Category Archives: TV & Movies

I don’t watch a lot of TV and movies but I do have my favorites. And I do get temporarily obsessed.

Predictions on the New Moon Soundtrack

I’ve recently been listening to the soundtrack of New Moon on YouTube since I’m pretty excited to see the movie in a few days. I’ve probably heard all the songs about 5-10 times only, and I thought it would be fun to make some predictions on which part in the movie they will be used. One disadvantage is that I haven’t read New Moon in more than a year, so I can’t remember all the parts. Anyway, here are some of my predictions:

1) Meet Me at the Equinox by Death Cab for Cutie

– During an Edward hallucination.

– Before Edward exposes his sparkly self.

– During the closing credits. I’m only guessing this because Decode was the first single to be released from the Twilight soundtrack, and it was featured during the closing credits.

2) Friends by Band of Skulls

– When Bella is with the Cullens before her disastrous birthday party

– When the werewolves are together

– When Bella is talking to the boys in town while she is with Jessica

3) Hearing Damage by Thom Yorke

– When Bella meets Laurent in the meadow

– When Jacob puts the phone down on who he thought was Carlisle

– When Bella and Alice are on the way to the Volturi

4) Possibility by Lykke Li

– During the parade of St Marcus (maybe on a slow motion shot of Bella running through the crowd)

– When Bella first realizes that Jacob is a werewolf

– When Edward, Bella and Alice are walking together on the way to the Volturi

5) A White Demon Love Song by The Killers

– When Bella is spending time with Jacob

– When Bella is pretending to be happy for Charlie’s sake

– When Alice visits Bella after the Cullens leave

6) Satellite Heart by Anya Maria

– After Edward leaves Bella at the forest and she’s curled up on the ground in tears

– While Bella is in school or in bed, depressed and missing Edward

– While Bella is standing on the cliff before she jumps

7) I Belong to You by Muse

– While Bella and Jacob are happily chatting or doing something fun together

– While Bella, Jacob and Mike are in the theater

– When Bella, Edward and Alice are on the way home from the Volturi

8) Roslyn by Bon Iver and St. Vincent

– When Bella jumps off the cliff (in slow motion maybe)

– When Bella opens her eyes and sees that it was Jacob who saves her from fall

– When Edward begins to open his shirt to expose his sparkly self

9) Done All Wrong by Black Rebel Motorcycle Club

– When Bella sees hallucinations of Edward

– Whenever Bella or Jacob are on their bikes (maybe because the artist’s name has “Motorcycle” in it)

– While Bella is in school or in bed, depressed and missing Edward

10) Monsters by Hurricane Bells

– When Edward and Bella are on the way to the birthday party at the Cullens

– When Bella and Jacob are on their bikes

– When Bella and Alice are on the way to the Volturi

11) The Violet Hour by Sea Wolf

– When Bella and Jacob are on their bikes

– When Bella and Edward are finally together again in her bedroom

– During closing credits

12) Shooting the Moon by Ok Go

– When Bella is with the werewolves (well, mainly because there’s moon in the title)

– When Jacob leaves Bella while they are having an argument

– When Jacob is in Bella’s room trying to tell her what’s wrong with him without breaking the rule

13) Slow Life by Grizzly Bear

– During a slow motion of Bella jumping off the cliff

– During a slow motion shot of Bella running to stop Edward from showing off his sparkles

– During closing credits

14) No Sound but the Wind by Editors

– When the Cullens are packing up to leave Forks (“We can never go home / We no longer have one…”)

– When Jacob saves Bella after she jumps from a cliff

– When Edward and Bella are walking together towards the Volturi

15) The Meadow by Alexandre Desplat

– When Bella goes back to the meadow alone

– While Bella is in school or in bed, depressed and missing Edward

– When Bella sees an Edward hallucination

Since I made three guesses per song (or a total of 45 guesses), I’m hoping I get at least one correct. We’ll see on November 20.

Update: Click here for the complete song list from New Moon.

Favorite Twilight Movie Quotes Part 2

 

As I mentioned earlier, Twilight is currently my favorite guilty pleasure. Anyway, here are some quotes from the second half of the movie. You can check out the first half here.

———-

Angela: (putting her camera lens down) Oh.. my… God… (sees Edward opening the door to his Volvo for Bella)

Bella: (uncomfortably) You know, everyone’s staring.

Edward: (looking like he was enjoying himself) Not that guy… No, he just looked. (puts his hand on Bella’s shoulder) I’m breaking all the rules now anyway… (pulls her closer to him) since I’m going to hell.

———-

Bella: Does a person have to be dying… to become like you?

Edward: No… That’s just Carlisle… He’d never do this to someone who had another choice.

Bella: So how long have you been like this?

Edward: Since 1918.. That’s when Carlisle found me… dying of Spanish influenza.

Bella: What was it like?

Edward: The venom was excruciating. But what Carlisle did was much harder. Not many of us have the restraint to do that.

Bella: But didn’t you just have to… bite?

Edward: Not exactly… When we taste… human blood… a sort of frenzy begins. It’s almost impossible to stop.

Bella: That’s what Carlisle did?

Edward: First with me, then with his wife, Esme.

Bella: So is Carlisle the real reason why you don’t… kill people?

Edward: No, he’s not the only reason… I don’t want to be a monster. My family… we think of ourselves as vegetarians. Cause we only survive on the blood of animals. But it’s like… a human only living on tofu. It keeps you strong, but it never… fully satisfies. Wouldn’t be like drinking your blood for instance.

———-

Bella: (surprised, as Edward jumps off her truck) Could you act human? I’ve got neighbors.

Edward: I’m gonna take you to my place tomorrow. (pulls on dent)

Bella: Thanks… Wait, with your family?

Edward: Yeah.

Bella: What if they don’t like me?

Edward: So you’re worried not because you’ll be in a house full of vampires, but because you think they might not approve of you? (laughs)

Bella: I’m glad I amuse you.

———-

Bella: (upon entering the Cullens house) This is incredible… So light and open, you know?

Edward: What did you expect? Coffins and dungeons and moats?

Bella: No, not the moats.

Edward: Not the moats.

———-

Rosalie: Is she even Italian?

Emmett: Her name’s Bella.

Carlisle: I’m sure she’ll love it no matter what.

Rosalie: Get a whiff of that… Here comes the human.

Esme: (runs up to Bella) Bella! We’re making Italiano for you.

Bella: Oh…

Edward: Bella, this is Esme, my mother for all intents and purposes.

Bella: Buon giorno?

Esme: Molto bene!

Carlisle: You’ve given us an excuse to use the kitchen for the first time.

Esme: I hope you’re hungry.

Bella: Yeah, absolutely!

Edward: (with a look at Esme) She already ate.

Rosalie: (breaks the bowl she’s holding) Perfect!

Bella: Yeah, it’s just that I… I know you guys don’t eat.

Esme: Of course, that’s very considerate of you.

Edward: Just ignore Rosalie. I do.

Rosalie: Yeah! Let’s just keep pretending like this isn’t dangerous for all of us.

Bella: I would never tell anybody anything.

Carlisle: She knows that.

Emmett: Yeah, well the problem is… you two have gone public now so…

Esme: Emmett!

Rosalie: No, she should know. The entire family will be implicated if this ends badly.

Bella: Badly as in… I, I would become the meal. (Edward and the others laugh, while Alice comes in through the window)

Alice: Hi Bella! I’m Alice. (gives her a hug) Oh, you do smell good.

Edward: Alice, what are you…?

Alice: It’s okay, Bella and I are gonna be great friends.

Carlisle: Sorry… Jasper is our newest vegetarian. It’s a little difficult for him.

Jasper: (with a pained expression) It’s a pleasure to meet you.

Alice: It’s okay, Jasper. You won’t hurt her.

Edward: (with an incredulous look) Alright, uh… I’m gonna take you for a tour of the rest of the house.

Alice: Well, I’ll see you soon.

Bella: Okay. (Edward guides her away with a backward look at his family)

Esme: So cute!

Alice: I know!

Carlisle: I think that went well.

———-

Bella: (looking at a framed mural) Graduation caps?

Edward: Yeah, uh… It’s a private joke. We matriculate a lot.

———-

Edward: You better hold on tight, spidermonkey. (stops at the top of one tree) Do you trust me?

Bella: (tightens grip on Edward) In theory.

———-

Charlie: I leave you alone too much. You should be around people.

Bella: I don’t mind being alone. I mean, I guess I’m kinda like my dad in that way.

———-

Bella: I thought you liked the Cullens.

Charlie: I thought you didn’t like any of the boys in town.

Bella: Edward doesn’t live… in town… (Charlie gives her a look).. technically…He’s right outside.

Charlie: He is?

Bella: Yeah, he wanted to meet you… officially.

Charlie: Alright. (loads gun) Bring him in.

Bella: Hey, could you be nice? He’s… he’s important. (Charlie makes a sign like a halo on his head).

Edward: Chief Swan, I wanted to formally introduce myself. I’m Edward Cullen.

Charlie: Hi Edward.

Edward: Bella won’t be out too late tonight. She’s just gonna play baseball with my family.

Charlie: Baseball?

Edward: Yes sir, that’s the plan.

Charlie: (looking at Bella, amused) Bella’s gonna play baseball… Well… good luck with that.

Edward: I’ll take good care of her I promise. (starts to leave with Bella)

Charlie: (to Bella) Hey… still got that pepper spray?

———-

Bella: Since when do vampires like baseball?

Edward: Well… it’s the American past time.

———-

Carlisle: (working over Bella and looking at the bitemark on her wrist) You got to make a choice. Either let the change happen.

Edward: No… no!

Alice: It’s gonna happen, Edward. I’ve seen it.

Edward: It doesn’t have to be that way.

Carlisle: She’s still hemorrhaging… Alice, make a tourniquet with your belt…

Edward: Carlisle. What’s my other option?

Carlisle: Tie it above my hands.

Edward: Carlisle!

Carlisle: (to Alice) Go… (turns to Edward) Try to suck the venom out.

Edward: You know I won’t be able to stop.

Carlisle: Find the will… to stop. But choose… She only has a few minutes left.

Edward: (looking at Bella) I’ll make it go away, Bella. I’ll make it go away.

———-

Bella: (at the hospital, after waking up) I’m alive because of you.

Edward: No, you’re in here because of me. The worst part of it was I thought I wouldn’t be able to stop.

Bella: You did stop…

———-

Edward: (before leaving for the prom with Bella) I’ll take care of her Chief Swan.

Charlie: (grunts sarcastically) Uh huh. I’ve heard that before.

———-

Edward: (after Jacob leaves) I leave you for two minutes and the wolves descend.

Favorite Twilight Movie Quotes Part 1

 

Twilight is currently a bit of guilty pleasure for me these days. In the movie, there are several quotes that are lifted verbatim from the books – or at least, with very little change. I put an asterisk on each quote for those.  Anyway, here are some quotes from the first half of the movie. You can read the second half here.

———-

Bella: (narrating) One of the best things about Charlie is he doesn’t hover. *

———-

Billy: (watching Bella and Jacob get in Bella’s truck to try it out for the first time) I’m down with the kids.

Charlie: (sarcastically) Oh yeah, dude, you’re the bomb.

———-

Jessica: (on first meeting Bella) Hey, you’re from Arizona, right?

Bella: Yeah.

Jessica: Aren’t people from Arizona supposed to be…. really tan?

Bella: Yeah, maybe… that’s why they kicked me out.

———-

Jessica: (telling Bella about Alice Cullen) She’s with Jasper, the blonde one who looks like he’s in pain.

———-

Edward: (smiles) So you’re enjoying the rain?

Bella: You’re asking me about the weather?

Edward: Yeah, I… I guess I am.

Bella: I don’t really like the rain. Any cold, wet thing, I don’t really… (Edward smiles ironically) What?

Edward: Nothing… (looks in the microscope) Anaphase.

Bella: Do you mind if I check?

Edward: Sure.

Bella: (looks in the microscope) Anaphase.

Edward: Like I said. (smiles) If you don’t like the rain so much, why did you move to the worst place in the continental US?

Bella: It’s complicated. *

Edward: I’m sure I can keep up. *

———-

Bella: (looking at Edward) Hey, did you get contacts? *

Edward: No. *

Bella: Your eyes… were black the last time I saw you. Now they’re like… golden brown.

Edward: Yeah, I know, it’s the, uh… fluorescents. (walks away)

———-

Bella: How did you get over to me so fast? *

Edward: I was standing right next to you, Bella. *

Bella: No, you were next to your car… across the lot.

Edward: No I wasn’t. *

Bella: Yes you were!

Edward: Bella, you hit your head. You’re confused. *

Bella: I know what I saw.

Edward: And what exactly was that?

Bella: You… stopped the van. You pushed it away with your hand.

Edward: Well, nobody’s going to believe you. *

Bella: I wasn’t gonna tell anybody. I just need to know… the truth. *

Edward: Can’t you just thank me and get it over with? *

Bella: Thank you. *

Edward: You’re not going to let this go, are you? *

Bella: No. *

Edward: Well then, I hope you enjoy disappointment. *

———-

Edward: What’s in Jacksonville?

Bella: How did you know about that?

Edward: You’re not answering my question.

Bella: Well, you don’t answer any of mine, so… (pauses) I mean, you don’t even say hi to me.

Edward: Hi.

Bella: Are you going to tell me how you stopped the van?

Edward: Yeah. I had an… adrenaline rush. It’s very common. You can Google it.

———-

Eric: (seeing Bella approach) Hey… La Push, baby, are you in?

Bella: Should I know what that means?

———-

Eric: And I don’t just surf the internet.

Jessica: Eric, you stood up ONE TIME. And it was a foam board.

———-

Eric: La Push, baby. It’s… La Push.

Bella: I’ll go if you stop saying that.

Mike: Seriously dude, it’s creepy.

———-

Edward: I’d rather hear your theories.

Bella: I have considered radioactive spiders and kryptonite. *

Edward: That’s all superhero stuff, right? What if I’m not the hero? What if I’m… the bad guy? *

———-

Edward: (after Bella invited him to La Push) I don’t know.

Bella: Is there something wrong with that beach?

Edward: It’s just a little… crowded. (next shot is of the deserted beach)

———-

Edward: I can read every mind in this room…. apart from yours. Money… sex…. money… sex…. cat…. And then you… Nothing. It’s very frustrating.

Bella: Is there something wrong with me? *

Edward: See I tell you I can read minds, and you think there’s something wrong with you?

Bella: What is it?

Edward: I don’t have the strength to stay away from you anymore. *

Bella: Then don’t.

———-

Bella: You’re impossibly fast, and strong…. Your skin is pale white and ice cold. Your eyes change color. And sometimes you speak like you’re from a different time. You never eat or drink anything. You don’t go out in the sunlight… (pauses) How old are you? *

Edward: Seventeen. *

Bella: How long have you been seventeen? *

Edward: (pause) A while. *

Bella: I know what you are.

Edward: Say it, out loud, say it.

Bella: Vampire.

Edward: Are you afraid?

Bella: No.

Edward: Then ask me the most basic question. What do we eat?

Bella: You won’t hurt me…

My Thoughts on TWILIGHT (the Movie)

Last Sunday, I saw TWILIGHT with my teenage niece only three days after reading the book for the first time. I had the advantage of not having to go through the “Rob Effect,” which is what Twilight author Stephenie Meyer called the rabid negative reaction of fans against Robert Pattinson’s casting as Edward Cullen. That’s mainly because I already knew beforehand that Cedric Diggory would now morph from a wizard to a vampire, and at that time, I really didn’t care.Making movie adaptations of a popular novel is always very tricky. I’m glad I realized early enough that I had to enjoy a movie adaptation for what it is – a movie – and not obsessively gripe over every single departure from the book. That is, IF the changes are minor and does not affect how the story goes or how the characters are written. I know moviemakers will never be able to put in all of my favorite scenes and dialogues from the novel, so that’s not a big deal for me, but I DO have an issue if the character itself is changed to add more drama (like the petty, rebellious High King Peter in Prince Caspian).

I’d say Twilight was pretty much a success in that it made the book come to life, and it really stayed true to the spirit of the novel. Here are some of my thoughts on the movie:

CASTING

Edward Cullen – Okay, so I mentioned the Rob Effect already. I don’t get it. Seriously, is there any human being who can live up to how people imagined Edward Cullen to be? Robert Pattinson is not a pretty boy like Zac Efron, or handsome in the Brad Pitt kind of way – but he’s a looker. Plus, he has a very chiseled face that can look both scary and beautiful at the same time. For some reason, he reminds me a bit of Heath Ledger. I think he’ll do well as a character actor by the way he portrayed the dark, conflicted side of Edward, which I didn’t really get from reading Twilight. (I understood it more when I read the leaked draft of Midnight Sun, a retelling of Twilight from Edward’s point of view). I particularly liked the way he first said “hello” to Bella during their Biology class – tentative, uncomfortable, but calculating. I also loved his reaction when Bella asked him if he got contacts, where he gave some incoherent excuse and stalked off. What an attractive, morose Byronic hero.

Bella Swan – Wow, Kristen Stewart was amazing, and physically, she’s how I imagined Bella to be – plain-looking but lovely. I was actually surprised at how her facial expressions, body posture and hand gestures were able to reveal the internal turmoil that Bella was going through. This was described in minute detail in the book, and I was worried the actress wouldn’t be able to show this on screen. But Kristen Stewart did, and I’m really impressed. My only problem was that I kept remembering her in Panic Room during the entire movie.

Charlie Swan – Well, that wasn’t how I imagined Charlie to be – I thought he’d be a bit more shy and quiet, but Billy Burke did a great job. I loved how he cocked a rifle when he told Bella to bring in Edward.

Alice Cullen – Ashley Greene was exactly how I imagined Alice to be, except that I pictured her to be even shorter in person, and have even shorter hair. Plus, I thought she should look a wee bit younger, but it really doesn’t matter. Her pitch during the baseball game looked a bit too difficult though, what with kicking her leg straight up like that.

Jasper Hale – Hmmm, Jackson Rathbone really DID look like he was in pain, but I wasn’t sure about the zombiesque look. Plus I thought Jasper should have been a bit bulkier, and more handsome. His character wasn’t that well-developed, but that’s not his fault.

Rosalie Hale – No offense, but I was imagining someone prettier than Nikki Reed. She’s pretty, just not… heartbreakingly beautiful, as I thought Rosalie would be. Well, I think I’m beginning to understand the Rob Effect. Anyway, I thought she did well in her bitchy moments.

Emmett Cullen – He’s big, he’s bulky, but I was imagining Emmet to be even taller, scarier… more like a bear. I don’t know where that came from, but on the whole I think Kellan Lutz did a great job, though this monkey man only got a few lines.

Carlisle Cullen – I, uh, didn’t really like Peter Facinelli in this role. There was just something about his face that creeped me out, I don’t know. Maybe his hair was too blonde or something.

Esme Cullen – I loved Elizabeth Reaser in the role as Edward’s mother “for all intents and purposes.” She was so pretty and so warm, but didn’t she look too… well, normal? She sort of looked like a regular person to me, not a vampire.

James – Cam Gigandet was very convincing as the hunter, a nomad vampire who’s out to get Bella and make her suffer, partly in order to aggravate Edward. He was definitely a good choice, because he looked scruffy and scary and his growls made me shudder.

MUSIC

I loved all the songs they picked for each scene. I wrote another blog entry about the songs from the movie, so I guess I don’t have to go into a lot of detail here. I especially liked the musical score, because it gave the movie an ethereal, haunting feel to it.

STORY

The story did not deviate too much from the plot of the book, which was a relief. The characters were also consistent with the description from the book. I’m so glad also that they lumped a lot of direct quotes from the book into the script, without making it sound contrived or awkward.

I particularly liked the scene when Bella was leaving Charlie. Unlike in the book, where the reader knows what the plan is, the movie had the element of surprise when Bella shut the door in Edward’s face, shouting that they’re relationship is over. When she gets to her room, the audience gasps because Edward is right there helping her pack, and then they understand the plan. Another scene I liked was Bella seeing her friends leave a restaurant, happy as a normal high school kid should be, while she was fleeing for her life, because it showed how her life could have been without Edward.

Of course, there were a couple of scenes I missed from the book. One was the time Edward sat alone at the cafeteria, away from the Cullens table, and signaled to Bella to join him there. I also loved the time when Edward caused a traffic jam in order to see Bella’s horrified expression when Tyler asked her to the spring dance. I also loved the time Bella fainted in Biology class and Edward carried her to the nurse.

COMPLAINTS

The movie is not perfect of course, and I do have some minor nit-picks.

1) It seemed that Edward only stopped sucking Bella’s blood because of Carlisle, who told him to stop. If Carlisle wasn’t there, he probably would’ve killed Bella outright. I guess that added drama, but it would have been better if Edward found the will on his own, without anyone making him stop.

2) It didn’t look as if Edward’s priority at the ballet studio was to save Bella’s life – in fact, he had to be reminded of the fact that his human girlfriend was about to die. In the book, his first concern was saving Bella, and he was able to overcome the temptation of her blood because he was so scared to lose her. In the movie, it seemed as if Carlisle and Edward weren’t in such a great hurry to check on Bella, conversing almost leisurely about her state.

3) I didn’t like the effects they did when Edward showed Bella how he looked like under the sunlight. If I didn’t know what to expect, I wouldn’t really get the point. His skin didn’t glitter or shimmer the way it should.

4) I don’t think it’s easy for people who haven’t read the book to understand why the Cullens – who were seven in all – didn’t just fight James and Victoria face to face, instead of splitting into three groups. They had the numbers in their favor after all.

5) The makeup of the vampires was rather inconsistent. When they were first introduced, they were all chalky pale-white with crimson lips, but in other scenes they look almost normal. Plus, usually only their faces were pale-white, the arms and neck look normal.

6) The effect of speeding up the tape to show how fast a vampire moves look rather… cheesy.

7) I didn’t like Edward’s spidermanish prowess of climbing trees. I didn’t know vampires had that power. But I did like the tree-top scene.

Complete Song List from Twilight

This is the complete song list from the first Twilight movie. To read the song list for New Moon, please click here.

1) Full Moon (The Black Ghosts) – track 3 in the soundtrack

– This was played when Bella left Phoenix to live with Charlie at Forks, up until she got to her room. The lyrics were particularly appropriate, since the song talked about leaving. “And I don’t know where I’ll go / And I don’t know what I’ll see / But I’ll try not to bring it back home with me…”

2) Eyes on Fire (Blue Foundation) – track 9 in the soundtrack

– This was played when Bella was waiting for Edward at the parking lot so that she could confront him about his creepy behavior the day before. Not only was the title of the song great for the scene (which opened with a close up of Edward’s flashing black eyes), but the lyrics represented Edward’s initial struggle with wanting to kill Bella. “I’ll seek you out / Slay you alive / One more word and you won’t survive…” Creepy.

3) Tremble for My Beloved (Collective Soul) – track 7 in the soundtrack

– This was played when Edward saved Bella’s life by stopping Tyler’s truck that was about to crash into her. Again, the song they picked for this scene was very well-chosen. “The hour has begun / Your eyes have now opened / To a world where madness craves / To a world where hopes enslaved / Oh, I’ll tremble for my love always…” The hour has come for Bella to realize that there was something supernatural about Edward, and for Edward to realize that he was beginning to fall in love with a human.

4) I Caught Myself (Paramore) – track 8 in the soundtrack

– This was played while Jessica and Angela were trying on prom dresses at Port Angeles, with a disinterested Bella looking on. The lyrics didn’t really match the scene per se, but it reflected the mental and emotional climate of Bella at that time. “You got it, you got it / Some kind of magic / Hypnotic, hypnotic / You’re leaving me breathless…”

5) Never Think (Robert Pattinson) – track 10 in the soundtrack

– This was played during Edward and Bella’s conversation over dinner at Port Angeles, after he saved her life again from the men who were about to attack her. This is one of my favorite scenes because Edward was beginning to open up to Bella about who he is and how he feels. I also loved the fact that the song was composed and sung by Robert Pattinson (the actor playing the role of Edward Cullen) himself. “Girl save your soul / Go on save your soul / Before it’s too far gone / And before nothing can be done / Cause without me / You got it all…”

6) Spotlight – Twilight Mix (Mute Math) – track 5 in the soundtrack

– This was played during the scene where Edward and Bella came to school together for the first time. “The spotlight is on…”

7) La Traviata (The Royal Philharmonic Orchestra) – included in the bonus tracks

– This was played when Bella first visited Edward’s house, while the Cullens were making dinner for her.

8) Clair de Lune (The APM Orchestra) – included in the bonus tracks

– This was played when Bella turned on the CD player at Edward’s room, and they danced for a while.

9) Bella’s Lullaby (Carter Burwell) – track 12 in the soundtrack

– This was played when Edward carried Bella to the top of the trees to show her the sights, and continued to the scene where he was playing the piano for her. I really like the fact that Robert Pattinson was really the one playing the piano in the scene. There’s another “fake” version of Bella’s Lullaby which is actually “River Flows in You” by Yiruma. I wonder why they didn’t go for that one.

10) Supermassive Black Hole (Muse) – track 1 in the soundtrack

– This was played during the baseball game at the field right until James, Victoria and Laurent came to spoil everything. The lyrics doesn’t exactly fit the scene, but the rhythm and the music  did.

11) Let Me Sign (Robert Pattinson) – included in the bonus tracks

– This was played when a pained Edward decided to suck the venom out of Bella’s wound himself, not knowing if he can find the will to stop, in order to save her from becoming a vampire like him. The song runs throughout Bella’s dream sequence during her near-death experience. This was a very haunting, painful song, and again, it’s by Robert Pattinson. I’m not exactly sure what the phrase “let me sign” means though. Let me sign in the petition to become a vampire?

12) Go All the Way [Into the Twilight] (Perry Farrell) – track 6 in the soundtrack

– This was played during the prom, when Edward led Bella to say hi to her old friends Jessica and Mike, and Angela and Eric. “Tonight / Lightning strikes / Let’s go into twilight!”

13) Flightless Bird, American Mouth (Iron & Wine) – track 11 in the soundtrack

– This was played during the prom, when Edward and Bella were dancing alone at a gazebo. She wanted to know why he didn’t let her become a vampire too, and couldn’t understand why he wouldn’t end her life. The song captures Edward’s dilemma – he wanted to have Bella with him for eternity, but he didn’t want to end her life as a human. “Have I found you / Flightless bird / Jealous, weeping / Or lost you / American mouth…” I don’t exactly get what the American mouth is about, but anyway it turns out that the song was Kristen Stewart’s suggestion.

14) 15 Step (Radiohead) – not included in the soundtrack

– This was the first song used for the credits, when Victoria was walking down the stairs after watching Edward and Bella dancing. I suppose the lyrics are appropriate for Victoria – “How come I end up where I started…”

15) Leave Out All the Rest (Linkin Park) – track 4 in the soundtrack

– This was the second song used for the credits. I’ve always liked Linkin Park, so I was glad that they have a song in the soundtrack. “When my time comes / Forget the wrong that I’ve done / Help me leave behind some / Reasons to be missed / Don’t resent me / And when you’re feeling empty / Keep me in your memory / Leave out all the rest…”

16) Decode (Paramore) – track 2 in the soundtrack

– This was the third song used for the credits, and is the first single released for Twilight. This is the song with the most appropriate lyrics for the story, since the composer actually wrote this about Edward and Bella. “But you think that I can’t see / What kind of man that you are / If you’re a man at all / Well, I will figure this one out / On my own (I’m screaming, ‘I love you so.’) / On my own (My thoughts you can’t decode)…”

Crazy about TWILIGHT

3022495092_a9e8fd1908Last Thursday afternoon, I went to Powerbooks at Greenbelt during my lunch break to find an unabridged copy of The Count of Monte Cristo. I checked at the Customer Service desk but it was currently unavailable. Since I really wanted to buy any good book to read over the long weekend, I decided to look around a bit. I was intrigued because the shelves for reserved books were stacked full of the Twilight series, plus there’s a lot of hype around the series because the movie just came out. On a whim, I asked the nice lady at the counter whether the first book of the series was available, and she handed me what turned out to be the last un-reserved copy of Twilight. I decided to buy it on the spot and begun reading it while having pasta at Java Man.

I couldn’t put it down, and it took all my self-control to stop reading the book since I had to go back to the office after my lunch break. I hurried home after work and actually skipped dinner to finish the book, which I did at around 2pm. I decided right then and there that I had to buy the rest of the books. I normally don’t buy books until I’m sure it’s something I want to read repeatedly (preferring to borrow a copy from the library or from friends, or reading at the bookstore first), but this was an exception. I had to know what would happen to Edward and Bella.

So the next day, I went back to Powerbooks, and was dismayed to find that there weren’t any copies available of New Moon, Eclipse and Breaking Dawn. I hurried to National Bookstore in Glorietta, but they were out of stock as well. When I got back to the office, I called all nearby branches of Powerbooks and National Bookstore to check if they had copies available, but to no avail. Happily, I remembered to call Fully Booked at Bonifacio Global City, which just got their stock. After work, I took a cab and bought the three other books in the series, and began reading New Moon right there at the bookstore. I, uh, again skipped dinner in favor of finishing the book. I slept at 5 am and got up at 8 am to begin Eclipse, skipping breakfast. I had a light lunch at around 2 pm, and finished Breaking Dawn at around 9 pm.

I have a feeling I’ll be writing a couple of blog entries on Twilight after this one, focusing both on the movie and the book. But for now, I suppose it’s enough to talk about how I skipped meals and lost sleep over the series.

Broadway and Jazz in So You Think You Can Dance

Whenever I watch So You Think You Can Dance on YouTube (I’m usually out on Saturday nights while it’s being aired on cable), I’m more interested in watching the hip-hop or even krump routines compared to the other genres. But after seeing these two performances, I’ve now included jazz and Broadway among my favorites. Here’s Sabra Johnson and Neil Haskell in their jazz performance to “Sweet Dreams (Are Made of This),” choreographed by Mandy Moore. The song incidentally reminds me of an ice cream commercial that was popular when I was a kid.

Here’s my favorite couple Chelsie Hightower and Mark Kanemura in their steamy Broadway performance to the song “I’m a Woman,” choreographed by Tyce Diorio.

George Sampson on Britain’s Got Talent

A few weeks ago, my boss told me about Paul Potts, the guy who won this show called Britain’s Got Talent. The show sounded familiar, but I never actually watched it before. I thought I’d check it out in YouTube, like Joy did, but I, uh, got a bit bored. That’s when I noticed under “Related Videos” something that caught my eye – something about a 13-year-old streetdancer.

I wasn’t expecting much from this kid because he seemed too young to be a decent streetdancer and breakdancer. I guess I forgot that Adam Sevani from Step Up 2 was only 15 when he made the movie. He actually caught me (and obviously, the judges as well) by surprise when he started dancing, because he looked so shy at first. Anyway, here’s his audition last 2007. I think he was really adorable in this video.

I found out later while checking out his other videos that he didn’t make it to the semi-finals even though Simon Cowell fought for him. It’s a good thing I guess because it made him really determined to train harder and come back the next year.

Since he didn’t come from a rich family, he would literally dance in the streets to raise money for lessons and travel expenses. In his re-audition in 2008, he said he was “twice as nervous” but George showed everyone he was twice as good. You’d see his big improvement both as a dancer and performer (watch his facial expressions) in this video.

This time, he got into the semi-finals, where he performed probably one of the most creative dance routines I’ve ever seen. Rain is always interesting, and was a bit reminiscent of the final dance in Step Up 2. As George Sampson said, “It doesn’t get any better than that.”

For the finals, he was supposed to do another routine to a Bee Gees song, but an hour before the live show he decided to redo his popular “Singing in the Rain” performance. It’s amazing how he can make it even more amazing than it was before. Watch how both relaxed and intense he is. You can really feel that his heart is into his dancing, and he’s giving it all he’s got.

After dancing like that and raising the bar even higher, it’s no surprise that he won Britain’s Got Talent 2008. His dancing is amazing, his attitude is inspiring, and his accent is so bloody endearing!

 

Note: Photo on the top is from www.dailymail.co.uk

On the BBC’s Prince Caspian and Dawn Treader

Like I mentioned in my previous entry, I’ve had the complete VCD collection of the BBC adaptation of The Chronicles of Narnia for 3 years now but I have only attempted to watch it once. I gave up after a few minutes because I was creeped out by the talking beasts – which were actually people wearing animal costumes, until friends from The Lion’s Call forum mentioned how they liked it, especially The Silver Chair. So I dug out my old VCD’s and watched SC, and liked it a lot.

Tonight, having nothing better to do (and not having cable connection at the moment for some reason), I thought I’d watch Prince Caspian and The Voyage of the Dawn Treader, which was meshed to one movie. My major problem is that I can’t find the last disc, so I couldn’t finish watching it. But still, here are my comments:

COMMENTS ON THE CAST

There’s something about Richard Dempsey’s portrayal as PETER PEVENSIE that I really liked. He was younger than I thought Peter would be from the book, but he has a certain kingliness and nobility about him that I could really imagine him as the High King.

Sophie Cook as SUSAN PEVENSIE had only a very short role in the film, and I don’t remember much about it.

Jonathan Scott as EDMUND PEVENSIE was okay, though he looked nearly Peter’s age.

I didn’t like Sophie Wilcox as LUCY PEVENSIE that much, because she didn’t quite capture the innocence and pureness of heart that Georgie Henley was able to portray in the Walt Disney-Walden Media version.

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I loved both the young PRINCE CASPIAN, played by Jean Marc Perret, and the older KING CASPIAN, played by Samuel West. First, because they got the age right. When Caspian became a king, he was only a boy, not a 27 year old man. Second, because they got his hair right. Caspian had golden curls, not raven black wavy hair. Oh well. Plus, I love how the older Caspian resembled the younger Caspian.

As I mentioned before, David Twaithes as EUSTACE SCRUBB captured the whining, irritating quality of the character.

For the minor characters, I’ve got to say I also loved MIRAZ (Robert Lang), CORIAKIN (Preston Lockwood) and best of all, the HAG (which I just found out was played by Barbara Kellerman, who also played the White Witch and the Lady of the Green Kirtle).

COMMENTS ON THE SCRIPT

Again, I must say I’m really impressed with how many direct quotes they incorporated in the dialogue. I guess the main difference is that they combined PC and VDT into pretty much one single story. As I said before, I can’t find the last CD so I don’t know how the story ends, but they thought of a pretty good way to do it. When the Pevensies get back to Narnia after the end of PC, instead of everyone going to school, Peter is going to Professor Kirke’s, Susan to the USA (uh, in a train?) and Ed and Lucy to the house of their cousin Eustace Scrubb. Of course, this leads straight to the story of VDT.

I think though that if you watch this film without reading the book, you’d be hard-pressed to understand the back-story of the Telmarines and the battle.

OTHER COMMENTS

Uh, I thought it was weird for Aslan, Susan and Lucy to watch the second Battle of Beruna rather nonchalantly from the comforts of a tall hill. And I thought the dryads (spirits of the trees) were way too creepy and ghost-like.

I sort of wished I’ve seen the BBC adaptation of The Chronicles of Narnia when I was younger. I’m sure I would have enjoyed it more, but as it is, I still love it.

Napoleon and Tabitha’s Choreography in So You Think You Can Dance

 

I first heard of Napoleon and Tabitha D’Uomo (a brilliant husband-and-wife team of choreographers) in So You Think You Can Dance when they did my all-time favorite hip-hop number in the show (more about that at the end of this post). I didn’t really think that much of them until I realized that they choreographed all of my favorite routines this season.

Here they are in reverse order of preference.

# 5 DON’T TOUCH ME by Busta Rhymes

I love this song, but mainly because it’s in one of the ACDC dance battle videos (Adam/Chu Dance Crew, star and director from Step Up 2). Anyway, I thought this was a really funny routine, and I thought Kherington did a pretty good job even though she had no hip-hop background.

# 4 LIKE YOU’LL NEVER SEE ME AGAIN by Alicia Keys

Like one of the judges said, it sort of reminds you of Ghost (starring Patrick Swayze and Demi Moore). You want them to be together, but they can’t. It is a very moving routine, mainly because of the story-line that Napoleon and Tabitha incorporate into their choreography.

# 3 NO AIR by Jordin Sparks and Chris Brown

https://youtu.be/dRNVyGOkxb4

This is another emotional number with a sad-story line. Joshua is about to go to the war, and is saying goodbye to Katee. Katee isn’t trained in hip-hop as well, but I think she did a pretty good job.

# 2 PARTY PEOPLE by Fergie featuring Nelly

Comfort (the girl) was amazing. Mark isn’t really a hip-hop dancer, but wow. I love how he moves, and I love the steps. I love the song too, and Napoleon and Tabitha are right – the performance just makes you move and groove to the beat.

# 1 BLEEDING LOVE by Leona Lewis

This is my absolute favorite. You can’t watch this without feeling the pain of Chelsie about her workaholic and emotionally aloof husband, Mark. The performance is moving and emotional, and the audience can’t help feeling the same way. Now that’s bleeding love.