I awoke with a stabbing pain in my gut. My mouth was dry and my very being parched. How long had I been out? Where was I?

I slowly looked around me and ran my tongue over my scabbed lower lip. Had I bitten it? Was it simply chapped? I felt a sudden chill. I was in the middle of a thick wood. A full moon shone overhead. It was just like a horror movie. And I was the star.

I looked down at my body to find that it was suddenly foreign to me, as if I was looking at someone else. My stockings were ripped clear from my hip to my knee. I was missing a shoe. There was a huge gash in my black lace corset that left my right breast subject to the bitter cold. I was laying in a pool of thick, warm blood. Did I have my period? Was I attacked?

I tried to think back to where I was before this. I had been working a double shift at the bar. It was Fetish Night. Celia had called in sick. Damn her. Always taking advantage of me. The bar was packed, the music loud.

I wiggled my toes and made sure that I could walk. I slowly got up, holding onto a tree for support. I had to find my way out. I scanned my periphery quickly. And then I felt the hairs on the back of my neck stand up. I felt someone watching…

I absolutely love Twilight, including all of the actors: Kristen Stewart, Robert Pattinson, Nikki Reed and Peter Facinelli, to name a few. When I came across these photos online earlier today, I was really disappointed.

I’m sure that Kristen Stewart and Robert Pattinson are well aware of the social impact they have on teenagers these days. All they have to do is a quick Google search to see the hundreds of pages created in emulation and adoration of their Twilight work. I know that Stephanie Meyer certainly didn’t write smoking parts into her Twilight saga. Then why? Why do they have to be so irresponsible?

I’m a thirty-one year old woman who brazenly smoked throughout my twenties. I’ll admit, I loved it. Being a writer, I relished my guilty pleasure and even fooled myself into believing that I relied on smoking for my creativity. However, once I turned thirty-0ne, reality set in. A close friend of mine had her lung collapse, and was incidentally in a coma for eight days, before being diagnosed with lung cancer. She was only 33.

After that, I fought an uphill battle for months, and I am happy to say that today I am nearly six months quit. Each day has been a challenge, and I am so thankful for my successful quit that I would never go back. When I saw the cast of New Moon smoking, I couldn’t even believe it. Is it a hoax? Did someone mess with photos of the actors in order to create a scandal, or even mere disapproval? Are Kristen Stewart and Robert Pattinson simply unaware of the implicit responsibility that is tenuous to their success and that of the movie? Don’t they know that they are the latest teen role models? Are they merely Twilight smokers (those that only smoke at night)?

In any case, hopefully teenagers realize that only those who are blessed or cursed (depending on how you look at it) with immortality can safely smoke cigarettes. I know it may seem uncool for me to reiterate yet another anti-tobacco sentiment, but people gotta know. Especially in this economy, I’d rather spend ten bucks on some cool Twilight merchandise or even a blank journal than a pack of cigarettes.

One of the most amazing parts of watching the movie “Twilight”, for me, was seeing concrete representations of the amazing things I had read about in the book. 

Although I was disappointed by some of those representations (let’s face it: although Rob Pattinson is pretty hot, NO ONE actually compares to Stephanie Meyer’s Edward Cullen), one thing by which I was amazed, in the the movie, was the Cullens’ beautiful, asthetically perfect, house.

From the outside alone, the house is completely stunning. The clean lines and crystal clear windows, in the midst of the lush forest leave no feeling other than peaceful zen. The openness of the interior and the flow of the house, in spite of seeming quite expensive, feels homey and comfortable.

Hoke House which was used as the Cullen home in Twilight. It was designed by Skylab Architecture. For more images, click here.

The actual house, called “The Hoke House,” was designed by architect Jeff Kovel, from ‘Skylab Architecture .’ It sprawls 4300 square feet, and was  built my Metcalf Construction. Lucy Metcalf was the landscaper and interior designer.

This house is so inviting, it would be sure to entice even the most skiddish person to join an entire vampire family for dinner.

Summit Entertainment officially announced the cast for the upcoming and much anticipated “New Moon” movie.

The original actors for the characters in the first movie will be rejoining the cast: Kristen Stewart as Bella Swan, Rob Pattinson as Edward Cullen, Taylor Lautner as Jacob Black, Ashley Greene as Alice, Peter Facinelli as Carlisle, Elizabeth Reaser as Esme, Kellan Lutz as Emmett, Nikki Reed as Rosalie, Jackson Rathbone as Jasper, Edi Gathegi as Lauren and Rachelle Lafevre as Victoria.

New actors will be playing the Volturi coven members and are as follows: Charlie Bewley as Demetri, Jamie Campbell Bower as Caius, Daniel Cudmore as Felix, Christopher Heyerdahl as Marcus, Dakota Fanning as Jane, Cameron Bright as Alec, and Noot Seer as Heidi. Michael Sheen will play Aro, the Volturi leader.

The werewolve pack also features some new characters and actors, respectively: Graham Greene plays Harry Clearwater, good friend to Charlie and Quileute tribal leader. TInsel Korey will play Emily, Sam Uley’s fiancee.

“New Moon” will be directed by Chris Weitz, who won Academy Awards for “The Golden Compass” and “About a Boy,” and is now filming on location in Vancouver, BC and Tuscany, Italy.

For pictures of the New Moon cast, see the Photos page on this site.

There are several indications in the movie “Twilight,” of environmental consciousness on the parts of Stephanie Meyer and Catherine Hadwicke.

Although Bella says the forest gives her the creeps in the book, in the film “Twilight,” the forest is pictured as lush and beautiful, and it has nearly a magical quality. It acts as hunting grounds for vampires and a playground for Bella and Edward.

Also, in “Twilight” the movie, Bella, Edward and their classmates go on a special fieldtrip for Biology class. I believe they go to some kind of greenhouse, where they learn about composting and reusing natural resources. The environmental consciousness is most obvious when the Biology teacher actually says, “Green is good,” in order to coax the students onto the school bus.

Another feature of “Twilight” the movie that points to environmental consciousness on the parts of the author and the director is the fact that vampires and werewolves are natural predators to one another. Although blood-sucking immortals don’t seem like the most natural phenomenon, the balance that is created by their canine counterparts is indicative of a much larger natural balance (and adds a great plot-point to the movie as well).

The back story behind the Quileute legends also adds an element to environmental balance and harmony between humans and animals. When thinking about all of these elements combined, “Twilight” seems like an incredibly environmental movie!

I wonder how much Volvo, Diet Pepsi and Gardenburger paid the makers of the movie Twilight for the promotions contained in the movie.

True, Volvo was written right into the novel, but there is no mention of Diet Pepsi or Gardenburger in the text.

It’s kinda funny that Bella’s a vegetarian in the movie, while Edward considers himself “vegetarian” too. I don’t think that Stephanie Meyer or Catherine Hardwicke realized the phenomenal impact that Twilight would have on people of all ages. I sure hope that they charged Volvo, Diet Pepsi and Gardenburger an appropriate bundle!

There is lots of symbolism in the movie “Twilight.” The apple on the cover of the first book is quite obvious, but there are some more subtle symbols as well.

One not-so-obvious symbol in the film “Twilight” is Edward’s silver Volvo. Not only is the volvo a symbol of accumulated wealth, but its hue also parallels vampires with the mythical silver bullet that will kill a werewolf. Thus, it signifies that Edward, being a vampire, is an enemy of werewolves (a bit of foreshadowing).

Another thing that I found interesting is the fact that the story is set in the lushest, wettest part of the country, where the most life exists. This is in stark contrast to vampires, who are completely devoid of life.

If anyone else has found any interesting symbolism in “Twilight”, please share!

Robert Pattinson on set of "Little Ashes"

Exclusive pictures of Robert Pattinson on set of “Little Ashes” are available at http://www.mtv.com/movies/news/articles/1608653/story.jhtml

The film “Little Ashes,” in which Pattinson portrays Salvador Dali will be shown in “limited release” in Madrid on May 8. Pattinson plays opposite Javier Beltran as Federico García Lorca (Salvador Dali’s lover). This will be quite a change from playing Bella’s vampire lover in “Twilight.”

I, for one, am greatly looking forward to seeing “Little Ashes,” as I am a huge fan of Dali’s work and of Pattinson’s as well.

The more I think about some worried parents’ concerns about the “obsessive relationship between Edward and Bella,” I think that the film “Twilight” does more in the way of inspiring beneficial things, rather than dangerous ones (unless you count dating vampires and hanging out with wearwolves).

The fact that Edward Cullen listens to Claire de Lune is huge. The Debussy song can even be found on the soundtrack! Although Mozart is my favorite, and some baroque music may have been more appropriate for the subject matter of the film, it definitely got me interested in at least checking out some more music of that genre.

In addition to that, Bella’s favorite book is Wuthering Heights, and she and Edward watch “Romeo and Juliet” in the novel. I think that these things encourage the average “Twilight” fan to invest some time into valuable cultural mediums.

Another prudent value which the movie and book seem to subliminally support is abstinence. It is too dangerous for Bella and Edward to have sex, so the reader and viewer are forced to made do with a PG 13 love affair. Abstinence is their only recourse.