New releases

As usual, this week’s new releases include several high-profile entertainment options, from new CDs by Alice Cooper and Rick Springfield – Again, is it 1988 and no one told me? – to the DVD debuts of “Harold & Kumar Escape from Guantanamo Bay” and the Martin Scorcese-Rolling Stones concert film “Shine a Light.”

But the highlight of the week undoubtedly is the release of Stephenie Meyer’s “Breaking Dawn,” the fourth – and apparently final – book in her mega-popular “Twilight Saga.”

If you haven’t heard of Meyer and “Twilight,” just ask a teenage female. If she hasn’t read the tale of star-crossed romance between a human girl and a vampire boy (with her werewolf BFF thrown in for good measure), she probably knows a fellow female who is a passionate fan.

To give you an idea of the level of enthusiasm we’re talking here, check out this Associated Press story about Meyer fans practically taking over Comic-Con last Thursday. Hundreds of teens camped out overnight in the hopes of catching a glimpse of early footage and the cast of the film version of the first book, “Twilight.” The film is coming out in December.

In the meantime, “Twilight” fans are planning to celebrate the release of “Breaking Dawn” with Harry Potter-style festivities. Book stores across the nation are planning release parties Friday night, and eager readers will be lining up at 12:01 a.m. Saturday to snap up their copies.