Twilight Saga Eclipse DVD Release

The much anticipated DVD release of the Twilight movie Eclipse is scheduled for Saturday December 4, 2010.  The previous DVD release of New Moon, on January 15, 2010, sold an estimated 3.8 million units on its first weekend and approximately 9.2 million units total.  However, given the fact that the Eclipse movie far exceeded New Moon sales at the box office, and with the timing of Christmas, Eclipse DVD sales are expected to surpass New Moon DVD sales with ease.  Twilighters will have to bide their time with the Eclipse DVD, because the next movie, Breaking Dawn, is not scheduled for release in theatres until November 18, 2011.

In addition to DVD sales, Bella’s Engagement Ring is expected to make a second surge in sales.  Immediately following the Eclipse release in theatres, Twilighters began gobbling up the official replica of the actual engagement ring that Edward gave to Bella in the movie.  Twilighters also learned a lesson in marketing when knock offs and unauthorized versions of the ring began to hit the market at a slightly lower (and even sometimes higher) price.  There is still only one “official” copyrighted, authorized version of Bella’s engagement ring.  While it can be found on websites such as Ebay and Amazon, the official website to purchase the ring is www.bellasengagementring.org.   The retail price is $35.00 plus shipping.  This official copyrighted version also advertises a lifetime warranty against tarnishing, defects, lost stones, etc.  This oval ring also comes in a round version which while similar, is not an exact replica of the ring used in the movie.  With Christmas just three weeks away from the release of the DVD, both the DVD and Bella’s Engagement Ring are sure to be sitting pretty all wrapped with a bow, under millions of Christmas trees across America and beyond.

Twilight saga Eclipse movie review

The Twilight Saga has finally found its footing with Eclipse, the third film of the blockbuster series. Selecting David Slade to direct was absolutely the right choice, and in Slade’s capable hands the series takes a darker turn in keeping with Stephenie Meyer’s book.

Slade, screenwriter Melissa Rosenberg (Twilight, New Moon, and Dexter seasons 1 thru 4), and the returning cast of Twilight players really jell this time around. The actors are obviously comfortable and know their characters well, but with Eclipse a few of the minor characters from Twilight and New Moon are given their chance to spend a few minutes in the spotlight. And with the third film, the action is taken to a different, grittier and much more realistic level – or at least as realistic as the action in a PG-13 teen vampire film can get without a $200 million budget.

Slade’s figured out how to deal with a couple of key issues that stumped his predecessors: how to portray vampire speed and how to make Edward sparkle without looking extremely cheesy. Slade’s fine-tuned Edward’s diamond skin so that it doesn’t look like an effect, and when the Cullens race through the forest chasing after Victoria, you believe they can actually run 50 miles per hour.

However, Slade does cheat a bit when it comes to the diamond-skin vampires. Not every scene with Edward in the sunlight has the sparkle effect, which I was fine with because personally I find Stephenie Meyer’s explanation of vampires going out in the daylight laughable. The less Edward sparkles, the better as far as I’m concerned.

Easily the best film of the batch, Eclipse takes a balanced approach to moving the storyline forward. The third film does what it needs to do in order to set up the conclusion of the saga with Breaking Dawn. Bella (Kristen Stewart) has matured and come into her own, Edward (Robert Pattinson) knows he can not be separated from his love, and Jacob (Taylor Lautner) is still determined to win over Bella before she can be changed into a vampire.

The Twilight Saga: Eclipse – The Story

Bella’s ready to give up living and breathing for an eternity with Edward, Edward’s still not convinced Bella’s making the right decision, and Jacob’s positive Bella’s not thinking straight as the action of Eclipse kicks off. And while all teen vampire/werewolf/human love triangle stuff is keeping the threesome occupied in Forks, nearby Seattle’s been hit by what appears to be a ruthless serial killer. But we know, and the Cullens shortly figure out, that it’s actually an army of newborn vampires on the prowl. Who created them and for what purpose – those are the important questions the Cullens need to figure out. It doesn’t take them long to determine vampires are behind all the dead people turning up in Seattle. They can’t just sit back and let innocent people die – and let the Seattle killings draw the Volturi close to Forks – so they plan a roadtrip to the city to see if they can take care of the situation.

However, a road trip becomes unnecessary when Alice peers into the future and sees the newborns will be coming to Forks in just a few days time. The short notice worries the vegetarian vampires, as does the sheer size of the newborn army, but an unlikely ally turns up in the form of the wolf pack. Jacob offers up the wolves’ help and while this isn’t something Edward particularly wants – why give Jacob another reason to hang out with Bella? – it’s the only logical solution. After all, if you were forced into battle against out-of-control crazy new vampires with superhero strength and your only chance of coming out of the fight without losing a few members of your sparkly vampire family, wouldn’t you turn to the neighborhood werewolves for help?

The Acting and Eclipse’s Bottom Line

Twi-hards and casual Twilight fans alike are sure to fall for Eclipse. The third film injects more humor than Twilight or New Moon and is sexier than either of the first two movies. And for the first time in the series, side characters are no longer relegated to personality-less stick figures taking up space.

Billy Burke has been terrific as Bella’s dad, Charlie Swan, throughout the series, but Slade allowed Burke free rein to improvise and by doing so got something special from the veteran actor. Also showing off acting chops previously unnoticed in the series is Jackson Rathbone as Jasper. Rathbone had little to nothing to do in Twilight and New Moon, but that changes in Eclipse as Jasper’s an integral part of the vampire war. What Rathbone does in his few scenes (including the Civil War flashback) shows he not only gets the character, but has been prepared for Jasper’s big reveal all along. The same can be said about Nikki Reed as Rosalie. Previously, Reed’s only had to stand around and look pretty all dyed white and bleached blonde. In her key scene with Bella where she explains her position on why Bella should remain human, we see Reed also has fully embraced her vampire character and has just been waiting for the chance to let her rip.

Newcomers to the franchise Xavier Samuel and Bryce Dallas Howard are great additions to the cast, and it’s a shame they’re only around for just this one film. Samuel’s a scene-stealer as Riley, Victoria’s pawn, and the guy in charge of that bloodthirsty batch of newborn vamps. Although he’s not on screen much, Samuel uses every second to his advantage, giving Riley a personality he never had in Stephenie Meyer’s book. And Howard, who takes over for Twilight and New Moon’s Victoria – Rachelle Lefevre – makes for a deliciously evil vampire who uses her sexuality to control her right-hand undead man.

Eclipse has a lot to be proud of, including much better performances from Robert Pattinson and Taylor Lautner, but there still are a few problems with the series. Slade and the company handling the CG still haven’t gotten the wolves right. They’re so fake that it’s distracting, and the way they change sizes is frustratingly bad. One minute they’re the size of a large dog or normal wolf, and the next they’re taller than Stewart while standing on all fours. The poor effects bring the film down.

True Blood can get it right, and the budget on that TV series is far less than what the Twilight folks had to spend on getting their wolves right. Granted, True Blood’s using real wolves with only the eyes digitized, but couldn’t the Twilight franchise have done likewise or at least used photo-realistic CG animals instead of inserting these obviously fake wolves? Hopefully, director Bill Condon will scrap what’s come before and figure out a solution to the wolf problem with Breaking Dawn.

And while Stewart has won over Twilight fans, she still hasn’t completely sold me as Bella. It’s the lack of facial expressions that gets me, not the way she can deliver a line. That said, there is one major improvement in Stewart’s handling of the role: she never plays with her hair in Eclipse. Wearing an assortment of constantly changing wigs in the third film made it so that Stewart couldn’t push her hair back from her forehead, and that small change is a huge improvement.  With her engagement to Edward (Robert Pattinson) and her acceptance of the much acclaimed Bella’s Engagement Ring, we will all be able to watch Bella mature both in her character and as an actress in future Twilight movies.  If you want to own an exact replica of the Bella’s engagement ring, visit http://www.bellasengagementring.org.

Despite the wolves and a few other minor issues, The Twilight Saga: Eclipse is easily the best of the Twilight pack thus far. It’s got just the right mix of action, drama, humor (something completely lacking from the first two films), and romance, it’s beautifully shot, swiftly paced, and proves the old adage that the third time is indeed the charm.

“A Gift Young Women Don’t Usually Get”

There’s a saying that good is sometimes only found when you open your mind.  It’s true; how many times have we been talked into trying a new restaurant that would not have been our first or second choice – or for that matter, might never had tried at all had it not been for a friend talking us into it?  The same holds true for many of today’s contemporary films, too.  Many parents had to make the call this summer whether or not to allow their kids to see Twilight, “the-red-hot-if-you-haven’t-seen-it-you’ve-been-on-another-planet” movie.  Judging by the millions of dollars in revenue the film collected, it’s a fair assumption that most parents allowed their young ones to see it.

For many parents, though, it wouldn’t have been their first choice or the way to spend two hours in a movie theatre; however, many saw it with their kids just to be sure no lines were crossed and if they were, Mom or Dad could quickly usher their little ones out of the theatre.  Turns out, though, amidst all the fantasy, vampires and even violence, this movie actually has a powerful message – and it’s one The Quiet Witness hopes will be what every teen, pre teen or young adult walked away with.  That message is found in the scene when the film’s handsome leading man and likeable vampire refuses the sexual advances of his beautiful human girlfriend and instead insists they wait.  Who knew, right?  Quite the unexpected, but refreshing stance, no doubt.  When Edward formally proposes to Bella, the two of them have what many young couples don’t have today: a pledge that’s still in place and honors the imminent wedding ceremony.

The ring is just lovely as it’s describe in great detail in the book and seen in the film; it was soon in big demand off the silver screen.  It’s as elegant and traditional as the names Stephanie Meyer carefully chose for her characters.  With a feminine oval shape and thirteen stones, it rests beautifully on the band.  Timeless, regal and quietly stated – the designers hit a home run with this ring.  There is one place you find an exact replica and the only place that offers a licensed and trademarked Bella’s Engagement Ring.  As mentioned, the author of the books played a significant role in the design and she teamed with Infinite Jewelry Company to put the finishing touches on the ring.  It’s available for purchase at BellasEngagementRing.org.

One editorial written about this particular message, posted on a parenting website, and ironically written by a mother, reads, “I would have loved the freedom of making out with Edward Cullen.  To know that I could lose control because he was going to stop me…that’s a gift young women don’t usually get”.  While that may not be the way every parent sees it, you can’t miss the all too common frustration young women feel when it seems as though they spend half their time fending off advances from the one they love.  Ah…but there’s more.  It’s not until you take a step back and see things from a different perspective, though.

Our sweet and noble (who knew those two adjectives would ever be used to

Bella's Engagement Ring®

describe a vampire, fictional though he is?) leading man, Edward Cullen (played brilliantly by Robert Pattinson), delivers his message with confidence and authority.  But out here in the real world, there’s a more powerful message to be found through Edward’s refusal to engage in pre-marital sex.  Boys get pressured too.  Too many times, the assumption is made that it’s the girls who must spend a good part of their teenage years fending off the advances of their boyfriends, who have no concept of testosterone or raging hormones.  It was refreshing to see a young man, albeit the silver screen, who made the right call.  Hopefully, this will start a chain reaction that includes other teen boys doing the right thing.  Girls too, of course, but this one scene in the film really hits the mark in today’s society.  W8ing for marriage, as it turns out, is important for vampires, too.

If you’re still up in the air on whether or not to allow your pre-teen to see this film, please know this isn’t a recommendation either way; instead, it’s just a glimpse into the mindsets of the two leading characters.  Only a parent can know if it’s appropriate for his or her child.  In the end, Bella, played by Kristin Stewart saves herself for wedding day – and as far as we’re concerned, there’s no better “happily ever after”.

Twilight: Eclipse’ Sneak Peek at Bella’s Engagement Ring (Robert Pattinson, Kristen Stewart)

Edward giving Bella's Engagement Ring®

In the movie  “Twilight: Eclipse” we got a sneak peek into the engagement ring that Robert Pattinson (Edward Cullen) will present to his lady love Kristen Stewart (Bella Swan).

The ring, described in Stephenie Meyer’s bestselling books as being Victorian in style, is simply stunning and features an oval face set with diamonds.

In the book, Meyer describes the ring saying: “The face was a long oval, set with slanting rows of glittering round stones. The band was gold — delicate and narrow. The gold made a fragile web around the diamonds.”

Considering the elegant shape and classic style of this brilliant ring, I’d actually love to own one. Oddly enough, now you can.

Twilight author Stephanie Meyer and Infinite Jewelry Co. have co-designed an Eclipse-inspired engagement ring meant to mimic the ring she describes Edward giving to Bella in the third installment of the series.

The ring, which has 13 diamonds and is approx. 1.06 carats total weight, retails for $1,979, but Twihards can also choose a more affordable, exact replica using diamond faceted cubic zirconia available at http://www.bellasengagementring.org for $35.

The ring can be purchased at http:www.bellasengagementring.org.   Please note: a proposal from Edward Cullen is NOT included in purchase of ring.

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Who is Bella Swan?

Isabella Marie “Bella” Swan (later Bella Cullen) is the fictional protagonist of the Twilight series, written by Stephenie Meyer. The Twilight series, consisting of the novels Twilight, New Moon, Eclipse, and Breaking Dawn, is primarily narrated from Bella’s point-of-view.

In Twilight, Bella moves to her father’s home in Forks, Washington, meets the mysterious Cullen family, and falls in love with Edward Cullen. However, she soon discovers that the family is a coven of vampires. Bella expresses a desire to become a vampire herself, against Edward’s wishes. In the second novel, New Moon, Edward and the other Cullens leave Forks in an effort to keep Bella safe from the vampire world. Jacob Black, a member of the Quileute tribe who is also a shape shifter taking a wolf form, comforts the distraught and severely depressed Bella. She comes to care deeply for Jacob, though less than she loves Edward. In Eclipse, Bella becomes engaged to Edward, and they marry in Breaking Dawn. Edward then transforms Bella into a vampire after she nearly dies giving birth to their daughter, Renesmee.

The premise for both the Bella Swan character and the Twilight series originated in a dream Stephenie Meyer had in which an “average girl” and a “fantastically beautiful, sparkly … vampire … were having an intense conversation in a meadow in the woods.”^[1] In this dream, the pair “were discussing the difficulties inherent in the facts that … they were falling in love with each other while … the vampire was particularly attracted to the scent of her blood, and was having a difficult time restraining himself from killing her.”

Meyer’s original characters were unnamed; she took to calling the characters, who would later become Edward Cullen and Bella, ‘he’ and ‘she’ for the purpose of convenience as she, “didn’t want to lose the dream.”^[1] The name ‘Isabella’ was decided upon, Meyer explains, because “after spending so much time with [the character], I loved her like a daughter. … Inspired by that love, I gave her the name I was saving for my daughter, …Isabella.”

Bella’s positive reception at her new school in Forks, particularly her popularity with male characters, was modelled after Meyer’s real life move from high school to college. Comparing her transitional experience to Bella’s, Meyer noted that after her own move to college her “stock went through the roof,” commenting that “beauty is a lot more subjective than you might think.”

Twilight is about a seventeen-year-old girl named Bella Swan, who moves from her mother’s home in Phoenix, Arizona, to live with her father in her birthtown of Forks, Washington. There, she becomes intrigued by a student, Edward Cullen. When Edward saves her life, he exhibits super-human qualities. Bella learns from family friend Jacob Black that Quileute legends say the Cullen family are vampires. Edward eventually admits to this truth, though his family hunts only animals, not humans, through moral choice. Edward constantly warns Bella against being with him, perceiving her life to be at constant risk if she continues to associate with him because the scent of her blood is more powerful to him than that of any other human he has ever encountered. Bella’s love and confidence in Edward’s restraint is such that his warnings go unheeded, and on an outing with the Cullens she becomes the target of a sadistic vampire, James. With his family’s help, Edward is able to save Bella from James’ predations, but Edward is still unwilling to change Bella into a vampire himself.

New Moon begins with Bella’s eighteenth birthday. During a party at the Cullens, she gets a small paper cut while opening a present. Edward’s brother, Jasper, instinctively hungering for her blood, tries to attack her. Edward realizes that his relationship with Bella puts her in danger. In a misguided attempt to protect Bella, he convinces her that he no longer loves her and moves away with his family, leaving her heartbroken and depressed for months.

To appease her worried father, Bella goes to a movie with her friend Jessica. While there, she carelessly approaches a group of rough-looking men outside a bar and discovers she can hear Edward’s voice when in dangerous situations. Desperate to hear his voice again, Bella seeks out danger; she asks Jacob Black to repair two motorcycles and teach her to ride one. Their friendship grows to be very strong, and Jacob admits that he has romantic feelings for Bella, though she does not reciprocate this. When a vampire named Laurent tries to attack her, Bella is saved by a pack of giant wolves. Later, Bella learns that Jacob and other tribe members are shape shifters who assume a wolf form to protect humans from vampires. Bella also discovers that the vampire Victoria has returned to Forks seeking to kill Bella to avenge her mate, James’, death.

To hear Edward’s voice, Bella attempts cliff-diving and nearly drowns, but she is saved by Jacob. Edward, after being mistakenly informed by Rosalie that Bella has committed suicide, travels to Volterra, Italy, to request the Volturi to destroy him. Alice returns to Forks and discovers Bella is alive; she and Bella pursue Edward to Italy and successfully prevent him from showing himself in daylight to humans, an act that would result in his execution. The trio are taken to the Volturi. Because Bella knows about vampires, the Volturi want to kill her, but Alice claims she has foreseen Bella becoming a vampire. Because most humans are unaware that vampires exist, the Volturi threaten to kill Bella if this does not happen soon. Upon returning home, Edward reveals to Bella that he never stopped loving her, he only left Forks because he thought it would protect Bella. He apologizes for this misguided action and asks for her forgiveness, which Bella quickly grants. Bella, intent on becoming a vampire, decides that Edward’s family should vote on her fate. All but Rosalie and Edward vote affirmatively for her to be changed, but Edward agrees to change her himself if she will marry him first.

Eclipse continues the drama of Bella and Edward’s relationship. Edward explains that he is reluctant to change Bella into a vampire because he believes that vampires are soulless creatures who have no place in heaven. Bella, whose opinion of marriage is jaded by her own parents’ early divorce, agrees to marry Edward on the condition that he will make love to her while she is still human and then turn her into a vampire. He initially refuses, saying that he could easily lose control in the heat of the moment and unintentionally kill her. However, seeing how important it is to Bella, he agrees to try, but only after they are married.

The plot is driven by the machinations of the vampire Victoria, who first encountered Bella and the Cullens during the first book, Twilight. Victoria, seeking to avenge her lover, James’, death, hunts Bella while building a new vampire army. To combat this threat, a grudging truce is struck between the Cullens and the Native American shape-shifting wolf pack led by Sam Uley and Jacob Black, who pits himself against Edward as a love interest for Bella. Initially, Bella considers Jacob only as a friend but, despite her engagement to Edward, she shares a kiss with Jacob and realizes she loves him as well. Ultimately, Edward accepts Bella’s love for Jacob and successfully destroys Victoria. Bella acknowledges that Edward is the most important person in her life, agreeing to announce their engagement to her father. An authentic replica of the actual Bella’s engagement ring can be purchased at http://www.bellasengagementring.org.

Near the beginning of Breaking Dawn, Bella marries Edward. They spend their honeymoon on Isle Esme, a fictional small island that was given to Esme as a gift from Carlisle. They consummate their marriage, but their lovemaking sparks a conflict between the newlywed couple: Edward is horrified that he has bruised his wife, but Bella insists that she is fine and wants Edward to make love to her again. He vows not to do so again while she is still human. Soon afterwards, Bella becomes very sick and realizes that she is pregnant with Edward’s child.

Edward is shocked and rushes Bella home to see Carlisle, who, as a doctor, confirms that she is expecting a child. Edward goes half-crazy with worry as the rapidly growing fetus begins to drain Bella’s health, and he tries to coerce her into having an abortion to save her own life. However, Bella feels a bond with her unborn child and insists on giving birth. Soon, Edward comes to love the baby as well, after he hears its thoughts and learns that the baby loves Bella in return and doesn’t mean to hurt her.

Bella nearly dies giving birth, but Edward successfully delivers their baby girl and then injects his venom into her heart, thus healing her wounds by turning her into a vampire. During Bella’s painful transformation, Jacob imprints —an involuntary process in which a shape-shifter finds his soul mate— on the baby, Renesmee Cullen.

After a vampire named Irina mistakes Renesmee for an immortal vampire child (a creation that is forbidden in the vampire world), the Volturi arrive to destroy the Cullens as punishment for the alleged transgression. Edward stands with Bella and their allies to convince the Volturi that Renesmee is not an immortal child and poses no threat to their existence. Once the Volturi leave, Edward and Bella are finally free to live their lives in peace with their daughter.

Stephenie Meyer Designed Bella’s Engagement Ring!

Twilight Saga author Stephenie Meyer oversaw the development of Bella’s Engagement ring from Eclipse, and ultimately did the final sketch of the ring and had final say, Instyle reports.

Bella Ring scene from movie

Last we saw Edward and Bella at the end of The Twilight Saga: New Moon, our favorite brooding vampire had just popped the question to his mortal lady love. But the antique engagement ring that writer Stephenie Meyer describes as a delicate piece with an oval face “set with slanting rows of glittering round stones” doesn’t appear until The Twilight Saga: Eclipse, so we talked to the prop team to get all the details. To bring Meyer’s vision to life, prop master Grant Swain started by researching engagement rings from the Victorian era, called in several samples and enlisted four different jewelers to create prototypes of the bauble. But Meyer wasn’t satisfied with any of the options, so she drew a rough sketch herself and Swain sent it to Portland-based jeweler Rick Thurber, who’d created the Cullen family crest jewelry worn by Edward and his clan. Thurber mocked up a computerized 3-D drawing of his vision and sent it to Swain and Meyer for approval. Once he’d been given the go-ahead, Thurber used the illustration to laser cut a wax model, cast the band and setting and set the face with delicate pave diamonds (cubic zirconians were preferred but there wasn’t enough time to order them!). The ring was then rushed from Portland to the Vancouver set of Eclipse, arriving just hours before filming began on the pivotal scene. Talk about a ring with history!

Bella's Engagement Ring®

Once the movie was completed, Infinite Jewelry Co.® received the authorization from Stephenie Meyer, to manufacture the official authorized replica of Bella’s Engagement Ring® to be made available to the public.  To date, tens of thousands of Twilight fans have wanted to own a piece of the Twilight saga history by owning the official replica of Bella’s Engagement Ring®.  While several unauthorized copies have surfaced, claiming to be “inspired by” or “modeled after”, there still remains one authorized trademarked version which can be found at http://www.bellasengagementring.org.