Beneath the withering pines and perpetually grey skies of Washington State lies the town of Forks – the proving ground for a tale of unrequited love which has captured the hearts and minds of a generation. Just as George Lucas’ Star Wars trilogy mesmerized the youth of the late 1970’s and Peter Jackson brought Mordor to the masses with his grandiose adaptation of The Lord of The Rings, The Twilight Saga has become a film franchise which resonates far beyond those shadowy multiplex walls and straight into the consciousness of teenagers around the world. The deeply romantic tale of vampire Edward and human Bella has become a cultural zeitgeist into which millions of followers have sunk their teeth. From smashing box office records to earning superstardom and mass adoration for on and off screen couple Robert Pattinson and Kristen Stewart, the saga’s phenomenal success has rekindled audience’s love affair with all things that go bump in the night. But what is it about The Twilight Saga that evokes such a strong and often emotional response from its many affectionately dubbed Twihards?..

This piece was originally published in Movie Magic and Big Screen magazine and can be read here