Gregory Ellwood unveils portions of Chris Weitz and editor Peter Lambert’s audio commentary on the New Moon DVD, taped just shortly after the movie premiered. Here is his enlightening article:

One of the most entertaining aspects of the new “Twilight Saga: New Moon” DVD and Blu-ray is the audio commentary from director Chris Weitz and his editor Peter Lambert.

During their long and funny conversation, Weitz makes a humbling revelation about one of his few regrets in the movie: the infamous moment where Aro (Michael Sheen) looks into Alice Cullen’s mind (Ashley Greene) and see the future fate of our hero Bella Swan (Kristen Stewart). What was meant as a dramatic reveal that Bella would become a vampire, and thus satisfy Aro’s wishes, drew unintentional laughter as audiences observed Bella and Edward Cullen (Robert Pattinson) seemingly skipping through the forest in slow motion.

Speaking to Weitz earlier this week, the director laughed about the moment and admitted that he discovered the mistake a bit too late.

“I think it could have been less than an Arcadian fairy tale running through the foresty movement and more of an abstract at Kristen flash on her face,” Weitz says of what he would have changed. “That would have avoided laughter, which wasn’t only heard at the premiere where there are cynics and jaded Hollywood types, but the most packed fan screenings.”

Weitz, who is currently prepping his independent drama “The Gardner ” for Summit Entertainment (the same company that shepherds “Twilight”) was taking time out of his busy schedule to talk about the release of the highly anticipated two-disc DVD on March 23. It’s clear one of the reasons he’s doing more publicity for the film is because he feels “tremendously grateful” for the support of the “Twilight” fanbase which helped “New Moon” hit $706 million worldwide and revitalize his career. He notes, “I feel like it was two-way street. The reason the fans have been kind to me is i really approached it from step one as ‘What would I want as a reader of the book?’ I didn’t concern myself with making a four quadrant movie or any overall effect other than to be true to the nature of the book. To be able to entertain people and give people joy in that way is something a director looks for his whole life.”

One of the other interesting aspects of Weitz’s audio commentary is that the filmmaker refers to a number of deleted scenes from the film. Like many commentaries, Weitz’s was recorded soon after “Noon Moon” was released. At the time he was unaware the DVD would contain none of the deleted scenes he mentions although he suspects they might be included on new DVD packages down the road.

“I think those were kind of made at the corporate level,” Weitz says. “I am very satisfied with the cut we did. Goofy running in the forest notwithstanding.”

As for fans who are still holding out Weitz may direct the fourth (and possibly fifth) installments in the series, “Breaking Dawn,” the filmmaker says that’s very unlikely.

“I think that for some rather dull reasons it probably won’t happen, but that’ because of my family and what I owe them having done tow big epic-y films and I get to make ‘The Gardener’ in LA,” Weitz says. “But [to do that after 'New Moon'] I think my mind would explode.”

After “Gardener,” which Weitz told me he wouldn’t mind seeing at Sundance next year, things are happily up in the air.

“I’ve wanted to do ‘The Gardener’ for a couple of years now and it was always built into my life plan,” Weitz admits. “And I happen to be fortunate in having representatives who get that and who are not always trying to get me to get a payday.”

To me the most important information in this article is that there are deleated scene Chris thought would be included in the New Moon DVD but weren’t and his expectaion that they will be on future versions, like maybe a box set?

HitFix

Related posts:

1. CNN Interviews Chris Weitz about New Moon DVD
2. Chris Weitz Discusses Deleted Scenes and Future Box Sets
3. Chris Weitz’ New Moon Interview w/Fandango
4. Chris Weitz Says the Freezing Tent Scene will be Hot!
5. A Closer Look At Chris Weitz

I’ll admit it, I laughed hard on that moment. It was definitely a bad Gap Advert or something. The running through the woods in slow motion wasn’t as bad as the clothing they were wearing. Seriously did anyone read the fourth book? Bella would have never put that on, shes supposed to be a bad ass vampire in her own way, not someone lookin like shes in her sunday worse.

HAHAHA! I agree with L M. I giggled when that screen happened and still do. I understand from an artist stand point what he was doing but Rob can not run. Remember the jokes about his running in the first movie? Hahaha. What he should have done was them sitting on the porch, or in the meadow and the sunlight come in and hit her skin. It would have been the same concept just wouldn’t have had the giggling or laughter afterwords.

However, I’m glad that Chris realized how silly it really was and that he understand why the “fans” were giggling at it, unlike the suits.

I will have to agree but also disagree with you Bethy. I did think the scene was ridiculously cheesy but not because of Rob’s run. I didnt even notice anything odd about his run. The thing that made it cheesy was the slow motion, the music, the cheesy smile Bella gave Edward as she ran by, the clothes that Alice would have NEVER let them wear, and the whole failed attempt at making that scene a flash of the future. Yet again while I think Weitz did pretty good with some stuff he also missed a lot of the overall concept. This is what I feared with getting a male director because unfortunately a lot of men…..not all but a lot….have one cheesy concept of how to visual romance, slow motion. How did he introduce Edward in the beginning, to a song and slow motion walking. I didnt mind the view but it showed he couldnt seem to capture the fact that women love Edward in a natural way. He did the same kind of stuff with Jacob like the overdramatic peel off of the shirt in the motorcycle scene. That is one thing Hardwicke did better. To show that Edward was attractive she didn’t do focus a lot on slow motion stuff. The best was in the lab scene where Edward finally speaks to Bella introducing himself. She zoomed in on his eyes, his lips, his smile, and then on Bella’s reaction to him. That looked way more natural than the slow motion “look how cool and gorgeous I am thing.” There were quite a few hits and misses in New Moon but at least he is admitting some of them. Now I just wonder how Slade will pull off Eclipse.

I didn’t think that scene was particularly funny but yes, many people did laugh. When I first saw the picture of that scene that was released prior to the movie coming out I thought it might have been a dream that Bella had. As for the clothing, well, in Breaking Dawn Bella mentions Anne of Green Gables … so that’s why I thought they put them in those type of clothes. I don’t know, I liked their outfits but, of course, Bella’s dress in particular is not something she would wear normally.
Now, regarding the look that Bella gives Edward when she passes him, I liked it because again, in Breaking Dawn, she is faster than Edward once she’s a vampire because she’s stronger than he is so she’s a little smug about it at first.

Having said all that … sure, I think there definitely could have been a better way to show Bella’s future.

I liked the idea behind the future scene just not how it was played out in the movie. I get why Bella wanted to look at Edward…..I just didnt think it looked very smug and instead looked kind of cheesy. Plus is it just me or did Edward not look happy at all in that scene? I figured he would at least look relieved. The same with the outfits I understand what they were going for but it didnt show through the way I think it could have.