like my heart is made of pure steel
It's just so heavy all the time

Yea I'm scared of death
And I'm scared of living
I gave up on the past cause it's unforgiving
I misplaced my trust

I watched my word begin to rust
I'm a balloon about to bust
I need a place for reliving

But sometimes I feel like weeping
Awake and when I'm sleeping
Perfecting how to put a game face on

This puzzle I've been keeping
Has been in hiding creeping out the closet door
Spilling out onto the floor

How long will I be picking up pieces
How long will I be picking up my heart

How long (in another space and time)
Will I be picking up pieces in the corner of my mind
How long (its getting oh so hard to find)
Keep picking up pieces in the corner of my mind
But I still walk on

Scoop 'O News

Spoiler Warning...

First and by far most importantly, an eye-popping Supernatural scoop, straight from Kristin Dos Santos, from E! Online. In her recent Spoiler Chat post, Kristin hinted that...OMG...there might be another Winchester brother!! Holy cow in a hand-basket. I can't even fathom it! Now, if you aren't a Supernatural fan, then this post is meaningless to you. But if, however, you're a fan of Winchester and Sons, Demon Hunters since 1983, this is a life-changing plot twist. Not only do we now get the thrill of waiting to see which new hunk 'o actor is going to prove to have the sexy Winchester genes, but we get the happy job of brainstorming on how the HECK John Winchester has another son floating around out there. Did he have the secret son with Mary (a full brother) or did John have an affair and it's the son of another woman (a half-brother)? I just can't believe that John Winchester would have an affair, not as obvious as they have made his love and devotion for her. So what, maybe a first born, making Dean the middle brother? What could have happened to this lost brother and what will this revelation do to Sam and Dean? I'd guess that an extra, secret brother is only going to cause...trouble, big hunk 'o trouble. The only good thing that I can see coming out of this is the probable and exciting screen time for Jeffery Dean Morgan. We've missed you John. Come back to us.

On another Supernatural note and spoiler, who's the "fan favorite" that's going to die?? I can only guess either Bobby or Castiel and either death will be heartbreaking. Say it ain't so! *Sob*

Ok, I'm moving past it....

And I'm good. Moving on...

In some New Moon/Twilight news, Taylor Lautner is still in the running to keep his job as Jacob. We will know this week, via Summit. Go to HisGoldenEyes for more info. If I have anything to say about it (which I don't), Taylor will stick as Jacob. I know a lot of people who hated him playing the part, but I thought he was fantastical. A little time at the gym and a little CGI/special effects work and we've got our perfect, 7-feet tall, manly, New Moon Jacob-werewolf. If you want to fight about it, you know where I'll be.

Also in related Twilight Zone news, the cover art for the DVD has been released and it sure looks snazzy. Sure, the film was a disappointment, but at least now we know and we can move on and enjoy some special feature goodies on the DVD. Thanks to HGE for the picture!

And now for your QotD, another from Mistborn. I'm slowly making my way through the book, slowly because I've got way too much good tv to watch and it keeps me from my pages, and it's been very good so far. I'm still waiting on some romance and I may never get it, but here's hopin'. I just love my romance. *Sigh*

"...The right belief is like a good cloak, I think. If it fits you well, it keeps you warm and safe. The wrong fit, however, can suffocate."

Monday Ramblings

Sorry for my recent absence, friendly bloggers and/or readers of blogs. Trust me, you haven't been missing much anyway. My weekend pretty much consisted of me, my couch, and hours upon hours of Pride and Prejudice. No, I'm not talking about the fairly new and beyond awesome film starring Keira Knightley. I'm talking about the fairly old and beyond awesome 1995 BBC mini-series starring the dreamy-eyed Colin Firth . That's right folks. I'm talking 6 hours of Colin Firth practicing intense, lovelorn staring, high verses low society haggling, eloquent speeches, repressed sexual tension and the worst attire imaginable. I'm talking absolute heaven, folks.

You know what it is, right boys? The thing we gals love about Mr. Darcy? Well, there are a thousand things really...but it's the stare. It's the looks he gives her. The way he looks at her as he slowly realizes his feelings. Slowly, because let's face it, you guys are plain stupid. Jane Austen knew it then and we know it now. Gorgeous, intense, can't-live-without, stupid. Just thought you should know.

In that same vein, the gorgeous, intense, can't-live-without, stupid vein, I saw Australia this weekend. I know this film hasn't gotten the absolute best reviews and I think that has a lot to do with too high expectations and too much hype. Despite the reviews, I was determined to see the film. At the very least, because of the scenery...and by scenery I mean Hugh Jackman (though the cinematography and real scenery were brilliantly beautiful). It was far from a poor decision, I'll tell you that. I really enjoyed this film. I'm not going to do a full-out review since I don't know enough about the production, crew and back-story on this film but I will touch on a couple things.

As I said above, the cinematography was beautiful, but you pretty much walk into the theater knowing that, if just from watching the trailers. Plus, you can expect no less from Baz Luhrmann. Moulin Rouge! is one of my all time favorite films and don't even get me started on Romeo + Juliet and even Strickly Ballroom. If you haven't seen any of these films, leave work or your bed or wherever you are right now and go rent them and a magnificent movie day. They are all worth it, I give my amateur film critic word. Anyhow, I expected an equally brilliant film when I spent $10 on my Australia ticket and though it wasn't up to Baz's usual par, it was still a great film. As other reviews stated, it does lag a bit in the middle but if you can be entertained by a beautiful, rugged (or soft and refined) face (like I can), then it's all gravy. Seriously though, Hugh Jackman is a MAIN point here. If you love him now, your heart will explode as you watch him in this film. Seriously...Brett and I DIED while we watched this film. Our hearts just...exploded. We couldn't live one more day knowing something as perfect as Hugh Jackman is walking around in this world and we can't be staring at him 24 hours a day...on horseback, shirtless, sweaty. You know what? It hurts my heart just to think of it. So we'll move on. Needless to say...girls: go see this film for the Hugh Jackman and the love story...boys: go see this film for the John Wayne-like and Saving Private Ryan-like adventure...or for Nicole Kidman...if you're into that ice queen thing.

For some other entertainment news, Chris Weitz is officially the director for New Moon. I think I'm ok with this. A new director might help the franchise and it certainly worked for Harry Potter. Plus, I'm a semi-fan of Weitz's. I've enjoyed all his previous works and he seems pretty into the books and getting the fans what they want. Sounds like a good recipe for success to me. Still, I won't be getting my hopes up like I did with Twilight. Hoping just sets you up for disappointment. And...that's my depressing wisdom for today. I hope you profit in some way by it and aren't curled up in the fetal position because of how utterly depressing that statement was. Moving on...

Alright, that's all the entertainment gossip for today, kiddies. I hope everyone is getting along well with their holiday shopping and present wrapping. Posts will be on the fritz next week since I won't be in the front of the computer 9 hours of everyday, but I will still do my best to keep ya'll entertained as much as possible. Cause I'm so entertaining right?..... Right?

*crickets*

Yeah, right.

And for your QotD:

Sarah Ashley: Just because it is, doesn't mean it should be.

- Australia

Edit: On another Hugh Jackman note, check out the new trailer for Wolverine. This movie could totally rock...or it could totally suck. But honestly, does it really matter with that handsome mug helming the effort? I think not. Enjoy the rippling biceps of Mr. Jackman, Gambit's killer deck (and looks), and Liev's hot feline teeth below.

New Moon Update

Folks, this is what you call a "clusterf**k". It was bad enough that Summit rehired the screenwriter, Melissa Rosenberg, whose screenplay, in my opinion, was the core of all Twilight's major problems but now Catherine Hardwicke has walked away (or been asked to walk away) from directing the sequel. If that situation isn't bad enough to spell disaster, Summit is still searching for a new director, which is cutting into pre-production time, AND they have confirmed at $50 million budget for a film that needs at least double that. We're talking about location shooting, major stunts and believable (or at least pretty) werewolves. $50 mil ain't gonna cut it, Summit. To add to all that badness, Summit is also considering re-casting Jacob Black. I know Taylor Lautner is a little small and cutesey for New Moon and Eclipse Jacob, but that's the brilliance of make-up, gym time and special effects. Taylor played a GREAT Jacob and I will ninja apart anyone who says otherwise.

So, in conclusion...we seem to be pretty much screwed. If this film turns out even half as good as Twilight (and that's saying a lot since Twilight wasn't that good) then I'll be pleasantly surprised. Thanks for HGE for the story.

Follow this to EW's story.

Video of the Day

I know. No, I really do. It's Tuesday, right? The day after Monday. The morning following Heroes night. There should be shock, screaming, shaking fists at the sky, righteous opinions and above all, Seth Green homage. But there's none of that. At least not today. But there will be tomorrow. I've decided to wait another day to discuss this week's Heroes until everyone has had a chance to catch up, in case they missed it last night (coughcorriecough).

So, until tomorrow you will just have to quench your television thirst with another Supernatural video. Why, you ask? What's your deal with Supernatural, you wonder? Why do we have to watch another Supernatural video? Because, it's my blog and I said so. Also, because it's my birthday week and I can therefore do anything I want. I could even break the law, if I felt so inclined. But I'm a good little girl, so I would never do anything that exciting. I just live vicariously through the demon-killing Winchester brothers...or didn't you know that already? Anyway, check out Winchester and Sons, Demon Hunters below, for your VotD. Did I mention you get some J.D.M. face time too? Talk about like hot father, like totally hot sons.



Also, follow this link to an interview with Catherine Hardwicke about her thoughts on the New Moon film. Let's just hope the studio settles on a bigger budget for this film and also that Melissa Rosenberg, the screenplay writer for Twilight and now New Moon, learns from her mistakes on Twilight and makes the necessary improvements for New Moon. Otherwise we may end up with another slow, choppy and poorly developed screenplay. I hate to be blunt, but it's true and if we want a better second film, there are some MAJOR changes that need to happen to the script.

Tune in tomorrow for my weekly Heroes discussion. There's so much to talk about, I might just have a heart attack before I get to it!

Twilight Review

I know what you're thinking. I'm a sucky, crappy blogger. I'm a poor excuse for an Internet journalist, constantly shirking my duties and letting down my readers. Wait...I have no readers! I'm free and clear of any journalistic obligations! Score!

Still, in my defense, I did write a post yesterday while I was sitting at Panera but for some devilish reason, my post didn't actually post. Panera Bread may smell like heaven, but it's wi-fi is sent straight from HELL! Anyway, I should probably stop rambling and get to the point of this post...

My Twilight Review

I went to see Twilight with a small group of Twilight fans (and a couple non-fans too but I pretended like they didn't really exist) on Thursday night for the midnight showing at Atlantic Station. We sat down in line about two hours before the showing, cementing our bums to the dirty theater carpet, therefore ensuring ourselves perfect seating arrangements for the film. The theater was filled with loud, annoying teenage girls but we knew to expect that. I told myself I would control my temper as long as everyone shut the hell up once the movie started. Apparently, even that was asking for too much. I spent a good part of my weekend receiving calls from friends asking me what I thought about the movie. I could hardly give them a coherent answer, but this was the jist of it:

First and foremost, I need to see the movie again. As I mentioned above, the twittering, giggling, yelling tween girls never actually shut the hell up throughout the whole film. I nearly gave in to my primeval instinct to horribly slay a couple constant gigglers behind me. But I curved that desire because nobody appreciates bloodshed during a movie (maybe IN a movie, but not DURING a movie). Still, the constant laughing, swooning and yelling took its toll and it was difficult to stay immersed in the story.

Speaking of story, I would describe the flow as extremely choppy. I didn't really notice it until Katie pointed it out, but once she did I couldn't stop thinking about it. The cast and crew tried so hard to give us fans all the scenes from the book that we loved, but in doing so they made each scene shorter and gave us hardly any transition scenes. They just jumped from one scene to the next without any flow between. Alot of movies have this problem, so it wasn't a great big deal, but it should still be pointed out.

Because each scene seemed cut-off it also made the viewer feel like each scene had lost potential. We got all the scenes we wanted (thanks cast & crew!) but they either contained incorrect elements (the meadow scene was very pretty but it was missing the center focus of Bella touching Edward's skin) or the scene wasn't long enough for the viewer to really feel any emotions about it. Bella and Edward's relationship is INTENSE and as great as Robert Pattinson is at giving us that dead sexy stare, we just can't feel that intensity without a longer, more in-depth scene.

As was expected, the movie has its share of corny parts. When you are reading the novel, you don't get any kind of corny feel. At least I didn't. But often when you transition book to film, you come up with over-the-top scenes. Some were worse than others and it certainly gave the film a humours aspect that I wasn't expecting but corny scenes were hardly the film's biggest problem.

Characters. As a friend angrily replied on Facebook, they were empty. This really only applies to the Cullens. They are one of the best parts of the novels and we just didn't get enough time with them. They had the potential to make this film great and take some of the pressure off the Edward/Bella relationship, but instead we got more and more corny, intense scenes with Edward and Bella and not enough lightweight, enjoyable scenes with the Cullens. The kitchen scene at the Cullen house was perfection and the baseball scene was one of my favorites. We needed more scenes like those.

People who constantly criticize and complain without ever offering up a solution suck. I don't want to be one of those people. In the end, I enjoyed watching this film. I'm much happier that they made it then I would have been if they hadn't. I had no problem with the acting or the directing. The camera work in the forest when Bella is telling Edward that she knows what he is was magnificent. It was perfect for the scene and I loved it.

Here is my one and only piece of advise for New Moon. Don't be afraid to make it longer. That was the source of all the major problems with Twilight. I know studios and producers and whoever often think that if a movie is over 2 hours long, nobody will go see it. That is just NOT the case. See: Casino Royale, LOTR movies for just a couple examples. Your fans will happily sit through a 4 hour movie if it meant more time with their favorite characters. Two hours was just not long enough. Even a mere 30 minutes extra would have done wonders to improve the film's flow and character development.

Overall, I enjoyed the film. I went in expecting too much and that was my fault but it was still a great film to watch. If the studio, director, script writer and actors can learn from their mistakes from Twilight, then New Moon will be wonderful.