Twilight fans out in droves for Eclipse

BUFFALO, N.Y. (WIVB) - Captivated movie fans were among the first to take in a summer blockbuster.

"Eclipse," the third installment of the Twilight saga, hit theatres for its midnight debut. The local Regals didn't lack viewership as excited Twilight fans lined up.

Samantha Simone said, "I read all the Twilight books a thousand times, and I'm in love with Jacob."

Another fan said, "I heard that this one is supposed to be the best so I want to see this one the most, and I like Edward."

"Eclipse" is a kind of culmination of the original Twilight and the second movie in the series called "New Moon" because it brings the tension between Edward, Bella and Jacob to the forefront. In "Eclipse," once again Bella Swan finds herself surrounded by danger as Seattle was ravaged by a series of killings, and a malicious vampire continues his quest for revenge. In the midst of all of this, Bella must choose between Edward and Jacob, knowing that her decision could ignite the struggle between vampire and werewolf.

Kyle Anderson said, "I've never read the books, but I love the movies. It definitely changes the whole vampire-look and to introduce vampires and lichens in this way pretty cool."

In 2009, Twilight was the number two search of the year behind Micheal Jackson on Yahoo. The hype has continued well into this year, with fans taking their love of Twilight to the next level. Nicole Neri wears here werewolf pride on her sleeve.

"I've always kinda been interested in vampires and werewolves and the way they mesh together, so I don't know, I've just kinda always liked that stuff," said Neri.

The mysteriousness of the characters mixed in with the drama and underlying romance is what draws viewers back each time for more.

The Twilight theme is now spreading to cookbooks, birthday parties and contact lenses. People are even getting tattoos of their favorite character, and searches for the "Eclipse" soundtrack spiked 200 percent this week.