Maggie Shayne's Embrace the Twilight

Despite all the awards this film has won, this film has gone nearly ignored. I discovered this movie one night while searching for a vampire romance, which as a movie genre are incredibly rare. I had high hopes.

I recognize that this is a low budget, independent film, and gave it all the leeway I give to this type of film. There are some surprisingly good low budget movies out there, that despite everything are so entertaining and well acted, the low budget sets and costumes fade into the background. Sadly, this movie isn't one of them, which is a shame because the book it was adapted from was a pretty decent read as far as romance novels go.

That's not to say it isn't likable, but perhaps not for the reasons the creators hoped for, because to be quite honest, this is a terrible movie. Embrace the Twilight, like movies such as Space Mutiny and Manos The Hands of Fate, are so bad they're good. How and why Mystery Science Theater or Rifftrax hasn't given this movie the attention it deserves is beyond my comprehension. The three extra stars it earned from me are for its pure comedic goodness.

As for the awards it won, they are truly incomprehensible. It has all the qualities of a classic Ed Wood film. The acting is laughably terrible, it's poorly scripted, the action scenes seemed like they were choreographed by a ten year old, and it appeared as it were filmed on a smart phone. The erotic love scene was one of the most ridiculous things I have ever seen. And yet all the entertainment value stemmed from everything that made it bad.

If you are looking for a great film, I suggest you skip this mess. But if you enjoy cheesy films like the ones featured on Mystery Science Theater 3000, you will probably love this.

"Maggie Shayne's Embrace The Twilight" has won multiple film awards; including winner of the "International Grand Jury Prize" for "BEST FILM" at the Los Angeles Film Festival, "Best Film" honors at Las Vegas Movie Awards, and "Best Film" at Birsamunda International Film Festival in Charing Cross, India.

Applauded by the book's author Maggie Shayne for its strong characters, and receiving a standing ovation at its theater premiere, the honors are awarded posthumously to Screenwriter and Director Carlos Dunn.

Special Effects by Hollywood SFX Artist Alan Tuskes has also won as well as cinematography, score, editing, and artistic direction.