A Part Of Me

It was a part of me
To you it was just jewellery
But that small piece of bling
Was my everything
It was my confidence
And now it's gone
How can I stay strong

It's silly to be upset
Over something so trivial
When the world is in peril
But that small shining light
Got me through the darkest of nights
Knowing it was there
Gave me the ability to be
Whoever I dared to be

It was a part of me
That made me so happy
It was small
Hanging from my middle
Its absence is more than a niggle
It plays on my mind
All of the time
Especially when I look down

It was a part of me
Who I yearned to be
A confident woman with her head high
Unaffected by what passed her by
Everything would be alright
I had my guiding light
And now that it's gone
I'm shattered
Can I carry on?

In my heart I know I can
This is not the end
I can always get it back
Go through the pain again
Linking the jewellery with a chain
So it hangs proudly once more
Silly as it sounds
I want it back in leaps and bounds
Third time's the charm
Sound the alarm
I'm getting it done with positivity
It will forever be a part of me

Rhiannon Irons' Top 13 Most Iconic Disney Movie Moments

No matter how old you are, you're never too old to enjoy a Disney movie.  We all have our favourite movie or princess.  We all have our favourite song and villain.  Now I've compiled a list of the most iconic Disney movie moments.

13:  The Battle Between Simba And Scar 

Without a doubt everyone who has ever seen The Lion King remembers this battle.  It was furious, ferocious and memorable.  This epic battle showed exactly which lion had what it took to be king.

12:  Snow White Eats The Poisoned Apple

Who can ever forget the moment when Snow White takes that fateful bite of the apple the Wicked Queen created?  Her lifeless body slumping to the ground, the apple rolling from her hand. Traumatising to a young child but a brilliant Disney moment to forever be remembered.

11:  Ariel Gets Her Legs

When Ariel signed Ursula's scroll and found herself struggling for air beneath the waves, it was up to Flounder and Sebastian to get her to the surface.  There Ariel gets a good look at her legs for the first time.  A little shaky at first, she soon fits in with the human world and eventually becomes human permanently.

10:  The Beast Vs. Gaston

"Are you in love with her, Beast?" taunts Gaston as the battle atop the castle roof escalates into a fight to the death.  Gaston pulls a knife and plunges it into the Beast's side before losing his grip and plummeting to this death.  The Beast has a chance to say goodbye to Belle before he succumbs to the wound.

9:  Beauty And The Beast

It is the dance to end all dances.  This is the moment when we realise that Belle is in deed in love with the Beast.  Their waltz as Mrs. Potts sings softly is truly a memorable Disney moment.

8:  Touch The Spindle

Maleficent showed her true colours, leading the Princess Aurora up the hidden flight of stairs in a hypnotised trance before demanding her to touch the spindle that would result in the princess' demise.  A chilling scene aided by the music of Tchaikovsky is the reason this moment lands in eighth spot.

7:  Aladdin And The Lamp

When street rat Aladdin enters the Cave Of Wonders he's looking solely for the magic lamp.  Watching him climb the massive staircase while his pet monkey Abu eyes off a large forbidden ruby was tense.  He picks it up slowly and turns back to see Abu grab the forbidden treasure and the entire cave goes into meltdown mode.  Thrilling, climatic and loaded with Disney magic, this scene is certainly iconic.

6:  Pocahontas Says Goodbye

Watching the ship sail off while she stands on the cliff and watches is heartbreaking and brings tears to the eyes.  The funny part is that it's such a beautiful moment captured by the amazing Disney artists.  An iconic moment for this film.

5:  Long Live The King

Watching Mufasa save Simba from the stampede was beautiful.  But then we see Scar lurking on the edge of the cliffside.  As Mufasa calls for him to help, Scar extends his claws and digs them into Mufasa's paws.  He leans down and whispers "Long live the King" before hurling Mufasa backwards into the stampede.  Seeing Simba's reaction when he discovers his father's body just shows how despicable Scar really is and how powerful this scene is.

4:  Maleficent Shows Her Inner Dragon

As Prince Philip battles his way through the thorns that surround his princess' castle, Maleficent completely loses it.  She lands in front of him before declaring "Now you shall deal with me, O Prince - and all the powers of HELL" before transforming herself into a really pissed off dragon.  Maleficent's transformation is enough for her to get the number four spot on this countdown.

3:  The Circle Of Life

This may cause some debate but in third spot it's the moment that Simba is raised up in the air by Rafiki as the sun shines down upon the young prince of the Pridelands.  The fact that movie ends the same way, this time with Simba's daughter, just proves how iconic this moment truly is.  Hell, even The Simpsons knocked it off once.

2:  If The Shoe Fits...

When Cinderella rans down the stairs and pleads to try the glass slipper on, her wicked stepmother trips the man carrying the shoe and it shatters into a million tiny pieces.  As the Grand Duke begins to cry and Lady Tremaine smiles wickedly, Cinderella pulls out the other glass slipper.  Hey, if the shoe fits....

1:  The Kiss

The number one most iconic Disney moment goes to two pups in love.  Sharing a plate of spaghetti while Tony dances around and sings "Belle Notte" Lady and the Tramp find themselves chewing on the same piece of spaghetti which leads to the ultimate Disney kiss.  An unforgettable moment in Disney history.

So what do you think?  Have I missed an iconic Disney moment?  Have your say below.

Horror Icon: Christina Ricci

When it comes to cutie pies in horror movies, none stand out as much as the young woman who captured our dark imaginations as the twisted daughter of The Addams Family.  Ladies and gentlemen, this month’s icon is none other than Wednesday Addams….erh, I mean, Christina Ricci.

Born February 12, 1980 in Santa Monica, California, Christina is the fourth and youngest child.  Her siblings are Rafael (born in 1971), Dante (born in 1974) and Pia (born in 1976).  Her father, Ralph Ricci, is a lawyer and group therapist.  According to Christina her father, before becoming a lawyer, was a lay practitioner of "primal scream therapy"--wherein it was believed that patients could purportedly scream their way to a psychological breakthrough.  While growing up, Christina could hear the screaming coming through the vents in her room (her father did his therapy sessions at home), and would act them out in front of her mother.

Christina’s movie breakthrough would come alongside singing powerhouse and legend, Cher, in Mermaids in 1990.  A year later she would work with Michael J. Fox and James Woods in The Hard Way.

That same year Christina got her first taste for the dark side, staring as the gloomy Wednesday Addams in The Addams Family.  Working alongside Christopher Lloyd, Raul Julia and Anjelica Huston, Christina’s dead pan expressions stole the show and quickly gained her fame among a young audience.  (Fun Fact:  Hatchet star Mercedes McNab appeared in both The Addams Family and The Addams Family Values)

Two years later in 1993 Christina reprised her role as Wednesday Addams in The Addams Family Values.  My favourite scene in the entire film is during the play at the camp when Wednesday breaks from the script and beings to adlib before the Indians attack, burning the camp and the play to the ground.  There was that feeling of genuine fear from Amanda Buckman (Mercedes McNab) when she realized that Wednesday was uncontrollable.  Plus the scene was hilarious.

In 1995 Christina continued along the child-friendly film route with Casper.  While Casper, like The Addams Family, is considered comedy, family and fantasy movies, for younger audiences they can be quite terrifying.  (Fun Fact: A young girl who I use to babysit was terrified of Stretch from Casper and had nightmares about him)

It would be four years before the horror genre came knocking on Christina’s door again.  In the meantime she kept busy with a body of outstanding work including films like Now And Then, That Darn Cat, The Opposite Of Sex and I Woke Up Early The Day I Died.

In 1999 Tim Burton and fellow Horror Icon alumni Johnny Depp teamed up to make Sleepy Hollow.  The headless horseman was back and he was coming for Christina.  I’ll admit I loved Sleepy Hollow.  The acting was good, the script was solid and Johnny and Christina had some real chemistry going on.  Even Casper Van Dien’s performance was solid.  (Fun Fact:  In real life Casper is related to the Van Tassels family which was portrayed by Christina)  If you haven’t seen Sleepy Hollow, do yourself a favour and get a copy.  It truly is an enjoyable movie.

In 2000 Christina found herself once again in the horror genre in the movie Bless The Child.  Staring alongside Kim Basinger, Rufus Sewell and Ian Holm, Christina showcased her talents in a vastly underrated movie.  There is some excellent suspense throughout the movie as well as a few shocking scenes of true horror violence.  This is “shocking” because the movie was rather family-orientated up until those points.

Underrated, yet decent, Bless The Child is a good movie with a strong, positive, good message.  It’s not something you can watch repeatedly over and over again, but it is worth a second and third viewing. 

In 2002 Christina became Miranda in Miranda.  This thriller/comedy/romance story captivates the audience and shows off Christina’s talents to their fullest extent.  Kyle MacLachlan also stars.  The storyline is a librarian begins a passionate affair with a mysterious woman who walks into his library.  When she suddenly disappears he travels down to London to search for her only to discover that she has three identities - dancer, dominatrix and con-woman.  But which one is the real Miranda? 

I highly recommend Miranda.  It’s an amazing piece of cinematic work.

As 2003 rolled around so did The Gathering.  While going to the town of Ashby Wake, the drifter Cassie (Ricci) is hit by a car driven by Marion Kirkman and loses her memory.  Marion invites Cassie to stay in her huge old house with her family, while recovering from the trauma.  Cassie becomes very close to Michael, the young son of Marion's husband Simon Kirkman.  He is researching a recently discovered buried church from the First Century, with images of the crucifixion of Jesus and many anonymous persons watching it.  Cassie starts having visions and premonitions with some locals, and decides to investigate the weird and nasty mechanic Frederick Michael Argyle.  Her findings about who she is and the mystery relative to the locals and the town surprises her. 

The Gathering lacks originality or genuine horror but that doesn’t mean it’s inferior.  The cast were amazing and the setting was gorgeous and not some creepy small town.  If you want a low-budget horror movie and are a fan of Christina’s then I recommend watching The Gathering.

That same year Christina stared in Monster alongside Charlize Theron about the life of one of America’s first female serial killers, Aileen Wuornos.  Christina plays Selby, Aileen’s girlfriend and does an amazing job despite her character being completely fictional to the real story of Aileen Wuornos.

Monster is a fantastic piece of work and a highly recommended movie.  Though not a horror movie as such, Aileen’s crimes were certainly horrific.  (Fun Fact: Kane Hodder arrests Charlize Theron in the same bar where the real Aileen Wuornos was arrested)

2005 saw Christina Cursed.  No, not really but she did star in a fun werewolf movie entitled Cursed.  Writing by Kevin Williamson and directed by Wes Craven, Cursed in a fun werewolf film that combined horror with the trademark humour we’ve come to know and love from Wes Craven films.

Starring alongside Jesse Eisenberg and Joshua Jackson, Cursed is about Ellie (Ricci) who has been taking care of her younger brother Jimmy since their parents’ death.  One night after picking him up from a party they are involved in a car accident on Mulholland Drive.  While trying to rescue a woman from the other car a creature attacks and kills her, also injuring both Ellie and Jimmy.  After some research Jimmy realizes the creature could only have been a werewolf. 

I really enjoyed Cursed as did my circle of friends.  It’s a fun, feel-good horror movie that left us rolling around on the floor in stitches when Ellie is describing what the werewolf looks like before it burst through a window and flashed her the middle finger.  Cursed is a really enjoyable movie, even if it does lack in the fright we’ve come to know and love from Wes Craven.

The horror genre would knock on Christina’s door again in 2009 but in-between she showed off her acting chops with movies like Speed Racer, Black Snake Moan (highly recommended) and All’s Faire In Love.

But it was After.Life in 2009 that saw Christina return to horror with a vengeance.  Working with Liam Neeson and Justin Long, Christina finds herself in a truly disturbing movie.  After a horrific car accident, Anna (Ricci) wakes up to find the local funeral director Eliot Deacon (Neeson) preparing her body for her funeral.  Confused, terrified and feeling still very much alive, Anna doesn't believe she's dead, despite the funeral director's reassurances that she is merely in transition to the afterlife.  Eliot convinces her he has the ability to communicate with the dead and is the only one who can help her.  Trapped inside the funeral home, with nobody to turn to except Eliot, Anna is forced to face her deepest fears and accept her own death.  But Anna's grief-stricken boyfriend Paul (Long) still can't shake the nagging suspicion that Eliot isn't what he appears to be. As the funeral nears, Paul gets closer to unlocking the disturbing truth, but it could be too late; Anna may have already begun to cross over the other side.

After.Life is without a doubt one of the best films I’ve seen in a long time.  The story was gripping, the acting was brilliant and the film itself was just incredible.  I highly recommend seeing it if you haven’t already.

Since then Christina has steered clear of the horror genre, opting for appearing on television in Pan Am as well as doing movies that more animated like The Smurf 2 as well as the up coming animation The Hero Of Color City.

Also coming up for Christina is Unmasked, a thriller about a man who joins a dangerous and mysterious club in order to re-live the worst day of his life.  She’s also in pre-production for the Untitled Lizzie Borden Biopic for TV in which she’ll play Lizzie, a young woman tried and acquitted in the 1892 murders of her father and stepmother.

Christina Ricci.  From child star to talented young actress, this gorgeous woman knows exactly what it takes to draw the audience in through her characters and make them believe in what they are seeing.  Her constant return to the horror genre or to horror related movies is the reason why she is a Horror Icon.

Rhiannon Irons’ Top 5 Christina Ricci Movies

1) The Addams Family (1991) – Was there any doubt this would make my list.  The dead-pan expression was perfection.  We love Wednesday.

2)  Sleepy Hollow (1999) – Christina Ricci getting it on with Johnny Depp – how can you pass over that?  Oh yeah, and there’s a headless horseman.

3) Miranda (2002) – Underrated but a fantastic performance by Christina.  A must see film.

4) After.Life (2009) – You’ll be left scratching your head wondering how can you save yourself if you’re already dead.

5) Monster (2003) – An outstanding film that shows Christina’s range perfectly.

Friends

Friends are those people
Who touch one another's lives
And become a part of them

You have touched my life
In a way one could never imagine
Loyal and true
You mean more to me
Than you'll ever know

Friends are those
Who learn to share
In one another's happiness
In their deepest secrets
And their fondest memories

You are the sun
That brightens up my dark skies
Someone I can rely on
To make me smile when the chips are down
You're the one I always want around

Friends are those people
Who touch one another's hearts
And lives and make them
Brighter and happier as time goes by

So from the bottom of my heart
And this I swear is true
Thank you for just being you

The Feast Of St. Roch

It was August and it was hot.  And I do mean hot.

I was sitting in my apartment in my underwear, sliding ice cubes down my chest as warm air from the electric fan washed over me in an effort to cool my body.  It wasn't working.

After my little Independence Day stunt the city was awash in panic.  The post office refused to deliver parcels in case it was a bomb from the Calendar Killer.  The local coffee shop has police inspect all delivers made just in case if their beans were somehow contaminated with poison.  I had to hand it to everybody; they were taking my threats against the city quite well.

Sadly, as the days passed, the people fell back into their daily routines.  They had forgotten all about me.  The post office began delivering parcels again, which included the chemistry set I had bought online.

I glanced over at my dining room table.  My chemistry set was still in it's box.  I hadn't bothered to open it just yet.  Mostly because I hadn't found a way to make your own rabies.

I glanced at my calendar.  August 16th was just around the corner.  Only three more days.

Slowly, I pulled myself from my overstuffed chair.  My skin burned as it stuck to the leather.  Sweat poured from my brow as I made my way over to the kit.  I set it up, my tongue poking out the corner of my mouth like it always did when I was concentrating hard.

Done.

I glanced down at it.  The beakers were shiny and new.  All the tubes were ready to go to mix my dangerous toxin to help celebrate the Feast of St. Roch.

St. Roch was the patron saint of dogs.  His 'feast' as it came to be known was always on August 16th.  An obscure date to be sure, but when I selected it for my next attack on the city, I thought it was the perfect way to celebrate the "dog days of summer."

Chewing on my lower lip, I went over to my laptop and being ferociously searching for how to create some animal virus like rabies.  Not surprisingly my searches came back empty.

Against my better judgement I threw on a pair of shorts and a T-shirt before lacing up my sneakers.  A walk around the block always calmed me down and gave me good ideas.

I stepped outside.  It was wonderfully hellish.  The kids on my block were trying to crack open a fire hydrant so they could play in the gushing water.  I walked passed them, a smile on my face.  If they managed to open it I'd come back and play in it with them.

As I rounded the corner into the alleyway that was directly behind my building, I got a sense that something was wrong.  Reaching out, my hand wrapped around a metal pole.  The metal was hot to touch and I felt it burn my hand, but I held onto it anyway.

Then I saw it.  A skinny dog hunting around in the garbage.  He glanced up at me, his fur matted, possibly by the heat.  I could smell him.  It smelt like he hadn't been bathed in his entire life.  He was a stray.

Then he bared his teeth at me, white foam dripping from his lips.  Could it be?  Could this dog have rabies?

I wanted to jump for joy.  My plans for August wouldn't go amiss.  I had found the one thing I needed.  Now I just needed to catch it and make sure not to let it escape before the 16th.

I raced back to my apartment and grabbed the animal carrier I had before my pet dog, a Dalmatian, has died.  I flew back down the stairs and out the door.  I raced back into the alleyway, placed the cage on the ground and stood back.

The dog eyed me suspiciously, baring its teeth.  It was painful to look at.  I may be cruel to my own kind, but seeing an animal in need always breaks my heart.

The dog lunged at me, snapping its jaws, white foam falling from its lips.  I moved out of the way and it landed in the cage.

Quickly, I locked the door to the cage and stood back watching the savage animal slam its body against the bars.

I carried the animal back upstairs and placed the cage gently down in my living room.  I filled a plastic container with water and somehow managed to slip that inside the cage without the dog ripping my arm off.  It was still snarling and baring its teeth at me.

I watched as he sniffed the container before lapping at it, water soothing his tongue.  I knew the animal would have to put down, but I was determined to make his last few days on Earth memorable and easy.

The next couple of days were tough.  He growled every time I went near the cage.  I fed him table scraps and kept his water bowl full and fresh.  I even posted an anonymous letter to the police informing them of my festivities.  I checked the news every night to see if anything would be mentioned about me.  There wasn't.

The morning of the 16th I was rudely woken by my neighbour blaring his music.  I glanced at the clock, my eyes red from lack of sleep.  5:00AM.

I groaned, rolling back over, covering my head with a pillow.

Twenty minutes later, I was no closer to going back to sleep.  I got up, had a cold shower as it was already sticky and hot, before getting dressed in a light cotton T-shirt and a pair of jeans.  I laced up my sneakers and checked on the dog.  He was asleep, foam still dripping from his lips.

I picked up the cage and made my way downstairs.  I loaded the dog into my car and drove to the park.  I sat in the car, the air conditioner on full blast as I waited.

Nearly two hours passed before people started turning up.  The park was full of families trying to have fun in the sweltering conditions.

I got out of the car and walked to the back seat.  I opened the door then unlocked the cage before racing to climb back into the car.

The door to the cage swung open as the dog, who I named Cujo, lunged against the cage.  I heard his paws hit the ground as he landed in the car park.  I watched through the closed window as he began snarling, the fur on the back of his neck standing up on end.

Without warning he took off running, racing through the park, attacking everyone and everything in front of him.

I climbed out of the car and calmly closed the back door, watching with interest as screams of shock and terror flooded my eardrums.

I watched as he savaged a child, biting her on the arm with such force I could hear the bone breaking.  Her wails of fear echoed across the park.  He lunged at her father who tried to protect her, biting his throat.  I could see the blood pouring from the gaping wound.

People were running in fear.  A jogger with her dog stopped to see if she could help.  As I climbed back into the car I saw Cujo sink his teeth into the poodle's neck, passing on the dangerous infection that had possessed him.

As I drove home I watched in sheer delight as people raced back and forth.  I knew that the rabies virus would take a while to react in people, but the madness that ensured soon after people were bitten was glorious to watch.

I got home and carried the cage upstairs.  I could still hear the screams through the brick walls of the apartment building.  A spine-chilling howl ripped through the city and I stopped dead, my key in hand as I was about to unlock my apartment.

I got inside and placed the carrier cage back in the hallway closet.  I got undressed and opened every window my apartment had.  It was still early in the morning but the temperature was already exceeding the predication of the weather girl on channel four.

Lying back in my favorite chair in my underwear I flipped on the news.  Sure enough, in the park stood a lone reporter talking about the sudden outbreak of "mad dog" that was roaming the park behind her.

I chuckled loudly as one of the dogs my Cujo had bitten jumped on the reporter growling and biting her, ripping her clean white blouse to shreds.

As the screen returned to the news room, I could hear police sirens in the distance.

"We're now crossing live to the police station where Commissioner Harris made an announcement that they had gotten a letter from the Calendar Killer again.  He held a piece of paper up to the camera to show my threatening letter made from magazines and newspapers.

"This man is dangerous," the Commissioner said, scratching his chin.  "We received this letter this morning; 'Out of the ashes and down the furnace-hot streets the dogs will come.  Mad, savage and looking for fun.  Today is The Feast of St. Roch, the patron saint of dogs.  August 16th will be remembered as the day I released the hounds.'"