An open letter to all Twilight fans

The Sparrow · 20-11-2011 06:45PM

Mickeroo wrote: »

I've seen all the twilight movies to date, I've even read the first book, so I think that puts me in a better position than you to say that everything johnny_ultimate says is bang on the money.

Comparing these films to Batman is silly, considering you have not watched any you really have no idea how bad they are, New Moon in particular was atrocious. Even if you set aside the dull unlikeable characters, messing up the vampire mythology etc. the films are just awash with really really bad acting, thats a fact my good man, nothing to do with opinions. Now the third one was a marked improvment over the first two but that really is not saying a lot.

So why do so many ppl want to see them and why do they make so much money?

Sir Digby Chicken Caesar · 20-11-2011 06:47PM

because teenage girls are idiots

MrStuffins · 20-11-2011 06:48PM

The Sparrow wrote: »

Honestly, this is a completely pointless thread as it hardly addresses the main point of less popular films not getting the showcase that they perhaps deserve. Instead you come across as a spoiled child throwing your toys out of the pram ranting at people because they like a certain movie. It doesn't matter that the film was Twilight.

Compaing the Twilight series, a series notoriously trashed by critics and the public alike and which plays into the feelings of overly emotional teenage girls, to the Batman franchise, the multi oscar wining and possibly the most acclaimed movie franchise since LotR........... is a bit silly.

I see your point, but still. They're not similar.

Mickeroo · 20-11-2011 06:48PM

The Sparrow wrote: »

So why do so many ppl want to see them and why do they make so much money?

By the logic you're getting at Justin Bieber is a musical genius.

Popularity does not equal quality.

Goldstein · 20-11-2011 06:48PM

The Sparrow wrote: »

...And that's not even mentioning the utterly condescending way you decide that Twilight fans need recommendations from you about other Vampire movies that you think are better.

I think they need a lot more help than Johnny's recomendations can provide if they're watching that meritless sh|te. Film bootcamp maybe. Or perhaps an exorcism.

MrStuffins · 20-11-2011 06:51PM

tricky D wrote: »

Once thought I'd never watch a Harry Potter but I'm slowly coming round to it. Twilight just ain't never gonna make it for me.

I was the same. Never thought it would be for me. But one day my girlfriend asked me to watch the movies with her so I did.

The first one was horrible.

The second one was worse.

But then the third one was really really good! The actors in the movies are top notch, generally the cream of British acting. The third one was very dark and aimed towards adults as well as the original fans who at this time were getting older.

I then watched the rest of the movies and was very impressed by the last one specifically.

The Sparrow · 20-11-2011 06:51PM

MrStuffins wrote: »

Compaing the Twilight series, a series notoriously trashed by critics and the public alike and which plays into the feelings of overly emotional teenage girls, to the Batman franchise, the multi oscar wining and possibly the most acclaimed movie franchise since LotR........... is a bit silly.

I see your point, but still. They're not similar.

I wasn't comparing their quality either way. Like I said, I've never seen Twilight.

My point was that when the next Batman film comes out, it will be all over the place just like Twilight filling every screen imaginable. But I would guess that most ppl here won't complain because they like it.

MrStuffins · 20-11-2011 06:52PM

The Sparrow wrote: »

I wasn't comparing their quality either way. Like I said, I've never seen Twilight.

My point was that when the next Batman film comes out, it will be all over the place just like Twilight filling every screen imaginable. But I would guess that most ppl here won't complain because they like it.

Yeah this is very true. I understand why Twilight is everywhere, money money money!

20-11-2011 06:53PM

Anyone who regularly frequents this forum is aware of my disdain for all things Twilight and while the numerous screenings are rather irritating it's not like it's the only mediocre film to have cinemas dedicating 3 and 4 screens to. For weeks The Guard and Harry Potter took up most screens in cinemas across the country yet there were few complaints. That the Tree of Life didn't open in many places for months due not to the fact that cinemas couldn't be bothered to get it but rather down to the Guard and Potter.

The latest Twilight film is guaranteed to make billions and as much as I loath it doing so well at least the money it makes will go toward producing some riskier projects, though that said I foresee a hell of a lot of romantic horrors coming in the next few years.

Any horror fans looking for a down and dirty vampire film should check out Stake Land which is how you do a vampire film. A nihilistic piece of cinema which expands on the vampire mythos in a great way.

Snowtown is out on DVD and Blu-Ray in Australia for nearly two months and is well worth ordering. One of the years best films.

The Sparrow · 20-11-2011 06:53PM

MrStuffins wrote: »

I then watched the rest of the movies and was very impressed by the last one specifically.

I do remember Mark Kermode saying something similar. As far as I remember, he was very positive about twilight anytime I heard it mentioned.

20-11-2011 06:59PM

I'm not sure I know where to start. It does sound disappointing OP that you were unable to see the movie you wanted, but really, is it necessary to insult all those who do want to see it? You refer to it as worthless trash, yes! It is! And that's just why I have enjoyed it so much, I work hard, I have a very meaningful job, when I finish my working day I come home and work hard as a mother. So what if I want to unwind to "worthless trash"? I myself have had a story published, so I'm well aware that the books aren't well written, but they are really enjoyable! My husband read them before they were turned into blockbuster movies, he eats books and he knows damn well that these are not going to win any real literary prizes, but he thoroughly enjoyed them and has been to the first three movies in the cinema and guess what? He loved them!

I haven't seen breaking dawn yet, but I will definitely see it in the cinema, although I will wait until I can sit without being squished and without the teeny boppers cheering when Jacob takes his shirt off.

Cinemas are there to make money, and while it would be great to see lower budget movies doing well, you can't blame a business for being a business.

johnny_ultimate · 20-11-2011 07:09PM

Deleted User wrote: »

I'm not sure I know where to start. It does sound disappointing OP that you were unable to see the movie you wanted, but really, is it necessary to insult all those who do want to see it? You refer to it as worthless trash, yes! It is! And that's just why I have enjoyed it so much, I work hard, I have a very meaningful job, when I finish my working day I come home and work hard as a mother. So what if I want to unwind to "worthless trash"?

I will never begrudge anyone for that. I have my own guilty pleasures, as everyone is entitled to.

It's the obsession of the hardcore Twilight fans that's different. Those people who burst into tears when someone takes off a shirt. Those who obsess over it and aren't able to recognise the inherent trashiness of the material. Those people should know better.

20-11-2011 07:16PM

johnny_ultimate wrote: »

I will never begrudge anyone for that. I have my own guilty pleasures, as everyone is entitled to.

It's the obsession of the hardcore Twilight fans that's different. Those people who burst into tears when someone takes off a shirt. Those who obsess over it and aren't able to recognise the inherent trashiness of the material. Those people should know better.

Honestly every fanbase has ridiculous fans with ridiculous obsessions. Look at star-wars, star-trek, marvel, dc etc etc. See ANY Comiccon for evidence. Twilight is unfairly singled out because its largely for girls. Its not my buzz but neither are lots of things. Personally I find Transformers 1/2/3 FAR more offensive and irredeemably crap. I find the amount of attention that the X-Factor gets for what is essentially two hours of bad karaoke really depressing.

Also Kermode is a fan.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RY-spgL2aZ8

20-11-2011 07:20PM

johnny_ultimate wrote: »

It's the obsession of the hardcore Twilight fans that's different. Those people who burst into tears when someone takes off a shirt. Those who obsess over it and aren't able to recognise the inherent trashiness of the material. Those people should know better.

The same people who probably would "absolutely die" if Nicky from boyzone said hello to them. It's not really doing anyone any harm though. Teenage girls obsess, they always have and they always will. This is just the current obsession. In a couple of years it will be forgotten and there will be something else that will fill our tv screens and possibly our movie theatres. Hollywood has capitalised on the nature of teenage girls. Who can blame them!?

(on an unrelated note, might be worth spoilering the

caesarean with fangs

bit of your post! (though maybe you don't care

)

20-11-2011 07:27PM

I have to say that find the whole aspect of 40 something mothers and their teenage daughters going to the Twilight films and cheering each shirtless scene a little creepy. Imagine if there was a male alternative where40 year old men took their teenage sons to a film where there was cheering as attractive females disrobed. Every feminist in the country would be up in arms.

johnny_ultimate · 20-11-2011 07:30PM

Deleted User wrote: »

The same people who probably would "absolutely die" if Nicky from boyzone said hello to them. It's not really doing anyone any harm though. Teenage girls obsess, they always have and they always will. This is just the current obsession. In a couple of years it will be forgotten and there will be something else that will fill our tv screens and possibly our movie theatres. Hollywood has capitalised on the nature of teenage girls. Who can blame them!?

(on an unrelated note, might be worth spoilering the
caesarean with fangs
bit of your post! (though maybe you don't care )

The whole whether its harmless or not business is another rant altogether :pac:

I certainly know the moral of having a girl

become a vampire all in the name of love and childbirth

is more than a little disturbing, and not the kind of thing I'd want my imaginary daughter buying into!

Mickeroo · 20-11-2011 07:34PM

Deleted User wrote: »

I have to say that find the whole aspect of 40 something mothers and their teenage daughters going to the Twilight films and cheering each shirtless scene a little creepy. Imagine if there was a male alternative where40 year old men took their teenage sons to a film where there was cheering as attractive females disrobed. Every feminist in the country would be up in arms.

Objectifying women in modern cinema? Sure that never happens

johnny_ultimate · 20-11-2011 07:37PM

Even as a hetrosexual guy I felt insulted watching Transformers. It's like Bay was telling me to find this sexy. Or else.

Hmm, maybe that's next weeks rant in the name of equal opportunity!

The Sparrow · 20-11-2011 07:39PM

johnny_ultimate wrote: »

The whole whether its harmless or not business is another rant altogether :pac:

I certainly know the moral of having a girl
become a vampire all in the name of love and childbirth
is more than a little disturbing, and not the kind of thing I'd want my imaginary daughter buying into!

Is that honestly the worst thing that happens in Twilight? If so, your imaginary daughter would have a very sheltered life.

Sure Romeo and Juliet killed themselves over love. Would you also ban you imaginary daughter from Shakespeare???

20-11-2011 07:41PM

johnny_ultimate wrote: »

The whole whether its harmless or not business is another rant altogether :pac:

I certainly know the moral of having a girl
become a vampire all in the name of love and childbirth
is more than a little disturbing, and not the kind of thing I'd want my imaginary daughter buying into!

The entire series is based on questionable motives. The message central to the series is that you can't be happy till you live as a subservient partner to a man. The books are wildly inappropriate for teenage girls and I know that if I had a 13 year old daughter she wouldn't be reading the series. Christ the werewolf falling in love with a new born baby is amongst the creepiest things ever put on page, if a man had written that I guarantee that women would be up in arms over it. A tale about a man who goes from baby sitting to banging, never laughed so much when someone one here said it wasn't that bad as they wouldn't have sex till she was of age.

I've been called a hypocrite for saying that Twilight is inappropriate for teenagers as I read Salem's Lot when I was 10 and by 11 had read all of Kings published work to date much of which is far more adult than Twilight.

desertcircus · 20-11-2011 07:43PM

The Sparrow wrote: »

Is that honestly the worst thing that happens in Twilight? If so, your imaginary daughter would have a very sheltered life.

Sure Romeo and Juliet killed themselves over love. Would you also ban you imaginary daughter from Shakespeare???

No, it's not. The worst thing would probably be a toss-up between: the point where the male lead explains to the female lead that if he ever loses control and hurts her, it'll be her fault; a fully grown adult male falling in love with a newborn baby; the fact that behaviour which fits all the criteria of stalking and emotional abuse is paraded as the ultimate in romance; and, of course, the heavy-handed lesson that the only way to reach your potential is to remain celibate until marriage.

johnny_ultimate · 20-11-2011 07:45PM

The Sparrow wrote: »

Is that honestly the worst thing that happens in Twilight? If so, your imaginary daughter would have a very sheltered life.

Sure Romeo and Juliet killed themselves over love. Would you also ban you imaginary daughter from Shakespeare???

Well Romeo & Juliet isn't exactly the slightly disturbing sexual fan-fiction of a grown 21st century woman

Also, a young adult werewolf falls in love with a baby. That's probably worse.

desertcircus · 20-11-2011 07:46PM

That is, of course, before we get to the question of whether we're considering crimes against literature and cinema in the "worst thing about Twilight" discussion. If we are, then I'll add: the writing is abysmal, the plot is barely there, the characters are ludicrous, the number of topless young men is close to being as ridiculous as Megan Fox's appearance in that Transformers film, and the whole damn thing is unutterably terrible.

20-11-2011 07:48PM

Mickeroo wrote: »

Objectifying women in modern cinema? Sure that never happens

Bit different when you have middle aged women and their teenage kids cheering at each shirtless scene. It's creepy as hell.

johnny_ultimate wrote: »

Even as a hetrosexual guy I felt insulted watching Transformers. It's like Bay was telling me to find this sexy. Or else.

Hmm, maybe that's next weeks rant in the name of equal opportunity!

The opening short of the female love interest in part 3 is far more insulting than any of the shots of Megan Fox. Shes introduced through a close up shot of her ass.

20-11-2011 07:50PM

Proof that humanity is doomed

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vFG9lXc2upQ

johnny_ultimate · 20-11-2011 07:53PM

I should also take this juncture to apologise to my co-mods for this thread. Everything about it, really.

Chi Force · 20-11-2011 07:56PM

Please don't throw about silly generalisations about Twilight fans being idiots. Or that they're either aged 10-16 or 40+. I'm a fan. I'd like to think I have some understanding of the genre. Given that a number of posters have neither seen the movies nor read the books, the level of vitriol reeks of bandwagon jumping.

I'm 29, I work full time and I study full time. In the small amount of time I have left at the end of the day, I love to watch Twilight. If people have an issue with that, or with the fact that other people also really enjoy it, then I'm sorry. I just know I've never had the time or the inclination to write a letter to anyone over Star Wars...

Mickeroo · 20-11-2011 07:58PM

Deleted User wrote: »

Bit different when you have middle aged women and their teenage kids cheering at each shirtless scene. It's creepy as hell.

True that, can't imagine myself going "Look at the arse on yer one" to my dad.

Having said that, where did you/anyone see the women and their children cheering at the shirtless scenes?

The Sparrow · 20-11-2011 08:02PM

johnny_ultimate wrote: »

I should also take this juncture to apologise to my co-mods for this thread. Everything about it, really.

That made me laugh.

20-11-2011 08:02PM

Chi Force wrote: »

Please don't throw about silly generalisations about Twilight fans being idiots. Or that they're either aged 10-16 or 40+. I'm a fan. I'd like to think I have some understanding of the genre. Given that a number of posters have neither seen the movies nor read the books, the level of vitriol reeks of bandwagon jumping.

I'm 29, I work full time and I study full time. In the small amount of time I have left at the end of the day, I love to watch Twilight. If people have an issue with that, or with he fact that other people also really enjoy it, then I'm sorry. I just know I've never had the time or the inclination to write a letter to anyone over Star Wars...

What genre are you referring to? I'm not sure which genre that Twilight fits in, it's certainly not a horror film and I don't think that teenage paranormal romance is recognised as a genre yet.

You will find that many of us have seen some of the films and have read the books (I was paid to read them and write a piece on them) and feel that I can criticise them as I wish. They books are poorly written trash which any decent writer would be ashamed to have their name on. The prose is juvenile, the plot is poor and the characters are about as 2D as you can get. It's like reading something that a 12 year old girl wrote.

An open letter to all Twilight fans

Comments