"Twilight" Isn't Robert Pattinsons only Starring Role


From:Madison.com
There's a downside to being an actor who has become an "overnight sensation." It actually didn't happen overnight.

While everyone thinks he suddenly popped up on the scene because of that big hit movie, in reality the actor has probably been toiling quietly away at thankless, underseen, sometimes just plain embarrassing roles waiting for that big break. And, once that big break happens, the folks who own those little-seen before-you-were-famous films are only too happy to cash in.

That's what's happening with Robert Pattinson, best known as vampire heartthrob Edward from the smash hit "Twilight" and the upcoming sequel, "New Moon." "New Moon" doesn't come out until Nov. 20, so DVD companies know Pattinson's fans are getting anxious to see him in action. And they're only too happy to oblige.


Which is how a British movie called "The Haunted Airman" suddenly found itself with a major DVD release last week. It aired on British television on Halloween night 2006 and was never heard from again, until some enterprising folks realized that it could make some money off "Twilight" now. The folks at Robsessedpattinson.com (Kate: THAT'S US!!) (incidentally, the domain name for Robsessedthomas.com is still available) noted that the original box cover art for "Airman" even used the same "Twilight" font (Kate: See picture above. They've actually changed the cover for the US market)

To put it politely, the crossover interest for "Twilight" fans pretty much begins and ends with Pattinson's spectrally hunky presence. The rest of "Haunted Airman" plays like a bad Edgar Allan Poe knockoff, with little in the way of actual scares aside from some of the peskiest spiders this side of "Arachnophobia." (Kate: What do you mean knockoff? And please don't mention the spiders)

Pattinson plays a British airman named Toby Jugg who gets shot down during a bombing raid in the waning days of World War II. Paralyzed from the waist down and suffering psychological trauma, he's taken to the creepiest convalescent home imaginable, a remote British estate. Thanks to the magic of camera filters, the estate is perpetually dark, with the guests faces always shadowed, even, inexplicably, in direct sunlight.

Toby spends a lot of time smoking cigarettes and looking out into the distance, occasionally taking breaks to converse with the home's creepy doctor (Julian Sands). Toby starts having visions, including those spiders and war memories that look an awful lot like archival footage, and starts to wonder if he's going insane.

He wonders this for a long, long time, because nothing else really happens in "Haunted Airman," up until the abrupt ending. All props due to Pattinson, who is quite good as the patient who can't figure out if he's supernaturally haunted or just emotionally haunted. But he's given almost nothing to work with in a movie that screams "made for TV" in its quality.

And this is only the tip of the Edward iceberg; on Nov. 17, three days before "New Moon" hits theaters, we'll see the DVD release of "How To Be." It's another British film, this time a comedy starring Pattinson as a floppy-haired young man who hires a self-help guru to move in with him and fix his life.

Also floating out there without a firm DVD release date is "Little Ashes," a 2008 film featuring a pretty gutsy piece of casting - Robert Pattinson as surrealist artist Salvador Dali. Really? Twirly mustache and all? Kinda want to see that one. (Kate: Most of us already have and it's brilliant)

Source via Thinking of Rob

Order in US..........Order in UK......

32 comments:

Haystackhair said...

LMAO Kate, I hate the spiders too!!!

Angie said...

Um, any real Rob fan has already heard of these movies and seen them. Where has this person been? No news here, the best part was Kate's commentary!

twmmy said...

Ok, when I saw Twilight, I said in myself: let see him in another films, and after it can say: he is great !. And after I1ve seen How to be, Haunted airman, HP, and I've Robsessed ! Not only for Twilight, but only for ROB.

Lynn said...

"Re-issue, repackage, repackage, re-evaluate the" COVER....OMG, that is bad! Kate, love your commentary. I think this person has been living under a rock with those blasted spiders. BTW, I love spiders, they eat other creepy crawlies!

thirtysomething said...

yaaaay for ROBsessed getting another shout out!!!!!

i bought this on saturday and that is not the cover on my dvd :)

Kate said...

Awwww thaks ladies! I realy have to admit I had to watch "The Haunted Airman" In stages because of the spiders, I had a serious problem with them, don't laugh at me! :-p LOL

Hey Lynn bb {{waves}} long time, no see
Ya that's the UK cover (the obe I have) the US one is much better! The Uk one was done in such a rush and they really ripped off the whole "Twilight" thing!

solas said...

Shuddering re spiders. The only good thing is that they do not freak me out as much as snakes.

Anonymous said...

Well I saw Haunted Airman and I was not happy with it, although seeing him in a bathtub did help a lil. I also saw Little Ashes, and for this film I must say that I give him much credit for his work. Not Many Actors would agree to take on such role (guy on guy action) His take on Dali was good, he deff as improved his accents since this film. How to be I found funny its that Brit humor that not many get. I think these films have helped to get where he is at now and push him further along. twitter.com/jezzie99

Hello, I Love You! said...

I got this DVD last week and watched this weekend. Only good thing is Rob smoking that cigarette. Almost got a love scene? I think I'm caught up with all of the movies he's in... waiting until Nov 20th!!!!!!!!!!!

to be followed by RM.. Eclipse... dry spell?

thirtysomething said...

LOL @ your comments kate!

i just read that's the UK cover...gotcha.

solas said...

I thought ROb's acting in the Haunted Airman was outstandingly excellent, but I am not an authority on acting abilities. I hate to see him smoke. :-( I worry so much about him from external threats-- screaming to his ears, eedjuts chasing him into traffic, paps endangering him when he is driving-- and yet by smoking, G-d forbid, he does such terrible harm to himself and those around him.
I so hope he, and those around himself, can stop.

jmm4832 said...

I love Rob but I may skip this movie. I'm seriously grossed out by spiders.

robgirl86 said...

I love Rob in this film but why is this cover different, it seems a pic from much later..

He was 20 years old and did an amazing job....

rpattzgirl survived Rob! said...

It's so funny how they think this is all "unknown" to us..we've known this for a long time-and he's way more than Edward...

Kate, love your notes throughout this post!

Rob is a leading man and has been for quite a while!

Sarah said...

Yeah.. A Shame that the UK version of the DVD did that too. (The horrible cover and the Twilight mention) At least the US version actually has to do with the movie and tells you the book it's based on.

Mommamary said...

I actually did just get my copy of The Haunted Airman and watched it for the first time this weekend. I wanted it b/c I am a big fan of Rob and his work and like the idea of having a collection of his movies. Plus, I am really interested in seeing him in other roles to see if he truly is a good actor as I suspect he is. I think he is, loved his facial expressions, reactions, etc. But, that is one bad movie. It was filmed and produced so badly it could make a person ill. The scenes don't fade into each other, they end abruptly and at the end you are left wondering....uhm, what? Seriously? It is a given that the character is mentally disturbed, but at the end there is no clue as to how much of the movie is his imagination and how much actually happened around him. Maybe it is supposed to be that way, but it is a really bad movie. But good job, Rob. Good experience. Looking forward to How To Be and Bad Mother's Handbook...even though....

roxiegirl said...

Yeah I watched Haunted Airman last night. Weird movie. The end had me stumped. But 70 minutes of watching the f*uck hottest man on the planet made it well worth it!! My DVD has a different cover as well - and it had English subtitles WTF? I guess I could have figured how to turn that off but I didn't. Just kept watching. The kiss where he leans back and smiles before going back for another one also made watching it quite worthwhile! My panties went poof!

roxiegirl said...

Oh I forgot. Also the bathtub scene, the backrubs and the smoking and licking his lips. ....ahhhh

though I really do wish he'd quit smoking. He smoked all thru this movie and you could tell it was natural so I'm guessing he's been smoking for awhile.

Mommamary said...

@Roxiegirl....yep, it is worth watching just to see that pretty guy. I think I may watch it again without the sound. Maybe just freeze frame the nurse washing him in the tub. LOL.
And try checking for the options at the beginning on the DVD itself to see if it gives you the option to turn off the subtitles. They are really distracting.

rpattzgirl survived Rob! said...

Mommamary,

No, it wasn't the best movie, and neither is bad mother's...but Rob's performance makes them both worth watching...
daniel gale (bmh) is on of Rob's best characters)

But How To Be and Little Ashes are not only his best performances, they are also fantastic movies.

RPLover said...

I really don't think I can watch this one-I've seen all the good clips *wink* and I'm sure he's good in it, obviously he's talented, I just can't take the spiders! I'm content with the youtube clips of this one.

Now, HTB and LA are a different story! And I watched The Bad Mother's Handbook on youtube, it was in 8 parts or something and I'm pretty sure it was the whole thing. I really loved his role in that one, super cute nerd, lol :)

JennB said...

I thought this was a good movie... weird, but good. And he looks H-O-T in it!!!

Lynn - love your comment!! Yay Smiths!

Unknown said...

How about Rob's brief appearance in The Summer House?

Short but still sexayy!

Mommamary said...

@Rpattzgirl
I have yet to see HTB or LA. Looking forward to them. I have seen BMH online and it is an ok movie. Like a Lifetime Movie Network movie, UK style. It is ok, has a contemporay issue, etc. But I loved Rob's performance in it. I think he truly is a very good actor on his way to becoming one of the greatest ones, the way he absorbs the role and inserts himself into the character. His performances are really convincing. I heart him!
But, LOL on THA, he moves his legs a little in dragging himself into the tub, etc. and they are supposed to be non-feeling, non-functional. Most people would not notice, it is very subtle. But I laughed anyway. Ssshhhh, Don't tell Rob, though. Don't want to hurt his feelings.

Unknown said...

I'm okay with spiders. Can handle them...literally.

But it's that last scene, just before the slow....that made me squirm and got off of my seat. Awk!

Laura said...

Isn't the picture on the cover from that Sex Drive premiere? Looks familiar..

Athena said...

Still my favourite (drama) character/film to date (together with Salvador Dalì) :). And I'm arachnophobic! I don't know if he had to really actually deal with all those spiders, but I think I would have had a nervous breakdown just thinking about it. One of the many reasons why I could never be an actress.

sagesse223 said...

OK, am I the only person here who has read the book, and is really miffed that the movie lacked any semblance of a PLOT???

Kathy said...

Seeing Rob in the Haunted Airman made me love him even more...if that's even possible. He is SO talented. Looking forward to all the other movies coming out. Didn't like the spiders in the movie though...creepy.

Cali said...

Bought my copy over the weekend. No...the UK cover is not great, but when I saw the US cover I laughed...they made him look like Edward; even has a golden tint to his eyes.

I thought Rob did an admirable job with what he was given. His character was believable to me; as was Julian Sands as the Doc. I was not feeling Rachael Stirling as the aunt at all. IMHO I don't think she connected with either of the leading men. I kept thinking it would have been so much better with someone else in that role.

The movie itself left me with more questions than answers, but maybe that's the point of a psychological thriller?? LOL...Dunno.

(Loved the upper body exercises) ^.^

Sarah said...

I'm pretty sure you have to read the book to really understand the movie. I'm not too sure myself since I haven't read the book either, but from what I've gathered from those who have is basically he's just a traumatized airman and gets haunted from the ghosts of his well..past experience and the results were that he went insane from it. It's supposed to be creepy, and I love that.

So.. I think the only movies I haven't seen of Rob's are the Summer House and that one viking movie he did *shrug* ;) and I want to see them both, well moreso the viking one bc I've seen the pics from it and it looks like it would be a trip hahaha. It's really crazy how he really doesn't have a huge filmography and then to be this famous...

auntykris said...

The article notes that "Little Ashes" has no firm U.S. DVD release date. Didn't ROBsessed contact Regent Releasing last month, and they said the release date is January 26, 2010?

 
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