Twilight (or: sparkling mormon vampires) [Archive]

Dasquian Belargic

Sep 2nd, 2008, 01:42:30 PM

So, anyone who pays any attention to what the best-selling books of the moment are can't have failed to notice Stephenie Meyer's Twilight series. Over 8 million copies of the books have sold worldwide and it's fast growing into a phenomenon that some people believe will rival the Harry Potter series - especially given the fact that a movie is (apparently) due to be released later this year, in the very same slot that the next Potter movie was supposed to take! :shakefist

http://twilightthemovie.com/ < Check out the trailer there.

The premise of the books is a 'love story', in which an ordinary girl falls in love with a vampire. Not particularly original, but for some reason it is driving readers absolutely wild. The hysteria and hype for this franchise is crazy. The first book was given a slew of awards - New York Times Editors Choice, American Library Association "Top Ten Books For Young Adults" and "Top Ten Books For Reclutant Readers", one Amazon's "Top Books of the Decade... So Far" etc, etc. Yet to me, it just reads like... poorly written Anne Rice fanfiction (I probably shouldn't put those two words together... :uhoh)

Why I posted this thread (aside from to laugh at the movie trailer) is to find out if anyone else has actually read any of these books, and if you have, what do you think of them?

Banner Laverick

Sep 2nd, 2008, 02:07:45 PM

I haven't read any vampire books since I out-grew the whole Goth thing in grade 10.

I think any books that get a lot of people reading get hyped up, since apparently most people don't read nowadays o_O The premise of this is like a book series I read in grade school; the author would write trilogies of books about witches, vampires, etc. Can't remember her name though :-/

Dasquian Belargic

Sep 2nd, 2008, 02:14:49 PM

I hope you aren't suggesting that vampire fiction is only for little goths! :mneh

To be honest, the vampires in this series are so... non-vampiric it's ridiculous. They can all go out on the daylight, but they stay away from the sun because it makes their skin SPARKLE like glitter. GLITTERY VAMPIRES. They never seem to kill anyone either. Booooo.

Aurelias Kazaar

Sep 2nd, 2008, 02:31:50 PM

I know someone who's a big Harry Potter fan and loves the Twilight books too. I haven't read them, but I know the people who are fans are...well...fans.

Lilaena De'Ville

Sep 2nd, 2008, 02:37:20 PM

I hadn't even heard of the books until the hype from the movie started splashing itself on Entertainment Weekly's cover.

It looks interesting. In OTHER vampire novel news, HBO is unveiling True Blood in a few days, which is based on another extremely popular vampire series who's name escapes me. I'm very interested in this - I haven't read the books but I'm wanting to, as opposed to Twilight where I don't think I'm the demographic (panting 15 year old girl) they're aimed at.

Banner Laverick

Sep 2nd, 2008, 02:43:17 PM

I hope you aren't suggesting that vampire fiction is only for little goths! :mneh

No, I'm not. But I had a "friend"* who would write herself love-letters from Armand. :|

I've read "Interview With A Vampire", and tried to read "Vampire Lestat" but just wasn't into it anymore.

*girl I knew in grade school, who I stopped hanging around with in HS.

Dasquian Belargic

Sep 2nd, 2008, 02:51:39 PM

True Blood? Haven't heard of that. Might have to take a peek!

The Anita Blake: Vampire Hunter series of books is pretty good too, and a little more adult. You would think that only teen girls would be reading Twilight, but it seems to have scored the huuuuge 'bored and lonely housewife' demographic too :uhoh

Also ^ Armand? If I was going to get letters from any of Anne Rice's characters, it wouldn't be Armand :rolleyes

Banner Laverick

Sep 2nd, 2008, 03:07:14 PM

She was also obsessed with The Phantom of the Opera. After we stopped talking, she hung out with all the drama kids, and I hung out with my friends.
She eventually met a goth guitarist from some place in Europe, got married and had a kid. Which is nice for her, I'm glad she's happy.

I just think everyones taste changes as they get older. Bored and lonely housewives read romance novels, so a book that's a vampire love-story is probably right up their alley.

The last novel I read was the second Dexter book so...:)

Lilaena De'Ville

Sep 2nd, 2008, 03:19:10 PM

http://www.hbo.com/trueblood/about/

True Blood. Based on the Southern Vampire series by Charlaine Harris.

Rutabaga

Sep 2nd, 2008, 08:19:15 PM

I'm reading Twilight right now, because of all the hype. The recent cover story in Entertainment Weekly is what swayed me, especially since they're calling Stephanie Meyer the next JK Rowling.

I'm having a terrible time slogging through it. To me, it's just an icky, gooey teenage romance. And Stephanie Meyer's writing is really average. To call her the next JK Rowling is an insult.

I bought the second book in the series at the same time I bought Twilight, but right now I'm pretty sure I'm not going to read it. And I've read spoilers on the final book that came out a month ago, and oh boy, is there ever a lot of outrage over what happens in that book. It sounds pretty laughable.

As for True Blood...I am definitely going to start watching it when it premieres because I've heard decent things about it so far.

Liam Dunsirn

Sep 2nd, 2008, 08:32:14 PM

I just can't get over the fact they sparkle in the sunlight. :lol

Banner Laverick

Sep 2nd, 2008, 08:34:28 PM

Are they really mormon vampires? The sparkle-sparkle thing is pretty hilarious, but that is the real wtf to me (since I dont get how that would be relevant to anything).

Ewan Dunsirn

Sep 2nd, 2008, 08:39:37 PM

The author is a mormon and there is a lot being made over the fact that the vampires seem to be living the mormon way of life. I'm not sure what that entails? No sex before marriage? Women are home-makers and men are bread-winners? Sparkle sparkle?

Liam Dunsirn

Sep 2nd, 2008, 08:42:06 PM

I think its the special underwear.*

*No offense to any Mormons on the board.

Ewan Dunsirn

Sep 2nd, 2008, 08:56:54 PM

And I've read spoilers on the final book that came out a month ago, and oh boy, is there ever a lot of outrage over what happens in that book. It sounds pretty laughable.

Yeah, among other things, you have... Edward giving Bella c-section WITH HIS FANGS, because their baby - their VAMPIRE BABY - is actually killing Bella from the inside out but they don't abort because that would be wrong. Also, Bella's werewolf pal imprints on the UNBORN FOETUS so that she is essentially his child bride from birth.

WHAT.

Liam Dunsirn

Sep 2nd, 2008, 09:03:13 PM

Oh well. Its so weird.

Dasquian Belargic

Nov 21st, 2008, 03:46:37 AM

So apparently the movie of this is out now..

http://rogerebert.suntimes.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20081119/REVIEWS/811199997

If there were no vampires in "Twilight (http://rogerebert.suntimes.com/apps/pbcs.dll/classifieds?category=REVIEWS01&TITLESearch=Twilight&ToDate=20081231)," it would be a thin-blooded teenage romance, about two good-looking kids who want each other so much because they want each other so much. Sometimes that's all it's about, isn't it? They're in love with being in love. In "Twilight (http://rogerebert.suntimes.com/apps/pbcs.dll/classifieds?category=REVIEWS01&TITLESearch=Twilight&ToDate=20081231)," however, they have a seductive disagreement about whether he should kill her. She's like, I don't especially want to die, but if that's what it takes, count me in.

I love Roger Ebert :lol

Rutabaga

Nov 21st, 2008, 07:46:53 AM

It took quite a while because I hate giving up on books, but I finally made it through Twilight. Ugh. I can understand why teenage girls are so enamored with it, but ugh ugh ugh. I was ready to set it on fire about halfway through. I will take True Blood and the Sookie Stackhouse world any day over Twilight.

I have to admit to being curious to see the reviews of the movie, though, because I was curious to see if the movie would expose just how weak and silly the book was. And I'm not surprised to see that the reviews are fairly ho-hum. I'm sure it will do well at the BO this weekend (after all, the total budget was only something like $36 million), but I don't think it's going to break any records. Or have major legs.

I was flitting around IMDB last night and just about fell out of my chair when I saw that one of the teenybopper fans of the series had started a thread in the Twilight forum wondering if it would beat The Dark Knight at the BO. Um, yeah, right. :lol :mischief O_o

Jedi Master Carr

Nov 21st, 2008, 11:09:50 AM

Twilight sounds horrible to me. And I love vampire films. But them turning sparkling when the sun hits them and then having no fangs just makes me want to gag. I take Anne Rice and her re- imagination over this pile of crap. As for box office, there is this fan who has posted over at World of KJ who claims it will beat Titanic, lol. I think it could open to like 50-70 OW but it is going to be very frontloaded and has no chance at 200 million. I see like 150 and that will be 75% fanbase. Not fans will probably come out vomiting.

The Message

Nov 21st, 2008, 12:32:12 PM

Ugh so that's why I keep seeing this movie shoved in my face over commercials. I was like whats the big deal? I know people like vampires but this looks like a horrible teen drama.

Not to mention the acting in the trailers I've seen is dull. There is no way a movie like this will come close to titanic. Its a shame really cause there looks to be an actually really good vampire movie coming out:

http://www.apple.com/trailers/magnolia/lettherightonein/ *note hit the trailer. button and not the teaser. Both are sort of hard to figure out whats going on. foreign film.*

There's your good vampire movie. Not twilight *gags*

Jedi Master Carr

Nov 21st, 2008, 01:36:14 PM

Well that does look better than Twilight. My favorite Vampire film is probably between Salem's Lot and Interview with a Vampire. Although the original Dracula is up there.

Lilaena De'Ville

Nov 21st, 2008, 02:04:15 PM

I feel bad for Robert Pattison, the star of the movie. He has to deal with shrieking teenaged (and younger) fans swarming him and has even had girls come up to him with their necks all scratched up and bleeding like a vampire bit them. And he had a 7 yr old girl ask him to bite her. Like... what?

Vampires are sexy. 7 yr old girls should not be reading about vampires. I don't care if that's what it takes for them to read a book. Just.... no. NO. :x

Mandy with an I

Nov 21st, 2008, 02:12:45 PM

I feel bad for Robert Pattison, the star of the movie. He has to deal with shrieking teenaged (and younger) fans swarming him and has even had girls come up to him with their necks all scratched up and bleeding like a vampire bit them. And he had a 7 yr old girl ask him to bite her. Like... what?

Vampires are sexy. 7 yr old girls should not be reading about vampires. I don't care if that's what it takes for them to read a book. Just.... no. NO. :x

And he's not even that good looking...:( At least he has magical hair.

Dasquian Belargic

Nov 21st, 2008, 02:14:49 PM

All of Robert Pattinsons interviews about the franchise are hilarious though, I really hope he does some DVD commentary. He basically said that reading the books was like reading the authors disturbing secret sexual fantasy.

Mandy with an I

Nov 21st, 2008, 02:36:27 PM

Rutabaga

Nov 21st, 2008, 08:25:39 PM

I feel bad for Robert Pattison, the star of the movie. He has to deal with shrieking teenaged (and younger) fans swarming him and has even had girls come up to him with their necks all scratched up and bleeding like a vampire bit them. And he had a 7 yr old girl ask him to bite her. Like... what?

Vampires are sexy. 7 yr old girls should not be reading about vampires. I don't care if that's what it takes for them to read a book. Just.... no. NO. :x

Ugh. That's just wrong. Totally wrong. I totally agree...vampire stories are NOT for 7-year-olds. Vampires are all about eroticism and sex. For adults only!

I really liked Robert Pattinson as Cedric Diggory in Goblet of Fire. He really is a good-looking young man. So I have nothing against him. Hopefully he'll go on to bigger and better things.

Byl Laprovik

Nov 21st, 2008, 08:54:01 PM

Ugh, half of my co-workers are reading this garbage. No thanks. I get enough lovey-dovey, awfully-written vampire teen slash fanfics on the internet for free.

Jedi Master Carr

Nov 22nd, 2008, 01:14:36 AM

I feel bad for Robert Pattison, the star of the movie. He has to deal with shrieking teenaged (and younger) fans swarming him and has even had girls come up to him with their necks all scratched up and bleeding like a vampire bit them. And he had a 7 yr old girl ask him to bite her. Like... what?

Vampires are sexy. 7 yr old girls should not be reading about vampires. I don't care if that's what it takes for them to read a book. Just.... no. NO. :x

Ugh. That's just wrong. Totally wrong. I totally agree...vampire stories are NOT for 7-year-olds. Vampires are all about eroticism and sex. For adults only!

I really liked Robert Pattinson as Cedric Diggory in Goblet of Fire. He really is a good-looking young man. So I have nothing against him. Hopefully he'll go on to bigger and better things.

Well some boys in the 10 year old stage like the gory stories but that is different. But girls under 12 is just not right.

Daiquiri

Nov 22nd, 2008, 11:33:20 AM

I liked the books, all four of them. Yes, I got tired of hearing how beautiful Edward is and I would need to borrow all of your fingers and toes to count how many times I wanted to smack Bella....but overall, they werent too bad.

Bella didnt want the abortion because it was Edward's baby - not because its 'wrong'.

Jedi Master Carr

Nov 23rd, 2008, 01:41:23 PM

Well Twilight is sure going to be a frontloaded film. It had a 35 OD but only made 70 OW. Its multiplier right now is 1.97, talk about frontloaded.

Crystal

Nov 23rd, 2008, 02:30:07 PM

I hadn't even heard of these books until they'd already announced the movie, The trailer made me cringe, but I really like vampires so I figured at some point I'd make myself sit through it. A few days ago I thought maybe I'd at least give the books a chance. I just finished the first one yesterday and I don't think I'll be reading the rest.

It reads a bit better than fan fiction, but it's definitely a teen romance novel. The main character is clumsy damsel in distress with a big, sexy and dangerous "vampire" always around to save her. Or maybe eat her because she smells so good, but that's okay because they're in love! I don't really know what else I was expecting.

His skin is described as being like hard, cold marble several times in the book, and when he "glitters" it's apparently like stone facets shining. I was expecting him to look like a glow worm or something a little more absurd I think.

Lilaena De'Ville

Nov 23rd, 2008, 02:31:53 PM

If you want awesome vampires you should read the Dresden Files books by Jim Butcher. He has several different kinds (Red Court, White Court and Black Court vampires) and they're all awesome. For serious. Read them now. All of them.

Dasquian Belargic

Nov 23rd, 2008, 02:49:32 PM

...or the White World Vampire the Masquerade novels.

Vampires and politics ftw.

Lilaena De'Ville

Nov 23rd, 2008, 03:05:47 PM

no no no, you must go read my recommended books immediately or I'll throw a fit. :cry

Dasquian Belargic

Nov 23rd, 2008, 03:06:59 PM

I think they're on my 'to read' list. Along with a bunch of other stuff :uhoh

Lilaena De'Ville

Nov 23rd, 2008, 03:09:36 PM

:shakefist you better put them to the top of that list missy!

They're so good you'll read them fast and you'll be back to the others on your list in no time at all. I promise!

Dasquian Belargic

Nov 23rd, 2008, 05:12:10 PM

Miranda Tarkin

Nov 23rd, 2008, 05:14:31 PM

:lol Wonderful

Oddity

Nov 23rd, 2008, 05:18:58 PM

Omg, I saw that last night! :lol

Rutabaga

Nov 23rd, 2008, 07:05:26 PM

Oddity

Nov 23rd, 2008, 08:02:21 PM