The Twilight Saga: Eclipse officially hits theaters tomorrow and I expect a whole wave of new Twilight fans will be revealing themselves soon. From the acting and the effects to the dialogue and the music, Eclipse is in a different league not only than its predecessor, but than many films this year. Whether Eclipse is your favorite (or even least favorite) book in the saga, I predict even the purest of fans will be nothing less than thrilled with the film adaptation. Being a devoted Twihard myself, I’ve broken down the film into different sections that I feel sums up the movie best. So read on for my full review, but be careful because there are spoilers if you have yet to see it!

As a whole, I would say the acting in the film is really, really great. Robert, Taylor, and Kristen delivered their lines wonderfully and at no point did they ever feel forced. Their lines always felt real and genuine and the trio were a joy to watch on screen.

The wolf pack and the humans didn’t get too much room to show off, but the short bits they were in were truly memorable. Jessica’s graduation speech? Flawless.

The Volturi wasn’t in the forefront all that much either, but the few scenes and lines of dialogue they had were really spot on. Dakota (as Jane) kept up with her evil yet sweet facade, while Dan Cudmore, Charlie Bewley, and Cameron Bright each had their moment to shine a bit too.

The bad vamps were some serious awesome in this film. Xavier Samuel absolutely shined in Eclipse and really knocked my socks off. I see big things for him in the future and I am so thoroughly impressed with his talent. Bryce as Victoria: Not crazy about her hair wig, but I thought Bryce’s acting was spot on. I wholly expect to hear complaints about Bryce because the continuity of the acting wasn’t seamless from Rachelle to her, but I think they each brought their own touch to the role. Rachelle made us fear Victoria and made her a very strong, independent character. Bryce brought book-Victoria to life with her timidity and soft, childlike voice (and remember – Bella does say that she’s surprised by Victoria’s childlike voice in the book). So all in all, Bryce brought as much as she could to the role and succeeded (in my eyes, at least). Do I miss Rachelle? Always, but I will forever embrace Bryce.

Loved the music in the film. Though I would have liked to have seen heard the use of some of my favorite songs in the film (Florence + the Machine’s Heavy In Your Arms, for one), the ones who actually did make it into the film were expertly placed. Sia’s My Love tugged at your heart strings, while The Black Keys’ Chop and Change kicked the film off on a perfect note. Honorable mention? Neutron Star Collision (Love is Forever) by Muse. I was pleasantly surprised to hear the song placed in the film rather than in the credits like the title tracks for both Twilight and New Moon. If you read my review from the soundtrack, UNKLE’s With You In My Head was one of the songs I just didn’t like. After hearing its placement in the film, it’s now one of my favorites on the soundtrack. What Supermassive Black Hole is to Twilight’s baseball scene, With You In My Head is to Eclipse’s fight training scene.

I said it last year and I’ll say it again…I am not a CGI savvy gal. I was hugely impressed with Chris Weitz’s CGI skills in New Moon, but I was dumbfounded at David Slade’s use of effects in Eclipse. A favorite for me was the scene when Bella interacts with Jacob in his wolf form. The realistic effects let you focus on the trueness and the purity of the scene.

• Key Scenes: Before each film, we all make our own mental (and in some cases, physical) lists of what scenes should be taken directly from the book. I can safely say that Eclipse included a good 90% of my list.

- Fight Training: The music fit perfectly, we get to see more Cullen interaction, and it’s a fun scene whether you’re a Twilight fan or not.

- The Actual Battle: One word to sum up this scene? Wow. Literally, just wow. I’m just as shocked as David Slade is that the MPAA approved some of the decapitations and limb severing that they did, but boy, am I glad they did. At no point is the battle ever gruesome or “too much”, but it’s always just right. This will be a standout scene for Twihard and non-Twihards alike.

- Tent Scene: “Well, I am hotter than you.” Need I say more? No, but I will: Hilarious dialogue, doesn’t ever seem rushed, and will definitely be a favorite among fans.

- Other Notables: Jasper’s backstory, Rosalie’s flashback, the story of “The Third Wife”, Bella punching Jacob, the proposal, leg hitch, and several others.

- Angela and Bella Addressing Graduation Invites: I feel guilty even putting this scene down since we know it was shot and will even end up on the DVD, but it’s just one of those things that I would have liked to have seen in the film (after all, we don’t get much human interaction!).

- Others I noticed: Alice ‘kidnapping’ Bella, Bella flash forwarding to her life if she chose to pick Jacob (which was actually in the initial script), and a few others that it didn’t kill me to see excluded.

• Direct Quotes: I am impressed at the amount of quotes taken from the book and added into the film, but in the same sense there are a few quotes that seriously hit me where it hurts when I didn’t hear them in the film. One I will give a ‘pass’, because technically based on the story timeline it could still be in Breaking Dawn and that’s my all-time favorite, “Look after my heart, I’ve left it with you…” One I just can’t come to terms with the lack of? “For the first time in almost a century, I felt hope.” Ouch, just..ouch.

The plus side? The ones they did include (and possibly slightly paraphrased), worked perfectly. “No Emmett, I punched a werewolf in the face” and just about the entire proposal scene, among others. Oh, and don’t be surprised that I need to give a shout out to the “From now on, I’m Switzerland!” declaration by Bella. (Hollaaa!)

Yes, the romance deserves a category of its own. From the initial meadow scene to the leg hitch scene, the proposal to the Edward/Bella kissing scenes, the Jacob/Bella kissing scenes and the final meadow scene; the love, romance, and chemistry in this movie was just perfect. It never felt overwhelming or underwhelming, but rather it had a perfect balance. The trio (Rob, Kristen, and Taylor) have amazing chemistry and it really came across onscreen where it counts.

I was fortunate enough to be able to see the film in both IMAX and the regular format. I’ve had a lot of people ask which is better, whether I recommend IMAX, etc., so here’s a little breakdown:

• Pros and Cons of IMAX? Better sound, more exciting in places (ie: the battle), Edward/Rob/Xavier/etc. at 3x the size of a regular screen…you get the idea. As far as cons, sometimes the film was a bit blurry in fast scenes and grainy in slower ones. And I love seeing the boys on a huge screen as much as the next person, but I couldn’t help but be distracted by the extreme close-ups where you could see every pore on their face.

• Which format is better? In my humble, headache-prone, un-tech savvy, Luddite (not really, but you get the point) opinion, I’m going to go with the regular format.

• Do I recommend it in IMAX? Absolutely, hands down. The film is only in IMAX for two weeks. If you’re a diehard fan like I think you are, you’ll want to experience the film in every format possible. Like I said, there are pros to the IMAX, so do yourself a favor and go see it in IMAX while you still can.

I’ll be the first to admit that I’m biased, but I give the film an easy ‘A’. Will the critics love it? Unless they’re a fan of the books or are within the target audience, I won’t hold my breath (Ebert, I’m lookin’ at you). There are things we are clued in on as fans that make sense to us, but may seem cheesy or out of place to someone who is not as informed on the material. I, personally, would prefer the film include these bits rather than exclude them, so as a diehard and very critical fan, I was pleased with all decisions made by the actors, the studio, Melissa Rosenberg, David Slade, etc. However, I will say that I think this movie will get much higher critic reviews than the previous two, simply based on the story line.

David Slade called The Twilight Saga: Eclipse “a love letter to the fans”, and it is just that. David, please consider this review my love letter to you

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In today’s edition of TA Talks Back, we have an opinion piece written by TA Staffer BeckyInPhilly about Jackson Rathbone’s film The Last Airbender and how its new release date may or may not affect the box office take of his other film, The Twilight Saga: Eclipse.

How will the new release date of The Last Airbender affect the box office take of Eclipse?

I don’t know that it will. I’m not sure I even understand Paramount’s decision to push the release date up by one day. To me all it seems to accomplish is making all of the previous promotion material incorrect and has the potential to make fans upset if they’ve already got midnight showing tickets which are now NOT for the midnight of the release day but for the day after. It also gives theaters, stores, and other businesses promoting this film another problem to deal with having to change all the wrong information they have posted.

When the original release dates for both movies were announced last year, we knew there would be a battle of big, summer “tentpole” movies between Summit and Paramount. Both come with a built-in fan base, some of which is even shared since Jackson Rathbone has a large role in both films. (I became a fan of Avatar: The Last Airbender after learning he would be in the live action movie version of the Nickelodeon cartoon)

But to have two potentially huge movies open the same weekend? One will lose out. Which one? I have no doubt it will be Airbender.

The first two Twilight Saga films had massive box office returns, including New Moon’s record of having the 3rd highest opening weekend of all time. Fans are rabid for the next movie, making plans months in advance to attend midnight showings and planning viewing parties of the first two films before heading out to see Eclipse. While the Airbender movie does come with a fan base, as does any movie adapted from another source, it is not as large as the Twilight fandom and the movie has had to generate its own excitement and hype before its release just like any other regular film. And Airbender is an unknown. While director M. Night Shyamalan’s name is very well known, the movie is a live action adaptation of a cartoon which in the past has not always fared well with movie goers. Shyamalan’s most recent films have also not been as big a hit with the film going public as his first movies. This is also new territory for him as well, with writing and directing a big budget adaptation that requires massive amounts of stunts and CGI and effects work.

In the end even with moving the release day, Airbender will be the one affected by Eclipse, not the other way around. Just how much of an effect it will be is still unknown. The only benefit of moving the release up a day that I can see is that it will give Airbender an extra day in the holiday weekend to make money. Though I’m sure there are now more dads, brothers and sons that are glad they’ll have something else they can go see while their wives, sisters, and mothers are watching Eclipse…for the 3rd time

I for one can’t wait for June 30th and July 1st to get here! What about you?

What do you think, TAers? How do you think the close release dates of The Last Airbender and The Twilight Saga: Eclipse will affect each other?

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In today’s edition of TA Talks Back, we have a review of Stephenie Meyer’s latest hit, The Short Second Life of Bree Tanner: An Eclipse Novella, written by our very own TA Staff Member Rebecca. The review includes some minor spoilers, so beware.

When I first heard that Stephenie Meyer was releasing another book about Bree, I first couldn’t remember who she was, as she has such a small part in ‘Eclipse’. After looking up who she was I didn’t know what to expect, really. But, being a loyal Twilight fan I was definitely going to give it a try.

I’m glad I did go and buy it, as it is a very good read. Bree is a very likable character now that we know more about her and I found myself rooting for her not to die, even though I knew she was sadly destined to. I think Bree is kind of confused about why she was turned into a vampire. She doesn’t really want to hurt people but she can’t fight the thirst. Bree also goes through quite a lot in just a few short months: love and loss.

A number of new characters were also introduced in this novella, the main ones being Diego and Fred. These were both very likable characters as well.

Fred is my favourite character and he as a really amazing ‘gift’ that lets him repel people and sometimes forget him for a short time. All he wants is to be left alone really. Now, Diego is the first friend she makes and she kind of falls for him after they go hunting one night.

Riley also appears and we learn more about his and Victoria’s relationship. In ‘Eclipse’ we just see him as another of Victoria’s victims, but getting another take on the story we see that he is just as manipulative as she is. He lies to the newborn vampires to get them to do as he wants letting them believe in the vampire myths.

It was kind of refreshing reading about ‘normal’ vampires who drink human blood, rather than the clean cut Cullen’s who sustain on animal blood. Seeing how the vampires hunt for humans is completely new territory for us since in the other books we don’t see the Cullen’s hunt (as it’s from Bella’s perspective). We see how the vampires give in to their senses and become animalistic.

We also got a little more information on the vampires that Stephenie Meyer has created. We now know how they can reattach body parts after they have been ripped of, just by licking them.

Overall I really enjoyed the novella, it’s another great story from Stephenie Meyer. I only wish is could have been longer.

If you’ve read Bree Tanner, what did you think of it?

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Just in time to get you ready for today’s Oprah festivities, we have an edition of TA Talks Back where TAer lovenhaight tells us about her experience going to the rough screening of The Twilight Saga: Eclipse courtesy of the Oprah show! No worries - no spoilers here!

When I got the call saying that I was invited to Oprah’s Eclipse taping, I thought I would die of happiness. It couldn’t get better that that, right? Oh, how wrong I was.

Two words: ECLIPSE. SCREENING.

That’s right. A handful of very, very lucky Twilighters were treated to the early cut of The Twilight Saga: Eclipse on May 4, 2010.

My best friend and I arrived in Chicago on Tuesday morning. She flew in from Texas, while I came in from North Carolina. When she emerged from the jetway, we immediately began the Twilight geek fest. We kept our eyes peeled for any Twi-sightings in O’Hare, but alas, there were none.

Time seemed to crawl after we got to our hotel, but soon enough it was time to hail a cab and head to the theatre.

After receiving wristbands and having our phones and cameras held by security, we were ushered into the theatre. Remember how it sounded at the midnight release of New Moon (you know you were there…), and how the whole room was practically buzzing with excitement? Imagine that times about a hundred.

There were two women sitting to my left who were talking about the Saga. When I heard one say that she’d heard that Bella doesn’t ever become a vampire, I had to lean over and ask…”Have you not read the books?” One of them looked at me and said, “No, have you read them?”. The only response I could come up with through my shock was “Ummm, yes.” They then told me that they’d only watched New Moon on the plane, thinking that it was the first movie of the series.

Maybe my next move was a little rude, but knowing that there were literally thousands of people who would have killed to be in that theatre at that moment, I called them out. “So what exactly are you doing here?” Apparently, they’d gotten taping tickets before the date was designated to be a Twilight show. So for all of you who didn’t get to go, I stood up for you. Twilighters stand together, you know?

One of Oprah’s people came out and announced that this would not be the cut that we’d see in theatres, that there was some sound work and CGI left to be done. I don’t think anyone minded in the least. After all, no one but us will ever see that version of Eclipse.

When the lights went down, the screaming began. There was a false start without any sound, but they backed it up and started again. This time, it was perfect.

So how was it? Well, I won’t divulge any spoilers, but overall people were incredibly happy with it. The fight scenes were amazing, the scenes with the Cullens were amazing…and oh my, did Jackson Rathbone bring it in Jasper’s scenes. Seriously, if you weren’t already Team Jasper, you will be very soon. I think that all of the big things that people want to see will be covered, so no worries there.

I can’t wait to be in the theatre again on June 30th so I can see the evolution of Eclipse, and I look forward to discussing it on TwilightersAnonymous.com. Thanks so much to Twilighters Anonymous for posting the Oprah taping information. I wouldn’t have had this opportunity without you! And for all those who see the contests and think you’ll never win, I’m here to tell you…take the chance. Every now and then, you get lucky.

Some of the gals lucky enough to go to the screening also started a Facebook page to connect with those who also went to the screening, so if you were there make sure you join! Check out the page here.

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In today’s edition of TA Talks Back, TAer Oretha talks about her experience at a New York City DVD party and breaks down who attended, what the event was like, suggestions for future DVD parties, and more.

TwiHards, TwiMoms, Twi Aunts and the like came out to Time Warner’s Borders Release party Friday night in New York City. I was struck by a few things this year. A few months ago there was a concern that the appeal would cease. Even more concerning was the feeling we were disappearing when a few conventions closed their doors. Friday evening was proof positive that we are alive, well and LOUD. The community has evolved and is more diverse than last year. The store was a great deal more organized. Staff was polite and helpful. Our evening emcees were from TwiMoms and Twilight Lexicon. They were fun to listen to tell their “vamp stories” as they asked the Trivia questions. The most startling thing to me was the amount of young men in attendance who were not only competing in trivia, they were winning. This year’s event felt like a family reunion

Friday evening started with us taking our seats for Trivia round. Trivia round started after we heard the taped message from the cast. Of course the message panned out to a box that all us who can remember likened to the Brady Bunch with each actor in a box at the end of the message. As we sat next to each other introducing ourselves I was struck by something. We are more diverse than we ever have been. In my surroundings I counted:

• At least 15 women over 50
• Nine African American young men.
• Fifteen new TwiHards attending their first event ( there were at least 100 or more people there so I only ran into 15)
• Many of the adults came with more than 4 or 5 friends

During the evening we saw a young woman dressed in Bella’s Birthday dress and more than two Edwards one of which stood right behind me. I didn’t want to stare but I really wanted to know where he got the contacts from. There was one thing that another TwiHard said that I wholeheartedly agree with. Summit should create one high quality collectible that contains all the footage extras that are created for each release. They should know that we as fans who want that would purchase it. Sure we can go around chasing all the DVDs but we would rather pay more money for a spectacular. The community has grown to a level now where we are collecting items that are exclusive products. Over and over I heard all evening is the needs for a few items that are inclusive to what they need. That was part of the appeal with the Borders purchase. The fact that we have the medallion inside was a deciding factor in me not choosing to go to any other store. Surely, I will now I have to purchase the Wal-Mart edition and the Target edition.

What are some of the suggestions I overheard for future release parties

• Compete on Random teams by matching numbers
• Sudden newborn trivia death.
• Favorite scene competition ( the amount of recitation of lines in the book was stunning)

Overall, it was a wonderful evening with new TwiHard friends.

So TAers, how many of you went to a DVD release party? Talk back to us…

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In today’s edition of TA Talks Back, TAer Miranda breaks down the ongoing ‘battle’ between diehard Twilight and Harry Potter fans, makes her case about why an individual can love both, and gives her thoughts on how we can end this ‘war’.

Why must there be a battle? Do Twilight and Harry Potter fans have to constantly hate on each other? People need to ask themselves a question; what would Bella or Hermione do? Surely they wouldn’t fight each other to the death. Maybe some people think there needs to be a battle because they think they both can’t coexist together in this world. Why can’t they both live in harmony? The conversations that go on between the rabid fans are quite frustrating. Cutting down someone else for liking Twilight is quite frankly, hypocritical. Once upon a time Harry Potter was the *new* Lord of the Rings. Some fans of LOTR used to say that Harry Potter would never be as great. Now after nearly ten years of Harry Potter being in the hearts of countless fans, non-Harry Potter fans have changed their opinions. So, maybe someday Twilight fans and Harry Potter fans can hang out with each other without a fight breaking out. The only question we all must face is; for the people that love both Harry Potter and Twilight…what does that make them? They could be called twipots or potlights perhaps? Maybe twitter, but that’s already taken by the texted obsessed.

Things have been compared before, and there is no doubt they will be compared again in the future. Something new will soon come along. It will get a huge fan base, and before you know it, people will compare that to Twilight. Though, some say that Twilight won’t even be remembered in ten years. Unless they happen to be Alice, then how would they know that? It is clearly an opinion that isn’t fact until proven. Let us show them that Twilight will be remembered in ten or twenty years. What makes the Harry Potter fan base superior over the Twilight fan base? What makes the Twilight fan base superior over the Harry Potter fan base? Forget book sales and box office records for once. Even dare I say forget what the competitor’s books are about? Does it truly hurt a fan base to see a new fan base climb on board? A suggestion; think about others before you put them down for what they are passionate about. Who does this Harry Potter vs. Twilight war help? It certainly doesn’t help the fans of either side. There doesn’t need to be a war when the war only hurts people. The war between Harry Potter and Twilight only makes both sides look bad. If people want Twilight or Harry Potter to be taken seriously, then the fighting needs to settle. Can’t we all just get along?

What do you think, TAers? Talk back to us…

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In today’s edition of TA Talks Back, TAer Oretha breaks down symbolism and physical identities within the Twilight Saga films, including the addition of the Cullen Crest, the Wolf pack tattoos, Volturi Crest, and more.

There are purists amongst Twilight Fans that are disturbed that they have added things to the new movie and or have changed things. Examples of this are the adding of the Cullen Crest and The Wolf Pack Tattoo and the change of Edwards Car.

The Cullen Crest to me was a welcome additive to the folklore of the Cullen family. It gives them a visible tie to each other that they can be reminded of no matter where they are or what they are doing. It also acts as a reminder to their visible commitment that they are tied to each other irreversibly, with Carlisle as their head. One of the greatest fan fictions I ever read was a story about how each member of the Cullen received their crest. I was giddy when I saw that there was a Cullen ring for Bella. I am hoping that she gets the ring after the vote. I believe that the ring gets created because Alice sees the possibility and while the two were dating Carlisle had the ring made. It could be in that tiny little box that she tosses to the ground in the scene that we see in the trailer. That in itself would make for tons of irony. It would be a great little movie visual twist. This did not come to play in the film. I am sure that we will most likely see that at some point. Or in the least it will be implied when she gets it.

Symbols mean everything. That’s by far what to be the best part. Melissa Rosenberg created the best lore any fan could ever ask for. When you read the books there were tiny details you were given. Some details are the physicality of what give them attachments. These details help to ground them in places that make them real. In the example of the movie there were physical symbols. The Cullen Family has the Cullen crest. The Volturi have the emblem. The wolves have the tattoo. At first glance a diehard purist fan would be first to yelp that these items bare no consequence to the story. That is far from the truth. These symbols help to visually propel you to an understanding.

The Cullen Crest’s symbolizing is the first item of discussion. There are certain things that you are now guaranteed with the crest. Each family member is given one. The sons all wear wrist bands. Alice wears a choker and Rosalie wears a necklace. When I attended the movies both New Moon and Twilight I looked desperately for Esme’s marker. I finally noticed in a scene that she was wearing what appeared to be bracelet. I know that there was much talk that her emblem of her family was a ring at one point. The merchandisers packed a bracelet with the official set so I can safely assume it’s a bracelet resembling a bangle. That being said the reason that each of the Cullens would wear a crest serves as reminder that they are a family. It’s more than just a coven that lives together. Upon further research you can understand that Carlisle is head of their Clan. This intimately ties them together under a name with purpose and reason. Early on when the merchandise for New Moon rolled out there was a ring for Bella. It sent unnecessary shockwaves through the Twi Hard community. The first appearance of the crest caused purists to question the logic of adding something. The reason for the crest is one of understanding. They are given physical reminders of whose existence and protection they are under and subject to. It is also a reminder to what is left of their humanity. They more than likely treasure the emblem that Carlisle gave them. I would put big money that this is gift. At first I thought for sure that it would be a birthday gift. Now having seen all her presents I can believe that we will see the giving of this gift as it hold a sacredness to it. Carlisle wearing his as a ring is symbolic of a ring being worn by a head of state. If you have had the opportunity to look at it you can see the heaviness and intricacy of it.

The wolves bear tattoos. This is a very tribal symbol that calls to mind that each one of them is etched with an ink that is not removable. It calls to mind the symbol of an item that cannot be undone. It is a right of passage marquee that harkens to the change in a young man’s life. You are left with this bold print that is unmistakable to what the life is. It is a crossing mark. That crossing mark allows for a physical identity. The fact that what they become is the reason in my opinion it is a dark and heavy tattoo. If you are to logically reason I can believe it is likely that the very first time they phase and return ti their human form is when they get their mark. It calls to mind the Native American tradition and history that is strongly apparent for obvious reasons.

The Volturi bare a necklace that looks like a seal. It harkens back to the day when officials would send official word contained within a letter and it would be closed with a seal. If that seal was broken by anyone else there was a stiff penalty to pay. It gives them the royalty that their state implies. The deep V that the design springs from can be considered the unmistakable etching that

Then of course we have the identifiable silver car. The car is a grey silver charcoal variation. Sorry, on this one you really get the feeling that they just needed to gloss over it. The car does not change the fact that its still; Edward. They can explain it away by the fact that we all know the Cullens have money and therefore bought a more modern version.

As Stephenie herself said that she was happy because the movie opens up things that could have happened. They use the book as a guide line to spring forth a true story. That’s the best part. She gets to see the possibilities that were not addressed because the story in the book is only told from one point of view. The truth is that the story in order to be fully fleshed out needs to be told from prospective of other characters as well.

What do you think, TAers? Talk back to us…

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