Twilight is almost upon us, y’all … we are mere 3 days away from the movie’s official opening (well, 2 days away if you figure in the first midnight showings on Thursday) and anticipation for the film is reaching a fevered pitch. The movie had its official Hollywood premiere at Mann Village and Bruin Theaters in Westwood, CA last night where the principal stars were joined by their celebrity cohorts on the red carpet … oh yeah, and about 600+ “fanpires” who came out to shriek and scream for the arriving cast members, getting louder and louder until Robert Pattinson’s arrival caused the excitement to go supersonic (poor R. Pattz even went “completely deaf”). Here are a few pics from last night’s premiere arrivals and some info about the night’s festivities:

Hundreds of shrieking fans — mostly teenage girls — lined the streets outside the Mann Village and Bruin Theatres on Monday for a chance to peek at the stars attending the Los Angeles premiere of “Twilight.” Some enthusiasts of the popular vampire literary series-turned-movie camped out overnight, while many arrived at dawn to secure a place in line. “I’m on basic motor functions right now,” actor Robert Pattinson, who plays sexy vamp Edward, said amid fans’ screams. More than 600 people were allowed inside special holding areas along both sides of the premiere’s red carpet. The self-proclaimed fanpires gawked, squealed and begged for autographs and photos with the stars. Others spilled out beyond the barricades and across the street from the premiere. Many held up handmade signs. Most just wanted face time. What question did they ask the most? “‘What’s it like kissing vampires?’” said actress Kristen Stewart, who plays human teenager Bella. Marie Sheranian, 16, and Brianna Matheson, 17, came from Simi Valley, Calif., to catch a glimpse of Pattinson, the 22-year-old actor who became a heartthrob after winning the role of Edward. The two “Twilight” fans created T-shirts professing their devotion for Pattinson and brought crates to stand on in hopes of seeing the actor’s face — or even the top of his hair — from above the crowd. “My heart is gonna explode,” Sheranian said from atop a crate. Not everyone in the horde was a howling teenage girl. Several teenage boys were sprinkled throughout the crowd. And there were even a few parents — including the founders of TwilightMoms.com, who left their children and husbands at home to attend the premiere. Pia Castillo said she came all the way from Tegucigalpa, Honduras, to see the film’s bloodsuckers in person. “It’s shocking something I came up with could inspire all this,” said “Twilight” author Stephenie Meyer. The red carpet was buzzing about possible sequels. Meyer has written three other “Twilight” novels. Pattinson said he signed on for the film thinking it would be part of a trilogy, and he knows a script for a second film has been written. Stewart said she originally heard the cast might reunite to film both the second and third sequels at the same time, but now they might be filmed separately. “It has to make a certain amount of money, like $150 million, to be able to afford the sequel,” director Catherine Hardwicke said. “So we really don’t know yet.”

LOL. I’d be surprised if Twilight didn’t make $150 million in it’s opening weekend, considering all this insane hype. But, more realistically, it prolly won’t make that much money in one weekend but I think it’s a bit silly to say that they’re not sure about future sequels … this movie will make more than enough to justify the sequels to come. I have to say, I’m so impressed that all of this crazed excitement has been generated by a book … once again, my spirit is heartened by the fact that all of this rabid fandom comes not from video games or pop star worship — all of this excitement comes from reading books. The naysayers have much to say about all this “silliness” over vampires but I am most taken by the fact that books have inspired this insanity. Kids are reading! I really do hope that Twilight exceeds all expectations. The more success that movies like this have, the more credence will be paid to the actual written word. It won’t be long now.

[Photo credit: Splash News; Source]

Peter Facinelli, who is married to 90210’s Jennie Garth and stars as Dr. Carlisle Cullen in the new Twilight movie, is featured in the new issue of LA Direct magazine. Let you think that Robert Pattinson and Cam Gigandet are the only vamps bringin’ the hawtness in the big screen adaption of the wildly successful book, Mr. Facinelli reminds us that the older dudes can bring the sexy just as much. Here are a few pics from Peter’s LA Direct photospread:

Some of y’all who may not recognize Peter Facinelli’s name might remember that he played the loveable douchebag in Can’t Hardly Wait and co-stared with Bill Bellamy on the short-lived FOX TV series Fastlane. Some of y’all might also be aware that Peter has been Mr. Jennie Garth for the past 7 years and that the couple share three children together (Luca Bella, Lola Ray and Fiona Eve). Something tells me that Peter’s upcoming stint as Carlisle Cullen in Twilight (which is sure to be the first in a multi-film franchise) will win him a whole new slew of fans. If the ravenous Twilighters can tear their eyes away from R. Pattz long enough, they might find a new hottie to salivate over in Peter Facinelli.

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This past weekend we learned that Nicole Kidman would be receiving a special tribute from Hollywood legend Shirley MacLaine at the 15th annual Women In Hollywood Tribute event hosted by Elle magazine — and last night was the big night. Celebs of varying stature and caliber made their way out to The Four Seasons hotel in Beverly Hills, CA last night to partake of Elle magazine’s tribute to, in their estimation, the most worthy women in Hollywood. Here are a few pics from the event’s red carpet arrivals last night:

Nicole Kidman, Jane Fonda, Jennifer Lopez, Diane Keaton and Halle Berry joined dozens of other stars in a ballroom at the Four Seasons Hotel on Monday for Elle magazine’s 15th annual Women in Hollywood tribute, honoring seven noteworthy women in entertainment. Fonda served as an informal entertainment ambassador before the program, chatting up actress Kat Dennings and introducing Amber Tamblyn to Shirley MacLaine. Meanwhile, the evening’s host, Chelsea Handler, shared laughs with Jenny McCarthy and Cheryl Hines. Other guests included Kate Beckinsale, Courteney Cox, Eva Mendes, Angie Harmon and Cheryl Tiegs. Elle’s annual dinner pays tribute to women “who are telling our stories” in Hollywood, said editor Roberta Myers. This year’s honorees included Berry, Fonda, Kidman, Anne Hathaway, Sigourney Weaver, Isla Fisher and director Catherine Hardwicke — all of whom are featured in the magazine’s November issue. “Someday hopefully it won’t be necessary to allocate a special evening to celebrate where we are and how far we’ve come,” Weaver said. “Someday women writers, producers and crew members will be so commonplace, and roles and salaries for actresses will outstrip those for men, and pigs will fly.” Though things have improved for women, “we do have a long way to go,” she said. Hathaway said in today’s Hollywood “women are about so much more than how they look. I think it’s pretty remarkable that, at 25, I’m able to say that my role as a woman in Hollywood is purely as an artist, not a cause,” Hathaway said. “I’m free to play my characters as I imagine them, far beyond what size jeans they wear.” Fisher thanked “my baby daddy SBC” (Sacha Baron Cohen) and paid homage to Kidman, “who paved the way for all us Aussies.” MacLaine continued the praise. “Nicole Kidman has been a revelation to me, and it’s not easy for me to be revelated,” she said, calling Kidman “my star child.” Kidman thanked all the directors who “molded” her, particularly Anthony Minghella and Sydney Pollack. “They were men in Hollywood who loved women,” she said. Fonda thanked all the women in the house — and Hollywood itself. “Aren’t we glad we’re not bankers,” she said. “We are in the most fantastic business.”

I feel I must echo Sigourney Weaver’s comments and am also very much looking forward to the day when events like this are no longer necessary. Hopefully the day will soon come when there’ll be no need to honor women in Hollywood on a singular night of tribute because they will be afforded the same tribute as their male counterparts every single day. I find it criminal that Johnny Depp (and no offense to him in any way) can demand $55 million dollars for a film role when women cannot garner the same pay. There is still a huge disparity between wages paid to men over women. We may have come a long way (baby) but there is still a long way to go yet. In any event, congrats and kudos to the women honored at last night’s event. It sounds like due tribute was paid to some very deserving women.

[Photo credit: Splash News; Source]

Beverly Hills, 90210 alums Shannen Doherty and Jennie Garth joined the new crop of 90210 kids at a premiere event in Malibu, CA for the new CW spin-off which is set to debut on 09.02. It’s almost time y’all … we’re just days away from finding out if the new 90210 can live up to the hype and expectation of the stunning success of its predecessor … but for now, it’s just time to party. Here are a few pics from the event’s red carpet event last night:

Shannen Doherty and Jennie Garth joined the cast of CW’s 90210 spin-off Saturday at a beachside bash to celebrate the show. The party took place on the Malibu shore - about 20 miles away from the Beverly Hills zip code, the AP reports. Doherty and Garth, who will reprise their roles as Brenda Walsh and Kelly Taylor in the new show, arrived separately. Joe E. Tata, who played Peach Pit owner Nat, also attended. Party guests expecting to get a glimpse of the show’s first episode were out of luck: The premiere was not screened. (The CW recently announced pre-broadcast copies of the series would not be distributed to TV reviewers and reporters as a “strategic marketing decision.”) Meanwhile, Garth recently said reuniting with Doherty (with whom she once got into a fistfight) wasn’t “as bad as I thought it would be. We’re both grown women, both professionals,” she told TV Guide. “Once we were working, it felt like a good fit.”

Tori Spelling, who continues to get the shaft from the new 90210 was, obvs, not in attendance at last night’s affair. Again, I’m excited at the prospect of the new show but I fear that expectations may be too high. I understand why the show’s producers are keeping the first ep under wraps until the series premieres next week but … I dunno, can it really live up to the hype? There are a lot of fond memories about the original show … I dunno if anything can really measure up.

[Photo credit: Wireimage; Source]