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Newbury Weekly News 44 Thursday, December 8, 2011 Twilight: the next generation And so the vampire phenomenon goes on... and on... Will Beharrell reviews The Twilight Saga: Breaking Dawn – Part 1 Win cinema tickets Vue Cinema in Newbury is offering two tickets for the first correct entry that answers this week’s question. Enter by completing the coupon and sending it to: Vue Cinema competition no. 30, Newbury Weekly News, Newspaper House, Faraday Road, Newbury, Berkshire RG14 2DW, by Friday, December 16, 2011. Answer .................................................................................. Name...................................................................................... Address..................................................................................... ............................................................................................. Daytime tel. no........................................................................ RULES: Tickets cannot be used for certain performances. Ask at the cinema for details. The winner will be the first entr y drawn with the correct answer. Newbury News Group employees, and employees directly involved in the competition, and their families, may not enter. The editor’s decision will be final and no correspondence will be entered into. Responsibility will not be accepted for entries lost or torn in the post. Entries must be made on the original form. No cash alternatives to the prize. Q u e s t i o n : W h o i s E d w a r d C u l l e n ’ s l o v e r i v a l i n T h e T w i l i g h t S a g a PREVIOUSLY, on The Twilight Saga: pasty-faced teen vampire Edward Cullen pledged to marry the non-vampiric (but equally pasty) Bella Swann, much to the chagrin of his (contrastingly tanned) werewolf love-rival, Jacob. As the wedding approach- es, the tension between were- wolves and vampires reaches fever pitch. Or whatever. Nevertheless, I must confess to rather enjoying the first film in the (now omnipresent) Twilight franchise. Certainly it was hammy, overwrought, and more than a little hysterical, but at least it was relative- ly harmless entertainment with some symbolic sexual anxiety thrown in for good measure. Subsequent films in the series, however, have become disappointing- ly po-faced and earnest, with Bella and Edward’s many trials and tribulations rendered in increasingly long-winded and tedious detail. Twilight has turned into one of those soap operas that used to run on American network television, valiantly churning out an endless series of tear-jerking moments for the benefit of a dwindling (but obses- sively loyal) army of fans. In this year’s episode, the perpetu- ally miserable couple finally ties the knot, and (following a steamy ‘Mills & Boon’-style consummation scene) Bella falls pregnant with Edward’s child. Unfortunately it would appear that Edward Jnr has inherited his father’s blood-sucking tendencies, and Bella begins to waste away under the burden of carrying the child. Meanwhile, news of the happy event reaches the wolf pack (those well-known obstetrics enthusiasts) who view the vampire-human hybrid as a threat and swear to bring about its destruction. All this leaves one- time love interest Jacob with a rather sticky wicket as he is forced to choose between his affection for Bella, and his loyalty to the wolves. It’s all monumentally daft, but (more to the point) it’s monumentally daft extraordinarily slowly. The mar- riage scenes alone take up a quarter of the film’s running time, lovingly fetishising every detail of the matri- monial like a big-budget wedding video. Furthermore, because the film-makers have elected to split Breaking Dawn into two parts (as per the final Harry Potter films), we’re denied a satisfactory conclusion. Harry Potter, I felt, pulled off this technique by carefully ending the first film so as to create a genuine sense of anticipation for the conclu- sion. Twilight: Breaking Dawn (Part 1) does not manage this, leaving us with some rather ineffectual fight scenes between the vampires and werewolves, and a laughably unwieldy title. (I spent whole minutes trying to decide where that colon should go). All in all, the latest Twilight film is something of an endurance test. No doubt the many fans of the series will find plenty of things to swoon over, but for the rest of us this film is a joy- less, humorless slog. Rating: ✰ ✰ N2 film reviews – supported by Newbury Vue A L S O N O W S H O W I N G A T A C I N E M A N E A R Y O U Happy Feet 2 (U) More penguin dancing Hugo (U) Christmas animation that looks good Immortals (15) Great powers, silly costumes. (Review rating **) Arthur Christmas (U) It’s Christmas so it’s a Christmas movie! The Thing (15) Yet another version of the 50s horror classic New Year’s Eve (12a) Just the time to resolve “issues” My Week with Marilyn (15) Better than messing with Presidents 50/50 (15) Superior pathos and humour mix Johnny English Reborn (PG) The other Bond, Basildon Bond The Twilight Saga: Breaking Dawn Part 1 More panda eye shadow and hopeless love (Review this page **) The Rum Dairy (15) Americans in Central America - not good The Adventures of Tintin (PG) Haddock, treasure, the Thompson twins, etc In Time (12a) Time on your hands. (Review rating ***) Newbury Corn Exchange Wuthering Heights (15) Fri, Dec 2 - Thurs, Dec 8 Bronte’s classic The Deep Blue Sea (12a) 2 n ARTS & ENTERTAINMENT THE urge to write and publish a book is one that has been with Antony Wootten since childhood. With many completed novels – in itself a feat which many would envy – waiting in the wings, he has chosen a children’s story for his first self-published work and has also used his talents as an ON Saturday afternoon, town centre shoppers experienced shopping with a difference, thanks to the Corn Exchange. Street theatre performers Flying Buttresses were showing off their wonderfully unique and quirky outfits and provid- ing a free performance treat for passersby. Hodman Dodmanott and his wife Sally Forth ambled merrily through Newbury town centre, bringing laughter wherever they went. The news about Christmas had only just reached the far off country of Obliva (the home of Hodman and Sally) and some of the details had become slightly lost in transla- tion. The intrepid heroes knew it had something to do with keeping people distracted on the doorstep listening to terrible singing, while a little helper sneaks down the chimney and fills their sack with milk and biscuits. Crowds of onlookers were able to enjoy their comical attempts at Christmas shopping and carol singing (although singing was not quite the right word!...). The hilarious duo wandered though Northbrook Street min- gling with shoppers to provid- ing a fantastical start to the Corn Exchange’s free Christmas programme. Former Thatcham man’s zoo tale artist to illustrate the attractively dramatic front cover. A Tiger Too Many is set at the time of the Second World War when those in charge of London Zoo had to make sad decisions about which animals would have to be KBO (killed by order) so as to ensure the safety of the public should the zoo be bombed. Animals requiring continuing and expensive medication were also at risk since money was tight. Mr Wootten’s young heroine, Jill, forms a bond with a tiger who falls into this second category and does all she can to save him, but she is then evacuated to the country and finds herself living with an unkind woman who treats her as a slave. Eventually Jill runs away, back to the tiger, but the troubles are not yet over, although be reassured there is a happy ending. This story for the nine to 12 age group is well written and retains the reader’s interest, so that he or she cares about what happens to the characters as the story zips along. For children of a compassionate nature it might be as well to have tissues on hand as there is much which is sad before that happy ending is reached. Although Antony Wootten now lives in Yorkshire, he was born in Thatcham, attending first Parsons Down infant and junior schools, followed by Kennet Comprehensive. A primary school teacher of many years – he now teaches in Whitby – he is still a frequent visitor to the Newbury area and continues to find time between the day job and painting the local scenery to continue to write. I understand a book of limericks is next in the pipeline. A Tiger Too Many (Eskdale Publishing £4.99) is available from Thatcham’s Family Bookshop and The Hungerford Bookshop, as well as via Amazon and through Anthony Wootten’s own website www.eskdale.150m.com A funny thing happened on the way to the shops Jothy Davies from Newbury with the Flying Buttresses in the Market Place on Saturday Ref: 49-1811B To order call (01635) 529529 Opening hours: 10am till 3am, 7 days a week 5 The Broadway, Newbury DELIVERING TILL 3AM 7 DAYS A WEEK USE THIS VOUCHER ONLINE Just follow the instructions on the screen to place your order and at the payment screen it will ask you for a promotional voucher code. TOPPIZZA When you spend £30 or more online £10 OFF Voucher terms and conditions Not valid with any other offer. Valid at Domino’s Newbury store only. Valid only online at www.dominos.co.uk Offer expires: 01/01/2012 Order now at dominos.co.uk
