'Twilight' coming to big screen

By Amanda Dyslin
The Free Press

November 19, 2008 02:15 pm

— There’s always a danger of making a movie out of a popular book.
The fan base of Stephenie Meyer’s “Twilight” series is absolutely rabid. Hundreds of thousands of readers around the world have fallen in love with the series since it began in 2005 and introduced us to Edward Cullen, a forever-17 vampire, and his human love, Bella Swan.
The pandemonium that ensued even took Meyer by surprise when lines for signings and readings suddenly grew out of control. Fans have even tried to sneak onto her Arizona property to get a peek at her.
The series ended with a fourth book in August, “Breaking Dawn.” It gave fans all the happy endings they were hoping for, but also saddened them at the thought of never hearing from Edward and Bella again.
News of “Twilight” the movie — which releases 12:01 a.m. Friday — has eased the blow. Cinemark Movies 8 in the River Hills Mall is offering two midnight showings, and many tickets have already been sold.
The questions that arise making a movie out of subject matter that has a dedicated fan base have to do with how many liberties can be taken with the plot and characters — which is something local fans have had a couple of months to think about.
Sara Olson is familiar with the director’s previous work. Catherine Hardwicke directed “Thirteen” and also “Lords of Dogtown,” both movies Olson said she liked. So she has hopes for Hardwicke’s take on “Twilight.” But she also is cautious about being too optimistic.
“These are books that I have lived for and dreamed about,” she said. “These are characters that feel like my best friends. It’s tough seeing people in the trailers (Robert Pattinson and Kristen Stewart) playing Edward and Bella that don’t look like the pictures in my mind. ... And I know that every line I recognize that’s not in the book is going to drive me crazy.”
Coley Saidler has more of an open mind. As head cashier at Barnes & Noble, Saidler led several book club meetings about the series, and like so many others, she greatly anticipated the release of “Breaking Dawn” this year.
As a side note, she was a bit disappointed with the final book. She didn’t like the ending, and there was a lot of crazy stuff that went on that seemed out of place.
But she loved the series, overall.
“It just has everything in there,” she said.
She’s going into the movie (for which she already has her ticket for one of the midnight showings) without many preconceived notions. She’s seen trailers online and a four- or five-minute clip of an intense action scene on the “Twilight” movie Web site. So far, it looks pretty good, she said.
She’s OK with changes if they make for a better movie. She cited “The Lord of the Rings” movies as examples. However, some of the “Harry Potter” movies haven’t done so well, she said.
At first she wasn’t happy with the choice of actors to play Bella and Edward. But now, as she’s gotten used to the idea, she thinks Stewart is a perfect Bella. The jury is still out on Edward.
“I think Bella fits to a T. There is something really pretty about her and really mysterious,” she said. “Edward, I don’t know. ...The image is good, but I don’t know how he’s going to be as an actor.”
There’s also a line in one of the trailers that has “Twilight” fans making pukey noises everywhere: “You’d better hold on tight, spider monkey,” Edward says to Bella.
Saidler said that line was pretty cheesy, and she hopes it’s not reflective of the screenplay, overall.
“Um, yeah, I know that line,” Olson said. “Gross. That better be the only spider monkey reference there is.”

“Twilight” will be shown at Movies 8 in the River Hills Mall. For showtimes and to purchase tickets online, visit www.cinemark.com.

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