I’ve always had a bit of a thing for vampires. They’re immortal. They’re dangerous. They’re night owls. Now, my vampire thing doesn’t extend to putting on pointy teeth or biting the unsuspecting (well, not unless they ask). And I live in California, so I clearly love the sun. Still, I’ve watched way more than my fair share of sucky vampire movies. Which is why I was a little surprised I hadn’t clued into Twilight sooner. You can see why I might have missed the best-selling young-adult book series by Stephenie Meyer. Harry Potter notwithstanding, it’s simply the wrong age bracket. While I’d heard chatter both on AfterEllen.com and elsewhere about the film, I hadn’t paid close attention. I had my teenage vampire movie, thank you very much. It was called Lost Boys. But then, well, then I saw the teaser trailer. Gulp. Now this might actually be something I could, pardon my puns, really sink my teeth into. The star-crossed lovers meets Buffy/Angel vibe is palpable. The film stars Kristen Stewart as Bella Swan, a newly transferred high school student drawn to her mysterious classmate Edward Cullen (Harry Potter alum Robert Pattinson).
The catch, of course, is that Edward is a vampire. In fact, everyone in his “family” is a vampire. The good news, though, is that they’re “vegetarian” vampires, feeding on animals instead of humans. Is there a vampire PETA? The film is intriguing on a few levels. First, the oh-so-brief teaser looks cool. That van scene is just, well, neat. Second, Kristen and Robert’s chemistry clicks in the few seconds we see them together. And the intriguing cast, which includes Puccini for Beginners star Elizabeth Reaser and Thirteen star Nikki Reed. The film is also poised to be Kristen’s a-star-is-born moment. But it’s the folks behind the scenes who really make things interesting. Helming the project is Thirteen director Catherine Hardwicke. The director’s varied credits include the 2003 Evan Rachel Wood teenage-girl-gone-wild flick Thirteen as well as the surf/skateboard film Lords of Dogtown and the self-explanatory The Nativity Story. Wow, from promiscuous teens to skater dudes to the Virgin Mary – and now teenage vampire lovers. Way to not get pigeonholed. So, are you a Twilighter (as the fans call themselves)? And, fan or not, does the teaser make you want to take a bite, so to speak?
