My The Hunger Games Phase

Happy 2012!

I think it was back in college (1997-ish) when I've had an epiphany. I was only my way to a lecture with a Baskin Robbins Mocha Blast in hand and I was feeling a bit guilty for my seeming routine to always get a Mocha blast on my way to class. Then I stopped and it dawned on me: I go through phases. That particular slice of time, I was into Mocha Blast. I knew I'd tire of it eventually, but during those days, especially during those lectures, they were my one pleasure. And see, even now, 15+ years later, I do remember those days fondly as my Mocha Blast days.

Just recently was what I call my "vampire phase". Gosh. I had lots of posts about Twilight & True Blood. I am over it now...and i'm thinking I am now in my Hunger Games phase. I have finished the whole series and don't think I've ever loved a series as much. Yes, I thought the Girl with the Dragon Tatoo is GREAT, awesome even, but it was not an easy read. This one was soo un-put-down-able, and I just want to note here..in my journal and acknowledge this phase.

I don't think I do a great job in reviewing books since i'm not a big book person, and so i'll just answer some of the questions they posed at With A Good Book and go with that.

Here are their questions:

Who was your favorite character in The Hunger Games? Why?
While I love Katniss, Peeta has really won me over by the end of the book. I just fall for that kind of character. In Twilight, Edward was supposed to be the epitome of the "perfect man", but I hardly thought so, and his prude-ness was very off-putting. To me, the closest to being perfect in terms of what mean to me is Peeta. And to think that there's really no sex in this book, it's not about that, it's the goodness of his heart that comes across loud in clear in the series


What did you feel was the most emotional moment in book?  Which part was the hardest to read?
The deaths were pretty hard, especially Rue - even though we all knew she was going to die, but I did love the part where she sang the song for her, and even more touching was getting the bread from Rue's district


Why do you think fire is an appropriate symbol for Katniss?
She's raw. She's not one you can easily control.

How does Katniss’ early encounter with Peeta affect their relationship after they are chosen as tributes?
She just felt like she owed him her life, due to the bread and why and how on earth can she kill him? There's really no justification in her mind even if it's for the games to see the person who gave her the lifeline to live die. 


Did your perception of Peeta change over the course of The Hunger Games? How and why?
Yes and No. Ever since he said he loved her before the games, I just knew he did everything for her. But, because the book seemed to set it up that it was going to be Gale & Katniss, I did end up a bit surprised that I was rooting for Peeta in the end. 


Why does Katniss ignore Haymitch’s advice to head directly away from the Cornucopia? Did she do the right thing to fight for equipment?
Wait. Am I mistaken? She was going to go for it...but because she had the split second thought, she ended up only getting the backpack and a small plastic thing, right? Which was why she was cursing Peeta when she saw him going for it and she had to retreat?


Why does Peeta join with the Career Tributes in the beginning of the Games? What does he hope to gain? Why do they accept him when they start hunting as a group?
Of course he wanted to protect her. The Careers on the other hand were a bit stupid to think that he would lead them to her. The question was, what were the careers thinking!?

What did you think of the fact that they changed the rules partway through the games to allow two winners from the same district?
I actually like this part. I think this is what makes this book so compelling. The games are more comparable to Big Brother than it is a football game. The people behind it are real people who end up "falling in love" with the characters on the screen. As an example, in True Blood, in the books, Lafayatte was killed in the end of the first season, but since the actor who played Lafayette turned out to be a fan favorite, I think Alan Ball just could not kill him off. He made a conscious decision to change the course of the series. In a sense, the game makers were seeing that the love story angle was getting them the ratings and the need to prolong it somehow...and it was a brilliant move, for a little while. And then of course, announcing later that the rules have changed yet again. It's just as well.

Overall, I can't say enough about how good this book is, how greatly paced it is and compelling the characters are. I can't wait to see the movie

Source Code, A Movie Review

I just watched this movie twice in the last two days. I really liked it. It's funny because I'm not a big Jake Gyllenhaal fan.

Don't get me wrong, I am not a hater - but for the life of me, I can't think of any movie he had where I really remembered him. I just checked imdb, and he's done love and other drugs (which I will watch this weekend), prince of persia (I did not watch. long hair? sands? ugh.), jarhead (I hear it's good, but I didn't see it), the good girl (another good one, I hear, but I have not seen it yet). Anyway, he wasn't the pull...but in the end, I think he did a really great job. You feel for him and his character.

I really liked it. It sucked me right in the first scene where he's trying to figure out what's going on...It's nicely paced. Michelle did a pretty great job, and I find her very pretty. She was also pretty in that McDreamy rom com, title of which escapes me right now.

I still don't know exactly what a source code is, or the actually technicalities of these "alternate" universe, and for a movie to still be compelling, and easy to follow for such a complicated topic, I think it's worth applauding. It's a great movie, highly recommended.

Weekend Movie Marathon Reviews

It was a weekend full of movies for me, and while it's fresh on my mind, here's what I thought:


500 Days of Summer

I enjoyed this movie. It was not as *kilig* (I can't find the right translation, sorry!) as I thought it would be, but it was a very good movie. Here's a few things I was thinking of:

• Man, that Joseph Gordon Levitt sure grew up nice. He was perfect in this role. He was a little dorky, a little hot. A guy in love. In a world where it's always the girl geek falling in love with the quarterback, this was a nice change.
• Wow. Zooey. is. hot. All the shots of her were absolutely beautiful. I get it. I get why you fall in love with her.
• The jumping of timeline sort of confused me. Every time they would flash to what day (of 500) it was, I immediately think: Wait! Wait! Was this pre- or post- break up?
• It was also a bit too artsy for me. Did we really need that musical number in there?
• 3/4 of the way through, I gave up the thought that they would get back together. Duh, they said it in the beginning, it was not a love story. Still - you root for the guy...
• I also like that he was an architect. We never get a lot of representation in the movies...

This Is It

I was able to see this in the movies (trying to sneak one in while the kids were asleep) but I went ahead and splurged on a Blu-Ray since I fell for the ole Target $5.00 Gift Card trick. My few thoughts on this:

• What can I say, like most of the dancers interviewed in the movie, we grew up on Michael Jackson songs! I remember performing "Billie Jean" with Gel & Jiki for the neighborhood in a contest (Yes, I was Michael, and NO - we lost to a boy who break danced to Bad)
• The big reason why I loved this movie was that it had nothing to do with him being Wacko Jacko, it was just about the concert. Like most controversial issues, you have a stand - nothing can persuade you one way or another. This movie was not trying to do that. If you like his songs, you'd love this movie
• I also felt a great deal of sadness and loss that this whole production - which looked fantastic would never see the light. All the costumes, all the rehearsals, all the props...
• If the movie wanted me to see a version of him that is different from what the tabloids have been showing ,then it did it's job. What I saw was an artist - who still got it.
  
• Man...those are great songs.

Sex and The City

I bought the DVD during Black Friday ($4!!) and have not whipped it out. I thought it was a good time to break it open as the kids were napping and it was a lazy Saturday afternoon. (Full review here) Here are my thoughts as I rewatch this movie:

• The scene as just as powerful the second time around. I bawled, of course. The thing that struck me was that it was so believable. You wedding day is so hectic, if I lost my phone. I would not have noticed. I believed how Carrie can get Carried away without meaning to. I believed that Big would falter, if just for a second. It all rang so true (and yet, who among us have been asked to model all these fah-bu-lous dresses and have one given to you?? who among us have walked in an open house to a beautiful yet un-affordable house, turn to our partners and say "I love it!" and be living there the next month? Hah!!)
• The Steve-Miranda storyline I still loved the second time around. The scene where Steve confessed....my heart broke. I thought it was great acting. The scene on the bridge...tears!!!
• The only thing that seemed out of place - if ever, was the Samantha falling out of love with Smith. I don't get how Samantha would even get to a point where she was just managing Smith's career, and we didn't see that.
  

Twilight

This was playing on Showtime last night and it was my third time watching it and this time, I had my handy dandy remote control with me. My thoughts as I watch:

• What. an. absolute. piece. of. shit. movie. this. is.
• Go through my archives - I was fuckin' in love with Robert Pattinson. As I was re-watching this garbage, I do not see it. Edward was not handsome in this move at all. He had horrible reading on his lines! The one that comes to mind was the car scene when he first picked Bella up from the men at Port Angeles. Horrible!! When I read the book, it was dashing the way Edward rescued Bella. This interpretation? Deplorable!!!
• When Edward first said "We can't be friends" to Bella at the field trip, I was all, "What? When were we friends!!??" (It makes more sense in the book, but did not translate well on screen...)
  
• Of course, Bella still can't act.
• When Edward showed off his glittery body, I laughed. When he swung from tree to tree as he spoke of his "abilities" as a Vampire, I laughed. Every time tell Bella, "You are my life now" I laugh.
• I see Jacob on the screen and I *bloop-bloop-bloop* fast forward (after I laugh...)
• I counted 3 (three!!!) scenes where Edward was hot: 1) First time in school as a couple - as he walked with Bella in shades 2) The first kissing scene - before the super OA (over acting) flying against the wall part and 3) In the Prom - all parts where he was smiling.

I have not seen New Moon yet, but I already wonder what Twilight would've been like if it had a better director...If only we can see.

Review of the Second half of Breaking Dawn

I'm finally done with Breaking Dawn, so here is my review of the second half, also known as Book 3: Bella (the Vampire)

I must preface this by saying I did not want Bella to become one of them. Of all the possible "happy ending" to the Edward and Bella saga, Bella becoming a vampire - to be with Edward forever - I thought was not only silly, it was not creative enough. The interesting dynamic of the two was because one was the hunter, the other - the prey.

So, in Book 1, I was actually optimistic that horny Bella wanted sex so much that she was willing to prolong her human life so she can experience this over and over again. Silly, but I was grasping at straws. I wanted her to prolong her life, so sure, sex away lusty human!

But Meyer had different plans. And yes, I did love Jacob's point of view in Book 2 and at best I was resigned to the fact that I will be reading about Bella the vampire in Book 3. So, I took a little while from reading to adjust to that fact then resumed.

Book 3, I feel is a whole different saga. It's a whole different vibe, a whole different Bella. It felt so detached from the first 3 books. To me, this was more like reading Christopher Pike's The Last Vampire (which I mentioned a few posts ago). The Last Vampire was written to the point of view of the vampire: Sita. It was a good book. So, yeah, I gave this a chance.

For the most part, I was into it. I did think Jacob was cute with Renesmee, and this was all about Renesmee. The whole book focused on how the Cullens were going to be slaughtered by the Volturi because they thought that Renesmee was an immortal child (ugh, I won't even explain ths nonsense - just know that it was a "law" they supposedly broke). So, everything is building up from this. And I am in it. I'm right there with Bella. As a mom, I understand Bella's need to protect her daughter. I feel her pain, her anxiety, the different scenarios running through her head. How does she keep Nessie safe? The steps she took, from getting her the fake birth certificate, to practicing to fight (because she won't give up without a fight!).

Suddenly, it was making sense and for a split second, I thought Meyer was a genius. That was why she set the Volturi up in New Moon. We get to see the fall of the Volturi in the hands of Bella! And why won't she win. Meyer was alluding to it all along: how you can't read her mind, how her shield can protect and project. Even Renesmee has powers! Bella may have had her doubts, but I didn't. I knew the payoff was near...and then came the most anti-climactic ending to a book. EVER.

WHAT THE FUCK IS THIS!!?? After all that...all the reading...all that build up...all that harnessing of her power...the Volturi walks away??? NO. There was no way. No fucking way! You mean to tell me, I had to sit through and read all about these other vampires from God knows where - and their specific powers, mind you - with names and baggages of their own, to have them just walk away? You mean to tell me all the pages reading about how Bella stretched her fabric shield for her not to even use this power to kill Aro? I read paragraphs upon paragraphs of how Bella snuck away to get Jacob & Nessie proper papers so they can run away and be safe then the backpack (where she hid all of this) didn't leave Nessie's back? You mean to tell me after all of that, Meyer whips out a few more unknown vampires the same as Nessie and Aro goes, "Oh well! Sure, I believe you, oh random guy from the south" Let's all pack up eh?

That was not an ending. For what it's worth, that was an introduction to the Jacob / Nessie show. So, I'm confused. Why did Meyer leave it all open ended like that, only to stamp "The End" on the very next page? Why even introduce that the new guy we see - the one to save them all - eye Nessie like he wanted to tap that? Eww! She's a baby!!!

I'm not done. The book may be done, but here are my other nit-picks:

1) Bella resigned to die if Edward dies. I have a big problem with this. Bella, you have a daughter. You don't get to decide that you will die if Edward dies.

2) Renesmee will grow until she looks about 18 then will stop growing and stay the beautiful age of 18 forever. Really, Meyer. How convenient. What do you have against middle aged vampires? There must be some lolo vampires out there...

3) Bella was a super-vampire. Again, how convenient that Bella as a newborn was the best! She didn't even kill anyone (or felt the need to!)...not even stupid strangers like J Jenks. And..AND...she's got the shield thing going on and learned all her powers within a month!

4) Bella super loved being a vampire. Ooh, vampire sex is so much better than human sex. Ooh, vampire kissing is soo much better than human kissing. What-ever! I would rather see her having some remorse to her human life. All the other vampires would've given up everything to be human again...

5) What happened to Renee?? Did she never just try to find out what is up with her daughter? Hello, apparently she was deathly ill!! And, Bella never made an attempt to contact her mother even though she thought she was going to die? She made an effort to spend Christmas with charlie! What, no time to call her own mother to say, Merry Christmas!? What a fluke to name your daughter after her and not care the slightest about her.

6) What happened to the Cullens? In a weird way, even though they were present in the book, I hardly felt them. In Book 3, did we ever hear Rosalie? Did Esme even speak? Where was the sexy debonair Edward? He seemed like a non-entity here.

7) Shape-Shifters?? Ugh, puh-leez.

8) Charlie not wanting to know what's going on with Bella is Meyer's easy way out. It was like she didn't know how to get Charlie involved that won't derail her story, because, really - you, as a dad, would want to know what was going on with your daughter. I just don't buy that he'd look the other way. I would buy him making Bella tell him then leaving it be. Meyer needed Bella to be as pure and not disobeying the law as possible.

9) Saccharin-sweet ending. Bella gets everything she wants: Edward and Jacob. A beautiful daughter. A relationship with her father. An automatic affinity to be vegetarian. A shield. The ability to keep her thoughts private.

Comments, Clarifications & a Review of Breaking Dawn (the First Half)

So first off I'd like to give props where props were due. It was Lina, of course, who first told me about Twilight. She said it was such an easy read. I remember thinking ...Vampires? I'm not really into scary stuff. What she should asked me right then was, "well, you're not into scary stuff, but are you into hot sexy guys?" The answer would be: Yes.

So, Lina, since you sold me on this, I will also take your advice and Netflix True Blood as soon as it is out on DVD.

Comments & clarifications from my last two reviews:
1) New Jacob - Okay, I know I dissed Taylor as Jacob and even thought that for me, comparing Edward to Jacob was like comparing Lost's Sawyer to Michael. No contest, right? Yes, I was harsh. But now that I'm almost done with the series, I did have a change of heart and now, I do love Jacob as well. I think I love him the same was as Bella does, like a little brother. And because of this, I don't really know if I'm in the "change Jacob" bandwagon. Michael Copon apparently is vying for this job and his blatant self promotion - and porn-like half naked poses - makes me dislike him even more. I now realize I like my Jacob the way he should be; a never aging 16 year old.

2) I whole-heartedly agree with Gel's take on Kristen Stewart's Bella. Bella is supposed to be down-to-earth and funny, and not a frowning totokamus (sorry for the Balki reference. I couldn't find a better word). I hated the perma-frown. Smile, girl. Show us why you're the luckiest girl on the planet! Here's hoping Kristen loosens up in New Moon and just...lets...go.

3) Edward/Robert's performance - Okay, I did get a lot of flack for being too harsh, and wanted to clarify that although I did have my issues...I loved loved loved Robert's Edward. He's the reason to watch Twilight. He makes vampires sexy and a much better actor especially next to Kristen.

On to Breaking Dawn...Spoilers Abound

Book 1: Bella
This book focused on Bella & Edward's wedding and their subsequent honeymoon. It's really just a set-up but I loved it anyway. Instead of the usual running away from the vampires, we get a peek a what it would be like for a human to be with a vampire. The wedding that Bella didn't want but ended up liking....to the "first time"...

It was a "fade to black" moment. I forgot I wasn't reading Mills & Boon (hey, not that I ever read those...), but yeah, of course we don't get a play by play - but if actually worked out because through Bella's eyes, you only feel the glorious portions and not the physical pain that having sex with the undead can cause to your bones...Nevertheless, I enjoyed it.

I loved the small amount of time where they were just in love - but I knew from the first paragraph, that she was going to be pregnant. [Because in the Young-Adult book world, sex = pregnancy. The reality is that you are really only fertile one week at best in a month, but I digress...] I loved the small moments, the little smiles, when they enjoyed each other as they are.

Edward's reaction was almost unforgivable...I know he knew that the spawn would hurt Bella, but as I woman, there is that maternal instinct to love your baby no matter what and hope your partner is there with you no matter what....

I loved it. Just that part alone was better for me than New Moon & Eclipse combined.

Book 2: Jacob
It look a while to adjust that I was reading Jacob's narration instead of Bella's. I would be reading and then I'd stop. Wait. What? Oh...Jacob thought that. But I got the hang of it and, it was great. I was never a big fan of Jacob, but this actually turned things around for me. Because you can see from his point of view, you can feel the hurt of loving someone who doesn't love you back...not that way (and that's really the worst!), the jealousy and anger toward your enemy but your ally also in most ways.

This book picks up where Bella left of. We find Jacob as he finds out that Bella is back. He is apprehensive - how would he feel seeing her as a vampire, or dead? How would he kill the Cullens? And Meyer did a great job at creating his emotion, his pace, as different from Bella's. I felt for him...and that's when I realized how integral he was not just to Bella's life, but to the story as a whole. This was no ordinary love triangle. At this point, Jacob was more interesting than Edward.

Oh how love rules. When Sam, the Alpha male decides to kill Bella's unborn child, I thought: Jacob, hello, you're the Alpha. Be the alpha. He does and we get to see Jacob be there hero this time. A reluctant hero, but a hero still.

And Seth. Love that little kid. Gel emailed me this cute cute pic of a baby siberian husky and think of him as Seth. Out of all the supporting characters, he was one what was just easy to love. (Emmett too for some reason, I loved right away). Do I have to talk about Leah? After all, Meyer took a lot of time discussing her love triangle with Sam and Emily, a woman Sam "imprinted" on ... Anyone? Nah.

But the end of this book got me. Jacob, thinking he got 3 more days with Bella before she gives birth and dies, suddenly panics when the baby wanted to come out now. All of a sudden, he did not have a few days, he did not have a few hours. This was it. This is when she dies, or worse, becomes one of them. It was overwhelming, it was fast, and he gave his blessing to Edward, to save Bella by letting her become a vampire. The anger as he walked away, the hatred to the monster that ended the life of his love. He went to the baby - ready to kill her. Then he saw her.

That last page got me. The symbolism of the balloons being cut as his ties to all that he was - disconnected. Everything he knew and loved and was. None of that mattered because something else has holding him to where he stood. It was Renesmee.

Bravo, Stephanie. That alone made up for everything that I thought I hated about Jacob. Of course, I smack the side of my head, he imprint's on Bella's spawn. This was the finale that made sense. With everything that I hated about the imprinting bullshit, this made sense. This saves the baby from the wolves, and it makes for an interesting story.

Book 3, I'm guessing will be all about Renesmee. Bring it on!!

Review of Eclipse

So, I'm done with this book and here's my review:

The probably best part about this book (and all others) is that you can't put it down. As much as a lot of the little things irritated me, I couldn't stop. I love me some Edward, and here... I'm beginning to re-like Jacob as well.

Then it gets confusing since although I love the series, a lot of little things bug me that I even wonder why I like it, why I keep reading, why I hunted down a copy of Breaking Dawn on the first day of the year instead of just relaxing. (It was not in the two (2!!!) Targets I went to and eventually bought it at a Barnes & Noble at suggested retail $25!). Today, I called and found a Target that carried it, drove down to Richmond, bought it for $17, then trudged back to Barnes to return the expensive one.

Bugging Item #1: Edward is a Prude!
Even as I read Twilight, (see review below) it was obvious to me that Edward was written as Meyer's perfect man. To me, yes, there's a lot of stuff I loved about the pureness of Edward's love, but come on! Bella's throwing herself at you, give in a little!!! Every time he stops a kiss or a move, I just want to slap him already.

Bugging Item #2: Bella is a whiner!
Wah! I love Jacob, but i'm not in love with him coz I love Edward! Wah, I can't believe Edward is making me stay away from Jacob because he is a warewolf! Wah, I'll get myself into trouble nevertheless! Wah, Jacob is in love with me! Wahhh!!!! Girlfriend, get a grip. Bella is the kind of person who invites drama. Because really, in the real world, if you know the person you don't love is madly in love with you and yet you go out of your way to give him hope (but say you don't give him hope) is cruel. Then, when Edward does not show jealousy, she can't believe it. *sigh* Also, she claims to love her parents to the point of dying for them but yet she want to end her life now so that Edward won't out-young her when she does become a vampire. I know she gives some reasons - but they're not good enough reasons for me.

Bugging Item #3: Classic Novel "Theme"
In New Moon, it was so obvious that they were going to tie in the Romeo & Juliet to the plot of the story. The moment they mention Wuthering Heights, I roll my eyes (to no one in particular, maybe to my dog, but he didn't get it) coz I know that at the end, they're going to tie it into the story. Predictable!!! Come on, should I expect to see Catcher in the Rye to be mentioned in Breaking Dawn?

Bugging Item #4: The I'm-Sorry Phenomenon
It seems to be everywhere in this book! Jacob time and time again does / says something to hurt Bella then calls a day later to apologize and says how much he really is in love with her. Bella does the same for Edward, she'll blatantly goes to La Push even though she knows that there are vampires looking for her and then apologize for it later. Edward apologizes for all the vampires that are now running after them. Bella apologizes to Jacob for all the bad things that were happening. Bella apologizes to Edward (and vice versa) for loving him too much. For a 600 page book, it was too much.

Bugging Item #5: No Character Development
A) I wish Bella was more developed and had more than these two sides: 1) I love Edward 2) I love Jacob. Why can't she be a character who was in love with a vampire but still aspire to be a doctor? Or hell, get accepted to Harvard? Won't it be a more compelling story if she has to find the right balance between loving a monster and still wanting a life / kids? Won't it be interesting to read about (let's say in book 6) for a 30 year old Bella remains to have a relationship with someone who wasn't aging? How about kids? The fact that she's just willing to die right now really bugs me - and her logic...There's none.

B) I wish Edward was more than just a handsome vampire that won't put out. I wish he had other things to say than "I love you Bella" and other things to do than protect her. We get it, he loves her - after that 2,879th time, it get's a little boring. The best part about the book for me was his interaction with Jacob but yet again, nothing seems to faze him. I love Edward and did not want him to be one-dimensional.

C) I wish Jacob didn't make a turn for the whiny wolf that he's become. He's a bit better now and I agree that objectively, he would be the better choice for Bella, but he was just annoying at times there. Again, other than his "coming out" that he loved Bella, there was really nothing else going for him.

But, it was an enjoyable read, and I did love the scene at the tent. Here's hoping Breaking Dawn would be the best book of the series!

Twilight Merch

Happy New Year Everyone!

This is my second Twilight post. I must be obsessed. Anyway, so I find out that Gel got a "Team Jacob" shirt for Christmas from Jax and it was really cool. It said: Who's Afraid of the Big Bad Wolf? And Team Jacob in the back....so I was a little bit jealous so I searched high and low for a good Team Edward (well of course!) shirt for me. In my search, I found some funny ones...some jabs on Team Jacob. My favorites were:

I went to Forks and all I got was this lousy imprint (shown above)

Yes Jacob, your being half naked does bother me.

Bella: Luckier than you since 1989

Jacob Black, I want to La Push you over the Cliff!

Review of Twilight

I'm late to the party, but here nonetheless. Here is my review of Twilight - the book and the movie. As a mother of two (and one at 6 months!) there's really no time for me to go to the movies, but I'm thankful my hubby let me sneak out of the house for a couple of hours to see this movie.

I'll start with the book. Mind you, I'm only halfway through Eclipse, so please don't tell me what happens. I'm trying to take my time since I devoured the first two books in a week (For a mom of toddlers - that's pretty fast).

[spoilers abound!]

The book is a page turner, that's one thing for sure. It does not drag at all. Okay, I'm loving this. I admit it. I was not into Anne Rice's stuff but I did read (and loved) Christopher Pike's The Last Vampire (I know. No one knows who he is. But I loved every single one of his book when I was a teenager. *sigh* that was ages ago). So the idea of a vampire falling in love with a human is very interesting and Meyers delivers with lots of swoon-worthy moments. There's romance, there's action, there's myth. It's all good. By the end of the baseball scene, when we find out James is out to hunt Bella, I couldn't put it down and was up till 2 am trying to finish the whole thing.

Bella - is a good heroine. I love the fact that she's clumsy, and not breathtakingly beautiful. In the book, Meyer's does a good job of taking you though her thoughts and how she gradually falls in love with Edwards. It was only in New Moon when she begins to grate with her constant talk of wanting to be a vampire.

Edward - I feel like he's written to be the guy a woman will fall in love with. I mean, he's old school. He loves Bella that he'll do anything to protect her. I am kinda in love with him because I picture the hot Rob Pattinson, but to be honest, Edward can be too much. There's a lot (and I mean a lot) of parts where he's confessing his love for Bella and how he aches for her, and longs for her, and particularly the part where he describes his reaction to her when she first meets him...It was a little too much. Men we know don't do that. You'll be lucky if you get an unprompted "I Love You". Bitter much? Hah, maybe.

No matter how you spin it though, kissing someone cold and hard is not hot. It is not sexy. I try to forget Meyer's description so much when she says things like "...and leaned on his cold marble body.." Ew. They do not work at all!! In my head, Edward still feels a little human. Now, on the other hand, a giant hairy warewolf...so not sexy either!! I know there are a lot of Jacob-Bella fans out there, and you know, I did like Jacob pre-wolf, but he was getting kinda arrogant there near the end that it was not pleasant.

The Movie

So I heard the movie sucks. I wanted to see it anyway since (as previously mentioned), I am kinda crushing on Robert Pattinson and was curious to see if he can do a better Edward than the one in my head.

The movie was okay. I only say this because I came it with a very very low expectation. But here are my following thoughts:

I hated the music. I'm sorry.

I thought Bella was a little maarte (over acting) at times there. Like she went to a "facial reaction" school or something. Edward also failed at being sexy. The moments I loved are when he was smiling / flirting with Bella. The was a scene where he was walking with Bella to school and he had sunglasses on. Hot! But as mentioned above, the declaration of love feels a little too much, and in the movie, it felt rushed. Like, hey, we just met and not you're in love with me?! It was unsettling.

Special effects I give a D-. Edward jumping though the trees somehow is giggle-worth than it was swoon-worthy. I mean..I looked silly!!! He was dangling on a branch! Silly! Another scene that was ruined by the effects: the kissing scene. It was a great scene! I actually was feeling the tension / urgency and passion than *wham* he slams on the wall and I stifle a giggle. Geez.

Among the others, Emmett seemed like good casting. I don't know how I feel about Esme. I see her and think of Grey's Anatomy. Jasper...looks weird. Not what I pictured. And Rosalie not as hot as described in the book.

The pacing / atmosphere seemed off. Not sure what could've been done to make it better. I am hoping the next director can somehow make it better with New Moon.

And one more hope for the next movie...less "vampire" looking please. I get that they're supposed to look vampire-y but it they looked like that they would've been outed on day 1! Less make up please!!!!

Okay, that's all. I've run out of things to say. Well, not really but I think I should stop nevertheless. The scene shown above was one of my favorites. I love the cute - less complicated - scenes.

Sex and The City Movie Review

Since I am not working for now, I have today off. I have debated yesterday between seeing this movie alone (since it's a Friday morning! Who is free!?) or eating a India Palace - which I am craving for but is all the way down in Alameda.

Listening to the radio this morning convinced me to go to watch this movie. It was getting good reviews - and there were rumors that it's going to be #1 in the box office this weekend, and there are a lot of places selling tickets out! I even debated, should I Fandago this thing to make sure I have a ticket? Then I chuckled, hell no. It's 11:00 am on a Friday morning! Everyone's at work. There's no way it'll sell out. The last time I watched a movie this early (yesterday, watching Made of Honor) there were literally 3 of us in the theater.

So, I drive. My mouth dropped open as I turn in the parking lot. It was full! And there was a line to get tickets! No fucking way!! I panicked a little. It was the weirdest thing. I was able to get tickets, but man, when I entered the theater, it looked like it was a 9 pm showing with the crown of people already seated! It's fucking 11 am!!! Then, I looked closer and realized why. 90% of the crowd were the senior folk! Ahhh, it all makes sense. Yes, they may be old, but they sure are getting it on! It was like a retirement home decided to go on a field trip and it was to the Hilltop Century 16. I found a seat in between two 80 year old gentlemen (obviously with their dates). It was fine, I thought, if I bawled, then would they even really notice?

And bawl I did. I love this movie. I haven't cried this much in a movie theater since Stepmom, and that was just tears. There were moments when my whole body cried, you know, the very unattractive cry where your face turns weird because of the emotion?

SPOILER ALERT!!!

The first real cry came when Carries finds out Big wasn't coming and said she needed to get out of there. At the same time, Big realizes that was a mistake and turns back. They meet in the street and the reaction from Carrie, and even Charlotte as they attack Big - I cried like I was the one in that situation - the frustration, the emotion, it was all so real.

There were lots of cries in the movie, but as always, the story that gets to me is Steve & Miranda. I can't help it, I love them together, and their story...sigh. I think Gel's review was spot on, they didn't make Steve out to be a "bad guy". Yes, we know it's wrong, but at the same time, life isn't like a fairy tale and people do make mistakes, and in the real life - you either move forward or go your own separate ways. I like the fact that they didn't take the "you go girl" road on here. It was heartbreaking. I cried at Steve's remose, I bawled when they met again at the Brooklyn bridge.

Charlotte, always the optimist, but always in the shadows, I think took a more backseat role in this movie, nevertheless, I give props to Kristin Davis since there's two Charlotte scenes that made me bawl. One, as previously mentioned, when they confronted Big in the street, and second in the scene outside the restaurant where she finally told Big off. I really felt what she meant - in that out of everyone, she rooted for him, defended him...

Samantha, i thought, also took a backseat role in this movie, and aside from the comic / sex relief, I didn't really care much that she wasn't in love with Smith anymore. And you know, I liked them as a couple during the series.

I also thought that the JHud side story was -hmm- filler-ish. Like, yeah, they just needed another person to show Carrie what Love is. I didn't feel much connection with her and Carrie, but oh well. Oh and yeah, like Gel says, "renting" a purse, it not cheap and in the end - you don't have anything to show for it!! I don't believe Carrie would not have known that there is such a thing. Come on, she lives fashion! And if you are unemployed, I'm sorry, you don't have the mony to rent a purse. Hello, you buy a non-label one at a Target and call it a day.

But aside from all of that, I loved the movie. I loved that Carrie took a portion of the responsibility for the wedding that wasn't and showed a side of her that's...normal. Wearing a no-label wedding suit to City Hall, and showing that she actually really loved Big and not jut for the money.

It was good. It was very very good.

Goodbye Loves

Wow. This week has been kind of a shocker. First, I find out that Heath Ledger has passed. What!? I couldn't believe it at first. I mean, I was just thinking last week how of all celebrities, he's been consistently on my list. I just think he is so handsome, and talented. God, at 28 too, he was just a boy. And what about his little girl? I tear up at the thought of a two year old losing her dad. It's very sad.

Secondly, I find out that after 12+ years in Broadway, RENT will shut down it's doors in June. What!? I couldn't believe it too! RENT is a NY tradition for me. I know I've seen it countless of times and even my aunt has told me that I should go watch something different - but RENT has been so close to my heart that every time we visit the big city - we have to have to line up for lotto! We have to have to wait at the stage door! It's so sad. I won't even get to see it one last time before they close. But even if I won't see it live on Broadway anymore, it will forever be in my heart.

No day but today...

Catch and Release

I've procrastinated watching this for the longest time. I don't even know why I netflixed it. Maybe it was because I like Kevin Smith and thought it was a romantic comedy so why not? Well, you know when you use netflix, if you are hanging on to a movie, no other movies are coming in your mailbox....so it was time.

ok, it sucked. It sucked so so bad, where do I start? Let's start with Jennifer Garner...so over acting in this movie. The scene where she was in the bathtub while this other guy was having sex with the waitress, her facial expressions were too exaggerated. Girl, you are not in theater - we can zoom in to see you face. Secondly, she changes from smiling to crying at the drop of a hat. What the fuck?

Now, Mr. Handsome here (Timothy Olyphant?) disgusts me. Why do I hate handsome guys? I don't get it, but either way...not buying him. Lizette, he reminds me of Michael (our handsome librarian) in Rebuilding Together as he stands / poses coz he know the chicks are watching him, not really doing any painting or working whatsoever. The whole movie for me he was just trying to look cute.

Chemistry? There was none. Tim was too busy trying to look handsome for the camera and Jen was too busy interspersing between her winning smile and her dramatic pout.

Plot B: Kevin trying to commit suicide and "the other friend" secretly in love with Jen both did not have any good resolutions. You can cut that whole side story and we would not miss a thing.

Thumbs way down.

The Bourne Ultimatum...and the Touraeg 2

I really really enjoyed this movie! First of all, I enjoyed the fact that we were able to watch a movie in the first place. Second of all, this one did not disappoint. From the start this sucks you right in and I think it's really a feat for Matt Damon to make me actually love him. He's not one of my favorite actors generally but he sold me on Jason Bourne. The Bourne Series was the turning point in my Matt love. I believe him, I'm rooting for him, and even though a lot of the stuff that happens to him are so unbelievable I cheer every time he kicks some ass or I'm loving the fact that he's still alive.

There's a few really awsome chases: one early on involving the writer who was being followed because he knows too much and Jason was guiding him on the phone like a puppet to make sure that the CIA won't find him. It was gripping. Another one involved Jason running, jumping off roofs, and crashing through windows, all to save Nikki (Julia Stiles) from the assasin trying to kill her. The one on one combat was awsome, and i'm not one for violence, people. Then there's the car chase through manhattan involving the VW Touraeg 2. Squeee! As a VW Toureag (not Touraeg 2 though) owner, it's thrilling to see my little baby on screen kickin' ass! I know it's product placement, but it was done very tastefully. It was not overkill, the Touraeg was already badly beaten up from the getgo and yet it was soo thrilling. My hubby, party pooper as usual, had to comment, "Hmm, how come the airbag did not deploy?" Haha.
Overall, it was very satisfying. Awsome job. Watch this movie. This is my favorite so far. Yes, loved it more than Transormers.

Here's the Touraeg below - What a beauty!:

A Bad Premonition

It's been a whole week since I watched this on DVD, but the sour taste has not left my mouth. This picture of Sanda is so telling of the movie itself. It's ugly, distraught & frustrating.

5 minutes into the movie, my hubby turned to me and said, this sucks, and went to sleep. And for the remainder, I had to sit through this all by myself. As I watch, a mental debate is running through my head: Why finish it? It sucks. But, you're already invested time into it! Don't you want to know what the answer to the mystery? But it's so. fucking. slow...(pause)...fine. i'll watch it. fucking curiousity - kills the cat every time.

The worst part for me is Sandra herself. Aside from While You Were Sleeping, I don't really like her, and i almost hate most of her characters. This movie made it glaringly obvious that she cannot act. At least, i'm not buying it. There's a scene in the movie where she wakes up to find her husband alive for the second time, so she goes in the shower while he's in it, hugs him from behind and just holding on because she did not know whether she's going to wake up again and he's dead - but the hug looked so empty. I did not feel that she loved him or even cared. She's like an "empty vase" (haha. a Friends reference). She felt so disconnected from everyone else in the movie - even her kids!!! I did not feel that she loved her children! She sucks big time.

Please save yourself the rental and not watch this film. The reslution - the answer to the whole mysetry - is even lame. She was the reason he died! (oops. spoiler) In trying to save him, she drove him to the exact scene of the accident. You know what? Made me hate the character even more. geez, poor huband - should've gone ahead on cheated on her sorry ass. (oops. another spoiler). That's it. End of Rant.

Transformers

So we played hooky last Wednesday and went to see Transformers. I really enjoyed it - it was a couple hours of action entertainment. But if I may, I did have a few issues with the movie:
1) The crowd at the climactic fight scene betwen the good & bad. Okay, so it's a Monday morning in busy Times Square. You are out by the street with your coffee walking to work. then - zoom! Pow! Fuck - it's a robot!! You scream! You run! ...right? So how come half an hour into the fight scene, people are still on the fucking streets acting all chaotic and surprised (still) as Prime & Megatron duke it out.
2) Really, Prime - you think with all the damage & destruction done there wasn't a single human harmed?
3) It was too freakin' fast. I couldn't distinguish an autobot from a decepticon! My solution, have all the autobots be brightly colored and all the decepticons be black and white...what? no? ok fine.
But yeah...I loved the movie.

United 93

It's been a while since I last posted, and there's a lot to say! First of all, Happy Thanksgiving! Now on to this post.

I've been putting off watching this movie for a while because I know that once I see it, I will get very emotional and most likely will have red eyes by the end of it. But I did see it, and compelled to post about it, albeit weeks later.

I loved the movie. It was a simple but good story. It didn't need a fancy movie star. I didn't need fancy special effects. For this movie, the actual events was great enough a story to hold it's own. I mean, I remember waking up on 9/11 a little after 6 am to the radio alarm and there it was. It was hazy at first, people didn't know what was happening, but something was happening. I woke up after the first tower got hit, but before the second tower. So, as the day went on and you hear about a plane crashing somewhere in an open field, it doesn't hit you right away. Everyone was focused on the Twin Towers. But after the dust settled and news came out that the reason United 93 crashed because the people made sure the terrorist didn't get to their destination even if it meant dying, you feel like there are some good people out there. Angels they are.

The casting was great. I liked the fact that the actors are not so famous that you can concentrate on them as characters instead of actors. I liked the pacing. It seemed like it was in real time and yet it was all happening to fast (and slow) that you can't take your eyes off the screen. The music was just enough to evoke the right emotion. Overall, it didn't feel sensational. There was no political agenda - just one good movie.

March of the Penguins

I recently watched the March of the Penguins on DVD. The film follows the journey of Emperor penguins as they trek through the Antartica Ice desert in the winter in order to mate. The film is magnificent in capturing this journey and it deeply touched me.

The penguins travel long and hard through the blizzard to the place they were born. There they find their mate and lay their egg. After the female has laid the egg - it is carefully transferred to the male for safekeeping (nested between their fun and their feet). The females then head back to the water miles away after weeks without nourishment to get food for themselves and their chicks. The males are left to brace the winter cold without food to keep the eggs safe until their return.

The image above is one that stayed with me. It is a photo of the male penguins all huddled together to brace the winter blizzards - carefull to keep their eggs warm tucked in their legs. (If the egg fall out, the cold hard ice would kill the egg instantly). After two months without food, the eggs start to hatch. The father and chick then wait for the mother to come back with food.

Once the females return the males would transfer the chick back to the mother and they will trek out to the ocean to get food for themselves. It's a beautiful story of love, which we can all learn from.

And Finally...Rent.

Finally, I take the time to review the movie that I've been anticipating for months. I did see Rent over the Thanksgiving holiday amidst all of the Harry Potter fanatics. In the multiplex where I saw the movie, Rent was located in the small, farthest theater (I guess they knew that they weren't going to sell out on this movie). I felt a little sad...

I loved the movie. I thought it was as accurate as it could to the theater version. I wasn't as turned off by Rosario Dawson as some people a I know (wink wink) and thought she did justice to Mimi. And for me to love Rent, I must love the Roger/ Mimi. That's because my fave songs have always been: Another Day & Light My Candle - the two Roger /Mimi songs.

Tango: Maureen, which has always been hit or miss for me (depending on who was playing Mark...I saw on Broadway when Joey Fatone was playing Mark...but I'm digressing), was a "Wow" for me on the film. It really worked there. The dream sequence with Maureen playing both sides was a good addition to what both Mark and Joanne were feeling towards her.

Good job to Jesse L. Martin as well. When he said "...Live in my house..." at the funeral, I started bawling. He was that good. And so charismatic!

But here's my complaints: 1) What the hell is Roger doing on the cliffs of Santa Fe? It felt soo cheesy. and 2) I know they're trying to be as accurate to the play as possible, but really, when you get an almost dying person in your apartment, and the couch is full - you clear the couch! You don't put her in a cold stanless steel kitchen table! Come on!!!

Here's a like to Smokedog's review of the same movie. Enjoy!

Another Rent Trailer

November is fast approaching and so is the movie Rent! I just saw the cast recently on Live with Regis & Kelly, so it looks like they're at least trying to promote this movie. I doubt this will be any bit as big as Chicago, but I'm watching it anyway. I've posted the link to the Seasons of Love movie trailer some time ago. Now here's one where they used Finale B. Enjoy!

Just Like Heaven

I'm a sucker for romantic comedies. Especially if a Mark Ruffalo is in it. Today, we watched Just Like Heaven, and you know what? I loved it. It pulled on my little heartstrings. And I don't really get my attraction for Mark - but yeah, he's on my list alright. I'll buy this on DVD. In the meantime, I'll be watching 13 Going on 30. Heh.

Crash

Upon Joanna's insistence, we decided to rent Crash. Thanks, Jo, because I actually loved the movie! I loved the intertwining of the different lives of the characters, and the fact that some of the stories were left unanswered, and there wasn't a big climax at the end.

My favorite scenes were with Daniel, his daughter, and the bullet-resistive invisible scarf. I was in tears. But the rest of the storylines were great too. The good cop / bad cop. The missing brother of Graham and how his mom longed for the brother's return. Anyway, rent it if you can. It's a must see.