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Michael Welch on CSI

April 12, 2009

Michael Welch is co-starring on CSI ( the original one) on Thursday, April 16th. It should be a pretty fun episode based on the description and the preview, especially if you are a sci-fi fan.

According to About.com

“Meanwhile, CSI – the original one, that is – is doing a “sci fi” episode (“A Space Oddity,” Thursday, April 16 on CBS). Normally on straight dramas this might mean a parade of geeks, costumes, and the other outward trappings of fandom; but the feel of the episode is more like a lush tribute to a (fictional) classic series secretly loved by both Hodges (Wallace Langham) and Wendy (Liz Vassey). It seems the two run into each other at a convention for the series, only to end up investigating the death of one of the show’s beloved actors.

CSI went to some trouble to bring in known sci-fi talent both in front of and behind the cameras. The teleplay is by David Weddle and Bradley Thompson, former staff writers on Battlestar Galactica, and sometime Battlestar director Michael Nanking was brought in to direct the episode. “

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Jodi Picoult:Why Is It A Sin To Read For Fun?

April 12, 2009

Newsweek interviews author Jodi Picoult about what being a popular writer means, and if because her books are so popular, she is in fact a “sell out”. One of the best ideas explored by the novel is does popularity inherently make something bad?  Are “headier books” truly suffering for readers at the expense of lighter weight ones? Is lighter reading the demise of more challenging subjects, or is this lighter reading encouraging people who never read to begin with?

Picoult addresses the issues on a personal level stating:

“When I was at Princeton, there was this guy there, a great writer,” Picoult says, naming a New York author who has since published several sardonic, offbeat novels that have been well reviewed but sold nowhere near Picoult’s 14 million copies in print. “He used to walk around in this black trench coat like this”—she strikes a brooding, hand-to-brow pose—”and I was like, ‘What’s wrong with me?’ I just can’t do that.”

In the course of her interview, the Twilight Saga and the comparisons to Picoult’s similar audience demographic (females teen and up) arise. On Stephenie Meyer and the Twilight Saga, Picoult said:

“In terms of the literary content of the ‘Twilight’ books, they’re totally escapist. I think technically I am maybe a cut above,” she says. Picoult, who has a master’s in education from Harvard, is grateful to Meyer for getting kids to read at all, and she says many of her fans come to her through the “Twilight” series. “Stephenie Meyer has gotten people hooked on books,” Picoult says, “and that’s good for all of us.”

The article concludes by stating that “Maybe if reading wasn’t so “good” for us, we’d do more of it.” What do you think, is lighter reading turning our critical thinking skills into mush, or can it co-exist with pulitzer-prize winning novels?

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Michael Sheen Cast as ARO

April 11, 2009

The Daily Mail is reporting that Michael Sheen has been cast as Aro.  Most recently Michael was seen as David Frost in Frost/Nixon.

In New Moon, Sheen will play Aro, the leader of an Italian vampire clan called the Volturi.Director Chris Weitz confirmed Sheen’s casting to The Mail on Sunday and said he had ‘aggressively’ pursued the actor.


‘Michael’s role is so important because he’s the head of all vampires,’ he said. ‘Aro is, on the surface, a very gracious and friendly vampire, but beneath that he is a tremendous threat.’

TY to Nico and Mary who both sent this in.

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Goodnight Juliet

April 11, 2009

This week feature band is relatively new to the Twilight world however they have been performing together for quite sometime. Goodnight Juliet started out as a father daughter team that has since expanded.  You can read the story of Goodnight Juliet below as well as see our video interview with Niki Leigh, lead vocalist and foudner.  The music has a haunting .  You can hear  the music at Goodnight Juliet’s myspace page and check out Goodnight Juliet’s upcoming events.  There is a discussion thread started for the band in our forums.

Niki Leigh started writing songs at the age of 15 years old. Her father, Ross, a seasoned musician encouraged the shy introverted Niki to begin performing her songs at local venues. After a few short years of behind closed doors work, the singer/songwriter on vocals, and Ross on guitar, set out to play little spots all around Northern California. After just six months of entertaining, the duo was nominated for a Modesto Area Music Award. Only a few months later, Niki decided that she wanted to take her sound to the next level. Surrounding herself by Punk Rock bands like My Chemical Romance, Green Day, and Billy Talent, she realized that her heart was somewhere else. She wanted a band.

Ross then began posting advertisements at local music shops, in search of a bass guitar player, and a drummer. Almost immediately, Drummer Apollo Tull, known for his wild and crazy rock star perspective on life, heard the makings of something that was anything but ordinary, and climbed aboard. Shortly after, they received a phone call from Russell Scott. Russ was an intelligent, outstanding bass player, with a rare knowledge and passion for music, and just like that, Goodnight Juliet was born.

The band began playing small shows at the same venues that Niki and Ross had already played, but this time with a completely different impact. With an extreme amount of originality, but also with a Paramore/Evanescence type feel, Goodnight Juliet’s songs are written with an incomparable amount of raw emotion, with inspiration ranging anywhere from heartbreak, religion, and faith, to politics, eternal damnation, and love. They soon found themselves looking to pursue bigger shows, bigger venues, bigger dreams. In the following months, the rock quartet graced the cover of The Modesto View Magazine, along with being nominated once again, for another Modesto Area Music Award.

Niki has written a song aptly entitled “Let’s Never Die”, inspired by Eclipse, third book in the blockbuster Vampire series, The Twilight Saga. Goodnight Juliet was recently asked to perform “Let’s Never Die” at the Twilight Convention in San Francisco, and received and overwhelming response.  The band will continue to play Twilight related events all through 2009, and are currently in talks of performing at conventions.

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Summer School In Forks: What’s It All About

April 11, 2009

Unlike some of the other conventions that are very actor appearance based (not that there’s anything wrong with that), the Summer School in Forks convention really deals with the books. It’s not a camp, it’s not a place where you can take algebra, it’s a convention right in Forks being held at Forks High School, La Push, and other local locations. The movie does come into play, but on discussion panels. If you want to really get into some great discussion on the book, this is where it’s going to happen.

Just some of the topics happening that weekend presented by Alphie and Pel are:

Vampires, Werewolves, and Humans! Oh, my! The men of Stephenie Meyer’s books (Alphie)
Who ever said a good man is hard to find? All anyone has to do is simply open one of the books written by Stephenie Meyer. From the “Twilight” Saga to “The Host,” Meyer has left women of all ages swooning over fictional men. But even though they seem perfect, they each have flaws and difficulties to overcome. “Twilight” fans have forever debated the qualities of Edward verses Jacob. But here we can go further to include Carlisle, Jasper, and Emmett and even look as the possibilities Sam and Seth. Additionally, we can reach outside of the “Twilight” saga into the world of mere human men fighting off an alien invasion and consider Jared Howe and Ian O’Shea. From the supernatural to the completely human, discover what makes these men tick and why are we drawn to them so deeply.

Bella Swan: Nobody’s Wilting Parrot Tulip (Pel)
The character of Bella Swan Cullen has been much maligned as “anti-feminist” “weak” “incapable of asserting herself”. Whereas Bella isn’t going to give Lara Croft a run for her money any time soon in the school of action hero assertiveness, neither is she the simpering wallflower some reviewers would have the public believe. Rather, she is a believable teenager still discovering who she is, and how to make her way in a world that she was never prepared for. Various accusations regarding the character of Bella will be explored and looked at in the larger context of the novels, not as isolated incidents. In the end, hopefully what is achieved is a look at how Bella progresses in strength(inner and outer) from teen to young woman and from human to vampire.

Twilight Saga Archetypes: Chiseling away at the marble façade. (Alphie)
The literary use of archetypes allows readers to connect to the universal themes certain characters and situations represent. Many of these character types and themes work their way into the Twilight saga, often times in unexpected ways and means. Which character exactly can be classified as the “hero” or the “outcast,” and what is the “quest” that they are on? Who is the “savior” and what sort of “sacrifice” was made in the process? From the “shrew” to the story teller,” from the “angel” and the “devil,” an examination of these themes shows that the Twilight saga is more complex than it seems on the surface.

Twilight Saga Literary Influences: Brit Lit Was Never This Much Fun (Pel)
Each of Stephenie Meyer’s novels is partly inspired by a classic piece of British Literature or Drama. Jane Austen, Emily Bronte, and the Bard of Avon all play a role. Plot parallels, character traits, and homages will all be explored.

Other groups appearing include:

Kaleb Nation: The Twilight Guy

The Bella Cullen Project: music

The Bloodsuckers aka The Girls Necks Door:podcast

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Fun and Games With Twilight

April 11, 2009

There’s a Twilight Quiz over on How Well Do You Know. Currently the easy version is up. They are promising a much harder and advanced  version on Sunday.

If you’re a Scene It fan, a Twilight Scene It is in the works.

The game features, “…clips, questions and puzzlers from the highly successful Twilight franchise and includes content from New Moon! From the Twilight-themed puzzles to the customized mini-games and bonus activities, Scene It? Twilight Edition will immerse players in the Twilight saga and is sure to resonate with fans of all ages. Game includes game DVD, 4x collectible metal tokens, 150x trivia cards, 30 fate cards, 1x 6-sided die, 1x 8-sided die, and instruction sheet.”

TY to Twilighters Anonymous for the detective work on this one.

Intoxicated Twilight has a great costume contest going on with an awesome prize pack:

  1. 1 Twilight 2 disc DVD (NTSC DVD, for North American players only)
  2. 1 Twilight Soundtrack
  3. 1 Twilight P-1 Trading Card
  4. 1 Twilight Special Edition Wal-Mart Gift Card (no money loaded)
  5. 1 8×10 Bella Glossy Promo Photo
  6. 1 8×10 Edward Glossy Promo Photo
  7. 1 Twilight 2009/2010 Poster Calendar
  8. 1 set of How to Be promotional cards
  9. 1 Robert Pattinson: Eternally Yours book
  10. 1 Director’s Notebook

Need more Edward and Bella? Well they are now available for order at Hot Topic.

Wonder if Lauren’s Bite will get Pocket Edward a friend?

Twilight UK has an upcoming contest to celebrate the UK DVD launch.

1 Twilight poster signed by Rob and Kristen

2 Twilight Posters (HUGE) signed by Rob, Kristen and the lovely Catherine Hardwicke

1 Baseball signed by Kristen and Catherine

and

5 Twilight DVDs (this is the UK version, which contains UK Premiere footage exclusive to the UK, UK Theatrical Trailer and UK Theatrical TV spots)

Check out their site for details.

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Guess who wasn’t invited to KStew’s birthday!

April 11, 2009

Being a natural assassin and part-time goose farmer, stealth and espionage comes more naturally to me than to your usual blogger.  Hence, I am posting my video at 1:18 AM Nation Time (thank you, OTNC), when I am certain the usual admins of this site are either A) asleep or B) doing fun things with friends.  I am unable to do either, mostly due to Dr. Mupps only giving me thirty minutes out of my cell each day.  (sigh).

Oh, and clicking on the image below will open the video in a new window.  The reason I can’t post the video again (I believe) is because I have a meager guest account which won’t let me post hyperlinks.  Could one of the mods fix this, plz?  Kthx. FIXED!…altough Sunday is actually Jaden’s day, but we love him and will let him post on Saturday since he’s a little confused. 🙂

I’m still unsure who this Caleb Newton person is supposed to be…perhaps a distant relative of my dear brother Kaleb?  I certainly hope not, as this would make me related to someone who’s last name began with a consonant, such as this apparently drug-addled fellow:

Terrifying.

Jaden Nation runs a weekly satire piece, but the views and opinions expressed are those of Jaden Nation, not persay the Twilight Lexicon.

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Actors Are Australia Bound

April 11, 2009

Kellan Lutz and edi Gathegi are scheduled to make an appearance in Melbourne, Australia at Gifts For The Geek.

See their website for full details. Via the Twilight fansite blog

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Examiner Asks An Important Question

April 11, 2009

Hands down, when we were at the Chicago Flashback Weekend Convention, the biggest thing on the fans’ minds concerning the Twilight movie was “Why didn’t they say ‘I love you.’ in the movie?”

We must have been asked that question, no joke, by at least 100 people. So, when we had a chance to submit questions to Catherine Hardwicke, the one we picked was about just that.

You can see it on the Twilight Saga website:

Laura (AKA Pel): Why did Edward and Bella never actually say the words “I love you” in the film?

CH: For me, they said they loved each other in much stronger ways than actually saying the words.

From the responses on this blog at the original time we covered this, we’d say that most people were less than happy with that answer. People understood that in a movie things get cut, but having the two main protagonists in an epic love story say “I love you” is kind of important. People also listed several places where it could have been said: the hospital room, the meadow, when he puts her n the car, etc.

So given this, the Examiner brings up a really valid question :

“Since Rob Pattinson didn’t say ‘I love you’ in Twilight, will he say ‘Will you marry me’ in New Moon?”

Check out their article here.

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Sam Bradley: Up Close and Personal

April 11, 2009

Sam Bradley is one of Robert Pattinson’s friends and musical mentors. Sam is often described as “the intellectual one” who really has a classical influence to his craft. Sam wrote Never Think that is performed by Rob in the Twilight movie.

The Examiner sat down with Sam and asked him about his future plans and if there might be a shot for him in New Moon. He and Rob are also collaborating:

“As far as his up-coming album goes, there is no official release date, but what we can know, says Sam, is that “well, there are some songs that I have redone, like ‘Too Far Gone.’” Also, the album will feature guest writers such as Robert Pattinson (for his co-authorship of ‘Too Far Gone’) and Sam’s mother, whose song, Sam says, “she wrote with a few other people in England.”

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