Movie Effects Artist Wishes ‘Twilight’ Vampires Didn’t Sparkle

 

Todd Masters is thrilled his character-effects company got to work on a movie as popular as “The Twilight Saga: New Moon.” But if it were his call, those vampires would have been a lot less … pretty

“We’re not really into the whole sparkly vampire thing,” said Masters, a graduate of Sammamish High School who grew up in Lake Hills. “Vampires don’t sparkle.”

Masters speaks from experience. Along with films like “Predator,” “Mortal Kombat,” a couple of “Nightmare on Elm Street” films and the show “Fringe,” his 22-year-old Los Angeles-based company,Masters FX, has worked on the vampire series “Vampire Diaries” and “True Blood.”

Among the company’s contributions to “New Moon” were wounds, scars, the tattoos worn by the wolf-morphingQuileute characters and one very graphic — and very sparkly — vampire death.

But alas — little to no blood.

“They don’t bleed,” said Masters. “They just sparkle.”

As you can probably guess, Masters is not a fan of Stephenie Meyer’s book series and doubts he’ll become one.

This is not a guy who denies his instincts. When Masters was 18, he dropped out of Seattle’s Cornish School of Arts after just one day. A couple weeks later, he moved to Hollywood.

“They said I’d be gessoing canvases in year four, and I said, ‘You’ve got to be kidding me. I was painting when I was 7!'” he said.

See pics of the company’s “Twilight” work here. And stay tuned: Masters FX also worked on the third installment in the franchise, “The Twilight Saga: Eclipse,” due out in June.

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Rob and Taylor Kissing?- Today’s Twi-Funny

 

It turns out that if you fold the recent Entertainment Weekly magazine photoshoot just right, something very hilarious emerges, much like the old Mad Magazine funnies–Robert Pattinson and Taylor Lautner kissing!

Kristen Stewart used to be in the center, but with a clever fold she gets taken out of the mix!

 

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‘Eclipse’ Cheat Sheet: Everything You Need To Know

Nowadays, “New Moon” is tearing apart box-office records like a Cullen feasting on a freshly killed deer. With the “Twilight” sequel nabbing the advance-sales record, the biggest single-day record and the highest-grossing midnight showings of all time, fans have to wonder: Can this franchise get any bigger? Fortunately, they only have to wait seven months to get the answer.

Many of the saga’s stars have cited “Eclipse” as their favorite of Stephenie Meyer’s novels, and with “30 Days of Night” filmmaker David Slade at the helm, it seems likely to be a very distinctive entry into the blockbuster series. With that in mind (and since we’re always on top of the latest “Twilight” news) we wanted to bring you our cheat sheet for “Eclipse” a little bit early to give you one-stop shopping for all the latest details on what could possibly be the biggest film of 2010.

Let the Race Begin
Summit Entertainment made headlines in February when it announced the release date of “Eclipse” as June 30, less than a year after “New Moon.” At the time, the accelerated pace seemed a bit risky, but fans were cautiously pleased that Edward, Bella and the rest wouldn’t be aging half-decades at a time between films.Taylor Lautner promised a “darker” film, Kristen Stewart said the love triangle will be further intensified, Rob promised thatBella will be treacherous in the flick, and the Cullens themselves are looking forward to kicking some ass.

Flashing Back
One of the most eagerly anticipated aspects of “Eclipse” is the multiple flashbacks we’ll be seeing of Dr. Carlisle Cullen recruiting his “family” as they were set to die decades ago in human form. Jackson Rathbone might have the meatiest backstory as Jasper, and he has filmed scenes where he’s riding horses on the Civil War battlefield, learning lessons that will help the family in battle against Victoria. Oscar nominee Catalina Sandino Moreno plays Maria, the vampire who bites Jasper. Meanwhile, Jack Huston has filmed his scenes as Royce King II, a.k.a. the Scumbag Who Nearly Kills Rosalie, and Nikki Reed can’t wait for fans to witness her tragic backstory. An eager Slade recently celebrated the film’s wrap by leaking the first official photo.

Murphy’s Law
Former Bauhaus singer and “Godfather of Goth” Peter Murphy has filmed a key cameo for the third film, an appearance that delighted fan Billy Burke. When we spoke with Melissa Rosenberg recently, she further explained that the cameo sets up the love/hate relationship between the Cullens and the Quileute wolves.

Here Come the Newbies
Among the new stars onboard are Kirsten Prout as Lucy, Boo Boo Stewart as Seth Clearwater, Xavier Samuel as Riley and so many others. At this rate, the cast of the saga might soon outnumber the audience.

Switching Out Stars
Unfortunately, one of the sad things about “New Moon” is that fans spent the weekend watching Rachelle Lefevre’s final scenes as Victoria, a character who drives much of “Eclipse.” Summit made big news when they announced that Bryce Dallas Howard would be replacing Lefevre. The “stunned” fan favorite went public with her anger over being dismissed. The studio shot back by saying it was“disappointed” in the actress, fans expressed outrage and things became relatively quiet. Lefevre was noticeably absent from the “New Moon” premiere last week, blaming it on a sick dog and claiming she was “too emotional” to attend. We can only hope the drama in “Eclipse” is half as compelling as what has happened behind the scenes.

 

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Rachelle Lefevre Says She ‘Couldn’t Manage’ Going To ‘New Moon’ Premiere

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Rachelle Lefevre opted not to stop by the “New Moon” premiere Monday night to bid farewell the “Twilight” franchise before Bryce Dallas Howard replaces her in “Eclipse.”

The actress, who plays the evil vampire Victoria in the first two movies, gave two reasons for not attending the premiere on herTwitter. “2 fans at the premiere: w/ Honey in hospital,” she wrote. “& being fired from Eclipse tonight was just 2 emotional 4 me & I couldn’t manage it. So sorry.”

Earlier in the day, Lefevre had tweeted that her dog, Honey, hadn’t been feeling well and that she was at the hospital with her pet. “Honey is in the hospital and I don’t know what’s going to happen. I wonder if you can die from a broken heart,” she wrote. “2 all of u who shared ur pet stories & losses I thank you. I feel less alone with this pain & wish u all the best outcomes & healed hearts.”

In July, Summit Entertainment announced it was recasting Lefevre with Howard due to “scheduling conflicts with another commitment the actor has made.” Lefevre responded with her own statement about the situation.

“I was fully committed to the ‘Twilight’ saga and to the portrayal of Victoria,” the 30-year-old actress insisted. “I turned down several other film opportunities and, in accordance with my contractual rights, accepted only roles that would involve very short shooting schedules. … I was happy with my contract with Summit and was fully prepared to continue to honor it. Summit chose simply to recast the part.”

 

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Taylor Lautner ESPN Inteview with Molly Qerim

 

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Is ‘New Moon’ Emo?

I should probably get this out of the way right at the top: I am not exactly a “Twilight”fan. I have never read a page of Stephenie Meyer’s bloodsucking series, I can’t tell you where the series takes place, or who Esme Cullen is, or why Taylor Lautner never wears a shirt (and yes, I just had to go to Wikipedia to learn that Lautner’s character isn’t even a vampire).

But on Monday, I went to see “The Twilight Saga: New Moon” to determine whether or not the film — which earned some $143 million in its opening weekend — is actually the most emo thing ever created.

It all started with a rather spirited debate in the MTV Newsroom, led by “Twilight” superfan Nicole Guanlao (seen here hyperventilating about an Edward Cullen doll, er, “collectible figurine,” I gave her earlier this year), who proclaimed “New Moon” to be “the most emo thing ever.” Some agreed with that assessment, others didn’t, and I — as is usually the case whenever “Twilight” is discussed here — hid under my desk and prayed for a swift end to it all.

But since I am also the MTV News rock editor (and because I have spent some time with guys who may or may not actually be emo), the final say fell to me. That is how I ended up in a Times Square theater yesterday afternoon, jumbo popcorn in my lap, notepad at the ready. Was “New Moon” really the most emo movie of all time? I’d just have to see about that.

So, after two-plus hours, pages of furiously scribbled notes and one empty popcorn tub, here’s my verdict: yes and no, depending on your definition of the much-abused term “emo.”

I mean, sure, I know Rites of Spring, Sunny Day Real Estate and the Promise Ring are bands that most closely fit within the confines of what I believe to be actual emo music (which I’ll loosely define as melodic, stop-start sorta-punk, featuring confessional lyrics sung by guys with male-pattern baldness), but I never bought into the whole “Fall Out Boy/ My Chemical Romance are emo” thing, because they might have elements of that sound but don’t really fit the description. And really, I don’t think any of that has anything to do with what Nicole was talking about in the first place.

What she meant by “emo” was the more widely accepted (if not totally correct) definition, the whole “sad kids sitting alone in their bedrooms, writing bad poetry” thing. And by that standard, boy, is “New Moon” emo.

Bella Swan (played, of course, by Kristen Stewart and her eyebrows) is super-emo, as she spends roughly three-quarters of the film either a) moping in her room or b) moping in the rain. Also because she wears a hoodie. Edward Cullen (Robert Pattinson) is largely absent in the movie, but when he is onscreen, he’s way emo, too, mostly because he broods a lot and mutters lines like “What choice have I? I cannot be without you, but I will not destroy your soul.”

In fact, basically everything about “New Moon” — the languid pacing, the near-constant darkness, the metric tons of morose that seem to weigh down nearly every scene — is emo. Combine that with the setting (high school), the sentiment (constant, crushing yearning) and the soundtrack (not exactly emo, but certainly dark), and you start to believe that “New Moon” might actually be the most emo film ever made, only with CGI werewolves thrown in for good measure.

(Oh, and about those werewolves … they’re about the only thing in the movie thatisn’t emo. Rather, with their lack of shirts and penchant for jean shorts, the ‘wolves struck me more as Pennywise fans.)

But is “New Moon” really the most emo film of all time? I’d say no, if only because films like “Harold and Maude” or “Dead Poets Society” or “Say Anything” already exist. But it’s certainly in the running, which is (relatively) high praise, I suppose. And it bodes well for its legacy that after watching “New Moon,” I cried all the way home. Though not for any particularly emo reasons.

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Ashley Greene on Good Day NY

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‘New Moon’ Screenwriter Reveals Four Tweaks That Made The Film Work

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BEVERLY HILLS, California — By now, we’re all on the same page. We’ve all seen“New Moon,” and we can finally discuss the spoiler-heavy details of what worked and what didn’t. That means we can unveil not only articles like this, but also our exclusive interview with screenwriter Melissa Rosenberg.

In this sit-down with the adapter of the entire “Twilight” series, Melissa pinpoints four key details that she tweaked, augmented or deleted entirely, transforming Stephenie Meyer’s novel into thebiggest film of 2009. From Harry Clearwater’s reimagined death to the lack of Laurent, read on for Rosenberg’s official take on the tweaks that made “New Moon” shine:

Hope Bella Got a Gift Receipt …
In one narrative device Melissa is particularly proud of, Jacob gives Bella a Quileute trinket meant to capture bad dreams — although, judging by all those late-night shots of Kristen Stewart in tears, it doesn’t work very well. “One of my favorite things is the dream-catcher that Jacob gives Bella,” the screenwriter said. “It’s the first time that we see Jacob, and I wanted to establish his and Bella’s relationship, his sort-of crush. [The gift establishes] her affection for him and Edward’s jealousy of him. So I had the idea that he brought her a little birthday gift and came up with the dream-catcher, which would be true to his culture but also to the theme of the movie; there’s a lot of dreams in this movie. That, I thought, played well.”

Getting the Cullen Kicked Out of Him …
In Meyer’s novel, the Volturi scenes are a moody medley of tension, fear and careful wordplay. In the movie, however, Felix lays the smack-down on Edward as he tries to protect Bella. Like many scenes, Rosenberg said she needed to up the visuals to take the place of lost narrative nuances. “In the book, at the very end, the final climatic scene is Edward and Bella and Alice going to the Volturi and the potential that they might not walk out of there,” she said. “It is very fraught with tension, but the tension is expressed through dialogue, and I wanted to heighten that. I wanted to have that conflict be external. So I pushed it into an all-out-battle, and Chris [Weitz] and the stunt people, along with [‘X-Men’ star] Daniel Cudmore who plays Felix, did this great action sequence at the end that’s just really fantastic.”

Cause of Death Unclear …
Although he’s a relatively minor character, the death of Quileute elder Harry Clearwater sets off a pivotal chain of events in the “Twilight” world. In Meyer’s “New Moon” novel, Charlie Swan’s friend dies of a heart attack. In the movie, the sight of vixen vampire Victoria kills him. So why the switch? “Well, in the book, Harry Clearwater’s heart attack is mentioned as something that happens offscreen, although it plays a crucial part of the structure of the books. It’s what gets Edward going to the Volturi, after he calls Charlie and then Jacob answers and says, ‘Charlie’s at a funeral,’ ” she explained. “That launches the entire third act of the movie. … That just gave me the idea ‘Stephenie doesn’t specify what causes the heart attack,’ so I decided that it could be caused by something startling him. It could be caused by fear. That was a way to keep Victoria alive. It was a way to keep Charlie and the danger of the hunt alive, and that’s where we get a really great action sequence with Victoria that blends together important parts of the movie and important parts of the book moving forward. So I particularly like that.”

The Love of Laurent
Sadly, fan fave Edi Gathegi doesn’t get much screen time in “New Moon” and dies quite quickly. Rosenberg told us that if she had one regret, it’s that she would’ve liked to delve deeper into the nomad’s motivations. “Yes, we had to pull out some of the backstory, because it really just came down to conversation. Laurent was in Alaska, trying to be a vegetarian briefly, and all of his relationship with the Denali clan,” she revealed. “A lot of the backstory for Laurent had to be pulled, because it just slowed everything down. I wish we could have gotten more of that in there.”

 

 

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If You’re A ‘Twilight’ Fan And Adore Stephenie Meyer, Then We’ve Got The Video For You!

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EW Interview with Chris Weitz

Chris Weitz just joined the ranks of a very select group of directors such as Chris Nolan and Sam Raimi who have opened their films above the $100 million mark. The news is sweet revenge for a man who had his last filmThe Golden Compass complete re-cut by his previous studio bosses. Check out our Q&A with Weitz where he reveals his favorite cast moments and how he’s dealt with the fan adoration and the paparazzi intrusion.

ENTERTAINMENT WEEKLY: What was your biggest fear going into [opening] weekend?
CHRIS WEITZ: I didn’t have any particular fears. The tracking numbers were enough to indicate that I wouldn’t be letting the studio down. But if one could imagine their biggest fears, it would be complete rejection of the movie, by the fans. What I’ve realized over the last week is I won’t necessarily get good reviews for this movie. Having swallowed that, this was made for the fans, and if you don’t get it, then you don’t get it.

Did the negative reviews surprise you?
Nothing surprises me in terms of reviews. Having been a reviewer myself, there are only two ways to spin this story. You can either be the one guy who says this is a great movie, or more likely, take a more jaundiced view of the whole thing. And given the media blitz that has accompanied New Moon, it’s rather unsurprising. I do wish there was more appreciation for cinematographer Javier Aguirresarobe. I think he’s a genius and I think he made something beautiful.

A lot of fans say they like the movie more than the book, that New Moon was their least favorite book in the series.

New Moon takes a lot of time to read and you have a lot of time without Edward in the picture. And here in the compressed scenario of the movie, there is less time without RPatz. And the fact that Taylor [Lautner] does such a great job, to the reading audience who’s been very skeptical of him, here he is in the flesh, and it’s quite something.

Were there moments that you felt constrained by the book? Anything you wanted to take out but couldn’t?
The studio, my editor, and I were all working off the same piece of music. The only way I can make that interesting is to compare it to my previous experience of The Golden Compass. I don’ think the studio had read the book. Maybe they had heard the audio book while sipping Zinfandel. Eventually, they were appalled and frightened by it. At a certain point they considered cutting loose the author. They considered and executed the complete regearing and destruction of what I thought was going to be a pretty good movie. It was a shame and pursued me through what should have been my sleep for a good year.

Really, you didn’t sleep for a year?
Yes, I lost sleep over it. Literally. I stayed up at night pondering how I could have saved it or turned it around or if I had acted differently could I have made it what it ought to have been. Unfortunately, my experience was I went down with the ship. I could have quit at one point. In a parallel universe — and [author Philip] Pullman is really big on parallel universes — I get up and say fine, re-cut, but you won’t see me back again. At the same time, I loved the book so much that if there was any way to abdicate for the better version of it I couldn’t let go.

It’s interesting then that you went forward with another book adaptation with another studio, considering how badly it went the last time.
I really liked the actors. I saw the first movie and I thought there was something special about Kristen [Stewart] , Rob [Pattinson], and Taylor. I liked the emotional tones to the book. It was stuff I knew how to do. I had this theory that if you stay true to the book, you would win. You would not only win with the fans, but other people will get what the fans care about. If the box office tells us anything, then it’s a win. It’s made more in its first day then the entire domestic run of Golden Compass. It’s extraordinary.

What were the highest and lowest points of making New Moon?
The lows had to be shooting at 5 a.m. in a forest and struggling to get certain shots so a sequence would string together properly. It was a very cold forest in British Columbia, and we knew we’d have another night shoot just like it the next day. The highs were the moments of real identification with the actors. With Taylor, the moments early on when he realized he was going to do it. That was very gratifying to me.

What do you think is Taylor’s best scene?
When he jumps into Bella’s room. There is so much pathos there even though it’s melodrama, there’s something touching about it. Or maybe the last moment he has, just when he says Bella’s name. You sort of understand just how crushed he is at that moment. There are a few times where he’s absolutely that guy and it’s really lovely. He’s that guy for the fans and that’s what I always thought he could do.

Do you think Kristen evolved as an actor in this movie?
I’m not sure she evolved as much as she had room to run. She’s a thoroughbred as far as actors go. To me, she can do no wrong. The experience of working with her and the caliber of work she was doing was pretty extraordinary. Let’s put aside girl in love with a vampire, her ability to manifest these emotions below the surface, above the surface just to get things right. She’s extraordinarily exacting of herself and in those moments where I was able to give her the room to do that are things I’m very proud of. That’s a high point.

You made the movie you wanted to here?
Yes, pretty much. In terms of what I wanted to do with the gloss of the picture, the look of the picture, I’m very satisfied with it. And satisfied to touch back with the crew and the actors and to feel we made it under humane conditions as well. No actors were harmed in the making of this movie.

The music was such a big part of this film. How did that all come together?
The songs that came in didn’t have to be as good as they were. We asked bands to come up with something in days or weeks. We screened the movie for The Killers, Death Cab, Lykke Li, Anya Marina. In the case of Thom Yorke, it was surprising and delightful that the song he did worked for the action scene. There were a lot of songs that didn’t make it because they didn’t fit a particular moment or mood, not at all due to their quality. Somewhere out there is a Anya Marina recording of Lou Reed’s Perfect Day. There’s some lovely work by the Republic Tigers, some lovely work by Moby. You could make a pretty good album of the stuff that didn’t make it.

You’ve been around the world promoting this movie. Have you ever been part of something like this?
Never. It’s like being Ringo Starr. There are the big three and then there’s Ringo. It’s probably what he faced a lot. Hey Ringo, Can I meet Paul? When I meet the fans there’s a lot of enthusiasm for me, if one of the kids is nearby or, if they think I can arrange some tryst.

What about dealing with the paparazzi? Did you have any run-ins?
I did a bit of a Sean Penn at LAX. When we were leaving for the European tour. We had left from our L.A. press junket to go to LAX and someone nearly ran us off the road trying to get to one of the cars. We were followed by eight different vans and there was some really dangerous driving. And I understood for the first time how things happened to Princess Diana (I don’t think I’m Princess Diana), and I understood for the first time why celebrities lash out and what’s that about. My first thought upon getting out of the car was, “Who was that driver of the car?” I never found him, but I did lift someone by the hood. A photographer. He was in my way. They have a legal right to be there but they don’t have an ethical right, and he was obstructing my path, and there was someone else I threatened to knock their teeth out. It’s not like me but I felt very protective at that moment and very attacked. There is a huge difference between the attention of the paparazzi and the attention of the fans. The fans have been lovely. The paparazzi in my opinion are a very low form of primate.

Do you think you’re going to get some boys into the theater for New Moon?
I think so. I just hope it’s not just guys who were dragged there. And if they were dragged there, I hope some part of them is enjoying it. And I hope they can admit it if that’s the case. But if not, I hope they have a nice night with their girlfriend. I had an imaginary ad campaign saying “Will your girlfriend go in thinking of Edward, Jacob, or you.” I thought that would force men to go.

 

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