Michael Grove, a member of the British Parliament and The secretary of State for Education, gave a speech at Brighton College last week where he open bashed the idea of teens reading Twilight.

“Too many children are only too happy to lose themselves in Stephenie Meyer.”

“There is a Great Tradition of English Literature, a Canon of transcendent works, & Breaking Dawn is not part of it,” he continued.

Then in an interview with Financial Times he added,

“You come home to find your 17-year-old daughter engrossed in a book. Which would delight you more… Twilight or Middlemarch?,”

But wait! It isn’t just Twilight that this political Brit has a problem with. He also thinks Angry Birds and pool are a waste of time.

“You see your son is totally absorbed, hunched over the family laptop,” Gove said. “You steal a look over his shoulder – and what would please you more – to see him playing Angry Birds, or coding?,” Politics.co.uk reported. “Your son says he wants to spend more time with one particular group of friends. Which would be more inspiring – because he wants to improve his pool or because they’re in the cadets and he wants to join?”

As one twitter user put it: “Brave” speech from Michael Grove today. Coming out against Twilight, Angry Birds, and playing pool. Basically everything young people like.

Personally, I’ve seen many a teen who hates to read say they are thankful for Twilight because it opened up a world of books for them. I’d rather my kid read Twilight than not read at all! No Twilight fan has ever tried to pass off the saga as Pulitzer Prize winning material, but it is fun and entertaining. If we were only suppose to expose ourselves to award winning, educational, and deep material, we wouldn’t have movies like Airplane, Blazing Saddles, or Napoleon Dynamite. TV would have to lose Big Bang Theory and How I Met Your Mother. I don’t think this man understands that his definition of “fun” doesn’t fit with a vast majority of people’s opinions.

Read the whole story at the Huffpost Students.  

Teen.com is looking for fans opinion on who is the hottest male Brit celeb.  They’ve picked the top 16 and it’s up to fans to vote for their #1 choice.  Robert Pattinson is on the list as well as Twilight Saga cast mate Jamie Campbell Bower.  Fans of the The Host can vote for Max Irons.   Also on the list are the guys from One Direction, Daniel Radcliffe, Alex Pettyfer, Andrew Garfield, and Eddie Redmayne.  The contest runs until May 20.  Vote at Teen.com.  

Fans who enjoyed the graphic novel of Twilight will be happy to know that the New Moon graphic novel, Vol. 1 has been released.  It’s currently available at Amazon.com for $11.32.  The art is by the Young Kim, the same artist who provided the art for the Twilight graphic novel.  

Also, in case you missed it, there is a collectors edition of the Twilight graphic novel.  What’s different about this version from the original?  For starters, it’s Vol. 1 and 2 of the Twilight graphic novel put together in one book.  The cover art from Vol. 1 and 2 is combined as a poster on the flip side of the jacket cover.  Also included are 3 character bios from The Official Guide to the Twilight Saga.  The book runs for $13.88 on Amazon.com, which is a savings for any fan who didn’t purchase the books the first time around and wants the full set.  

The Host will be released on DVD/Blu-Ray on July 9, 2013.  But fans who can’t wait that long can get it in a digital version through iTunes or Amazon on June 25th.  It looks as if both version of the film will include the same extras.  

BONUS FEATURES (BLU-RAY™ and DVD):

·      DELETED SCENES

·      BRINGING THE HOST TO LIFE: A behind-the-scenes look at the making of the film, featuring interviews with Stephenie Meyer, Saoirse Ronan, Max Irons, and Jake Abel.

·      SEEKER PSA: Feature Commentary with Author/Producer Stephenie Meyer, Screenwriter/Director Andrew Niccol, and Producer Nick Wechsler.

For the Summer Sequel Smack Down being hosted at Moviefone, I was asked to offer my opinions as to way the varies films in the Twilight Saga were better than the other films they were matched up against.  All for match ups are featured at HuffPost.  Here is what I wrote for Breaking Dawn Part 1 vrs Deathly Hallows Part 1:

Potter verses Twilight. How many times has this been debated? I’m a fan of both, so it’s hard to pick one franchise. However, this debate isn’t about the franchise as a whole; it’s about these two specific films. In this case, The Twilight Saga: Breaking Dawn Part 1 wins over Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Part 1. I could debate this comically, and break down how Bella and Edward’s wedding was leaps and bounds better than Bill and Fluer’s. I could joke about how the only real “romance” we got in Deathly Hallows was when Horcurx!Harry made out with Horcrux!Hermione, while we got full-on, headboard-breaking sex in Breaking Dawn Part 1. But I really do thinkBreaking Dawn Part 1 deserves legitimate consideration this time. What makes Breaking Dawn Part 1 so special as a film is that it literally hits on every major point in a young woman’s life when it comes to relationships: Marriage, making love for the first time, becoming pregnant, and delivering the child. The film even goes a step further in having Bella fight for the life of her unborn child at the risk of her own life, something rarely seen in Hollywood. It’s a female-driven storyline about the most life-changing events that happen for a female, and it’s aimed at a female fanbase. I think it was an important film for that very reason. I can’t deny that Deathly Hallows Part 1 didn’t move me when Ron left or when Dobby died. Sure it did. But watching Bella literally waste away and eventually die was so much more chilling on screen than it was the book. The birth scene alone should have granted the film an “R” rating, and yet Bill Condon managed to pull it off in a way that worked to keep the film at its PG-13 status. And then came the ending! Oh, what an ending! Splitting up a large book into two movies always makes fans wonder where the first film will end. I was highly displeased and a bit confused with the choice of where Deathly Hallows Part 1 ended, but Breaking Dawn Part 1 had the perfect ending. So, this round goes to the Breaking Dawn Part 1.

Read the rest of the match ups at HuffPost and let me know if I missed any very important points!  If any of the Twilight films wins their round, I will have to write more on why they should win in round 2.  I am open to suggestions and want to form the best arguments possible!  

Also, don’t forget to vote for the Twilight Saga at the Summer Sequel Smackdown!  

Moviefone is hosting the Summer Sequel Smackdown pitting popular fantasy film sequels against each other until a champion is crowned.

Here’s how it will break down:

1. Every week for the month of May, fans can vote in our bracketed tournament to support their favorite fantasy sequels.

2. Only the highest ranked will advance onto the quarter-finals, semi-finals, etc.

3. At the end of the month, one movie will stand tall as the undisputed greatest fantasy sequel of all time –as voted by the people.

4. YOU CAN ONLY VOTE ONCE in each round. So if you really want to rally around a movie to win, you have to share and encourage your friends to vote too.

5. Each voting round runs from Monday to Sunday. The next Monday will reveal who advances onto the next round.

6. Once the top fantasy sequel is named at the end of May, it will move on to our end-of-summer grand finale, where it will compete against the top-voted sci-fi, action and comic book sequels to name the best sequel of all time.

In this first round New Moon takes on Order of the Phoenix, Eclipse is against The Return of the King, Breaking Dawn Part 1 is against Deathly Hallows Part 1, and Breaking Dawn Part 2 takes on The Half Blood Prince. There are other options as well, but knowing the voting power of the Twilight Fandom, I’m sure we can manage to get a film all the way to the end.  You can vote once for each duo, which allows you to vote for each Twilight Saga film in this first round.  So our goal this week is to encourage all of the fans to vote for each film in this first round.  

We found this video and thought we’d share it with everyone. It’s a little rough with the language, so take that as a warning. And if you have a problem with anyone making fun of your fandom, then this might not be for you. However, we thought it was funny. There is a whole series of these videos that take on The Hunger Games, Dark Knight, and even The Avengers. And if you have time, I encourage you to check out the Les Mis video that these folks put together. But for now, here’s everything wrong with Twilight in 6 minutes.

The filmmakers that brought us Twilight in Forks have just released a new video called Twilight in Volterra.  Here is the full information:

With the release of the Breaking Dawn Part 2 movie and DVD, fans of Stephenie Meyer’s beloved Twilight Saga have been left thirsting for more of her fantastic world of romance and fantasy. Now fans can rejoice with the release of Twilight in Volterra: set in the real town of Volterra, a sparkling gem nestled in the Tuscan hills of Italy, this documentary explores the locations Meyer so carefully describes in the Twilight books.  Twilight in Volterra (www.twilightinvolterra.com) is available worldwide.

Four-time Emmy Award-winning filmmaker Jason Brown takes you in stunning HD through this beautiful Italian town in Tuscany.  Fans can visit the spot where Edward nearly took his own life to save Bella, and drive in real time with Alice and Bella on their frantic dash through the Italian countryside to rescue him. See the beautiful and formidable Piazza dei Priori clock tower strike noon, the Palazzo Viti, which marks the seat of power for the mysterious vampire Volturi, and hear their historical secrets revealed by Volterra locals.

Viewers will gain new admiration for the accuracy with which Stephenie Meyer brought this town to life, even though she had never set foot in Volterra before penning New Moon.  From the hints at magic and mystery on every corner to the fascinating traditions of the residents, Volterra is revealed as the perfect setting for vampire lore.  It’s the glamorous world of Twilight like you’ve never seen it before – even in the Twilight movies, which were not shot in the real Volterra but two hours away in Montepulciano!

Produced by Jason Brown and York Baur, this family-friendly documentary is a must-have for Twilight fans of all ages.  If you enjoyed Twilight in Forks and Destination Forks, Twilight in Volterra is a must-have to complete your collection.  It is available on DVD at Amazon.com, for download on Apple’s iTunes and Amazon’s Instant Video services, and on-demand through the Comcast, Xfinity, Cox, and Time Warner, and Bright House cable television networks.  For more information, visit www.twilightinvolterra.com, and join the conversation on Facebook at www.facebook.com/twilightinvolterra.  Members of the press can download the Twilight in Volterra backgrounder and request interviews at www.twilightinvolterra.com/contact.html.