With "Twilight" drawing near, the buzz at Borders Books is growing.

The movie, based on the first of four wildly popular books in author Stephenie Meyer's teen-scream vampire saga, opens nationwide at midnight tonight. In anticipation, Borders in Bethel Park held a pre-movie party Saturday, with video interviews with the stars, a 100-question trivia game, charades, a raffle and free candy, the last of which was only partly accountable for the inability of the tween girls to sit still.

"We had a pre-release [book] party for 'Breaking Dawn' last summer that drew around 200, 250 people," said sales manager Ann Rogers, who served as mistress of ceremonies for last weekend's event. "Seems to be some of the same crowd tonight."

About 50 "Twi-hards," as devoted "Twilight" fans are called, crowded the downstairs reading area near the fireplace, some wearing black T-shirts promoting the movie, others dressed from the prom scene in the first book, "Twilight."

The book series, which also includes "Eclipse," "New Moon" and "Breaking Dawn," is the story of Bella and Edward, whose romance can be described as a day at the beach only if the weather is overcast.

He's a vampire, she's human. It's complicated.

It's also fairly chaste, at least through the first three books. Mrs. Meyer, a Mormon, is adept at creating romantic tension without sex or booze. "Gossip Girl," it's not.

"Vampires have been hugely successful with both adults and kids," Ms. Rogers said. "The popularity of vampires hasn't died down."

One of the first big pop-culture vampire success stories was television's "Buffy the Vampire Slayer," which began as an allegory for high school angst and evolved into a rich legend that continues today in graphic novels.

For the older set, Charlaine Harris' "Southern Vampire" series featuring Louisiana barmaid Sookie Stackhouse is doing well and was recently made into an HBO series, "True Blood."

The idea of girl-meets-undead boy hasn't provoked much in the way of complaint from parents or church groups, Ms. Rogers said.

"They haven't dumbed down these books," she said. "A few parents have told me they're just glad their kids are reading."

Christine Elek, a teacher at St. Bernard's in Mt. Lebanon and St. Valentine's in Bethel Park, brought daughters Elizabeth, 14, and Elena, 8, to Borders with a couple of their friends.

Elena is too young for the book, she said, but "my 14-year-old loved it."

The majority of the happily noisy crowd was young, female and clearly smitten with the character of Edward Cullen, played by Robert Pattinson in the film.

As video clips and interviews from the movie production played on a nearby television, occasional shrieks erupted. When a behind-the-scenes feature showed Bella and Edward swinging through tall trees, there was a burst of giggles.

Leaning against a bookshelf, Brad Vargo watched with a bemused expression.

The Charleroi High School student had not read the books, but was at Border's because he'd been "dragged along" by his aunt, Andrea Wisner, of Monongahela, and younger cousin, Destiny Wisner.

"I got corralled," he said, laughing.

A few of the moms took a break during the trivia contest to run upstairs in search of caffeine.

Bethel Park parents Mary Ann Lecci, who was there with daughter Vickie, 19, and Ginger Rodgers, who was with her teenager, Rebecca, 14, decided to do some mother-daughter bonding by reading the books, too.

"Vickie said, 'Mom, you've got to read it,' so ..." said Mrs. Lecci, holding a paperback copy of "Twilight."

Some of the girls in the crowd said they planned to attend a midnight showing of the movie, which is scheduled for just after midnight on five screens at the Loews Waterfront in West Homestead.

Even for those waiting until a more civil hour to attend, the countdown was under way.

"Six days 'till it comes out," Elizabeth Elek said Saturday. "It's written on my hand."