THROWBACK THURSDAY: Twilight
By Ruby Mikolaitis
When Robert Pattinson was confirmed to be the next Batman, I’ll admit I was shocked. Then, upon reflection, I realised there’s no one better to play the iconic superhero than someone who’s nailed the brooding and mysterious archetype before. And now that R-Patz is back in the public consciousness, I’ve noticed the nostalgia of the Saga crawling back in. Could this very well mean a Twilight resurgence? Will there be a Twilight boom all over again? I - for one - really hope so!
As the sparkles of Edward Cullen shimmer back into the minds of moviegoers as a result of the Batman announcement, it’s clear that Robert Pattinson is struggling to shake his bloody reputation. Since 2012 (when Breaking Dawn: Part 2 was released), Robert Pattinson had cleverly picked roles to move forward from the vampire he once was. He played a bleached-blonde manic in Good Time (2018) and a convict turned astronaut in the critically-acclaimed High Life (2019). Despite all this however, Robert Pattinson can’t seem to let Edward Cullen go.
But, it’s not hard to see why. Robert Pattinson’s work is unforgettable.
I still remember seeing Twilight for the first time. I was 10-years-old in the good ol’ emo days of 2008. Bands like All Time Low and My Chemical Romance were at their peak, eyeliner consisted of inch-thick circles around one’s eyes and fringes were cut with a razor and were meant to cause temporary blindness. One evening, I went with my aunty to watch Twilight and, little did I know, the 2-hour film was about to change my life for the next five years. For a number of reasons.
Firstly, R-Patz played what was the ideal boyfriend for pre-teens around-the-world. How, you ask? Well…
1. Those gorgeous red lips
2. Those burning, amber eyes and how they stared at Bella constantly
3. THAT kiss. Ugh.
4. “Hold on tight spider monkey…” (Note: Robert Pattinson improv’d that line which is even cuter.)
5. The lustrous quiff that you just wanted to run your hands through.
I could go on. But you get the picture.
Secondly, if you were not a pre-teen but an actual teenager (or if you’re obsession carried into your teens), then the Twilight-spiral went even deeper for you, as you discovered the inner-world of fanfiction. Yes, you remember, Fanfiction.net and Tumblr were filled to the brim with amateur stories and ship pairings. This phenomenon went even so far as to inspire the shockingly successful 50 Shades of Grey. But let’s not digress.
And don’t even get me started on the Twilight merchandise. Twilight merch was everywhere. You could literally get anything from shoelaces to dark purple, musky fabric softener. There was also a Revlon Bitten lip stain collection, where you could get vampire lips like Edward’s AND there was even an Edward Cullen body pillow if you were that keen to get that Edward-esque hug. Did I buy most of these? No comment.
But even if you didn’t like Twilight personally, you were definitely influenced by its impact. Let’s not forget that Twilight started the vampire craze, with tv series’ such as True Blood, Hemlock Grove and The Vampire Diaries entering prime-time slots. Twilight was not only a catalyst for fantasy to erupt, but it was also one for fandoms to become a social formation in itself.
However, all this aside, Twilight’s biggest impact, in my opinion, had to do with relationships. Edward Cullen was the perfect gentleman (albeit, vampire). He taught boys how to treat girls and bought back the concept of courting, of going on dates and just chatting. My little 10-year-old self was obsessed.
So, Robert Pattinson, you may dislike your Edward Cullen image now, but women around the world still have their nostalgic memories of the perfect boy you showed us. And for that, we salute you.
I will always love and be proud of Twilight. Team Edward all the way!