Murphy to Return as 'Beverly Hills Cop'

LOS ANGELES (May 29) - If Indiana Jones can make a successful comeback after almost 20 years, why not the Beverly Hills Cop?Paramount Pictures has given the go-ahead for a fourth installment of its "Beverly Hills Cop" franchise, with Eddie Murphy on board to return to the role that launched his movie career, the studio said Thursday.



Brett Ratner, the filmmaker behind the similarly themed "Rush Hour" movies starring Chris Tucker and Jackie Chan, is in negotiations to direct the latest "Beverly Hills Cop" adventure, a Paramount spokesman said.Lorenzo di Bonaventura ("Transformers") will produce.



The film is expected to begin filming next year for a summer 2010 release.



According to Daily Variety, it was Murphy, 47, who approached the Viacom Inc-owned studio about reviving the film series in which he plays a Detroit police detective, Axel Foley, who ends up chasing crooks in Beverly Hills, California.



The original 1984 film and its two sequels, the last of which opened in 1994, collectively grossed more than $735 million in theaters worldwide, according to Box Office Mojo. The first movie alone took in over $316 million globally.



The decision to make "Beverly Hills Cop IV" follows Paramount's success with the revival of its "Indiana Jones" franchise after 19 years. The fourth film in that series, "The Kingdom of the Crystal Skull," opened last Thursday and grossed nearly $152 million in its first five days in domestic release.



Murphy's last two films, the live-action comedy "Norbit" and the animated storybook satire "Shrek the Third," in which he supplied the voice of a talking donkey, grossed $159 million and $799 million worldwide, respectively, according to Box Office Mojo.

Holy Milk Mustache, Batman!

Batman has got milk and his body [armor] has never looked better! Batman's milk mustache is bound to make lots of fans thirsty for some milk.

In one of the many promotions for the upcoming Dark Knight Batman movie sequel, Batman sports a milk mustache. It's quite a positive cross promotion in terms of getting kids of all ages to think healthy and drink low fat or fat free milk.

This is also a first close up look at Batman's new Dark Knight Bat suit featured in the movie this summer. It has more detailed muscles throughout the gold metallic color really highlights the Bat Belt. And of course, the over all black, mysterious nature of the suit itself leaves everyone wondering, what gadgets are hiding where in that suit of his!

Besides benefiting from a cold and refreshing glass of milk, Batman fans also have the amazing once in a life time chance to be drawn in a Batman Comic, fill in this form on the Body by Milk web site.

Happy Memorial Day!

Picture Credit

Memorial Day can mean many things to many different people.

It's often thought of as the kick off for summer, warm weather, sunshine, grilling, BBQs and the beach. Many take the opportunity for a long weekend vacation. However you celebrate this holiday, please take a moment to ponder the reason behind it, a memorial to our fallen troops, remember those who have paid the ultimate price while protecting our freedom and our country.

The Extreme Halloween Family would like to take this time to express our gratitude to our military troops, past and present who have served or are currently serving to protect the freedoms we hold dear.

THANK YOU!

Happy Universal Day fo the Jedi

I hope you are having fun celebrating the 31st anniversary of the release of Star Wars Episode IV A new Hope. Here are some tributes to Star Wars: pictures, videos, and articles.

Celebrate the Universal Day of the Jedi - Go to Church Dressed as a Wookiee!

10 of the Coolest Star Wars Videos Ever Made

10 of the Coolest Star Wars Pictures Ever Made

Before the Galaxy Far, Far Away: Influences on 'Star Wars'

In Honor of Universal Day of the Jedi

Indiana Jones vs. Han Solo: Who Would Win?

Have fun surfing the Internet Galaxies!

Star Wars Images from the Web - Part II

Counting down to Universal Day of the Jedi with my friends at The-TrukstoP.com

10 more of the coolest Star Wars images ever made

The first compilation of 10 of the coolest Star Wars images ever made gathered quite some interest. So, bearing that in mind, & with two [days] to go until Universal Day of the Jedi, I figured I would grab some more pics you may not have seen and go for Round 2... or should I say, "Episode II"?

As with the last list, there's a variety of pictures that I've selected: awesome compositions, humorous images, and others. Click on the pics for the full sizes. Here we go:

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10. Mr. Toda

You have to hand it to the folks over at Worth1000.com. Not only do they have some of the most awesome Photoshop tutorials, but the creativity of their contest entrants is amazing. Mr. Toda, the winning entry of the Celebrity Star Wars contest by mjhaylor, is testament to this. The composition is not only hysterical, but justification for just how outstanding digital art can be. "Gettin' on no spaceship, I am not - pity the fool, I do!"

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9. Rockabilly Yoda

Someone took the trend set by Sith Lords Rock and Star Wars Rocks, and created Yoda gettin' ready to bring the noise rockabilly style. Fairly creative, worth a mention, and is a pic that seems to be gathering some popularity on MySpace.com.

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8. Someone Missed A Meeting

Being a KISS fan, I couldn't help but include this one here. Obviously, someone missed a meeting at some point. This pic was found over at Bloggerheads.com.

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7. Jedi Frodo from Hogwarts

Another Worth1000.com contest entry, this one made by MadWasabi for the Triple Cliche Heck contest: a contest where entrants had to combine elements from three different films into one. This one rated high on the list, and has been included here because it's indicative of a geeky fanboy's wet dream come true.

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6. The Real Asajj Ventress

The Expanded Universe of Star Wars has spawned so many memorable characters, such as Mara Jade, Thrawn, and Xizor... but if there was one character from the Clone Wars era that stands out as a notable EU character, it would be Asajj Ventress. Fans have read about her, seen her on the Clone Wars cartoon, and played as her on the bonus levels from Battlefront II. Every so often, a digital artist comes along that attempts to bring a realism of life to the character - and this composition is of no exception. The above image is part of a series of wallpaper designs at RabitTooth.com.

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5. Chewie Cops A Feel

I am guessing that this photo takes place sometime either when Han wasn't looking, or when he was put in carbonite. Either way, I guess it explains the scene where a very angry Wookiee tries to beat down Xizor's door in Shadows of the Empire, interrupting Xizor and Leia. Sith hath no fury like a Wookiee scorn.

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4. Beepity Beep Whistle Crack Splat

This is yet another Worth1000.com image - one from a contest we mentioned in the last list (the one with Attack of the Muppets). Nice photoshop work - very creative. Check out all the other entries here.

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3. Female Mandalorian

Expanded Universe fans will remember a few Mandalorian female bounty hunters, such as Ailyn Vel and Mirta Gev, but outside of the EU many fans have tried to visualize female Mandalorian warriors in the past - somewhat unsuccessfully. Most of the renderings I have come across are either cheap rip-offs of Boba Fett's green armor, or pink Mandalorian armor. This image on the other hand is different and unique. It successfully highlights that the women of Mandalore are just as brutal as their male counterparts, and unique. Definitely one of my favorite Star Wars images ever. This image was composed by Tom Hodges (and was included in an issue of Star Wars Insider), and can be seen, along with some other awesome artwork, over at ComicArtFans.com.

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2. Wookieevolution

Another Star Wars Insider image, this one made by Randy Martinez, proves two things: evolution is real, and you are not cooler than a Wookiee - period.

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1. Gandhi-Yoda

If Ghandi was in Star Wars, he would be Yoda. This image was made by paraloid, and was the theme post (the image to get the ideas going for contestants) in the Star Wars Celebrities contest at Worth1000.com - the same contest Mr. Toda came from. I love this picture not only because it is well made, but because both identities - Ghandi and Yoda - share many similarities.

Star Wars Images from the Web

With Universal Day of the Jedi approaching, here is a tribute to Star Wars from fans through pictures from my friends at The-TruckstoP.com:

Star Wars fandom certainly has grown exponentially since the Internet came our way. It's opened the doorway for custom made items (costumes and figures) by fans, fan films, and of course, fan art. & with two months to go until Universal Day of the Jedi, I figured I would take a look at 10 of the coolest Star Wars pics online that you may not have seen.

There's a variety of pictures that I've selected. Some of them are just awesome compositions that add to the saga, others are humorous, and others are just, well, just cool and odd. Click on the images for the full sizes. Here we go:

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10. Sith Lords Rock

I'm not sure who made this one - but was obviously made in homage to another one, Star Wars Rocks, you'll see shortly. I just like the idea of Maul and Vader bringing the noise together. Mosh, anyone?

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9. Temptation of Jedi

I've always gravitated towards the artworks of Salvador Dali, so I couldn't help but share this one as well - an awesome abstract composition. This artwork is by Hanelle aka Elle from Fark - and was one of the winning entries in Fark's 2005 Photoshop contest.

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8. Dark Leia

In the world of Star Wars, with Infinities and fan fiction, there's always a realm for non-canon alternative concepts. Here's one pic in that vein that grabbed my attention. Daddy's little girl is more than just a princess in this one.

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7. Attack of the Muppets

Worth1000.com has had a few Star Wars related Photoshop contests and this was the winning entry from one of them. Very funny stuff - you can go here to check out some more from the contest over at their site. This awesome picture was made by Puffnasty.

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6. Southern Falcon

If Han and Chewie were from the Southern states... what are those Duke boys up to this time? This pic was found over at x-dezyn.com

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5. Star Wars Rocks

I recently posted this to Digg.com - where it had been edited into a motivator poster. The artwork is by Hugh Fleming and hangs in one of the hallways of ILM. Star Wars does indeed rock.

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4. Anakin Vader

This classic pic was initially made for a couple of Lucasfilm CD-ROMs that were released just before or around 1999. It's a nice image of the journey Skywalker will take.

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3. Squirrel Jedi

Okay, it's cheesy and a little lame, but it's one seems to be popular on MySpace - some clever Photoshop work there.

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2. A Jedi Can Be Anyone

Don't trust anyone - stand up and support your Empire.

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1. Grief

Possibly the best Star Wars image I've come across online. It perfectly captures Anakin's loss - and realization that he was manipulated into making his mistakes and poor choices for longer than he can remember.

Indiana Jones seen raiding the lost box office

From a Reuters article on Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull:

To say Steven Spielberg's fourth "Indiana Jones" installment is highly anticipated doesn't come close to describing the buzz surrounding a film that many in Hollywood hope will revive a sluggish box office.

Days after its world premiere at the Cannes film festival in France, "Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull" opened commercially on Thursday amid expectations that it could top $180 million in North American ticket sales through Memorial Day.

If its Friday-through-Monday tally crosses the $140 million mark, the film would surpass last year's "Pirates of the Caribbean: At World's End" as the biggest domestic opening yet for a Memorial Day weekend.

Sony Corp's "Spider-Man 3" still holds the record for a traditional weekend opening with $151.1 million collected in its first Friday-through-Sunday frame in May of last year.

Help add to the weekend box office total! Go see Indiana Jones this weekend! And remember to get your brown fedora and your bull whip at Anniescostumes.com!

Cue the Indiana Jones Theme Song!

Can you hear it? Is that awesome Indy adventure music playing in your head too? Its been in my head for a while now and is getting louder each passing day! Most movie buffs would agree that is one of the best movie scores ever played. That John Williams sure is an amazing musician!
Here's a tribute to the past Indy movies with that awesome theme music:



Just three days now for the movie we have waited for almost twenty years! I can't wait, its gonna be amazing!

Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull opens May 22, 2008. Get your brown fedoras and your bull whips ready. . . set. . . action!

Indiana Jones movie trailer:

New Friday the 13th Movie

It seems that the filmmakers behind the upcoming rehash of the Friday the 13th series have found just what they were looking for in youngster Caleb Guss.

According to WorstPreviews, Guss has been cast in the role of iconic mass murderer Jason Voorhees, in the film’s flashbacks of Voorhees as a child. As we all know, the legendary masked killer was himself first killed in an accident at the summer camp Crystal Lake, and then reincarnated as the six-and-a-half-foot dude that we’ve all come to know and love.

In other news, producer Brad Fuller revealed the movie will carry an R rating (previous reports indicated that it would be PG-13). The film is set for release on February 13, 2009.

Speed Racer Costumes

The new Speed Racer live action movie was just released this past weekend. Whether you prefer the original Speed Race cartoon or the new Live action movie, Annies Costumes has the costumes for you.

Currently in stock are the cartoon version Speed Racer costumes in adult sizes.
Speed Costume


Racer X Costume


The costumes from the live action movie will be coming in soon and are expected to be among the most popular costumes this Halloween. The movie costumes will include costumes for Speed, Racer X, and Trixie in both child and adult sizes!

Speed Racer Movie Costume:

LOL Dogs in Costumes & Disguises!

moar funny pictures

'Iron Man' likely to remain box-office champ for another weekend

For “Iron Man,” the sequel is two years away. But the encore comes this weekend. After starting Hollywood's summer with a $98.6-million bang, the Marvel Studios' production should return to the top of the box-office heap with an additional $45 million or more in ticket sales this weekend.



Until recently, Warner Bros.' family-friendly “Speed Racer” had been seen as a potential blockbuster, but the candy-colored, effects-driven adaptation of the 1960s Japanese cartoon show now looks more likely to become the summer's first major misfire.



The live-action movie, a sharp departure for those edgy, dystopian auteurs the Wachowski brothers, could open in the $25-million-to-$30-million range. That would be enough to beat “What Happens in Vegas,” the new Cameron Diaz-Ashton Kutcher romantic comedy, for No. 2, but disappointing in light of the movie's high cost.



Midweek sales have been robust for "Iron Man," starring Robert Downey Jr. as the metal-clad superhero, though they cooled a bit Tuesday and Wednesday. The film has a chance to become one of the extended summer season's few $300-million blockbusters at the domestic box office, thanks to enthusiastic word-of-mouth. Reviews are 93% positive, according to RottenTomatoes.com, and users at IMDB.com rate the movie 8.4 out of 10.



Produced for an estimated $140 million, "Iron Man" launched Marvel Entertainment Inc.'s feature production business in style, although the advance buzz is mixed for the mini-studio's follow-up, "The Incredible Hulk." That's slated for a June 13 release.



"Iron Man" also began the summer on a high note for distributor Paramount Pictures, which gets a slice of the gross after recouping its costs for prints and advertising. Paramount's “Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull,” coming Memorial Day weekend, is tracking for an enormous opening, based on consumer surveys, and on June 6 the studio releases DreamWorks Animation SKG Inc.'s promising "Kung Fu Panda."



This weekend's results could signal whether "Iron Man" will fade quickly, like most of the "X-Men" movies, or hang tough in the marketplace like the first "Spider-Man," "Batman Begins" and "Transformers."



Executives at rival studios expect "Iron Man" to wind up at $270 million domestically, but a drop of less than 50% this weekend would point to a higher total. With sturdy legs, the movie could reach $300 million in the U.S. and Canada and $600 million worldwide.



The superhero's Achilles' heel could be his competition. Two high-profile sequels are coming in the next two weeks, “The Chronicles of Narnia: Prince Caspian”:-prince-caspian on May 16 and "Indiana Jones" on May 22.

Summer Movie Costumes

This summer definitely has one of the most anticipated movie line ups!

Summer 08 Movies include:
Iron Man (May 2, 2008)
Speed Racer (May 9, 2008)
The Chronicles of Narnia: Prince Caspian (May 16, 2008)
Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull (May 22, 2008)
The Incredible Hulk (June 13, 2008)
The Love Guru (June 20, 2008)
Hell Boy 2: the Golden Army (July 11, 2008)
The Dark Knight (Batman) (July 18, 2008)
Star Wars: The Clone Wars (August 15, 2008)

As you can see, it's a steady stream of blockbusters week after week! All these popular movies this summer movies will spawn popular Summer Movie Costumes which will also translate into popular Halloween costumes this fall, or in the mean time, they are great for dress up!

10 Iron Man Costumes You Won't See in the Movie

From The-TrukstoP.com:

The Summer Movie season of 2008 has exploded with the release of Marvel Studios' Iron Man, starring Robert Downey Jr and directed by Jon Favreau. Audiences are set to be blown away by the realism of the film and how close it is to the comic book series.

In the context of the film, Favreau focuses on Tony Stark's Iron Man armor evolution, with the Mark 1, Mark 2, and the final Mark 3 suit.

Yet, as comic fans would know, these three armors are far from being the only Iron Man designs ever created by Stark. In fact, there are many more, and while a majority of them stay in the red-and-gold theme, there are a few that are quite different from the ones you will see in the Iron Man movie.

Here are ten of them...

Silver Centurion

While Stark faces the Iron Monger in the movie wearing the classic Mark III armor, in the comic book series, it is the Silver Centurion Armor (technically referred to as Model XII or Mark XII) he dons while fighting Stane. This costume design is perhaps one of the more well-known alternates in the Iron Man series, and was first introduced in the 1980's.

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War Machine

In the comic series, James Rhodes becomes the second Iron Man; but much later on he takes on the superhero identity of War Machine wearing the armor of the same name. It is almost certain we will see Rhody become the second Iron Man in the sequels, and it is also possible he may wear this armor, designed specifically for concentrated warfare.

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Stealth Armor

As the name implies, this armor is designed completely for stealth. You won't see this in the movie, though it is possible it might make an appearance in sequels. Artistically, it is often depicted in a dark blue shade, though it is supposed to be jet black. There have been some variations of this armor over the years but the concept has always remained the same.

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Outer Atmospheric Armor

In the comics, throughout his career as Iron Man, Tony Stark has designed and used several variations of space armor concepts. The Outer Atmospheric Armor is one of these designs, first seen in the Iron Man: Bad Blood mini-series. Fans would no doubt see a variety of influences in the design from other armors, including the Heroes Return design, and the Silver Centurion highlighted above.

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Hulkbuster

The name on this one pretty much says it all, and as to why it is not in the movie. Obviously, Stark had this one designed in mind for defense (or attack) against the green behemoth known as the Hulk. While it is unlikely that we'll ever see this armor on the big screen, the chances of an appearance do increase as development on the Avengers movie continues...

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Arctic Armor

Designed for the harsh weather conditions of the Arctic, this version of the Iron Man armor has only made one appearance in the comics to date; though its cameo had an impact on fans that made it memorable. Loosely based on the Silver Centurion and Modular armor designs, the Iron Man Arctic Armor allows Stark to stay warm while located in sub zero temperatures.

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Modular Armor

As far as Iron Man history goes, it was the Modular Armor design that was probably the first to add more specific and finer detail to the classic "red-and-gold". Storywise, it also was a revolutionary idea for Stark - instead of being one integrated suit, it was literally "back to the drawing board" in which this new armor became made up of individual modular components - each specifically design for particular tasks. What does that mean? It means that Stark could use additional modules onto the suit based upon the objective he had ahead of him.

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Ghost Armor

The Ghost Armor was only ever seen in Black Panther comics - in which the two heroes would face each other. Often considered to be the third generation of the Stealth armor above, this baby had numerous technological advances over the original Stealth design. The best part? The inclusion of hologram generators that allow Stark to literally become invisible.

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Hydro Armor

Okay, so Stark had stealth, arctic, and space designs... obviously he needs an underwater suit as well, right? The Hydro Armor is specifically designed for that purpose. It looks somewhat campy and bulky, but there's reason for that. This is actually two suits in one. The larger bulky armor you see is the external shell, while inside, Stark wears a specialized smaller version in case of damage to the larger shell.

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O.N.E. Armor

You most likely won't see this armor in any film, but it looks pretty bad-ass. The O.N.E. Armor, also known as the Sentinel Armor, was designed by Stark for use by James Rhodes in his role as trainer of the pilots of the 21st Century Sentinels. Rhody became leader of the Sentinel Squad, and had been selected by Tony Stark himself.

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Some of the Iron Man renderings above can be found at this location. You can also find a very detailed description of each of the above armors and more over at The Iron Man Armory

Superheroes: Fashion & Fantasy at the Met

About the Superheroes Fashion and Fantasy exhibit at the Metropolitan Museum:
The symbolic and metaphorical associations between fashion and the superhero are explored in this compelling exhibition. Featuring movie costumes, avant-garde haute couture, and high-performance sportswear, it reveals how the superhero serves as the ultimate metaphor for fashion and its ability to empower and transform the human body. Objects are organized thematically around particular superheroes, whose movie costumes and superpowers are catalysts for the discussion of key concepts of superheroism and their expression in fashion.

At the Metropolitan Museum in New York City from May 7th - September 1st as a special exhibition.

Even if you can't make it to the museum to see the exhibit in person, you must check out the amazing online display and intriguing descriptions and models of how superheroes have captured our imagination through fashion and fantasy since it all started with Superman in 1938.


Supermodels or Superheroes?

And for a detailed review of the Superhero exhibit, from top to bottom, please see The Shophound blog. It will almost make you think you are right there!

What Type of Makeup is Best for Face Painting?

One of the most frequently asked questions about our makeup is about makeup for face painting. Here are two top suggestions on which makeup to use when painting kids faces.

1. Aqua Crayons by Johnny Brown: These are used with water to activate the highly pigmented color crayon and will dry on the kids' faces, so they won't smudge too easily and the makeup is removed with soap and water.

2. Ben Nye Aqua Paint Palettes: These palettes come in 6 or 12 palettes and have a section to mix the paints to make secondary colors. You will apply them with water and a brush. Brushes may be a little more technical to use than the crayons, but allow for more flexibility of designs than the thicker point of the crayons. A little bit of paint goes a long way. If small designs are used, a palette has the capability of doing up to 300 faces.

If you want to get creative with the colors, another popular choice is the Lumiere color palette which is similar to the Aqua Paint Palette colors, but are pastel and metallic. These are also all removable with soap and water.

Both the Aqua Paint palettes and the Lumiere color palettes have refills available, so if you or your clients have a favorite color, it is easy to keep them on hand to never run out!

Opalescent Glitter is also very popular, it picks up the shade of the paint you put it on. All of our glitters are mylar based makeup glitter, safe for the skin instead of craft glitter, which may contain glass.