CNA PrimeTime Morning, ‘Zoom In’ Reviews on Twilight
Channel: Channel New Asia
Day/Date: Friday, 12 December 2008
Time: 7 am – 9.30 am
I managed to watch Melanie Oliveiro reviewing Twilight early this morning on CNA PrimeTime Morning, ‘Zoom In’. In addition, Suzanne Jung mentioned that there is a fanbase here in Singapore for Twilight! (Oooh, that’s us!) 
Read Melanie’s review below. I had to went through what i have recorded and type it all down here. Hopefully i did not miss anything out.
What do you think of her review, Twilighters? - – - NOTE: Previously, we shared with you guys the dates of when Twilight news will be appearing on Mediacorp. For sure, it is confirmed that there will be THE MAKING OF TWILIGHT on Channel 5. It will air on Tuesday, 23rd December 2008, 7.30PM. YAAAAAAYYYY!!!! Also, Robert Pattinson may (Keyword: MAY) appear on MTV’s TRL on this Monday, 15th December 2008 (Originally aired in US Nov 6th). Local time for MTV’s TRL is 1000-1030 Hrs and 1600-1630 Hrs. So, do keep a look out, we’re not very sure about this. Just keep your fingers crossed or something!The first film adaptation of the best selling series, Twilight, celebrates a modern day love story involving a vampire, Edward Cullen and a human, Bella Swan.
Now Bella moves to a small rainy Washington town to live with her father. Like Buffy the Vampire Slayer, Bella not only has to put up with teenage pre-occupations like prom night and homework, she also has to juggle a forbidden romance with her classmate, Edward, the undead.
On his end, Edward fights an overwhelming animal instinct to suck Bella dry. He instead romances her tenderly, without giving in to his darkest desires.
But soon other vampires get a whiff of Bella. So its up to Edward and his family to protect her sweet long neck.
Okay let’s start with the film’s pace. It’s too slow at the beginning and by the time it picks up speed, it is only towards the end. I felt the film maker puts in way too much time portraying the growing romance between Bella and Edward and there are one too many scenes of the doomed lovebirds staring hypnotically into each other’s eyes as the cameras swirled around them. Enough already!
As for Robert Pattinson who plays the lovestruck Nosteratu Edward, his amateur acting skills will distract you. Instead of coming across as mysterious and darkly sexy, he looks more like a bug-eyed heroin junkie who wears this perpetually perplexed look on his face, like his trying to figure out a difficult math problem. But he is eye candy nonetheless!
The rest of the cast pulled out good measured performances though. Now this film will mainly appealed to the Generation-Y youth. It’s tailored-made for them.
Okay for most devoted fans of the Twilight series, this film will not dissapoint. But for the majority of us who will evaluate it as a gothic vampire romance tale – it’s not so hot and if i may it lacks BITE!
Watch Francis Ford Coppola’s Dracula (1992) instead. I’m giving it 3 Popcorns.
Melanie Oliveiro should keep her damn opinions to herself and not criticise other people’s acting abilities unless she can do better. Rob’s an amazingly talented actor – IS SHE FREAKIN BLIND?!? How dare she just dismiss him as eye candy?!
Is she trying to discourage Twilight-mania here or sth?!? Shut it, Melanie.
December 12, 2008 at 6:46 pm
Infact, most of the time that i watched her reviews on Zoom In, she always gave 3 POPCORNS no matter what!
December 12, 2008 at 6:49 pm
YES i TOTALLY agree. Rob’s acting was AWESOME!
December 12, 2008 at 7:20 pm
Yes Raven.I agree with you on that.
I think if theres anyone who should give any reviews, they should do research first, like READ the book for instance?????Or maybe thhe most purist Twilighter?
Edward was pretty hard to play,and its just sad couse people saw it as “math-solving-problem” rather than just “why” this 108 year-old vampire giving out expressions that way.
But i really hope that the movie was not that short though.I guess people had really hard time in connecting to it.Dammit!I blame the producers!
And what matters here is we,(TWIHARDS) lOve it.
Im gonna watch it over and over again no matter what,cos,the movie sort of has its own personality than just following expectations.
So watev Melanie,…your popcorns doesnt mean much to us.
But i guess thanx anyway 4 not giving it 1 popcorn????? HA!
December 12, 2008 at 7:42 pm
haha, love the reactions here. I was lucky to catch the review today on bus while going to school. I was really excited when Twilight trailer was shown but I didn’t get to catch much of what Melanie Oliveiro said.
Gah, another one of “them”, who don’t understand what Twilight is all about. How pathetic… Read the books and know some background info before saying such a comment.
December 12, 2008 at 7:48 pm
EXACTLY! When i was watching it earlier this morning, i’ll know that her review will definitely get attacked by us! I was relunctant to watch her reviews because i already expect that she would say something like that.
While i was reviewing it – i can’t bear to continue typing it down for you guys here….
But i was glad that Suzanne mentioned that there’s a fanbase here in SG!!! Woohoo!
December 12, 2008 at 8:18 pm
“I felt the film maker puts in way too much time portraying the growing romance between Bella and Edward and there are one too many scenes of the doomed lovebirds staring hypnotically into each other’s eyes as the cameras swirled around them. Enough already!”
Please, Twilight is basically about their romance… I have a feeling that if she can’t stand the movie, then she won’t be able to stand the book, where there are even more scenes about their romance.
If you want action or god knows what, go watch something else and stop comparing Twilight to other vampire movies…
December 12, 2008 at 8:24 pm
I couldn’t agree more with you guys..Melanie is a rally harsh reviewer. She even gave the totally awesome ‘Transformers’ movie 4 POPCORNS! WTH????
They should have allowed an unbiased Twilighter to review the movie, and then only that would have made much more sense, other than a NOOB who has never read the books to comment on the movie. If she had even read the book or even ‘Midnight Sun’, then she would understand why Edward “looks more like a bug-eyed heroin junkie who wears this perpetually perplexed look on his face”.
AARRGGHHHH!!!
And she said that it lacks BITE???!!! Oh you better hold on woman, wait till you see ‘Eclipse’ on the big screen, and you’ll see who’s doing most of the biting around. I bet she doesn’t even know that the book comes in a series.
I think Melanie rates the movie before reading the book, because most of the people who are going to catch the movie might have never herd of the ‘Twilight’ series anyway. It would be like she is representing for these people who have not read the book at all, and what they should be expecting when the watch the movie. So it would only make sense that she would rate it this way. Plus if Melanie would have read the book first, and then watched the movie, I bet her review would be much more harsher.
My advice to Melanie: Now that you have watched the movie, read the ‘Twilight’ series. ‘Twilight’, ‘New Moon’, ‘Eclipse’, ‘Breaking Dawn’. And then after that, read ‘Midnight Sun’ from the author, Stephenie Meyer’s website. It would give you more depth about Edward and Bella’s relationship and everything else about vampires and the Cullen’s history. I must say that there would be certain parts of the books would come off to cheesy and Bella would seem irritating since it come from her perspective, but it is definitely better than the movie and it will answer more of your questions regarding everything you have from the movie itself.
December 13, 2008 at 11:31 am
Awesome review. Finally, someone who isn’t brainwashed by this trash.
December 14, 2008 at 5:22 am
A Twilighter wouldn’t be unbiased, they’ve already formed an opinion about the franchise, and so they are biased. Someone who has no prior exposure to the books like Melanie Oliveiro is an unbiased reviewer. The movie should be enjoyable to people who have never read the book, if it’s not then it’s a bad movie.
December 14, 2008 at 6:30 am
I kinda agree with what Shan has said.It would be hard for a Twilighter to be unbiased. They/we would already have preconceived notions about the franchise. Love is blind after all.
All this talk about how Melanie should have read the book before watching the movie…well the thing is she is reviewing the movie as a movie. If it is a good movie or not…in general.If it can stand on its own. Not if it was a good adaptation. Because even if a chunk of its box-office takings are from the Twilighters…it still has to somewhat appeal to the rest of the masses who are not thoroughly familiar with Twilight. Like what Shan said “The movie should be enjoyable to people who have never read the book”.
And I don’t think Melanie is harsh reviewer at all. I thought she was pretty fair (Frankly I don’t think the movie will fair well among movie reviewers). She did say “for most devoted fans of the Twilight series, this film will not dissapoint” – which is true. But she also said ” But for the majority of us who will evaluate it as a gothic vampire romance tale – it’s not so hot and if i may it lacks BITE!” – which you have to admit could be the likely the case. 3 popcorns too is quite respectable. She might not like it that much…but it kinda says…there are others who might like…so it deserves a watch.
December 14, 2008 at 11:43 am
UGH! i watched the movie review thing twice and it still pisses me off till today! She practically disses all the movies and “solving a difficult maths problem”? what is HER problem? I agree with you Celia its more of romance than thriller and that was the point of us going crazy over the movie and books
December 14, 2008 at 7:47 pm
Twilight is the disappointment of the literature world. Yes, it’s a romance story. No, the romance didn’t get developed past the ‘He sparkles! ZOMG I’m suddenly attracted to him!’ and ‘She smells good but it’s forbidden NO…’ Sorry, I don’t quite see *how* they fell in love with each other. Or perhaps someone who’s ever so well-versed in the series can enlighten me on this. Language-wise, I’ve read fanfictions that are so well-written they are on par with mainstream writers. There are only so many ways I can read that they’re prettypaleglitteryabsorbinglybreathtaking, and it’s redundant how detailed it is when Bella prepares meals. Character-wise, Edward in the book is just plain chauvinist and Bella isn’t a strong character – and the balance of power between them is just too skewed, even if it may seem as if at times, Edward can’t help but listen to her. As a romance story, it just doesn’t cut it. It’s sad to see little girls thinking that this is what True Love is: being dependent on a guy and surrendering all power to said person. Still, everyone has their own preference. Cheers.
Oh, and don’t trust Ms Oliveiro. She gives good films 3 to 2 popcorns and those that are a waste of time, more often than not, 4 popcorns. She waxes poetry about films and rates them 3 popcorns. Not a film goes by where she does not mock at least 3 aspects of it. I tune out when she appears on CNA. I suggest you do the same, and judge films yourselves because we all have our own preferences when it comes to arts and entertainment.
December 15, 2008 at 10:36 pm
Oh, I haven’t mentioned anything about the movie. Haven’t watched it, but we all know movies will never match up to the book it’s adapted from. So if you’re disappointed with it, blame the people who wrote the script adaptation. Perhaps Melanie thought they were mediocre too, considering her review of the movie.
December 15, 2008 at 10:44 pm
Jeez.. So what if the movie doesn’t meet its mark. It’s Twilight, and that’s what counts. Or would you prefer a Twilight with night-vision goggles? Everyone who has made that particular statement is sooo typically human; all we do is criticize. Do we give the cast what their worth? No, we don’t. Do we give them the respect they deserve for all the effort put into it? No we don’t. Do we watch the movie and say: “Gee, that stunt must be pretty hard on them” or “Look at how Kristen nails that ‘tortured expression’ perfectly, it must have been hell of an effort from her”? No we don’t. No matter how ‘vampire-y’ we want them to be, no matter how ‘werewolf-y’ or ‘Bella-y’ we expect them to be, they’re still humans to the bones, you can’t have something literally out of the storybook. So cut the whole cast some slack, scriptwriter, editor and all, and give them the credit they deserve.
Oh, and this goes out to Chii, you’ve asked for someone oh so well-versed with the series to enlighten you, I’ve read it 88 times, and I think I have it in me to shed some light on the topic. I assume from your long, dedicated post to the ‘horrors’ of dearly, beloved Twilight, that you for one, are a pessimist, and you thoroughly do NOT believe in true love. Point one, it’s a fantasy, here, we’re allowed to dream, we’re allowed to imagine soulmates exist for our favourite Bella and the rest of us. Sure, a pessimist like you would think it’s a whole load of crap, but keep that to yourself and don’t ruin it for the rest of us. Who knows? One day, when you’ve found that ‘perfect someone’, you’d think back to this very day and say:”What was I thinking?” Agreed?
Seriously, it’d be no surprise if you turn out to be my friend, Nats. She has uncannily the exact ideals as you do. Quote:’I don’t see why Stephenie Meyer has to describe Bella eating her cereal one by one.’ And to that, I told her, ‘Put a sock in it.’ Oh, and I suppose you WOULDN’T like it if someone listens to you? Puh-leez. I listen to my friends rant all the day, they call me and we’re on the phone for hours, with me offering opinion when needed and basically there to lend a ear, what’s wrong with that? Or are you telling me I’M a fictional character? If I’m out of a book, how is it that I’m typing this reply this very second? You tell me.
I’ve read my fill of historical romance, aand believe me, Edward is every bit a olden era hero, unlike the chauvanists we have here in the real world and in certain other books, of which I feel too tempted to rip, Edward lets Bella have her way at times, he treats her with utmost respect, he does NOT expect her to wait on him hand and foot. So it’s YOUR turn to enlighten me, how is it, with all these traits is Edward a chauvanist? I’m waiting to see the light. Back to what I’ve said abouit us being typically human, more so you than me I daresay, when you pick up a book, watch a movie etcetera, do you look at the good points? My pal, Nats, (I can’t understand how we’re still pals with her and all that criticizing) she tells me, “Jo, I like the the part where the trackers come in, it’s good.” I say, “Me too.” She tells me, “It’s too repititive for my taste, but it’s all personal preferences, it’s not a bad book.” I agree. There’s no good or bad book. It’s whether you like it or not. And the strangest thing is that when we focus on the good points of all our books, we find more books enjoyable than others do.
December 17, 2008 at 10:58 pm
I, for one, thought the casting was rather bad. Jacob looked like a homeless hobo; definitely not the bad boy, kinda handsome type everyone anticipated. I’d rather the guy who played James replace Jacob. -_-
I was bored to tears myself watching Edward and Bella stareeeee into each others eyes. They barely smile at each other! Bella is expressionless in almost every scene. You cannot deny that there was absolutely no chemistry between the two.
For those who’ve read the book, you would have agreed (or not) that one of the better chapters would have been of Bella and Edward’s frolicking about in the meadow. I’m sorry but imo the scene was completely ruined. Lines like ‘You’re my brand of heroin’ and ‘And so the lion fell in love with the lamb..’ sounded somewhat forced and reluctant when it came from Pattison. The lion/lamb line for example, should have been delivered in a more teasing way.
Plus, soundtrack = completely inappropriate. The songs were just.. inappropriate. The only thing that comes close was the love song towards the end when Bella and Edward dance about at prom. The rest were just irrelevant, and at times, irritating. There was no link between the songs played (be it genre wise, or the rhythm of the song) and the scenes showed. Disappointingly, Paramore’s ‘Decode’ was not played in the movie at all.
Anyway, for all these little hardcore Twilight fans, Pattison himself has criticised the film.
“When I read it I was convinced Stephenie was convinced she was Bella and it was like it was a book that wasn’t supposed to be published. It was like reading her sexual fantasy, especially when she said it was based on a dream and it was like, ‘Oh I’ve had this dream about this really sexy guy,’ and she just writes this book about it. Like some things about Edward are so specific, I was just convinced, like, ‘This woman is mad. She’s completely mad and she’s in love with her own fictional creation.’ And sometimes you would feel uncomfortable reading this thing.” ~ Robert Pattison.
http://filmdrunk.uproxx.com/?p=6077#more-6077
Pleaes stop flaming down the poor woman already. If the lead actor himself thinks the movie sucks, what gives? Gee.
Anyway, just because the book is good doesn’t mean the movie has to be good itself.. Time to face a fact here, Twilight fans.
December 19, 2008 at 9:32 pm
Anyway she’s right. Twilight makes Dracula look like a masterpiece, in terms of movies in the ‘vampire’ genre. That we all have to admit!
December 19, 2008 at 9:35 pm
Anyway, guys! She was just giving her own two cents on the movie! The way you guys bash her over what she represents is completely unethical! I mean, there are always 2 sides to an argument right? Like there are people who think that abortion is legit, while the other side thinks otherwise. Likewise, I am sure while there are hardcore Twilight fans who enjoy Bella/Edward’s little romance, we should also allow room for others who don’t exactly want to kiss the soles of Edward Cullen’s feet.
Yes, you may disagree wtih the review, but we should not bash Melanie for who she is just because she gave a movie you like a bad review. She was just doing her job.
December 19, 2008 at 11:30 pm
im a devoted twilight fan, trust me, i can tell you which convos appear in whichever book in whichever scene.
still, i think melanie is right. because im more disappointed after watching the movie. the movie is SO NOT TWILIGHT. i mean, they changed so many freaking scenes. and the cast is… weird and doesnt fit. for some reason robert doesnt portray edward well. in my twocentsworth of opinion, he lacks the x-factor.
December 22, 2008 at 9:51 pm