Short Second Life of Bree Tanner - Eclipse Novella

While we're still waiting for that Edward POV novel to come around, as well as waiting for new Eclipse Movie updates to come around, I bring you great news. Stephenie Meyer has written an offshoot book out of Eclipse (an Eclipse Novella, if you will), which focuses on Bree Tanner and the dark world of the newborn vampires. It talks about the epic battle in the POV of Bree - how they form the newborn army and try to defeat the Cullen Family and Bella Swan.

It's quite an interesting plot and promises to be darker and more action-packed than the previous four Twilight Saga novels. As of this article, we need to wait only 55 days more till the Short Second Life of Bree Tanner hits the shelves.

Aside from the entertainment factor, this book is going to pay it forward by donating one dollar of every novella to American Red Cross. I estimate the donations to be quite a huge sum considering all the Twilight fans who will definitely be waiting in line to buy a copy of this.

The Twilight Eclipse Movie Trailer

The Twilight Eclipse movie trailer is finally here and we've got lots of juicy tidbits from the Eclipse book featured here.



(1) Of course, there are the Edward / Bella moments:



(2) And then there's Jacob making a love triangle out of things:




Cutest Jacob picture by far, in my opinion ;)

At the latter portion of the trailer, Jacob tells Bella he's gonna take care of her till her heart stops beating - which is a very appropriate thing to say considering his disdain for the idea of Bella being turned into a vampire.


(3) And then Jacob Black and his... abs??(?)

Is it just me or has Jacob Black's abs vanished or lessened? Perhaps he got depressed and ate one too many Ben and Jerry's thinking about Bella Swan? None the less, he still looks fine ;)



(4) The Volturi make an appearance, and red-eyed Dakota Fanning (Jane) warns Edward and Bella that she must be turned real soon or else:







(5) Finally, the grand entrance of the new Victoria, now played by Bryce Dallas Howard. Personally, she doesn't look as fierce and elegant as the previous actor, Rachelle Lefevre, but let's wait and see how she delivers when the Eclipse movie shows:






One more leaked Eclipse movie screen shot can be seen here!

Twilight Rosalie Necklace Replica Jewelry

I finally got my authentic Rosalie Cullen Twilight Replica Necklace by NECA, purchased via Amazon.com. I bought it at less than $30. I'm sure a lot of you are curious as to how it looks like (every side of it, not just the front), so I've decided to post a few pictures of the bauble :)









My comments?
#1. The crest is quite huge. The crest measures 1.6 inches width X 2.6 inches height (this includes the filigree details beside the crest). I personally like it huge because it has the approximate size of a standard locket and I love locket necklaces. As such, I think the crest charm / pendant of the Rosalie Necklace replica jewelry looks better with a longer chain rather than the shorter double-stranded chain. Which leads to:
#2. The dual chain lengths. You can opt for the double-stranded chain (featured in the pictures above), or you can turn it into a long necklace, so it can match with all sorts of outfits and moods.
#3. Quality of the crest is not as brilliant as the crest on the Edward Cullen wrist cuff. The crest looks fine from afar, but if you really stare at it and look at it closely, the crest doesn't look as vintage as it should (if it were to look like it had been around the Cullen clan for hundreds of years), particularly the "background" where the crest's symbols lie. The background is dark gray and looks like it was just newly painted (which it really is anyway).

Overall, I'd give the Rosalie Cullen replica jewelry necklace a score of 8. From afar, the piece looks like a good necklace, and the fact that everyone knows it comes from Twilight makes all the difference. If it was just a random crest, it would probably not warrant as high a score since it holds no special meaning and place in our hearts. As it stands, however, it represents a mysterious, illustrious, and beloved family of one of the most popular books ever made, so I consider it a very good buy.

Eclipse IMAX to show 30 June 2010 + movie poster

Here are two reasons why Twilight fans should rejoice!

1. Eclipse will be shown on IMAX which means that we can experience the epic werewolf-vampire battle more dramatically (hopefully, the movie will not disappoint in terms of the battle scenes)

2. According to IMDB, The Eclipse movie will grace the theaters on June 30, 2010. Yep! you read right, that's just a few months away from now. Of course, we should expect some delays here and there, but suffice to say, they're working on the movie as we speak. In fact, the director even tweeted last December 11 that they have "200 days to go", which is roughly 6+ months :)

The Eclipse movie will be directed by David Slade, who's also done some music video directing in the past (notably for Stone Temple Pilots!) but aside from that, he's done just a few projects here and there (based on his IMDB at least), so I'm actually pretty excited (okay, maybe a tad anxious too haha) about what he's going to bring to the table for the third Twilight movie.

I'm surprised Chris Weitz didn't stay on for the second movie, seeing as he did quite a good job for the New Moon movie, but I'm hopeful this new guy will do just as well.

Some tweets of his to whet your appetite:

"Jacob & Bella are matching with intensity, & it's all even with the action sequences. Right now we are in a great state of balance."
11 December 2009 10:46 AM, PST

"As we cut. Edward seems to be a really strong presence, the intensity of the love story & rivalry between Jacob is in the driving seat."
11 December 2009 10:43 AM, PST

I agree with him, the rivalry between Edward and Jacob is a crucial part of Eclipse, and is something I'm looking forward to. With the intensity Jacob showed on the New Moon, I'm sure I will be pleased with how he delivers this next movie.

Last but not the least, here is a look at the Eclipse movie poster!

New Moon Songs Played during the Movie

The New Moon Soundtrack, which debuted in October, has received platinum status, so I figured it will be perfect to feature the New Moon soundtrack list. I'm sure most of you wonder "When was played in the movie again?" or "What was the song playing during the Victoria chase scene?" or "The song during the cliff diving scene?" or even better, "What was the song playing when Bella and Jake were fixing their bikes and Bella asked Jacob to turn off the song (which Jacob said he liked) because she wasn't into music anymore?"

You need not wonder anymore. Here you go!

1. Death Cab For Cutie – Meet Me On The Equinox
Played during the end credits

2. Band Of Skulls – Friends
When Bella decides to walk to the biker boys in Port Angeles, much to Jessica's dismay

3. Thom Yorke- Hearing Damage
Played during the kick-ass Victoria chase/hunt scene

4. Lykke Li – Possibility
This was the song played during Bella's depression when she was just sitting down in her room as the months passed by (literally - September, October, November, December...)

5. The Killers - A White Demon Love Song
Played at the start of the New Moon movie credits

6. Anya Marina – Satellite Heart
Edward is driving Bella back home, after her birthday mishap.

7. Muse - I Belong To You (New Moon)
Bella and Jessica on their "Girls Night Out"

8. Bon Iver and St. Vincent – Rosyln
My personal favorite! This was played the days after the birthday mishap, her doing her scrapbook, wondering where Edward is, and the moment when Edward finally appears outside her house to take her on what will be the most heartbreaking walk of Bella's life.

9. Black Rebel Motorcycle Club - Done All Wrong
Bella and the pack of wolves head over to Emily's cabin for some uberly huge muffins.

10. Hurricane Bells – Monsters
This scene was when Bella was driving to school on her birthday and Edward was doing that slow mo walk through the school parking lot towards Bella.

11. Sea Wolf – The Violet Hour
Birthday party scene

12. Ok Go- Shooting The Moon
Played during Bella and Jacob's bonding moments, rebuilding the bikes, one of my favorite New moon movie scenes! Great scene for Jacob/Bella ship supporters!

13. Grizzly Bear - Slow Life
Bella's dramatic cliff diving scene, when Edward's visage appears beside her

14. Editors – No Sound But The Wind
At the latter part of the movie, after the whole Volturi scene, Edward is driving Bella home and Jacob Black stands on the road.

15. Alexandre Desplat – New Moon (The Meadow)
Opening credits. Also played during the time when Bella goes to the meadows where she first laid eyes on Edward Cullen's sparkly self, trying to revisit her past.

And last (but definitely not the least!):
New Moon Soundtrack (OST) BONUS TRACK! All I Believe – The Magic Numbers & Amadou & Mariam. Song that was playing when Jacob and Bella were fixing motorcycles and Bella told him to turn the song off.

The soundtrack made the New Moon movie that much more enjoyable.

New Moon Movie, Team Jacob, Twilight vs New Moon

The long wait is finally over and by now most Twi fans have probably watched the movie. I think it's pretty safe to say that a lot of fans have been swayed to the werewolf Jacob team after watching the second movie!

Proof?

1. Jacob is winning the shirtless battle poll BY A LANDSLIDE

2. Is it safe to say that in every cinema that aired New Moon, there was a very audible gasp heard when Jacob took off his top to help bleeding Bella? No gasps when Edward did the same in Italy.

3. The awws and the giddy giggles from people who saw that scene when Jacob Black looked at the dreamcatcher hanging on Bella's bed

4. A huge avalanche of Facebook posts (at least in my network) asking Santa for Jacob, or shouting "Team Jacob!", some coming from people who were die hard Rob/Edward fans who I've actually argued countless times with trying to defend the werewolf!

Most of my Edward supporter friends said they're Team Jacob only in the movie but remain loyal when it comes to the book. To other Edward supporters out there, do you feel the same way? To the new Team Jacob supporters, is it more a preference based on the physical appearance or on the person as a whole? Comment please!

Personally, I've been a Jacob fan ever since the New Moon book came out, so this might have been one reason why I loved the New Moon movie more than the first Twilight movie. I was so glad to see Taylor Lautner doing an incredible job of portraying Jacob Black the way I had imagined him to be. I'm glad his hotheadedness showed in the movie - this is one of the aspects of his personality that I find very crucial because it highlights the difference between Edward and Jacob, and because I think temper is the very essence of a werewolf. I also saw great chemistry between Bella and Jacob and most times I felt like they looked and acted better as a couple than Edward and Bella (Join my Jacob/Bella vs Edward/Bella debate here!)



Other things I loved about this movie:

- More action! Loved the whole wolf fights and Jacob's wolf transformation.
- More Jasper screen time! I'm glad we got to see more of him and his charms this new movie, and I am excited for his appearance on the third Twilight movie, where he will have a much huger role.
- Direction and overall quality of the movie was just nicer in my opinion
- Loved the dynamics between the werewolves, the scene where they were eating those huge muffins at the cozy cabin. Almost depicted how I had imagined it to be and makes me want to be there and be a part of the pack!
- Alice was charming as always. That part where she said "As soon as you let the dog out" was hilarious
- The Volturi did not disappoint. The fight scene between Edward and the brute Felix was intense, Aro, Jane and Demetri did a good job as well, Marcus, Caius, and Alec did not get enough screen time so I will reserve my judgments for the Eclipse movie.

To everyone, Twilight Movie VS New Moon Movie -- Did you enjoy the second movie more than the first? Comment away!

Second New Moon Trailer - Team Jacob

New Moon has always been predominantly about Jacob so it was only befitting that the second trailer to the New Moon Movie focused on Jacob Black (Taylor Lautner).



All Team Jacob followers are surely squealing by this point. I like how the trailer showed every side to Jacob that we needed to see. His temper. His dedication to Bella. And his all-around kick-arse-ness ;) I would have wanted to see more scenes depicting his temper but I guess I'd have to wait till the movie!

There's also an extremely, EXTREMELY quick glimpse at the blonde Volturi with red eyes, who I believe is none other than Dakota Fanning (playing as Jane), but the scenes shift so quickly that even when I pause at the exact moment she is shown, I cannot be 100% sure it's her.

The other teaser/trailer for New Moon movie is here.

Which trailer did you like better? This new one or the first?

New Moon Movie Motorcycle Scene Footage!

One of the quintessential scenes of New Moon was shown during last week's Comic Con: THE MOTORCYCLE SCENE! I remember this scene in the book as one of the major turning points in Jacob and Bella's relationship. I also vividly recall how the motorcycle scene epitomized Jacob Black's utter coolness and hotness. And the movie footage delivered on both points!



It seems that the fans at the Comic Con all agreed as they squealed during the juicy parts, biggest scream happening when Jacob Black went shirtless to help Bella's head injury (which tallies correctly with the Shirtless battle poll I made recently - JACOB LEADS THE SHIRTLESS BATTLE by a WHOPPING 350+ votes!). We also see in the footage how Edward will be appearing in front of Bella from time to time, and based on this small clip, they've done a good job of doing so!

If Taylor Lautner could look this good with the long hair wig, then I am aching to see more of Taylor Lautner once Jacob Black cuts off his hair. I can almost imagine the squeals being magnified gagillion-fold!

I don't know about you guys but I'm now even more excited for the New Moon movie! ;)

Jacob (Lautner) vs Edward (Pattinson) : Shirtless Battle

Shirtless seems to be one of the most buzzed about words in the upcoming New Moon Movie.

Just a few months ago, we saw the whole New Moon werewolf pack showing off their gym-ed up bodies:



Now, all you drooling fans can see Jacob Black (Taylor Lautner) and Edward Cullen (Robert Pattinson) shirtless too!

I won't let you wait further, here are the pictures. The original shirtless Edward / Robert Pattinson picture had dots on the body (for the sparkling effect I'm guessing), so I've edited out so you won't get distracted. Jacob shirtless screens come from the New Moon Movie teaser/trailer:











SO WHO WINS THE SHIRTLESS BATTLE? Please vote on my poll below!



And leave a comment to explain your vote! :)

Also, if you haven't voted on my poll about the trailer, please do so:

http://www.profoundstupidity.net/2009/06/new-moon-teaser-now-up.html

I'm pleased to note that Team werewolves and team vampires are neck and neck (no pun intended) in the vote count. The werewolves are just trailing by 6 votes. Go to the link now and profess your loyalty!

Also, surprisingly enough, based on the current poll, more people are drooling over Jacob Black than they are Edward Cullen!. Could Robert Pattinson be losing his limelight?

"Jacob Black is hot! This teaser showed Jacob Black. Therefore, I like this teaser a lot!" got 41 votes, while "Sorry I couldn't tell, was distracted by Edward's hot-ness" got only 26 votes. Anyway, too soon to tell now, let's see how the polls go after a few more votes ;)

Till next Twilight post!

New Moon Teaser now Up!

YES! THE NEW MOON TEASER IS FINALLY UP! Watch it!

THE TWILIGHT SAGA: NEW MOON trailer in HD


Then vote and comment:



Personally, I am EXCITED for the New Moon movie! It's amazing to think that Taylor Lautner is only 17 years old, because in that short amount of time he was shown in the trailer, he looked beyond his years. I think he's going to really kick a*s in this new movie.

Can't wait to see the Bella / Jacob dynamics as well. And I'm interested to see how they're gonna pull off showing those small Edward flashback / hallucination scenes every now and then.

Woot!

Taylor as Jacob Black in New Moon Movie : Some things to be Excited about!

I had a less than warm response to Taylor Lautner as he filled in the shoes of my favorite Twilight character, Jacob Black, during the first Twilight movie. The long hair didn't quite fit him as much as it would have fit Steven Strait (my first choice). Then there was his very young age and overly boyish looks that made me doubt if he could pull of the growth spurt and sudden maturity towards New Moon.

If you entertained the same thoughts as I did at any point, here are some reasons why I am now 100% confident Taylor Lautner can pull of Jacob Black in the New Moon movie, and why he should be one of the top reasons why you should be excited and stoked for the upcoming movie!

First, an image to show Jacob Black then (Twilight) and now (New Moon). The transition is amazing! And I realized that I was stupid enough to be so hasty in my judgment that Taylor could never be Jacob in my eyes, when he actually acted the correct way back in the first movie - a little boy with not a care in the world, and a seemingly small role to the development of the story - just as how Stephenie Meyer herself portrayed the soon to be werewolf in her first book.



You can see just how many emotions are swirling inside the very persona (the eyes, the stance, the everything!) of Taylor Lautner on the right - emotions, frustrations, anxieties, realizations that had not been there on the left (just a happy unsure kid). If you didn't know, by the way, the picture above is the official poster of New Moon, which is also miles better than the Twilight poster, in my opinion!

I believe one of the most defining changes (among a whole lot of them) is his short hair. The short do really works better for Taylor Lautner, and I'm glad that in the New Moon book, Jacob Black does cut off his hair already so he can finally show his better hairdo :) Here are 5 pictures of Taylor Lautner as the short-haired Jacob Black (how he will look like in the New Moon movie) that will tickle anyone's fancy:



Definitely, this is a good sign that the New Moon movie will be great!

If this is not enough, here are other signs that the New Moon movie is gonna be great!

Alex Meraz is one person to watch out for in the New Moon movie. The first time I saw him I was immediately entranced by the intensity of his gaze and the fierceness of his face, that I was positive he would pull off the role of the not so level-headed Paul! And then of course I don't believe I have to state the obvious - he is HOT!

With regards to the progress of New Moon movie, Stephenie Meyer said, and I quote, that "Chris Weitz is brilliant" and "Kristen, Rob, and Taylor are beyond words" so we should expect a lot of great things from this 2nd installment of Twilight.

Finally, if you want exclusive New Moon teaser and on-the-set photos and exclusive photos of New Moon set - Jacob's House, Garage, etc, click on the corresponding links.

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

I'm sure you guys are now drooling and waiting anxiously for the movie to show. Here are the current New Moon movie schedules as posted in IMDB. Look for your country to see when the New Moon movie will play (finally!) in your area.

Nov 18: Belgium, France
Nov 19: Australia, New Zealand, Slovakia
Nov 20: USA, Brazil, Canada, Denmark, Finland, Italy, Mexico, Norway, Sweden, Turkey
Nov 26: Argentina, Czech Republic
Nov 27: UK, Estonia
Dec 10: South Korea
Dec 18: Hong Kong
Dec 31: Greece

Can't wait till November 2009? A month and a few days before the actual showing of New Moon on the movie theaters, a movie companion will be released featuring eye candies behind the scenes of New Moon. It's going to sell at $18.99 a pop.

Let me quote stepheniemeyer.com:

"New Moon: The Complete Illustrated Movie Companion — a follow-up to the #1 New York Times bestselling Twilight companion, this lavishly illustrated paperback will give readers an exclusive behind-the-scene guide to the making of the movie, including full-color photos of the cast, locations, and sets, and much more. (October 6, 2009; $18.99)"

Update: The New Moon Cast is Finished!

The new moon characters have been cast and sadly none of the people I was rooting for got in, particularly Gaspard Ulliel. They opted to cast the role of Demetri to an unknown actor, by the name of Charlie Bewley, who, objectively speaking, actually looks like he can pull off the character.

The role of Volturi leader Caius was given to Jamie Cambpell Bower, who is no stranger to the dark genre, having starred in Sweeney Todd last 2007. Additional Trivia: He is set to play as Gellert Grindelwald in the Deathly Hallows movie. I'm not 100% sold on him being Caius, I'm afraid he might not exude an aura intimidating and "regal" enough, but I'm not going to judge him before I see how he does this coming November.

Mind-reader Aro, on the other hand, was given to Michael Sheen, and I am thoroughly confident he will pull off the role as perfectly as he has done in Underworld.

You can click on the link above to view the actual image of the cast as well as the rest of the actors playing as the Volturi cast.

The Werewolves Cast of New Moon Movie have been Confirmed!

JUICY NEW MOON MOVIE UPDATE! They have now rounded up the final pack of Quileute wolves to be starring in the New Moon Movie, the second installment of Twilight.

And here they are:

Chaske Spencer, Bronson Pelletier, Alex Meraz, Kiowa Gordon and Tyson Houseman are the wolves playing in the Twilight Saga (New Moon) movie.

They are all of native American descent (yey!) and we're in good hands because the person responsible for casting these wolves is Rene Haynes, who is known for her Native Projects (ex. Dances with Wolves). Houseman was just discovered at an open casting call.

Here are their pictures!



The site doesn't say exactly who plays whom, but I'm betting my Twilight bracelet that Alex Meraz will play the role of Paul, the bad-tempered wolf. He just has the look perfect for that character. And I believe Chaske is the only one who can play the alpha wolf Sam Uley. Bronson and Kiowa can probably interchange roles. I'm honestly still unsure what role Tyson Houseman will get, I don't think he can be Quil because Quil is supposed super buff. Could he be Seth Clearwater perhaps?

I've also read rumors that Tinsel Korey will be playing Emily Young, Sam Uley's fiancee, but this is not confirmed in Stephenie Meyer's official site. This is her picture:



They've kept to their original news that Leah Clearwater won't be showing her face on the second movie. Does this mean that Vanessa Hudgens still has a chance? Possibly not, since she is not of full Native American descent (father is Irish+Native American / mother is Filipino+Spanish+Chinese). Anyway, we shall see after New Moon Movie is played and they start planning for Eclipse.

So, what are your thoughts on the New moon movie werewolf cast? :)

CONFIRMED! Dakota Fanning is now Volturi's Jane!

It's now confirmed! Dakota Fanning has earned the role as New Moon's Jane, the small vampire who creates illusions of pain. The rest of the Volturi has yet to be confirmed, but please try checking out my dream Volturi cast here.

Can't wait for November 2009 when the New Moon movie gets released!

Some New Moon Movie Treats and Updates (Bronston Pelletier)

We've got one confirmed cast for the Quileutes! It's Bronson Pelletier, a Plain Cree native originally from Askinootow First Nation. He's a pretty unknown actor, IMDB lists only two previous stints from him aside from Twilight - Renegadepress.com and Dinosapien. Here's a picture:





Here's another fan-made New Moon Trailer to whet your appetite. I must say I was also deeply impressed with this one:



Although I must give the maker of this video a few minus points for the misleading "New Moon Official Trailer 2009" title that was put up on Youtube. ;)

Finally, there are a lot of rumors stirring about Ashley Green (Alice Cullen) and Jackson Rathbone dating! Jackson (Jasper Hale) undeniably has a crush on her, which he himself stated here:



See this, too:


How true this Jackson - Alice relationship is I don't know. But they do make for a good offscreen, onscreen couple don't they?

http://www.whosdatedwho.com/celebrities/couples/profile/jackson-rathbone-and-ashley-greene.htm

However, and this is a big "however", I've also seen in another website that Ashley Greene is actually dating 90210 Ryan Eggold, so I'm quite confused myself. :P

Be part of the New Moon Movie Cast! + Dakota as Jane

Think you got what it takes to be one of the Quileutes? Or to be one of the vampires! Check out this link to learn more!

http://castingscoop.blogspot.com/2009/01/we-promised-you-new-moon-update-here-it.html

The link has confirmed that there will be casting auditions in LA and Vancouver.

If you want to be the next Leah Clearwater, or any of the other Quileutes, make sure you're of Native American descent. Be sure you study the role you wish to play to the letter. More tips are found in the link above. Good luck everyone!

***** EDIT MARCH 9, 2009: Dakota Fanning as Jane has been CONFIRMED! *****

As for other new moon movie updates, there seem to be nothing new that is substantial or confirmed yet, but I will be keeping you updated. I do have this inkling though that Dakota Fanning is this close to getting the Jane role, because of these two youtube videos:

1) her interview


2) she was spotted with Ashley Greene and Kellan Lutz at her "Push" premier.


***** EDIT MARCH 9, 2009: Dakota Fanning as Jane has been CONFIRMED! *****

According to the IMDB site, the New Moon Movie will be released by November 20, 2009.

Please click here for my Volturi Dream Cast for New Moon.

And here if you haven't read Midnight Sun Twilight Book 5 yet.

Volturi Cast for New Moon Movie (My Dream Cast)

Below is my own dream cast for New Moon's Volturi, the head of the whole vampire clan. The Volturi is undeniably a crucial part of the Twilight series - at least the action/suspense aspect of the series. As such, I believe the success of the upcoming Twilight movies will hinge on how well the Volturi will act.

My dream cast is based on a lot of rumors and news snippets revolving around who will play who, as well as my own ideas on who should be considered.

I'm very hopeful that Chris Weitz will do a good job of casting. I was impressed with the execution of Golden Compass so I think he won't have any problems with making New Moon a dramatic and suspenseful watch.

Without further ado, here's my fan-made poster for the New Moon Movie. Please note that it's fan-made so there is no truth whatsoever to it. Enjoy!



I'm not quite sure who should play who yet, except for Dakota Fanning playing as Jane. If Gaspard Ulliel were to play as Alec, then Tom Felton is out of the picture. I don't think Tom can take on any of the other Volturi roles. I do think though that Gaspard Ulliel has the potential to play a role bigger than Alec. Whether he could be one of the Volturi leaders (Aro, Caius, Marcus) remains to be seen. I'm wondering if his age will be a hindrance to him being chosen as one of the leaders. I think he can also be a good fit for the role of Demetri as Demetri is described as being tall and lean, but again, I think it is a waste of Gaspard's talent and presence to cast him with such a small role. Stephen McHattie and Alan Rickman, should they be chosen, should, of course, be part of the group of Volturi leaders as well. I read in one site that Ben Barnes is being considered as Aro. Also a possible fit, though I'd choose Gaspard over him.

Thoughts?

New Moon Casting Updates! No Leah Clearwater, Dakota Fanning as Jane...

Some New Moon Movie Casting Updates!!!

Not only will Vanessa Hudgens not take on the role of Leah Clearwater, it seems that Leah Clearwater won't appear on the second installment to the Twilight movie series at all. No loss there since Leah doesn't really have quite a definitive role on the second book anyway. It seems that the popular choice now, based on http://latimesblogs.latimes.com/entertainmentnewsbuzz/2009/01/new-moon-castin.html is Gossip Girl Jessica Szohr and Vanessa Hudgens, but I don't see it. At all. Yeesh. I'm still rooting for unknowns to play the role, eg. Skyla Solomon

***** EDIT MARCH 9, 2009: Dakota Fanning as Jane has been CONFIRMED! *****

In other news, Dakota Fanning is one of the possible candidates as the frightening Volturi guard, Jane. She's perfect for the role! When I heard of the rumors that Dakota Fanning had been picked to play in New Moon, I immediately thought of Jane. According to People.com, Chris Weitz seems to agree with me. Surprisingly though, Dakota Fanning has not read New Moon! Another casting rumor for Jane is Jodelle Ferland but Dakota seems to be the better choice.

Who should play Jane's twin brother, Alec? People are considering Draco Malfoy actor, Tom Felton, and it seems to be a good fit as he looks a bit like Dakota Fanning. There's also the possibility of choosing the Edward Cullen candidate, Gaspard Ulliel. I'd absolutely LOVE for him to be cast in this movie in one way or another; however, I'm not 100% convinced he'd be perfect for Alec, because of his age. I might be wrong, though. It might work. Certainly though, his looks and acting are a great fit to the show.

Twilight New Moon Movie can be Released by 2009! Plus new director, rumors about New Moon Casting, etc

Good news everyone! According to this Twilight New Moon Movie article by MTV, the movie is set to be released by the end of 2009 or early 2010.

In case you haven't heard, Twilight Director Catherine Hardwicke has been replaced by Golden Compass director, Chris Weitz, for the 2nd installment of the extremely popular vampire series. The reason? It seems that Catherine could not do the movie based on the expected target date, which is quite confusing for me because just a few days before announcing the replacement, MTV featured an interview with Hardwicke, where she said that she could finish New Moon by 2009. Anyway, Chris Weitz seems to be quite excited to direct the film, and he even made a letter to the fans here:

Chris Weitz's letter to Twilight fans

As for casting rumors, Vanessa Hudgens has not been targeted for the role of the spitfire wolf, Leah Clearwater. Phew. I have nothing against Vanessa but I don't think she can handle the role of the complicated lady wolf that is Leah. Especially once they start filming Breaking Dawn.

There is one girl called Skyla Solomon who is vying for the role. You can see this myspace for more details:

Skyla Solomon myspace

I have yet to see any official news stating that she has won the role yet. And, as I have stated earlier, Taylor Lautner is, in fact, keeping his role as Jacob Black.

The success of New Moon will certainly hinge greatly on Taylor Lautner. This means that 1) He has to look like he's aged and has had a major growth spurt. Think Steven Strait :x 2) He has to show us the pain and helplessness he feels as he transitions into something else, as well as show his fierce short temper once he goes wolf-mode. 3) He also has to show us how sweet he can be to Bella.

We didn't see much acting coming from Taylor on the first movie, because he was just the timid, happy, La Push kid in Twilight, so I am really excited to see how Taylor steps up to the Jacob Black centric movie that is New Moon.

While there isn't much New Moon material out there yet, try checking out this wonderful fan-made trailer someone did:



It's quite nicely made. Very clean, and she was creative enough to get scenes from other Kristen Stewart movies that were appropriate to the New Moon. A bonus for me is that she used Steven Strait in her trailer (it should be getting very obvious to all you readers that I am in love with Strait), which is perfect based on the whole aging, maturity thing. Besides, if she used Taylor in the trailer, she'd get less material (Would you like Shark boy scenes placed into the trailer??). Anyway, enjoy watching and I guess all we can do now is count down the months!

Oh, and just an additional thing I saw on one of the blogs that made me lol:



I don't know who made this but it is quite funny and creative. If you were the one who made it, comment in my blog and I will gladly credit you. Or if you want me to remove it from this blog, I will do so to.

Stay tuned for more New Moon Movie updates! And if you haven't read Twilight book 5 yet I suggest you do so!

Taylor Lautner to be replaced by Michael Copon in the Role of Jacob Black!?

Rumors say that due to height issues, Michael Copon will be hired in place of Taylor Lautner as Bella's werewolf best friend, Jacob Black. Stepheniemeyer.com has banished all such rumors in her site and I quote her:

Good news about New Moon from director Chris Weitz:

I'm very happy to announce that Taylor Lautner will be playing Jacob Black in New Moon and that he's doing so with the enthusiastic support of Summit Entertainment, the producers, and Stephenie Meyer.

So Taylor Lautner fans can release that breath they've been holding for a while :)

Personally, I'm glad Taylor Lautner is keeping the role. It's never good to see actors being changed along the way. It disrupts the continuity of the series. Also, Michael Copon is way older than the rest of the cast (born on 1982). If they had wanted to change Taylor, they should pick Steven Strait instead (born on 1986 + way way hotter than Copon) ;)

Finally Watched the Twilight Movie

And it was pretty good, all things considering. I was quite terrified that the movie was going to disappoint me tremendously, with stale or overly cheesy acting, or scenes that didn't depict the book enough. I was surprised to find out that the movie actually did a good job. The baseball scene was as fun as I pictured it, and Edward Cullen was as charming as I wanted him to be. This is considering I wasn't a Robert Pattinson fan in the beginning.

A lot of people argue that Robert Pattinson wasn't perfect enough, but I have to disagree profusely. First and foremost, note that he was perfect in Bella's eyes, not perfect in everybody's eyes. So personally, he was perfect in his flaws! The scene where Robert attempted to make conversation with Bella was pretty cute, or the way he was having a hard time reading Bella's mind. His pained expression was very endearing, and his short temper was also quite intense. The way he smiles is also <3 I must say that I am now a Robert convert :)

Bella did a good job of acting as well. I imagined her to be like that: Stubborn, rebellious, but inherently clumsy and weak. And like her father, she has a hard time showing her emotions, so Kristen Stewart depicted it correctly in my eyes.

And Jacob Black? While I still cross my fingers that Steven Strait is going to replace him in Movie #2, Taylor Lautner was not half bad :P The only problem with Taylor playing Jacob, really, is that he is way too young, and since I always had a crush on Jacob in the book, I find it hard to translate it in the movie.

The way the vampires regarded Bella was pretty amusing. Alice's weakness towards Bella's blood during the battle was particularly humorous. The actress behind Alice really did a good job of making Alice as likeable as she was in the book. The human cast was also a very good bunch. They were very lively and fun. I surmise Eric's actor is going to be in Harold and Kumar 3, should there be one ;)

If I were to be nitpicky however, I'd point out several flaws and irks in the film:

1. The meadow scene was a bit too awkward for me.
The diamonds shining on Edward Cullen's chiseled, pale, vampire face were a bit too odd, those few seconds where they just looked at each other kinda seemed too forced and out of place.

2. The development of feelings between Bella and Edward was kinda hurried.
Somehow, Bella fell in love with Edward too quickly, but I guess this was because the movie could only be so long.

3. The action scene was as disappointing as the one in the book.
I hoped... no, expected actually, that the action scenes in the movie were going to be far more gripping and terrifying than how they were written in the book, but instead, I get this really short fight between Edward and James, which just showed the two snarling at each other. The blood and the whole crunch sounds Bella experienced were good, Alice breaking James' neck was pretty cool, but that's pretty much it.

4. Spider Monkey?
Nope. Didn't like that line at all. Haha.

5. Rosalie isn't pretty enough.

6. Jasper Hale = Edward Scissorhands?
Seriously, that look Jasper had during the majority of the film was a bit too quirky, if you ask me.




All in all, I'd give the movie a 7/10 :)

Twilight Book 5! Midnight Sun

Okay, I have to apologize. When I posted the previous article, I had absolutely no idea that a book 5 was actually already in the works. It turns out that Stephenie was indeed writing book 5, which she entitled Midnight Sun. The book focuses on Twilight as told by Edward. Notice that I write this in past tense. This is because she has decided to postpone writing this book indefinitely. Why? Someone leaked out part of it to the Internet, leaving a distraught Stephenie Meyer to lose interest in continuing.

If you want to read the draft of book 5, she has graciously uploaded it on to her website. Click here for Twilight Book 5 - Midnight Sun. It's too bad really, since I think the book would have been a big hit. It has a lot of potential, and since it's from Edward's POV, I bet it is going to be a more profound read compared to Bella's POV.

I'm off to reading the draft and will come back for my thoughts :)

************* UPDATE: MAY 20, 2009 *************

Is it just me or did Stephenie Meyer just place the Midnight Sun playlist on her site just a few weeks ago? I don't recall seeing the Playlist section before, did you? If that is the case then I have higher hopes that Stephenie will indeed finish Twilight Book 5 Midnight Sun! Perhaps she's trying to relive her Twilight muse by posting that? ;)

Also, check out this line she said at the playlist page!



WHEN/IF is definitely miles better than just IF. :)

Also, here's the midnight sun playlist:

* Monsters — Matchbook Romance
* One of a Kind — Placebo
* Animal I Have Become — Three Days Grace
* Na Na Na Na Naa — Kaiser Chiefs
* Hit the Floor — Linkin Park
* Notice — Gomez
* Bullets — Editors
* Glycerine — Bush
* Ugly Side — Blue October
* Please Please Please Let Me Get What I Want — Muse
* MakeDamnSure — Taking Back Sunday
* Map of the Problematique — Muse
* You Make Me Smile — Blue October
* Paperthin Hymn — Anberlin
* Pts.OF.Athrty — Linkin Park
* Hemorrhage — Fuel

OMG! Hemorrhage!!!

Emmet Cullen... who?

I just realized something recently. Over the course of all four books, the author delved into the personalities and past lives of the vampires, all except one: Emmet Cullen. What do we know about him aside from his super strength, his friendliness, his testosterone sense of competitiveness, and his penchant for giving bear hugs? Or did I just forget a portion of the book that explained his story? If I didn't forget, and Emmet was, in fact, forgotten in the book series, then I believe it's a right shame. He has quite the potential to be an even more lovable vampire, if we knew the troubling history behind him, the fears he harbors behind his always cheerful mask.

Please comment if you can shed some light on this.

Also, please do vote for your Favorite Twilight Book here. You can also vote for your fave based on a particular aspect (like romance, drama, action, etc)

Now that the Twilight Series over, it's time to choose your favorite Twilight book!

The four-book epic Vampire romance novel series that is Twilight is finally over and now it's time to ask the most important question: Which book did you like the most? Do you think that the first is always the greatest and choose Twilight? Did the werewolf-centric New Moon tickle your fancy the most? Was the vampire-werewolf collaboration of Eclipse exciting? Or did you enjoy tying all the loose ends of the story the most?

I know it's a hard decision, so I'm putting up five (yes, 5) polls for this: Best Overall book, Most romantic book, Best in Drama, Best in Character Development, and Most action-packed book. Hope ya all vote!

Personally, Book 1 wins hands down for the romantic category. I caught myself smirking and smiling like an idiot to myself while reading through the pages of the first book, enjoying the relationship between the human (Bella) and the vampire (Edward). New Moon may be my pick for Best in Character Development because of the whole werewolf transformation that went through Jacob Black and his turmoil as he tried to stay human and maintain a normal relationship with Bella. Most action-packed? I'd say all four Twilight books are tied. None of theme had me up to my toes wondering what's going to happen next. But the premise of a pack of wolves and a group of vampires working together must have been the most intriguing, so I'm leaning towards Eclipse. Overall? I'm having a difficult time choosing, so I'm probably going to base it on your votes ;)

Kellan Lutz / Emmett Cullen in a Hilary Duff music video

I'd like to thank my friend for giving me this interesting trivia. It turns out that the actor portraying Twilight's Emmett Cullen, Kellan Lutz, showed in Hilary Duff's 2007 music video of "With Love". This ex-Abercrombie and Fitch model looks even cuter with blond hair:



The first two pictures above are from the music video. The last one is him as the vampire, Emmett Cullen. Only less than 5 months before the Twilight movie shows!

Twilight Bracelet - wolf charm's not made of wood

The Twilight fandom has been in quite a flurry, looking for the Twilight bracelet, the one that Jacob and Edward had given to Bella. I was also extremely excited to find myself one, but I was a bit disappointed to find out that the wolf charm in the official Twilight bracelet is not made of wood. :(



The beauty of the bracelet, for me, rests in the sheer fact that the wolf charm was handcrafted by Jacob. The wooden charm gives the bracelet a rustic quality that I associate with the werewolf. To replace it with a copper charm makes it less authentic and more commercialized.

Twilight Teezers explains the reason behind this change, and I quote:

6 - How come the wolf charm isn’t made of wood?

This is probably the most anticipated question relating to our interpretation of the bracelet. The answer is very simple; wood is too fragile. We consulted with Stephenie on what she had in mind for the actual design of the wolf charm. The design she showed us was a very detailed, near-scale wolf pendant. After some research we determined that a wood charm as small and intricate as the one she demonstrated would break far too easily. The only way to mass produce such a charm would be to use a wood-based casting material, which does not have the strength necessary to withstand the normal wear and tear that this bracelet could receive. The head, feet, and tail would be likely to break off. And it simply would be impractical to hand-carve a wolf out of a stronger wood material for every bracelet we sold. So we decided to make it out of copper. This is[sic] allows us to mass produce the bracelet in a timely fashion while still maintaining the strength needed and keeping the color tone that we were looking for. We would have loved to make it out of wood, but we felt durability and long-term satisfaction with the product was far more valuable to our customers. Had the wolf been a more stylized piece, it might have been different. We went with the official vision that Stephenie had.

I understand their line of reasoning, but at the exorbitant $65 price they're offering it at, I can't help but look twice at that line above that I highlighted in bold. I don't want to make accusations here, I am just still disappointed. Couldn't it have been possible for them to create a less detailed wooden wolf charm OR couldn't they have scaled it a little larger so that the details would be easier to make?



Bottom line, if you're not a huge Jacob fan, you would love this bracelet. Otherwise, you might be as disheartened as I am.

First Twilight movie scene complete!

If you're anxiously waiting for the Twilight movie, the first scene is finally out! It features the ballet studio climax, with Bella, Edward, and James.



Pretty suspenseful. I'm hoping the other scenes are just as intense :) Sadly, we don't see much acting yet in this scene, so I can't wait for the next scene to come up. What scene will you like to see next? I think I want to see the first time Edward and Bella meet, I wanna see how well Edward acts it out :)

It's vampire entertainment season with the anime, Vampire Knights

It seems that it's vampire entertainment season now because just last month, I've discovered this very cool new anime, Vampire Knights. It's currently at its 11th episode and is extremely good. This anime is cooler, darker and more action-packed than the romance vampire novel that is Twilight. However, other than the fact that they both touch on vampires, and their vampires don't die under sunlight, there is hardly any resemblance, so it is difficult to compare the two.

It's interesting to note how many facets of the vampire folklore race these artists and writers can depict. The old stories that included stakes, garlics, sunlight, and holy water have been replaced by more complex laws. For Vampire Knights, one new concept they introduced was their very own version of the caste system. We have the pure bloods at the top of the food chain (one of which is Kuran Kaname, a central character in the anime) and the Class E vampire pariah's - humans who were bitten by pure bloods. Apparently, in this anime, humans can only change to vampires if they are bitten by the highest-ranking vampires, and this in itself is considered taboo because Class E vampires succumb to their blood lust and lose their mind.

I don't consider myself a goth in any way, and I was never particularly interested in these "dark stuff" (I am quite the fradey cat actually), but if there's one vampire flick people should watch it's Vampire Knights. It's just the right amount of gripping, emotional, action-packed, humorous (you'll be surprised at how brilliantly they incorporate those SD anime moments into this seemingly serious anime)and of course, romantic ;). The drawing style of the anime is also very well-done, and fits the mood. Certainly an anime I recommend :)

Edward/Bella vs Jacob/Bella

Anyone who has read past Twilight's New Moon has probably thought about this at one point or another. In fact, I do believe that it is one of the most compelling points of debate among Twilight fans, considering that Twilight is essentially a romance novel.

Edward and Bella vs. Jacob and Bella. The debate sounds very shallow, more like tweens debating over the cutest guy in the Jonas Brothers Band, but with respect to the story's premise, the choice between the two is more than just a choice between the beautiful, perfect vampire and the passionate, kick-ass werewolf - it is a choice between immortality and humanity.

The relationship between Bella and Edward is doomed to failure if the Cullen boy doesn't choose to transform Swan at an age when they would look like husband and wife, rather than grandma and grandson. However, that would mean that Bella would have to give up the latter portion of her normal lifetime and live an eternal life of darkness and isolation. Bella is stupid enough (forgive me, die-hard Bella fans, I like Bella too but I believe that she is being unreasonable) to cast away all of these things, implying that humanity is overrated anyway. She doesn't realize how sad her life will be if she never sees her father, mother, and Jacob again. I believe that her concept of love is still very immature - she imbibes the idea that love is just about the guy and the girl; nothing else comes close in importance. And it is this aspect why I am not a fan of the Bella and Edward ship.

On the other hand, we have Bella and Jacob. Jacob isn't perfect. He's not good with words - he ends up openly showing his bitterness when Bella chooses Edward over him. He calls the vampires bloodsuckers even though he knows Bella is very amiable with the Cullens. As a werewolf, it is his innate behavior to have a short temper. Thing is, Bella is head over heels in love with Edward that he considers Jacob only because Edward left her. She doesn't deny that she loves Jacob - it is impossible not to. Jacob knows her inside out, even without any vampire mind-reading skills needed and he is madly in love with her. However, Bella seems to be more entranced by Edward because of the allure and mystery that revolves around the life of a vampire. I believe that choosing Jacob will be a mature step for Bella - a point in her life when she realizes there is so much more to life than just the love between man and woman. With Jacob, she can enjoy all the things a human can. With Jacob, life is not perfect, but it is real and whole.

To be political, I would agree that Bella's relationship between Edward and Jacob are equally appealing in that both men are always on edge with their instincts - they are both struggling to put a bridle on their true nature in order to be with her. Edward has to battle with his bloodlust. Jacob has to battle with his phase-causing temper. I just lean more towards the werewolf because of my reasons above. If you are an avid Edward/Bella fan, please do not flame me ^^

Twilight Movie -- 7 months away!!! Thoughts on the cast, Gaspard Ulliel, etc.

The movie version of Twilight is going to hit the silver screen by December, 2008! I started reading Twilight only a few months ago, thanks to a friend of mine who raved about it profusely. I must say that after reading the first two books, I am quite impressed.

What I like most about the Twilight series is the way Stephenie portrayed the characters. While the vampire and werewolf theme have been used extensively, she was able to explore a different way of looking at these two mythological creatures, setting aside the cliches of garlic, dying from sunlight, and turning during the full moon. If it makes any sense, the writer was able to put some human qualities to the vampire and werewolf making them a lot more interesting and meaningful.

Stephenie Meyer's writing isn't detailed, like most novels are, leaving a lot to the reader's imagination -- a trait of hers that can be both her bane and boon. I still cannot discern which one outweighs the other. Regardless though, once I start reading a Twilight book, I can't stop!

Of course when the cast for the movie was announced, I had my own images of the characters in my head, that I hoped would be perfectly like the cast. These are my comments about the cast:

Edward Cullen -- Robert Pattinson (8/10)
After looking at a movie poster of him as Edward Cullen, I started liking the idea of him portraying the golden-haired god. Physically speaking, he is quite attractive and his face structure is vampire-ish in a way. However, if I was given the chance to choose, I would have gone for the French cutie, Gaspard Ulliel.

Why? Check out these two images I saw in www.gaspardulliel.net and I think you'll get my point:





He just has this certain vampire quality to him that I see lacking in Robert Pattinson (as of this moment - I am open to learning to love Pattinson). For the non-Twilight readers, Edward Cullen happens to be a pianist, so this was just another hint that he should have been chosen for the role.

Isabella Swann -- Kristen Stewart (10/10)
Perfect. I can't imagine anyone else being a better candidate. She has that pale face going on, that air of mystery, and that sense that she's fragile.

Jacob Black -- Taylor Lautner (7/10)
I love Taylor Lautner per se. I loved his acting in Shark Boy actually. The only reason I prefer Steven Strait over him is that I am completely in love with Jacob Black, and having a 16-year-old play him rather than a 22 year old (Steven Strait could have been so perfect!!!) is just disheartening for me, for selfish reasons. Minus that fact, I give Taylor a 10/10

Peter Facinelli -- Carlisle Cullen (8/10)
Would have wanted him even more handsome, but I guess he'll do.

Nikki Reed -- Rosalie Hale (6/10)
Rosalie in the book is portrayed as the most beautiful woman in Forks, and Nikki Reed isn't living up to that just yet.

Jackson Rathbone -- Jasper Hale (9/10)
Thank you! I love Jasper so I'm glad they got a good-looking guy for him.

Elizabeth Reaser -- Esme Cullen (6/10)
Not motherly looking enough, as my friend pointed out

Ashley Greene -- Alice Cullen (8.5/10)
Had some doubts, but after seeing this in google images:



I can see her being Alice!

Kellan Lutz -- Emmett Cullen (10/10)
Perfect!