sammi says

"The Twilight Saga: Eclipse" lived up to my expectations. The best book in the series translated into the best "Twilight" movie yet. Go figure that the movie with the most supernatural activity seems to be the most realistic.

In case you've been living under a rock, here's what's happening in this installment...Edward and Bella are back together after Edward's plan to leave her to a normal life fails. Jacob is still in love with Bella and is not happy with her decision to be turned into a vampire. Victoria, still bitter after Edward killed her mate in the first "Twilight" movie, creates an army of newborn vampires to seek vengeance on the Cullen family and kill Bella. The vampires and werewolves team up to save Bella's life.

This is the first "Twilight" movie to step away from Bella's perspective for a few scenes. We got to see what was going on in Seattle with the newborn vampires, their leader Riley (major hottie, Xavier Samuel) and the red-haired villainess, Victoria (Bryce Dallas Howard). I think this really helped break up the intense mood set by the Edward-Bella-Jacob love triangle.

Robert Pattinson finally brings the undead, Edward Cullen back to life. In the first two films Edward was always sulking in the shadows, brooding and silent. This time he is full of genuine emotion. He was secretive, jealous, vindictive, sly and despite all of that he had captivating moments of lightheartedness. Just a few months ago Robert, Kristen and Taylor had to go to Vancouver to reshoot the infamous "tent scene" and I'm so glad they did. Granted, I don't know what it looked like before, but Rob stole the show and lit up the screen. He made Edward human and it made the entire film.

We finally got to see Bella grow up. "New Moon" showed Bella's immaturity while "Eclipse" portrays Bella as composed, decisive and even a little funny. A monologue at the end of the movie (that wasn't in the book) really makes the whole movie, even series, believable. Bella basically puts it out there and makes you understand why she's choosing Edward and not for the obvious reasons. I thought Kristen Stewart made Bella much more likable in this movie. My only complaint was with her terrible wig.

More vampires and less werewolves really seemed to agree with the film. But I thought the addition of Leah and Seth Clearwater (Julia Jones and BooBoo Stewart) was wasted considering they're barely in the movie, at least not in human form. I remember really liking Seth's character and his relationship with Edward in the books. I thought after Edward and Seth's victory there should have been some recognition of their teamwork. I realize Seth couldn't phase into a human but I would have accepted a scratch on the head or something. Am I the only one?

The battle was pretty cool. I was surprised at how violent things actually got. I've never seen so many headless vampires. It was pretty gross. It was totally creepy seeing *spoiler* Victoria's head lying next to her body and Edward setting her on fire.

Bringing on David Slade as director was a great idea. The film was dark without taking itself too seriously. It was fast paced and left you wanting more. "The Twilight Saga: Eclipse" could stand on its own outside of the series as an exciting and romantic film.

It's that time again. We're only days away from the opening of "The Twilight Saga: Eclipse," the third installment of the hit franchise, in theatres June 30.

I used to be a little embarrassed about my love of all things "Twilight," but not anymore. I was an apprehensive "Twilight" fan at first, but fully jumped on board after last year's "New Moon" (read my review). I know these movies aren't for everyone but I think I can come up with some very good reasons for you to quit hating, have some fun and see “Eclipse.”

"Is it high art? No. But it’s not trying to be," says "Twilight" screenwriter, Melissa Rosenberg. Even she understands that "Twilight" is all about fun. They aren't trying to make cheese-free, serious movies. The films are exciting and entertaining...there is no need to feel guilty. The movies are geared towards a slightly younger crowd but as long as you aren’t wearing “Team Jacob” t-shirts or making YouTube trailer reaction videos, I don’t think there’s anything to be ashamed of…(I cried I was laughing so hard watching the link above)

Oh, did I mention the films star the super-hot, super-charming Robert Pattinson? My love for "Twilight" has grown just because of the R-Pattz interviews I've seen and read. It's possible that he's the whole reason I'm into this phenomenon in the first place. He's so incredibly charismatic, funny, self-deprecating and I love him. It's hard to watch an interview with Rob and not feel warm and fuzzy. Plus, he’s British. Hello? Who doesn’t love a man with an accent? I think it’s safe to say that Rob Pattinson is not going anywhere anytime soon. Since his “Twilight” success he’s landed the lead roles in some pretty interesting projects. He recently filmed “Bel Ami,” a period piece about a man who uses sex to work his way up the social ladder co-starring Uma Thurman and Christina Ricci. He’s currently shooting “Water for Elephants,” co-starring Reese Witherspoon and Christoph Waltz. Lucky for me, Rob should be around for many years to come. His co-star/girlfriend doesn't show any signs of slowing down either...

Can you say K-Stew? That’s right, I’m totally behind the sometimes grouchy and slouchy Kristen Stewart. The more I see and read about her, the more I like her. I don’t think she’s half the grump the media makes her out to be. I think she’s completely self-aware, wears her heart on her sleeve and has had her moments of really great acting. Recently, she compared being followed by the paparazzi to rape and all hell broke loose. In an upcoming Entertainment Weekly article, her boy-toy Rob comes to her defense and starts seriously hating on internet media going as far as calling bloggers nerds. Kristen, knowing Rob can do no wrong, responds, “You could say, “I just took a s***on the Queen’s face,” and people would be like, “Oh, I love him! I love him!” So, so true. Love it!

“Eclipse” is not just brooding vampires and shirtless werewolves. Ok, that’s a big part of it, but there’s supposed to be a lot of action in this film. The director, David Slade, has a reputation of making brutally violent vampire movies. The action should make the movie a little more fast-paced and exciting and a little less heavy breathing and longing stares.

And lastly, if you see “Eclipse” you’ll finally get the answer to the question you’ve been dying to learn. Who does Bella choose? Edward or Jacob? Ok, I’m sure if you’re reading this you already know that answer. For those of us who have read the books we know that some of the most anticipated moments in the series are in “Eclipse.” We finally get to see Edward propose to Bella, even some sexy-time between the two and of course, the infamous tent-scene.

What more could you want? I’m super excited to see the movie and hope it lives up to my expectations. “Eclipse” is my favorite book out of the series and I’m hoping it will be the best “Twilight” movie yet.

If anything, you should go see the movie so we can talk about how hot Robert Pattinson is…

Let me start by saying I still wouldn't call myself a "Twilight" freak but I like it. There, I said it. I like "Twilight." In early September I told you my story of how I came to read the books and see the first movie (I am a Freak) and now that I have, I feel like I have a much better understanding of the entire "Twilight" world. Having read all four books in the series I can look back at the "Twilight" movie and see why some things like how quickly Bella falls in love with Edward and their insanely strong commitment makes sense. Whole chapters of the almost 500 page book are dedicated to certain situations and topics that are only on screen for 15 seconds in the movie. I don't think the purpose of the movies is or will ever be to be the greatest movies in the history of film or even to be great films period. I think the point of the movies is to capitalize on the love people have for the books and to treat them with the visualization of the stories.

Ok, with that said, "New Moon" starts off with Bella (Kristen Stewart) and Edward (Robert Pattinson) in this fantastic relationship but when Bella cuts her finger opening birthday presents, Jasper, Edward's vampire bro, totally tries to snack on Bella. Edward goes apeshit. He's so disappointed with his family and himself for ever letting Bella come close to danger, he decides to split town for Bella's own good. Bella is of course devastated and the only thing that brings Bella out of her months of depression is her old friend, Jacob (Taylor Lautner). You've seen the previews you know what happens from there...Let's get down to business.

I loved this movie. I think the acting has improved a million percent. The first movie felt so awkward, I felt like in this movie that the actors were those characters, it didn't feel forced. It also wasn't afraid to poke fun at itself...Bella's jokes about Jacob's buff bod were great. Also, the humans definitely stood out as comic relief. Bella's friend Jessica (Anna Kendrick) totally does not let Bella's freakishly deep depression slide. When they finally hang out again after months, Jessica totally calls Bella out on her strange behavior. Charlie (Billy Burke), Bella's dad has some amazing, yet subtle one-liners that were definitely needed in such a serious movie.

I think Chris Weitz as the director of this film definitely gave the whole movie a different feel. Even though the story behind this movie is much darker than the first, the tone feels much lighter. In the first movie, directed by Catherine Hardwicke, every color is deep blue and gray and it made every situation feel very heavy. It's almost as if Weitz knew not to take things so seriously...perhaps a better choice when you break down the nature of the plot. There were only a few moments that stood out to me as being totally cheese ball (i.e. Sam Uley's slow-motion cliff dive and see the ***spoiler*** at the end of the post).

I'm biased in my review because I can understand the subtleties of certain situations, looks and dialogue in the movie because I have read all four books. There are certainly some things that make much more sense to me having read the books than to outsiders who have only seen the first movie.

For instance, Bella's reasons for wanting to become a vampire so badly are mostly vain. Bella has an intense fear of aging, it's not because she thinks the vamp lifestyle is cool. It's because she knows she's going to be with Edward forever and doesn't want to get older while Edward still looks like a sparkly 17-year-old. Bella already feels like a chump standing next to the sexy vamp, can you imagine if she was like 80 years old?


In the book, Jacob's distrust and loathing of Sam Uley's (Chaske Spencer) gang (aka the wolfpack) is explained in great detail. Jake feels he's lost some of his friends and thinks the guys are up to no good. But low and behold, Jake gets let in on the secret when he transforms into the sexy little beast boy, but Bella's still left in the dark. If this was stressed a little more I think it would make more sense as to why the normally docile Bella felt compelled to punch a huge, shirtless guy in the face leading to him phasing into a wolf and almost ripping her face off.


There's a scene in Italy when the Volturi want to kill Bella. Alice reveals that she sees a vampy-Bella in the future which would save Bella's life. We see inside Alice's mind and see Bella in a frilly dress with sparkly skin running with Edward in the woods. People in the movie theatre laughed because it certainly looked like a cheesy fantasy. But of course those of us who have read the books know that scene actually happens in "Breaking Dawn," as soon as Bella wakes up from her transformation she's very thirsty and Edward takes her hunting for the first time. I thought their addition of this clip was great giving us a glimpse of the final film.

This movie kicked ass. It certainly exceeded my expectations considering the low, low bar I set after the first film. After seeing this installment of the saga, I'm slightly less ashamed to call myself a fan. BUT, I am thoroughly ashamed to say I saw the film at midnight last night. The movies are definitely a special treat for those who read the books and it probably won't make sense for everyone else. So I say if you care enough to pay to see the movie, do yourself a favor and read the books first...it will make it much more enjoyable.


***Spoiler***- The audience got a little bit of a cliffhanger at the end of the film. If you had read the books you would know that Edward most certainly does not propose to Bella in the forest. When it happens in the context of the book it makes much more sense even though Bella's answer is no. The real proposal happens toward the middle of "Eclipse" in a much steamier setting.

Everyone loves Cody Devereaux, Conan O'Brien's hunky, brooding, vampire personal assistant. My blog has received so many hits from people google searching "Cody Devereaux" and it leading them to my post Move Over, Edward Cullen. So due to such high demand I updated that post to give you all more information about Cody Devereaux and the actor who plays him.

Go read my updated post and watch the latest clip of Cody from last night's Conan.

Here's my review of "New Moon" for all you Twi-hards out there, What Can I Say? I Loved "New Moon".

It's safe to say that last nights MTV Video Music Awards was the best VMA's in a long, long time. The performances seriously made the show amazing. I don't think I've seen so many great performances packed into one show before. I can honestly say that I thought everyone did amazing. I really don't remember who won what award but I know I was thoroughly entertained.
(click on pictures to see larger versions)

Here's the Good....

You've heard me say it before but I love Gaga. Yes, she's really, really strange, but you can't tell me she didn't sound amazing during her performance of "Paparazzi". While it was a strange performance, it was visually interesting and had me cracking up at the end when she was covered in blood. I also have to say her several costume changes throughout the show gave me a real kick.

Pink's acrobatic performance kicked ass but I couldn't help but notice her costume's resemblance to Lil Kim's VMA getup circa 1999.



Pink does not get enough respect for her amazing voice. I find her songs a little annoying after a couple weeks on the radio, but girl can sing.
Here's the video of her performance of "Sober."

Taylor Swift's performance of "You Belong With Me," was adorable. Nobody has really been talking about it, preferring to talk about the more dramatic portion of the evening. She performed on the subway and then ran out into the street in front of Radio City Music Hall. I can only assume the subway portion was pretaped, but exciting nonetheless.

Beyonce's "Single Ladies," was certainly a crowd pleaser and I expected nothing less.

Here's the iffy.....


The Michael Jackson tribute started off the show and I couldn't help but think Madonna's speech seemed a little off, I respect the sentiment and story she told but I can help but thinking it was not the right way to start off the show. The dancing portion was awesome. I really enjoyed it. Janet's portion was really the most hyped of the evening and I thought it fell flat. I felt more confused when I heard her prerecorded vocals than impressed or moved.

Green Day was ok. For some reason it just wasn't very memorable for me.

I was confused during Katy Perry's performance with Joe Perry. It was short and felt out of place. I thought she sounded pretty good considering the other times I've heard her sing live she sounds god-awful.

Here's the bad...

I won't go into very much detail because you've already heard all about it but Kanye West's interruption of Taylor Swift's acceptance speech was horrible. I felt terrible for Taylor and Beyonce, who looked absolutely mortified. Katy Perry pretty much summed up my feelings on her twitter, "F*CK U KANYE. IT'S LIKE U STEPPED 0N A KITTEN."

Kristen Stewart's hairdo was pretty bad. I found out today it wasn't cut that short but just pinned up to hide her Joan Jett mullet she's been sporting for the filmingof the biopic "The Runaways." I thought her dress and shoes looked great but the hair missed the mark. *On a side note, Robert Pattinson looked mega hot and man-child Taylor Lautner looked pretty good too.*

And the worst part of the night- Not enough Russell Brand! I felt like he was almost never on stage. I wished we would have seen much, much more of him.

(Info, pictures, and videos from mtv.com, usatoday.com and perezhilton.com)

I am officially embarrassed.

Let me preface by saying that I don't get embarrassed often especially concerning the TV, music, books and the movies that I enjoy. I will openly admit that last year I went to Chicago to see the Spice Girls reunion concert, I TiVo episodes of "Lost" that air daily on the SyFy network, the only way I can fall asleep at night is popping in a "Friends" DVD, I've read every book in the "Shopaholic" series, I've seen the musical "Wicked" six times in four different cities and I own the movie, "Snakes on a Plane." I always have a hard time coming up with an answer when people ask questions like "What's the biggest guilty pleasure CD you own?" because I'm usually so open about the things I love and I don't feel guilty about any of it.

Until now.

It all started about a month ago when my best friend Lauren and I had the idea that we were going to watch the movie "Twilight" to see what all the fuss was about. We both read Perez Hilton daily and somedays all he can talk about is the filming of the "Twilight" movies which started to catch my interest. So we agreed to take the plunge and rent the movie from a RedBox (neither of us wanting to actually commit to adding the movie to our Netflix queue) and watched it. Neither of us were very impressed. I thought the dialogue was terrible and the acting not so great. I really wasn't seeing the progression of the main character Bella falling in love with a vampire after spending one day together. Yet, overall, I didn't dislike it and I certainly wasn't bored. I wasn't afraid to tell other friends that I watched the movie and told them that if I were 14 years old, I think i'd really like it.

Fast forward to last week when I was laid off from my job and days later wrecked my car. Needless to say, I had a lot of free time on my hands. All summer I've been reading books constantly and making frequent trips to the library. Ever since I watched the movie I've had an inkling to read the books, knowing there had to be more to this craze. I checked online and sure enough, the first book was available at my local library- and no other branches- it must be a sign, right? Next thing I know and about 6 1/2 reading hours later I finished the first book and became absolutely obsessed.

Then in a frenzy I start checking the libraries for the next book of the series. No luck. Then I realize I'm completely panicking. Thinking, "I have to know what happens next!!!" Some may be asking, "why don't you just go out and buy the book," and the reason is two fold....1. I'm extremely cheap and rarely buy any books. I only read books once and feel it's a waste of money and space. Luckily I have several well-stocked libraries close by and a best friend who reads as much as I do (and buys her books!). 2. By going to Borders to buy the book I would feel so ashamed taking the book to the register and having everyone who sees me holding the book peg me as "one of them." Plus, it also cements the fact that I have a problem and can't wait any longer to read this novel written for high school freshman.

The next best thing I could do to get my hands on "New Moon," was to borrow the book. I revealed my plight to my mom who laughed, yet told me her BFF's daughters have the books and that I could most likely borrow them. Next thing I know my mom, who goes on a nightly walk with said BFF, came home with "New Moon" in hand. I was thrilled and got down to business right away. Now here I am, a day and a half later, home on a Friday morning without the next book in the saga. I'm going crazy. Unfortunately for me, the rest of the world actually has lives and goes to school and work on fridays and I'm left here writing about my obsession instead of giving into it.

The thing about the books is not that I think it is excellent writing or that it is any way a plausible story but gosh darnit, it's a page turner! Stephenie Meyer knew what would suck people in and created novels full of drama and suspense that makes them extremely easy and fun to read. It's based on the whole "so wrong it's right" concept telling the story of a sexy vampire who has to practice extreme self control to keep from feasting on his mortal girlfriends blood. Sometimes it's nice to take a break from more challenging literature, especially considering the fact that lately I've been reading borrowed books from Lauren who is going through a faze of only reading memoirs written by the likes of drag queens, drug addicts and divorcee's. I've read a wide range of novels from Hemingway to Faulkner to Stephen King, I think I deserve to shake up the mix and read a romantic thriller about vampires, damnit!

Ok, so now I've told you my embarrassing story but don't expect to see me reading the books in public or seeing the new movie out in November.....I will of course save all my reading for the confines of my room and will see the movie on a weekday at a theatre far away from my house. And yes, I am watching the clock waiting for 4pm when I can borrow the next book. By the time you read this, I will most likely be finished with the series and will deny having ever read it at all.