Tuesday, November 25, 2008

Midnight Showings Rock

Julia, Me, Julie, Nicole, Kami, and Alicia. Yes, we are insane.

But who could pass up the opportunity to see a midnight showing of Twilight? OK, what I mean is, who could pass up the opportunity to see a midnight showing who's absolutely obsessed with the story? Well, OK, maybe someone would pass it up, but we didn't!

And now I will admit to having seen it three times in that one weekend: the midnight showing, a 1:45pm showing on Friday (yeah, only 14 hours later), and a 10:45am showing on Saturday. Needless to say, I really liked it. No, it wasn't the best that could have been done. The effects weren't that great (though, on the small budget they had, the effects weren't too bad). There were some scenes that got changed. There were some scenes that didn't make it into the movie (like the blood-typing). And Edward drives a hatchback. Edward would never drive a hatchback. Whatever.

But I think this was a really good adaptation. The acting was good. The chemistry between Kristen Stewart and Robert Pattinson was awesome. The story was stuck to really well. The music was even pretty good. I thoroughly enjoyed the songs that Rob got to record for the soundtrack. And since I'm a Muse fan, I really loved the use of "Supermassive Black Hole" in the baseball scene--which also happens to be one of my favorite scenes. The cheese-factor is extremely high, but it's based on a teen-romance novel:
Edward: And so the lion fell in love with the lamb.
Bella: What a stupid lamb.
Edward: What a sick, masochistic lion.
Probably one of the cheesiest lines of the whole series, and it made it's way into the movie. The delivery, however, somewhat helped to save it...a little. I like the laugh. It helps.

Anyway, good movie. Even Jana, who refuses to read the books, said she liked the movie. She still doesn't want to read the books, though. haha And the good news is they've decided to go ahead with New Moon. Yay.

3 comments:

Grégoire said...

Dear Sarah,

Setting aside the fact that your blog rocks, and that you have great taste in music, and that you're exactly the kind of intellectual that I want my daughter to grow up like someday, I have a question.

I'm curious as to what it is about Twilight that is so intriguing to you. I'm a huge fan too, and I can't figure out why.

Best,

Greg

pandaswat.sarah said...

Greg,

Thank you for the completely undeserved compliments. I'm glad to have been a source of entertainment for you, though I'm struggling to figure out how it is you came to the conclusion that I'm any kind of an intellectual. I do have great taste in music, though, don't I? ;)

And thank you for stumbling onto my Blog so that I could stumble into yours. Your writing is really very wonderful. I hope you continue to share! I found the line you used about growing up in the shadow of the Salt Lake temple amusing. Somewhat true, though you don't necessarily have to be in it's shadow to feel the cool of it's shade.

As far as my love affair with Twilight is concerned, I'm not quite sure if I can pin-point what it is about the series that's so intriguing. It certainly isn't the writing, or even the style. Meyer leaves something to be desired. I think, for me at least, it's all in the story. It's such an interesting, different, even twisted story. We want Bella to get turned into a vampire so she can live forever as a teenager! How sucky is that?! We're happy that she has to spend eternity on earth, fighting her natural instinct to kill, never growing or changing (at least not physically), all for the sake of a controlling mind-reader. It's all really disturbing, and yet it's what we want to have happen. Despite this, or really because of it, I really do find the story itself enjoyable and intriguing. And I like the (un)intended parallels to LDS beliefs. Call me Molly Mormon, but I like it. Besides, do you ever find yourself eagerly anticipating the appearance of a favorite side-character? I love Emmett.

Hope that's helpful.

Sarah

Grégoire said...

Dear Sarah,

Thanks for the kind words about the blogspot stories. I continue to be amazed at how many people slog through that crap. I haven't written anything creatively since I was your age, and it shows.

It's so interesting to compare our responses to Twilight. If you dig around on my more serious blog,
(pristalica dot wordpress dot com) you'll find I mentioned it in a few articles a few weeks ago.

My reaction was more than a sort of morbid fascination. I found the sex as death allusion a little bit disturbing, and uniquely Mormon.

I'm very conflicted about the work. At an emotional level I'll admit that I adore it; yet when I examine it with a measure of objectivity I find it incredibly disturbing. I wish I could explain it better than Uncle Herb, but I can't, so I'll just crib something he wrote, a long time ago.

In contrast to the images of the Promethean culture heroes, those of the Orphic and Narcissistic world are essentially unreal and unrealistic. They designate an impossible attitude and existence. The deeds of the culture heroes also are impossible, in that they are miraculous, incredible, superhuman. However, their objective and their meaning are not alien to the reality; on the contrary, they are useful. They promote and strengthen the reality; they do not explode it. But the Orphic-Narcissistic images do explode it; they do not convey a mode of living; they are committed to the underworld and to death. At best, they are poetic, something for the soul and heart. But they do not teach any message, except perhaps the negative one that one cannot defeat death or forget, and reject the call of life in the admiration of beauty. (Marcuse, Eros & Civilization, p 165)

Maybe I think too much about things that ought not to be thought about.

And yes, you are an intellectual. Hope that helps. (LOL!)

G