New Look for New Moon

With Chris Weitz on board as the new director, this installment of the Twilight Saga has a new look and follows the book much closer than the original movie. Although imdb.com only gave it 4.5 stars, I would give it a 6 compared to the 8.5 which I gave the original.


This movie is also very good. I love the storyline about the werewolves and Jacob's friendship, but I miss the connection between Bella and Edward. I missed the romance and the frustration they always felt although there was some towards the end of the movie.

I think Robert Patinson's fame is short-lived. He is good as Edward but he is not all that great looking and his skinny body does nothing for me. It feels like he is constantly posing for a photo shoot and he wears way too much makeup.

Don't get me wrong I still want Bella and Edward to be together and this is a very intriguing saga. The introduction of Dakota Fanning as an evil vampire with red eyes was a little weak. I look forward to her developing her character in the next movie.

Taylor Lautner as Jacob, the buff werewolf, was the star of this sequel with his beauty, constant friendship and strong animal like qualities. When he took his shirt off for the first time, a young girl in the audience screamed and soon many others made noises too. It reminded me of young teens swooning at an Elvis concert. He is gorgeous to look at and his sensitivity to Bella is quite attractive.

The Volturi family and their special powers was a little confusing to me, and the solution to their situation was a little unbelievable, but if you read the books, it may have been clearer. I am sorry to say I have not read the books.

This movie leaves me with questions unanswered like how can you take pictures of vampires and why is Bella's mind so special?

I am not a teenager anymore but I really enjoy this series. I look forward to new information about the characters being revealed and how Bella will eventually be turned.

Trivia

Bella wears a moon stone ring throughout the saga.

This director never made a vampire movie or any sequel of any kind before. Not bad for a beginner.


All of the boys who played the werewolves were of indian descent and were required to present proof of such to be in the move.

Talent Does Run in The Family

It Runs in the Family

This 2003 remake of an unsuccessful 1994 movie is a bit more appealing with a cast full of royalty, namely Kirk Douglas’s family. The story looks at a dysfunctional but prominent family in New York, including three generations of Grombergs, all strained relationships who live very separate lives.

Although it has a light tone and some humor, this movie deals with very serious issues: aging, illegal drugs, adolescent fighting, career changes and ultimately death.

Michael Douglas produced this comedy-drama with his father, Kirk Douglas who was 86 years old, only seven years after his actually having a stroke.

Cameron Douglas plays Michael’s son, Alex, a college student who struggles with drinking and drugs, and learns some hard lessons. Fine acting for a beginner.

Diana Dill, Michael’s real life mother and Kirk’s ex-wife plays the patriarch’s wife as a lady of grace and stature. I felt she wasn't even acting but just playing herself. Lovely lady. Bernadette Peters plays Michael’s psychologist wife. Although this is a somber role for Peters, she dose a fine job as a betrayed wife and loving mother.

In my opinion, the main weakness in this movie is that it does not allow you to like or even care about its main characters. There is just too much noise and too much going on to get to know anyone until the movie is half over. When tragedy brings the family together, the ending is quite surprising leaving you with good feelings of love, understanding and reconciliation. After the first half was over, I really started to enjoy the relationships and the plot. I no longer checked the time or wondered how much longer before it was over. Although a slow start, I do recommend this one, especially to see the Douglas family work together.

Trivia

Director Fred Schepisi said he was concerned about Kirk’s voice and his strength; ready to use Michael’s voice and digitally alter it if necessary. Although it was hard to see Kirk struggling with the effects of his stroke, he was able to finish his scenes without too much difficulty, and with the professionalism of a star of his magnitude.

Not terribly successful, the movie only grossed $7.5 million compared to Michael’s next film, “The In-laws,” which grossed $20 million.

Jersey Girl

Sorry folks, I couldn't get to the movies again this week, too much homework and papers due. So I caught this on cable TV. I heard it was awful but I started watching it and I got caught because the story started out pretty good.

Ollie (Ben Affleck) is a successful music publicist who loses everything, including his wife (Jennifer Lopez) who dies and leaves him a single dad to raise a beautiful baby girl. The daughter looks like Jennifer Lopez must have looked as a child. She is played quite charmingly by Raquel Castro.

Ollie and his daughter move in with his feisty father (George Carlin) as Gerty grows up, about 7 years. Liv Tyler plays Maya the new friend, for now, for Ollie. Maya sees the world in a fresh and fun way and helps Ollie to see what is really important in his life.

Kevin Smith wrote most of this screenplay in a couple months, set it aside and forgot about it. He was friends with Ben Affleck and happened to mention it to him. Affleck read it and liked it and Smith finished writing it quickly and specifically for Afflect to play the part of Ollie.

This is just a sweet little story about love and loss and finding out what is really important in life. I liked it.

English Literature Revisited

When there is nothing to entice me to the dollar movie, I stay home and watch older movies I have purchased from Joy Junction for $1.00 or I rent them from the library for free.

This week a friend and I watched a film made in 1987 with two of our favorite actors, Sir Anthony Hopkins and Judi Dench, called "84 Charing Cross Road."

Although the author, Helene Hanff, took many artistic liberties while writing this book in 1970, it is based on her true story - about an American publisher who purchases classics and collectible books from a bookstore in London, and through their letters of twenty years, develops intimate and caring relationships with Frank, the chief buyer and his wife (Judi Dench), and all of the bookstore employees.

Obsessed with the English classics and knowledge of such that would put us all to shame, she orders them from a quaint little shop that specializes in out of print books. A friendship and intelligent and funny conversations ensue in the form of letters. Historical facts are enticingly visited such as Winston Churchill, the coronation of the Queen and the black market of food during World War II.

Anne Bancroft (The Graduate) plays Helene and narrates the movie wonderfully. Helene's tough, witty and sometimes sarcastic demeanor was creatively captured by Bancroft, who I imagine was very much like her character in real life.

We were both surprised at how much we enjoyed this movie. I highly recommend it. There is a little romance, a lovely drama and Anthony Hopkins at his best (and also with hair).


Trivia

The bookstore was called Marks and Co., and is now a local bar so the store was built on a sound stage in London. There is a plaque on the bar wall commemorating the book.