_ I was referred to this entire saga via Ian Somerhalder’s twitter, and it has literally been eating at me all day.  For those of you who don’t follow the sexy star, here is the twit that got the tweeters talking. I should probably catch everyone up before I say my piece.

“Good night world happy thanks giving.Im NOT grateful for is the midnight black Friday crap-thousands of families missing out on family time

Stores should be ashamed. Family Is all we have, the foundation of our country and our world.Just my 2 cents,may not matter but I said it.” ~Ian Somerhalder

Yeah the statement got my goat a bit, but everyone is entitled to his or her opinion, so you let stuff go.

A website called OMGYahoo picked up the tweet heard round the world and did a short segment on it, which you can access here

http://omg.yahoo.com/news/ian-somerhalder-thanksgiving-family-not-discount-shopping-151903244.html

This is where things get juicy. Out of the first 66 replies, some of which included “OMG I LOVE VAMPIRE DIARIES” 3 people disagreed with him. 

The most fervent being someone going by the name EternalPromise

She tweets “Easy to say for somebody that has money to pretty much shop for whatever they want when they want. People that have more limited incomes have to try and get the best deals they can in order to stretch their meager funds as far as they can.”

Suffice it to say that didn’t go over big, she was bombarded with 35 dislikes and therefore her comment was hidden.

That is until Ian Somerhalder got word and responded to her directly.

“EternalPromise,
Hello it's Ian Somerhalder.I truly understand you position and in no way was my statement an affront to you or anyone.My point was that,while driving the economy is imperative, the question I hope we ask to ourselves is:"at what cost?"Thanks giving is a day to be with family and not having to work because retailers have figured out how to lure people in with "BIG" savings which if you talk to people in the retail world,really aren't "BIG" it's simply marketing.They win,family time is broken up and dollars are spent. Stretching a dollar is what we all long to do. The "huge" discounts are important to families I know,I grew up in one.I just wanted to point out that while I appreciate retailers I'm saddened by what they have done.It's the workers and their families that truly suffer.If they don't show up for the big "midnight" opening they will most likely lose their jobs-then what?If you would like to discuss it any further please email me: helloitsians@gmail.com
Thank you and Happy Thanksgiving

 

Damn that boy is gorgeous, charismatic, and should be a politician.  He may also be the anti-christ (just kidding)

I couldn’t shake why it was on my mind all day.  I agree with him on some points, family is important.  I lost the most important person in my life this year.  I had two parents with cancer.  Time is something we can’t get back.  Not even if we did have all the money vampires do. 

Yet there was another side, one that I was thinking about tonight after family left and I was doing dishes.  My Dad worked 30 years every Thanksgiving.  He wasn’t dealing with Best Buy madness, he was just walking his normal cop beat, making sure other families got to have a safe and happy holiday.  We never resented society for it, or thought of it as a loss.  Thanksgiving dinner doesn’t have to be at 2pm Thursday afternoon.  We made it work, because that is how the real world gets by.  Nothing is perfect, timing is even less perfect.

Black Friday shopping…yes that gets beyond crazy, and sometimes the way people treat one another (any day, not just Black Friday) downright sucks.  Yet I remember the year my Mom left at 4am just to camp out at KBToys because all my little brother wanted that year was the white power ranger.  He is 24 btw, and he still has it on a shelf in his room.

This is the first year my cousin has gone Black Friday shopping since my Grandmother died four years ago.  It was their tradition. We reminisced about Grandma’s Black Friday game face just yesterday, and laughed so hard we almost cried.  She knew what the deals were, she was 80 pounds dripping wet, and quick as a mouse.  Not only did they get their Black Friday deals, my cousin got those memories too.

I suppose I’m rambling now, but these are the things I’d say to Mr. Somerhalder if I ever spoke to him.  Not everything is so black and white.  Family time shouldn’t be something to focus on just because it’s a government holiday.  Black Friday wasn’t created by the devil, sometimes it’s a tradition that brings people together and creates memories that last long after a person is gone.  Sometimes waiting those few extra hours till Dad comes home tired and just sits down to eat still wearing his uniform….are worth it.

Ian Somerhalder is an amazing actor, gorgeous, and with just about the best hair I’ve ever seen a man have.  He is also smart, and seemingly incredibly selfless.  I think he is one of those people whose heart truly is several sizes bigger than most. 

As it stands Ian’s comment has 204 likes, 0 dislikes.  His comment hasn’t been hidden.  I respect EternalPromise for speaking her mind, my mind, the mind I was at first too timid to share.  I respect anyone who stands up for themselves, even when they know they will be verbally crucified because they have disagreed with a celebrity.

All in all, I hope both EternalPromise, and Ian had a great holiday.  I hope they spent the day with people they love, and went shopping or didn’t.  I hope they realize that they still have time to spend with people they love, even if it’s just a good old regular Monday.

That’s my two-cents.  Take it, leave it, or bring about change.

With All My Love To Everyone…..and yeah Vampire Diaries IS awesome.  That you can’t disagree with.

_ Thinking about my favorite little monster today, I thought I would throw together my personal Top 10 Creepiest Kiddos.  Feel free to add your own in the comments!

 

10. Ofelia (Pan’s Labyrinth 2006)

This subtitled Spanish film set in 1944 Spain features Ofelia as a young girl sent to live with her new stepfather, a cruel Captain in the Spanish Army.  Wandering the grounds, she soon meets a fairy who takes her to a faun in the center of the Labyrinth. He tells her she is a princess, locked out of her Kingdom, and she must complete three tasks to be allowed back in.

The thing that makes Ofelia so damn creepy?  Her willingness to do whatever is asked of her.  No matter how dirty, bloody, or dangerous.  By the end of the film her determination to fulfill the demands of a monster she doesn’t know, but trusts, makes this little one downright worrisome.

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9. Barto (The Unborn 2009)

This film, a subpar horror flick at best focuses on main character Casey, who at first appears to be haunted by her unborn twin brother.  We soon learn that the boy she is seeing is not her brother, but the body of her dead Great-Uncle who died as a child during the Holocaust.  It may be his body, but inside is a Dybbuk, an evil spirit trying to enter this realm by finding a shiny new baby meat suit.

And you thought your family was messed up.

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8.  Sally (Don’t Be Afraid Of The Dark 2010)

You’d think the most upsetting thing about this movie was Katie Holmes trying to act.  However, young Sally takes the prize.  She is sent to live with her father and his girlfriend in a mansion they are currently restoring.  Despite the title, Sally should be scared shitless.  She hears whispers from the vents saying her parents don’t love her.  She finds a locked basement, and a bowl full of human teeth. (She just takes one as a souvenir) Even when she comes face to face with the fairy/goblins that are pissy and clearly don’t want to be BFF’s after all, she still fails to raise alarm. She does however want to take a Polaroid of one, I guess for her scrapbook. I know you’re needy Sally but playing dirty with goblins makes you downright creepy.

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7.  Twin Girls (The Shining 1980)

Dressing your twins identically is upsetting enough.  Twins who appear out of nowhere and ask to play while moving uncharacteristically fast toward you?  I’m not covering my eyes, I’m hauling ass outta there.

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6.  Samara (The Ring 2002)

Is there anything more intrusive than a dead, wet child crawling out of your TV and dripping all over your living room floor?  I think not. Granted with her dark unkempt hair and emotionless expression Samara is creepy beyond words, and that is despite all the murdering.  Hey, if your mom threw you down a well, you’d have issues too!

_ 5.  Karen (Night of the Living Dead 1968)

Oh Karen, we barely knew ye. Despite being bitten by a zombie (even though in this groundbreaking classic the word Zombie is never actually used) you took forever to turn that we nearly forgot all about you in the basement. That is until you sprung up and ate your Dad and stabbed your Mom.  You weren’t long for the Zombie infested world, but the image of you snacking on your Dad’s arm will be with us always.

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4. Esther (Orphan 2009)

Let us be honest here, Esther may have acted sweet as sugar, but she never came off as a normal child.  It takes a ridiculously long time to realize she is calculating and dangerous (and that is after one of her siblings nearly dies) What makes Esther rank so high on the list?  She’s brilliant, she acts her part excellently. When we find out she is really a 32 year old woman trapped in a child’s body, that knowledge does nothing to make us feel better as she tries to seduce her father.  Easily one of the most disturbing scenes I’ve ever seen, luckily Dad declines her advances, but is stabbed for turning doing so.

Apparently, the answer to the question “What’s wrong with Esther?” is that she is 32 and still single. I feel your pain Esther, I feel your pain.

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3.  Young Michael Myers (Halloween 1978)

Ok Michael, granted your sister was supposed to be babysitting you, not banging her boyfriend.  But was stabbing her naked ass to death really necessary? The blank expression on the young boys face as his Dad rips off his clown mask is creepy as the classic theme plays. It spawned a franchise, and a genre, but let us not forget the very first face of Michael Myers.

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2. Newborn Baby (Dawn of the Dead 2004)

Oh baby, you were doing so well hanging out in your mom’s tummy when she was unfortunately bitten by Zombies, passing the virus on to you.  You paved the way for Zombie babies everywhere. You were only alive minutes, but your creepy eyes and sudden death will never ceases to give me goosebumps.

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1.       Claudia (Interview With The Vampire 1994)

Was a Vampire ever played more masterfully than that of forever 12 year old Claudia? Before the days of Twilight teens and the Sullen family, she was who I wanted to be when I grew up.  Never physically aging past twelve, but living for decades her hunger for blood and vengeance for being a forever child blossoms.  She knows how to handle herself, when to play the role of a child and when to speak to her fellow Vampires as an adult.  She is the perfect predator with her doll like curls and lovely smile.  Even going as far as to kill her maker, Claudia shows that you don’t have to be six foot tall to be badass.  And the scene when she keeps a dead prostitute in her room because she envies the woman’s body so much?  About as creepy as it gets.

_5. American Horror Story (Wednesdays at 10pm on FX)

We’re only one episode into this creeptastic new drama, and despite being somewhat confusing, it’s definitely like nothing you’ve seen before….and absolutely not for the kids.  The story centers around the 3 members of the Harmon family, after several indiscretions they relocate from Boston to LA. Instead of buying a sunny beachfront condo, they instead purchase a spooky Victorian mansion, complete with ghosts, murders, and an attic full of bondage gear.  The storyline is a little harsh to follow (there are a lot of flashbacks) but hopefully the story will evolve at a good pace and start to reveal some of the secrets of the House.

4. Supernatural  (Fridays at 9pm on the CW)

This long running show following the demon fighting Winchester brothers Sam and Dean just began its seventh season.  The past few seasons have had the brothers in an enduring story arc to stop the apocalypse. This season however the brothers will go back to their roots, saving lives and hunting things.  Dealing with the betrayal of their angel/best friend Castiel turned new God, the brothers will go back to the beginning, where they only had each other.

3. Bedlam (Saturdays at 9pm on BBC)

This new series on the BBC really caught me off guard. After watching the British horror shows Being Human, Demons, and Hex, I learned one thing.  The British suck at horror. However, this cleverly written show follows main characters Kate and Jed.  Kate works with her father running Bedlam Heights, a loony bin turned deluxe condominium. With her are two quirky roommates as she leads a relatively successful business in promoting the new complex.  That is until her recently released from a mental hospital cousin Jed shows up.  Jed, the black sheep of the family, was committed after claiming to see ghosts.  Seems his stint in lockdown taught him to keep his mouth shut because despite still seeing ghosts and helping them move on, he keeps his gift to himself. Upon realizing that Bedlam Heights is chalk full of pissed off spirits, he ends up staying with Kate.  With good dialogue and out of the ordinary hauntings (the ghosts often communicate through electronics such as computers and texts) this show is just different and interesting enough to work.

2. Vampire Diaries (Thursdays at 8pm on the CW)

This series has just entered its exciting third season, but don’t worry, there is still time to catch up.  The series revolving around Vampire brothers Stefan and Damon Salvatore may seem somewhat ‘tweenish’ but I’d go as far as saying it’s one of the best shows on television. Well written, with almost zero plot holes, it’s a perfectionist’s dream. Including but not limited to Vampries, Werewolves, Hybrids, Witches, Hunters, and Ghosts the people of Mystic Falls have a lot of their plates. I personally love this show because everyone talks to one another.  Sure it might not sound like much, but when there is a plan, they work it over.  When there is a crisis they work together. No one is expendable, and the stories always come full circle. Throw in a lot of sex and blood, and it’s a girls dream.

1.The Walking Dead (Season 2 premiering October 16 at 9pm on AMC)

Season One took off full force last Halloween.  Following a ragged group of survivors after a Zombie apocalypse, the show didn’t hold back on gore or a body count.  Led by ex-sheriff Rick Grimes, the group traveled in search of a safe and secure home, and someone who knew what the hell was going on.  Among the other survivors are Sheriff Deputy Shane and Rick’s wife and son.  Well written (and with plenty of zombie children…creepy) this show goes back to the good old fashion zombie. Ravenous, ugly and without any kind of restraint these zombies will have your head….literally.

Last season ended with the group finally arriving at the CDC for help.  There they learned it wasn’t looking good.  The only survivor they found had lost contact with any others weeks earlier.  His message to them, “We’re alone now.”  I hope that Season 2 will pick up right where Season One left off, with the group trying to figure out where to go when no one is coming to save you.

(My vote is a liquor store)

_…at least in the past ten years. After re-watching the cinema masterpiece Young Frankenstein, I found myself thinking about the rare levity that can sometimes come out of left field, and make an otherwise ok movie, downright memorable.
I’m keeping it in the past 10 years, because quite honestly if I could include every Horror flick I’ve ever seen, we’d be here for decades.

I urge you to add those you think should have been included!

#10 A Nightmare On Elm Street  was well cast and had a ton of good one liners. This is by far the best.

Freddy Krueger: Little Nancy. Now that you caught me, what game do you wanna play next?
Nancy: Fuck you!
Freddy Krueger: Ooh, sounds like fun. It’s a little fast for me. How about we hang, first?

#9 Orphan. Isabelle Fuhrman as Esther (worst example of buyers remorse EVER) plays her part masterfully and by the end of the movie the tension could be cut with a knife (literally). The quote that stuck with me occurs as Esther’s adoptive mother Kate (whose life has basically gone to hell in a matter of days) tries to take control of a clearly catastrophic situation.

Kate:Esther! Go to your room!
Esther: (with an exasperated sigh)Honestly, we’re past that now, aren’t we?

#8 Frozen When my sister rented the 2010 movie Frozen, I was completely bummed. About 3 friends that get trapped at the top of a ski lift, and essentially forgotten about for the entire weekend. I actually ended up really liking this movie for a lot of reasons, the acting was great, the characters were very likable, and the ending hurt so good. But it’s the short exchange between best friends, Dan and Joe, when the realization of death hits them that stuck with me.

Joe: [trying to pass time] What did the 14-year-old girl from New Hampshire say to her dad when she lost her virginity?

Dan: Get off me, you’re crushing my Marlboros.

Joe:Yup.

#7 Jennifer’s Body Ok fine, I’ll admit it. I, of my own volition, not only went to see Jennifer’s Body (2009), but I paid for it too. Yes, the movie was completely ridiculous, yes, Megan Fox can’t act her way out of a paper bag. YES, none of this matters. It was a hot mess and you know it! This movie had a ton of hysterical killer lines, this is one of my faves.

Needy: You know what? You were never really a good friend. Even when we were little, you used to steal my toys and pour lemonade on my bed.
Jennifer:And now, I’m eating your boyfriend. See? At least I’m consistent.

Consistency…it is good to have in a friendship.

#6 Twilight Saga: New Moon. There I said it. Granted it’s full of monsters, but hardly a horror movie. I really only bring it up for the most epic moment in the movie. It comes at the very end, when hapless heroine Bella is trying to hold a vampire family meeting.

Bella: So I think the only fair thing is to vote about me becoming a vampire.
Edward: Bella! NO!
Bella: Shhhhhut up.

Yes kids, I did just reference the most awesome “shut up” ever uttered in a monster movie. Because really…isn’t that all any of us wants Edward Sullen to do!

#5 The Devil’s Rejects.  The name speaks for itself. Kick ass movie, brutal scenes. Is it any wonder the sadistic hillbillies don’t respond well to the hostage irritatingly begging for his life?

Otis: Boy, the next word that comes out of your mouth better be some brilliant fuckin’ Mark Twain shit. ‘Cause it’s definitely gettin chiseled on your tombstone.

#4 Zombieland. I’m inclined to say this entire movie. It has become one of my all time favorites. Everyone in it was awesome, and I cannot wait for the impending sequel in 2012 (God I hope the world doesn’t end first) However the best line is delivered to a towel-clad Woody Harrelson.

Columbus: You’re like a giant… cock blocking robot…like developed in a secret fucking government lab.

#3 Sorority Row. No the horrific part wasn’t watching Bruce and Demi’s daughter Rumer Willis try to act. Which incidentally IS a little rough. I consider both Bruce and Demi, very attractive people, what happened in that gene pool? I digress. This movie is awesome and I command and insist that you go rent it if you haven’t seen it. You will love to hate the lead mean girl Jessica and not just for this line.

Ellie: I think Megan’s alive, you guys.
Jessica: Ellie, you’re being borderline retarded right now. She’s not alive. Someone else is doing this.

#2 Shaun of the Dead. I never knew a foreign movie could make me love it so much. I’m sure this is a staple in everyone horror lovers home, and if it isn’t…shame on you! This movie has absolutely everything from Albums as weapons to How to act like one of the living dead.

[describing the zombies]
Dianne: Just look at the face: it’s vacant, with a hint of sadness. Like a drunk who’s lost a bet.

AND FINALLY…

#1 The Crazies. For the number one spot, I couldn’t just type the lines, you just had to see it for yourself. In The Crazies (2010), not only do you have a ravenous Z-Day population, and Timothy Olyphant to drool over, but you get a glimpse of the most realistic marital spat I’ve ever seen. And you thought your family road trips sucked!