comment #1

mitchtaylor says ...

99% of horror movies are right-wing movies in sheep's clothing. They're all about conquering the unknown with conservative (religious) weaponry and RETURNING THINGS BACK TO THE WAY THEY WERE before someone had to go and upset the apple cart.

comment #2

BurmaShave says ...

I didn't even think this question was debatable.

comment #3

jbf81 says ...

I still think the films will make 60mil, I think its gonna drop from friday to sunday

comment #4

AlexStroup says ...

The relationship between him and her is a metaphor for abstinence until marriage.

The lifestyle of the vampire clan is a metaphor for the curability of homosexuality. These vampire have a dark stain upon them, urges they find difficult to control. But with enough work they slowly learn that control and by suppressing what they are they eventually find happiness in blending better with the larger world.

comment #5

Rich S. says ...

How does one get the title of "best selling vampire expert?" Where does one apply for such an honorarium?

As Todd Donaho used to say when someone claimed to be a team's Number One Fan: "Didn't know they had a contest; glad you won."

comment #6

jbf81 says ...

"How does one get the title of "best selling vampire expert?" Where does one apply for such an honorarium?"

That made me laugh out loud.

comment #7

K. Bowen says ...

There's probably truth to this, and my answer is eh, so what? Some people feel that way. Especially when they are teenage girls and sex can be as scary as it is appealing. And kids these days are more goodie-two-shoes than in the past.

But I agree, abstinent vampires do sort of undermine the point of a vampire movie.

comment #8

LYT says ...

I thought this was well-known. The author's a Mormon, and my librarian friend has long been telling me these books are abstinence parables.

comment #9

SpinDozer says ...

Is Twilight a sexual right-wing movie in sheep's clothing?

duh, Comment No. 10

comment #10

Porter says ...

1) To say that a film that highly codifies or cloaks in metaphor sexual abstinence is thus "right-wing" or homophobic is spectacularly heavy-handed and intellectually clunky as hell.

2) Look at the history of the vampire. Vampires are creatures of rampant, hypnotic sexuality. To even call them "bisexual" doesn't do them justice. The archetypal vampire such as Dracula is capable of seducing man, woman, or beast.

3) Look at the more complex contexts and times in which we live: Kids are inundated with overt expressions and images of sexual behavior and identity. Sexual abstinence programs in schools have been spectacular failures, both pragmatically and ideologically. At the same time, many kids are still being repeatedly hit over the head by their parents and elders with how serious and potentially deadly sex can be. Meyer's retro-take is completely predictable (and predictably successful), especially with girls and young women.

4) Even James Bond has been highly desexed compared to the Connery and Moore Bonds of the 60's and 70's. Daniel Craig's Bond is "half monk, half-hitman" and is now driven by a broken heart (and only gets laid in Quantum seemingly because he has found someone as deeply wounded as he is).

5) Here's the really telling, interesting passage from Klinger's blog:

"Admittedly, it's hard to construct an appealing film from a story devoted to sincere efforts to have nothing romantic happen. There's also little to make this an enthralling vampire story; the most successful versions have always included sex and gore, or both. Meyer's book contains not a single scene of blood-sucking, and the film is equally shock-free. In truth, Meyer's focus on self-denial left me ultimately bored. Perhaps my tastes were fixed by an early exposure to the traditional image of Dracula--a man dripping with bravura and danger as much as he is with blood--but escaping the ancient monster seems much more interesting than avoiding the company of the dull modern breed."

(I haven't read Meyer's book but Klinger's claims don't hold true in the film version: in the movie there is blood-sucking and PG-13 level violence/gore.)

Okay, at least Klinger acknowledges his bias. But to suggest that it's undramatic for a couple to struggle against their own natures, who strive mightily not to fall in love suggests someone who doesn't know much about literature or drama. Meyer's take is essentially Pride and Prejudice Super Fluffy Lite at Sweet (Always Raining) Valley High crossed with the vampire genre. Like Mr. Darcy and Elizabeth Bennett, Edward is mistaken by Bella to be haughty and proud, but oh no, as it turns out she has misunderstood the poor lad (er, 118 year old bugger). It's not that he disdains her--she is his "heroin." (Uh, all those conservative parents out there who like the chasteness of Meyer's world might want to think about how she metaphorically describes and dramatizes love...)

comment #11

Rich S. says ...

"But to suggest that it's undramatic for a couple to struggle against their own natures, who strive mightily not to fall in love suggests someone who doesn't know much about literature or drama."

Exactly. I guess the guy never saw Casablanca.

comment #12

air nike shoes says ...

I still think the films will make 60mil, I think its gonna drop from friday to sunday

comment #13

free games says ...

I really do not like Twilight.