Posted on November 9, 2009 at 3:00 pm
OMG. Tomorrow I will be interviewing both Zac Efron (for his new film, “Me and Orson Welles”) and two of the stars of the upcoming “Twilight” sequel, “New Moon.”
I think it’s fair to say I am VERY EXCITED. Stay tuned.
Posted on August 11, 2009 at 10:44 pm
The full trailer premieres before “Bandslam” this Friday!
Posted on July 18, 2009 at 3:59 pm
Lucky Jen Yamato of Rotten Tomatoes got to interview the director of “New Moon,” Chris Weitz, taking over from Catherine Hardwicke. Some highlights:
“Our aim was to make look like what it says they look like in the book, and not to be too fancy about it,” Weitz explained. “You know, it was very important to Stephenie that, for instance, the werewolves transform very quickly and that they look like wolves, that we not have this kind of magical, Lon Chaney-esque long transformations, and I think the reason behind that is to give a sense of their reality.”
“I think that was important for the Volturi as well; they’re not levitating above the ground, they’re not surrounded by mystical auras, they are creatures who actually exist and they’re very specific, they’re very stylish, they’re very elegant, they’re very dangerous. Essentially, it’s really faithful to the book.”
***
“I suppose…my favorite scene, because it is the high point of the movie, when Bella goes to try to stop Edward from killing himself. We had a thousand extras in this medieval town square in a hill town in Tuscany, in the most beautiful country on earth, and it was such an extraordinary opportunity to get to work there. It was also kind of surreal, because every Twilight fan who could make it from all over continental Europe and further, had gone by hook or by crook to Montepulciano and booked a hotel room — sometimes at the very hotel which the cast and crew were staying.”
Check out the full review for much more!
Posted on April 22, 2009 at 4:00 pm
Be sure to take a look at the adorable trailer for Paper Heart, starring Michael Cera and his real-life girlfriend Charlyne Yi, to be released on August 7.
And for you “Twilight” fans — here is the first picture of the Wolf Pack from the upcoming “New Moon.”
Alex Meraz (Paul), Chaske Spencer (Sam Uley), Bronson Pelletier (Jared), and Kiowa Gordon (Embry) star in Summit Entertainment’s The Twilight Saga: New Moon, In theatres November 20, 2009. Photo courtesy of Timothy White.
Posted on March 17, 2009 at 8:00 am
B+| Lowest Recommended Age: | Middle School |
| MPAA Rating: | Rated PG-13 for some violence and a scene of sensuality |
| Profanity: | Some teenage language |
| Alcohol/ Drugs: | Adults drink beer |
| Violence/ Scariness: | Vampire violence, grisly images, characters injured and killed |
| Diversity Issues: | Diverse characters |
| Date Released to Theaters: | November 21, 2008 |
It is in no way disrespectful to this movie to say that I enjoyed the audience reaction as much as I enjoyed what was on the screen. In a theater filled with fans who had patiently waited for over an hour, it was possible to hear some lines softly recited along with the characters, some squeals of joy at seeing favorite moments depicted, and, in a few quiet scenes, some happily sad sniffs.
“Twilight,” the first in the Stephanie Meyer series of books about a high school romance where the boy happens to be a vampire, has become “Twilight” the movie and it has been brought to life with respectful diligence for the source material and a warm understanding of its characters and target audience. Catherine Hardwicke has developed something of a speciality in stories about teenagers with “13,” “The Nativity Story,” and “The Lords of Dogtown,” and one of the pleasures of the film is the way she shows us the rhythms of teenage interaction.
Bella (a perfectly cast Kristen Stewart) has left sunny Phoenix for the rainiest town in America, Forks, Washington, to live with her father. The students at her new school welcome her warmly but the boy who dazzles her is handsome Edward Cullen (Robert Pattinson). At first, he seems to dislike her, but it turns out that he has just been trying to hide from her and from himself how much he is attracted to her.
These days, it is increasingly difficult to find a reason for a couple not to get together so fast there is no time for a story to happen and Meyer specifically created Edward and Bella with a permanent dilemma to give her characters and her readers some breathing room to explore the relationship. Part of the appeal of the story is an almost-Victorian sense of repression, sacrifice, and longing, all so sincerely depicted it just might single-handedly bring back the swoon. Young girls can enjoy this story because of Bella’s sense of power — loving her so devotedly all but un-mans a creature designed to be “the world’s most dangerous predator.” Edward has the attributes of the adolescent ideal for romance since before the days of “Romeo and Juliet,” “Wuthering Heights” and “Titanic” — unconditional love, parental disapproval, and ultimate impossibility.
The film falters a little in the portrayal of the vampires, who seem, even by fantasy standards, unnaturally pasty-faced, and some of the special effects are a little cheesy. It’s hard to make someone super-fast without looking cartoony. But it benefits from some deft and easy humor and sly twists on both vampire lore (let’s just say that mirrors and sunlight are different for these vampires than for the traditional Bram Stoker variety, with subtle hints to crosses and garlic) and high school (giving it up on prom night takes on a new meaning). Hardwicke, originally a production designer, also lets the settings help tell the story, from the lush greens of the opening shots to the Cullen’s sun-filled home. But the movie belongs to Bella and Edward and Stewart and Pattinson show us a tenderness and devotion that makes them one of this year’s most romantic couples.
