Vatican slams ‘Twilight’ series

November 20th, 2009 LONDON - Vampire film 'New Moon,' the sequel to 'Twilght,' has come under fire from the Vatican church. Monsignor Franco Perazzolo, of the Pontifical Council of Culture, described the film as a "deviant moral vacuum".

November 18th, 2009 more images more imagesLONDON - Teen superstar Miley Cyrus says she doesn't want to watch the hit series "Twilight" because she is scared of the vampires. The "Hannah Montana" star is also baffled by the hysteria surrounding the latest instalment - "The Twilight Saga: New Moon" and its actor Robert Pattinson, reports imdb.com.

November 11th, 2009 more images more imagesNEW DELHI - Indian Filmmaker Mahesh Bhatt says he and his daughter Pooja are the only Indian artists invited by the Pope who is meeting artists across the globe in the Vatican City to discuss global peace. The father-daughter duo will join 500 others artists at the Sistine chapel Nov 21.

November 5th, 2009 NEW DELHI - PVR Pictures, the production and distribution arm of cinema chain by the same name, has inked a deal with independent American film studio Summit Entertainment for release of films under its banner in India, a statement said here Thursday. By joining hands with Summit Entertainment, we have yet again given an impetus to raising the bar to provide world class entertainment to India.

October 18th, 2009 LONDON - Television actress Kirsten Prout will star as vampire Lucy in "Eclipse", the highly anticipated third instalment of the "Twilight" series, said her representative. Imdb.com reports that Lucy is a prominent part of Jasper's backstory and builds a bloodsucking army with Catalina Sandino Moreno's Maria who along with the newest Cullen will eventually kill her.

October 14th, 2009 LONDON - "Twilight" star Robert Pattinson says women love his on screen vampire character but in real life he has problems getting girls to go on dates with him. According to mirror.co.uk, Pattinson thinks women are leaving him hanging.

September 12th, 2009 LONDON - Michael Sheen has revealed he was banned from clicking photographs on the set of the new Twilight movie over security concerns. The Frost/Nixon actor said he wanted to take pictures for his 10-year-old daughter, Lily, a huge fan of the series, but could not due to the tight security.

August 21st, 2009 LONDON - Twilight author Stephenie Meyer has been accused of plagiarism by an American woman. Jordan Scott has alleged that the 2008 novel Breaking Dawn has a "striking and substantial similarity" to her 2006 fantasy The Nocturne.

August 20th, 2009 LONDON - The filming for the third 'Twilight' series flick 'Eclipse' has started in Vancouver BC, Canada. 'Eclipse' is a follow up of 'New Moon', the second film in the teen vampire saga series, and it continues with the love story between Bella Swan played by Kristen Stewart and Edward Cullen played by Robert Pattinson, reports the BBC.

August 5th, 2009 LONDON - Stephenie Meyer, author of Twilight, has been accused of plagiarism by Jordan Scott, author of 'The Nocturne.' In a cease and desist letter to the publishers of Meyer's 'Breaking Dawn', the fourth in the hit series, Scott has claimed that the 2008 novel bears a 'striking and substantial similarity' to her 2006 fantasy book 'The Nocturne'. Scott has accused Meyer of recreating specific scenes from her own vampire novel and using near-identical dialogue.

July 31st, 2009 Geffen to release album featuring Benedict XVILONDON — Pope Benedict XVI will release an album on which he sings and recites prayers to the Virgin Mary, his label said Friday. The pontiff's as-yet-untitled album also includes eight original pieces of contemporary classical music, Geffen/Universal said.

July 25th, 2009 LONDON - Colombian pop star Shakira is eyeing a musical collaboration with actor Robert Pattinson after falling in love with his vampire movie Twilight. The singer was introduced to Twilight, after an executive at her record label noticed its themes are similar to those explored on her upcoming album, She Wolf, reported contactmusic.com.

July 14th, 2009 LONDON - The latest in the wizard film franchise, 'Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince', has been approved by the Vatican, which said that it was the best adaptation yet of JK Rowling's hit novels. L'Osservatore Romano, the official newspaper of the Vatican City that is ruled by the Pope, stated that the film's treatment of adolescent love achieved the "correct balance", and made the story more credible to the general audience.

June 12th, 2009 LONDON - Outspoken singer Lily Allen slammed the right wing British National Party (BNP) party during a concert in Australia. Thesun.co.uk quoted Allen as saying: "I wrote this song about the BNP.

May 21st, 2009 LONDON - Hollywood actor Rob Pattinson, who became a household name with his portrayal of a vampire in the Twilight series, has confirmed that he will be acting in yet another instalment. He confirmed at the Cannes Film Festival that the fourth Twilight instalment would be based on Stephenie Meyer's best-selling novel, Breaking Dawn.