There’s no denying vampires and werewolves have enraptured us of late. But society’s interest in the supernatural is nothing new. Cinematic history is chock full of flicks focusing on otherworldly beings. With more than a year (!!) until our favorite vampire franchise returns with “Breaking Dawn,” we’re passing the time by revisiting movies featuring creatures that go Bump In The Night or BITN (get it, bitten?)
September Is BITN By Vampires!
This week we’re taking a look at “The Twilight Saga: Eclipse,” the most recent, most popular and easily the most vampire-y of the “Twilight” films.
Directed by: David Slade
Starring: Robert Pattinson, Kristen Stewart and Taylor Lautner
Release date: June 30, 2010
Synopsis: Bella once again finds herself surrounded by danger as Seattle is ravaged by a string of mysterious killings, and a malicious vampire continues her quest for revenge. In the midst of it all, she is forced to choose between her love for Edward and her friendship with Jacob—knowing that her decision has the potential to ignite the struggle between vampire and werewolf. With her graduation quickly approaching, Bella is confronted with the most important decision of her life: to become a vampire or to remain human.
Representation of vampires: These are definitely not your traditional vampires. They don’t have fangs, wooden stakes and holy water don’t kill them, they don’t sleep in coffins, and the only bad side effect of going out into the sunlight is that they sparkle. Still, David Slade’s take on “Eclipse” was markedly darker than the two previous installments of “The Twilight Saga,” and the side story of bad vamps Riley, Victoria and the newborns is much more traditional than most people give the film credit for. That opening sequence gives us chills every time!
Good or evil: This one’s tough, because the vamps in “Eclipse” are both the good guys and the bad guys. In “The Twilight Saga,” vampires have the choice to be good or bad. The vampire clan who our heroine Bella hangs out with, the Cullens, are definitely the good guys, but, in “Eclipse” especially, there are plenty of bad vampires coming after them.
Why we’re BITN: The obvious reason is because “Eclipse” marks the highest level of tension in the Bella-Edward-Jacob love triangle, but the reason “Eclipse” is the “Twilight” film we chose for this week’s BITN is because it definitely has our favorite of the films’ representations of vampires. Riley’s transformation and control of the newborns, and subsequently his manipulation by Victoria, makes us actually think for the first time in these films that vampires are something to be afraid of, as well as to swoon over. Plus, that final battle sequence is just too awesome for words.
Is “Eclipse” in your ranks of favorite vampire movies?
