Happy Halloween Everyone!

Today is the day! The last day of October, one of the most exciting days for children (and adults), and let's face it- the #1 day to stock up on free candy! HA! Anyway, no matter how you celebrate it- trick or treat, watching movies, passing out candy, partying, or just spending a quiet evening at home, I wish you wonderful Halloween celebration!

Be sure to let The Creative Cabana know of any special Halloween stories you have or send us your creative costume sightings!

My Halloween Movie Picks!

Boo to You! My wonderful readers. It's the day before Halloween and I thought it'd be fun to talk a little bit about some of those favorite Halloween movies that make us scream, cry, and maybe even laugh a little. Halloween is perfect time to watch a variety of movies because unlike other holidays which are centered around one type of emotional bond (love, family, joy, freedom, etc.), Halloween brings out the creepiest and strangest sides of movie watchers. It also provides the most variety when choosing genres to view during this time of year ranging from murder to mystery, horror to fantasy, sci-fi to thriller, need I say more? I guess my point is that unlike other holiday movies that are really only good for certain times of the year, the scary or thriller type of movies can last all-year round- Halloween just happens to be the best time to let these movies shine! So in picking from a wide array of genres and factors, I'm going to list some of my Halloween movie picks and discuss what makes them so good for this spooky celebration.

1. Musicals- "Rocky Horror Picture Show" (1975)

Ok, so to start I'm voting "Rocky Horror Picture Show" as a Halloween-must see. Is it Scary? Not at all. Does it have a Creepy factor? Nope. Are there any Psychological nut-jobs? Well, you could say that. I put "Rocky Horror" on this list because it's a ton of fun to watch, that is if you decide to interact with the movie. Throughout the film, there are tons of messages that direct you to do silly things to yourself while watching the scenes: throw popcorn, put a newspaper on your head, yell things, etc. Trust me if you follow along with the instructions you'll enjoy it much more, but if you watch it like a straight up film then it will probably be the worst 2 hours of your life. If you'd like the interactive instructions CLICK HERE for more details. Moving on though the story starts out with two very stereotypical movie characters, Brad and Janet. In a stereotypical movie plot they get stuck in the rain with a flat tire and come across this creepy house which they enter to get help. When they enter the house they meet several unusual dancing and singing characters, one of them being the famous Tim Curry who plays Dr. Frank N. Furter. The movie gets stranger and more fun as the story progress and by the end of the film you are left wondering WTF?!?!?! That's all I can say plot-wise without ruining the sacred spectacle of the film. What makes this film so great is that it's actually a parody of the typical sci-fi and horror flicks. Playing off the typical characters, story plots, and awkward moments of these genres, "Rocky Horror Picture Show" is an instant classic. I guess it goes up there with Monty Python, Napeleon Dynamite, Scary Movie, it is so stupid and awkward it's funny. Plus even if you don't like the movie chances are you'll at least enjoy the music. Just about everyone is familiar with "Time Warp" and "Sweet Transvestite", but some of the other casts' numbers are pretty good and Meat Loaf's "Hot Pootie" song is pretty kickin' too. Overall, "Rocky Horror Picture Show" is an entertaining Halloween movie to get people singing, dancing, and thinking about how you've spent 2 hours watching this.

2. Comedy- "Hocus Pocus" (1993)

How could I not mention this movie for Halloween? It's ridiculously funny! But to be honest, "Hocus Pocus" tends to have a love-hate relationship with people. Most people love watching Bette Midler dress at witch terrorizing children, but hate the story-plot and/or the other characters. It starts out with the three Witch Sanderson sisters, Winifred (Bettle Midler), Sarah (Sarah Jessica Parker), and Mary ( Kathy Najimy). The witches plan to steal the lives of the children of Salem, Massachuttes to keep them young forever. When their plan fails in the late 1600s they vow to return when a virgin, yes a Virgin (where's Madonna when you need her?), will summon them back. Naturally, an idiot non-believer in the year 1993 named Max Dennsion, conjures up the witches on Halloween night. They have one that one night to steal the lives of children before they become dust. They constantly chase Max, his little sister Danny, Max's girlfriend Allison, and a talking cat Binx (who was the last victim of the witches' power in the 1600s) to get their vengeance and succeed in their plot. All of this because of VIRGINS! Wow, Disney thanks for bringing this to light. I digress, so "Hocus Pocus" makes a great Halloween movie because it's funny, has a lot of good character moments, and of course there's this song:

My goodness, Bette Midler is just an amazing talent! She's a delightful actress and a terrific singer- of course if you've seen her in other films or TV appearances then you know that she just sparkles in creative talent. Now the downside to Hocus Pocus is that it isn't really doesn't have a strong conflict. Unlike most horror films where the antagonist shows several cases of horror, power, and terror these characters more less just want to have fun. The witches don't really scare anyone, all they're interested in is eating children (Perhaps these are the cousins of Pennywise the clown?). It's definitely a kid, family friendly type of movie. Still though, it's a great Halloween movie.

3. Drama- "IT" (1990)

Speaking of Pennywise, here's a movie/miniseries that gets everybody's blood pumping, Stephen King's "IT". Originally a book turned into TV miniseries to now available as a full movie, "IT" is the primary reason for people being terrified of clowns. In the first scene of "IT" we see a little girl riding a bike who sees a clown hiding behind a laundry line at her house. At first the clown seems happy and harmless but quickly turns into a monster and kills the little girl. As it turns out the clown as killed before, 30 years prior to this, and one man in the town of Derry, Maine calls his childhood friends to tell them the clown they thought they killed has come back. In the first part of "IT" you are shown the childhood memories of each of the friends and how they came together to defeat Pennywise the clown. In the second part they all reunite back in Derry and argue about how they are "too old" to be chasing monsters. After getting their act together the adults manage to find Pennywise and put an end to him for good. So let's start with the obvious, for this being made in 1990 it's actually pretty scary. Tim Curry does a magnificent job in the role of Pennywise and creeps the heck out of you throughout the film. You don't know if he's gonna kill you, or if he's just being playful to mess with your mind. Other characters in the series bring some terror as well. Henry Bowers (played by Jared Blancard and Michael Cole) is a major punk and bully who even tries to kill some of the main characters- he's one guy you don't want to mess with. Another is the father of Beverly Marsh, one of the children who destroys Pennywise. Beverly's Dad is a drunk and abusive man who is far from winning "Father of the Year". IT definitely has it's scary and intense moments but there's also some cheesy moments too. The big one being in Part 2 when Pennywise turns out to be this giant spider-like creature.

The creature approaches them in the cave and you can tell it's poor photoshop editing- not the greatest idea. Otherwise, "IT" is definitely a great film for Halloween- it's got a good storyline, great casting, and is pretty nicely produced given the time it was filmed.

4. Suspense- "Orphan" (2009)

Out of pure honesty, this is the one film I can say it kept me on the edge of my seat from start to finish. "Orphan" is definitely not what I had expected, but in a good way. If you had seen the trailers or previews for this movie in the past then you know it has something to do with this child and her creepy experiences living with a new adopted family. Well, without giving too much away I just have to say that I was shocked with the twist that comes out towards the middle-end of this movie. The little girl, Esther is adopted by Kate and John Coleman who already have 2 of their own children, a boy and a deaf girl. At first everything seems fine with Esther but as the move continues she gets more crazy and does erratic things that no 9 year old should be doing. What I liked about "Orphan" is that keeps that dark and mysterious feeling without turning into an actual horror film. "Orphan" falls more into the psychological thriller category but it does have some pretty intense moments such as killing a nun and stoning a bird to death (yeah, no lie!). This movie is definitely perfect for the viewers enjoy the thriller and somewhat disturbing motives in a film. I pick "Orphan" as a great Halloween movie because it's plot-driven and has a wicked twist that will shock audiences.

5. Horror- "The Amityville Horror" (1979/2005)

For the last category of my Halloween picks "horror", I really struggled to pick a good film for this last selection. I debated between "Carrie", "Rosemary's Baby", "The Omen", and doing a blind review of "The Exorcist" (because I haven't seen it). The more I got to thinking about how many horror movies I've seen one stood out to me above the other, "The Amityville Horror". Maybe it's because there's some form of truth to this film, I don't know, but it is for sure one movie that gives me the creeps. I haven't had the pleasure of seeing the original, but I have watched the newer version and was really shaken up from it afterwards. It is based around the Lutz family who moves into this scary looking house which is where the murders of the DeFeo family took place. Now just to clarify because there is a lot of controversy surrounding "Amityville", the DeFeo family murders actually happened, why? don't know. So that alone I think contributes to the horrors in the telling of this story. The experiences of the real Lutz family, now that's part of the debate. Regardless, the movie demonstrates the accounts of what the Lutz family was experiencing within the DeFeo home- ranging from spirits, to poltergeist, and strange attitude changes "The Amityville Horror" surely delivers the scare, thrill, and gruesome factors that make up the perfect horror story which is even more perfect for Halloween!

Now, I know I may have left out many other good Halloween picks, trust me I know there's plenty out there. These are just some of my suggestions and these movies are ones that I personally think deserve a lot of credit for skill, production, entertainment, and directing. If you have some halloween movies you'd like to share with The Creative Cabana make sure you leave a comment here and/or all social media sites! Stay tuned tomorrow for more Halloween epic fun and the reveal of my halloween costume!

*All movies mentionned in this blog post belong to their respective owners, writers, and production companies. The views in this post are entirely my own and are not the views of cast or crew members. Images used were gained through Google Images. Videos are found on YouTube from respective members with no copyright intended. No profit is being gained for The Creative Cabana from any of the movies or actors listed. No Copyright Infringement Intended. 

Creative Mastermind for Week 10/28: Javier Pérez

Greetings everybody! I hope you've had a good Monday and an awesome start to your week!

For this week I have some pretty cool ideas planned at The Creative Cabana in celebration of Halloween coming up this Thursday. First things first though, I'd like to present to you this week's Creative Mastermind. I saw a link to this person's artwork this morning on my Facebook page and was instantly intrigued. I've never heard of this artist before, and chances are you probably haven't either. However, let us both be inspired and check out this person's artwork together...

This week's Creative Mastermind is Javier Pérez, an Art Director and Illustrator from Ecuador. Upon looking at his art designs which are posted on his Instagram and Behance accounts, he uses small common objects and combines them with simple illustrations to create a more interesting piece. What I like about his work is that it's so simple and so humorous too. I mean some of the drawings remind me of doodling that people at work or in class tend to do when they're bored- myself included. I really enjoy these illustrations because they really get you to think outside of the box. It's a common concept to take household objects and use them in your artwork- he used these pieces to create texture, space, and subject completion. Again, the main thing about his work is the humor and clever technique he uses in putting his drawings together with objects (and eventually photographing them as well).

So there you have it my friends, short, simple, and to the point. Actually, I couldn't find a whole lot of info on Javier Pérez other than everything that was in Spanish (sorry, no translating here!) But still, the pieces he has created are imaginative, definitely creative, and humorous in design. I imagine a lot of his picture will get you think "Huh. I never thought of it like that", trust me I did that a lot when I was looking through his pictures. If you'd like to see more of his work, be sure to visit Javier Pérez on Instagram (click for access). Congrats to Javier Pérez for your incredible talent and excellent work!

If you know of someone (or something) that would be a great Creative Mastermind, please share your ideas by commenting on this post. I'd love to hear your ideas and The Creative Cabana is the perfect place for sharing creativity!  

*All pictures and artwork described in this blog post are the sole property of Javier Pérez. These images were used from his public Instagram account. These are being published for sharing only! No profit is being made from these photos. No Copyright Infringement Intended. 

Halloween is Almost Here! Are You Ready?

Holy cow! Can you believe it? October is almost over and with that, Halloween is just around the corner. This weekend is the last opportunity to get your special Halloween projects ready before it's time to party and get your scare on. But, some people wait til the last minute to make their preparations whether it's costumes, decorations, or planning for their parties. The way I see it, there's two sides to this situation: On one hand you're in the crunch-time and rushing to get everything ready, HOWEVER you may also find some great deals on candy, decor, and costume at the store. Nothing wrong with that at all! If you need a boost though for some last minute ideas for your Halloween celebration, then NEVER FEAR! I've got some great ideas for you right here at The Creative Cabana!

Costumes

So you still need a costume huh? Well if you haven't already done your research on the web for some ideas, I invite you to take a moment and think about what you'd like to be. In the classic debate of "I don't know what I want to dress up as", start by asking the basic questions- good or bad character?, male or female?, famous person or average-joe?, funny or scary?, and work your way down until you've narrowed your choices. Sometimes you can create a costume using your wardrobe which can save you time (and money)! Examples: Mary Poppins, Little Red Riding Hood, James Bond or Bond Girl, etc. Look through your closet or your child's closet and see if you kind find some clothes that could make up an awesome costume outfit. If you don't have a spectacular wardrobe to work with, then consider getting creative with materials around your house. If you have a large cardboard box, use it to create a giant Ipod, Tablet, Cereal Box, anything that can incorporate your face into the design.

If you're worried about your child or yourself looking stupid, DON'T BE! Your ideas are just as clever and creative as these examples above. Don't worry if you are not super artistic or if the costume isn't picture perfect- it's Halloween go and have some fun! 

Decorations

Last minute Halloween decorations can be pretty simple and quick if you can plan accordingly. Working on a tight schedule, and an even tighter budget can be tricky but there are ways to give your guests plenty of tricks AND treats when it comes to decorating. For outdoor decorations consider using some of your Christmas string lights in order to light up parts of your house and displays- blue and white lights are great for this. If you have some basic decorative candles at home, try adding some spooky ribbon or glitter effects to give them the creepy and mysterious look. You can add some ghostly flares to your home by adding a pair of eyes into mirrors, doors, and parts of the walls were someone may be "peaking" at your guests. One idea I saw on Pinterest was to take the cardboard rolls from your toilet paper, cut eyes in them, run some lights through the rolls and put them in a tree near your house. Pretty cool!

Party Ideas

When it comes to Halloween, you definitely need to have good music to keep your party going! As a DJ at my college's radio station, every year for Halloween I would put together a special soundtrack playlist which consisted of pop music songs, sound effects, themes, and even a special mix of music from Disney's Haunted Mansion attraction. It was really cool, and to be that's just part of the ultimate decoration to your party. That being said here's some of my suggestions for music for your party (these are also good if you're sitting outside passing out the candy- gives you something to listen to). Click on each song to here it!

1. Michael Jackson- "Thriller"                              6. Cast of The Rocky Horror Picture Show- "Time Warp"

2. Rockwell- "Somebody's Watching Me"           7. Witches from Hocus Pocus- "I Put a Spell on You"

3. The Eagles- "Witchy Woman"                         8. The Jacksons- "Torture"

4. Atlanta Rhythm Section- "Spooky"                  9. Cliff Richards- "Devil Woman"

5. Bobby Pickett- "Monster Mash"                    10. Cher- "Dark Lady"

And that's just some of my suggestions! There's many other great tunes to help get your guests on their feet. 

Another great idea for your Halloween party is to jazz up your refreshments with some spooky flare! If you have a punch bowl you'll be using why not keep it cool and fresh with a frozen hand? Find a latex glove and fill it with water, then knot the glove and store in the freezer. When you are ready to use it remove the glove by cutting off the knot, take the glove off, and put the frozen hand into the punch bowl. Seriously pretty cool, right?

You can also fix up of my favorite treats of pigs-in-a-blanket, but dress them up to look like mummies or fingers. Yummy or creepy? 

                                                


Now that I have inspired you to get your Halloween creative genes going, I hope that you'll be able to create a spectacular array of decorations, treats, and costume that will instantly WOW your friends and family! If you'd like more great Halloween ideas, be sure to visit The Creative Cabana on Pinterest and follow us for everything creative!

*All images used in this post were pulled from Google Images with no intention of copyright and for no profit. The songs mentioned are all the property of their respective owners and songwriters. I do not own Disney or "Hocus Pocus" and all material related belong to their respective owners. I also do not own The Rocky Horror Picture show and I credit "Time Warp" to the cast and writers of the production. All links to the videos for the songs mentionned were available on YouTube. No Copyright Infringement Intended. 

Creative Mastermind for Week 10/21: Robert Stack and "Unsolved Mysteries"

Maybe it was fate or irony that I couldn't get my posting to work correctly yesterday. The frustration of the technology, the lack of time to make other adjustments, or perhaps it was the content of this week's Creative Mastermind that spooked the Internet.The reasons are unknown, perhaps you can help solve the mystery...

Ok, so maybe there is no mystery to my technology issues yesterday- glitches happen! However, now that it appears to be working again I can bring you the news of who I have dubbed this week's Creative Mastermind! Over the last week I have one show in particular stuck in my head and I suspect because we're inching closer to Halloween perhaps that's the reason why I've been wanting to watch it. The show I'm referring to is the unforgettable series, Unsolved Mysteries.

Where do I begin with this drama? Well, I can honestly say this is one show that I personally have never heard anyone say they didn't like it. Now, people may say "I don't watch it because it's too scary"- that's fine! But I've never actually had someone tell me they don't like the show. The reason? Because Unsolved Mysteries is practically FLAWLESS!!! Everything that was incorporated in this show was perfectly executed- never corny, or over-done it was just right. What I think was so creative about Unsolved Mysteries is the way it was portrayed and interactive. Unlike a regular news broadcast, this show actually took the time to explain the stories, do re-enactments, and gave viewers an opportunity to be a part of the show by calling in tips and information related to cases. 

Of course I think everyone who watched the show knew the key element in it's success, Robert Stack. When Unsolved Mysteries first came out in the late 80s it was more of a TV special on NBC rather than an actual TV show. It was originally hosted by Raymond Burr, but when it became an official TV series in 1988, Robert Stack came in as the host. He remained the host of Unsolved Mysteries, with a few occasional co-hosts & reporters, until 2002. Unfortunately, Robert Stack passed away in May of 2003 and the show was left in limbo until it's comeback in 2008. When the Spike network brought Unsolved Mysteries back it wasn't the same. The new host, Dennis Farina, was good but just lacked that creepy charm that everybody was attracted to from Stack. Ironically, earlier this year Farina passed away from a blot clot just 10 years since Robert Stack's passing. I think what drew people into this show was Robert Stack's art of storytelling. He always appeared as the dark investigator hiding in the shadows. His voice was low and mysterious- like something you'd hear in a classic mystery radio show. He possessed the ability to draw audience members through his voice, tall & dark stature, and the gleam in his eyes that instantly attached to you when he said "perhaps you can help solve the mystery." Here are some clips of Robert Stack to help remind you of the man who brought suspense and drama into your homes.

Getting back to the show itself, I liked it so much because it was actually realistic! They talked about crimes, legends, UFOs, ghosts, missing people, and just about anything that would attract attention to people's curiosity. Most people, myself included, were particularly drawn to the stories about ghosts and paranormal activity. I'll be honest, I feel there's more fascination than belief in the supernatural, but this show hit it just right for people who do believe or don't believe in that kind of stuff. There were a couple of episodes though where people would be seriously freaked out (and for a 90s show this is pretty good). From what I read online there are two specific moments in Unsolved Mysteries that really creep people out: The case of Tallman's Ghost and The Devil's Backbone. I won't spoil those for you, check them out yourself and I'll let you be the judge. Re-enactments in all of the stories was well created and looks very genuine. Scripts for the actors and Robert Stack's lines were also well-written. Overall, the story-telling in this show was just good from start to finish! 

Finally, I can't mention Unsolved Mysteries without leaving out this: (*Note no video-just audio!)

Yeah, that catchy creepy music.... If I had to rank the theme to this show in comparison to other paranormal shows it would definitely be towards the top (Along with the theme to X-Files, Twin Peaks, and Forever Knight). If you heard this music you knew something strange was going to happen. Now this particular clip is only one of several variations to the theme because the theme changes throughout the seasons. But I think this theme is the one people relate to the best. It's catchy, has a great down beat, and uses a lot of strange electronic sounds to really set the tone for the show. Composed by Michael Boyd and Gary Remal Malkin, the theme had the efficient and urgent sound that a news broadcast would have, but it also had the strange sounds making it stand out above other shows.

So there you have it my friends! It's no mystery why Robert Stack and "Unsolved Mysteries" have been crowned this week's Creative Mastermind. This show had an excellent host, terrific production skills, unusual theme music, and the capability to reach out to the audience in a way that had never been done before. So well done to cast and crew of Unsolved Mysteries, and hats off to Mr. Robert Stack. His talents even before Unsolved Mysteries will never be forgotten and he is truly missed in the entertainment world Rest in Peace!

I hope you've enjoyed this week's Creative Mastermind and if you know someone or something that would make a great Creative Mastermind then share it with me by commenting on this post or any of The Creative Cabana's social media sites. Have a great day everybody and thanks for stopping by!

*I do not own "Unsolved Mysteries" or have relations to Robert Stack. All media used in this post was provided through YouTube and Google Images. No Copyright Infringement Intended. 

90s Kid Halloween Delight: Halloweentown

Good afternoon to all you awesome readers out there! Today I have something special for all you 90s kids out there. That's right I'm looking at you people who were (and maybe still are) obsessed with Arthur, Power Rangers, Full House, and all that other good stuff from the 90s. Well since it's Thursday- which means Throwback Thursday, I'm inviting you to do some time traveling with me back to the year 1998...

You're sitting at home on the couch with some popcorn, candy, and probably a drink. You're in front of the TV watching the Disney Channel and at approximately 7pm a movie comes on. It's a new movie, a kid-friendly Halloween movie, a "Disney Original" movie, what is it? If you said Hocus Pocus, YOU ARE SO WRONG!!! (Stay tuned for that one), nope I'm talking about "Halloweentown".

"Halloweentown", in my personal opinion, is definitely one of the better kid-friendly Disney TV movies made. For a 90s TV movie this was actually pretty good in terms of acting, effects, writing, plot, and overall production. Now does it have some negatives? Absolutely! There are plenty of cheesy moments to pick on, but that's to be expected. For those you who haven't seen the movie, let me give you a quick run down of the basic storyline. 

It starts off with us meeting three children and a single-parent Mom (oh yeah, this follows the typical Disney legacy of having only ONE parent!). The oldest child at 13, Marnie, wants to go trick-or-treating with her friends but her mother Gwen won't let go for reasons that Marnie doesn't understand. Dylan who is the middle child, is basically a nerd and doesn't care about Halloween one way or the other. Finally we have Sophie, the youngest of three, who stares at the window insisting that "someone's coming". While the children are at home with Mom, they are visited by Grandma Aggie who comes with gifts, candy, and Halloween surprises for the children even though the Mom is against it. Marnie later discovers that her Grandma and Mom are actually both witches when she over hears them talking in the kitchen. She also learns that she too is a witch but is on the verge of losing her powers because she hasn't received her power training before her 13th Halloween (which is that night). Grandma Aggie actually comes to ask Gwen to help her defeat an evil force back in her home of, you guessed it, "Halloweentown". When the Mom refuses to help Aggie leaves and the children follow her on a magical bus to Halloweentown. They run into all sorts of adventures and meet new characters as they work together to defeat an evil spirit who turns out to be Kalabar, the mayor of Halloweentown. Grandma Aggie, Gwen, and the children all pull their powers together to destroy Kalabar and return home with Grandma Aggie living with her daughter and grandchildren. 

So there you have the basic storyline of Disney's "Halloweentown". One of things I like about this movie is the concept- it's actually an original idea and not some fluffy cliche. It's a movie about a town where all the monsters and scary creatures live and they live just like humans do! They work, they have kids, go shopping, etc. I mean Halloween is just one night, what do they do for the rest of 364 days of the year? So yeah, it's a cool idea. I also like the actors in this movie a lot. Grandma Aggie, played by Debbie Reynolds, is a well-beloved actress and has that kind, yet strong spirit to her. She was a perfect cast for this role and is funny, witty, and very smart in her role as Grandma Aggie. Kimberly J. Brown plays the role of Marnie and has the typical pre-teen personality incorporated into her character. She's also smart, but displays that stubborn effect when she and her Mom have an argument in the first part of the movie. Another thing I like about the movie is that for 90s the special effects used weren't too bad. The scenes showing the flying bus and the part with Aggie and Marnie flying together, look pretty good and don't stick out like intense graphics do in today's movies. I think the special effect I like the best involves the evil shadow creature (aka Kalabar) as he appears in the movie theater to attack the family. He just sort of floats in and hovers while the others just take it all in. I have to say also enjoy a lot of the funny moments in "Halloweentown"- I mentioned Marnie's fight with her Mom in the first act of the movie, another part I love is when Marnie confronts Kalabar and gives him the best insult ever! Here's a video to demonstrate why I think it's so funny:

Now, so at not to be bias there are some things that I find a bit off with "Halloweentown", my biggest problem is the costumes. I really, really, really hate the costumes. Except for what the main characters are wearing, everybody else looks like they went to their local Walmart or Halloween USA store, bought a costume, and showed up on set. I get it, TV movies typically don't a have a huge budget to work with, but still a little bit of effort would've been nice! The other thing I don't like is the story progression. We don't really know what the problem is in Halloweentown until about half way through the movie. Plus there's this thing involved "Merlin's Talisman" and it serves really as nothing more than a candle for the giant pumpkin in Halloweentown. That's it, no explanation or anything as to what that has to do with Halloweentown or how it will destroy Kalabar. It's not a magic wand, there's no spell for it (except for turning it on), it's just a useless movie prop and doesn't really have a place in the story. I mean the family could've easily just zapped the guy with their powers, but instead they had to focus on turning the light in the Talisman on. Really people? 

Other than that, Halloweentown was actually a pretty good movie production for it's time. It had some cheesy moments and a couple of times where you were just left to wonder, did that just happen? But it also had a really good plot, great cast, and some of the best quotes ever! The crew and cast of Halloweentown should be proud of themselves because this movie stood out to a lot of kids. The sequels weren't quite as a good as the first movie, but it is what it is. So go ahead and relive your childhood! Watch Halloweentown and you won't be disappointed. 

*"Halloweentown" is the property of Disney Channel and The Walt Disney Company. Video used was pulled from clips available on YouTube. Pictures used are from Google Images. No Copyright Infringement Intended.

Creative Mastermind for Week 10/14: Volkswagen Marketers!

Hello Creative Cabana readers!!!!!!!!!!!!!

This week for the Creative Mastermind, I'm doing something a little different- out of the spectrum sort of speak. For this week's Mastermind I'm choosing a group of people who display creativity that goes into a different playing field than what I usually look for. This week I'm looking at Marketing and Advertising geniuses who come up with clever ideas to make you remember a product. Sounds lame? I promise I have my reasons. 

Whether you realize it or not, anytime we engage ourselves in TV, Internet, or Radio businesses are always looking to promote their brand through a variety of techniques. Some use "the scare tactic", other plays off the human sympathies (example: commercials showing abused animals while playing a sad song), and then there are the funny ones that stand out. Right now, a lot of people are raving about the GEICO "Hump Day" commercial, don't get me started on that one. No, I'm going to talk about a commercial I saw the other night while watching Once Upon a Time on ABC (which is also a really cool and creative show! WATCH IT!). Anyway this commercial was for Volkswagen cars and caught my attention because unlike most commercials where they start out with live people or sometimes cartoons, this was strictly sketches. No movement, just flashes of drawing sketches. Then it hit me that I was watching a scene from the music video "Take On Me" by A-ha. Confused for a moment, I continued to watch to discover that VW was using this song and music video to promote their automobiles. At the end it's revealed that the idea came from a businessman sketching  his car onto his notebook while singing in front of co-workers. GREAT! FUNNY! It's better if you've seen the 80s music video, but for those who aren't familiar with the song, joke, video, etc. it's still pretty funny. I mean how many times have you found yourself singing or whistling in front of peers? Check out the videos here:

                                          Original Music Video "Take on Me" by A-ha (1985)

Volkswagen Commercial (2013)

Sometimes commercials end up being really stupid, but this one the Marketing and Advertising team got it right! If you're part of the younger generation, then you might recognize this song as sampled in Christina Aguilera and Pitbull's hit song "Feel This Moment". But like I said, "Take On Me" is a cool song and one of my favorite music videos. 

The animation and video production of "Take On Me" in the 80s was a really creative and new technique at the time- combining live action footage with drawing sketches (similar to the Mary Poppins effects in the 60s), but overall just outstanding visual effects. What I like about this commercial is that it is taking a lot of the original elements from the music video and updating the concepts to a modern look. Clearly the drawings have been re-done, but it's the same effect that catches the eye. Plus the bit at the end with the guy singing adds a nice ring to the advertisement. The character clearly fits the description of someone who grew up in the 80s and anyone in the 30s-50s age range can certainly relate to his embarrassing, yet hilarious, outburst at work. 

So kudos to you Volkswagen for a neat, creative, and catchy commercial! If you know someone who would make a great Creative Mastermind, make sure to leave your idea in the comments box here or let me know on Facebook or Twitter! 

*"Take On Me" is the property of the group A-Ha and their respective songwriters. I do not own or have any claim use in regards to Volkswagen, A-Ha, or other references in this post. "Feel This Moment" is the property of Pitbull, Christina Aguilera, and respective songwriters. Videos used for this post were pulled from YouTube from authorized channels. Mentions of Mary Poppins and Once Upon a Time were used only in reference. No Copyright Infringement Intended. 

Which can be scarier, Sight or Sound?

Good Evening and Happy Friday everyone!

It has come to my attention that I haven't really addressed one of The Creative Cabana's focus areas of Audio Mixing. To be honest, I really haven't had an opportunity to do any kind of audio mixing. I don't possess some of the more advanced and sophisticated programming as I'd like to, but I have a few tools that I can play around with and hopefully I'll bring some of that work to you in the future. Right now, I'd like to talk to you today about the effect sound can have on a person. This idea came to me yesterday while I was decorating my home with Halloween decorations, at which time I was listening to Halloween music on my computer. Specifically, I was listening to the Halloween Show playlist I had created for my radio show I had in college. 

Every year  I would do a special Spooky show where I'd play music related to Halloween, Scary Stuff, etc. Anyway, while re-listening to my playlist yesterday I came across a sample of old-time radio shows that were focused on suspense, thriller, and supernatural entertainment. For my show I downloaded parts of radio broadcasts from the 1930s-1940s period and played parts of it on my own show to demonstrate what you might've been hearing on the radio at Halloween during that time. It got me thinking about how people, today, get a real thrill of being "scared" or "surprised". They go to Haunted Houses, watch Scary movies, or do something incredibly stupid to satisfy their need for terror. Well, what if I told you people would get scared just by hearing something on the radio?

Before television came along, most households, had a radio in their homes and could tune in for their entertainment. This would range from music, game shows, radio dramas, soap operas, and comedy hours- very much like TV only with no visuals. Of course the challenge here is with no visuals, how can you get people drawn into a story just with sounds? Here lies the answer of clever writing, production of sound effects, voice acting, and my personal favorite, background music. In this game, it's not about what you see, instead it's what you hear. Take a listen for yourself and see what you think of radio's best horror dramas:

See, the trick here is how it's all in the audio production. Because you can't "see" the action, it's up to the producers and actors to help visualize the scenes. The concept is that you'll rely on your imagination to complete the puzzle. For those of you who've seen Alfred Hitchcock's "Psycho" I think you know what I mean when I say use your imagination where you can't see what's happening. That alone can be twice as terrifying. It's definitely worthy of having a place in the Creative world because of the different elements that come together. Terrifying script-writing, excellent vocal actors, superior sound effects, and imaginative music settings all play a role in creating the perfect broadcast drama. 

That's all for now folks!!! Enjoy the rest of your Friday and have a great weekend!!! Don't forget to follow The Creative Cabana on Facebook, Twitter, and Pinterest

'Tis the Season to be CARVING!!!!

Come on people, did you really think I was going to say "'Tis the Season to be Jolly"? One Holiday at a time everybody, one holiday at a time. Earlier this afternoon, I was working on a Halloween board for the The Creative Cabana's Pinterest page (which if you don't already follow, then you should! Just click here). Upon looking for different things to "pin", one idea came across to me and I thought it was just too good to share!

Carving and decorating pumpkins is a favorite tradition for many people who celebrate Halloween. It is said that during the night of Halloween (or traditionally "All Hallows' Eve), people would carry their jack-o-lanterns with decorated faces in order to frighten off evil spirits. It later became the modern-American tradition sometime during the mid 19th century. Today, some people simply paint designs on the exterior of the pumpkins, while others choose to carve elaborate expressions or images. This part of decorating pumpkins is pretty standard, but what creative designs have you seen floating around?

As mentioned earlier, I came across a really cool pin that inspired me to write this post about creating your perfect Halloween pumpkins.

This is just about the cutest idea I've seen for pumpkin carvings in awhile! As one can image, this is perfect for little girls, or anyone who enjoys decorating pumpkins in the not-so-scary way. Personally, I've always drawn on my pumpkins with markers and done just fine! However, I know a lot of people just use regular knives or they purchase those Stencil kits to decorate with. Whatever your method is, don't limit yourself to just the standard designs. Try something unique and out-of-the box. Oh and if you're not artistically gifted, NO PROBLEM! The pumpkin is your canvas, your art! Don't let anyone tell you it sucks! Most people use traced drawings to guide them in their designs, give that a try if you feel that motivated! To get those creative minds going here some cool pumpkin designs ideas I found using Google Images:

Now my dear readers, please understand you don't have to be the Leonardo DaVinci of Pumpkin Carvings! You don't have to be elaborate or extremely detail-oriented with your designs. I always recommend that when it comes to Art and Creativity, the best tool to success is to just be yourself! Expand yourself beyond your personal limits of creativity. No idea is too wacky! These pictures I've shown you just give you ideas to show what is possible when it comes to creating an outstanding pumpkin! 

Now if you'd like to do something on a smaller scale, say for your office or home decor, investing in a few of the smaller pumpkins can be equally creative and gives that holiday touch to your space. Decorating these smaller pumpkins are great for desks, tables, or even make cute little craft ideas for children! So if you're for working on a simpler, smaller project then here are more examples for you to feast your eyes on!

Now that you have been educated on unleashing your Master Pumpkin Designer skills, it's time to show your family, friends, co-workers, and neighbors your creative awesomeness! So, if you'd like to share your pictures of your adorable pumpkins please let me know by leaving a comment on this post! Let's decorate The Creative Cabana with your beautiful and talented pumpkin designs!!!! 

*Images used for this post were pulled from Google Images. The pictures and pumpkins shown in these photographs all belong to their respective owners. No Copyright Infringement Intended!

Creative Masterminds for Week 10/7: DOUBLE FEATURE- Charles Schulz & William Mumler

Ok, so it's not quite Halloween just yet, but we are in the month of October! With October, comes the cool, the strange, and the well... creative ideas! So with that being said, I welcome you fellow readers to this week's Creative Masterminds reveal. As mentioned in my previous post, I will be highlighting two creative masterminds this week in order to make-up for missing last's week post. I've spent some time today digging around for two masterminds that reach out to me as being unique and inspiring. The first one I'm going to talk about is a famous cartoonist who created one of the most beloved cartoon characters of all time. The second is for my history and paranormal buffs, as we look into one of history's first known paranormal photographers. So let's get started!

My first Creative Mastermind is Charles Schulz, the creator of Peanuts. His comic strip, Peanuts, set the stage for one of the most well known characters in animation history: Charlie Brown. If you haven't read any of the Peanuts comics or seen the TV episodes, then you should because they're rather funny! Charles Schulz designed these children characters who, despite being kids, often display characteristics of adults. To help illustrate this, check out this YouTube clip from "It's the Great Pumpkin Charlie Brown"- especially between 1:00-2:00, the little girl Sally (Charlie Brown's sister) gets mad at Linus (Charlie Brown's best friend) for missing out on Trick-Or-Treating. 

"I'LL SUE! YOU OWE ME RESTITUTION!!!" Good lord, have you ever heard children talk like that? She gets angry at him like a wife belting it out with her man for eating the last piece of chocolate in the house! But I digress, like I said funny stuff. I remember reading one time that Schulz based these characters on some of his own childhood memories. I could see that being the case, I mean how many of us have felt like Charlie Brown- shy, unwanted at times, and picked on. Schulz passed away in 2000 at the age of 77, but his legacy lives on to this day. Especially now that we're entering the holiday season, you'll more than likely notice Charlie Brown and Snoopy merchandise in the stores. 

So what makes Charles Schulz a Creative Mastermind? Well several things factor in for this selection. Growing up watching these cartoons, I am very fond of his illustration and cartoon designs. He keeps his artwork very simple and basic. Even in the clip I showed, it's very basic illustration. You don't see a lot of texture, 3-D drawing, or complex animation. It's all just simple, relaxed cartooning. In many ways it's as if you were reading the comics in motion. Also, I like the creativity in the personalities of these characters. Each of the characters Schulz created stands out and makes sure that you remember them easily. Charlie Brown is an identifiable character because of his style, personality, and easily recognized presentation. Linus is often remember as the wise child who carries a blue blanket everywhere. Lucy is the bossy girl, but also tends to flirt with Charlie Brown and some of the other minor characters. They're all lovable, creative, and brilliant examples of Charles Schulz' talent to Illustration and Cartoons. 

CREATIVE MASTERMIND #2: William Mumler, here we go! This one is a little bit more debatable in terms of the credibility of his work. Mumler was an American Photographer born in 1832 in Boston, and he became famous as a "spirit photographer". Think I'm crazy yet? I stated earlier we are approaching Halloween and I haven't highlighted a photographer yet, so bare with me! William Mumler was one of the first photographers in history to have claimed to have visual evidence of ghosts and paranormal activity. He told people that he possessed the ability to photograph pictures of people with the spirit of their passed loved ones.The most famous of his pictures is displayed here.

 It is a picture of Mary Todd Lincoln and what appears to be the ghost of Abraham Lincoln, her husband and U.S president assassinated in 1865. The debate today is whether his photographs are real, or faked. Based on the research I found for this post, it is believed that his pictures are fake. During his life, he was accused of fraud and tried in court for this crime. He was not found guilty, but his career was ruined. Not only are his pictures creepy (regardless fake or real), but the idea has sparked a most creative mindset throughout the paranormal community and those who try to document activity. Since his development of "spirit photography", it has questioned people to wonder can someone actually document paranormal events? For more details on that, I highly recommend shows like Paranormal State, Ghost Hunters, etc. 

Despite the questioning of Mumler's work, I credit him as a Creative Mastermind because his idea of this paranormal photography provided comfort to those who grieved for their loved ones. I heard about this gentlemen while watching "Mysteries at the Museum" on the Travel Channel, and the host talked about how in Mary Todd's situation, having the picture was a way of telling her that Abraham was still with her. It could be comforting and creepy at the same time, but if it made her feel relieved and happy then that's all anyone could ask for. I don't get the impression that he meant to be deceptive to anyone, but if this truly was faked, then I feel Mumler had quite the creative idea of placing ghostly images on top of recent photographs. Keep in mind back in the late 1800s they didn't have Adobe Photoshop and while it was fairly easy to fake photographs, the concept was still pretty elusive to the public. I have to give him credit for developing creative use of photography and getting away with it. Regardless of the evidence, still pretty neat to see especially in the early years of photography!

So there you have it folks! Congrats to Charles Schulz and William Mumler, they'll never see this post, but at least they won't go unforgotten or unknown! REMEMBER, if you know of a Creative Mastermind share your thoughts with The Creative Cabana by leaving a comment. Thank you for spending some time with me here at The Creative Cabana!!! 'Til next time have a wonderful day!

*Images used in this post were pulled from Google Images. Peanuts and "It's the Great Pumpkin Charlie Brown" is the propety of Charles Schulz. The video clip used came from a YouTube user with no copyright infringement intended.The image of Abraham Lincoln's ghost is the property of Photographer William Mumler. Paranormal State is the propety of A&E network, Ghost Hunters is property of  the Sy-fy network, and Mysteries at the Museum belongs to The Travel Channel Network. No Copyright Infringement Intended

The Creative Cabana is Back on Track!

Happy Sunday Everybody!!!

Image Courtesy of Bitstrips via Facebook

I hope the time between now and my last post has treated you well! For me, it's been kind of rough. I've been ridiculously stressed and not feeling too good over the last week. So I sincerely apologize for my absence at The Creative Cabana. But now that I'm up and running again, I'd like to give an update to my readers on things to come for this week.

It's October and it's Fall which means we are edging ever closer to the end of 2013. I'd like to think of this period as Phase 1 of the so-called "Holiday Season." If you've ventured out to your favorite supermarket, or local stores recently you've probably noticed an isle or two of Halloween goodies and then in the back corner (or next isle over), you'll find the beginning setup for Christmas. I want you to relax and enjoy the holiday ride here at The Creative Cabana. I love the holidays, but we'll take it one day at a time. So to start, let's talk about Halloween and Fall Decor.

Coming up this week, I'll be doing some decorating for the Cabana profile pictures so be on the lookout for that. Additionally, I'll be posting some cool and budget-friendly design ideas to help spruce your home, school space, desk, etc. The holidays are meant to be celebrated for people of all ages, so having some nice seasonal decor should help boost your spirits if you're feeling the fall blues. Also because there was no Creative Mastermind for last week (9/30) I will be doing TWO Creative Masterminds for this week! It'll be an awesome duet showdown as I'll be posting about two masterminds who shine in creativity and inspiration, so don't miss out! As always, if you have suggestions about anything you'd like for me to highlight: masterminds, crafts, videos, art, etc. you can leave me a suggestion in any of the comment boxes located on this blog.

ONE LAST THING: I'd like some ideas for a Halloween Costume to post as the Profile Picture for this blog and the social media pages! If you have an idea for a costume please leave a comment below or you can post your idea on Facebook or Twitter. Thanks for your suggestions and for checking out The Creative Cabana.