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Monday, May 13, 2013

Top 10 Hero/Villain Costumes of 2013

Good evening everyone!

I hope this post finds you gearing up for the Halloween season!  We made it to the halfway mark...FINALLY!  To celebrate we have a guest post tonight from our friend, Marie, who will be describing the top 10 hero/villain costumes for this year!  I would like to thank Marie for her article and I encourage our readers to leave comments either here or on our Facebook page letting us know what you think!  With that being said, here's Marie!


 Top 10 Hero/Villain Costumes of 2013

This year is sure to be an exciting one for fans of some our most classic superheroes and villains. Whether you are looking at costumes for Halloween or just looking to dress up on premiere nights, 2013 will have plenty of characters that will be popular and fresh in our minds from now until October. Here are ten character costumes that are sure to be on display this Halloween and a few that may be spotted at your local theater over the next few months.


 

1.  Katniss:  The “Hunger Games” heroine returns this fall in “Catching Fire”, the second movie in the ever-popular trilogy. The newer movie has her doing most of her action in a wetsuit which is simple enough to get a hold of. The bow and arrows probably won’t be too welcome is you’re attending the premiere but are essential props for Halloween. If you prefer the classic gear of her in her “Game” issued jacket, pants and boots that would probably work better if you’re dressing up for premiere night. If you want you can get creative with the bow on Halloween by building them out of household objects like a small bungee cord and hula hoop cut in half. Duct tape on the ends of plastic arrows works really well if you’re trying to get someone’s attention.


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2.  Iron Man:  Tony Stark is back for the final chapter in the “Iron Man” trilogy. There are so many ways you can sport this outfit that you really only need to worry about the proper mask. The red, white, and blue outfit will probably be more popular this year as this one is featured in the newest movie but the classic red and gold is always a fun option. A fun thing to do is buy the costume and then put strapped headlights around your hands to imitate his energy blasts.


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3.  Viper:  An X-Men villain set to appear later in “The Wolverine”, Viper is a cool choice for the ladies this Halloween. Green is the only essential element for this costume so feel free to put in the hair, on the lips, and even some eye shadow. Spandex and leather are ideal for the adult women but the younger crowd can also enjoy sporting this outfit with a pair of green athletic sweats and a tank top with arm warmers. 


4.  Thor:  The Asgardian Prince will also be out again this year as well as his featured sequel “Thor: The Dark World”. The bleach blonde hair is really the only thing you’ll need to get on your own as this costume is available whole just about anywhere. Those who want to get creative with the hammer can wrap it with rubber bands or bungee cords to your hand so that you can chuck it and have it return to you instantly. 



5.  Black Widow:  The popular “Avengers” heroine will make appearances in both “Iron Man 3” and “Captain America: The Winter Soldier” this year. The athletic S.H.I.E.L.D. assassin is always a fun choice for the superhero loving ladies. Plastic pistol holsters and red hair are the main essential additives to this all black attired costume but many places probably have the prop weapons with the costume.


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6.  Loki:  Thor’s brother and on and off nemesis is a good pairing for someone who has a brother going as Thor or is part of a group dressing up as the Avengers. Sleeked black hair, long or short, works for this villain and usually has the helmet and scepter to go with the costume but can always be modified to your liking.


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7.  Falcon:  The first African-American superhero of mainstream comics will definitely be sported this year as this character is featured in “Captain America: The Winter Soldier” later this year. The red and white costume and nature of the character lends itself well to sporting an old pair of red sneakers. An awesome idea would be to bust out some vintage red “Air Jordans”.











 
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  8.  Bucky/Winter Soldier:  Captain America’s old pal Bucky returns later this year in his own upgraded gear as a brainwashed assassin. Black combat boots might be needed to go with this costume and you can always use your own choice of prop gun like a nerf or water gun. This is another good option for someone looking to dress with an Avengers or Marvel group of friends.


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 9.  “300” Soldiers:  The Spartans return later this year to take on Xerxes in the battle at Sea around the same time of King Leonidas’ battle at Thermopylae. Guys and girls can both enthusiastically sport the classic Greek attire if not the Spartan warrior gear this Halloween. These costumes generally are more appropriate for adults so if you’re going to dress up for the premiere it’s better to go with the white Greek robes and save the capes, spears, and speedos for the private Halloween party.


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 10.  Superman:  Honestly, who isn’t excited for the revamped “Man of Steel” franchise? Clark Kent will be everywhere this October and this summer when Superman returns to movie theaters. This is one of the most classic costumes that will once again be trending this year so feel free to add customizations to make your costume unique. Go all out and wear the professional Clark Kent clothes over the classic costume to the Halloween party and rock the superhero suit when you get inside. 








Marie Sumner is an avid cosplayer and passionate writer who owns more superhero movies and comic books than anyone should be allowed to. She writes for wholesalehalloweencostumes.com which gives her an excuse to talk about comics, movies, and different types of outfits all day.

Friday, March 29, 2013

Fright Night Friday Movie Review: Hotel Transylvania

Good evening readers!

TGIF!  Hope you all are doing well and enjoying your day!  We have a new movie review for you tonight!  This one comes from our friend, Melissa, over at Gothic Charms!




Hotel Transylvania (2012)

What a great animated movie!  I want this hotel!  LOL  Fantastic family movie.  I love how the monsters are portrayed - like most humans, they all have their foibles, their annoyances and things they're great at.  All parents want to protect their children, but there comes a time when the parents have to learn to let go.  It's a difficult time for adults and kids alike - especially when you're 118 years old!  It's time to stretch those wings, put some sparkle on those fangs and see new places - but what are you leaving behind at the same time?

This movie was a lot more fun than I expected it to be.  There are a few touching scenes of parent/teen angst, some fantasticly funny moments and lots of monster magic.  Frankenstein doing the high dive into the pool - hilarious!  Werewolf puppies EVERYWHERE! (Girl power! woohoo!)  Shower scenes with skeletons - laugh out loud funny!

This is a must see and must buy movie!  You'll watch it over and over again!

I give this movie a rockin' FIVE SKULLS!


Awesome review, thanks Melissa!  I definitely agree with this, I saw the movie in the theater with my husband...HE even loved it!  He bought it for me for Christmas.  Don't forget you can also play the Hotel Transylvania game on Facebook which is a ton of fun!  If you have a movie review you'd like to share with us, please email it to me (even if a movie has already been reviewed we don't care, we will still post it)!  We are always looking for reviews to share.  

Have a wonderful weekend everyone!

Sunday, February 24, 2013

New changes to the blog!

Hello everyone!

I hope February has been treating all of you well!  We here at Halloween Night headquarters got hit by Winter Storm Q which resulted in a couple of snow days (darn, what a shame hehe) and plenty of snow!  We are now waiting on our next snow storm which is supposed to hit tonight and last through Monday night!  We haven't seen this kind of winter weather for about two years and the moisture is very welcome here due to the drought.

We are making some changes to the blog that will help it be more presentable.  I have been working on making a special page just for our favorite links!  All the links that have been on our blog's homepage will be moved there.  Once that is done, there will be a links tab at the top of the page.

We have created a page for our Halloween Extravaganza project.  Here is the link:  http://halloween-nights.blogspot.com/p/halloween-extravaganza.html  If you ever want to go back and watch the videos, there is a "Halloween Extravaganza" tab at the top of the blog's homepage.  :)

We have also added a chatroom!  It appears in the right hand side column of the homepage.  There are several ways you can log in to chat. You can log in with your Facebook account, Twitter, as a guest (you can sign in with whatever name you choose), or you can sign up for an account with Chatroll which is the website we are using for the chat.  We thought this would be a fun way to connect with our readers and it gives us the possibility to hold special chat events in the future.  We will be monitoring the chatroom everyday and if we find it being abused, you will be banned.  So, feel free to check it out! 

We hope you all are having a spooktacular weekend!  Stay safe!  :)

Sunday, January 27, 2013

The Following 1/21: "Pilot"

Hi everyone!

I have started watching a new show called "The Following".  The first episode aired last Monday.  I had wanted to write a weekly recap of this show just like I did a few years ago with the tv show "Jericho", but The Following is so fast paced and contains so much information in each episode, I'm not sure if I will be able to do that.  I would like to try and at least write a weekly "what I thought" post about that week's episode.  So, bear with me, I haven't done this in awhile!

©2012 Fox Broadcasting Co. CR: Patrick Ecclesine/FOX
Basically this show revolves around a serial killer who has created a following and the former FBI agent who is trying to stop him.  Kevin Bacon plays Ryan Hardy, a damaged former FBI agent and James Purefoy plays Joe Carroll, a literary professor obsessed with Edgar Allan Poe and also the serial killer.  A few years before, Ryan caught Joe and put him in prison....now Joe has other plans.  He has managed to create a following of "friends" who are willing to do anything and everything that Joe tells them to do.

In this first episode, Joe was able to escape prison thanks to a prison guard who is part of Joe's "following".  The FBI director calls Ryan Hardy and asks him to meet with the agents who are on the case in order to give them insight into Joe the serial killer.  What gets me is Ryan is treated like a pariah when he meets up with the other agents and they don't LISTEN to him!  Considering Ryan is the one who caught Joe in the first place, you'd think they would at least give him some credit.

Image Credit: Michael Lavine/Fox

Ryan is a damaged man.  He was stabbed in the heart by Joe and now has to use a pacemaker.  When Ryan gets stressed or exerts too much energy, he becomes weak.  I loved how during this entire episode, you could hear a heart beating in the background.  I've always liked Kevin Bacon and I think he's a great fit for this role...he's very believable and even though he's broken, he's a determined man.

 

©2012 Fox Broadcasting Co. CR: Patrick Ecclesine/FOX



James Purefoy is pure gold in his role as Joe Carroll.  Joe is charming and charismatic and also psychotically evil!  He has a brilliant mind and is obsessed with Edgar Allan Poe as well as the other authors of the gothic period.  Joe, being inspired by these stories, murders his victims in symbolic ways.  I am a fairly new fan of James Purefoy...I discovered him in the movie Ironclad (which is a great movie by the way, I highly recommend it) and really liked his acting.  He does a great job portraying Joe Carroll..it's chilling!






I really enjoyed the first episode.  It was fast paced, packed full of information, and we met most of the recurring characters such as:
  • Joe's ex-wife who formed a relationship with Ryan
  • The team of FBI agents (I don't trust all of them)
  • Joe's son
  • A few members of Joe's following
I've been following (teehee!) the Facebook page for this show and I have to agree with many of my fellow fans in saying the FBI agent with the mole is very annoying.  She's very short with Ryan and doesn't seem to have much compassion for others (I'm thinking maybe she's part of Joe's following).  I know there always has to be conflict somewhere in a tv show, so I guess we just have to grin and bear it!

Well, there you have it.  I am definitely a fan of "The Following" and will be watching each week.  If you want to watch here are the details:

The Following airs every Monday night on FOX at 9pm eastern/8pm central time.  If you miss an episode, you can watch online at: http://www.fox.com/the-following/
You can also like the show on Facebook by visiting their page HERE.

Let me know what you think of the show!  Also, if you would like to blog about each week's episode with me, I would love to put together a sort of blog carnival.  I've hosted one before in the past and found they are really fun and you meet some great people too.  If you are interested please let me know!  You can message me at the Halloween Night Facebook page or email me at:  halloween_night-owner@yahoogroups.com and be sure to put "The Following blog" in the subject line!

Thanks for reading and watching!

Friday, January 25, 2013

Halloween Giveaway Winner!

Hello everyone!

I hope all of you had a wonderful holiday season and that 2013 is treating you well so far!  My 2013 got off to a rocky start, but seems to be better now! 

I apologize for being so late with announcing the winner of our giveaway.  We lost one of our kitties the beginning of November and with the holidays I wasn't online much except to check Facebook now and then.  The goodies for the giveaway are sitting in a box and waiting to be sent to their new home!  

The winner of Halloween Night's first giveaway is: SS_Summer!  Congrats!  I will need your contact details in order to send you your goodies.  You can message me from the Halloween Night facebook page or send me an email to: 1313halloweentown-owner@yahoogroups.com  and be sure to put "Giveaway winner" in the subject line!

Thanks to everyone who participated, I really appreciate it!  I plan on doing another giveaway for Halloween this year, so be sure to watch for that this October!

Have a wonderfully spooky weekend!

Wednesday, October 31, 2012

Happy Halloween 2012!!!!!

HAPPY HALLOWEEN!!!!!!!   Can you believe it's finally here?!  I hope everyone has had a wonderful time tonight.  Tonight the veil between our world and the otherworld is at its thinnest.  If you have heard a strange sound that cannot be explained or saw a shadow when no one was around.....it could very possibly be someone trying to communicate with you!

Don't forget to send me your list of costumes you saw tonight!  I will add all of the submissions together and see just how close I came to predicting the costumes this year.  Also, we will be able to see what kinds of costumes were popular in different parts of the country and the world!

We have had so much fun counting down the days til Halloween and have really enjoyed putting together our Halloween Extravaganza and sharing the videos with you.  While we know it was long in length, we sure hope that we taught you something new.  This was a story we really wanted to tell, in order to honor the victims of the Salem Witch Trials.  While researching and working on the project, we experienced several mishaps and strange occurrences.  One such incident was when Chas was reading about the witches.  The light kept flickering on and off on his 3-way lamp and at one point, it went out completely.  He checked the bulb and the chord and found there was nothing wrong with them.     Was this due to the events in Salem?  Was someone trying to prevent us from sharing our information?  We will never know, but we can't help but feel there were some spooky forces at work!

Our final video of our Halloween Extravaganza is below.  Once again, we truly hope you enjoyed our project.  Soon, you will be able to view all the videos easily in one list on the blog.  Thanks again for making this a great Halloween season for us!  Happy Hauntings!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KiPvsGsjzs4

Tuesday, October 30, 2012

Halloween Extravaganza: Chas's Pictorial Tour of Salem

It's the night before Halloween, are you excited?  We sure are!  Chas will hopefully be handing out candy to the trick-or-treaters (weather permitting) and as for me, I'll be watching It's the Great Pumpkin, Charlie Brown and wishing I was at a party or something.  LOL!  Don't forget to keep a list of all the costumes you see!  I would like to do a follow up post to my costume prediction list!

We have a special treat for you tonight.  We have given you the history and ghost stories of Salem...now we will take you on a pictorial tour!  Chas visited Salem in 2008 and took some really great photographs of the town.  In this video, he will explain what he saw and give you a better view of Salem as it is today!  Have fun!!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=m-W5r4ILxas