Twilight

Twilight
by Stephenie Meyer
a kate west boo













One of the most popular teen novels currently is the Vampire novel "Twilight", the first of four books in the saga of the Cullen clan, a Vampire family. Yes, you read that right. It's also a popular teen film about a Vampire family. Now to figure out which version is worse. It's all been discussed in countless chat rooms, sure, but as a sci-fi/fantasy nerd girl (with a delightful dark side, if I do say so myself), I have to weigh in on all things Vampire. I knew it would pain me to delve into this phenomenon, but for the sake of integrity (much as I was tempted), I cannot criticize something I haven't seen or read. Thus the sacrifice was made and I'm all up to date, kids. So let's start with the novel.

For the record, Stephenie Meyer writes for teenagers knee-deep in hormonal hell but that doesn't mean they aren't literate and can't follow a coherent story. But I digress. Edward Cullen is a mysterious high schooler attracted to newcomer Bella Swan. She can't figure out his initial aversion to her until he gradually reveals (while she figures it out herself) that he is a vampire and her blood is so intoxicatingly scented, he could lose his mind. She, in turn, is drawn to his beauty and the two of them are swept up in adolescent infatuation, much to the disapproval of some townspeople and even family members (on both sides).

Some of the Vampire lore is well-known: they are immortal (he stopped being 17 in 1918), they drink blood, have supernatural strength and heightened senses. What we didn't know is that they are comfortable in the sunlight, but prefer to stay in darkness, since the sun brings out this glowing golden sheen, a dead giveaway (get it?), for sure. Oh and these fangless beings can choose not to feed on humans and go after Bambi instead. AND they play baseball. And Ed's a mind reader too. Maybe Meyer found some kind of reference to these various twists in some dusty old book somewhere, but I doubt it and I'm certainly not taking up valuable research time to find out (I'd miss too many "Lost" episodes). So I conclude she made that part up. And it is absurd. Why keep part of the lore and then add a few enhancements just to be interesting? Vampires are monsters and the one thing we all know is that they crave human blood, so they can't just decide not to go after it. Even Joss Whedon's "Angel" had to regain his soul in order to accomplish that. You can be creative certainly, but please stay true to the universe you create. Call them something else and then you can have them behave however you choose.

And even worse, the dialogue is flat and the characters maudlin and it just isn't a very sophisticated rendering of dark creatures. The Cullens have a family and they just accept Bella as Edward's intended? His scowling sister Rosalie isn't taken very seriously and they all bond together when outsiders swing into town, looking for trouble. If you want to know how it ends, skim the book or see the movie. Or go to the Bahamas and take all four novels for some beach reading. If you need mindlessness - and who doesn't these days?

As for the movie, Edward's great speed looks ridiculous on screen and it is hard not to chuckle at some of these overly dramatic lines such as Edward referring to the new love as between a "lion and a lamb". The acting is pretty wooden and Catherine Hardwicke's first action-type film is fairly standard. Eye candy abounds on both sides, especially yummy Robert Pattinson as the delectable Edward. But outside of being enchanted by his pretty face, I couldn't pay much attention. Bella is in danger and you know Edward will save her. There's a formal dance and lots of classroom scenes and family drama and it's "My So-Called Life" for Vampires. The dialogue is lifted out of the book, unfortunately and plays even worse on screen. If you roll your eyes reading it, imagine having to hear it.

You're welcome - I do what I can for America. But it's a hit and teen girls are dreaming of having their own Edward Cullen someday. Over Mr. Darcy? Shudder. But if you must love a creature of the night, there are so many more good Vamps out there. Try Stephen King or Richard Matheson. Then follow up with a romance novel (or even an Anne Rice, if you really must). Or just watch "Buffy the Vampire Slayer".

Boo.

Better still, experience the real life Twilight Wolves, just outside LA:

http://www.wolfmountain.com

Directed by	Catherine Hardwicke
Produced by	Mark Morgan Greg Mooradian Wyck Godfrey
Written by	Novel: Stephenie Meyer Screenplay: Melissa Rosenberg
Starring

• Kristen Stewart as Bella Swan
• Robert Pattinson as Edward Cullen

The Cullens: (from left) Kellan Lutz , Nikki Reed, Elizabeth Reaser, Robert Pattinson, Peter Facinelli, Ashley Greene, and Jackson Rathbone

• Peter Facinelli as Carlisle Cullen
• Elizabeth Reaser as Esme Cullen
• Ashley Greene as Alice Cullen
• Jackson Rathbone as Jasper Hale
• Nikki Reed as Rosalie Hale
• Kellan Lutz as Emmett Cullen
• Billy Burke as Charlie Swan

It's out now!
Twilight (Two-Disc Special Edition)

Read more!

Buffy and Angel

BUFFY AND ANGEL
a kate west favorite

It's a tumultuous relationship and why wouldn't it be? A Vampire Slayer and a Vampire? They're natural enemies. In Joss Whedon's popular television shows, "Buffy the Vampire Slayer" and its spin-off "Angel", Buffy (Sarah Michelle Gellar) and Angel (David Boreanaz) find true love with each other but are destined not to hold on to it. And we get a lot of supernatural fun and magic throughout. Demons, witches, vampires and all sorts of dark beings inhabit these worlds and we enjoy it all the more through the sharp dialogue and imaginative perspective of Joss Whedon. Sci-fi fans can rejoice that Whedon cleverly expanded the original movie with Kristy Swanson into a fascinating successful television franchise.

One example is the BUFFY episode "Once More, with Feeling" - an entire mini-musical in which the characters are compelled to express their innermost thoughts through song and dance. Well, that's what happens when you accidentally summon a musical demon. It has since become a cult phenomenon and often performed in local theaters throughout the country.

In both shows, many of the main characters come into their own, like the adorable Willow the witch (Alyson Hannigan) in BUFFY and the adorable Winifred Burkle (Amy Acker) in ANGEL. By far, the most remarkable transformation is that of Cordelia Chase (Charisma Carpenter), who starts out as a spoiled rich high schooler in BUFFY and becomes an impressive, fearless and strong-hearted warrior in ANGEL. Great writing. ANGEL is BUFFY Part Two and quite a dignified sequel and natural character progression. Be warned though, Whedon is not afraid to kill off favorite characters and defy expectations in either show. The real fun is in the way he humanizes the inhuman. Every character has depth no matter what dimension he/she comes from. (Oh and the men? Just keep getting sexier and sexier every season. I'm looking at you British, undead especially ....)

And it's so realistic. Not the monster bit, no. But the character bit. In fact, William Goldman, award-winning screenwriter, said it best when he claimed "Bambi" was more realistic than "Deer Hunter" because in one movie the mother died and in the other there was all this coincidence about Russian Roulette. So which one was more true to life? The same can be said for our Vampire Slayers being more real than Carrie, Charlotte, Miranda and Samantha in "Sex and the City". Who lives that kind of lifestyle? Michael Patrick King addressed relationships sure, but spent much less time on the everywoman. Miranda was the only character who dealt with an obvious parent, for instance, and how many single women never have to explain themselves to their mothers on a weekly basis? In BUFFY/ANGEL, the characters have deep family histories and complex growth patterns.

But really, the best way to explain these shows is for you to see for yourself. Best part is, if you can't buy/rent, you can see the rerun cycles on TNT and FX, over and over. Enjoy!

BUFFY
Series Directed by
Joss Whedon (22 episodes, 1997-2003)
James A. Contner (20 episodes, 1998-2003)
David Solomon (19 episodes, 1997-2003)
David Grossman (13 episodes, 1999-2003)
Michael Gershman (10 episodes, 1998-2003)
Bruce Seth Green (8 episodes, 1997-1998)
Nick Marck (7 episodes, 1999-2002)
James Whitmore Jr. (5 episodes, 1998-1999)
David Greenwalt (4 episodes, 1997-1998)
David Semel (4 episodes, 1997-1998)
Michael Lange (4 episodes, 1998-1999)
Douglas Petrie (3 episodes, 2001-2003)
John T. Kretchmer (2 episodes, 1997)
Ellen S. Pressman (2 episodes, 1997)
Daniel Attias (2 episodes, 2000-2001)
Marti Noxon (2 episodes, 2000-2001)
David Fury (2 episodes, 2002-2003)
Rick Rosenthal (2 episodes, 2002)
Marita Grabiak (2 episodes, 2003)

Series Writing credits
Joss Whedon (145 episodes, 1997-2003)
Marti Noxon (25 episodes, 1997-2003)
Jane Espenson (23 episodes, 1998-2003)
David Fury (17 episodes, 1998-2003)
Douglas Petrie (17 episodes, 1998-2003)
David Greenwalt (8 episodes, 1997-1998)
Rebecca Kirshner (8 episodes, 2000-2003)
Drew Z. Greenberg (6 episodes, 2001-2003)
Dean Batali (5 episodes, 1997-1998)
Rob Des Hotel (5 episodes, 1997-1998)
Steven S. DeKnight (5 episodes, 2001-2002)
Drew Goddard (5 episodes, 2002-2003)
Tracey Forbes (3 episodes, 1999-2000)
David Tyron King (2 episodes, 1997-1998)
Ashley Gable (2 episodes, 1997)
Matt Kiene (2 episodes, 1997)
Joe Reinkemeyer (2 episodes, 1997)
Thomas A. Swyden (2 episodes, 1997)
Dan Vebber (2 episodes, 1998-1999)

Series Cast

Sarah Michelle Gellar ... Buffy Summers / ... (145 episodes, 1997-2003)
Nicholas Brendon ... Xander Harris (145 episodes, 1997-2003)
Alyson Hannigan ... Willow Rosenberg / ... (144 episodes, 1997-2003)
Anthony Head ... Rupert Giles (122 episodes, 1997-2003)
James Marsters ... Spike (97 episodes, 1997-2003)
Emma Caulfield ... Anya / ... (85 episodes, 1998-2003)
Michelle Trachtenberg ... Dawn Summers (66 episodes, 2000-2003)
Kristine Sutherland ... Joyce Summers (58 episodes, 1997-2002)
Charisma Carpenter ... Cordelia Chase (57 episodes, 1997-1999)
David Boreanaz ... Angel / ... (57 episodes, 1997-2003)
Amber Benson ... Tara Maclay (46 episodes, 1999-2002)
Seth Green ... Oz (40 episodes, 1997-2000)
Marc Blucas ... Riley Finn (31 episodes, 1999-2002)
Danny Strong ... Jonathan Levinson (29 episodes, 1997-2003)
Tom Lenk ... Andrew Wells / ... (27 episodes, 2000-2003)
Eliza Dushku ... Faith / ... (20 episodes, 1998-2003)
Armin Shimerman ... Principal Snyder (19 episodes, 1997-2000)
Juliet Landau ... Drusilla (17 episodes, 1997-2003)
Mercedes McNab ... Harmony Kendall (16 episodes, 1997-2001)
Adam Busch ... Warren Meers (16 episodes, 2001-2003)
Robia LaMorte ... Jenny Calendar (14 episodes, 1997-1998)
Charlie Weber ... Ben (14 episodes, 2000-2001)
Harry Groener ... Mayor Richard Wilkins (14 episodes, 1998-2003)
D.B. Woodside ... Principal Robin Wood (14 episodes, 2002-2003)
Clare Kramer ... Glory (13 episodes, 2000-2002)
Bailey Chase ... Graham Miller (13 episodes, 1999-2000)
Iyari Limon ... Kennedy (13 episodes, 2002-2003)
Leonard Roberts ... Forrest Gates (12 episodes, 1999-2000)
Sarah Hagan ... Amanda (10 episodes, 2002-2003)
Alexis Denisof ... Wesley Wyndam-Pryce (9 episodes, 1999)

ANGEL:
Series Directed by
James A. Contner (13 episodes, 1999-2004)
Joss Whedon (7 episodes, 1999-2004)
David Greenwalt (7 episodes, 2000-2004)
Tim Minear (7 episodes, 2000-2003)
Bill L. Norton (6 episodes, 2001-2003)
Terrence O'Hara (6 episodes, 2002-2004)
Skip Schoolnik (5 episodes, 2001-2004)
Marita Grabiak (5 episodes, 2001-2003)
Vern Gillum (4 episodes, 1999-2004)
David Grossman (4 episodes, 1999-2002)
Michael Grossman (4 episodes, 2001-2003)
Frederick King Keller (4 episodes, 2001)
Jefferson Kibbee (4 episodes, 2003-2004)
David Straiton (3 episodes, 1999-2003)
Bruce Seth Green (3 episodes, 1999-2000)
Turi Meyer (3 episodes, 2001-2002)
Jeffrey Bell (3 episodes, 2003-2004)
Steven S. DeKnight (3 episodes, 2003-2004)
Scott McGinnis (2 episodes, 1999-2001)
R.D. Price (2 episodes, 2000-2001)
Thomas J. Wright (2 episodes, 2000-2001)
Michael Lange (2 episodes, 2000)
David Semel (2 episodes, 2000)

Series Writing credits
David Greenwalt (111 episodes, 1999-2004)
Joss Whedon (111 episodes, 1999-2004)
Tim Minear (18 episodes, 1999-2003)
Jeffrey Bell (13 episodes, 2001-2004)
David Fury (12 episodes, 1999-2004)
Steven S. DeKnight (12 episodes, 2002-2004)
Mere Smith (11 episodes, 2000-2003)
Elizabeth Craft (8 episodes, 2002-2004)
Sarah Fain (8 episodes, 2002-2004)
Shawn Ryan (5 episodes, 2000-2001)
Ben Edlund (5 episodes, 2003-2004)
Drew Goddard (5 episodes, 2003-2004)
Jeannine Renshaw (4 episodes, 1999-2000)
Howard Gordon (3 episodes, 1999-2000)
Jim Kouf (3 episodes, 2000-2001)
Jane Espenson (2 episodes, 1999-2000)
Douglas Petrie (2 episodes, 1999-2000)
Tracey Stern (2 episodes, 1999-2000)
David H. Goodman (2 episodes, 2001-2002)
Scott Murphy (2 episodes, 2001-2002)

Series Cast

David Boreanaz ... Angel / ... (111 episodes, 1999-2004)
Alexis Denisof ... Wesley Wyndam-Pryce (101 episodes, 1999-2004)
J. August Richards ... Charles Gunn (91 episodes, 2000-2004)
Charisma Carpenter ... Cordelia Chase (90 episodes, 1999-2004)
Andy Hallett ... Lorne (76 episodes, 2000-2004)
Amy Acker ... Winifred 'Fred' Burkle / ... (70 episodes, 2001-2004)
Stephanie Romanov ... Lilah Morgan (35 episodes, 2000-2003)
Vincent Kartheiser ... Connor (28 episodes, 2002-2004)
James Marsters ... Spike (24 episodes, 1999-2004)
Christian Kane ... Lindsey McDonald (21 episodes, 1999-2004)
Julie Benz ... Darla (20 episodes, 2000-2004)
Mercedes McNab ... Harmony Kendall (18 episodes, 2001-2004)
Elisabeth Röhm ... Detective Kate Lockley (15 episodes, 1999-2001)
Daniel Dae Kim ... Gavin Park (12 episodes, 2001-2003)
Glenn Quinn ... Allen Doyle (11 episodes, 1999)
Keith Szarabajka ... Daniel Holtz (11 episodes, 2001-2002)
Sarah Thompson ... Eve (10 episodes, 2003-2004)
Mark Lutz ... The Groosalugg (9 episodes, 2001-2002)
Laurel Holloman ... Justine Cooper (8 episodes, 2001-2002)
Jack Conley ... Sahjhan (8 episodes, 2001-2004)
Vladimir Kulich ... The Beast (8 episodes, 2002-2003)
Sam Anderson ... Holland Manners (8 episodes, 2000-2001)
Jonathan M. Woodward ... Knox (7 episodes, 2003-2004)
Juliet Landau ... Drusilla (7 episodes, 2000-2004)
John Rubinstein ... Linwood Murrow (6 episodes, 2001-2002)
Eliza Dushku ... Faith (6 episodes, 2000-2003)
Matthew James ... Merl (6 episodes, 2000-2001)
Gina Torres ... Jasmine (5 episodes, 2003)
Adam Baldwin ... Marcus Hamilton (5 episodes, 2004)
Thomas Burr ... Lee Mercer (4 episodes, 1999-2000)
David Denman ... Skip (4 episodes, 2001-2003)
Jennifer Griffin ... Trish Burkle (4 episodes, 2001-2004)
Brigid Brannagh ... Virginia Bryce (4 episodes, 2000-2001)
Carey Cannon ... Female Oracle (3 episodes, 1999-2000)
Randall Slavin ... Male Oracle (3 episodes, 1999-2000)
Alexa Davalos ... Gwen Raiden (3 episodes, 2002-2003)
Sven Holmberg ... Delivery Guy / ... (3 episodes, 2000-2002)
Sarah Michelle Gellar ... Buffy Summers (3 episodes, 1999-2000)
David Herman ... David Nabbit (3 episodes, 2000)
Gary Grubbs ... Roger Burkle (3 episodes, 2001-2004)
Jarrod Crawford ... Rondell (3 episodes, 2001)
Ryan Alvarez ... Demon Slave (3 episodes, 2003-2004)
T.J. Thyne ... Lawyer / ... (3 episodes, 2003-2004)
Mark Colson ... Izzy (3 episodes, 2004)
David Fury ... First Worshipper / ... (3 episodes, 2001-2004)
Julia Lee ... Anne Steele (3 episodes, 2001-2004)
Alyson Hannigan ... Willow Rosenberg (3 episodes, 2001-2003)
Gerry Becker ... Nathan Reed (3 episodes, 2001)
Jackson Bolt ... Pylea Demon / ... (3 episodes, 2001)


Find Both at:
Buffy the Vampire Slayer - The Complete First Season

Angel - Season One (Slim Set)

The Original Musical:
Buffy the Vampire Slayer - Once More, with Feeling

More Whedon (and vastly underrated show):
Firefly - The Complete Series

The Next Obsession:
Lost - The Complete First Season Read more!