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Twilight Dominates Boxoffice with $70.6million Opening
There was a LOT of trash talking over Twilight, and I tend to notice that when there is a lot of people complaining about something they know little about, it usually means that it is successful. I am not a Twilight fan and was never drawn to pick up the books. But I couldn’t avoid recognizing its popularity. I saw that book cover more than newspapers when out around town, and even if you feel it is not deserving of the praise it is getting, it cannot be avoided. Twilight is a hit.
Yahoo reports:
Audiences found the vampire romance “Twilight” infectious in its opening weekend, pushing the movie to a take of $70.6 million.Catherine Hardwicke’s film also enjoyed the biggest opening ever for a female director, blowing away the previous standard of $41.1 million set by Mimi Leder’s “Deep Impact” in 1998.
Drawing from its huge fan base of teenage girls, who fell for Stephenie Meyer’s novel of forbidden love between brooding vampire Edward Cullen and bookish high schooler Bella Swan, “Twilight” made a whopping $20,636 per theater, according to Sunday morning estimates.
See, unlike truly undeserving boxoffice success like Jackass or PottySpoof movies, this franchise has hit on an appealing concept to a very large demographic of readers. It may not be your cup of tea, but at least it had SOMETHING to offer other than recycled potty jokes and crotch kicks. I have to give it at most that much credit.
Well while all you people are busy trying to cut up Twilight and pretending that it doesn’t matter, allow me to point out that this weekend Twilight beat out a family friendly film on its opening weekend - an addage here at TMB that rarely goes challenged: never underestimate the Family Friendly Film. Twilight nearly triples the release of Bolt with $70.6million while Quantum of Solace lands a comfy second place (on its second week) at $27.4million while Disney’s animated feature Bolt was sniffing Bond’s heels at $27million.
I would have guessed that Bolt would have fared better than Bond’s second week, but I didn’t doubt for a second that Twilight was going to eat up all the attention at the boxoffice. So while all the naysayers are having their fun trying to come up with creative insults for Twilight, it would appear you are in a minority. There seems to be an awful lot of people (polls show teenage girls mostly) who are willing to go check this out.
Credit where credit is due. Twilight owns the boxoffice.
Fuck that if Twilight can do it so can Dragonball.
Just because it isn’t a spoof movie doesn’t mean its original.
looks like “the covenant” to me, and we all know how good that movie was.
“Well while all you people are busy trying to cut up Twilight and pretending that it doesn’t matter, ”
I’ve never said that it doesn’t matter. I’ve just continually said that it’s BAD. As Broly points out, it isn’t original, the books aren’t well written, and it portrays one of the most abusive and dysfunctional relationships that we’re supposed to like.
It’s made me weep for my gender and the generation of girls that we’re raising on this junk.
I admit that it’s popular. That’s WHY I’m upset. Something like this never should have reached out of fanfiction obscurity.
I knew it would happen…but I won’t help increase the amount of bucks it is making.
why don’t some of you try writing a book or screenplay and then shut the hell up
And thus, the end of days commenced…
@TZAYLOR
Are you suggesting that we have to try writing to know that someones bad at it? I do plenty of writing, I know that shit is hard just like any other sort of creative writing. But if you can’t do it well (or so bad that it’s good), then you shouldn’t be doing it for a living. I’m sure there are thing that these people can do well, but this film/book series has given no indication that any of these people can writing is one of them.
I just wish these teenage girls would go out and watch “Interview with a Vampire”.
Well like I’ve been saying, it’s great that there’s been a movie this Winter that people in that demographic have been able to go apeshit over in the same way I did over Batman or Bond. I just hope it lived up to their hype.
And I also hope that I do not hear anything Twilight related for the next year, cause i’m worn out.
You haters have to lay off the crack. Twilight was actually pretty good. And this comes from a guy who was dragged kicking and screaming into the theatre by his wife.
This really doesn’t change the fact that even Twilight fans have said the movie was “cheesy” and “just plain embarrassing”, or “a cut and paste of random selections from the novel”. These are all things I’ve heard from Twilight fans.
It seems that there are two types of Twilight fans. The intelligent ones who still love the book but can obviously see a sub-par translation to film, and the ones in denial that have said things like “No matter how bad the film is, I LOVE IT!”. How does that even make any sense?
I’m not a fan of Twilight, but from what I’ve been hearing from rational, dedicated fans, this film is not how they view Twilight.
@ROYAL:
I was also dragged. Not kicking and screaming, but dragged none the less. My girlfriend has been a long time fan since the first book was put out and thought the movie was terrible and I respectfully agree with her. The word “hater” gets thrown around in a ridiculous fashion.
OFFICIAL: Twilight Sequel - New Moon
@ Elizabeth
“it portrays one of the most abusive and dysfunctional relationships that we’re supposed to like.”
Ever read this little known story called Romeo and Juliet? I mean fuck, talk about an abusive and dysfunctional relationship. *spoilers ahead* I mean shit, they both commit suicide in the end because they can not be with each other. Oh nnnooooossssss!!!!
*If you did not read the sarcasm in this, please reread*
@Broly, the sequel was announced as a go over a month ago.
@Buttermypopcorn, The majority of these drooling fangirls ARE fans of Interview. And anything with Vampires in it since Buffy.
Just sayin.
@Rodney,
I know but there was no grantee on that till the box office results.
Good boxoffice does not equal good movie, (see Transformers).
@Rodney:
Fans of Interview? They certainly are not. The fans I’ve spoken to don’t even know what it’s about. Remember, this is aimed at younger girls.
@ Tzaylor
I agree with J’onn J’onzz (being a writer myself)
Oh ya, another thing in regards to finding the relationship in the series abusive. I read the books and found them entertaining. A lot of the “relationship” issues that came up in the book I experienced in various relationship in my youth, and the majority of it was coming from the girl. Nothing like breaking up with a chick that might kill herself if you guys break up. She did not, and life went on.
I guess the question is, do you hate the way the relationship is depicted because it draws from actual issues that arise in relationship in real life? Or do you hate because you think the teenage fan base is stupid enough to think that all relationships should be like the ones depicted on the pages? Or are you disgusted that the two involved in the “abusive” relationship work everything out by the end of the series?
In the end if you want to read a big about a relationship that does not have some sort of abuse in the relationship or dysfunction, then you should read….. wait, is there such a book? Now that would be one of the greatest works of fiction ever written! :D
But ya, the movie looks horrible, which is sad cause the director is pretty top notch. Like any source of media, though, there will always be the lovers and the haters… I think the apocalypse will occur when a piece of media, book, movie, music, whatever, is introduced and everybody in the world thinks it is the greatest thing ever.
the movie sucked balls
@Formless
Don’t hate ‘hater’. It’s good shorthand, and definitely on par with the rest of the texting/internet jargon. Having said that, 1887-speak can get annoying when overused in a single message/post.
I digress. I feel sorry for the ‘guys’ out there that take movies so seriously that they can’t find value in a ‘light’ movie like Twilight. To each his own, but I’m still calling yous a bunch o’ haters!
@Formless, Boxoffice may not equal good movie TO YOU, but it does mean that a LOT of people enjoyed it. So to all of them… which you clearly are not one of.. it was a good movie.
And Transformers kicked ass for me… so you missed trying to convince me with that strategy too.
@Aaron…. did you GO to the movie?? or just assuming because you already hated it?
@Rodney:
Just because people went to see the film doesn’t mean they enjoyed the movie. Whether they enjoyed it or not, and believe me the majority has indeed not been satisfied, the film still makes money and I accept that. But just to say “box office = people enjoyed this movie” is silly. Are you saying that once you pay your $11 you’re guaranteed a good movie?
@Royal:
You’re stating things that no one has actually said. This has nothing to do with people not finding value in a light movie. I enjoy my share of light movies. I like a happy ending or a good love story, but this just wasn’t one of them. You’re going to tell me you felt passion in Kristen Stewart’s voice? There were people laughing at her delivery in the theater. I don’t even LIKE this series and I understand how it should be carried out on screen.
i hope if you are a fan of the book that you loved the film and it was everything you wanted it to be but for i really cannot understand what the fuss is about.
It was decidedly average at best. I just couldn’t get over how cheap and ugly everything looked
@ Formless
Wow, I am impressed. You know how the majority of $70 million dollars worth of people feel about a movie. That is amazing. Now let me guess, did you find from the majority of these people (majority would of course be that which is greater than half the number of the total) how they felt about the movie via the internet? It would be another guess from my part that in actuality the majority of people that saw the movie have not released how they felt about the movie on any public forum (newspaper, internet, sky writing), so this would mean that you must have contacted them all individually. I applaud your dedication to this ordeal. :D
In actuality I am guessing you have talked to some friends that saw it and read some posts online in regard to the movie. The internet is shit hole for the disgruntle. It is not possible for the most part, unless from a creditable source, to determine if the person posting has genuinely saw the movie and disliked it or hates it without seeing just because they find enjoyment of hating something so popular. Either way, I highly doubt you really know how the majority of people feel about the movie.
If I am totally off base, and you do know how the majority of people felt about the movie then I stand corrected and freely admit to being wrong, but I do not think I am. :D Have a nice day.
and rodney big opening weekend box office does not in anyway prove that a lot of people enjoyed it.
it proves a lot of people went and saw it thats all. It is no indication at all of how audiences are enjoying it.
if it has long legs then that proves people like it as that will show it has strong word of mouth and repeat viewers.
@Formless
You are overgeneralizing my comments to purposefully distract from my argument. I didn’t attack your ability to enjoy ‘light’ movies. I attacked ‘guys’ for their inability to find value in a light movie LIKE TWILIGHT.
And, yeah, I really liked Kristen’s performance. A lot, in fact. No one in my showing laughed AT the acting. It sounds like you saw the movie with a group of people who took Twilight too seriously. I guess that can be comforting, in a sense.
I’m really glad that you know how the characters should be portrayed, better than the author and the director, and all w/o reading the series. You wanna pick my numbers for this week’s Powerball?
@ Rodeny, no i say it, it was awful
So you say it is awful and therefore it is? Are you and George both psychic or something?
Some people just crave to hate something. Pointless habit really.
dude i messed up, i meant i saw it and it was awful
Hm, I’m not so sure. The movie made a lot of money, but they chaned too much from the book. I couldn’t believe it until I found this list:
http://twilightsaga.wikia.com/wiki/Twilight_book_to_movie_differences
You can even add your own to that page. I did!
HA!
@ Tilly
You should see if you can find a website like that that compares the Bourne movies to the books. It is nothing new. It is an extremely rare case that a movie adaptation is not completely different from the source. The quality of a movie cannot be determined by how closely they follow the book. The Bourne movies are still pretty decent even though the only thing they have in common is a an amnesiac assassin and Treadstone (in name only).
whedon is totally shitting heavy duty xlarge concrete bricks right now.
@ Leeloo
Why would he be “shitting heavy duty xlarge concrete bricks right now”?
@Jeremy, likely because Joss is best known for his TV Series Buffy the Vampire Slayer which had a romantic subplot involving a vampire slayer falling in love with a noble heroic vampire.
Its the same formula, and Buffy has been gone for a long time. Granted this is not the first time there has been a series or book revolving around a mortal and vampire falling in love.
@ Rodney:
“Some people crave to hate something,” in other words, some people just need to put something down, almost arbitrarily.
Like saying the jackass movies don’t deserve the money they make.
“Credit is where credit’s due.”
Unless it comes to jackass movies? I don’t get it. In your article you pretty clearly allude to the fact that this movie is not up your alley, but it was clearly succesful so you give it props. Jackass clearly isn’t up your alley, based on how you worked it into the article, yet it is a proven box-office success that you discredit.
“unlike TRULY undeserving…”
What’s that suppose to mean? That Twilight doesn’t neccesarily deserve 70 mil, but is in a less harsh tier of “undeserving?”
It doesn’t seem like you are a really big fan of Twilight or Jackass. So in other words, to you, you’re virtually contrasting a Dick Pickle and a Shit Sandwhich….why bother defending one or slamming another. Better yet, whats the difference, all those films made lots of money on a plane where Rodey doesn’t exist, isn’t tought of, and is insignificant.
Sorry I sound like a dick.
this is NOT like fucking dracula!
its about werewolfs and vampires! bella IS a vampire! and its the werewolf thats in love with her (and her daughter…but thats later) edward is also a vampire but bella was turned.
and dracula was fucking lame
holy fucking shit cakes i cant believe people compare this to crap like “dracula” or “30 days of night” (oh yes. ive heard that comparison) or even angel
i even heard this being compared to chocolate blood or whatever….which was a good book but the “movie” Fing sucked
you may compare twilight to a comparison of underworld and dracula! and still be off by a mile….
twilight pwned all….get over it
@ Rodney
Ya, that is what I figured, but it is funny to bring up Whedon any time these story lines are brought into play. You know, as if he was the originator if this idea. Which he is by far and away not. His whole series being based off the early nineties movie. The human/vampire love thing goes as far back as Bram Stokers Dracula (book) and beyond I am sure. Sure Whedon made a popular show, but for him to shit bricks because a movie is made playing similar themes to the vampire genre in general just does not make any sense. In actuality Whedon probably does not even give two shits. Last I heard he did not hold a monopoly on this story line, and if he did then all the better for more movies with this story line to come out. Monopolies are never good after all. BTW, has anybody seen Let the Right One In yet? Waiting for some reviews on that.
@Manny I could debate the “quality” of a movie like Jackass and you will forever have to kick me in the crotch as your rebuttal since that is all the movie is. A series of idiots eating cow semen and injuring each other and trying to call it comedy.
I dont hate on it because I have personal feelings for it. Its just not a movie. Its a youtube gag, and worthless. Nothing that should have made its way to the big screen.
And I gave the movie’s FINANCIAL SUCCESS props. I have not seen it, nor read the books. I specifically called out its popularity and its overwhelming popularity at the boxoffice. I don’t see how that means I am supporting the movie itself or its performance. Just that a lot of people went to see it.
Jackass2 wasn’t a hit on this scale and amassed its $70m over its entire run, and I hold true that it doesn’t deserve it. This movie at least tells a story. You don;’t have to like it but it is a movie.
RODNEY
i 150% agree with you but you have to understand that everyones different and some people like movies like jackass or meet the spartans. if they didnt make those movies…theyd be left…movie less
i dont like high school musical. in fact i hate it…but i know millions love musicals (even people that like musicals might hate HM3) and theres always a group of people that will like the movie. theres a bunch of peopel out there that are willing to make an argument about how gay ironman is (i KNOW!)
so is it fair for us to just completely hate movies like twilight and jackass? i think its selfish (oh i openly hate meet the spartans but im speaking for everyone else here…)
if people love twilight then leave them alone, same with gay marriage…they can do what makes them happy
I’m just sick of vampire movies that feature beautiful people and love stories. Maybe it’s good, maybe it’s not (I haven’t seen it) but it seems like the formula has been done to death.
But maybe this formula is still relevant for the tweens and the Harry Potter generation. I like the Harry Potter films but I don’t love them like the the youngsters do.
Note to self: Write a mediocre novel the that blends fantasy into the lives of introverted/smart emo kids. Add in a love story and a conflict with a generalized stereotypical villain. Be sure to include a main character that teenage girls/boys can identify with. Make millions…
Seeler’s top ten observations:
1) Bolt wasn’t the only “family” film out there. Madagascar 2 is still around (in fact, it landed right behind Bolt).
2) Congrats to Summit. While we’ll see how long this film has at staying power, rest assured, that new little studio has a tentpole set up, as the ‘Twilight’ sequels will be the bread & butter for the next three to four years.
3) Kristen Stewart is a young actress on the rise. Keep an eye on her. She was fine in ‘Messengers” (even if that film jumped the shark at the end) and I enjoyed the film ‘In The Land Of Women’ very, very much.
4) The FX in this film were not great, but in future films, this undersight can (and hopefully will be) improved.
5) You know it. I know it. We all know that someone is gonna get their greasy hands all over another spoof film (even if it is Scary Movie 665 1/2 or whatever number they are on now), and this film will be a target. I’m not saying that’s a great thing, but mark my words.
6) Actor Billy Burke is in the film; he’s not bad as a character/supporting actor, not counting Feast Of Love.
7) Nice to see the director of Thirteen not only have a hit, but the fact that a director who happens to be a woman having a hit this good is a breath of fresh air. Keep up the good work.
8) The film catered mostly to a target audience, and a built in audience.
9) It was screened for critics. That may not sound like a big thing…but it is. Indeed, reviews are mixed at best, but few critic despised the film altogether. Some even liked it. When a studio is willing to have critics screening, even if they think it is “critic proof” that speaks volumes. It says “We got something here, could be lightning in a bottle. We have nothing to be ashamed of, nothing to hide”. Summit had so much confidence they even threw in midnight Thursday screenings the past weekend.
Now the trump card for me:
10) My sister and her husband have read the book. They were split and debated the film in front of me when the got home (I was hit with watching the young niece duties) …I caught the film on Sat. I thought it was alright…but I haven’t read the book. I’m interested in reading it now. If a film based on a novel makes you want to read (or re-read) the source, call it a piece of dirt if you must, but to me they encourage new readership and/or get new fans. I’m not a fan yet, working on it…but I’m interested in the book. This is the most important to me because then In my view, the film has done a decent job.
The biggest question is falloff, and as much as I’m looking forward to Transporter 3 next week, is there much competition for this film?
@ The Dude
All personal preference in the end I guess. I was thinking the other day that I wish they would make more dramatically inspired vampire movies like Interview With a Vampire (minus Tom Cruise), but then again I was never a big fan of the vampire gets all ridiculous looking when vamped out like Buffy the Vampire Slayer. Although I say this, I also say Lost Boys was the fucking shit! I also liked 30 Days of Night. In actuality maybe its just Buffy that I did not like, the series not the girl.
if by introverted smart emo kids you mean a pack of indians that live in a forest and turn into werewolfs then youre right
or you might be refering to the italian bloodsucking vampires that happen to have a tan skin
the cullens do have a tan…bu ttheyre not emo. dont use the word liek you know what it means. and if thats what you think the books about, read it or else just dont comment on it
if you do not know what the hell youre talking about…say NOTHING
im not saying “dont disagree” because i know peopel that can throw educated true reasons of why they hate twilight hence they read the books. but if someone that never read it/saw the movie says it sucks then theyre nothing less then ignorant. i never saw a COMPLETE episode of star trek…notice how ive never said it sucked
i hate HSM….i had to watch the firat one with my gf on dvd a year ago
sorry- the cullens DONT have a tan..theyre albino…i meant to say they ARE pale. they are NOT emo though.
lost boys was better……..i think the reason most people have a distaste for this is that is for teens….teens and adults dont mix!
lostboys was better……
i like cheese and toast is that a crime!
i hope you didn’t pay to see jackass rodney because by your definition that automatically means you enjoyed it.
I saw you accuse me of being psychic back there which is ridiculous. I am not the one claiming to know how anyone feels about Twilight either way.. You are the one who said the big opening weekend shows that a lot of people are enjoying it. and all I am doing is pointing out that that does not in anyway indicate the audiences reaction to it.
Big box office does not prove people are liking it. It only shows a lot of people went to see it.
I don’t know if they like it or hate it. I am not psychic but apparently by your standards as soon as you pay for your ticket it means you have automatically enjoyed the film.
oh the lost boys RULE
Hey, Rodney, that comment you made to Aaron after he messed up was kinda harsh. (Although I thought some guy in another article was pissed off at me when he wasn’t, hard to tell people’s tone)
how can you say Jackass 2 doesn’t deserve the money it made?
who made you so high and mighty anyway? I mean sure it doesn’t achieve the high art and depth of say transformers but obviously there is an audience for it as they made two films which both made cash.
Personally I don’t like Jackass either but that is neither here nor there. I am not going to claim to be better than people who do enjoy it and obviously there are people who do or they wouldnt have made 2 films.
But it appears to me you have a set of rules regarding slagging of Twilight which you then completely disregard to slag off Jackass.
basically a clear double standard.
and I have seen both Let the right one in and twilight and there is no comparison. Let the right one in in my opinion is the best film of the year. nothing has even come close in my opinion. Its a genuine masterpiece. With one of the greatest set pieces of all time. A stunning film which I have not been able to get out of my head since I have seen it. Twilight was an average teen flick that if it wasn’t based on a successful book would have gone straight to dvd.
and my last question to you is this
Is aaron not allowed to think twilight is awful?
I dont get what your point is trying to talk down to him the way you (always) do.
he obviously thinks it is awful. Is he not allowed to have that opinion. Do you like every film you see? have you never thought a film was awful….oh hang on jackass is but that doesnt count
Dragonslayer
no, it wasnt harsh. or it was but thats because A LOT of people have been hating on thi smovie for NO reason and he seems to understand that its plain stupid that some people are willing to say it sucks just for the fuck of it. i doubt he was trying to be mean or douchie
i am also sick and tired of people saying it sucked.
not you aaron, you obviously saw it and didnt liek it and thats okay cuz youre not just saying it
hey thnx Dragon Slayer.
and Hazmat
dang, i was secretly hoping it would fail. And it only cost like 35 mill to make, they are gunna have plenty of money to be a huge sucess.
dang, i was secretly hoping it would fail. And it only cost like 35 mill to make, they are gunna have plenty of money to be a huge sucess. Crap!
I’ve not seen the film nor do I wish to see the film. But I think when the DVD comes out I’ll see, but for the theater, not likely.
good call Dragon
@ Jon Jonz
@ Dragonslayer
No, I don’t think people should try writing in order to recognize bad writing. It’s all subjective, just like any other art. What’s crap to one may be roses to another.
I do think before douche-bags are rude to waiters they should try waiting tables. Before you crap on other people’s movie/book efforts you should try to string 10 words together that anyone gives a crap about. That’s where I was headed with that comment.
You mentioned bad writers should find another line of work. I don’t think the success of this author can really be challenged at this point. No matter how good or bad people consider her, she is a successful author. So in fact she SHOULD write for a living, well she already did and it seems to have worked for her.
Uhhh…. Dominates the Box office…??? ha ha ha No…. does well but nothing close to dominating the Box office…! With all the so called hype, you new this movie was going to be #1 at the box office… but if you want Dominating… then movies like Spider-Man, The Dark Knight, come to mind to use the word… “Dominate”… !!!
Trust me, come next week… the percentage of people will drop BIG TIME once the word gets out that this movie blows!!!
George, I will slag the movie if and when I see the movie - if it deserves it. I don’t pre-judge.
That is for people who make up their own rules about reality. And I don’t ALWAYS talk down to him or anyone. You want to read into that, thats your call, but it doesnt make it accurate.
Have you seen the film Rodney?
No, which is why I am not offering a critique on the quality of the film, as mentioned before, the post was about its boxoffice success.
I figured this film would make so much money, since it has so many fans. I’m surprised by the success
me to Dragon, and dang it was like all kids!!!!! remember when i said i wish it had opened with 3 Mill, well, i still do
WHAT THE FUCK PEOPLE!
how come when a kids movie comes out and it does great people dont go “oh it sucks its a kids movie!”
why cant teenagers have their own movie!?
why cant we have a god fukcing movie ONE! ONE! hollywood FUCKS UP all the TIME! with high school musical and shit like crap from disney channel. and now we get a huge movie and everyone else has to try and take a dumb on it and its BULLSHIT
“oh well i will not be watching wall-e, because the majority of the crowd its attracting happens to be toddlers and little infants, therefore i will repeadetly point this out to make every one else self consious about SEEING it” thats EXACTLY whats going on with twilight!
why cant people just let others enjoy what they like?
is it the romance people hate? i dont get why peopel have to be inmature about this its driving me SICK! i dont even like twilight that much but it doesnt deserve the shit some of you are giving it.
and if rodney didnt see it yet then dont be upset he hasnt talked shit about it, obviously hes got some commen frieken sense.
i personally i didnt like the movie, but im NOT going to be a fuckign douche and make all the fans feel like shit by calling them emo and pale teenagers for liking something, thats FUCKED UP
who cares if they liek it!?
not dumb..i meant DUMP as in when people dont have to but still bend over and take a shit on something someone else liked to make themselfs feel better
It was pretty much a given that this would be # 1 the opening weekend. But lets see how it does after that, after the hard core crowd has already seen it. I foresee a huge dip.
I never said Twilight sucked! Just that the formula has been done and redone.
I loved Buffy, and Angel, and watched Underworld and Interview with a Vampire. When I was younger I also read Christopher Pike’s The Last Vampire series, which at the time I thought was the shiznit and should be made into a movie.
I realize that I should not be dissing Twilight, from what I’ve been reading it’s probably an ok movie. I haven’t even seen it, but I have a feeling that the kids will dig this more than us older geeks becuase we’ve seen it all before and done better.
It’s funny, but five years ago Twilight might have appealed to me. I guess I’m getting old…
tzaylor, it seems you don’t know who you’re talking to. Elementary mistake on the internet.
I have a degree in film and I’m currently working on a second one. I’ve written about five or six screenplays and am currently working on my fifth novel.
I’ve produced several of my own films, both in short format and a longer hour long documentary. I also have an extensive background in film theory and criticism.
So yes, I have tried writing a book and I have tried writing a screenplay. And making a movie. And acting at one point, oh and I’ve tried directing a play, that was a lot of fun.
I’d say I’m fully qualified to have a detailed opinion on Twilight both as a novel and as a film.
So maybe you should stop using ridiculous retorts and either actually respond to the criticisms leveled at your favorite work, or get over it.
“Ever read this little known story called Romeo and Juliet? I mean fuck, talk about an abusive and dysfunctional relationship. *spoilers ahead* I mean shit, they both commit suicide in the end because they can not be with each other. Oh nnnooooossssss!!!!”
Actually, I also hate Romeo and Juliet and think it shouldn’t be taught in high schools because teenagers usually miss the entire point and just think about the lovely and tragic doomed love.
But I wasn’t referring to the star crossed lovers aspect. I was referring to the fact that Edward exhibits all the classical signs of an abusive boyfriend/husband. There have been some fabulously detailed posts about this, check your internet.
Romeo never did any of that, he and Juliet were just stupid.
I understand what your saying Hamzat, and I can see that happening with Twilight (and even I’m guilty of it, I’ll admit that). I think that as soon as somebody says a film or book has to do with Vampires, people think “EEEMMOO.” When I hear that I personally think “It’s a Vampire LOVE STORY, how is that emo?”. I didn’t really like the book so I’m not gonna defend it, but I can definitely understand and agree with you. Nonetheless, I’m waiting until the DVD release.
I also agree with you 100% about Disney Channel (I’m still wishing I never agreed to watch Camp Rock, Worst Movie Ever).
@Dragon Slayer
@ Hazmat
as a teenager, i agree
@ Elizabeth
Your response to Tzaylor is kinda pompous. All it makes you sound like is one of those high and mighty people who think that because they have experience in something, they now have the ability to determine what is good and what is not. You could have written a thousand books, directed a hundred movies, and written a dozen screen plays… this experience still does not give you or anybody else the ability to judge something that is relative. What is one man’s trash is another man’s treasure. You do not know how ridiculous it is that a critics in any field think they somehow have the right to say what is good and what is not. One person may not like something and have a vast portfolio of work behind their name while another person without the portfolio finds that same thing the greatest thing in the world. Who is correct? Neither and both, its all fucking relative!
Now to take this into the realm of the /abusive/ Edward. Do you honestly thing the author was trying to portray Edward as abusive? I highly doubt it. I have never heard anything where she came out and said “ya, so I had this idea of writing this vampire series where the main vampire is going to be this totally abusive boyfriend. And get this, it will be for teens.” My bet that is in the vastness of those that read the series, there is a group that misinterprets a whole shit load of stuff and allows personal biases to cloud the truth and distort in a way to further strengthen what they want to believe. To further that, when I do check the internet, which I will, for these websites that discuss the abusiveness, I am sure the majority if not all examples will be achieved by taking inserts out of context.
Until I hear the author say that she wrote the book intending for an abusive relationship, I will have to call that theory a pile of bull.
For any given piece of work, two people can determine if it is a piece of art: the creator and the individual observing the work. Each individual will decide on their own if they find it a work of art. There is over 6 billion individuals on these blue earth, and no one person has the right to speak for everyone to say this book, or this movie, or this what-the-fuck-ever is art/good/whatever.
why can’t teenagers have a movie?!?!?!?!?
I know what you mean. They just never release movies aimed at teenagers. dear lord…..ridiculous.
Hahaha, ya, those posts in support of the abusive Edward are exactly what I expected. Here are a few examples:
1. Edward is abusive because he tries to keep Bella away from Jacob.
a. The book expresses the fact that vampires hate werewolves and visa versa, that should not be a shocker he does not want her around him.
b. Jacob does not want Bella with Edward either.
c. Bella is almost just as much in love with Jacob as Edward. If Edward was not there, she would be jumping all over Jacobs bones… and almost does if I remember right.
d. It is a fucking 100% fictional romance that is between a human and a vampire, and a werewolf.
e. Every story of a love triangle is like this.
2. Edward is abusive because he makes Bella do things she does not want to. (ie. Prom, Birthday)
a. Hello!?! She spends the entire series expressing her desire to become a vampire, he is does all this to try to convince her to not want to be a vampire.
b. It is a fucking fictional relationship between a vampire and a human!
c. If she is going to give up her life to be a vampire he does not want her to miss the experiences of what it is to be human.
e. I could go on, but you get the point.
3. Edward is abusive because he is trying to separate Bella from her family.
a. This is the complete opposite of what is actually happening.
b. Bella wants to be a vampire. It is explained to her that the first several years after the change are dangerous. She could harm her family, so she would have to leave them.
c. Edward spends the majority of the book trying to convince her to not become a vampire, which in the end he fails at. One of his reasons to try to convince her is that she would have to leave her family behind. He wants her to stay human, and thus could stay with her family.
d. Vampires, in this series, tend to be secretive, as in nobody a select few even know they exist. To maintain the secret code and not be threatened by the European vampires, she would have to leave them if she was vampire or risk her families life.
I could continue to go on and on ripping every one of those reasons that Edward is abusive that I have read. The amazing part is that I am not even the biggest fan of the series. All this I can remember just from reading them, which just shows that memory is a good thing. Every reason I came across was blatantly taken out of context from the story and the mythos. Only reason I am defending this shit is because I find it disgusting when people claim that something is what it is not, and then back it up with B.S. Facts people, facts are always good.
@ Elizabeth
By the way, I am not trying to make an enemy here. I can be pompous to at times. In fact I probably am most of the time. So do not take any offense to me. Your accomplishments are something to marvel if what you said is true, and I am sure you have grown quite a lot from those experiences; however, it still does not make you a better judge and what is good and what is not. Those experiences have only affected the way you determine what you like. Who knows, maybe before you got all that film and writing experience you might have actually enjoyed the series, but through your studies your interpretation of the world skewed your views into a new evolution in how you look at and judge things for yourself. This does not make your views any better or worse than others, just different. If I am totally off base on anything, I welcome the reverse criticism and feel free to rip me a new one. I’ll gladly take the beating, admit to being wrong if I am, and learn from my mistakes to live another day. Have a good one.
Look, I have been the loudest enemy of Twilight on this site. I do not enjoy the Twilight books. I do not like it, and I’m not just shit-talking. I find the books to be poorly written with a weak storyline that gets too entangled in its own pretentiousness. I do not understand why so many teen girls are so enamored with such a badly written set of books, but if they want to have their shitty movie, go right ahead.
I feel most badly for the STARS of this movie, who will face the same battle that Kate and Leo did right after Titanic: breaking away from the teeny-bopper typecast to be taken seriously as actors. Good luck!
Winslet and DiCaprio hardly had much of a struggle and they did just fine.
Just sayin.
I agree with Rodney on this one. To reiterate this for DiCaprio:
What’s Eating Gilbert Grape (93)
Basketball Diaries (95)
Romeo and Juliet (96)
Marvin’s Room (96)
Titanic (97)
The Man in the Iron Mask (98)
The Beach (00)
Gangs of New York (02)
Catch Me If You Can (02)
The Aviator (04)
The Departed (06)
Not a comprehensive list,, but it shows there was not any real recovery time needed since he was making some damn good movies before and some even damn better movies soon after Titanic’s release.
Vampire movies do not appeal to me one bit. Apparently, millions of teenage girls like it…………
kristina
yeah but you READ the books, you wrote a whoel article on it. thats different you have a legit reason on why you hate it
my beef is with the peopel who think its cool to say twilight sucks. liek the crowd that says bush sucks yet they cant say oen thing about bush (not any one in this website…peopel i know)
you can tell im pissed about something when i make at least 15 spelling errors^^^^^^
@ Hazmat
Then you must always be pissed. :D
Just messing with ya. Always get a kick out of your posts, keep it up.
no i have a habbit of doing dumbass mistakes such as “liek” “fuckign” “abotu” and “sayd”
Hazmat’s previous name holds true: HAZMAT_PWNS_ALL
LOL
Jeremy,
You have a very good point in that I should have phrased my reply differently.
My point was actually that someone else’s argument was critically flawed, not that I had some sort of special power to see something others can’t. In fact, most of the people whose opinions I trust about movies or films have no education in either. My point, the entirety of it, was that people who say, “You try writing a screenplay!” or “You try writing a book!” need to find another retort because I have done both on several occasions and I do know quite well how hard it is. I think their argument is a bunch of nonsense because as you say, anybody can and should decide what they subjectively do and don’t enjoy.
But the thing is, people aren’t saying “I enjoyed Twilight.” They’re saying “TWILIGHT IS THE BEST THING I HAVE EVER READ AND IF YOU HATE IT YOU’RE RETARDED!”
And sadly, I’m not exaggerating that, it’s what I’ve run into in forums when I’ve said that I didn’t like the book. That, to me, is completely ridiculous. Say you enjoyed it, say you thought it was fun and fluffy, whatever. I don’t argue with those points very much even if I don’t understand them. But people just can’t seem to actually present a valid argument when it comes to Twilight, it’s all fangirl squealing primarily countered by gnashing of teeth. It makes me distracted.
As for Edward’s treatment of Bella…I don’t think that what the author “intended” is really in question here. Of course she didn’t mean to write Edward to be a stalker who obsessively controls Bella’s life, friendships, and movements. But it’s what she wrote, and now people who worry about these kinds of things are standing up and saying, “Wait, wait a second…all you teenage girls who are standing around wishing for your Edward…when you get a guy who treats you like this…that isn’t a good thing.”
Maybe it’s what Meyers wants in her life, maybe it’s what these teenagers think is true love. But that doesn’t change how emotionally manipulative it is, it doesn’t change the undertones it presents.
Teenager romances constantly have unhealthy relationships (Heck, Buffy and Angel were more dysfunctional than I can describe) but most of the time you see the consequences of their mistakes (The example someone brought up of Romeo and Juliet, their consequence is that they both DIE). Buffy and Angel faced horrible consequences for their adolescent mistakes, up to and including him turning back into a sadistic murderer and her having to kill him.
If Edward had, at any point, commented that sometimes he has a really archaic way of thinking and he’s trying to treat Bella as a partner and not someone he needs to control and “protect” to the point of smothering, then I’ll take back what I said, because I admit I couldn’t actually make it to the end of the series. But everything I’ve read, and every person I’ve known that’s read the series says it only gets worse as it goes along. I’ve heard this from people who LIKE the books, so I doubt it’s being taken “out of context.”
The examples you point out aren’t actually the ones that I am thinking of, and you’re right that those can be explained away. But I can see we’re at an impasse on that point, and I’m willing to concede that we just see it differently.
@ Elizabeth
I can accept that, we are at an impass. Hands shaken. I would like to know which examples your thinking of. I was at work when I wrote all that stuff up there, so was kinda in a rush and skimming as fast as possible through the material I found. Very well thought out response on your part there, got me thinking a little more. Until our paths cross again, have a good day.
AARON
lol well thank you, but i love gwyneth too much (oh she was SO hot in “shaekspeare in love”)
ELIZABETH
hes not abusive. he IS extremely jelous, and hes a little overprotective
he does it because if the other guy she wants to see happens to be a werewolf. overprotective…hes only liek that becuase its a book filled with vamps/werewolfs
you should read midnight sun. its twilight from edwards prespective, it answers some of the things youve brought up
when he leaves her, he does it because he doesnt want her life to be filled with vampires, he didnt know she liked him that much
and yes he broke her car, because if he didnt, shed go and see the werewolf dude jacob
and YES he does rip her stomach open, but also for a good reason
hes not abusive towards her or manipulative, he tells her he wnats her to stay with her friends and family and dad and mom but she just wants her to bite him
he only turns her because if he didnt, she would have died
well you cant buy it yet because its not out but the firat 12 chapters where leaked
i loved romeo and juliet…great story. and yes i throughoutly 200% agree with you that people misunderstand it
I read the first book and I hated it, for the same reasons Elizabeth mentioned in her posts. And I think what makes me hate it even more is because a lot of people love it. It’s like I’m always shaking my head in disbelief and exasperation on how it got to be so popular. Everything is bad — from the characters to the plot to the writing style. I know I shouldn’t care on other people’s preferences, but it’s just how I feel. It fuels my hate even more.
Why is it that if somebody does not like something, they say they hate it. Hate is fairly powerful emotion, and to hate an inanimate object is even more baffling. And then to carry this on, to hate something even more because others like it? This makes even less sense that than using the term “hate” for something that is disliked and hating an inanimate object. Why do people allow how somebody else feels about something affect how they feel about the same thing? No worries, I feel the same way with the term “love” being thrown around when something is liked. I love my family, but enjoy Fight Club. I hated seeing watching my father wither away with cancer, but I was not entertained in any way with Steel Magnolias. I don’t know, maybe it is just me, but love and hate should be reserved for things that matter, otherwise just throwing the terms out and about just appears like over dramatization.
The whole book, Edward’s like, you should stay away from me. BUT HE KEEPS COMING BACK. If I were Bella I’d feel sexually harassed
@Jeremy, what you said was exactly why I don’t use the word “Hate” very often.
It devalues the very impact of the word when everything that you just don’t even care about gets categorized as “hate”
I read the series and as sappy and cliche the plots were i couldn’t stop reading them. Twlight is addicting! Of course i have seen Interview with a Vampire” (I’m pretty sure just about every girl in America has) C’mon brad and tom, who didn’t see that movie??!?!?! Anywayz back to the movie, I wasn’t blown away, but it did stay true to the readers not much of the storyline was drastically change all. On top of that I’m not ashamed to admit that I’m looking forward to the next one :)
@ Hamat
your welcome, and gwyneth paltrow is very hot
@ Dragon, lol!
@Jeremy
All right fine, maybe hate is too strong. It’s just easier to write than say “strongly dislike”. And I don’t defend my tendency to being affected by other people’s preference. I don’t why but the book’s popularity just builds on my frustration. Ah, there maybe frustrated is the word? But heck it is just a book. Im not really too ramped up about it. Also, sorry about your dad. I understand the feeling.
books…..
Twilight- good
New Moon- Very Good
Breaking Dawn-extremely terrible
Eclipse-DUMB!
Twilight was bad as a book. But I’ve made a decision to see the movie tommorow
Wow. Everyone seriously needs to stop critisizing this movie. You have to keep in mind the target audience for this movie. This movie (and the books) were targeted towards teens and young adults. That is who it was written for and that is the only audience who should really be able to review and discuss this movie. I personally thought the movie itself was fantastic as did everyone I saw it with. Although, I do feel that too much of the book was cut in order to fit the time limit. I have seen this movie multiple times and it is one of my favorite movies of all time! My boyfriend is not a fan of the twilight book series but even he loved the movie. So everyone else needs to CHILL OUT.
@Paige, just because it was written with a target demographic in mind doesnt mean that demographic is the ONLY people who should be able to talk about this movie.
You need to chill fangirl.
To me it was more like a long music video than a movie. And if Edward’s appearance on the screen elicited screams from all the girls they did something right.