Film Blog Group Hug: The 'Twilight' Edition

Boy, you miss a few weeks work to move 2,000 miles, and you fall behind on all kinds of things going on in the world of Twilight. All you Twilighters have, no doubt, been keeping up to speed with everything that's been going on out there -- you're making plans to attend Breaking Dawn parties, planning what you're going to wear, entering giveaway contests, and getting your Twilight-inspired costumes put together (who knew there were so many varieties of vampire fangs out there?).

I know, you have it much more together than I do on all the Twilight madness, but hey, I've been on the road with four kids, a dog and a cat all crammed into a 1998 Ford Windstar, moving back to Seattle, so I'm just now getting around to catching up. So here's a rundown of all-things Twilight for you -- in case you, like me, have been having a busy summer.

Did you know Breaking Dawn comes out August 2? Of course you did. I know, because my 11-year-old hardcore Twilight fanatic reminds me at least twice a day with an up-to-the-minute countdown of exactly how long she has left to wait until she can get her copy and dig into it. In the meantime, you can whet your Breaking Dawn appetite with a daily countdown fix in the form of alluring Quotes of the Day from the new book. Whoo boy, have those Twilighters been having a ball analyzing every last quote to try to figure out from them what exactly is going to happen in the book. Hey, we have to pass the time until August 2 some way, right?

Think you know more about Twilight than anyone else? Go test your knowledge on MTV's Twilight quiz, and see how you stack up against your Twilight-crazy friends.

For all you fans out there who are really into Jacob Black, Reelz.com has an interview with Taylor Lautner, who plays teen-werewolf Jacob in the film. I'm liking this kid more, the more I see of him; hopefully his turn in Twilight will forever banish those pesky memories of Sharkboy and Lava-Girl from the recesses of my brain.

Who wants a Twilight poster signed by the cast? You do, of course -- well, you and 89,000 other Twilight fans. Pop on over to the official Twilight site, watch the newest trailer (again) and enter for a chance to win!

If you're in New York, you'll want to be at Border's at Penn Plaza for the Breaking Dawn release party, where those enthusiastic fans from Twilight Lexicon will be on hand to host a trivia contest, talk about the series, and more. Oh, and there's a costume contest, so start polishing those fangs now. If you're not in New York, chances are there's a Breaking Dawn party being hosted near you, so find one now. Can't find one? Host your own already. Sheesh. I'll be taking my daughter to one of the Seattle-area parties (surprise, surprise), and I'll post some pics of that one here. If you go to a party, take lots of pics, post them up on your Flickr account, and point me to them.

Newsweek has an interesting article up about the Twilight series as a vehicle for mother-daughter bonding -- and, particularly, as a starting point for discussions about pre-marital sex. One of the greatest appeals of the book from a mom's standpoint is that it addresses young love and sexual desire without a bunch of teens ripping their clothes off. Series author Stephenie Meyer, a Mormon, doesn't want Edward and Bella having sex before marriage; the whole, "Sorry, I'm a vampire, and if we have sex I could kill you" thing is an excellent vehicle for keeping Bella and Edward's pants on without getting preachy. And, of course, lots of moms and daughters are just enjoying sharing the series together. There's only so much Hannah Montana and Jonas Brothers we can take, but we moms never seem to tire of talking Twilight.

The LA Times has Twilight in the Number Two spot in their list of Things to Watch for at Comic-Con. Of course, Cinematical will be at Comic-Con in full force, and we'll be covering all the Twilight news you can handle. Supposedly, they'll be giving out Twilight trading cards ... you hear that, Erik and Scott? I want some of those for my daughter. Do not leave Comic-Con without them.

Alright, that's a pretty good round-up for now. We'll be you bringing heaps of Twilight news (oh, sure, and other news too) from Comic-Con, so stay tuned. And heaps of thanks and praise as always for the excellent folks at Twilight Lexicon and Twilight Moms, who are always on the ball with all news coming out of Twilight Central. You guys seriously rock.

Oh, and side note: Anyone read Blue Bloods? I bought the first book in that series for my daughter to read on our long-ass road trip, and she really dug it. Now she wants the rest of the series to keep her busy until August 2.