Reel reviews for real people

Rating: PG-13 for intense sequences of action and violence, and some sensuality

Genre: Romance, Science Fiction & Fantasy, Drama

Starring: Kristen Stewart, Robert Pattinson, Taylor Lautner, Ashley Greene

Director: David Slade

Plot: As Seattle is ravaged by a string of mysterious killings and a malicious vampire continues her quest for revenge, Bella once again finds herself… As Seattle is ravaged by a string of mysterious killings and a malicious vampire continues her quest for revenge, Bella once again finds herself surrounded by danger. In the midst of it all, she is forced to choose between her love for Edward and her friendship with Jacob – knowing that her decision has the potential to ignite the ageless struggle between vampire and werewolf. With her graduation quickly approaching, Bella has one more decision to make: life or death. But which is which? (Rotten Tomatoes)

Running time: 2:04

Kate says -3 stars “I’ll just be upfront at the beginning of this review and tell you that I am a fan of the Twilight series, and therefore, not an entirely (or even somewhat) objective reviewer of this film. That being said, I think that even if you aren’t a Twilight Saga fan, you may actually enjoy watching Eclipse. This movie is the first of the three in the series that doesn’t feel low budget. Spade has done a great job with the pacing of the film, alternating between scenes of the love triangle romance, and solid action scenes with much more believable fight scenes and CGI effects. The wolves look more realistic, the vampire gravity- defying skills more believable, and even the vampire sparkle has been toned down and improved. There’s even a bit of levity and humor as the writer, actors and director seem to be making a nod at the incredible life of it’s own the Twilight Saga series has taken on. The relationships of the three main characters, Edward(Pattinson), Jacob(Lautner) and Bella(Stewart) are the real story here, and the decision Bella faces in choosing between them. Lautner, as Jacob, has come into his own in this role and does a stand-out job portraying the emotions and conflicts of his character, as do Stewart and Pattinson, as well. This is not an award winning movie (except in MTV land – think Best Kiss Award, this time between Stewart and Lautner) ) however, this universal story of love certainly has taken hold of the world, and one could argue that, in itself, is a good thing. If you are a fan of the series, you’re sure to love this one.”

Ebert says – 2 stars “The movie contains violence and death, but not really very much. For most of its languorous running time, it listens to conversations between Bella and Edward, Bella and Jacob, Edward and Jacob, and Edward and Bella and Jacob. This would play better if any of them were clever conversationalists, but their ideas are limited to simplistic renderings of their desires.” (read full review)

Kirk Honeycutt (The Hollywood Reporter) says - “It took three films, but “The Twilight Saga” finally nails just the right tone in “Eclipse,” a film that neatly balances the teenage operatic passions from Stephenie Meyer‘s novels with the movies’ supernatural trappings. Where the first film leaned heavily on camp and the second faltered through caution and slickness, “Eclipse” moves confidently into the heart of the matter — a love triangle that causes a young woman to realize choices lead to consequences that cannot be reversed.” (read full review)

Eric Snider says – “B” “Eclipse” brings the “Twilight” series into the big leagues. It still isn’t great, and there still isn’t much crossover appeal, but it’s easily the best of the three films so far, with a well-constructed story, suitable climaxes, and — at last! — a main character who occasionally thinks for herself rather than being defined by her monster boyfriends. The men who are coerced into seeing “Eclipse” with their ladyfolk will surely enjoy this one more than the last two.” (read full review)

Elizabeth Weitzman says – 3 stars (of 5) “If you adore Meyer’s characters already, you’ll be thrilled to spend more time with them. If you don’t, well, you’d just end up sitting among a bunch of sighing teens (and their moms), wondering what the fuss is about. (Director) Slade – who imports some of the darkness from his last vamp thriller, “30 Days of Night” – knows just how to reach his audience, alternating suspense and romance in carefully precise degrees. It may not be the subtlest approach, but it is effective.  Most important, Bella and Edward are allowed a wider range of emotions than we’ve seen before; as a result, Stewart and Pattinson finally appear fully comfortable in their roles (though Lautner once again proves the standout, working hard to make Bella’s decision a difficult one). The truth is, almost everyone planning to see “Eclipse” will know how things end before the opening credits even appear. So Slade and his cast can be proud that they consistently keep us involved anyway.” (read full review)

Reel reviews for real people

Rating: PG 13 for some violence and action

Genre: Drama

Starring: Kristen Stewart, Robert Pattinson, Taylor Lautner, Dakota Fanning, Ashley Greene, Peter Facinelli, Elizabeth Reaser, Kellan Lutz, Nikki Reed, Jackson Rathbone, Edi Gathegi, Rachelle Lefevre, Billy Burke, Jamie Campbell Bowers, Michael Sheen, Cameron Bright, Graham Greene

Plot: The supernatural tale of starcrossed lovers continues as the Cullen family flees Forks in order to protect Bella (Kristen Stewart), and the heartbroken high-school senior discovers that vampires… The supernatural tale of starcrossed lovers continues as the Cullen family flees Forks in order to protect Bella (Kristen Stewart), and the heartbroken high-school senior discovers that vampires aren’t the only creatures in town. Realizing that Bella will never be safe as long as he’s around, Edward (Robert Pattinson) makes the difficult decision to leave his beloved behind shortly after her 18th birthday. Reeling from her loss, Bella embraces self-destruction after being comforted by Edward’s image during a moment of mortal peril. But as heavy-hearted as Bella may be, her old friend Jacob (Taylor Lautner) distracts her from her sorrows by helping her renovate a weather-beaten motorbike. When Bella encounters a former adversary with a sizable grudge, she’s rescued from harm at the last second by pack of enormous, ferocious wolves. Subsequently delving into the history of the Quileutes, Bella discovers the secrets of Jacob’s tribe while looking forward to a reunion with Edward that may have deadly consequences.

Director: Chris Weitz

Running Time: 2:10

Kate says: 3 stars “I will just tell you right from the get go here, this is not an objective review…this is a review from a Twilight saga fan. A fan who has read the entire Stephenie Meyer series more times than I’ll care to admit in public. And let me tell you, this one is better than Twilight.  There won’t be any film making awards given out for this Chris Weitz directed film, but New Moon does give it’s fans exactly what they are looking for – a visual version of the book that they love so much. If you know the movie Twilight well, and you know the New Moon book well, you know every detail of what the characters are thinking and the motivation for why they do what they do. This gives the movie a depth that the non-Twilight lover will undoubtedly miss.  The New Moon the movie is nowhere the experience of reading the book, but in my world, I’ve never met a movie I liked better than the book.”

Ebert says: 1 star “The Twilight Saga: New Moon” takes the tepid achievement of “Twilight” (1988), guts it, and leaves it for undead. The characters in this movie should be arrested for loitering with intent to moan. Never have teenagers been in greater need of a jump-start. Granted some of them are more than 100 years old, but still: their charisma is by Madame Tussaud.” (read full review)

NY Daily News (Elisabeth Weitzman): 3 stars (of 5) “If you’ve come to this movie looking for fancy filmmaking or an original voice (other than Meyer’s), well, Weitz frankly doesn’t care. You’re not his audience” (read full review)

Roger Moore (Orlando Sentinel): 2 1/2 stars “The Twilight soap opera continues with a lighter, goofier and far less erotically charged sequel, New Moon, a movie directed by a man and not a woman…At least this time the movie is more polished, the brawls (save for the silly wolves) more believable. Most of the laughs are intentional and we get the sense that even though a guy directed it, he wants the mostly-female fanbase to revel in the overheated romance, the blood-enforced chastity and the sacrifices this toothy Romeo and Juliet tale serves up.” (read full review)

Chicago Tribune (Michael Phillips) 3 stars: “Why does “New Moon” basically work, even with its grave self-seriousness? A few reasons. Weitz lets the material breathe, and his actors interact. The film does not try to eat you alive. Kristen Stewart  and Robert Pattinson are interesting to watch…” (read full review)

Net Buzz Examiner Marci Stone: “The second movie in the Twilight series, New Moon was released at midnight on Friday 11/20/2009 and the reviews are out. The internet buzz on this movie is the hottest search of the day. Many Twilight fan movie goers were in line yesterday to see the midnight showing of the movie and they just can’t get enough.

Fandango New Moon movie description: In the second installment of Stephenie Meyer’s phenomenally successful TWILIGHT series, the romance between mortal and vampire soars to a new level as Bella Swan (Kristen Stewart) delves deeper into the mysteries of the supernatural world she yearns to become part of—only to find herself in greater peril than ever before. With more of the passion, action and suspense that made TWILIGHT a worldwide phenomenon, THE TWILIGHT SAGA: NEW MOON is a spellbinding follow-up to the box office hit.

USA Today: Werewolves inject life into ‘New Moon’ but the sequel still sputters – The werewolves have it all over the blood-suckers in The Twilight Saga: New Moon. When these oversize, hirsute creatures burst onto the screen, they inject life into a rather inert story. Once Jacob and his pals morph into teenage werewolves, the pace picks up. Then it dials down again when Bella, Edward and Edward’s sister Alice (Ashley Greene) venture to the Italian hilltop town of Volterra. The intended suspense when they are confronted by evil vampire rulers never pans out. Michael Sheen, the crimson-eyed Aro, plays the character with more high-pitched giddiness than menace. Daokta Fanning has a small role as the innocent-looking Jane, who calmly tortures Edward with her mind. The lovelorn Bella has little to recommend her as a heroine. She’s sullen, self-absorbed and stubborn. That such a bland and passive character elicits the amorous devotion of both Edward and Jacob is rather mystifying. Almost as incomprehensible is the huge appeal of this series, beyond the obvious timeworn fascination with vampires and werewolves.

Rotten Tomatoes says: 83%

Other movie reviews by Kate

Psst! I have a secret for you, and I’ll tell you what it is if you promise not to hate me for it.  I’ve just come home from seeing New Moon.  It’s a perk of being a movie reviewer.  Let me tell you, if you’re a Twilight fan, I think you’ll be pleased with Twilight Saga: New Moon.

(read Kate’s review of Twilight Saga: New Moon)

But to help you while away the time until then, I’ve put together a New Moon post for you to keep you entertained.  We’ve got the video of the Oprah interview, the answer to the Oprah teaser about a fifth Twilight book which was never answered on the show and  Stephenie Meyer answering fan questions.  Hope you enjoy!

Stephenie Meyer, author of the Twilight Saga, made a rare appearance on Oprah last week.  Here’s what she said on her website pre-interview.

You know I’ve been doing the hermit thing this last year, in so far as media is concerned, and I’m not changing that now, but I am making an exception. I’m doing this for a good reason: I am so pleased and amazed and thrilled with what Chris Weitz has done with New Moon that I want to talk about it, and to show my support for him. And since I’m only doing one interview, better make it big. Really big. So….I will be on The Oprah Winfrey Show on Friday, November 13th.”

During the show, Oprah teased, “Coming up, will there be a fifth book in the Twilight saga? Stephenie answers that later.”

Only she didn’t answer it, because Winfrey didn’t ask, because of time constraints.  A deluge on complaints flooded the show.  Here’s their response…

“Reps for the show said that sometimes Winfrey doesn’t get to every question on live television, but good on Oprah’s folks for following up with Meyer backstage after the show.

When pressed about the possibility of a fifth “Twilight” book, Meyer gave a lengthy, yet vague answer.

“I can’t answer it. The way I write, it’s what makes me happy. Like, I can’t write when people are looking over my shoulder,” Meyer said.

She also admitted to some vampire fatigue. “I am a little burned out on vampires right now,” she said. “I think I need a little break. I might go spend some time with my aliens. I might do something completely different. I’ve got to cleanse the palate. I may come back to it. I did envision it as a longer series. But I wrapped ‘Breaking Dawn’ in a way that I felt satisfied with, so if that moment didn’t come, I’d be OK.”

A few days later Meyer answered some fan questions on her own website – www.stepheniemeyer.com.

“My favorite thing about Chris Weitz: everything. Sounds hyperbole-ish, but he’s really that amazing. If you follow along on some of the cast interviews you’ll hear the same thing over and over. We all adore Chris. I would have to say that my very favorite thing about Chris as a director, coming from my unique position, is his passion for being true to the source material. He really immersed himself in the Twilight world and came to the set with the feel of it already in his head. We were very much on the same page. Second thing, he listens really well—to everybody, cast and crew.

In comparing New Moon to Twilight, I would say that the biggest difference in style is that Chris is more classic while Catherine is a little more edgy and modern. I wouldn’t want both movies to be the same, though. I like seeing different interpretations. After all, no two people see the same thing when they read a novel. I enjoy seeing that visually.”

Hope this has helped you pass the long agonizing hours until midnight tonight.  You can make it!

Check out the rest of the posts in Twilight Zone

or

if worst comes to worst, just keep watching the New Moon preview over there on the right side of the page. Heehee

~Kate

this New Moon Trivia.

• The title New Moon is often thought to be a werewolf reference. Stephenie Meyer, however, says that is “refers to the phase of the moon opposite a full moon.  It is when the sun is on the opposite side of the moon from us and thus the bright side of the moon is not visible from the earth.  This is the darkest kind of night. New Moon is the darkest period of Bella’s life.”

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• Kristen’s eye color is really green, but she has to wear brown contacts when she plays Bella Swan.
• Kristen will earn $12 million for New Moon, which is $8 million more than she earned for Twilight.

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• After months of speculation, Taylor Lautner won the right to reprise his role as Jacob Black.  The actor’s ability to play the role was in question because the filmmakers worried that he would not be able to acquire Jacob’s physicality in time for shooting. He was given the green light after gaining approximately 30 pounds of muscle.

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• During the scene in Italy where Edward is going to come out into the sun, CGI markers were placed on Robert Pattinson to allow the computer effects team to make him sparkle in the sun post-production.

*Leave a comment on this, or any other post, and be automatically entered in this week’s giveaway.

The Premier of Twilight Saga: New Moon is less than a week away, so to help you survive the next few days we’ll be running New Moon Trivia. Enjoy!

1. Who is Elizabeth Masen?
2. What did Edward take when he left Forks?
3. Who found Bella in the forest?
4. When is Bella’s birthday?
5. What did Emmett, Rosalie and Jasper give Bella for her 18th birthday?

Answers:

1. Edward’s mother. (New Moon, page 39)
2. The CD he’d given Bella for her birthday and the photos of him from her scrapbook. (New Moon, page 83)
3. Sam Uley. (New Moon,  page 75)
4. September 13th. (New Moon, page 6)
5. A new stereo for her truck. (New Moon, page 27)

Kate Goes on a Quest for a New Moon Mall Tour VIP Wristband

It seems that Summit Entertainment has decided to stir the New Moon frenzy with a 15 city New Moon Mall Tour, complete with cast members, bands from the New Moon Soundtrack, and Q & A  sessions. When my friend Whitney  told me  that The Fashion Place Mall in Salt Lake City was stop # 14 on the tour,  I decided as a true Twilight Saga lover, this event was a must.

Of course, there was a catch, and it involved spending the night at the mall on the cold, hard, tile floor (I am much too old for such nonsense)

(New Moon fans sleeping at 4am in the Fashion Place Mall)

AND shopping at Nordstrom (definitely not too old for this nonsense).

(Kate's purchases...$75 doesn't get you all that much at Nordstrom)

In order to be one of the lucky few (only 75 to be exact)  to get a VIP wristband to attend the New Moon Mall Tour, we had to be at the mall at 11:30 pm on Halloween Eve, survive the night, and then at 8 am the next morning we would receive a shopping pass allowing us into Nordstrom to spend $75. We then had to show the receipt to a customer service rep who then handed us our New Moon Tour VIP passes.

As you can see, we were lucky enough to get our VIP passes, and now we wait for Nov. 14 to roll around for the big event… which includes:

• An hour long meet and greet for the 75 VIP Guests with…Edi Gathegi and Jamie Campbell Bower.

Edi Gathegi as Laurent

Jamie Campbell Bower as Caius

• Professional photos taken of the guests (that’s me) with the celebs

• A concert by Anya Marina who sings Satellite Heart from the New Moon Soundtrack

Anya Marina – Satellite Heart

• A VIP pass to a pre-release showing of New Moon for the night before the official release

• A Q & A session with the celebs

Here’s a list of the New Moon Mall Tour locations.

• November 6 – Hollywood & Highland Center (Los Angeles, CA)
• November 8 – Park Meadows (Denver, CO)
• November 9 – Natick Collection (Boston, MA)
• November 9 -Mall Location TBD (Chicago, IL)
• November 9 – Fair Oaks Mall (Washington, DC)
• November 10 – Houston Galleria (Houston, TX)
• November 11 – Mall of America (Minneapolis, MN)
• November 11 – Cherry Hill Mall (Philadelphia, PA)
• November 11 – Stonestown Galleria (San Francisco, CA)
• November 12 – Mall of Georgia (Atlanta, GA)
• November 12 – Westfield Southcenter (Seattle, WA)
• November 13 – Dadeland Mall (Miami, FL)
• November 13 – Scottsdale Fashion Square (Phoenix, AZ)
• November 14 – Fashion Place (Salt Lake City, UT)
• November 19 – Times Square (New York, NY)

So stay tuned for Kate’s real adventure, The New Moon Mall Tour, on Nov. 14!

Check out Kate’s other Adventures:

Kate Goes on an Adventure: Demolition Derby

Kate Goes on an Adventure: Hot Air Ballooning

Kate Goes on an Adventure: Bonneville Salt Flats Speed Week

~Kate

Enjoy your Coffee Break!

*Enter a comment at the bottom of this or any other post, and be automatically entered in this week’s giveaway!

November 16:

Kristen Stewart – “The Tonight Show with Conan O’Brien”

Taylor Lautner – “The Jay Leno Show”

November 18:

Robert Pattinson – “The Late Show with David Letterman”

Kristen Stewart – “The Today Show” and “Live with Regis and Kelly” and “Late Night with Jimmy Fallon”

November 19:

Robert Pattinson – “The Today Show” and “Live with Regis and Kelly”

Taylor Lautner – “Late Night with Jimmy Fallon”

November 20:

Robert Pattinson, Kristen Stewart, Taylor Lautner – “Jimmy Kimmel Live” (pre-taped)

Robert Pattinson – “Ellen” (pre-taped)

Taylor Lautner – “The Today Show” and “Live with Regis and Kelly”

November 23:

Ashley Greene – “The Late Show with David Letterman”

Michael Sheen – “The Late Late Show with Craig Ferguson”

November 24:

Ashley Greene – “Late Night with Jimmy Fallon”

November 25:

Peter Facinelli – “Jimmy Kimmel Live”

December 2:

Nikki Reed – “Jimmy Kimmel Live”

December 3:

Ashley Greene – “Jimmy Kimmel Live”

*Enter a comment at the bottom of this, or any other post, and be automatically entered in this week’s giveaway!

But don’t take my word for it…check out these other reviews.

Entertainment Weekly – Grade A – “On a good day, film soundtracks enhance the moviegoing experience. At their best, they transcend it. The latest sonic accompaniment to Twilight‘s inescapable teen-vampire juggernaut — a swooning conveyance of girl-meets-undead-boy romance, delivered by some of the best established and emerging names in the indie stratosphere — may sway even the most committed Twi-loathers.” (See full review)

iGN Music – 9.0 of 10 “…a solid collection of pleasing indie-tinged music that’s remarkably artistic considering its commercial origins. And while we’ve no doubt that it’ll provide a killer sonic backdrop for the upcoming film, this is a soundtrack that’s strong enough to stand firmly on its own.” (See full review)

Chicago Sun Times – 3 stars “It’s a testament to both Patsavas’ reputation as a tastemaker and the massive popularity of all things “Twilight” that the soundtrack — which was bumped up four days from its original Tuesday outing to be released last Friday to stay ahead of online leaks — includes some real coups, with artists who rarely contribute to this sort of project, including a fabulously creepy solo track from Radiohead’s Thom Yorke.” (See full review)

Here’s the playlist -

• DEATH CAB FOR CUTIE — MEET ME ON THE EQUINOX
• BAND OF SKULLS — FRIENDS
• THOM YORKE — HEARING DAMAGE
• LYKKE LI — POSSIBILITY
• THE KILLERS — A WHITE DEMON LOVE SONG
• ANYA MARINA — SATELLITE HEART
• MUSE — I BELONG TO YOU (NEW MOON REMIX)
• BON IVER & ST. VINCENT — ROSYLN
• BLACK REBEL MOTORCYCLE CLUB — DONE ALL WRONG
• HURRICANE BELLS — MONSTERS
• SEA WOLF — THE VIOLET HOUR
• OK GO — SHOOTING THE MOON
• GRIZZLY BEAR — SLOW LIFE
• EDITORS — NO SOUND BUT THE WIND
• ALEXANDRE DESPLAT — NEW MOON (THE MEADOW)

*Enter a comment at the bottom of this or any other post, and be automatically entered in this week’s giveaway!

“According to a press release issued on Tuesday (October 13), due to “overwhelming and unprecedented” demand, the release date for the soundtrack to “New Moon” is being pushed up by four days from its original October 20 release to this Friday, October 16.”

That means that in just 2 more days we can all be listening to the New Moon Soundtrack.

*Enter a comment at the bottom of this or any other post, and be automatically entered in this week’s giveaway!

The New Moon Soundtrack is set to be released on Oct. 20.  If you’d like to pre-order it from Amazon, just click here.

Enjoy!