Movie Box Review

The MTV Movie Awards were broadcasted on Sunday June 5, 2011 and I was oddly in the States at the time but didn't get a chance to see them (you can rewatch them streaming in the US here and in Canada here), but I couldn't wait to see who were this years winners. Twilight fans will be happy as the films have consistently won best movie, best kiss and best female performance (Kristen Stewart) for the past three years including this years wins for The Twilight Saga: Eclipse. Little surprized to see The Twilight Saga: Eclipse win over Inception for Best Fight, but even odder is that the fight nominated from The Fighter wasn't a boxing match but rather Amy Adams & the sisters. Ah, these awards certainly keep me on my toes! Big kudos to Tom Felton who has won best villain for 2 years running for his performance as Draco Malfoy in the Harry Potter series including this years win for Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Part 1; and also big congratulations to Chloe Grace Moretz who won 2 awards: best breakout star & biggest badass star winner for Kick-Ass.

Here are all the winners!

2011 MTV Movie Awards Winners

BEST MOVIE
The Twilight Saga: Eclipse

BEST MALE PERFORMANCE
Robert Pattinson in The Twilight Saga: Eclipse

BEST FEMALE PERFORMANCE
Kristen Stewart in The Twilight Saga: Eclipse

BEST COMEDIC PERFORMANCE
Emma Stone in Easy A

BEST VILLIAN
Tom Felton in Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Part 1

BEST JAW DROPPING MOMENT
Justin Bieber in Never Say Never (Performance Spectacular)

BIGGEST BADASS STAR WINNER
Chloe Grace Moretz in Kick-Ass

BEST BREAKOUT STAR
Chloe Grace Moretz

BEST FIGHT
Robert Pattinson vs. Bryce Dallas Howard vs. Xavier Samuel in The Twilight Saga: Eclipse

BEST KISS
Robert Pattinson/Kristen Stewart in The Twilight Saga: Eclipse

MTV GENERATION
Reese Witherspoon

BEST LINE FROM A MOVIE
"I want to get chocolate wasted" - Alexys Nycole Sanchez in Grown Ups

BEST SCARED-AS-SH*T
Ellen Page is Inception

The MTV Movie Awards were broadcasted on Sunday June 5, 2011, see more about the awards here (US Site & Canadian Site).

The MTV Movie Awards were broadcasted on Sunday June 5, 2011 and I was oddly in the States at the time but didn't get a chance to see them (you can rewatch them streaming in the US here and in Canada here), but I couldn't wait to see who were this years winners. Twilight fans will be happy as the films have consistently won best movie, best kiss and best female performance (Kristen Stewart) for the past three years including this years wins for The Twilight Saga: Eclipse. Little surprized to see The Twilight Saga: Eclipse win over Inception for Best Fight, but even odder is that the fight nominated from The Fighter wasn't a boxing match but rather Amy Adams & the sisters. Ah, these awards certainly keep me on my toes! Big kudos to Tom Felton who has won best villain for 2 years running for his performance as Draco Malfoy in the Harry Potter series including this years win for Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Part 1; and also big congratulations to Chloe Grace Moretz who won 2 awards: best breakout star & biggest badass star winner for Kick-Ass.

Here are all the winners!

2011 MTV Movie Awards Winners

BEST MOVIE
The Twilight Saga: Eclipse

BEST MALE PERFORMANCE
Robert Pattinson in The Twilight Saga: Eclipse

BEST FEMALE PERFORMANCE
Kristen Stewart in The Twilight Saga: Eclipse

BEST COMEDIC PERFORMANCE
Emma Stone in Easy A

BEST VILLIAN
Tom Felton in Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Part 1

BEST JAW DROPPING MOMENT
Justin Bieber in Never Say Never (Performance Spectacular)

BIGGEST BADASS STAR WINNER
Chloe Grace Moretz in Kick-Ass

BEST BREAKOUT STAR
Chloe Grace Moretz

BEST FIGHT
Robert Pattinson vs. Bryce Dallas Howard vs. Xavier Samuel in The Twilight Saga: Eclipse

BEST KISS
Robert Pattinson/Kristen Stewart in The Twilight Saga: Eclipse

MTV GENERATION
Reese Witherspoon

BEST LINE FROM A MOVIE
"I want to get chocolate wasted" - Alexys Nycole Sanchez in Grown Ups

BEST SCARED-AS-SH*T
Ellen Page is Inception

The MTV Movie Awards were broadcasted on Sunday June 5, 2011, see more about the awards here (US Site & Canadian Site).

Courtesy of eOne Films

Dir: David Slade (30 Days of Night, Hard Candy)
Cast: Kristen Stewart, Robert Pattinson, Taylor Lautner, Billy Burke, Jackson Rathbone, Ashley Greene, Nikki Reed, Kellen Lutz, Peter Facinelli, Elisabeth Reaser, Bryce Dallas Howard, Xavier Samuel, Dakota Fanning
USA, 2010

Seen: Opening Night June 30, 2010 at Midnight

Reason to see: I'm a huge fan of the Twilight universe, and I loved the film Twilight although was disappointed with New Moon and was hoping Eclipse would get us back into the groove of greatness. And I did the whole The Wolfathon in anticipation for the films theatrical release.

DVD extras are outlined specifically further on, but I want to mention some of the highlights right away which at the top of the list is the commentary with actors Kristen Stewart & Robert Pattinson, which I think all of the Twi-fans are really looking forward to and missed this connection on the New Moon DVD. Kristen & Rob are really funny in this commentary and although you can tell they aren't physically in the same location you can still feel the chemistry & camaraderie shines through as they discuss the film, including arguing/explaining their characters and justifications which is hilarious as is the fact that they are well aware of certain aspects of the fandom. I also really liked the 6-part documentary, especially the training with the actors for the fight sequences (great for Kellan & Peter fans), the interviews with director David Slade and of course the actors. The photo gallery is great (over 100 images - many I've not seen before including character portraits), the deleted scenes include great moments like the well-noted missing Bella/Angela chat. The Stephanie Meyers & Wyck Godfrey commentary is very interesting and the Fast Forward to Edward or Jacob is exactly what you'd image - the film with just the Edward or Jacob bits, which I hope makes each team very happy!

Okay, on to the review of the film itself. It's a bit of a strange thing to review The Twilight Saga: Eclipse, as I feel split down the middle between reacting to the film as a critic and a fan. The critic in me is cheering, seeing a very well put together film with solid performance, strong story arc and a very successful book to film translation that keeps the intent of the story, brings intensity of the action as well as the internal conflict all the while managing to made a third entry into the series enjoyable as 'part 3' but also easily understandable to anyone who walks in cold.

For the uninitiated, The Twilight Saga: Eclipse is the third film in the vampire romance series based on the best selling books by Stephenie Meyer. I whole hearted loved and will always praise the first film in the series Twilight, directed by Catherine Hardwicke, whom brought the intensity of first love between our protagonist Bella and the vegetarian vampire Edward to the big screen, in a way that celebrated and embraced the spirit of the book on which it was based. A year later we saw the next in the series The Twilight Saga: New Moon, directed by Chris Weitz, which played it safe and was a very literal adaptation of the book which is seeped in loss and reconnection, although I felt at that stage we lost some of the magic. With The Twilight Saga: Eclipse, directed by David Slade, I feel like we got a bit of both: another very literal adaptation of book where the tone of the film fits the darker story of revenge along with the further development of a love triangle, and adds and edginess of danger and the heat of romance that will keep viewers enraptured throughout.

As a fan, I'll admit my first reaction was straight up relief. I was so disappointed with The Twilight Saga: New Moon (which is my favourite of the books), because it lost the spirit of the world. The spirit does come back in Eclipse, mostly with the performances as the actors really have a great sense of their characters and this shows well through their camaraderie, concerns, conflicts and compromises. The fan in me would have loved to see the spirit of the series shown in other ways as well, but with a darker themed film there may have been less opportunity to nods to the Twi-verse amidst the action and love triangle. It does really feel like they enhanced the world on several levels though, working with what worked before and then cranking it up. The action elements have a stronger presence and are more intense, enhanced by using subtly different but very effective effects to bring this horror element out to play.

It also really cranks up the heat of the romance, bringing what we've previously seen as stirring to absolutely sizzling. The screening I went to had more than it's fair share of hoots, hollers and mid-film applause at these moments. This is slightly ironic considering the films very clear 'traditional family values' message, but at least it's something discussed as opposed to just presented or accepted. I could gripe about that, but it's true to the book and the verse so that feels like a mute point. I do have a small bone to pick on the with the slight changes of villain character Victoria, played in this film by Bryce Dallas Howard, where not only is she not in the film very much but she's almost more pouty and manipulative, where previously she's been showcased as very capable and feral. Not that those can't all co-exist, but they are very different choices. This change here does however align to the description of Victoria in the new novella The Short Second Life of Bree Tanner, but I very much preferred Rachelle Lefevre's ferocious and confident Victoria from Twilight and New Moon.

What I did love about the film, I whole heartedly loved. The first thing on that list was the sound and the score. Great choices there giving a great atmosphere and creepy tone, especially in the fight sequences. Next up is the performances by Kellan Lutz as the burly vampire Emmett, who has amazing delivery on all of his lines and has been a stand out since the beginning - he's a joy to watch. I also loved Billy Burke as Charlie, who has great awkward father/daughter chemistry with Kristen Stewart as Bella. Actually, Kristen Stewart has been so solid throughout the series that sometimes I forget to give credit where credit is due and it's due here. So, kudos again to Kristen Stewart as she is great as out protagonist Bella. Her along with Robert Pattinson as Edward and Taylor Lautner as Jacob give a really solid foundation for the film and play off each other very well. For performances, I was also impressive is Xavier Samuel (The Loved Ones), who appears as the tormented newborn vampire Riley. Other things I loved about the film include the fun, familial sense of the Wolf Pack, although I would have loved to see more of them. The cinematography is sensational, and I love the implementation of a cooler colour story for the vampires which gives a stark sense of distancing in contrast to the warmer tones used to represent other elements and environments in the film. Absolutely beautiful.

There was lots to love in the film, and I'm thrilled to have enjoyed it as much as I did. It really hits all the right marks with memorable moments, great lines, fantastic chemistry, exciting action and more. The fan in me was hoping for a certain in a je ne sais quoi, like nod to the fans as we've seen in the previous films but I am happy with what we got. I still don't know how they got so much of the book in the film from back stories to action to romance as well as adding some new elements and extending others. It's very impressive how well it flows, all things considered.

The Twilight Saga: Eclipse will easily have the widest reach of the series, not only will the fans be happy but it also will have a broader appeal to a larger audience as it truly does have it all: action, drama, mystery, romance, not to mention vampires and werewolves! It's visually stunning with a great soundtrack and the actors all do a great job and even as part of a series it still tells it's own story. It truly has something for everyone as a movie going experience.

DVD Extras for of Two-Disc Special Edition:

Disc One - Includes the film plus 2 Audio Commentaries

• Audio commentary with Kristen Stewart & Robert Pattinson - Total highlight of the DVD. How long have we been waiting for this Twifans? I sorely missed having an actor commentary on New Moon DVD so this was an extra special treat on the DVD. Although Kristen & Rob aren't physically in the same location you can still feel the chemistry & camaraderie between them shining through the audio as they chat through the movie. It's a really funny commentary, especially when it's clear how aware they are (or aren't) about particular aspects of the fandom. They fully and completely know their characters which leads to several hilarious arguments and/or discussions on their characters and justifying their actions. I continue to be impressed with Kristen Stewart, she makes some interesting notations to the acting process in terms of character interactions that I never would have picked up as a challenge and are seamless in the film - great work!
• Audio commentary with author of Twilight book series Stephenie Meyers and producer Wyck Godfry. This will be a great commentary for folks interesting in history and evolution of different aspects of the mythos in the film series, they chat a lot about things that have changed over time as well as things early versions of scenes or entire sequences that didn't make the cut. Also very aware of the fandom in terms of certain things that just *had* to be in the film, which is fun to hear. Also touch on the casting of some of the new faces in the film, as well as a fair amount about the what scenes where shot when and behind the scenes happenings.
• ** Both commentaries have the film audio volume low during the commentary and then it comes back in if no one is talking, although you can always hear the film a little bit in the background under the discussion. Both commentaries also mention very specific content from Breaking Dawn for anyone who is spoiler sensitive.

Disc Two - Special Features

• 6-Part Making of Documentary (1 hour 27 minutes). 6 Parts Include: Introducing David Slate (4 minutes), Pre-Production: Setting the Saga (13 minutes), The Heart of Eclipse (24 minutes), The Dark Side of Eclipse (9 minutes), Lights, Camera, Action (24 minutes), Post-Productions: Leaps in Technology (23 minutes). This is an extensive documentary that is a great combination of interviews, film clips, rehearsals and behind the scenes during filming as well as construction of the sets, props and special effects. It's a nice balance that combines of spirit of the series along with more technical aspects of the film. I particularly enjoyed the fight training & preparation and behind the scenes & the interviews with fight coordinator Jonathan Eusebio and actors Kellan Lutz & Peter Facinelli, plus any and all interviews with Michael Welch are very entertaining, and there is even some behind the scenes with real wolves that's a real treat. That's just the tip of the iceberg as there is so much to enjoy here from seeing the work that went into building the sets, locations to the effects, to the character arcs of the film and series to the character backstories explored in the series to much, much more. There is also some behind the scenes footage from both Twilight and New Moon included throughout. Interviews include discussions with director David Slade, author of Twilight book series Stephenie Meyers, producer Wych Godfry, actors Kristen Stewart, Robert Pattinson, Taylor Lautner, Kellen Lutz, Ashley Greene, Peter Facinelli, Anna Kendrick, Xavier Samuel, Jackson Rathbone, Michael Welch, Bryce Dallas Howard, Elisabeth Reaser, Nikki Reed, Christian Serratos, Justin Chon, Jodelle Ferland, Jack Huston, Dakota Fanning, Charlie Bewley, Daniel Cudmore & Cameron Bright; screenwriter Melissa Rosenberg, fight coordinator Jonathan Eusebio, visual effects supervisor Kevin Tod Haug, co-producer Bill Bannerman, production designer Paul D. Austerberry, co-prop master Nevin Swain, visual effects supervisor: second unit James Tichenor, stunt coordinator John Stoneham Jr., visual effects supervisor: Image Engine Jon Cowley, visual effects plate supervisor: Image Engine Robin Hackl, visual effects executive producer: Image Engine Shawn Walsh, visual effects supervisor Phil Tippett, animation supervisor Tom Gibbons, VFX Supervisor: Tippett Studios Eric Leven, VFX Producer: Tippett Studios Ken Kokka, art director Nate Fredenburg, CG Supervisor Aharon Bourland, VFX Reference Supervisor: Tippett Studios Devin Breese, digital production supervisor: Image Engine Peter Muyzers and assistant to David Slade Tessa Kovach.
• Deleted & Extended Scenes (2 delete scenes, 6 extended scenes - 11 minutes for scenes, 14 minute with commentary) with introduction and optional commentary by David Slade discussion choices for why the scenes or sections were not in the film. Thrilled to see this includes Angela/Bella scene is included here, and it was great to see lots of the extended moments, several of which I would have loved to see in the film, especially ones that give you a more rounded sense of Bella's thinking through the options, although it's very understandable why they were cut for pacing or clarity.
• Fast Forward Edward (46 minutes) & Fast Forward Jacob (31 minutes) starting from the Eclipse title card and literally has a cute fast forward sound that zooms you to the next scene with either Edward or Jacob, can watch the whole way through or skip to the next scene Edward or Jacob.
• Photo Gallery (6 minutes) over 100 images from production stills, character portraits & behind the scenes set to music.
• Music Videos (2 videos, 8 minutes) Neutron Star Collision by Muse and Eclipse (All Yours) by Metric - both are Eclipse specific videos with film imagery incorporated into the videos (as opposed to videos included in the Music Videos and Performances from The Twilight Saga Soundtracks: Volume 1).

The Twilight Saga: Eclipse is available on DVD as of December 4, 2010. Check it out over at amazon.ca & amazon.com.

Shannon's Overall View:
I enjoyed it
I'll see it again, and again.. and again
I'd recommend it to fans of the series, as well as general movie goers curious about the series

Return to Film Reviews or see more DVD Reviews

© Shannon Ridler, 2010
Originally reviewed for Theatrical Release - June 30, 2010


Courtesy of E1 Entertainment


Courtesy of E1 Entertainment


ROBERT PATTINSON and KRISTEN STEWART star in the TWILIGHT SAGA ECLIPSE,
Photo Kimberley French, © 2010 Summit Entertainment, LLC. All rights reserved.

Courtesy of eOne Films

Dir: David Slade (30 Days of Night, Hard Candy)
Cast: Kristen Stewart, Robert Pattinson, Taylor Lautner, Billy Burke, Jackson Rathbone, Ashley Greene, Nikki Reed, Kellen Lutz, Peter Facinelli, Elisabeth Reaser, Bryce Dallas Howard, Xavier Samuel, Dakota Fanning
USA, 2010

Seen: Opening Night June 30, 2010 at Midnight

Reason to see: I'm a huge fan of the Twilight universe, and I loved the film Twilight although was disappointed with New Moon and was hoping Eclipse would get us back into the groove of greatness. And I did the whole The Wolfathon in anticipation for the films theatrical release.

DVD extras are outlined specifically further on, but I want to mention some of the highlights right away which at the top of the list is the commentary with actors Kristen Stewart & Robert Pattinson, which I think all of the Twi-fans are really looking forward to and missed this connection on the New Moon DVD. Kristen & Rob are really funny in this commentary and although you can tell they aren't physically in the same location you can still feel the chemistry & camaraderie shines through as they discuss the film, including arguing/explaining their characters and justifications which is hilarious as is the fact that they are well aware of certain aspects of the fandom. I also really liked the 6-part documentary, especially the training with the actors for the fight sequences (great for Kellan & Peter fans), the interviews with director David Slade and of course the actors. The photo gallery is great (over 100 images - many I've not seen before including character portraits), the deleted scenes include great moments like the well-noted missing Bella/Angela chat. The Stephanie Meyers & Wyck Godfrey commentary is very interesting and the Fast Forward to Edward or Jacob is exactly what you'd image - the film with just the Edward or Jacob bits, which I hope makes each team very happy!

Okay, on to the review of the film itself. It's a bit of a strange thing to review The Twilight Saga: Eclipse, as I feel split down the middle between reacting to the film as a critic and a fan. The critic in me is cheering, seeing a very well put together film with solid performance, strong story arc and a very successful book to film translation that keeps the intent of the story, brings intensity of the action as well as the internal conflict all the while managing to made a third entry into the series enjoyable as 'part 3' but also easily understandable to anyone who walks in cold.

For the uninitiated, The Twilight Saga: Eclipse is the third film in the vampire romance series based on the best selling books by Stephenie Meyer. I whole hearted loved and will always praise the first film in the series Twilight, directed by Catherine Hardwicke, whom brought the intensity of first love between our protagonist Bella and the vegetarian vampire Edward to the big screen, in a way that celebrated and embraced the spirit of the book on which it was based. A year later we saw the next in the series The Twilight Saga: New Moon, directed by Chris Weitz, which played it safe and was a very literal adaptation of the book which is seeped in loss and reconnection, although I felt at that stage we lost some of the magic. With The Twilight Saga: Eclipse, directed by David Slade, I feel like we got a bit of both: another very literal adaptation of book where the tone of the film fits the darker story of revenge along with the further development of a love triangle, and adds and edginess of danger and the heat of romance that will keep viewers enraptured throughout.

As a fan, I'll admit my first reaction was straight up relief. I was so disappointed with The Twilight Saga: New Moon (which is my favourite of the books), because it lost the spirit of the world. The spirit does come back in Eclipse, mostly with the performances as the actors really have a great sense of their characters and this shows well through their camaraderie, concerns, conflicts and compromises. The fan in me would have loved to see the spirit of the series shown in other ways as well, but with a darker themed film there may have been less opportunity to nods to the Twi-verse amidst the action and love triangle. It does really feel like they enhanced the world on several levels though, working with what worked before and then cranking it up. The action elements have a stronger presence and are more intense, enhanced by using subtly different but very effective effects to bring this horror element out to play.

It also really cranks up the heat of the romance, bringing what we've previously seen as stirring to absolutely sizzling. The screening I went to had more than it's fair share of hoots, hollers and mid-film applause at these moments. This is slightly ironic considering the films very clear 'traditional family values' message, but at least it's something discussed as opposed to just presented or accepted. I could gripe about that, but it's true to the book and the verse so that feels like a mute point. I do have a small bone to pick on the with the slight changes of villain character Victoria, played in this film by Bryce Dallas Howard, where not only is she not in the film very much but she's almost more pouty and manipulative, where previously she's been showcased as very capable and feral. Not that those can't all co-exist, but they are very different choices. This change here does however align to the description of Victoria in the new novella The Short Second Life of Bree Tanner, but I very much preferred Rachelle Lefevre's ferocious and confident Victoria from Twilight and New Moon.

What I did love about the film, I whole heartedly loved. The first thing on that list was the sound and the score. Great choices there giving a great atmosphere and creepy tone, especially in the fight sequences. Next up is the performances by Kellan Lutz as the burly vampire Emmett, who has amazing delivery on all of his lines and has been a stand out since the beginning - he's a joy to watch. I also loved Billy Burke as Charlie, who has great awkward father/daughter chemistry with Kristen Stewart as Bella. Actually, Kristen Stewart has been so solid throughout the series that sometimes I forget to give credit where credit is due and it's due here. So, kudos again to Kristen Stewart as she is great as out protagonist Bella. Her along with Robert Pattinson as Edward and Taylor Lautner as Jacob give a really solid foundation for the film and play off each other very well. For performances, I was also impressive is Xavier Samuel (The Loved Ones), who appears as the tormented newborn vampire Riley. Other things I loved about the film include the fun, familial sense of the Wolf Pack, although I would have loved to see more of them. The cinematography is sensational, and I love the implementation of a cooler colour story for the vampires which gives a stark sense of distancing in contrast to the warmer tones used to represent other elements and environments in the film. Absolutely beautiful.

There was lots to love in the film, and I'm thrilled to have enjoyed it as much as I did. It really hits all the right marks with memorable moments, great lines, fantastic chemistry, exciting action and more. The fan in me was hoping for a certain in a je ne sais quoi, like nod to the fans as we've seen in the previous films but I am happy with what we got. I still don't know how they got so much of the book in the film from back stories to action to romance as well as adding some new elements and extending others. It's very impressive how well it flows, all things considered.

The Twilight Saga: Eclipse will easily have the widest reach of the series, not only will the fans be happy but it also will have a broader appeal to a larger audience as it truly does have it all: action, drama, mystery, romance, not to mention vampires and werewolves! It's visually stunning with a great soundtrack and the actors all do a great job and even as part of a series it still tells it's own story. It truly has something for everyone as a movie going experience.

DVD Extras for of Two-Disc Special Edition:

Disc One - Includes the film plus 2 Audio Commentaries

• Audio commentary with Kristen Stewart & Robert Pattinson - Total highlight of the DVD. How long have we been waiting for this Twifans? I sorely missed having an actor commentary on New Moon DVD so this was an extra special treat on the DVD. Although Kristen & Rob aren't physically in the same location you can still feel the chemistry & camaraderie between them shining through the audio as they chat through the movie. It's a really funny commentary, especially when it's clear how aware they are (or aren't) about particular aspects of the fandom. They fully and completely know their characters which leads to several hilarious arguments and/or discussions on their characters and justifying their actions. I continue to be impressed with Kristen Stewart, she makes some interesting notations to the acting process in terms of character interactions that I never would have picked up as a challenge and are seamless in the film - great work!
• Audio commentary with author of Twilight book series Stephenie Meyers and producer Wyck Godfry. This will be a great commentary for folks interesting in history and evolution of different aspects of the mythos in the film series, they chat a lot about things that have changed over time as well as things early versions of scenes or entire sequences that didn't make the cut. Also very aware of the fandom in terms of certain things that just *had* to be in the film, which is fun to hear. Also touch on the casting of some of the new faces in the film, as well as a fair amount about the what scenes where shot when and behind the scenes happenings.
• ** Both commentaries have the film audio volume low during the commentary and then it comes back in if no one is talking, although you can always hear the film a little bit in the background under the discussion. Both commentaries also mention very specific content from Breaking Dawn for anyone who is spoiler sensitive.

Disc Two - Special Features

• 6-Part Making of Documentary (1 hour 27 minutes). 6 Parts Include: Introducing David Slate (4 minutes), Pre-Production: Setting the Saga (13 minutes), The Heart of Eclipse (24 minutes), The Dark Side of Eclipse (9 minutes), Lights, Camera, Action (24 minutes), Post-Productions: Leaps in Technology (23 minutes). This is an extensive documentary that is a great combination of interviews, film clips, rehearsals and behind the scenes during filming as well as construction of the sets, props and special effects. It's a nice balance that combines of spirit of the series along with more technical aspects of the film. I particularly enjoyed the fight training & preparation and behind the scenes & the interviews with fight coordinator Jonathan Eusebio and actors Kellan Lutz & Peter Facinelli, plus any and all interviews with Michael Welch are very entertaining, and there is even some behind the scenes with real wolves that's a real treat. That's just the tip of the iceberg as there is so much to enjoy here from seeing the work that went into building the sets, locations to the effects, to the character arcs of the film and series to the character backstories explored in the series to much, much more. There is also some behind the scenes footage from both Twilight and New Moon included throughout. Interviews include discussions with director David Slade, author of Twilight book series Stephenie Meyers, producer Wych Godfry, actors Kristen Stewart, Robert Pattinson, Taylor Lautner, Kellen Lutz, Ashley Greene, Peter Facinelli, Anna Kendrick, Xavier Samuel, Jackson Rathbone, Michael Welch, Bryce Dallas Howard, Elisabeth Reaser, Nikki Reed, Christian Serratos, Justin Chon, Jodelle Ferland, Jack Huston, Dakota Fanning, Charlie Bewley, Daniel Cudmore & Cameron Bright; screenwriter Melissa Rosenberg, fight coordinator Jonathan Eusebio, visual effects supervisor Kevin Tod Haug, co-producer Bill Bannerman, production designer Paul D. Austerberry, co-prop master Nevin Swain, visual effects supervisor: second unit James Tichenor, stunt coordinator John Stoneham Jr., visual effects supervisor: Image Engine Jon Cowley, visual effects plate supervisor: Image Engine Robin Hackl, visual effects executive producer: Image Engine Shawn Walsh, visual effects supervisor Phil Tippett, animation supervisor Tom Gibbons, VFX Supervisor: Tippett Studios Eric Leven, VFX Producer: Tippett Studios Ken Kokka, art director Nate Fredenburg, CG Supervisor Aharon Bourland, VFX Reference Supervisor: Tippett Studios Devin Breese, digital production supervisor: Image Engine Peter Muyzers and assistant to David Slade Tessa Kovach.
• Deleted & Extended Scenes (2 delete scenes, 6 extended scenes - 11 minutes for scenes, 14 minute with commentary) with introduction and optional commentary by David Slade discussion choices for why the scenes or sections were not in the film. Thrilled to see this includes Angela/Bella scene is included here, and it was great to see lots of the extended moments, several of which I would have loved to see in the film, especially ones that give you a more rounded sense of Bella's thinking through the options, although it's very understandable why they were cut for pacing or clarity.
• Fast Forward Edward (46 minutes) & Fast Forward Jacob (31 minutes) starting from the Eclipse title card and literally has a cute fast forward sound that zooms you to the next scene with either Edward or Jacob, can watch the whole way through or skip to the next scene Edward or Jacob.
• Photo Gallery (6 minutes) over 100 images from production stills, character portraits & behind the scenes set to music.
• Music Videos (2 videos, 8 minutes) Neutron Star Collision by Muse and Eclipse (All Yours) by Metric - both are Eclipse specific videos with film imagery incorporated into the videos (as opposed to videos included in the Music Videos and Performances from The Twilight Saga Soundtracks: Volume 1).

The Twilight Saga: Eclipse is available on DVD as of December 4, 2010. Check it out over at amazon.ca & amazon.com.

Shannon's Overall View:
I enjoyed it
I'll see it again, and again.. and again
I'd recommend it to fans of the series, as well as general movie goers curious about the series

Return to Film Reviews or see more DVD Reviews

© Shannon Ridler, 2010
Originally reviewed for Theatrical Release - June 30, 2010


Courtesy of E1 Entertainment


Courtesy of E1 Entertainment


ROBERT PATTINSON and KRISTEN STEWART star in the TWILIGHT SAGA ECLIPSE,
Photo Kimberley French, © 2010 Summit Entertainment, LLC. All rights reserved.

Courtesy of eOne Films

Dir: Jason Brown (Twilight in Forks: The Saga of the Real Town)
2010 (DVD Release)

Reason to see: Twilight centric doc is an easy yes for me

I'm not surprized to see that Destination Forks: The Real World of Twilight is from the same director as Twilight in Forks: The Saga of the Real Town, both documentaries showcase the town of Forks and the effect that Twilight has had on it and visit various locations of the town. The new doc looks like it was shot late spring/early summer of 2010, and TwiFans will be able to pick out the indicators to easily support that time period. I am a little surprized at the title of this new doc though, as Destination Forks: The Real World of Twilight has three separate sections, only two of which are really Forks related. It starts off with the looking at the location of Forks and the twi-effect on the town, then a great section dedicated to the fandom and culture around the fans and the last section is images from the rain forest of Forks set to a score.

They really are three very distinct sections, which I really wasn't expecting and they feel very different from each other. The first part that centres on Forks as a town and the Twi-effect if pretty interesting, looking at different locations and hot spots of the town - most of which were created after Twilight and have a strong tie-in to the books and films. The tone of this section has a slightly voyeuristic feel to it as you literally tour the town with a Bella-inspired red truck, often seen from a distance. There is a lot of footage from fans that are visiting Forks from afar as well as locals that run Twi-inspired or centric locations. Sometimes I found there was ambiguity to the connection with the Saga, although other times they are clear that they are playing along creating and providing an opportunity for people to feel like they are experiences locations in the film and books. I wish this was a little clearer at times, but I did appreciate the earnestness of all the of the people the talked to.

I absolutely loved the middle section though, which was centred on the TwiHards and has footage of interviews with fans during The Twilight Saga: Eclipse premieres as well as folks from different Twilight communities including Twilight Lexicon, Twilight Series Theories Podcast, Twilight Moms, and Kaleb Nation (aka The Twilight Guy). As someone who co-hosts a Twilight Podcast (Before the Dawn) and this is the section I found the most interesting by far - looking at the culture the books and films have created, how it's brought people together & created communities, what the appeal is, what team people are on, etc. It's fascination to hear how fans, superfans, site-runners and podcasters have to say about the Twi-verse and effect.

Now, the final section of the film is the one that feels a bit out of place here. I understand the idea of exploring the rain forest of Forks and the footage they have is absolutely stunning, but it's not super Twi-ish. Sure, there are shots that are very familiar and of course beautiful, but the fusion of nature documentary with a relaxation tape feel just doesn't quite feel aligned to the fandom.

Although the last section did feel a bit off to me, I definitely got a lot out of the fandom section which I loved and found the section on Forks as a town very interesting. Out of the two Twi-centric ties ins out this week I really anticipated this to be the one I'll be taken in by, but it's Music Videos and Performances from The Twilight Saga Soundtracks: Volume 1 that was the one that really wowed me. For completists though, I'm sure you'll be checking out both.

No DVD Extras

Destination Forks: The Real World of Twilight is available on DVD as of December 4, 2010. Check it out over at amazon.ca and amazon.com

Shannon's Overall View:
I really enjoyed the fandom & Forks-specific sections
I'd watch parts of it again
I'd recommend it to Twilight completists

Return to Film Reviews or see more DVD Reviews

© Shannon Ridler, 2010

Courtesy of eOne Films

Dir: Jason Brown (Twilight in Forks: The Saga of the Real Town)
2010 (DVD Release)

Reason to see: Twilight centric doc is an easy yes for me

I'm not surprized to see that Destination Forks: The Real World of Twilight is from the same director as Twilight in Forks: The Saga of the Real Town, both documentaries showcase the town of Forks and the effect that Twilight has had on it and visit various locations of the town. The new doc looks like it was shot late spring/early summer of 2010, and TwiFans will be able to pick out the indicators to easily support that time period. I am a little surprized at the title of this new doc though, as Destination Forks: The Real World of Twilight has three separate sections, only two of which are really Forks related. It starts off with the looking at the location of Forks and the twi-effect on the town, then a great section dedicated to the fandom and culture around the fans and the last section is images from the rain forest of Forks set to a score.

They really are three very distinct sections, which I really wasn't expecting and they feel very different from each other. The first part that centres on Forks as a town and the Twi-effect if pretty interesting, looking at different locations and hot spots of the town - most of which were created after Twilight and have a strong tie-in to the books and films. The tone of this section has a slightly voyeuristic feel to it as you literally tour the town with a Bella-inspired red truck, often seen from a distance. There is a lot of footage from fans that are visiting Forks from afar as well as locals that run Twi-inspired or centric locations. Sometimes I found there was ambiguity to the connection with the Saga, although other times they are clear that they are playing along creating and providing an opportunity for people to feel like they are experiences locations in the film and books. I wish this was a little clearer at times, but I did appreciate the earnestness of all the of the people the talked to.

I absolutely loved the middle section though, which was centred on the TwiHards and has footage of interviews with fans during The Twilight Saga: Eclipse premieres as well as folks from different Twilight communities including Twilight Lexicon, Twilight Series Theories Podcast, Twilight Moms, and Kaleb Nation (aka The Twilight Guy). As someone who co-hosts a Twilight Podcast (Before the Dawn) and this is the section I found the most interesting by far - looking at the culture the books and films have created, how it's brought people together & created communities, what the appeal is, what team people are on, etc. It's fascination to hear how fans, superfans, site-runners and podcasters have to say about the Twi-verse and effect.

Now, the final section of the film is the one that feels a bit out of place here. I understand the idea of exploring the rain forest of Forks and the footage they have is absolutely stunning, but it's not super Twi-ish. Sure, there are shots that are very familiar and of course beautiful, but the fusion of nature documentary with a relaxation tape feel just doesn't quite feel aligned to the fandom.

Although the last section did feel a bit off to me, I definitely got a lot out of the fandom section which I loved and found the section on Forks as a town very interesting. Out of the two Twi-centric ties ins out this week I really anticipated this to be the one I'll be taken in by, but it's Music Videos and Performances from The Twilight Saga Soundtracks: Volume 1 that was the one that really wowed me. For completists though, I'm sure you'll be checking out both.

No DVD Extras

Destination Forks: The Real World of Twilight is available on DVD as of December 4, 2010. Check it out over at amazon.ca and amazon.com

Shannon's Overall View:
I really enjoyed the fandom & Forks-specific sections
I'd watch parts of it again
I'd recommend it to Twilight completists

Return to Film Reviews or see more DVD Reviews

© Shannon Ridler, 2010

Courtesy of eOne Films

Release Date: December 4, 2010 (DVD Release)

Reason to see: I love the music from The Twilight Saga

I absolutely loved this compilation. Initially I wasn't sure how interesting a video collection would be, but it is fantastic - there were so many songs that I knew extremely well from the Twilight soundtracks, but didn't felt like I "knew" the bands very well, but this gives you a great sense of each and every one of the artist. I particularly enjoyed the Cee-Lo Green, Eastern Conference Champions –and Editors songs and I know I'll be looking for more of their works to enjoy. –It was also really fascinating to see the videos outside the context of the film, and how they could have such a completely different meaning - like Full Moon by The Black Ghosts, it's the first song in Twilight and I so strongly associate it with the opening of the films, and can literally see when the title would come up but the actual video is like the morning after spending all night at the club. Fascinating.

Several of the videos incorporate a visual style of the films, either specific scenes or locations, or in overall tone & style yet oddly very few of the videos have any content from the films even if there is a film-tie-in version of the video in existance (like both the videos for Neutron Star Collision by Muse and Eclipse (All Yours) by Metric on the Eclipse DVD which are the tie-in versions). In fact, the only time I saw any footage from the films was in the Solar Midnite video by Lupe Fiasco - which was one of the few songs I wasn't familiar with.

It's a great collection of videos & performance and I knew I would find it interesting, but it actually ended up flooring me by how good it was - I know I'll watch it again & again.

Here's a listing of the songs with notation if it's a video or performance, as well as the Twi-connection:

1. Neutron Star Collision (Love Is Forever) by Muse
Style: Music Video
Twi-Connection: From the Eclipse Soundtrack

2. Decode by Paramore
Style: Music Video
Twi-Connection: From the Twilight Soundtrack

3. Meet Me On The Equinox by Death Cab For Cutie
Style: Music Video
Twi-Connection: From the New Moon Soundtrack

4. What Part Of Forever by Cee-Lo Green
Style: Music Video
Twi-Connection: From the Eclipse Soundtrack

5.Satellite Heart by Anya Marina
Style: Music Video
Twi-Connection: From the New Moon Soundtrack

6. Spotlight by Mutemath
Style: Music Video
Twi-Connection: From the Twilight Soundtrack

7. Solar Midnite by Lupe Fiasco
Style: Music Video
Twi-Connection: - From the New Moon Soundtrack - iTunes exclusive extra

8. No Sound But The Wind by Editors
Style: Concert Performance
Twi-Connection: From the New Moon Soundtrack

9. All I Believe In by The Magic Numbers & Amadou & Mariam
Style: Music Video
Twi-Connection: From the New Moon Soundtrack - iTunes exclusive extra

10. Tremble For My Beloved by Collective Soul
Style: Music Video
Twi-Connection: From the Twilight Soundtrack

11. A Million Miles An Hour by Eastern Conference Champions
Style: Music Video
Twi-Connection: From the Eclipse Soundtrack

12. Eclipse (All Yours) by Metric
Style: Music Video
Twi-Connection: From the Eclipse Soundtrack

13. Atlas by Fanfarlo
Style: Music Video
Twi-Connection: From the Eclipse Soundtrack

14. Flightless Bird, American Mouth by Iron & Wine
Style: Concert Performance
Twi-Connection: From the Twilight Soundtrack

15. My Love by Sia
Style: Music Video
Twi-Connection: From the Eclipse Soundtrack

16. Roslyn by Bon Iver & St. Vincent
Style: Concert Performance
Twi-Connection: From the New Moon Soundtrack

17. The Violet Hour by Sea Wolf
Style: Music Video
Twi-Connection: From the New Moon Soundtrack

18. Full Moon by The Black Ghosts
Style: Music Video
Twi-Connection: From the Twilight Soundtrack

19. Monsters by Hurricane Bells
Style: Music Video
Twi-Connection: From the New Moon Soundtrack

20. Love Is Worth The Fall by O.A.R.
Style: Concert Performance
Twi-Connection: From the Twilight Soundtrack - Amazon MP3 Exclusive
This one is really great & it sounds like it might have been the first time they performed the song. Very cool.

DVD Extras (2 songs, 8 minutes):

• Includes 2 additional Twilight reference music pieces Clair De Lune - Debussy (5 minutes) with nature imagery and La Traviata - Verdi (3 minutes) which plays with moon imagery.

Music Videos and Performances from The Twilight Saga Soundtracks: Volume 1 is available on DVD as of December 4, 2010. Check it out over at amazon.ca & amazon.com

Shannon's Overall View:
I loved it
I've already watched it multiple times
I highly recommend it if you like the music from the Twilight films

Return to Film Reviews or see more DVD Reviews

© Shannon Ridler, 2010

Courtesy of eOne Films

Release Date: December 4, 2010 (DVD Release)

Reason to see: I love the music from The Twilight Saga

I absolutely loved this compilation. Initially I wasn't sure how interesting a video collection would be, but it is fantastic - there were so many songs that I knew extremely well from the Twilight soundtracks, but didn't felt like I "knew" the bands very well, but this gives you a great sense of each and every one of the artist. I particularly enjoyed the Cee-Lo Green, Eastern Conference Champions –and Editors songs and I know I'll be looking for more of their works to enjoy. –It was also really fascinating to see the videos outside the context of the film, and how they could have such a completely different meaning - like Full Moon by The Black Ghosts, it's the first song in Twilight and I so strongly associate it with the opening of the films, and can literally see when the title would come up but the actual video is like the morning after spending all night at the club. Fascinating.

Several of the videos incorporate a visual style of the films, either specific scenes or locations, or in overall tone & style yet oddly very few of the videos have any content from the films even if there is a film-tie-in version of the video in existance (like both the videos for Neutron Star Collision by Muse and Eclipse (All Yours) by Metric on the Eclipse DVD which are the tie-in versions). In fact, the only time I saw any footage from the films was in the Solar Midnite video by Lupe Fiasco - which was one of the few songs I wasn't familiar with.

It's a great collection of videos & performance and I knew I would find it interesting, but it actually ended up flooring me by how good it was - I know I'll watch it again & again.

Here's a listing of the songs with notation if it's a video or performance, as well as the Twi-connection:

1. Neutron Star Collision (Love Is Forever) by Muse
Style: Music Video
Twi-Connection: From the Eclipse Soundtrack

2. Decode by Paramore
Style: Music Video
Twi-Connection: From the Twilight Soundtrack

3. Meet Me On The Equinox by Death Cab For Cutie
Style: Music Video
Twi-Connection: From the New Moon Soundtrack

4. What Part Of Forever by Cee-Lo Green
Style: Music Video
Twi-Connection: From the Eclipse Soundtrack

5.Satellite Heart by Anya Marina
Style: Music Video
Twi-Connection: From the New Moon Soundtrack

6. Spotlight by Mutemath
Style: Music Video
Twi-Connection: From the Twilight Soundtrack

7. Solar Midnite by Lupe Fiasco
Style: Music Video
Twi-Connection: - From the New Moon Soundtrack - iTunes exclusive extra

8. No Sound But The Wind by Editors
Style: Concert Performance
Twi-Connection: From the New Moon Soundtrack

9. All I Believe In by The Magic Numbers & Amadou & Mariam
Style: Music Video
Twi-Connection: From the New Moon Soundtrack - iTunes exclusive extra

10. Tremble For My Beloved by Collective Soul
Style: Music Video
Twi-Connection: From the Twilight Soundtrack

11. A Million Miles An Hour by Eastern Conference Champions
Style: Music Video
Twi-Connection: From the Eclipse Soundtrack

12. Eclipse (All Yours) by Metric
Style: Music Video
Twi-Connection: From the Eclipse Soundtrack

13. Atlas by Fanfarlo
Style: Music Video
Twi-Connection: From the Eclipse Soundtrack

14. Flightless Bird, American Mouth by Iron & Wine
Style: Concert Performance
Twi-Connection: From the Twilight Soundtrack

15. My Love by Sia
Style: Music Video
Twi-Connection: From the Eclipse Soundtrack

16. Roslyn by Bon Iver & St. Vincent
Style: Concert Performance
Twi-Connection: From the New Moon Soundtrack

17. The Violet Hour by Sea Wolf
Style: Music Video
Twi-Connection: From the New Moon Soundtrack

18. Full Moon by The Black Ghosts
Style: Music Video
Twi-Connection: From the Twilight Soundtrack

19. Monsters by Hurricane Bells
Style: Music Video
Twi-Connection: From the New Moon Soundtrack

20. Love Is Worth The Fall by O.A.R.
Style: Concert Performance
Twi-Connection: From the Twilight Soundtrack - Amazon MP3 Exclusive
This one is really great & it sounds like it might have been the first time they performed the song. Very cool.

DVD Extras (2 songs, 8 minutes):

• Includes 2 additional Twilight reference music pieces Clair De Lune - Debussy (5 minutes) with nature imagery and La Traviata - Verdi (3 minutes) which plays with moon imagery.

Music Videos and Performances from The Twilight Saga Soundtracks: Volume 1 is available on DVD as of December 4, 2010. Check it out over at amazon.ca & amazon.com

Shannon's Overall View:
I loved it
I've already watched it multiple times
I highly recommend it if you like the music from the Twilight films

Return to Film Reviews or see more DVD Reviews

© Shannon Ridler, 2010

Before the Dawn: A Twilight Podcast - Episode 62 is up!

This week at Before the Dawn: A Twilight Podcast, and this week it's all music to our ears as Marina & I chat about the soundtrack and score of The Twilight Saga: Eclipse.

Check it out over at Before the Dawn.

Before the Dawn: A Twilight Podcast - Episode 62 is up!

This week at Before the Dawn: A Twilight Podcast, and this week it's all music to our ears as Marina & I chat about the soundtrack and score of The Twilight Saga: Eclipse.

Check it out over at Before the Dawn.

Before the Dawn: A Twilight Podcast - Episode 61 is up!

This week at Before the Dawn: A Twilight Podcast, and we are oddly without much news on the recent release of The Twilight Saga: Eclipse, but Marina & I still have lots to chat about from Breaking Dawn news and speculation, cast & crew film updates and upcoming appearances.

Check it out over at Before the Dawn.

Before the Dawn: A Twilight Podcast - Episode 61 is up!

This week at Before the Dawn: A Twilight Podcast, and we are oddly without much news on the recent release of The Twilight Saga: Eclipse, but Marina & I still have lots to chat about from Breaking Dawn news and speculation, cast & crew film updates and upcoming appearances.

Check it out over at Before the Dawn.

Before the Dawn: A Twilight Podcast - Episode 60 is up!

This week at Before the Dawn: A Twilight Podcast, now that The Twilight Saga: Eclipse has been out for while lots of people have had their say on their impressions of the film. So, this week Marina & I chat about various reactions from critic Mark Kermode to TwiPodcasters Drive Like Cullens to TwiHard Malicious Mandy and many more!

Check it out over at Before the Dawn.

Before the Dawn: A Twilight Podcast - Episode 60 is up!

This week at Before the Dawn: A Twilight Podcast, now that The Twilight Saga: Eclipse has been out for while lots of people have had their say on their impressions of the film. So, this week Marina & I chat about various reactions from critic Mark Kermode to TwiPodcasters Drive Like Cullens to TwiHard Malicious Mandy and many more!

Check it out over at Before the Dawn.

Before the Dawn: A Twilight Podcast - Episode 59 is up!

This week at Before the Dawn: A Twilight Podcast, we are still revelling in enjoy the completion of and success of The Twilight Saga: Eclipse. With that, Marina & I chat box office, a wide variety of things that happened at various Eclipse screenings around the world and some general film & vampire news with the optioning of Rachelle Mead's Vampire Academy book series.

Check it out over at Before the Dawn.

Before the Dawn: A Twilight Podcast - Episode 59 is up!

This week at Before the Dawn: A Twilight Podcast, we are still revelling in enjoy the completion of and success of The Twilight Saga: Eclipse. With that, Marina & I chat box office, a wide variety of things that happened at various Eclipse screenings around the world and some general film & vampire news with the optioning of Rachelle Mead's Vampire Academy book series.

Check it out over at Before the Dawn.

Before the Dawn: A Twilight Podcast - Episode 58 is up!

This week at Before the Dawn: A Twilight Podcast, the day has finally come and The Twilight Saga: Eclipse was released last week and both Marina & I saw it at midnight showings and now delve into an epic discussion of David Slade's take on the third book in the Twilight series. Enjoy. We did.

Check it out over at Before the Dawn.

Before the Dawn: A Twilight Podcast - Episode 58 is up!

This week at Before the Dawn: A Twilight Podcast, the day has finally come and The Twilight Saga: Eclipse was released last week and both Marina & I saw it at midnight showings and now delve into an epic discussion of David Slade's take on the third book in the Twilight series. Enjoy. We did.

Check it out over at Before the Dawn.

You have voted and the results are in. A whopping 65% voted that they are not planning on seeing The Twilight Saga: Eclipse. Wow. I'm a little surprized at that, not as many Twi-fans here as I'd thought. Of the remaining 35% who are planning on seeing it, it's a Tie for 2nd place of seeing it at the Midnight Screening along with After the Crowd Dies Down, and then 8% saw it on Opening Day. Interesting that 0% planned on seeing it opening weekend, I've very curious to see how it did at the box office after a really strong midnight take. We will know soon enough.

65% - Not Planning on Seeing It
13% - Tie: Midnight Screening & After the Crowd Dies Down
8% - Opening Day
0% - Opening Weekend

Thanks for voting!

You have voted and the results are in. A whopping 65% voted that they are not planning on seeing The Twilight Saga: Eclipse. Wow. I'm a little surprized at that, not as many Twi-fans here as I'd thought. Of the remaining 35% who are planning on seeing it, it's a Tie for 2nd place of seeing it at the Midnight Screening along with After the Crowd Dies Down, and then 8% saw it on Opening Day. Interesting that 0% planned on seeing it opening weekend, I've very curious to see how it did at the box office after a really strong midnight take. We will know soon enough.

65% - Not Planning on Seeing It
13% - Tie: Midnight Screening & After the Crowd Dies Down
8% - Opening Day
0% - Opening Weekend

Thanks for voting!