Archive for the ‘Costumes’ Category
Harry Potter has become a very popular costume that we all love to see every year. It will no doubt be one of the most popular Halloween costumes of all time.
Very few people actually know that the inspiration for the Harry Potter books hit their author, J.K. Rowling, while she was stuck for four hours waiting on a delayed train. She had been writing stories most of her life, but had never been 
quite so struck by an idea as she was by the one that brought about the Harry Potter books. What an inspiration that must have been! The Harry Potter books have sold more than 400 million copies each. The last four in the series have set records as the fastest selling books in history.
These ingenious stories center around the main character named Harry Potter, a little boy who has been raised by relatives who do not believe in magic. Despite their best efforts to keep the information from Harry, on his birthday it is brought to his attention that he’s not just an ordinary little boy, but a wizard. He is then whisked off to the fantastic “Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardy” where he is to be taught to train his gifts. He meets up with several new friends, most importantly Ron Weasley and Hermoine Granger who become his closest comrades.
Almost immediately Harry finds himself in the midst of a mystery that needs to be solved for the safety of all. Throughout the story certain facts come to light about Harry’s past that were previously kept from him, such as where he received the lightning bolt shaped scar upon his forehead. He learns that his parents were killed in a struggle to protect him, and during that struggle he alone survived the attack of a wizard so powerful that no one had ever survived his wrath before. Harry finds that being “the boy who lived” garners him the respect, awe and even the contempt of others at the school, including some of the teachers.
Throughout the seven book series, Harry and his friends find themselves in situations where they must help solve the mystery of what is going on at “Hogwarts.” The fate of the school and the students often hangs in the balance as these three exceptional children, with the help of the school’s head master, Professor Dumbledore, and the groundskeeper Hagrid, try to unravel the mysteries. Each one of these adventures seem to lead back in some way to the evil machinations of that powerful wizard (whose name is not to be spoken aloud) as he desperately tries to plot his return.
J.K. Rowling sold the movie rights for the first four books in the Harry Potter series to Warner Bros. in 1998, when she did, she insisted that all of the principal actors be British, but allowed for some Irish actors as well. Chris Columbus was chosen among many other big names to direct the first two movies, but he declined to direct the third, staying on in a producer’s capacity instead. The third movie, “the Prisoner of Azkaban” was directed by Mexican director Alfonso Cuaron. Since the production of the third overlapped with the production of the forth movie, Mike Newell was chosen to direct “Goblet of Fire”. David Yates took over the directing duties from there, and will be directing the final two movies as well.
It was announced in 2008 that the final book of the series will be split up into two movies. The first of these will be released in November of 2010, and the next will follow in July of 2011.The Harry Potter films have consistently been ranked within the top 25 highest-grossing films worldwide.
Halloween 2010 is almost here.
We have noticed a large amount of online activity in June compared to previous years. Many online stores are starting to get in their NEW STUFF!
We expect to see a lot of zombies, graveyards, ghosts and some of the best traditional Halloween themes.
We also expect to see pop-culture come in to play. With many cartoons, movies and stars in the news this year, it should be great!
Everyone is excited about the number of movies and TV shows that are popular this year that could inspire Halloween.
From Alice in Wonderland, Robin Hood, Avatar, and many many more, this will be an amazing year for Halloween costumes.
The werewolf is one of the more popular mythical creatures that most of us know about. Kids, teens and adults all have heard about the werewolf. The werewolf is a folklore character that we all know as half wolf and half man. In many folklore stories, men who have the ability to shape-shift into wolves are called werewolves. The transformation can be 
different depending on the culture of the folklore. The half man-half wolf is characterized by a gruesomely hairy body, long nails, bulging muscles and growing teeth.
One of the most distinct characteristics of the werewolf is its being drawn to the full moon. In one folklore, a man who has the genetic traits of werewolves, is drawn to the full moon. It is only during each month’s full moon that he can transform from man to wolf and wolf to man. The transformation process, in most stories, show the man to be in extreme pain and agony.
Another distinct characteristic of the werewolf is superhuman strength. That means that a werewolf can be distinguished as one if his superhuman strength shows. Unlike any man or even a wolf, the werewolf can lift things of great weight, can fight off even big animals and can withstand almost any kind of attack. However, it should be noted that in most stories, werewolves are not immortals. They bleed as humans and animals do. They can also get hurt and feel pain. While they may be gifted with superhuman strength, most folklore’s show them as mortal beings who cannot defeat death. Werewolves are also known to have extra sensitive senses but 
more than that of a human, wolf or any animal.
The transformation of the werewolf usually happens every time the moon is full. Some stories say that a werewolf can fully control his transformation from man to wolf and vice verse. According to folklore, a man becomes a werewolf due to varied reasons. One is through genes. A father can pass on his werewolf genes to some of his children but in most cases the young werewolf only becomes aware of his condition during his teens when the traits begin to show. Another way to become a werewolf is when you are bitten by one. If you are bitten by a werewolf and you manage to survive despite your wounds then a magical transformation can happen; making you a werewolf. Another means to become a werewolf is by making a deal with the devil or some satanic character.
In some folklore stories, werewolves become weak once they transform from wolf to man. In some cultures as well, werewolves are show to having feelings of guilt and remorse after they have attacked oir killed someone in their wolf form. Thus, it shows that werewolves, while having super strength and senses are still humans who are bound by weaknesses and limitations.
Because of the fascinating stories about werewolves, many writers and movie makers still create stories revolving around the old werewolf myths and folklore’s. The werewolf is also a popular Halloween costume for kids, teens and adults.
Iron Man 2 is coming with the release date of May 7 2010 is sure to be a big hit and influence Halloween this year.
Iron Man 1 has brought much money to Hollywood. The Marvel story about Tony Stark which was created in 1963 became a huge hit when it was made 
into a movie in 2008. The plot of the story seemed a bit common with the usual common man turned “superhero” plot. What made Iron Man quite different was the fact that the man Tony Stark did not possess any special powers but had used technology to create him his powerful suit. Iron Man 1 the movie was quite interesting and many movie fanatics are already so excited to wait for the release of its sequel – Iron Man 2 this coming May.
The plot of Iron Man 2 is about the return of Tony Stark, Iron Man 1′s wealthy playboy. After he publicly 
announced in Iron Man 1 that he is the famous iron clad hero, he is now about to face his Russian arch nemesis named Whiplash or Ivan Vanko (played by Mickey Rourke) and also his corporate rival Justin Hammer (played by Sam Rockwell). The newcomer in this Iron Man sequel is the character of the ultra sexy Russian spy known as Black Widow (Natasha Romanoff is the character’s name) played by Scarlett Johansson. The character of Colonerl James Rhodes, originally played by Terrence Howard, is going to be played by Don Cheadle. Colonel James Rhodes wil become a villain as the War Machine in this sequel. Other members of the cast who are included in Iron Man 2 are Paul Bettany, Sam Rockwell and director Jon Favreau.
Iron Man 2 has evolved from the original Iron Man 1 story. In the the first movie, Tony Stark is shown as a handsome philanderer (Robert Downey Junior) and engineer with outstanding ability. He is the founder and the executive officer of the multinational company Stark Industries. The company builds and assembles military weapons, thus, his knowledge and resources all led to the great Iron Man suit.
In Iron Man 1, the plot shows Mr. Stark’s trip to Afghanistan, being abducted to make weapons of mass destruction, his creation of the Iron Man suit and his escape. Eventually, he manages to perfect the suit and the end result was a suit made of gold and titanium which also gives the wearer the ability to fly because of a complex propulsion system. In the story, Mr. Stark goes around saving the world from crime and the pseudonym Iron Man became known. In the end, he was able to stop an evil plot instigated by Obadiah Stane. Before the movie ended, Mr. Start revealed his real identity and admitted to the world that Iron Man and Tony Stark is one and the same.
The story of Iron Man is indeed a very interesting one especially in today’s generation. The story frees us from the usual superhero perspective who possesses superpowers due to some genetic change or mutation. In Iron Man 1 and Iron Man 2, the hero is a common businessman who has his own weaknesses (a philanderer) who used his intelligence, his own money and his resources to create a new hi-tech hero.
Medusa will no doubt be popular for Halloween this year because of Percy Jackson and other movies. If you have ever wondered what to wear for 
Halloween, worry no more: mythical gods are practically begging to be evoked for Halloween. They beat hands down bunnies, maids, dark queens, Dark Vader, or dark man eaters. For one, there is the undeniable powerful story that goes with each figure, their symbolism, their archetypal eponymous significance. We are really surrounded by references to mythology – Achilles heal, Odyssey, Oedipus, Trojans… oh well, forget that last one. To appear as one of those characters is to tap the collective unconscious, to refer to the vast treasure chest that is our cultural heritage, and to be recognized by others. Another reason why dressing up as a mythical god is virtually guaranteed successful and will land you – in case of a costume competition – an undeniable edge, is the sheer simplicity with which you can arrive at this perfect image you are trying to create. The ease of the disguise just can’t be beaten. To appear with a head dress that consists of a multitude of protruding snake heads will hardly require a label, no matter the rest of the costume. Medusa you are for the remainder of the evening. Unless, or course, you lose your head… The fact is, thanks to the Greek fashion of the time, long and flowing are the key words to their garments. Draping is another good description. You could, Scarlett O’Hara fashion, take a pair of old drapes and, well, drape them just so, and you would be half way there to your dream Halloween costume impersonating just about any Greek or Roman goddess. (Or god, for that matter, although in the case of gods, muscular thighs and calves would help a lot since the gods liked to show off their legs, in particular.)
To be concrete about it, you should begin dressing up with your head dress first so that you can match the rest of your outfit which is, after all, secondary to your head. Purchase rubber snakes at a party store and attach them to a wig, or even your own hair. For once it is better not to be a blonde – Medusa has always been depicted as dark-haired. You can also spray-paint your own hair if you don’t mind the mess, in which case a gory green would be nice, or an otherworldly dark blue. The snakes can be fastened to your hair with ponies. You do not need a lot of snakes on your head to make your point (they can quickly add up in terms of weight to make wearing them quite uncomfortable).
Once you have established your color palette (you may spray paint the snakes too if you feel like it) you can then move on to the dress. It should be long and gathered somewhere, in a draping fashion. Simple is better than intricate in this case – you will want the lines to be flowing. For inspiration, you could look to the lady with the torch – the Columbia Pictures logo. Imagine how cool she would be with a head full of snakes!
Michael Jackson’s remarkable music, striking image, checkered life, and tragic death all mark him as one of the most famous of America’s popular music stars. The colorful star flashed across the music scene with both 
meteoric brilliance and a generous helping of controversy and scandal, and his distinctive songs and appearance seize the imagination of people across the world. A skilled singer and songwriter, he could handle pop, rock, soul, R&B, and other genres with consummate ease and flair. Not only Michael Jackson’s physical appearance but his costumes changed vividly over time, from album to album.
With such an iconic personality and a mix of distinctive appearances, it’s no wonder that Michael Jackson is a popular choice for Halloween costumes. Costumes based on him were at the top of the lists in 2009, and all indications are that he’ll be a Halloween hit again in 2010. If you’re a fan of the King of Pop, you have many unique looks to choose from as you pick out a costume that will dazzle your friends and be the hit of the party.
You can choose to go for Michael Jackson’s early look, when he wore shirts with fringes and bell-bottom trousers in a fashion statement that was all his own. You can top this off with a Michael Jackson mask, or you can try for his early look, before the famous changes to his appearance, by wearing an appropriate wig.
Alternately, you can opt for the “Billie Jean” appearance — from the period when Michael’s vibrant, idiosyncratic fashion sense truly took off. This costume dates from the time when Michael Jackson’s sixth album, Thriller, was released. The singer explored a whole array of different styles in this album, from funk to rock to R&B, including the famous song for which the appearance is named. If you want to make a hit, this costume is probably the most iconic of many iconic appearances — the album is the best-selling recording in all of history. Black jackets rippling with sequins, black fedoras, sequined white gloves, and plenty of other snappy Michael Jackson accessories make this an excellent choice for a stylish Halloween statement.
If you’re looking for brilliant color rather than black and white style, then a Thriller costume is probably the way to go. In the Thriller video, Michael Jackson appears in a shimmering red jacket and pants, with black details and black shoes, as well as his signature single white glove. With striking sound effects, menacing lyrics, and the mesmeric effect of Jackson’s costume, Thriller is one of the star’s most memorable performances. Dressing up in this outfit is a good way to have a memorable Halloween experience as well.
The Bad look gives you yet another option for your Michael Jackson costume. Another look drawn from the Thriller album, Bad is a mostly black look with a streak of vivid red on the pant-legs and a studded belt for contrast.
Put on a Michael Jackson wig, and you’ll be ready to give your own Halloween tribute to one of popular music’s most admired artists and flamboyant performers.
Gulliver’s Travels is one of the most well known and most beloved books of all time, and new a movie adaption of the book is bringing Gulliver’s adventures to life for a new generation. Written by Jonathan Swift in the 18th century 
the book was a satire of the British royal court written in the popular travel genre at the time. The original book follows Lemuel Gulliver through four distinct adventures. The movie adaptation only follows Gulliver through one adventure, his famous adventure to Lilliput. When Gulliver awakes after being shipwrecked and floating to shore in Lilliput he is amazed to discover that all the people there are one twelfth the size of a human being. While he was asleep they have taken him captive and he finds himself unable to get up and face to face with his miniature captors. He goes to great lengths to talk them into letting him up and a good deal of the story focuses on the conversations he has with the Lilliputian soldiers who have taken him captive. Eventually they relent and take him the Queen of Lilliput, where he stays and has a few adventures in Lilliput before heading off for other lands.
The story of Gulliver’s adventures in Lilliput has been adapted into books, movies and television shows hundreds of times, but the newest interpretation of the story takes on a comical twist with two comedians playing the main roles. Jack Black plays Lemuel Gulliver in the 2010 movie, and British comedienne Katherine Tate plays the Lilliputian Queen. The 2010 adaption of the story, like the original story, is heavy with satire that will please audiences. Having two comedic actors in the main roles gave the directors a chance to play with the absurdity of the story in a way that other adaptations haven’t been able to do. Using special effects and computer graphics will also make it possible to bring the tiny Lilliputians to life without making them mere caricatures of full size humans. The Lilliputians have their own mannerisms, their own characteristics, and a distinct personality that comes across immediately.
The move is set to be released in December of 2010 and will give holiday film audiences the chance to relax from pre-holiday stress with a funny, whimsical trip to an imaginary land that they have known about for many years. Since this movie outlines only one of Gulliver’s adventures it’s quite possible that sequels could be made further in the future that bring to life Gulliver’s other adventures on his trip. It’s hard to take a storyline that is as old and as well known as the story of Gulliver and inject new life into it but the comedic angle and the satire of modern culture that are prominent in the 2010 adaptation should breathe some new life into this classic tale of trying to find out more about yourself through travel and discovering other cultures. This movie is sure to influence Halloween as promotions begin and continue for the movie.
Spongebob Squarepants is one of the most unusual kids TV characters to become an icon. The small yellow sea sponge along with his pet snail Gary
and best friend and starfish Patrick Star have left their mark on children’s TV and have become as iconic as the Sesame Street characters or Dora the Explorer. Spongebob Squarepants costumes, along with costumes of other characters from the show, are perennial Halloween favorites and other Spongebob merchandize like clothing, DVDs, video games and toys can be found in almost every child’s closet and playroom.
Originally the character of Spongebob Squarepants first appeared in 1984 when Marine biologist Stephen Hillenburg started drawing comics and animated figures. He was fascinated with animation and eventually left his job as a marine biologist to attend school to study animation. He received a Masters degree in animation and went to work for Nickelodeon in the last 1990s, when Nickelodeon’s children’s programming was just starting to take off. While he was working on several different shows for Nickelodeon he started developing the Spongebob 
character, his friends, and their city called Bikini Bottom more seriously. He pitched the show to Nickelodeon, where producers weren’t too sure about it at first, and went on to have one of the biggest successes that the channel has ever had with the show in its final form. The tenth anniversary of the show will occur in July, and a special documentary about everyone’s favorite sea creatures is in production to be broadcast in line with the anniversary.
One of the reasons why Spongebob is so popular is because the writers work hard to make it appeal to parents as well as kids. The trend of making content for kids TV shows and kids movies that has inside jokes which will make parents laugh and to include references that parents will find funny started with Spongebob Squarepants. The writers wanted to make sure that the parents who were watching TV with their kids were also engaged in the show and they wanted to encourage parents to watch TV with their kids. Including content that would be missed by the kids but would appeal to the parents was a brilliant way to make sure that adults and kids would both like the show.
The Spongebob Squarepants feature length film was a box office success, and amusement park and theme park rides and attractions based on the Spongebob world that feature underwater interactive displays, water slides and water attractions, and even song and dance shows are very popular and draw in thousands of visitors per year. Even after ten years the show is still popular and consistently one of the top three most watched kids shows. Spongebob Squarepants has been nominated for dozens of awards over the years ranging from Kid’s Choice awards to critics awards for excellence in children’s programming and awards from parents groups for the consistently high quality of the show.
Another highly anticipated 2010 film is the remake of the classic horror film The Wolfman. There have been many different interpretations of the Wolfman
story over the years, just as there have been many different interpretations of other classic horror figures like Dracula and Frankenstein. However, this remake of the 1940s Wolfman film stays very true to the original film. In this remake a man, Lawrence Talbot, who has been estranged from his family for many years, is tracked down by his future sister in law Gwen Conliffe after his brother disappears. Their mother is dead, and Lawrence hasn’t seen their father in a long time but he is drawn by Gwen’s pleas for his help and returns home to help search for his brother. During the time that is spent searching Lawrence finds out that more people from the village have gone missing and a huge fearsome creature is stalking the town and murdering people. Lawrence, his father, and Gwen become drawn into a dark, terrifying and dangerous world as a result of their attempt to stop the murders.
The lead role of Lawrence, who also is the Wolfman, is played by Benicio del Toro. Benicio is known for playing dark, tormented and violent characters. 
He also has had a fascination with the Wolfman for a long time and collects memorabilia from the original 1940s film. He brings a darkness to the role that mimics the gothic overtones of the original and also brings the dedication to the role that only comes from having a true fan in the role. Venerated actor Sir Anthony Hopkins plays Lawrence’s estranged father, and Emily Blount plays Gwen. Sir Anthony Hopkins is no stranger to playing dark characters or to starring in period films and he is a great addition to the cast. Because the film follows the storyline of the original it’s a refreshing change from some of the other interpretations of the classic Wolfman tale. Even though the film is not bringing any groundbreaking insights into Wolfman character into the mix the use of modern special effects and makeup do make Lawrence’s transition from human to monster quite spectacular and innovative. One of the most frightening aspects of the Wolfman story is the transition and in the original film most of that transition was left to the imagination since the filmmakers didn’t have the kind of special effects necessary to create a miraculous transformation on screen. These days CGI graphics and modern makeup materials make it possible to transform Lawrence from a man to a monster right in front of the audience.
There’s always a risk for filmmakers who choose to remake a classic film, but in this case the remake is so well done that most fans will probably embrace it. All of the elements that go into making a successful remake of a film like great casting, adherence to the original story, and updated special effects are present in The Wolfman. Critics and fans will find themselves enthralled with this classic Monster once again.