Sunday, April 26, 2009

Imprinting?

This week, after referencing Stephenie Meyer's concept of imprinting, I was pretty much ridiculed. Eh, what's a Twilighter to do out in the real world? However, I have managed to have a civil conversation with one individual, and that led me to wonder how did Stephenie come up with the concept of imprinting?

I'm sure most of the older Twilighters have heard about imprinting occurring in nature and, like myself, decided that was probably the concept that inspired Stephenie's version. It would make sense, after all. The Quileute shapeshifters turn into wolves, which are a form of animal, and it's pretty safe to say that, while they retain their humanity, a bit of animalistic behavior edges its way into their personalities.

However, that assumption runs into some problems. You see, Stephenie Meyer's interpretation of imprinting doesn't exactly correlate with nature's interpretation.

I suppose I should define Stephenie's version first. Wikipedia was kind enough to put it into words for me:

"In the Twilight Series, "imprinting" is the phenomenon where a shape-shifter, after initially transforming, will be unconsciously drawn toward, and then unconditionally attached to a member of the opposite gender, although it is not completely sexual."


That is definitely spot on. Now, it's 9:30 at night and I'm a little sleepy, so I half-heartedly searched for the passage where imprinting is explained. Since I haven't found it, I'll just roughly explain it myself.

When Jacob's imprinting was described, it was said that every cable linking him to everyone else snapped and bonded to Renesmee instead, thicker than wire cables. It tied him to that one person. In general, imprinting connects the imprinter and imprintee. It doesn't have to be sexual, as we saw with both Quil and Jacob. Their partners are very young, and they could never even think of them romantically. They want to be there for them. They want to be whatever they need -- brothers, friends, confidants, mentors, protectors. Now, when Claire and Renesmee grow older, Quil and Jacob may have a change of heart. Romantic love may blossom. However, should either or both girls ever decide they want to venture down a different path, the boys will let them do so. The only thing imprinters want is what's best for their imprintees, and what the imprintees truly desire.

If we tried to apply this to our world's wildlife, most scientists would cry anthropomorphism. (I really hate that term. Science doesn't even have a solid foundation for animal behavior study, so to call anthropomorphism is to do so without basis.) In a way, I agree that this is probably not what imprinting means to real life's animals. Some animals are monogamous; others change partners yearly. So to clarify what science means by imprinting, I'll quote Wikipedia again:

"Sexual imprinting is the process by which a young animal learns the characteristics of a desirable mate. For example, male zebra finches appear to prefer mates with the appearance of the female bird that rears them, rather than mates of their own type (Immelmann, 1972). The famous psychologist John Money called it the lovemap."


Even further, Encyclopedia Brittanica says:

"The duration and time of onset of the sensitive period depend on the species and on the type of behaviour involved. Some animals imprinted to animals of another species will mate with members of their own species but, if given a choice, will prefer the animal to which they have been imprinted. Many species refuse social contact with any animal except the one to which they are imprinted. Male golden pheasants (Chrysolophus pictus) imprinted to humans will court females of their own species but immediately transfer this behaviour to a human, should one appear."


In a way that kind of sounds like Stephenie's version. The animal prefers the imprintee to everyone else. Still, it's not exact, and it got me thinking if there was another definition that Stephenie had used. So I went to Dictionary.com and found this:

"a mark made by pressure; a mark or figure impressed or printed on something."


I felt like both an idiot a genius when I read this. This is the default definition of imprint. I should have realized. To me, that sounds way more like Stephenie's version. Essentially, when a shapeshifter imprints, both their soul and the imprintee's have been impressed upon. They each mark each other's souls; that's what draws themselves to each other. IT MAKES PERFECT SENSE!

Since finding this this afternoon, I've decided that a mark made by pressure is probably what Stephenie meant. It's entirely possible that she combined both ideas or that the psychological behavior of animals inspired her, but... Well, until she addresses this question, I guess we won't know!

What is your theory?

Thursday, April 23, 2009

Eclipse Director Announced

I'm a frequenter of The Twilight Lexicon. In fact, I visit the website multiple times a day, so I pretty much get the news as it comes out. So when it was announced yesterday that a new director had been hired for Eclipse, I knew.

Now, I'm a little wary of this decision at the moment. I'm terrified that the end result will be a situation like X3: The Last Stand, where one director didn't have time, another backed out six weeks before shooting started, and another just effed up the script entirely. We've got about a year before Eclipse even goes into production. A lot could happen in that time frame.

I would say that I was excited at first, but I didn't know who David Slade was, so it really made no difference.

And then I started reading the comments.

Turns out, David Slade directed the movies Thirty Days of Night and Hard Candy, both of which I've seen. Now, I liked Thirty Days of Night, but I didn't think it was ~*amazing*~. Hard Candy, on the other hand...

Okay, for those who don't know, Hard Candy is about a young girl (played by Ellen Page) who meets an older man (played by Patrick Wilson) online and starts chatting with him. Later, the two decide to meet. He takes her back to his place, he wants to photograph her (he's a photographer), and generally, the audience is left thinking, "Oh shit. This guy's gonna rape and kill her!" It's revealed, however, that the girl is a vigilante, suspects this guy of being a pedophile, and tries to expose it.

I love Hard Candy, but I don't know if I'll ever be able to watch it again. In short, it involves torture, entirely enacted by the young girl. It got to the point where I actually felt bad for the guy, who was, in fact a creeper.

But nevertheless, it was a brilliant movie. It was shot in 18 days with a budget of under a million. The lighting scheme is fantastic. During the commentary, it was noted that they wanted to influence the mood with effects other than music, so very little was used. Instead, during an incredibly painful-to-watch scene, they use a track of scissor snippings.

Beautiful. Oh my god... I was worried about how things were transpiring, but I have complete faith in this guy. Chances are, it will be more reminiscent of Twilight -- instead of flashy, which I'm assuming is how New Moon will feel -- but... Wow... I can barely breathe!

Tuesday, April 21, 2009

New Moon Progress

This is pretty much a general update about my thoughts on how the progression of New Moon is doing.

In a phrase, I can sum this post up: I AM EXCITED! However, that one phrase does not contain all of appreciation that I feel, and it's not even half as witty as what you'll read if you continue.

I guess I should start things off by explaining my opinion when I first heard that New Moon was going to be written, shot, edited, etc. in under a year. Frankly, I was pissed. I saw this as a career stunt -- Twilight did so well and the fans are so dedicated that Summit can just slap together a movie, we'll be happy, and they'll make lots of money. From my vague understanding of film, I didn't think this was enough time. Basically, I recalled a comment I read somewhere that a film usually takes 9 months to be shot and created and all that jazz. Considering that New Moon was likely to have way more CGI than in the beginning (giant wolves, transformations, cliff diving scene, sparkling, etc.), 9 months was probably a little short, and eight months was just screwing with us.

Naturally, my impression has changed considerably.

Okay, so the casting pissed me off at first (and I'm still a little sore). Not telling Krys and Solomon that they might be replaced until they actually are? A pretty crappy thing to do. However, since then, they have put a lot of dedicated effort into this project. Dakota and Cameron? Genius. More authentic Native Americans/First Nations? BRILLIANT. It's all started to come together, and I've become very pleased with the progress.

Still, I'm shocked by how quickly this is all piecing together.

According to Christian (aka Angela), the humans are already done filming. Okay, yeah... They have a pretty small part to begin with, so that's understandable. Even so, I was shocked because it's only been a little over a month since production started.

Then I read at the Lexicon that, according to an off-hand comment made by Kellan Lutz, the Cullens may be done filming in Vancouver shortly. This is also understandable because their appearance is pretty minimal as well.

And then there was that clip from the ET special airing on Thursday. You know, the one where, for a split second, we see Taylor is his new wig hopping over the banister of a deck? Um... WOW!

Don't even get me started on this post, where the Lexicon comments on a recent filming sighting. Apparently, there was a scene that involved a pool, and the Lexicon speculates that, due to apartment-sized green screens looming above, this scene may have been part of the cliff diving scene.

O
M
G

Even better, the picture to your right was released a few days ago. Guys and gals, this is the wolf pack, buffed up and without shirts on and UGH! I was seriously dazed for a while... Sol, you could have done just as well as Chaske, but I can't say I'm entirely displeased. And seriously, those tattoos? Great for two reasons -- 1) Because that sets them opposite the Cullens, who have their crests, and 2) because that just adds to the cult vibe that Jake, Quil, and Embry all get. Sam starts this little group, they stick together, are pretty cryptic, and now they're all getting identical tattoos? GREAT DETAIL, GUYS!

It's not even two months into production and I am absolutely pumped. I had my doubts at first, but maybe they will get this on the road by November 20th. What do you think?

Monday, April 13, 2009

Rob for Tokio Hotel?

First and foremost, CONGRATULATIONS, NAOMI! If you've visited the Lexicon in the past day-and-a-half, you've likely seen this interview where the Lex talks to Naomi, who apparently mentioned the Twilight series to Tinsel Korey. Tinsel Korey? Why does that name ring a bell? OH YEAH! It's because she was recently cast as Emily Young!

If this interview doesn't sound familiar to you, go read it; and once again, CONGRATULATIONS!

Thoughts of a Twi-Hard is back to its regularly scheduled program.

So, I'm taking a break from reading this rad fic that Chloe (a fellow Taycober) recommended to me, and I decided to post about an obscure rumor. Now, let me repeat that:

THIS IS A RUMOR!


In fact, the source that's been quoted in saying this has taken the article down. Now, I pride myself in having integrity and not flustering the fans about alleged animosity between Taylor and Robert and such (In fact, I make it a point to poke fun at that crap as much as I can.), but silly little rumors like this are okay by me. I mean, if some poor fan out there gets their hopes up because of this article and is devastated if it turns out to be false, I'm sorry. I will give you my heart in place of your broken one.

I bet you're wondering what exactly this rumor is, right?

Well, according to BellaAndEdward.com and several other sources, a Czech website reported that Robert Pattinson -- our lovely Edward -- is a fan of Tokio Hotel. Now remember, I have no way of verifying this information. The article no longer exists on the website in question and is simply floating around on various blogs and TH and Twilight fansites. It's very likely this is a fabrication.

"Yeah, yeah," you're saying. "Fine. That would actually mean something to me if I knew who the hell Tokio Motel was." Um... Actually, it's Hotel.

THIS is Tokio Hotel.

Before you say anything, yes, I know that the second guy on the right looks like a chick, and yes, I did just say *that guy*. Before you ask me if he's gay, rethink that question: does it matter? If it does, Google it. I'm not here to verify the gays between the hets.

For the real information: Tokio Hotel is a German band that was founded in 2001 by twin brothers Bill and Tom Kaulitz, Gustav Schäfer, and Georg Listing. On Wikipedia, their sound is listed as a mix between pop rock, emo, teen pop, and glam rock. They aren't for everyone, but I think they're rad, and apparently MTV did too, because in 2008, they won the Best New Artist award.

Now that we've got introductions out of the way, I'm sure you're interested in that 'article' I mentioned earlier. Well, here it is:

Actor Rober Pattinson granted an interview and said that Tokio Hotel are great and the best option for the movie soundtrack "New Moon". In an interview with American magazine has shown that the actor is a fan of the band Tokio Hotel.

What do you think of the Twilight soundtrack?
Robert: Sountrack for the film I very good, Paramore are very talented ...

Who would you like to like the soundtrack to the next?
Robert: I like the band Tokio Hotel, have a good sound and lyrics, which are appropriate to the film.

A certain song?
Robert: One song I like and reminds me of the film, Rescue Me!


(Yeah, the grammar's a little off, but this was apparently the Google translation from Czech to English.)

I was absolutely stoked when I read this (And when I was under the impression that this was 100% legit. I'm questioning it now.) See, I'm a huge fan of Tokio Hotel. My obsession started about, oh, two weeks ago, and I can't get enough of them. (I've actually known about them for around two years, but I only decided to check into them last month.) And really, I feel like the Universe is giving me signs of, "HEY! I THINK THEY'RE GREAT TOO!" because I recently found out that a member of my FAVORITE BAND remixed a song of theirs, and now this? Twilight means a lot to me, and one of its actors likes them?

Well, probably not. It's kind of 50-50 right now whether or not this article is the real deal, but I can hope, right?

As far as the statement itself, whether Robert said it or not, I actually agree. Rescue Me is a beautiful song that would fit perfectly with the album. (So would Rette Mich, but I'm assuming the people at Summit and whatever would want an English version. Sigh.)

What I'm going to do is embed a YouTube video of the song with the lyrics, since there is no official video. Listen to it; read it; tell me what you think! And I hope I'm talking to at least somebody. Please, somebody stumble upon this blog and tell me what your opinion is. I'm desperate for some reader interaction!



Personally? VERY Bella to Edward.

Monday, March 23, 2009

Twilight Release Party? Not For Me!

So everyone seems to have had a blast this past weekend because they got to attend a fabulous release party.

Now, when Kaleb Nation posted a blog about how a Twilight star could be coming to my town, I scoffed and called him a liar. Seriously, who was going to stop by Rapid City, South Dakota when they're a part of a huge franchise? Um... Maybe Amber the Waitress? I'm pretty sure even the guy who played the teacher was too famous for that. So I didn't expect to see anybody cool from the movie at my Borders.

However, I did expect to go to a party.

My best friend Christianna dragged me along with some other people over to Borders a little earlier than planned. She was going to finish the latest House of Night novel and I would read up on the Twilight Director's Handbook (or notebook or whatever; not as interesting as I anticipated) while we waited.

We did wait...

For an hour...

And then a woman announced over the intercom that there would be no Twilight release party, sorry for the confusion. When asked about this, she said it was only the big corporate stores that were being involved. I was devastated.

Before we left an hour later, though, we were told of a party over at Hot Topic. Um, okay. Let's just go there instead. So we traveled to the mall down the street and waited in line for a half-hour. Robin (one of the workers) took a picture of me and said that I should sign up for the autograph of Taylor Lautner. I was ecstatic.

We were one away from the door. The woman at the front asked if the people before us had their invitations. They produced them promptly. That set off alarms automatically. "Invitations? Hm... Well, maybe that just means you get special privileges..." We get there next, she asks, and we reply that no, we don't have any invitations. Her response was an awkward, "Um... Oh... Well... I can't... let you in... then..." We stood there for a second, not comprehending what we had just been told because this woman obviously doesn't speak English. We can't go in? But... But... TAYLOR LAUTNER AUTOGRAPH! MUST HAVE! I!

Once we realized we'd just been shafted ("But you can still buy the DVD at midnight!" "Eh. We don't have any money."), we found we were still allowed to have cake and punch, took some, and sat on the floor like rejected puppies.

That's what I get for not being a mall rat anymore.

Wednesday, March 18, 2009

I'm Baaaaack! (And the Wolf Boys Have Been Found!?)



It's been a little over a month since my last post. No, I didn't forget about this. To be honest, I became re-obsessed with X-Men, and it's pretty usual that I can deal with only one obsession at a time. However, I'm going to try to balance out the two. Rogue can live with Bella and vice-versa.

I thought a great way to approach this blog's reestablishment would be to talk about the recent casting of the wolf pack. If you haven't figured it out yet, I am obsessed with the pack. I'm usually a vampire fan, but the Quileute's stole my heart in Twilight, and I was really excited to find out that they'd cast most of the wolves.

Before the excitement came a bit of heartbreak, though. I've been a supporter of Solomon and Krys since the very beginning, and I was rooting for them to be cast again as Sam and Embry respectively. Via the Team Solomon Facebook Page, I was directed to an interview where Solomon finally told us that he was not going to be back as Sam. Every part of me was devastated. Summit said that all of the cast was back on. Sooooooo, what? Sol and Krys were never really part of the cast? I mean, okay, the actress that played Amber the Waitress was technically part of the cast, too, and I'm pretty sure she won't be back, but there's a difference between her and our two boys: her part never shows up again; Sol and Krys were playing characters who appear throughout the series.

Still, I will respect the decision to re-cast them. There's nothing we can do now. Maybe it was, according to speculation, an attempt to bring in hunkier actors. Maybe it was just that they didn't want to pay Sol and Krys to fly out to BC. Whatever the reason, it's happened, and I'm sure all of the actors -- including the replacements -- are just lovely.

NOW ON TO MY PERSONAL ASSESSMENTS! (Taylor Lautner not included)

Chaske Spencer as Sam Uley
This is definitely the one that hurts the most. Solomon just looked like Sam to me. Not only that, but he worked his butt off for the part and cut his hair. Anybody who's read or heard this kid speak about his hair knows that's a frickin' big deal. So naturally since I've got my mind on Solomon, my idea about Chaske playing the part is going to be skewed.

From a biased point of view, Chaske looks all wrong. While the picture was loading on the TwiFans social community, I was thinking, "Why the hell is an asian playing the part?" Yeah, yeah. I know the argument: Native Americans are descended from Asia. Still, when I saw his eyes, the first thing that came to mind was Korean. That hardly matters, though, since I'm an ethnically uneducated white girl. I'm just hoping that all of the other ethnically uneducated white girls will be able to see my point of view so that I don't sound like such a douche. (I realized my mistake once the picture loaded completely, by the way.)

Anyway, since I don't like the look of him from the very start, I decided to take a more professional approach and look at his IMDB page. For all of those who were worried about the Dakota casting starting a trend, don't fret. Chaske seems to be, like most everyone else, a relatively unknown actor. He's been in only four projects, most of which seem to be television episodes (though he was apparently the lead in Skins). The guy's so well under the radar, there's no other information about him.

Which is why I just Googled him. The first article about this Native actor is very intriguing, and I find myself really liking Chaske. He's very humble and remarks about some of the mistakes he's made while acting. He's a Guns 'N' Roses 'fanatic'. He's even hoping to branch out of the Native stereotype.

Okay, let me get one thing out before I'm flamed: there's nothing wrong with having some pride for who you are. I enjoy watching movies that focus around traditional Native American roles. (Pocahontas and Imprint come to mind.) Still, I think it gets a little old when every Native actor you see is playing a nature-connected, talking-in-riddles, many-moons-ago character. Are Native Americans not capable of being spiritual and traditional and integrated into contemporary society? Do they all lecture you about the dying trees and dance around bonfires? Their culture is definitely interesting and I love it, but there is more to a Native actor than just his or her ancestors' customs. They are people just like us. I feel like a lot of movies and television shows create such spectacles out of them, like they're almost alien. It's ridiculous.

Back to Chaske: I approve.

Tyson Houseman as Quil Ateara
Oh. My. God. HOW CUTE! At first, I was taken aback by the almost nerdiness of Tyson, but he's so ADORABLE! He is definitely not how I pictured Quil, but I'm extremely excited to see him with Claire in Breaking Dawn. That scene is going to be SO epic. I can actually picture Tyson being the sweet, caring guy that will do anything for this little girl, no matter how ridiculous.

Now, this guy is even more unknown that Chaske. Tyson doesn't even have his own IMDB page. I did find a resume of sorts. It appears that New Moon will be his first television and movie production, but he's been on stage quite a few times -- The Laramie Project and Romeo & Juliet being just two of the shows he's done. It also looks like he has a pretty good grasp on training, and he likes to snowboard. Awww! CAN I HAVE HIM!?

Approve.

Alex Meraz as Paul
I'm just...going to stare and giggle like a little infatuated school girl, okay?

Aaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaand I'm done.

First of all, I don't really have an opinion of Paul. However, somebody over on the TwiFans social network commented that he would be perfect because he has a menacing look to him, or something like that.

Alex is certainly the one getting most of the attention out of the new pack cast. Girls everywhere are fanning themselves (and with good reasons). He also seems to be one of the most experienced thus far. On his IMDB page, Alex's filmography lists five productions he's been in, one for which he was nominated for an award. True, most of those parts don't even have names (a common theme being warrior and dancer), but he's making his way up on the charts.

Little else is revealed on his IMDB page (except that he's 5'11", was born in '85, is from Arizona, and likes to paint), so I turned to Google yet again to fill in the gaps. The only really useful link on the first page ended up being his MySpace. What we learn from there is that he's highly artistic (and rather inclined to paint the female form) and trained in martial arts. Who wants to see a fight between him and Taylor? ;D

Approved.

Kiowa Gordon as Embry Call
This kid is the least known of them all, apparently. There is one picture that was available, and it was used in a collage.

Like with Chaske, I'm a little biased when it comes to the fitting of actor to character for this part. Krys didn't have any lines, but I'm a firm believer in sticking with the actors you choose. However, I'm not as torn as I am with Chaske because holy crap, Kiowa is fucking CUTE! Man, if he had gone to my school, I would have been crushing on him.

Just like Tyson, he doesn't have an IMDB page. I also didn't get much from Google, but I managed to find out that he might be 18 and from Arizona. Hmmmmm.

APPROVED!

Bronson Pelletier as Jared
I also don't really have an opinion on Jared. As far as Bronson, he's a cutie. :)

Looking up his IMDB page, his filmography currently includes (without New Moon) two other television shows. It also has a little trivia, like he enjoys snowboarding in Alberta and is of Plain Cree descent. The kid's off to a good start so far. He's been nominated for three awards -- 1 Gemini and 2 Leos.

Google offers little more. So, with not a lot of information, I'm really antsy to see how he'll do!

Approved.

And then we get to another Quileute member:

Tinsel Korey as Emily
This choice is definitely a fan-favorite. Since shortly after Twilight's release, fans have been questioning questioning which actresses should play Emily and Leah. The fans were pretty much set for Tinsel to play Emily and Q'orianka Kilcher to play Leah.

We got our wish.

By far, Tinsel is probably the most experienced Native actors to be cast. Not including New Moon, IMDB lists that she has been involved in 18 projects, often reappearing in episodes of television shows.

She also gets the most useful links out of Google. Tinsel's official website tells us quite a bit about her. She's been a performer since day one, singing and acting for as long as she can remember. She worked on "Into The West" with Chaske.

Here is also a link to her MySpace music page. Maybe she'll make it onto the NM soundtrack... :3

APPROVED! APPROVED! APPROVED!

In closing, all I have left to say is THANK GOD MICHAEL COPON DIDN'T GET IN!

Monday, February 16, 2009

The Jonas Brothers and Twilight? (And a few personal updates)

Wow... It has been two weeks exactly. I apologize for the lack of updates. No, I haven't forgotten about this thing. I've actually been moving and resting in bed because I'm sore and sick. I'm actually still sick, but I've decided it's time to stop hiding from the virtual world. It's not like you guys can catch anything I have.

Anyway, on to better things.

Some of the latest Twi-buzz is that the Jonas Brothers want to be on the New Moon soundtrack. A snippet from the MTV article says:

"The movie was obviously a huge success, and if they asked us to be a part of [the sequel], that would be great,” Nick Jonas said when we caught up with him and his brothers Monday, revealing that the trio are fans of Stephenie Meyer’s vampire franchise and would be willing to write a song for the “New Moon” soundtrack. “It would be really cool.”

“I haven’t seen it,” Joe admitted. “But I have heard it’s a great movie.”

“We’re looking forward to seeing it,” Nick added. “We’ve been a little busy, so it’s kinda hard to get the movies, but we’ll see it.”


I would say around one out of every thirty person approves of this match. There are definitely some JBro fans who like Twilight and vice-versa. However, most of us don't agree with this idea. See how I said us? I'm including myself in that group.

However, I have noticed that I disagree for different reasons, and I thought I'd explain.

Their Opinion
Issue One "OMG! They haven't even READ Twilight/New Moon!" Okay, okay, I'll give some credibility to this freak-out session. They did say that they would be willing to write a song for New Moon. That means they should kind of read the books to know what they're talking (singing?) about. However, this isn't always necessary. Artists who wind up on soundtracks aren't usually involved in the process. From what I understand, they sign over the rights for a use of a song and the movie uses it and puts it on a CD. It's not a difficult process. If the person in charge simply wants to take one of their songs and smack it on the DVD, you can't use this argument against them.

Issue Two "They don't SOUND right. I want more indie bands! Like PARAMORE and BLUE OCTOBER and LINKIN PARK!" This is the freak-out that most confuses me. What kind of 'indie' are these people referring to? Though I'm not all knowing in the realm of music, I know from personal experience that there are three basic forms of indie: 1) an independent label -- This is where the term is derived from and it is most correct of the three. My favorite band, AFI, could have been considered 'indie' when they were on Nitro. When they switched to DreamWorks for Sing The Sorrow and then Interscope for Decemberunderground, they were considered to have 'sold out'. (Ridiculous.) 2) sound -- This is one of the most common references and is multi-faceted, being applied to both music and video. Juno and Little Miss Sunshine are two movies that could be considered 'indie' because of their feel, but they were distributed by Fox Searchlight. Fox is definitely not indie. 3) popularity -- Or lack thereof. This doesn't just happen in the punk world. Sometimes artists that are relatively unknown and unheard of -- ones that don't get as much airtime and don't show up on MTV -- can be considered indie.

As far as I know, there aren't many indie bands on the Twilight Soundtrack when we take into consideration any one of these three definitions. For instance:

Blue October -- Are they on an independent label? No. They're on Universal Records, which also owns the rights to ABBA, Lindsay Lohan, and Nelly. Would you consider any of those artists to be 'indie'? (Although they also work on the label 'Brando Records', which is nothing I've never heard of.)Do they sound indie? That one is more subjective. I suppose I could understand if some people thought so, but I don't. They seem very pop-rock to me. How mainstream are they? Well, everybody I know has heard of them. Are they indie? Not by any of these standards.

Paramore -- Are they on an independent label? At first, I might have thought so. The label is called 'Fueled By Ramen'. Digging deeper, however, I learned that Fueled By Ramen is distributed by Atlantic Records, whose 'parent company' (whatever the hell THAT is) is Warner Music Group, which is one of the four major record labels. So, I want to say no. From what I understand, they are basically getting funded by Warner Brothers. Do they sound indie? Hahahah. Um, no. They are listed as emo, alternative pop/rock, power pop, and pop punk, and I think that's just what they are. How mainstream are they? Like with Blue October, everyone I know has heard of them. They're even on MTV! OMG! Are they indie? Probably not.

Link Park -- Are they on an independent label? They are listed as being on the labels 'Warner Bros' and 'Machine Shop'. I went to see if they were in the same boat as Blue October, but Machine Shop is just LP's personal record label that is part of Warner Bros. It appears to be a big. fat. no. Do they sound indie? Snort. Nooooo. They don't. They sound very metal, rock, rap, and hip-hop. How mainstream are they? Whether you love them or hate them, you just know who Linkin Park is. They're on MTV, your radio station, and movies. They're pretty mainstream. Are they indie? Not even close.

Muse -- Are they on an independent label? It looks like their most current label is Warner Bros. Oh, snap. WB is just suckin' up all of the great bands! So no, I don't think they are. They've been signed on to a lot of labels, though, so maybe. Do they sound indie? Well, they definitely sound more indie than any of the other choices. I guess it depends on what you think of when you imagine the sound of indie. How mainstream are they? Until Steph said that they were her OMG favorite band, I had never heard of them. Are they indie? Technically? No. If your definition of indie is based off of lack of popularity or the sound, then perhaps.

My Opinion
Issue One "I just don't like them." Most Disney stars rub me the wrong way. Okay, okay, I have some guilty pleasures. I LOVE Brenda Song and I LOVE Selena Gomez. I guess it's time to behead me now. But I just really don't like the Jonas Brothers. I'm glad that they are such great influences, and I actually don't mind Nick because I think he's rather inspirational with how he handles his diabetes, but I don't want to listen to them. I don't want them on my soundtrack. I just do not want them.

Issue Two "They don't have the right sound." Granted, I don't listen to them. I have heard a few songs because of my addiction to the Disney channel WHEN I ACTUALLY HAVE CABLE, but I don't think their cutesy, poppy songs would be beneficial to New Moon. As another commenter stated, New Moon is very emotional and dark and the JBros are just a little too poppy. However, they might be able to pull off a darker song. I don't know.

Issue Three "If you give a little, you actually give a lot." I believe Jaden Nation actually mentioned that in his latest vlog. If the Jonas Brothers make it on to this soundtrack, who's to say that Vanessa Hudgens won't be Leah when the time comes for the part? Disney kind of puts a stigma on their actors, which isn't fair. I've seen Shia in some pretty serious roles. However, I don't think that most of the Disney stars could pull it off. They overact, and it works for Disney, but it wouldn't for New Moon.

And that's about it. I've got a lot of things to do today, and I should have left by now.

Except that I just want to announce that I'm not a music expert. If any of the above facts are incorrect, please leave a *nice*, *friendly* comment correcting me.

Monday, February 2, 2009

Solomon Trimble and Krys Ivory not in New Moon?

Oh noez! More rumors? It seems like it could be. There's been talk for the past few weeks that Solomon Trimble and Krys Smokey-Desperado -- err... Ivory -- may not appear in New Moon along with co- and pack-star Taylor Lautner.

Unless you're Twilight obsessed in every area or, like me, just madly in love with The Pack, you may be scratching your head wondering who the hell Solomon and Krys are. Well, does this refresh your memory?



On the right is obviously Taylor Lautner, who plays Jacob Black. In the middle is Krys Ivory (or Embry Call), and on the left is Solomon Trimble (or Sam Uley). Their parts are more implied than directly addressed. On IMDB, Solomon is listed as Sam but Krys isn't in the credits at all. Now, I'm not sure which it is -- either Solomon or Krys -- but one of them is labeled only as Jacob Black's Friend in the movie. For fans of these two fellows, that creates a problem -- it doesn't necessarily tie them to their roles.

But that isn't exactly cause for alarm. Summit re-hired Taylor Lautner even though he didn't physically fit the part. Maybe they will do the same for Krys and Solomon.

The first thing that alarmed me was an alleged side that was leaked onto the web. I was naughty and I googled to find it. I came across a website that had three sides posted. I can't remember what two of them were, but one was for Sam. There's a big possibility that it could have been fraudulent, but it looked authentic and it had Sam's name written all over it.

For those of you who aren't theatre or acting oriented, a side is an excerpt from a script used to audition with. An actor is asked to perform as one or more characters while the judge or judges appraise his or her performance and how well he or she would portray a certain character. Sometimes actors will speak as characters that aren't actually up for grabs, but that is rarely the case.

Then there is also this article, which states:

"However, in a film with such a strong Native American theme, only two actors of Native American decent were hired. But due to reasons unknown, Solomon Trimble (Apache) who played and established the character of Sam Uley, has suddenly lost his role.

Sam Uley’s character has been re-posted onto the Hollywood-casting breakdown, and it is obvious that Hollywood is now looking for a more marketable teen heartthrob celebrity actor to play the more substantial and very desirable part."


As far as I understand, NewMoonMovie.org is a fansite and is not official in any way. There's a possibility that they could have their information wrong, right? Right?

Multiple sources have commented, though, that Sam's name appears on the casting list.

I have a feeling that some people are wondering what the big deal is. After all, Solomon had, like, two lines, and Krys didn't speak at all. I've grown rather attached to them, though. It is true that none of the pack boys are how I imagined the characters to look. Taylor isn't my Jake, Krys isn't my Embry, and Solomon isn't my Sam. But I'm attached to them, now. Even though they aren't my interprations, but I can't imagine anybody else playing the parts now.

My love for Solomon and Krys started with this video:


(Thanks to the Twilight Lexicon for the interview)


There's not much for me to say about Krys and why I believe he should stay as Embry. The character is described on the lex as being "quieter and more shy than some of the other boys on the Rez. He is playful, but still come across as being more reserved", but despite that, "don’t make fun of his name around Jacob."

Krys didn't say much, and off the bat, I think the timeline was a little messed up. Solomon commented that Sam had, at that point, been transforming for a few years. That means that he would have seemed very 'cultish' to Embry and Jacob by then. It's a little strange that Embry is so calm around him. However, that isn't Krys' fault; it's Melissa's.

Even though Krys didn't say anything, his personality seems to fit with Embry's. I'm confident that Krys could play a more reserved character who gets a little hotheaded when his name is mocked.

And now on to Solomon. He had about two lines, but there's more I can say about him. Between him and Krys, he has definitely had more exposure. There have been a couple of interviews with him (the most recent being here) where he's discussed his personal life and his part in Twilight.

As I've mentioned, Solomon isn't my impression of Sam. My version is definitely buffer. Lol. But they kept Taylor despite his physical downfall. He was hired because he was 'emotionally right' for the part. I feel like the same thing goes for Solomon (and Krys!).

Sam is very authoritative. He doesn't like to use the alpha force unless it is necessary, but he exudes confidence and direction. Solomon absolutely embodies that. He's perfect for the part.

He has also proven how dedicated he is to this role. It didn't matter that Sam's role in Twilight was minuscule; Solomon did what he could to portray the character correctly and to the full extent. He met with the Quileutes and learned some of their language, and even though Stephenie informed him that Sam wasn't a poet, Solomon wrote poetry as Sam -- to Emily; about imprinting (you can read them in the interview I linked). Just like Rob wrote to Carlisle, Solomon did what he could to get in character.

Still, there's been no news. Summit has left us a trail of breadcrumbs, but nothing official has been said about the state of Solomon's job. They've left us to speculate.

If they do replace Krys and Solomon -- I sincerely hope they DON'T! KNOCK ON WOOD! -- I don't think it's because of what NewMoonMovie.org said. I don't think they're trying to get more attractive cast members. In my heart, I believe the questioning stems from location. There may be some scenes shot in Portland for New Moon, but the majority of the movie will be filmed in Italy and Vancouver, BC. They might not want to fly Krys and Solomon there. And I'm confident that's where the pack will be shot because Movies Online posted I-don't-know-when an article that called for "FIRST NATIONS/ABORIGINAL ACTORS AND ACTRESSES BETWEEN THE AGES OF 15 and 25" (their capslock, not mine) in the area of Vancouver to attend an open call. Krys and Solomon live in Oregon.

At the end of the day, I really hope Krys and Solomon get their parts back. If you're like me, you can friend Team Solomon on MySpace. There's not one for Krys yet, but maybe she'll make one!

Monday, January 26, 2009

Amber: The Waitress

You're probably thinking, "Who the hell is Amber? I don't remember any waitresses." Or that could just be me putting words into your mouth because I had forgotten about her. It's more probable that you actually recall this brief character, but you're wondering why the hell I brought her up.

Simple, because my name is Amber, and it seems like all of the Ambers in film and literature are bitchy whores.

To recap slightly, Amber the Waitress appears on page 168:

And then our server (because StepheNie, Bella, and Edward are more politically correct than I) arrived, her face expectant. The hostess had definitely dished behind the scenes, and this new girl didn't look disappointed. She flipped a strand of short blak hair behind one ear and smiled with unnecessary warmth.

"Hello. My name is Amber, and I'll be your server tonight. What can I get you to drink?" I didn't miss that she was speaking only to him.


Okay, okay. I admit it. I'm being unnecessarily critical of this Amber chick. Everyone is, in some way, enamored with (of?) Edward. The red-haired secretary over at Forks High, for example, thinks very dirty thoughts about our forever-seventeen year old boy. (By the way, I've only read the first chapter of Dark High Noon. I'll read the rest when Stephenie either a) publishes it or b) calls the project off.)

However, her attitude is a little unnecessary. Sure, Jessica bitches and whines when she first tells Bella about Edward. Sure the hostess 'assessed' Edward right in front of Bella, who could, at that time and place, almost safely be presumed to be his girlfriend. But Amber's behavior was a little over the top. She didn't even look at Bella if it wasn't necessary, and she only technically took Edward's order. Eeesh.

Moving on...

When the movie came out, I had practically forgotten about this insignificant speck of a character. And then I saw her hair.



If you're blind and can't see the growth on this woman's head, I've circled it for you. Wow... After that, the cat guy wasn't all that unexpected. (He's in the background, by the way. He's a little blurry, but I'd recognize that look anywhere.)

In the movie, Amber is played by an actress named Katie Powers. This is irrelevent to what I'm talking about, but I thought I'd mention her. I was looking at her IMDB page -- Everyone and their dead grandmother has one now. -- to see if she kept the freaky do and found her resume interesting. Katie is working in all areas possible. She was a 'logger' on Clean House, a photo double for both Kristen Stewart and Cate Blanchett, and a post-production coordinator for several productions. This chick is really working her butt off to get into Hollywood. I like that.

As for her acting skills, I'd say they were mediocre. That isn't a bad thing because acting is a talent that can always be improved, but she did as well as you'd expect from any extra. I say this as I recall her two lines, but I'm feisty this afternoon, and I need somebody to take it out on.

Back to being on-topic -- I was actually going to make a list of bitchy Ambers from literature and movies/tv, but I can't remember any aside from Amber Brown, and she was pretty cool. But mark my words! The name Amber is default for resentful skank, and it's REALLY unfair!

Edit I JUST remembered one! I remembered somebody singing the name Amber and remembered Amber Von Tussle from Hairspray! See? PROOF!

Saturday, January 24, 2009

Dakota Fanning as Jane?

It seems like that's what could be happening. Rumors have been floating around for a while, now, that the War of the Worlds star might be in the running for the coveted role of Jane, a member of the Volturi. The rumors were outshined, in the past, by the Vanessa Hudgens talk, but they've been growing stronger these last few days and it might be official soon.

IESB.net can be quoted in saying that Dakota "...confirmed that she is in talks for the role and then we should have an official announcement soon."

Before I go on to talk more about Dakota, let's discuss Jane.

Jane is a name that, to any sane vampire, inspires fear within their still hearts. She is a guard of the Volturi's who posseses the power to psychologically torture anybody she wants. Well, not anybody. In New Moon, we find out that whatever blocks Edward from reading Bella's mind also prevents Bella from feeling any pain by Jane's gift. (Of course, we all know now why that is, but at the time it was kind of spooky.)

We find out that Jane is angry and bitter, though any human would think her too young to be. This relates to her past. The Volturi (being as old as they are) had been keeping an eye on Jane and her twin brother, Alec, hoping to change them when they were older. However, their plans were altered when Alec and Jane were taken by the locals and burned at the stake, and they were forced to change the twins then and there.

In New Moon, Jane is present for only twenty minutes, but it's a huge role in itself. It's definitely one that is specific, and people are really worried if Dakota can pull it off.

The questioning mostly stems from her appearance. Remember what Dakota looks like?



She's pretty adorable. I'll admit, the girl used to creep me the hell out. She's grown into her eyes, though, and so now I can watch her without cringing. But can she fit the part of Jane?

Jane is described as "very tiny". According to IMDB, Dakota Fanning it 5'2". That's REALLY short. Her hair is "lank, pale brown" and "trimmed short". This is what most have been skeptical about. "OMG, she has BLOND hair! JANE HAS BROWN!" Need I remind everyone that there's this lovely invention called hair dye? Nikki (Rosalie) and Peter (Carlisle) have naturally DARK hair. Kellan (Emmett) has lighter hair. They all had to DYE their hair for their parts. Jane is further described as a "rather slim and androgynous figure with a face too pretty for a boy". Dakota is only fifteen. She's got a very feminine face, but I think she could pull off being androgynous well. Dakota ISN'T as young as I managed (which would be about 12), but she still appears more youthful than she really is. And lastly, Jane is said to have "wide-eyes, full-lips and a child-like voice". Dakota doesn' have the 'full-lips' I'd imagined (think Emily Browning), but have you seen this girl's EYES? HOLY CRAP! And her voice could probably pull off being childish.

But there is one concern that I have to mildly agree with: Dakota Fanning is a bit too well-known. In Twilight, they did a good job of casting people who weren't big names. Out of all the cast, Kristen Stewart was probably the most recognized. And really, it was good that way. It made the movie feel fresh.

To be fair, Dakota has been in a lot, but she hasn't been in the news. I don't think she's as 'famous' as everyone makes her out to be. Of course, I haven't actually watched her in a live-action movie since Uptown Girls. I could just be biased.

Either way, I think Dakota would fit in nicely with the rest of the cast. Most people were skeptical (aka OUTRAGED) at the originaly list for Twilight, but most of us have grown to love them. I'm sure the same thing will happen with Dakota if she's given the part of Jane. Give her a chance and she'll probably fulfill your expectations better than you'd thought.

Tuesday, January 20, 2009

Kaleb Nation: THE Twilight Guy

I got the itch to blog last night, but I obviously didn't. The truth was, I wanted to ramble about the whole 'Bella's an anti-feminist character' argument, but I didn't want to do the work. I would have to research why people thought that, and I'd have to go through all four books to support and disprove that claim. Frankly, I wasn't up for the work last night. I was in kind of a funk.
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So, I bring you my rant about Kaleb Nation.



Kaleb WHO? Yes, that seems to be his real name. Maybe. I'm not sure. For all I know, he could be John Garfunkle, but that's not the point. You probably know his as the Twilight Guy from... Well, TwilightGuy.com. (If this sounds like an interesting website, there's a link to the right. I'm too lazy to do the HTML.)

Kaleb certainly isn't the first boy/guy/man to read Twilight, but he's probably the first to go public about it. With a website. And a photograph. That takes some serious guts, considering there are a lot of GIRLS who wouldn't even be caught dead checking out the series. (I was one of these two years back...)

I first came across his website probably a few months ago, but it wasn't until recently that I started following the updates. The material didn't tickle my fancy at the time -- I wanted Twilight news, not an interpretation of Twilight from the male sex. Oh, how I missed out.

As a man, Kaleb just naturally has a different insight into the novels than most of the readers, who are female. That's kind of obvious, isn't it? But it really isn't what he thought about the chapters as a man that sucked me in to his little cult and never let go. Kaleb has a quirkiness about him; he's hilarious. I mean, did you even watch the video I posted? Kaleb salt 'n' peppers his chapter-by-chapter discussions with bouts of comedy, including inserting dialogue that never happened into scenes of interest from the current chapter and random images on which his face is plastered. The only thing that would make his discussion better would be a podcast.

Which is what I really thought he had. I was a bit disappointed that his hilarity was confined to a mere few paragraphs each chapter. I would love listening to him just as much as I love listening to the sisters over at Twilight Series Theories. That's a lot, by the way.

If the video confused you a bit, don't worry. Until I dug a little deeper, I didn't know that Kaleb was writing a book, either. It's called Bran Hambric: The Farfield Curse, which sounds absolutely amazing just from the title. I was insantly curious about the names it offered -- Who is Bran Hambrick and what the HECK is the Farfield Curse? Is Farfield a place? A family? A practice? Well, the website says:

"Bran Hambric was found locked in a bank vault at six years old, with no memory of his past. For years, he has lived with one of the bankers, wondering why he was left behind- until one night, when he is fourteen, he is suddenly confronted by a maddened creature, speaking of Bran’s true past and trying to kidnap him. Bran finds that he is at the center of a plot which started years before he was even born: the plot of a deadly curse his mother created…and one that her former masters are hunting for him to complete. Haunted by the spirit of his mother’s master and living in a city where magic is illegal, Bran must undo the crimes of his past...before it is too late."


That sounds a little Harry Potter-ish, which I think is a VERY good sign. It's original, but it has that mysterious, alluring quality about it. I'm looking forward to purchasing it when it comes out this year; maybe I'll even e-mail Kaleb to see if I can pry a few chapters from him.

Kaleb certainly has a lot of ambition -- his website is HUGE, he started writing Bran Hambric: The Farfield Curse when he was fourteen, and he's even composed music for the series. I heavily admire that. I'm an aspiring author myself. I've spent two years on the same book so far, but have only managed to get to the second chapter. I'm hoping that I can acquire some of his perseverance for myself and finish my book within the year. Congratulations, Kaleb, and good luck to me!

(On a side note, I was present for the live blogTV or whatever, when he was announcing the prize for his YouTube Contest of Awesome. I was under the name HippieNerd, and was incredibly excited when he commented on something I said -- that being something along the lines of 'You mean you DON'T own YouTube?' It's funny how even normal-ish people can achieve an almost celebrity-like status.)

I reccomend TwilightGuy.com to all Twilight fans. If you'd like more information on Kaleb himself, however, just head on over to KalebNation.com. :)

Saturday, January 17, 2009

Edward 'Present' In New Moon?

I haven't updated in two days. Really, I've felt there was nothing to talk about. Now, there is, so let the ranting begin!

If you're a fan of Twilight, you should know the story of New Moon. Edward leaves Bella. Bella emotionally breaks down. Bella becomes BFF with Jake. Jake makes Bella happier than she's been in a while. Bella gets into accidents and hears Edward's voice. Bella continues to do stupid things for that reason. Bella jumps off of cliff. Jake 'saves' her. Alice doesn't see that part. Rosalie calls Edward. (He's in Italy.) He thinks she's dead. He tries to get himself killed. Alice and Bella get to Italy in time to save him. The Volturi meet Bella. Jane's power doesn't work on her. They decide she (Bella) needs to either be eaten or turned. They're going to keep tabs on the situation.

Okay, that was longer than necessary, especially since you already knew everything. However, there was kind of a point. (I just made it up right now. :D) Everyone who has read New Moon knows that Edward isn't in most of it. Jacob really gets his shot, and Bella experiences what it's like to care for him but to be without Edward. It's a double-edged sword.

But I personally think that's what makes the book great.

I admit -- I'm a little biased with my love for Jacob. As much as I've always wanted Bella and Edward to be together, I loved reading about my favorite wolf. But that doesn't mean I was glad Edward was gone.

I'll get to the point. In this article, Rob Friedman and Patrick Wachsberger discuss how Twilight has changed Summit. One question produces a particularly interesting answer.

THR: There is talk that because Edward is out of the picture for much of "New Moon," there will be elements of the second and third books combined into the second movie.

Wachsberger: No, but Edward is present for the movie.


Now, I'm not going to throw myself into a frenzy because I really don't understand what that means. However, that's the point. What does 'Edward is present for the movie' even mean? Are they talking about the scenes that Edward is just naturally in? Are they going to do some interesting manipulation with when Bella hears his voice? Are they going to alter the storyline? WHAT!?

There's no doubt that Robert's popularity has sky-rocketed since this film. He was voted as People's 13th sexiest man alive. Girls of all ages are swooning. It's become ridiculous. You can't go anywhere without hearing how gorgeous he is now. And some people have taken that as a sign that without Robert, the movie won't sell as well.

Robert's performance was great. So was Kristen's. So as everybody else's. I can understand the fear, but I don't think it's validated. Remember the 75,000 people who petitioned to have him removed from the role of Edward? Until the viral advertising of Twilight, nobody even really knew or cared about Robert. Of course, he'll always have those die-hard from the beginning fans, but those don't make up the majority of the Twilght fanbase. And to be clear, when I say that few cared about him, I didn't mean as a person. He's well worth caring about; however, very few people were familiar with his work. It's hard to be passionate about somebody that you don't know very well.

It's safe to say, then, that Robert wasn't the one who brought in all of the fans to the theaters. It was Twilight itself.

The same thing is going to happen here with New Moon.

A lot of people probably want to see Rob, but the majority will already know the storyline and accept that he's not in most of it. They'll still go see it anyway. Maybe the hardcore anti-Jacob fans will be miffed about the uberness of the wolf's presence, but even they know what is going to happen.

I'm a little worried that by 'Edward is present in New Moon', they mean they're adding scenes. I, personally, am 100% against that. Not because, like I mentioned, I'm happy about Edward being gone (because I'm not), but because I think this storyline is of an incredibly sensitive nature.

Some have mentioned that perhaps they'll show Edward talking to Bella. That might do the smallest amount of damage than the other choices, but it would seriously irk me. Bella can't see Edward. She looks for him, but she only hears him. That's because his voice is in her imagination. Edward doesn't KNOW what's going on. Her imagination is fabricating his presence. As Stephenie said, if Edward knew what was going on, he would leave to get to her IMMEDIATELY.

Some have suggested that maybe they'll depict Edward's 'adventures' in Italy; show his pain. And while that would be cool, let's save that for the sequel to Dark High Noon. *cough* Most of the Twilight series -- from Twilight to Beaking Dawn-- is from Bella's point of view. The first movie did really way in staying that way, and that's how the series should continue.

There are numerous possibilities as to what they could mean when they 'Edward is present'. Short of them meaning that he is present in the original scenes from the book, I'm pessimistic about the outcome.

You know what happens, but let me rant, okay?

Edward doesn't just take a vacation or take time off to think about things. He leaves, and he takes everything with him. After Jasper attacks, Edward begins to recalculate his relationship with Bella and decides that it isn't safe. His departure to Italy is an attempt to erase himself from her life. That's pretty dramatic.

When he's gone, Bella is described as catatonic. She goes through the motions, but she doesn't live her life. And then she starts hanging out with Jacob. He takes her mind off of the pain. She never forgets Edward and the pain without him, but she feels better with Jacob than she's felt since the loss of Edward.

But then she hears his voice. She fixes up motorcycles and cliff dives and does all of this stupid stuff just to hear his voice. It's a voice that's only in her head, much less. And after cliff diving, Alice gets a vision and doesn't see Jake pulling her to shore because of he's a werewolf, so everyone thinks Bella's dead. Even Edward. He thought that by leaving her, she would be safe, but it looked like she still died anyway. And that's when Edward becomes desparate. He loses it and decides to get himself killed. Bella and Alice barely make it in time!

There's so much suspense that is involved in the book. Why would they change it? Somebody mentioned about twilight: Why change it when it's selling? If Edward is present for the movie in places where he's supposed to be absent, that takes away from the intensity of the story. We should all being wondering where the hell Edward is and what he's doing, even the fans who have read the books. If Edward's there, there's no room left for questioning!

Plus, Robert could use the time off. :( The guy seems so fragile. It would definitely be a nice break for him.

Wednesday, January 14, 2009

Edi Gathegi: A Step Away From the Usual

Today has been pretty good in the Twilight universe news wise. There have been no mentions of Michael Copon. The Vanessa Hudgens rumor is pretty much dispelled. Taylor Lautner's face appeared EVERYWHERE today, and the fangirl in me squealed and belted out in song.

So I decided that instead of a passionate rant, I'd take a nice walk down discussion road. I figured I'd talk about Edi Gathegi. If you don't know who he is, WHERE THE HELL HAVE YOU BEEN? He played Laurent.



See the sexy man with the dreads? I bet for those that didn't know, you're all going Oooooooooooooooooooooh! now, huh?

Well, I have to admit that I just went through that exact kind of moment. I was looking for a great still of Edi as Laurent on Google and came up with pictures of the television show House. I skipped over them, but thought WHAT THE HELL? all the same. Why was House coming up when I was searching for Edi Gathegi?

And then I saw this picture:



Oh, duh. He was the single father guy! Now, I'm not a big House fan. My mom loves the show, but she watches it so much that whenever she gets control of the TV, the first thought that comes to mind is, "Oh no..." But I liked the single dad guy. I did. And I really like Edi Gathegi. How did I not make the connection?

Because I'm ridiculously unobservant. That's how.

I think Jodeen will agree with me on this one. Because I'm an incredibly uninformed white chick, I never expected Laurent to be black. (I never thought of Eric Yorkie as being Asian, either, but...) So when I first saw Edi cast for the role, I was kind of shocked. Not disappointed. No. I had just never expected it. And to see him with the dreads... Wow. But the funny thing was, it worked. It TOTALLY fit Laurent's personality, and that was so awesome.

Hands down, my favorite character is Jacob Black. Likewise, my favorite cast member would be Taylor Lautner. Shocker, huh? But the performance I enjoyed the most was Edi's.

That's not to say that there were performances I didn't enjoy. Despite the radical rants you'll find on here, I'm a rather easy person to please. I loved Peter's take on Carlisle. We didn't get the pleasure of hearing Dr. Cullen's amazing background (that makes me cry every time I read it), but you could tell from Peter's performance that Carlisle was a very caring, loving, exemplary individual. Billy Burke did an amazing job as Charlie. Those awkward daughter-father moments were the best, and I loved how he played out the Charlie-Billy friendship. Jackson Rathbone's constant look of pain was hilarious and pitiful -- in the best of ways, of course. I wanted to reach through the screen and HUG him.

But it was Edi Gathegi as Laurent that felt the most natural.

Now, when I sit down to watch a movie, I can't just let myself enjoy it. No, that would be too easily. I unconsciously start picking up on little things; it's usually how natural a performance feels or doesn't feel.

All of the actors/actresses in Twilight did a great job. I'm not saying that any of them did poorly. However, there were times that most of them felt like they were just acting. And that's not a bad thing, really. I mean, how many cheesy classic films don't sound the least bit natural but are still enjoyable? A lot. And Twilight's acting was better than most of them combined.

But I really felt like Edi had tapped into his character. I really felt like he was speaking not as himself, but as Laurent: Nomad that's not evil, just hungry. I think part of it was that accent. *Fans self* Whew.

Edi is just as enjoyable off-screen as he is on. I'm horribly addicted to watching Taylor Lautner interviews, and it seems that Edi, Rachelle, and Taylor get paired up a lot. Case in point: this one, this one (my favorite), and this one (beware: lots of screaming). Even though I always start off by watching Taylor (obsessively), Edi always manages to catch my interest.

I think that is why I ultimately adore this man. He is just so fun. He's constantly jumping on Taylor. He's not afraid to belt out to Miley Cyrus. He even jokes about sucking your blood. This guy is hilarious, and I can't wait to see more of his work.

Speaking of Edi's future projects, My Bloody Valentine is his next movie. The synopsis reads, "Tom (Ackles) returns to his hometown on the tenth anniversary of the Valentine's night massacre that claimed the lives of 22 people. Instead of a homecoming, however, Tom finds himself suspected of committing the murders, and it seems like his old flame (King) is the only one will believes he's innocent." Edi Gathegi plays Deputy Martin.


A clip from My Bloody Valentine


Now, I'm not a big horror fan, and anything with the word bloody in it sounds a little too gruesome for me, but I might go watch it for Edi. Well, and Jensen Ackles, who plays the lead, but Edi has definitely got my heart right now. In a non-horror movie way.

Bye,
Amber

Tuesday, January 13, 2009

Michael Copon Congratulates Taylor Lautner



*Takes a deep breath* It's going to be so hard for me to do this article. I loathe this man with a passion. Reading about him, hearing him -- it boils my blood and I seriously get enraged. But I'm going to be as accurate as possible with this article just like I've been with the two before.

If you haven't heard the name Michael Copon, you probably live under a rock. How's the Internet service down there? :P His acting resume includes productions like The Scorpion King 2, One Tree Hill, and Bring It On: In It To Win It. But as of lately, Copon is most famous for the rumors that placed him as one of the top choices to play the bigger, buffer, 'older' Jacob Black in New Moon.

I don't know when the rumors first started, but the longer that Summit refused to comment on the state of Taylor's future involvement, the more it looked like Michael Copon was going to be taking over. To give you an idea of how long the agony of not knowing lasted: On December 20th, I checked up on Twilight news over at TST. (I'd lost the Internet at my house and hadn't been able to access it for about a week and a half.) On that day, I saw that Michael Copon was rumored to be replacing Taylor. It wasn't until January 7th that Summit came out with an official statement that Taylor was secured as Jacob. Okay, that was less than a month, but it felt like forever.

Now, I pride myself in being a reasonably rational individual. At first glance, Copon is kind of cute, and he even looks a little bit like an older Taylor. I'd already fallen in love with Lautner as Jacob, but I knew that if they felt like they had to replace him, there was nothing I could do about it. I'd accept this man, and I'd chew out anybody who chose to throw a bitch fit over it. (TST reported that Copon was receiving nasty messages from Lautner fans. I was -- and still am -- appalled by that kind of behavior.)

And then I read the J-14 interview.

This is where a lot of Twilight/Jacob/Taylor fans became absolutely rabid. In the interview, Michael Copon essentially inflated his already enormous ego while simultaneously putting Taylor down. He talked about how Jacob wasn't brought to justice; he was too 'one-sided' and only had 'two colors', whereas Copon felt he could exhibit the 'hundreds of colors' that Jacob was meant to have.

At this point, it's already clear that this guy has never read Twilight. And you know, that's fine. Most of the actors in the film didn't read any of the books until they were cast. But when you run your mouth about something, you should know what you're talking about. Perhaps in Twilight Jacob is a little one-sided; maybe he only does have two colors. But that is because in TWILIGHT, Jacob is a plot device. That part of his character was always there; he was always meant to add a little mystery to the Cullens. However, he wasn't supposed to be as involved in the rest of the series as what he is now. Jacob's character 'spoke' to Stephenie Meyer, and thus she included him in the rest of the series. It's not fair to say that Lautner made Jacob 'one-sided' because Jacob doesn't really develop until New Moon.

The interviewer later on questions Copon's preperation for the role. Now, to be fair, the questions were asked in a manner of comparison, but Michael's answers sometimes feel a bit too pushy to me -- like he was trying to make us see the flaws in Taylor so that we'd start imagining him as Jacob. Case in point: He comments that he is 200lbs, so if anything, he needs to lose some weight. Michael then furthers the obviousness of his answer with, 'Taylor's probably what, 140 if he's lucky?' And then he goes further, comparing their heights.

The question was Taylor's been bulking up to try to get the role. Have you been preparing in any way?, not Why are you a better choice for Jacob than Taylor?.

The interview soon takes a turn where the accuracy and consistency of Michael's words get a little fuzzy. When asked about the truth about the rumors, Michael said that no auditions were taking place. That seemed pretty truthful. Even though the filming for New Moon is set in March, it seemed a little early for auditions. However, what gets me is when he said 'My representation has been talking to Summit and they're hearing that I'm one of the first picks'. That article took place on December 19th. On January 7th, just hours before the official statement was released, EW posted an article about the likeliness of Taylor's return and confronted rumors about Copon and Barnes seeking the covetted Twilight role. EW posted: Recently, there have been rumors that Michael Copon (The Scorpion King 2) and Steven Strait (10,000 BC) are jockeying for Lautner's spot. But you can chalk that up to empty Web noise: Reps for both actors say nei­ther has been approached for the role.

So which is it, Michael? Were your agents in touch with Summit and hearing that you were up for it? Or was there absolutely no contact in the first place?

As the Michael vs Taylor hype increased, screencaptures of Michael's facebook status started surfacing, and it started huge debates. Status messages included "Michael Copon [is] in a Twilight Zone!" and "Michael Copon is the older Jacob Black!". Now, in the above video, Michael Copon claims that the Facebook was a fake. Somebody created it with the intent of impersonating the actor.

MTV, however, says differently.

Okay, so I don't believe everything MTV says. In the recent Vanessa Hudgens uproar, MTV twisted Ashley Greene's words around to make it sound like she had some 'inside information'. However, I'll offer this up and let you do with it what you will. MTV is quoted in writing, 'Copon's representative confirmed to MTV News that the Facebook page is run by the actor himself and that those are indeed his words.'

It seems like Michael can't keep his facts straight. Did he create the Facebook page or didn't he?

According to the video above, Summit called and asked if Copon was starting the rumors. He might not have, but he certainly fueled them. I wish him all the best, and maybe he'll land a part in Twilight 2, but he'd better learn some real humility.

UPDATE The Twilight Lexicon has been updating on the Vanessa Hudgens rumor. Sources were printing different information, but I think we've finally got an answer. Melissa Rosenberg, the screenwriter for Twilight and New Moon, stated that 'if Vanessa is auditioning for the role of Leah, she’s written her own pages to read, ’cause I didn’t write ‘em.'

Monday, January 12, 2009

Taylor Lautner's Body and Reactions to It



So, I'm not sure if that video is actually going to show up. In the event that it doesn't, it's a video I'm sure you've all seen: Taylor's Access Hollywood interview where he shows us the goods. Unless you're just not that into Taylor or you'd feel bad lusting after a 16-year old, your jaw probably dropped to the floor and your eyes bugged out the first time you watched it. (C'mon. We ALL replayed the video a few dozen times.)

I'm one of those people. Now, I'm not letting myself cruh on the kid until he's 18, and I'm not a big fan of muscles -- They scare me. -- but I bugged out when I saw his physique. In the natural world, is there any 16-year old that looks like that? Not from what I've seen. There are some pretty fit kids, yeah, but not like THAT!

Because I'm a big Taylor Lautner fan (Could you tell yet?), I've been looking through reactions on various websites. Most have been positive, if not slightly exaggerated. Of course, there is a negative side to everything. Let me start off by saying that EVERY side has a right to its opinion. I'll admit that I usually don't like anybody's opinion that doesn't match my own, but they still have a right to disagree. I'm just a stubborn wench sometimes.

Anyhow, there have been a few Twilight fans that have felt some sort of dishonor by people's reactions. They've mostly been diehard Robert Pattinson fans. Not anything against the RPattzers -- He seems like a GREAT guy -- but these few individuals have felt betrayed by some of the things others have said.

What has been said?

Various people are claiming that while they are not Jacob fans, they might be switching teams. Others say that Robert has some competition to live up to, and now they might be lusting after Taylor more than him. Even Taylor said in the video above (which may or may not be visible) that Robert better move over.

Those are some pretty bold statements, and while most people have just shrugged them off, there are some who didn't take as kindly to them. They're saying that true Robert/Edward fans wouldn't switch teams just because the kid buffed up. They're also saying that his modesty is fake and the he's growing conceited.

When you're passionate about something -- which these fans clearly are -- it's easy to get riled up. It's easy to take things too seriously, which is what I think they're doing.

When people say that they're considering switching teams (Whether from Team RPattz to Team Taylor, or from Team Edward to Team Jacob), I don't think they're being serious. In a sense, it's a hyperbole. (I'm using that correctly, right?) We've had video and picture evidence of his bulkiness before, but it was merely a hint of what was beneath the shirt. The Access Hollywood interview was the FIRST TIME we'd seen his new body in completion. I think his new physique simply awed a lot of people. It wasn't that they were switching teams, it's just that they were taken aback.

And then there were the mutterings of "Robert had better move over!", even from Taylor himself. Those few who weren't astounded by the magnificence of his muscles claimed that he was being conceited. Taylor, from the very start, has been an overeager participant in the Twilight franchise. He has ALWAYS played up the Edward/Jacob rivalry. I don't think he actually considers himself competition against Rob (That's up to the fans, right?); I think he's just hyping the rivalry up. He's 16. His previous work was playing a Sharkboy, having a role in Cheaper By The Dozen 2, and playing Christian Slater's son in a tv show that got canceled. This is really his first big project that's not necessarily aimed at kids and that he has security in. I think he's just excited.

Naturally, this is all just opinion. I don't intimately know the boy -- I've never met him -- so I have no legitimate say in what he's like. Here's to hoping I'm right, though!

But then the rants continue onto something more that doesn't have squat to do with his personality: his height. Sure, he's bulked up, but how is he going to GROW?

Supposedly, he's already gained a couple of inches since Twilight. However, I have no way to verify this myself short of stalking the kid and measuring him myself. So since I don't fancy going to jail anytime or getting a restraining order slapped on me, I'll mention a few ways of them making him seem taller.

One easy and efficient way of doing this is just by putting lifts into his shoes. They've used shoes to make people seem taller in Twilight before. Ashley Greene and Nikki Reed are only about an inch apart in height's difference -- 5'5" and 5'6 1/2" respectively. If you've paid attention while reading the books (or just brushed up on the facts over at the Twilight Lexicon like me!), you'll remember that Alice (played by Greene) is 4'10", and Rosalie (played by Reed) is 5'9". In order to substitute for the lack of dramatic height difference, Reed was given stilettoes. Taylor can't very well wear high heels, so he might have to do with the lifts, which are VERY REAL. You can BUY them.

Then there are boxes. What? BOXES?! Well, digging a ditch like Taylor suggested might violate some terms of use, so boxes would be the next best thing. Now, I'm not a big Tom Cruise fan (His best work was when he was a kid and did that Mimi ship science video thing...), so I can't say my claims are entirely accurate. For the sake of this argument, however, I'll pretend that they are. According to IMDB.com, Tom Cruise is 5'7". He's just as tall as I am. In fact, I might be a half-inch taller. But in Hollywood, that would never do. Big stars need to, well, be big. So I've heard many a rumor that Tom is often placed on a box to appear taller. Hmmm.

Lastly, there is the option of camera angles. It is also simple but effective. It even costs less than grabbing a box or buying some shoe lifts. They've already got cameras; they just have to tilt them. It might seem like a cheap and cheesy way to do things, but it's effective. If you're a Twilight fan (Which you should be if you're HERE.), you might be a Harry Potter fan. I know I am! Remember Robbie Coltrane? Well, for those of you who don't, he plays Hagrid. Now, the guy looks like a GIANT, which is good because his character is half. How tall is he, actually? He must be at least 6'7". Oh, wait... He's only 6'1". That's actually rather unremarkable. Jared Padalecki, who plays Sam on CW's Supernatural, is taller than him at 6'4". So how do they make 'Hagrid' look so burly? By padding his clothing, adding lifts to his shoes, AND SHOOTING FROM BELOW! Now, if you're a Twilight and Harry Potter fan, you might also be a Lord of the Rings fan. (I'm not... Not really.) Remember Elijah Wood, who plays Frodo? He was so cute and furry and SMALL. Well, though he might be an inch shorter than Cruise at 5'6", the guy isn't the tiny hobbit we all know and love. How did they accomplish the illusion of his stature? Through a little thing called 'forced perspective' -- they had actors stading or sitting a few feet ahead of Elijah, making it look like they were towering over him.

So despite his lack of height, you'd be surprised how easy it is to create the illusion of somebody being incredibly tall or short. Give it a chance, folks!

Cheers,
Amber

Sunday, January 11, 2009

Casting and Introductions


Brenda Song


I suppose I should introduce myself. My name is Amber. *Waves* Hi, Amber! As you can guess by the title of this blog. I am a big twi-hard.

twi-hard (twahy-hahrd)
- noun
An overobsessive fan of the series Twilight by Stephenie Meyer, usually a teenage girl: Oh my god, that girl is such a twi-hard.

At least, that's my definition. :)

Anyway, on to introducing myself briefly. Like I said, my name is Amber. I'm 19 (20 this September!) and I live in South Dakota. I'm going to be attending college in the fall for two degrees: one in English and one in Environmental Biology. I'm currently writing a book called Manifest, but I'm taking my sweet with it. As for my Twilight obsession, I started reading it back in '07 and I'v become ADDICTED.

But I'm sure you gals and guys are here to read an awesome rant. I'm starting off with one I've written before, but I'm going to continue whining about it. :P


Vanessa Hudgens


There's a rumor that's been going around saying that Disney stars -- specifically Vanessa Hudgens and Brenda Song -- are up for the role of Leah. People are freaking. out. Message boards and websites are in a frenzy about this 'information'. How seriously am I taking this? Honestly, I think it's crap, and here's why:

I like Brenda Song. I think she's cute and adorable. I especially enjoy it when she hosts Disney's 'Pass the Plate'. Yes, I still watch Disney. :P Do I think she'd make a good Leah? Well, no. Her acting is strictly Disney. I don't foresee her breaking out into this complex drama that breaks our hearts any time soon. And seriously, her as Leah? Ladies and gents, the gal is CLEARLY asian. She does not look one ounce Native American. That wipes her off of the map for this part immediately.

How about Vanessa? She's cute. (In a pretty way, not personality-wise. Sorry, VH fans. I'm not fond of her.) She's darker skinned, so that means she's in the running automatically, right? Maybe if Summit/Chris/blah blah blah either doesn't care about authenticity or is just ignorant.

But, aha, they DO care. According to Lana Veenker, a separate company was hired to exclusively cast Native Americans. They are trying to be authentic. And don't just shrug off what Lana says as nonsense. She is actually involved in the casting process, so what she says is pretty true.

On to other factors.

Have you noticed that Summit's being stingy? If I recall the numbers correctly, Twilight was on a budget of $35mil. New Moon's budget is $50mil. That only adds $15mil more to their funds. Now, seriously, are they going to want to HIRE Vanessa/Brenda? No, because those girls have bigger pricetags on their heads. If they hire relatively unknown actors (But still professionals, so don't think that necessarily means you, buddies. It's a hard world out there.), then that means they don't have to pay them as much, which means they get more money in return. Summit is being clear in what it's priorities are: cash and more cash.

And you know what? They can AFFORD to do that! TwilightSeriesTheories.com reported a while back that 'since Black Friday, Amazon.com has sold enough copies of Breaking Dawn that, if stacked end to end, it would reach the summit of Mount Everest 8 TIMES!'. EIGHT times to the top of Mt. Everest. That is NOT a small fandom. A lot of smaller productions feel the need to hire bigger named actors to draw in audiences. However, the fans' love for the books alone generated $70.6mil in its debut weekend, according to BittenandBound.com. That's twice what was put into the film in the first place. And no big names were even IN the cast!

But people are still panicked.

I freaked out once. Remember when Taylor's part was basically up for grabs? Taylor Lautner will never be my Jacob Black, but the kid is dedicated to his role. He was working for it. And then there was that Michael Copon guy who just came in and assumed he was going to get the part. (Before anybody says anything, I was WILLING to give him a chance. C'mon, the guy's kind of cute. But if you don't know why I dislike him, go check out his J-14 interview. You'll see.) A lot of Twilight fans freaked out over that, but according to EW (Who is supposed to be REALLY reliable.), Copon's rep never even got a call for the part. So, essentially, he was never even up for the role. It's quite possible that the same thing is going on with the Disney starlettes. That's actually what Yahoo!News is saying. Now, I'm not sure how reliable Yahoo is in its news, but I'm rather inclined to believe that those two girls aren't even up for the parts. It's logical to me.

In short, DON'T FREAK OUT. Summit and Chris will do what's best for New Moon in the end.

Tchau,
Amber