So I went online on read some reviews. Apparently according to Roger Ebert, "Twilight's about a teenage boy trying to practice abstinence, and how, in the heat of the moment, it's really, really hard ("that's what she....nevermind"). And about a girl who wants to go all the way with him, and doesn't care what might happen."
I didn't have to read any further. I understood the "fuss." I knew why high school and even junior high adolescents are so engrossed in what has become a cult following. Stephanie Meyer hit a chord with her audience: forbidden love. A modern day Romeo and Juliet with a twist. The storyline never gets old and any human being from adolescent to those past their prime knows or can appreciate the storyline. ("Whoever knew the forbidden fruit could taste so sweet?") I mean, who hasn't heard that before?
I must admit, it seems so simple and juvenile; yet, aren't the most appealing creations and/or inventions "simple." (ie post-its, paperclips, bumps on the side of the road to wake up a sleepy traveler, etc..)
Roger Ebert says it best, "Why do girls always prefer the distant, aloof, handsome, dangerous dudes instead of cheerful chaps like me?" I always wondered the same thing in high school and in college for that matter. I considered myself a "cheerful chap" and yet you could find me on Friday nights playing cards with the tards. (I told myself that I'd rather be playing cards than on a date but deep down I knew better). It wasn't until I found a girl willing to be a "tard" and play some cards that I knew I had struck gold....(6 months later we were engaged).
Anyway, back to Twilight. Will I see it? Probably not. Will I read it? Probably not. But I can and will appreciate the hype. I had a girl on my basketball team not practice the other day because and I quote, "I stayed up late watching the midnight showing of Twilight." For some reason, I can't imagine telling my coach that in high school but at the same time she said it with such conviction and honesty that I just shrugged and kept on coaching . I also saw 4 girls go "ga ga" over a Twilight poster in the library with Edward front on center. ("He's soooooo hot!")
Yes, they were freshman but I'm sure 40 year old mad moms in minivans have and will react the same way.
Kudos to Stephanie Meyer (author) and Catherine Hardwicke (director). They didn't reinvent the wheel, they just created a new tread....vampire style.
6 comments:
Looks Gay.
I am proud to stand with Loubige and say that we have not read these books. People get weird about this stuff, I recently heard of middle aged women taking trip to Forks, WA (where the story takes place). Getting on an airplane with your girlfriends to rainy WA to tour a town that fictional characters lived in. Like I said, weird.
I agree with Chad. I've also heard the movie is super lame. So I refuse to either read the book or see the movie--I refuse to join the hype!
I don't even know what to say about the "tard" comment.
(anonymous of course would say I'm a closet lesbian since I prefer to hang out with men and do manly things like sports and such)
P.S. Edward is so Hot.
From the "not that there is anything wrong with it" closet I will report that I have seen the movie. Two weeks ago we were a normal household with no Twilight exposure whatever. While away on a business trip my wife told me she had read the first installment of Twilight in two days. She also informed me that I would be going to the movie with her. Here are my thoughts:
1. Without having read the books it is difficult to care about any of the characters - which I didn't.
2. The movie plays like an extra long made-for-tv movie.
3. There were parts that were actually quite good (most of these parts occurred at the high school and involved people other than the "stars"), but these parts were short lived.
4. There were long, almost painful parts involving the development of the relationship between the movie's two principal characters. The sexual metaphors, as referenced by Dro, were glaringly obvious.
5. The actress playing the lead was OK looking somewhere in the 6 to 8 category. She needed to be a 10 to make the movie interesting.
6. I could rate the actor playing the lead vampire, but I choose not to. I will say, however, that he wasn't good looking enough for me to reconsider my position on Proposition 8.
7. I was glad when it ended and I didn't mind waiting for popcorn while the movie was somewhere in the middle.
My oldest is into these books, so one night I invested about an hour in reading the first book. I made it through the first 100 pages or so (it's a fast read), and it was about like drinking bathwater.
I'm not a teacher of English, but I would categorize this (surprise!) as a girl book, meaning that pages and pages and pages go by with nothing happening.
Well, maybe it's just nothing happening from a guy's perspective. People change their socks, eat breakfast, see if anything is on the news (10 pages killed thus) wonder how their friends are doing, etc.
Then 'the guy' looks at them in a certain way, followed by 10 more pages of filling the car with gas, buying groceries, wishing there was someone to call on the phone, etc.
It's only been 3 weeks, but I have no memory whatsoever of any of the characters.
But. . .the books fly off the shelves, and a movie sequel is planned.
The Lord of the Rings was a movie intended for guys, but Orlando Bloom expanded the audience to include teenage girls. This movie will be limited to girls and their badgered escorts, unless they drop a couple of hot chicks into the mix. 2 hot vampire girls dressed appropriately? Maybe guys would watch that.
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