NOTE: This post discusses Twilight, the movie, and the Twilight book series (particularly the latest book, Breaking Dawn), and is SPOILER HEAVY. If you've not read the books and don't want to read spoilers, do NOT read this post until you've read them. It's also longer than my usual column, as I had a lot of ground to cover, so if you hate reading long pieces, skip it. Thanks.
You're probably aware, even if you're not into books about vampires and clumsy, average teenage girls falling in love with one, that there's a popular book series called the Twilight Saga, and the first book in the series, Twilight, is being adapted for the big screen by director Catherine Hardwicke. What you may not be aware of is the little undercurrent of female writers decrying the series as inherently anti-feminist.
The Twilight series grew in popularity, mostly off the radar of the feminist set, until it got so popular that the feminists started to take notice -- and offense. I first became aware of this anti-feminist backlash when Meg Cabot, author of The Princess Diaries (among other girly books) responded on her blog to readers writing her to ask what she thought of the series, thusly: " I didn't take my husband's last NAME when we got married. Do you honestly think I'd like a story about a girl considering changing SPECIES for a guy? No offense to any of you, but as a feminist, I just can't go there... "
I found Cabot's take interesting because I'm a feminist myself, who also didn't take my husband's last name when we got married, but I don't happen to find the series inherently anti-feminist. Nonetheless, since the release of the fourth book in the series, Breaking Dawn, on August 2, the feminist mutterings have started to escalate to a dull roar.
Devout fans of Stephanie Meyer's "Twilight Saga" might not appreciate the comparisons, but it's easy to see from the outside that the books are being treated by the entertainment industry like the second coming of Harry Potter. Only with vampires instead of wizards. Yet despite all the excitement surrounding tomorrow's release (or tonight's release, if you're a real fan) of Meyer's fourth and final installment, "Breaking Dawn," I don't see the series really being as successful. I can't imagine a whole new Twilight-themed music genre forming, for instance ("vampire rock" would just be goth rock, anyway). And even with all the screams heard in Hall H last week during the Twilightpanel at Comic-Con, I don't believe the movie is going to be anywhere as big as Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone (I see it maybe clearing half of Sorcerer Stone's $318 mill. domestic take).
If the first Twilight movie is big enough to warrant further adaptations of the Saga, the franchise could possibly see itself being compared to Harry Potter in another way, at least if Meyer has any say in the way "Breaking Dawn" makes it to the big screen. Similar to how the seventh and final Potter novel, "Deathly Hallows" is being split in half for two separate films (the first part will be released in December 2010, with the second part arriving six months later), Meyer tells MTV that there needs to be two separate movies made out of the final book in her series. And she knows exactly where the story should be split (see if you can figure out where while reading the book this week), which makes me wonder why she didn't just write five books rather than four.
To hear the suggestion straight from the author's mouth, check out MTV's interview with Meyer after the jump.
Boy, you miss a few weeks work to move 2,000 miles, and you fall behind on all kinds of things going on in the world of Twilight. All you Twilighters have, no doubt, been keeping up to speed with everything that's been going on out there -- you're making plans to attend Breaking Dawn parties, planning what you're going to wear, entering giveaway contests, and getting your Twilight-inspired costumes put together (who knew there were so many varieties of vampire fangs out there?).
I know, you have it much more together than I do on all the Twilight madness, but hey, I've been on the road with four kids, a dog and a cat all crammed into a 1998 Ford Windstar, moving back to Seattle, so I'm just now getting around to catching up. So here's a rundown of all-things Twilight for you -- in case you, like me, have been having a busy summer.
Cinematical is stoked to have received this exclusive Twilighte-card widget for all you Twilighters out there. I know that you, like me, are anxiously awaiting both the August 2 release date of Breaking Dawn, the fourth book in the series, and the December 12 release of the hotly anticipated Twilight movie. This will give you a little something to do to kill the time while you're waiting.
Edward looks much more ... vampirish than in the earlier cast shots we saw, and you'll note that his eyes are most assuredly topaz here. What do you think of the pic? Check it out, send it to all your Twlight-mania friends, and enjoy! For more on Twilight, feel free to visit the film's official website.
One of my colleagues just IM'd me with the following: "Did you see there's a 1-minute clip of 'Twilight' online???? OMG OMG OMG OMG OMG." While I suspect he was being just a teensy bit sarcastic with the "OMGs," there is indeed a nice little one-minute clip up over on MTV of part of the scene at the ballet studio with James going after Bella, and Edward coming to the rescue. It's a short clip, but it definitely gives you a feel for how director Catherine Hardwicke is handling the action of the vampire fights, and it's pretty intense.
It's just enough to whet your appetite a bit for the full scene up on a big screen ... and of course, by that point in the storyline, there will be plenty of dramatic tension from what's taken place before that to up the intensity level even more.
Whew. Now that I'm back from Cannes, it's time to dive back into checking out what's going on in the world outside the glamor and glitz of the world's sexiest film industry trade show. Of course, one of the first things I wanted to catch up on was what's been going on in the world of Twilight fandom. Before leaving for Cannes, I snagged a copy of Stephenie Meyer's' newest book, The Host, and I devoured it every night while on the trip.
Quick thoughts on The Host: Compelling and dramatic story, great characters, and it pretty much has "adapt me into a movie, please!" written all over it. For those not in the know, the book is a tale about an alien invasion by a race of intelligent parasitic beings who take over the body of a host and obliterate the "soul" of the person who previously resided there.
Holy Cullens! Hold onto your seats, all you Twilight fanatics. This is the first official ensemble piece with final hair, makeup and costume (those other photos, we believe, were test shots, but this one gives our first official look at the characters inside the Twilight universe) Click on the image for a larger view -- you know you want to -- then let's take a moment to dissect the loveliness, shall we?
We've been covering the various bits of Twilight news, set visit write-ups and behind-the-scenes goodies extensively here, but this is the first time that we've seen the cast in character like this. Aside from the fact that the image looks totally cool and perfectly captures that "Twilight-vibe," can I just say that any doubts anyone out there is still harboring about Robert Pattinson as Edward should be totally laid to rest by this picture?
As if I needed another reason to look forward to Speed Racer, it looks like the first teaser trailer for December's Twilight will ship with the prints of the May 9th film. According to Collider, the trailer will ship "in the can" rather than attached to the print, which works as a strong suggestion to exhibitors that they should show the trailer with the film, but isn't a mandate. So if you're considering buying a Speed Racer ticket to get your first glimpse of Twilight, you should know you'd be taking a chance.
I'm quite curious to see the trailer, not because I'm a fan of the novels (which I now feel duty-bound to read) or think that Robert Pattinson is dreamy, but because I'm so fascinated by the singularly bizarre pop culture phenomenon that this movie represents. There's been a sort of droning hum in the film community about Twilight becoming a Christmastime mega-hit, but no one (save Kim Voynar) can find anything useful to say about it because no one knows what it is. Adults without children of the right age are completely out of the loop on something that -- we're told -- is going to absolutely burst out of the gate. This was not the case with Harry Potter, which raises a question: How explosive can Twilight be given its age and gender-specific appeal?
Twilight fans can almost universally agree on one thing: the book's single most romantic moment is the first time Edward plays the lullaby he wrote for Bella on the grand piano in his home. It's a lovely scene, partly because it's the first time Bella has been invited into the home of Edward's vampire family and been accepted into their midst, and partly because, well, what girl wouldn't swoon having a guy like Edward compose a beautiful song, written just for her?
Ooooh, boy. Over on Stephenie Meyer's website today, they posted a link to some new behind-the-scenes Twilight video over on MTV, and what I saw on the video looks very promising. They have footage on there of the filming of the fight scene between James and Edward, and some chats with a few of the stars of the film, and I have to say, it seems like director Catherine Hardwicke and her cast seem to really "get" both what Twilight is about, and their responsibility to fans of the series to get it right.
The more I see of how Hardwicke is putting the film together, the better I feel about the possibility that this might actually end up being a case where the film adaptation comes close to being as good as the book, and it's looking like hardcore Twilighters might end up loving this film. And of course, Hardwicke knows that if they're going to make this a series of films, it's imperative that she not screw up this first installment; most Twilight fans I know would rather not see a movie made at all than see it done poorly.
I have never been all that keen to read Stephenie Meyer's vampire romance, Twilight. That is probably because I'm just a little out of the prescribed age range, plus, I'll always be an Anne Rice girl at heart. So like a lot of other people, I'll just catch the movie. Back in February, Monika brought us the first photo from the film set, and now ET Online has behind-the-scene video and interviews with cast members Kristen Stewart, Robert Pattinson, and Nikki Reed.
In Twilight, Stewart stars as Bella, a young girl who moves to a dreary, rainy town and finds herself drawn to her mysterious (and plasma-challenged) classmate, Edward (Pattinson). The two begin to fall in love, and if all those years devouring anything remotely 'vampy' have taught me anything, it's that there probably won't be a happy ending for these two. When a coven of vampires that doesn't follow Edward's example of eating only wildlife comes through town, Edward and his 'family' band together to protect Bella.
Twilight has been filming on location in Portland, Oregon since February, and the production is scheduled to finish shooting later this month. Fans have had mixed reactions to the film (mainly over casting), but Summit is hoping that they can get enough of them into theaters for at least two more installments of the series. Twilight is scheduled to arrive in theaters on December 12th. Twilight fans, sound off with your thoughts on the casting, and what you hope to see them do with the film.
Wizards, vampires. and gay lovin', oh my! He's already set teen hearts a-flutter with his portrayal of Cedric Diggory in the Harry Potter series, so it's no surprise that he's taking on another mystical good-guy role. The Hollywood Reporter has posted that Robert Pattinson will co-star with Kristen Stewart in Twilight -- the young adult vampire story that Catherine Hardwicke will direct early next year. He'll play the sharp-toothed Edward, the object of young Bella's affection.
To recap -- the project is based on Stephenie Meyer's young adult novel/series and focuses on a teen named Bella who moves to a small town to be with her dad. She falls for a hot, pale dude who happens to be a vampire. They get together, she lusts for him and would rather be dead than be without him, he tries to refrain from drinking her blood, and all is well in fantastical relationship land until his nemeses comes to town, sets their sites on her, and makes things more challenging.
When this project wraps, Pattinson will have handled two old-time fantastical staples -- magic and vampirism, which could easily get him type-cast. But he's going the Radcliffe route and mixing adult lasciviousness into the mix with his sexy Dali movie, so that should help him balance his teen dreaminess with meatier fare. But what about you Twilight fans? Is Pattinson the vampire Edward come to life?
Those crazy artists, always experimenting sexually. Big deal. Nothing new. Right? Oh wait, the idea still has people intrigued. Remember those lesbian scenes in Frida? Of course you do -- they're the only reason you watched the film. But will you be as interested in seeing a young Salvador Dalí make it with a man, specifically Spanish poet Federico Garcia Lorca, as you were in seeing Salma Hayek kiss Ashley Judd? A UK-Spain production must be hoping so; it not only has the distinction of being about the 100th Dalí film in the works right now, but it also describes itself as the "racy" and "sexy" one, and will likely be released into the public reception as "the gay Dalí movie". According to Guardian Unlimited, the film is titled Little Ashes, named for one of Dalí's paintings, and it isn't exactly based on any definite evidence. In fact, Dalí reportedly acknowledged being the object of Lorca's homosexual affection multiple times, but denied they ever became physical and insisted that he continually rejected the poet. However, the film's screenwriter, Philippa Goslett, stands by her depiction of the events. She claims to have done enough research to believe that the men consummated in some way. The way the script apparently shows it, as far as Guardian Unlimited relays it, is Dalí wants to have sex with Lorca but can't and then ends up merely acting as a voyeur, watching while Lorca sleeps with a woman.
Little Ashes is apparently done shooting, having been filmed primarily in Barcelona on a low budget of £1.4 million (roughly $2.9 million -- I think). Paul Morrison (Solomon and Gaenor) directed the film, with Robert Pattinson, best known as "Cedric Diggory" in the Harry Potter movies, playing Dalí. Spanish newcomer Javier Beltran is Lorca and Matthew McNulty (Control) portrays a young Luis Buñuel. On a related yet personal note, I must address to all my friends that this news will have no impact on my long-decided plan to go as Dalí for Halloween this year (I'm broke, and it's cheap -- you only need a long mustache and a suit!).
Devout fans of Stephanie Meyer's "Twilight Saga" might not appreciate the comparisons, but it's easy to see from the outside that the books are being treated by the entertainment industry like the second coming of Harry Potter. Only with vampires instead of wizards. Yet despite all the excitement surrounding tomorrow's release (or tonight's release, if you're a real fan) of Meyer's fourth and final installment, "Breaking Dawn," I don't see the series really being as successful. I can't imagine a whole new Twilight-themed music genre forming, for instance ("vampire rock" would just be goth rock, anyway). And even with all the screams heard in Hall H last week during the 
Boy, you miss a few weeks work to move 2,000 miles, and you fall behind on all kinds of things going on in the world of Twilight. All you Twilighters have, no doubt, been keeping up to speed with everything that's been going on out there -- you're making plans to attend Breaking Dawn parties, planning what you're going to wear, entering giveaway contests, and getting your Twilight-inspired costumes put together (who knew there were so many varieties of vampire fangs out there?). 
Whew. Now that I'm back from Cannes, it's time to dive back into checking out what's going on in the world outside the glamor and glitz of the world's sexiest film industry trade show. Of course, one of the first things I wanted to catch up on was what's been going on in the world of 
As if I needed another reason to look forward to Speed Racer, it looks like the first teaser trailer for December's Twilight will ship with the prints of the May 9th film. According to 
Twilight fans can almost universally agree on one thing: the book's single most romantic moment is the first time Edward plays the lullaby he wrote for Bella on the grand piano in his home. It's a lovely scene, partly because it's the first time Bella has been invited into the home of Edward's vampire family and been accepted into their midst, and partly because, well, what girl wouldn't swoon having a guy like Edward compose a beautiful song, written just for her?
I have never been all that keen to read 
Wizards, vampires. and gay lovin', oh my! He's already set teen hearts a-flutter with his portrayal of Cedric Diggory in the Harry Potter series, so it's no surprise that he's taking on another mystical good-guy role. 
Those crazy artists, always experimenting sexually. Big deal. Nothing new. Right? Oh wait, the idea still has people intrigued. Remember those lesbian scenes in 
