New Items for Sale!

Halloween Greetings!
Just posted 4 fun new Halloween pieces on ebay and 4 new pieces that will be for sale September 1st. on Glitter and Grunge. Be sure to take a peek!

Magic Trick Videos from WizardsApprentice.com

For all of you magic enthusiasts, The Wizard (a.k.a. my brother, Jack Maxwell) at The Wizard's Apprentice Magic Shop has rolled out some great magic trick videos showing off the magic tricks as well as his awesome talent. Check it out:

Ring Case Magic Trick


The Vanishing Deck


Ball thru Glass

Bewitching festivities at Central Florida theme parks

What comes after a Harry Potter summer? A fall filled with Halloween parties.It's no trick. Gruesome goblins and ghosts, witches and wizards, not to mention headless horsemen, are taking over central Florida's theme parks beginning in September and continuing full blast through early November. The parks are ready for visitors eager to celebrate the season with spooky haunted houses, scare zones, and even coasters in the inky darkness of night. Some parks present nightmarish events sure to spook the bravest visitors; others feature family-friendly festivities that are fun for all ages. Here's a park-by-park look at what's going bump in the night:

Walt Disney World
Mickey's Not-So-Scary Halloween Party is a family-friendly event at the Magic Kingdom. Highlights include the "Boo To You Halloween Parade," during which Disney characters — including Mickey, Minnie, Donald, Pluto and Goofy — can be seen in their favorite Halloween costumes parading along with others down Main Street.

The party also features "Happy HalloWishes" fireworks spectacular. And the most popular Magic Kingdom attractions, including Pirates of the Caribbean with Capt. Jack Sparrow and the park's Haunted Mansion, are open.

Visitors are invited to come in costume and trick-or-treat at a variety of stations throughout the park during the event. Party hours are from 7 p.m. to midnight. Mickey's Not-So-Scary Halloween Party is featured on Sept. 14, 21, 28 and 30; Oct. 4, 5, 8, 11, 14, 16, 18, 21, 23, 25, 26, 28, 30 and 31; and Nov. 2. Tickets at the gate are $63.90 for adults, $54 for children ages 3 to 9. Visit www.disneyworld.com/halloween; or call 407-934-7639.

Universal Orlando
Now in its 17th year, Halloween Horror Nights is where you can come face to face with Freddy Krueger, Jason and Leatherface. There are also chilling haunted houses that terrorize even the most intrepid guests; intense, skin-crawling, scare zones; scores of "scare actors" roaming around; and themed shows which are sure to chill and petrify.

Halloween Horror Nights are presented on Sept. 28-29; Oct. 4-7, 11-14, 18-21, 24-28, 31; and Nov. 1-3. It is too intense for youngsters, and guests in costumes are not admitted. Single-night admission (valid all nights the event is presented) is $71 for adults and $60 for children ages 3 to 9. A Frequent Fear Pass offers 13 nights for the price of one ($64.95) valid on select nights: Sept. 28-29; Oct. 4, 7, 11, 14, 18, 21, 24, 25, 28, 31; and Nov. 1. Call 877-284-4679 or visit www.halloweenhorrornights.com.

Sea World
Halloween meets the sea with friendly sea witches, flamingos, mermaids, schools of pumpkin fish and other costumed characters haunting the park during Sea World's Halloween Spooktacular, an event suitable for the whole family. The event's theme is, appropriately, "FantaSea." If you like, dress in costume, as there are trick-or-treating treasure troves with treats galore throughout the park. SeaWorld's otters and sea lions present Halloween-themed shows.

Sea World's Halloween Spooktacular is presented on Oct. 6-7, 13-14, 20-21, 26-28 and 31. It is included in park general admission ($64.95 for adults, $53.95 for children ages 3-9). Park hours are 9 a.m. to 7 p.m. Call 800-406-2244 or visit www.seaworld.com.

Whichever park's festivities you choose to attend, you'll find the best selection of costumes at AnniesCostumes.com.

Costumes and Your Personality

What Your Halloween Costume Says About You

Getups can say much -- maybe too much -- about the personal -- and often hidden -- makeup of their wearers

Halloween from a psychologist's prospective.

This interesting article comes from Seattlepi.com. Written By: LAURA LICA

Sally Foster, a psychology professor with the University of Miracosta, Calif., and John Suler, psychology professor at the Rider University in New Jersey are two experts that say our costume choices are not random, even if we think so. And although you might think your mask hides you, it's not entirely true. Although price, comfort and convenience can factor in, when you choose a costume, you live a fantasy and you show the others a part of your inner self.

Here's what Foster and Suler say about various costume types.

Sexy characters
French maids, hot nurses or prostitutes can represent one's own repressed sexuality, Foster said. They also can be healthy expressions of someone who is not very repressed.
Suler said the increasingly popular "pimp and ho" characters represent inner struggles.
"Should we be pure and chaste and holy ... or let loose with sexual desires and acting out? In those costumes you see these inner struggles (again, a polarity) being expressed."

Celebrities
Costume choices rooted in fame and popular culture tend to follow trends, and like trends, they may spread quickly then disappear, Suler said. People may simply wish to display a knowledge of current events or share their interests. Or they may use them to express personality traits or social issues that are associated with the celebrity's image (sensuality, intelligence, power, corruption, rebellion, etc.).
"I think this is a likely choice for the Walter Mittys of the world to be someone more dashing and daring, someone with real power," Foster said.

Scary characters
Zombies, vampires, skeletons and other monsters show our fascination with the macabre, the grotesque. Death has always been something we humans are scared of, yet drawn to, Foster said.

Innocents
Fairies or princesses represent one's lost innocence or beauty, or a return to a safer and simpler time, Foster said.

Animals
Generally, animals represent strength, basic instincts, with other specific traits for specific creatures, Foster said. For instance, cats are sensual, purring, soft creatures.
"I saw two women dressed as cats even though in real life they're very reserved persons and do not display their sensuality," Foster said.
Because animals symbolize certain traits or attributes in myth as well as popular culture (such as strength, loyalty, grace, independence, cunning, transcendence), an animal costume may represent some real aspect of a person's identity, or some admired characteristic, Suler said.
Thinking in the tradition of the Native American, he added, we might even regard an animal costume as being an individual's totem -- a symbol of one's essential nature or potential.

Comic/cartoon characters
Clowns and the like represent whimsy, playfulness and youth, Foster said. People want to leave their serious natures behind on this holiday.
Some cartoon characters have very cultural significance and may even represent archetypal personality types (for example Bugs Bunny as a confident trickster), according to Suler. And some adults wear more sophisticated cartoons, such as anime. The psychological tone of these costumes tend to be more seductive, whimsical or mysterious.

Evil characters
Evil costumes allow people to safely -- and even creatively -- express their dark side without guilt, Suler said.
He adds that some people may use evil or aggressive costumes as a way (consciously or unconsciously) to alienate others, which indicate anxiety about intimacy and being vulnerable.

Powerful characters
This can be a variation of the "evil" costume, or a more benign expression of a fantasy of omnipotence, Suler said. They also can express underlying feelings of helplessness and insecurity.

So before you put on your costume, whether it's a monster, a "Matrix" hero, a witch, a priest or a prostitute, consider your choice -- it may tell people more about you than you realize.

Written By: LAURA LICA

Enjoy the Weekend Before Halloween!

The weekend before Halloween is a great time to gear up for some te-eerie-fic fun! Utilize your weekends by cleaning up the entire household and plan what you want to wear and how you want to greet your guests on Halloween. Plan for a fantastic Halloween party with special Halloween dishes. Send your party invitations beforehand to avoid last minute rush. You can make your Halloween invitations scary or funny--whichever way you like. Make the most of Halloween weekend like this waltzing skeleton!!!

Send this Halloween eCard !

Tags: Halloween weekend, Halloween fun

Funny Halloween Quotations

Halloween is not only about dares and scares. It is about fun too! Enjoy and have fun with friends and dear ones with these humorous Halloween quotes!




Halloween is the one night a year when girls can dress like a total slut and no other girls can say anything about it.
Lindsay Lohan

Ghosts, like ladies, never speak till spoke to.
Richard Harris Barharn

On Halloween, the parents sent their kids out looking like me.
Rodney Dangerfield

This Halloween the most popular mask is the Arnold Schwarzenegger mask. And the best part? With a mouth full of candy you will sound just like him.
Conan O'Brien

When I was a kid my family was really poor and I remember one Halloween I wanted to dress up really scary and my parents came home with a duck costume. I wore that costume for years! I hated it.
R.L. Stine

I would rather sit on a pumpkin and have it all to myself than be crowded on a velvet cushion.
Henry David Thoreau

Last year was the first time I actually participated in Halloween. I dressed up as a pimp, and my sister was my bitch. We had to walk down Sunset Boulevard because we couldn't get a ride to the party, and everyone was sticking their heads out of their cars and yelling at us. It was great.
Christina Applegate

Tags: Halloween quotes, funny Halloween quotes

Have a "Spooktacular" Fun At Your Workplace!

This Halloween make plans to scare your colleagues and co-workers and have "horrific" fun! You can bring fun at your workplace and enjoy working all the more!
Here's how:

If you prefer funny costumes, go for funny ones, unless of course you are planning for some real spooky thrills for your colleagues! Choose funny Halloween costumes of Dinosaur,Catwoman, Genie, Gorilla, Penguin, Parrot, Green Giant, Snowman, and thousands of others available in the market and wear them to your office. No doubt your co-workers would appreciate your funny side! If you are planning something scary, wear spine-chilling Halloween costumes like Werewolf, Monsters, Skeletons, Mummies, Dracula, Headless Horseman, Michael Myers, Evil Clown, Zombie, and scare your colleagues out of their wits! Decorate your office space with lighted Jack O’ Lanterns, scary posters, crystal balls and Gothic lights, to create that scary ambience. Weave magic everywhere with your eerie gags and scary surprises! Wish all your colleagues/associates/Boss with your "frightful" wishes!

Send this Halloween eCard to your colleagues/associates/Boss!

Tags: Halloween office fun, Halloween wishes for colleagues/coworkers/Boss, At work Halloween

Awesome Costumes at the Cosplay World Summit

Brazil's Marcello Batista de Andredo Fernandez poses in costume during a news conference ahead of the World Cosplay Summit 2007 in Tokyo August 1, 2007.(Xinhua/Reuters Photo)

For those of you who don't know Wikipedia defines Cosplay for you:

Cosplay (コスプレ, kosupure?), a portmanteau of the English words "costume" and "roleplay", is a Japanese subculture centered on dressing as characters from manga, anime, tokusatsu, and video games, and, less commonly, Japanese live action television shows, fantasy movies, or Japanese pop music bands. However, in some circles, "cosplay" has been expanded to mean simply wearing a costume.

The World Cosplay Summit 2007 took place earlier this month in Tokyo, Japan.

People in costumes pose during a news conference ahead of the World Cosplay Summit 2007 in Tokyo August 1, 2007. (Xinhua/Reuters Photo)

Here are the winners of the Cosplay Championship, which is not only for costumes, but performance as well.

Winners: France

The duo of Isabelle and Damian who performed as Tsugiri and Myoubi from ‘Alichino’.They were presented with a trophy from Judge Monkey Punch, a return trip ticket to Japan from Judge Ken Nagata, and the Minister for Foreign Affairs Prize (this prize is for those who promote friendship between Japan and other countries in the world) presented by Judge Hiroshi Tokita.

Runners-up: Japan B

The duo Naoki Shigure and Kikiwan, who performed as ‘Light Yagami’ and ‘Deathnote Misa Amane’ from ‘Deathnote’. They received an assortment of manga and anime goods worth €100,000 from Judge Ichiro Mizuki.

Brother Prize: Mexico

The duo of Linaloe and Alejandra performed as ‘Eternal Sailor Moon’ and ‘Sailor Galaxia’ From ‘Pretty Guardian Sailor Moon’. They received a Brother super-slim digital ‘MyMio MFC-850CDN’ Multifunction Machine from Judge Essai Ushijima.

To give you an idea of what its like, check out this video, I'm not sure if its a parade or just crowds of people walking. You will spot some really awesome costumes!


So, for all you do-it-yourself costume makers out there, kudos to your creativity. You are awesome!

Trick 'r Treat

In Theaters October 5, 2007

IMBD Plot Summary: Four interwoven stories that occur on Halloween: An everyday high school principal has a secret life as a serial killer; a college virgin might have just met the one guy for her; a group of teenagers pull a mean prank; a woman who loathes the night has to contend with her holiday-obsessed husband




It is said that Halloween is the night when the dead rise to walk among us and other unspeakable things roam free. The rituals of All Hallows Eve were devised to protect us from their evil mischief, and one small town is about to be taught a terrifying lesson that some traditions are best not forgotten. Nothing is what it seems when a suburban couple learns the dangers of blowing out a Jack-o-Lantern before midnight; four women cross paths with a costumed stalker at a local festival; a group of pranksters goes too far and discovers the horrifying truth buried in a local legend; and a cantankerous old hermit is visited by a strange trick-or-treater with a few bones to pick. Costumes and candy, ghouls and goblins, monsters and mayhem... the tricks and treats of Halloween turn deadly as strange creatures of every variety-human and otherwise-try to survive the scariest night of the year. Written by Warner Bros. Pictures

Glitter and Grunge

Be sure to check out the Glitter and Grunge site for handmade gifts and collectibles. This site is the brainchild of Missy Ballance, an amazing woman/artist of many talents and endless energy. This site is updated on the first of the month with one-of-a-kind, must have pieces of art.

EHAG Flyer

Look for this fabulous flyer in my ebay shipments designed by Lori Rudolph a fellow EHAG artist. EHAG is the acronym for "Eclectic Halloween Artist Group" We are a group of professional artists and enthusiasts who share a love for the art that celebrates the magic of All Hallos' Eve. To view and purchase EHAG art, log on to ebay, type in EHAG in the search window and feast your eyes on the many one-of-a-kind Halloween items that are up for auction daily.

Halloween is ON in Lahaina, Hawaii

In years past, Halloween in Lahaina, Hawaii, has meant a big celebration with a parade, costumes, and sometimes a wild affair attended by residents and tourists alike. The Halloween celebration in Lahaina has raised some concern as of late, with many expressing concern that the celebration gets too out of control for the small island town to handle. Not to mention the contoversy that has arised when several native Hawaiian groups have expressed their disapproval of many components of the event taking place on the same grounds that are rich with their heritage and traditions of the past.

I have been following the story in the news the past few weeks and, as a Halloween enthusiast, I am happy to see that the StarBulletin.com is reporting that Halloween is ON in Lahaina!

Here are some excerpts from the article posted in the StarBulletin.com:

LAHAINA » Revelers will be out in force on Front Street again this Halloween after Maui County's Cultural Resource Commission voted in favor of allowing the Lahaina event to proceed as planned.

Dissent from several native Hawaiian groups has done little to spook event organizers in the past, but ensuring that all goes well this year "puts a little bit of a fear of God into us," said Joan McKelvey, a member of the Lahaina Town Action Committee, the group tasked with organizing the event that draws an estimated 35,000 people annually.

"We're hoping everything will go as it always does -- very well -- on Halloween night," said McKelvey.

Criticism has grown in recent years that the celebration has become too wild, with some of the costumes unsuitable for young eyes.

Nani Watanabe, who joined her fellow commissioners Aug. 2 in voting 5-1 in favor of running the event as planned this year, remarked, "By approving Halloween in Lahaina, we know it's going to be safe, controlled and organized."

See the whole Lahaina Halloween story written by Wendy Osher

Beginnings!

Okay. So here I am, once again, starring at this blank blog trying to find the courage to begin. So I'm just going to dive right in, fumble through and learn as I go. I'll begin with a sneak peek of a few new Holiday pieces that I am currently working on.

Michael Myers Masks: Enjoy a Scary Halloween!

Very few Halloween parties would be complete without Michael Myers masks. Michael Myers is a favorite character for those who are avid watchers of horror movies. For those of you who don't know(which is very unlikely) Michael Myers is the legendary killer in the 1978 John Carpenter movie Halloween who kills on and around Halloween night. Thereafter, he has appeared in several other sequels. Nowadays you get Michael Myers mask which are realistic than those made before and are guaranteed to scare anybody, especially when worn with his signature jumpsuit! He is the perfect embodiment of evil so don't take his blank expressions lightly! On this Halloween, go for a Michael Myers Mask, if you want to stand out among the crowd.

Read more on Michael Myers Halloween Masks!

Tags: Halloween masks, scary Halloween masks, Halloween costumes, Michael Myers masks

Funny Halloween Masks

Halloween is not always about wearing scary and bloodcurdling masks. Especially if you have little one at home, you should be extra cautious when buying a Halloween mask. Too scary masks can actually strike terror in a child's psyche and give them nightmares! Buying funny Halloween masks are a safer bet. Markets and super malls overflow with these kind of masks. You can get them online too!
With funny Halloween masks like Sumo Wrestler, Cockroach, Old Man, Old Lady, Ugly Old Man and various other funny masks, you can easily be the life of any Halloween party!

Tags: Halloween masks, funny Halloween masks, Halloween costumes

New Movies Announced at Comic-Con = Future New Costumes!

I'm always on the lookout for what's next in the costume world. The Comic Con convention in San Diego earlier this month is defnitely a crystal ball into the future costumes of Halloween 2008 and beyond.

I know, Halloween 2007 is still two months away, and here I am talking about 2008 already!

Well, here are some futuristic movie highlights from Comic Con courtesy MTV.com

» Marvel executives and "Iron Man" director Jon Favreau revealed plans to begin teaming heroes in future flicks (see "Comic-Con: 'Hulk' Smashes At Marvel Panel, Plus 'Iron Man' Cameos To Spawn 'Marvel Heroes' Flick").

» Steven Spielberg revealed live via satellite that Karen Allen would return in the forthcoming fourth "Indiana Jones" as the whip-wielder's greatest love, Marion Ravenwood (see "Comic-Con: Karen Allen To Appear In 'Indiana Jones IV' ").

» "300" director Zack Snyder revealed the poster and cast for his highly anticipated "Watchmen" movie (see "Comic-Con: 'Watchmen' Poster Revealed!").

» Sam Raimi let it slip that he recently met with Marvel producer Avi Arad to lay the groundwork for a "Spider-Man 4" script.

» The villainous Zachary Quinto was announced as Mr. Spock in the upcoming "Star Trek" re-launch flick (see "'Star Trek' Earmarks A 'Hero' To Play New Spock In J.J. Abrams Flick").

The MTV Movie Blog has a list of BIG movie news uncovered at Comic Con:

– Seth Rogen told us his “Green Hornet” isn’t going to be all laughs.
– We found out Tyrese Gibson and Joan Allen are going to take a “Death Race.”
– The Marvel panel blew our minds with “Incredible Hulk” news and “Iron Man” footage.
– Hope you aren’t feeling Narnia’d out because a lot more flicks are on the way.
– We spent a day with the man of the moment, “Watchmen” director Zack Snyder.
– You got a sneak peek, courtesy of Dee Snider, of “Hatchet.”
– We found a pretty creepy dossier on “The Dark Knight”’s Joker.
– We took a look at J.J. Abram’s secret monster movie and its guerilla marketing.
– We found out that the only thing better than one Spock is two Spocks!
– And we got psyched for the return of Marion Ravenwood to “Indiana Jones.”

Top Ten Costumes for Halloween 2007

Extreme Halloween just announced their top 10 Halloween costumes for adults, teens, kids and babies. Some of the costumes include Captain Jack Sparrow and Davy Jones from Pirates of the Carri bean, the Harry Potter robes and Princess Fiona from Shrek. You can view the entire list at http://www.extremehalloween.com/tophalloween.htm

Those who visited www.ExtremeHalloween.com were asked to take the Halloween costume survey where they were asked several questions. This also entered them into a weekly drawing for prizes. The information from the years past and the costume survey helps determine what costumes join the top 10 list. Where can you get these top Halloween costumes? Just visit www.anniescostumes.com.

Halloween Makeup Tricks of the Trade

Here are some great Halloween Makeup Tricks of the Trade.

First, be safe. Before applying any makeup effects, follow these simple safety guidelines:

1. Always perform a skin test to ensure skin compatibility


2. Never use makeup or baby powder around sources of open flame.


3. Only use approved makeup for facial areas.


4. Do not mix different kinds of makeup.


5. Apply makeup thinly, one color at a time allowing the makeup to adequately dry (a hair dryer set on cold air can speed the process)

First begin with a clean face. Most FX artists recommend a good astringent to remove facial oils followed by a cold water rinse to close the pores. An extremely thin coat of vaseline at this point will aid in makeup removal.

Find a place in front of a mirror with a good light source. A good comfortable chair would help. Ensure there are no sources of flame near the makeup.

Decide if there will be any prosthetic pieces such as scabs, scars or areas where the face will be built up. I like to apply them first, as the spirit gum adheres better to a clean face.

Prosthetics

Start with any of the prosthetic devices you want to add: scars, warts, nose etc. Where the device will go, apply spirit gum to both the face and the device. Allow the spirit gum to get tacky before applying the device. If using latex, apply a base coat of latex and gradually build the area. For scars, apply a thin layer of latex then cover with a single piece of tissue, repeat the process until the scar is formed.

Foundations

When you're satisfied with the build-up or prosthetics, apply a foundation makeup. The color will depend on the required outcome, white for vampires, gray for corpses, red for devils, green for witches and goblins, blue for a frozen look. The foundation should be applied lightly rubbing on face then patting to blend the makeup. With the foundation applied it's time to highlight and shadow. A makeup brush will assist in even coating.

Setting the Makeup

The final step in any makeup design is to set the makeup. For any who has tried to wear makeup while acting in a haunted house or going to a party can tell you, unset makeup while run with sweat ruining the makeup in a matter of minutes. The key is to set the makeup. There are many commercial products but nothing is cheaper and works as well as baby powder. A simple dusting of baby powder while keep the makeup fresh and set throughout the night. Baby powder is also especially useful for creating the look of age in zombies. A good powdering of the hair and clothing provides instant aging.

For scary, gorey, glamorous, or just different makeup kits, visit anniescostumes.com.

A Ghostly Masquerade!

What's Halloween without scary masks? Whether it's kids or adults, everybody loves to dress up in spine-chilling costumes and masks during Halloween. Shopping malls and stores are flooded with unique ghostly masks that are guaranteed to scare you, especially during the night!

I still remember getting spooked seeing my dad in a evil skeleton mask! I was a kid then. But I guess, anybody is bound to get scared if confronted suddenly by someone wearing an awful mask. Halloween masks come in a variety of shapes and sizes. You can choose from goblin, ghost, witch, bleeding masks, evil clown masks, horror legend masks, ghoulish masks, zombie, vampire, monster, ferocious beasts, skull, and other innumerable varieties of masks. So get dressed to thrill!

Tags: scary Halloween masks, Halloween costumes, Halloween masks, Halloween dress

Batman & Superman Costumes from 1965

I saw this fun post and picture on a vintage blog called Found in My Mother's Basement. Costumes have come a long way since 1965! This is from the 1965 Sears Catalog.

Current Batman Costumes on http://www.anniescostumes.com/

Current Superman Costumes on http://www.anniescostumes.com/

5 Steps to Taking the Best Halloween Pictures

By Jim Brown

Photographs may be just bits of paper prints but it has potent effects to your memory. With pictures, our memory runs wild. It makes you recall, let alone reminisce the time that the photo was taken. Then you will find yourself smiling if not laughing at the thought of it. Thus, photographs bring memories, fresh and crisp to our minds.

In addition, photos are sort of like an evidence that we were once such and so. With pictures taken, you can show it to someone just to prove that you were at some concert or that you were once dressed as a die at one Halloween party. Hence, if you love dressing up during Halloween, you'd better take hold of these tips so you can take high-quality pictures. You'd never really want to miss out the fun in the pictures, do you?

First, take your camera. Use the kind that you know how and is comfortable at operating. It doesn't matter if it's high-tech or not because even disposable cameras could shoot good pictures. Just as long as you know how the camera functions, it'll do.

Second, look at the people you're going to take pictures of. Examine each of them and the point that draws attention in them. It could be their faces, their masks or their outfits. Take into account the source of light, too. If you want to give pictures a scary feeling, you can let your subjects use a flashlight right down under their chins.

Third, if there are a number of them, make sure to let them stand close to each other. Never place them in one line. If possible, have them in a number of rows. You can let others stand while others kneel in front. If your subjects are children, make sure to get that picture within their level. This means you would have to go on your knees if needed. That will give you good results. You may also take candid pictures. Just always be poised for action.

Fourth, let your subjects stay calm and comfortable. It would be more fun to have them let a sound of the personalities they're dressed up for. If someone's dressed as a tiger, make him or her growl. This would bring out laughs in everyone not just kids but grown-ups, too.

Fifth, click the camera and get the picture! However, if you wish to take photos of Jack O' Lanterns, make sure to do it at stark dark. As much as possible, the background should contrast the bright, translucent appearance of the lantern.

Flash Gordon: Saviour of the Universe Edition Released

Here is a review on the release of Flash Gordon: Saviour of the Universe on DVD:

The original bare bones DVD of Flash Gordon (released almost a decade ago) has long been out of print and commanding high prices on eBay; those days are pretty much over now, with the arrival of this spanking-new “Saviour of the Universe” edition (and no, that’s not a typo; for some reason, they’re using the British spelling of “Saviour”), although, except in terms of image quality, this isn’t much of an upgrade.

But that image quality is a biggie. The box (which has a hinged, flip-open lid, like a Star Trek communicator) touts the usual “digitally remastered” image, and it really does look spectacular, every vibrant color pulsing with life.

Screenwriter Lorenzo Semple, Jr. also speaks out in a short interview segment, which is the highlight of the disc due to Semple’s brutal honesty and straight talk about his role in the film and the finished product. The inclusion of the first chapter of the original 1936 Flash Gordon serial with Buster Crabbe seems appropriate, and demonstrates that the 1980 version really wasn’t all that outrageous in what it was recreating. A trailer for the new Sci-Fi Channel Flash Gordon series is literally twelve seconds long, and features only a title graphic, with no clips from the show.

And that’s it. No commentary tracks, and no nuts-and-bolts material. Where are the deleted scenes and “making of” doc seen on the UK “Silver Anniversary” edition? This is definitely a missed opportunity, though it’s tough to quibble with the overall presentation of the film.

If you were one of those who was cranky about Flash Gordon in the old days, give this disc a spin and see if your opinion doesn’t change. If you loved it then, this is a great keepsake, especially if you missed the first edition. And if you’ve never seen it, prepare yourself for a goofy, candy-colored, funky-retro treat. Flash Gordon is a unique confection, and one of the most enjoyable SF films of the '80s.

Get into the 'Flash' spirit! Check out the cool superhero costumes from AnniesCostumes.com.

Halloween Pumpkin Pie

Pumpkin pies have always been my favorite. It's a must in most homes during Halloween across the U.S. I prepare it myself during Halloween, and believe me, it has been praised by friends(and foes) alike:)

So, here's my simple recipe for you all! Tell me if you like it.

You will need: 1 or 2 cups pumpkin meat
3 medium eggs
1-2 cup canned evaporated milk (not sweetened condensed)
1 cup light golden brown sugar
3/8 tsp. salt
3/8 tsp. ground ginger
3/8 tsp. ground nutmeg
1 1/2 tsp. ground cinnamon
1/4 tsp. ground cloves
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 unbaked pastry shell

Directions: Preheat oven to around 370 degrees. Mix pumpkin, sugar, salt, spices and flour in a mixing bowl. Add the eggs and beat well. Add evaporated milk, water and vanilla; mix well together. Pour into pastry-lined pie dish. Bake at 375 deg. for 15 minutes, then reduce heat to 350 deg. and bake about 30 minutes longer, until the center becomes firm.

Send spooky wishes to your friends and dear ones this Halloween!

Tags: yummy Halloween recipes, Halloween recipes, Pumpkin pies, How to make pumpkin pies, Halloween food

How to make Pumpkin Punch

Halloween is that wonderful time of the year when we get to enjoy and experiment with a wide variety of food products available in the market. While there are some wacky Halloween recipes like-Spider Cupcakes, Jack-O-Lantern Burgers, Spicy Bat Wings, Mini Witch Brooms, Jello Monsters and others, there are many yummy recipes made with pumpkin. Pumpkin pies and cookies are most popular. My favorite remains Pumpkin Punch. Luckily, I found this video that'll teach you on how to make pumpkin punch at home.

VideoJug: How To Make

Halloween Pumpkin Punch

Learn some funny Halloween recipes.....

Tags: recipes for Halloween, recipes with pumpkin, recipe for pumpkin punch, Halloween recipes, Halloween food

Rob Zombie Halloween Movie Remake

The horrifying return of Michael Myers through the eyes of Rob Zombie! The movie will be released on August 31, 2007.

You might have seen the previews already and this remake looks even scarier than the original. Granted, the original movie is a classic and was quite scary enough, especially since I was pretty young when I first saw it.

The voice over on the Halloween trailer says, "This August, Rob Zombie unleashes an extreme vision of terror and reinvents a legend." Some critics, although fans of Rob Zombie, are asking why? Why remake a classic? I personally think the trailer is spooky as is and has intrigued me enough to want to see the movie. Although, I am a movie fan, contrary to what you might imagine, I am not a huge horror movie fan. I guess growing up in the Halloween business has somewhat desensitized me to some things, and at the same time, some recent movies are just too sick or gory for my taste. I guess I live in a world of costumes, makeup and horror, so I like something different in most of my movies. But I will go and see this new Halloween movie, I'm kind of excited about it, actually.

The new Halloween movie trailer, I feel, is actually too scary to post here on my blog, since I want to keep my blog PG and family oriented about things related to Halloween and Halloween costumes.

There is an interesting interview with Rob Zombie posted on Final Girl's blog. I just linked to it, rather than post it here along with a warning that you might find a few bad words there - doesn't bother me, but just in case it might bother you. : )

I almost forgot . . . for any of you avid fans out there, http://www.anniescostumes.com/ carries the official Michael Myers Mask as well as the Michael Myers costume for adults. If you get it now, you can wear it to the premier and at Halloween so that you can get double the fright time out of it!

"Bourne" slays Homer in biggest August film opening

According to an article on August film openings, the amnesiac assassin Jason Bourne is back, and this time he clobbered Homer Simpson on his way to scoring the biggest film opening ever for the month of August.

"The Bourne Ultimatum," the third movie in the espionage action series starring Matt Damon as a one-time CIA hit man searching for his past, grossed $70.2 million its first weekend to rank as North America's top film at the box office, according to studio estimates on Sunday.

That tally, fueling an unusual late-summer rally at the multiplex, far exceeded the debut ticket sales generated by the first two films in the Universal Pictures franchise.

By comparison, "The Bourne Identity" opened at No. 2 with $27.1 million in June 2002, and the "The Bourne Supremacy" landed at No. 1 in July 2004 with $52.5 million. Those two films went on to gross nearly $485 million worldwide combined.

The latest "Bourne" total marks the biggest first weekend ever for a movie in August, surpassing the $67.4 million opening posted by "Rush Hour 2" the same weekend in 2001.

Exit polls showed the movie played to a slightly older crowd than much of the summer's high-profile popcorn fare, with 57 percent of its audience over the age of 30.

"Bourne's" robust debut continued what has been a very healthy summer for Hollywood, with domestic box office receipts since May 1 up nearly 6 percent compared with the same period last year. This weekend's cumulative gross for all films is up about 25 percent year on year.

"It's a very crowded and unusually competitive August marketplace," said Paul Dergarabedian, head of box office tracking service Media By Numbers. "August has traditionally been a cool-off month for summer. ... What's unusual this summer is that studios have put some of their biggest films at the end of July and early August."

Last week's domestic box office champion, "The Simpsons Movie," a feature-length version of the long-running TV cartoon, slipped to second place in its second weekend with $25.6 million in U.S. and Canadian ticket sales.

Despite its 65 percent drop-off from week to week, "The Simpsons," from News Corp.'s 20th Century Fox, has now racked up about $128.6 million domestically and $315.5 million worldwide.

For Simpsons Halloween Masks, visit www.anniescostumes.com/simpson.htm.

APO & FPO Early Shipping Special

If you are military stationed overseas, make sure to order your Halloween costumes as early as possible. For the month of August, we are having an APO and FPO special. You can receive free shipping (select ground shipping) and enter the coupon code APOFPO in the coupon field.

Coupon Rules: Cannot be combined with any other offer, minimum order to use coupon $50.00.

We ship our your order within 2 business days via USPS priority mail, however, we have no control over how long it takes for the military to forward on the packages to you, so allow 15 days for delivery. If you have any info for us on estimated delivery times to APO and FPO addresses, please let us know!

Comic-Con Convention Costumes

Comic-Con San Diego just wrapped up lat week. It took place July 24 - 27th at the San Diego Convention Center. It drew over 120,000 attendees. I would of have loved to be there! The costumes were bountiful and so creative. Of course, I like it when people purchase our costumes for events like this, which some do, but then there are those who create costumes and it really shows off their imagination and talent. I found so many links to stories and pictures for the event, I was wondering how I would incorporate all of the info in a blog post. So, here is a list of links to articles and pictures:

Top 5 Costume Moments at Comic-Con 2007

Comic-Con International geared to fans of many genres

Comics, costumes, fantasy celebrated

Comic-Con Costume Contest

Comic-Con Costume Appreciation Poll


Comic-Con Costumes: Day Four (including a costume gallery of all four days)


Comic-Con 2007: Masquerade Ball liveblogging

Gallery of Costumes from Comic-Con International 2007


It Came From Comic Con - Short Costume Round Up

Comic-Con '07: Big News On 'Iron Man,' 'Watchmen,' 'Star Trek,' 'Spidey 4' Amid Carnival Atmosphere

Mark your calendars for Comic Con International in San Diego next July 24 - 27 2008!

Visit our websites to get ready for your next Comic Con Convention:

Comic-Con Characters Makeup

Wigs for Comic-Con Convention Costumes

Comic-Con Costumes & Costume Accessories

Tax Free Week in Florida

August 4th - 13th is Florida's Tax Holiday. Some costumes and costume accessories are included in the list of tax free items, so this is a great chance to purchase your costumes early and receive a 6% discount.

Attention Florida Residents: August 4th through August 13th is the State Tax Holiday. No tax we be collected on sales of clothing, footwear, and certain accessories sells for $50.00 or less. All eligible orders will be refunded the sales tax after the order has been placed.

Please feel free to contact our customer service department with any questions: 1-877-413-8747 or email us: costumes[at]anniescostumes[dot]com.

Happy Shopping!

Famous Classic Horror Films Ever Made Part--2

Now I'll speak about the classic horror movies of the 60s, 70s, and 80s. I have a special liking for those ones made during the 80s. Some of them are real scary!

# The Birds (1963)
# Burn, Witch, Burn (1962)
# Carnival Of Souls (1962)
# The Haunting (1963)
# Masque of the Red Death (1964)
# Night of the Living Dead (1968)
# The Pit and the Pendulum (1961)
# Psycho (1960)
# Rosemary's Baby (1968)
# The Innocents (1961)
# The Abominable Dr. Phibes (1971)
# Alien (1979)
# Dawn of the Dead (1978)
# Dracula (1979)
# The Exorcist (1973)
# Halloween (1978)
# Jaws (1975)
# The Legend of Hell House (1973)
# The Omen (1976)
# The Last House on the Left (1972)
# The Texas Chain Saw Massacre (1974)
# Shivers (1975)
# Black Christmas (1974)
# Carrie (1976)
# Poltergeist (1982)
# The Shining (1980)
# Friday the 13th (1980)
# A Nightmare on Elm Street (1984)
# Hellraiser (1987)
# Child's Play (1988)
# The Evil Dead (1981)
# Silent Night, Deadly Night (1984)

Famous Classic Horror Films Ever Made Part--1

As I've told you earlier, I'm hooked on to horror movies. However, I don't find any logic or interest behind those meaningless bloodsheds, gore, killings, or grotesque incidents happening throughout the movie, that's actually funny! My kind of horror movies would be those with lots of unexplained facts, and a superb storyline; something that actually sends a shiver down the spine! Much as I watch the scary films made today, my favorites would be the classic ones, which continues to thrill, even today! Though it is quite hard to pin down all of the classic horror films ever made, I will start from the 40s, and try to provide you with a comprehensive alphabetical list for Halloween:-

# Bride of Frankenstein (1935)
# Dead of Night (1945)
# Dracula (1931)
# Frankenstein (1931)
# Freaks (1932)
# The Uninvited (1944)
# The Spiral Staircase (1946)
# The Wolf Man (1941)
# The Body Snatcher (1945)
# Cat People (1942)
# I Walked with a Zombie (1943)
# Abbott & Costello Meet Frankenstein (1948)
# Curse Of The Demon (1956)
# The Day The Earth Stood Still (1951)
# The Fly (1958)
# Forbidden Planet (1956)
# Horror of Dracula (1958)
# House On Haunted Hill (1959)
# Horror Hotel (1960)
# I Was a Teenage Werewolf (1957)
# The Incredible Shrinking Man (1957)
# Invasion of the Body Snatchers (1956)
# The Legend of Sleepy Hollow (1958)
# Night of the Demon (1957)
# The Thing from Another World (1951)
# The Curse of Frankenstein (1957)
# The Mummy (1959)
# Dracula (1958)

New Dark Knight Trailer

Over at WhySoSerious.com, the Joker seems to up to his usual tricks, posting cool clues about the upcoming Batman flick. Our friends at Warner Bros. claim they have nothing to do with the site, but clearly powerful forces are at work here, reports MTV's moviesblog. The Dark Knight movie, the sequel to Batman Begins with Christian Bale, who does an awesome job in the role of Batman and Bruce Wayne. Michael Keaton was my favorite Batman, but I really love Christian Bale and Batman Begins is definitely my favorite Batman movie. Although the original with Adam West and the "Bat Shark Repellent" is surely a classic. I guess today's joke over at whysoserious.com is an auto redirect to http://www.rent-a-clown.com/.

So many rumors, false poster pictures and fake trailers are circulating the Internet, so for some facts, please visit The Dark Knight FAQ page over at IMDB.com

And here is a link to The New Dark Knight Teaser Trailer!

Stay tuned for more updates on the Dark Knight batman costume and other gadgets like the Bat Pod. It is one of batman's vehicles in the upcoming film and here is the clip from The Today Show with Al Roker and Meredith Viera at the helm:



In case you can't tell, I am a huge Batman fan, I even watch the Batman cartoons on TV. Have you seen them? They are pretty cool! It airs on both the WBKids and Cartoon Network. Batman also appears in the Justice League cartoon and in the Justice League Unlimited cartoon. Either the writer, director or producer of the Justice League cartoons must be a big Batman fan. His character there is awesome - just how you would picture Batman to be.

DC should really get together and plan out a live action Justice League movie - they already have a Batman and a Superman, a WonderWoman movie has been in negotiations for way too long and Superhero action flicks do so well - why not? Follow in marvel's foot steps with Hulk, Iron Man, and Thor Movies all leading up to a live action Avengers movie with the same actors. That will be cool! Can't wait to see them all.

So stay tuned for more Batman inside info: Same Bat Time & Same Bat Channel!

My pirate name is:

Mad Mary Flint

Every pirate is a little bit crazy. You, though, are more than just a little bit. Like the rock flint, you're hard and sharp. But, also like flint, you're easily chipped, and sparky. Arr!


Get your own pirate name from piratequiz.com.
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