"Heaven." Another blog about New Moon.

I continue to be completely captivated by New Moon. Which is kind of ironic considering New Moon was my least favorite book in the Twilight Series. I guess I can best describe my feelings for the book by comparing it to a love-hate relationship. While I hated the fact that Edward leaves and remains absent for much of the book, I love that he makes a triumphant return in one of the greatest endings to a book I have ever read. And while I missed Edward terribly, I was able to relate to Bella on a very emotional level. I know all to well the severe pain of heartbreak. I felt and could relate to every aspect of her pain. I like to joke that I slipped into a deep state of depression while reading New Moon. I tell people how it was almost like I myself had been left by my one true love. I was experiencing such intense feelings of loss. It was completely insane and yet, I loved every minute of it. It is such an amazing experience to read something so palpable and understand it down to your core. Edward's absence and Bella's depression throughout the book make for such an emotional and powerful moment when they finally come together once again. It is without a doubt my favorite moment in the book. And now, it is my favorite moment in the movie. My words could never do justice to the moment when Bella jumps into Edward's arms and Edward whispers, "Heaven" into her ear. I love that quote. It will probably go down as my favorite movie quote of all time. I love it for so many different reasons. In that one quote, the movie captures what being with Bella truly means to Edward.

And Edward's love for Bella is what captures me and makes these books mean so much to me. Everyone wants to know why. Why is there such a frenzy surrounding these books and movies? Why do people love them so much? What is the secret? It is different for everyone. People connect to the story in numerous ways and on many different levels. However, for me, it has always been Edward's love for Bella. It isn't the fact that he is a vampire. Or that he is strong and almost indestructible. It isn't the fact that he always seems to say the perfect things. Or even because of his perfect appearance. My love for these books comes from the idea that one individual can love another so completely. It is something that I want more than anything in the world, to be loved, exactly as I am. And it is for this reason that Bella and Edward's story is my favorite love story of all time and why, even after all the hype, Twilight remains my favorite book.

Twilight came to me during a very difficult time in my life. A time in which I loved someone who did not feel the same about me. A time when I lacked self-confidence and self-worth. A time in which I felt hopeless and very much alone. It allowed me to escape and brought me hope. And even still, in times when I feel like I'll never be good enough, like no one will ever love me, I think about Bella in all her imperfections and how Edward loves her so completely.

The Twilight Series will always hold a special place in my heart. Even years from now, wherever life finds me, when the hysteria has died down and a new phenomenon has swept over us all, I will think back upon this time and be grateful that I could experience something truly special.

New Moon

"Don't make me choose, because it will be him. It has always been him." Bella

Clearly, I am on Team Edward. I would also like to add that New Moon is my least favorite book in the series. With that being said...

The film adaptation of New Moon was amazing! It was everything Twilight should have been and more. It is astonishing what a bigger budget and a qualified director can do. The acting was better. The make-up was better. The script was better. The camera angles were better. Everything was better. This is the movie that Twilight fans deserve.

Thank you Chris Weitz (Director) and Melissa Rosenburg (Screenwriter) for respecting the story and the fans who love it. Thank you for caring enough to get things right. Thank you for not ruining the parts of the book that made it great. Thank you for presenting Jacob and Bella's story in the way that it truly was. Thank you for keeping Edward present even though he was a world away. Thank you for a beautiful film.

And a very special thank you to Chris Weitz for doing NOTHING like Catherine Hardwicke did and for directing Kristen Stewart in such a way that her acting wasn't too painful to watch.

The film version of New Moon is a wonderful adaptation of the book. It is what the fans deserve. It still breaks my heart that the film version of Twilight will forever be ruined. However, New Moon brings a new hope to the films to come.

In closing, I would like to thank the wonderful people at the University Mall Cinemark for being more than prepared for all us Twi-Hards and for making my 9 hour wait outside in the cold a little less painful.

To my dear friend and movie companion for life, Lacey, we survived the cold, the Team Jacob fans, and the Liberals in line behind us. Another great night that I will remember forever. Thank you.

And lastly, I have a message to the all the members of Team Jacob. You lose. Bella chooses Edward. It will always be Edward.

This made me smile.

I hope it does the same for you.

(500) Days of Summer

Boy meets girl. Boy falls in love. Girl doesn't.

"(500) Days of Summer" is something seldom seen, an original romantic comedy. This movie is all about love. But not the kind of love with a happily ever after, instead it is about a love that is real and filled with the dizzying highs and weeping lows of a passionate entanglement.

Tom is a frustrated greeting-card writer who longs to be an architect. He is a hopeless romantic who believes that he will only be truly happy when he meets his one true love. After many days of monotony Tom meets Summer, a free spirit with a "have fun now" attitude. Summer doesn't believe in love and thinks that relationships bring nothing more than strife and heartache. Tom is determined to prove her wrong. And so begins the narrative that hopscotches around the 500 days of their relationship. A relationship that is filled with love, heartbreak, and every emotion in between.

I admire the way that love was presented in this movie. I can relate to it on so many different levels. I have experienced this kind of love. Love that you give all of yourself to. Love that you live for. Love that you believe will last forever. Love that ends. Then it becomes love that made you stronger. Love that helped you to grow. Love that made you better. Love that had no happily ever after.

Watching this movie brought to the surface life lessons that I have been learning over the past few years of my life. Lesson 1: Being completely in love with someone, doesn't mean that they will feel the same about you. You can't make someone love you in the way that you love them. Lesson 2: It is possible to overcome even the most crippling pain of heartbreak. Days pass uncontrollably, and little by little, you heal. Lesson 3: If it is meant to be, it will be. Be yourself. The person that is right for you will love you exactly the way that you are. Lesson 4: As hard and as lonely as the journey is, remain hopeful of the destination.

"(500) Days of Summer" is intelligent and emotional. It navigates the tightropes that link thoughts and feelings, and it does so with heart and humor. This movie is amazing from start to finish. I loved every minute of it.

Harry Potter 6

Where to begin...

Last night was the premiere of the sixth Harry Potter movie, Harry Potter and the Half-blood Prince. I was lucky enough to attend a midnight showing of the movie with my good friend and movie buddy, Lacey. We had the greatest time! Here is a rundown of the night's events...

My Harry Potter movie story all begins with a scarf. I was online talking with my friend Stewart and I mentioned that I wish I had a scarf to wear with my super sweet Harry Potter t-shirt. Being the amazing guy that he is, he immediately got on the phone with local businesses in search of the Gryffindor scarf that I greatly desired. Within minutes I recieved a message from Stewart telling me to put my shoes on and come get him. When I questioned him, he simply said, "There's a scarf in it for you." I was so excited! We made our way to Tailor Made in Provo. They had a ton of Harry Potter memorabilia. Instead of a scarf, I decide to get a Gryffindor tie. Stewart tried to talk me into getting Lacey a Slytherin tie. I had to explain to him that only boys like the bad guys. Lacey, like me, would be wearing a Gryffindor tie. Stewart was nice enough to tie the ties for us. He had to tie them a couple times...I was being a tad picky.

When Lacey arrived at my house, we squealed in excitement. She had made herself a cute t-shirt that had MUGGLE across the front in Harry Potter letters. In our Harry Potter themed shirts and ties, we made our way to the bathroom to apply lightening bolt tatoos to our foreheads. Pleased with our appearance, we decided to have a what-do-we-remember-from-the-6th-book pow wow. Shortly after, we left for the theatre.

We had decided in advance to see the movie in Sandy. The theatre is 45 minutes away, but has reserved seating. After the Twilight line jumpers, we decided the drive was worth it to have guaranteed good seats. The drive ended up being more than worth it for so many reasons. The Mega Plex had been transformed into a Harry Potter Hogsmead Festival. They had Maurader's Maps that showed the location of every event taking place. It was a Harry Potter fan's dream. The festival had:

Gringott's Wizard Bank
The Leaky Cauldron
Divination (Fortune Telling)
The Three Broomsticks Inn (Butterbeer and Cauldron Cakes)
Honeydukes Sweets
Potions (A wizard was mixing different things together. It was cute.)
Ollivanders (People were selling hand carved wands.)
Platform 9 3/4

There were also numerous trolley carts selling chocolate frogs, Bertie Botts every flavor beans, and every other candy you could get on the Hogwarts Express. They also had a young man who looked a lot like Harry Potter available to take pictures with. I really wanted to do this! Lacey and I stood there for a long time while I tried to decide if I was going to do it or not. Ultimately, I decided not to do it based on my tight budget situation. However, I did buy a button that said Seeker on it which I am happy about.

I think the most exciting thing about the night, apart from seeing the movie, was all the people wearing costumes. I shouted out loud and pointed in excitment when I saw: Dobby, Mad Eye Moody, Professor Trelawney, Bellatrix Lestrange, Draco Malfoy, Luna Lovegood, and an entire Quidditch team. There were also a ton of Harry Potters and people just dressed as wizards and witches. It was such an amazing thing to see.

Before we knew it, we were in the theatre waiting to see the movie. Our seats were awesome and the excitment was papable. The lights dimmed and we all screamed. Cheers echoed through the theatre again when the movie title appeared and the Harry Potter theme was played. The movie was amazing. It is by far the best Potter film ever made. Everything about the movie worked and was well done. I walked out feeling like the people involved in making the movie not only cared about the story, but also cared about the fans of the book. I plan to write a more detailed blog on the movie after I see it again. I already have tickets for Friday. I also plan to read the 6th book again.

Harry Potter and the Half-blood Prince is a movie about having the courage to fight for good, no matter how scary it may be. A movie about growing up, relationships, and facing the ultimate evil of Lord Voldemort. Go see this movie. You will love it!

Marry Me Tom Fletcher

Enjoy my latest discovery, British rock band McFly. In an effort to see more of Star Trek's Chris Pine, I decided to watch romantic comedy Just My Luck. As part of the plot premise, Chris Pine's character manages an up and coming band. The up and coming band is McFly. I was immediately captured by their music and began searching YouTube and iTunes for more. And so began my first blonde boy crush, Tom Fletcher (pictured above).

Below is a video of Tom and Danny, the two leader singers of the band, performing an acoustic version of McFly's song Everybody Knows. It is one of the most beautiful vocal performances I have ever heard. I hope you will watch it and swoon along with me. Be sure to scroll to the bottom of my blog and turn off my player before watching the video. Enjoy.

Second Chances

It is very often depicted in movies, people getting second chances. Someone (usually the leading male character) screws up in some monumental way. And suddenly everything feels hopeless. Then it happens, an epiphany. The person realizes that they made a huge mistake that they must make right. The person starts running, running to find the person that they did wrong. After an out pour of apologies and uninhibited emotion, the two people embrace and all is forgiven. Happy Ending music ensues.

Now I love a happy ending just as much as the next hopeless romantic; However, I feel its constant depiction leads us into a false sense of security. It is possible that at some moments in life, second chances do not exist. Sometimes you only get one chance to do right by someone. Perhaps they have already reached their limit of giving second chances. Or maybe they have just been so hurt in the past that giving second chances just isn’t an option for them. Whatever the reason, sometimes you mess up and that is the end. You lose that person forever and never get a second chance to make things right.

If you love someone, treat them in such a way that you will never need a second chance. This is not to say that people can be perfect or never make mistakes. But don’t do something in which there is no possibility of ever coming back from. If you truly love someone, you know what that something is.

And if you are lucky enough to receive a second chance, odds are there will not be a third, don’t throw it away.

“What we feel isn't important. It's utterly unimportant. The only thing that is important is what we do.” – Professor Rohl in The Reader

“Stop talking about love. It means nothing. What you feel only matters to you. It's what you do to the people you say you love, that's what matters. It's the only thing that counts.” – Stephen in The Last Kiss

New Moon Trailer

Here is the new trailer for New Moon. Enjoy Jacob's totally CG'd muscles. Lame!

My heart only beats for Edward.

Why is no one talking about Anton Yelchin?

I first saw Anton Yelchin in the movie Charlie Bartlett. A movie about surving High School, psychiatry, and emotional discontentment. It was a role in which I feel he deserved an Oscar. Above is a clip of one of my favorite scenes from the movie.

Anton Yelchin is currently starring in two huge Summer blockbusters, Star Trek and Terminator Salvation. And yet, no one is talking about this amazing actor.

In Star Trek he pulls off one of the best Russian accents ever as Chekov. His portrayal of one of Star Trek's most beloved characters is admirable and endearing.

His role in Terminator Salvation is, in a word, HUGE. He plays the role of teenage Kyle Reese, the father of John Connor. Anton does an amazing job in this movie. His acting was just perfect.

People should be talking about this young actor. Keep an eye on him. I predict he will do great things.

Slumdog Millionaire

"Come away with me." - Jamal

"Away, where? And live on what?" -Latika

"Love." - Jamal

Slumdog Millionaire is the latest film to be added to my favorite movies list. I knew nothing about this movie except for the fact that it takes place in India and won a ton of awards. I had no desire to this movie until.....

The DVD promo spots were all over TV. I saw a scene from the movie set to music. In the scene, Jamal is standing on the upper platform at one of the busiest train stations in Mumbai. As he looks down upon the hundreds of people, he sees her, Latika. The emotion in his eyes was palpable. They exuded adoration and the purest of desire. In that moment, I knew that I had to see the movie that was receiving so much attention.

Slumdog Millionaire is without a doubt one of the best movies I have ever seen. It is the classic underdog story set against the backdrop of an unforgettable place and culture. A movie about true love and destiny. After all, even a slumdog can be meant for great things.

Another Twilight Blog

I am a member of many Twilight fan groups and messages boards. Lately I have been getting a lot of crap from other fans because I didn't think the film adaptation was "perfect" or that Kristen Stewart was the embodiment of Bella Swan. I have been called "stupid" and "not a true fan." And those are the nicer of the comments that I have received. It is for this very reason that I hate the hype that the movie has brought to the beloved book. Before you send me to the slaughter, let me explain...

I am thrilled that the book is getting so much attention. I couldn't be happier about the fact that more people are reading the book and falling in love with Bella and Edward's story. It is the greatest love story of all time and my favorite book by far. I am also happy that a film version was made. It introduced non-readers to Bella and Edward. My favorite person in the world, my sister, has not read the book and I was so excited for her to meet the Cullens.

There were things that I absoultely loved about the movie. I thought all of the vampires in the film were brilliant. I thought Rob did an amazing job of bringing Edward to life. The script contained a lot of lines from the book. And I thought certain scenes were completely spot on.

However, I stand by my original review of the movie. The meadow scene, the most important chapter in the book, was completely skewed and poorly done. And the things that Catherine Hardwick decided to add simply because "that's what they do in Forks" were amateurish and just a little too artsy-fartsy. I also stand by my comments about Kristen Stewart's horrible acting and poor portrayal of Bella.

I do not HATE the film adaption of Twilight. I just really, truly, deeply love the book. The following is a blog that I wrote on Myspace on May 7th, 2007 after reading Twilight in four days.

I'd never given much thought to how I would die - though I'd had reason enough in the last few months - but even if I had, I would not have imagined it like this.I stared without breathing across the long room, into the dark eyes of the hunter, and he looked pleasantly back at me.Surely it was a good way to die, in the place of someone else, someone I loved. Noble, even. That ought to count for something.I knew that if I'd never gone to Forks, I wouldn't be facing death now. But, terrified as I was, I couldn't bring myself to regret the decision. When life offers you a dream so far beyond any of your expectations, it's not reasonable to grieve when it comes to an end.The hunter smiled in a friendly way as he sauntered forward to kill me....
My eyes closed, and I drifted. As I drifted, I dreamed.Where I floated, under the dark water, I heard the happiest sound my mind could conjure up - as beautiful, as uplifting, as it was ghastly. It was a snarl; a deep, wild roar that rang with fury.I was brought back, almost to the surface, by a sharp pain slashing my upraised hand, but I couldn't find my way back far enough to open my eyes.And then I knew I was dead. Because, through the heavy water, I heard the sound of an angel calling my name, calling me to the only heaven I wanted.

"Oh no, Bella, no!" the angel's voice cried in horror.

Behind that longed-for sound was another noise - an awful tumult that my mind shied away from. A vicious bass growling, a shocking snapping sound, and a high keening, suddenly breaking off...I tried to concentrate on the angel's voice instead.

"Bella, please! Bella, listen to me, please, please, Bella, please!" he begged.

Yes, I wanted to say. Anything. But I couldn't find my lips.

"Carlisle!" the angel called, agony in his perfect voice.

"Bella, Bella, no, oh please, no, no!"

And the angel was sobbing tearless, broken sobs.The angel shouldn't weep, it was wrong. I tried to find him, to tell him everything was fine, but the water was so deep, it was pressing on me, and I couldn't breathe.

"She's lost some blood, but the head wound isn't deep," a calm voice infomred me.

"Watch out for her leg, it's broken."

A howl of rage strangled on the angel's lips. I felt a sharp stab in my side. This couldn't be heaven, could it? There was too much pain for that.There was a new pain, a scalding pain in my hand that was overshadowing everything else. Someone was burning me.

"Edward."

I tried to tell him, but my voice was so heavy and slow. I couldn't understand myself.

"Bella, you're going to be fine. Can you hear me, Bella? I love you."

"Edward," I tried again. My voice a little clearer.

"Yes, I'm here."

"It hurts," I whimpered.

"I know, Bella, I know."

"My hand hurts," I tried to tell him.

"I know, Bella. Carlisle will give you something, it will stop."

"My hand is burning!"

I screamed, finally breaking through the last of the darkness, my eyes fluttering open. I couldn't see his face, something dark and warm was clouding my eyes. His voice was frightened.

"Bella? Carlisle! Her hand!"

"He bit her."

Carlisle's voice was no longer calm.I heard Edward catch his breath in horror.

"Edward, you have to do it."

"No!" he bellowed.

"There may be a chance," Carlisle said.

"See if you can suck the venom back out."

"Carlisle, I..."

Edward hesitated.

"I don't know if I can do that."

There was agony in his beautiful voice again.

"It's your decision, Edward, either way. I can't help you. I have to get this bleeding stopped here if you're going to be taking blood from her hand."

I writhed in the grip of the fiery torture, the movement making the pain in my leg flare sickeningly.

"Edward!" I screamed.

I opened my eyes again, desperate to find his face. And I found him. Finally, I could see his perfect face, staring at me, twisted into a mask of indecision and pain. I watched his eyes as the doubt was suddenly replaced with a blazing determination. His jaw tightened. I felt his cool, strong fingers on my buring hand, locking it in place. Then his head bent over it, and his cold lips pressed against my skin. At first the pain was worse. I screamed and thrashed against the cool hands that held me back. Then, slowly, my writhing calmed as my hand grew more and more numb. The fire was dulling.

"Edward,"

I tried to say, but I coudn't hear my voice. They could hear me.

"He's right here, Bella."

"Stay, Edward, stay with me..."

"I will."

His voice was strained, but somehow triumphant. I sighed.

"Thank you, Edward."

"I love you," he answered.

"I know," I breathed, so tired.

I heard my favorite sound in the world, Edward's quiet laugh, weak with relief.
-
And if that doesn't do it for you, I don't know what will. I wasn't even through the first chapter of Twilight before I knew that it was the best book that I was ever going to read. I was completely hooked the very minute that Bella Swan first saw Edward Cullen. I fell in love with him instantaneously. I defy any woman not to fall in love with him. He will make you weak.
Read this book.

Hilarious and So True

My sister sent me this in an email. I laughed so hard. I love Twilight!

Kristen Stewart - Horrible Actress and Delusional

What's the latest string of crap to come out of Kristen Stewart's mouth?

The Twilight star has contemplated the effect of her departure from the movie series by bragging, "It would be so easy for me to send so many hundreds of girls into such a frenzy by saying I want no part of any future [Twilight] movies."

Oh honey, you are most definitely mistaken!

News flash Kristen, nobody cares about you! 

I was beyond mad when I opened an email from my sister and read what is posted above. It is pretty brave of Kristen Stewart to say such a thing when she: has no acting ability whatsoever, completely butchered the portrayal of a truly great female heroine, and ruined the film adaptation of one of the greatest books ever written! And for those people who say that Kristen Stewart IS Bella, you have no idea what you are talking about. My suggestion to you, read the book again. And for those people who say that Kristen Stewart's acting in the film was good, you have no idea what good acting is and should never voice your movie related options again, EVER! Kristen Stewart's acting was so bad it was painful and distracting. The movie was successful in spite of her, not because of her. And for those who wish to argue with me, I have one thing to say, final hospital scene. I win.

Dear Kristen Stewart. You are a horrendous actress and drastically delusional. You never should have been casted as Bella in the first place. The only frenzy that would occur if you left the Twilight films, would be a frenzy of joy. Believe me, none of the people who really matter would be sad if you were no longer going to portray Bella. I would do a jig and celebrate the fact that I would no longer have to watch you twitch, bite your nails, stumble over your words, and make your stupid faces that you think are portraying real emotion. Nobody cares about you!

My Blueberry Nights

My Blueberry Nights is just another movie that I stumbled upon while meandering through F.Y.E. I found it months ago, but just recently decided to watch it. I couldn't have picked a better time. It was exactly what I needed.
Jeremy (Jude Law) owns a 24-hour pie shop in New York City. It is a place where people go to drown their sorrows in pie and ice cream. One night Lizzie (Norah Jones) stumbles in looking for her boyfriend. Jeremy remembers everyone that comes into his little shop, not by name or appearance, but by the kind of pie they eat. After talking to Jeremy, it is confirmed that not only was her boyfriend there, he was there with another woman. Cut to Lizzie standing on a sidewalk gazing up at an open window in which her boyfriend is kissing another woman. A brokenhearted Lizzie makes her way back to the pie shop. Jeremy quickly asks her if she would like a slice of pie. She shakes her head yes and asks which pies he has left after the day's customers. He explains that he has an entire blueberry pie. He says that he always has an entire blueberry pie left at the end of everyday. She asks him why he continues to make them if no one ever eats them. Jeremy goes onto to explain, "...because there is nothing wrong with the pie. Blueberry is a good pie. Just because no one wants it right now doesn't change the fact that it is a good pie. One day, someone will want the blueberry pie." After hearing this, Lizzie asks for a slice of blueberry pie. Night after night she goes to the pie shop. Her and Jeremy spend the nights talking. And everynight she has a slice of blueberry pie. Most nights she cries and wonders why this had to happen to her. Lizzie is completely broken. One night she stands outside the pie shop just watching Jeremy. She decides that she is tired of being sad. She decides to leave New York City. She ends up in a small town in Missouri working as a waitress by day and a bartender by night. While there, Lizzie stays busy, makes new friends, and gets a piece of herself back. She writes to Jeremy telling him of all her adventures. After awhile, Lizzie decides to leave Missouri and ends up in Vegas working in a casino. While there, she continues to write Jeremy and realizes that she is starting to heal. Eventually, Lizzie returns to New York City and to the pie shop. Jeremy is there waiting for her. When she enters the pie shop, she sees a small reserved sign on her usual seat with a slice of blueberry pie sitting in front of it. She asks,"What's this?" Jeremy replied that it was "...just in case you showed up." They kiss. Through voiceover Lizzie explains that "...it took a year for me to get here, for myself to be ready for this moment."
As the credits rolled, I thought about how true Lizzie's story is. Sometimes we have to prepare ourselves for our destiny because we are meant for so much more than the right now. Endure. Make it through. Work hard and reach the true happiness that awaits you.