Beaten to a pulp…

…is exactly what Sookie Stackhouse is after Charlaine Harris’ Club Dead, third in the Sookie Stackhouse series.

I’ve found myself quite hooked on vampire novels since last year when I began with the Twilight saga. In fact, it was around this time last year when I met Edward and Bella and couldn’t stop reading, even after I’d learned that my flight back to the sleepy town had to be re-routed and we’d have to travel by land for four more hours. If the night hadn’t been dark, I probably would have kept reading all the way home.

But after I’d enrolled myself at Twilight Addicts Anonymous and came out rehabilitated and ready to face the real world again, I found myself in front of the boob tube and mesmerized by True Blood, the tv series based on the Sookie Stackhouse novels by Charlaine Harris. It was almost like Twilight but everything was juxtaposed. This time, it was the girl who could read minds and the one person who’s mind she couldn’t read was the gorgeous vampire…and a shape-shifter completes the love triangle. But other than that, it’s a whole new world of blood-sucking, gory and suspense-filled romantic love story.

Based on the acting alone, I would have sworn that the Sookie Stackhouse novels were helluva lot better than the Twilight saga. Forgive me if I still haven’t gotten over Rob Pattinson’s crappy acting skills — and his drawn up six-pack abs. But I’ve digressed.

You see, True Blood offers more twists and turns than Twilight. Of course, I could see the injustice in the comparison. After all, Twilight and New Moon were movies of two or more hours whereas True Blood ran of an hour every week for several weeks. Naturally, the writers of the latter could stretch the story line and make the plot more colorful. And all the while, I had thought that this was the same story line from the Sookie Stackhouse novels. Once again, I’ve proven myself wrong.

When I got to the Big City for my yearly Christmas vacation, I immediately bought for myself the first three books in Charlaine Harris’ Sookie Stackhouse novels. I just wanted to know if it was something I could really sink my teeth into (pardon the pun, it’s a corny one. ) After the first book alone, I’d realized that I’d misled myself again into thinking that the tv series was anything like the books. But this time, I was pleasantly surprised. I have just realized that tv (or movie) could do more than justify the books.

The Sookie Stackhouse novels is fresh, well-written and appealing romantic love story between a human and a vampire. Charlaine Harris captures an original genre all her own. It’s a mix of suspense, love story, comedy and action mixed with a little bit of sex … well, actually, maybe a lot of sex. You could say this series of novels would kick Edward and Bella’s butts. It is romantic and funny but it doesn’t delude the readers into thinking that vampires are loving, caring, dopey-eyed love sick creatures like Edward Cullen and the rest of his adoptive family. Harris’ vampire can be cold and cruel just as they are loving and protective — and that’s just Bill Compton, the supposed hero of the story. I say supposed because I’m rooting for the other guy, Eric Northman.

While Bill can be as captivating and handsome and caring to Sookie as Edward Cullen is to Bella, Bill can also be rough — to the point of killing Sookie. But that just goes to show you the truer nature of vampires (of course, you realize that there aren’t any vampires in the real world, right? This is just for fiction’s sake). And Sookie gets more than just a few vampire bites along the way. She’s also been punched, drained (almost), raped (like I said) and staked on the side. You can readily tell she’s no regular damsel in distress. In fact, if anything, she’s most often the knight in shining armor who gets beat up a lot.

But what I really mean when I say I was pleasantly surprised is that even though the tv series was not faithful to the novel’s storyline, the series didn’t suck at all. It captured the essence of the novels and made it even better. I’ve seen the first two seasons of True Blood and I know that even if I read ahead into the series of novels, I wouldn’t be disappointed with watching the third season next June. And that’s the only thing that sucks: I have to wait six more months until I get my regular fix of True Blood. In the meantime, I’m doping on the novels. I gotta get me three more books tomorrow.

Somebody dial Sookie Stackhouse Addicts Anonymous for me , please!

Forgive me

I have a confession to make:

Yesterday, while I was at home, sick and absent from work, I watched the Twilight movie — for the third time!

Crap! Crap! Crap!

Let me explain:

The first time I saw the movie, it was at the prodding of my cousin D.  Like I said in my previous random rants, I didn’t really like it. I couldn’t understand all the madness, the gnashing of teeth and the shedding of tears. So, like I said, I read the book. To make what would be a long story short: I loved the story of the Twilight Sage. Even now, I think “love” is a fairly weak word to describe how I feel about the story. I mean, I could give an arm and a leg…perhaps even my husband? (teehee)… just to show my gratitude to Ms. Meyer for creating such wonderful novels and also to plead for the immediate publication of the complete Midnight Sun. In fact, I curse the person who leaked a copy of the manuscript of the Midnight Sun to the public! Thanks to you, whoever you are, the author has seen fit to halt the progress of that book. If it hadn’t been leaked, maybe I’d be in bed right now, reading the Midnight Sun, biting my nails and wondering why my life isn’t as exciting as fiction.

Anywaaaay… So after I’ve read the books, I saw the movie again. Just to understand why I didn’t fall in love with the movie as I did with the book. That’s when I realized that the movie failed to live up to the magic of the love story of Edward Cullen and Bella Swan.

I suppose I should’ve stopped there, right? Like my grandma used to say, “One is enough. Two is too much!”

And yet…yesterday, for some reason, I felt the compulsion to watch the movie again.

The only justification for this that I could come up with is this:

I was sick, so I wasn’t in my normal state of mind — and I had to watch it for purposes of analysis.

Char! Whatever!

Nonetheless, I did learn some insightful things from watching that movie FOR THE THIRD TIME as to why it didn’t particularly blow my mind.

First: the reason why I didn’t like it is because the sequence of the movie (compared to the book) was a mess. For me, the one of the more exciting and thrilling part of the story was when Edward was driving Bella home from Port Angeles and he wanted to know what theory Bella had come up with. So, she was telling him what she’d researched about but in the end, deciding that it didn’t really matter whatever Edward was. It was one of those “awwwwww!!!!!” moments. And later, while still in the car, Edward said something to Bella to which she replied: “This is a mistake?” and then she sobbed. That was/is a heartbreaker! I mean, why did the writer/scriptwriter skip that? They could have cut the introduction instead. After all, the scene where Bella was leaving Pheonix could have been mentioned in as few lines as possible.

Second: actually, I think my second reason is still in relation to the first. I didn’t understand why the writers of the movie chose to introduce Jacob immediately as the movie started. I mean, they included the beach scene anyway, why not stay true to the story line and show how Bella flirted with Jacob to get the story of the Cold Ones from him?

Lastly: (although I could still think of a few other reasons why I didn’t feel so strongly about the movie, I’ll limit this to three) Robert Pattinson didn’t really deliver the emotions that was supposed to have been going through Edward. I could cite a couple but what really struck me the most was the fight scene at the ballet studio. Imagine it this way, Edward has been waiting for Bella his entire life (he said so himself). Naturally, he wouldn’t want any harm to happen to her in whatever way. And then, here comes James who wants to drink Bella’s blood and all Robert Pattinson could muster (as he jumped inside the ballet studio) is a somewhat “pa-cute” soulfull look in his eyes.He should have been growling instead! This was the perfect time to show the “monstrous side” of vampires. I mean, Edward was willing to kill for Bella’s sake, why can’t Robert Pattinson at least look angry?I mean, didn’t the director see that? I would’ve yelled “Cut!” right then and there and told Pattinson what his real motivation for the scene ought to be.

I recall one episode from FRIENDS where Joey was teaching a couple of people some acting techniques, based on his experience as Dr. Drake Remore from “The Days of Our Lives.” Joey was telling them that if they wanted to look like they were thinking of something, they should make the face of someone who’s just smelled fart and was trying to find out who did it.  I think Robert Pattinson could take a few lessons from him.

I’m not being cruel here. My point is just this: maybe next time, in the New Moon movie, Robert Pattinson ought to take better acting lessons and internalize his character more.

There is one good thing I can say about Robert Pattinson, though. He’s good at looking handsome. If I’ve said something to the contrary in my previous random rants, then I take it back. Insofar as looks are concerned, Pattinson is a good match.

*This is just MY OPINION!

But…whatever, right?! So long as nobody else goes out and makes a better Twilight movie, I’m afraid I might have to watch the same movie again for who knows how many more times. Hey, I’m still sick, remember?! =P

I’m on a high, on a high…

Or so the song goes.

It’s been a couple of days now and I still haven’t gotten over the Twilight saga. It got me thinking: what if (and this is a big WHAT IF!) such a story could actually be real? I mean, wouldn’t it be creepy to know that somebody follows you wherever you go or even watches you as you sleep? I suppose, if Stephanie Meyer described Edward Cullen as looking like Quasimodo, I’m sure Bella wouldn’t think it to be so sweet. She’d probably be screaming “Stalker!” and run the opposite way.

Actually, the author mentioned the stalker thing in the Midnight Sun. I got a copy of the “leaked” draft right from Ms. Meyer’s website. It really is promising. I hope she gets around to finishing and publishing it soon. The whole story is so different from Edward’s point of view.

And if you were Bella, can you imagine yourself making that commitment??? I mean, that’s one marriage you’re NEVER gonna get out of. It would be stating the obvious to say that there’s no turning back from that commitment.

Anyway, on to some sad (or is it?) news. Rumor is that a local network is planning to air a local version of Twilight, entitled “Takip Silim.” Personally, I think that would be wrong on so many levels. I mean, how well could the local actors fare against the original cast of the movie? Really! For some reason, I feel violated by just that thought alone: making a Tagalog version of Twilight! Really! What is it about our culture that we just want to copy everything the foreigners do? Isn’t “I love Betty La Fea” (Tagalog version of Ugly Betty/Betty La Fea) enough? ALTHOUGH, I will readily admit, they did justice to that. But Twilight?

I heard that they’ve gotten around to picking who would play Edward, Bella and Dr. Carlisle Cullen. Is it true that Raiver (is that the correct spelling?) will be Edward, Shaina Magdayao as Bella and Gabby Concepcion as Dr. Cullen? I must admit, though, Gabby Concepcion might fit very well as Dr. Cullen. He’s one good looking son of a gun, even after all these years. I mean, he still has the “kilig” factor even at his age.

I think Angel Locsin seems a better fit to Bella than Shaina. The latter is pretty and all, but insofar as acting is concerned, I think Angel has the upper hand. I mean, Angel can really deliver pain. She’s got character which Shaina has yet to develop.

On the other hand, I’m still wondering who could be Edward Cullen. I definitely don’t think that Raiver(?) guy can do him justice. I would’ve picked Richard Gutierrez – but that might not work, he’s from the other network. I think choices are limited to the actors of the network which is supposedly producing the local series.

My sister-in-law says Deither Ocampo might be good. I could see how she’d consider that. But I think he looks… I don’t know, too “chinito” maybe? I’d try Piolo Pascual, maybe. Dingdong Dantes would work but, again, he’s from the rival network.

Hmmm… I have too much time on my hands if I can get around to thinking about these things. Maybe I should get a life. =P

Seriously.

“Hi I’m “City Girl” and I’m an addict.”

At least that’s how I think I ought to introduce myself. But before I get arrested, I must explain the kind of addict that I am.

I don’t do drugs, if that’s what immediately gets into your head. I can easily get a high from the most mundane things in my so ordinary life. I wouldn’t need to spend money on drugs. But let me tell you, whatever it is that’s making me deliriously happy, I can never get enough of it… At least while it still tickles me. After that, it’s off to the next.

So what am I binging on today? Books — that darn Twilight Saga, to be specific. I know — it’s a bit too late to join the bandwagon. For some (if not most or even all), Twilight is soo last year. Normal people would have gotten over that movie and moved on to their real life. But not me.

To tell the truth, the movie Twilight didn’t really appeal that much to me. All I knew about vampires were those I learned from Brad Pitt in “An Interview With A Vampire.” It pretty much summed up everything I needed to know about them — they suck blood, they all look painfully beautiful (if they really looked anything like Tom Cruise, Brad Pitt and Antonio Banderas), and they turn into dust when hit by sunlight. That was probably the first and last movie about vampires that I’d seen. When I look back on it, I wouldn’t have bothered if Brad Pitt weren’t there.

So when I saw the news in some other website about the then upcoming movie Twilight, I didn’t even bother to read about it except to learn that the movie soundtrack had already hit number 1 before the movie even got released. It didn’t really interest me. After all, just because the music was good didn’t really mean that the movie is up to par. I just dismissed it.

My cousins though kept pestering me about it, not to mention the office staff. They got all hyped up about the movie, about how it was so much better than Harry Potter. But I wasn’t going to get sucked into that. I drew the line at Harry Potter. After all, what could be so wonderful about vampires, right? But my cousin D insisted that I should see it. Since I believed in the saying “Don’t judge a book by its cover,” I went and saw what the hype was all about.

I must be honest. The first time I saw “Twilight,” I wasn’t really jumping up and down my seat or peeing all over myself in excitement and “kilig.” Edward Cullen — the actor — looked better when he was Cedric Diggory. But I suppose if one already looked perfect at a very young age, it would be downhill from there (this one I got from the movie “The Happening.” That is an altogether different story.) Anyway, like I said, I wasn’t particularly blown away by the movie. So I still couldn’t understand what the hoopla was all about.

Maybe it was fate that my sister-in-law had asked me (and my husband) to buy the books of the Twilight saga. I hadn’t really thought of reading them. But I was bored and was curious enough. So I read them. That’s when my addiction started.

The minute I started reading, I was hooked. I completely tuned out everybody else around me and got mad if they got too  loud, disturbing me while reading. I would lock myself up in my room, ignoring hunger, thirst, frequent calls of nature, including the need to sleep at night, just so I could go on reading. It was a different high.

I felt kind of stupid about how the book had affected me emotionally. I’ve just been turned into a gibbering and drooling idiot of a teenager because of the love story between Bella Swan and Edward Cullen. I couldn’t stop thinking about what would happen to them — whether they’ll actually end up together or one of them will die. I really though hard about that one and preffered the latter. (What is it about tragic love affairs that makes them so appealing to me???!!!) I thought that would be more poetic and more realistic (as if a love affair with a vampire could ever become realistic!?!). But, of course, being the ever romantic that I am, I hoped for the other. But you would already know how it ends, right? And if you haven’t read the saga yet, under what rock have you been hiding??!! I mean, really!?!

Anyway, it turns out I really, really loved the story of the Twilight Saga. Of course it will never happen in real life (I have trouble with stories that could not ever, ever happen in real life. I tend to judge them as intolerably stupid.), but what the heck!?! It’s fiction, for crying out loud. Seriously.  Just enjoy the ride, I thought to myself.

As it turns out, I was right in my judgment about the Twilight movie. It wasn’t anywhere near the vicinity of the book. But I suppose that’s the bane of all best selling novels. Turn it into a movie and it’s sure to wreck the story up thoroughly. I mean, just look at the Da Vinci Code movie or The Firm, right? If it were up to me, no best-selling novel ought to be turned into a movie, no matter what the price. But if there were any exception, I’d take the Twilight movie, replace all (or perhaps some) of the actors, the director and the writer, and re-do the movie all over. Seriously. It really deserves so much more than that Cedric Diggory guy (I know, he’s Robert Pattinson. I just like referring to him that way) saying “You’re my personal brand of heroin.” I mean, seriously, that is so grunge! And grunge is soo last decade.

I have to put an end to this ranting or I will never be able to stop. So, I’ll just end this with what I really wanted to say in the first place: Hate the movie. Loved the saga – seriously.

A Rose by any other name

I had just finished (finally!) reading “The Name of the Rose,” the novel by Umberto Eco. I had previously read his “Focault’s Pendulum,” something a bit sci-fi, but a great mystery novel nonetheless.

As I’d like to believe it, “The Name of the Rose” is the forerunner of “The Da Vinci Code.” In fact, I’m not even sure I want to line the latter novel with the former. “Da Vinci,” surely, was great at the suspense part but sucked when it came to factual basis. The paintings mentioned therein were nowhere close to the truth. At least, in “The Name of the Rose,” it made no allusion to things which did not truly exist. To a certain extent, however, it reflected what is happening today with the Church.

The plot of the story is set at the time when the Church is no longer about spreading the word of God but of grabbing, gaining and staying in power. Adso, the narrator, relates of a mysterious event in the Abbey, which, together with Brother William, they solve to determine who is behind the murders that occured in the Abbey.

The novel, however, is so much more than a mere “who-done-it.” It tells of how even monks during the very early times of christianity, was already beset by infidelity to the vows of celibacy. In fact, even Adso himself relates how he has been seduced by (and eventually copulated with) a woman, who would give sexual favors in exchange of food. I found it amazing how prostitution was already existent during such a time. What I also found remarkable in the book was its horrific description of the burnings and tortures committed against suspected heresiarchs. Indeed, the most gruesome crimes have been committed in the name of religion. At bottom of the murders, the investigators also uncover homosexual relationships that seem to have been common in that abbey and which was the motivating cause for the killings.

I was perplexed by its ending, however. I don’t know whether to be annoyed or to be astounded that the mastermind of the murders there committed was moved by the desire to keep secret a certain book/manuscript. But I suppose it’s just me. Sometimes, a book has to be read at the right time, when the mind is open. Perhaps, some other day I might read it again and then fully comprehend the ending. Nevertheless, it was a wonderful novel and I do not regret having spent money on such a book.