#someone passed tom cruises movie school with an A+

[calkale]

he gets it.

[relationshipsure09]

10 Tips For Loving In The Fast Lane

Do you ever feel like you catch up with your partner infrequently, often late at night when you’re too tired to speak? Or when your timetables happen to collide? There are work dinners, school outings, sporting practice, dinners with friends, homework to supervise, household chores and so the list goes on. Do you feel like you need to make a date night just to spend some one on one time with your other half? Time when you’re not sleeping?

The secret ingredient to keeping your man focused and interested in your relationship

If this sounds like you then I’m sure you will enjoy these tips for keeping each other close at heart, even if you can’t always be as physically close as you’d like.

Its all about communicating and sharing the little things that make up our lives. Here are ten easy ways to make your feelings known:

Birthday love letter. There is something powerful about a letter. A few years ago my husband and I agreed to write a love letter for each other’s birthday. I think I picked it up from a magazine article about Nicole Kidman and Tom Cruise. Apparently it’s something they used to do in lieu of expensive presents. Obviously it didn’t work for their marriage but we’ve found it has become the part of our birthday celebrations that we enjoy the most.

Writing down all the things that you love about the other person and then giving it to them is a very personal and thoughtful thing to do. In many cases its better than any gift you could possibly imagine and something to appreciate and cherish even when the birthday is a distant memory. You can do it for your children too if you have any and they will never need to doubt that you love them. Of course, you don’t have to wait until it is your loved ones birthday to send them a letter – anytime is a good time to tell them how you feel about them. The secret ingredient to keeping your man focused and interested in your relationship

Sit down and talk about your day. When we can we sit down at the table to eat our evening meal and take it in turns to talk about what we did in our day. Even our two and a half year old joins in. For a long time he would talk about who he saw rather than what he did but now he’s getting the hang of it. The other thing we take it in turns to do is name the best and worst things that happened that day. Sometimes so much happens each day that it helps to pause and reflect on what were the highlights and lowlights.

Celebrate all your partner’s successes with them – from a high five to a glass of champagne. Whatever the scale of the success calls for, make it a joint celebration.

Allow yourself to be impressed by your partner and let them know. ‘I’m proud of you’ is something that I think everyone loves being told by someone they care about.

Never underestimate the power of a hug – train your kids to hug you back. My five year old son Jack loves hugs. He loves giving them and getting them. Sometimes he will spontaneously hug someone if he feels they are a bit sad, although usually he asks first if they would like ‘a Jack hug’. The secret ingredient to keeping your man focused and interested in your relationship

Send them a photo that means a lot to you and tell them why its important – you could use a Show & Tell Card. It’s a new type of greeting card that lets you stick your photo on the front and is blank inside so you can write what you like. Go to http://www.showandtellcards.com for more information.

Share an experience. It could be a movie, a new CD, magazine article, or a short story. Talk about what you read or saw and why you liked or disliked it. And do it regularly.

Compliments. Everyone loves getting them so never pass up the opportunity to give one of these reliable mood boosters. You can give them in person or write them on a small piece of paper and leave them somewhere unexpected for your loved one to find.

Dance. It doesn’t take long to find a great song you both enjoy, put it on and dance around the living room floor – probably 5 minutes maximum but it is a wonderful way to physically reconnect with each other in between dinner and desert or at the end of a long evening or you could make it an unusual way to start your day. The secret ingredient to keeping your man focused and interested in your relationship

Thoughtful gestures. Doing something unexpected, especially when you’re loved one is busy and stressed, is a lovely way to show that you understand what they are going through and that they have your support.

Showing your partner how much you love them need not take a lot of time and you will be rewarded many times over for your effort. Get loving today!

[chalupa-troopa]

The Color of Money

Directed by- Martin Scorsese

Man this movie is cool…

I could seriously end my thoughts on the film right there, but no way am I passing up the chance to ramble about my experience with one of Scorsese’s more underrated works. The Color of Money blew me away even if they don’t answer what the color of money is… To a serious point though, I got around to watching is on a random night with friends as we were looking for something to pass time watching and put this on, and thank god we did because I lost track of time because of how immersed into it I was.

All you really need to know of the synopsis is that it follows Paul Newmans “Fast Eddie” Felson, as he spots a fresh face in the pool game world in Vince played by Tom Cruise. They’re accompanied by Vince’s girlfriend Carmen played by Mary Mastrantonio as they make their way through pool halls and bars as Eddie teaches the two younger characters how to hustle. There are tensions along the way as Vince’s isn’t too keen on purposely losing, but I think any more and I’m ruining the picture. One last detail I’ll add that I had absolutely no clue about was that this is a sequel of an old school film also staring Newman called The Hustler… so maybe somewhere down the line I’ll visit that one.

Now that I can finally get into how cool this movie is, I want to start with the cast and costumes! The main trio are all doing their best with bringing the roles to life, but the standout star among them is a hundred percent Paul Newman. It’s no surprise he won an Oscar for this role (his only Oscar win) because I felt his frustration, his highs and lows without even being taken out of the moment, he was just so real and incredibly stylish. It’s sort of funny too, how he was nominated for an Oscar when he originally played Eddie in The Hustler and decades later came back to the role to win that Oscar for good. Now the costumes along with the acting was what made me love Eddie so much! Every scene I was all eyes on what he was wearing and it was some truly inspiring drip. Maybe it’s because Paul Newman was a hot guy, but I believed he was the best and coolest dude in the hustling world because of his presence on screen. The other bit of drip I’ll shout out is Vince wearing a black shirt that said in bold white VINCE which was both very funny and good looking on him.

Now past the unmistakable drip the cast has, this film, to me, has cinematography that is so inspired by the game of pool with how much thought and precision is put into certain moments throughout that I can’t help but I appreciate it more and more each time I think back on it. I’ve seen enough middling stuff to realize how good a film can look when done right, and I gotta say Scorsese was cooking as he tends to do. One thing that wasn’t even intentional but I can’t help but appreciate is how the grainy film of the era adds to the look and feel of a grimy pool hall, as well as the vintage nature of Eddie as a character. This may sound dumb but I seriously believe it’s a film you couldn’t make nowadays because of that.

I’ll of course recommend this one to anyone who happens to check out this post, which I’m not expecting anyone at all to read it. That said hope this does hit someone enough to check it out because it’s one of those things that has been sitting in my head ever since I started watching it and now I need to talk all day about it so I can shake that off.

Paul Newman is the coolest, mwah.

[dirty-lego-mouse-droid]

Weirdly I didn't get a notification for the tag, I just found out scrolling through the blog lol.

1. Are you named after anyone?

I have been told that my middle name is a Bible character. Idk I haven't read it. I do also have a second middle name I got from my great grandfather which I really like cuz it's got a neato silent "e" at the end that I haven't seen on anywhere else but my own name.

2. When was the last time you cried?

I forgor, which means probably during a dream. It happens semi-frequently apparently. Or I drool.

3. Do you have kids?

See: profile picture. (No.)

4. What sports do you play/have played?

When my family still did stuff together we played baseball in the school's diamond in the evening. Although I've never played them outside of school, I'm fairly good at badminton and volleyball. I'll stop here because I don't think Wii games count.

5. Do you use sarcasm?

I use it in a sort of dry, deadpan humour kind of way, never in heated arguments, sonetimes mockingly as a light tease with close friends.

6. What's the first thing you notice about someone?

How they present themselves. Usually how they dress comes first, but the main thing I find myself judging people by is how they write and talk; their use of punctuation, there attention to grammar and thier spelling as well as how they try to pass ideas to me and the tone they use regularly.

7. Eye colour?

Been told hazel but it just looks plain brown to me.

8. Scary movies or happy endings?

I don't find scary movies scary anymore but I still enjoy them. Happy endings are boring. Live with consequences like the rest of us.

9. Any talents?

I used to be good at drawing but I find it physically painful to attempt nowadays. Acting I suppose. Do it all the time as a survival tactic. Chameleon ass personality.

10. Where were you born?

A leaf! A LEAF!!! Our submissions had beavers, meese, (plural for moose cuz I said so,) the flag we used in World War Two had that cool ass shield, my province STILL uses a cool shield but when it comes to the entire country? A F🇨🇦KING LEAF OF A DECIDUOUS TREE!!! DECIDUOUS TREE IN A COUNTRY NOTORIOUS FOR WINTER!!!

11. Hobbies?

Gaming and making silly scenarios in my head when listening to music and leaat time consuming of all, being a leader in Scouts Canada. All of these, however, have been done over the course of my entire sentience. (Also Scouts Canada has female participants so do NOT call me a boy scout.)

12. Any pets?

I suffer from a rule of three. Throughout my entire life I have had no less than two cats, thiugh the average is three. Every time we get a fourth, one (statistically the most recent addition) will perish in some matural or accidental way. My cat Oscar who passed peacefully almost two years ago was the first to do so without the curse taking effect. I now have two cats Oreo and Jenny, a bitch Archer and a turtle named Armadillo. My sister possesses an indeterminate amount of fish as well.

13. Height?

5'10" Which is taller than most of my family.

14. Favourite school subject?

Gym. Physical Education. Whatever you call it. No long tests, no stressful presentations, just well-regulated sports with friends. If you weren't friendly or lacked sportsmanship then you could fuck right off for all the teacher cared, he'd just fail your ass. That said, the teachers were always super cool and probably the reason I'm so chill with swearing casually nowadays. Also drama.

15. Dream job?

Voice actor. Supporting actor if I ever do live work. If I get more famous than Keith David I'm gonna need you to kill me before I join a cult like Tom Cruise. Also being side characters means I get to die a lot which I always like.

Uhhh... don't feel pressured. @hikiclawd @retro-8bit

I don't have many friends here lol.

Was tagged by @humanaaa and @hholandies!! Thanks for the tags ^^

1. Are you named after anyone? Kinda?? My first and second names are supposed to come from angels of the bible (or as so i was told), but istg the one from my first name DOES NOT exist. I searched everywhere and came up empty-handed lol

2. When was the last time you cried? Last week when i replayed Adastra. The catharsis was so strong it disintegrated my core being into dust fr fr

3. Do you have kids? Nope!! And i don't plan to!!

4. What sports do you play/have you played? I practiced judo when i was very very tiny, but i was too scrawny and clumsy for it. Left before even making it out of the white belt LMAO Also a little before high school i used to play basketball and swim!! Now i just bike regularly if that somehow counts SKDJFDKF

5. Do you use sarcasm? Very very rarely

6. What's the first thing you notice about someone? Their outfit!!

7. Eye color? Brown!!

8. Scary movies or happy endings? C-Can i have both 🥺👉👈 But if i had to choose between them i think i'd go with a scary movie

9. Any talents? Being good at math counts?? SKJSJSJD

10. Where were you born? BRASIL NÚMERO 1 CAMPEÃO DO MUNDO 🇧🇷🇧🇷🇧🇷🇧🇷🇧🇷🇧🇷

11. Hobbies? Since the start of the year i picked up drawing again!! I sometimes play videogames, but i haven't been doing it that much lately. I take walks a few days of the week. I also like watching/reading stuff but that one's a given

12. Any pets? We have two dogs!! Fiona, the bigger one we adopted, and Moana, the smaller one that adopted us!! (i also wanted a cat but everyone here's allergic and hates them to death for some reason)

13. Height? I must be between 1.70m ~ 1.72m?? I haven't measured my height in quite some time lol

14. Favorite school subject? Unsurprisingly, math!!

15. Dream job? I used to dream of becoming a programmer or a game developer, but i've become quite disillusioned with the industry. Now i really have no idea LMAO

Tagging @not-too-many-eyes @rainbowghostcat @candckirby @seariii @gunsli-01 @roseofcards90 and anyone else that feels like it!!

[multi-writer]

The Broken Hearts Club – Friends Ending Eddie Munson x reader

The Broken Hearts Club

Lovers Ending

Please read! A/N: Hellooo, thank you very much for all the support the first part had, honestly I was surprised to see that many liked it! As I mentioned, I will make two-second parts. This one is the friends ending, and rn I'm writing lovers ending. This idea was based on the movie 'Everything, Everywhere, All at Once' especially about how a single action can change your life completely (watch it, it's a work of art, I'm still crying). I'M STILL WORKING ON LOVERS ENDING, I MAY PUBLISH IT BETWEEN THE END OF THE WEEK AND BEGINNING OF NEXT WEEK so stay tuned.

Summary: Years have passed since you moved away from Hawkins in order to fulfill your dreams. But a small invitation made you have to return to the town where you grew up, opening with it several memories and discovering new truths.

Warnings: curses, angst, fluff, sour moments, nostalgic, mentions of death, right person-wrong time trope. To understand this you should read “The Broken Hearts Club”

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Days turned into weeks, into months, into years. There wasn't a day that went by that you didn't miss Eddie Munson with all your being. However, you knew you had to move on with your life. In college you met John, a guy with whom you shared several classes and went out with him and a group of friends for coffee every Friday, to talk about their lives, little by little you were meeting more people getting to have a group of friends with whom you shared everything. In November of your first year in college you decided not to return to Hawkins, maybe it was the fear of seeing Eddie or maybe you had convinced yourself that it was not the best idea to return to the past, so you spent all your vacations in your dorm which you shared with a roommate.

After a few months you and John started dating. He was everything you wanted in someone to be with you for the rest of your years, but you couldn't help but miss Eddie, sometimes you would wake up and dream of going to the kitchen of your apartment and meeting your best friend but it always ended in disappointment to find John instead.

Time went on and you were able to finish school and graduate. In a moment of courage you sent invitations to Robin, Steve and Eddie. Days later, at your graduation you were reunited with your best friend who arrived with an older looking Vicky besides her, Steve arrived in the middle of the ceremony but in time to see you go up to the stage and receive your diploma, when he saw you he only stood up with Robin to raise his arms and salute you while they celebrated for you. On that day John and Robin met.

"Meh, you're not as cute as Tom Cruise" Robin commented as she lifted her shoulders, Vicky and Steve tried to shut her up while John just laughed at the comment and nodded. You swore that seeing them all together would fill a hole in your heart. But it didn't, a part of you was trying not to cry at the disappointment.

Eddie didn’t went.

That same night you said goodbye to your friends and together with John you went to an apartment you both had rented in New York that you soon made your own as the weeks went by. There were days when you were happy as you wrote and lived life to the fullest. But there were other moments, where the city lights were accompanied by raindrops, when you thought of Eddie the most, remembering the times you had spent together, thinking of the laughs you had shared and the glances that went unnoticed by the rest to end with the sad memory of the last time you both spoke. Many sleepless nights you wondered why you hadn't waited a few more seconds, why you hadn't stopped to talk, why you hadn't just listened.

Soon you managed to publish your first book, the process was hard but not impossible and one day you finally had it in your hands. As you looked at it you felt John's presence congratulating you, but you only thought about how strange that moment felt. There was no doubt that you were happy, but you also knew that you wanted to live this part of your life together with your best friend. You had never felt so lonely as you did in that moment that should have been filled with happiness.

Years continued to pass quickly, you continued to publish several books and make your name known to people who enjoyed reading. At the celebration for your last book John gave a speech talking about how special you were and ended up getting down on one knee and asking you to marry him in front of the rest of the guests, who applauded with excitement when they saw the ring in the hand of the man in front of you. It was not the way you would have wanted to be asked to marry but you did not hesitate to say yes. The rest of your cold October days passed quietly until a letter arrived in all greens and oranges.

'86' Gen we invite you to the Hawkins High School Alumni Reunion. Don't miss!'

Your heart pounded at the thought of returning to Hawkins, returning to the town that saw you grow up and the one you hadn't visited in the last ten years. Noticing the date of the reunion you decided to quickly pack your bag, plan your trip and pause the lectures you had scheduled. John could only see you going from one place to another getting organized.

By the time it was time to leave, you were all set to return and meet up with your old colleagues. Hopefully Steve and Robin would be there too.

"Sure you don't want me to come with you?" John asked from his desk, sheets in hand ready to be sorted to form his concept to create his new book. You looked at him with a smile and shook your head.

"I'd like to go alone, see my friends, cry while we drown ourselves in alcohol and remember everything we lived through" you joked causing John to let out a serious laugh as he nodded. Your fiancé got up leaving his writing on the desk and walked over to you to kiss you.

"Remember I'm just a phone call away" He commented softly making you nod. You both shared one more kiss then parted, you grabbed your suitcase and left the apartment to head to your car.

The drive to Hawkins was too long, almost 12 hours on the road was not easy but you needed to see all that had changed in the last 10 years. The ring on your finger was shining thanks to the sun's rays coming through your window. You could perfectly remember the scenery around you as you drove into town. Many places you knew had closed, other buildings had lost their color and there weren't many people on the street anymore, everything looked grayer.

Or maybe you got used to the crazy life in New York.

You passed in front of the high school and could see several people arranging the gymnasium for the meeting that was going to happen that night, even the school looked smaller than you remembered. Arriving at the small hotel you booked a room and started to get ready, opting to wear a formal black dress for the occasion. Your nerves were growing as the time to leave for the meeting approached, the cold night did not take long to cool down the town. The walk to the school was short, from outside you could see the lights illuminate the place and the music created the atmosphere welcoming all those who wanted to enter.

"There's my favorite writer" shouted a voice making you turn around quickly. Robin stood behind you with a smile on her face, still wearing her favorite patterned jacket, ripped jeans and black Docs. The woman rushed up to you and caught you in her arms, you let out a laugh as you hugged her anyway. You had missed your best friend. Behind her was Vicky, who you quickly recognized by her reddish hair, as you separated from Robin you approached Vicky to greet her.

"At least one of us followed with her love" you jokingly commented causing another voice to join the group.

"Oh shut it, where's Johnny boy?" turning around you found Steve as he stuck his hands in his pants pockets and slowly approached. You gave a little yelp of joy and rushed over to the man to hug him and then were pulled in by Robin who wrapped Steve in a huge hug. You finally felt like you had come home.

“He stayed at home. I wanted to come alone” You answered while bringing your hand to your ear to move your hair to get a better view of your friends.

Vicky, upon seeing the ring on your finger let out a scream and hugged you again excitedly causing Robin and Steve to separate strangely, you only raised your left hand to show them the ring that adorned it causing them both to approach to congratulate you. The four of you started walking towards the gym as you talked about what had happened since you last saw each other.

"I knew it, you are going to have cute babies, I called it since highschool " Robin commented making you let out a laugh.

As you entered the place you noticed several of their former classmates who were chatting animatedly amongst themselves. It wasn't long when Robin let out a loud 'Hey!' while pointing with both hands, meters away from her were Nancy accompanied by a nice dressed Jonathan, your best friend grabbed Vicky and Steve's arms to run towards the couple, leaving you alone for a few seconds.

"Hey" Said an unmistakable voice behind you making you take a big breath of air and then turn around.

Eddie Munson stood in front of you after 10 years of not seeing him. He was taller now, you could notice a few more tattoos, he had cut his hair and grown a beard. His eyes were still the same, among the brown shades you could notice a familiar twinkle.

"Hey..." you muttered as you watched him, you didn't know what else to say, after all their last talk was the fight that had separated them. Eddie shoved his hands into the pockets of his leather jacket and swayed slowly trying to figure out what to say.

"How are you?" Said the man in front of you in a shaky voice. Eddie had missed you like crazy and to think that this was the first time you had spoken in a long time didn't help with his nerves. His question surprised you.

"All fine and nice" You turned to look at the decorated gym for a few moments then turned to see Eddie looking at you with a feeling you couldn't recognize. "Ten years already? How fast life goes by" you tried to make conversation but to no avail as you saw that Eddie was still silent. The air around him was tense and you didn't know what else to do.

"I've missed you so much ink" Eddie muttered using your old nickname causing a small pressure in your body. You couldn't hold back any longer so you moved in for a hug taking the man by surprise. However it didn't take long for him to wrap his arms around you.

"I missed you way more" you commented on his shoulder as you hugged him even tighter. You had waited for this moment for years and it had finally arrived. "What have you done? So many years you had to do something with your life" you joked as you pulled away from him. Eddie shrugged his shoulders.

"Would you believe me if I told you I´m a teacher here in Hawkins high school?" his comment made your eyes widen in surprise as the man nodded with a smile. "All my years of pissing off teachers are now coming back to me" he continued making you push him away as you laughed. Eddie came back next to you and continued. "But music club teacher!"

"No way!" you put your hands on your cheeks as you kept smiling. "You are what you swore to destroy!" you let out a laugh. "And the rest? Gareth? Jeff? The boys?" you asked.

"Gareth is a psychologist, can you believe it?" he asked as he held out his hands. You just nodded.

"Gareth was always a good listener" you commented to him as Eddie nodded. At last comfort between the two of you had returned.

"But he always gave shitty advices" Eddie commented causing you to let out a laugh. "I think Jeff went on with his dad's business, I haven't talked to him in years. The boys are still studying, sometimes I see them when they come to visit" you looked at him intently as he told you about the rest of your friends. Both of your eyes sparkled like they hadn't for years.

"I´m an author Eddie" you commented to him with a certain pride inside you. Eddie nodded as he looked at you with a small smile.

"I've read all your books" His comment surprised you. The man noticing your surprise continued. "Since I knew I had to go to the store and buy them. I recognized many things that you wrote in your books from those times you used to tell me your ideas" your eyes became crystalline when you listened to him, so many years and he still remembered the conversations you had in the same way you remembered those moments you spent together.

Seconds later you heard some shouting thanks to the reunions that were happening so you couldn't hear Eddie. The man pointed to the door while moving his lips, you only nodded and then followed him to a quieter place. Eddie opened the door for you letting you out into the dark night first and then following you. As he closed the door everything around you became silent giving you a chance to talk quietly.

"You know? I wanted to see you at my graduation" you commented as you turned to look at the sky, the stars were expectant of whatever was to come through this talk. Your arms folded across your chest trying to conserve the warmth that was escaping thanks to the cold Indiana nights. "I sent you an invitation and everything."

Eddie, noticing that you were cold, began to take off his jacket and then drape it over your shoulders in an attempt to shelter you. It still smelled like him, as if the years had not passed.

"I don't live in the trailer anymore" He commented gravely as he looked down at his hands, his fingers still bruised thanks to still playing the guitar. "I don't live there since Wayne died five years ago."

You turned to look at him quickly as your eyes glazed over, Eddie kept turning to face him trying to remain strong in the face of the news.

"How?" seeing that Eddie didn't answer you moved closer to him only to notice his eyes shining and his grimace trying not to break at that moment. "Oh Eddie."

The man only ducked his head as tears fell. He hadn't cried for Wayne in a long time but telling you the news - someone Wayne considered his daughter - reopened the wound Eddie thought had already healed. You reached out and hugged him, causing Eddie to lean into you, embracing the support you were giving him at that moment. In your throat you could feel a lump in your throat at the thought that Wayne was no longer with you. You would have called, you would have asked for him.

You would have gone back to Hawkins.

"I'm so sorry" you whispered making Eddie shake his head, after all it wasn't your fault, but the knowledge that Eddie had been alone these past few years completely tore you apart.

Minutes later Eddie pulled away from you to take a breath of air and then let it out, feeling better now that you were next to him. You just held one of his arms and leaned into it as a sort of half hug.

"But hey, I already have an apartment and I'm independent, let's be positive" Eddie commented trying to make you laugh, which he accomplished with ease. You had never forgotten how easy it was for Eddie to make you happy, it was like a gift he had perfected over the years. You continued to lean on Eddie thinking about the years you hadn't seen each other.

"All this time I thought you didn't go to my graduation because you hated me for what had happened" You commented loud enough so Eddie could hear it clearly. The man only turned his head away a little so he could see you, his eyebrows almost touching because of the frown on his face.

"Hate you? I would be incapable of hating you" He commented as he placed one of his hands on your shoulders to bring you as close to him as possible. Determined, Eddie took a big breath ready to confess. "I can't hate you because I love you."

I love you.

I love you.

I love you.

He had finally said it, and it only took 15 years to do it.

You quickly backed away from him as you watched Eddie's face begin to droop.

"You can't do that," you finally said, anger beginning to take over your mind. "No...you can't come to...to...to tell me that you love me Eddie. Not like that" you claimed as you pointed your finger at his chest. "Not when I'm about to get married" Eddie nodded slowly, but he couldn't stay another day keeping what he felt, the news of your engagement hurt something inside Eddie in a deep way, after all he confessed his feelings too late.

But Eddie couldn´t stop there.

"I've always been in love with you (y/n)" The man in front of you confessed seriously making you let out a sarcastic smile at what was happening. You paced back and forth trying to control the fury you felt. Eddie just watched your reaction. It wasn't until a few minutes later that you stopped to put your hands on your face and wanted to scream.

Just like 10 years ago.

With speed you put your hands down and looked at Eddie angrily then approached him with large strides.

"And why didn't you tell me before? Why didn't you look for me? I always looked for you when we were kids, I always followed you when we were teenagers and just for once I wanted you to look for me. To follow me" You began to raise your voice as your breathing quickened and you walked around the man again. After years you were finally telling Eddie Munson all the questions that had lingered in your mind.

"I did" Eddie muttered as he watched you continue to talk.

"But I didn't even manage to get...what?" you turned to look at him quickly to see if you had heard correctly. The man in front of you dropped his shoulders as if he was carrying all the weight in the world, at the same time wetting his lips with his tongue preparing to finally say what he had done years ago.

"The same year you got into Columbia I went looking for you, to tell you how much I've loved you all these years" he confessed as he looked into your eyes. Thousands of thoughts were going through your mind at that moment, your throat closed and your eyes looked lost, as if you wanted to remember seeing Eddie in Columbia.

"But you never... surely you never found me, you would have said something" You answered in a desperate way, what Eddie had said fell like a bucket of cold water as you kept thinking of other possibilities as to why you hadn't seen him. The man wore a sad smile as he let out the air he was holding in.

"I always found you, every year I managed find you, it was like something was leading me to you. I would see you through the window but you never turned around" You could feel a lump forming in your throat, tears were beginning to fill your eyes and you had never wanted to cry as much as you did at that moment as you cursed yourself for not looking.

"Every year?" was all you could ask, then you bit your bottom lip trying to stop the sob that wanted to escape from you. Eddie only nodded as his eyes began to form a crystalline film over them.

"All the years you were in college I went to see you. I needed to see you, to know that you were okay, that you were happy" You closed your eyes as you heard his answer, tears rolled down your cheeks as you imagined Eddie looking for you, watching you from his car, traveling hours to just see you, but not to get close.

"Why...why didn't you talk to me? Why did you think it was a good idea not to tell me?" Your choppy breathing made it harder and harder to speak but you wanted to know. You needed to know. Eddie shook his head as he closed his eyes tightly letting small tears escape.

"I couldn't..." He took a breath of air. "Whenever I met you, you were always surrounded by people, and I don't doubt it, you always brighten the life of anyone who gets close to you. Your smile was huge as you chatted and waved your hands. I'm sure it was about something exciting, you always waved them when you told me something excited" Eddie let out a small laugh as he remembered those moments where they were both happy as children. "I couldn't risk approaching you and asking you to come back with me to Hawkins to give up your dream. I wouldn't forgive myself."

Your hands came up to your face to remove the moisture from it caused by the small droplets coming from your eyes. The ring on your finger felt heavy and wrong now that you knew the truth. Eddie likewise ran one of his hands across his cheeks, a sign of anxiety he had adopted since he was a kid.

"I would have picked you" you mumbled in embarrassment, it was like you were back in high school again remembering the times you talked to him and he made you blush. Eddie smiled through his tears

"I know."

They were both silent as they tried to compose themselves, the truth had never hurt as much as it did in those moments, which came 10 years later causing deeper pain. They had both moved on with their lives, they had accomplished things they would have loved to share with each other. But fate tends to be cruel and separate the most in love lovers that ever walked the earth just for the sake of entertainment.

Eddie was the first to be able to recover, he took his hand away from your face to see you better. Even 10 years later and with a noticeable change due to age, he could still see that little girl of 12 who brightened his afternoons, he could still see that young girl who dreamed of flying high for her dreams. Now in front of him was a woman who had achieved everything she was looking for, even finding love, even if it was not with him.

The man approached and gently moved your hands so he could see your shining eyes. Eddie smiled softly and placed his hands on your cheeks to look at you.

"Wayne would be proud of you" he murmured with a soft smile as he wiped away the tears that were still falling from your face with his thumbs. "I'm proud of you."

You just grabbed his wrists to pull his hands away from your face and moved in for a hug. After so many years you still missed hugging him, being close to him, feeling his body against yours and being able to feel his arms around you. Eddie put his head on top of yours as if he wanted to protect you from everything outside. Or maybe he wanted to hide you next to him so you could stay together longer.

"You didn't deserve an idiot like me, you deserved so much more" Eddie murmured over your head. "In another life I could have given you everything" you pulled away a little to see him as he had done.

"I wouldn't want everything. In another life I would have loved to just live in an apartment with you and listen to you play your guitar over and over and over again" You smiled as Eddie's eyes formed a crystalline layer of tears again. The man let out a ragged gasp of air then leaned in close and left a small kiss on your forehead.

"I love you (y/n)" Eddie murmured while his lips were still close to your forehead.

"I love you too Eddie" You took Eddie by his cheeks so you could look directly into his eyes. "But I'm in love with John."

Eddie nodded again, understanding who you meant. Heartbroken he reached over and gave you one last kiss on the forehead and then pulled away from you. The man put one hand behind his back and the other pointed towards the school gym doors, re-adopting the little performances he did in high school.

"After you, pretty lady" he mentioned in a deep voice making you let out a laugh, causing a spark of happiness inside Eddie's chest that he hadn't felt for 10 years. You just nodded as you put a hand on your chest continuing to play along.

"Thank you very much sir" The man put his arm in front of you for you to take and you both walked towards the rest of the party. You didn't take more than five steps when you stopped causing Eddie to stop as well. "You like people who read Stephen King, don't you?" you commented remembering the fight they had had in the coffee shop years ago. Eddie just smiled.

"No, I love them" he replied as he wrinkled his nose for a couple of seconds. The smile that appeared on your face cheered Eddie up strongly. Maybe his heart was hurting at that moment, but he knew that together with you everything was going to get better.

After all, Eddie Munson was invincible when his best friend was by his side.

------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Why did I write it this way? Because life takes many turns, sometimes in a happy way and sometimes in a shitty way, so some love stories do not have a happy ending, sometimes because of a breakup or sometimes for fear of knowing what the other person feels, and some big changes come from small insignificant actions.

But I assure you something, some of the purest signs of love are found in friends and not in a romantic relationship.

In case you feel something for someone do not hesitate to say it, you have a 50% chance to feel the same and a 75% chance to remain friends regardless of the outcome. Take this advice from a stranger on Tumblr who regrets not telling someone she loved them in time.

Live the best you can and always look out for your happiness without hurting others, people come and go but the only person who will always be by your side is yourself so love and love yourself as you would want to be loved.

I AM ALREADY WORKING WITH LOVERS ENDING TO CURE SAD HEARTS SO EXPECT IT PEOPLE!

Tags: @b3an-bby @my-tearsricochet @lovelyladymayyy @mcueveryday @iwillduckyou-up @bxckysdxll @aereth @ilovedilfs32 @purple-storm @bbrissa @klaine-92 @shewalksinstarlightt @joekeeryswife @bambi-laufeyson @eddie-moonson @teenwolflover28 @grimmbunniee @izzyxplr @thatcrazybitcholivia @munsonbloodymunson @luvforsworld @that-bitch-in-red @sanjuanas @fujiihime @supernaturalcat7 @harrys-tittie @josephquinnismyhusband @mayafatimakhan @vivi-wtz @ihavebecomesomething @inlovewithcharacterss @onlyangel-444 @sadbitchfangirl @sunkensinkers @teenyvee @curadied @eddiemunsonshankiesstuff @astro-cub @kaitioo @idkbbyx3 @xdarkcreaturex @endurexxsurvive @marleethebose @metalheadxeddie @toomanybandstocare @skybridgerton @laneywolf @nameless-ken @9osloki @parkersroses @mischiefmanagers @brimxy @evahadez @klaine-92 @buckysxgal @iamsiriuss @pokey-hedgehog

[britesparc]

Weekend Top Ten #498

Top Ten Movie Cameos

The first time I think I ever noticed someone cameoing in a movie was Steven Spielberg. I was watching The Blues Brothers, and there was this guy, who I was sure was Mr. The Berg. I must have seen him in some behind-the-scenes something or the other. But he was a director, not an actor, so it couldn’t have been him, right? Then years later I was reading Empire, and sure enough, I was vindicated. It was indeed the play mountain himself. But more on that later.

So, cameos, then. What is a cameo? Now, in my opinion, I think it really has to be small. Really, it should just be one scene – or even one shot. The smaller the better. I’ve seen people online refer to Judi Dench in Shakespeare in Love or Tom Cruise in Tropic Thunder as cameos, which is very, very daft, as those are clearly supporting roles – even if they are quite small (and remember, Dench didn’t win her Oscar for “Best Cameo”, she won it for “We Meant To Give You This Last Year”, which is a very important category in the Oscars). I also think the best cameos should be unexpected; a nice surprising treat. And usually they’re funny – the incongruity of seeing that person in this film. Because that’s the other thing: for a cameo to really work, the person cameoing has to be kinda famous. For instance, some might say that Ashley Johnson in The Avengers is a cameo, but whilst she’s obviously awesome and prodigiously talented, I don’t think she’s instantly recognisable enough (which, y’know, she’s mostly famous as a voice actor); also there’s nothing inherently funny or surprising about her role, she’s a waitress who’s saved by Captain America. It doesn’t feel like it’s saying anything to have Johnson play that role, other than I guess Joss Whedon wanted her in the movie (it’s actually funnier that her brief scene is referenced in Loki, because Kate Herron had the whole of the MCU to draw from in a montage, but chose to use an unknown character who’s in one tiny bit of one film, entirely because she’s a huge fan of The Last of Us – see, that is arguably a cameo).

So my rationale for what is and isn’t a cameo might seem complex or even arbitrary, but when has that stopped me in the past? And so, with no further ado, we now get deep into the weeds of it and celebrate my favourite movie cameos of all time. Oh, and there’s no Bill Murray here; I know, I know, it’s a really famous cameo, but, er, I’ve never seen Zombieland. Sorry.

Stan Lee in Pretty Much Everything (2000-2019): I mean, who else? The absolute King of Cameos. Lee was a massive publicity hound all his life, and passed up no opportunity to get in front of the camera, so once big, proper movies were being made of his comics, he was right there, selling hot dogs in X-Men (2000), rescuing children in Spider-Man (2002), and then right through every MCU film until his sad death in 2019 (and even popping up in Teen Titans!). Hearing him tell Miles Morales “I'm going to miss him,” in Into the Spider-Verse chokes me up every time.

Carrie Fisher & George Lucas in Hook (1991): this has always been one of my favourites because unlike virtually every other entry in this list, you only know this if you’ve been told. But it’s funny and it’s sweet. When Tinkerbell takes Peter to Neverland, she flies over a bridge, where a silhouetted couple are seen canoodling. Her pixie dust falls across them, and they begin to float into the air. And apparently the unrecognisable couple are played by Princess Leia and the director of Star Wars. Which, I think you’ll agree, is pretty cool (Hook is really good for cameos).

Brad Pitt in Deadpool 2 (2018): having an invisible character offers plenty of opportunity for some good gags, especially in a Deadpool movie, but the real laugh in the film comes when the Vanisher is electrocuted and we get to see his face for a split second. And – ha – it turns out to be the hugely mega-famous Brad Pitt. It’s funny because he’s a massive star.

Martin Sheen in Hot Shots! Part Deux (1993): it’s one thing for the movie to do an Apocalypse Now gag, as Charlie Sheen’s Topper Harley sails down a river on a military boat, but hanging a lampshade on it by making it cross over with Martin Sheen’s Willard from the classic seventies Vietnam epic is another thing entirely. And then both actors notice each other – ha, funny, they’re father and son in real life – and say in unison, “I loved you in Wall Street!”. Very on-the-nose all the funnier for it.

Steven Spielberg in The Blues Brothers (1980): well, I mentioned him, and here he is, a totally nonplussed-looking administrator bloke just merrily eating a sandwich. He’s frightfully young (I’m guessing he was probably about 32 or 33) and he’s got a big brown tache instead of his usual ‘Berg Beard, he’s dressed very smartly and he’s awfully polite. His demeanour is hilariously in stark contrast to the mayhem around him, and his public persona is also hilariously in contrast to the raucous and ribald mood of the movie.

Cate Blanchett in Hot Fuzz (2007): this is one I didn’t even notice till I read about it after seeing the movie. In a very funny scene where Simon Pegg’s Nick Angel chats to his ex-girlfriend Janine, she is head-to-toe in forensic gear throughout, with a mask covering her face, so all we see are her eyes. But the gag of it is, she’s played by the phenomenally famous Cate Blanchett. You get a megastar to do one scene but make her unrecognisable. So funny it beats Peter Jackson’s evil Santa.

Don Ameche & Ralph Bellamy in Coming to America (1988): this is another one I remember finding hilarious when I was a kid. Walking down the street late at night with love interest Lisa (Shari Headley), Akeem (Eddie Murphy) nonchalantly gives a huge wad of cash to some poor homeless bums. But it turns out that they’re played by Murphy’s old Trading Places co-stars Ameche and Bellamy – and they refer to each other by their character names from that earlier film. “We’re back!” declares Ameche, referencing the end of Trading Places, when their crooked broker characters were defeated and ruined by Murphy and Dan Aykroyd. It’s a great bit of shared-universe tomfoolery, and very funny for fans of Murphy’s movies. Oh, and speaking of Aykroyd…

Dan Aykroyd in Casper (1995): in 1995 it had been six long, bitter years without a new Ghostbusters film; back then, we could still hold out hope for a proper Ghostbuster 3. Sadly that never came to pass, but it was a very pleasant surprise when Ray Stantz himself popped up in Casper, of all things, fearfully running out of Whipstaff Manor in full ghostbusting regalia and declaring, “Who ya gonna call? Someone else!”. I mean, after facing down Gozer and Vigo and who knows what else, you’d think three sarcastic arsehole ghosts would be no match for him, but maybe the ‘busters were having tough times. Maybe this will all be backstory in Ghostbusters: Afterlife. Maybe Cathy Moriarty and Eric Idle will return the favour and do cameos of their own. We can but hope.

Matt Damon, Luke Hemsworth, & Sam Neill in Thor: Ragnarok (2017): twenty years ago you could point to Goldmember as the, er, gold standard in multi-character cameo pile-ups. And while that is great – Danny DeVito giving the finger, Spielberg back-flipping – I think it’s been surpassed by this minor gaggle of stars hamming it up. Matt Damon – famouser than anyone actually billed in the movie – is An Actor Playing Loki. Dr. Alan Grant from Jurassic Park is An Actor Playing Odin (whilst Odin’s actor, Anthony Hopkins, plays Tom Hiddleston playing Loki playing Odin – do keep up), and Thor’s Real-Life Brother plays An Actor Playing Thor. It’s all delightfully meta and hilarious.

Ollie Johnston & Frank Thomas in The Incredibles (2004): this one’s really sweet, and like the Hook cameo, would very easily slip you by. At the end of the film, after the climactic battle, two old men cheer on the superheroes – “That’s old school!” “Yep, no school like the old school!” – but what’s great is that they’re voiced by – and designed to look like – Ollie Johnston and Frank Thomas, the last two surviving members of the famous “Nine Old Men” group of Disney animators, who’d worked on many of the classic Disney films. This was Pixar and director Brad Bird giving a tip of the hat to the legends who came before them, and made all the sweeter by the fact that Johnston and Thomas (both sadly now deceased) were absolute best buds in real life. A cameo that educates and makes you think! How nice!

There you go. Sadly no room for any of the many great Star Wars cameos, from Daniel Craig through to George Lucas’ entire family. Oh well!

[kclawson]

LAWSON KINGSLEY has been accepted to participate ! they are a 25 year old all the way from MADISON, WISCONSIN . HE is currently studying MUSIC at the interchange. ( fox, 27, they/them, harry styles )

✘ Statistics ✘

Name: Lawson Dream Kingsley

Age: Twenty Five

Birthday: October 31st, 1997

Sign: Scorpio

Hometown: London, England (Adopted at 17) Madison, Wisconsin

Sexuality: Homosexual

Major: Music

Hobbies: Playing guitar, Soccer, Working Out, Rock Climbing, Boxing

Tattoos: Scattered About

Piercings: Ears

Likes: Football, Anything Sports Related, Rock Music, Kanye. 

Dislikes: Mushrooms, Greasy Food, Large Bodies of Water

✘ Biography ✘

Lawson Dream Kingsley, the first and only born to Nancy and Ryan Kingsley. Born on October thirty first, in nineteen ninety seven his parents were over joyed out of the false pretense that they couldn’t have a single child. Being the blessing for up above, according to his parents, he was a dream come true, one they had hoped for what seemed like a life time. Hence, why he was adorned with the middle name Dream.

At the mere age of ten Lawson knew he was different than other boys his age. Not once liking girls, or quite understanding the hype others gave them. He tended to like looking at the pictures of Tom Cruise from Top Gun, or Johnny Depp from the movie Nightmare on Elm Street.

When he was sixteen, that very fateful night of his birthday, his parents met their demise on their way home from letting Lawson take them for a ride in his brand new car that was gifted to him by them. Taking a turn too sharp he ran off the road and down into a ravine. Having passed out after the impact he was out of school for months, coming back to earth from the tragic accident he was told that his parents, the ones that cared deeply for him from the time of his birth had passed because of his mistake.

Processing it all was not easy, the anger that course through Lawson’s bones as he began to hate himself for his parents death. He was lucky enough that his mother’s brother and sister in law from the states took ward of him and let him remain part of the family still. That was the year he took up soccer and boxing. Taking all the self hatred and anger out on kicking a ball around or beating up a punching bag or a person in the ring.

When he was nineteen Lawson wanted to leave Wisconsin, but couldn’t seem to do so. Sticking around he decided to go to school to study the art of music and going professional with it. 

Now Lawson is twenty five and still remembers everything. The loss. The grief and how celebrating his birthday wasn’t something that he could do. The day meant so much more to him then just the day he was born.

✘ Wanted Connections ✘

Lawson’s first boyfriend - Open

Lawson’s friends - Open & Open & Open & Open

Lawson’s person - Someone that he opens up to about everything - Open

Drinking buddies - Open & Open

Lawson’s crushes - Open & Open

[fckmusingcentral]

Trigger Warning - Parents Death, Anger, Self Hatred, Depression. 

LAWSON KINGSLEY ( HE/HIM ) is a MALE, TWENTY SIX year old FOOTBALL COACH AT THE HIGHSCHOOL who has been living in Moorbrooke for HIS WHOLE LIFE. They were born on OCTOBER 31ST and right now, they are currently residing in MAPLE COURT. It has been said that they look suspiciously like BRANDON FLYNN and if they had to choose a song to describe themselves, they would choose HEAT OF THE MOMENT by ASIA.

✘ Statistics ✘

Name: Lawson Dream Kingsley 

Age: Twenty Six 

Birthday: October 31st, 1996

Sign: Scorpio 

Hometown: Moorbrooke, Maine

Sexuality: Homosexual

Occupation: Football Coach for the High School

Hobbies: Playing guitar, Soccer, Working Out, Rock Climbing, Boxing 

Tattoos: None 

Piercings: Ears 

Likes: Football, Anything Sports Related, Rock Music 

Dislikes: Mushrooms, Greasy Food, Large Bodies of Water

✘ Biography ✘

Lawson Dream Kingsley, the first and only born to Nancy and Ryan Kingsley. Born on October thirty first, in nineteen ninety six his parents were over joyed out of the false pretense that they couldn’t have a single child. Being the blessing for up above, according to his parents, he was a dream come true, one they had hoped for what seemed like a life time. Hence, why he was adorned with the middle name Dream. 

At the mere age of ten Lawson knew he was different than other boys his age. Not once liking girls, or quite understanding the hype others gave them. He tended to like looking at the pictures of Tom Cruise from Top Gun, or Johnny Depp from the movie Nightmare on Elm Street. 

When he was sixteen, that very fateful night of his birthday, his parents met their demise on their way home from letting Lawson take them for a ride in his brand new car that was gifted to him by them. Taking a turn too sharp he ran off the road and down into a ravine. Having passed out after the impact he was out of school for months, coming back to earth from the tragic accident he was told that his parents, the ones that cared deeply for him from the time of his birth had passed because of his mistake. 

Processing it all was not easy, the anger that course through Lawson’s bones as he began to hate himself for his parents death. He was lucky enough that his mother’s brother took ward of him and let him remain where he was. That was the year he took up football and boxing. Taking all the self hatred and anger out on tackling others or beating up a punching bag or a person in the ring. 

When he was nineteen Lawson wanted to leave Moorbrooke, but couldn’t seem to do so. Sticking around he decided to go to school to study the art of coaching an actual team. He felt it was a passion of his since he seemed to do that when he was the captain of the football team back in high school. 

Now Lawson is twenty six and still remembers everything. The loss. The grief and how celebrating his birthday wasn’t something that he could do. The day meant so much more to him then just the day he was born. 

✘ Wanted Connections ✘

Lawson’s first boyfriend - Open 

Lawson’s friends - Open & Open & Open & Open 

Lawson’s person - Someone that he opens up to about everything - Open 

Drinking buddies - Open & Open 

Lawson’s crushes - Open & Open 

[thedeaditeslayer]

Moonshine, shotguns, buried cash: Bruce Campbell on 'The Evil Dead' in East Tennessee.

There are plenty of structurally sound homes scattered throughout East Tennessee's woods for tourists to enjoy, yet some prefer to visit the ruins of a Morristown cabin. Of course, it's the only cabin in the state once surrounded by demonizing trees and where zombies could be found locked in the cellar. A handful of circumstances led a Michigan film crew to East Tennessee in the late '70s to film the low-budget movie "The Evil Dead." More than 40 years later, the film is till very much alive in horror-enthusiast circles, with a special virtual screening scheduled for Jan. 23. The screening will include behind-the-scenes commentary from producer and actor Bruce Campbell, who recently spoke with Knox News about his time in East Tennessee and what's next for the "Evil Dead" franchise.

Check out our conversation with Campbell and visit bit.ly/WatchwithBruce to purchase tickets, starting at $25.  

How'd you end up in East Tennessee?

The crew planned to shoot the film in Michigan, but as delays got longer and the weather got colder, the thought of shooting outdoors in the North sounded less appealing.

"There were plenty of isolated cabins in Michigan that would have done the trick, but we went south," Campbell told Knox News.

The crew connected with folks from Tennessee's film commission, who then connected them with a local to drive them around.

"And we checked out half a dozen different possible places and finally found this creepy-ass place outside of Morristown," Campbell said.

He visited the cabin a few years back, although there's not much left of it.

"But it's private property, you know — 'Stay the hell off,'" Campbell said. "The usual deal (in) Tennessee: Shoot first, ask questions later. I never encourage people to go see it because part of the placed burned down in the '80s, but part of the fireplace still exists."

That hasn't stopped people from showing up at conventions with bricks to show Campbell, as the site has become a tourist destination of sorts.

Was the cabin as scary as it looks?

Fans of "The Evil Dead" might be surprised to learn the cabin was more scary than it appeared on screen.

"It had no power," Campbell said. "It had cow s--- on the floor. We had to knock doors and ceilings out and stuff. There was a lot of work to do. The locals showed up after a thunderstorm and said, 'Hey, have you seen Clara?'"

The story goes that people were once killed in the cabin during a storm, but Clara ran off.

Clara was rumored to come back to the cabin during storms and would have been an old lady at the time of filming "The Evil Dead."

"And so we were waited to see with bated breath if anyone caught out of the corner of their eyes some old woman crawling through the underbrush whose name happened to be Clara," Campbell said.

What was your experience in East TN?

Coming to East Tennessee in 1979 was a "fascinating cultural experience," Campbell said.

"It was all new," he said. "In 1979 you knew Tennessee was not Michigan. ... It changed in Kentucky, and we drove down."

Being that Campbell was a producer, he went to a bank to take out $10,000 in cash that he recalls smelling like dirt. He asked the woman at the bank if he was imagining the smell.

"Oh yeah, people still bury it in their back yard," he recalls her saying.

The crew tried their first moonshine in Tennessee, which they acquired along with marijuana from a local.

"We learned a lot about moonshine," Campbell said. "Too much. Too much."

Why did you decide on horror?

Campbell's early "Super 8" movies were slapstick style — "very 'Jackass'-like," he said.

But that changed after "The Evil Dead" director Sam Raimi, Campbell's high school friend, went off to college.

"He was sort of studying humanities or something and studied like the Sumerian book of the dead," Campbell said. "And that kind of caught his attention."

They knew they wanted to get into the movie industry after high school; they just didn't know what kind of movie to make.

"We sort of thought horror would be pretty safe," he said. "It's cheap, you don't have to have name actors, you can use regular street clothes and cars. Nothing had to be glitzy or fancy. If we did a comedy, you'd have to have John Candy or somebody. But, in this case, you were off the hook. Horror was very forgiving."

Raimi was interested in the subject matter, Campbell said. Once "The Evil Dead" story was selected, he was all in.

"We also thought no holds barred," Campbell said. "This movie is potentially unrated. Let's not pull any punches."

What were some low-budget tricks?

Being that the film was low budget, Campbell said, there were some tricks the crew used to make shots work.

"Every hour of every day on that shoot we were faking it," he said.

The moonshine they couldn't drink went onto the fire just before cameras rolled to make the flames roar.

"So we learned how to do that real cheaply," he said. "We learned to just use a real shotgun with real ammunition. That was just the easiest way to do it. ... The shadow passes over the window, you turn and you blow the window out with the shotgun just standing right there — no safety glasses, no earmuffs, no nothing.

"So simpler times, but stupider times. Hell yeah."

How do you illustrate fear on camera?

Illustrating fear on camera is just like illustrating any other emotion: You fake it, Campbell said.

He remembers someone at a Q&A criticizing his "Evil Dead" performance for being over-the-top.

"Sir, excuse me," Campbell recalls saying. "Can you verify sitting in that chair right now how you would react if your (girlfriend's) eyes turned white and she flew up into the air and got possessed and tried to rip your throat out? Would you react like Clint Eastwood? I would scream like a girl."

Campbell said his performances are "protected" by the fact no one knows how they actually would react. And while many modern films require even more faking, due to computer technology replacing sets, "The Evil Dead" had an advantage.

"You don't see anything anymore," Campbell said. "At least with the first 'Evil Dead,' you're in a real cabin in the middle of nowhere in the Deep South in 1979. I mean, it was weird as --- already.

"So, the nice little edge that 'Evil Dead' gets is it's a little docu-horror once you get deeper into the shoot and we all get a little crazier."

Why have you stuck with the franchise?

One of the reasons Campbell continues to be a part of the franchise is his love for his Ash character.

"He has no skills," he said. "In this case, the guy who saves the world from evil multiple times is — by the time he gets to the TV show, he's doing mescaline, he's drinking his ass off, he smokes reefer constantly. This is my kind of hero."

What will the screening be like?

The virtual watch party and live commentary will be different than what some fans are used to. Campbell will have the ability to stop and start the movie to share his thoughts.

"My problem with commentary always in the past is you see something that triggers it — a stunt or a punch in the face — and you tell about what happened," he said. "But then, you tell that story and you look back and you missed three other stories you could have told if that film hadn't just rolled along."

What's it like to watch yourself?

When asked what it's like to watch a young version of himself on screen, Campbell explained how being an actor is a double-edged sword. On one hand, every bad photo taken of Campbell is out there for the world to see.

"But then your best work is documented," he said. "That's what's awesome. Because a lot of guys go, 'I remember back in the day the chicks thought I was hot.' And most people are like, 'Yeah, yeah — sure pal.' At least I can suggest a couple of movies that I go, 'Well, this is me when I could do s---.'"

What's next for 'Evil Dead'?

Campbell said he's planning to shoot the next  "Evil Dead" movie in New Zealand later this year. The film will be set in a modern-day urban setting.

While he couldn't share much about the film, he did emphasize that "it's out of the woods."

"That's the best thing to say," he said.

Campbell also has a film called "Black Friday," in which he plays a manager at a toy store invaded by aliens on Black Friday. Campbell said he's interested in doing a drive-in tour and that it would make "a whole lot of sense" to show 'The Evil Dead' somewhere near Knoxville.

"Maybe I'll see you there in East Tennessee with this new movie," he said.

What are the challenges of COVID-19?

Campbell filmed during the COVID-19 pandemic in December, even though he had no clue what to expect.

"The whole crew looks like Darth Vader," Campbell said. "In proximity, you have to go beyond the mask. You have to put the shield too. The good news is Tom Cruise would shout at us, of course, if we had any problems with COVID."

In all seriousness, he said. the industry has been doing a good job taking precautions making sure work can be completed safely.

"Everything's more complicated, but it can still be done," he said.

[aion-rsa]

The 21 Best Christmas Horror Movies

https://ift.tt/3lZGPFt

Technicolor lights are about to illuminate every other home in the neighborhood; carolers are marching through the streets; even that old tree in Rockefeller is shining brightly.

For some folks, that’s enough to make you want to grab an axe. But don’t do that. Watch demented men dressed as Santa Claus or a demon Krampus indulge your Anti-Christmas sentiments with maximum gore. Indeed, this list isn’t about the most charming, heartwarming, or schmaltzy Christmas viewing traditions. Nah, this is about the 20 grossest, nastiest, and all around most fun Christmas horror movies. The kind where the greatest gift you’re going to get on Christmas morning is escaping with your life and maybe some psychological triggers whenever you see jolly men in red suits.

Yep, these are the very best Christmas horror movies. Ho. Freaking. Ho.

Anna and the Apocalypse (2017)

Almost certainly one of the sweetest, most positive, and upbeat Christmas movies on the list is this wonderful feel good musical romance from director John McPhail, which also happens to be a zombie movie. It follows a group of friends in a small Scottish town who are just about to finish school and are making plans for the future when a zombie outbreak lands. 

Incredibly catchy tunes which take inspiration from Buffy musical episode Once More With Feeling, mix with inventive festive kills – zombie snowman decapitation is a highlight – in a way that manages not to tonally jar. It’s mostly thanks to the super-likeable performances of the young cast, headed up by Ella Hunt, and the teenage troubles, romances, and heartbreak which form the backdrop of the movie. Paul Kaye also pops up as the school’s tyrannical headmaster – his musical numbers aren’t the best but he brings cartoon villain energy to an unusual but rather adorable Christmas horror that’s way better than you might expect.

– Rosie Fletcher

Better Watch Out (2016)

Home Alone is surely one of the most popular and iconic Christmas movies of all time, though it is not, of course, a horror. However, if it was, it would look something like Better Watch Out, a slick reinvention of the home invasion sub-genre. Olivia DeJonge plays babysitter Ashley, who attempts to protect her charge, 12-year-old Luke (Levi Miller), when they are threatened by intruders in his home. But all is not as it seems.

DeJonge and Miller spar beautifully in a movie which plays with gender and coming of age tropes and includes handfuls of gruesome set pieces, while Ed Oxenbould brings comic relief. This is clever, funny and gruesome stuff from director Chris Peckover which might not become a new Christmas tradition but should definitely be watched at least once.

– Rosie Fletcher

Black Christmas (1974)

Getting stabbed by a unicorn head to the tune of carolers singing “Silent Night” is probably not how you want to spend Christmas Eve. This pre-Scream holiday slasher claims its victims in a sorority house haunted by creepy phone calls (sans ghost mask), demonic noises, bodies eerily shrouded in plastic wrap, and one perverse killer whose voice alone is enough to freeze your blood.

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When an unidentified caller keeps harassing your entire sorority house with obscene things you can only half-understand (because he sounds like a deranged Donald Duck that laughs like the Joker), you should run even if it is 10 degrees outside. The blizzard of murders keeps raging with one victim dragged screaming by a hook, and another bludgeoned to death. Never mind the one suffocated by plastic wrap and left next to the window like the vacant face of a doll staring out into the night. You’ll hardly sleep in heavenly peace after this one.

– Elizabeth Rayne 

Christmas Evil (aka You Better Watch Out) (1980)

In his one and only film as writer/director, Lewis Jackson crafted a smart and clever black comedy that’s more character study than straight horror film. John Waters insists it’s a comedy about a closeted transvestite (of a sort), but it’s much more than that—it’s the Taxi Driver of Yuletide shockers. Brandon Maggart plays a man who takes Christmas way too seriously. His home is filled with bright holiday decorations all year-round while Christmas carols are playing on the stereo. Santa is his role model, a symbol of all that is good and just in the world. He even works at a toy factory.

He so identifies with Santa, he takes to spying on the neighbor kids, keeping his own carefully annotated naughty and nice lists. But when he recognizes the level of cynicism and hypocrisy among his co-workers, bosses, and the people around town as the most joyous time of the year approaches, well, he goes a little funny in the head. He reaches for the suit and beard and axe, determined to reward the good and punish the evil.

Maggart has since tried to desperately distance himself from the film, but he gives a remarkable performance here as a completely isolated figure with a head swimming with both joy and rage. In the end, the film remains king of the sub-subgenre. Screw It’s a Wonderful Life and Rudolph. Apart from Blast of Silence and Invasion U.S.A., Christmas Evil is the only holiday film I watch annually.

– Jim Knipfel 

A Christmas Horror Story (2015)

Admittedly, a number of horror-based Christmas movie have gone with the anthology angle for their storytelling. Hell, this isn’t even the only anthology film on this list. A Christmas Horror Story may not be on a lot of people’s radar, but it’s a worthy installment that goes to some unusual places purely because both the Christmas and anthology playgrounds have gotten so bloated at this point. This film also benefits from being executed by a cabal of directors who are responsible for directing some of the best horror movies to come out of Canada in passing years, such as Splice, the Black Christmas remake, and the Ginger Snaps trilogy.

A Christmas Horror Story deliciously uses a radio DJ (William Shatner) as the connective tissue that holds together the four stories that comprise the film. Parables on ghost possession, clone doppelgangers, Krampus, and zombie elves all get their due here. The film also has a pretty inspired ending that actually casts the picture in a whole new light. It’s got Santa Claus fighting Krampus. What’s not to like?

– Daniel Kurland 

Dead of Night (1945)

Never play hide and go seek in a house where someone was murdered. While it might be best known for Michael Redgrave’s night-terror-inducing ventriloquist dummy scene that sparked the phobia of possessed puppets, Dead of Night also invites you to a Christmas party with a spectral guest. Spacecase Sally’s genuine terror at realizing what she thinks she saw is what she really saw will forever have you second-guessing shadows creeping in the cold. 

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What is obvious in this scene—encroaching darkness and shadows looming over what a place you know is haunted without ever having to hear the big reveal—is hardly as chilling as what is not so obvious until the truth silently materializes. The ghost of the little boy plays hide-and-seek with the other children as if warm blood courses through his veins. Unlike many stereotypical see-through phantoms of the era, this one doesn’t have that telltale translucence which would set off a chorus of screams. Being almost disturbingly normal is exactly what makes him so terrifying. 

– Elizabeth Rayne 

Eyes Wide Shut (1999)

Eyes Wide Shut was the non-denominational star at the top of Stanley Kubrick’s Christmas tree. Originally conceived as a Woody Allen vehicle, it almost starred Steve Martin after Allen insisted on reading the script from right to left. It is as much a cautionary tale as Dickens’ A Christmas Carol, bringing the whole family together with a different Christmas tree in almost every frame.  

Kubrick pours on the cheer from the opening sequence at the Christmas party where the first gifts are unwrapped, and oh boy are they unwrapped. Bill Harford, played by Tom Cruise, dives right into the muffled spirit of giving after he performs a more than charitable deed for the party’s host, played by Sydney Pollack.

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Harford spends most of the film looking for the perfect gift like a slow motion version of Jingle All the Way, rushing around from New York City’s famous toy repository FAO Schwartz to downtown specialty shops, to the suburbs, where he can find collectors’ editions. Cruise pays Harford like a wooden windup toy, and not a particularly cute one, either. In spite of all the colorful lights and trips above and below the rainbow, Harford just can’t get into the Christmas spirit. He’s not even moved by the uplifting seasonal tunings of “I Want a Boy for Christmas” by the Del-Vettes. He recovers his seasonal facilities while humming along to the chant during the climactic illuminati sex party, though! The song is actually “Here Comes Santa Claus” sung backwards in Latin, adding more menace to the proceedings than Silas Barnaby brought to Toyland in The March of the Wooden Soldiers.

– Tony Sokol 

Gremlins (1984)

Santa doesn’t exist… unless it’s your father in a red suit who met his untimely end trying to slide down the chimney with a sack of presents before getting stuck. Don’t tell that to the innocent bat-like ears of a harmless (for now) Mogwai. It’s exactly the kind of story you expect to hear while hunkering down in the shadows with a flashlight while a bunch of leathery green things with too many teeth ransack the neighborhood.

And as for Santa? That smell coming from the fireplace weeks later was no dead cat. Worst. Christmas story. Ever. 

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This movie should be on every hardcore horror fan’s holiday playlist just for the musical monstrosity of those reptilian things decked out in Santa hats and earmuffs singing “Deck the Halls” at the neighbors’ door, sheet music and all. This is continuing proof that animals have a sixth sense, because her yowling cat senses something off about the voices warbling “Joy to the World” outside. She’s right to have an aversion to Christmas carolers.

– Elizabeth Rayne 

Holidays (2015)

There have been so many holiday-themed horror films at this point—reaching Christmas and going far, far beyond that—so why not make an anthology film that takes that idea to the extreme? Holidays hits the expected staples such as Christmas, Halloween, and Valentine’s Day, but part of the fun here is how holidays with lesser expectations like Easter or St. Patrick’s Day deliver some truly horrifying content (seriously, the St. Patrick’s Day segment is disturbing, bonkers chaos).

The Christmas segment comes courtesy of Scott Stewart (Legion) and has Seth Green trying to survive the holiday as he attempts to get his son the perfect gift. Stewart’s installment feels very reminiscent of a Black Mirror episode with virtual reality, consumerism, and the dangers of mob mentality all playing their part here.

A lot of these anthology films also try to bank off of the name recognition and notoriety of the assembled directors, but Holidays proudly features a collection of mostly fresh faces (although Kevin Smith and Starry Eye’s Kevin Kolsch contribute segments). It’s fun to discover a bunch of new blossoming talents here.

– Daniel Kurland 

Jack Frost (1997)

This ain’t the cringeworthy father/son bonding vehicle starring Michael Keaton. No, this is the Jack Frost where the killer snowman’s nose functions as both a killing tool and a device to sexually assault his victims. All square? But hey, at the least the film isn’t afraid to ride its ridiculous premise as hard as possible.

First of all, an actual killer named Jack Frost crashes into a truck of “genetics material” that causes him to transform into this cold abomination in the first place. That sets the tone pretty nicely for the abundant murders, sex, and plot holes that plague the town of Snowmonton (yup). It’s hard to believe that this film got made, with all of the visuals being some real spectacles that you don’t typically see in the horror genre.

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Jack Frost is the perfect Christmas horror film to shut your brain off and watch, or the title that you should be selecting right in the middle of your deep eggnog haze. It’s utter nonsense, but it knows that it is and has tons of fun with itself. We need more talented individuals trying to tap into the killer snowman subgenre. There’s still a true classic waiting to come to life here.

– Daniel Kurland 

Krampus (2015)

Morbidly funny in its anti-holiday sarcasm and ridiculous demons, Krampus is like a mashup of the Griswolds, the Grinch, and every mythical beast that has ever been rumored to devour children on the naughty list. You’d rather get coal in your stocking than a killer jack-in-the-box jump scare… or find chilling hoof prints in the snow that are definitely not from Rudolph.

Krampus is one Yuletide monster actually worse than the Grinch. The grisly inspiration for this tale is a Germanic one about a hairy, horned, and cloven-hooved demon who stuffs naughty children in his sack and either beats them with a wooden switch or eats them (depending on who you ask). Also, his heart won’t grow three sizes from gorging on human flesh, either.

This version of Krampus is also hungry for anyone who’s lost their holiday spirit—whether or not you otherwise qualify for the nice list. Watch this with the lights off for the full effect of the power outage that works to the creature’s advantage as he goes hunting for holiday nonbelievers. Kids, don’t scorn Santa or Krampus will come to collect you.

– Elizabeth Rayne 

The Nightmare Before Christmas (1993)

There are some of us who know this movie verbatim and to the point where we will shamelessly break out singing “This is Halloween” and raise Jack’s quasi-Shakespearean monologue from the dead even in the middle of July. Or keep warning people that tragedy’s at hand. Or correct anyone who says there are 365 days until next Halloween by growling “364!” The stop-motion animation saga of the talking skeleton turned “Sandy Claws” bewitched an entire generation of ‘90s kids. 

Even people who hate Halloween will stare with delight and awe when Jack’s skull bursts out of a snowdrift, and he first puts colored lights in his eye sockets and explores every “what’s this?” in Christmas Town like a spook in a coffin shop. You just can’t help but love the adventurous skeleton, even if he does end up making haunted houses out of people’s living rooms on Christmas Eve. Whether you’d rather be making Christmas with strangely somber carols, reanimated reindeer or toys that bite back, it’s now an officially unofficial holiday classic.

– Elizabeth Rayne 

P2 (2007)

On the sillier end of the Christmas horror spectrum comes P2, a film named after a section in a parking lot, starring Wes Bentley and Rachel Nichols. She’s a business woman trapped in a multi-story parking garage on Christmas Eve, he’s the insane Security Guard who’s obsessed with her and really wants her to try his festive eggnog, so to speak. 

Camp and gory, this is the directorial debut of Franck Khalfoun who would follow it up with a remake of Maniac. The movie was co-written by Alexandre Aja who made one of the greatest cat-and-mousers ever in Switchblade Romance. The set up is formulaic, perhaps, but the game performances and relentlessness of the action makes this worthwhile. And if that’s not enough check out a deranged Bentley dressed as Santa, for the angel on the top of the Christmas tree.

– Rosie Fletcher

Rare Exports (2010)

There couldn’t possibly be a more sinister place to search for Santa’s ancient burial mound than in the frigid depths of Lapland. It’s the same supposedly enchanted place Dick van Dyke hiked to in the search for Santa in an ‘80s musical Christmas special, except this time you won’t find him in a cozy cottage with stockings hung by the chimney with care. You won’t find the guy in red from the mall, but anything that takes a disembodied pig’s head as bait couldn’t possibly be jingle-belling on a sleigh with eight tiny reindeer, especially when he seems to have a ravenous appetite for said reindeer. 

This time, “the spirit of the season” is literally the most malicious Christmas spirit that has ever terrorized the Yuletide. Even if you watch the whole thing in Finnish and don’t understand a word except the screaming, the ghost of the child in you that really did believe there was a guy in the North Pole will be forever traumatized. This glaze-eyed zombie incarnation of Mr. Claus doesn’t laugh like a bowl full of jelly. You better watch out, indeed.

– Elizabeth Rayne

Santa Claws (1996)

You do have to wonder what happened to John Russo along the line. 30 years after co-writing Night of the Living Dead, he came up with this decidedly sleazy but sadly unoriginal wonderment, which was much more focused on boobs than Yuletide butchery. In what by that point had become a battered cliché of the Slasher Santa subgenre, a young boy named Wayne (Grant Kramer) sees his mom having sex with a man wearing a Santa hat (!), and so murders them both. I’m not exactly sure how this transference would work in Freudian terms, but when he gets older, he a) becomes obsessed with a low-budget scream queen named Raven (played by low-budget scream queen Debbie Rochon) and b) decides he’s Santa.

As you might imagine, stalking someone when you’re wearing a Santa suit is no mean feat, but Wayne gives it his best shot. Most of the film, however, focuses on Raven and her extended family as she gets undressed a lot and wonders not only why that creep in the Santa suit keeps showing up everywhere, but why everyone around her keeps dying in a particularly bloody fashion. It can feel like there are two films going on here, a by-the-numbers stalker/slasher movie and a holiday horror film, which leaves me thinking Russo had one of them in mind, but after some eight-year-old smarty-pants came up with that clever “Santa Claws” pun, well, he just had to run with it.

– Jim Knipfel

Santa’s Slay (2005)

Christmas can sure scare the Dickens out of people. Hence why you can’t not watch a holiday horror flick in which Santa is the Antichrist, sentenced to 1,000 years of delivering gifts after losing a curling match with an angel, and played by former pro wrestler Bill “Who’s Next?” Goldberg.

As the only son of Satan (you know what they say about rearranging the letters in that name) whose grim legend is immortalized in the Book of Claus, he can now at last spread Christmas fear with weapons, karate kicks, hand grenades, exploding presents, and his own perverse idea of what “Ho ho ho” should really mean. Them’s the breaks once the bet’s terms are done.

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Santa’s methods of murder are fiendishly festive—to say the least. There is no naughty or nice list when it comes to an insatiable appetite for violence. He even knocks out poseurs in red suits and drives a sleigh with a rocket engine like it’s the Batmobile. Mall Santas everywhere are shaking in their pleather boots.

– Elizabeth Rayne 

Silent Night, Deadly Night (1984)

Naughty children get punished with more than just a stocking full of coal in this Christmas chiller. Just the opening scene with all those empty-eyed animatronic toys haunting a window display after-hours should tell you that this is not a movie that’s going to end in visions of sugarplums. Forget that it’s supposed to be the season of all things magical. Those things can be more terrifying than every single plastic skeleton and gaping zombie mask you’ll ever see in a haunted house around Halloween.

You’d better watch out for that psycho in the red suit who grabs a hatchet off the wall as if it was his bag full of toys and packs an automatic pistol in his fur-lined pocket, murdering misbehaving kids he’s been watching undercover of shadow. This sadistic Santa clearly doesn’t believe in sliding down chimneys—and the only red he’s interested in wearing is the blood of innocents. If that won’t convince you to stay awake because he sees you when you’re sleeping, you must be Freddie Krueger.

– Elizabeth Rayne

Silent Night, Deadly Night Part 2 (1987)

Three years after the shit-storm sparked by the original’s ad campaign, some smart cookie decided a sequel was necessary. A tough call there, given most all the principals were killed off pretty thoroughly the first time around, but still, right?

But there was money to be made, so they brought in an untested director (Lee Harry), a mostly untested crew, and a cast of mostly non-professional actors. After a half-dozen writers took a swipe at the script, they came up with a confounding but tepid rehash of the first film. This time around, and mostly in flashback, we learn that after the first killer Santa was sloppily dispatched at the end of Part 1, his brother Ricky becomes determined to uncover what went wrong.

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He pays a visit to the sadistic Mother Superior at the Catholic asylum where his brother had been kept, and before you can say “ho ho ho,” Ricky ends up donning the red and white suit himself to do a little rampaging, though without nearly half of his brother’s imagination. They even used the same fucking poster design, just slapped a “2” on it. I guess hoping they might raise the same sort of ruckus the first one had. Sadly, it was too late for that.

– Jim Knipfel 

Sint (2010)

Dutch director Dick Maas took some early steps toward Krampus territory with his re-imagining of the legend of the warm-hearted Saint Nick. Borrowing heavily from earlier Italian, Spanish, and American horror films, as well as Danish folklore, “Sinterklaas” here was actually a bloodthirsty medieval murderer and all around brute who oversaw a savage reign of terror. Finally fed up with all his nonsense, the ornery local villagers banded together on the night of Dec. 5 and lynched him. As per tradition, however, in the moments before he died Sinterklaas vowed vengeance from beyond the grave, promising to return every 32 years on that very night to do bad and icky things to the villagers’ descendants.

Over the centuries, the story was mainstreamed and soft-pedaled, becoming part of the local folklore. The character of Saint Nick became much more benevolent and child-friendly so as not to scare the wee folk. Then, well, wouldn’t you know it? That anniversary creeps around again, Sinterklaas is true to his word, and Amsterdam turns all bloody, leaving it up to an intrepid teenager named Frank to put a stop to the mayhem.

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A stylish, wicked, and hugely entertaining take on the darker history of a beloved legend. It was also the top grossing film in Denmark in 2010, which either says something about the Danish film industry or the Dutch themselves.

– Jim Knipfel

Tales From the Crypt: And All Through the House (1972)

The Crypt Keeper first emerged as a ghoulish EC Comics horror host in the pages of Tales From the Crypt who crawled onto the big screen in this horror anthology, welcoming unknowing tourists to his catacombs with bony arms open. What the tourists don’t know is that they’re all recently deceased. The invite is to a subterranean story-time in which he unearths the gruesome details of their deaths with a gap-toothed grin. Creatures are obviously stirring when killer wife Joanne is stalked by a homicidal Santa in this warped homage to ‘Twas the Night Before Christmas titled (appropriately enough) “… And All Through the House.”

So it is that “O Come All Ye Faithful” is interrupted while playing on the radio by a scratchy warning of a homicidal maniac run amok. And wouldn’t you just know it, this occurs right as Joan Collins is offing her husband with a shot to the head—and then realizes she has to dismember the body before cashing in on his life insurance. Her blissfully naïve daughter lets the killer jolly old elf in, shrieking that Santa finally came before he erupts into psychopathic rage. Clement C. Moore must be turning in his grave.

– Elizabeth Rayne 

The Wolf of Snow Hollow

Certainly less purely Christmas-y than other entries on this list, The Wolf of Snow Hollow is nonetheless a wintry delight set during the holiday season. Carols play ominously in the background during key moments, and the immaculately snowy white setting of Snow Hollow, Utah is broken only by splashes of color from lights on homes and Christmas trees. Oh yes, and the blood of the titular werewolf’s victims.

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By Mike Cecchini

Jim Cummings’ film is heavy on cozy, ski town holiday atmosphere without leaning on its actual Christmastime setting at all. But good werewolf movies are a rare breed indeed these days, and a werewolf movie set at Christmas? Well…now you know what to watch when the moon is full each December

Mike Cecchini

Got any other suggestions for Christmas horror movies that we missed? Let us know in the comments!

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Best Hiking in Ireland and Other Unique Irish Adventures

If you want to fully experience one of the most naturally beautiful places in the world then you must go Hiking in Ireland. The rolling green fields, stone fences, savage cliff coastlines and  medieval castles make it one of the most awe inspiring locations for a great hike or country walk. It is one of the greenest place I have hiked in the world, right up there with my home area of the Pacific Northwest and Hiking the Banaue Rice Terraces in the Philippines. Then you have the Irish themselves who are some of the friendliest people you will ever come across. Everywhere you go, whether a city or small village, you will find a pub filled with welcoming  locals, music, dancing and stories of myths and legends. A perfect place to rest your feet and quench your thirst after a day of hiking the Irish hills and valleys. So where do you hike in Ireland? Well the list is almost endless but to get you started I have created a guide to some of the most scenic hiking spots in Ireland and Northern Ireland. Here you will see some of the best this island has to offer while hitting up a few iconic photographic spots as well.  

Best Hiking in Ireland and Other Unique Irish Adventures

1. The Cliffs of Moher

At over 700 feet tall these cliffs are magnificent to view. They are one of the most visited attractions in Ireland and can get busy during peak season. I suggest going early in the morning when they first open. There is a great walk along the cliffs. They do have a small wall barrier but this can be easily hopped over for a full cliff hike experience. Be careful as winds can be very strong when walking too close to the edge. You can literally fill up a whole card of images here. Look below and see the power of mother nature slamming into the walls. Scenes from great movies like The Princess Bride (Cliffs of Insanity) and Harry Potter and the half blood prince have been filmed here. Here is a 360 experience for the Cliffs of Moher Galway is one of the best places to stay as a home base for seeing the Cliffs of Moher. A bustling center with so many pubs to explore when you are not exploring nature. Galway Hotels

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2. Ballybunion Cliff Walk

South of Galway is a little town called Ballybunion. Along the coast is a great walk along some beautiful beaches and picturesque cliffs. This walk has been used by visitors for the last 100 years. You can also explore a pretty castle and some lovely sand dunes. Most people can easily spend a couple hours here exploring.

3. Clogher Strand Beach

A must see stop when driving around the Dingle peninsula is Clogher Strand. There is a car park here and even on the calmest day, this little cove is spectacular to view. The rocky shore and cliffs are battered by wind and waves up to 26 feet high. There is a wonderful hike from this cove along the countryside and cliffs to the Pier at Wine Strand. This is some of the best hiking in Ireland. This route takes about 3 hours, but you can make your way back via a road if you do not want as long of a walk. Many movie fans may recognize this area as the Irish countryside that Tom Cruise's character was from in "Far and Away."

Dingle is an iconic Irish village worth a stop itself. It has one of the biggest food festivals and also is home to one of the most famous Dolphin's by the name of Fungie. Locals say this same dolphin has made this it's home for the last 32 years. Dingle Hotels

4. Slea Head and Dunmore Head

Easily accessible from Dingle, this is the most western point in Ireland. You can park at Coumeenoole Beach and head up to see Coumeenoole Ogham Stone. This particular Ogham stone is believed to be a place of worship for someone named Erc to the goddess Duibhne(Dovinnias). It is a bit of a hike up to the stone through fields of sheep and over a small fence, but the views from there are one of a kind. You have a heavenly view of the Blasket Islands to the west and nothing else until North America behind them. To the east you can view Slea Head beach and endless miles of green countryside. Put this one on your hiking in Ireland list.

5. Gap of Dunloe

The Gap of Dunloe is a scenic narrow mountain pass just outside of the popular town of Killarney, Ireland. A popular way to ride through the pass is with a jaunting car or pony guided by locals who live around the gap. You can also find some of the best hiking trails in Ireland here. Many also choose to bike through the area. There are even rock climbing routes in the area for those looking for a more extreme adventure. The Dunloe gap is about 7 miles long and consists of 11 lakes connected by the river Loe and an old arch bridge called the "Wishing Bridge." The gap was also a filming area for the movie "The Crying Game." Killarney is your best bet for a place to stay in this area and is a wonderful town full of pubs, delicious food, live music and amenities.  There is also the Killarney National Park to explore and definitely worth a visit when in Killarney. One of the largest parks in Ireland. Killarney Hotels

6. Bog of Frogs Loop

Dublin is an epicenter in Ireland. Many people just stay in Dublin for pubs, music and food but there is adventure just outside the city along with some great Ireland hiking. Within the town of Howth is a fairytale hike through enchanted forests and up to an amazing lookout. This whole area known as Howth Head was immortalized in James Joyce's book Ulysses. One of my favorite Howth hikes is Bog of Frogs that winds through an enchanted forest of gnarly trees which locals say is full of fairies.  Check out Shane's Howth Hikes for guided Ireland hiking tours of this area. Need a spot for lunch? Don't miss the delicious seafood at Octopussy's Seafood Tapas Restaurant on the Howth waterfront. Coming from the Pacific Northwest, I know seafood and this is good seafood. Need place to say in Dublin? Dublin Hotels

7. Dalkey Island

In the town of Dalkey just outside of Dublin you can kayak over to Dalkey Island with Kayaking Dublin. This drops you right into Lord of the Rings-like terrain. The kayak trip over is full of encounters with seals and beautiful coastline. Then you touch down on the island which is covered with rock and a spongy Irish moss. I chose to go barefoot and literally felt like a hobbit exploring the island.  If overnight stays were allowed I may not have left. The island was used by the Vikings as a holding area for slaves they had captured and a base for attacks and defense. This uninhabited island has been used for various purposes for 6000 years. It is now home to goats, seals, rabbits and legends.  Want lunch in Dalkey? Look no further than The Dalkey Duck Looking for more adventure? Zip It Forest Adventures may be what you need. Packed with fun and challenging routes for beginners to advanced. The Red Circuit is an upper body killer!

8. Hellfire Club (Mount Pelier Hill)

One of the most haunted buildings in Ireland wrapped up in witchcraft and satanic rituals. The Hellfire Club had multiple meeting locations around Ireland and some of the most influential and richest men in the country would partake in these gatherings. This old hunting lodge built by William Connolly is on top of Mount Pelier Hill. Locals share stories of debauchery, sacrifices and even the devil himself at this lodge. The hike up to the lodge is gorgeous with views of Dublin to the North and the Wicklow mountains to the South. The lodge itself sits on an old burial site in which adds to the haunted tales and stories of satanic rituals. You can explore the building and feel the eerie presence of those who may have died at this site. Watch your step as the building can be damp and dark. There is a great company Hilltop Treks that does Ireland Hiking tours and can take you up to this spot and other hiking in Ireland Watch a story told by Terry from Hilltop Treks about Hellfire Club here. Looking for something extra to do in this area. How about horseback riding in Dublin overlooking the Wicklow Hills with Killegar Stables? They are a great outfit for beginners to experts and one of Ireland's longest established riding schools. Take in the fresh Irish air as you trot through the countryside. Prefer golfing to hiking? Check out this resort just outside of Dublin with golfing at your fingertips? Check out Portmarnock Hotel and Golf Links

9. Carrick-a-Rede Rope Bridge

Situated in Northern Ireland along the coast is a rope bridge not for the feint of heart. The bridge is 65 feet long and 100 feet above the rocks below. It connects Carrickarede island with the mainland. It is a nice scenic walk down to the bridge, there is a fee to cross it. On the other side you can explore the old fishing dock and take the stairs to the top of the island. Upon returning across the bridge to your left you can follow the trail to a nice lookout spot for a great photographic view of the bridge and island. This will loop you back to the parking area. Not some of the best hiking in Ireland, but definitely a unique and beautiful area. Plan to stay in Belfast? Belfast is a prime city to situate yourself when exploring Northern Ireland. You can visit Carrick-a-Rede Rope Bridge, Giant's Causeway, Dunluce Castle and The Dark Hedges all from Belfast. Belfast Hotels

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10. Giant's Causeway

One of Northern Ireland's most visited natural wonders. An area consisting of about 40,000 interlocking basalt columns. This is the by-product of an ancient volcanic eruption and is now a UNESCO site. Legend denotes the columns are the remains of a route built by giants. To get to the columns you must park above near the Visitors Center. Remember entrance to the Giant's Causeway is free but use of any of the facilities like the car park requires payment. In slow season you may be able to stop for a drink or snack at the pub and use their parking area or find parking along the road or a wall near the visitors center. It is a bit of a hike down along the coast to get to the columns, but a fairly level road to walk on. Once there, you can spends hours climbing and exploring the area. One the weirdest landscapes next to Cappadocia, Turkey.

Are you a Game of Thrones fan? When you are on your way to the Giant's Causeway or any other of the Northern Ireland Coastal locations, you can stop by the Dark Hedges. Used in the popular TV series Game of Thrones. The massive and unique trees curve over the road and give an eerie and medieval feel to them. Here is another article about Game of Thrones in Dubrovnik.

11. Dunluce Castle and Cliffs

The medieval Dunluce Castle sits right on the edge of the coastline of Northern Ireland. Something right out of Game of Thrones or Lord of the Rings. On all sides of the castle are steep drops which made it an ideal fortification for early Christians and Vikings. There is a cool little bridge connecting to the castle plus a waterway escape to the ocean from under the castle. You can spend a good hour exploring the area and walking through the castle. Plus the area is beautiful for a cycle or a good ole Irish walk along the coast. Read about another Historic Trail here.

12. Glenveagh National Park

Glenveagh National Park is an adventurers paradise. In the county of Donegal in Northwest Ireland lies an oasis of trails, cycling, fishing, vast landscapes and a picturesque castle. In reality this area provides some of the most remote and best hiking in Ireland. Entry to the area is free, but services will be extra. At almost 40,000 acres, this park provides countless hours of exploring. It consists of most of Derryveagh Mountians, the Poisoned Glen and part of Errigal Mountain. You can rent a bike with www.grassroutes.ie to discover more of the area. Fishing can be done on Lough Veagh from July 15th - September 30th. Contact www.donegalanglingholidays.com to arrange. Derry, also know as Londonderry is just over the border in Northern Ireland, but provides a good home base for exploring County Donegal. It is a sight to explore by itself as well. It is a walled city with various 17th century architecture to see. LondonDerry Hotels

  Another option for accommodations is Ireland 's Blue Book. They provide access to Irish Country House Hotels, Manor Houses and Castles for a more unique experience.  

13. Slieve League Cliffs

Just over 2 hours from Derry, these Irish cliffs are said to be one of the best cliffs is Ireland. Larger and just as spectacular as the Cliffs of Moher. I am talking almost 3 times higher. You get wonderful views of Sligo Mountains and Donegal Bay from the top of the cliffs where the ocean devours the rock below. If you are feeling like a little extra adventure, head onto One Man's Pass which connects around to Pilgrim's Path. This is one of Ireland's best hiking trails in Ireland and goes along one of Ireland's most impressive coastlines. The best part is this area is less explored than many other parts of Ireland, at least for now. Thanks for reading. Another detailed article about an Ultimate Road Trip from Belfast to Derry, Northern Ireland is here. Let me know if you think any new hiking in Ireland adventures should be added. Always looking for a new adventure to try. Here is some of the Best Hikes Near Seattle, my hometown. On Pinterest? Use this Pin below to share!

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[szopenhauer]

When was the last time you cried and what was the reason?: family issues

Do you believe in ghosts?: maybe

If you could live on the moon, would you?: almost all of it belongs to Tom Cruise so no 

What is your favorite time in history to learn about?: I just like many interesting history facts in general

When is the last time you felt discriminated against because of your gender?: not sure which situation was last

What race are you?: caucasian, white, european, polish, slavic

What is your favorite sex position?: I’m not into sex tbh Have you ever lost your SO to another person?: yup

Have you ever had a thing for a friend’s parent?: no

Have you ever believed in Santa Clause? from what I remember

Have you ever thought you were getting a surprise party, but you really weren’t? nah and I don’t like surprises so I’m glad I never really had a party like this

Have you ever forgotten someone’s birthday? I suck with dates

Has a friend looked bad in a profile picture and you didn’t tell her? it was my opinion but if they liked their pic then it’s their problem

Does it take forever for your internet to load websites? sometimes

Have you ever pretended to listen to someone but you really weren’t? yeah :x

Are you a bad driver, or do you know someone that is? I know some that are bad yet say they’re oh so awesome at it ugh!

Have you seen the animated movies Tarzan? sure

Have you actually called 911 for an actual emergency? If so, what was the emergency? not me but my parents

Do you sleep in the living room a lot? I never do

Did you enjoy watching The Flintstone’s growing up? yep

Do you wish you were born in a different year? kinda wish I was born after war and die before 2020 or even live in another time period 

What do you buy more: Movies or candy? neither

Did you used to eat chapstick when you were younger? ewww, noooo, not even toothpaste

What made you pick up the last book you started reading? I was watching a movie and heard that book has a different ending so I had to see for myself Have you received any bad or troubling news lately? shitload When was the last time you were relieved about something? I wish I was... What about your life concerns you the most? my health related issues mostly but also money and fam, love life, religion etc. Is there a common thing most people seem to do without trouble, but it scares you (talking on the phone, driving, interviews, etc)? When was the last time you had to do one of these kinds of things? there are, recently

Describe a time when you were there for a friend? were there in person? When was the last time you went somewhere for the first time? days or weeks ago What is a situation that makes you feel especially confident? umm... Hypothetically and generally speaking, how would you go about breaking up with someone? Is there anything you would make sure to say, or perhaps not say? depends Would you say you’re easy or difficult to offend? I guess I’m easily offended Is there a belief you have that most others around you don’t have? Do you share this belief with others, or do you tend to keep it to yourself?  sure, might talk about it if asked and in the mood  If you’ve moved out from home, what was the scariest thing about it? What was/is your favorite thing about it? I didn’t move out yet but there are dark scenarios I imagine that could happen and they concern me What are your thoughts on “forgiving” murderers or rapists? Do you think it’s even possible to forgive these people? I wouldn’t forgive a rapist but particular murders can be justified If you could learn about anything without the stress of grades or cost, what kind of classes would you take? who cares about grades and cost when you have no possibility/talent/ability anyway?... Last item of clothing you purchased - do you wear it often? didn’t wear it yet Has anything made you feel nostalgic lately? lots What was the last chore you completed? I just helped mom around kitchen and bathroom - przynieś/podaj itp.

Which of the Seven Deadly Sins do you commit the most? sloth?

Has anyone ever told you that you’re incapable of whispering? nope, my mom is incapable, she whispers louder than when she’s normally talking to someone

Who was the best kisser you’ve ever dated? I’ve only kissed one person in my entire life

When was the last time you watched a YouTube video? yesterday

this one

and I plan on doing smth similar

Do you personally think Wikipedia is a reliable source? one of the most reliable sources that are available for free

When you were a child, did you ever want to become a wizard/witch? meh

Do you want to repaint your walls? I prefer to move out 

Would you rather have hardwood floors or carpet? hardwood

Who would you say is the most selfish person you know? majority of society

Have you ever made out in a movie theater before? waste of the movie

How old were you when you got to go on your first date? dunno what I can count as one

Would you call your parents over-protective or under-protective? weirdly protective

Did your parents ever let you play in the pits of those multicolored balls? never had a chance to

Has anyone ever called you a good kisser before? I had my moment

Have any of your siblings ever had a crush on your significant other? she’s into men so...

Do you know someone who cares about themselves more than their child? it seems that most of parents act this way

What’s your favorite hairstyle you’ve had so far? hmm...

How many dogs do you have, if any at all? 1

Do you think biting is weird or sexy? biting hard is very dangerous and I’m not into being bitten but I might/can bite a little

Would you rather be called hot or beautiful? neither but I'll “believe” slightly more in being beautiful than hot I think

Have you ever had a pet turtle before? yep

Do you still sleep with your parents when you’re scared sometimes? just once I had a bad night and my dad was working overnight so I went to my mom’s bed but then I left in the middle of the night anyway as she was snoring, not that it usually bothers me 

Have you ever met someone with two different color eyes? saw pics on the internet only

How many surveys on average would you say you’ve done in your lifetime? shitload

Do you enjoy going school shopping? tiny bit as I enjoy shopping in general?

Do you think Pug dogs are adorable or just plain ugly? adorable

Have you ever met someone who completely resembled their pet? lookalikes

Has anyone ever knitted you something before? sure

Do you think there is a soulmate out there for everyone? then why some ppl die single?...

Do you like short or long surveys the best? it’s not about length, I need interesting questions

Have you ever bought fake money and tried to make it pass for real? I didn’t try to make it pas for real wtf

Are your siblings nice the majority of the time? *rolling my eyes*

How many uncles do you have? don’t know nor care as they don’t give a shit about me

Do you freak out when a thunderstorm comes along? nah, sometimes I feel physically bad because of it tho

How often do you shower? basically everyday

What is the absolute worst thing about high school? from my personal experience - stress

How many sodas do you usually drink in one day? I don’t drink soda for years

Have you ever met an annorexic pregnant woman? woah I can’t imagine that

Have you ever simply looked at someone & could tell they were homosexual? oh well...

Do you have the ability to read someone without even knowing them? sometimes

Would you rather eat or sleep? sleep

Are you one of those die hard Twilight or Harry Potter fans? am not, especially Twilight - I didn’t read/watch it because it sounds awful

Have you ever cried while watching a movie trailor? yes 

Have you ever learned that someone had lied to you all along? sadly

When was the last time you had a physical injury? this ending week

Have you ever wanted to be a lawyer? not really

Have you ever had to bail someone out of jail before? nope

Is there anyone in your imediate family who was adopted? no

Do you know anyone who doesn’t have any common sense? I meet many ppl like this often on the streets or online

Do you think you look anything like your parents? I know I do

Who is the skinniest person you know? Is it because of a disease? when it comes to look or weight? disease though

Is this year the best one you’ve had so far? r u joking?...

What color is your significant other’s hair? natural or dye? XD

Are you ashamed of anyone in your family? yeah The best Christmas gift you ever gotten? The sims 2 as I dreamed of it and didn’t expect my poor parents will afford and give it to me ever, I was so moved that I cried and my sister was jealous and angry 

Who is your favorite actor or actress? can’t decide

What is cuter: kisses on the forehead of the cheek? I don’t consider them cute when I receive them but kind of awkward actually but giving them is a different story

Do you believe in evolution or creation? smth in between, it’s complicated 

What group would you say you’d normally fit into the most? I feel that I wouldn’t really fit any

Are you better at drawing things or painting? drawing

Have either of your parents ever called you a failure before? I am a failure

How long have you been on the computer right now? too long, about 6 hours Name three black things that you can see? celphone, pendrive, necklace would you perfer to do the dishes or hang washing/laundry? dishes

[hello-guardian-angel-blog]

Ismael Mathay SHS Batch 89′s 30th Grand Reunion

Quezon City- The Batch 89′ Alumni of Ismael Mathay Senior High School (formerly known as GSIS Village High School) had their 30th Grand Reunion last Saturday, March 23,2019 at 6 pm. The high school’s Alumni deemed it significant to hold a grand celebration for their graduation’s 30th anniversary and they decided to go with the theme “Back to the 80′s” to relive their time in high school.

The first thing they had to do was registration. It was organized so the guests had no problem registering at all. After everyone was registered, the opening remarks was given followed by the re-introduction of the batch graduates, because so much time passed already and some of them have already forgotten their batch mates’ names and faces. Once the introductions were finished, it was time to eat since the reunion was scheduled at dinner time and the guests were hungry. They had a buffet style service that had Sotanghon, Lechon, Mixed vegetables, Beef broccoli, and Buko Pandan. They were also offered unlimited drinks. Then after the attendees have eaten and rested, the party started. It was very reminiscent of the 80′s since everyone was dressed in 80′s style while dancing to 80′s music, of course the party would be incomplete without a hanging disco ball. It was an amazing and nostalgic night to remember. An awarding ceremony was also set to recognize the efforts of the attendees’ participation. The best in costume in the female category was dressed as a female Michael Jackson and she even performed some signature Michael Jackson dance moves. Then the best in costume in the male category was inspired by Tom Cruise’s pilot uniform in the movie Top Gun. The winners both received trophies, cash prizes and gift packs. It was also established that the batch mates had a project of rehabilitating the restrooms of the school, which was timely since there is an ongoing water shortage and the restrooms are in real need of cleaning. The batch’s former adviser (now the school’s guidance counselor) also had a request of having an air conditioner be installed in her room, a small favor from someone who helped shape their future. And finally after the event, everyone enjoyed the night and they were given souvenir shirts and souvenir vinyl records as remembrance. 

Expository Writing

[nancydrewwouldnever]

Seriously, is someone really trying to trash Keanu Reeves to make Chris look better? Come on now. I love them both, they’ve both had their share of problems but someone is really reaching to drag up nonsense. Keanu has never brought up his child passing away in any interview. I can bet you most people these days, especially the younger, would have no clue he even had a child because unless they’re a rabid fan they won’t Google his life history or stalk him enough to know, he’s surely not bringing it up. And why would that even help get a job anyway, it was ages ago and lots of actors have had bad things happen to them so that’s not going to sway anything behind the scenes either. And you don’t have to go to acting school to be a very successful actor, plenty of famous actors never did. Tom Cruise, Johnny Depp, Jen Lawrence, Jim Carrey, Charlize Theron, Nat Portman, Joaquin P and Heath L. to name a few. Do those names ring a bell? All great actors making hella money, great movies and no acting school. As to his GF, don’t know and don’t care what she does. Keanu isn’t doing it so what does that matter?

My bet is this talk came from fans, if it’s really what they are saying, who make up junk just like Chris’ fans do. They have no real trash on Keanu so they are making it up.

There’s no need to throw one under the bus to prop up another.

All I really know about Keanu Reeves is in connection to River Phoenix, and that was decades ago.

[newstfionline]

Officials confront social media monitoring dilemma after Pittsburgh shooting

By Lisa Marie Pane, Associated Press, October 31, 2018

BOISE, IDAHO--Their anger is all over social media for the whole world to see, with rants about minorities and relationships gone bad or paranoid delusions about perceived slights.

The perpetrators of mass shootings often provide a treasure trove of insight into their violent tendencies, but the information is not always seen by law enforcement until after the violence is carried out. In addition, rants and hate speech rarely factor into whether someone passes a background check to buy guns.

The massacre at a Pittsburgh synagogue, the pipe bombing attempts from last week and the Florida high school shooting this year have underscored the dilemma of law enforcement around the country in assessing the risk of people making online rants at a time when social media has become so ubiquitous.

“We can go out on Twitter and there are loads of people saying insane stuff, but how do you know which is the one person? It’s always easy after the fact, to go: ‘That was clear.’ But clearly everyone spouting their mouth doesn’t go and shoot up a synagogue,” said David Chipman, a retired agent of the federal Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives and now senior policy adviser for the Giffords Center.

Robert Bowers, the man accused of opening fire at a synagogue in Pittsburgh, expressed virulently anti-Semitic views on a social media site called Gab, according to an Associated Press review of an archived version of the posts made under his name. The cover photo for his account featured a neo-Nazi symbol, and his recent posts included a photo of a fiery oven like those used in Nazi concentration camps during World War II. Other posts referenced false conspiracy theories suggesting the Holocaust was a hoax.

It was only just before the shooting that the poster believed to be Mr. Bowers seemed to cross the line, posting: “I can’t sit by and watch my people get slaughtered. Screw your optics, I’m going in.” Authorities say Bowers killed 11 people and injured six others, including four officers who responded.

Keeping tabs on social media posts has been used for years by law enforcement to try to identify potential threats. The task is enormous and it’s an inexact science. The volume of posts is significant and the question arises: Is something a true threat or free speech?

They are mindful of the fact that the First Amendment protects Americans’ right to express even speech that many in society find abhorrent--and have to make often-subjective decisions about what crosses the line.

Among more than 550 police departments across the country surveyed several years ago by the International Association of Chiefs of Police, about three-quarters said they regularly searched social media for potential threats.

Lt. Chris Cook, spokesman for the Arlington, Texas, Police Department, said the searches are often done manually, using keywords to try to identify troubling posts.

“It’s very time consuming, it’s very staff and resource intensive, and you have humans involved in the process so there is the potential that law enforcement can miss something,” Lieutenant Cook said, adding that departments can’t rely on social media alone. The community needs to be involved to report any suspicious behavior.

“Everyone has to be our extra eyes and ears out there,” he said.

In one case where vigilance paid off, authorities say a black woman received troubling racist and harassing messages on Facebook from a man she didn’t know, prompting her to call police. The tip from the New Jersey woman led Kentucky police to a home where they found Dylan Jarrell with a firearm, more than 200 rounds of ammunition, a bulletproof vest, a 100-round high-capacity magazine, and a “detailed plan of attack.” He was arrested just as he was leaving his driveway.

Bowers is not alone among alleged mass shooters in making racist or bigoted comments online.

Dylann Roof, convicted of the 2015 slaying of nine black churchgoers in South Carolina, had posted a 2,000-word racist rant and posed in photos with firearms and the Confederate flag. Nikolas Cruz, the teenager charged in the slaying of 17 students and adults at a high school in Parkland, Fla., hurled online slurs against blacks and Muslims, and went so far as to state he wanted to be a “professional school shooter.”

The rants did not affect their ability to buy guns. When purchasing a firearm, criminal background checks only look for any records showing a criminal past or mental health problems that led to an involuntary commitment.

“I always felt as an ATF agent, the way our laws were structured, ATF stood for ‘After the Fact’,” Mr. Chipman said.

There have been some changes, however, to make it easier to alert authorities to warning signs. “Red flag” laws have been enacted in 13 states in the past couple of years, allowing relatives or law enforcement with concerns about a person’s mental health to go to court and seek to have firearms removed at least temporarily.

But Erich Pratt, executive director of Gun Owners of America, cautioned against using social media content to deny someone the constitutional right to own a firearm.

“I abhor hateful comments by the left or the right but I don’t think you lose your rights for simply uttering,” Mr. Pratt said.

He likened it to the Tom Cruise movie “Minority Report,” about law enforcement in the future using psychic technology to nab murderers before they commit a crime.

“It’s dangerous to go down this road of Minority Report with pre-crime,” he said. “Nobody should lose their rights without due process.”