Negromancer News Bits and Bites from September 1st to 9th, 2017 - Update #42

Support Leroy on Patreon.

SPORTS - From NYTimes:  Sloane Stephens wins the women's tennis singles title at the 2017 U.S. Open Women.

From HuffPost:  American tennis is alive because of Black women.

----------
STREAMING - From ArsTechnica:  Disney is pulling its "Star Wars" and Marvel Studios films from Netflix, beginning in 2019.

----------
MOVIES - From Variety:  Spike Lee and Jordan Peele ("Key & Peele") are uniting for the film, "Black Klansman," based on the true story of a Black man who infiltrated the Ku Klux Klan.

----------
BOX OFFICE - From Variety:  "Spider-Man: Homecoming" opens strong in China.

From Fortune:  "Spider-Man: Homecoming" may be the highest grossing straight-reboot film at the worldwide box office.

----------
COMICS-FILM - From THR:  Drew Goodard will write and direct "X-Force," a spin-off from Fox's awful X-Men film franchise.

----------
STREAMING - From TheWrap:  Christina Ricci's Amazon series, "Z: The Beginning of Everything" has cancelled.

----------
MOVIES - From Variety:  Armie Hammer joins Felicity Jones in the Ruth Bader Ginsburg (a current Supreme Court Justice) biopic, "On the Basis of Sex."

----------
COMICS-FILM - From THR:  "Suicide Squad 2" finally has a director.  Gavin O'Connor of "The Accountant" (with Ben Affleck) will write and direct the film.

----------
TELEVISION - Variety:  CBS is developing a TV series based on James Ellroy's classic novel, L.A. Confidential.  The book was previously developed into a critically acclaimed, Oscar-winning 1997 film writer-director Curtis Hanson.

----------
MOVIES - From Variety:  Jude Law joins Elle Fanning and Selena Gomez in a Woody Allen film due next year.

----------
CELEBRITY - From YahooCelebrity:  A rare photo of Jamie Foxx and Katie Holmes, long rumored to be a couple, has surfaced.

-----------
COMICS-FILM - From TheWrap:  In terms of domestic box office, "Wonder Woman" is now one of the top five highest grossing superhero movies of all time.

----------
STREAMING - From Deadline:  Chris Pine to take the lead in Robert F. Kennedy project at Hulu.

----------
MOVIES - From Deadline:  Paramount has acquired rights to "authorized prequel" to Bram Stoker's "Dracula," entitled "Dracul."

----------
STAR WARS - From TheWrap:  Colin Trevorrow "steps down" as the director of Star Wars Episode 9.

----------
TELEVISION - From TheWrap:  "American Horror Story: Cult" - frenzied mess or metaphor for Trump-induced madness.

----------
MOVIES-FILM FESTIVALS - From Variety:  Angelina Jolie gets a standing ovation at the Telluride Film Festival for her new film, "Cambodia."

----------
POLITICS - From NYDailyNews:  The selfish reason Donald Trump has made several film cameos.

----------
COMICS-FILM - From CBR:  15 things wrong with the X-Men film franchise, according to Comic Book Resources.  [Yeah, those movies are a stanky hot mess. - Ed.]

----------
MOVIES - From Variety:  Luc Besson's "Valerian and the City of a Thousand Planets" was a big disappointment at the box office.  That has cost the deputy CEO of Besson's EuropaCorp is job.

----------
WGA - From Variety:  The incoming president of the Writers Guild of America, West says that Hollywood writers will have to make a 2020 strike threat to get a decent contract.

----------
BOX OFFICE - From BoxOfficeMojo:  The number one film at the 9/1 to 9/3/2017 weekend box office is "The Hitman's Bodyguard" with an estimated total of $10.25 million.  This is the film's third consecutive weekend at the top of the box office.

From Variety:  "Dunkirk" wins the most recent international box office period.

----------
CELEBRITY - From BBC:  The Duke and Duchess of Cambridge (Prince William of Great Britain and his wife, Kate) are expecting a third child.

----------
MOVIES - From YahooMovies:  A slideshow of the 50 most anticipated films of Fall 2017.

----------
SPORTS - From BET:  Tennis great Serena Williams has given birth to a baby girl.

----------
COMICS-FILM - From CBR:  Spike Lee may be involved in a Sony Pictures film based on Marvel Comics character, Nightwatch," who is part of the "Spider-Man" line.

----------
COMICS-FILM - From ScreenRant:  Cate Blanchett gives the three reasons she wanted to be in "Thor: Ragnarok."

----------
COMICS-FILM - From SideshowToy:  A first look at Evangeline Lilly in costume as "The Wasp" during filming of Marvel's "Ant-Man and the Wasp."

----------
COMICS-FILM - From Variety:  Warner Bros. would love Leo DiCaprio to play the Joker in its "Joker" stand alone film to be directed by Todd Phillips.

-----------
MOVIES - From THR:  "The Crow" reboot, entitled "The Crow Reborn," is not at Sony Pictures.

----------
STREAMING - From Variety:  Netflix teams up with Damien Chazelle ("Best Director Oscar" for "La La Land") for a Paris-set musical series, "The Eddy."

----------
MOVIES - From YahooMovies:  Director Andy Muschietti says that the sequel to "It," the highly-anticipated adaptation of the Stephen King novel, will focus on the 1986 novel's "cosmic dimension."

From CinemaBlend:  Muschietti would like to make a new film adaptation of King's 1983 novel "Pet Semetary," which was previously adapted by director Mary Lambert in 1989.

From TheWrap:  Muschietti talks about the origin of Pennywise the Clown's distinctive look in the new "It."

----------
CELEBRITY - From YahooCelebrity:  Robert Pattison of "Twilight" fame once lived with Dustin Diamond a.k.a. "Screech" from "Saved by the Bell."

----------
TELEVISION - From Variety:  HBO's limited series, "True Detective," will return for a third season, with Mahershala Ali as its star.  Nic Pizzalatto and Jeremy Saulnier will direct.  No air date announced as of yet.

----------
CELEBRITY - From YahooCelebrity:  Taylor Swift's friend, the dancer, Todrick Hall, getting trolled over his relationship with Swift and his appearance in her new video.

----------
MOVIES - From TheWrap:  Sam Rockwell in final talks to play George W. Bush in Dick Cheney biopic from director, Adam McKay.

----------
MOVIES - From THR:  Lily Collins joins Nicholas Hoult in Fox Searchlight and Chernin Entertainment's biopic about J.R.R. Tolkien, the creator of The Hobbit and Lord of the Rings.

OBIT:

From TheWrap:  Blake Heron, former child star, has died at the age of 35, Friday, September 8, 2017.  He was best known for the 1996 film, "Shiloh."

----------
From TheWrap:  Rock musician and recording artist, Walter Becker, has died at the age of 67, Sunday, September 3, 2017.  Becker was the guitarist and co-founder of the rock-jazz fusion band, Steely Dan.

----------
From Variety:   The actor and comedian Shelley Berman has died at the age of 92; Friday, September 1, 2017.  The Grammy Award he won in 1959 for "Best Comedy Performance, Spoken Word," was the first given for a non-musical performance.  In recent years, he played Larry David's father on "Curb Your Enthusiasm," which earned him a 2008 Emmy nomination.

Review: "Twilight: Breaking Dawn - Part 2" is a Wonderful Finale

TRASH IN MY EYE No. 89 (of 2012) by Leroy Douresseaux

The Twilight Saga: Breaking Dawn – Part 2 (2012)
Running time: 115 minutes (1 hour, 55 minutes)
MPAA – PG-13 for sequences of violence including disturbing images, some sensuality and partial nudity
DIRECTOR: Bill Condon
WRITER: Melissa Rosenberg (based upon the novel by Stephenie Meyer)
PRODUCERS: Wyck Godfrey, Karen Rosenfelt, and Stephenie Meyer
CINEMATOGRAPHER: Guillermo Navarro
EDITOR: Virginia Katz
COMPOSER: Carter Burwell

FANTASY/DRAMA/ROMANCE

Starring: Kristen Stewart, Robert Pattinson, Taylor Lautner, Billy Burke, Peter Facinelli, Elizabeth Reaser Ashley Greene, Jackson Rathbone, Nikki Reed, Kellan Lutz, Mackenzie Foy, Julia Jones, Chaske Spencer, Alex Rice, Cameron Bright, and Maggie Grace, with Michael Sheen and Dakota Fanning

The Twilight Saga: Breaking Dawn – Part 2 is the fifth film in The Twilight Saga film franchise. Like the previous films: Twilight, The Twilight Saga: New Moon, The Twilight Saga: Eclipse, and Breaking Dawn – Part 1, Breaking Dawn – Part 2 is based upon the wildly popular Twilight book series by author, Stephenie Meyer. Each of the first three films is based upon one of the first three books in the series; however, the fourth book, Breaking Dawn, has been adapted into two movies.

The Twilight Saga: Breaking Dawn – Part 2 continues the love story a young human woman, Bella Swan (Kristen Stewart), and her vampire boyfriend, Edward Cullen (Robert Pattinson), who were married in the previous film. The story begins as Bella opens her eyes to find her senses sharpened. The transformation is complete; she is now a vampire. Still, all is not perfect.

Bella is shocked to learn that her recently born infant daughter has imprinted on her friend and former love interest, Native American werewolf, Jacob Black (Taylor Lautner). Bella must also find a way to explain her new situation to her worried father, Police Chief Charlie Swan (Billy Burke). Meanwhile, Bella and Edward’s daughter does not stay an orphan for long. Renesmee Cullen (Mackenzie Foy) is undergoing a tremendous growth spurt, which leads to a bigger problem. When a false allegation puts their family in front of the Volturi to likely face a death sentence, the Cullens gather other vampire clans and old allies in order to protect Renesmee.

I enjoyed Breaking Dawn – Part 1, but I found the film to be mostly joyless, even dour and morbid. Breaking Dawn – Part 2 is quite the opposite. It is joyful and celebratory. Like Renesmee, Breaking Dawn – Part 2 is fresh and new and curious about the world. It almost seems like a brand new thing, unconnected to the other films, although it is.

I think this is the result of having a director like Bill Condon, who is not just good with character drama. He is also a standout, and he did not get enough credit for what he did with Dreamgirls, getting so much more out of the material than it offered. Here, in his second Twilight movie, he gives all the supernatural characters mortality, not just Edward and Bella (who have seemed forever on the edge of demise in this series). Mortality for the immortals means that not only do their actions have real consequences, but also that those consequences can mean the end of them. When everyone has “skin in the game,” conflict is rich and complicated.

However, the sense of death does not dampen this movie’s themes of hope and happiness. Who knows how many days lie ahead for each character? There may be many days (or not), but they will be happy days, with family and friends. There will also be dark days, as in any human’s life. In fact, The Twilight Saga: Breaking Dawn – Part 2 is about loving family, close friends, and new friends and allies made.

For Twilight as a whole, the franchise gets something that escapes even the best franchises, a superior ending. Compared to The Dark Knight Rises, the end of Christopher Nolan’s so-called “The Dark Knight trilogy,” Breaking Dawn – Part 2 is Oscar-worthy.

8 of 10
A

Sunday, November 25, 2012

-------------------------

"The Twilight Saga: Breaking Dawn - Part 1" Actually Dark and Moody

TRASH IN MY EYE No. 99 (of 2011) by Leroy Douresseaux


The Twilight Saga: Breaking Dawn – Part 1 (2011)
Running time: 117 minutes (1 hour, 57 minutes)
MPAA – PG-13 for disturbing images, violence, sexuality/partial nudity and some thematic
DIRECTOR: Bill Condon
WRITER: Melissa Rosenberg (based upon the novel by Stephenie Meyer)
PRODUCERS: Wyck Godfrey, Karen Rosenfelt, and Stephenie Meyer
CINEMATOGRAPHER: Guillermo Navarro
EDITORS: Virginia Katz
COMPOSER: Carter Burwell

FANTASY/DRAMA/ROMANCE

Starring: Kristen Stewart, Robert Pattinson, Taylor Lautner, Billy Burke, Ashley Greene, Jackson Rathbone, Nikki Reed, Kellan Lutz, Peter Facinelli, Elizabeth Reaser, Julia Jones, Chaske Spencer, Gil Birmingham, Boo Boo Stewart, and Michael Sheen

The Twilight Saga: Breaking Dawn – Part 1 is the fourth film in the Twilight Saga film franchise. Like the previous films: Twilight, The Twilight Saga: New Moon, and The Twilight Saga: Eclipse, Breaking Dawn – Part 1 is based upon the wildly popular Twilight book series by Stephenie Meyer. Each of the first three films is based upon one of the first three books in the series; however, the fourth book, Breaking Dawn, is being adapted into two movies.

Breaking Dawn – Part 1 continues the love story a young human woman, Bella Swan (Kristen Stewart), and her vampire boyfriend, Edward Cullen (Robert Pattinson), as the two join hands in marriage. Not everyone is happy about the nuptials, especially Bella’s friend, the Native American werewolf, Jacob Black (Taylor Lautner). Jacob vehemently objects to Edward’s honeymoon plans for the couple, as he believes what Edward plans could kill Bella. The couple honeymoon on the private island of Isle Esme in Brazil, but Bella makes a shocking discovery that puts a strain on her relationship with Edward. That discovery also threatens the Cullens’ treaty with Jacob’s tribe and Bella’s very life.

Although I enjoyed it, I don’t have as much to say about The Twilight Saga: Breaking Dawn – Part 1 as I had about the previous movies. Most of this film is joyless, but it isn’t slow. The story deals with the darker side of romance and family; even the wedding is filled with omens and portents. This is a jarring difference from the rest of the series, which depicted young love growing stronger and more confident. I would be lying if I did not admit that I wanted more of that. There were times in this movie that I was begging for the unhappiness to hurry up and end.

For those hungry for more vampire vs. werewolf action, that dominates the second half of the Breaking Dawn – Part 1. This physical, tribal, racial conflict offers an energetic anecdote to the gloomy Gus that is most of this film. Also of note: I don’t know if it was because of the theatre in which I saw Breaking Dawn – Part 1, but there were times in the film that the musical score was so loud that I could not hear the dialogue.

Anyway, The Twilight Saga: Eclipse, Breaking Dawn – Part 1 is, thus far, the least of the series, but it is not at all a bad movie. It tells a good story, but it does come across as weird (even weirder than vampire stories normally are) and wonky.

6 of 10
B

Sunday, November 27, 2011

Twilight Eclipses 2011 MTV Movie Awards

The MTV Movie Awards began in 1992.  Hosted by Jason Sudeikis, the 20th annual MTV Movie Awards aired live on Sunday, June 5, at 9 p.m. ET, from the Gibson Amphitheatre in Universal City, California.

Twilight Saga: Eclipse, the third film in the Twilight movie franchise, dominated the ceremony by winning 5 of the 13 categories.  Rising star Chloë Grace Moretz won two categories.

20th Annual MTV Movie Award WINNERS:

Best Movie Winner
The Twilight Saga: Eclipse
Directed by David Slade

Best Female Performance Winner
Kristen Stewart
The Twilight Saga: Eclipse
Directed by David Slade

Best Male Performance Winner
Robert Pattinson
The Twilight Saga: Eclipse
Directed by David Slade

Best Comedic Performance Winner
Emma Stone
Easy A
Directed by Will Gluck

Best Scared-As-S**t Performance Winner
Ellen Page
Inception
Directed by Christopher Nolan

Best Line From A Movie Winner
"I want to get chocolate wasted!"
Alexys Nycole Sanchez
Grown Ups
Directed by Dennis Dugan

MTV Generation Award Winner
Reese Witherspoon

Best Kiss Winner
Kristen Stewart and Robert Pattinson
The Twilight Saga: Eclipse
Directed by David Slade

Best Fight Winner
Robert Pattinson vs. Bryce Dallas Howard and Xavier Samuel
The Twilight Saga: Eclipse
Directed by David Slade

Best Breakout Star Winner
Chloë Grace Moretz
Kick-Ass
Directed by Matthew Vaughn

Biggest Badass Star Winner
Chloë Grace Moretz

Best Jaw Dropping Moment Winner
Justin Bieber
Justin Bieber: Never Say Never
Directed by Jon M. Chu

Best Villain Winner
Tom Felton
Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Part 1
Directed by David Yates

Review: "Vanity Fair" is a Good Old Fashioned Costume Melodrama (Happy B'day, Mira Nair)

TRASH IN MY EYE No. 28 (of 2005) by Leroy Douresseaux

Vanity Fair (2004)
Running time: 137 minutes (2 hours, 17 minutes)
MPAA – PG-13 for some sensuality/partial nudity and a brief violent image
DIRECTOR: Mira Nair
WRITERS: Matthew Faulk and Mark Skeet and Julian Fellowes (based upon the novel by William Makepeace Thackeray)
PRODUCERS: Janette Day, Lydia Dean Pilcher, and Donna Gigliotti
CINEMATOGRAPHER: Declan Quinn
EDITOR: Allyson C. Johnson

DRAMA with elements of romance

Starring: Reese Witherspoon, James Purefoy, Romola Garai, Tony Maudsley, Rhys Ifans, Jonathan Rhys-Meyers, Bob Hoskins, Douglas Hodge, Meg Wynn Owen, Natasha Little, Eileen Atkins, Jim Broadbent, Robert Pattinson, and Gabriel Byrne

Born into the lower class, Rebecca “Becky” Sharp (Reese Witherspoon) becomes a relentless social climber in London society, circa 1820. She ascends the social ladder with her friend, Amelia Sedley (Romola Garai), who is from a noble, but broke family. Becky begins as a governess before marrying a financially challenged nobleman, Rawdon Crawley (James Purefoy), who is also a gambler. She eventually discovers herself to be as vain and as foolish as anyone born of noble blood.

I love costume dramas, especially English films of this type, so I was bound to be a sucker for director Mira Nair’s Vanity Fair, the film adaptation of William Makepeace Thackeray’s massive 19-century novel. I’ve never read the novel, but I could still see that something was amiss. Reese Witherspoon seems ill cast as Thackeray’s cunning anti-heroine. Her accent is shoddy, her acting range is limited, and she’s just playing her Legally Blonde character in an English costume drama. Luckily, the camera loves her, and she has a charming film personality, even when she’s wrong for a part.

Vanity Fair also swings back and forth between being riveting and tepid, although Ms. Nair injects some exotic charm in it via Indian culture in the form of music, dance, costume, and bit players. What turns the film to its better half is that Ms. Nair and her primary screenwriter, Oscar winner, Julian Fellowes (Gosford Park), are able to wring poignancy out of the British stiff upper lip by emphasizing the disastrous consequences of human vanity and pride, mostly resulting from class prejudice. The theme seems to be that the personal cost of pride to the characters in terms of lost love and lost loved ones who departed (either through death or personal exile) before reconciliation is too high. In this the film rings true.

Vanity Fair is also a gorgeous period film filled with lavish sets and sumptuous costumes. Even the examples of poverty in the film and the portrayal of the filthy London streets seem authentic. The film’s visual flair more than makes up for its shaky moments, and while Vanity Fair isn’t as good as classic Merchant Ivory films like A Room with a View and Howard’s End, this classic of British literature, adapted with a hint of Indian spice, will sate the appetite for good old costume drama.

7 of 10
B+

---------------------

Review: "Eclipse" is Best "Twilight" Film... So Far

TRASH IN MY EYE No. 50 (of 2010) by Leroy Douresseaux

The Twilight Saga: Eclipse (2010)
Running time: 124 minutes (2 hours, 4 minutes)
MPAA – PG-13 for intense sequences of action and violence, and some sensuality
DIRECTOR: David Slade
WRITER: Melissa Rosenberg (based upon the novel by Stephenie Meyer)
PRODUCERS: Wyck Godfrey and Karen Rosenfelt
CINEMATOGRAPHER: Javier Aguirresarobe
EDITORS: Art Jones and Nancy Richardson
COMPOSER: Howard Shore

FANTASY/DRAMA/ROMANCE with elements of action, horror, and thriller

Starring: Kristen Stewart, Robert Pattinson, Taylor Lautner, Billy Burke, Ashley Greene, Jackson Rathbone, Nikki Reed, Kellan Lutz, Peter Facinelli, Elizabeth Reaser, Bryce Dallas Howard, Xavier Samuel, Julia Jones, Chaske Spencer, Gil Birmingham, Boo Boo Stewart, and Dakota Fanning

The Twilight Saga: Eclipse, the third film in the Twilight film franchise, arrives with a bang. Like the previous films (Twilight and The Twilight Saga: New Moon), Eclipse is based upon a wildly popular and bestselling novel by Stephenie Meyer and continues the love story of high school student, Bella Swan, and her vampire boyfriend, Edward Cullen. Now, their romance is complicated by a love triangle that comes in the form Native American werewolf, Jacob Black.

As Eclipse begins, Seattle, WA is in an uproar over a string of mysterious killings, which the citizens believe is the work of one or more serial killers. However, the murders are part of diabolical plan hatched by Victoria (Bryce Dallas Howard), a malicious vampire set on destroying Bella Swan. With the help of her pet, Riley Biers (Xavier Samuel), Victoria is building an army of vampire newborns – that are unruly, hungry, and messy in their feeding habits.

In Forks, WA, Edward (Robert Pattinson) continues to broach the topic of marriage with Bella (Kristen Stewart), while she continues to demand that he turn her into a vampire. Bella also tries to repair her friendship with Jacob (Taylor Lautner), but Jacob wants more than friendship, which causes friction between Edward and Jacob who are already natural enemies as a vampire and a werewolf, respectively. As Victoria and her army heads to Forks, the vampire clan, the Cullens, and the werewolves of the La Push are forced to consider a truce in order to confront a common enemy. Meanwhile, Bella faces with the most important decisions of her young life.

The first proclamations regarding Eclipse that I came across said that this was the best Twilight film… thus far. Like the earlier films, this new one does what the series does best – brooding, oh-so-serious, teen melodrama. Bella and Edward’s love has reached an idealized fevered pitch with her willing to go all the way and he ever more determined to protect her. It seems as if Victoria is indeed dangerous to Bella, but not so much as Bella is to herself.

This time Eclipse also offers the audience action that is just as hot as the romance. The battle between Victoria’s wild pack and the Cullen-La Push coalition offer a more elegant version of the Underworld franchise’s vampire/werewolf battles, but are no less invigorating. The battle is so well shot and edited that the audience will lose itself in the reverie of fighting.

Much credit should go to Eclipse director David Slade (Hard Candy, 30 Days of Night), because it isn’t a coincidence that in this film, more than in the first two, the emotions are more potent and much more authentic. There is a scene in the film in which Bella’s father, Forks Police Chief Charlie Swan (Billy Burke), insists on discussing “being safe” and teen pregnancy with his daughter. The conversation is so awkward, but at the same time, it is good-natured with a sense of familiarity that would be expected between parent and child.

That entire sequence with Bella, Edward, and Jacob on a mountain and in a tent is a thing of power and passion, which is what David Slade brings to this movie. If The Twilight Saga: Eclipse is the best of the bunch, it is because of Slade, along with screenwriter Melissa Rosenberg. They took teen angst, horror, supernatural romance, love triangles, and vampires vs. werewolves and squeezed the best out of them and distilled it all into a damn good movie.

8 of 10
A

Sunday, July 04, 2010

----------------------

Review: "The Twilight Saga: New Moon" is Down with Love

TRASH IN MY EYE No. 12 (of 2009) by Leroy Douresseaux

The Twilight Saga: New Moon (2009)
Running time: 130 minutes (2 hours, 10 minutes)
MPAA – PG-13 for some violence and action
DIRECTOR: Chris Weitz
WRITER: Melissa Rosenberg (based upon Stephenie Meyer)
PRODUCERS: Wyck Godfrey and Mark Morgan
CINEMATOGRAHER: Javier Aquirrearobe
EDITOR: Peter Lambert

DRAMA/FANTASY/ROMANCE with elements of action and horror

Starring: Kristen Stewart, Robert Pattinson, Taylor Lautner, Billy Burke, Ashley Greene, Jackson Rathbone, Peter Facinelli, Elizabeth Reaser, Kellan Lutz, Nikki Reed, Sam Uley, Michael Sheen, Dakota Fanning, Anna Kendrick, Michael Welch, Rachelle Lefevre, Justin Chon, Christian Serratos, and Edi Gathegi

In the 2008 smash hit film, Twilight, movie audiences saw romance bloom between high school student Bella Swan and her vampire boyfriend, Edward Cullen. Now, in the follow-up, The Twilight Saga: New Moon, Bella and Edward’s star-crossed romance crashes to earth.

New Moon opens on Bella’s (Kristen Stewart) 18th birthday, a day about which she is not particularly crazy. That evening, Edward’s (Robert Pattinson) family, also vampires, throws a birthday party for Bella, which starts nicely, but takes a shocking turn. Following Bella’s ill-fated birthday party, the Cullens abandon the town of Forks, Washington, in an effort to protect Bella from the dangers inherent in their world. The most shocking blow: Edward breaks up with Bella.

Heartbroken and depressed, Bella sleepwalks through the first half of her senior year of high school, totally shutting out her other friends. When her father, Forks Police Chief Charlie Swan (Billy Burke) demands that his daughter make a change, Bella goes on a date night with a girlfriend. It is on that night that Bella discovers that Edward’s image comes to her whenever she puts herself in jeopardy. Determined to see this vision more often, Bella begins to concoct ways that will put her life at greater and greater risk.

Bella seeks out childhood friend, Jacob Black (Taylor Lautner), a member of the local Quileute Native American Indian tribe. A gifted mechanic, Jacob refurbishes an old motorbike that Bella will secretly use to put herself in danger. Something else surprising happens when Bella finds herself drawn to Jacob, a formerly scrawny boy. He is literally growing taller and more muscular (with killer washboard abs) every day and right before Bella’s very eyes. Jacob, however, also has a shocking supernatural secret of his own, which causes a rift to grow between him and Bella. Then, Edward’s sister, Alice (Ashley Greene), returns, seeking Bella’s help in saving Edward’s life, and the rift grows wider.

Like Twilight, New Moon is based upon a novel by Stephenie Meyer (The Host). Obviously, in the translation from novel to film, plot elements and scenes from the book are left out or changed in the film. However, screenwriter Melissa Rosenberg (who also adapted Twilight) retains the central themes, as well as the spirit, of the source material. The novel asks probing questions, such as: after the euphoria of new love, what is real about this relationship? What do Bella and Edward want of each other? What are their motivations, and how much are they willing to fight for their relationship? Just how deep and strong are Bella’s feelings for Jacob? The screenplay keeps those questions at the forefront of the narrative.

And speaking of fight, director Chris Weitz, an established Hollywood filmmaker (About a Boy, The Golden Compass), doesn’t fight the love story at the core of this franchise. New Moon may be filled with thrilling chases and riveting hunts in the forests around Forks. It may carry viewers breathlessly across the world, only to drop them in the mysterious world beneath a rustic Italian town. Weitz still manages to emphasize the ache and yearning of a young love blazing so brightly that it threatens to burn itself out.

The reported increase in the production budget for New Moon (as compared to Twilight), is evident in the flashy visual special effects. The werewolves are in a word – awesome. The spectacular cinematography is pitch-perfect in capturing the right mood and look for every setting in the film: from the forests surround Forks to the murky nights of Port Angeles. An improvement in the art direction also makes even the Swans’ humble home seem cosmopolitan.

New Moon is not perfect. Under Weitz’s direction and Peter Lambert’s editing, the film often moves too fast, sometimes hopping around like someone high on stimulants. Still, this film works. In the intimate moments when the actors, especially Stewart, Pattinson, and Lautner, convince us that they know these characters and that they are going to make the story real for us, New Moon seems less like a fantasy and more like a real love story.

7 of 10
B+

Monday, November 30, 2009

--------------------------

Review: Kristen Stewart, Robert Pattinson Rock "Twilight"

TRASH IN MY EYE No. 11 (of 2010) by Leroy Douresseaux

Twilight (2008)
Running time: 122 minutes (2 hours, 2 minutes)
MPAA – PG-13 for some violence and a scene of sensuality
DIRECTOR: Catherine Hardwicke
WRITER: Melissa Rosenberg (based upon the novel by Stephenie Meyer)
PRODUCERS: Wyck Godfrey, Greg Mooradian, Mark Morgan, and Karen Rosenfelt
CINEMATOGRAPHER: Elliot Davis
EDITOR: Nancy Richardson

DRAMA/ROMANCE/HORROR

Starring: Kristen Stewart, Robert Pattinson, Billy Burke, Peter Facinelli, Elizabeth Reaser, Cam Gigandet, Ashley Greene, Christian Serratos, Anna Kendrick, Nikki Reed, Taylor Lautner, Kellan Lutz, Jack Rathbone, Michael Welch, Gil Birmingham, Justin Chon, José Zuniga, and Edi Gathegi

The 2008 box office smash, Twilight, is based on the 2005 novel of the same name written by author Stephenie Meyer. Twilight is the story of an outsider girl who falls for a chivalrous vampire.

Isabella (prefers “Bella”) Swan has always been a little bit different and has never cared about fitting in with the trendy girls. When her mother and her new husband move to sunny Florida, Bella returns to the rainy little town of Forks, Washington, to live with her father, Police Chief Charlie Swan (Billy Burke). Surprisingly, Bella does make a few friends at the local high school, but she finds life dull. Then, Bella spots the school’s strangest students, the Cullens, but she is most captivated by the mysterious and dazzlingly beautiful Edward Cullen (Robert Pattinson), a boy unlike any she’s ever met.

After he saves her life, Edward is forced to reveal to Bella that he is a vampire, but he doesn’t have fangs. His family is unique in that they choose not to drink human blood. The intelligent, sly, and witty, Edward sees straight into Bella’s soul. Her mere presence drives him crazy, and their passionate romance is as thrilling as it is unorthodox. They’re soul mates. However, the arrival of a small pack of vicious vampires threatens the peacefulness of Forks, the Cullens’ way of life, and Bella and Edward’s happiness.

I think the secret of Twilight’s success as a film adaptation of a (wildly) popular book is that it captures the essence of The Twilight Saga (which is composed of four books – for those not in the know). Twilight may have vampires, but it is unequivocally a romance. The birth of Bella and Edwards’ love and its continual growth is so powerful that it permeates Twilight and spills over into the readers’ imaginations. These are captivating characters. Bella is an independent girl, who keeps her own counsel. Edward is chivalrous and is something of a Byronic hero.

The success of Twilight as a movie, separate from the Twilight Saga, depended on how the film depicted the intense romance of Bella and Edward. First, screenwriter Melissa Rosenberg did a fantastic job adapting Twilight for the screen. Rosenberg is near-perfect at trimming the novel, creating new scenes that are true to the original text, and keeping pretty much everything from the novel that really encapsulates this story. Director Catherine Hardwicke has this deft touch at getting to the heart of what makes this story work, and she is especially good at capturing the magic of Bella and Edward as a couple. The best example of Rosenberg and Hardwicke’s storytelling is a magical sequence in which Edward puts Bella on his back and takes her on a journey through the lush forests surrounding Forks via the tree tops.

However, the biggest reasons for Twilight’s success are actors Kristen Stewart as Bella and Robert Pattinson as Edward. Stewart, who seems to have the makings of an exceptional actress, embodies the moodiness and independent streak of Bella that define the character. Kristen makes Bella seem like a real person even in the midst of Twilight’s fantastic scenario. Pattinson is simply a beautiful man, and he channels his acting through a passion for his craft; maybe, that’s why Edwards is so fierce and intense. Here, Pattinson is pitch perfect at playing the sly, tormented bad boy.

Stewart and Pattinson are so good that they are this movie. Simply put, Twilight is a winner.

8 of 10
A

Wednesday, March 10, 2010

--------------------------

Twilight's Robert Pattinson to Appear on "The Daily Show"

Robert Pattinson, the wildly popular young actor who portrays dreamy vampire Edward Cullen in the "Twilight" movies will be in New York City next week.  Pattinson will visit several talk shows to promote his new film, Remember Me (March 12, 2010).  This is, of course, all subject to change:

March 2: The Daily Show
March 2: The View with Remember Me costar Emilie de Ravin
??? Jimmy Kimmel

"The View" is broadcast on ABC affiliates in the morning, while "The Daily Show" appears on cable channel Comedy Central, 11 p.m. Eastern and 10 p.m. Eastern, but check your local listings.