Twilight time

It landed on the porch with a thud, 520-some pages of it, complete with a shimmery "soon to be a major motion picture" sticker on the cover.

Yes, friends, it's "Twilight" time.

Since we're out of the teen demo -- OK, way out -- we admit to being a little puzzled by all the hubbub over the Stephenie Meyer best-selling vamp series. It's labeled "young adult," so why are so many full-grown chicks slavishly devoted to the books and licking their chops about the upcoming movie? Remember what happened at Comic-Con?

To try to get to the bottom of it, we chatted up a pal. We'll call her Christi because, well, that's her name. She also falls outside the target, but has fallen under the spell, devouring more than 2,400 pages in less than two weeks. That's all four books, including "Breaking Dawn, the most recent in the series that caused some "Harry Potter"-like mania (and a lot of heated debate among readers) when it went on sale last month.

After having purposely stayed away from news, mad crazy blogging, leaks and other ephemera about the series until she'd read it, Christi is now a bit of a "Twilight" hound (doesn't go so far as to call herself a Twilighter, though, because apparently those people are off the hook). Reshoots on the movie? She's on top of it. Book 5 derailed after a rough draft found its way onto the Interwebs? She's mourning that development.

It begs the question: What would cause an otherwise sane non-vampire fan to be so rapt?

"It's a good love story," she said. "Maybe I'm a hopeless romantic."

Fair enough.

Trying to make converts out of us, Christi was the one responsible for the Amazon delivery to our door. So, we read, and we'll admit it has a certain darkish charm. We'll probably take a look at "New Moon," whose first chapter is smartly included at the end of "Twilight."

But it's not because we're romantics. Nope, not copping to that. Even though those kids sure are into each other, and Bella's willing to give up everything for Edward, and he resists his vamp nature to be with her. Heavy sigh.

We're psyched for, um, we'll probably see the movie, which got the plum "Harry Potter" spot on Nov. 21. It's just because we're big Catherine Hardwicke fans. Yeah, that's it. Big fangs, we mean, big fans!

See Meyer in a rare interview today on "The Ellen Degeneres Show," where the Emmy-hoarding host promises to squeeze some Book 5 info out of the elusive author. (Full text likely to show up seconds later on any one of these fan-obsessed sites, just in case you miss it). 

The Con goes femme

And now, a little something for the ladies.

Apparently this year's Comic-Con, perhaps for the first time in its history, is shifting on its male-dominated axis and becoming a place where women are making their presence felt. Not to mention their libidos.

Seems they're no longer settling for that traditional role of Halloween-ish eye candy in the form of walking (but not talking) anime characters and Princes Leias (bikini version).

Check out some highlights from the session that included hunky "300" star Gerard Butler promoting his upcoming Brit heist flick, "RocknRolla."

And by now, yesterday's "Twilight" panel and the "surprise" Hugh Jackman appearance are the stuff of chick lore.

Let's not kid anyone, though, the Con still isn't entirely hospitable to girls, or even grrls. Have you ever actually smelled the San Diego Convention Center during this annual geek fest? Hot. Sticky. Packed with basement dwellers. Use your imagination (but not around mealtime).

Not sure if this development says more about mainstreaming of genre entertainment and the major awards talk that's already bubbling up around its finer examples, or if it's just a prelude to a "Girls Gone Wild" video.

Either way, we'll be keeping an eye on the sitch.

Comic-Con crowds: psyched!

And the crowd goes wild! No, really really wild!

Isn't that what Comic-Con is all about? Predictable, but true. That's why studios, TV networks and other purveyors of genre entertainment presumably bring their A-game to the annual Geeks-a-Plenty Gathering. Fantasy, horror, sci-fi -- it's all ruling the boxoffice, if not stirring up some major awards chatter.

Let the courting and heavy petting begin!

Hugh Jackman sent people into fits and spasms today, mainly for showing up and then for acknowledging a comic writer and, then, for standing by as a specially crafted "X-Men Origins: Wolverine" trailer unspooled. Are you feeling the pandemonium all the way from San Diego?

If not, check out the "Twilight" session in which some women identified only as "moms" (not hot moms or the much more descriptive MILFs, mind you) asked some inappropriate questions to the vampire flick's comely young star. (Robert Pattinson, pictured at right at this summer's MTV Movie Awards).

Other sources on the ground, in fact, told us that session was downright rife with middle-aged women with lust in their eyes. And you thought it was just the movie that seemed creepy.

Turns out it's a good thing those uber-fans left home yesterday and camped out all night to get into the "Twilight" panel (no kidding) because an epic traffic jam on the 5 has left thousands stranded and fuming, including our own brother blogger James Hibberd. (Top speed for hours: 3 mph).

That's just cruel and wrong for everybody involved but especially for Hibberd, whose wounds are still fresh from weeks of Television Critics Association coverage. Soldier on, buddy, and try not to wipe out a whole mess of ewoks when you get there.

If you haven't read his "Best of TCA Awards," by all means do so.