Why I like Stephenie Meyer and why I'm excited about the movie.

Everyone who knows me, knows that I am quite literally obsessed with the Twilight series (honestly, if you're not, I can't relate to you. How can you not?) Stephenie Meyer is awesome and she posted the following on her website:

I (Stephenie Meyer) know everyone is anxious to hear some updates on the movie. I've been too crazy busy to do a lot of blogging about it, and then I've also been afraid of spoiling anything for those who want to be surprised. So I'll just tell you a few short, non-spoiler stories and give you one new picture:

This is me with the humans—who don't get enough love—and director Catherine Hardwicke in the "Forks" high school cafeteria. I got to watch the filming of several key lunch scenes, and see how amazingly well the actors were portraying those human characters. Watching them be Mike and Eric and Jessica and Angela and Tyler made it feel strangely like it all might just be real—which was a crazy feeling. So the humans get two thumbs up from me. And Greg (Tyler) wants us all to know that Bella would definitely choose a guy with an awesome van over some vampire.

Funny story: on April first, I got to watch as they shot Bella's first scene in the hospital (after the above mentioned van careened into her) with Charlie (Billy Burke) and Carlisle (Peter Facinelli). Between takes, Peter came back to the monitors where I was hanging out with Nikki Reed (Rosalie), and producers Greg Mooradian and Gillian Bohrer. Nikki and I were talking about how Kellan Lutz (Emmett) kept eating during the Cullen's cafeteria scenes (Kellan is always hungry) and how the editors would have to cut around that. Greg asked the question many of you have asked: what happens to food eaten by a vampire? (He referenced the infamous bite of pizza Edward takes in the book.) I explained the icky truth—they eventually have to cough it back up. Peter was listening to all of this very quietly, and then he and I had the following conversation (I'm paraphrasing, because I don't have a vampire's perfect recall):

PETER: So vampires would never eat food, unless they are trying to fool humans? They would never eat at home?

ME: No, of course not.

PETER: Huh.

ME: Why do you ask?

PETER: Well...when we were filming one of the scenes in the Cullen house, Esme brought me a bowl of Raisin Bran. I was eating it through the whole scene. I don't think they could cut around it, because I was chewing through some of my lines... I guess that wouldn't make a ton of sense for Carlisle to do, though, would it?

ME: (slightly panicky) Er, no. It really wouldn't.

PETER: Oh, well.

ME:

PETER: And also, April Fool's.

(The part I can't covey here is how convincing he was. Peter is, after all, an excellent actor. He got Kristen/Bella at dinner, too, so I wasn't the only one.)

6 fun facts from the set:

1) While watching the playback from a very intense scene with Bella and Edward, the girl next to me literally slid right out of her chair—I think her bones melted. She also may have stopped breathing for a few seconds, too. I know I did.

2) Mike Welch can dance.

3) Hugging Kellan Lutz is the closest you can get to hugging a vampire; he is made of granite. (But please do not try to hug Kellan without his permission. Thank you.)

4) Portland is too cold. For anyone. But especially for Arizonans.

5) Jackson Rathbone can really play the guitar. Our taste in music is not exactly the same, but we found common ground with Radiohead's Creep, with which he then serenaded me.

6) As you might guess, I do a lot of internal swooning on the set. However, I have an excellent poker face.

To conclude, I would like to make a few comments about Rob and Kristen, who are the true heart of this movie. First, they are both amazing actors. Second, they are channeling Edward and Bella like nobody's business. Third, you might want to bring a paper bag to the movie, because their on-screen chemistry may cause hyperventilation. That is all.

--Stephenie