Tim Burton's Alice in Wonderland

I've been sorely disappointed by the last few Tim Burton movies (especially his remakes of Planet of the Apes and Charlie and the Chocolate Factory). So when I heard Burton was remaking Alice in Wonderland, I was skeptical.

On one hand it seems like the perfect Burton material. On the other hand there's the recent track record of bad remakes (see above).

But two things have me back in line to see the new Alice. One is the teaser trailer. See it here : http://www.hitfix.com/articles/2009-7-23-comic-con-tim-burton-talks-alic...

The other (more important) thing that's got me ready to see the movie is the casting of Mia Wasikowska as Alice. Mia was previously on the HBO series In Treatment as a teenage gymnast with some major issues. Her performance was one of the best I've ever seen from a young actress. She definitely has a bright future in front of her, and hopefully she can bring some of that depth to the character of Alice... something more than the simple girl who's just observing all the oddness of Wonderland.

New Halloween Hall of Fame Inductee! (drum roll, please)

Academy Award-nominated director is recognized for his contribution through movies that have promoted Halloween and inspired costumes over the years

The Halloween Hall of Fame, an organization dedicated to promoting Halloween by sharing fun facts and other information, recognizes those who have contributed through music, movies, designing Halloween costumes and much more. This year, they have selected Tim Burton to be the next inductee into their Hall of Fame. The Academy Award-nominated director is recognized for his spooky film work including, "Nightmare Before Christmas", “Edward Scissorhands”, “The Corpse Bride" and many others.

Mr. Burton has produced several multi-million dollar movies that have inspired top selling Halloween costumes like “Batman" and "Planet of the Apes". Mr. Burton is joined by the existing hall of famers who have contributed to promoting Halloween and include Vincent Price, Lon Chaney, Jr., Bobby (Boris) Picket, Bella Lugosi, Elvira and Fred Gwynne.

“Tim Burton’s movies have had such an impact on the inspiration of the next greatest Halloween costumes. Due to his amazing vision, each one of his movies sets off a frenzy of ideas and demand for the next Tim Burton movie-inspired Halloween costumes,” said Harold B. Maxwell, Founder of the Halloween Hall of Fame. "The fact is, Halloween is fun, and we are so pleased to include a film director who shares our love of Halloween."

Each year, the Halloween Hall of Fame board recommends nominees and a new member is then selected by the public. Each nominee is added to the Halloween Hall of Fame website where the public votes. Just before Halloween, the votes are tallied and the public is then informed of the winner. Tim Burton won this year by a 20% margin, with John Carpenter coming second.

About The Halloween Hall of Fame

The Halloween Hall of Fame is an organization dedicated to honoring people who have contributed to the popularity and fun of Halloween. In fact, the Halloween Hall of Fame provides the history behind Halloween, Halloween trivia, customs, traditions, safety tips and current trends. The Halloween Hall of Fame board of directors is made up of Halloween industry professionals and those who support the holiday of Halloween.

Jack-O-Lantern Stencils

One of my favorite Halloween traditions is carving a pumpkin.

A perfectly carved Jack-O-Lantern is the second item on my Halloween list, right after the perfect costume.

Some of my favorite stencils can be found at Zombie Pumpkins. They feature stencil galleries including Tim Burton characters, movie villains (including The Joker), superheroes and other popular Halloween characters.

Get carving!