Print edition: 
You'd think that the big day for vampires this year would have been Halloween, when a whole lot of bloodsuckers were roaming the streets freely and without impediment.
If you thought that, though, "Twilight" is clearly not on your undead radar.
The popular young adult book series by Stephenie Meyer focuses on a beautiful young misfit named Bella Swan and the gorgeous, brooding love of her teenage life, Edward Cullen, who inconveniently turns out to be a vampire torn between his desire for sucking face and sucking blood.
The books — there are four of them — have already spawned one hit movie that was released in 2008 and made big tabloid celebrities out of its attractive stars, the prettily pouty Kristen Stewart and square-jawed brooder Robert Pattison. (It doesn't hurt that the gorgeous actors are rumored to be a non-blood-sucking item off-screen as well.)
Now the second movie is about to be released. It officially comes out on Friday, but this is one of those super-big-deal movies that will have midnight Thursday screenings at theaters all around town. The midnight screening at the Warren Old Town theater is already sold out, and as of Friday, the other theaters in Wichita offering the late-night showings had only a few seats left. (A Warren West employee told me that the phone had been ringing constantly with "New Moon" calls.)
Those same theaters are wisely also showing the first movie, "Twilight" at 9 p.m., just before "New Moon."
For those with "Twilight" bloodlust — mostly teenage girls, teen-at-heart grown women and fans of all things sci-fi — the release of "New Moon" is a bigger deal that any "Star Wars" prequel or "Harry Potter" film (or Halloween, for that matter).
In "New Moon," fans of the book know, they'll finally get to see some major Bella/Edward moments, including a painful breakup scene once bloodthirsty Edward realizes that he must leave Bella to protect her life.
The new movie will also include Bella's 18th birthday party, teen wolves, cliff diving, a troublesome love triangle and the introduction of a dangerous and frightening new group of supernatural bad guys — the Volturi.
There also will be, predictably, a lot of blood — blood letting, bloodlusting and blood-pumping bloodthirstiness.
An alert for die-hard Twilighters — on Monday, MTV will be showing two "Twilight"-related specials. "Love Bites" is a look at the rumored romance between stars Stewart and Pattison, and "New Moon Revealed" examines "Twilight" mania.
The half-hour specials air back-to-back starting at 9 p.m. on MTV, cable Channel 36.
If you go
'twilight' sneak preview
What: The second "Twilight" movie, "New Moon," will be released in Wichita at midnight Thursday.
Where: Northrock 14, Warren Theatre East and Warren Theatre West. Warren Old Town has already sold out its midnight showing but also will have a 12:20 a.m. showing.
Also: The Northrock 14 and Warren east and west theaters will put on an encore showing of the first "Twilight" movie at 9 p.m. Thursday.
Tickets: Are selling out fast. Theaters report having only a few seats left.
