Happy 2011 to everyone and welcome back to my blog. I’ve been on a bit of a hiatus having been consumed with graduate school applications for the past few months but I am back and ready to share some exciting Twilight blogs with you this year. Also, keep checking back here as February gets closer and the filming of Breaking Dawn heads over here to Vancouver, BC.

This post is about a young adult (or teen fiction) novel I’m currently reading titled Matched by the talented Ally Condie. I have about 50 pages left of Matched still to read but couldn’t wait to jump on the blog and share it with you guys. If you loved the writing style and characterization of both The Twilight Saga and The Hunger Games series, then this new young adult novel is a must read. Let me preface my review of Matched with these words of praise from the back of the hardcover itself:

“Matched is a page-turning, dystopian love story, written with the soul of a poet. Finally, a brave new world that readers from Twilight to The Hunger Games will claim as their own.” – Kami Garcia and Margaret Stohl, authors of Beautiful Creatures and Beautiful Darkness.

Matched tells the story of Cassia Reyes, a teenage girl living in a futuristic world of conformity, control, and uniformity according to the ways of The Officials who govern the society. Cassia, from the moments we are introduced to her, is evidently a free spirit waiting to break free of the constraints of her own existence – something she doesn’t fully become aware of until becoming closer to Ky, a mysterious boy she’s overlooked over the years. There’s also the added complication of her close relationship with Xander, someone she considers to be her best friend but who she is supposedly destined to be with. Matched essentially examines a social structure where young teens are placed into arranged relationships for the future benefits of the society.

The story of Matched follows Cassia through a progression towards self-discovery. Ally Condie really succeeds with this novel because she takes a fairly standard literary trope, that of a female heroine struggling against the world she’s situated within, and turns it into a futuristic whirlwind of emotion and angst. Condie’s novel reads with ease as we begin to truly care for Cassia and her genuine emotions and feelings. I love that she is such a kind and soulful character despite the fact she has grown up in a society that finds no value in individuality or softer qualities like emotional depth or questioning.

Throughout the novel we see Cassia break out of her shell and become someone who stands on her own two feet. She is truly brave in the face of adversity and faces opposition head on. In a lot of ways, Cassia’s quiet strength reminds me of Bella Swan in Twilight or Katniss Everdeen from The Hunger Games. All three female heroines possess different traits and personalities, but they all have this powerful inner strength within them that readers can really appeal and relate to, especially young girls reading these novels. Cassia is definitely a literary role model worth examining – as she represents what might not be a very distant reality we will have to face in our own ever-increasing modern existence. Cassia is the kind of protagonist that represents not only present day struggles in society but also what may be to come in our own future.

As usual, I found myself reflecting on Twilight as I read Matched. I never try to do this intentionally, but I found myself picturing Kristen Stewart and hearing her voice when Cassia is present. There’s something about the subtle sensitivity that Kristen brings to her roles that I thought matched (no pun intended) well with the character of Cassia. It’s the same reason why I pictured her as Katniss from the opening pages of the first Hunger Games novel. I guess it’s unintentional, but Kristen keeps finding her way into my imagination as I’m introduced to these interesting, courageous, beautiful, and strong female leads. If Matched ever gets adapted into a film, you know who I’ll be rooting for to play the amazing and inventive character of Cassia.

Twilight fans – check out Matched. I can guarantee many of you will be hooked in the opening pages. There is a beautiful poetic quality to this book that mirrors the kind of writing exhibited by Stephenie Meyer with Twilight. Coming from an English literature background myself, I love to see literature and poetry infused in modern-day teen lit or young adult lit as it has been in Twilight. In Matched, you’ll experience the poetry of Dylan Thomas in a whole new light as it is brought back into a present day love story.

You can find Matched by Ally Condie at all major bookstores currently in hardcover format. It was released on November 30, 2010 and the sequel titled Crossed is expected to come out in the fall of 2011. If you happen to have read it already or read it after checking out this blog, please let me know what you thought about it!

Kristen would make the perfect Cassia Reyes.

Matched by Ally Condie at Amazon.com

Author Ally Condie’s Website

[Matched book cover is property of Ally Condie | Kristen Stewart picture found at All Kristen Stewart]

I went to see Scott Pilgrim vs. the World last night after many good recommendations from friends, and it did not disappoint. What a visually dynamic movie that had a lot of originality (hard to imagine based on movies that come out today). As many of you probably know it was adapted to film from a graphic novel series by Bryan Lee O’Malley so the visuals are very graphic-novel style and the content is very story-like in terms of transitions and progression. I also went to see this for Twilight Connection purposes as our lovely Anna Kendrick has a role in the movie playing Scott Pilgrim’s (Michael Cera) sister Stacey Pilgrim. The movie is a wild ride of quick quips, memorable characters and bold bright graphic-novel style music performances and battles.

The storyline of Scott Pilgrim vs. the World follows the lives of Scott (Cera), his lovable roommate Wallace (Kieran Culkin), Scott’s high school girlfriend Knives (Ellen Wong), Scott’s band mates and of course the highly coveted Ramona Flowers (Mary Elizabeth Winstead). Scott falls hard for Ramona and goes through a series of hilarious run-ins with her including bad pick up lines at a house party, ordering something on Amazon.ca (because she works there) so she’ll deliver it to his house and finally their awkward first date on a snowy night in Toronto. You can’t help but like the main characters – Scott with his complete lack of understanding of the dating world, and Ramona with her edgy blue hair but soft spot for her dorky admirer.

The story takes shape when Scott finds Ramona has a past he didn’t necessarily account for including seven evil exes that he must defeat in order to continue dating Ramona. This of course gets complicated with Scott’s high school “girlfriend” Knives Chau on the scene as well as the arrival of Scott’s ex Envy Adams (Brie Larson) who is back in town to perform with her own band. To make matters worse, one of Envy’s band mates is also one of Ramona’s exes. The characters start to get embroiled in emotional turmoil and the battles begin.

This is where the story delves more into graphic novel/gamer land as the movie screen lights up with power bars, points, gold coins, blasts and descriptive sound effects. It’s a really cool movie just on a visual level, especially when they do split-screen style shots to create a “gaming” feel for certain moments. Amidst all of the crazy of the evil exes debacle, Scott is also trying to forge a future with his band mates of “Sex Bob-omb” – a rock band that is trying to break out onto the music scene but also trying to retain their integrity as an indie band.

We also get a Twilight Connection with Anna Kendrick‘s appearance in the movie as Scott’s social scene savvy older sister Stacey Pilgrim. She provides Scott with advice on the trials and tribulations of his love life in a sassy manner reminiscent of some of her moments as Jessica Stanley in The Twilight Saga. We get some quiet moments between brother and sister as Scott opens up to her about his love life, as well as snarky banter in scenes where she mocks his ridiculous choices and behaviour. She always seems to bring something different to the table for each of her roles will still remaining recognizable and constant as an actress working with various genres. From Twilight to Up In The Air to Scott Pilgrim vs. the World - Anna’s movies suggest she has a really bright career ahead of her.

There’s a bit of something in this movie for everyone which is why I’d recommend it to all of my friends. If you love Michael Cera (which many people seem to already from films such as Superbad, Juno and Nick and Norah’s Infinite Playlist) then this is a must see. He’s so good at playing these goofy guys who just sort of bumble their way through dating and social awkwardness yet make no apologies for just being themselves. He is such a lovable guy that you can’t help but like him. Of course there’s Anna Kendrick‘s appearance for Twilighters to check out and support, and there is tons of good music and graphic-style visuals in the movie. Add in plenty of humour, diverse actors, original plot and good music and what’s not to like? Go see Scott Pilgrim vs. the World, you won’t regret it!

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What was interesting to see was the diverse crowd at this show. There were clearly die-hard Joan Jett fans there who have known her since the beginning with The Runaways before the Blackhearts came into formation. Then at the other end of the spectrum there were a lot of younger people there probably in their early 20′s who have just started to get to know Joan’s music. I feel like whether you’ve been there from the start or are a new fan, the love of music is mutual. It’s pretty cool to see people in their 40′s and 50′s rocking out with kids in their 20′s at the same show. Joan Jett’s music definitely transcends generations.

I started listening to The Runaways and Joan Jett & the Blackhearts after seeing The Runaways movie with Kristen Stewart and Dakota Fanning. It was Kristen’s portrayal of Joan Jett that made me want to get to know her more and to hear more of her music in real life. After seeing the movie in the theatre, the first thing I did when I got home was to start checking out the music. I absolutely loved songs like: I Want You, Don’t Surrender, Light Of Day and Love Is Pain. Those are still my four favourites. It’s been less than a year since I started listening to their music but Joan Jett & the Blackhearts are one of my favourite bands now.

I think it’s great that a movie like The Runaways has opened up this world of 70′s/80′s music to kids who’ve never heard it before. If it means people go out and buy Runaways or Blackhearts music, that someone goes and buys Cherie Currie‘s autobiography Neon Angel, or that people go out to support Joan Jett at a rock show – then that movie has surely done some good. Everyone at that show probably has their own story on how they started listening to Joan Jett’s music, and there was definitely a generation gap, but everyone was there to support the band and enjoy the show which is what really matters. Joan dedicated the show to her mom who passed away the day before so it was pretty emotional to see her up there rocking out in spite of everything. She really is a rock icon.

Here are some of my favourite songs that Joan Jett & the Blackhearts performed at the PNE in Vancouver:

• Light of Day
• Crimson and Clover
• I Love Rock N Roll
• Bad Reputation
• Do You Wanna Touch Me?
• I Hate Myself For Loving You
• Backlash
• Love Is Pain
• Cherrybomb (Runaways)

Check out some more of my photos from the Joan Jett PNE show:

There’s also some pretty cool videos of Joan Jett & the Blackhearts at the PNE. Check out RayVanEng’s awesome video of Crimson & Clover / I Hate Myself For Loving You:

Another great video from 1ofakind2u this one is Bad Reputation / Cherry Bomb:

One more awesome video from AngelikaDiana this is I Love Rock N Roll:

Thanks for reading!

[Photos belong to me - Twilight Connection aka @theamytweets | Youtube Videos as specified above]

A few people have been asking about the potential involvement of Kristen Stewart in the upcoming Wanted 2 (2011), so I thought I’d share some of what’s being said. It seems that Kristen is being considered for this role, but there’s no telling at this time whether or not she will be available for the role or has committed to it.

A lot of entertainment sites/blogs/media outlets seem to be talking about Kristen and Wanted 2, and Kristen herself has expressed interest in the project. For these reasons, there could be some potential for her starring in the sequal – Wanted 2 – opposite James McAvoy.

So far we’ve heard from Kristen back in June that she would be interested in the project, but no concrete news has surfaced since. Here’s what Kristen had to say to MTV a couple of months back in June about Wanted 2:

“Yes. Definitely, as long as it was good and I mean, it’s really exciting to see [that could be an opportunity],” she admitted. ” ‘Wanted’ was a great movie, like, James McAvoy makes that movie different than most other action movies because he’s a real guy, and I feel like most action movies don’t have that. So if it had that [element], definitely. But I wouldn’t just want to be in a mindless, blow-up movie. I’m not into it.” – Kristen Stewart, MTV interview.

I haven’t seen the first Wanted film, but Angelina Jolie‘s character apparently gets killed off at the end. The writers for Wanted 2 considered having her character (and Angelina) come back from the dead for the sequel, but Ange apparently was not on board for that storyline or reprising the character, feeling that it would be a detriment to have her character brought back from the dead.

This leaves us with the potential for Kristen and James to star opposite one another in the sequel Wanted 2 with Kristen coming into the series as a brand new character. As of June 2010, Kristen had only confirmed 2 of her upcoming film projects with MTV:

“The only two projects that I’m confirmed in now are ‘On the Road’ and ‘Breaking Dawn’ 1 and 2.” – Kristen Stewart, MTV interview.

Kristen addressed the Wanted 2 rumours once again this summer during the Q&A session at Luna Park in Sydney, Australia:

“Right now, I have two projects lined up. I’m doing ‘On the Road‘ this Summer and then I’m doing ‘[The Twilight Saga's] Breaking Dawn’. So other than that I have nothing ‘nailed down’.” – Kristen Stewart, Luna Park Q&A, Australia.

Premise of Wanted and Wanted 2

Wanted came out in 2008 and is an action film based on Mark Millar‘s comic book mini-series. The premise centers on Wesley Gibson (James McAvoy), a man who has become disillusioned with his office job and monotonous life. When Wesley discovers that his late father was involved in something called The Fraternity, a secret guild of assassins, his life takes a dramatic turn.

Wesley becomes involved in The Fraternity where he meets the leader – Sloan (Morgan Freeman), and begins working with mentor Fox (Angelina Jolie) as he trains to be an assassin. The story follows from here and delves into an action-packed world of assassin training, fighting, and mystery.

As for Wanted 2, the plot details and premise have not yet been revealed. From the talks and rumours circulating, it would seem Kristen could portray a new assassin within The Fraternity and she could also be a potential love interest for Wesley Gibson.

Why Kristen Should Star in Wanted 2

This seems like it could be a great role for Kristen for a few reasons: this would be a new genre of film for her to take on as we haven’t yet seen her in a full-on action movie. It would be a role very much different from her Twilight character Bella Swan for which she has been typecast by many.

Wanted 2 would allow her to work with some talented actors such as James McAvoy. She seems to thrive when acting around top-notch talent and this could be yet another opportunity for her to shine among the best of them

I also feel that the role of an assassin would be an interesting one for Kristen to play. The serious approach that Kristen has towards acting could be effectively channeled into this role: someone who’s emotions must be in check and someone who must make decisions without faltering or looking back. I think she has the look, the pose, and the serious attitude to pull this role off with ease. When trying to picture Kristen in Wanted 2, the first thing that comes to mind is the photoshoot with Allure Magazine. She looks so fierce and confident in that photoshoot – this look is very Wanted 2.

Media On Kristen and Wanted 2

Here’s what some other media outlets have to say about Kristen and Wanted 2:

“In all honesty, we bet Rob was just helping Kristen, 20, do her research. She IS supposed to take over Angelina’s role in Wanted 2, after all! What a good BF!” – Kirstin Benson, Hollywoodlife.

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“Millar remains optimistic that Universal might move forward with a sequel after having a great working relationship with the studio.

Commenting on rumors that Kristen Stewart would step in for Jolie, Millar answered “I hear new stuff every day. I hear stuff online, I hear stuff from Universal and I never quite know if it’s going or not.” – Hollywoodnews.

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“According to E! News, Kristen Stewart has met with Wanted director Timur Bekmambetov on at least one occasion with regards to taking over for Angelina Jolie in a sequel to Wanted. No, Stewart wouldn’t be playing the same character Jolie played in the original; instead, she’d be taking on the role of a “young, ass-kicking assassin in the Fraternity.” One assumes that Stewart would also play the love interest of James McAvoy‘s character.” – Erik Davis, Fandango.

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[Photos from Allure Magazine photoshoot 2009, Twilight London Premiere 2008]

Re-cap of my Twilight trip to Forks, WA in October 2009.

Before the movies, before Robert Pattinson, Kristen Stewart and Taylor Lautner, the world of Twilight existed solely in the little logging town of Forks, Washington. This is the setting that author Stephenie Meyer chose for her saga, and where so much of the richly detailed text takes place. This elusive town of only about 3.000 residents has always fascinated me since I started reading The Twilight Saga, so in the spirit of celebrating New Moon, I decided to take a trip down to Forks, Washington in the fall of 2009.

My journey began with the drive from Vancouver to Keystone, Washington where I boarded a ferry to Port Townsend. From there I drove to Port Angeles where I stopped to take a peak at “Bella Italia,” the restaurant that Edward takes Bella to on what’s considering to be their first date. The restaurant serves Bella’s dinner of choice, mushroom ravioli, and has had over 5000 orders for the dish. Twilight author Stephenie Meyer even made a visit to the restaurant that she unknowingly made popular within her first novel.

From Port Angeles I carried on towards Forks on highway 101. Surrounded on one side by a constant wall of sky-high treetops and the serene Lake Crescent on the other, the winding drive into Forks truly did set up the atmosphere Meyer describes in her novels. Mountains dense will foliage lay in the distance beyond the lake, and cloud cover loomed overhead suggesting imminent rainfall. For a moment, I felt like Bella riding into Forks for the first time entering the unknown. The unspoiled landscape seemed so far away from the bustle of Vancouver that I’m used to. It literally felt like being transplanted into a different world.

The Twilight Tour:

Upon arriving in Forks, I headed through the main part of town to the Forks Visitor’s Center, a log cabin type building with a replica of Bella’s red Chevrolet truck waiting outside. A lady working at the Visitor’s Center gave me a “Forks Twilight Map” highlighted with various Twilight locations, a list of stores selling trinkets and merchandise, as well as a list of great restaurants in town. The Visitor’s Center was a wealthy source of information including some interesting books detailing the real-life settings of Twilight in Forks. While the town does offer guided Twilight tours through a company called “Dazzled By Twilight,” I decided to take the map and explore the town myself.

The first stop on the map was the Swan house where Bella and her dad Charlie live. The Forks version of the Swan residence was a beautiful little grey and white house located at the end of a side-street. A “Home of the Swans” sign was surrounded by a small garden at the front of the house. I’m sure everyone has a different perception of what each setting in the book looks like, and of course there are the defined settings within the films, but I found this cozy white house to be the perfect setting for Bella’s new life in Forks.

A short distance away was the Forks Community Hospital, where Dr. Carlisle Cullen (Edward’s dad) works within the world of Twilight. The hospital was very similar to the one in the original Twilight film, and I could immediately picture accident-prone Bella’s numerous hospital visits. In the parking lot, one of the doctors had a sign posted above their parking space that read “Dr. Cullen Vampire Parking Only.” It was nice to see that the people of Forks have embraced Twilight into their community and are happy to partake in the spirit of the franchise.

My next stop was Forks High School, a long red brick building with white frames and flag posts surrounded by a lot of greenery. While the appearance was slightly different in the movie, it definitely matched Meyer’s descriptions in my mind. The “Home of the Spartans” sign resided front and center in the middle of the green in front of the school’s entrance. This was a great location to see in person as much of Bella’s story begins when she enrolls as a student at Forks High School where she meets her school friends and the Cullen vampires.

The Forks Police Station was the next stop on the map. This is where Bella’s dad Chief Charlie Swan works. Inside the station was a display cabinet set up with Twilight memorabilia including a Forks Police uniform. Outside of the station there were authentic Forks Police cars, the exact vehicle Charlie drives around in throughout the saga.

Right behind the police station was the Forks designated location of the Cullen house. This location is actually the Miller Tree Inn Bed and Breakfast which claims to be the Cullen house in Forks. The gorgeous little inn was situated a little bit off the main road which reminded me of Meyer’s location – just out of town and off a winding road surrounded by dense foliage. A small path lead up some steps to the front porch where a message board read: “The Cullens are hiking in the rainforest. Our overnight guests will be cared for by the resident innkeepers as usual. Thanks, Esme.” There was also a passage from the novel in the front window detailing Bella’s perception of the Cullen residence. This was my favourite stop on the tour as it truly felt like the Cullen house had been brought to life complete with setting, atmosphere, and character.

Twilight Shopping In Forks:

On my second day in Forks, I decided to walk around the main streets and see what kind of merchandise and memorabilia was for sale. To put it lightly, there was no shortage of Twilight souvenirs. Many storefronts were decorated with intricate displays and boasted sales on Twilight paraphernalia. One of the main stores, “Dazzled By Twilight” is also run by the tour company. The couple that run the store and the tours had moved from Las Vegas to Forks and were embracing the Twilight lifestyle wholeheartedly. Their store was pretty big, full of everything from printed tees, hoodies, baseball jerseys and caps, to Twilight coffee mugs, shot glasses, jewelry boxes and replica jewelry. It was all a bit baffling to see so much Twilight in one store.

Across the street was “Jerry’s Lock and Key” which seemed to be a little tech shop but had hand-written signs in the window advertising great Twilight souvenirs. Twilight dream catchers, mouse pads, light switch frames, and printed photos were set up at the front of the store. I bought one of the hand-made key chains that featured pictures of various Twilight characters. The most interesting (and funny) souvenirs they had for sale were Twilight student i.d. cards for Forks High School and hospital i.d tags. I was a bit bemused by these items. I’m a Twilight nerd as much as the next person, but what actual use does one have for a Bella Swan i.d. card or a Carlisle Cullen hospital name tag? This may be taking Twilight fandom a bit far in my opinion, but then again, I traveled all the way to a logging town to see locations from a fictional story, so who am I to judge.

I visited some other neat shops that were less about the mainstream commercial products, and more about small trinkets or individually manufactured apparel. “The Chinook Pharmacy,” which claims to be “Bella’s Official First-Aid Station,” had lots of small souvenirs including pendants and sparkly t-shirts. I got a few postcards there as well as a replica of Bella’s charm bracelet given to her by best friend Jacob Black. The bracelet had the little wolf charm that Jacob carves for her, the diamond-like heart gemstone from Edward, as well as charms from the novel covers: the apple for Twilight, the feather for New Moon, and the chess piece for Breaking Dawn.

“Leppell’s Flower’s and Gifts” was a florist shop located near the high school which has become a small Twilight haven. The front windows were full of decorations as well as the owner’s own cat that was preening next to a sign that read “I Was Bitten in Forks, Washington.” This shop had everything from Team Edward and Jacob toques to baby clothes. I was told the owner also manufactured some of her own t-shirts that are sold in the store. As long as any official trademarked images used are altered by 10%, they can be incorporated into individual Twilight designs. I decided on a red t-shirt with a crystal ball on the front with the words “Wanna Bet?” printed underneath. This is a joke about Edward’s sister, Alice Cullen, who can foresee the future and often uses this to her advantage with comic effect in Meyer’s novels.

My final shopping stop was also an additional tour location – “Forks Outfitters” located near the end of town by the Thriftway. This is the Twilight location where Bella works for the Newton’s outdoor apparel and equipment shop. I stocked up on food in the Thriftway and made my one guilty/embarrassing purchase of some Forks sweatpants with the “Spartans” team-name and logo embossed down the leg. These will most likely be reserved for at-home lounging, I just couldn’t resist.

Twilight In La Push:

My final destination for my Twilight trip was La Push, the reservation just outside of Forks where Bella’s best friend Jacob Black lives. La Push is located about a fifteen minute drive from Forks down a tree-lined highway. As I made my way there, I was instantly reminded of all the times Bella makes this exact drive to visit Jacob in New Moon, and the times Edward often drove her to the treaty line in Eclipse.

Once in La Push, I walked down to First Beach where Bella goes with her high school friends and ends up hanging out with Jacob for the first time properly in Twilight. Jacob tells Bella about the “cold ones” which is how she first learns about vampires in Forks. First Beach was full of piles of driftwood, had numerous rocky outcroppings with distant trees, and crashing waves rolled up onto the sand. It was a beautiful sunny day, but cold and windy. I would recommend dressing warmly if you decide to visit the La Push beaches.

My last La Push excursion was a hike to Third Beach through the forest. Third Beach is located off the highway closer to the Forks border line. The hike took about forty minutes through wet ferns, sky-high trees, and muddy footpaths, but it was very much worth it. As the path sloped down towards the beach, sunlight flitted in through the tree tops and a completely unoccupied expanse of sand, driftwood, and ocean greeted me. It was like a scene straight out of New Moon, where Bella often comes down to the beach at La Push in search of solitude and a vast space to think. I cannot really describe the atmosphere of being there at that moment in time, but I will say that it truly brought Twilight to life.

I hope that this gave you a taste of Forks and La Push, and all-things Twilight that they have to offer. This small town only had one main street but it was a hive of activity and full of friendly and helpful people. The diner style restaurants and the local shops were a welcome break from the crowded streets of busy Vancouver. It was a great place to visit that definitely surprised me with its small-town charm, friendly atmosphere, and the general embrace that the people of Forks seem to have for this vampire franchise. Any Twilight fan, especially of the books and story that Stephenie Meyer created, would enjoy a trip to this town. It brought the stories to life for me and made me want to go back to page one of Twilight and start all over again.

[story and photos belong to me - Twilight Connection]