Eclipse Photo Blog (spoilers - duh!)

Eclipse Movie Review

**Warning: This Contains Spoilers**

(cause it’s a review…so yeah, if you haven’t seen it then stop reading this and go!)

Well, let me say that though I love all the twilight books, this has never been a favorite of mine. I mean I like parts of it, cute Edward/Bella moments, the proposal, the tent scene – but the whole situation with Jake bugged me, cause I’ve always felt he was a tad bit manipulative and just needed to back down (especially since he didn’t imprint on Bella, I’d assumed if they got together he’d leave her one day and she’d be the new Leah).

But the movie was amazing. Starting off with just the song choices and score, it was pretty incredible (for the review of the music/score I’ll be posting a separate blog which I’m hoping will have a review for each movie, which all will be written by the beautiful and creative MC for me) There are many things you could talk about for this movie, something that just stuck out in the beginning was the relationships and how comfortable the actors/actresses were with one another. The chemistry between everyone was at an all time high, which enhanced every scene.

This movie focused on the relationships between everyone more than the action, at least in my opinion. One character that I’ve overlooked to a certain extent was Charlie; I never appreciated how funny he was. He doesn’t have a lot of lines, but the few he has he delivers with a straightforward, blunt sarcastic feeling. They really did cast him perfectly for that role.

As for some of the other “side” characters, you have Dakota Fanning as Jane. I was a little weary about this choice when I first heard about it; I just couldn’t imagine her in that role. After New Moon, she seemed to become Jane well, but it wasn’t until Eclipse that I really saw the perfection of casting her. She’s brilliant as a ridiculously evil vampire (haha) If I had to pinpoint it to something, I’d have to say it is her ability to deliver her lines without any real facial expressions, maybe a little sinister look here and there, but she has the whole disinterested/bored look down.

Now, possibly my favorite part of this movie was all the screen time that the other Cullen’s got. I absolutely adore Jasper, Emmett and everyone and they never really got any lines or big scenes in the first two movies. (actually a big reason I started reading more fanfiction was to get more of their characters because they just aren’t in the books enough!) How about we go through them :)

Edward, oh Edward. He was brilliant in this movie, why? I think it was mostly the more cuddly side of him that we haven’t seen in the first movies. He was so distant in Twilight, and in New Moon he was gone most of the time, but in Eclipse he was more the Edward I imagined in the books. More cuddling, kissing and just touching in general – oh and he was happier something that I missed. He also looked beyond AMAZING in the movie. Now you can ask MC, I’m not a huge Rob fan (heck I can’t even pronounce his last name, which pisses her off something fierce hehe) and that was something that bothered me in the first movies. I felt in Twilight they were just too new, he wasn’t pale enough or “vampire” enough for me, and in New Moon they did a much better job but it was all so sad and depressing, so now that we are out of that we can really get a good look at him. We both though he looked the most scrumptious when he was pissed off or hungry, sigh. (and can we get another one of those for the amazing make out scene at the “sleepover”? I was so happy with the way that turned out, especially since the kissing scene in Twilight really didn’t do anything for me, felt too awkward and not fitting with the book to enjoy it, but there was no problem this time).

Bella did great in the movie; she was another actor I wasn’t extremely impressed with during the first Twilight movie. In New Moon she really surprised me with her acting and ability to really express the emotions to the audience. But what I loved was that any and all of her slightly annoying ticks were gone this movie, it felt like she really found her ‘groove’ per say. So go Kirsten!

Jasper really stepped up in this movie; all his scenes were above and beyond(the fight, the training with the wolves, etc). He was funny and looked great, even when his hair was a little funky. In the flashbacks he’s one hot civil war officer, if I do say so myself.

Alice was Alice, she’s been solid through all the movies so there’s not much to add. The Jasper and Alice scenes were exceptionally cute (i.e. the practice fight they had, I was worried how they’d do that but I loved the way they adapted it but kept it with the book, pretty hot and so cute), I loved seeing them more as a couple and the more intimate side of the relationship we didn’t get to see because Jasper wasn’t getting much screen time.

We even had some good Rosalie screen time, which was nice because she really doesn’t say or do much in the first movies, cause she dislikes Bella being there so much. I think she looked her best when she was fighting or practicing, I’m not a fan of the way she looked during her close up or when she’s lounging in the house. Perhaps it’s because of the way they do her hair, maybe it’s the make up. Something I did think was cute was she stood in front of Emmett when they were with the werewolves, of all her faults she does love him and is extremely protective of him (though it is funny since he’s well bigger and looks stronger then she does, but it’s the thought).

And this of course leads us to Emmett himself, one of the funniest vampires you’ll ever meet. He’s just the life of the party, and I was so happy to see so much of him during this movie. The dynamic’s he brought when he was with Jasper or Edward added a lot to the underlying feelings of the movie and well I think we can all agree you can’t ever have enough Emmett

As for Carlisle, looking good as always, it was interesting to see him fight since he’s such the nurturer and almost pacifist of the family. But seeing him with Esme was a treat, they are really an adorable couple.

Jake, what can I say? He looks good I’ll give you that, but honestly not a fan of him in the book and in the movie it was the same. Nothing against Taylor I’m just too much of an Edward fan. But what I did love was all the Edward/Bella/Jake scenes in the movie. The tension they created was perfect; the actors did a great job. After Jake returns Bella home (with a broken hand) you can just feel the hate rolling off both of them, and of course the tent scene, which was a top scene for me in the movie. Both Taylor and Rob created the perfect atmosphere in my opinion, you could really feel the pain Edward was going through not being able to help Bella and realizing his only option was Jake, and then having to deal with him and his incredibly loud thoughts.

I really also liked the new Victoria. I thought she fit into the role perfectly, I loved the way her voice was and the way she looked. I thought the first Victoria was good, but the new one just fit for me better. The way she was so sweet and innocent worked so well, fitting in how they kept underestimating her and how she doesn't seem like she'd be a threat (when she is). And how she can use that to manipulate people to do her work, like Riley.

Back to more of the movie, they included a lot of the flashbacks, histories of Jasper and Rosalie. I was a little worried about it being cheesy or something like that but they were well done and really added to the movie.

This movie focused a lot on the little moments, conversations between the characters, more so than any of the other movies, which was perfect because there is just so much going on here. The film was also shot in a lot of close ups, adding to the intimacy of some of the scenes. I was also impressed by the amount of information they were able to include, I was worried about what they’d be cutting but as far as I’m concerned nothing really important was left out. Overall the acting was top notch, and it surpassed all my expectations.

As for the acting/special effects, they definitely out did themselves. The wolves were even more intense this time around, since they did more and were around more of the movie. All the fighting between vampires, practice or real, was great. I loved how they changed how the vampire’s ran/fight in New Moon after Twilight, and they just stepped it up another notch in Eclipse.

MC and I went to see it in Imax, which was exceptional and as far as I can see definitely worth any extra money to buy those tickets. But, just to make sure that its better than just regular movie we’re going again – for research and all J So just got back from the regular movie, and it was just as good really. The only thing was the film wasn’t as clear, which is to be expected, but what really bothered me was the “burn” marks on the film from switching reels or whatever they do, it happened about 9 times and that just distracted me, but MC didn’t seem to be bothered much so it could just be me.

Overall the movie was amazing, 5 stars, two thumbs up and all that jazz. Go see it, go see it a few times and then tell all your friends to do the same. With the way things are headed I’m really excited to see how they keep improving for Breaking Dawn.

From Ed With Love

Well this is just something I wanted to say, just a thank you to all the people following my blog (all 10 of you). I mean i know its not a ton, but to me its just amazing. I remember when i got my first follower, called up MC right away, it was just that exciting. Its nice to know more people are reading my blog and taking a look at it. I hope you all enjoy it.

Remember: any comments or questions, just let me know!! Or if your reading something amazing or writing something send something my way and i'd love to read them and hopefully stick them on my blog.

Thanks again,

Love Ed

Breaking Dawn: Controversial Scenes and Ratings

Will We See 'Breaking Dawn's' Most Controversial Scenes?

By: Erik Davis on June 16, 2010 at 1:59PM

Now that its official and The Twilight Saga: Breaking Dawn will be split up into two films, fans can start wondering about how director Bill Condon plans to adapt the series' most controversial book. One of the key people in charge of figuring out what to show on screen is screenwriter Melissa Rosenberg, who recently chatted up The LA Times and spoke about how, exactly, they were approaching the book's most talked-about moments.

Spoilers to follow … as if there are still fans out there who haven't read the book …

The scenes in question revolve around Bella losing her virginity and then giving birth in a very bloody (and not all too cinematic) way. When Rosenberg was asked about these scenes, she said, "On the fan site, on Facebook, all the comments are 'It has to be R rated! You have to show the childbirth! Gore and guts and sex!' For me it's actually more interesting to not see it. You know, you can do childbirth without seeing childbirth ... it doesn't mean it's any less evocative of an experience."

I completely agree with her, too. Name a film where you, the viewer, actually see the whole childbirth thing go down from a right-between-her-legs camera angle. Why would you even want to see that? I'm sure you can evoke more emotion in a scene like that if the camera stayed on Kristen Stewart's face the whole time, allowing the audience to experience the emotional rollercoaster that is childbirth, instead of actually watching the gory mess unfold.

As far as the whole Bella losing her virginity scene … well, I'm sure you've seen enough sex scenes in your lifetime to figure out the ways in which they can shoot it and still maintain a PG-13 rating. While I'm not crazy about the clichéd shot of two people lying in bed under the covers with their shirts off, it is the one shot that best describes what just took place from a visual standpoint.

What do you Twi-hards think? Do we really need to see these scenes play out on screen like they do in the book, or do you agree that there are tamer ways to approach them?

Any comments from anyone out there? Honestly I think it could be a little off with the PG-13 rating, but sometimes these days it feels like PG-13/R sometimes overlap here and there. I just don't want it simmered down cause of all the younger people in the audience, but maybe that's just cause that's not me :)

all info from original source: fandango

An Eclipse Novella: Bree Tanner

New Book Coming Soon (in about 11 hours according to the latest countdowns) This is Bree's short story about her life and the vampire army that was being created to get Bella and the Cullens. Here's some information about it from various sources...

New Book Coming Soon (in about 11 hours according to the latest countdowns) This is Bree's short story about her life and the vampire army that was being created to get Bella and the Cullens. Here's some information about it from various sources...

Coming June 5, 2010
An Unforgettable New Novella from International Phenomenon
Stephenie Meyer

There are Two Sides to Every Story



Fans of The Twilight Saga will be enthralled by this riveting story of Bree Tanner, a character first introduced in Eclipse, and the newborn vampire world she inhabits. In another irresistible combination of danger, mystery, and romance, Stephenie Meyer tells the devastating story of Bree and the newborn army as they prepare to close in on Bella Swan and the Cullens, following their encounter to its unforgettable conclusion.

 One dollar from each book sold will be donated to the American Red Cross

Stephenie Meyer answers questions about 'Bree Tanner'

USA Today: Stephenie Meyer answers questions about 'Bree Tanner'

Excerpts from a Q&A, released by publisher Little, Brown, with Stephenie Meyer about The Short Second Life of Bree Tanner. Q: Bree only appears in a couple pages of Eclipse. What was it about the character that made you want to explore her story further? A: In the beginning, I wasn't fascinated specifically by Bree — it was the newborns in general. While I was writing Eclipse, there was a lot going on behind the scenes, of course, things Bella didn't know about. Because I was focused on Bella, I couldn't delve too deeply into the newborns' story, however, there was always in my mind a general idea of what they were up to. I had to think about that while I was pacing the plot: Bella is at this point, the newborns are doing this. To keep it all straight, eventually I made a calendar of the months of May and June — which is all Eclipse deals with — and wrote down on each square what was going on with Bella that day and what was happening in Seattle. So the story of the newborns was always a big part of the story of Eclipse. And it made me kind of sad that there was no way to express any of that in the book. Bree is the only newborn mentioned by name in Eclipse, the only newborn who has contact with the Cullens (aside from being killed by them), and the only newborn who encounters the Volturi in the clearing. She lives the longest, so she is the narrator who can tell the full story. She was a natural choice to chronicle the story of the newborns. Once I started writing from her perspective, she really came alive. So much so that, as the inevitable end got closer, it was really depressing going ahead. It was harder for me to kill Bree than any other fiction character I've ever killed, even though I was killing her for the second time. (Before Bree, the saddest was Walter in The Host.) Q: Why do you feel it is important for people to read Bree's story prior to the release of the Eclipse movie? A: Eclipse is told from only Bella's perspective. That has some limitations; when there is so much going on off-stage (so to speak), it leaves a lot of mysteries. The films have the advantage of seeing the story from outside of Bella's head. The viewer can see things — like the wolves hunting Victoria in New Moon— that the reader only gets hints of. Of all the Twilight books, Eclipse has the most going on outside of Bella's view. For the movie to work, we have to see and understand some of these things. Knowing that elements of Bree's story were being incorporated into the movie, I hoped the story could somehow get out first. Personally, I always want to read a book before seeing the movie. I like to make my own mental pictures before someone else's picture intrudes. Probably most of my readers don't have the same hang-up, but for those who do, I wanted to give them the chance to create their own mental pictures of Bree and the gang. Q: In which order would you recommend one read The Twilight Saga with the addition of The Short Second Life of Bree Tanner? Should they follow Eclipse with the novella or finish Breaking Dawn before cracking the pages of The Short Second Life of Bree Tanner? A: If I were going to read the saga for the first time, I would probably read Bella's story straight through before launching into other perspectives. Q: Why did you choose the American Red Cross as your recipient charity for donations from the sale of The Short Second Life of Bree Tanner? A: I was very moved by the outpouring of support after the disaster in Haiti. A lot of Twilight fan communities did fundraising effort, and I was so impressed by their efforts. I wanted to continue that movement. I think it's important that we not quickly forget Haiti and Chile now that they're no longer the focus of the media. It takes a very long time to recover from such devastation and they still need our help. Get The Book Here!

Spotlight: ItzMegan73

Hey, its been a while so here are a two author interviews for you! I'd like to welcome ItzMegan73 to The Electronic Bookshelf!

Of her stories, comes one of my favorite stories, The Cannabean Betrothal. In her story she's created an entire culture and way of life that at first was hard get into because it's all new but once you embrace the Cannabean culture it's an addictive story, with a well written plot and in-depth characters.

Summary: Edward has immersed himself in the Cannabean way to ward off the hurt of a life-changing experience; but an unexpected betrothal teaches him how little he knows about life. There is no abuse in this story.

Q: What did you think of Breaking Dawn?

I actually didn't mind Breaking Dawn. It was a nice reprieve after the horror

of Eclipse - which was my least favorite of the saga.

Q: Favorite Twilight couple?

Edward & Bella

Q: Which movie did you like more, Twilight or New Moon? Why?

I liked Twilight more. The story was more endearing. And the re-watchability

factor was off the charts. New Moon? Not so much.

Q: How did you come up with the idea of the Cannabean world?

The story just kind of popped into my head one day.

Q: What has been the inspiration behind the story?

Actually, it was a photo/still of Edward & Bella during the prom scene in

Twilight. She'll looking up at him quite demurely and he's looking down at

her, like a protector or a man very much in "charge". They look so young in

that picture, but mature. It's hard to explain, but that was the inspiration

for the story. They look like they're at a wedding in the pic and so I just

ran with it.

Q: Would you say that it’s been easier this story because you write all the

rules, or harder because you have to create a whole new world?

Hmm...sometimes it's easier, but the fact checking is tedious.

Q: What’s your favorite type of FanFic to read?

I don't really read much fanfic, but all stories I like are very different

from one another, so I don't know if I have a certain "type".

Q: Is there any type you never read? Why?

I don't read any other pairings beside Edward & Bella. They hold no interest

for me.

Q: Do you have a specific writing process?

All I need is quiet and a computer and an Internet connection. That's pretty

much it.

Q: What’s the hardest part about writing for you?

Finding the time.

Q: Who was your favorite character to write? Why?

Anthony (ARS) because he's completely mine and there are no pre-conceived

notions. TCB Bella is a close second though. I love her innocence. She hasn't

had any experiences to cause her to be jaded, and therefore she plays no

games. I love that about her.

(if it’s different from above) What character are you most proud of? Has

grown the most, in your eyes?

As far as growth...hmm, I was going to say TCB Edward, but Edward in the Tutor

probably has him beat by a longshot.

Q: Is there any music you like to listen to when you write?

No. I like quiet.

Q: Favorite author outside of fanfiction?

Beverly Cleary. She taught me how to love the written word.

Q: Working on anything new, planning anything after this story, or just taking

one thing at a time?

Oh, I have a few stories itching to be told...

Q: Anything else you’d like to say about writing fanfiction or your story?

I think I'll put anyone who is reading this out of their misery by stopping

now!

Aw, too harsh :) I know I enjoyed reading this and learning more about ItzMegan73 and TCB, as I'm sure many of you will.

Coming Soon: Merina 2