Showing posts with label twilight. Show all posts
Showing posts with label twilight. Show all posts

'Twilight Forever Fan Experience' Kicks Off this Weekend

Courtesy Facebook
Twihards rejoice, for Summit Entertainment and Planet Hollywood International are giving you the greatest gift of all; The Twilight Forever Fan Experience. Commemorating the 5th anniversary of the first films debut and the launch of the Twilight Forever: the Complete Saga" Blu-ray/DVD set, you can expect to be treated to a weekend (November 3-4) chock full of broody, sexy goodness.

"Twilight Forever: The Complete Saga" includes all five films and features over 12 hours of new and exclusive content, including an in depth peek into the special effects. The ultimate collector’s set, "Twilight Forever: The Complete Saga" is available as a 10-disc Blu-ray (plus Digital HD UltraViolet) set for $74.99, and as a 12-disc DVD (plus Digital UltraViolet) set for $64.98, both available on November 5, 2013.

The "Twilight Forever Fan Experience" kicks off with a marathon screening of all five films in the franchise, including the extended version of "The Twilight Saga: Breaking Dawn – Part 1," which will be the first theatrical screening of this cut. The event will begin Sunday, November 3 (9 a.m.) at New York’s Regal E-Walk Stadium 13 Cineplex (247 W. 42nd St., New York, NY 10036) and will also feature exclusive prizes/giveaways and special appearances!

Final 'Breaking Dawn' poster hits (along with 15 pics)

Courtesy Summit
Today is the day we received the final Twilight movie poster - ever! The Twilight Saga: Breaking Dawn – Part 2 shows Edward, Bella and Jacob running dramatically into battle, or perhaps running towards a bathroom after eating too much Chipotle. It's hard to tell, really, but it is friggin' epic!

In addition to the poster, fans were given a glimpse at some dramatic shots of Bella being all vampirey, along with a lot of other looks at the movie, due Nov. 16.

Check it all out (after the jump)...


Paranormal Pop Culture Fall Movie Preview

Breaking Dawn, final poster
Courtesy Summit
BY LARISSA MRYKALO

The fall movie season leading up to Christmas is a cornucopia of films that are a paranormal enthusiast’s dream. Heavy on the ghosts, demons and post-apocalyptic world - one we may soon live in if the Mayans were correct - this season will not disappoint.

Many highly-anticipated films, such as The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey and the final installment of the Twilight Saga will thrill fans and a couple of animated flicks will delight the kiddos (and adults).

So which of these following paranormal, horror or fantasy movies are you excited to see? Which...not so much? Look ahead to see the list...

'Vamps' trailer promises 'Clueless' for vampires

Ritter, courtesy KrystenRitter.org
Vamps was supposed to be released in 2011, but the delay seems worth it as the girly-vampire flick directed by Amy Heckerling (Clueless) and starring Alicia Silverstone and Krysten Ritter gets the trailer treatment. Hitting theaters Nov. 2 (with a Nov. 13 DVD release) - just days before Breaking Dawn's's Nov. 16 premiere - the film focuses on Silverstone and Ritter's character living the undead life in NYC with a tight-knit vamp community when Ritter falls for the son of a vampire hunter. Also starring Justin Kirk (Animal Practice, Weeds), Dan Stevens (Downtown Abbey), Richard Lewis, Malcolm McDowell, Sigourney Weaver and Wallace Shawn (Vizzini!), the movie looks incredibly campy in the same infectious way that Clueless was. It is also Heckerling's return to film directing after a five year absence.

How do you think Vamps looks? Is this the kind of answer to Twilight you were looking for or is this just a little too late?

Does reuniting feel so good for Robert Pattinson, Kristen Stewart?

Courtesy People
Good news for Twi-hards (and for any fan of love and romance, of course!) came from People magazine today when they reported Robert Pattinson and Kristen Stewart met up last weekend in Los Angeles.

Did the reunion mean the lovebirds - separated after news broke she cheated on him with Snow White director Rupert Sanders - would be reconciling? The mag reports that at least one of Pattinson's crew says he "thinks they'll be a couple again."

After Pattinson made the rounds following the breakup, and Stewart said the "momentary indiscretion" jeopardized the most important thing in her life - and added "I love him, I love him, I'm so sorry" - had a heartwarming impact on the Breaking Dawn actor.

Either way, this has to be great news for Summit Entertainment, who is looking at the publicity surrounding the Nov. 16 release of Breaking Dawn-Part 2.

-Aaron Sagers

'The Twilight Saga: Breaking Dawn - Part 2' trailer hits, and so does Bella

Here it is, the final trailer for the final Twilight movie forever. Well, probably forever, but as the supercharged, vamped-up Bell (Kristen Stewart) says in the trailer, forever isn't as long as you might hoped.

The trailer, which premiered during the MTV Video Music Awards last Thursday (you may have missed it considering the dismal ratings) is pretty non-stop vamp vs. vamp and werewolf action. The royal vampire clan the Volturi are on their way to take out Edward (Robert Pattinson) and new-vampire Bella's superkid Renesmee (Mackenzie Foy). As a result, the Cullen clan and Jacob's (Taylor Lautner) wolf pack assemble a team of vampires with powers to battle the threat.

So here's the thing, the action-packed trailer actually looks kind of fun, like something out of a Resident Evil or super hero flick. The shot of Bella flying to take out a cougar is a little cheesy - and Michael Sheen's delivery of "Oh, my" is meme worthy (I wonder how George Takei feels about having his catchphrase lifted like that) - but vampire asses do, indeed, look kicked.

Like Part 1, Breaking Dawn - Part 2 is again directed by Bill Condon, and this one is a departure from Stephenie Meyer's final book installment and features a newish ending.

The Twilight Saga: Breaking Dawn - Part 2 hits theaters Nov. 16. Will you be buying a ticket?

-Aaron Sagers

Robert Pattinson 'Daily Show' visit great for career

Pattinson and Stewart, Comic-Con 2012
Photo by Aaron Sagers
Awkward, public heartbreak looks good on Robert Pattinson. The Twilight actor visited Jon Stewart's The Daily Show last night in his first interview since it was revealed Kristen Stewart had been stepping out on him with her Snow White director Rupert Sanders. Pattinson was booked to chat about his new flick Cosmopolis, directed by David Cronenberg, but we all knew that would take a back seat to the tabloid chatter.

As soon as R. Patt came out, Stewart paused for a moment before sheepishly asking the actor what he'd been up to. Then the two busted out a couple pints of Ben & Jerry's to commiserate, like "a couple of gals talking."

Stewart joked about the crowds of fans who turned out to see the show's taping with Pattinson, despite the fact that they've booked the president and other dignitaries in the past. He also joked about people tuning into his show for the first time ever to see the interview. 


But if that's true, people weren't given much dirt about the romantic life of Pattinson.

Pattinson never revealed much about the break up, much less trash Kristen. In fact, the only thing he really said was that he was always too cheap to hire a publicist to help script awkard interviews, but now he's reconsidering. He even worked in a cheesy joke about The Daily Show now being called The Twilight Show.

Here's the thing: This was a P.R. win for Pattinson, and he came away looking great. For a guy who has largely been celebrated as an immortal beloved hearthrob by twi-hards, Pattinson managed to be quite human and relatable. He is a dude who has to hold his head up during a crappy time, and he did so by being somewhat goofy and charming without flippantly dismissing his weird situation.

Though I am not suggesting this was somehow orchestrated, it nonetheless introduces the actor to a wider audience at the same time he's eyeing a career beyond the Twilight franchise. In one stroke, he may have convinced those who had dismissed him as the vampire Edward Cullen to re-think of him as the actor Robert Pattinson - and that's precisely what he needs to succeed.

Pattinson had his heart broken, but a whole new audience just might be ready to fall in love with him.

-Aaron Sagers

Vampires are Undead and We're Loving It: An Ultimate List of Pop-Culture's Best Bloodsuckers

Bela Lugosi, courtesy Universal
Editor's Note: Although there have been predictions they'd return to ground for a while now - perhaps so the undead could make room for the walking dead zombies - vampires have yet to be staked by pop-culture Van Helsings. In fact, the trend shows signs of immortality and more vamp-related projects are seeing the light of day every year without turning to ash.

Just this summer (2012), the bloodsuckers have hypnotized us with Dark Shadows, a fifth season of True Blood and Abraham Lincoln: Vampire Hunter. Even the trailer for The Twilight Saga: Breaking Dawn - Part 2 captivated the Internet when it was released this week. To celebrate the continuing trend of vampires as they dominate the season of sun, Paranormal Pop Culture vampette nerd Larissa Mrykalo set about creating an ultimate list of the undead. Because we want you to have a stake in what we do here, let us know what you think we got wrong, what we missed and what categories need to be added. (After the jump...)

- Aaron Sagers

'The Twilight Saga: Breaking Dawn - Part 2' trailer hits

Here it is, the moment Twi-fans have been waiting for, the new trailer for The Twilight Saga: Breaking Dawn - Part 2. The look at the beginning of the end comes on Edward Cullen's 111th birthday (Happy Bday, Eddie), but it's really Bella who shines in it. Momma Bella, vampire Bella and badass Bella take center stage here, so check it out...

'The Twilight Saga: Breaking Dawn - Part 2' 10-second teaser

Summit Entertainment knows you don't want to wait another full day before the new Breaking Dawn - Part 2 trailer hits, so they're rewarding Twi-fans with the 10-second teaser below. Tomorrow, June 20, is Edward Cullen's 111th birthday but it looks like anxious audiences are the ones who will receive all the gifts.

New images from 'The Twilight Saga: Breaking Dawn - Part 2'

It has been a big day for twi-hards. Not only did we see a glimpse, then full-on picture, of Mackenzie Foy as Renesmee Cullen with her parents, but now Entertainment Weekly has unleashed a series of photos from The Twilight Saga: Breaking Dawn - Part 2. And if that still isn't enough, fans can rejoice that the movie will be taking over Comic-Con again - for the last time - with a panel in famed Hall H at the convention center.

Check them out after the jump.

'The Twilight Saga: Breaking Dawn - Part 2' Renesmee first glimpse

Summit Pictures released the first glimpse of young Renesmee Carlie Cullen aka "Nessie" (played by Mackenzie Foy) in The Twilight Saga: Breaking Dawn - Part 2. It really is just a glimpse as the child is hiding (and being protected by) parents Bella (Kristen Stewart) and Edward Cullen (Robert Pattinson).

While she is a newborn, Renesmee isn't a normal kid and possesses some supernatural abilities - which is a bit of an anomaly for vamp/human hybrids. And she'll reach physical maturity at age seven, although she'll look about 17.

Breaking Dawn - Part 2, directed by Bill Condon, is the final entry of the Twilight Saga and opens Nov. 16. The film also stars Taylor Lautner, Peter Facinelli, Ashley Greene and Kellan Lutz. (via EW on Facebook)

UPDATE: Entertainment Weekly has followed through on the tease with two full images of Renesmee and her parents, which will appear on the cover of their June 22 issue (hitting stands this Friday).

'Snow White and the Huntsman' on a quest for female franchise

BY AARON SAGERS

Give me a band of heroes on a quest any day. Wielding swords, axes and a bow with a quill full of arrows, this fellowship must make a trek through forbidden lands to do epic battle against enemy forces and overthrow an unjust ruler or magician who has enslaved a kingdom. Along the way, stronger loyalties are forged, romance emerges, heroes die - some are resurrected - and much blood is shed in battles filled with brutality and badassery.

These are the staples of the fantasy genre and, when done right, a rousing movie or story can be even more invigorating than a fun night at Medieval Times. But what elevates the best of the genre to truly great levels is the awareness of human behavior. In a world of magic, the exploration of humanity – in both its selfless acts and depraved depths – is what makes these stories more than just swords-and-orcs tales. J.R.R. Tolkien, Robert Jordan, Stephen King, J.K. Rowling and many other fantasy authors knows this.

But it is also why the new film Snow White and the Huntsman never moves beyond a superficial attempt to be a Lord of the Rings (Lady of the rings?) for a female demographic. There are women in the lead, but they never feel like believable leaders...(read more after the jump)



George Takei takes on 'Twilight'

In a classic move that would make Gene Roddenberry proud, George Takei has stepped up to calm the feud brewing between William Shatner and Carrie Fisher over Star Wars vs. Star Trek. But in order to broker this "star peace," Mr. Sulu offers a suggestion that would make Emperor Palpatine proud: Join forces to declare war on Twilight.

Takei's urges fellow "star folk" to band together and face the vampire enemies that "sparkle, and moan and go to high school." Oh my, indeed.


Vampire-Human 'Twilight' baby has origin in folklore

Say what you will about the Twilight Saga (and there is admittedly a lot to be said), but you can't dismiss that Stephenie Meyer's epic does get a few things right about vampires. In fact, Twilight has some support from none other than that high-brow institution, the National Geographic. 

Depending on how well you know you're Twilight, you may be aware that the new film Breaking Dawn, Part 1 has heroine Bella getting preggers with vamp Ed's undead spawn, and culminates with her having a gruesome birth. Well, after speaking with vampire expert George Gutsche of the University of Arizona, Nat Geo reveals that folklore from the Balkan region of southeastern Europe spoke of vamp-human offspring.

Gutsche says kids with vampire baby-daddies do possess some supernatural powers, but they are not vampires themselves, and have no more affinity for the night than normal humans. Then again, early vampires myths never said the undead couldn't hang out in the day anyhow, although there isn't any talk about lame sparkling in the sunlight.

Also, the children of vampires are typically male -and are carried to term in a normal manner - but some folklore about female kids exists.

So there you have it: Vampire children are people, too. And we can all learn a little something from Twilight - beyond the fact that Jacob is really opposed to wearing shirts.

Twilight Breaking Dawn Red Carpet Premiere

Tune in at 8 p.m., EST, to watch the eight-camera livestream setup of the red carpet premiere of The Twilight Saga: Breaking Dawn - Part 1, brought to you by ParanormalPopCulture.com in partnership with Yahoo! Movies

'The Twilight Saga: Breaking Dawn - Part 1' final trailer hits

Here it is, Twihards, the beginning of the end - part one. What do you think? Fang-popping goodness or are you worried? Yahoo Movies just premiered this and were so kind to allow us to embed it here.


'Raised By Wolves' newest tween para-lit

The battle between vampires and werewolves in young adult literature continues Jun 14 in Jennifer Lynn Barnes newest book, Trial By Fire: Raised by Wolves.

The series is about teenager Bryn (the equivalent to Bella in the Twilight books) who finds herself in the world of werewolves after witnessing the brutal murder of her family. She was only five years old, and the only one to survive the attack. She ends up being adopted by the Alpha werewolf pack who took her under their wing (or is it paw?). She only knows the ways of the pack as a human and becomes a part of them, even learning the social heirarchy that controls the pack.

Trial by Fire: A Raised by Wolves NovelBryn discovers another teen named Chase who turns into a werewolf right in front of her eyes. Since the changing is painful and dangerous to witness, this brings back memories of the malicious murder of Bryn's family. She soons find out how her life will change once again. Bryn wants to learn all about Chase, discovers that they share a similar past, and realizes that the answers Bryn has been wondering all along lie within Chase's knowledge. Together they end up going against the entire werewolf world.

We'll post a review once we snag the book.

- Jen Danczak

'Red Riding Hood': Toothless wolf in 'Twilight' clothing

To borrow from the Sam the Sham and the Pharoahs song, Amanda Seyfried sure is looking good. What big eyes and full lips she has – the kind that drives wolves mad; she’s everything a big, bad wolf could want.

Even still, Seyfried’s (Letters to Juliet) little Red Riding Hood romantic horror/romance costume drama, opening today, doesn’t blow but also amounts to little more than pointless huffing and puffing.

The movie is set in the village of Daggerhorn, which looks as it sounds – like a Scandinavian town in Middle Earth during Medieval times. For decades Daggerhornites (Daggerhornies?) kept truce with a werewolf by setting out cute little piggies and other livestock each full moon for a lunar snack. The stakes change when Big Bad kills the older sis of Valerie (Seyfried), the prettiest gal in town, who is arranged to marry the wealthy blacksmith’s kind son Henry (Max Irons) but is really in love with woodcutter Peter (Shiloh Fernandez).

Before Peter and Valerie can run away, the menfolk enter the dark forest to take out the wolf on their own. In pursuit of the posse, Valerie meets up with her hippy Grandmother and dons the titular hood the first time. When that hunting party is less than successful, Father Solomon (Gary Oldman in Tim Curry’s Cardinal Richelieu outfit and haircut/goatee from The Three Musketeers) arrives to spread some religion and reveal the wolf is one of the villagers, hiding in human form. After an extended pre-bacchanal celebration that recalls the rave scene from The Matrix Reloaded, which includes a little Black Swan girl-girl dirty dance sequence to tease Peter, Valerie learns she has a special connection to the wolf.

As the film veers into territory best occupied by Arthur Miller’s The Crucible – with Solomon playing the role of Hathorne – Valerie must decipher her wolfie connection, choose between her two boys, fight off mean girls and avoid becoming a sacrifice/bait.

Directed by Twilight helmer Catherine Hardwicke, the film is a direct descendant of Stephenie Meyer’s saga, right down to Bella-esque heroine, transformation existing only one bite/deflowering away, and a battle between two boys (the lovable but not loved Henry as Jacob, and romantic bad boy Peter filling in for Edward) willing to set aside differences for their love. And who plays Valerie’s pop but Billy Burke, the same actor who fathered Kristen Stewart’s Bella in the Twilight franchise.

Perhaps not surprisingly from a movie couched in a centuries-old fairy tale attempting to cash in on the Twi-hard demo – with a smidge of religious paranoia thrown in - Red Riding Hood lacks originality. And the obvious “Peter And The Wolf,” woodcutter and little piggies references are just part of the problem with this harmless sheep of a film in wolf’s clothing.

The dialogue is as familiar as the smoldering looks R. Patt has built his career around. Even the set design is reminiscent of a jacked-up version of the tree houses from another hood movie - Robin Hood: Prince of Thieves.

To its benefit, the costumes fit the fantasy world with Val’s red hood looking as striking as it should. And it is a treat to see good actors Virginia Madsen (Sideways), Michael Hogan (Battlestar Galactica), Michael Shanks (Stargate) and Lukas Haas (Inception) in supporting roles, but their talents are wasted here. Also, the movie’s one original “twist” plays as unintentionally creepy.

Red Riding Hood and the big, bad wolf doesn’t offer much to be afraid of, but if Twilight fans just need something to fill the time until Breaking Dawn hits, my what big box office receipts this movie will have.

'Beastly' not a beauty, but not bad

Based on the 2007 book by Alex Flinn, Beastly is about Kyle (Alex Pettyfer), an egotistic teenager who constantly singles out unattractive classmates. He ultimately picks on the wrong person, a witch named Kendra (Mary-Kate Olsen), and she curses him to live his life as ugly on the outside as his personality is on the inside. The only way his looks can turn back to normal is by finding someone to love him just the way he is within one year, and that one person is Lindy (Vanessa Hudgens). The entire experience changed Kyle’s life forever.

Originally, I thought this movie would have been easily comparable to the Twilight series, but I was wrong. There isn’t any resemblance of the Twilight saga in Beastly and it has nothing to do with vampires.

Flinn did a great job on creating an original work that utilizes fantasy elements, such as magic, to relate to real-life situations (such as falling in love and learning values). But Beastly is obviously a modern retelling of Beauty and the Beast. 

The critics’ grades on Rotten Tomatoes adds up to an abysmal 21%. Aside from the fantasy elements, there were specific events in the plot that didn’t make much sense. Lindy’s father was an addict, which lead to her being miraculously sent to Kyle’s home (of all people) to live for protection, which seemed way too unrealistic for me.

Besides that, the movie was decent. The makeup was well done on Kyle and Kendra’s faces, and the cast was nicely selected. Neil Patrick Harris' character of Will, Kyle’s blind tutor, blew me out of the water. He did a phenomenal job with really soaking into the skin of his character, and was extremely believable as a blind man. If you’re in need to see a movie with a little teen romance and supernatural elements, you won’t be disappointed with Beastly.


- Jen Danczak, PPC Intern