I was a little slow to jump on the
Twilight train... A few of my friends convinced me to watch the first movie just before the release of
New Moon (the second film). I didn't read the books until after the third film. The movies pulled me in; it was the story more than the mediocre acting and less-than-spectacular special effects. But when I read the books?? WOW. I am a "Twi-Hard" for sure.
So needless to say (in case you don't follow me on Twitter) I have been obsessing over the release of the fourth Twilight movie: Breaking Dawn Part I. While I get a little frustrated at franchises torturing their fans by dragging the last books out into "Part I" and "Part II" (cough - harrypotter - cough) I have to admit it makes it more exciting and it prolongs that happy, giddy feeling I get when I just can't wait to see a new piece to the multi-movie puzzle. Yes, I totally drink their marketing ploy Kool-Aid.
After looking up a few marathons at local theaters, my friends and I decided that we would do a cheaper, faster marathon on our own. (And let's be honest, a comfy couch at home is better than any movie seat!!) So, without further ado, I went to work on making some invitations. :)
What's a Twilight invitation without a little blood?!
Yes, I blurred out my address and phone number.
Since we still don't know who "A" is, I'm not taking any chances. ;)
My next step was to find a few small items for gifts. When my mom has her girls' scrapbooking weekend, we draw for prizes every hour we're working on projects. It's something fun and really, who doesn't want to leave with a little treat?! I thought it would be fun to draw for a prize after every one of the movies we watched during the marathon.
I tried to find gifts as close to the Twilight theme as possible, but they were hard to find!!
From L to R:
'Tis the Season Scentportable from Bath & Body Works
"Breaking Dawn Part I" ornament from Target
'Tis the Season candle from Bath & Body Works
Twilight Woods hand lotion from Bath & Body Works
I found these bags and the PERFECT Twilight-esque tissue paper at Hobby Lobby.
Didn't think I would ever break out my brown contacts for Halloween again... But they gave me some great Bella eyes. :) I tried to do her loose curls and natural makeup with plum eyeliner to make it look a bit softer.
Dressing like Bella was a little difficult for me. I wore a plaid shirt, which is one of Bella's staples. The jeans were easy of course, but I never wear tennis shoes to class!! I have had these Coach sneakers for years and was just telling my mom that I needed to get rid of them because I never wear them. They were a perfect fit with the cross-body bag and leather jacket. The best part about this was that I wore this getup to a mock plea bargain negotiation I had to do. And I told the "prosecutor" that I was dressed as Bella Swan. I'm sure he thought I was the craziest broad he'd ever met LOVED IT!!!
Side Note: I got out of class at 3:50, had to rush home and register for 2nd semester classes online at 4:00, and people were to begin arriving at 4:15. This was probably one of the craziest, most anxiety ridden half hours I've experienced this year. I legitimately felt like a mental person... Not to mention the fact that our registering system (falsely, thank God) told me I was 5 credits short of graduating this Spring. Talk about a panic attack!!
As everyone arrived, they wrote their name on a piece of paper and placed it in a little bowl for the drawing. Well everyone except AB and ZA... Who somehow had multiple slips of paper with their names on them. Hmmmm... ;)
The gifts and red velvet cupcakes I baked!!
Since my Christmas decor was up, I had to take down the decorations on my kitchen table and center island. (Yes, I realize I am totally and completely crazy.) I found a sheer burgundy/black table cover, black rose petals, and white feathers at Hobby Lobby. I also found a fuzzy/velvet covered candelabra, blood-red candlesticks, and large chess pieces.
The table cover came folded into a small square, so there were creases all over it... I considered steaming it, but I thought it actually added some interest to the center island. And... It kind of resembled a coverlet on a bed... Which kind of matched the whole feathers thing in Breaking Dawn. :)
Of course, you just can't have a movie marathon and properly prep for a major movie premiere without lots of food to binge on. SL made a tasty salad with craisins, walnuts, sliced baby carrots, and feta cheese as an appetizer. I ordered pizza and cheese garlic bread from a local Italian bakery that I attempt to only order on special occasions because you can never just have one slice. AW made some chilled pasta salad and a cookies-n-cream white chocolate fudge with Christmas Oreos swirled in to look a little Twilight-ish. I begged AB to make one of her fruit pizzas because I'm pretty sure I dream about them sometimes. She even dedicated it to the beautiful wedding we were about to witness at midnight!! ;) KL made sangria, which was helpful in counteracting effects of the enormous amounts of sugar we were consuming.
AB's fruit pizza... Mmmm!!
AW's cookies-n-cream fudge... SO delicious.
During the movies AB practiced getting SL's hair to curl (it has never been colored and there is A LOT of it!!) and tested some wedding hairstyles on her. SL isn't the biggest Twilight fan... She laughed throughout most of Twilight and New Moon. :)
As the night went on I felt like we got crazier and crazier... I had told everyone they could bring homework to work on since most of us had classes on Friday. I would say that not much studying was accomplished. And everything just started to be hilarious... I think that's just what happens when you put 6+ girls in a room, add caffeine and sugar, a little sangria, and are all hoping to see Taylor Lautner's abs in less than a few hours.
AW and ZA... Counting down to BD1
Legal Ladies!!
Cannot believe this is our last year together :(
I think I added the cherry on top when I started cranking out Italian coffee after Italian coffee for everyone to take to the movie. I found a teeny bottle of Kahlua in my refrigerator, which AW and I promptly split between our cups of coffee. We packed a cooler tote of the red velvet cupcakes, fudge, and fruit pizza and we headed off to the premiere!!
At the theater!!! SO excited...
Souvenir cup/gallon of soda at the movie theater.
You all know who I chose :)
Lack of sleep + lots of sugar + caffeine = THIS PHOTO
ZA and I were passing treats and snacks down our row like total bingers.
ZA went on a run at 6 AM the next day. I ate a cookie for breakfast.
Breaking Dawn Part I was really good, although my favorite Twilight movie is still Eclipse. I could definitely tell the difference between the former director's work and the new director who did BD1. I am going to give a few of my opinions on the movie down below, but I want to make sure that anyone who hasn't seen it yet or read the books has a chance to skedaddle and I'm not ruining anything for anyone!! :)
Did any of you do your own marathons or attend one in the theater?? Did you or will you go see BD1?? And... Most importantly, what did you think of it?!?!
Xoxo B.
I can't stand it when the ending to a movie I've been excited about is ruined or someone tells me about a TV show before I've watched it... So... I am giving you a heads up before I give my little movie review on Breaking Dawn Part 1...
WARNING!!! SPOILER ALERT!!!
IF YOU HAVE NOT READ THE BOOKS OR SEEN BREAKING DAWN AND DO NOT WANT TO KNOW THE ENDING, DO NOT READ PAST THIS POINT!!!
I'M SERIOUS...
Photo Credit: Yahoo Movies via Google Image Search
Okay, so here are my thoughts on BD1... I'm just going to work my way from the beginning of the movie to the end.
1. Alice!!!
Alice's hair/skin/makeup was out of control pretty. I like her better with her hair a bit longer, but the girl can work a pixie cut. She looked like an adorable little flapper at the wedding. Ugh... She is just so beautiful!!
2. THE WEDDING. OMGSH. AMAZINGNESS.
I thought it was SO beautiful and PERFECT for Edward and Bella's love story. It was a little modern, a little vintage, and incredibly romantic. The wisteria hanging down from the trees created such a magical, fairytale feel... It was perfect for a wedding in the woods.
3. WHO. CAST. THE. DENALIS.
If you haven't read the books, Tanya and Kate Denali are the two hideous blondes who show up to the wedding, flanked by Irina Denali who gets spooked by the presence of wolves at the wedding. They are supposed to be stunningly beautiful, but someone did a fantastic job at totally deviating from the novels on that one. Irina is pretty, but the women who play Tanya and Kate have awful fillers in their lips and their hair is a disgusting shade of pale yellow. The makeup used on them looks caked on, powdery, and cheap. What went wrong here?!
4. The Wedding Toasts
I don't think they could have made the wedding toasts any funnier. I thought they were hilarious... Especially Emmett and Renee's because they seemed so genuine and realistic. Definitely one of my favorite parts of the movie.
5. Bella and Edward Leave the Wedding
Jacob howling while Bella drove away with Edward to their honeymoon was one of the saddest parts of the movie for me. I am a huge Jacob fan... He just seems like he's so rough and has all this muscle and brawn and anger he doesn't know what to do with because he's sweet and sensitive at heart. I love that about his character!! I literally almost cried during that part. Great scene.
6. "A Few Human Minutes"
This part was great because it was so realistic... Bella and Edward have just arrived at Isle Esme on their honeymoon night. She wants to get ready and look her best for her "first time". ALL girls have had those moments before a date or something when you are racing around the bathroom and nervous to see your guy... Trying to brush your teeth and feel confident. I thought it was a very "real" moment and good to include it because it wouldn't have made sense if Bella just strolled out onto the beach like it was Sports Illustrated Swimsuit Edition.
7. Yep... The Sex Scene.
This is what happens when you make millions of readers and moviegoers wait for THREE movies before a love scene happens... People go crazy and start obsessing over it, asking what it will be like or how they will act. WELL... I have to say, I was very impressed with the way Bill Condon directed this scene. It was very tasteful... Very delicate and sweet and not crude or disconnected.
8. Bella!!!
Bella looks so gorgeous when she's on Isle Esme with Edward... Probably my favorite look of hers. Her hair looks beachy and relaxed, they've obviously given her a bit of a spray tan, and she just absolutely glows. She looks pretty and healthy and happy. Important because the audience needed to see the stark contrast between that and her appearance when she's pregnant.
9. Jacob Runs Through the Woods
The scene where Jacob runs in wolf form through the woods after discovering Bella is pregnant with a half-vampire baby is great. One major piece you learn in the books is how the wolves communicate telepathically when they are in their wolf form. When random thoughts and conversations are flowing through Jacob's head I think the audience gets to see how confused and overwhelmed he often feels when everyone is literally "in his head".
10. However...
The part immediately following Jacob running through the woods is completely idiotic and the director/producers should be ashamed of themselves. Jacob meets up with his pack and starts this awful dialogue about how he is resisting Sam's dominance and breaking off on his own. It's an important part of the book and I agree it should have been included, but WOW... This was their best efforts?! The dogs are snarling in a way that resembles their mouths moving... Really?! Are we all so dumb that we cannot figure out that a wolf is communicating these things to Jacob?? It just seemed immature and cheaply done.
11. The Birth Scene
BARF. O. RAMA. I was two rows away from the front of the screen and all the moving and jolting of the scenes, combined with the blood and sounds made me completely nauseous. In the book, this scene is very traumatic and emotional. Bella has basically made the decision to die for her baby and Edward is seeing it all happen. But... I think the director made it a tad less human and emotional and focused just a little too much on the gore. For example... During the part where Edward has to get the baby out, I feel like they could have moved the shot back so that Bella's head/face are in it and not just this bulging, bruised stomach. It would make it a little more personal and not focused so much on how grotesque the whole situation was. I don't know how to explain it... I guess I just felt more grossed out and less sad and emotional than I did when I read that part in the book. I wish the feeling of that whole scene had matched the book a little more, I suppose.
12. Imprinting
I discussed this w/ my cousin a bit... Jacob imprinting on Renesmee was one of the strangest, most disturbing things in the book when I first read it. After I kept reading and it explained the imprinting phenomenon in a more detailed way, I began to understand that it was more of a familial love and less of a romantic love. I think the movie captured this accurately because it showed Renesmee as she grew up... You got the idea that Jacob's love would grow with her... To match each stage she was at, like he said. A brother, a friend, a lover... Whatever.
13. FINALLY...
Finally, after I didn't think I could be any more disgusted with Bella's tiny alien-body frame and dark, sunken eyes... I got to see the end result!! She transformed into a beautiful, gorgeous vampire!! She looks absolutely stunning at the end... Her hair and makeup and skin are flawless. And when she opens her eyes?! AHHHHH... I am SO excited for BP2!!! :)
Did you guys stick around to see the sneak peak of BP2 halfway through the credits?? What did you think?!
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