@KittyKittyCat: Also, thank you Dodai for being able to describe my fascination with Twilight better than I ever good. The whole time I was reading them I just kept thinking "these are awful... MUST READ MORE" I'm convinced she laces the pages with something addictive.
@KittyKittyCat: I am Thankful for New Moon being released right around Thanksgiving so I can go home to my small town and watch it in cheap seclusion after stuffing myself with heavenly foods.
@the glamwich: i vomited in the bathroom at the midnight showing of the last harry potter before the movie even started. when i went back to the theatre i couldnt find my friend so i started calling his name only to realize i was in the wrong theater. needless to say, the next morning i realized that i had to go watch the movie again because i didnt remember ANYTHING that happened.
butterbeer will fuck your shit up. especially when its actually tequilia.
I wonder if the reason so many girls identify with Bella, or want to, or relate to her is because of her passivity. Being a teenage girl is really difficult, and maybe they feel ignored and helpless. Lacking in agency, or even knowing what that really means. The things that Edward "loves" about her are all things you'd hopefully grow out of as you got older and found your place in the world.
Such as: that particular kind of low-self esteem that looks like humility or lack of ego so some male character can say, all broody, "you just don't know how beautiful you are". It masquerades as an appealing/non-threatening trait. It's like nearly every story I've read by a certain type of 15 year old girl. Or romance novel. It's a trope that plays out again and again. Much like her physical weakness, dependency, etc. But all I can guess is that more girls and women maybe -feel- that way or relate to it somehow.
Of course, there's also the fact that, whatever else, it's a story from Bella's perspective, and the female perspective has been fairly rare in mainstream film for awhile.
I just...I wish it was a -better- perspective. One that wasn't so reliant on helplessness and victimization, or creepy tropes about "true love". Or was more self-aware of that. That's one of the reasons I love Buffy. The self-awareness. It knew when it was being overwrought, it knew how to self-critique, and it was far more complex.
I will be patiently waiting until two weeks has passed before I dare venture into a theater.
Then again, I did the same thing for the last movie and still ended up sitting behind crazed pre-pubescent girls that squealed every time Robert Pattinson came on screen. I almost rolled my eyes out of my head and kept saying to the Mr. - "this movie is truly terrible, but the experience of watching it like this may have made it worse."
@WaltzingMatilda: I saw it Twilight two weeks after, and there was still an audible gasp from the audience of mostly thirteen year old girls when Robert Pattison came on the screen for the first time.
I always liked Bella and Jacob's relationship in the book (yes, I read them). He's decidedly imperfect toward her at times, but they seemed to have more of an intellectual connection than Bella and Edward.
Hate Bella as a heroine. Always have. I write YA, and ever since I read Twilight I strive to make my female protagonists the opposite of Bella. That is to say articulate and active.
Won't be seeing the movie, but probably will be buying the soundtrack. So many good artists on there--Twilight franchise, why must you force me to support you?
@cheshirecounty: I like to pretend like that doesn't happen. In my version, he's so heart broken he runs away to Texas and we meet and fall in love and have hot sexy sex.
@cheshirecounty: The whole imprinting thing squicks me out to no end. So you can't be with Bella because of her immortal luv with the Sparkle Vamp? Here, try her half-human half-vamp fetus that's been eaten out of her womb by her husband! Cheers!
@cheshirecounty: The most hideous bit of that was she test-ran it in book 3, resulting in many reactions of "eeeurgh! Teenager with TODDLER?". I have no earthly idea why she'd double down on "best friend with infant daughter".
"I found them hypnotic, yet frustrating: The writing wasn't great and the story dragged; yet I was always curious to know: What happens next?" Ahhh this is exactly how I felt, except that I trudged through all 4 books because I felt it was my duty as a teen librarian.
I am Team Jacob. I was after reading the books, and I still am after viewing the clips. (I will never watch the movies though) Too bad we all know how it ends!
@BrutallyHonestBabes (aka Mrs. Sarah.of.a.Lesser.Hobbit): Seriously, I'm thinking of going to Burger King and getting one of those "Team Jacob" water bottles. Not because I like Twilight or even BK, but I like water bottles, Taylor Lautner, and irony.
The only thing I that justified this book's existence for me, is that Meyer captured the entire post-break-up melt down that Bella had almost perfectly.
It has been a long time since I was dumped and I was feeling it all over again reading that part.
@TheUptightMidwesterner: She can't write for beans, but damn can she capture the exact moment Clint Burkhart kicked me to the curb. I cannot for the life of me figure out how she does it.
@TheUptightMidwesterner: That's what my sister said - "I love it because you're reminded of being in love in high school."
Maybe no one remembers themselves as being in love in high school, but that's when I went through my "ugly" phase, involving The Who shirts, ripped jeans, flannel, and Birkenstocks (2002). My sister, on the other hand, opted for too-big men's dress pants exclusively from Goodwill, little graphic tees from Hot Topic/Alloy/Delia*s, paperclip necklaces, purple/burgundy hair, and 14 lbs of eyeliner (2001).
I'm sorry, this is the set of feelings we WANT to revisit?
@Mayor Squeakerton: Oddly enough, when you're in your 30s, you do. It's very strange. 15-19 were hands-down the worst years of my life, and now I'm all nostalgic for aspects of them.
1994 featured flannel, mom jeans, unironic wolf t-shirts, and Docs, for me. Also, Birkenstocks in summer.
@hortense: It had a different feel, for sure; it seemed slightly less overwrought than the first movie. But I wouldn't say that's because a man directed it.
Along the same lines: did you notice much of a difference at all with the new director? I admit I watched the first movie and aside from the plot I thought that the movie was unwatchable because of the direction. I had seen Kristen Stewart before in a few other movies (Speak!!!!)and thought she was a pretty solid actress, same with RobPat, so I blamed the director. Also the poor writing. Thoughts?
I knew I could count on you for a hard hitting investigative report about the merits of New Moon. I'm actually planning to go see the movie tomorrow afternoon with another girl primarily because I have nothing better to do and hey, werewolf!
The paper cut scene made me guffaw the first time I saw the trailer. I haven't read the books, so I was like, "Really? That's the big drama the causes the breakup? REALLY?" Too. Effing. Funny.
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i guess she thought it was New Moon with Blue Moon.
11/20/09
butterbeer will fuck your shit up. especially when its actually tequilia.
11/20/09
Such as: that particular kind of low-self esteem that looks like humility or lack of ego so some male character can say, all broody, "you just don't know how beautiful you are". It masquerades as an appealing/non-threatening trait. It's like nearly every story I've read by a certain type of 15 year old girl. Or romance novel. It's a trope that plays out again and again. Much like her physical weakness, dependency, etc. But all I can guess is that more girls and women maybe -feel- that way or relate to it somehow.
Of course, there's also the fact that, whatever else, it's a story from Bella's perspective, and the female perspective has been fairly rare in mainstream film for awhile.
I just...I wish it was a -better- perspective. One that wasn't so reliant on helplessness and victimization, or creepy tropes about "true love". Or was more self-aware of that. That's one of the reasons I love Buffy. The self-awareness. It knew when it was being overwrought, it knew how to self-critique, and it was far more complex.
11/20/09
Then again, I did the same thing for the last movie and still ended up sitting behind crazed pre-pubescent girls that squealed every time Robert Pattinson came on screen. I almost rolled my eyes out of my head and kept saying to the Mr. - "this movie is truly terrible, but the experience of watching it like this may have made it worse."
I mean, I get it... but ugh.
11/20/09
11/20/09
Hate Bella as a heroine. Always have. I write YA, and ever since I read Twilight I strive to make my female protagonists the opposite of Bella. That is to say articulate and active.
Won't be seeing the movie, but probably will be buying the soundtrack. So many good artists on there--Twilight franchise, why must you force me to support you?
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Vom!
11/20/09
I am Team Jacob. I was after reading the books, and I still am after viewing the clips. (I will never watch the movies though) Too bad we all know how it ends!
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Is it a good idea to reference a classic vampire movie in your crappy vampire movie?
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It has been a long time since I was dumped and I was feeling it all over again reading that part.
11/20/09
11/20/09
Maybe no one remembers themselves as being in love in high school, but that's when I went through my "ugly" phase, involving The Who shirts, ripped jeans, flannel, and Birkenstocks (2002). My sister, on the other hand, opted for too-big men's dress pants exclusively from Goodwill, little graphic tees from Hot Topic/Alloy/Delia*s, paperclip necklaces, purple/burgundy hair, and 14 lbs of eyeliner (2001).
I'm sorry, this is the set of feelings we WANT to revisit?
11/20/09
1994 featured flannel, mom jeans, unironic wolf t-shirts, and Docs, for me. Also, Birkenstocks in summer.
11/20/09
11/20/09
11/20/09
Along the same lines: did you notice much of a difference at all with the new director? I admit I watched the first movie and aside from the plot I thought that the movie was unwatchable because of the direction. I had seen Kristen Stewart before in a few other movies (Speak!!!!)and thought she was a pretty solid actress, same with RobPat, so I blamed the director. Also the poor writing. Thoughts?
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Hearted for the Dorothy Parker ref.