By Ashleigh Heaton
Entertainment Editor

Video by Emily Denton
KCBY Short Film

For those who heard screaming Thursday night around midnight, do not be alarmed: it was only Twilighters watching the opening credits of the pop cultural phenomenon, New Moon.

Fans began arriving at one of 3,514 local theaters as early as eight in the evening to wait in line and snag premium seats for the viewing. To avoid clogging up the theater lobby, the Cinemark Theater at the Vista Ridge mall even let fans in to theater seating around nine. Fans arrived in hoards, armed with homemade t-shirts and a deep appreciation of the vampire saga. For some, the intense mania was overwhelming.

“I have never been to a midnight showing before,” junior Hilary Taylor said, “so I’m really excited to be around all the super fans and to see what it is like.”

The film picks up a few months after Twilight left off, with Bella Swan (Kristen Stewart) and Edward Cullen (Robert Pattinson) quite smitten with their less-than-normal relationship. However, after a freak incident that nearly kills Bella, Edward proceeds to break up with Bella, leaving her heartbroken and an emotional wreak. The only person who can pull Bella out of her deep depression is Jacob Black (Taylor Launter), who is sweet, funny and, oh yeah, a werewolf. Eventually, Bella has to choose between them…but who will she pick?

Those who wanted to actually watch the movie should not have gone to the showing – throughout the movie, fans were screaming, moaning and laughing whenever the occasion arouse, be it a humorous line or the appearance of a favorite character. These exclamations, though entertaining, made it difficult for some to hear the rest of the story.

Though some fans have expressed disappointment about the first film of the saga, most of those attending the midnight premiere left the theater smiling or even screaming for joy – the general fan approval of the film was fresh in the air.

“I was a little disappointed with the first movie because I was expecting a bit too much,” Taylor said. “So, for this movie, I have different standards and went into it with a different view.”

Even before fangirls flocked to theaters late Thursday night, New Moon was already breaking records – according to MovieFone, the movie has ranked number one as the top-selling advance ticket seller, surpassing The Dark Knight and any Harry Potter or even Star Wars movie. Within the first day of its box-office premiere, the film has racked in a shocking $72.7 million, including the $28.6 million it earned with midnight showings alone.

Though the movie has become a box office smash hit, not everyone is thrilled at its success. Generally, the movie has earned low critical reviews – the Dallas Morning News gave it an embarrassing 2 out of 5 stars – and even teen viewers are fed up with the chaos.

“[The hype] is mostly annoying,” said junior Caroline Lowry. “For someone who dislikes Twilight, this whole mania is really obnoxious.”

Despite the lack of professional approval, the fans have and continue to be the driving force behind the film’s success. Only time will tell how big that success will be.