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Re: Gutter Guys & Gals : Full Moon Baking

Posted: Thu May 27, 2010 3:53 am
by December
Cullengirl wrote:I was not happy that the screenplay took out virtually all the dialog between Edward and Bella after their return from Volterra. Edward doesn't give his reason for being a jerk and there's no epiphany whatsoever for him like the book. It was just, "Oh well, I made a mistake and traveled across the globe. Sorry, you had to put your life in jeopardy. Are we ok now?"

There's an excellent review by Andypalmer on the NM movie thread which makes precisely this complaint! (I recommend the review to you). When I read about this bizarre decision of the moviemakers, I just thought: wth? That scene is the HEART of this book. Unless, I guess, you're basically only focussed on the action and the abs...

Re: Gutter Guys & Gals : Full Moon Baking

Posted: Thu May 27, 2010 3:31 pm
by cullengirl
December wrote: When I read about this bizarre decision of the moviemakers, I just thought: wth? That scene is the HEART of this book. Unless, I guess, you're basically only focussed on the action and the abs..
WTH? was my thought exactly! In fact that is what I said after I watched the scene. IMO, I don't think the movie supports Edward and Bella's relationship whatsoever. Maybe it's due to the fact that the books have sold over a billion copies worldwide and everyone knows these star crossed lovers or maybe the movies are riding on the tale of whether or not KStew and Razpaz are dating (I mean, really, who cares?), but I don't see it. I don't see the chemistry between the characters or the actors. I primarly blame the screenplay. In TW, there is absolutely no dialog that builds Edward and Bella's relationship- what happened to all that banter between them and Edward's mood swings? In NM, I was actually glad that Edward's time was cut in half in the beginning but I was hoping that there would be some discussion of where Edward has been and how he was feeling when he left. The emotional main crux of NM is for both characters to realize what the other means to them. For Edward, more importantly, it was the duh moment where he can't live without Bella.

I was surprised (in a good way) that the screenplay heavily relies on Jake's and Bella's relationship. After watching TW, I was deathly afraid of their relationship being ruined and was thrilled that it didn't happen. I just feel that the point of view of the "hero" is lopsided or it's as if the screenplay writer is a Team Jacob person, I don't know. I just can't see how the screenplay will justify both Edward's and Jake's competition for Bella's affection. From the clips of the trailers, it seems like the emotional aspect of the book will be on the back burner compared to the new borns and the Volutri. Anyone else disappointed that SM is releasing a novella on Bree's character instead of anything new or noteworthy to the saga or the TW world?

Re: Gutter Guys & Gals : Full Moon Baking

Posted: Thu May 27, 2010 4:49 pm
by December
Cullengirl wrote:For Edward, more importantly, it was the duh moment where he can't live without Bella.

Yes! Exactly. DUH.

I just feel that the point of view of the "hero" is lopsided or it's as if the screenplay writer is a Team Jacob person, I don't know.

Urgh. Very likely. (Good thing poor Visitor has had the sense NOT to see this film. It's been her worst nightmare, that).

What were those scriptfolk thinking?

Anyone else disappointed that SM is releasing a novella on Bree's character instead of anything new or noteworthy to the saga or the TW world?

Well...I have to confess that was my first reaction. But then I read a post somewhere on the Lex (afraid I can't now remember whose) observing that this will be Stephenie's opportunity to write us the "normal" newborn experience which Bella of course never experiences. And you know, it got me thinking...

So now I've got this little fantasy that this novella is Stephenie's chance to right the balance after BD's lurch into the unremitting sunshine-and-roses of its supersweet HEA. As we discussed at such length on the old Choices, TW, NM and EC -- not to mention MS! -- certainly hinted that this was an equivocal story Stephenie was telling, with one foot in heaven and the other in hell. The life of a vampire was something so monstrous and difficult that nothing less than the glorious, otherworldly, obliterating love Edward and Bella feel for each other could possibly induce you to choose it. Monstrous birth scenes notwithstanding, BD really does seem to smooth away those earlier intimations of the dark side of what Bella was choosing. It's hard to think of a better narrative to redress that imbalance than poor Bree's. And if she does...maybe it's an affirmation that Stephenie WAS attuned to the darker implications of her fluffy love story after all. How nice if it were to make all that stuff we wrote on Choices look a little less wildly off the map (*grin*)....

I'm not holding my breath, mind you, but it's a nice little fantasy. The Short Second Chance of Stephenie Meyer.

Re: Gutter Guys & Gals : Full Moon Baking

Posted: Thu May 27, 2010 11:43 pm
by Openhome
December wrote: Well...I have to confess that was my first reaction. But then I read a post somewhere on the Lex (afraid I can't now remember whose) observing that this will be Stephenie's opportunity to write us the "normal" newborn experience which Bella of course never experiences. And you know, it got me thinking...

So now I've got this little fantasy that this novella is Stephenie's chance to right the balance after BD's lurch into the unremitting sunshine-and-roses of its supersweet HEA. As we discussed at such length on the old Choices, TW, NM and EC -- not to mention MS! -- certainly hinted that this was an equivocal story Stephenie was telling, with one foot in heaven and the other in hell. The life of a vampire was something so monstrous and difficult that nothing less than the glorious, otherworldly, obliterating love Edward and Bella feel for each other could possibly induce you to choose it. Monstrous birth scenes notwithstanding, BD really does seem to smooth away those earlier intimations of the dark side of what Bella was choosing. It's hard to think of a better narrative to redress that imbalance than poor Bree's. And if she does...maybe it's an affirmation that Stephenie WAS attuned to the darker implications of her fluffy love story after all. How nice if it were to make all that stuff we wrote on Choices look a little less wildly off the map (*grin*)....

I'm not holding my breath, mind you, but it's a nice little fantasy. The Short Second Chance of Stephenie Meyer.[/color]
It was on the Explorations thread, by me and JazzGirl.
I totally agree! I am hoping that not only will Bree show us the unremitting hellish half life that the Cullen's are able by pure self-sacrifice to avoid, but that we will see the flip side of Bella's change. I for one, am simply THRILLED that SM is willing to address vampires at all. Even the Twilight companion book-thingy hasn't been published yet and is now pushed back to December 31st.

Re: Gutter Guys & Gals : Full Moon Baking

Posted: Fri May 28, 2010 4:20 am
by December
Openhome wrote:It was on the Explorations thread, by me and JazzGirl.

Ha! I should have known. We are of course totally on the same page about this whole issue.

Well, here's hoping....

Re: Gutter Guys & Gals : Full Moon Baking

Posted: Fri May 28, 2010 2:29 pm
by cullengirl
December wrote:So now I've got this little fantasy that this novella is Stephenie's chance to right the balance after BD's lurch into the unremitting sunshine-and-roses of its supersweet HEA. As we discussed at such length on the old Choices, TW, NM and EC -- not to mention MS! -- certainly hinted that this was an equivocal story Stephenie was telling, with one foot in heaven and the other in hell. The life of a vampire was something so monstrous and difficult that nothing less than the glorious, otherworldly, obliterating love Edward and Bella feel for each other could possibly induce you to choose it. Monstrous birth scenes notwithstanding, BD really does seem to smooth away those earlier intimations of the dark side of what Bella was choosing. It's hard to think of a better narrative to redress that imbalance than poor Bree's. And if she does...maybe it's an affirmation that Stephenie WAS attuned to the darker implications of her fluffy love story after all. How nice if it were to make all that stuff we wrote on Choices look a little less wildly off the map (*grin*)....
December: Get out of my head! *smiles* I was just thinking this last night on my drive from work to home. I see the dark side being more plausible in Bree's short story, which now has me thinking of the two things that did not sit well with me in Eclipse:

1. Bree's death- Is it just me or did it seem like the Cullens, especially Carlisle, didn't feel any remorse in letting a new born die? I have a mental picture in my head where I can see Carlisle thinking, "Well, at least it's not one of us." Part of me feels this way because we know absolutely nothing about Bree and therefore can't empathize with her, which in turn makes her death shocking. Now if we theoretically are given that information, doesn't that change the way we view or add fuel to the anticlimatic "war" with the Volutri in regards to the issues of justice or the lack of it? As I guess what I want to say is, how does Bree's story change our views at all? Bella still gets her HEA, which overall cheapens the death of Bree. Does that make sense? :roll:

2. Edward killing Riley and Victoria- I know Bella passed out and didn't see the whole thing, but as a reader I was taken aback. I don't remember the exact quote from Edward, but it was something to the fact of "You're not scared of me now?" I know how taken Bella is with Edward, but come on! That's some scary stuff.

Re: Gutter Guys & Gals : Full Moon Baking

Posted: Sat May 29, 2010 1:36 pm
by TammyAZ
I can someone see how Bella may not be scared of what Edward did to Victoria. She was so concerned about whether or not that he was injured that what he did took a backseat. By this time she must have had some idea in her head about how to kill a vampire (she watched them dismemeber James although somewhat in a daze)

I guess what I'm trying to say that by this point after everything she has seen and heard she may have become de-sensitized to it all.

Re: Gutter Guys & Gals : Full Moon Baking

Posted: Sun May 30, 2010 2:30 pm
by fanMNM
Also, a person can process things differently when their life is being threatened. I'm sure Bella might have looked at Edward with fear had he killed Victoria for just no good reason. However, he was defending her. I've never seen someone killed, but if my husband shot someone in front of me because that person was about to kill me? I doubt I'd look at him with fear. That might have something to do with Bella's reaction as well?

Another thought...she's fully accepted this new mythological world by this point. I think her brain is already re-wired to handle things like this differently. Maybe that can help explain her lack of fear of Edward in Eclipse?

My concern about Eclipse (the movie) is that they made Edward look like he was a terrible fighter at the end of New Moon when he was up against the Volturi. Now he fights Victoria and wins? How do his skills suddenly improve so drastically?

Re: Gutter Guys & Gals : Full Moon Baking

Posted: Sun May 30, 2010 4:28 pm
by TammyAZ
I see his fighting skill as being directly related to who he is fighting lol. When he is fighting Felix, he has been holed away for months, weak with hunger and on the edge of suicide...fighting against one of the largest and most well trained members of a guard that has been around for thousands of years.

Fighting against Victoria, he is ready, he's been training and although her evasion skills seem to be her "talent" her fighting skills maybe not so much? She evades therefore there is no need to fight lol.

Re: Gutter Guys & Gals : Full Moon Baking

Posted: Mon May 31, 2010 5:23 am
by HarryTuttle
Well Victoria is the sexiest of the femme vamps as she does kick major ace you know. But who else thought Rachelle was the one and only true Victoria?