14 DAY TRIAL // “Twilight,” the teen vampire flick that has generated quite a huge following since release, was undeniably also a major hit at the box-office. With two more sequels in the making, the impact of this particular film is beyond any doubt – in fact, it could be more than anyone ever expected. Police arrested a 13-year-old boy at a Des Moines school who bit 11 of his mates and then blamed his weird behavior on the popular film.
According to the DesMoinesRegister, the attacks occurred over a relatively long period of time, between February 10 and March 13. Ironically enough, only the boy’s last victim filed a complaint with the police, which, in turn, led to other victims of the wannabe vampire to take a step forward with their story. When contacted for comment, the boy’s father reportedly said that he meant no harm but got a bit too carried away with what he had seen in “Twilight.”
“According to the [police] report, the boy bit a 13-year-old female student on the right hand at a track meet on March 13. McCombs [Middle School] Vice Principal Connie Sloan investigated the incident and found that the boy had bitten 10 other students. When police contacted the boy’s father, he said that his son didn’t mean to hurt anyone and that he was biting other students because of the movie ‘Twilight.’ The boy was given a delayed referral to juvenile court on an assault charge.” the aforementioned publication informs.
While this case has not failed to already get some talking about the negative influence movies have on impressionable young kids, both in the media and on the Internet, it also stands as a clear testimony that the film has now become a classic. Oddly enough, this is not the first vampire case in recent weeks, since other schools across the US have also had to answer publicly to students or parents’ complaints of undead creatures lurking on the premises. This is, of course, the first time that the identity of the “vampire” is established.
On the same vampire note, “New Moon,” the sequel to “Twilight,” will see theatrical release on November 20. In 2010, on June 30, it will be followed by the threequel, “Eclipse.”