This crowd was mostly teenage girls, some accompanied by their mothers, and female college students. They were there to catch the first viewing of a cult film in the making, which sold out theaters across the nation.
"I called a week ago to see if they were going to have a midnight opening," Elizabeth Sartori, a student at Southern Ver-mont College in Bennington, Vt., said as she waited with friends in the hallway of the movie theater. "We came at 5:30 to buy our tickets, but the theater wasn't open yet, so we had to wait around until 6:15 p.m."
Like many fans, Sartori and her friends have consumed all four of author Stephanie Meyer's books in the "Twilight Saga," which chronicle the relationship of Bella, a human girl, who falls madly in love with a vampire, Edward Cullen.
The film sold out 2,000 theaters across the nation, 1,000 of which were midnight screenings, before the film was released just after midnight Thursday. Fandango. com, an online site that sells movie tickets for theaters nationwide, reported Friday that "Twilight" had jumped into the site's Top 10 for pre-sold tickets. The list also includes the last two "Harry Potter" movies, "The
Locally, Movieplex 8 sold about 30 tickets in advance, with a total of about 60 people attending the midnight screening.
"It's just crazy," said Lilli Harvie, a freshman at Massachusetts College of Liberal Arts. "One of my suite-mates is totally obsessed with the series. She got most of us in the suite to read the books. After I read the first book, I told my family about it. My mother and 13-year-old sister are fans now, too."
In the weeks leading up to the opening of the film, papers and magazines around the country have been following what has been called the "Twilight Phenomena" - crowds of fans, ranging in age from young teenage girls to middle-aged women, who can't get enough of the books or Meyer's characters.
About 3,000 fans rioted outside a San Francisco mall last week after an appearance by one of the movie's stars at a Hot Topic store was canceled for safety reasons. Publicists had expected about 300 people to show up. Samantha McLenithan, a freshman at MCLA, said she had warned her roommate of her obsession the day they moved into their dorm room.
"I hung up a 'Twilight' poster and said to her, 'You're never going to hear the end of this,'" McLenithan said. "I think I love the books because they're extremely unique. It's this forbidden romance between a vampire and a human. They're in love with each other, but there's always that possibility that he could kill her instantly."
Corinne Rommeney, a sophomore at the college, readily admitted she is obsessed with the series.
"I have every poster and every shirt available," she said. "I'm even planning on having the Cullen family crest tattooed on my back."
But, as is not the case with many other cult books, many mothers have bonded with their daughters while reading about the love-torn Bella.
Sharon Rowe and her daughter, Ellen, 14, a freshman at Hoosac Valley High School, arrived at the movie theater at 10 p.m. to purchase their tickets.
"Ellen was reading the books, and I like to know what she's reading, so I started reading the first book," Rowe said. "Once I started reading the first book, I quickly went through the rest of them. She had asked me this evening if we could go to the midnight opening, and since she had done all her homework, I agreed."
Ellen said she liked the fast-paced rise and fall of conflicts within the series, which is a first-person narrative told by the heroine, Bella.
"I just really enjoyed them," she said. "Stephanie Meyer has written another book, 'The Host,' which my mother has said OK to. I've also heard the author is going to write another series from Edward's point of view. I really hope she does."
Friends Natalie Serrano, 14, and Josephine Daley, 15, who were dressed in matching black "Twilight" T-shirts with black-and-white striped long-sleeved shirts underneath, were part of a group of nine teens and women attending the movie together.
"The draw of the books is Edward Cullen," Natalie said. "He's a vampire, and the fact that you can't have him makes you want him even more. I totally identify with Bella."
Her mother, Miriam Serrano, said her daughter had gotten the group to read the books.
"We went to the midnight release of the last book, 'Breaking Dawn,' so why not come to this midnight release as well?" Jamie Bernardara, a member of their group, said.
Many of the women in attendance agreed that the fictional forever 17-year-old vampire was a major draw.
"Edward Cullen is the ideal guy," said Heather Peltier, an employee of the movie theater who was working the concession stand until the movie started. "He's the perfect guy. He does everything perfectly. He's what every girl has always wanted."
Meyer has come under fire from critics who say her books are poorly written despite staggering sales and portray women as helpless. She has admitted in interviews with The Associated Press that the books were never intended for publication - that they were "fan fiction" based on a dream she had. The author has also been criticized for creating her own vampire mythology: Unlike traditional vampires, the Cullen family is able to go out during the day and can exist on the blood of animals.
"People say the book is sexist because of the way Stephanie Meyer wrote Bella," McLenithan said. "Bella's kind of needy and obsessed with Edward. She'd do anything for him. They criticize the last book because Bella chooses to die and be with Edward forever instead of go on to college and do something with her life. But the thing is, she'd be still be able to go to college and live a normal life. She's just immortal now and has all the time in the world to do everything."
To reach Jennifer Huberdeau:jhuberdeau@thetranscript.com, or413-663-7942, ext. 227.
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