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!
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.
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. f 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. :)
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.
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.
*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.)
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.'
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!
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.
