By Melina Byrne and Michelle Myers
What do 34-year-old lawyer Duncan and 22-year-old travel agent Laura have in common? A passion for Twilight. This phenomenon has also infected the Rescu. office. We have vampires (and Robert Pattinson!) on the brain, and are delighted the hypnotic new movie, New Moon, has hit Aussie cinemas. But if you haven’t been bitten by the Twilight bug, we put together a cheat sheet.
So, from the beginning. What is Twilight?
The series of four Twilight novels by Stephenie Meyer is basically a modern day love story between a human and vampire. In the second book, the story gets really interesting when a love triangle emerges as a werewolf enters the scene.
The central characters are 17-year-old Bella Swan and her love interest, Edward Cullen, who she discovers is a vampire. But don’t worry, Edward is a ‘vegetarian’ vampire, who no longer drinks human blood. Also competing for Bella’s attentions is close friend Jacob Black, who transforms into a deliciously buff werewolf in the second book.
Okay, so now the debate over ‘Team Edward’ vs. ‘Team Jacob’ should be clear. All you have to do now is choose your side.
Who are the Twi-Hards?
Romantics of all ages are fuelling the Twilight Phenomena. Not only are kids aged 9 -15 Twilight obsessed, their older siblings and even their parents are hooked.
We asked fans why they love it. “It’s an opportunity to recall the wonder of first love in its purest form”, says Michelle, a 39-year-old who has notched up 20 years of marriage. While 43-year-old Graham confesses, “It’s a way to connect with my feminine side”.
It seems no-one is immune to this series. Rescu. writer Melina Byrne tried to resist its allure, but caved under pressure and devoured all four books in less than two weeks. Also, since seeing a muscular Jacob in the movie trailer for New Moon, she is a ‘Team Jacob’ supporter. Click here to watch the trailer.
Click here for the Urban Dictionary’s definition of a Twi-Hard. There is also a test to determine if you are a Twi-Hard.
Bite-size facts about the books:
- The Twilight story came to author Stephenie Meyer in a dream. She wrote it down so she wouldn’t forget it, then continued to add to it and before she knew it, had enough for a book, although she’d never originally intended to write one.
- The four books, Twilight, New Moon, Eclipse and Breaking Dawn, are primarily written from Bella’s perspective. The Twilight companion novel, Midnight Sun, is written from Edward’s perspective, however as the draft has been leaked onto the internet, no release date has been given.
- The general consensus is that the second book in the series is not as good as the others. But don’t suggest that to Twi-Hards, they may disagree (strongly).
The movies:
- The first Twilight movie was released last year (click here for a plot summary.) The much anticipated second film, New Moon, a bigger budget, more ambitious production than the first will be released in Australia on November 19.
- The lives of the Twilight actors have become almost as fascinating as the characters they play, thanks to the on and (alleged) off screen chemistry between 19-year-old Kristen Stewart, who plays Bella, and 23-year-old Robert Pattinson, who plays Edward. Frustratingly, their off-screen romance has never been confirmed and keeps us guessing…
- Taylor Lautner who stars as Jacob Black was required to gain around 14 kilos of muscle to reprise his role. Impressive effort!
The fashion?
The characters are also creating fashions trends inspired by Edward’s modern day “Edwardian” style and Bella’s tomboy feminine fusion.
Want more?
Go to our Celebrity Spotlight story.
Visit Stephenie Meyer’s website: www.stepheniemeyer.com/twilightseries.html
The official Twilight New Moon website: www.twilightthemovie.com