The other one she has out is "The Host" - has nothing to do with the Twilight characters (that I know of, that is - need to add that to my wish list still :))

Saw the movie last Wednesday with a friend (she hadn't read the books) - she's thinking about trying them now, though :) I'm really glad my sister got me hooked on the series! (And I'm another "non-teen" who enjoyed them, along with many others here, I'm sure ;))

Okay, I read all four and watched the movie. The books I found insipid and predictable, and the movie was campy and unintentionally funny in all the wrong places. LJ Smith did this way better back in the 90s.

So WHY couldn't I put the books down?!?! I suspect secret mind control devices hidden in the books.

OMG! You read LJ Smith, too?? :D
I loved her! I have a few of her books leftover from my teen days and they're in my classroom library. A couple of my Twilight fans have started reading them.
I'm still waiting for her last Night World book to come out!!

As far as I'm concerned, the best thing about the popularity of Twilight is that the LJ Smith books have come back into print - as omnibus editions, two or three novels to one book. Maybe she'll finally write that last book!

(Although I won't be happy until Heart of Valor and Night of the Solstice come back into print - those were the BEST!)

I'll have to come back and post the link when I find it again, but Catherine Hardwicke will NOT be directing New Moon :(

ETA: I found it! http://hollywoodinsider.ew.com/2008/...or-cather.html

I still haven't made up my mind on if I liked Twilight in movie form. I felt like there was more dialog needed or less quiet moments or something. I need to see it again to really make up my mind. I think it is a little lame that they didn't want to spend as much time as the director. They probably want to keep up the excitement from the first movie but if the director wanted more time to work on it... I think that would be the better option to go. Granted I have never made a movie and would have no idea. I wonder what the new director will make.

I also watched the forth Harry Potter today for the first time. Holy Crap Robert Pattinson is gorgeous. I don't have celebrity crushes, well I didn't before him. If the boyfriend dies... I call dibs.

Movied sucked. Felt like 1:30 of my life wasted. It's number 2 in the worst movie I've ever seen, not as bad as Battlefield: Earth.

Razzie Award frontrunner

Some of the blogs are saying that the "timing" thing is just a cover, really she wanted more money and a higher percentage of the back end profits and the studio didn't come up with the offer she wanted quickly enough.

I'm not sure if that'll be such a big deal anyway if she doesn't direct. I like the movie but I think that another director could have an equally as good, if not better, vision for New Moon.

I finished the 4th book in a marathon reading session this weekend. It reeeeaally stretched all credibility (come on - Renesmee?) but I could not put it down.

At least I am over and done with it!!

As far as the movie, while I enjoyed it, I found myself recasting it in my head. I think Rosalie would be much prettier - like a fashion model, and I would have recast that guy from gossip girl to be one of the vampires - he looks like a bloodsucker. I also didn't like who they cast as Carlisle, Esme or Jacob. Maybe with the new director, they'll recast. The only two who are set in stone are Bella and Edward and they are ok, but not perfect (like Vivienne Lee and Clark Gable in Gone with the Wind-that is perfect casting..).

You didn't like Jacob? I sort of agree with you, I thought he was much too pretty in the movie. I didn't imagine Jacob (or Billy Black for that matter) to be as good looking.

Esme was alright, but I hated the casting of Rosalie. Seriously! Could they not get a pretty person (someone blonde, preferably) to play her? I always saw Rosalie as this gorgeous, model-thin person, that was definitely not the image from the movie. Carlisle was eh, I personally don't find Peter Facionelli (or however you spell his name) attractive. Plus he's too old, and Carlisle was always described as looking no older than 24.

But what can you do. I seriously still think they should skip New Moon and just go on to Eclipse. How interesting can they really make New Moon?

I completely agree with Rosalie. I felt like she needs to be a lot... prettier? She is pretty, but Rosalie was supposed ridiculously good looking (Zoolander anyone?)
Carlisle was casted wrong. He kinda scared me! Definitely agree that he was way too old.
I agree with the Jacob thing.
EP. I think we are pretty close to the same brain waves...

Could they skip New Moon? It explains the whole Bella/Jacob relationship and gives a whole bunch of back ground on the Volteri as well as the depth of the Bella and Edward relationship. Also gives us the entire wolf back ground. I liked the ending of the book but it was a tough one to get through. I feel like huge nerd to have written that paragraph.


P.S. I couldn't get over Esme! I saw her and thought of Ava from Grey's Anatomy.

Look at post above I agree.
About book four... The name was ridiculous. Her middle name was something like Carlie as in Carlisle and Charlie combined. It was a little stretch but for some reason I am reading it again...

Except the Volturi was explained (in depth I believe) in Twilight, so it should have been explained in the movie. The Volturi don't show up until the end of New Moon. The Bella/Jacob relationship could most definitely be combined w/ Eclipse. The Bella/Edward relationship? How do you figure? He's gone by like the second (or so) chapter, right after the birthday party. When he leaves, there is no Bella/Edward relationship, except Bella being whiny.

The only important things to take from New Moon:
--Jacob become a wolf (and Alice can't see them in her visions)
--The Volturi want Bella turned

New Moon was mainly chit chat and boring things (like Mike throwing up in the movie theater). Omit that you get probably a 30-45 minute movie. The only thing necessary to know in advance for Eclipse is that Jacob becomes a wolf. You don't need an entire movie dedicated to that. Include it into Eclipse and wham-bam-thank-you-ma'am you've got a pretty awesome movie.

I agree and after seeing the movie, I think the remaining movies could definitely benefit from a different director. Surely, the decisions that were made (i.e. the ridiculously pasty white makeup on Carlisle or the letdown when we actually saw Edward in the sunlight - hello, special effects anyone?) were the director's. I thought the movie was a disappointment...but still enjoyed it just to see what ended up on the big screen. I, for one, am hoping that next movies are a big improvement in quality.

Sorry to be such a Debbie Downer! I do love the books!!

My understanding is that Catherine Hardwicke had an EXTREMELY limited budget for special effects given to her by the studio. Thus the subpar renderings of flight, climbing, diamond-like vampire skin, etc. I saw an interview with her about this somewhere.