Local ladies enjoy “Twilight” series

Local Twilight fans celebrated the release of the latest movie in “The Twilight Saga” franchise with a “Twi-night” party. Front row L to R: Kelsey Aycock, Caitlan Smith, Ally Willis and Madison Thompson. Back Row L to R: Tancie Bendall, Olivia Taylor, Anna Smith, Laurie Hovater, Tracie Thompson, Beth Pounders, Alisha Bendall and Ashley Bendall.

Everyone has something they’re passionate about, whether it’s music, golf, shopping, football or cats, most people have that one certain thing they could talk about for hours and enjoy every single day without ever getting tired of it.

For one group of Russellville women, their passion is firmly rooted in the wildly popular “Twilight Saga” series, and to prove their love and devotion to all things Twi-related, they recently held a “Twi-night” party to celebrate the release of the newest movie in the franchise “Breaking Dawn – Part 1.”

For those who have been under a rock for the past several years, “The Twilight Saga” consists of a collection of four books that have also been translated into four movies, all of which center around the relationship of the completely human Bella Swan, her vampire love interest, Edward Cullen, and her werewolf best friend, Jacob Black.

The series has a cult following that has attracted fans of all ages, which is evidenced by the array of people from teenagers to ladies in their 60s who attended the recent “Twi-night” party hosted by Russellville residents Beth Pounders and Tancie Bendall.

The two women hosted the party at Bendall’s home and had the house completely decked out with Twilight memorabilia.

“We had food, which we tried to coordinate with significant things from the books, and we had tables set up with items that represented things from each of the books,” Pounders said.

Bendall added that they played games while watching all three movies including a version of BINGO called “FORKS.”

“Getting together and having a party all about Twilight is just fun,” Bendall said. “It’s great to have something that you can talk about with women of all ages that love it, too.”

Pounders agreed that being in the company of other “Twi-hards,” as many die-hard Twilight fans are known, is the best way to enjoy the series.

“The Twilight Saga just brings out the youth in you and I also feel like you can relate to the story at any age,” Pounders said. “It makes it even better when you can spend time with people who love it like you do because they get all the inside jokes and know what you are talking about. Just being at the party and watching all the movies was fun with those who know what everything means.”

For most people that love the series, it’s hard to completely explain why a story about vampires and werewolves has so completely grabbed their undivided attention that they would be willing to spend hours at a Twilight party and to stay up until 3 a.m. to watch the newest movie as soon as it comes out in theaters, but Pounders said it’s all about the connection you make with the characters.

“I first got into the series because one of my friends told me about the books and then my sister had mentioned them, so I gave in and borrowed the books from that friend,” she said. “Once I started, I couldn’t put them down.

“I think it was just the characters and how their feelings came through so clearly in the books. It made you feel like you were there with them, experiencing everything with them personally.”

For Bendall, the draw of the series came from reading about a somewhat “perfect” world where romance is everywhere and love prevails.

“I’m not sure why I loved them so much. It may be because of the ease of reading them or the idea of a “perfect man” and a “bad boy” all in one book,” Bendall said. “I’m a happily married mother of four, but the fantasy of this love story was something I just couldn’t help but love. Plus, I joke that my husband is a little like both Jacob and Edward so I have the best of both worlds.”

The “Twi-night” party was such a success, Bendall and Pounders are already planning next year’s party that will coincide with the release of the final movie in the franchise, “Breaking Dawn – Part 2.”

“We have had so many people tell us how much they would have loved to have come to the ‘Twi-night’ that we may have to change the location next year,” Bendall said. “I’m not sure my house is large enough for all the fans that want to celebrate.”