The toys are back in town in Pixar’s long awaited third installment of the Toy Story series.  The Toy Story movies were among the first animated movies to cross over into mainstream popularity and establish the animated film genre as one that could appeal to adults as much as it could appeal to kids. A long string of Pixar hits followed the original Toy Story movie and the second Toy Story movie, but Pixar is returning to their roots to finish out the Toy Story with the third movie.

Toy Story 3 was originally planned to be made and released well before 2010 but contentious relationships between Disney and Pixar delayed the development of the movie. When Disney and Pixar split an entirely different version of the film was planned in which Buzz was broken and was shipped by the toys to Taiwan to be fixed. Once the toys realized that Buzz wouldn’t get fixed and wouldn’t be returned to them they set out to rescue him. That story was scrapped by Disney when Disney bought Pixar in 2006 and a new version of the story was created and set into motion.

Now little Andy, the boy who owns all the toys that have appeared in the Toy Story movies, is all grown up and is leaving for college. As the toys are packed up to be put into the attic they accidentally get put into the trash. Instead of ending up at the dump they are taken out and given to a day care center. The toys rally to save one another from the well meaning but very rough day care children who seem like they are on a mission to hurt or main the toys as much as possible. Toy hero Woody and companion Buzz Lightyear round up the toys to organize an escape attempt, but during one of the attempt Buzz is damaged. To the other toys surprise Buzz’s injuries cause him to reset to his original factory settings, but in Spanish. The Spanish speaking Buzz Lightyear still thinks that he is a real space ranger and that he has special powers. Now the toys must return Buzz to his right state of mind and manage to get themselves out of the daycare center and back to Andy’s house before they all are damaged beyond repair.

All of the beloved toys, and their original actors, will be returning for Toy Story 3.  Tim Allen will be back as the voice of the bombastic Buzz Lightyear, and Tom Hanks will once again voice cowboy hero Woody.  Joan Cusack will once again voice Jessie, Woody’s cowgirl companion who was rescued and joined the group in Toy Story 2. Also returning are John Ratzenberger as Hamm the pig, Don Rickles and Estelle Harris as Mr. and Mrs. Potato Head, Wallace Shawn as Rex, and Laurie Metcalf as Andy’s Mom. Bo Peep, RC, Lenny, and Wheezy will also be returning.  Audiences everywhere loved the charm, humor and storylines of the first two Toy Story movies and are anxiously awaiting the release of Toy Story 3.

The fascination with vampires as sympathetic creatures in popular culture really began with Bela Lugosi’s portrayal of Dracula in the 1931 film.  For the first time the film created an image of a vampire that was sexy, sympathetic, romantic, and desirable. Previously vampires were reviled and feared as ghoulish creatures that killed indiscriminately and were dangerous.  Once the face of the vampire changed to become something attractive the danger associated with vampires seemed intriguing, and drew people towards the image instead of repelling them.  Through movies and books vampires became came figures that millions of people could relate to because of their outsider status in society and their loneliness.

Anne Rice’s Vampire Chronicle series cemented the sexy, sympathetic image of a vampire. The vampires in Rice’s books were attractive, wealthy, ruthless killers who nonetheless clung to humanity. They had human emotions and were very dark, seductive, and enticing. Ann Rice’s books, and the film adaptations of her books Interview with the Vampire and The Queen of the Damned made vampires romantic figures that were attractive both because of their power and because of their pain.  Around the turn of the last century the vampire mythos changed again as vampires went mainstream in movies like Underworld.  Vampires were portrayed as strong, savvy, killers who were not to be messed with but had a distinctly seductive edge to them.  When Stephanie Myers Twilight books came out, and the movies based on the books were released, the image of vampires in popular culture became softer, and the view of vampires once again became a sympathetic one.

The lead vampire in Twilight, Edward Cullen, is non threatening to Bella, and is not sexual with her which is a distinct change in the vampire characterization that has always existed in pop culture. Vampires have always been closely tied to sexuality in pop culture. The other massive pop culture phenomenon that features Vampires, True Blood, turned the vampire mythos on its ear by creating a world in which vampires live and interact with humans in the open, instead of having to hide in the shadows. Vampires in True Blood rarely feed on humans, instead they feed with a synthetic blood substitute. Taking away the most central role of a vampire as a predator who needs to feed on human blood has renewed public fascination with vampires because they are no longer as threatening.  Even people who never cared for vampire stories before became avid fans of True Blood because of the unique interactions between humans and vampires portrayed in the show.

At the core of the vampire mystique is a glorification of the darker side of human nature. The desires for sex, power, and the ability to live forever outside of society and not being bound to society’s rules are desires that most people keep hidden and only express through things like dressing up for Halloween or at other times during the year.  Vampires are much like humans, only they are not ashamed of their darker drives and live as they please. That is why vampires are always appealing to humans.

Billionaire inventor and super hero Tony Stark is back for more adventures in Iron Man 2. This sequel to the highly successful Iron Man movie of 2008 is the second of three planned films featuring Iron Man. In this sequel based on the Iron Man comic Tony Stark’s identity as Iron Man is unmasked.  Once the government, the military and other powers know that he is the one who has the impressive Iron Man armor and other high tech tools and weapons a race begins to see who can get that technology from him.  Tony Stark refuses to sell or give away the secrets of his Iron Man armor because he is very afraid of power hungry rules and his enemies getting a hold of the technology and using it to take over the world or to destroy their enemies.

Most of the original cast from the first Iron Man movie is back for Iron Man 2.  Robert Downey Jr, who was most recently seen as Sherlock Holmes, will return as rich industrialist turned superhero Tony Stark.  Jon Favreau will be back directing, and Samuel L Jackson will make a few appearances as Nick Fury once again. Gwyneth Paltrow will also return playing Tony Stark’s plucky love interest and closest friend, Pepper Potts.  Jon Favreau will step in front of the camera again to fill the bit part of Tony Stark’s bodyguard Happy Hogan.

There are some new additions to the cast, and a little bit of character editing was done to accommodate the changes.  Terrance Howard, who played Lt. Colonel James Rhodes and War Machine in the first film is not returning for the second or third Iron Man films.  Rumors have been swirling about his departure from the film with officials representing both Howard and the film say that negotiations broke down and led to his departure from the films.  Insider gossip says that director Jon Favreau was unhappy with Howard’s performance. In Iron Man 2 Lt. Colonel Rhodes and War Machine will be played by Don Cheadle.

Also joining the Iron Man 2 cast are Mickey Rourke, who will play Russian super villain Whiplash/Ivan Vanko. Ivan is the son of Anton Vanko, who was the original Crimson Dynamo and created the armor that everybody wants in the original Iron Man comic. Scarlett Johanssen will join the cast as Tony Stark’s assistant, Natasha Romanoff who is secretly a spy and also has her own super hero identity as Black Widow. Original comic creator Stan Lee will guest star in Iron Man 2 playing venerable talk show host Larry King.

With many references to pop culture situations and icons that everyone will recognize Iron Man 2 is an action flick that blurs the line between reality and fantasy by incorporating real people and events into a fantasy world. In this second film of the Iron Man trilogy fans can expect the same heart pounding action as the story of Tony Stark’s struggles to achieve his dreams without allowing his invention to be responsible for world destruction continues.

The world was shocked by the sudden death of Michael Jackson in the early summer of 2009. Even though Michael Jackson’s legal problems were infamous and he was constant fodder for the tabloids people still loved and idolized him. People overlooked his eccentricities because of his troubled life, his contributions to charities around the world, and because of his unmatched talent. Still holding the Guinness Book record as the “Most Successful Entertainer of All Time” and still one of the best selling musical artists in history he made an indelible mark on pop culture, music, and the world.

In the early 1980s when Michael Jackson split from his siblings, the Jackson 5, to pursue his own solo career there were very few African American artists that were highly visible in popular music. His pop hits and his innovative videos reached across racial lines and earned him millions of fans all over the world. His most famous video, “Thriller”, is a bona fide piece of pop culture history. At the time when the Thriller video was made it was the most expensive music video that had been made to that point and it was longer than any other music video. Thriller became an instant Halloween classic because of its mimicry of classic horror movies, “Zombie” dance, and the voiceover done by horror icon Vincent Price.

Michael Jackson was as much of a fashion icon as he was a musical one. His unique personal style brought items that are iconic today into the mainstream consciousness. The red leather jacket he wore in the Beat It video, the black fedora hat he wore in several videos, and his military themed outfits all found a place in 80’s fashion. But what he will always be remembered for the most is his trademark white sparkly glove. That glove has come to symbolize the 1980s Michael Jackson who was a hitmaker, extraordinary performer, and an entertainer who was beloved by millions. Despite the problems he had later in life more than a billion people around the world tuned in to watch his memorial and say goodbye to the King of Pop.

As time goes on the legal troubles and financial troubles that he had, his troubled childhood and eccentricities will fade into the background. What will be left is the music.  Even after the 80s he continued to produce solid hit songs and albums, although he will always be known the most for his 80s hits.  His music and style have influenced several generations of African American performers who came after him, all of which credit him as being an inspiration for them to pursue their dreams of becoming entertainers.  Because there were so few visible African American entertainers who were successful enough to be called icons his presence in the pop culture world made it possible for thousands of African Americans to believe that mainstream society was ready to accept them and that they too could have a place in the entertainment world that wasn’t limited to just one segment of society. The King of Pop proved that talent will always be the most important factor in determining success.

The Wizard of Oz is one of the most recognizable pop icons of all time. There have many film interpretations of the story, as well as theater productions, literature based on the story, and TV movies that used the original story as an inspiration. The most recent adaption of The Wizard of Oz was the SciFi Channel’s original miniseries “Tin Man”.  Tin Man gave viewers a look at a very modern land of OZ, called “The O. Z.” or Outer Zone and focused on stories that had Dorothy Gale’s descendants trying to save the land of Oz.

The original story of the Wizard of Oz was written by Frank Baum in 1900. Baum wrote a series of books about the magical land of Oz and its inhabitants. Dorothy Gale, the little girl from Kansas whose home was swept into Oz in a tornado, was a central character in the first book of the series but didn’t really appear too much in the series after that.  Instantly upon publication the stories of the magical land with the Munchkins, witches, fairies, wizards and other characters found a secure place in children’s literature.  The stories of Oz were put into a film in 1939.  At the time, the film was groundbreaking because it starts in black and white and switches to color in the middle of the film after Dorothy is transported to Oz. At the time color film was just starting to be used in pictures.

Even though there were later film adaptations of Baum’s book like the Disney “Return to Oz” film in 1985 no other adaption of the story found anywhere near the success of the original film. In 1995 the prequel book Wicked: The Life and Times of the Wicked Witch of the West was published and was very successful. A Broadway musical based on that book, Wicked, has been an enormous success. Wicked tells the story of the witches of Oz and what their lives were like before Dorothy came to Oz.

The cultural impact of the Wizard of Oz is enormous. The characters of the Wizard of Oz are instantly recognizable and everyone has their own favorite character. Dorothy Gale, the girl who is transported from Kansas to Oz, as played by Judy Garland in a blue and white checked pinafore, braids, and the Ruby Slippers is one of the most well known film characters of all time. Her companions in Oz, the Scarecrow, the Tin Man, the Cowardly Lion and her little dog Toto are also beloved popular culture icons.  The Wicked Witch of West is the inspiration for many of the characterizations of witches in popular culture with her pointed black hat, black dress, green skin, and cackling laugh.  When people dress up as witches for Halloween usually they are trying to recreate the image of the Wicked Witch of the West.  Glinda, the Good Witch of the East, in her fairytale ball gown and ringlet curls is also a Halloween staple.

The Wizard of Oz is a timeless story because it touches on universal elements. Everyone can relate to at least one of the characters in the story, and many people grow up watching the 1939 film every year. The tradition of watching the film and the nostalgia that comes with it will keep The Wizard of Oz a beloved cultural icon for decades to come.

Lady Gaga is everywhere.  She will no doubt be a costume choice for the upcoming Halloween season.

Who is Lady Gaga?

Almost everyone has heard of the chart topping glam rocking songstress known as much for her unique, fashion forward style as for her music, but who the singer behind the persona? Like David Bowie and Freddy Mercury, two of the artists that she cites as influences, she has managed to create a highly successful showy persona that her fans adore without giving away too much her own personal life or history.  She performs often, and is often in the press, but manages to keep up her persona most of the time.

Lady Gaga is Stephanie Germanotta, an Italian girl born in New York City. Adept at the piano from age 4 she had a solid grounding in the performing arts by the age of 11, when she was accepted the famous Julliard school in New York City.  Instead she went to a private Catholic school, although she didn’t stop performing and writing her own songs. She went to the elite Tisch School of the Arts, but despite getting high marks and doing very well in school she dropped out to focus on becoming a pop star and pop culture icon. A longtime denizen of the underground club scene in New York City she hooked up with a performance artist named Lady Starlight, who helped her define and refine her Lady Gaga style and clothing.  Originally the pair performed a unique blend of burlesque show and musical act that focused primarily on electronic music and performance art. Lady Gaga’s style and music were a bit too underground to achieve mainstream success at that point so she started to write music that used a lot more recognizable pop elements and used catchy pop melodies to get mainstream attention. By channeling the style of her idols like David Bowie and giving her music and performances more of a pop sensibility she was able to cross over into the mainstream arena.

Once she made the jump into the mainstream music world and signed with an imprint of Interscope Records she was on the path to pop stardom. The combination of her outrageous and futuristic clothing, a blend of 80s pop fashion and pop music, and her own unique electronic music compositions hit the mainstream hard and she was an overnight success. Her singles started climbing the charts and after a few tours supporting other artists she mounted her first solo tour and now strictly tours as a headliner.

Lady Gaga owes much of her success to finding a solid fanbase in the gay and lesbian community. She acknowledges that their support was critical to her mainstream success because their support of her music in clubs and on radio was one of the few chances she had to get large scale exposure for her music. She is an avid and open gay right supporter and continues to work for and champion gay rights. She performed at the National Equality March on Washington in 2009 and was quoted in the press as saying that it was the “single most important event” of her career.

Get in the Spirit of Valentine’s Day with a Sexy Costume

Valentine’s Day is the perfect time to inject some new life into your love life. Choosing a sexy costume and planning a special evening for your sweetheart is a great way to show your special someone how much you appreciate them. Valentine’s Day is one of the few days outside of Halloween when you can really transform into someone else and live out a few fantasies. Valentine’s Day is an indulgent holiday full of gifts, rich food, and usually a lot of alcohol. This year skip the dinner at the fancy restaurant and have dinner at home with your valentine dressed in a sexy costume, or have a Valentine’s Day costume party for all your friends in couples. Finding the right Valentine’s Day costume is easy, if you put your imagination to work. Here are some fun and sexy Valentine’s Day costumes that will inspire you to make Valentine’s Day a night your partner won’t forget:

Sexy cheerleader – If your valentine is a football fan you can’t go wrong with a sexy cheerleader costume. Don’t forget to add accessories like a blonde wig to your costume to make the fantasy complete. If you don’t know that much about football do a little research on your valentine’s favorite team and make up a little cheer to perform. To add ambience to the room put up some NFL posters or decorate the room with pennants and other memorabilia from his favorite team. Watch a game with him, cheering at the appropriate times, and then get ready for some real fireworks.

Naughty nurse- Does your valentine need a dose of romance? Deliver it in a fun and naughty nurse costume.  Don’t forget to add important accessories like a stethoscope, nurse’s hat, and some stilettos to complete the costume.  Add a medical bag full of goodies or fun toys and you’ll be all set to make a romantic house call to your someone special. Red fake nails and a cute bob wig either in white or in another fun color are great additions to a nurse costume too.

Cute Cupid – If you want to deliver a sweet surprise this Valentine’s Day dress up as an adorable cupid. A white toga mini dress or a pink tutu are both great for a Cupid costume, just don’t forget the bow and heart tipped arrows.  Fun stockings adorned with pink hearts, red lips, or little bows are always a great accessory.  Feathery wings in white, pink, or silver add a great touch of whimsy to any Cupid costume.

Dominatrix – If you want to really surprise your valentine this year take control of the romance in a sexy dominatrix costume. A black vinyl dress or a stern looking bustier and skirt will show him you mean business.  Make sure that you add fun accessories like black gloves, a cat tail whip, thigh high stiletto boots or stiletto heels and a bobbed wig to really  transform yourself for the night. Fishnet stockings or thigh high seamed stockings are also a nice addition, and don’t forget the red lipstick.

Even when it is not Halloween season, there are many costumes that are popular all year.  A good example is Star Trek gear.   Here are some of the newer costumes released this year.

Spock Costume

Klingon Costume

Captain Kirk

Uhura Costumes

Costumes for Christmas is a tradition that goes back for years.

Maybe this is the year to start a tradition with that great Santa Claus outfit.

More Santa Claus costumes

There is a clearance sale at http://www.SpiritHalloween.com

Everything Halloween is on sale.  The costumes are on sale through November 15.