Archive for October, 2009
Halloween props and costumes are now 50% or MORE off at http://www.spirithalloween.com/ .
They have started their Halloween clearance sale early! ( On October 30).
Great deals for those who go to their site before they sell out!
Spirit Halloween Raises $1 Million to Bring Holiday Celebrations to Hospitalized Children
Spirit of Children Program Brings Halloween to
Hospital Child Life Departments Across the U.S. and Canada
NEW YORK, October 29, 2009 – Spirit Halloween, the country’s leading seasonal Halloween retailer, announced today that its 2009 Spirit of Children campaign has successfully raised a record-breaking one million dollars in customer, vendor and partner donations as well as merchandise contributions. One hundred percent of the money raised will go to improving the comfort and experience of pediatric patients through the purchase of items including books, computers, and entertainment centers, games specifically designed for children with physical challenges as well as toys that are fun, educational and therapeutic for hospital child life departments. This year, Spirit Halloween hosted Halloween parties for children at over 50 participating hospitals. Since its inception in 2006, Spirit of Children has raised more than $1.8 million for hospitals all across the United States and Canada.
“Spirit of Children is a way for Spirit Halloween to bring the fun and fantasy of Halloween to children who otherwise might not be able to enjoy the holiday,” said Steven Silverstein, Spirit Halloween President and CEO. “The positive response we receive from the hospitals and the excitement of the children this program touches is extremely meaningful for our organization, the hundreds of our employees who participate on their own time, and our customers who donate generously. We hope to continue to grow this initiative in the years to come.”
The Spirit of Children program has built significant momentum, receiving support from participating hospitals and Spirit employees in every region of the nation. The program has expanded its reach from 11 hospitals in its 2006 to 74 hospitals in 2009, including such leading medical institutions as Texas Children’s, Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia, Maimonides Infants and Children’s Hospitals, Mattel Children’s Hospital at UCLA, Yale-New Haven Children’s Hospital and Phoenix Children’s Hospital as well as ten Shriner’s Hospital for Children locations throughout the country.
“Thanks to the Spirit of Children program and generosity of the community, we’ve received more than $150,000 in the last two years,” said Jamie Byrd, Child Life Manager at Texas Children’s Hospital. “With this money, we’ve been able to greatly improve the Child Life facilities at Texas Children’s by adding a variety of amenities to improve the hospital stay for our young patients.”
The Spirit of Children program takes a three-pronged approach to providing holiday excitement and support for children during hospital stays. Volunteer Spirit employees bring Halloween celebrations to participating hospital child departments with costumes, pumpkin painting, costume parades, Halloween games and crafts, offering a temporary escape for the young patients, in hospitals across the United States and Canada. Additionally, the program raises needed funds through the generous donations of Spirit Halloween’s customers and partners as well as from the profits generated through the sale of exclusively designed eco-friendly trick-or-treat bags, available at all Spirit Halloween stores.
For a full list of participating hospitals and additional information regarding the Spirit of Children program, please visit www.spirithalloween.com/spiritofchildrenday/.
About Spirit Halloween
Spirit Halloween (www.spirithalloween.com) is the largest seasonal Halloween retailer in the country with 725 locations in strip centers and malls across the United States and Canada. The authority on all things Halloween, Spirit has offered one-stop shopping — ranging from costumes to décor and party goods to accessories — for more than 25 years. In addition to being a fun and interactive event for shoppers, Spirit stores offer complete selections of costumes and accessories for infants/toddlers, children, ‘tweens, teens, adults, and even pets. At the heart of Spirit Halloween is the Spirit of Children program, which is devoted to bringing the fun, imagination and fantasy of Halloween to pediatric patients in hospitals and rehabilitation centers across the United States.
Spirit Halloween Raises $1 Million to Bring Holiday Celebrations to Hospitalized Children
Spirit of Children Program Brings Halloween to
Hospital Child Life Departments Across the U.S. and Canada
NEW YORK, October 29, 2009 – Spirit Halloween, the country’s leading seasonal Halloween retailer, announced today that its 2009 Spirit of Children campaign has successfully raised a record-breaking one million dollars in customer, vendor and partner donations as well as merchandise contributions. One hundred percent of the money raised will go to improving the comfort and experience of pediatric patients through the purchase of items including books, computers, and entertainment centers, games specifically designed for children with physical challenges as well as toys that are fun, educational and therapeutic for hospital child life departments. This year, Spirit Halloween hosted Halloween parties for children at over 50 participating hospitals. Since its inception in 2006, Spirit of Children has raised more than $1.8 million for hospitals all across the United States and Canada.
“Spirit of Children is a way for Spirit Halloween to bring the fun and fantasy of Halloween to children who otherwise might not be able to enjoy the holiday,” said Steven Silverstein, Spirit Halloween President and CEO. “The positive response we receive from the hospitals and the excitement of the children this program touches is extremely meaningful for our organization, the hundreds of our employees who participate on their own time, and our customers who donate generously. We hope to continue to grow this initiative in the years to come.”
The Spirit of Children program has built significant momentum, receiving support from participating hospitals and Spirit employees in every region of the nation. The program has expanded its reach from 11 hospitals in its 2006 to 74 hospitals in 2009, including such leading medical institutions as Texas Children’s, Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia, Maimonides Infants and Children’s Hospitals, Mattel Children’s Hospital at UCLA, Yale-New Haven Children’s Hospital and Phoenix Children’s Hospital as well as ten Shriner’s Hospital for Children locations throughout the country.
“Thanks to the Spirit of Children program and generosity of the community, we’ve received more than $150,000 in the last two years,” said Jamie Byrd, Child Life Manager at Texas Children’s Hospital. “With this money, we’ve been able to greatly improve the Child Life facilities at Texas Children’s by adding a variety of amenities to improve the hospital stay for our young patients.”
The Spirit of Children program takes a three-pronged approach to providing holiday excitement and support for children during hospital stays. Volunteer Spirit employees bring Halloween celebrations to participating hospital child departments with costumes, pumpkin painting, costume parades, Halloween games and crafts, offering a temporary escape for the young patients, in hospitals across the United States and Canada. Additionally, the program raises needed funds through the generous donations of Spirit Halloween’s customers and partners as well as from the profits generated through the sale of exclusively designed eco-friendly trick-or-treat bags, available at all Spirit Halloween stores.
For a full list of participating hospitals and additional information regarding the Spirit of Children program, please visit www.spirithalloween.com/spiritofchildrenday/.
About Spirit Halloween
Spirit Halloween (www.spirithalloween.com) is the largest seasonal Halloween retailer in the country with 725 locations in strip centers and malls across the United States and Canada. The authority on all things Halloween, Spirit has offered one-stop shopping -- ranging from costumes to décor and party goods to accessories -- for more than 25 years. In addition to being a fun and interactive event for shoppers, Spirit stores offer complete selections of costumes and accessories for infants/toddlers, children, ‘tweens, teens, adults, and even pets. At the heart of Spirit Halloween is the Spirit of Children program, which is devoted to bringing the fun, imagination and fantasy of Halloween to pediatric patients in hospitals and rehabilitation centers across the United States.
JOHNNY DEPP PRESENTS “SCREAM ROCK IMMORTAL” TO
KEITH RICHARDS AT SPIKE TV’S “SCREAM 2009”
Taylor Lautner Wins Breakout Performance Award
And Debuts World Premiere Footage Of “The Twilight Saga: New Moon”
Franchise Reboot Of “Star Trek” Tops The Competition With Six Honors With Original Captain Kirk, William Shatner, On Hand
“SCREAM 2009” Premieres Tuesday, October 27 At 10 PM, ET/PT On Spike TV
Two vampire sagas thrived at night at “SCREAM 2009,” the first and only event honoring the best in fantasy, sci-fi, comics and horror. “Twilight” sunk its teeth into four trophies, including best Fantasy Movie, with Breakout Performance winner Taylor Lautner on hand to unveil world premiere footage from the forthcoming “Twilight Saga: New Moon.” Not to be outdone, HBO smash hit “True Blood” garnered four awards, with series creator Alan Ball and cast members Anna Paquin, Stephen Moyer, Alexander Skarsgård, Sam Trammell and Rutina Wesley in attendance to accept their honors. The star-studded event was held at the Greek Theatre in Los Angeles and premieres on Spike TV on Tuesday, October 27 (10:00 PM – Midnight, ET/PT).
One of the night’s highlights featured an on stage legend meeting an on screen icon, as Keith Richards was presented the SCREAM Rock Immortal award by Johnny Depp at Spike TV’s “SCREAM 2009.” The living legend, Rolling Stones guitarist and songwriter was greeted by a standing ovation before receiving his introduction to immortality from Depp, who famously patterned his Academy Award-nominated turn as Captain Jack Sparrow in “The Pirates of the Caribbean” movie trilogy after Richards.
Also on hand was Megan Fox, star of “Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen,” which captured five awards, including one for Fox’s female lead performance. She accepted the award and reaffirmed her dedication to the franchise’s continued success.
Legendary creator of some of the most famous comic book franchises in history, including Spider-Man, Iron Man and the X-Men, Stan Lee left the audience with mouths agape as the 86-year-old visionary arrived on stage via a giant spider to accept the Comic-Con Icon award from Peter Parker himself, Tobey Maguire.
A franchise that is certain to live long and prosper, the JJ Abrams reboot of “Star Trek” led the way with six honors, including the night’s most prestigious, The Ultimate Scream, accepted by the original Captain Kirk, William Shatner.
The cast of the “Big Bang Theory” introduced a tribute to one of the decade’s most influential science fiction series, “Battlestar Galactica.” A moving cast reunion for a farewell tribute took place, featuring Edward James Olmos, Tricia Helfer, Grace Park, James Callis, Kate Vernon, Katee Sackhoff, Michael Trucco, Tahmoh Penikett and executive producer David Eick. Olmos led the crowd in a rousing rendition of “So Say We All” after thanking the passionate “Battlestar Galactica” fanbase for its support over the years.
Spike TV also debuted world premiere and exclusive never-before-seen footage from highly anticipated theatrical releases, including the upcoming Martin Scorsese directed “Shutter Island,” which stars Leonardo DiCaprio, Tim Burton’s “Alice In Wonderland” starring Johnny Depp, and the upcoming “Star Trek” sequel. Also presented was an extensive preview of the forthcoming ABC series, “V.”
The fourth annual “SCREAM” event featured appearances by the industry’s biggest stars including Jessica Alba, Kate Bosworth, Jennifer Carpenter, Eliza Dushku, Harrison Ford, Megan Fox, Morgan Freeman, Jackie Earle Haley, Hugh Jackman, Justin Long, Sam Raimi, John C. Reilly, Christina Ricci, Eli Roth, Liv Tyler and Elijah Wood, among many others.
“For one night only, The Greek Theatre became ‘The Geek Theatre’ as thousands of ravenous fans came together to celebrate their heroes and the films, TV shows and comics they love,” said “SCREAM 2009” co-executive producer Michael Levitt.
For a complete list of winners and to view exclusive red carpet and backstage coverage of this year’s “SCREAM,” visit http://scream.spike.com .
The official sponsors of Spike TV’s “SCREAM 2009” are Taco Bell, Subaru, Geico and FreeCreditReport.com.
Casey Patterson, Michael Levitt and Cindy Levitt served as executive producers for “SCREAM 2009.” Greg Sills was supervising producer, Gary Tellalian and Austin Reading were producers and Hamish Hamilton directed.
Along with glowing jack-o-lanterns, dusty cobwebs and chilling music, window and wall cling decorations have become quite popular for dressing up your house on Halloween. Some are cute with cartoon-like depictions; others are chilling with scary skulls. No matter what your Halloween theme is, a perfect window and wall cling is looming to add to your haunted motif.
The Glass Graber Creatures are sure to get a scream from any guest. Great for decorating the bathroom mirror for a frightening surprise; especially, when your friends go to check their makeup. Imagine their horror when they meet dark hollow eyes and a wicked grin looking back at them. They are non-adhesive, and can be used again and again.
Speaking of the bathroom, why not purchase the Bloody Shower Curtain
to go with the icy motif? Remind your guests of the ever popular Alfred Hitchcock scene with this bloody mess. It is a white vinyl shower curtain with blood-stained hand prints.
You are sure to get a scare from scenes of old with the changing portrait collection. Haunted Memories depict stoic and reserved photos of people like Spooking Uncle Bernie Changing Portrait. A common old time Victorian photo, sepia with Uncle Bernie in his best threads; however, walk past it, and he becomes a charred and burning skeleton. Hologram technology is great! Another favorite in the Haunted Memories collection is Spooky Little Ruthie. She is a cute little girl with round cheeks and ringlets, but walk past the little darling, and experience her possessed gaze. It is a sure way to send chills up your spine!
Spooky fun for your front windows clings like the Werewolf Window Poster, Grim Reaper Double Window Poster and Fenny the Witch Window Poster, are spooky welcomes for all of your guests and trick-or-treaters. You can trim them to fit your windows, and use a common lamp behind the poster to make them come to life with an eerie and haunting glow.
Dress up your door with gory details with the Bloody Hands Keep Out Door Frame Fabric. The Maniac Door Gore Decoration is another scary way to welcome your guests. A manic mummy is depicted with outreached bandaged hands, just waiting to invite all of his victims inside.
Set the scene with 80’s classics with Jason Voorhees with the 2 pack Jason Wall Scene Setter to take your guests back to swampy Camp Crystal Lake. It is perfect for any wall in your home. Also an 80’s classic, to haunt your dreams, is the Freddy Mirror Decal. Right out of the boiler room, the charred horror will be waiting to frighten anyone who enters your home. Really, how can we forget these 80’s classics? You will be shaking in your leggings and shoulder-pads.
What ever style you wish to possess, chilling options are out there to decorate your home. From gory to creepy, this Halloween will be perfect with window and wall clings!
Window & Wall Cling Halloween Decorations
A delightful time for children, Halloween is a night of trick-or-treating, costumes and fun. Unfortunately, it can pose dangerous situations. With common sense and a few tips to keep in mind, Halloween night can be a safe and delightful event. Here are some safety tips to make Halloween night a safe and eventful one.
- Kids between the ages of 5 and 14 are at more risk to be hit by a car on Halloween. It is important that your child’s costume is safe. Ensure that the costume fits properly without being too big, and avoid masks that obstruct their vision.
- Most store bought costumes are flame resistant; however, if you make one at home, it is advised to consider fabric that would resist flames. Teaching your child the “stop, drop and roll” technique is advised in case the unforeseen happens.
- Most children might dislike reflector taped stuck to their costume, so consider glow sticks as a fun addition to the night. Carry a flash light,
- While accompanying your children during the trick-or-treat fun, make sure they maintain safety while crossing streets and are aware of traffic.
- Remind them not to enter anyone’s home or car while trick-or-treating, and avoid houses that aren’t properly lit. This usually indicates that the person doesn’t have candy to distribute, and isn’t participating in the event.
- Stay in well-lit and populated areas with your child. Avoid dark alleys and streets.
- Prior to the sweet consumption, check your child’s loot. If anything is suspicious throw it out. Ensure that all candy is properly wrapped in it’s original wrappers. Don’t let your child consume anything homemade unless it is from someone you know and trust.
- It is also important to prepare your house for trick-or-treaters. Prior to Halloween night, make sure your yard and pathways are clear from obstructions such as water hoses and other debris that can cause a trip and fall.
- It is also wise to confine your pets because they may scare or be scared of the trick-or-treating traffic. They may become overly anxious which can cause them to be dangerous. Keep all treats away from your pets. Chocolate is extremely toxic to dogs and cats. Make sure candy wrappers are disposed of properly as they can be a choking hazard to curious pets.
10. If you have lit jack-o-lanterns, keep them off pathways to prevent an accidental fire. Also make sure your pathway and porch is lit for the ghouls and goblins.
11. During pumpkin carving activities, supervise and don’t allow your child to use any sharp objects for carving. It is advised to let them use a marker to draw the pumpkin’s face, and then you can do the carving.
Halloween is a fun way to spend time with your child. It is part of growing up and experiencing the joys of a holiday. With a few simple safety tips and common sense, your memories will last a life time.
TRAVEL CHANNEL SPOTLIGHTS DEVILISH DESTINATIONS FOR HALLOWEEN WITH
‘AMERICA HAUNTS’
PARTNERS WITH SHANKLY PRODUCTIONS AND NO JOKE PRODUCTIONS TO
CO-PRODUCE MINI-SERIES
Premieres In Primetime on Travel Channel October 27, 2009
Beverly Hills, CA – October 22, 2009 – Shankly Productions today
announced that it has partnered with Travel Channel, the only
television network devoted exclusively to travel entertainment, and No
Joke Productions to co-produce ‘America Haunts’, a three episode
mini-series that premieres October 27, 2009 at 8pm on Travel Channel.
The three episode pick up comes after Travel Channel enjoyed
successful ratings from licensing a single episode of ‘America
Haunts’ from No Joke and Shankly in October 2008.
‘America Haunts’ (3x52’, HD) takes viewers on a fun-filled
search for America’s most terrifying haunted attractions. Over the
course of the mini-series and just in time for Halloween, Travel
Channel viewers will meet the most twisted and talented minds behind
thirteen of America’s top horror attractions, discovering exactly
what it takes to scare the pants off even the bravest of souls. Hidden
night-vision cameras capture every scream of terror and every
deliciously gory detail.
Jeffrey A. Cox at No Joke Productions is series creator and executive
producer of ‘America Haunts’, and Leon Logothetis and David E.
Brenner of Shankly Productions are executive producers. The
mini-series was produced by Greg Bauer at Shankly Productions and
René Lego at No Joke Productions. The executive producer for Travel
Channel is Daniel A. Schwartz.
Shankly International, the distribution division of Shankly
Productions and No Joke Productions, will retain international sales
rights for ‘America Haunts’.
ABOUT SHANKLY PRODUCTIONS:
Shankly Productions produces top-level original programming for
numerous channels including National Geographic, Travel Channel, ABC
Family and the U.K.’s Sky. Shankly’s worldwide distribution wing,
SHANKLY INTERNATIONAL, is a respected presence in the foreign
marketplace, with over 2000+ hours of exciting unscripted TV
programming encompassing travel, action sports, health and
children’s programming.
ABOUT NO JOKE PRODUCTIONS:
No Joke Productions (www.nojokeproductions.net) is a full in-house
development, production, post-production, graphics and motion picture
design services company working out of its Philadelphia-based studio
for over 19 years. Renowned throughout the U.S. for its division No
Joke FX, a top-level special effects and scenic studio, No Joke
Productions also has an award-winning team of editors, designers and
producers that pride themselves on developing and creating memorable
content-filled, cutting-edge programming for major studios, U.S.
broadcasters and foreign markets alike.
ABOUT TRAVEL CHANNEL MEDIA:
Travel Channel Media is an integrated travel media business, and is
wholly owned by Cox Communications, Inc., a leading multi-service
broadband communications and entertainment company. Travel Channel
Media includes: the Travel Channel television network, available in 94
million U.S. cable homes; Travel Channel HD™, the network’s
high-definition simulcast; travelchannel.com, the network’s
broadband travel hub; Travel Channel’s video-on-demand (VOD) and HD
VOD offerings; its mobile content platform, Travel Channel GO™;
World Hum (worldhum.com), a leading online travel blog; and
FlightDeck™, an innovative content-sharing and advertising network
for online publishers and advertisers.
By early September stores are already stocking Halloween candy. There are dozens of different kinds of Halloween candy that you can choose from, but how will you know which ones are the most likely to result in happy Trick or Treaters and no rotten eggs or other “tricks” all over your property? Kids have high standards when it comes to Halloween candy and if you don’t live up to their expectations you can expect to be branded as the house with the bad Halloween candy for the rest of the year. But parents prefer houses that give out relatively healthy treats instead of sugar laden candy that will keep their kids bouncing off the walls for days. Here are a few tips for picking out Halloween candy that will be popular with kids and parents this year:
Snack size chocolate bars are always a good idea- Snack size bars are small enough to not cause an overdose of sugar in young children but the chocolate treats make the children very happy. Always get at least two more bags than you think you need because once the word gets around that you have good candy you’ll get more Trick or Treaters.
Brand names matter- Don’t go for the cheaper, off brand candy when it comes to Halloween. Kids don’t buy it when their parents buy the store brand cereal and tell them it tastes like the name brand cereal and they won’t believe it when it comes to Halloween candy either. Unless you want to want to spend the money you saved paying for a new paint job on your car after it’s pelted with eggs shell out the money for the name brand stuff. You’ll be glad you did.
Pre-package treat bundles – Letting kids grab their own treats from a bucket is never a good idea. You’ll be left with three pieces of candy after the first round of Trick or Treaters. Instead, package your own treat bundles in small plastic bags. Arrange a few chocolate bars, hard candy, and whatever other treats you’re giving out in a clear plastic baggie and give one to each child.
Offer more than one treat- Buy a few different kinds of treats to give out so that if you run out of one you have more. Kids will also feel like they’re getting more treats if you give them a variety of different kinds of treats. Some kids can’t have chocolate, or can’t have candy with nuts, or have other dietary issues that you need to be prepared for. Having different types of candy will help you have treats that are appropriate for different kids.
Think outside the chocolate box – Chocolate treats are popular but don’t forget there are other candies that are great for Halloween too. Pixie sticks are a classic Halloween treat. So are Sour Balls, Gummie Bears, and other non chocolate candy. These candies are usually cheaper than brand name chocolate treats too so if you’re trying to keep your Halloween candy spending to a minimum choose hard candy and other non chocolate treats.
Featured atmospheres include a Mad Scientist’s Lab, Insect Infestation, A Roaring Beast/Monster, A Caged Freak, an aural peek into a Cannibal’s Kitchen whilst he butchers a body, and many more. Also included are multiple depictions of Hell. From the Human transformation perspective in the tracks “Descension” and “Swallowed Souls”, to the eerily regretful “Desolate”, and the sound of Hell’s burning lake of fire complete with tormented souls in distant caves in the track simply entitled “Hell”.
Some of the highest quality isolated ghost tracks available are featured on Dark Environments in both male and female versions. “We designed Dark Environments with the more serious haunter in mind, focusing on tracks useful for props and specific scenes, and keeping it overall less musical than our previous release TEEMING.”
Many of the tracks on Dark Environments were created based on direct feedback from the haunting community.
Dark Environments is available for the 2009 Halloween season as an MP3 format download only, for just $7.95, and will be available on CD in 2010.
Visit http://www.DepartedStudios.com for more info, demo tracks and to purchase downloads of Dark Environments.