Union County Theaters Brace for Twilight Midnight Mania

If you are in Westfield today, it'd be easy to assume that E. Broad and Central streets were torn up so the Westfield Department of Public Works can continue its repaving project. But it also could be the stampede of hormonal teens (and some interested parents) who have been running into the Rialto Theatre for its Twilight movie marathon, which culminates with the main event — the 12:01 a.m. showing of the latest in the series, 

Beginning at 2:40 this afternoon, the Rialto began the mayhem with a screening of Twilight, the first installment in the wildly popular book-to-film series that has made heartthrobs of Edward the vampire and Jacob the werewolf — and made rivals of young girls who live and die with the fictional hunks. Meanwhile, author Stephenie Meyer's four books in the Twilight franchise have sold more than 25 million copies and inspired the films that have generated $790 milllion in box-office revenue and made Robert Pattinson (Edward) and Taylor Lautner (Jacob) international movie stars before they had to shave every day.

Bud Mayo, founder and CEO of Digiplex Destinations, which owns the Rialto and the Digiplex Cranford (which is not showing the movie), said the company has been preparing for the Twilight release for more than a week.

"We're expecting a sell-out crowd tonight," Mayo said. "The studio spends a huge amount of money promoting this."

Since Harry Potter, his pals — and their fans — now have Hogwarts in their rearview mirrors, Mayo said the studio's marketing push makes his job easier, since actors appear on major talk shows in advance of the premiere.

"Releasing a movie from this standpoint as an exhibitor is a relatively simple thing to do," he said, adding that the Rialto staffers will be working "unusually late." Mayo said he added workers to handle the rush at the concession stands and in the aisles. Mayo said the digital format of the theater enables the Rialto to show the same movie simultaneously in all six auditoriums, accommodating more than 1,500 "Twihards", the nickname given to the movies' fans. 

At the on Route 22, there was no fanfare — not even a single Twilight poster could be found in the building as theater workers enjoyed the calm before the cinematic storm. As patrons bought tickets for the midnight show shortly before 4 p.m., a manager said they hadn't sold out but are "getting there," adding that they staffed up to handle the inevitable rush, including opening all 10 screens to meet the demands of Twihards. She also said that they'd let people into the theaters, rather than make them stand in line.

Fans waiting to buy tickets said fellow Twihards weren't likely to dress up. "That's more of a Harry Potter thing," one said. But that doesn't mean they lack for enthusiasm.

"Last year it was crazy," Vicky Laguardia, a Twilight fan from Berkeley Heights, said. "We got here at 9."

AMC will sit people early in the theaters, which is a change from last year, where fans had to line up in the lobby to wait.  

But in Westfield, where the true fans who checked in early also will see the 5:30 p.m. showing of Twilight: New Moon and the 8:30 screening of Twilight: Eclipse before hanging tough to catch the 12:01 a.m. Breaking Dawn launch. Good news for parents: the first three movies clocked in at nearly 2 1/2 hours, but the midnight flick runs only 1:40, meaning you should be able to pick up the kids and get them into bed before 2 a.m.

Homework? Forget it. Permission slip to go to school late? Likely.