CD review: The Cribs, “Ignore the Ignorant”
From Friday’s Weekend Look section of The Oklahoman.
Rock
The Cribs “Ignore the Ignorant” (Warner Bros.)
British indie rockers the Cribs aim to find a home with American audiences with their second Warner Bros. album, “Ignore the Ignorant,” already the band’s highest-charting U.K. release.
“Ignore the Ignorant” is the Cribs’ first record to feature fourth member Johnny Marr, former songwriter and guitarist for the Smiths and Modest Mouse, which surely bolsters both the music and their chances for U.S. success.
In 2008, Marr joined the Cribs’ brother act — twins Gary (singer/bassist) and Ryan (singer/guitarist) Jarman and their younger brother Ross (drums) — and his influence can be heard on the lovely melancholy of “Stick to Yr Guns” and the jangly, deceptively catchy title track.
The Cribs take advantage of their new two-guitar lineup on the atmospheric, nearly 6 ½-minute “City of Bugs” and the rollicking romp “Victim of Mass Production,” one of the album’s best tracks.
“Ignore the Ignorant” is jammed with irresistibly bouncy pop songs overlaid with a distinctly punk attitude and energy. The band sets the tone from the opening tracks, “We Were Aborted” and “Cheat on Me.”
British producer Nick Launay (Yeah Yeah Yeahs, Arcade Fire) strikes a fine balance between capturing a live vibe and giving the record an appealingly slick production.
With “Ignore the Ignorant,” the Cribs create a sturdy craft for crossing the pond, and American indie rock fans should make a place for the band on our side of the Atlantic.
— BAM
DVD review: “The Brothers Bloom”
From Friday’s Weekend Look section of The Oklahoman.
“The Brothers Bloom”
Writer-director Rian Johnson puts a distinctive stamp on the con-man movie genre with “The Brothers Bloom,” augmenting the expected complicated plot with raucous good humor, touching revelations and magical realism.
The caper is now available to rent on DVD and Blu-ray and goes on sale in both formats on Jan. 12.
Johnson’s follow-up to his acclaimed 2005 crime-drama “Brick” features some of the most quirky, memorable characters in recent film, and the superlative cast clearly relishes bringing them to cinematic life.
He gives the titular siblings an unforgettable flashback intro: Orphaned brothers and budding con artists Stephen and Bloom (Max Records and Zachary Gordon) carry out their first caper to the rhyming narration of sleight-of-hand expert Ricky Jay.
All grown up, the Brothers Bloom are still pulling scams, with Stephen (Mark Ruffalo) writing complex ploys, Bloom (Oscar winner Adrien Brody) cozying up to the marks, and their enigmatic assistant Bang Bang (scene-stealing Oscar nominee Rinko Kikuchi) providing props and firepower.
But Bloom wants to get out of the con game, so Stephen promises to dream up one last big score. He assigns Bloom to befriend peculiar heiress Penelope Stamp (Oscar winner Rachel Weisz) so they can entangle her in an intricate plot to steal a (supposedly) priceless book. Inexperienced and lonesome, Penelope is easily drawn into the scheme, but the brothers soon learn she’s not so easily fooled.
The first half of “The Brothers Bloom” is easily the most engrossing hour I spent at the movies this year, and Johnson brings the twisty tale to a surprising and ultimately satisfying conclusion.
DVD features: Commentary, behind-the-scenes featurette, deleted scenes, storyboards and image gallery.
— BAM
What to do in Oklahoma on Nov. 27, 2009
Graham Colton (Photo by Nate Billings/The Oklahoman Archives)
Hear Oklahoma City singer-songwriter Graham Colton, along with Christopher Wray and The City Lives, play a Thanksgiving benefit show for the Regional Food Bank of Oklahoma at 8 tonight at the Farmers Public Market, 311 S Klein.
For more information, go to www.grahamcolton.com or www.regionalfoodbank.org.
For more events, go to www.wimgo.com.
-BAM
Q&A: “Twilight: New Moon” filmmakers
Chris Weitz (Associated Press photo)
Since the film and “The Twilight Saga: New Moon” Week here at BAM’s Blog are proving so popular, I’m extending my daily coverage of “New Moon” for another week. Yes, it’s “New Moon” Week: The Sequel.
In the second film based on Stephenie Meyer’s best-selling book series, the supernatural love triangle between human Bella Swan (Kristen Stewart), vampire Edward Cullen (Robert Pattinson) and werewolf Jacob Black (Taylor Lautner) really starts to develop.
Last week, I brought you features on Lautner, Pattinson and Stewart I wrote after attending the massive “New Moon” press day at the Four Seasons Hotel in Los Angeles. This week, I’ve already brought you Q&As with the three leads in the film.
Today, I’m featuring a Q&A with “New Moon” director Chris Weitz, screenwriter Melissa Rosenberg and producer Wyck Godfrey, taken from the L.A. press conference, in which they fielded questions from several entertainment journalists, including yours truly. They talked about a variety topics, including the movie’s many shirtless-young-men scenes, the much-talked-about casting of Taylor Lautner as Jacob Black and replacing of Rachelle Lefevre with Bryce Dallas Howard for the series’ third film, “Eclipse.” (The Q&A has been slightly edited for clarity and length.)
Q: Chris, I’m wondering if either you or your brother (fellow director Paul Weitz, “Cirque du Freak: The Vampire’s Assistant”) have ever tried to get your mother (actress Susan Kohner) to make a cameo in any of your films? She would have been perfect as the grandmother in the first scene of this movie.
Weitz: How fun. I think it would have been difficult for me to say, “Mom, we’d like you to play a woman who is so old she horrifies Bella when she recognizes herself in the mirror.” Well, I’m glad that people still remember my mom. For all who don’t know who she is, she was nominated as best supporting actress for “Imitation of Life.” And I think she’s put movies behind her for good, and now she just raises me and my brother.
Q: Chris, putting together the syllabus for the cast, what was your thinking behind that? As far as I know, you hadn’t done it before. Why did you feel you needed to this time around?
Weitz: Well, I knew that I needed to do quite a lot of thinking coming into the movie because I was the new kid. So, all of the actors knew their characters but what often happens with actors, I think, is that they get kind of dropped into a war zone, into a room that they’re supposed to have known all their lives, or into a scene with someone their supposed to have known all their lives, and they’re not quite aware either of where they are, who they’re meeting, or indeed what movie they’re in. I mean they know that they’re in New Moon, but what I really didn’t want was a sequelitis or the idea that we’re just cranking out a franchise. I wanted everyone to know what sort of movie we wanted to make and what had already been discussed with Javier (Aguirresarobe) our DP (director of photography), and with David Brisbin, our production designer, what had gone into the script from Melissa, what kind of thinking had gone into where we were, so that it was a holistic experience rather than the somewhat brutal process that making a film can sometimes be.
Q: There are a lot of hunky guy moments in this movie that the girls are going to go crazy for. Even Laurent gets to show up bare-chested. Can you guys talk about constructing those moments and then delivering on them?
Rosenberg: I wish I could take credit for the moments of Jacob pulling off his shirt and Edward pulling off his shirt. They are in the book and it seemed unwise to leave them out.
Weitz: That would be a cut that you would regret. I like to say it’s all essentially economics. You see, the Quileutes don’t have very high average income and they can’t afford the T-shirts they would need, given the amount of times they turn into wolves on short notice and their clothes burst. So, really, they’d have to go to Walmart every 10 minutes. They just go around in shorts for that reason.
Q: If there a feeling about trying to get teenagers hearts going?
Weitz: Well, yes. I will say that the last scene especially is constructed … Melissa and I talked about it and it’s constructed in such a way that it’s meant to be one of the most scream-inducing moments – and it doesn’t even involve abdominal muscles – in recent film history. I think that there’s this wonderful audience that appreciates what we do, wants us to do well, and really wants to engage in an emotional experience. And so to me it made sense to be unashamed of the emotionality of the piece. And there’s werewolves fighting each other, vampires fighting each other, vampires fighting werewolves, and all sorts of great stuff for boys as well, but the girls needed to be given their due. And we, I think, deliver.
Q: Chris, with “Twilight” having such a young cast and everyone wanting to know everything about the cast, did your work with the young cast in the “American Pie” days help adapt to this film in any way?
Weitz: Strangely not. Not in the way that you’d expect because even though the cast on the film is quite young, they’d all been in quite a lot of stuff before, especially Kristen. Whereas with “American Pie,” most of them were first-timers. So I didn’t feel as though I had to do any hand-holding with our young actors. But there was the fun I’d had on “American Pie” of casting some unknowns in the parts of the young guys who play the Quileutes. And that’s lovely. It’s really great to work on a movie where you’ve got Michael Sheen in a scene, an extraordinary professional, then you’ve got a guy who was walking around and he saw a line of people waiting for an audition and was like, “What’s this?” And they said it’s for some movie, and then he decided to stand at the end of the line. And then a few days later I saw the video and said, “That guy’s really funny. Let’s put him in.” That’s terribly enjoyable as well.
Oklahoma City’s Downtown in December celebration starts Friday
Caleb Forsythe, 10, hangs on as he takes a ride Tuesday during media day at Chesapeake Snow Tubing inside the AT&T Bricktown Ballpark, part of Downtown in December. (Photo by Nate Billings/The Oklahoman)
Oklahoma City’s eighth annual Downtown in December celebration starts Friday at various venues in downtown. The wintertime festivities include an outdoor ice rink, snowtubing at the Bricktown Ballpark, water taxi rides down the Bricktown Canal and more.
Below is a list of the Downtown in December attractions. For more information, go to www.downtownindecember.com.
Devon Ice Rink
Ice skate in the shadow of Downtown Oklahoma City’s skyscrapers at the Devon Ice Rink outside the Civic Center, 201 N Walker. Rink hours are noon to 10 p.m. daily Friday-Jan. 3, including holidays – noon to 5 p.m. Dec. 24, noon to 10 p.m. Christmas Day and noon to 11 p.m. New Year’s Eve. The cost to skate is $8, which includes skate rental and a two-hour session. Skating is $5 for those who supply their own skates.
Chesapeake Snow Tubing at the Brick
Zip down the nation’s largest manmade snow tubing slope inside the AT&T Bricktown Ballpark. Admission is $10 for each 1 1/2-hour session. First come, first served. Private parties and groups sales are available by calling 218-1000. To see a schedule, go to www.downtownindecember.com.
SandRidge Christmas Tree
Join Santa as he kicks off Downtown in December. Everyone is invited to experience the excitement of the Christmas season when Mayor Mick Cornett and Santa light the beautifully adorned SandRidge Christmas Tree at 5:30 p.m. Friday,. Thousands of multicolored lights will adorn the majestic 32 foot-tall tree just north of Kerr Park at 123 Robert S Kerr Ave. The lighting of SandRidge Christmas Tree officially begins Downtown in December.
The Oklahoma City Ballet will help usher in Downtown in December in style with a beautiful presentation as dancers take the stage to give visitors a stunning holiday performance before welcoming Santa and Mayor Mick Cornett. The tree-lighting festivities are family friendly and include music by the Canterbury Choral Society, clowns, downtown mascots, hot chocolate, yummy treats and scores of holiday surprises. Admission is free.
OG&E Garden Lights
View thousands of twinkling lights mingling together to create a dramatic, holiday atmosphere in Downtown Oklahoma City’s Myriad Botanical Gardens . The 17-acre urban garden and architecturally acclaimed Crystal Bridge Tropical Conservatory will be aglow from Friday through the New Year. The Crystal Bridge will open for free from 6 to 9 p.m. Sunday, Nov. 29 and every Sunday evening in December for special twilight viewings.
Oklahoma City Community Foundation Free Museum Sundays
Enjoy five Sundays of culture, art, history and music during Oklahoma City Community Foundation Free Museum Sundays. Beginning Nov. 29, one of four participating downtown museums will be open for free from 1 to 6 p.m. each Sunday. On the last Sunday, Dec. 27, all of the participating museums will open for a free grand finale. Participating museums are the American Banjo Museum, Gaylord-Pickens Oklahoma Heritage Museum, The Oklahoma City Museum of Art and the Oklahoma City National Memorial. To see a schedule, go to www.downtownindecember.com.
Automobile Alley Lights on Broadway
See the historic buildings of Automobile Alley in a whole new light at Automobile Alley Lights on Broadway. From Nov. 27-Jan. 3, more than 130 thousand colorful LED lights will drape the historic buildings of Automobile Ally making for a magical holiday wonderland. Automobile Alley is on Broadway from NW 4 to NW 10.
Wimgo Holidays on the Canal
Take a free adventure cruise on a Bricktown Water Taxi during Wimgo Holidays on the Canal. All ages will enjoy a fun-filled float down the beautifully decorated Bricktown Canal. Ride free from 6 to 9:30 p.m. every Thursday-Sunday, Nov. 27 through Dec. 27 (closed Christmas). Board the boats across from the ballpark.
Sonic Segway Santa
Watch out for the Sonic Segway Santa, who will visit downtown events on his Segway personal transport scooter. He will have lots of fun stuff for kids and adults and give out special Sonic treats and holiday light viewing glasses.
SandRidge Santa Run
Take in some holiday fun and fitness at the SandRidge Santa Run on Saturday Dec. 5. The SandRidge Santa Run includes a 5K run, a one-mile fun run and a Santa Claus Kid’s Dash for tots, as well as cash prizes for best costumed runners. All runs begin and end at Leadership Square, 211 N Robinson. The 5K run begins at 9 a.m., followed by a Santa Claus Kid’s Dash for tots and fun run at 10 a.m. For registration information, go to www.downtownindecember.com.
Oklahoma River Holiday Cruises
Take a free introductory Oklahoma River Holiday Cruise from 1 to 6 p.m. every Sunday from Nov. 29 through Dec. 27. Passengers can enjoy the holiday lights, hot cocoa and seasonal music as they take in the downtown Oklahoma City skyline from an open-air deck or the heated cabin. Introductory cruises are free to all ages. Children must be accompanied by an adult. Passengers can board at Regatta Park, 701 S Lincoln Blvd., and can even take an Oklahoma Spirit Trolley for free to the boarding area.
-BAM
ASCAP lists top 25 holiday songs of the decade
The Eurythmics’ version of “Winter Wonderland” is the most popular version of the holiday classic played on the radio today, according to ASCAP. (Associated Press photo)
Happy Thanksgiving! The holiday season officially starts today, and it now becomes completely socially acceptable to play Christmas music. (Truth be told, I’ve been listening to holiday songs for several days now, even though I know it’s really too early.)
On Friday, I’ll have a round-up of some of the big new holiday albums out this year. Until then, check out the American Society of Composers, Authors and Publishers’ (ASCAP) report on the favorite holiday songs of the past decade:
Topping ASCAP’s holiday songs list of the decade is one of the oldest songs on the list: “Winter Wonderland.” It was written in 1934 by Felix Bernard and Richard B. Smith, and was an instant hit for legendary bandleader Guy Lombardo And His Royal Canadians who took it to the No. 2 spot on the Billboard charts the same year. Recordings by the Andrews Sisters and Perry Como, in 1946, established the song as a Yuletide favorite. Versions by the Eurythmics, Jewel and Air Supply are frequently heard on radio today.
ASCAP President and Chairman Paul Williams knows something about holiday songs, having received an Emmy nomination this year for “I Wish I Could Be Santa Claus” from “A Muppets Christmas: Letters To Santa,” an original Christmas special with both story and songs by the renowned songwriter. He said in a news release: “This is a tough list for any of us to break into. There’s a sense that people tend to gravitate towards tradition, especially at the holidays, and our top 25 list confirms this. So, whether you’re listening to holiday music on an iPod or a vintage record player, these time-honored favorites are sure to evoke the magic of the season and memories of holidays past.”
The top 25 most-performed ASCAP holiday songs of the decade are listed below. Each song includes songwriter credits, and cites the most popular artist version played on radio today. The data was compiled with the help of Mediaguide, the most comprehensive digital audio performance tracking technology in the world.
1. Winter Wonderland
Written by: Felix Bernard, Richard B. Smith
Performed by: Eurythmics
2. The Christmas Song (Chestnuts Roasting on an Open Fire)
Written by: Mel Tormé, Robert Wells
Performed by: Nat “King” Cole
3. Sleigh Ride
Written by: Leroy Anderson, Mitchell Parish
Performed by: The Ronettes
4. Have Yourself A Merry Little Christmas
Written by: Ralph Blane, Hugh Martin
Performed by: The Pretenders
5. Santa Claus Is Coming To Town
Written by: Fred Coots, Haven Gillespie
Performed by: Bruce Springsteen
6. White Christmas
Written by: Irving Berlin
Performed by: Bing Crosby
7. Let It Snow! Let It Snow! Let It Snow!
Written by: Sammy Cahn, Jule Styne
Performed by: Michael Bublé
8. Jingle Bell Rock
Written by: Joseph Carleton Beal, James Ross Boothe
Performed by: Daryl Hall & John Oates
9. Rudolph The Red Nosed Reindeer
Written by: Johnny Marks
Performed by: Gene Autry
10. Little Drummer Boy
Written by: Katherine K. Davis, Henry V. Onorati, Harry Simeone
Performed by: The Harry Simeone Chorale & Orchestra
11. It’s The Most Wonderful Time Of The Year
Written by: Edward Pola, George Wyle
Performed by: Andy Williams
12. I’ll Be Home For Christmas
Written by: Walter Kent, Kim Gannon, Buck Ram
Performed by: Josh Groban
13. Rockin’ Around The Christmas Tree
Written by: Johnny Marks
Performed by: Brenda Lee
14. Silver Bells
Written by: Jay Livingston, Ray Evans
Performed by: Anne Murray
15. Feliz Navidad
Written by: José Feliciano
Performed by: José Feliciano
16. Frosty The Snowman
Written by: Steve Nelson, Walter E. Rollins
Performed by: The Beach Boys
17. A Holly Jolly Christmas
Written by: Johnny Marks
Performed by: Burl Ives
18. Blue Christmas
Written by: Billy Hayes, Jay W. Johnson
Performed by: Elvis Presley
19. It’s Beginning To Look A Lot Like Christmas
Written by: Meredith Willson
Performed by: Johnny Mathis
20. I Saw Mommy Kissing Santa Claus
Written by: Tommie Connor
Performed by: John Mellencamp
21. Here Comes Santa Claus (Right Down Santa Claus Lane)
Written by: Gene Autry, Oakley Haldeman
Performed by: Gene Autry
22. (There’s No Place Like) Home For The Holidays
Written by: Bob Allen, Al Stillman
Performed by: Perry Como
23. Carol Of The Bells
Written by: Peter J. Wilhousky, Mykola Leontovich
Performed by: David Foster (instrumental version)
24. Wonderful Christmastime
Written by: Paul McCartney (PRS)
Performed by: Paul McCartney
25. Do They Know It’s Christmas? (Feed the World)
Written by: Midge Ure, Bob Geldof
Performed by: Band Aid
After the break, read some fun facts about the top 25 songs.
Reba McEntire performing today during Macy’s Thanksgiving Parade
Oklahoma native and country music star Reba McEntire will perform today during the Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade in New York City, according to CMT.com.
McEntire will be part of diverse lineup of performers at the parade; others include fellow country star Billy Currington, Italian crooner Andrea Bocelli, “You’re So Vain” songbird Carly Simon, “American Idol” finalist Katharine McPhee, rock band Boys Like Girls, “I Will Survive” singer Gloria Gaynor and Jimmy Fallon and his late-night band The Roots. Naturally, there will be giant balloons of characters such as Buzz Lightyear, Dora the Explorer and Kermit the Frog.
This year, the Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade will follow a new route along 7th Avenue, not taking Broadway for the first time in its history. The parade will air at 8 a.m. on NBC.
For more information, go to www.macysparade.com.
-BAM
What to do in Oklahoma on Nov. 26, 2009
Jason Boland and the Stragglers
Happy Thanksgiving! Today, you have two featured events to consider:
Hear Jason Boland and the Stragglers with Whiskey Myers at 8 tonight at the Wormy Dog Saloon, 311 E Sheridan.
OR
Brave Combo
NORMAN – Listen to Brave Combo at 9 tonight at The Deli, 309 White Street. Doors open at 7 p.m. For more information, go to www.thedeli.us.
For more events, go to www.wimgo.com.
-BAM
Q&A: Kristen Stewart on “Twilight: New Moon”
Kristen Stewart (Associated Press photo)
Since the film and “The Twilight Saga: New Moon” Week here at BAM’s Blog are proving so popular, I’m extending my daily coverage of “New Moon” for another week. Yes, it’s “New Moon” Week: The Sequel.
In the second film based on Stephenie Meyer’s best-selling book series, the supernatural love triangle between human Bella Swan (Kristen Stewart), vampire Edward Cullen (Robert Pattinson) and werewolf Jacob Black (Taylor Lautner) really starts to develop.
Last week, I brought you features on Lautner, Pattinson and Stewart I wrote after attending the massive “New Moon” press day at the Four Seasons Hotel in Los Angeles. This week, I’m bringing you full Q&As on the three leads, plus a few other cast and crew from the film.
Today, I’m featuring a Q&A with Stewart, taken from the L.A. press conference, in which she fielded questions from several entertainment journalists, including yours truly. She talked about dealing with tabloid rumors, filming in Italy and playing Joan Jett in the upcoming biopic “The Runaways.” (The Q&A has been slightly edited for clarity and length.)
Q: A year ago when we talked to you seemed to be a shy, sensitive young actor. How has this past year been for you in terms of this nonstop thing on ‘New Moon’ and you and Rob Pattinson?
A: I think I’ve gotten a lot more comfortable with talking about myself and knowing that what you say people are really going to take into consideration and that always intimidated me so much that I minced every word that came out of my mouth. I couldn’t finish a sentence because I was so concerned about how it was going to sound. I didn’t want to come across insincere about something that I really love to do. So I realized that instead of refraining from saying I’ve put my heart and soul into this thing and I love it, that’s what I should’ve said instead of, like the really logical, over analytical reason why I love it. You just do. I’ve gotten more comfortable with.
The whole rumor, tabloid stuff, it’s so obviously false to me. Look, even before I became a part of it, once I sort of became a star … it’s like a show. It’s like a ridiculous show.
Q: A soap opera with your name in it?
A: Exactly. With false realism like a soap opera that seems real but you’re not quite sure. It doesn’t bother me. I don’t take it personally. Luckily, because I’ve had so much experience it’s gotten easier to talk about the work.
Q: What about the work on this one?
A: I had a really good time on this movie. It was intense. Just because of the nature of the story it goes in a completely different direction. We undermine the first. We establish a very ideological of love and basically tell our main character, our main protagonist that she was wrong and it’s like, ‘Where’s our story?’ You’re going to be left if Edward’s not there. What I really love about ‘New Moon’ is that you see this girl build herself back up and by the time she makes this sort of rash decision to spend eternity with a vampire she’s in a position where you actually believe her. You’re like, ‘OK, you’re old enough, your mature enough to know. You’ve lived life.’ She grows up. I don’t know what I’m talking about anymore.
Q: What has been like working with Bryce Dallas Howard, who plays vampire baddie Victoria in the third film, ‘Eclipse’?
A: Really good. Bryce is scary. She’s really oddly sweet as well. So it’s funny to see her switch back and forth, but Victoria for Bella is like an ever present fear. Even when Victoria isn’t around she’s scared that she’s coming back. Bryce is such a good actress and it was easy to be scared of her.
Q: Can you talk about breaking in your new director? How did you work with Chris Weitz?
A: Chris has everything. I think to be a good director you have to be a good person and you have to care about people. I don’t know a more compassionate human being. I couldn’t have done this unless I had such a believable environment, a comfortable and safe environment to be so vulnerable in. He provided that tenfold. He’s one of the coolest, one of the smartest and funniest guys I know. He really loves the project as well. He wasn’t just jumping on the next big thing. So it wasn’t about breaking him in at all. He only helped make everything better. He made everything what it is. He’s incredible. I love him.
Q: Did he give you guys any guidance when he came in? How did that work?
A: Chris did a very different thing that I’ve never had a director do. He put together, it’s like a syllabus almost of what we were supposed to achieve and how he was going to make it easier for everyone, sort of an introduction to how he likes to work. It didn’t only introduce the idea of collaboration, it was like inviting everyone onto this project and saying, ‘Please, everyone love it, and please, everyone be invested and work hard.’ It was very encouraging. It also had technical aspects of how he was so sorry that so much of the movie was going to be CGI stuff that we were going to have to react to but that he was always going to make us aware of what we were acting with, that he was never going to leave us high and dry.
A lot of the FX movies are hard to do because you don’t know what you’re reacting to. So he had a full rundown of how he planned on making the movie. Most directors are like, ‘Have you put together notes for our meeting?’ It’s like, ‘No. That’s your job.’ So he’s amazing. I love him.
Q: Taylor Lautner is emerging from this movie as a huge star. If you could wipe the slate clean and made a decision do you really think that she wouldn’t have gone with fine, old Jacob?
A: I know, trust me. I feel you completely.
Q: Can you talk about working with Taylor because he did an incredible job in the face of controversy going into the movie?
A: I think that controversy has probably been like made bigger than it was. We needed to be sure that whoever played Jacob was going to be Jacob in ‘New Moon’. He’s such a different person. He becomes a man. There’s an entire (thing). It’s not just a physical transformation. He really becomes an adult. I mean, I always knew that Taylor could do that but we just needed to make sure because it was so important. So once he actually proved himself which wasn’t hard to do, even seeing him walk around on set was like a different experience. He’s literally become a different person. He’s just grown up. He’s so confident and the nicest guy that I’ve ever met. I know that I’m using this grammatically incorrect but he’s the funnest guy I’ve ever hung out with. So he’s great. I’m so proud of him.
Q: These films have come out so fast, one after the other. Can you talk about the intensity of that and also if you think you’ll remember all of it in five years?
A: There’s already a lot of stuff that I have to say, ‘OK, Kristen, be here. Experience it. Make sure that this isn’t another fleeting situation that you’re going to barely remember.’ You have to force yourself to sort of be present but I feel like the fact that I have the opportunity to pick and choose moments that I want to remember and I have to focus on remembering cool moments, that only tells you that I literally have an influx of them. I’ve had the coolest two years and I’m so lucky.
Q: What’s it like to work in Vancouver since you’ve been there for a while now? Do you have a home, favorite hang outs, what do you like to do there?
A: I love Vancouver. When we’re doing the ‘Twilight’ series there I don’t get to go out as much as I’d like to. I’m also sort of a boring person. I really don’t go out to bars and stuff a whole lot unless it’s an event. It’s a beautiful place to be.
Q: What are your favorite spots in the city?
A: I just like being outside there. I don’t have favorite spots. The climate is so different from what I’m used to. I don’t really have any favorite spots. I really don’t.
Q: Did you actually get to ride the motorcycle and if so were you into it and how do you feel about the bike?
A: I’m definitely never going to be a biker. The idea of riding, I mean I’m scared of cars so the idea of riding a motorcycle is just never going to be something that I’m into. I was towed ridiculously. I was on the back of this truck and I probably looked funny doing it. Taylor rode motorcycles really well. There’s this one part that’s sort of undeniably him. He rides up and skids. I left that to him. I wasn’t about to do that. I don’t even think that they would let me necessarily. They would have more faith in Taylor to do that.
Q: Would you ride on the back with a guy, though?
A: Yeah. I did that. I did that and I didn’t like it. It’s so precarious. I don’t know if you’ve been on one but it literally feels like you’re going to fly off of it. I’m not into that.
Q: What do you find the most rewarding part of being involved in something so popular and what are some of the challenging parts of that?
A: I think my favorite thing about this is the fact that I can keep it personal. It’s still something that if the franchise, if the saga didn’t become a franchise and it was literally was just a series of movies that I had done they would mean just as much to me. That’s also the best part of it, the fact that it isn’t like that, the fact that so many people are affected by it and are invested in it just as much as me if not more. Like I said about Chris, if you don’t like people and if you don’t want to make movies because you care about people then you probably are just wanting to be just rich and famous. So the fact that this is so important to so many people makes me so happy. That’s it. I think that’s it.
Q: Having such an avid fan base where and how do you draw the line between what the public wants to know about your private life?
A: Right. I don’t know. I don’t think that anyone can get a handle (on that). It’s like as soon as I stopped trying to control everything that came out of my mouth and every picture that came out, that’s when I became so much happier and it was so much easier to deal with. It wasn’t like it was a turning point. I’ve just grown into not having to care so much and to not try to think that I’m going to be able to plan out the way that everyone perceives me.
There are no false impressions. Everyone’s impression of you is going to be what it is in that isolated moment. It’s people not considering where you are in that moment when you give that impression. I’m fine with that. I’m going to own what I’m going to own and literally … I should just stop trying to control what’s coming out of my mouth. I’m always going to keep what’s important to me in mind and I completely understand considering that we’re playing characters that are so coveted by so many people so I get why they want to know more about us and they want us to be together and all of that. I just sort of have to not think about it.
Q: How did filming in Italy add to the romance of your character?
A: The fact that we didn’t have to be on a set and we were really in Italy, it makes it so much easier to immerse yourself in this world. It was so cool that we got to go to Italy and that we didn’t have to fake it. I think it really did add – I’m totally taking Chris’s words right now – a scope to the film that wouldn’t otherwise be there. To go from Forks to Italy is such a stark contrast and romantic just in the idea of it. So then to be there and feel it, of course it helps to have the real environment.
Q: Can you talk about the breakup scene with Edward and how emotional it was to do that? I know a lot of young girls in the audience at the advance press screening were crying.
A: Oh, that’s good. That was the scariest thing. I was almost as worried about messing it up than I was about what I actually should have been thinking about which was the issues that Bella is dealing with. Reading it, it’s so iconic. There’s nothing like that moment in reality even. It’s not even like a normal breakup scene. I know what’s it like to get broken up with but I don’t know what it’s like to get broken up with by a vampire who I’ve now been physically and chemically altered by. Suddenly you take an addict, you take whatever they’re addicted to away from them and there’s withdrawal. So that was the most intimidating scene in the entire movie. I don’t know how to explain how I did it.
Chris really helped me out. It was just about talking. I don’t know. It was just about talking to him and reading the book and I had no other actors play off. I mean, the breakup scene that I did with Rob, that’s not where it happens yet. That’s not where I was intimidated. That was still, like she doesn’t even believe it yet. It’s when he goes, the absence of him that I was scared of. I was like, ‘How am I going to, by myself in the woods with a hundred guys standing around me, filming me, die?’ Basically, literally having the equivalent of like a death scene but stay alive and get up and keep walking. It was hard. It was really intimidating. I still don’t know. I’ve seen the movie. I really like the movie but I don’t know if anyone ever really would’ve been able to bring that to life the way that Stephenie (Meyer) writes it.
Bonus Wednesday Video Spotlight: Holiday film trailers
“Fantastic Mr. Fox”
Today marks the official start of the holiday movie season, when the studios offer up their award contenders, seasonal tales and sweeping fantasies.
On Friday, I’ll have a round-up of the season’s cinematic offerings and their Oklahoma City opening dates. Until then, check out these trailers for some of the highlights:
-BAM
