Get on the "Twilight" train before it takes over the pop culture landscape
Confession time: When I saw that Entertainment Weekly has the stars of the upcoming movie "Twilight" on its cover this week, I actually gave an excited gasp and immediately made plans to get my hands on a copy of the magazine.
I am one of the many adults who has read all of the books in Stephanie Meyers' Twilight series that is geared toward young adults (New Moon and Eclipse are the other two books; the fourth, Breaking Dawn, will be released August 2nd). If you're not familiar with the phenomenon, you can read the EW article that breaks it down here.
Essentially, it is the story of 17-year old Bella Swan who moves to the gray and soggy Washington town of Forks and immediately falls in love with Edward, a gorgeous vampire, whose love for Bella puts her in all kinds of dangerous situations (including drama with Bella's best friend, Jacob, who is a – well, I wouldn't want to spoil it for you). Comparisons to "Buffy the Vampire Slayer" and Harry Potter are made about the series often, but aside from the love-with-a-vampire element and weeks spent on the bestsellers list, the similarities pretty much end there.
Twilight is one of those series that is so personal to fans that when the time came to cast Edward and Bella for the movie (in theaters December 12th), everyone and her mom had to weigh in with their opinions. I admit that when I heard Robert Pattinson was playing Edward, my first reaction was "Really? Cedric Diggory?" I'm reserving judgment, however, until I see the movie.
In the meantime, if you don't want to be left out of what will inevitably be a major pop culture discussion in the next few months, I suggest you get yourself to your nearest bookseller and study up. The books are hefty, but quick reads, and the first three are now available in paperback.
Watch the teaser trailer for "Twilight" after the jump:
Comments:
Ok, and when is *Dark Shadows* going to get
it's due?
Posted by: blake at July 15, 2008 9:44 AM
dont get blake started on dark shadows ... dude's been talking about that for days
Posted by: will at July 15, 2008 10:48 AM
You really like these books? My oldest daughter, 14, is totally into them, so I've decided to see what all the fuss is about. I'm about halfway into the second one and so far I think Bella is about the stupidest heroine I've come across in a long time. Not to mention that she's so weak when it comes to standing on her own two feet. Without a guy, she seems to curl up into the fetal position. Do they get better?
Posted by: Lisa Boyles at July 15, 2008 11:26 AM
Honestly, Lisa, Bella annoys the crap out of me. What redeems the books for me, though, is the character of Jacob Black, and the drama between him, Bella and Edward.
As soon as Jacob's story gets bigger, the books improve. Bella, sadly, remains needy, whiny and irrationally selfish.
Something about the in-love-with-a-vampire thing awakens the romantic teenager in me, I guess.
Posted by: Heather at July 15, 2008 11:42 AM
So Bella is Meredith Grey?
Oh crap, did I just make a Grey's Anatomy reference on the Beehive ...
*walks away slowly*
Posted by: Mike Oz at July 15, 2008 11:47 AM
I do like Jacob so far. So I guess I'll stick with them to catch up with where Alyssa (my daughter) is in the series.
Posted by: Lisa Boyles at July 15, 2008 12:26 PM
By the way, Heather, a lot of Twilight fans are upset over the EW cover. They find it hideous, from Edward's appearance (way too powdery pale, lips too red, physique not quite right) to Bella wearing a dress and not looking innocent enough.
Posted by: felicia matlosz at July 15, 2008 2:56 PM
Felicia, I sort of agree about the Edward thing. Too pale, the hair is out of control, lips are too red. Edward is supposed to be the most gorgeous creature ever, with an otherworldly look about him, but not totally vampire-looking. He looks okay in the teaser trailer, though, so I still have hope.
I have no problem with the way Bella looks. If you read the books, she's really not all that innocent (or, more accurately, she's only innocent by default, really). It's a magazine cover; of course they're going to play up the sexiness of Bella and Edward to garner some attention.
But again, this illustrates how personally Twilight fans take the whole thing. After investing so much of their own ideas and imagination into these characters' appearances, it makes sense they (we?) wouldn't be 100% pleased with the "real" thing.
Posted by: Heather at July 15, 2008 3:05 PM
In the 80's TV mini-series re-make of Dark Shadows,
the characters of Maggie Evans and Victoria Winters were sort of smooshed into one. But they made her double-sexy because of it. I'm not sure how innocent anyone was.
But is WAS filmed at the Greystone Manor just above the
Sunset Strip. Seems that L.A. Parks bought it and regular people can hang out there now. Google "Greystone Mansion" or even Doheny...and see how "Chinatown"(the movie) or "Sprawlzilla vs. Mainstreet" come alive. See....it's all linked in this beautiful world of ours...
oh, sorry ....
B.
Posted by: blake at July 15, 2008 5:08 PM
My 14-year-old daughter is also into this phenomena. I just showed her the trailer and she started reciting the beginning lines. (haha) She thinks the director has done a good job, which is a big relief to her. She has also added the magazine to her collection of Harry Potter media she's been keeping since 1st grade.
I recently posted a blog entry about how this saga has taken her out of normal family life. She's reading the books frontwards and back, and I only see her when she comes up to breathe! I'm happy for her though. It's nothing like the Little House books I had growing up.
Posted by: Clare Frederick at July 15, 2008 6:18 PM
I enjoyed the books and look forward to the movie. But I am a bigger fan of The Southern Vampire Series by Charlaine Harris. It was a little lighter and I enjoyed the southern backdrop. The tv project named True Blood is being led by Alan Ball (American Beauty and Six Feet Under). It premeires in September on HBO so any vampire geeks out there, do check it out as well.
Posted by: michael at July 15, 2008 7:42 PM
I recommend putting PENELOPE on your Netflix queue...it has a 3 minute TWILIGHT special featurette at the beginning that got me all giddy.
Cedric/Edward looks HIDEOUS on the cover of EW...and can somebody please tell me what's up with his belt buckle?
HMac--any plans to take Breaking Dawn on a photo tour of Vegas like you did with HP last year?
Posted by: Erin D. at July 15, 2008 8:40 PM
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