Twilight-The DVD Movie Review

With the release of the dvd, Twilight, I told my daughter she could have a sleepover with her best friend and watch Twilight. Of course I wanted to see it too, but I didn't want to horn in tweenie night. The girls were so excited to see it they could hardly wait until dark. I inflated the aerobed, brought down blankets and pillows, baked cookies and popped pop corn and dimmed the lights (I'm such a good mother!). I did sneak a peek every now and then to see how the movie was going and if it was too gory or stuff, which the consensus was no. After the movie my daughter complained that it wasn't as good as the book to that I responded that books are usually better than the movies. The next morning, the girls were watching it again, not quite as good in the daylight. That evening after dinner, I sat down to watch it with my daughter (her third time). Ok, one complaint, why do the dvd's have to be shown on wide screen. The entire movie, I watched people with their heads cutoff, and believe me the entire movie was shot up close and personal on people's faces. Kirsten Stewart looks like a young Debra Winger. What ever happened to her? She just up and disappeared after "The Sheltering Sky". Great book, lousy movie. Kirsten is lovely playing Bella, the displaced teen in love with a vampire. She has a natural look that the camera loves. Robert Pattinson, playing Edward wears a little too much lipstick. Nothing like kissing a guy that wears more makeup than you. Both characters play their roles in a brooding, moody, wooden, somber manner, not a laugh or hysterical outburst from either of them. I think the mannequin fairly sprinkled some fairy dust and gave the department store dummies the night off.

It was interesting to watch the movie with my daughter, we could exchange such things as that's exactly the way I pictured him and stuff. Charlie's house's is really cute, but not exactly what I pictured and Charlie is way too young in the movie. I pictured Charlie older, heavy (he's a cop after all) and white hair. Now why would Bella's mom want to divorce him? I imagined Jacob a Lou Diamond Phillips type, but instead he's more like the lovable puppy next door. I can't imagine him morphing into a werewolf, he's more like a black lab.

The movie ran pretty close to the book and 700 pages makes the movie move with lightening speed. Twilight definitely left the door open for a sequel, but I think if they were smart, they would just head to Breaking Dawn and be done with it. Why bother with New Moon and Eclipse when all the audience wants to see is the relationship between Bella and Edward and tweenies or not, that's all I want to see too.-Single D

My Favorite Movie Moments

The other day while I was watching "Notting Hill" with Julia Roberts and Hugh Grant, my favorite scene in that entire movie was the one where Hugh takes the movie star Julia to his friend's house for dinner. After much embarrassing and awkward silly moments after the introductions, everyone is seated at the dinner table. Camera focuses on Julia's face as she watches the interaction between Hugh, his sister and his friends. Here the host says that the last piece of brownie will have to be won by someone with the best sad soupy tale and everyone commiserates about how awful their lives are and are surely deservings of such a decadent brownie. This led me to think about my other favorite movie moments in some of my favorite pictures. "Sleepless in Seattle", where Meg Ryan is on top of the Empire State building, meets Jonah and his father, Sam (Tom Hanks), the elevator man makes a humph noise for them to get going and Tom says "We better get going" and reaches out his hand for hers. You knew in that instant she put her hand in his, it was magic. They walk to the elevator, barely able to take their eyes off each. "While You Were Sleeping", when Sandra Bullock's character is invited for Christmas at the house of her supposed fiance's and she watches everyone open their Christmas presents. The family scene so typical of a normal family completely captures her longing to be a part of that family. "Family Stone", once again at the dinner table, and Diane Keaton throws a fork to her deaf son after he is rudely backhandedly insulted by the clumsy Sarah Jessica Parker's character. Diane throws the fork to get the attention of her son, to tell him in sign language that she loves him and doesn't care if he's gay. "Bridget Jones Diary", when Mark Darcy (Colin Firth) goes to Bridget Jones's (Rene Zwelleger) apartment where she is making dinner for her friends consisting of blue soup and congealed gravy and the silent looks Mark Darcy showers on Bridget during the dinner. "First Knight" when a dead King Arthur (Sean Connery) is set afloat on the sea while his kingdom of Camelot pays tribute on the shore with Richard Gere (Lancelot) and the lady Genevieve (Julia Ormand) looking on as a fiery arrow is shot at the floating wood pyre of King Arthur with his knights of the round table holding their swords in tribute. A silent Captain Von Trapp watches the novice nun, Julie Andrews, from his balcony in the "Sound of Music". The restaurant scene from "My Best Friend's Wedding". Richard Gere sweeping Debra Winger off her feet in "Officer and a Gentleman". John Cryer as Duckie lip signing to Otis's "Try a Little Tenderness" in "Pretty in Pink". Jimmie Stewart watching anxiously from his "Rear Window" for Grace Kelly to leave Raymond Burr's apartment. Barbara Streisand's woman playing a man wanting to be a woman in "Yentel" and the scene at the dinner table where Mandy Patikin has an unnatural attraction toward Yentel. Keanu Reeves's attraction to Diane Keaton, 20 years his senior in "As Good As It Gets". There is hope for older women! Moments where it's a look, a glance, movie moments that make you hold your breath, these are the moments I live for. -Single D