On November 20, The Red and Black published 2 articles on the Twilight craze that has been happening. The articles are by a fan of the series and a foe of the series. An article in the Red and Black shows how pervasive Twilight has been in our society. Not only are giggle high school girls obsessed with Twilight, a wide range of college students of all ages and genders are obsessed with Twilight also. Here's the articles:

'Twilight' showdown: 'New Moon' face-off with fangs
Issue date: 11/30/09 Section: Variety

FAN

I was disappointed by the Twilight fans on the movie's premier night. Maybe it was my own fault for getting so hyped up by the media attention, but I thought that my "New Moon" midnight premiere experience was going to make me laugh with ludicrous costumes or fake blood.

But no. Not one crazed, fanged fan was seen. Instead, I found myself surrounded by a bunch of normally-dressed people waiting patiently to see a movie. Perhaps my experience will reign unique among others who witnessed the midnight unveiling of the film, but the crowd was, in fact, unremarkable to me - as was the film.

Notably, I am affected for the worse having read the novel itself, but I felt let down by the ultimate storytelling of this movie. I never feel as if I have a completely clear or fair sight of the movie, having already read the books. It's undeniably difficult to sufficiently compress more than 500 pages of such a widely-loved book - no one will ever be totally satisfied.

This second film focuses greatly on Bella Swan attempting to readjust her life after her first love, Edward, abandons her. His abandonment leaves her with more than just a broken heart. Bella is literally a cold, lifeless shell of her former self - until Jacob Black, a childhood friend, re-enters her life and distracts her from her depression.

When it comes to handling the subject of Bella's depression, cinematic renditions were made that perhaps removed some of the intensity of Meyer's written word.

Much of the dialogue in the book progresses through Bella's internal monologue; in the film, Bella wrote several unanswered e-mails to Alice. Translations such as this were a pleasant artistic move from director Chris Weitz. While I may not have been ultimately satisfied with the final translation of "New Moon" to film, it is by the same old saying - the book is better than the movie.

The fact is, by being unhappy with the film, I may find myself extradited to the Twilight minority. Not many Twi-hards care if the movie is a dead ringer to the book - they'd rather gaze at the beauty in person instead of pages. "New Moon" will flourish at the box office - greatly in part to the pained, beautiful face of Robert Pattinson. That is why, despite what emotional marks "New Moon" may have missed with fans, it will almost certainly hit the one with a dollar sign.

-Jessica Brown



FOE

Before watching "New Moon," several people told me the movie was "better than the first," which didn't really matter to me because the first "Twilight" film, like the books, was total garbage.

But I found the statement true - in some respects. The movie was less of a hastily-thrown-together series of shots of Kristin Stewart biting her lip and Robert Pattinson glaring from underneath his eyebrows and more of the crew trying to do a good job with the dismal source material they had to work with.

I will concede that the film had its moments. It accurately captured the awkwardness of high school social interaction, but I have a feeling this was an accident due more to the stiff dialogue found in the novel than anyone involved being in touch with their teenage selves. And Dakota Fanning made a pretty creepy vampire, but even that wasn't as eerie as Bella and Edward's creepy, codependent relationship.

"New Moon" opens with Bella having a weird dream. Useless slow motion shot of Edward approaching, blah, blah, fast-forward to Jacob Black, who spent his summer growing biceps.

A series of events happens that serves no other purpose than to advance the plot so the story can sustain itself. Nothing about this movie is organic or natural (I even have my suspicions about that forest).

But the movie helped me narrow down what in particular I hate about the "Twilight" "saga." It's not so much the pointless liberties taken with vampire/werewolf lore or that the final book in the series is the worst book I have ever read, and it's not even the lack of faith the books have in the human race (Bella can't wait to shed her teenage woes for the perpetual thirst for blood).

This installment presents the alternative to lifeless, creepy Edward: Jacob. It's kind of a useless plot device, because by the end of the first book you know which one Bella's going to end up with. I suppose Meyer wished to extend the life of the series, and what better way than by introducing a conflict that doesn't even stand a chance?

Jacob is everything Edward isn't: alive, within a dateable age range, capable of feeling actual emotions. He makes her laugh and they build things together. When Bella cuts her head on a rock, he cleans off the blood without having to restrain himself from brutally murdering her. And yeah, he's a werewolf, but at least he's not after her jugular. All along, he is doomed to fail.

What I hate is this: This book series was penned by a woman and features a female "protagonist." But in this day and age, shouldn't we discourage young women from defining themselves by men? Can't we stand on our own? You'd think - with the plot hammering it into her head that she can't depend on the men in her life - Bella would learn to stand on her own two feet. But she never does. This isn't a love story - it's a tragedy of codependency. It's ridiculously old-fashioned (in the most negative sense of the phrase). When Edward leaves, Bella spends months staring blankly out the window. An extremely small number of high school relationships "work out," but are any of them worth your soul?

But really, I hated it all. I hated the Kristin Stewart Loud Gasping/Breathing Track, the complete lack of motivation of the characters, Charlie as a self-deprecating father figure when really he could be the voice of reason - and I still hate the vampire sparkle.

Jessica, Bella's pal that serves as her shallow, blond foil, asks the most poignant question of the film: "What the hell is wrong with you?" Bella doesn't really have a substantial answer, but I pose the same question to all the misguided fans of Stephanie Meyer's shallow, misguided venture into the supernatural: What the hell is wrong with you?

-Marie Uhler