Eclipse premiere at the Pickwick Theatre: Celebrities, screams, and madness

Last night/this morning I attended the midnight showing of the latest film in the Twilight franchise, Eclipse, at the Pickwick Theatre in downtown Park Ridge. Before the film's midnight showing two of the actors, Gil Birmingham (Billy Black) and Justin Chon (Eric Yorkie) appeared for an autograph session with fans and then gave a Q&A. I attended the Q&A, which started out as a mini-concert given by Birmingham on acoustic guitar. He sang an Elvis cover, John Mayer's "No Such Thing," "Never Tear Us Apart" by INXS, a few other songs, and a couple original compositions. During the Q&A session we learned that Chon dyed his black hair blonde both to anger his management and for a movie role (earlier, while waiting on the sidewalk outside the Pickwick box office, Chon walked right by me and I didn't realize it was him with blonde hair until he walked through the door to go inside!). He said he just wanted to be his own person and not listen to what people were always telling him what to do. When asked which actors they admire, Chon talked about the craziness of Crispin Glover and Birmingham said he liked Johnny Depp. And, weirdly of all, Chon overshared some information that was just so bizarre I couldn't help but crack up laughing, but I won't repeat the specifics here.

The turnout for the Q&A was disappointingly small, especially taking into consideration how many fans were waiting in line outside to watch the movie. At the Q&A's conclusion at 11:30 PM the waiting fans streamed into the Pickwick's main theater, which very quickly became packed to capacity. The crowd mostly consisted of teenage girls, junior high up to high school, with various small groupings of teenage boys thrown into the mix and some accompanying parents; I definitely felt old standing next to the teens and wondered where the other twenty-somethings like me were hiding (I saw plenty of them at last year's New Moon premiere at my local AMC!). Five minutes before the movie started Birmingham and Chon walked back out on stage with their cameras, and madness erupted. We then only had to sit through one preview before the start of Eclipse.

In Eclipse, Bella Swan (Kristen Stewart) is at the end of her senior year in high school. She wants her boyfriend, the vampire Edward Cullen (Robert Pattinson), to change her into a vampire after graduation, which he only agrees to do if she marries him. Bella's friend Jacob Black (Taylor Lautner), a werewolf, is in love with Bella and is angered by the thought of her choosing to be a vampire over living a human life, especially if that life could be shared with him. Additionally, the vampire Victoria (Bryce Dallas Howard) is still at large and looking for revenge for the death of her mate, James, at the hands of Edward, which occurred in the first Twilight movie. To have her revenge Victoria manipulates a newborn vampire, Riley (Xaiver Samuel), to build an army of newborn vampires. Newborn vampires are very strong because they still have some human blood left in their bodies and are difficult to control because all they can think about is drinking blood. In spite of the animosity between the two groups, the Cullens and the Quileute werewolves join together to fight the newborn army. Because Alice (Ashley Greene) saw them coming in her visions of the future, they have time to prepare; Jasper (Jackson Rathbone) teaches the vampires and werewolves on techniques to use to kill newborns. I think the action sequences featuring the vampires and werewolves were a highlight of the movie.

I continue to root for the character of Jacob, even though I know his fate in the books (Stephenie Meyer, Jacob doesn't deserve that! Twilight fans, you know what I'm referring to!). Lautner and Pattinson share some scenes that are entertaining to watch as each guy barely contains his hatred for the other. Eclipse also includes several flashbacks to the vampires' pasts. Jasper especially has a larger role in this film; the vampire who created him did so because she wanted Jasper, a major in the Confederate Army, to train armies of newborn vampires. Unfortunately, aside from Jacob, the members of the Wolf Pack (Sam, Paul, Jared, Quil, Embry, Seth, and Leah) are mostly seen in werewolf, and not human, form. Paul (Alex Meraz) fans like me will be disappointed in that.

For the most part the movie follows the plot of Stephenie Meyer's book of the same name. Unfortunately, that means that the 18-year-old Bella is intent on getting married and remaining a teenager forever so she can be with her love, Edward. I just don't believe that a girl that young would know exactly what she wanted to do with her life. As Jessica (Anna Kendrick) says in her commencement speech, they are at the point in their lives where they can make mistakes and experience all sorts of things in life. I just want to tell Bella to go off on her own somewhere to college, away from Edward and Jacob, and just experience being independent. A huge reason why I think the character of Sookie Stackhouse is so well-written in Charlaine Harris' southern vampires novels is that the twenty-something Sookie doesn't need a boyfriend to have happiness in her life. She has her job, friends, and hobbies like reading books from the library. Sookie knows who she is and can stand up for herself. Although she hangs with (and sometimes dates) vampires and werewolves, Sookie has her own life. End of Sookie rant!

Despite my problems with the Twilight-series plot as a whole, I enjoyed Eclipse more than the previous installments; I had a blast seeing the movie at its midnight showing at the Pickwick. The audience loudly reacted to the plot developments but stayed quiet during the sections with dialogue. The audience screamed the most for Jacob; Edward only got screams when he locked lips with Bella. My favorite audience comment had to be near the end of the movie, way after the character of Riley had been established-- he appeared on screen in the woods and a teenage boy shouted, "Who's that guy?"

DVDs out June 29th

The Crazies: A remake of George A. Romero's 1973 horror thriller, The Crazies stars Timothy Olyphant as a sheriff sent to investigate madness and mayhem in a small town. Co-starring: Radha Mitchell (Melinda and Melinda).
Find it in the catalog!

Hot Tub Time Machine: Rob Corddry, John Cusack, Clark Duke, and Craig Robinson star as reunited friends who travel back to the halcyon days of 1986, thanks to the titular hot-tub's magical properties. No, I am not making this up.
Find it in the catalog!

Percy Jackson & The Olympians: The Lightning Thief: The big screen adaptation of Rick Riordan's hugely successful young adult novel. Percy Jackson is a teen, living in New York and struggling with ADHD. As it turns out, he's also the child of a Greek god. Directed by Chris Columbus, who helmed the first two installments of the Harry Potter series. Co-starring: Sean Bean, Pierce Brosnan, and Uma Thurman.
Find it in the catalog!

The White Ribbon: Austrian director Michael Haneke is known for exploring the coldest regions of the human heart. In his latest film, he casts his eye on the nascent fascism of a rural German village at the onset of WWI. The film is as visually beautiful as it is morally unsettling. The White Ribbon was awarded the 2009 Palme d'Or, the highest prize awarded at the Cannes Film Festival, and you can expect it to be a serious contender for Best Foreign Film this Oscar season.
Find it in the catalog!

Mad Men marathons in July

Counting down the days until the 9 PM season 4 premiere of Mad Men on Sunday, July 25? In the next few weeks you can get your fix of Don, Betty, Pete, Peggy, Roger, and Joan when AMC airs their Mad Men marathons featuring episodes from seasons 1-3 that were selected by fans. Read more about which episodes will be airing here.

Season 1 marathon: Monday, July 5 at 7 PM
Season 2 marathon: Monday, July 12 at 7 PM
Season 3 marathon: Monday, July 19 at 7 PM

Don't have the cable channel AMC? No problem. You can catch up, or introduce yourself to this amazing show, on DVD. The library owns seasons 1-3 on DVD-- just click the link to place yourself on hold for a copy!
Season 1: Find it in the catalog!
Season 2: Find it in the catalog!
Season 3: Find it in the catalog!

Nerdy and Amazing Men of Rock

Celebrating rock's most unlikely heroes:

Kevin Barnes, Of Montreal.  Barnes is a true indie rock diva.  He has his own glam rock alter-ego, Georgie Fruit, and usually will switch outfits multiple times per performance, occasionally opting to go without any clothes.  However, he also references French literature, Wong Kar-wai films, and Greek Mythology in his lyrics.
 

David Byrne, Talking Heads/ Various and Sundry.  Byrne is a music icon, cycling advocate, artist and author. Early on in his career, Byrne stood out for his quirky vocals and wiry, spastic energy. It's hard not to be impressed by Byrne's weirdness and seemingly boundless energy during his performance in the concert film Stop Making Sense.  Nearly 30 years later, Byrne is still making interesting and enjoyable music. 

Movies I Love: Brand Upon the Brain!

"One memory leads to the next..."

Experimental filmmaker Guy Maddin clearly has a fondness for crossing genres, styles, and media: Dracula: Pages From a Virgin's Diary (2002) combines Expressionistic horror with a feature-length dance performance by the prestigious Royal Winnipeg Ballet; Cowards Bend the Knee (2003) is both a gorgeously photographed film noir and a loving tribute to Canadian hockey; The Saddest Music in the World (2003) is a morose melodrama, a screwball comedy, and a musical featuring multi-ethnic performers. His 2006 film Brand Upon the Brain! is a hybrid of several equally unlikely art-forms: silent film, teen detective mystery, mad-scientist horror pastiche, and imagined autobiography. It is also, and most affectingly, a profound meditation on childhood memory. Narrated by Isabella Rossellini, whose beautifully expressive voice adds poignancy to what is already highly poetic narrative.

Happy 109th birthday, Edward Cullen!

Usually I do not celebrate the birthdays of fictional characters, but I am making an exception for the vampire Edward Cullen. Edward, who physically never ages past 17 years old, was born Edward Anthony Masen on  June 20, 1901. He became a vampire when Carlisle Cullen (adoptive father to vampires Edward, Emmett, Rosalie, Jasper, and Alice) changed him in Chicago in 1918 during the Spanish influenza epidemic.

To celebrate the June 30th release of Eclipse, the next film in the Twilight series, we are having an Eclipse Movie Release Party at the library this Friday at 2 PM. You can register online (just click the link) or call the Information Desk at 847-428-3661 x 308 to register. We will play Twilight Trivia, listen to music from the soundtracks, and enjoy Twilight character cupcakes. At the Release Party we'll also belatedly celebrate Edward's 109th birthday. Team Jacob fans, that means you, too!

Also, if you are looking for fun ways of watching the midnight showing of Eclipse next week, you can see all three of the Twilight films at movie chains like AMC, which is holding The Twilight Experience, or you can even meet actors Justin Chon (Eric) and Gil Birmingham (Billy Black) at the Pickwick Theatre in Park Ridge.

DVDs out June 22nd

Green Zone: Matt Damon stars as Chief Warrant Officer Roy Miller in this thriller, set during the United States occupation of Baghdad. Based on the book Imperial Life in the Emerald City: Inside Iraq's Green Zone, by Rajiv Chandrasekaran. Directed by Paul Greengrass (The Bourne Supremacy, The Bourne Ultimatum, United 93).
Find it in the catalog!

The Last Station: Christopher Plummer stars as Russian novelist Leo Tolstoy, the literary titan who authored Anna Karenina and War and Peace. Co-starring: Anne-Marie Duff, Paul Giamatti, James McAvoy, and Helen Mirren as Sofya Tolstoy.
Find it in the catalog!

Remember Me: This romantic drama stars Edward Cullen, I mean, Robert Pattinson and Lost's Emilie de Ravin. Critics and viewers alike were baffled by the film's denouement, but the actors involved might make this project worth watching. Co-starring: Pierce Brosnan, the always amazing Chris Cooper, and Lena Olin.
Find it in the catalog!

She's Out of My League: Apatow alumnus Jay Baruchel takes the lead in this romantic comedy. He plays an "average" guy who attracts a "stunning" woman. The mismatch premise has been done a thousand times, but Baruchel is a charmer and the film is surprisingly good natured.
Find it in the catalog!

That's a deal breaker: Less is More: Double Albums

I have an aversion to double albums.  Time wise, a double album is quite an investment. Blame it on a short attention span, but for me the ideal album length is between 40-45 minutes and no more than 13 songs.  Certainly there are exceptions to this rule, like Blonde on Blonde or London Calling, but an album would have to pretty fabulous to keep my attention much past the 50 minute mark. I'd much rather long to listen to an album again than wonder when it will be over.

Also, the more songs, the more chances are that at least one of them will be dreadful and usually it's more than that.  Many albums suffer from a smorgasbord effect, artists take on too many different styles and none all that successfully.  Or they let the drummer put his song on the album. Between the length and the somewhat hodgepodge quality, double albums feel less like fun and more like a homework assignment.

Exceptions to the Rule include:

The Beatles- White Album (1968).  I have a love hate relationship with this album, as in I love pretty much everything that John Lennon does on the album and hate pretty much everything else (especially everything by Ringo and "Savoy Truffle" and "Long, Long, Long"), though this is more-or-less my attitude towards everything done by the Beatles. Still the Beatles are at their experimental peak and it's hard to write off any album that has "Dear Prudence" and "Sexy Sadie" on it.
Find it in the Catalog!

Husker Dü- Zen Arcade (1984).
Find it in the Catalog!  

LCD Soundsystem-LCD Soundsystem (2005).
Find it in the Catalog!  

Magnetic Fields-69 Love Songs (1999).  The Magnetic Fields are a gateway drug to art rock, concept heavy with a nice, catchy pop sound.  I don't really love every moment out of the album's near 3 hours, but it's hard not to admire Stephin Merrit's songwriting.  The album spans several different genres and a variety of love relationships. Useless Magnetic Fields trivia, their accordionist/ keyboardist is Daniel Handler aka. Lemony Snicket.
Find it in the Catalog!

What we're listening to: Jason Castro

Two years ago Jason Castro was a contestant on American Idol during Season 7 and was the first person to play an instrument on the AI stage. After Blake Lewis in season 6, AI viewers saw the contestants on the show shift from singers with booming vocals to artists who performed their own creative interpretations of songs. Season 7 found Castro, Brooke White, Carly Smithson, David Cook, and others changing up countless songs. Castro stood out with his interpretations of  "What a Day for a Daydream," "Somewhere Over the Rainbow," and Mariah Carey's "I Don't Wanna Cry." He is one of my favorite singers to come off American Idol, not only because of his unique performances but because of his laid-back, non-Hollywood personality.

Since season 7 ended we have already seen CDs put out by Castro's fellow contestants Brooke White, Michael Johns, David Archuleta, and David Cook (winner of that season). Well, Castro's pop-folk debut was worth the wait.  "Let's Just Fall in Love Again" is a fun, upbeat pop song to play again and again (and again). Hand claps, whistling, and even some ooohs... without a doubt, pop music at its best. Castro sings that he wants to fall in love again, "fall disgustingly fast / and we'll stop hanging out with friends / they'll be so offended." "This Heart of Mine" is another song you'll be singing along to in no time. On "It Matters to Me" Castro sings about wanting to hear about everything he missed while he was apart from his significant other: "Tell me all the things I couldn't see / Cause it matters to me." The Texas native even displays his country side on "You Can Always Come Home" with Serena Ryder, where he sings to a woman who's back with someone who's hurt her in the past and tells her he "miss[es] what we might of had."

Castro co-wrote all but three of the songs, and the CD also includes his cover of "Hallelujah." Even you are not an American Idol fan, I recommend checking out this CD for some undeniably catchy pop songs that feel bright as sunshine.
Find it in the catalog!