Hello sibs!
I have recovered from my post-BD1 tristesse in which I was avoiding most things Twilight, I think because I was so sad because I knew I would not let myself pay full price for another ticket right away. But props to those of you going time and again; I wish I would ... but the mortgage is nagging at me.
Many of you asked; yes, hubby boy is ok. He has 5 ugly stitches that will have to be removed and we have a fun new story to tell ... and already have. He is having fun embarrassing himself by highlighting that although he carpenters and welds etc, it was sewing that he went to the ER for.
It sounds like my American sibs had pretty nice Thanksgivings, and so did I. Yay for lack of family drama around the holidays! I have been a little sick ever since, a headache and neckache that won't go away despite Tylenol. Either I jacked up my neck again or I might be a touch flu-y, hopefully the latter since I did get my flu shot. But I'm going in for a massage pronto as a preventative/cure. Haven't had one in months ... the mortgage, again ... but better to pay for a massage than months of physical therapy. Interior Christmas decorations are up except for the tree, lights are in progress. Tree is planned for next weekend. Gotta get those cards done too!
Enough babble. To the posts!
Amy - Finished EP and all outtakes. Wow! So good! Definitely a keeper for re-reads. Thank you!
Austin - Hi! Glad to see you here! You are always a well-written breath of fresh air. HH and RL and ff have been absorbing me to the extent that I rarely visit other threads, and I have missed you.
Jaclyn - I love how you said "I proper love them," so Brit, not something you ever hear here, but so easy to get what you're saying. I grew myself up on British kids' lit, so I enjoy reading the dialect ... like a familiar meal I haven't had in a while. Don't worry about going on and on! We are all going on and on! There is an international BD1 lovefest! Mine is at the end of the post. The flower in the buttonhole ... could it be gardenia? They have had commentary on all the DVDs so far (although NM is not my fave), and I suspect they realize it's a selling point, so hopefully at least one will get in there.
Lynne - Congrats on 1000 posts! My girls used to love the Wiggles ... when I couldn't get to the remote in time to change it. Not my fave. But we all like the Upside Down Show, do you know that one? Not an Australian band, which was the original topic .... I can empathize with worrying about your boss/potential publisher's reaction to your book. Would it help to approach it with the mental attitude of hoping that she will at least like one thing, and will certainly critique at least one thing? Kind of being prepared for the absolute worst, and hoping it will be better than that?
Rachel - So soon!
Tomorrow Today you will see BD1! Tell us what you think when you can!
Raine - Yay for nephew loving Twilight! My son is turning 13 but I suspect he thinks Twilight is too girly
. Marielle had great ideas for outfits for your theme party. Also, there's a couple of other popular movies set in the 20s, High Road to China and Totally Modern Millie, for more girly ideas.
Sandy - Aren't
Ginnie and
Christina sweet? So happy you could all get together! We will have fun fun fun in Chicago!
Sean -
Happy Birthday! I hope you stay feeling better. I've seen Witches of Eastwick many times, it was very popular when first released, and still a classic. Really great combo of actresses, and of course, Jack needs no props from me. (But gets them. He makes a great Satan.)
Tracy - I totally sympathize with hubs disapproving of paying full price to see the same movie twice - so would mine. In fact, I disapprove of it (for myself, not others), because of aforementioned budget issues. I have worked to keep Twi-related expenses minimal but they are approaching or exceeding $200. I may sneak out to see it again with a friend though.
Tonise - Yay for going teacher at your theater, or for that matter, any theater! A little consideration for others who have shelled out $10 on a flick and want to hear it. I'm so glad the movie has inspired you to write again! That's a great thing. I've been trying to find you on FFn but can't. Would you PM me a way to find you? So glad your mom is better, I was and will continue sending good thoughts.
Everyone else, I'm following what you're saying and interested! Just have little sensible to say.
And now,
The Soundtrack. I have decided (almost immediately) that I really like it. A 1000 Yrs is still my fave because I can sing along, and it is so perfectly E+B. Even if they didn't use it in the movie, I'm glad they put it on the soundtrack, because it is so right. But I also really love Turning Page, musically beautiful and lovely lyrics, and I like Love Will Take You for being pretty and lyrically lovely and happier than Turning Page. Requiem On Water, Cold, Northern Lights, Love Death Birth, all lovely. I have begun skipping It Will Rain, and even I Didn't Mean It - nothing against the artists, and I really like Bruno Mars. Possibly Jacobian teenage angst is getting tedious to me. Here's a surprise to me: I have secretly disliked the original Flightless Bird for a long time, because I found the lyric imagery so unpleasant and the meaning so difficult. But this version is so indescribly ... beautiful is not enough ... that it won me over again the moment I heard it. Whoever writes their music is seriously gifted. I could do without the bonus track of Eclipse, I like the original much better. Does anyone know of a translation of Llovera? Because it's a great-sounding song, and I'd love to know what it's saying. Altogether I see why people are criticizing it, because it's not the edgy stuff we heard for the other movies, but I like it because it suits this stage of their lives and this movie. It is a romantic, grown-uppy soundtrack, about serious drama, not that triangle BS.
And last,
The Movie. *sigh* I loved the movie, obviously. However, someone else used the term "tinny," which I thought was perfect. Some lines and transitions were tinny. I loved the scene at the Cullens, with Alice directing Bella in her stilts, and the Cullens with the logs. That was great! I wonder if they will have some kind of contrast in BD2, reminding us of human Bella's awkwardness in heels, to illustrate her change when she jumps out of the window in stilettos as vamp Bella? I agree that the whole introduction of Edward's past sins was kind of awkward, although I see the need for it, and Darkward was nice to finally see. And the introduction of vampire speed here was startling to me, especially Emmett jumping up on the house. Nevertheless I think it was the most canon way it's been done yet; I guess vampiric speed should be startling. I loved the wedding and the kiss was really beautifully done. I thought Mike Welch was great throughout this whole bit, although of course, Billy Burke stole every scene he was in. Even Kris had trouble competing with him for the spotlight! I don't know what to think of the toasts (have to wait for second viewing
), but Jessica's was a nice example to me of something she never, in a million years, would have said out loud, but something that she completely could have been thinking. As to Robward's reaction to "The Hair" line ... I'll have to watch more closely. I guess they could easily have had more than one camera on during the scene, as the wedding was supposedly so complicated because of all the actors involved. Easier to have more cameras running, than keep the actors longer? Losing the light? I'm just speculating here. Loved the honeymoon despite the loss of some expected scenes. The morning after bit came together very nicely for me, although like
Lulu, I expected more bruising. The Isle Esme distractions for Bella were well done ... and so were Bella's attempts to distract Edward. That's where that peek-a-boo gif comes from! I noticed (don't know if anyone else caught this trivial point) that the outfit she was wearing for the second time was not the black lacy one in the book, but it was light blue, which fits with Edward's favoring of that color. (The details!) Although the pregnancy reveal was very condensed, I thought it was quite well done; we even got statue Edward, very briefly. The wolves ... I thought they were better done here than in other movies, although still .... The shirts issue, not to mention the shoe issue (don't think any non-fan critics mentioned their footwear), was supposed to be about not being able to continue to afford new clothes all the time. And it was summer. So while I liked and understand the increased clothing on the wolfpack, it violated my understanding of canon. I did like seeing them relax together, and I did like the way they showed the imprinted wolves v the nonimprinted wolves, and that little discussion. I agree that no non-fanatic would have noticed Quil and Claire at the shore - but we do, so thanks to Bill! Julia Jones was great in this one, and really had a chance to show off her chops, and Booboo really showed what strides he's made as an actor. No false notes there! Great chemistry with each other and Taylor. I thought Taylor was great in this movie, even though I see
Caryn's point about him being held up as Saint Jacob. (My current, evolving take on Jacob is that, in his mind, he is a candidate for sainthood at this point - he lacks an understanding of selfless love.) I'm glad that the storyline backed off on him so much. We needed to see him go back to the pack and confront Sam (and yes, I agree that the voiceover was awkward as heck, but I don't have any better ideas), but I'm glad we didn't get all melodramatic and have him take the Vanquish to Seattle. I'm really glad that they took out the bit about Edward suggesting puppies. I thought it was perfect in the book - showcasing Edward's crazed desperation and selfless love - but I don't know that the non-fan audience would have understood at all. I think it would have been too much. I loved the showdown between Jacob's pack and the La Push pack in the woods, to let the Cullens hunt and get blood! At first I was mad but as it evolved I was cheering! I thought it was in character and true to the spirit, even if not exactly true to the book. (Sorry,
Caryn.) I liked the confrontation when Edward yells at Bella, because (a) he should express his feelings to her, (b) I thought it underlined his distress about the whole thing, and (c) I've always noticed that men who care about fatherhood get the short end of the stick when it comes to a woman's right to choose. Bella did make this decision in knowing opposition to him without discussion, and I understand it and support her, but I empathize with Edward's loss of choice too. I actually turned away when Bella drank blood for the first time - kudos, Kris, for making that really gross, blood on lips and teeth and all. I agree that the scene with Edward and Jacob reacting to her name choices is priceless, but I pratically jumped out of my seat when she came out with "Edward Jacob." Aaaagggh! But my favorite scene, from the cup drop to the death, was the delivery scene. No tinny notes, nothing false. Alice with the headset, all of them dragging Rose away, the way we see (and hear *cringe*) the delivery, Renesmee and the bite, and Kris playing the most convincingly dead person I've ever seen filmed, admittedly with CGI help. Edward broke my heart, they really had me wondering if Bella would make it for a moment there! Not that fond of the imprint scene, felt like they could have shown that better. I was ok with the confrontation outside the house between the Cullens and the wolves, because I interpreted it as being something that was outside the book narrative and plausibly possible and logical. I liked getting the sense that the Cullens were only close to being overwhelmed because they were trying to not kill the wolves. I thought Edward introducing the imprinting was tinny, but they did have to get it in somehow. And Bella's transformation from mutilated to vamp was great. I hope we begin there in BD2, with a sense of her agony during transformation. Maybe a Krisella voice-over?
Possible DVD release in March! Yay! We can watch it in Chicago!
My longest post ever. Whether you read it or not, thanks for your patience. Love and peace!
But I would be scared of all the big spiders & stuff LOL!
I wouldn't be able to afford to go today, but they said it was my turn to be treated because I have treated them the last two years in a row. 
Maybe someone should add you to the birthday-list on the first page? Caryn?
