By Sharon Hoffmann, McClatchy Newspapers –
When it comes to driving a speedboat, Robert Pattinson is not nearly as suave as vampire Edward Cullen. And you might think Kristen Stewart is no dummy, but she is, at least in some scenes.
That’s just some of what we learned from the extras on the “Twilight: Breaking Dawn — Part 1” DVD, coming out Saturday:
“I went for a lesson and crashed the practice boat,” Pattinson admits, sheepishly, when explaining his prep for his character’s honeymoon jaunt with his bride. “And then I went to Brazil and crashed the Brazilian boat, too. I am definitely not nautical.”
As a sickly, pregnant Bella, Stewart had to appear to drop from 110 pounds to about 70 pounds. Filmmakers used a combination of digital effects, prosthetic appliances, makeup, lighting and a horribly emaciated, life-size and lifelike doll. “I’ve always wanted to hang out with myself,” Stewart says of her doppelganger.
Author Stephenie Meyer always envisioned that Bella’s wedding dress would be designed by the likes of Carolina Herrera, so that’s who was hired to help create the lacy, 1920s-inspired gown for the film. “I wanted the dress to be something really special,” says Meyer, who was also one of the film’s producers. “Not something you’re going to see every day. Not something you’re going to pick out at a store somewhere.”
Say what you will about the talking-wolf scenes — they were even funnier for the actors. Jackson Rathbone, who plays vampire Jasper, explains that he had to wrestle giant beanbags to simulate the CGI critters on the attack. “The hardest part about shooting these scenes,” he says, “is not laughing the entire time.”
The DVD extras include a six-part making-of documentary, a glimpse into “Jacob’s Destiny” for fans on that team, a director commentary and a — sorry to say — cheesy “wedding video.”
The film recently surpassed the $700 million mark at the worldwide box office. “Breaking Dawn — Part 2,” the fifth and final installment, is set to open Nov. 16.
