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Twilight fans stand in line 10 hours for midnight debut
TWILIGHT--Friday-Movie-Pic1
Jessica Monte and Caitlyn McGee get ready to head into the theater to watch the next installment of the Twilight series. - photo by JASON CAMPBELL

One can’t accuse Angelina Zeiher of not being a true “Twilight” fan.

The Lathrop resident made sure she had all her ducks in a row on Thursday afternoon so that she could grab everything she needed and head down to AMC Showplace Theaters in Manteca and get in line for the midnight showing of the next installment of the four-part romantic vampire series.

She waited nearly 10 hours before the movie actually started with other mega fans like herself. They spentthe time talking about the books, the movies, the weather and anything else they could to help the time pass before they got to see Robert Pattinson and Kristen Stewart become Edward and Bella and watch the story unfold.

“Everything that was going on out there was about the movie. It was a lot a lot of fun – it was cold, but it was fun,” Zeiher said. “It was great because it was all people that liked the same thing as (we do) were there for the same reason, and that made it an even better experience. “

And the 10-hour campout sessions still wasn’t enough to satisfy her Twilight craving. The following morning Zeiher hit the theater again with her mother to catch the film a second time.

As to why she breezed her way through the four Stephanie Meyer novels, saw the first three films in the theater and watched the first part of the last story twice in the same 12-hour period – it’s all about the love story.

“It’s every girl’s dream to have what they can’t have – unforbidden true love,” she said.

Early box office receipts show that the movie may pull in as much as $150 million in its opening weekend – a number that the films haven’t been able to reach since the sequel to the first movie came out in 2009.

By Friday night lines at the AMC Showplace were predominantly dominated by Twilight fans looking to get their fill of the next part of the story – even if they already knew what was coming.

“I just love the story – the fantasy part of if it, and the idea that true love like that actually exists,” said Caitlyn McGee – who was in such a rush to get to the theater that she forgot to take off her Give Every Child a Chance badge. “I wasn’t going to wait in the premiere line last night, but I knew I wanted to get down here today.”

Both McGee and friend Jessica Monte had already read the entire series prior to showing up at the theater on Friday.

For Celeste Mayar the trip to the theater was a chance to experience something new.

“I haven’t read the books but I love the movies,” she said. “It’s been hard not to see things online that tell you what’s going to happen next because everybody already knows what happens in the story. I’m just glad that I get to see the next part today.”