Lawrence moviegoers flock to 'New Moon'
More than 500 viewers attended two late-night showings of the popular vampire film 'New Moon' in Lawrence. Enlarge video
More than 500 people had good reason to carouse into the creepy early-a.m. hours Friday morning: The midnight release of a vampire movie, of course.
Hundreds of viewers — 550 to be exact, according to Hollywood South Wind 12 house manager Jon Kelly — flocked to the south Lawrence theater for two showings of "New Moon," the second film installment in the popular "Twilight" series.
Kelly said the first viewers started to come through theater doors at about 3:00 p.m. Thursday. By 10:00 p.m., the line of attendees had grown so long that it had bunched into a mass in the middle of the theater lobby, despite the staff's attempts to straighten the rows.
But "New Moon" fans didn't merely wander up to the counter expecting available tickets the day of the show. Attending these special showings took a bit of forethought.
"We got our tickets like three weeks ago," said Natalie Langford, a Kansas University senior who came with a group of friends. "We heard they were selling out fast."
Langford and her group attended the 12:05 a.m. showing: They were about a week too late to snare seats in the midnight showing.
"We got tickets a month ago online," said DeAnna Thompson, a sixth grade teacher at Eudora Middle School whose group got tickets for the midnight screening. "So we've had them for a month and we heard it sold out pretty soon after that."
Langford may have been among the last to purchase tickets for the pair of late-night Lawrence showings. Kelly said tickets were completely sold out three weeks in advance.
"New Moon," which opens in earnest later Friday, is the sequel to the 2008 film "Twilight." The movies are based on a series of novels focused on vampires, written by Stephanie Meyer. According to The Los Angeles Times, the first "Twilight" movie earned $69.6M on its first weekend one year ago. "New Moon" is expected to fare even better at the box office, and could top $100M on its first weekend.
Among the Thursday-night theater-goers were people both young and old, male and female. But viewers' reasons for staying up late weren't too different:
"I read all the books and I just loved them," Langford said. "I was a little disappointed in the first Twilight (movie), but now they have a new director and I think it's going to be really good. We wanted to be the first to see it, and its fun to see all the people out."
Said Thompson: "I'm a schoolteacher, and I read the series myself and I fell in love with it."
Comments
Steve Jacob 5 years, 2 months ago
This series is very interesting. So many people have a love/hate feelings about the book series. I am afraid the second movie was put together so quick, the first director dropped out. Never good.
Boeing 5 years, 2 months ago
Oh man I can't wait until this trend is over. Vampire love? Chicks dig this, huh?
Write2Know 5 years, 2 months ago
Too bad they went to such a crappy theater to see a movie they were so excited about.
somedude20 5 years, 2 months ago
"NERDSSSSSSSSSSSSS"- Fred "The Ogre" Palowakski
Steve Jacob 5 years, 2 months ago
Boeing, I agree. The AMC 30 has spoiled me, it's got the early morning weekend shows, 3D, IMAX, and the Fork and Screen when I feel rich and want luxury.
denak 5 years, 2 months ago
I have tickets for the 10:10 p.m. showing tonight. Like srj, I am one of those people that have a "love/hate" relationship with these books. The books, themselves, are really good (although Breaking Dawn falls apart a bit) but my friends and I, all moms in our 40s, think the relationship between Edward and Bella is not a healthy one. Bella is obsessive and suicidal in my opinion and I much prefer her with Jacob. New Moon is my favorite of the 4 books simply because Edward isn't in it a lot.
Anyhoooo, it would have been interesting if the ljworld would have interviewed some of the "twihards" and got their opinion of the movie. Most reviews I've seen give it an average 3 star rating.
Dena
denak 5 years, 2 months ago
Oh Dresden, don't be jealous. You will learn to read one day too.
jehovah_bob 5 years, 2 months ago
First of all, these are not vampire movies, because as everyone should know . . . Vampires Do Not Sparkle!!!
Secondly, isn't it kind of creepy that this 100+ year old vampire wants to seduce a teenager?
acg 5 years, 2 months ago
I'm reading these books, dresden, and am a 36 year old mom of three, who's also rereading crime and punishment (dostoyevsky's murderer is a fascinating character to me) and rereading one of my favorite tom clancy novels (sum of all fears--love jack ryan) and also reading tax publication 1120 federal return for For Profit corporations. That's quite the hasty generalization you're making about middle aged moms who enjoy the occasional escape into a good story. If you haven't read any of the books, then you're judging without knowledge and that makes you, basically, a close minded idiot.
Dena, team Jacob? Really? But Edward is so, I don't even know what it is about him, but I want to eat him with a spoon. :)
LoveThsLife 5 years, 2 months ago
Dresden, why bash the books and the readers? Stephenie Meyers is a talented storyteller. Her books might be easy reading, but sometimes that is exactly what is needed. She definitely isn't the greatest author of all time, and her writing does have limitations. However, I respect someone who can produce such a great story with very little experience. I was hesitant to read the books, until my sister-in-law referred them to me. I am glad I did, what an interesting world she has created. I like the fact there isn't any sex or foul language in the books, I think those are often used as cheap fillers and can take away from a story. There are things I am critical about concerning some of the characters and their relationships, however I still enjoy the saga. These book are the literary version of cotton candy. They are meant to be pleasurable, simple and not taken too seriously.
sad_lawrencian 5 years, 2 months ago
Burp
Bassetlover 5 years, 2 months ago
Sorry for being a bit off topic here but.....our Southwind Theaters are in serious need of an updating. I can live with the lobby/concession area as it is. But the individual theaters have the most uncomfortable seating we have ever experienced. Wish I had a dollar for everytime we opted to drive over to Village West or into Johnson County to see a great movie simply because we couldn't bear sitting in the god-awful seats at Southwind. It is long, long overdue for a remodel.
denak 5 years, 2 months ago
"...Dena, team Jacob? Really? But Edward is so, I don't even know what it is about him, but I want to eat him with a spoon. :)...."
All I have to say is you need to go see the movie. Every time "Jacob" took off his shirt...or had it off..which is the majority of the movie, there was always a collective intake of breath followed by "damnnnnnnnnnnnn" by every single heterosexual female and homosexual male in the audience. Taylor Lautner really does put R-Pat to shame. I know people love Edward but if I were Bella, I would dump him in a heartbeat for Jacob.:) But that's just me.
"I like the fact there isn't any sex or foul language in the books,..." I second this "lovethslife" I love the fact that Edward and Bella waited until they were married to consummate their relationship (much to Bella's chagrin). I think it sends a very positive message.
".. our Southwind Theaters are in serious need of an updating..." Ditto bassetlover. The seat I was sitting in last night was so wobbly I was scared to lean back. The seating defintely needs to be replaced.
As for the movie itself, I would give it a 3 1/2 out of 5 stars. I think the screenwriter could have adapted it better because the movie really does seem as the director and screewriter just opened the book and said, ok lets film page 1, 2, 3, 4, 5 etc without any real effort. The pace of the movie just kind of plods along. However, in its favor, the movie is visually very pretty and,overall, it is definitely funnier than Twilight. And of course, the eye candy in the form of the wolf pack is worth the ticket price itself. So, I would recommend it for a matinee. I don't know if it is worth $9 but that is my opinion as a 41 year old woman. The 12 year old young lady I went with was enraptured by it. Seriously, she has a look of wonder on her face after it was over. So, if you have a pre-teen female in your life, be prepared to hear her sigh "Edward" all night long. :)
Dena
sad_lawrencian 5 years, 2 months ago
Burps again
corduroypants 5 years, 2 months ago
I wholeheartedly agree with the comments regarding the Southwind theatres. I've never seen stadium seating where you enter through the middle of the theater. I think if AMC (or anyone else) would build in Lawrence, Southwind would end up a ghost town.
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