Edward and Doc Cullen look like death warmed over. (Pun intended.)

This is a combo post.  Book review/movie review/pop culture gossip-y chat... 

I am an avowed fan of the Twilight books.  I am still waiting to reserve judgement on the movies until they are all out.  I definitely think the new director did a better job with New Moon vs. whoever directed/produced Twilight.  But the thing with New Moon is that it is really a transitional bridge between Twilight and Eclipse and not a lot happens, it just sets up the action to happen in Eclipse.  So, I don't know if I can judge the success of the production team on New Moon until I see more.  


Unlike some fans of the series, I can also laugh at them and see the humor in the overdramatic acting.  I'm going to argue that a lot is lost from book to movie.  The dialogue that sounds stilted and stalker-ish in the movies reads as flowery and romantic in the books.  Most people don't actually read anymore, so they probably never picked up the books and just judged the movies based on their own merit.  (Of which there wasn't a whole lot to Twilight.  But I still liked it.)  

With the Eclipse trailers coming out there is some sense of anticipation over the upcoming release.  But what the hell is wrong with old Ed and Doc Cullen?  They look like pasty faced victims of pancake makeup gone horribly wrong.  I know they are supposed to be pale. (Hello, sparkly reflective in the sun?  Hard to tan.)  But in the previous two films they still look attractive.  Unlike now.  What is up with them in these trailers?  Did they get a new makeup person?  Did said makeup initiate think that White Lily flour mixed with water was an acceptable base?  Jezebel did a great "Translating the Twilight: Eclipse Trailer" 

http://jezebel.com/5523146//gallery/gallery/11

Hee-larious!  John got a big kick out of it, probably because now he doesn't think he has to take me to see it.   

Movie Reviews (Part 2)

Inglourious Basterds-  I don't know why this movie got such a bad rap when it came out.  I was really expecting this one to be a "John, you can just finish it without me," kind of movie.  A friend mentioned that it wasn't a drinking movie, meaning it would be hard to follow if you didn't have all your faculties about you.  Not to mention that it is 2.5 hours long.  My attention span is iffy at best when I am completely sober and is exponentially worse when I have been drinking.  As it is, I usually have to have another activity going at the same time John and I watch movies/DVDs/tv shows.  This is usually some type of craft or if my sewing pile has become so large that it threatens to topple off the shelf in my closet and smother me when I am selecting a t-shirt to wear...I might deign to sew.  


As it was, I think I was cutting out pictures of cats (that I then feed into my Xyron sticker makers, to make, what else? but cat stickers!)  This product is genius, by the way.  I grew up in the 80's when collecting stickers and displaying them in your sticker book was all the rage and this is heaven incarnate to my inner sticker-collecting child.  


So, there I am, cutting out stickers and John and I have had our customary evening cocktails with dinner and I am just not up to also dividing my attention span a third direction to reading the subtitles.  We decided to finish the movie on Sunday afternoon.  I don't have a problem with subtitles at all and I thought it lent the movie a bit of authenticity that was really nice.  (Of course, as much authenticity as a work of simulation and fiction can have.)  Back to why the movie was not better received by the masses.  John's theory was that WWII and especially the issue of Hitler and the Jews might be a taboo subject that wasn't ready to be made fun of yet.  On the contrary, I think the film does a really good job of making the Nazi's look like bumbling fools.  I believe as a society, the only way to get over such travesties in our collective history is to parody them and learn to laugh at that which is most raw and tender.  


One bone John and I had to pick with the film was Brad Pitt's character's accent.  It was pure Texas hill country and definitely not East Tennessee, where Pitt's character is from.  You would think being from Knoxville (where John and I hail from) Tarantino would do a better job of casting that part or getting Pitt the training to get it right.  I think Pitt did a great job of the part overall and it didn't grate on my nerves so much that I couldn't lose myself in the fantasy of the movie.  


Again Tarantino managed to create a wonderful strong female lead in Melanie Laurent's character, Shosanna Dreyfus.  Bully for you, Quentin.  I love to see a chick kick some ass.