Happy Holidays my English friends. I'm actress Christa Campbell. You may remember me from such films as Mosquitoman, 2001 Maniacs and Kraken: Tentacles of the Deep. My friends here at Blockbuster.co.uk were wondering what the festive season is like in LA, and invited me to share my thoughts on all things Christmassy. Though I'm not sure I'm the best ambassador for the holiday, I love time off as much as the next person, and am happy to give this whole blog thing a shot.
There are a lot of parties in LA at this time of year. All the big companies have them, and I go to my share. There's never a shortage of parties in Los Angeles. The thing is, most people who work in LA aren't actually from LA, so when everything shuts down for three weeks over Christmas, everyone goes home for the holidays. They can't get out quick enough. If you're actually in LA during Christmas, it's a depressing place. The streets are empty. It's a ghost town.
I'm worried this isn't sounding Christmassy enough. Let's see. Christmas Day I'll spend with my family, eat turkey at my sister's house in Northern California. It's a chance to relax and feel fat with my family after eating too much. We don't go crazy giving big presents to each other as Christmas is really for kids. My niece I'll get whatever she wants, a camera or a gift certificate, but everyone else gets candles, fragrances, gloves and wallets.
It sounds so Hollywood, but the day after Christmas I'm going to go with some friends to Miami! Spend the week there and come back after New Years. It's going to be amazing. There are so many parties to go to. But let's get back to presents.
The best present I ever got was a Cabbage Patch Kid. I wanted one of those dolls like Spongebob needs water, but they were impossible to find. My mom, she was crazy. She met a guy in the parking lot behind Toys 'R' Us, it was dark and she had to slip him the money. It was like a big time drug deal, only it was a Cabbage Patch doll she stuffed in her trunk. I loved that ugly thing, but I can't remember her name, and I don't know what happened to her. I wasn't a very good Cabbage Patch Mom. After a while, I think, she was just too creepy looking to keep around. I loved Barbie as well, and I had everything. The Barbie house, the Barbie pool, the Barbie Corvette. I was pretty spoiled because my parents were divorced. When your parents are divorced you get a lot more presents.
The worst Christmas present I ever got was nothing. Even though I'm not a big gift person, my boyfriend last year convinced me to make a big effort for him. He wanted us to give each other perfect gifts. It was so much pressure. I was so stressed out. What was I going to get him? In the end I found a really nice suitcase and filled it with new clothes. We went to Hawaii for Christmas, and he said we should exchange gifts there. So we get there, and I'm waiting and waiting, but he doesn't give me anything. Eventually he says, 'well, I'd planned to get you something here'. But he was just too lazy in the end to do anything about it. Then he said, 'I just figured the trip was your present'. That's when I started crying. It was horrible. Thank god he's not my boyfriend any more. Not with another Christmas coming.
You see a lot of Family Films at this time of year. I always make time to see A Christmas Story, this film from the early Eighties about a kid who wants a BB gun, but everyone thinks he'll just shoot out one of his eyes. It's a great story and really nice to watch over Christmas. I usually see How the Grinch Stole Christmas too, because it's very wintery and it makes me laugh.
I'm making a movie myself right now. It's called Hyenas. I'm the leader of a pack of hyena people terrorising a town. It's a werewolf type of thing. At first you meet me as a human, but eventually, in the dark, I transform. And I'm very, very bad. I'm so evil in this film, I get to eat people alive! It was a role I had to play, and so far the movie's coming out really well.
After New Years I'm shooting a couple of scenes with Jessica Simpson in a comedy called Blonde Ambition, so that'll be fun. And I've got some exciting news for all you 2001 Maniacs fans. In February we're shooting the sequel, 2001 Maniacs: Beverly Hellbillies. I play lots of different characters this time, and have lots more to do. Working on the first film was such an amazing, life-changing experience, I'm really looking forward to working, and playing, with everyone again.
As for my New Year's resolutions, to be honest I'm not really much of a resolutions person. I'm always trying to improve myself anyway. I work out. I work hard. I think I'll resolve to stay positive, and always be nice to people! Not that being nice is a struggle!
That's my Christmas. I hope you have a good and happy time over the holidays and get invited to lots of great parties on New Year's Eve. See ya!
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