YAB Review: ‘Eclipse’ @ Midnight
Posted by meredith on 06-30-2010
Among the many devoted fans of “The Twilight Saga” who made their way out to last night’s midnight opening of “Eclipse” was our own Youth Advisory Board member Meg Reid. Today, despite the 3:30 a.m. bedtime that followed, she reports back on the crowds, the hype and (lest we forget the main event) the third chapter itself.
As always, you can contact our Youth Advisory Board, just email them at youthadvisoryboard at ypulse.com… or just leave a comment below.
YAB Review: ‘Eclipse’ @ Midnight
What was the biggest draw?
I read (and then re-read) Stephenie Meyer’s series, and saw the first two movies. As twenty-somethings, by now it’s more fun for my friends and I to snark about the ridiculousness of the whole vampire trend, or critique the way they portray ideal relationships, but I’ve enjoyed the Twilight Saga’s entertainment value, too. Plus, if I’m being totally honest, “Eclipse” was my favorite book in the series, so I’ve looked forward to this adaptation the most.
What did you know going in?
I saw the trailer on Facebook when it first came out, and I’d read the books—both were pretty accurate for my experience of “Eclipse.” Marketing for the Twilight franchise overall has really made an impression on me in the last year. It’s everywhere: I got “ironic” presents of Twilight chocolates and Twilight Valentine’s conversation hearts from people who know I’m into teen culture, and have seen the oddest branded items, like creepy duvet covers with Robert Pattinson’s pale, sparkly vampire face. Those things didn’t really affect my perceptions of the films themselves, though, except to make their existence completely unavoidable.
“The Short Second Life of Bree Tanner,” Meyer’s new companion novella to “Eclipse” was meant to embellish upon a minor character in the story, and Meyer says it will help fans understand some of the filming choices. I haven’t read it yet, but since fans can read it free online until July 5, it definitely helped raise hype
Describe your movie-going experience:
Oh, Twilight fans. Though I saw both of the other movies a day or two after they came out, this was my first midnight viewing of a Twilight film, or any movie, period. When I met a friend for pre-“Eclipse” coffee a block away from the theatre, we could see the line from our table. Luckily, we didn’t have a wait: the movie theatre had three screens showing “Eclipse” at midnight. Though we ended up in the least crowded one, I made sure to check in on the action in the more packed houses. Some fans had clearly taken advantage of the Twilight Saga marathons that began around six, and were set up with blankets, snacks, and laptops. Others had brought complete sets of the book series to keep them company (because a dark theatre is a great place to read?), and I saw quite a few franchise t-shirts.
The audience was pretty mixed in terms of age—I heard a toddler crying, saw some sleepy-looking kids that seemed as young as seven, and was seated in front of a very excited later middle-aged couple, though the crowd was mostly teens and people in their twenties.
Based on what we thought were the more hilarious parts of “Twilight” and “New Moon,” my friend and I took a couple of tallies: 1- The number of times Taylor Lautner appeared shirtless (Five by my count, the first occurring 29 minutes in, for those who’re interested), 2- The number of almost-kisses between Edward and Bella (Almost none, interestingly), and 3- The biggest “cheer” lines (“Well, I am hotter than you!”—True Twihards will recognize the pun.)
I could see BlackBerries lighting up with facebook updates and texts all around me. Though not quite at “Rocky Horror” levels, girls were squealing and shouting at the screen during particularly fraught and/or romantic moments. It did make the movie more fun, and it actually seemed shorter than its 2 hour run time.
So, what’d you think?
As far as Twilight mania has spread, I’m relieved that this book highlighted the things I remembered best from reading the books—minor characters’ back stories were fleshed out, the action plot was there, and the love triangle was genuinely intense, if a little slow. Maybe a mix of the film’s technical improvement (it had great visuals, and “Eclipse” is also showing in 3-D) and action plot will appeal to a wider audience. Mainly, I’m happy with my “Eclipse” viewing experience, 3:30 am bedtime and all, because I love that I saw it with such intense fans. So, I cringed at the overblown declarations of love, and cracked up at some of the more dramatic gasps and sighs from the crowd…but really, that was part of the fun.
About Megan
Megan began writing fashion articles for her local newspaper at age 15, and her work has since appeared in publications like Boston magazine, Mountain Living and CosmoGirl. A former art history and theater student, Meg loves traveling, writing postcards, YA lit, learning to bake, and planning adventures. When she isn’t studying, she’s probably dragging someone along on a late-night ice cream/Starbucks run. Meg has lived in four countries and six states, and is completing her M.A. in English at the Ohio State University. This is her second year as a Youth Advisory Board member.
Categorized under: Movies & Music, Youth Advisory Board