The long agonising wait which basically started right after I walked out of the movie theater last year watching Twilight is finally over. The longing for New Moon grew bigger and bigger especially after I got myself all 4 books of the Twilight saga. Yesterday, Saturday Nov 21 at 10.30am, the wait was finally over. At least for me!
Let me explain first why I am writing what I am writing. I fell in love with twilight saga the moment I watched the trailer for Twilight the movie on tv. At that time, I have never even heard of the books but somehow the scene of Edward confronting Bella in the woods about him being a vampire just tug my heart. I think my heart might have even skipped a beat or two!
Now for New Moon. Director Chris Weitz were lucky to have been chosen to direct the movie with such big budget and an already well known movie with HUGE followers. He doesn't have to be afraid of a flopped movie. Twi-hards are not going to let that happen. No matter how hollow the movie is.
So on my part. I am not loving the movie ... yet! As awesome as the clothes everyone wore, the movie IMO lack the 1 thing that is the essence of the twilight saga that is LOVE. I cried my eyes bucket when I read the book. All 3 times of it especially when Edward decided that leaving Bella is the best way in making sure she is safe and then later when Charlie told Alice what happened to Bella during their absence. When they showed the part in the woods, I waited and waited and then .... nothing. I personally feel that the scene was made in a hurry. Well, actually I feel the whole movie was made in a hurry and somehow Chris Weitz (CW) forgot to add emotions in the movie.
There are a few things in the movie that made me cringe.
1) is of course the lack of emotions. CW practically ignored facial expressions. Watch for it when you go see the movie especially between Edward/Bella and Jacob/Bella. The other person's expression just doesn't seem to connect and it was so frustrating.
2) is when they are with the Volturi and Alice showed Aro the future of Bella as vampire. Bella and Edward running in the woods. Boy! Was it cheesy or what??? Ewww.
3) is the fact that a lot of the important scripts are taken straight out of New Moon's book word-for-word. It made me feel that somehow Melissa Rosernberg the scriptwriter either hates CW or she was told to write it differently and take the wordings out of the book so it would help director CW whom I doubt read the book before he directed it.
4) almost forgot about the part of Bella in the woods after Edward left her. We are supposed to feel her pain but CW's directing with a spinning camera made me sick. Literally.
The only reason I understood the movie is because I have read the book 3 times. It helps in filling up the emptiness of the movie. The only reason I cried a little bit when watching it is because I know what happened. If I had watched the movie without reading the book, I seriously doubt I would get the feelings, the emotions, the heart-wrenching, the fear and everything else that (should)come with the movie.
Saying all that, will I buy the dvd and watch it again? Hell yeah! What choice do I have being a twilight fan but, have the whole collection of the books and dvds? Who knows maybe the movie is better the second or third time I watch it. But 1 thing for sure, it would be very interesting if Catherine Hardwicke were to make a different version of New Moon movie. Maybe I would feel more connected?
If you are a twihard but haven't watch New Moon yet, do go see it for yourself but really try not to think so much about the book. Just go with the flow and let's hope that Eclipse would be better.
At first we weren't sure if we really want to cook a whole turkey or just get the turkey breast. In the end we decided to get a whole turkey because eversince we got married, we've never had our very own turkey. The first 2 years of our marriage, we always go to his parents house for Thanksgiving and the 3rd year, we were already here in California.
The invitations were sent a week before Thanksgiving to our friends whom like us, don't have any family here. That will be Shirley and Kevin, another Malaysian living in SoCal and Tab and his family who were here on a business/holiday trip. Once everybody confirmed they are coming, we started planning of what to cook.
Unlike the previous 'parties' where I always have more asian foods than western, this time I try to make more of Michael's food than mine. Our menu that day was rather simple. The turkey was done with minimal marinade. Mashed potatoes with gravy. Corn of a cob. Steamed mixed vegetables. Coleslaw. Sweet bun which were store bought. The only thing asian was the rice which I cooked with a little bit of chicken stock to make it taste a bit like chicken rice to go with the turkey.
Shirley and Kevin who just got back from their emergency trip to Malaysia brought some stuff that my brother and sister-in-law and my friend Bert bought for me. Among the stuff was serunding specially ordered from Kelantan. My favourite! Thank you Rizal, Fara and Bert for buying me the stuff and Shirley and Kevin for bringing them back for me!
