Bloodthirsty For 'Twilight'

Y MOM'S FASCINATION WITH the television series DARK SHADOWS transferred to me in utero.

While growing up, I fed that appetite for blood with volumes by R.L. Stine and Anne Rice, and today I encourage that propensity in my wee ones: Their favorite Halloween book is Vunce Upon A Time.

But nothing has sucked the air from my lungs like Twilight, Stephanie Meyer’s vampire series that reaches the big screen tomorrow.

Twilight has people of all ages breathlessly awaiting their chance for a ticket. With the release date so close to Thanksgiving, I’ll be salivating over Edward Cullen while simultaneously preparing to stuff turkey, a paradox to be sure: the mythical Cullen is a "vampire vegetarian" who only feasts on nonhuman beasts.

But even though the Cullen clan doesn't celebrate Thanksgiving in our customary fashion, their sense of family is very much in tact. The moralistic Cullens have been perfectly cast: Ashley Greene, is the spitting image of Stephanie Meyer’s description of the dark-haired, prophetic, tinkerbell Alice.

Kellen Lutz, whom author Meyer fought to have cast as Emmett, captures the burly bear-of-a-guy character depicted throughout the saga. Jackson Rathbone appears as Jasper, whose beauty releases forbidden squeals from inside me.

Nikki Reed’s portrayal as Rosalie has slowly grown on me, and I’ve come to think her casting spot on as well. Carlisle and Esme, vampire parents of the Cullen brood, are as warm and loving in the movie clips as they are in Meyer’s prose.

Finally, though, we have Robert Pattison as Edward Cullen. I will admit to more than my fair share of gawking. Some fans were slow to see his devastatingly flawless transition from Harry Potter’s Cedric to Twilight’s lustful Edward, but I was captivated from the start. Author Meyer even gave him insights into her mind so he could possess the character convincingly.

The love interest, played by Kristen Stewart, personifies my vision of Bella Swan, the trusting protagonist with sweet-smelling blood who desires despite danger.

There’s a space inside my cranium reserved just for these books and movie. My husband, whose read three of the four books, is taking me to see the film on Saturday. It’s an early Thanksgiving date; our second movie night in almost 4 years. I’m famished.

MzEll is a stay-at-home mom who writes, reads, knits, and tries to maintain sanity on a regular basis. You can read her blog at Cookiemonks.

Posted November 20, 2008