The Twilight Saga: Eclipse The Movie

Ashley Greene goes bad girl vamp in Interview Magazine and talks about her reaction to her fast climb to super stardom. Greene’s Twilight and New Moon co-star, Michael Sheen, interviews Ashley:

MICHAEL SHEEN: Okay. This is my first question. This is the only really serious one, and then the rest are quite funny. The first one is: As an elf, raised by humans, have you found a lot of discrimination against the fairy folk here in Hollywood?

ASHLEY GREENE: Well, I think they’re just jealous that I sparkle and speak elfin and have cute little pointy ears.

SHEEN: It’s true.

GREENE: So, yes, there’s discrimination. But I really don’t care.

SHEEN: You do get described as pixie-like a lot. In my younger days, I used to get described as sort of elf-like. I think it’s probably a lot easier to deal with that if you’re a pretty girl, rather than a sort of average-looking boy.

GREENE: I’m sorry about your adolescence.

SHEEN: Thank you. Well, look, let’s take a second and go back to the beginning, Ashley Greene. You grew up in Jacksonville, Florida. Is that correct?

GREENE: That is correct.

SHEEN: Now tell me about Jacksonville. What’s it like? And could you please sprinkle it with some alligator stories?

GREENE: I’ve only eaten fried alligator tail once.

SHEEN: How was it growing up there? Was school good? Or was it a bit of a trial?

GREENE: It was great. I mean, it was great until I realized that there was more out there. I went to a public high school with a magnet program for law and psychology. But right before my junior year, I decided that I wanted to leave and become an actress, so I graduated early and moved out to L.A. Now that I’m here, I can’t imagine living there.

SHEEN: What happened? You were doing law and psychology?

GREENE: Yeah. And I loved the classes. Everything was kind of set up to go on this course, which my parents absolutely loved; they were like, “Our daughter’s going to go to law school or become a psychologist!” And then out of nowhere, I pulled the acting card on them.

SHEEN: Was it out of nowhere? What was it that started you thinking along those lines?

GREENE: I just, for lack of a better term, fell into it—which I’m sure everyone’s going to hate me for saying.

SHEEN: School plays?

GREENE: No, not even. I always liked performing. I always liked being in front of people. That’s one of the things I loved about law; we had mock trials, and I got to go up and state my case. But I took an acting class, and after my first class, I was hooked. By the time I finished the class, I had a manager, and then I went on a trip to New York City and got an agent, at which point my manager and agent told my mom, “She needs to move to L.A.” I think they were crazy for saying that but I’m so glad that they did.

SHEEN: Well, to go from Jacksonville, Florida, to L.A. at 17 . . . That’s very young. Was that not a scary thing? Were your mum and dad concerned about that?

GREENE: It was more frightening for my mother and father than it was for me. I have a certain way of thinking where I see something, and I know that I want it and I make up my mind—and that’s pretty much all there is to it. It was like, This is what I want to do, and I’m going, and everything’s going to work out. I’m going to be an actress. There was no way around it. My parents, on the other hand . . . Obviously, they had a lot of long talks and sleepless nights. I was always a good kid, so they went out on a limb. But they did say, “If you go out to L.A. and start becoming this wild child, then you have to come back home and go to college.”

SHEEN: And they haven’t called you back yet?

GREENE: Well, there was a time or two where they were like, “You probably need to come back to Florida.” But it just so happened that every time they told me to come home I would coincidentally book some type of role. I don’t know if it was fate or luck, and it was just happening at the right time, or if it was that they would say, “You are coming home,” and I would immediately go into survival-of-the-fittest mode and book something. But, whatever the case, it happened. And I did struggle. I definitely struggled. And I’m always grateful to my parents for letting me struggle, because you really don’t appreciate it as much, I don’t think, if you don’t realize what you’re gaining. But they paid my rent for the first year.

SHEEN: So, you turn up in L.A. with your bus ticket in your hand and a year’s rent in your pocket, and then what happened? What were the first auditions like?

GREENE: The first audition I went on was Days of Our Lives.

SHEEN: Did you see Joey Tribbiani on there?

GREENE: No, unfortunately not.

SHEEN: Dr. Drake Ramoray?

GREENE: I auditioned five times for it, and I met the producers—it was that thing where the first audition just went really well. I mean, I had a manager in Florida and I got my agent before I moved to California—I came out to L.A. all set up, and then I did extremely well in my first audition, so I had this kind of false hope in my mind. You know, everyone says it’s really hard, but then you come out and do extremely well the first go. And then reality hits, and it’s like nothing, nothing, nothing for a long time. Of course, I didn’t actually get the part on Days of Our Lives. They just toyed with me for a little bit.

SHEEN: How did Twilight come about? Do you remember how it all went down?

GREENE: It was just another audition. My managers were like, “You’re going into a great casting office. They cast great projects. They’re sticklers. If you suck, they won’t call you back in.” So I was like, Okay, I’ll pay extra attention. Then I figured out there wasn’t a script or a breakdown, but there was a book. So I got the series and fell in love with it. Then that determination kicked in and I was like, Okay, I’m going to book this part is what’s going to happen. I worked my butt off for it.

SHEEN: Now there’s so much more to this whole Twilight thing than just the films, isn’t there? There’s everything that goes with it—it’s a huge sort of phenomenon. What’s it like being right at the epicenter of that whole thing?

GREENE: [sighs] It’s a really hard thing to wrap your head around. I was working at a restaurant, I booked the role in Twilight, put in my two weeks’ notice, got fitted, flew to Portland, filmed, and then it started getting hype. That helped me get my foot into certain doors before the movie even came out. I did fourindependent films during the break between Twilight [2008] and New Moon. I haven’t even really had time to sit back and process it all. But when you do finallysit back and think about it, it’s incredible.

SHEEN: You’re what, 22?

GREENE: Yes.

SHEEN: I’ve been in L.A. and around Hollywood for maybe six or seven years off and on, and that’s as sort of an older guy. I don’t know how I would’ve coped if I had the kind of success you’ve had at your age, because people do react to you incredibly differently if success is associated with you. How do you cope with that?

GREENE: I think if it was fame for another reason, then it would be a little different. But, with this film in particular, people have become very passionate about it—about my character, but also about me, really relating to me and wanting to be my best friend. And so they cry, and they get so nervous.

SHEEN: Do people actually cry in front of you?

GREENE: Yes. Oh, yes. Fans shake and cry. You kind of don’t know what to do. I give them a hug or whatever. People ask if I get annoyed, but you can’t really get annoyed at something like that.

SHEEN: Are you sure they’re not crying after you hug them? Maybe they don’t want to be hugged.

GREENE: I will look at it the way that I want to, even if it’s not true. I’m an actor.

SHEEN: All right.

GREENE: But, you know, most of my fans are really respectful and great. It’s too early for me to be jaded. Ask me in 10 years or something. . . . I just booked a lead in a Warner Brothers film, and probably part of it was because they know that there are all these fans. I mean, hopefully it’s because of my talent, too.

SHEEN: This is The Apparition?

GREENE: Yeah. The great thing about this film is that it’s really serious. It’s more of a thriller. And, for once, I got cast first. They consulted me on the lead male, and we’re talking back and forth about this character, so it’s sort of a new stepping stone in my career.

SHEEN: When I was on the set of the Twilight films, I could see that Kristen [Stewart] and Rob [Pattinson] have a lot of clout. They have a lot of power within the franchise now, it seems—and rightfully so. They’re asked their opinion, and for actors who are so young, they seemed to have a lot of say in what was going on. You say that now, with this film, you’re getting to be more involved. Is that something that you relish? Or is that responsibility quite frightening as well?

GREENE: For whatever reason, I relish it. Part of it might be that I did get to work so closely with these people, and see close up how they handle things. But I’m really excited. One of the coolest feelings was when I was reading with people for a part, and this guy came in, and I was just like, That’s the guy. You just know.

SHEEN: That’s not just because you fancied him?

GREENE: No. I actually know his girlfriend.

SHEEN: I’ve heard that you are very attracted to pretty boys.

GREENE: Oh . . . um, no . . . He’s not a . . . I mean, all guys in Hollywood are kind of pretty.

SHEEN: Well, you’ve seen me, so you know that’s not true. This is just a fairly random question: When you met Adam Lambert, who was wearing more makeup, you or him?

GREENE: I think that he was, actually.

SHEEN: Yeah, I’ve seen the pictures. Twilight has obviously opened quite a few doors. Did I not see you as a fashion correspondent on the VMAs this year?

GREENE: I was, yeah.

SHEEN: So obviously you’ve developed an interest in fashion since the last time I saw you.

GREENE: You’re a jerk.

SHEEN: [laughs] Don’t say that. I’m the interviewer, and you can’t call the person who’s interviewing you a jerk. That’s the reason why I agreed to do this: I can do whatever I want. So tell me about fashion. Do you feel pressure every time you go out because you know that there’s a high chance that someone’s going to take a picture of you walking down the street? Do you feel a pressure to not dress in jean shorts and flip-flops?

GREENE: There was a moment in time where I was kind of having this mini-breakdown because it was all very new, and it was all being thrown at me really quickly, and I was going, “Why are people reporting on this? Why do people care what I’m wearing or what I’m eating, and why are people looking down on me because I’m not wearing high heels?” That’s the downside to being in the public eye. When girls come up and say, “You’re my role model,” it’s really flattering, but it’s also really scary because I’m not perfect and I’m going to make mistakes. I’ve just decided that I have to continue to live my life and do what I do. Hopefully, people love me because of who I am, not who I pretend to be.

SHEEN: Is it true that you always ask for a male body double because you have both sets of sexual organs?

GREENE: I might ask for a male body double because I have broad shoulders, but definitely not because I have two sets of organs, no.

SHEEN: Is it true that your Twitter name is HotForRob23?

GREENE: That’s absolutely not true.

SHEEN: Okay, last question: In exactly 10 years’ time, what would you like to be doing?

GREENE: I’ll be 32. Maybe having a baby?

SHEEN: You’d like to be in hideous pain on this day in 10 years’ time?

GREENE: I have a high tolerance for pain. No, I think something along the lines of doing a really incredible, inspiring film with a strong female character. I think when I’m around 32, I’ll be up for things like that.

SHEEN: What are a couple of female performances in films that you watched that have inspired you?

GREENE: Charlize Theron in Monster [2003]. She’s one of the most incredibly beautiful people alive, and when I was watching that movie, she scared the shit out of me. I thought she did a fantastic job.

SHEEN: I watched 500 Days of Summer [2009] the other day. I thought Zooey Deschanel was fantastic.

GREENE: She’s the queen of indies. And, Joseph Gordon-Levitt transitioned really well, too.

SHEEN: You make it sound like he’s an alien. “He transitions.”

GREENE: No, I’m just saying that I might have a mini-crush on him. That’s all I’m saying.

SHEEN: Well, this is an interview, not a dating agency. I’m not here to hook you up. But, on that note, I think we’ve taken up enough of your time. You can get back to your much more important life that you’ve got going on in the background.

GREENE: Like eating dinner.

SHEEN: By the way, you got the answer to the 10 years’ time question wrong. The correct answer is: working with me.

GREENE: Oh, of course. Doing a fantastic film with Michael Sheen. Where he plays an elf

(Source: Interview Mag)

First of all, this news is exciting because Kristen Stewart has been photographed in PARK CITY, UT for the Sundance Film Festival.  I’ll be there next week, so all of you Twilight Fanatics in Utah, or anyone travelling to Sundance before me – give us the scoops and the pics.

Second of all, New Moon star Kristen Stewart is up against British actor Nicholas Hoult and actress Carey Mulligan for the 2010 Bafta Rising Star Award.

The Bafta is the British Academy of Film and Televsion Arts. Is this UK acknowledgement a subtle salut to the woman who they are willing to surrender their Robert Pattinson? …sorry carried away there.

At any rate, great job Kristen!!
Here’s a rundown and photo of her competition, you can vote for your favorite online at Bafta.

The 19-year-old actress is best known for her role as Bella Swan in the hit Twilight saga flicks and is up against Mulligan, who stars in An Education.

About A Boy and Skins actor Hoult is also on the shortlist for the awards, as well as French star Tahar Rahim and the US actor Jessie Eisenberg.
British actor Noel Clarke scooped the prize last year after winning praise writing and acting in British films Kidulthood and Adulthood.
The winner of the prize will be voted for by the public by text and online, and it will be announced at the Bafta film awards in London on February 21.

Where in the world is Ventnor? And in what exactly is the Isle of Wight? Well, apparently it’s where celebrities get inconspicious and mingle with the simple folks. Especially secretively together Robert Pattinson and Kristen Stewart. Personally, I don’t really care if the pair are together or not – but the raconteur on the subject is making me hold my breath until the REAL truth comes up. Because new reports have surfaced of the two at said Isle of Love.

The ‘consciously inconspicuous’ pair (Rob and Kristen) had dropped in at a bar called ‘Winter Gardens’, which is more of a commoner’s haunt than a celeb’s hang out and where the cover charge is a measly $5 per- head with $1.50 shot specials.
A source was further quoted as saying to HL, “Rob and Kristen were totally normal; they acted like regular people and blended in with the regulars.”
So while the heady names were busy walking the red –carpet at the 36th Annual People’s Choice Awards, the ‘vampire flames’ were quietly lazying off somewhere up in chilly England.

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Hopefully the private twosome, or single friends, will get their fill of solitude and won’t shy away from ALL of the Awards. Give your Twilight and New Moon fans some love!

It was Twilight and Taylor Launter’s night at the People’s Choice Award! Here’s a recap of his epiphanic evening:

Midway through the telecast, Latifah strolled through the audience, stopping at 17-year-old Taylor Lautner’s seat to ask for a photo. “You look so different with clothes on,” Latifah observed. George Lopez, a presenter and Lautner’s co-star in “The Adventures of Sharkboy and Lavagirl 3-D,” also got in on the act. “Dude, you’re my screen saver. I love you so much,” he joked. “I’m wearing ‘New Moon’ chones [Spanish for underwear].”

But Latifah didn’t stop there with her “Twilight” teasing. In one of the night’s digital shorts, the host donned a brunette wig to play Bella Swan in a spoof of “New Moon.” Latifah was super-imposed into the “Twilight” sequel during the forest scene, in which Edward Cullen (Robert Pattinson) dumps Bella (Kristen Stewart). When Edward finally abandoned Bella (Latifah) in the woods, she simply responded, “Fine, disappear. I’ll get the werewolf to do the show.”

As it turns out, werewolf Lautner was the winningest “Twilight” star, taking home both Favorite On-Screen Team (with co-stars Kristen Stewart and Robert Pattinson), as well as Favorite Breakout Movie Actor, beating Sam Worthington, Chris Pine, Joseph Gordon-Levitt and Zachary Quinto. Lautner received a standing ovation from much of the Nokia Theatre audience, including ex-girlfriend Taylor Swift.

“Wow,” he said with a laugh, accepting the statuette. “Thank you. Thank you so much. This really means a lot to me. This is my first People’s Choice, and it wouldn’t have happened without you guys, the people. So thank you so much. You’ve done so much for me. I can’t thank you enough. Thank you to the cast, as well, and the crew and Summit Entertainment. But most of all, you guys. Thank you.

Here’s a few more photos from the evening, including Kellan Lutz representing the “Twilight: New Moon” on the red carpet!

Robert Pattinson and Kristen Stewart were no-shows at the People’s Choice Award…why-come? Kinda disappointed in you both considering this is the ‘peoples’ award. Oh well, make it up to us will ya? Did Kristen and Rob ditch because they knew they didn’t win their solo category? hmmm.

(Source: MTV, Getty Images)

Big Congratulations tonight to “Twilight: New Moon” and Taylor Lautner!
If you missed the People’s Choice tonight, here’s a recap of Team Twilight representing…although some people were obviously missing.

“Twilight: New Moon” takes home the following 36th Annual People’s Choice Awards:

• Favorite Movie
• Favorite Franchise
• Favorite On-Screen Team categories
• Favorite Breakout Movie Actor – TAYLOR LAUTNER

Although Taylor decided to skip the red carpet (supposedly to avoid a certain X) - PopSugar done got some backstage pics of a verra handsome Mr. Lautner!  (Eat your heart out Ms. X – Taylor Swift).

Congrats again to the fabulous Team Twilight … and to all you wonderfully obsessive (yes, I resemble that remark) fans that nabbed us the win(s).

It looks like Robert Pattinson and Kristen Stewart celebrated New Years Eve together in the UK. Apparently it’s easier to be together in the UK (online sources claim Robert wants to be UK based)…and to prove it, a cute fan in the UK (not London) have surfaced on the Robsten site apparently taken at the same time, over the New Years holiday.

In addition to this photo proof, Perez Hilton also reported that Pattinson and Stewart were spotted celebrating New Year’s Eve together in the Isle of Wight.

We know that Robert returned home to the UK to celebrate Christmas with his family, when photos of him and his sis popped up.

All this covertness for what?  If these two really are together, I think it takes a lot more effort to keep it under wraps then to let it all hang out, yes? If we take a peek back a few months, these two have already introduced one another to their parents.  Kristen had dinner with Roberts parents in Paris (during the “Twilight: New Moon” promotional tour) and then again at his 23rd birthday party.  And Robert apparently is well acquainted with Kristen’s parents, leaving her mom with a hug and smiles…

Come on you two!  Just let it all hang out…preferably together.

(Source:  Robstenlove, PerezHilton, x17online, Vanity Fair)

If you aren’t on Twitter, you need to get on now!  Or you can go to The Eclipse Movie’s page of tweets, where we pull all the latest tweets from the entire (confirmed) Twilight, New Moon and Eclipse stars.  Twitter is seriously the source for breaking news, like Katy Perry’s denial of her flirtations with Robert Pattinson and Ashley Greene’s choice of Christmas trees with her Kings of Leon love, Jared Followill.

Many of the Twilight stars are tweeting and here’s a full rundown of who’s doing it and who’s faking it…so beware the fake tweeters.

Twilight stars that do not have Twitter accounts are: Robert Pattinsonand Kristen Stewart. Also unknown to have Twitter accounts are Kellan Lutz,  Nikki Reed, Taylor Lautner, andElizabeth Reaser.  Twilight author Stephenie Meyer also does not tweet.

Twilight tweeters include:

The Twilight Saga Films (Summit Entertainment)

Twilight

Directors

David Slade

The Cullens

Peter Facinelli (and his wife, Jennie Garth)

Ashley Greene

Jackson Rathbone (via his band 100 Monkeys)

The Wolfpack

Gil Birmingham

Kiowa Gordon

Boo Boo Stewart (via his mother)

Tinsel Korey

Chaske Spencer

Alex Meraz

The Humans

Justin Chon

Billy Burke

Christian Serratos

Anna Kendrick

The Volturi

Jamie Campbell Bower

Michael Sheen

Charlie Bewley

Cameron Bright

Daniel Cudmore

The Nomads/Newborns

Rachelle Lefevre

Edi Gathegi

Jodelle Ferland

Twilight Soundtrack Musicians

Bobby Long

Sam Bradley

Marcus Foster

Paramore - Hayley Williams, Taylor York, Jeremy Davis, Zac Farro

Muse

MUTEMATH

New Moon Soundtrack Musicians

Death Cab for Cutie

OK Go

Anya Marina

Band of Skulls

Blue Foundation

Collective Soul

Grizzly Bear

The Killers

St. Vincent

Lykke Li

Thanks to the Examiner.com for this full list.

Thank you MTV for the laughs!!!

Though “New Moon” dominated the box office for weeks, the theater wasn’t the only place to find Edward, Bella and Jacob making a splash. It seems some of our favorite TV shows are just as obsessed with Stephenie Meyer’s fantastical creation as we are. In honor of “Twilight” star Taylor Lautner’s hosting gig on this weekend’s “Saturday Night Live” (and in the hopes that we’ll have another entry to add to this list), we’ve rounded up 10 totally “Twilight” TV shoutouts (in no particular order).

1

. “The Office”

The NBC series gets not one, but two gold new moons—see what I did there?—for their hilarious “Twilight” twofer. The first took place during the Halloween episode “Koi Pond” when the employees of Dunder Mifflin organized a haunted house featuring two bloodsuckers—a traditional Count Dracula (Creed Bratton) and one we can only assume was meant to be Edward Cullen (B.J. Novak). When the Count cries “I want to suck your blood!” Edward (a.k.a. Ryan) responds, “That’s really not the trend in vampires right now.” So true! And then, just last night, Jim (John Krasinski) bought Kelly (Mindy Kaling) an Edward Cullen poster. We knew we loved this show for a reason!

2. “Vampire Diaries”

Skewering its vampire competition (and arguably the franchise that cleared the way for the series’ own success), bloodsucker Damon (Ian Somerhalder) cozies up to a copy of Stephenie Meyer’s original tome. “What’s so special about this Bella girl?” Damon asks his human chew toy Caroline (Candice Accola). “Edward’s so whipped.” When she asks why he doesn’t sparkle in the sun, he responds, “Because I live in the real world where vampires burn in the sun.”

3. “Jeopardy”

I’ll take Robert Pattinson for $200, Alex. Oh, if only. During the quiz show’s recent Teen Tournament an entire category was dedicated to “Twilight” The Novel. Any die-hard fan would have made it to Final Jeopardy with these easy peasy questions. We won’t give away the answers in case you want to play along. Check out the “Jeopardy” airing here!

4. “Cougar Town”

Who knew Courtney Cox was a Twilight Mom? On the Nov. 4 episode, 40-something Jules (Courtney) confessed to hunky neighbor Grayson that she had a naughty dream about him. When he seemed a little too pleased with himself, she deflated his puffed-chest with this laughable admission: “Relax stud, I have sex dreams about everybody—the president, Gene Simmons, Edward from ‘Twilight.’ Oooh, that sweet Edward.” But seeing as Edward is really in his 100s, that doesn’t make Jules much of a cougar after all.

5. “SNL”

It took the usually timely sketch-comedy series a year after the first film’s release to lampoon it, but “SNL” finally sank its teeth into “Twilight” with the awesome parody “Firelight.” Perhaps it was worth the wait just to see Taylor Lautner’s maybe-girlfriend Taylor Swift brood as Bella Swan. Check out the entire parody here!

6. “Criminal Minds”

During an investigation, the crew attempts to hack into a laptop and has success with the password “Cullen,” much to the consternation of Dr. Spencer Reid (a.k.a. our past Hump Day Hottie Matthew Gray Gubler). “What’s ‘Twilight’?” he asks. Oh, where to even begin? We guess that guest appearance by Jackson Rathbone last season didn’t leave much of an impression on Spencer, huh?

7. “90210″

Dunder Mifflin employee Ryan wasn’t the only one to dress as a “Twilight” universe member this Halloween. So did Liam (Matt Lanter) on “90210.” OK fine — not really. Still, during the show’s costume party—the one in which Teddy (Trevor Donovan) is indeed garbed like Count Dracula—Liam is asked by a party-goer if he’s supposed to be a certain bed-headed Brit. “You’re Rob Pattinson, right? I can tell, ’cause you have messy hair.” That’s what you get for wearing flannel in Beverly Hills.

8. “Hannah Montana”

Miley Cyrus’ now-defunct Twitter account isn’t the only place she name drops RPattz. In an episode of her Disney series, Miley talks about potentially being set up with Rob. Real-life Miley, however, didn’t feel the warm fuzzies for the actor until a few months ago tweeting, “Gave a hug to Rob Pattinson today. Ok girls I get it now. So cute. Sorry ‘Robby’ bout all my bashing in my past : ).”

9. “Late Night with Jimmy Fallon”

Host Jimmy Fallon must really enjoy hanging from trees and affecting a British accent, because he’s made his gag “Robert is Bothered” a recurring bit on his show. After taking jabs at sharks and Snickers, our favorite is still the original when RPattz rumbles with “Harry Potter” costar Daniel Radcliffe.

10. “Attack of the Show”

Though the final installment of the “Twilight Saga” has yet to be greenlit for the big screen, the folks over at G4 wasted no time putting together a “Breaking Dawn” spoof featuring Peter Facinelli. It must be seen to be truly appreciated — watch now!

(Source: MTV)

Alert all Grand Rapids, Michiganians, a werewolf is coming to town!  Alex Meraz, who plays belligerent werewolf Paul in “The Twilight Saga: New Moon,” has leaped from tiny indie films to the top of the box office as part of the worldwide sensation that is everything Twilight.  ”(Being in ‘New Moon’) has changed my life tremendously,” the 24-year-old actor and married father of one said in a phone interview. “Before, I had to fight for auditions. I was never ‘Native’ enough, ‘Latin’ enough, ‘white’ enough.  Now I’m the perfect look,” he added wryly.

Meraz will appear Saturday at the Grand Rapids Griffins’ “Twilight Night.” He’ll sign autographs for ticketed fans before the Griffs’ 8 p.m. game with the Milwaukee Admirals.

Meraz will get his chance in Grand Rapids, as well as the opportunity to visit the hometown of his “New Moon” castmate Taylor Lautner, who also plays a Quileute teen-turned-werewolf in the “Twilight” sequel.

Based on the books by Stephenie Meyer about a teen girl who falls in love with a vampire, the new film has earned more than $255 million domestically and about $500 million worldwide since it opened Nov. 20.

Lautner, the Grand Rapids-born 17-year-old who lived in Hudsonville until he was 11, reprises his role as Jacob, one of the series’ main characters, in “New Moon.”

“Taylor — he, honestly, out of all the other cast members is so solid,” Meraz said. “Robert Pattinson, Kristen Stewart, myself and everyone had moments of inner conflict and doubt, but Taylor was so composed, so calm and happy and centered every single day. That guy is a different breed. It must be the water in Grand Rapids.”

Having just wrapped up filming for the “Twilight” saga’s third installment, “Eclipse,” Meraz is reveling in newfound fame and the adulation of millions of “Team Jacob” fans whose affection for Lautner spills over to his “pack.”

Of the four shape-shifting werewolves, Meraz’s Paul is “the least conflicted about how he is,” said the father of baby son Somak.

“He is aggressive and honest about how he feels about (being a werewolf). He’s a bad boy, and I like that. It was nice to be able to play somebody bigger than life.”

Meraz, who originally auditioned for the role of Sam Uley, the pack’s leader, was raised in Arizona and is a Native Mexican Aboriginal of the Purepecha Nation. The fact that Meyer’s plot for “New Moon” heavily involved Native American people and their culture held deep meaning for the actor, whose previous credits include a bit part as a warrior in 2005’s “The New World.”

“It was great to play this role,” he said. “It’s kind of rare to see this kind of depiction of natives. When people think native, they think wearing leather and riding a horse; they think ‘Dances with Wolves.’ There are so many different tribes, and people can see a different aspect of native culture, of the Quileute tribe, in ‘New Moon.’”

Though he applauds Meyer’s attention to the Washington State tribe’s “real beliefs and culture,” he pointed out one major fictional embellishment: “The Quileute believe they are descended from wolves,” he said. “But only in the (’Twilight’) books and movies can they turn into wolves and back into humans again.”

(Source: Grand Rapids Press)

A Chicagoland woman did two nights time for videotaping several minutes of New Moon. Worth it?! Prolly not. But read the details of the shakedown. Clearly The Twilight folks don’t be liking Pirates!

The incident happened on Saturday afternoon, Nov. 28 when 22-year-old Samantha Tumpach, of the 3800 block of Odell Ave., Chicago, was allegedly caught videotaping the movie by theater staff. She was charged and faces up to three years in prison if convicted. The camera had four minutes of video from the movie recorded from the screen. Reports say Tumpach was with friends at the end of a birthday celebration and video taped four minutes to commemorate the celebration. Tumpach spent Saturday night, Sunday and Monday morning in a Rosemont jail cell before appearing before a judge in the Rolling Meadows courthouse where she was released on a $10,000 I Bond (no cash), said Rosemont Police Sgt. Keith Kania.

The Director of Twilight: New Moon, Chris Weitz is speaking out on behalf of the defendant. Weitz says that authorities are unfairly making an example out of Samantha Tumpach. “Needless to say, the case seems to me terribly unfair and I would like to do what I can to address this,” Weitz wrote in an e-mail to the Sun-Times.Tumpach contends that she wasn’t taping the movie, per se, but was instead making a video of her sister’s surprise birthday party.

“It was never my intention to record the movie,” Tumpach said. “You can hear me talking the whole time.”

Weitz said he will contact the film studio on her behalf. “I am not sure what effect I would have on the case. The film is, after all, not my property,” Weitz wrote to the Sun-Times. “There is, needless to say, a difference between trying to protect the copyright of a film and making an unfair example of someone who clearly seems not to have any intentions towards video piracy,” Weitz wrote. Tumpach is due in court on felony charges Dec. 17

“Theater managers are instructed to alert law enforcement authorities whenever they suspect illegal activity. Theater managers have neither the expertise nor the authority to decide whether a crime has been committed. Law enforcement professionals determine what laws may have been broken and what enforcement action should be taken,” read a portion of the statement. “It is then up to prosecutorial discretion to determine the seriousness of any charges that might be leveled. In our continuing effort to educate our guests about the illegality of film piracy, Muvico prominently places a number of posters and signs within its theaters alerting moviegoers of its “zero-tolerance” policy with respect to the camcording of films in its auditoriums.”

A spokeswoman from the Motion Picture Association of America said the cost of video piracy to the motion picture industry is estimated at $18 billion worldwide according to the most recently available statistics from 2005.

She said 90% of pirated titles in current theatrical release were made using cameras in theaters.

(Source:  NBC and JournalOnline)

Well, this one just lasts a minute, and of course it is a parody, but it is funny, which makes us laugh. Nice special effects too.

Like it? Please indulge us with a thought or two.

Let us celebrate the fact that Eclipse is only 203 days away! Alright you Ad-Wizards at Summit, you’ve been feeding us little bits of obsession with the art work, leaked photos, tweets from your director…seriously you guys know how to draw out the agony in your fans as well as the characters. You’ve given us daily doses of Taylor Lautner, Robert Pattinson, Kristen Stewart, Ashley Greene, Anna Kendrick, Kellan Lutz, etc., etc. What they are doing, who they are dating, etc. etc.  And yes, I guess we really do care…

The wait is not as horrible between these movies as I expected, so for that THANK YOU Summit-Gods. So we will play along with your snip-its of Eclipse leaks. To that end, in honor of the quickly approaching Eclipse release us Twilight fans, will celebrate the countdown to Eclipse by sharing our favorite quote from the book. Why don’t I give it a start, but I have so many – so I’ll start with this one…

“I can be noble, Bella. I’m not going to make you choose between us. Just be happy, and you can have whatever part of me you want, or none at all, if that’s better. Don’t let any debt you feel you owe me influence your decision.”

Robert Pattinson is showing signs of wear.  He’s shown below in pics leaving from a Hollywood bar this weekend…that’s what the article from Mailonline.com is claiming.

Well, I’m not sure that he looks all that ragged – I mean, his worst day is probably better than most people’s best day.  So word up to Robert and his scruffy beard, we don’t think you look that ragged.

Forks is a small town in Washington, like 3000 people small. This little town was thrust into the limelight when Stephenie Meyer chose it as the setting for her Twilight series. Ever since the Twilight craze…well before the movies ever came out. I personally had friends dressed in prom and wedding dresses vacation in Forks to pay hommage to their craziness, I mean obsession. Besides the fact Twilight, New Moon, Eclipse and Breaking Dawn (probably) weren’t even filmed there. But who am I to talk…I totally get it and am just jealous I have been yet.

Even fans in Korea are talking about Forks! Here’s the Korean news article along with some authentic Forks-footage.

If you haven’t read the “Twilight” books or watched the movies, then it might be safe to say you’ve never heard of Forks, Wash.
“The Twilight Saga,” a series of books by Stephenie Meyer, is about a teenage girl Bella Swan who falls for a vampire Edward Cullen. Their love unfolds in Forks, a murky, overcast town surrounded by lush forests that Meyer thought would be a perfect place for vampires to thrive.

The phenomenal success of the books and two blockbuster films “Twilight” and “New Moon” has helped spur tourism in Forks, a town with a population of 3,175.

Never mind if Forks is at least a three-and-a-half-hour drive from Seattle, or that the two films were not even shot here (they were filmed in Portland and Vancouver respectively) or there are no actual vampires or werewolves in the area.

It hasn’t seemed to stop thousands of Twilighters, as fans like to call themselves, from making a pilgrimage to Forks.

Forks, described as the former logging capital of the world, only attracted as few as 50 tourists annually in the late 1990s. Thanks to Twilight, the number of tourists spiked dramatically. In 2008, 18,000 tourists visited the town, and in the first eight months of 2009, there were more than 60,000.

What exactly is the allure of this town with its “gloomy, omnipresent shade” that keeps tourists coming in droves? This reporter headed to Forks over the summer to find out.

`Twilight’ Zone

Going to Forks involves a three-and-a-half hour drive plus ferry ride from Seattle. It may be time-consuming, but it is also a chance to appreciate the scenic views of the Olympic Peninsula.

Along the way, there’s Port Gamble with its quaint traditional American-style houses and Port Angeles, a “beautiful little tourist trap” where Edward rescues Bella from a bunch of riff-raff. Port Angeles is also the gateway to the Olympic National Park, home to the Hoh Rain Forest.

It is a charming drive, with endless forests, sometimes covered in fog, and the spectacular glacier fed Lake Crescent.

Upon arriving in Forks, the weather was cloudy but not a drop of rain in sight, contrary to its reputation as the rainiest place in the continental U.S. (annually, it gets an average of 10 to 12 feet of rain).

The wooden “Welcome to Forks” sign greets visitors, exactly the same as the one seen in the film. No wonder it is the most photographed spot in town, according to locals.

Tourists who prefer to explore on their own should pick up a self-guided tour map with key book locations from the Forks Chamber of Commerce Visitor Center. Inside, there’s various memorabilia from the books and film, including a note from Meyer. Incidentally, Forks celebrates Stephenie Meyer Day on Sept. 13, Bella’s birthday.

Outside the center, there’s a replica of Bella’s beat-up red truck, another good photo op. The Timber Museum, devoted to Forks’ logging history, is right next door but is often overlooked by the Twilighters.

Going through the streets, it’s obvious how much Twilight is defining Forks. The main street has five or six shops selling Twilight-related merchandise such as books, shirts, jewelry, sunglasses, coffee mugs, posters and dolls. There’s even Forks High School Spartans gym uniforms, Native American dream catchers and even “vampire killing” wooden stakes.

Even restaurants have jumped on the bandwagon: Smokehouse Restaurant boasts of Bella Berry Pie; Pacific Pizza offers the pasta dish Bellasange; while Three Rivers Resort has a special Twilight menu.

A `Dazzling’ Tour

For fans who want the ultimate Twilight experience, the Dazzled by Twilight store offers daily tours of key book locations in Forks and nearby La Push. For only $39, tourists are treated to an entertaining, photo op-filled three-hour tour on a black shuttle bus.

Rianilee Belles, the vivacious tour guide, keeps Twilighters pumped up with excitement by telling stories about Forks and giving pop quizzes about the books.


While Forks Police Station might be an unusual place to start any tour elsewhere, this spot holds special significance for Twilighters, since Bella’s father Charlie Swan is supposed to be the town’s chief of police. This is probably the only police station in the world with a mini-shrine devoted to Twilight in the lobby.

Belles says there are some die-hard fans who would deliberately try to get a speeding ticket from the Forks Police, just to get proof they were in Forks.

Even crazier is how some students who would try to transfer to Forks High School, to get bragging rights that they went to the same school as Bella and Edward. The school, a cluster of low buildings, looks like any other ordinary high school, but Twilight has turned it into a landmark.

Not everyone is happy with Twilight’s popularity however, and there was an incident earlier this year when some pranksters tried to burn down the school sign. The arson attempt was thwarted, and the sign, save for a few burn marks at the back, remains intact.

The tour also makes special stops at some local residents’ houses, which were simply designated as Bella’s or Jacob’s house, due to similarities to Meyer’s descriptions in the books. Bella’s modest home has a sign that proclaims “Home of the Swans,” while Jacob’s red-painted house has motorcycles parked outside.

The Cullen House, described in the books as “timeless, graceful and probably a hundred years old,” is actually the Miller Tree Inn Bed & Breakfast. The quaint house, surrounded by a small garden, is small in contrast to the film’s ultra-modern version.

There’s a mix of fiction and reality that fans seem to be perfectly comfortable with. Belles, the tour guide, would often talk about the book’s fictional characters as if they were real.

Even at the Cullen house, there’s a note written by Edward’s mother Esme. It reads: “The Cullens are off to the Amazon to learn more about wildlife in a tropical rainforest. We expect to be away for an extended period.” There’s also an empty parking space reserved for Edward’s father Dr. Carlisle Cullen at the Forks Community Hospital.

Werewolves in La Push

With the song “Werewolves of London” playing in the background, the tour bus heads out to La Push, a Quileute Native American reservation along the Pacific Ocean. Located 15 miles from Forks, La Push is where Bella’s friend Jacob and his tribe of werewolf descendants live.

There’s a “Treaty Line” sign that is supposed to keep vampires, the werewolves’ enemies, out of La Push. However, it’s only part of Meyer’s lore, since there’s no actual werewolf connection to the Quileute tribe.

First Beach, where Jacob first tells Bella about vampires and werewolves, is a magnificent sight. Strewn with driftwood, the beach is constantly pounded by strong waves, making it a favorite for surfers. Misty fog surrounds the rocky cliffs, where Bella would go cliff-diving in New Moon, adding more mystery to La Push’s wild beauty.

Taking a trip to Forks and La Push is a rare chance for Twilight fans to lose themselves in a world where they believe, at least for a few hours, that vampires and werewolves do exist.

Critics and fans don’t necessarily view The Twilight Saga movies in the same way. It’s clear that fans love it, at least most of it, but there is lots of room to broaden the appeal of the movie goers with upcoming release of Eclipse. Take a look at what MTV suggests Slade and Co should do to address it:

Taylor Lautner Has Serious Moves

While “New Moon” has certainly accrued fan approval and box office power since its release on November 20, critics haven’t had the same appreciation for the vampire romance. “Eclipse,” the next in the series, wrapped in October and is slated for a June 30, 2010 release, we have a few suggestions to help make it a film everyone — not just Twilighters — will enjoy.

Amp up the Bella and Edward romance
“Twilight” established the potent romance between Bella and Edward, but “New Moon” sacrificed much of the chemistry for the sake of Bella’s growing bond with Jacob. Granted, the reason why Edward was mostly absent during “New Moon” was because he broke up with Bella and was moping around in an apartment for months on end, but Chris Weitz forgot to reestablish why exactly Bella and Edward were so in love. With “Eclipse,” we hope David Slade explores their connection, especially with so many fans jumping ship to Team Jacob after seeing Taylor Lautner’s abs.

Expand the secondary characters
Even though Kristen Stewart, Robert Pattinson and Taylor Lautner are the biggest draws for most fans, secondary characters like Anna Kendrick’s Jessica, Mike Welch’s Mike Newton, Dakota Fanning’s Jane and Michael Sheen’s Aro were key to some of the most fun parts of “New Moon.” “Eclipse” introduces a whole slew of new characters (Riley and Leah, anyone?) and we hope some of the old favorites aren’t sacrificed for the new, especially with Anna Kendrick’s potential Oscar win for “Up in the Air.” Plus, there’s the fact that the scenes in which Bella interacts with humans (like her father, played by Billy Burke, and the high school students) are some of the most interesting and well-acted in the series thus far.

Make the fight scenes more action-packed
Yes, we understand that a lot of care went into making the CGI werewolves in “New Moon,” and thank goodness the fight scenes in the second “Twilight” installment were better than the first, but the final battle in “Eclipse” is the most action-packed part of the entire “Twilight Saga.” With David Slade’s previous vampire film “30 Days of Night” under his belt, we can expect some intense action, but we’d like to remind him we want to see some newborn vamps being torn limb from limb anyways (and not just in slow motion).

Make the film more appealing to a non-”Twilight” audience
There are a lot of elements in “Eclipse” that could attract an audience not made up solely of Twilighters. In “New Moon,” there was no effort spent on setting up the story from the previous book or explaining why Bella and Edward are so in love. “Eclipse” was the book that made Stephenie Meyer’s vampire series what it is today, and hopefully “Eclipse” the movie will break the film series out to a larger audience as well.

Have fun with it
Some of the best parts of “New Moon” were when screenwriter Melissa Rosenberg and director Chris Weitz let loose and had fun with the film. “Face Punch,” anyone? (This I consider a stroke of genius. I expect a “Face Punch” movie poster for Chanukah.) Flying Virgin America to Italy? Jessica’s commentary on zombie films? If “Eclipse” doesn’t take itself too seriously and doesn’t hold itself too close to the book, it could turn out to be not only a great movie for “Twilight” fans, but a great film in general.

[Source: MTV]