enlarge The Associated Press

Kristen Stewart, left, and Robert Pattinson reprise their roles as young loves Bella and Edward, a tortured vegetarian vampire, in “New Moon,” the second installment of the “Twilight Saga.”

IF YOU GO

See a special 9 p.m. screening of "Twilight," followed by the midnight release of "New Moon" tonight at:

Nickelodeon (Portland)

Brunswick 10

Cinemagic Westbrook

Cinemagic Grand (South Portland)

Cinemagic Saco

 

Pity the modern-day men who have to compete with the fictional perfection that is Edward Cullen. How can such mere mortals possibly withstand the inevitable comparisons with the vegetarian vampire who melts hearts as easily as he reads minds?

Guys, sorry to say, it's only going to get worse.

Tonight at midnight, the much-anticipated "New Moon," the second film in the "Twilight Saga," will hit theaters nationwide.

"I expect this to be even bigger than 'Twilight' " in 2008, said Sarah Boggio, general manager of the Nickelodeon cinemas in Portland.

The Nickelodeon is one of many theaters in the area that will offer a special showing of "Twilight" tonight, before the midnight screening of "New Moon."

Inspired by the book of the same name by Stephenie Meyer, the film stars Kristen Stewart as Bella Swan and Robert Pattinson as Edward Cullen. (Harry Potter fans will recognize Pattinson as the heartthrob who played Cedric Diggory in "Goblet of Fire.")

While the first film and novel explored the universal theme of star-crossed lovers, "New Moon" spices it up with a second love interest, the dark-skinned and warm-hearted Jacob Black, played by Taylor Lautner.

Since this romantic thriller is a solid fantasy film, it's no surprise that Jacob has his own supernatural side.

The film's cast also includes Anna Kendrick, a Portland native who plays Bella's friend Jessica Stanley.

The immense popularity of the "Twilight Saga" has spawned a cultural fascination with vampires. Fans can now sink their teeth into vampire-centric TV series, including HBO's "True Blood" and the CW's "The Vampire Diaries."

Or they can don the black-leather-and-lace numbers being churned out by the fashion industry in an attempt to satiate the growing desire to emulate the glamour of the undead.

Despite the "Twilight Saga" novels' young adult genre and the films' PG-13 ratings, they have developed a devout fan base that goes well beyond teenagers.

Bobbi Villarreal-Fraser of Portland is a good example. When the first books came out, she bought them for her daughter, Maria Villarreal, who is now 17. A month and a half ago, she decided to see what all the fuss was about.

"I read all four books in four weeks," said Villarreal-Fraser, 40. "You can't put them down."

Villarreal-Fraser said the series has transformed her from a non-reader into a budding bibliophile. Her passion for the books is fueling her interest in the films.

"I'll be there about 9 p.m. to make sure I have a good seat," said Villarreal-Fraser, who plans to catch tonight's midnight showing with her daughter at Cinemagic in Westbrook.

Just as Bella learned there are inherent dangers in hanging with vampires, friends and family members of "Twilight Saga" fans have found that fandom can be infectious.

Becky Lewis of Wells has read each of the books twice, and watched "Twilight" too many times to count. She has persuaded her mother, her boss and her best friend to read the books, too.

"You end up being on a particular team," said Lewis, 30. "Either team Edward or team Jacob. Team Edward here. It brings you back to your first love."

And what a first love it is. Edward is not simply a gorgeous bloodsucking monster, but an immortal who struggles to suppress his instinctive desire to kill and wrestles with moral dilemmas.

He is obsessively in love with Bella – to the point of stalking her – and it doesn't hurt that he has managed to save her life on multiple occasions.

And, guys, you may hate to hear this, but he's a good listener, too.

"Edward is like a perfect person," Lewis said. "But he's also really dangerous, which is really hot."

Much has been written about author Meyer's Mormon background and the abstinence theme that runs through the "Twilight Saga." The fast-paced storyline is fueled by unconsummated sexual tension, and it's easy to see...