The Malaysian Insider :: Showbiz
The Malaysian Insider :: Showbiz |
| ‘Twilight’ author swaps vampires for aliens in movie ‘The Host’ Posted: 26 Mar 2013 01:27 AM PDT LOS ANGELES, March 26 — Can lightning strike twice for "Twilight Saga" author Stephenie Meyer? Meyer trades vampires for alien beings in her latest book-to-film endeavour, "The Host", opening in US cinemas on Friday. Film distributor Open Road hopes the film will attract millions of "Twilight" fans and be the first of a new franchise, but Meyer says she is not trying to emulate the success that took her from unknown to one of the world's best-selling young adult authors. "I'm not trying to have another 'Twilight' phenomenon, so for me there's not a lot of pressure," Meyer, 39, told Reuters. "All I wanted from this was for it to be really great movie. I wanted to see the visions in my head on the screen and be happy with it. That's been accomplished." Like the "Twilight" series about a romance between a human, a vampire and a werewolf that took more than US$3.3 billion (RM10 billion) at the global box office, "The Host" is also a love triangle with a female at the centre. But that's where the similarities end. "The Host" is a futuristic apocalyptic romance about alien souls who invade and take over the human race. But the story takes place mostly in the imagination of the lead character, giving Meyer some initial doubts about how the book would translate to the big screen. "I didn't think you could film it," Meyer said. "The whole thing happens inside one person's head. I didn't think it could be visual. It wasn't until director Andrew Niccol got involved. He is the most visual person and laid it all out for me. Then it was like, oh, okay." "The Host" stars Irish actress Saoirse Ronan, 18, as stubborn and determined Melanie Stryder, whose body is taken over by an alien named Wanda who wants to do good in the body in which she was placed. Both live together in Melanie's body, first as enemies, then as friends who eventually partner up to help save the human race. Romantic relations get complicated when Melanie is reunited with her boyfriend (Max Irons), but Wanda begins to fall for his friend (Jake Abel).
Informed by religion "I aspire to be like Wanda," Meyer said. "I wish I could always be peaceful like her and choose the right thing. That's my dream of what I should be like. That's how the character came about. "I'm a religious person and so you always have that idea of perfection in front of you. It's frustrating. But I'm getting better with age." Meyer was raised as a Mormon and attends church every Sunday with her husband of nearly 20 years and their three sons. But she said she never deliberately puts any religious sub texts in her work, although her beliefs do seep into her characters. "My characters almost always think about the bigger question of 'Where did I come from? Why am I here? Where am I going?' " she said. "In other (people's) novels, most characters never think about what's beyond their own experience." Meyer has branched out into film production, taking a role as a producer on "The Host" that made her part of every decision taken on the film. Her production company, Fickle Fish Films, with producing partner Meghan Hibbett, has a mandate of bringing literature-based projects to the screen. It recently produced "Austenland", a romantic comedy inspired by classic novel "Pride and Prejudice". The movie was shown at the Sundance Film Festival in January. After promotion duties for "The Host" are over, Meyer will focus on the next novel in the series, although writing will be different now because she'll be picturing Ronan as Melanie Stryder. "Saoirse Ronan has gotten in my head a little bit," said Meyer. "When I go home and jump into the writing again, it will be interesting to see how much I can get back to my Melanie." — Reuters |
| From Brooklyn for first time: MTV Video Music Awards Posted: 25 Mar 2013 07:02 PM PDT
The Video Music Awards will be the first major annual awards show to take place in the New York borough, which has seen its cultural profile rise over the past decade as a fashionable spot for young musicians and filmmakers. "From a vibrant musical scene for up and coming artists to epic concerts by today's biggest stars and the triumphant return of pro sports to the borough after nearly 60 years, Brooklyn has re-emerged as a cultural capital where music, sports and entertainment history is made every day," MTV president Stephen Friedman said in a statement. The event will air live at the Barclays Center arena on August 25. A host has yet to be announced. The awards show, which hands out "Moonman" statuettes of an astronaut planting an MTV flag, has taken place in Los Angeles for the past two years, often alternating runs with venues in Manhattan. MTV, whose programming now focuses on reality series over its original music video format, will celebrate the award show's 30th anniversary. The Video Music Awards began in 1984 and helped propel the young cable channel as a player in the entertainment industry. The annual awards ceremony is known for unscripted moments, such as in 2009 when rapper Kanye West crashed country-pop singer Taylor Swift's acceptance speech for Best Female Video to proclaim that singer Beyonce was more deserving of the trophy. MTV is owned by Viacom Inc. — Reuters |
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