Oh. My. Gaaah.

Big Twilight news (I'm wondering if I should change this blog from one about my life to just about Twilight...although, they're kind of one in the same as of late).

TAYLOR LAUTNER IS OUT!

Okay, it hasn't been confirmed, but what HAS been confirmed is that the casting decision for Jacob Black is undecided...which, in code, means Lautner has been let go.

Also in casting news, apparently Ben Barnes (click here to see who he is) is campaigning for the role of Aro. I must say, at first I was kind of...eh, what!?! But the more I thought about it, the more I thought that would be bloody fantastic. I think he'd be brilliant for the part, and definitely a very wise route for the casting directors to take.

Anywhos, here are two links to the news:

MTV NEW MOON MOVIE CASTING NEWS

Perez Hilton

At first I wasn't sure about the supposed front-runner for Jacob Black's role, but just like Ben Barnes, the thought grew on me...I think he'd be good (at least physically. I think he definitely looks the part...we'll have to see acting-wise).

Hope everyone is doing well! I'm taking a break from studying for finals currently. 

Tomorrow I have three finals: French 7:30-9:30; World Religions 10-12; and Western Civ. 3:30-5:30. I'm leaving early Wednesday morning for the drive out back to AZ, and we'll be stopping in Albuquerque for the night. One of the girls that is driving out with me is getting dropped off in Albuquerque, so we're going to stay with her family. That way we don't have to spend any money on a motel room!

Although, we'll definitely have to drive slower than originally anticipated. Ice is everywhere, but thankfully there's no snow. Nothing has been falling from the sky, so I guess that's always a good thing. Hopefully it'll clear up some by Wednesday...but don't worry (and that means you, Mom). I'll be a good, responsible driver and I know my limits. If I don't feel comfortable driving, we'll find a hotel to stay in and we'll just take our time.

Anyways, I'm about off work and I'm hungry. Don't really know what I'll eat...perhaps some chips and salsa. I guess I'll go back to studying some more (although I definitely don't WANT to...but who ever wants to study?). Hope everyone is doing well and feeling super! I'll be home soon! WOOT!

Exo-Politics

It is 1:16 in the morning, and I thought I'd update...

Instead of replying to Mom in another comment from my last blog update, I thought I'd just post here instead. See, we're having a discussion over the choice for the New Moon director, Chris Weitz. I have a few bones to pick, but first I'll post the e-mail I received from Summit Entertainment:

Dear fans of Twilight, New Moon, Bella, Edward and Jacob, 

In the past few days I have been involved in a whirlwind romance with Stephenie Meyers' extraordinary books. 

And I am very grateful to have received her permission to protect New Moon in its translation from the page to the screen. 

For fans of the books and of the film of Twilight, this may come as an unexpected twist. So I want to write briefly to try to put you at ease, and to give you reason to hope for and expect the best. 

For the last decade of my career as a director, I have chosen to make adaptations of complex and involved works of literature. This has always begun with the love of a book and its characters, story, and theme; and it has always involved a respect of and responsiveness to the feelings of other people who loved those books. 

When I saw the film of Twilight, I was alternately entranced and left hungry for more. I was also struck by the extraordinary passion for the characters, story and theme that was evident in the people sitting in the seats around me. My job is to live up to that devotion. 

Like many of you, I am a fan of Catherine Hardwicke's work. I can't really say much about why she is not doing New Moon because I wasn't involved in those decisions. But I can say that I will devote myself to making the very best and most faithful version of New Moon that can be brought to the screen. To those who doubt that as a male director I can capture Bella's experience, I can only say that emotion is universal and that my work has often involved working with some of the most talented actresses in the world. 

For the rest, the proof will have to be in the pudding. But I promise to remain responsive to your hopes and fears. 

I thank you for this opportunity and for your faith. 

Very best, 

Chris Weitz

Here are my bones to pick.

• First of all, he's a male. Yes I know he said in his letter "the emotions are universal." Um, when have men ever felt the way a woman feels? Men are the first to admit they don't know anything about how a female's emotions work. It's just how we're made...I don't think a guy would ever know how it feels to be in love with a drop dead (no pun intended) gorgeous vampire and feel completely insignificant; how it feels to think you're so insignificant that when this vampire says he's leaving you because you're not what he wants anymore, that you just accept it because you never understood why he loved you in the first place. Um, granted I've never been in love with a vampire (being that they don't exist and all) but I think I understand those emotions a lot better than a guy would.
• Second of all, what are his real reasons for being added to the film? I haven't heard of this guy having any interest in this film until now...and it just so happens that he has friends in high places. Apparently, he's besties with some big-wig in Summit Entertainment, and that's why he was offered the film first. No director, regardless of talent, would be stupid enough to turn down the sequel to a movie that has THIS big of a fanbase. So of course the first person offered the director's job is going to take it...fancy that! This guy was given it first! Guess who's the director now! Weird how that works...
• Third of all, I guess the one good thing that he has going for him is the fact that he's worked with adaptations of books to film before. Both The Golden Compass and About a Boy are adaptations. However, neither one of those had a movie preceeding it. There's a LOT to live up to at this point, which means there is a lot of room for disappointment. I'm tempted to read both The Golden Compass and About a Boy then watch the movies, just to see how he captures the books. Maybe I'll be surpised, and find that he does a good job. However, from what I've heard about The Golden Compass...it makes me a little nervous.
• Fourth of all, two words: American Pie. Yes...this director is the same man that directed American Pie. Granted, he is uncredited for it, but he did it, nevertheless. Not only did he direct American Pie, but he produced all THREE in the horrendous series. Insert shudder here.

I will not, however, comment on his other credits. By any means, I'm not saying he's not a good writer or producer. He was, after all, nominated for an Oscar for his work on About a Boy, and I am a fan of the movie. But in this case, he's neither the writer or the producer. He's the director...which is odd, because that's the aspect he's had the least amount of experience in...interesting. Anyways, he's the director and it's the director's job to visually make the book come alive. I'm hoping he can do that...but let's just say, I'm going to be a lot more critical of him than I was of Catherine Hardwick. I knew from watching her previous movies that she would be an excellent choice, because she had a distinct directing style that translated very well for this type of movie. It's hard to say if Weitz has a distinct style...I don't believe I've seen enough of his work to tell. I'll get on it though...but like I said, I will be more critical this time around.

Arg. I'm still mad that they didn't choose a female director...that gave me so much hope. Now it's crushed. Blerg.

It's now 1:38 in the morning...just thought I'd add that.

Wow.

Just read this online:

SUMMIT BEGINS SEARCH FOR NEW MOON DIRECTOR

Los Angeles, CA, December 7, 2008 – Summit Entertainment and director Catherine Hardwicke jointly announced today that the filmmaker will not be directing the next installment in the newly minted TWILIGHT film franchise. Summit's targeted end of 2009 or early 2010 release of the film, NEW MOON, does not work with Ms. Hardwicke's required prep time to bring her vision of the film to the big screen. Thus as has been done before with many successful film franchises, the studio will employ a new director for NEW MOON.

"I am sorry that due to timing I will not have the opportunity to direct NEW MOON," said Hardwicke. "Directing TWILIGHT has been one of the great experiences of my life, and I am grateful to the fans for their passionate support of the film. I wish everyone at Summit the best with the sequel-- it is a great story."

"Catherine did an incredible job in helping us to launch the TWILIGHT franchise and we thank her for all of her efforts and we very much hope to work with her on future Summit projects," said Erik Feig, Summit's President of Production. "We as a studio have a mandate to bring the next installment in the franchise to the big screen in a timely fashion so that fans can get more of Edward, Bella and all of the characters that Stephenie Meyer has created. We are able to pursue an aggressive time frame as we have the luxury of only adapting the novels into screenplays as opposed to having to create a storyline from scratch."

...I think that's code for: "we want to crank out this franchise as soon as possible, but this chick isn't workin' fast enough, so we're going to hire someone else."

On one hand, don't get me wrong I'd love to see New Moon come out soon. However, I want to see a GOOD New Moon, especially since with that book there's a lot of different ways you could screw it up. I think if they had let Catherine Hardwick direct it, she'd take her time and do a good job. I want a fan to direct...I want someone that's as excited and nervous to see the film as all the hardcore fans are, and Catherine Hardwick was exactly that. I don't want to see someone who's wanting to jump on to the "next big thing"...or just the "big thing," because Twilight is already huge. I hope that whoever the choose as the next director won't screw it up. Oh jeez...I'm getting flashes of like some big top-name director that they'll get. Just because they have a big name doesn't always mean they're good. Or the director will take the movie into a whole other direction. I mean Catherine Hardwick wanted to focus on the intensity and passion between the two main characters, and I hope they don't get a director that completely goes in the opposite direction.

Ugh, whatever. I feel sad that Catherine Hardwick isn't signing on to the project. I guess that HUGE step forward that was taken after the movie opened was useless, because this is two giant steps back.

Last night/this weekend

Last night was so much fun!

So, all week Virginia and I have been plotting and scheming of different ways to cheer Laura up. I heard her mention that she wanted to see Twilight again, so being the attentive and obliging friend that I am, I thought "sure, we'll go take her to see the movie!" But there's no fun in just taking someone to the movie...so we thought we'd kidnap her and take her by force.

So last night Laura had to play the handbells for the chapel service. The movie didn't start until 9:30 and the chapel service started at 7 so there was some time in between. We stayed for the service, then we went around caroling and hanging the wreaths around campus (thus Hanging of the Greens). We ended up at the President's House, and stayed for some hot chocolate and cookies. It was pretty funny, because once we got there we were panicking a little bit because it was getting close to the time when we needed to be leaving. I made up some story about how I needed to call Mom but I could only call her from my phone in my room...I don't really remember what I said, to be honest. So we forced Laura out of the house while Virginia and I are tapping our feet and pacing because she's moving so slow (she really wasn't, but we were impatient). Then, Laura goes to P.E.O. to get Jenn (she's another girl that went with us to see the movie) while Virginia and I run up to Laura's suite and hide in the bathroom. We can hear when Laura and Jenn get in, and Jenn blindfolded Laura with a scarf. So, we walk her down two flights of stairs (blind, mind you) and out to my car (and being the idiots that we are, we forgot to grab Laura's coat). All the while, Laura is kind of panicking. It was actually pretty funny to be quite honest. We drive her to the movie theatre, but I was driving in a way that hopefully I got her confused as to where we were going (she wasn't confused...she pretty much knew right away I think. Which meant I drove like a drunk person for nothing). I ran inside to the theatre, bought the tickets and was like "Four tickets for Twilight. Yes, I'm bringing in a person blindfolded, but it's okay, she knows us!!"...most of the people in the lobby got a kick out of that.

So we lead her into the theatre and watch Twilight. Fun for all! Oh, and before we kidnapped her, we left little post it notes on her closet door that said "we just thought we missed your smile, so we did this for you" and other stickies that said stuff like "you're amazing" and "always remember to smile!"...at first we thought "hey, we'll do something nice for her, make her happy then kidnap her!" but that didn't work. She didn't even SEE the post-its until afterwards, and even then Virginia and I had to practically build a glowing, flashing sign around the door that said "READ THIS." I suddenly had a flashback to the time when Mom walked into the house and didn't see the Christmas tree...yeah, it was a little bit of that.

Anyways, that was my eventful evening. Today is Hanging of the Greens dinner, so I'll be busy with that probably. Um, Sunday...nothing is going on (finally!) but I'll probably work on some homework or something. I have three essays for Am. Lit. due on the 15th, an observation for World Rel. due the 12th, and then four finals (one of them is this coming Thursday, and the rest are on the 16th). Soooo I should probably study for those and work on the essays. Although, as I type this, I know very well that I probably won't. But whatever...maybe I will.

Anywhosits...OH! Just a little side note: I changed my music player and I put the whole Twilight Soundtrack on there, except for two of the bonus songs. They're just "La Traviata" and "Clair de Lune" and I didn't think anyone would listen to those songs (although, I do but I'm weird like that). So yeah...for those of you who don't have the soundtrack, enjoy!

Awesomeness.

Okay, now everyone I know that reads this has already seen Twilight. So...here it is: my ultimate movie review!

First of all, I love the opening sequence. Kristen Stewart sounds better as a voiceover than when she's acting. The hunting scene at the beginning was well thought out, especially at this point it establishes that whatever that "thing" is that's chasing this animal is bad. You see scenes of this helpless, fragile animal just minding its own business...suddenly, something unforeseen comes and interrupts this, ultimately killing the animal. I think this is a good representation of the message that Edward wanted to get across to Bella--Bella, in his eyes, represents the deer; something fragile and breakable, ultimately disturbed by this creature and could end up dead. Also, I couldn't help but love the scenes that were in Arizona (although they weren't actually filmed in AZ...but close enough! Desert is desert, right!?). I think they made a beautiful transition from AZ to Washington, to show that stark contrast between the two.

I must say, the human friends surprised me. Eric and Mike were hilarious, and I actually felt more sympathy for Jessica than I did in the books. Angela wasn't the meak, keep-to-herself kind of character in the movie like she was in the book, which I'm not sure how I feel about that...but she was still nice. One of my favorite characters now is definitely Charlie. I always felt like he was a little dumb and not observant at all (which is bad, being a sheriff and all), but in the movie there was something different about him. He was really funny, which was awesome, and he didn't seem unobservant, he just seemed like he was keeping all of his observances to himself. The scene where Bella is leaving at the end, almost brought me to tears, because Charlie looked so desparate to keep her there.

Okay, my first favorite scene was when Edward and Bella "go public." When Bella gets out of Edward's car (and he's rocking the Ray Bans), and everyone is looking around. The dialogue was hilarious ("Everyone's looking." "Not everyone. That guy isn't--oh wait, he just looked.") and when he puts his arm around Bella...insert swoon here. I loved it because it's such a natural, human embrace which is a huge step forward for their relationship...oh man, I loved that scene! I got all giggly and dazzled at that point haha.

Another favorite scene is the kiss scene (of course). Oh Lordy, Lordy...DID YOU SEE THAT KISS?!?!? I read in an interview one time that Robert Pattinson got so passionate during the scene, that he actually fell off the bed! I can see why! The chemistry between the two of them is so strong, that those few seconds it takes them to actually kiss I don't know if I want to faint from the heat or throw something at the screen for taking too long. And I love how once Bella started getting into it, Edward suddenly became a little rougher...that is until he flew off of her haha (oh, on a side note: I also saw a different interview with Robert, and he said he thinks he's a bad kisser. Um, note to Rob: if you want to practice that skill, call me up any time! I'm willing to work with you...). But it was just...oh, amazing. Perfection!

Favorite scene 3: I love the very end of the ballet scene when Bella thinks she's dying. The flashes and the montage of her life with Edward and before him...that whole part just took my breath away. I love the music in the background ("Let Me Sign"-Robert Pattinson) but my favorite thing about that scene was when Bella imagined Edward and her in the meadow while it was snowing. It was just so beautiful but heartbreaking at the same time. She was so willing to die because she knew that she protected the people she loved, and while she was dying all she could think about were those same people. She just wanted to be with Edward...I think it says a lot about love when you're dying and all you can think about is that other person. If I could watch that transition between the ballet studio scene and the hospital scene by itself and not know anything else about the movie or the books, I would be hooked. It was fantastic...snaps for Catherine Hardwick.

I love how they introduced the villians earlier in the story. That was one of my problems with the book: Edward and Bella are going along, no drama really...then BAM! Insert 3 vampires and all goes to Hell. If you think about it, the vampires don't show up until the very end, so it's hard to build enough tension in that time. I love how they introduced them earlier, because that way the audience knows they're coming...it's just a matter of when. Also, I like how they made the vampires more evil than they were in the books. If you think about it, at first James, Victoria and Laurent were living just like most other vampires--they were the normal ones. It was the Cullen family that were the odd vampires. And it's only because James liked Bella's scent that made them seem evil...however, in the movie they are more menacing. They kind of "play with their food" as Laurent put it, but the tease the humans they're going to eat...they don't just find their prey and kill it. Like I said, good job at vamping up the evil vampires!

I loved the music in the movie. Granted, I've had the soundtrack for a few weeks now and know it by heart, but I'm not gonna lie--hearing the music kind of made me a little weary. I didn't like some of the songs and thought they were too out-there for the movie. However, things worked wonderfully. My favorites would be: when they played "Full Moon" by the Black Ghosts during the scene when Bella leaves Arizona; "Spotlight" by Mute Math when Edward and Bella go public/their "getting to know each other" scenes; "Never Think" by Rob Pattinson during the dinner scene where Edward starts to reveal himself; "Supermassive Black Hole" during the baseball scene (this one I was nervous about. I love the song, but I was worried because if they used it at the wrong time, it could kind of come off as WAY too cheesy); and "Let Me Sign" by Rob during the transition from ballet studio scene to hospital scene. After seeing the movie, I have a new appreciation for the soundtrack, most definitely. Although I still hate "Go All the Way (Into the Twilight)" by Perry Farrell. It's just obnoxious and I don't think it fits the mood of the whole story (case in point: "you let me see (flash of my thigh)/ it was so smooth, sparkle and shine"...the song just sounds like a girl who wants to play games with a guy, and I don't think Edward and Bella's relationship is about games). Anyways, good job on the music.

Now for the things I didn't like: Jacob's wig, first of all. It made me want to punch it in the face. Ugh, it just bothered me so much. Second of all, I'd like more Cullen family, please! I thought Emmett was hilarious (Rosalie: Is she even Italian? Emmett: Well her name is Bella.) and Carlisle was the original Dr. McDreamy, but I'd like to see more of them. Jasper needs to lighten up...he looked like an angry deer in headlights the whole time. Rosalie didn't have that big of a part, but we all know her role will expand later on, as will Jasper's. Alice was good, but she could have been more...cheery I guess. I was sad that there was this one scene that was cut out from the original script, where Esme and Carlisle are watching Edward and Bella together and they talk about how they never thought Edward was ever going to find anyone...I just thought it'd be cool to see more of the Cullen family.

Anywhos, it's taken me like three days to finish the blog and post it haha. But I think I've had a good excuse...because I'M HOME!!!!!!!! Fun times for all!

Fun times.

Just thought I'd post this picture.

That's Tom, the lead singer of Plain White T's in the middle, and Laura is on the other side of him. Isn't he a cutie!? He's also really sweet...great guy, great friend, great times!

Also, I thought I'd post another picture. It's of Laura and Virginia...it's just so you get a name to a face of who I'm talking about. They went to this cave trip thingamajig and took this lovely photo!

Anywhos...

TWILIGHT MIDNIGHT SHOWING TONIGHT!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Be prepared for a review of the movie this weekend (I'll wait to post it until I know that everyone who reads this has already seen it). And I'll try to make my review as professional as I can...see how much I've learned in my film classes haha.

Love ya!

Hey-o!

Hello all!

Last night was the Plain White T's show, and let me tell you it was amazing! Unfortunately, because we were late we missed the first two performances, which kind of sucked. But, I did get to see The Cab and Plain White T's who were the ones I wanted to see the most. There wasn't hardly anyone at the show, so Laura and I were at the very front--there was only one guy standing between me and the barricade. I grabbed the hand of the lead singer of The Cab, which was awesome! Then during the Plain White T's, Laura grabbed the hand of the lead singer. We got to meet the lead singer, Tom, afterwards. He was awesome!! He was really nice, and made sure to take pictures and sign autographs for everyone that was there waiting. Laura and I were one of the last people to take pictures with him, but we got a picture and that's all that mattered! I'll be posting pictures from the show soon. I didn't take any pictures, but Laura did, and so I have to wait for her to post her pictures. I really need a new camera...I tried taking a couple of photos, and I will post those, but you can tell that they're bad quality. For as close as we were, I should have been able to take great pictures and they kind of looked bleh. But yeah...I'm definitely looking at getting a new camera.

What else...let me think...I feel like there's something I have to update everyone on. Um...TWILIGHT. THIS. WEEK.

OH. MY. GIDDY. AUNT.

I am super-duper excited! Oh, and I remembered something else. The Maine is going to be in Scottsdale the day after Christmas, and I am SO totally there! So yeah...if anyone wants to go with me, you're more than welcome to. I know that there aren't a lot of people at home that are into this kind of thing, but neither was I until this summer...trust me, it's so much fun, and you can't beat live music! Plus... The Maine=awesomeness. I mean, look at these guys:

Yeah...that's right. They're awesome.

Anyways...well, I should probably go, especially since I'm not on my computer. I'm borrowing Laura's currently, and I'm also currently watching Jane Eyre. It's kind of sucky, simply because Jane is not pretty at all, and Rochester (being played by William Hurt) is NOT attractive. Eh, oh well.

Love everyone bunches!!

It's about time...

So, I finally made a new layout. It's simple, but I love LOVE the new pictures. They're outtakes from an upcoming issue of InStyle Magazine, and needless to say, I will definitely be owning that magazine. My favorite picture by far is this one:

The others are good, though, as well. I've noticed Rob Pattinson has gotten better at taking photos...in the beginning I didn't think he was very photogenic, but as more and more stuff comes out, he looks better and just more relaxed in photos.

Tomorrow I'm going to Kansas City! Woot! Let's see...today I cleaned my room, which was much needed. I'm finally allowing people to come into my room now, haha. My Twilight wall has been growing, with a few wonderful additions from the newest Entertainment Weekly, with two photos of Rob. Laura flipped over one picture because the shirt he's wearing has  small polka-dots on it, and she's obsessed with polka-dots. I'll probably post some pictures soon of any new additions I've made to my room. Surprisingly enough, I haven't moved the furniture around yet...but I've been dying to. It's just so hard with a small room, but I feel like I want to do something different with it...I just don't know what yet.

Well, things have really been changing for me lately. I've made some really good friends outside of the suite, which means I've been spending less time there. I feel so much happier now, because spending all my time in the suite wasn't a good thing. My personality and the things I look for in friends...I just wasn't finding that in the suite. I was feeling tense all the time, and I just felt like there was something I was missing. I've become really good friends with Laura (a freshman who lives in Nebraska suite) and Virginia (freshman, Seaboard suite), and I've been hanging out with Taylor (Arizona freshman, Cal-Weller suite) a lot more. I feel so much better...they are the kind of friends I need.

With these girls, we hug each other, we high-five each other, we tickle each other...we're just genuine friends. By hanging out with only my suitemates for so long, whenever someone would give me a hug I kind of didn't know what to do at first. There's like no physical interaction between us, and our only verbal interaction is usually us making fun of each other. It kind of wears on the spirit, if that makes sense--you can only take so much teasing. I need that affectionate, loving interaction among my friends, and I most certainly was not getting that from my suitemates. Now, though, with Laura, Virginia and Taylor, I'm feeling like my old self again. And when I go back home and I get to spend time with the family and with Kristyna, I think I'll feel even better. But, yes, this was a new lesson I learned this semester: I need both emotional and physical affection from my friends. Without it, I'm just not myself and it tends to put me into a negative attitude. Affection = happiness for me, and luckily I have found friends at college that feel the same way. I think it's funny, however, that my good friends here at Cottey are all freshmen...and I was worried about losing all my friends after the seniors graduated!

Speaking of seniors, however, my senior from last year Katie visited! I was so excited to see her, I think I could have kissed her! I was laying down to take a nap, and my phone rang. This was the conversation:

Me: (groggily) Hello?

Katie: Whatchya doin'?

Me: Laying in bed.

Katie: Well, what are you doing that for!?

Me: Taking a nap...

Katie: I think you should get up.

Me: Eh...what?

Katie: Why are you in bed? You should get up!

(At this point I hear the suite door open, and I can hear Katie talking into her phone before I actually hear it over the phone)

Me: But I'm tired.

Katie: You should get up, Gwenie! Do it!

Me: (already out of bed and unlocking my door) KATIE!

Katie: You bum! Your door was locked...I was going to come in and wake you up!

Anywhos, I got a lovely surprise from Katie, and I can't believe how much I missed her. Granted, we texted and talked quite a bit over the summer and during this semester, but there's nothing like seeing someone you've missed in person. I gave her the biggest hug ever! It's kind of odd to think back to last year, and see how at the beginning I didn't really like her...well, actually, I didn't really know her, because she was never in the suite. But second semester the whole suite got really close, and by graduation I was sobbing at the idea of not seeing Katie everyday. But anyways, it was really amazing to see her! I'm taking her to Kansas City with Laura and I so she can get to her motel. She's staying the night up in KC, then flying out Monday.

Also, another surprise this weekend: I found out Diana, my suitemate from last year who didn't come back this year, is actually coming back at semester. I was...surprised, to say the least. To say the most, I was pretty upset. I mean, she didn't get along with any of us last year, so there's nothing really to make me believe it'll be different this year. Not only that, but this year there's a lot stronger personalities in the suite than last year...and I know for a fact that Diana will not like Marina and Tiffany. Tiffany is too loud for Diana, and Marina is too...bluntly honest. She says whatever she thinks or feels and doesn't really think of how her words affect others. Diana is a very--fragile person, I guess you could say, and sometimes in dealing with Diana you have to soften things, if that makes sense. Well, trust me, Marina does not soften things, and she hates it when others do. So, yeah, it's going to be very awkward next semester. I'm just glad that I've made friends outside of the suite...Laura kept saying that her extra bed (she has a double-single) is always open. I have a feeling I might be spending some quality time up there next semester.

Also, speaking of next semester (man, I'm on a roll!) I got my options for modules for the Italy trip. For those who don't know, modules are basically like little programs the faculty sets up, so there's some actual learning going on during our trip. We have to attend at least one module for each city (so one in Rome and one in Florence), and these are the ones I'm looking at:

Moda Italiana: The Politics and Influence of Fashion in Defining Glamour and Modernity (Florence, Italy)

Cost: $12

Summary: Italy, where unforms of the police are designed by Armani, has always played a moajor role in international fashion. It was the wedding of Italian born Catherine de Medici in 1533 whith the Duke of Orleans in France that brought high heels in vogue for women. It is rumored that Leonardo di Vinci invented the high heel. Historians and archaeologists suggest the bikini has been around since the beginning of the Roman Empire. How does fashion affect popular culture? What is the significance or meaning of fashion? What influence do male designers have on both fashion and perfumes? Does fashion itself affect body image, or does the media's protrayal of fashion have a separate influence? Does fashion define modernity? Is fashion too frivolous for feminists?

Walking Tour to include the following points of interest related to module materials:

• Start at the Pitti Palace, and go to the Costume Museum (history of fashion in Italy), and the Silver and Porcelain Museums
• Walk through part of the Bobuli Gardens, and go to Ponte Vecchio (1345 Bridge) which Corridorio Casariano designed to keep the wealthy Medici family from shopping with the masses. Observe leather goods such as purses, custom glovemakers.
• Observe the trendy Ferragamo Hotels, a block from the Bridge: Hotel Lungarno featuring bellboys with pillbox hats, Gallery Hotel Art, designed by Christian Liaigre, and the Continentale-very 1950s white formica and Pucci-pink wools
• Walk by the Museo Salvatore Ferragamo (1898-1960)-closed on Tuesdays but students may return Wednesday to tour
• Go to the Palazzo Strozzi and walk around the free areas. They have a Centre for Contemporary Culture. It is another palace that has been transformed into a museum.
• Proceed to Versace, Armani, Bulgari, Prada, Gucci stores on Via de' Tornabuoni, and to Louis Vuitton, and Dolce and Gabbana by Palazzo Strozzi
• See the Officina Profumo Farmeceutia di Santa Maria Novella--oldest perfumery, originally by Dominican friars in the 13th century
• End at the Mercato Centrale (1874)--large Italian outdoor market with Italian delicacies

And the module I'm looking at for Rome is the Coliseum. I really want to take a module that gives a walking tour of the Forum and Palatine Hill, and I want to do the Underground Rome tour, but those are both during the Coiseum session that I want to go on. I figured I'd better do the Coliseum with Cottey, because otherwise it might be quite difficult to get in to on my own.

Well, I didn't think this entry was going to be so long, but alas, it is. Oh well...y'all can deal with it! =] Kidding...

LOVE EVERYONE AND MISS YOU ALL! BIG HUGS!

Why Kellan Lutz is amazing.

So, today's Twilight Tuesday was an interview with Kellan Lutz, who is on the set of Hinder's new music video for "Without You." The interview covered everything from the difference between shooting music videos and feature films, to the fans that will be camped out on the sidewalks for the Twilight premiere.

Watching the interview (along with reading the article) I realized that his casting was probably the best one of them all. Kellan seems like an incredible guy, who's so enthusiastic about...well, everything. For being just an up-and-coming actor, he's taking this shove out into the spotlight very well. He seems very gracious for fans, and is probably handling everything better than some seasonsed actors out there. He takes this movie and his role as Emmett seriously, and I know that we'll get an amazing performance out of him.

Click here to read the article and watch the few video segments with Kellan.

Check it.

This is my favorite Twilight tv spot that I've seen so far. Each one has its obvious focus, and this one is the relationship between Edward and Bella. There's a brief shot of Edward playing the piano, along with a nice sequence of the two of them at prom. Check it out.

Click here.

Hope everyone is doing well! About 22 days until I'm home! Woot!

Good gravy.

I have absolutely NO self control. I was trying to be good and just bide my time and be surprised along with everyone else...but I couldn't. Nope, I just had to do it. It was sitting there, practically waiting for me to just give up.

What am I talking about, you might ask?

I'm talking about the fifteen (yes, FIFTEEN) whole minutes of the Twilight movie. Fifteen, glorious, uninterrupted (well uninterrupted by editing, not by fans), beautiful, whole minutes of the movie. I didn't want to ruin it for myself. I spoiled too much of Breaking Dawn, and I've seen so much of the movie already...but I just couldn't do it. So, I dug (and dug) and finally found a YouTube video of the fifteen minutes. Catherine Hardwick premiered the clip at the Rome Festival where she, along with Robert Pattinson and Kristen Stewart, held a press conference about the movie. The clip was shot from a fan in the audience, so the quality isn't fantastic. A few times you can't hear a word because of all the screaming fans...but,

IT. WAS. FREAKING. AMAZING.

The clip is of when Edward takes Bella to meet his family for the first time. Not only do you get to see all of the Cullens in character, but you also get to see some special effects. It travels from Bella meeting the Cullens to Edward taking Bella out running. Well, in the movie he's not really running; he's more like...flying, really. It's kind of odd. I didn't like the fact that it looks like he's flying, but I like it when it shows him crawling up the trees. Most of the stuff in the 15-minute clip has been seen before, through the TV advertisements, trailers, and the sneak peek in Penelope. The newest stuff is the Cullen family, and at the end there's this beautiful sequence of Edward finally playing Bella her own personal lullaby. "Bella's Lullaby" is surprisingly haunting...it's nothing of what I expected. I guess it could hardly be called a lullaby, and in an interview I saw with Catherine Hardwick, I guess they call it their "Love Theme." It's sad but sweet, much like the relationship between Edward and Bella. There's the longing within the music--longing to be happier and softer, but yet the music stays its course. I think the composer, Carter Burwell (he did No Country for Old Men), did an excellent job at pegging the relationship between Edward and Bella. The final sequence of Edward at the piano is breath-taking, and probably my favorite piece of the movie I've seen so far.

Last night I watched Thirteen to get a better look at Catherine Hardwick's directing style, and I think it'll go well with the movie. She tends to shoot movies as if they're a documentary. There's a lot of hand-held camera shots rather than track shots, and the lighting she chooses is very unique. I think it'll go well with Twilight, because you can say a lot with hand-held camera shots. The Edward/Bella relationship is actually quite unstable, and Edward is always unsure of himself around her. There's a primitive aspect of the vampires, especially when hunting, and both these aspects can be demonstrated by the unstable, sometimes shaky direction of a documentary-styled filming process. I think, too, you get a nice little throwback to the fact that the books are all from Bella's perspective, and the hand-held camera makes it feel like you're seeing something out of someone else's vision, rather than a uninvolved third party. The lighting of the movie that I've seen so far is interesting. I think the first train of thought towards vampires, as far as coloring and lighting go, tends to be dark reds, black and dark gray. However, the lighting in the movie is very light. Very light blues, light gray, some green and white seem to have common reappearances. This to me makes more sense than reds and blacks. Vampires are technically dead, and death to me is associated with white (color leaving the face) and blue (ice; blood-drained). Also, the green aspect is very ironic to me. Green is associated with nature, and the whole problem that the Cullen family struggle with is the fact that they're so unnatural. They try to blend in, in an area that's full of natural things, but yet they can't--their dead white faces stand out against the alive, green trees of the Olympic Pennisula.

Remove the fact that I'm an obviously over-obsessed fan of Twilight. Looking at the 15-minute clip, combined with everything else I know and I have seen of the movie, there's definite intrigue. These people really planned everything out--they didn't just rush forward and say "let's crank out the next big franchise." Although the movie is already getting pimped-out, marketing-wise, I think there could be some interesting studying of the film. Hardwick is a fascinating director, the actors are all so varying and unique, and the music is so unexpected--you put that all together, and I have a feeling when you sit down and watch Twilight, chances are you'll probably see a movie you never expected to see. I know the books by heart now, pretty much, so I know how the story-line goes. I have a feeling, however, that it'll be as if I'm being told this story for the first time when I watch this movie.

I'm so excited for it, on so many different levels.

P.S. If you want to watch the clip, I'm not going to post the actual video right on my blog, for those of you who don't want it to be spoiled. However, I will tell you to click here if you do want to see it. Like I said earlier, it's bad quality and the fans are kind of annoying, but to me it was worth it.

Picture time!

So, I'm adding a whole bunch of new pictures from this weekend. A batch of them are from Halloween, a few are from the past, and a few more are from late, late last night. Tiffany got insanely hyper and decided to build a fort out of our cushions and so we took pictures. It was a pretty sweet fort I might add...even sweeter since we made it at 3 in the morning...well, actually 2 in the morning because daylight savings is over now. Tiffany I guess has this tradition where she stays up for daylight savings so she can adjust her clock right away (remember, she's insanely OCD), but she was really tired last night and got pretty loopy...thus, the fort.

But anyways, yeah so I've updated pictures...you can click here or go to my main profile page and click "My Web Page."

So, this weekend has been really long. Yesterday I did absolutely nothing. I literally didn't move hardly at all. I went to Sonic then the library, and that was the most movement I did all day. Tiffany and I sat on the couch all day and watched four movies (Little Miss Sunshine, Thirteen, Hook, and Peter Pan) and I think I might have gotten up about four times from the couch. I didn't even get up for dinner--we just ordered pizza and Tiffany went out to get it when it was delievered. Yeah...crazy. But it was fun. I'm glad I just vegged all day and did nothing. Well, late at night Tiffany decided to build the fort, but that was the most activity for us. Today, I think I'll actually do my homework and possibly get ahead...who knows!?

Ooh, I decided to bite the bullet and pre-order the Twilight soundtrack. I wasn't going to at first, because I only liked the song by Paramore, but then last night someone had posted links to the (not-even-released-yet) songs and so I got to hear the soundtrack, and it's actually pretty good once all the songs are put together. My favorites are still "Decode" but also "Never Think" by...dun dun dun...Robert Pattinson! Yes, ladies and gents, he can sing--and well. I've heard him sing on YouTube, but trust me, those do not do him justice. He sounds so much better in the studio, where they can kind of clean it up a bit. But on the pre-order soundtrack, there's 3 bonus songs, and one of them is another song by Robert Pattinson, so I'm pretty excited about that. The Linkin Park song is growing on me...I'm not the biggest fan of them, but I think the song fits. I also love the Muse song, but I've had that song for awhile now.

Most of you can probably see I added a music player to my blog. Those are my four favorite songs as of right now (except I did want to add "Decode" by I couldn't find it because it's so new). But you should all take a listen to the songs...they're fun. I've been fortunate to see three of the four bands on the playlist, and I can say they're all amazing live.

Let's see...what else to update on...um, about 3 weeks until I'm home! Woot!! I'm super excited and I can't wait to be home in Arizona. Yesterday, when we were watching Little Miss Sunshine, I noticed how some of it takes place in Arizona and I think I was driving Tiffany crazy because I kept being like "ooh, look, that's I-10! Oh, Carefree highway! Look, Scottsdale! ARIZONA!" and I think she could have cared less. But oh well, seeing my home state in movies just makes me happy. But anyways, I'm going to be home soon!

Rant.

Okay, so I've had this discussion with my suitemates before and I feel like writing it down at the present moment.

With all the flooding of new Twilight stuff, many people are starting to become aware of Robert Pattinson. Many non-fans of Twilight don't really know much or care about him, but a lot of fans weren't too pleased with his casting. I, however, think he's perfect for the role.

Yes, Edward is supposed to be a beautiful creature. He's basically supposed to be the epitome of beauty, but no real human being is like that. Also, this "beauty" is all in the eye of Bella. There's nothing really saying that Edward was actually this drop-dead gorgeous person, but I'm betting Stephenie Meyer had a pretty hot guy in mind while creating the character. Anyways, this presents a challenge for the casting directors. See, it even says in the books that Edward was lanky, and boyish looking, and had messy hair. To me, it sounds like he's a quirky kind of hot. He's beautiful but not in the "magazine" way, if that makes sense.

That's why Robert Pattinson is perfect. He's handsome, but not in the typical way. He has odd features and his hair...well, his hair has a life of its own (which fits the Edward character). He's not too photogenic, but when I see him in actual clips from the movie I can see that he is Edward. I realize Edward is a fictional character, but the job of an actor is to transform a fictional character into a real person, and I think Robert is going to do a great job at that. I think he's an incredibly talented actor, and I think we're just seeing the beginning of him.

He should be Edward. He shares some personality traits with him (musical, enduringly handsome, crazy hair, and a weird way of viewing himself) and the chemistry that he brings with Kristin Stewart is amazing...it almost makes her seem less monotone (that girl needs to learn expressions...and voice fluctuation). The whole story is centered around their relationship and the need to make it believable, and I think Robert Pattinson was the only choice to make that happen.

Woot!

These are from our s'mores-making adventure. Our marshmellows almost exploded. They were so huge, I wanted to take a picture of them in the microwave. Then the other picture is of Tiffany...we melted the chocolate too much and she could barely eat it and she got the stuff all over her face. She looked like a 3-year-old...

These pictures are from this weekend's GP tradition. GP stands for Great Pumpkin and it's where the seniors put together a haunted house for the freshmen. I was a crazy girl in a mental hospital that cut her wrists to paint with her blood. Creepy, right?

For the squeamish, I'm just posting the links to two of the pictures, instead of the actual pictures. It's NOT real, but it looks it.

Wrists 1

Wrists 2

So, this was on MSN today on the homepage. It made me pretty darn excited, I'm not gonna lie.

He looks mighty handsome! I saw another new TV advertisement that included a few snippets of Renee talking with Bella. I'd post the link but the quality is really bad so it's not really worth reposting as of right now.

There was something else I was going to post about on here, but now I can't remember. Hope everyone is doing well!

I'm kind of angry with my computer right now. For some reason, earlier today the internet just cut off unexpectedly and when I logged back in, all of the old settings were restored. It shows when I misspell a word (which is a lot...but still!), it doesn't highlight things in the color I had it set to...it's just obnoxious.

Um, anyways...nothing else to update on. Tomorrow night I have another show I'm going to. It's The Academy Is... and other groups that I've never heard of before. Ha, I'm just along for the ride!

I die.

The official TV spot trailer for Twilight. Loving the new Port Angeles scene...and the "do you do this often?" and the awesomely gorgeous smile. Sigh. He's too hot for his own good.

Also, I'm dying to see Little Ashes, starring Robert Pattinson. It's about Salvador Dali. Can you say perfection? Dali + Pattinson = awesomeness. I read an interview with him about the role, and he said that during filming he became obsessed with Dali and was just fascinated by him. As am I, Mr. Pattinson, as am I. I think Dali was a genius, and so inventive. Plus, he rebelled against the fascist Spanish government and had a personality that was considered a crime to have at the time. Gosh, he was just so interesting. His quirky little mustache helped a little too.

Salvador Dali

Salvador Dali history

Little Ashes

Also, Robert Pattinson just won a Best Actor award at the Strasbourg International Film Festival for his movie, How to Be. I think the movie looks quirky and interesting, but I highly doubt it'll be released in the U.S. If it is, it'll probably only be in select cities...bummer.

Interesting...

So, I just got a mass email through Cottey about a new club: Cottey Twilight Club, or CTC. At first it sounds kind of lame: chapter by chapter discussions, Team Edward/Team Jacob, etc. etc...although, the girl starting it up as other interesting ideas for the club. She suggests going out to local elementary schools and help kids get "bitten by books" (click here to see what I mean). She has a lot of good ideas for the club, and I think I might join...sounds like it could be fun. I already spend way too much time talking about Twilight...might as well make a club so it's legit.

Just thought I'd share that. Hope everyone is doing well!

Finally!

Before I write anything, by request here's a picture:

(You can see my gigantic Edward poster in the background haha)

I need to take a shower and put my new batteries into my camera and then I will post more new pictures.

Wow, I have many things to blog about lately.

First, anyone like the new layout? I made the last layout myself, and I made this one myself as well. I found that picture on a site called deviant art and it's by a very talented artist. Also, the lyrics are from a song called "Decode" by Paramore! This is the first single off of the Twilight soundtrack, and I absolutely love the song! So yes...I know it's dark, but I thought it'd be a good fall layout.

Second, I know it's been awhile since I've updated on what's going on. This weekend, my senior from last year, Miranda, drove down to stay the weekend with us! I was so excited to see her, and I realized how much I miss that crazy kid. We had a blast, but I felt kind of bad--all we did were watch movies and hang out at AJ's Coffee Rush. But I guess that's all we EVER do here, so it wasn't too big of a deal. This weekend I saw a ton of movies:

• The Goonies
• Yours, Mine & Ours
• Eagle Eye
• Burn After Reading
• Bridget Jones's Diary 2: The Edge of Reason
• Nights in Rodanthe

The three new movies were all very good, but very different. Eagle Eye was very action-packed, but it kept me entertained. The only problem I had was the chemistry between the two leads, and the casting of the lead characters. It was a little awkward. Burn After Reading was funny...but I honestly couldn't tell you what happened. The weird thing was, none of the characters in the movie had any idea what was going on either, and I think that's what made it so funny. Brad Pitt was brilliant in it, although his character was definitely less than brilliant. He played a personal trainer in this gym, and man did he do a good job at that! I would suggest seeing the movie just to see a goofy Brad Pitt. Nights in Rodanthe was...well, I guess all I have to say is this: it's by the same guy that did A Walk to Remember and The Notebook. Nicholas Sparks is an evil, evil man. He gets a thrill out of making women (and some men) cry like a baby on the day it was born. I bawled...literally. I was hiccuping and there were snot bubbles...it was bad. The crying, not the movie. The movie was incredible, but very sad.

What else...ooh, today I had off. It was our one day that we get off other than the three major breaks. I did absolutely nothing today, but I'm okay with that. It's nice to have a break like that...although every weekend I do absolutely nothing. I guess it's because I'm so busy during the week, I just need the weekend to catch up on sleep and just getting some good rest in.

I've been working on my (gasp) novel. It feels weird saying I'm working on a novel, but I've gotten far enough in the writing that it feels like it's moved on from just being a "story" to a novel. When I'm done with the synopsis of the whole thing, I might be brave and send it to the family. This is the first thing that I've felt confident enough in to have other people read it. Most things I write, I keep to myself...which probably isn't a good thing, especially since I plan on making my career in writing. I have to get over that fear, and I feel like what I'm writing now will help me with that.

Things have been going...okay...in the suite. There's been some tension between Kaeli and I, and I really don't know why. I know I need to talk to her about it and not let it just fester, but it's like when I get the nerve to talk to her about it, things get a little better between us and then I feel like I don't need to talk to her. Then something will happen later on, and I feel the tension again. It's weird. But, I've decided I need to hang out with other people. I think I'll start in Ohio Suite...I'll just go up there when I'm bored and start hanging out with them. I know a few girls up there, so it'll be good. And I believe I'll hang out with Taylor some more (she's from Mesa too). We're already going to a concert together and she'll be driving back home with me, so it'll be cool to hang out with Taylor some more.

Speaking of driving home, so far I have two other passengers for the ride back to Arizona. Paige and Taylor both will be riding with me, however Paige won't be driving back with me until we get to New Mexico. I'd like to possibly find one more person perhaps, for at least some of the way...then I think we'll be good. I don't want to get the car too full, because it's a long drive and no one wants to be uncomfortable for 1200 miles.

Stupid Facebook is acting up with me. I keep trying to comment to Kristyna and it won't let me. Arg...oh, and I got another girl hooked on Twilight. I gave her the first book the night before last, and she's already pretty far into New Moon. I know I'm going to have a ginormous group going with me to the midnight showing, so that'll be exciting. It's always fun to go to those kinds of things with a big group of people. I wish that the movie theatre here in Nevada would show Twilight. If they did, I bet Cottey could set up a thing where they rent out a whole theatre...they'd need it with as many Cottey girls who are fans of the books. It's crazy at how many fans are here on campus...but that's good! It's always nice to see people excited about reading for a change.

Lastly, you need to watch this video. Seriously.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xNW5A0HfzDM

A Rush of Blood to the Head.

Well, nothing to report. Monday I have a movement quiz in Ballroom Dance, which should be interesting. We've been learning the Swing dance, which is actually quite fun. Once you get into it, you find yourself adding "flair" to the dance moves...but yeah it's really fun. You'd be surprised at the kind of work out you can get from dancing. Every time I have that class, I come out sweating but feeling good...like I've accomplished something.

Anywhos, like I said nothing much is going on. Tonight, Kaeli and I went to see a movie, which was horrible. Probably, the biggest waste of time and money I've experienced in awhile. So note to everyone reading this: do not see My Best Friend's Girl, with Dane Cook and Kate Hudson. It was crude, disgusting, and degrating quite honestly. I usually love Kate Hudson, but she was a huge disappointment. And Dane Cook...well, I did see Good Luck, Chuck so I know how dirty he can be, but in this movie it was ridiculous. And he looked horrible...normally I think he's pretty handsome, but in this movie he looked horrible...and so did Kate Hudson, matter of fact. It was just bad. Very, very bad.

Ooh some Twilight news: Paramore will be on the soundtrack for the movie. Apparently, the lead singer, Haley Williams, is obsessed with the book series and was so excited when she found out they wanted Paramore to be on the soundtrack. I guess she wrote two songs for the movie, one called "Decode" and another one that is yet-to-be-titled. Also, "Supermassive Black Hole" by Muse will be on the soundtrack (I believe). I can't say for sure that's the exact song on the soundtrack, but I know Muse will definitely be on there in some form. Muse was a huge inspiration for Stephenie Meyer during the writing of the series, so it's no surprise they will be on the soundtrack. Also, two original songs by Robert Pattinson (yes...that's right...songs by Edward himself! Excited much!?) will be on there, and the composer for No Country for Old Men will be writing the official Bella's Lullaby. Originally, Robert Pattinson composed something on the spot and they were going to use that, but apparently he didn't like what he had composed and declined to let them use that. Anywho, I found a YouTube video of Robert Pattinson singing and I was shocked by his voice. It's kind of like a cross between Damien Rice and the guy from the movie Once. I suggest Googling both of those artists, then finding the YouTube video of Robert and comparing them (but I warn you: Robert is definitely an amateur and needs to clean up the vocals, but it's still good for a newbie.)

Wow, that was an awefully long Twilight update. Sorry about that...you know how I can get.