Don't see New Moon. I beg you...

[Sebiale]

I was browsing around deviant art when I came across these pictures.
I really like the Hellsing anime so I thought these pics were funny.

http://himeco.deviantart.com/art/Alucar ... -132001741

http://thetimescar.deviantart.com/art/A ... -126318762

Heh. For a moment you had me worried. Thought you were linking to this one instead.

This is probably what's going to spell doom for my own writing more than anything -- my constant battles with the temptation to include an Edward / Jacob wannabe as a one-shot villain.

Seriously, I can just picture four shirtless tools with six-pack abs challenging Paul McCaig or Todd Lie (both of whom I've given very disarming appearances) to a brawl, then as they start to shift, one of the latter pulls out a knife and goes all V for Vendetta on them while they're stuck in mid-shift. Then the last one staggers up against the wall and chokes out "Why didn't you shift?" to which the protagonist shrugs and says "Didn't have to to," right before he makes a Pez dispenser out of him. Am I the only one that thinks a scene like that would be made of awesome?

It would certainly be original XD

[Alpha]

Was anybody else here also distracted by Stewart's incredibly bad acting? For someone who was supposedly so torn up by Edward leaving her, you noticed that she didn't shed one tear? I don't know why, but this really made me take notice. I wasn't expecting an Oscar level performance, but C'MON! I'm sorry, but that phony screaming in your sleep just ain't cutting it.

[alphanubilus]

Actually, I thought Kristen did a much better job this time around. She looked like a junkie who is getting wienned off of cocaine, and in reality, she was literally addicted to Edward. In Steph's books, vampires are naturally alluring to humans. They make you want to be with them, so if you consider that she was not only in love with Edward, but also compound the fact that she was also enthralled by his very nature, once he left, it would have hit hard. This is the terrible price for dating somebody from the supernatural...

So as for the lack of tears... I think it hurt a lot more than what tears could suffice...

[Wingman]

I just saw this the other day, as I generally like Dakota Fanning movies. Since there were maybe 4 other in the entire theatre, I got to actually watch it uninterrupted. I neither love it nor hate it, but I'm not impressed by it. My main beef with it is the length, I sat down a 4 pm, and I was sitting there until around 7pm. I was alright with doing that for The Green Mile, not for this.
Bella screaming like she's laying eggs didn't help at all. Once was all that was needed, the repition was just annoying.

Overall I felt like the plot was spread too thinly, much like the allocation of shirts. I appreciate well-muscled people as much as the next person, but there was no actual justification given. At least 300 was up front about its being a swordporn movie, it didn't try to pass itself off as something else. Sure it mentioned that they are warm, and thus don't need to wear clothing for protection, but it would have made much more sense if someone had mentioned that they're in danger of heatstroke while wearing a sweater. Or at least that they sweat like pigs.

I think the movie could have been much better if they chopped it in half and focused on the story up to Jacob being revealed as a shapeshifter. That way you'd actually be able to have it "brooding", rather than in gastrointestinal distress. Maybe it's just me, but Edward looks like he's in dire need of some Pepto-Bismol the majority of the time.
2.5/5 maybe. I see the potential in it, but the storyline attempts too much with too little devotion. With a proper re-working it could become something impressive, but I doubt that's ever going to happen.

[Terastas]

2.5/5 maybe. I see the potential in it, but the storyline attempts too much with too little devotion. With a proper re-working it could become something impressive, but I doubt that's ever going to happen.

Part of the problem being Stephanie Meyer herself. Only halfway through the series, Meyer has already become notoriously sensitive and anal when it comes to criticism. In terms of the quality of her writing, Meyer ranks up there with the average Pokemon fanfic, but in contrast, Meyer herself seems to think she is an absolute literary genius never to be questioned in the slightest.

The problems Meyer has as a writer are many (click here for the tropes, but the ones that come to mind most often are her shallow characters and total impatience when dealing with plot (even a chain of events seems to be too much for her to handle). These can both be easily corrected, but allowing them to be corrected would be insinuating that Meyer made a mistake, which she won't allow.

Meyer's literary sins are countless, but her greatest may have been using Bella as an author avatar (even describing her physically like herself to a T). Fitting, therefore, that Bella Swan is frequently diagnosed as being a psychotic needy b****.

[alphanubilus]

This is also my biggest gripe with Stephenie Meyer. I don't hold her mistakes in Twilight over her head, as it was her first series, and it was based largely on a dream she had. As a relatively young writer, there is bound to be problems with story development and such. She was very lucky, and found a niche that needed a feeding.

My problem though with Stephenie is her inability to take critism, of which is also mirrored by die-hard fans of whom also can't bare to have anybody deconstruct the books. As a writer, critism is the name of the game baby. You have to accept the fact that not everybody is going to think you are a genius. You can't write off everybody who doesn't like your books, and if fact, if anybody is willing to read them and take time to give analysis, it is a good thing. Stephenie becomes offended though at critism, of which could really hurt her later on in her career, as she is muturing as a writer.

Not all critism is bad. It just shows that people found issues with the books.

[Sebiale]

My problem though with Stephenie is her inability to take critism, of which is also mirrored by die-hard fans of whom also can't bare to have anybody deconstruct the books. As a writer, critism is the name of the game baby. You have to accept the fact that not everybody is going to think you are a genius. You can't write off everybody who doesn't like your books, and if fact, if anybody is willing to read them and take time to give analysis, it is a good thing. Stephenie becomes offended though at critism, of which could really hurt her later on in her career, as she is maturing as a writer.

Not all critism is bad. It just shows that people found issues with the books.

/signed
I proofread for several authors. The real authors know that critcism is good. Even if the criticism is harsh or outright wrong, it doesn't pay to be impolite to someone over something like that. I know several authors that actually seek out harsh critics. It's not as if all criticism need be accepted.

[Sebiale]

Meyer ranks up there with the average Pokemon fanfic, but in contrast, Meyer herself seems to think she is an absolute literary genius never to be questioned in the slightest.

SK decries SM
Crack video (It's a crack video, and highly satirical, I think it's funny.

tropes

...That is a really long list...

Meyer's literary sins are countless, but her greatest may have been using Bella as an author avatar (even describing her physically like herself to a T). Fitting, therefore, that Bella Swan is frequently diagnosed as being a psychotic needy b****.

Pffffffft.

[Terastas]

Stephenie becomes offended though at critism, of which could really hurt her later on in her career, as she is maturing as a writer.

That being the key word, as what it's actually doing is prohibiting her from maturing as a writer. Instead of taking any of her criticism into consideration and making notes of where she needs to improve in her technique for the future, she takes responds to all criticism as if they were vicious personal attacks and takes no consideration at all into her technique.

Since she seems to genuinely believe that Twilight as written is 100% perfect, she is effectively committing herself to a writing in a mediocre slump, so her next project will be just as bad as Twilight, if not worse.

At least assuming that she actually does write something after Twilight; it will not surprise me if she does not. Presently, Meyer is comparing herself to J.K. Rowling, who may never have to work a day in her life again since the Harry Potter franchise has already made her a billionaire. Since Meyer seems to believe her writing is perfect in every sense of the word, it would seem fair to assume she also expects to be cashing in on royalties from Twilight for the rest of her life as well.

What her attitude, egoism, and especially the way she responds to criticism remind me of instead, however, is Miley Cyrus. Like Meyer, Cyrus wasn't the greatest thing to happen to Hollywood this millennium -- she was just the figurehead of a generic cash cow that the parent corporation made every penny possible off of while there was still life in it. Both of them are presently still held up in the air by the ever fickle, ever unreliable tween crowd, both take all criticism of their "technique" personally, and both seem to have a lot of animosity, not just for their competitors, but anything and everything that may compete with them for attention (Miley's two greatest pet peeves appear to be the Jonas Brothers and Twilight).

The only difference is that Cyrus eventually wizened up that she couldn't ride the Hannah Montana bandwagon forever, but her announcement that she's going to start doing "grown-up movies" is coming far to late for it to mean anything. Meyer, on the other hand, is still in that "I'll never have to work again" phase, which I suspect she won't snap out of until the money is running out, after which she'll rush out either a total piece of crap original work, or worse, a fifth Twilight book trying to get the money rolling back in again. Of course by then, all the Twi-tards will have grown up, the new generation of tweens will have found something else to latch onto, and Meyer will respond to criticism of her new work the same way she responded to criticism of everything else: by throwing a tantrum that will likely be followed by a very public celebrity meltdown.

Either that, or she'll put whatever money she has left in the bank, spend only the interest it accumulates and live as a b****-hermit for the rest of her life. Either way, she'll never be taken seriously as a writer ever again.

That's my prediction. Seriously, if Meyer has even a modest hit after Twilight, I'll print out my entire Night Life script and eat it.

[Sebiale]

That's my prediction. Seriously, if Meyer has even a modest hit after Twilight, I'll print out my entire Night Life script and eat it.

That was a pretty funny video XP

Don't make horrible bets like that. It's a hasty generalization to assume that she will fail. Something could happen that will make her grow up as a writer, maybe. I don't exactly have alot of faith in her. I just sort of believe people can change.

[Silent Hunter]

click here for the tropes

Before I say anything, try not to use TV Tropes as anything more than a really basic reference. That site is inhabited by Fatty Nerds and Pencil Necked Weeaboo's. It also leads to horrible things like people trying to avoid certain "Tropes" due to how often they are used and convoluted ideas on how to write.

Anyway moving on.

The fact is that Twilight is still making a f*** of money and in the end I am not sure where it will end. Though I don't find SM as bad as some authors like Travis (anyone who reads a lot of Star Wars EU knows who "she" is). I suspect that the reception that Twilight got may have gone to her head. That would explain her lack of will to receive critique. After all, why should I change if my novels got 3 films made and a massive resception. Another thing to consider is that people can lose their tolerance for critique if they let their popularity go to their heads. That in itself may be another reason.

Also I would ask to tone it down with some of the Twilight bashing videos. They are wearing kind of thin.

[RedEye]

Responding to Terastas;
Considering how much money she is making off this genre, and will most likely keep making in the same manner; who needs to grow up? She is writing for a living, and making money at it.
Not all of us can wait to be acclaimed as a great writer after we die.
She is doing fine, and is earning a living... What's wrong with that?

[alphanubilus]

Responding to Terastas;
Considering how much money she is making off this genre, and will most likely keep making in the same manner; who needs to grow up? She is writing for a living, and making money at it.
Not all of us can wait to be acclaimed as a great writer after we die.
She is doing fine, and is earning a living... What's wrong with that?

If that is what it is all about, then there is nothing wrong with what she is doing, but any writer will tell you, you don't just want to write to write... as a writer you want to tell a GOOD story. There is a huge difference between feeding the masses candy-apples, as opposed to wholesome food.

Twilight IS a megahit, and a lot of people trash on it, because of it. The series has been placed on a pedestal for everyone to see, and so it is bound to get attention. Many people are shocked at how the story became a hit, as it is bad on many levels, but I have a theory or two on this.

The Twilight Saga is like a Krispy Kream donut. While they are delicious, they certainly aren't the greatest thing to happen to donuts since the great pastry creation, YET when Krispy Kream opened a shop here in Oklahoma, we had THOUSANDS of people lining up for their chance to be the first to get slice of pastry heaven. It is all about the hype of the donut, however now that the hype is died down, some of those shops have closed down, because of lack of business in certain areas.

Right now, the Twilight Saga is the "in" thing. The first movie, just to make a point, was utter garbage on MANY levels. Most Twilight fans will readily state that it wasn't really good, yet it made $295 million dollars. New Moon was arguably a lot better, although it still suffered some of the same flaws of the first movie, and again it is making huge money, as will Eclipse and the eventual release of Breaking Dawn. Everybody wants a piece of the Twilight pie right now, because there is JUST so much hype around it, BUT that hype will die down, something new will come out, and then some of these Twi-hards will start retroanalyzing the Saga, and guys, it won't be pretty...

As a writer, I don't write to make money or get famous. Don't get me wrong, I would LOVE to make money doing what I love, but I don't do it for that reason. I write, because I believe I have a good story to tell, and I want to tell it in the best way I know how.

Stephenie Meyer is on top of the world right now, and she has a golden oppertunity to examine critism without it hurting her financially. She has a great oppertunity to improve her craft, and write stories that won't be just a glowing or sparkling (in her case) fad, but something that will last the test of time.

30 years from now, people will still be purchasing and discussing, Chronicles of Narnia, Lord of the Rings, and even Harry Potter... I don't think people will be thinking twice about Twilight, even 5 years from now...

[Terastas]

Responding to Terastas;
Considering how much money she is making off this genre, and will most likely keep making in the same manner; who needs to grow up? She is writing for a living, and making money at it.
Not all of us can wait to be acclaimed as a great writer after we die.
She is doing fine, and is earning a living... What's wrong with that?

So anything Meyer does is justified just as long as she's making money at it?

I've only heard that "excuse" from one other writer before: Anne Coulter. The last time I saw Coulter, she was talking live via satellite with Elizabeth Edwards, who Coulter claimed had a bumper sticker on her car that read "Ask me about my dead son." After Edwards took Coulter to task on that, Coulter (apparently) tried to justify the comment by reminding everyone that she's written several best sellers.

Meyer might be making money, but that doesn't mean she's done anything to be deserving of that fame and fortune. Considering how little time (three months -- I've written furry fetish stories that took longer than that), how little effort and how much egoism went into the Twilight series, Meyer should consider herself incredibly lucky to have been successful and maybe demonstrate a little humility about it. Not parading herself around declared to be the next Stephen King, J.K. Rowling -- not even the next Anne Rice (the fact that Twilight had been rejected by fourteen agents before publication is not something to be proud of).

Meyer is to literature what the Insane Clown Posse is to music: near-talentless nitwits that found success by confirming the inflated sense of self-importance present in their target audiences. The actual problem, of course, is the near-malignant egoism of the target audience in question, but what Meyer is effectively doing is encouraging that psychotic sense of self-importance and the self-destructive behavior that comes from it. That's nothing to be proud of -- that's why Meyer is so universally resented.

[Sebiale]

rejected by fourteen agents before publication is not something to be proud of

Most authors get rejected by quite a few agents before they are accepted.

I don't think people will be thinking twice about Twilight, even 5 years from now...

Except maybe as an example of what not to do.

[RedEye]

Let me remind people that the genesis of this board was a motion picture called Freeborn. It never got made due to problems with the different direction it took in the Werewolf genre.

Twilight, while being teengirl dreamstuff, still got made. That means the market is changing, and maybe now Freeborn stands a chance of being realized because of that change.

That would be excuse enough for Twilight's existence: it got Freeborn made into the motion picture we are all waiting to see. If it does that, I for one am ready to forgive every sin Twilight perpetrates on the Werewolf genre.

[Sebiale]

If it gets Freeborn into production, I will practically worship it. But the problem would be proving a correlation between Twilight's success and Freeborn's advent into production/release.

[Morkulv]

In all honesty, I don't think Freeborn is going to hit theaters/DVD's in a long time, if at all.

[Sebiale]

In all honesty, I don't think Freeborn is going to hit theaters/DVD's in a long time, if at all.

Perhaps.
But these boards have long since ceased to exist merely for the sake of Freeborn.

[Terastas]

Let me remind people that the genesis of this board was a motion picture called Freeborn. It never got made due to problems with the different direction it took in the Werewolf genre.

Twilight, while being teengirl dreamstuff, still got made. That means the market is changing, and maybe now Freeborn stands a chance of being realized because of that change.

That would be excuse enough for Twilight's existence: it got Freeborn made into the motion picture we are all waiting to see. If it does that, I for one am ready to forgive every sin Twilight perpetrates on the Werewolf genre.

The only people that are going to pursue Freeborn as a possible venture because of Twilight are the ones that will try to dumb it down and pre-package it into a massive cookie cutter cliche. We got additionally mindless dribble like The Vampire's Assistant and The Vampire Diaries in emulation of Twilight.

I challenge you to name one instant when a very good movie (apart from a direct sequel -- Terminator 2 and The Road Warrior don't count) was directly inspired by a movie that was utter crap. It's a mathematical impossibility.

1) Original movie (O) is equal to or greater than Inspiration (I)
2) Good movies (G) are greater than utter crap (C)
If O = G, then I = G or C
If O = C, then I = C

If anything, Twilight is going to make it harder for Freeborn etc. to find distributors. Twilight has had the opposite effect by making people sick of vampires and werewolves, leaving only those psychotic lovestruck tweens as a dependable market base. Most studios are going to expect Brownrigg etc. to be either emulating Twilight by copying its exact format, or by antagonizing Twilight by deliberately pleading the opposite of all Twilight's claims and/or by calling out Stephanie Meyer / Twilight by name. It doesn't matter which, as either one would greatly cheapen the concept.

A couple of years ago, some of us were speculating that Underworld and Underworld: Evolution might inspire some production company to fund Freeborn. About fifty-odd ultra-crappy vampire flicks later, Freeborn is still collecting dust.

The only, and I mean only silver lining to the Twilight insanity is that, because of all the aforementioned craziness and aversion from non-fans to anything involving vampires or werewolves, the only way Freeborn will get made is if the script is one that meets all of our expectations. Studios aren't going to take a gamble with just any vampire and/or werewolf movie; if it doesn't piggyback directly off of Twilight, it has to be good enough to convince them that it's a risk worth taking. Freeborn is still as far away from being made as it was last year, but our even greater fears of it being made and being a letdown are even less likely as a consequence.

So I'm still content to wait for Freeborn, but please, don't try to convince me that Twilight might have any hand in it. It's too late for anything good to come out of Twilight. Now good things can only come in spite of Twilight.

[Sebiale]

Lol.

Freeborn will get made eventually. It's sort of like Murphy's Law. ANy movie no idea, no matter how crappy, will eventually reach the screen. Maybe not th ebig screen, but still.
Just look at some Bruce Campbell's movies, those things suck, but are still better than some things put on the big screen.
I see no reason why Freeborn shouldn't get made. Just gotta wait for a lull in the supernatural genre hype, and then...pounce!

[Scott Gardener]

Take all the Twilight fans to see Avatar. Put them through Cool Movie Boot Camp! "I am here to make sure you make it through a movie that rocks alive; I will not succeed..."

[Alpha]

Take all the Twilight fans to see Avatar. Put them through Cool Movie Boot Camp!

Ditto! Avatar kicks major a**. It's this generation's Star Wars. I've already seen it twice, and I'll probably see it a few more times. I'm already looking forward to the sequel, cause you just know that one's coming. Oh yeah, I almost forgot.....Sherlock Holmes sucks!!! What was all the hype about?? It was boring as hell. It was like watching an episode of Masterpiece Theater on the big screen.

[Sebiale]

I'm just sad that Cameron is now unsure about the Battle Angel movie...

[Aki]

Take all the Twilight fans to see Avatar. Put them through Cool Movie Boot Camp! "I am here to make sure you make it through a movie that rocks alive; I will not succeed..."

Avatar is a very pretty movie, with a couple awesome concepts here and there, but it's pretty plot-light. Well, plot-light on anything that hasn't been done a thousand times in the exact same way.

Eyecandy is about the last thing Twilight fans need. They're used to things that have a shiny, delicious veneer but no substance.

There are better Sci-Fi flicks to drop them into. Like District Nine or Moon. I especially recommend D9 because having to sympathize with ugly, flawed aliens is a better cure for love-of-sparklepires than sympathizing with pretty, tall, perfect blue people.