Of course, there are exceptions.
The Twighlight series. I almost escaped unscathed. I had no idea such a story existed until I ordered Dish TV, with three free months of HBO and Starz. I watched Twilight, the first movie with Bella, the teen with amicably divorced parents, who leaves Arizona for Forks, Washington, where Edward Cullen, the 17 year old vampire lives. Oh, I am swooning now!
It was Robert Pattinson, the young British actor who portrays the tortured vampire, that made the movie so compelling to me. A vampire, the supreme predator, who overcomes his fundamental need for human blood in order to live as nearly a human and moral life as possible. And as a supreme predator, everything about vampires in the Twighlight world, is seductive and alluring to humans - especially 17 year old girls of any age.
Luckily for me, I watched Twilight on television, and then realized the second movie, New Moon, was already in the theaters. I did not have to wait at all for another "fix" of Bella and the Boys. If I thought Edward Cullen was worth swooning over, even at my age, Jacob Black, the Indian boy/shape shifter who completes the love triangle, was to die for. As Bella tells Jake, "You are sort of beautiful."
Yes, I went to see the movie two times - once by myself.
The third movie, Eclipse, is due out this summer, and I have already seen some still photos of the final movie, Breaking Dawn, on the internet. I could not wait to find out what happened to the characters. I ordered all four books and read them in two days. I could not put them down. I had to know what happened to Jake and Bella and Edward. But especially Jake.
They are Vampire-Lite tales, for certain, and they appeal especially to young girls. But the young actors are all so beautiful that people of all ages and genders are flocking to the theater to see the story brought to life. I am not the only silly one. A Sargent in the First Infantry Division of the United States Army, just home from a tour in Iraq, is finishing the last book. We are texting one another on a regular basis as he makes his way through the final chapters. No one is going to call him silly, at least not to his face. (The Sargent has seen New Moon twice, too.)
We are counting the days until Eclipse hits the theaters.
PS Taylor Lautner, the actor who portrays Jacob Black is of Potawatomi heritage.
3 comments:
I normally would not touch a romance novel either, but my daughters were reading Twilight and my oldest would not stop insisting that I read it too. Once I started the books, I couldn't put them down until I was done. Are they great literature? Hardly. But Meyers has managed to write a compelling story with characters you care about. I think it can open up a good dialogue between kids and parents about dating and relationships, too.
i didn't understand what all the "fuss" was about until I saw the first movie, mainly beacuse it was about vampires, and with HBO's True Blood on air, vampires were all of a sudden an attraction lol! After seeing Twilight though, I too had to read all 4 books, and when it came to Breaking Dawn, I tried to read a bit slower because I knew it meant the end. Who knew, especially books read by teens, could also be of such interest to adults as well. And while I will never get my husband to pick up the books, he is also an "addict" and can't wait for our copy of New Moon to arrive and are planning to see Eclipse as well. Since there is nothing ever on tv these days, who can resist watching twilight time after time after time...and now the boys are interested as well!
I can't wait for New Moon to come out on video either, so I can watch it as often as I like. March 20. That will tide us over until Eclipse hits the theaters!
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