Holiday Greetings from a Nice Girl

Since my column falls on Fridays, this will be my last post until the New Year. I couldn’t let this day pass without sending out wishes to certain people.

First off, to all the fine and fun people from New Media Strategies and Electric Artists. We’ve had so much fun throughout the year doing promos and giveaways and playing online games at USA’s Character Arcade (darn you, Terry!), not to mention Comic Con and the conference calls we’ve sat. It’s been a whirlwind year with these fine folks and I”m looking forward to working with them a lot next year. And with USA Network’s numerous hit television shows, it should be exciting!

Next, I’d like to send out a big HAPPY HOLIDAYS to all our Nice Boys. T J Thyne, Josh Malina, Eddie McClintock, Hart Hanson and Misha Collins, in particular, have kept us hopping on Twitter and emails. I wish them all the very best during the season – and more work for Josh.

Finally, to my fellow Nice Girls, Melissa and Louise: may your gift bags never be empty, for you have certainly given me much. And to our newest Nice Girls, Rueben and Tiffany: what wonderful talent and ideas you’ve both brought to our little site, making it not so little anymore. Happy Holidays to you both! And to Ed Gross, founder of SciFiTVZone.com, thanks for running a place where we can indulge our science fiction tendencies. Live long and prosper, my friend!

Last, but certainly not least, I wish all of you kind readers, and your families, a warm and wonderful Holiday season, from my home to yours.

Nice Girl BethAnne.e

Top 10 Favorite Holiday Music

Ah, the sounds of Christmas. You gotta love them! The tunes that run through your mind as you do your shopping or prepare your holiday cards. The songs playing on your radio as you decorate that tree. Perhaps you have favorites that you and your family sing together at your holiday gathering. Or maybe you are one of those who sing in a choir, or yes, even caroling! People still do carol, you know. At least, they do in my neighborhood.

Anyway, I have a list, and I’ve checked it twice, of my favorite holiday songs that I put together on one CD for myself and I’d like to share it with you.

• The Pretty Little Dolly – Mona Abboud
• Snoopy and the Red Baron – The Royal Guardsmen
• Carol of the Bells – David Foster
• Have Yourself A Merry Little Christmas – sung by Judy Garland
• Do They Know It’s Christmas? – Band Aid
• White Christmas – Bing Crosby
• The Christmas Song (Chestnuts Roasting on an Open Fire) – Nat King Cole
• Peace On Earth/Little Drummer Boy – Bing Crosby and David Bowie
• A Holly Jolly Christmas – Burl Ives
• Rockin’ Around Christmas Tree – Brenda Lee

There are so many more that I love to hear, but this is only my top 10 list. Do you have some that are not listed here? I’d love to know what your favorites are!

Top 10 Favorite Family Holiday Specials

There are certain specials that my children look out for every holiday season. The Wizard of Oz just days before Thanksgiving  is a sure sign for them to begin watching for their favorite specials. Traditionally, whenever there is one of these shows on television, we bring out the hot cocoa and marshmellows, don our warmest PJs, grab our fluffiest pillows and soft throws, and gather ’round the TV.

What’s on our list? Check it out!

• A Charlie Brown Christmas
• Frosty the Snowman
• Rudolph the Red – Nosed Reindeer
• How the Grinch Stole Christmas
• The Year Without a Santa Claus
• Santa Claus is Coming to Town
• ‘Twas The Night Before Christmas
• Mickey’s Christmas Carol
• The Little Drummer Boy
• Winnie the Pooh and Christmas Too

The best part of watching some of these with my kids is knowing that they are the same specials I watched as a child. Some shows are just timeless, and making these kind of memories around the television set never gets old.

Next week, check out my top 10 favorite holiday songs.

Top 10 Favorite Holiday Movies

“Top 10″ lists are all the rage these days, and I’m a fan of them. I read them all, and some of them are much like my own. The holiday season is upon us and this is my favorite time of the year. There’s nothing I like more during this season, than to curl up on my couch in my warmest pajamas and fuzzy slipper socks, a glass of warm, spiced wine in my grip, and one of my favorite holiday movies on my tube. In my opinion, some of the best holiday movies are:

• A Christmas Carol (every version made)
• White Christmas
• Holiday Inn
• The Polar Express
• A Christmas Story
• It’s A Wonderful Life
• The Santa Claus
• Christmas In Connecticut
• The Man Who Came to Sinner
• National Lampoon’s Christmas Vacation

Does your list look like mine? What’s missing? Check back next week for my top 10 favorite holiday family specials.

Thankful

This is the time of year when we remember all the things we are, and have been, thankful for throughout the year. I love this time of year, because I always have so much to be thankful for. I hope you won’t mind indulging me for a little while as I pull my Thankful List out of my head and put it here. Perhaps this will help you too, to stop for a moment and reflect or build your own list.

First off, I’m thankful for my fellow Nice Girls, Louise, Rueban, Tiffany and my close friend, Melissa. It’s been fun collaborating and scheming together over this past year. Melissa has shown me that I can do more than I thought I could ever so. She encourages me, rants with me, shares my brain and puzzles with me over the most ridiculous things. Melissa, thanks for pushing me out of my comfort zone!

It’s been a trying year for my family and me, and one of big changes. I’m thankful for my family who have stood by me and supported me. I love our family get-togethers during the holidays, for birthdays, or just because. We are many and we are loud, and I wouldn’t trade a one of them for anything in the world.

I’m thankful for my husband who has supported me, even when he thought I was just being silly. And my kids who remind me to laugh.

I’m thankful for my job, and in this day and age, that’s a big thanks.

I’m thankful for movie makers, television show creators and authors of great stories. Without them, we wouldn’t have NiceGirlsTV!

I’m thankful for good food, good wine, chocolate and peanut butter.

I’m thankful for the wonderful folks who invite us to those fun conference calls. Many of them have been a blast!

Finally, and certainly not least, I’m thankful for all the NiceGirlsTV.com readers.

The Vampire Diaries Answers Questions and Creates More, Just Don’t Tell Me!

I had no idea what I was going to write about until I watched tonight’s episode of The Vampire Diaries, History Repeating. Here’s the CW synopsis:

Jeremy (Steven R. McQueen) gets a break from the mysterious new history teacher, Alaric Saltzman (guest star Matt Davis, ‘Legally Blonde’) and introduces Alaric to Jenna (Sara Canning). Bonnie (Katerina Graham) is having terrifying dreams about one of her ancestors. Despite Elena’s (Nina Dobrev) efforts to smooth things over, Bonnie and Caroline (Candice Accola) continue to argue over the medallion. When the girls hold a seance to help them decide what to do, the results are stranger than any of them expected. Matt (Zach Roerig) comes to Caroline’s aid when she needs a friend. Damon (Ian Somerhalder) finally reveals to Stefan (Paul Wesley) the stunning reason he has returned to Mystic Falls.

First off, if this episode is still unwatched on your recording device, READ NO FURTHER.

I’m still reeling from this episode and trying to figure things out. Like, who turned Logan into a vampire and why? It’s obvious that the new teacher, Alaric Saltzman, is a vampire, but why is he in Mystic Falls? Is he trying to find out what happened to his wife, who’s death was apparently a ‘cold case’ mystery? Was his wife Katherine?

And Bonnie/Emily: why was she with Katherine, a vampire, in the first place? It’s clear that Emily was as powerful as Bonnie’s Gran said, but how powerful is Gran? Will Bonnie become that powerful as well?

Getting back to Logan, he was on The Counsel that knew about the vampires and wanted them dead – again. Now he’s one of them, so what happens now? And why didn’t he go to them first instead of going to see Jenna? What’s his plan? Is he collaborating with the vamp who turned him? Was it Damon?

The questions just keep refreshing with this show and I couldn’t be happier about that. This show literally has me perched on the edge of my couch, gasping in shock with just about every scene. I love how the writers lull you into a nice comfy cocoon with humor and quiet sweetness, then the bottom drops out and you are plunged into that thrill ride that is the roller coaster.

A couple of the scenes I’m referring to would be the ones between Stefan and Damon, throwing darts and a football. It was a lighter, funnier side of Stefan that we saw tonight. He made fun of Damon and himself, and completely turned the tables on his brother. Even shocking him with something Damon didn’t know before about Katherine’s last moments on earth – or so we thought until later in the episode.

Caroline and Matt are the sweetness and a bit of heartbreak that made up the episode. I admit, I like them together and I hope for the best for those two. However, I am quickly learning that with this show, you just can’t get too comfortable. And those characters I thought were just throw-aways? If you wait long enough, you find that they are sometimes key to a storyline.

I’m loving this new Jeremy. Gone is the brooding, angsty young teen. However, I can’t help but feel that his life is about to change drastically and it will be because of this research paper he will do on the history of his family. What will he read in that journal he picked up? Who wrote it? It’s key, I tell you.

And I know I’m jumping around a lot here, but again, I’m trying to sort out what this episode revealed, so bear with me, folks. How did the people of Mystic Falls round up 27 vampires and lock them in a church? We now know that, in fact, they went under the church and were protected by a spell that Emily cast to keep them in some sort of limbo. So was it Emily who contrived that? Was it to make the townspeople believe that all the vampires were destroyed? What did she mean when she kept repeating “Everything is different now”? What is different? And why would she destroy the crystal in front of Damon, knowing full well that he could now destroy her descendants?

Damon is heartbroken now and grieving once more for Katherine, but when his anger kicks in, you know he’s not really going to leave Mystic Falls. Now that Emily broke her promise to Damon, will he now hunt down Bonnie and her gran and destroy them?

Teacher Saltzman – good or bad?

Vampire Logan – good or bad?

My brain is screaming WHAT’S GOING ON? But don’t tell me, all of you who have read the books. I’m loving the adrenaline rush each week.

Music That Haunts Our Dreams

I guess this is turning into a short series for Halloween! As I was thinking about the movies I love to watch during this season, I thought also about the songs that have crept up over the years, all having to do with Halloween. Some make me giggle and some make me want to get up and dance. So without further ado, my top 10 list of songs that haunt my dreams:

10. Werewolves of London by Warren Zevon

9. Don’t Fear the Reaper by Blue Oyster Cult

8. Ghostbusters by Ray Parker, Jr.

7. Spooky by Classics IV

6. Tubular Bells (Theme from “The Exorcist”) by Mike Oldfield

5. This Is Halloween (from “Nightmare Before Christmas”) by Danny Elfman

4. Black Magic Woman by Santana

3. Evil Woman by Electric Light Orchestra

2. Monster Mash by Bobby ‘Boris’ Pickett

And in my number one spot, could it be anything else but Michael Jackson’s Thriller. I’m talking the long version here, people. Play that one at your Halloween party and see how many are able to keep in their seats.

There you have it! Maybe you have some favorites that aren’t on this list. Tell us what they are! Or I’ll haunt your dreams and whisper enchantments that will curl your hair.

Movies to Scare a Nice Girl

With Halloween just around the corner, everyone pulls out their top ten or top five favorite scary movies of all time. While I agree with most of them, I wanted to share my own personal top ten list of movies that I love to pull out of my stack o’ DVD’s during this time of year. It’s become a tradition, in my home, to choose two or three from this list, on or around Halloween night, grab a glass of wine, some snacks and a thick blanket, and settle in for a spooky night. Oh yes, we do put the little ones to bed and turn out all the lights in the house.

Starting with the number ten spot:

10. Steven Spielberg’s Poltergeist: A young family are visited by ghosts in their home. At first the ghosts appear friendly, moving objects around the house to the amusement of everyone, then they turn nasty and start to terrorize the family before they “kidnap” the youngest daughter. (Summary written by Rob Hartill) This film was made back in the 80’s and the special effects left a lot to be desired, but what I love about this movie is that it’s all about our childhood fears. Spielberg, that great storyteller, has taken everything that scares us and put it into one movie. The thunder storms, the clown, the closet, what lives under the bed, are all things that make up a child’s worst nightmares. Thanks for that, Mr. Spielberg.

9. Disney’s Hocus Pocus: More than 300 years ago, 3 witches were sentenced to die in Salem, Massachusetts and a boy was turned into a cat (a black cat, naturally). Now it’s Halloween, and the witches (who fly on [I kid you not] vacuum cleaners) are back. This time, they’ve got their eyes on immortal life and have turned their wrath on trick-or-treaters and it’s up to the 300-year-old cat to save the day. (Summary written by Steve Derby of sderby@sdeco.com.) Go ahead and laugh at me. While it’s not a scary movie, I love the Halloween-ness of it. It’s got witches, a black cat and Bette Midler.

8. The Others: It’s nearing the end of the Second World War and Grace Stewart lives with her photosensitive children in a large and silent house. After her previous servants went missing, Grace accepted the offers of work from three new servants. Since these three have entered the home, strange events occur, and Grace begins to wonder if it’s her sanity getting the better of her or if there is something much more in the house with them. (Summary written by FilmFanUk) It had been a very long time before seeing this movie that I had been left speechless at the end of any movie. This one was so cleverly done that I did not see the twist at the end; I didn’t even suspect what was going on. It was edge-of-your-seat, psychological, thriller. Nicole Kidman was awesome in it, as were the two kids who played her children.

7. Alfred Hitchcock’s Psycho (1960): For Marion Crane, it’s been quite an eventful day. The day before, she had stolen $40,000 from her employer’s client, packed her bags and driven all day on her way to join her paramour several hundred miles away. Now, she is taking a relaxing hot shower after her long day’s journey. The remoteness of the motel suit her purposes perfectly. The only sounds heard are the chirping of the crickets, the splashing of the water, and her humming contentedly as the hot needles of water caress her aching shoulders. (Summary written by filmfactsman.) This was the first really scary movie I had ever seen in my life. Even though I have seen the movie multiple times and I know what’s coming, I still find myself screaming at Marion to not go into that damn shower. Anthony Perkins was singularly the creepiest crepp I had ever seen on the silver screen.

6. Whatever Happened to Baby Jane?: Two aging film actresses live as virtual recluses in an old Hollywood mansion. Jane Hudson, a successful child star, cares for her crippled sister Blanche, who’s career in later years eclipsed that of Jane. Now the two live together, their relationship affected by simmering subconscious thoughts of mutual envy, hate and revenge. (Summary written by filmfactsman.) Not only is this movie spooky, it has the dynamic duo of Bette Davis and Joan Crawford. There’s nothing more I can add to that.

5. The Grudge: Karen Davis is an American Nurse who moves to Tokyo and encounters a supernatural spirit who is vengeful and often possesses its victims. A series of horrifying and mysterious deaths start to occur, with the spirit passing its curse onto each victim. Karen must now find away to break this spell, before she becomes its next victim. (Summary written by simon.) Horror without the gore. Just nail-biting, screech-worthy, psychological thrills.

4. The Ring: Rachel Keller is a journalist investigating a videotape that may have killed four teenagers (including her niece). There is an urban legend about this tape: the viewer will die seven days after watching it. If the legend is correct, Rachel will have to run against time to save her son’s and her own life. (Summary written by Claudio Carvalho, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil.) This movie scared so badly that I actually slept with my bedroom lights on after watching it. In fact, we usually follow this movie up with a light-hearted, non-sensical, comedy.

3. Dark Water: Dahlia Williams and her daughter Cecelia move into a rundown apartment on New York’s Roosevelt Island. She is currently in midst of divorce proceedings and the apartment, though near an excellent school for her daughter, is all she can afford. From the time she arrives, there are mysterious occurrences and there is a constant drip from the ceiling in her daughter’s bedroom. There are also the noises coming from the apartment directly above hers, though it would appear to be vacant. Is the apartment haunted or is there a simpler explanation? (Summary written by garykmcd.) This movie has its moments that make you jump, but at the end of it, it turns out to be a very sad story. It’s a classic favorite for a dark and stormy night.

2. Disturbia: After his father is killed in a car accident, things unravel for Kale Brecht and he is placed under house-arrest for punching his Spanish teacher. Having nothing better to do, Kale occupies himself by spying on his neighbors. But one night, he witnesses what appears to be a murder going on in Mr. Turner’s house. Kale becomes obsessed with uncovering the truth behind these murders but, after a few unsettling run-ins with Mr. Turner, it becomes a matter of life and death. And the ominous question: Who is watching who? (Summary written by O.G.) This movie stars Shia LaBeouf, which means you will laugh…just before you gasp and don’t exhale until the end of the movie.

1. The Haunting (1963): Dr. Markway, doing research to prove the existence of ghosts, investigates Hill House, a large, eerie mansion with a lurid history of violent death and insanity. With him are the skeptical young Luke, who stands to inherit the house, the mysterious and clairvoyant Theodora and the insecure Eleanor, whose psychic abilities make her feel somehow attuned to whatever spirits inhabit the old mansion. As time goes by it becomes obvious that they have gotten more than they bargained for as the ghostly presence in the house manifests itself in horrific and deadly ways. (Summary written by Doug Sederberg {vornoff@sonic.net}) Once upon a time, two little girls were left at home to babysit their younger siblings, while their parents went out to a party. When those parents came home late that night, the two little girls, who were watching a scary movie in the upstairs rooms and did not here the parents come home until they heard noises in the house they couldn’t identify, ran screaming down the stairs and into their arms. Those two little girls were my older sister and myself and this was the movie we were watching. The ghost had just been pounding on the bedroom door, where two women sat huddled under a blanket. To this day, whenever I watch this movie, I make sure I have a blanket handy because I know for sure, the chilling fingers of terror will surround me once again.

Care to share what movies are on your Halloween list?

The “Ghost Whisperer” and Me

I came to Ghost Whisperer when the first season was almost over. I liked it immediately. I cry with Melinda in each and every episode. I’ve enjoyed playing “where have I seen that face before?” as actors we love, from other various television shows, wander in and out of an episode.

It’s been wonderful to watch Melinda accept and learn how to use her ‘gift’, find out about her father, discover that her mother has the gift too, lose a best friend and gain another, lose her love and get him back. In this season, Melinda completes her dream by giving birth to a very extraordinary baby boy, who will have his own specialness about him. I can’t wait to see how that unfolds.

I’m a sucker for a good mystery story, especially one that involves going back in time. it doesn’t matter if it’s a short time or decades, I find them fascinating. Ghost Whisperer sometimes takes us back in time, and the stories are always good ones. I can’t say that I have a favorite episode. To me, they’re all my favorites. I like Cameron Manheim on the show. I think it was very interesting that Melinda had a good friend who didn’t believe in her gift, and when she finally does believe, she’s still not too sure.

The addition of Jamie Kennedy coming in as Eli James, another ghost whisperer, has made things more layered, I think. Not only did Melinda find out that she wasn’t alone, but he was pretty instrumental in helping Sam figure out that he was really Jim.

The bottom line is, after all the high drama and intensity of shows like Supernatural, True Blood or The Vampire Diaries, sometimes it’s just nice to sit down to a good old fashioned ghost story.

Devils with Pretty Faces

As I was watching last week’s premiere of The Vampire Diaries, I got to thinking about all the good looking men that are on television today playing villains. I felt that a convenient list might be a good idea to serve as a reminder that although they make us a tad warm under the collar, they are playing really bad guys.

Ian Somerhalder – “Damon” on The Vampire Diaries: our Nice Boy of the week is not so nice on the show. He’s clearly devious and sinister and just up to no good. Difficult as this may be, we’ll have to keep an eye on this one.

Alexander Skarsgard – “Eric Northman” on True Blood: this one is not so clearly a bad boy. However, he is conniving, sneaky and enjoys when a good pair of pumps is ruined while doing a job that he delegated. In our world, that is cruelty in the extreme. it would be wise not to turn one’s back to him.

Paul Gross – “Darryl” on Eastwick: or “Devil” when you really get to know him. He’s the really dangerous kind, because he covers his evilness with layers of charm, cool and drop dead gorgeous. You’s want to meet him in a dark alley, but you’d be sorry.

Eric Dane – “Dr. Mark ‘McSteamy’ Sloan” on Grey’s Anatomy: let’s call him what he is; a man-slut. Sure, he’ll make you fall for him like U.S. dollar, but he’ll do a tap dance on your heart and walk off without a care in the world. Pure evil.

Zachary Quinto – “Sylar” on Heroes: he’s evil, cold-hearted and twisted, and has serious parental issues. And give him a sharp metal object? Well, don’t get me started.

Matthew Bomer – “Neal Caffrey” on White Collar: sure, he’s just a thief, but stealing is still bad, right? Even if his crystal blue eyes can turn a woman to slush in a New York minute, hold on to your jewelry, ladies.

There are more, I’m sure, and by the end of the fall television season, I’m sure even more pretty bad boys will surface. Until then, who is not on this list but most definitely should be?

Next Page »