The Recession on Saroj's blog! Hooray!

My friend Saroj held a series of guest blog posts about the recession and asked me to write about my personal take on it. Naturally, I chose the theatre as my point of focus. Check out my post here, and be sure to check out the rest of her very insightful blog.

This entry is brought to you from sunny Florida. I know you're jealous! :P

~Steven

The day after...

So I did have a last-minute Oscar prediction change that I did not post here. It was Slumdog winning for Sound Mixing, which it did. To my mistake, I decided not to jump on the Departures wagon, which many people did at the last second. So my prediction count is 17 out of 24. Eh, I've done much better before, but it is what it is.

I enjoyed the telecast of the Academy Awards with a couple of exceptions, one of those being that awful tribute to movie musicals... what were they thinking?! I did love seeing the past acting winners, but I missed the "Oscar clips" they usually show for each nominee. Otherwise, I love Hugh Jackman, I love seeing no acceptance speech cut off, I love the cohesiveness of the awards presented, I love the focus on the craft. It was a good pat-on-the-back for Hollywood and it made the general masses understand a little better what is involved in filmmaking. It was a celebration for all movies, not just those nominated. I like that.

As for the winners, I think anyone obsessed with Oscar prognostication saw no real surprises. Sure, I predicted Viola Davis to win, but Cruz was always the favorite, and she's hilarious in that movie. There were no truly undeserved wins. I don't think Slumdog deserved many (or any) of their awards, but I won't deny that it was a fairly decent movie with great direction and impressive technical aspects. I attended a party where the people who saw Slumdog said they liked The Reader better. I am one who shares that opinion. I think The Reader deserved the awards for Cinematography and especially Adapted Screenplay, both of which went to Slumdog. And I do believe WALL•E deserved many more awards (it only got the ghetto Animated Feature prize). At least Kate Winslet finally won an Oscar (!) in one of her best performances to date. Well deserved! And although I loved Mickey Rourke in The Wrestler, Sean Penn richly deserves an Oscar for his performance in Milk.

What I'm most excited about is rewatching all these movies after the fact. I can't wait to get The Reader on Blu-ray or give Slumdog a second chance or see Japan's winning movie or be inspired once again by Milk. If this wasn't a great year for movies, it was a good year at the Oscars.

Moving on...

~Steven

Oscar Predictions

Okay, so I dropped the ball in terms of writing up about all of the major Oscar nominees. But here you go: my predictions of the Academy Awards. You'll find my predictions, alternates, and preferences. I have seen all the nominees unless otherwise noted. If I make no preference, I have not seen any of the nominees (basically, I haven't seen the nominated documentaries or shorts).

Best Motion Picture of the Year
The Curious Case of Benjamin Button
Frost/Nixon
Milk
The Reader
Slumdog Millionaire

Prediction: Slumdog Millionaire
Alternate: The Reader
Preference: The Reader

Achievement in Directing
David Fincher, The Curious Case of Benjamin Button
Ron Howard, Frost/Nixon
Gus Van Sant, Milk
Stephen Daldry, The Reader
Danny Boyle, Slumdog Millionaire

Prediction: Danny Boyle, Slumdog Millionaire
Alternate: David Fincher, The Curious Case of Benjamin Button
Preference: Gus Van Sant, Milk

Performance by an Actor in a Leading Role
Richard Jenkins, The Visitor
Frank Langella, Frost/Nixon
Sean Penn, Milk
Brad Pitt, The Curious Case of Benjamin Button
Mickey Rourke, The Wrestler

Prediction: Sean Penn
Alternate: Mickey Rourke
Preference: Sean Penn or Mickey Rourke

Performance by an Actress in a Leading Role
Anne Hathaway, Rachel Getting Married
Angelina Jolie, Changeling
Melissa Leo, Frozen River
Meryl Streep, Doubt
Kate Winslet, The Reader

Prediction: Kate Winslet
Alternate: Meryl Streep
Preference: Kate Winslet

Performance by an Actor in a Supporting Role
Josh Brolin, Milk
Robert Downey Jr., Tropic Thunder
Philip Seymour Hoffman, Doubt
Heath Ledger, The Dark Knight
Michael Shannon, Revolutionary Road

Prediction: Heath Ledger
Alternate: Josh Brolin
Preference: Heath Ledger

Performance by an Actress in a Supporting Role
Amy Adams, Doubt
Penélope Cruz, Vicky Cristina Barcelona
Viola Davis, Doubt
Taraji P. Henson, The Curious Case of Benjamin Button
Marisa Tomei, The Wrestler

Prediction: Viola Davis
Alternate: Penélope Cruz
Preference: Marisa Tomei

Adapted Screenplay
The Curious Case of Benjamin Button, Eric Roth and Robin Swicord
Doubt, John Patrick Shanley
Frost/Nixon, Peter Morgan
The Reader, David Hare
Slumdog Millionaire, Simon Beaufoy

Prediction: Slumdog Millionaire
Alternate: The Reader
Preference: The Reader

Original Screenplay
Frozen River, Courtney Hunt
Happy-Go-Lucky, Mike Leigh
In Bruges, Martin McDonagh
Milk, Dustin Lance Black
WALL•E, Andrew Stanton, Jim Reardon, Pete Docter

Prediction: WALL•E
Alternate: Milk
Preference: WALL•E (I have not seen Happy-Go-Lucky)

Best Animated Feature Film of the Year
Bolt
Kung Fu Panda
WALL•E

Prediction: WALL•E
Alternate: Kung Fu Panda
Preference: WALL•E (I have not seen Bolt)

Best Documentary Feature
The Betrayal (Nerakhoon)
Encounters at the End of the World
The Garden
Man on Wire
Trouble the Water

Prediction: Man on Wire
Alternate: Trouble the Water

Best Foreign Language Film of the Year
The Baader Meinhof Complex, Germany
The Class, France
Departures, Japan
Revanche, Austria
Waltz With Bashir, Israel

Prediction: The Class
Alternate: Waltz With Bashir
Preference: I’ve only seen The Class, but it is fantastic

Achievement in Art Direction
Changeling
The Curious Case of Benjamin Button
The Dark Knight
The Duchess
Revolutionary Road

Prediction: The Curious Case of Benjamin Button
Alternate: The Dark Knight
Preference: The Duchess

Achievement in Cinematography
Changeling
The Curious Case of Benjamin Button
The Dark Knight
The Reader
Slumdog Millionaire

Prediction: Slumdog Millionaire
Alternate: The Reader
Preference: The Reader

Achievement in Costume Design
Australia
The Curious Case of Benjamin Button
The Duchess
Milk
Revolutionary Road

Prediction: The Duchess
Alternate: The Curious Case of Benjamin Button
Preference: The Duchess or Milk (I have not seen Australia)

Achievement in Film Editing
The Curious Case of Benjamin Button
The Dark Knight
Frost/Nixon
Milk
Slumdog Millionaire

Prediction: Slumdog Millionaire
Alternate: The Dark Knight
Preference: Milk

Achievement in Makeup
The Curious Case of Benjamin Button
The Dark Knight
Hellboy II: The Golden Army

Prediction: The Curious Case of Benjamin Button
Alternate: The Dark Knight
Preference: The Curious Case of Benjamin Button

Achievement in Music Written for Motion Pictures (Original Score)
Alexandre Desplat, The Curious Case of Benjamin Button
James Newton Howard, Defiance
Danny Elfman, Milk
A.R. Rahman, Slumdog Millionaire
Thomas Newman, WALL•E

Prediction: Slumdog Millionaire
Alternate: WALL•E
Preference: WALL•E (I have not seen Defiance)

Achievement in Music Written for Motion Pictures (Original Song)
“Down to Earth,” WALL•E
“Jai Ho,” Slumdog Millionaire
“O Saya,” Slumdog Millionaire

Prediction: “Down to Earth”
Alternate: “Jai Ho”
Preference: “Down to Earth”

Achievement in Sound Editing
The Dark Knight
Iron Man
Slumdog Millionaire
WALL•E
Wanted

Prediction: WALL•E
Alternate: The Dark Knight
Preference: WALL•E

Achievement in Sound Mixing
The Curious Case of Benjamin Button
The Dark Knight
Slumdog Millionaire
WALL•E
Wanted

Prediction: WALL•E
Alternate: Slumdog Millionaire
Preference: WALL•E

Achievement in Visual Effects
The Curious Case of Benjamin Button
The Dark Knight
Iron Man

Prediction: The Curious Case of Benjamin Button
Alternate: Iron Man
Preference: The Curious Case of Benjamin Button

Best Animated Short Film
La Maison en Petits Cubes
Lavatory – Lovestory
Oktapodi
Presto
This Way Up

Prediction: Presto
Alternate: La Maison en Petits Cubes
Preference: I’ve only seen Presto, which is hilarious, and This Way Up, which is strange, so I’d go with Presto

Best Documentary Short Subject
The Conscience of Nhem En
The Final Inch
Smile Pinki
The Witness – From the Balcony of Room 306

Prediction: The Conscience of Nhem En
Alternate: The Witness – From the Balcony of Room 306

Best Live Action Short Film
Auf der Strecke (On the Line)
Manon on the Asphalt
New Boy
The Pig
Spielzeugland (Toyland)

Prediction: Spielzeugland (Toyland)
Alternate: The Pig

Predicted Number of Wins:
Slumdog Millionaire – 6
WALL•E – 5
The Curious Case of Benjamin Button – 3
The Class – 1
The Conscience of Nhem En – 1
The Dark Knight – 1
Doubt – 1
The Duchess – 1
Man on Wire – 1
Milk – 1
Presto – 1
The Reader – 1
Spielzeugland (Toyland) – 1

I don't see a Slumdog clean sweep like some people are thinking. It'll be the big winner, but it will not sweep. And there's no way Benjamin Button, a tech marvel and nomination leader, will go home empty-handed. I do predict that WALL•E will be the runner up at Oscar night since it's so beloved, but The Dark Knight will have only one consolation prize for losing out in the Best Picture lineup.

This has been an odd Oscar year for sure...

~Steven

Steven on the Oscar Nominees: Actress in a Supporting Role

This is the first of a series of posts I’m putting together on my thoughts on this year’s Oscar nominations. Thoughts, my opinions of the performances, my personal favorites, and anything else I have to offer.

And the nominees are...

Best Performance by an Actress in a Supporting Role
Amy Adams in Doubt
Penélope Cruz in Vicky Cristina Barcelona
Viola Davis in Doubt
Taraji P. Henson in The Curious Case of Benjamin Button
Marisa Tomei in The Wrestler

In Doubt, Amy Adams portrays Sister James, a young and naïve nun whose confession gets the movie rolling along. Although she gives the least emotional punch out of the Doubt quartet, Adams pulls her weight. After all, she was Oscar-nominated for a similar role in Junebug and should have made it for Enchanted. What she does, she does well, so no complaining here. However, this is not an award-winning role, especially when you put her up against Viola Davis, who gives a more memorable performance in the same film.

Penélope Cruz thoroughly shines in Vicky Cristina Barcelona. For me, she was the saving grace of the film. Whenever she’s on the screen, the movie is one thousand times better. Her Maria Elena is so fiery, passionate, and entirely crazy. There’s some heavy scenery chewing for sure, but it’s very calculated, smart, and, above all, hilarious. Cruz gives an entertaining performance through-and-through.

Viola Davis’s Mrs. Miller (wasn’t it “Mrs. Muller” on Broadway?) is as messy and sloppy as anything, but she doesn’t care as long as her son gets through school. It is Doubt’s pivotal role and Davis doesn’t back away from it. You know you’re seeing something special when someone actually upstages Meryl Streep. She has the shortest role of all the nominees in this category, but who can forget the image of Viola Davis with tears streaming down her eyes, snot dripping down her nose, quietly but relentlessly fighting for her son, even if it means trading one type of abuse for another? Sure, a lot of it comes from John Patrick Shanley’s writing, but the movie would fall flat if you don’t have a great actress in this role. And no, the movie doesn’t fall flat.

Taraji P. Henson’s Queenie ages normally in The Curious Case of Benjamin Button, but she probably has the biggest heart out of the nominated roles. She takes care of the elderly, mothers a computer-generated (and Oscar-nominated) Brad Pitt, and never thinks twice about what she believes is right. Yes, she probably leaves the least impact out of all the nominees in this category, but it doesn’t mean that you don’t want her for your own mama. While I thought the standout supporting performance in Benjamin Button was Tilda Swinton’s, Henson has done a fine job as well.

And that leaves us with Marisa Tomei and her performance as Cassidy and/or Pam in The Wrestler. Tomei is nude for probably one-half of her performance, and even though she plays an aging stripper, I don’t think anyone would complain about watching her gyrate and lap-dance in this film. Who knew she still has a rockin’ body? Marisa Tomei is so raw and so real in The Wrestler; she lives and breathes in this role. It’s an unbelievable performance from start to finish. Tomei’s first Oscar was not a fluke. She is a wonderful actress, and this performance would convert any of the non-believers. Although she won an Oscar for a flashy role, Tomei proves that a great, subtle performance reads just as strong.

My pick: Marisa Tomei in The Wrestler

Other thoughts: All five ladies and performances are strong, so I wouldn’t be upset with any of them winning. Tomei is probably the dark horse to win with Cruz and Davis grabbing what was once Kate Winslet’s award for the taking (her supporting performance in The Reader was nominated in the leading category). So if any of those three win, I’d be happy.

Soon to come: The other acting races and, of course, Best Picture!

Thoughts? Comments? Debates? Threats? Let me know!

~Steven

Happens every year, but I'll say it once more: Christmas... already?

Now that two reality competition shows have finished their seasons (The Amazing Race and Survivor... wow, I'm a dork) and Heroes closed up another chapter (hmm... that's how it ended?), I've finally started to realize that it's the holiday season. It always surprises me each year and then it's always too late for me to get into "the spirit." O how I long for the days when I actually cared about decorations and carol singing and gift wrapping. Not that I still don't do all three of those things, but I guess now that I'm getting older I see a new perspective about the holiday season. Not a bad one, just a more careful and reflective one. And realistic... living in this world is expensive and pockets are empty.

I'm not trying to sound cynical or anything. I love this time of year. It's arguably my favorite time of year. Many more people at least try to be jollier at this time. Sure, there's a slight edge to people because they're still trying to purchase everything on their checklists, but the good intentions are usually there if you catch them while they're not shopping. I also love that I get to see family and other dearly loved ones. There's nothing like a warm embrace and a smile to get your spirits up, and there's plenty to go around at this time of year. That smile or embrace could be more of a "We did it! We got through the year!" smile or embrace, but either way it's about the celebration of being together. And then there's the music, one of my favorite things about the season. I do believe that certain Christmas standards are some of the best songs ever written. The melodies are beautiful, the lyrics are hopeful... Okay, some songs are overplayed, but it's the one time of year you can listen to them and not appear foolish. Just listen; it is positively heartwarming and cheerful.

No matter your religion or personality type, I wish you all the best at this time of year. Don't be afraid to open up your heart.

I will leave you with some favorite Christmas albums of mine for those who are still looking for the perfect holiday soundtrack:

Jewel - Joy: A Holiday Collection
A great and surprisingly traditional take on Christmas. Jewel shows she can be pretty versatile.

Jim Brickman - Peace
This Christmas album from my favorite new age pianist was Grammy nominated (how often do you see that happen?)! It's a perfect blend of instrumental and vocal tracks of holiday standards both old and new. This is definitely one to put on while you sit by the fireside or if you want to create that feeling in your hearthless apartment.

Broadway Cares - Home for the Holidays
This is a holiday CD featuring theatre personalities. Proceeds for the disc go to Broadway Cares/Equity Fights AIDS. You know you've always wanted to hear Liza Minnelli and Alan Cumming's rendition of "Baby, It's Cold Outside" and Daphne Rubin-Vega's "Feliz Navidad."

The Carpenters - Christmas Portrait
An oldie but a goodie. Karen Carpenter's voice has never sounded better or richer. Every track is a classic.

~Steven

Milk does a body good...

I was lucky enough to watch Gus Van Sant's Milk last night. This biopic chronicles the rise in political power of Harvey Milk, the first openly homosexual to be elected to public office, and his tragic assassination. But the movie is never about the tragedy or the hardship, athough this story is full of both. It focuses on the hope of a people and the acceptance of a [still] misunderstood community.

Sean Penn plays the title character with great heart. It is hard not to fall in love with him, which is probably true of his real life counterpart as well. It's a valiant performance by Mr. Penn, which I'm sure will translate to an Oscar nomination soon enough.

With actors such as Emile Hirsch, Josh Brolin, Diego Luna, James Franco, Alison Pill, Victor Garber, Denis O'Hare, Joseph Cross, Stephen Spinella, and even High School Musical alum Lucas Grabeel, there is not one weak link in this ensemble cast. Everyone gives a passionate performance, all working towards the same goal of creating a beautiful film.

The events in the movie are frighteningly relevant. The cruel treatment of the gay community is alive and well to this day. The attempt to legally make homosexuals second-class citizens especially rings true. Harvey Milk famously battled the Briggs Initiative, aka Proposition 6. This proposition would put into motion the firing of gay teachers as well as pro-gay teachers. Prop 6 was ultimately defeated, but it is impossible for today's audiences not to ponder what happened recently in California with the passing of Proposition 8. If this movie had been released before polls opened this year, would the outcome have been any different?

So much hope beams through this movie, and that's what makes Milk so beautiful. This hope is not just for the gay community but for the entire nation. There is hope that one day we can all accept each other's differences and embrace them. Harvey Milk taught us that it just takes one step at a time. Milk is not a tragedy; it's an inspiration.

Please, do yourselves a favor and go see Milk. It is certainly one of the year's best. And if you care to, Netflix the Oscar-winning documentary, The Times of Harvey Milk. It's yet another wonderful, honest film that is worth seeing.

I will leave you with Prop 8 - The Musical. If you haven't seen it yet, you're welcome.

See more Jack Black videos at Funny or Die

~Steven

Naked Kate Winslet = Naked Golden Man?

Last night, I finished reading Bernhard Schlink's international bestseller, The Reader. It's about Michael Berg and how his affair with a woman twice his age has altered his life in postwar Germany. It's a beautiful, powerful, and devastating novel filled with passion, guilt, and morals. The last third is especially emotional, playing directly to the reader's heartstrings. I am utterly haunted by Michael and his one-time lover, Hanna Schmitz, and how their lives turn out. I would highly recommend it.

I read the novel in anticipation of the new film adaptation directed by Stephen Daldry. I admire Stephen Daldry's work, especially Billy Elliot (he directed both the film and stage versions of the show). It's his work on The Hours, however, that makes me very hopeful about The Reader. The Hours, another haunting and devastating adaptation of a novel, may have won Nicole Kidman an Oscar because of her prosthetic nose, but it also sports a beautiful performance by Julianne Moore (where's her Oscar? Anyone?) and lots of vivid imagery and storytelling.

What makes me even more excited about The Reader is Kate Winslet, one of the greatest actors of our generation. She's a true chameleon, a mini-Meryl. With five Oscar nominations by the time she was 31, she is the youngest person to achieve that status and is climbing her way to be one of the most nominated actresses. However, she has yet to win the elusive naked golden man.

In The Reader, Kate portrays Hanna, a woman on trial for a crime committed in Nazi Germany. She gets to age about 30 years throughout the movie. And we also get to see her naked body yet again, something that Oscar certainly doesn't mind (she was nude onscreen in Titanic, Iris, and Little Children, three of her five nominations). But will this finally be her chance? Will nomination #6 bring her the gold?

Frankly, the only thing I can see stopping her from winning is herself. Kate Winslet has another movie coming out in December that is just as Oscar bait-y. It's a movie called Revolutionary Road, directed by her husband, Sam Mendes, and co-starring her Titanic lover, Leonardo DiCaprio. If people praise both performances, it might lead to vote splitting, and as we all know, an actor can only be nominated once per category. Kate & Co. know this very well, and if they're smart, they'll push Kate for Supporting Actress for The Reader and let her work in Revolutionary Road be considered for the Leading Actress category. Then again, will nominating committees recognize that? Or will they be confused and not know in which category to nominate her? I hope the eggs land in Ms. Winslet's basket. She could be a potential double nominee this year and finally take home the gold. Let's hope it happens. I'm keeping my fingers crossed.

See the trailer that inspired me to read the novel in the first place. Thoughts? Concerns? Adoration?

Two Kates. Two Nominations? Two WINS?! Or category confusion?

~Steven

Hispanic?

Okay, let's get this straight. I am a Filipino-American. I have always lived in the United States and have never stepped outside the borders of this country. My parents were not born in this country but have lived here for most of their lives and have never revisited their mother country.

"Filipino" is the correct term for what I am. It's not "Philippine," "Philippinian," or any of those variants I have heard in the past. O yes, and it's spelled with an F.

No matter what anyone else says, Filipinos are Asian. Not Spanish, Pacific Islander, Chinese, Japanese. ASIAN. The Philippines belongs to the continent of Asia. Therefore, it is an Asian nation and its people are Asian.

My last name is Spanish. That's because the Philippines were invaded by the Spanish many, many years ago. It does not make me Spanish. Many Filipinos have Spanish last names, so I'm not alone.

I [sadly] don't speak Tagalog. Nor am I fluent in Spanish.

But why o why is there still a confusion?

Why does my mother get a magazine entitled Hispanic every month without her subscribing to it?

Why do we get telemarketers asking to speak to a Hispanic member of the family?
A phone call I once answered:
Man: Are you Hispanic?
Me: No.
Man: Can I speak to someone in your household who is?
Me: No.
He literally couldn't; I wasn't being rude. There is no one in this household who is or ever was Hispanic.

Sure, Filipino restaurants don't exist at every street corner. And the biggest Filipino celebrity is in the lowly theatre world. But Filipinos do live in America. We're not that uncommon. So why is it taking so long for us to be recognized?

That said, I will continue to exploit my ethnic ambiguity as I pursue a career in theatre. I can fall into whatever race they want me to be. Why, you say? Because show business has yet to see beyond ethnic boundaries. I am still seen as a stereotype or a person to fill a certain quota. Yes, it's true that Asians are being seen more and more in the entertainment industry. And yet more and more are being turned away because they are "not what we're looking for."

I'm sorry if your head is now spinning. No worries, mine is too. Just too many things wrong here. Double standards, irony, and head-spinning... I guess that's what it's like to be a Filipino-American.

~Steven

Please pack your knives and go

Why do I get giddy at the thought of a new season of Top Chef? I don't have a really good answer for you. It happens every year at some point, but I see the knife logo flash across my TV set and I just start jumping up and down uncontrollably, only to sulk five seconds later because it was just a teaser promo for an upcoming season of my favorite reality cooking show. Now that the new season has begun, I am sane once again (or not, depending how you look at it). And this time, the contestants are cooking it up right here in New York! How can this season not be brilliant?

I can't tell if this will be a good season just yet (it's only one episode in), but they already eliminated two people! How's that for a twist? An elimination during the quickfire challenge? I love it. I don't even care that I can't eat the food. Top Chef has always delivered wonderful entertainment accompanied by just the right amount of drama. The food is the main focus. It's very exciting to watch.

And while we're on the subject of just the right amount of drama in a reality series, I continue to love and root for The Amazing Race. Nothing motivates people more than "finish first and you'll win a million dollars!" There's absolutely no room for the unnecessary drama that reeks through all of those "real" whatevers. The stakes are too high for anyone to slow down for drama, which I love. This season is especially exciting for me because one of the racers is a musical theatre actor, currently starring in the Off-Broadway production of The Fantasticks. The drama within The Amazing Race is shown through the pairs' relationships and how they deal with the pressure. It's great fun. Now if only CBS didn't air the show on Sundays, making it interfere with their football schedule and very often airing my beloved reality show (a show that has won CBS six consecutive, undefeated Emmy Awards, mind you) whenever the big men in the helmets decide to call it a day. It's pretty frustrating, especially when the DVR doesn't foresee these instances. I never liked football anyway, and this is certainly not a way to get Steven on your side.

So yeah, I guess I'm a sucker for reality shows. I should clarify... reality competition television. Well, the "good ones" at least. I love seeing what people can do, pushing them to their creative limits or to their wit's end. And then after I'm satisfied with what I watch, I pretend that it all actually happened that way, that none of it was scripted, fully knowing that much of the results and editing were manipulated by the producers. But hopefully the competition aspect reduces the fakeness. Right? I don't exactly know why I'm trying to defend my guilty pleasure of reality competition shows. Am I guilty of liking them? Yes. Do I feel guilty liking them? Sometimes. Doesn't matter now because it's all out there and my secret is out! Now who wants to talk about Runway, ANTM, Survivor, or BB? Don't get me started on American Idol, though... I just can't stand that one. Ugh.

~Steven

My thoughts you can't decode...

My first official post is dedicated to Stephenie Meyer's Twilight saga. I promise that it won't monopolize this blog, but I thought I'd write about it since I finished the fourth and final book yesterday.

I first stumbled upon Twilight when my teenage sister began reading the series this past summer. I started reading in September and read through the four-book saga in roughly two months. Although Stephenie Meyer's writing style is sophomoric and just plain bad sometimes (there are so many typos throughout the series; a toddler could have done a better job editing), the characters both human and supernatural are just plain fascinating. Since Meyer makes up her own rules about vampires, this is a fresh take on the genre. Now, I have loved vampire stories, from one of my favorite TV series, Buffy the Vampire Slayer, to the new and erotic True Blood on HBO. Let's face it: vampires never get boring. And if that's not enough, the Twilight books have been injected with werewolves, vampires' nemeses according to Meyer.

What really draws me to the Twilight books are the various themes that are common to both the mortal and immortal. It would not be a true vampire story without passion, and there's a lot of it here. There's also the issue of control and giving into temptation, another juicy topic. But above all, there is the conscience. Meyer's characters (among them Bella, the books' teenage narrator and protagonist; Edward, her vampire lover; and Jacob, Bella's werewolf suitor) illustrate that no action is without reaction and repercussion. Blame and guilt are always on these characters' minds, and it is fascinating to see how each individual deals with it. Will they deliberately hurt the ones they love? Will they seek revenge? Will they choose to hide their true feelings as best they can? It's definitely an interesting game of chess.

Well, all of this is true about the series until you get to Breaking Dawn. Twilight is an electric jolt and a perfect introduction to the characters. New Moon is an essential, if slow, book in redefining relationships and opening up new storylines. Eclipse is a fast-paced, action-packed thrill ride from start to finish. So why not end on a high note? After all, anything that would follow these three books is bound to be disappointing. And, well, Breaking Dawn is that disappointment of a fourth book.

Yes, there are some interesting twists and turns, but ultimately, Stephenie Meyer has just created a plot with too many holes, too many unfinished stories, and too many characters yet to be fleshed out. The book introduces a new voice when Jacob (the werewolf) narrates the second of the book's three sections. However, his narration doesn't really add anything new to the story and in fact leaves many stories open-ended, never to be addressed again. Sure, it makes Jacob a more likable character after some irredeemable actions in my opinion (I've always been on Team Edward), but that's about it. What about the budding friendship/possible romance with Leah? And Seth's new power position? And where the heck are Quil and Embry, Jacob's best friends? And isn't his sister destined to be with someone he can't stand? Sadly, none of these questions are ever answered, even if they are basic issues that should be solved with Jacob as a narrator. But I guess Meyer got bored or had writer's block. Lame on you, Stephenie Meyer.

The book's conclusion with the Volturi is equally stupid. All the buildup and no final battle? With only one insignificant character dying? It made the head-honcho vampires that make up the Volturi to look like bumbling idiots. How anticlimactic. O but it doesn't matter since the series ends with a happily ever after for all. If only getting there were more interesting.

Even though the final book failed to measure up to the enthralling first three (a trilogy as far as I'm concerned), it doesn't diminish any excitement I've had for the film adaptation of Twilight. Yes, you've seen all the hype on MTV and the multiple covers on Entertainment Weekly. But none of that matters to me because the movie looks like a faithful adaptation of the first book with all the right people playing the right parts. Even its soundtrack, which premiered at #1 on the Billboard charts, is dead on. Bravo to Paramore, whose anthem "Decode" perfectly encapsulates Bella and Edward's relationship of dangerous, undeniable passion. (Paramore's other song written for the movie, "I Caught Myself," hits the mark as well.) Sure, the movie looks like it is geared towards fangirls and teenagers, but after seeing clips and interviews with the filmmakers and cast, it really looks like an honest telling of what I consider to be a legitimate vampire tale. No, I won't be one of those who is bound to scream every time Robert Pattinson is on the screen, but I probably will be on the edge of my seat. I hope Rob and Co. don't disappoint... like Breaking Dawn did.

So I do encourage you to read the Twilight saga (or at least the first three books) and to see the movie, which premieres on November 21. (Note the discrepancy on the movie poster below regarding the release date... Twilight moved up its premiere to the original release date of the next Harry Potter flick, which was pushed back to 2009.)


Now unto something totally different next time, I promise! I refuse to turn this into another Twilight blog. Until then, happy procrastinating. If you've read this post the whole way through, you've done a good job procrastinating already, and I hope you come back for more! Comment at will... and tell me what you'd like me to talk about or dish on.

~Steven