BREAKING DAWN PART 2: On The Final Twilight Movie And Closure

 

You may or may not have heard about this indie project called THE TWILIGHT SAGA: BREAKING DAWN PART 2, which comes out on November 15th. It's just this obscure, limited release film with some unknown actors. The studio distributing it isn't expecting ginormous box office numbers at all. Like, not even close.

Oh, and these dudes? I don't squee at the sight of them.

 

Nope.

Not squeeing.

*squees*

*coughs*

Okay, okay. This post might as well be titled Lies I Tell Myself. 

I'm not huge on Stephenie Meyer's books (except for the Volturi. Me likes the Volturi. *hugs the Volturi*), BUT I do like watching the movie versions because: 1) Robert Pattinson; 2) Taylor Lautner. Yes, I shall see these two actors in other movies, but probably never in the same movie ever again. That, more than anything else, gives me the sadsies--I think these two gentledudes are rather good at hating each other and fighting over a human dudette. Which is what I believe most TWILIGHT fans seem to enjoy most, along with Bella and Edward's relationship.

But alas, the end is nigh. I'm already coping by watching interviews with both actors (score if they're in the same interview together). This is my attempt at closure, but I know for sure it'll be achieved the minute the end credits roll and I walk out of the movie theater. I shall raise an imaginary glass of lemonade and yell "FAREWELL, MY DARLING DEARS!" at the screen. Because obviously.

So I ask y'all this: if you're looking forward to THE TWILIGHT SAGA: BREAKING DAWN PART 2, what are you struggling with most in terms of closure? Bella/Edward? Jacob/Reneesme? The Cullens? My beloved Volturis? All of it? Let me know in the comments! 

Happy Monday! :)

Breaking Dawn Part 2: Full Trailer

I know people either love it or hate it, but the final Twilight movie is out this November. There was a (ten second) sneak peak of more footage yesterday, but here is the full trailer for The Twilight Saga: Breaking Dawn - Part 2.

Enjoy.



But as one movie franchise closes, I know a lot of us are looking forward to The Hunger Games: Catching Fire next year (which I can't wait to see *fidgets*). There are also film adaptations of Beautiful Creatures and The Mortal Instruments to look forward to watching.

Back to Breaking Dawn. What do you think about the trailer? Are there any other books you'd love to see turned into movies?

We Need To Talk About Kevin... And Kindness

A few days ago, I finally got the chance to watch We Need To Talk About Kevin, the film adaptation of  Lionel Shriver's novel. Confession: I haven't read the novel. When I first saw the trailer, I was unsettled without really knowing why. All I knew was that I had to see the movie.  

If you haven't read or seen We Need To Talk About Kevin, no worries. I won't spoil a single thing. 

Other than the fact that it devastated me.

Yesterday, Kelly blogged about the Victorians and their take on difficult topics in their work. We Need To Talk About Kevin deals with messy, messy things, too. But here's the thing: I wasn't super affected by the ugly parts. I rarely am, actually. Books, movies, TV, real life. I've grown accustomed to expect the ugly. 

What really affects me, what catches me off guard and devastates me in the strongest way, is kindness.

Heart is what gets me every time. People doing good things. That makes me cry.

We Need To Talk About Kevin shows glimpses of kindness, and they got to me. They push me to be a better person. The film's characterization and plotting push me to be a better writer. My advice to you? Find what wrecks you, and harness it into whatever your passion might be. I have a lot of passions, but one is certainly writing. I only hope I can pull off something as wreck-y to whoever reads my work. 

Now tell me: how do you incorporate what wrecks you into your work?? Have you read/seen We Need To Talk About Kevin? If so, what did you think? 

THE HUNGER GAMES Movie: What Did YOU Think???

So. The Hunger Games finally premiered last Friday, and as of today, has rounded up a whopping 155 million dollars at the box office (holy bananas...). Which means a lot of you went to see it. And, of course, this leads me to ask y'all the following question: 

If you saw The Hunger Games this weekend, what did you think of the movie?? 

Whether you loved it or hated it, squealed or cried or yawned, today's post is about your voice. Leave your awesomeness in the comments, and I'll be back throughout the day to read your reactions! :) 

THE HUNGER GAMES Full-Length Trailer!

The trailer. Is. Finally. Here.

What do you think? Is it what you hoped it would be or not? Let's discuss in the comments!

New THE HUNGER GAMES Cast Photos: What Do You Think?

So. There's this movie coming out in March 2012. It's called The Hunger Games.


Maybe you've heard of it.


*winks*


Anyway, Vanity Fair magazine has released brand new pics with the cast! 


Le pics:

Now tell me: what do you think? Do they look like the Tributes you imagined? Are the pics getting you pumped up for the movie release?? (confession: Despite a few actors not looking like I thought they would, I. Cannot. Wait.)

You Tell Me...What is Your Favorite Adaptation?

Since I've been taking a little break on the writing front for a couple of weeks, I've been spending a lot of time reading and watching movies. Stayed up late last night watching the making of Harry Potter (very interesting :) ), I Am Number Four is now on Pay-Per-View, I've watched the Breaking Dawn trailer a zillion times (can't wait! If you haven't seen it, our lovely Kristal has it on her blog), reread the whole Sookie Stackhouse series and am anticipating the start of the new True Blood season in a couple weeks (mostly because of yummy Alexander Skarsgar/Eric).

 (yum :D )

There are so many good movies out there based on books. Some that stick pretty close to the books (like Harry Potter and the Twilight films) and those that are more based on the storyworld and characters but add in their own far-fetched storylines (like Sookie Stackhouse/True Blood).

So I'm wondering....which book-turned-movie is your favorite? Are there any out there that you absolutely love...or hate? Do you prefer movie adaptations to remain as true to the book as possible or are you open to different interpretations of your beloved characters and stories?

When Characters Come Alive

Katniss brought to you by Entertainment Weekly

For obvious reasons (see above), I've been thinking about the relationship between characters and readers. We hear all the time in this business about that relationship, whether it's, "I just didn't connect with your main character," or, "I can't wait to find out what happens to [insert character name here]." 

But it's even more clear how personal that relationship is when the big screen reenacts a beloved book. From Pride and Prejudice (all twelve versions) to Twilight to Eragon to The Hunger Games, literary fans become hyper critical movie fans. Why? Because nobody can reach into your imagination and pull out the character you envisioned. Nobody. And to expect that, we know, is folly. 

And yet, when I saw these stills of Jennifer Lawrence as Katniss, a little happy butterfly leaped and fluttered in my tummy. I can't say it's exactly how I saw her, but it's SO close. Even better is the exclusive interview with Entertainment Weekly that goes with this mag shots wherein Katniss--I mean Jennifer--talks about how hard Oscar season was for her with people putting dresses on her and doing her makeup, how she'd just raise her hands over her head when they wanted to try another dress, and then pout her lips when someone wanted to apply lipstick. It was soooo Katniss. 

It's really fun to see this series come alive in the film medium. So what is it that makes a connect-able character like Bella or Katniss? (And please don't say Bella is a blank slate because I totally disagree.) Dig deeper. I want to know what it is you loved about these two heroines who are so vastly different from one another and yet have garnered a similar level of fan-doration. 

The floor is yours, ladies and gentlemen. 

What makes a beloved character beloved?

Casting Choices & Audience Pitch Forks...

Some of the posts around the blogosphere suggest fans are ready to light the torches and sign the petitions in the "Edward Cullen has been cast" circa 2008 style. Why? The Hunger Games male leads have been cast.

Amparo did an awesome post yesterday about the casting of Liam Hemsworth and Josh Hutcherson as Gale and Peeta from The Hunger Games.  Check it out here.

You back? Good.

And she got me thinking about books -V- movies.

Casting choices for popular books are hard. No, they probably seem impossible. Three or four people have to see hundreds of actors and actresses to embody the role millions of people have read, love, hated or fought over with T-shirts proclaiming their love (Team Edward -V- Team Jacob anyone?).

The problem is that one person will never match the image of a character millions of people have created in their heads. The author gives us the tools to show their personalities, looks and voice, but I can bet the Edward, Peeta, and Gale I have in my head are nothing like you imagine them.

And, for me, book Edward doesn't look like Robert Pattinson... but he is movie Edward.

And that's my point -- the movie is the movie. The book is the book (and I do love The Hunger Games series). Everyone is entitled to their own opinion, but I'm interested to see how these casting choices play out. So long as there is something to embody the characters -- and they don't take huge liberties with the story -- I'm happy. I'll give 'em a shot.

And Suzanne Collins is happy.... and she wrote the books!

Hunger Games author Suzanne Collins is also thrilled with Hutcherson's portrayal of Peeta. When asked to respond to the casting news, she had nothing but praise. "I was fortunate enough to be in the room with Gary Ross when Josh came in to audition," Collins said. "Three lines into the read I knew he'd be fantastic.  Josh totally captured Peeta's temperament, his sense of humor and his facility for language. I'm thrilled to have him aboard."

And, hey, there is always hair dye and contact lenses -- it worked for KStew, right?

It's amazing what Photshop can do, right?

Book vs. Movie - Confessions of An Adaptation Snob

So my family and I went to see I Am Number Four recently. We enjoyed it. And, as I tend to do, much to my husband's dismay, I spent the entire car ride home comparing the book to the movie. (Hey, I've gotten better. At least I don't do this DURING the movie anymore. During the fourth Harry Potter movie, I kept leaning over and whispering to him what was different) :D We were at home though, so it isn't quite as bad as it sounds :D

Now, as adaptations go, I Am Number Four was pretty good. Stayed close to the book and the differences were understandable and not so far beyond the book that they were in another realm entirely. So all in all, I left having enjoyed the movie more than being irritated by its differences from the book.

I should probably explain that I'm a bit of a snob when it comes to movie adaptations. I tend to love the books so much that I just really hate when the movie versions stray too far. Like the HBO series True Blood. The Sookie Stackhouse books are among my favorites so I was a bit sad (and annoyed) when the cable series not only strayed but took a sky dive from the books' plotlines. Now, I do actually like the series, for the most part, usually, (mostly because of Alexander Skaarsgard if I'm going to be honest) :D but man, some of the storylines they throw in there are just stroke inducing for me.

I also hesitate to watch historical movies that are based on real life events or people for the same reason. I tried to watch The Tudors but the historical inaccuracies bugged me so much I just couldn't get into it. I love period films, but if they are based on real events, they gotta be accurate or I start to twitch :) And I start to announce to everyone (in a considerately quiet voice, or after the movie if I'm being really good) that what they just saw isn't what really happened. Hey, one of my degrees is in History....I have issues about that kind of thing :)

After we saw I Am Number Four, I thought of other book-to-movie adaptations I enjoyed. The Twilight series (though there are definitely aspects of the films I don't like); The Firm and The Client (John Grisham books turned movies) - these were probably the first book adaptations I'd ever seen that stayed really close to the book; movies based on the classics like Jane Eyre and Emma; Ella Enchanted (I actually saw the movie first on this one and read the book second...and sort of liked the movie better :) ; and the Harry Potter films - there are of course many things that get left out of the films and the books are sooo much better, but over all the movies are pretty great.

So, all this got me wondering if I am the only adaptation snob out there. Can you enjoy a movie for itself and disregard the book it is supposed to be bringing to life? Or do you want the movie to stay as close to the book as possible?