Posted on 11/24/2008 10:11:59 AM PST by holy joe
Once again Hollywood and the mainstream film critics are getting slapped upside the head.
With over $70 million in box office receipts, the No. 1 movie in North America is Summit Entertainment’s teen vampire flick, “Twilight.” Among other things, it’s the biggest opening ever for a female director (Catherine Hardwicke).
Mainstream critics gave the film mixed reviews, with many horrified at the lack of big-screen sex and violence.
In a piece titled “The Love That Dare Not Bare Its Fangs,” The New York Times displayed trademark snarky disdain for the film. Critic Manohla Dargis went after Stephenie Meyer (a Mormon who penned the book from which “Twilight” was adapted) with condescending sarcasm.
(Excerpt) Read more at newsmax.com ...
I heard on the radio this morning from one of our local reporters who went over the weekend to see it she said it sucked. The acting was bad and the dialogue was juvenile.
There is a significant amount of violence in this film. To say that there isn’t any violence is to lie or not have seen the film. I think the book was much better. I’d give the movie 3 of 5 stars. My lady adored it though.
Both my teen daughters read the entire series and saw the movie. They liked it but were a bit disappointed after all the hype.
Well, I guess that means “up” is now “down.”
Perhaps, on the way home tonight, I should drive as fast as I can...in reverse.
The way my daughter described it, these vampires drink animal blood. They jokingly refer to themselves as vegetarians.
“My wife is agitating to drag me to this thing, can I at least see some vampire war or something?”
Actually there is a small bit of violence! It comes towards the end, at the crux of the movie, in a battle between the good vampires and a very, very bad one (the good guys win of course! YAY!). There is a good bit of suspense all through the movie, and intrigue, I really think you will enjoy it on a guy level, while she will enjoy it on a gal level! (Lots of old fashioned “first love” romance too).
I was talked into reading the first book by my (obsessed) 14 year old, because she didn’t want me to ask her any questions during the movie. Well I read it and am hooked myself, am now reading the second one (which the production has already begun on). I really enjoyed the movie and enjoyed the book even more (more detail), but it was fun to see the characters come to life. I have to give the casting director an A+, they were almost all just exactly the way I had pictured them.
Tell your wife that I hope she enjoys it as much as we did! I think we will be going again soon.
I read the books and liked them, and I went to the movie. And I seem to have liked it. I think it was a flawed movie, but I was entertained, I laughed, and I enjoyed myself for 2 hours.
Sure, sometimes it was at the expense of the actors or the story, but if you are entertained, does it matter why?
Heck, I might even go see it again, although with ticket prices so high I probably won’t. We’ll probably end up owning it anyway.
It definitely wasn’t an action movie.
Yes, I hate it when juveniles are portrayed as talking like juveniles. Much better when the boys sound like 40-year-old playboys, and the girls like 20-something vamps looking to get laid.
:-)
I’m on “Team Alice”, and I think I yelled “way to go, Alice” at the climax of that scene. Heck, when you are with the juveniles at the theatre, you’ve got to go with the flow.
At the beginning of the movie, I wanted to yell “Bambi”.
Well, that’s pretty inventive.
But it still seems very, very creepy.
“I have four children, and my wife and I have decided to forbid our two teenage girls (age 14 and 16) from reading the “Twilight” books.
Why?
We both read about half of the fourth book, and found it to be spiritually twisted and grotesque. The author has taken liberty with two legitimate human longings (love and eternal life) and has twisted them into a bizarre parallel universe that is in direct opposition to biblical revelation.
In the books, Edward is portrayed as a “good” vampire, since he does not drink human blood, but instead is nourished by the blood of animals that he hunts and kills.
Yes, there is the ‘commendable’ sexual purity that the books are built upon, but is that enough of a virtue for me to turn a blind eye to the deeper, darker spiritual lessons that are presented in these books? The path to eternal life is given in these books: either by drinking animal blood (that’s what good vampires do), or by drinking human blood, (well, golly, that’s what ‘bad’ vampires do).
On top of all this, in the fourth book, Edward finally gets married to his girlfriend (yes, I’ve already forgotten her name, just in like in the Skynyrd song). On their wedding night, their marriage is consumated off-stage (another “virtuous” portrayal of “purity”?), but the following morning, the young woman wakes up with a mass of bruises all over her body. Supposedly, the vampire husband Edward is so stupendously strong that he can’t help but cause severe physical damage to his new blushing bride on the first night of their new ‘life’ together.
So, in between the macabre blood-drinking and the sado-masochism, I was disgusted by the books.
Don’t get taken in. These books are from the pit of hell.”
This is fishtank, and I wrote and approve of this FR post.
Ping to my post #31 re: the “Twilight” books and movies.
A local movie reviewer called this movie “an extended Abacrombie & Fitch ad”
Its made for teenage girls.
We have an historic 1920's theater nearby that is still in business and shows movies after they leave the multiplex. If it's a big hit, it will show up there, and I think I'll see it based on your comments.
I’ve read all four books myself and then saw the movie. I thoroughly enjoyed the books and wish that they didn’t have to end.
I went to go see the movie, and although it didn’t really follow the book, I thought the movie was great. In my opinion, they could have found a slightly better Bella, but Edward was dead-on.
I think that anyone who’s seen the movie but hasn’t read the book(s) should read the book(s).
JMHO
Well, I'd say they are happier than the Anne Rice variety. They consider themselves to be "vegetarians" because they don't dine on humans. The Cullens are a different brand of vampire. (Although, animal lovers might be disturbed because they DO dine on animals, but then so do a majority of humans).
I read the first two in the saga and am starting the third. Also have seen the movie. I agree with you 100% when it comes to Bella. She was likable in the book, but on the screen she was entirely one dimensional, stiff and basically boring. There was no reason for Edward to fall in love with her, other than the fact that she smelled so delicious. LOL.
Robert Pattinson was perfect as Edward. Those who are criticizing the books need to remember that it is fiction, it is fantasy. It may not be for everyone, but I've enjoyed the books so far. One of the criticisms I heard was that the author didn't set a good example because Edward was a "stalker". Well, good grief, he's a VAMPIRE! What a surprise that stalking might actually be a part of a fictional vampire's pathological makeup! Who would have thought? ;-)
I am afraid, like you, I am not going to want this saga to end. Guess I will just need to read slower.
Either read the book or watch the movie. Don’t do both
http://carylmatrisciana.com/x2/content/view/81/1/
Excerpt:
Twilight takes occult darkness, introduced in Potter, to deeper, decadent fathoms: overt vampirism, acceptable blood-sucking (in this movie its only animal blood – later? Wait and see!) and sexual lust for the possessed soul (made appealing in its fictionalized form!). The books, akin to the Potter’s series, promote and familiarize their audience with magick, Wicca, supernatural powers and demon possession.
But what is beyond alarming is that Christians are seduced by satanic deception and have succumbed to Twilight’s fascination of dark wisdom, a power Scripture warns against - loving evil more than good (Psalm 52:3), and placing what the world admires before what God requires.
Your comments on this thread are hysterical. Thanks for making my day! LOL
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