• The Avengers is based on the Marvel comic, which was created by Stan Lee and Jack Kirby.

• The first Avengers comic was published way back in 1963.  The original superhero line up featured in the comic included: Thor, Iron Man, Hulk, Ant Man and Wasp.  Captain America came along to join the team in issue #4, after being revived from being trapped inside a large block of ice. 

• In the very first issue of the original The Avengers, it was Loki, the brother of Thor, who was being extremely problematic.  The Avengers then assembled themselves in order to deal with Loki and try to successfully defeat him. 

• The Avengers movie sticks to the original themes and most of the cast members found in the first issues of the Marvel comic book.  Spider-man (rights owned by Sony) and Wolverine (rights owned by 20th Century Fox) were left out of the film.  Spider-man will be getting his own movie, however, later this summer. “The Amazing Spider-Man” is due to be released over the Fourth of July Weekend.

• In order to play the part of the Hulk, Mark Ruffalo needed to lose 21 pounds (no wonder the Avengers costumes are so amazing).  In the Avengers, the Hulk stays in his fierce, huge (and green) state all the time.  This means all 8 ½ feet of him, no matter how pissed off he is.

• Scarlett Johansson had to train heavily in the art of Wushu and other serious weaponry in order to prepare for her reprised role of the Black Widow.  Scarlett was thrilled to play the much fan-appreciated role, which had originated for her back in Iron Man II.

• The infamous battle cry of The Avengers comic book is “Avengers, Assemble!”  Apparently during filming, Chris Evans (Captain America) would text his fellow cast mates with this battle cry included in the message in order to assemble them for a hot night and much needed break out on the town. 

• It’s predicted that The Avengers, in all its beloved caped glory, will eventually surpass the one billion dollar mark in ticket sales.  Don’t be left out in the cold.  With all the hoopla this movie is creating, this is one superhero flick you won’t want to miss.

Moms-The Ultimate Superheroes

The Avengers is thrilling moviegoer’s as well as rabid comic book hero fans this week with record breaking box office sales. This long awaited movie promises to bring together one of the most exciting group of characters ever with it’s eclectic all-hero cast.  The Avengers, a band of a half a dozen super heroes, essentially comes together because the world needs them to fight off a dastardly enemy, and of course, save the world.  One of the hottest superhero movies of the summer, The Avengers promises to be a huge hit with audiences everywhere.

Not all superheroes wear a cape, however.  In honor of who may be the biggest superhero of them all (and with Mother’s Day quickly approaching — this coming Sunday May 13th), we would like to honor the truly heroic figure that seems to have been left out of The Avengers and all other superhero references as well.  The true ultimate superhero: Mom.

Moms are Powerful:  You know what I mean.  Mom’s all have what’s known as “the look”.  When you get it, you know you are in for it and she didn’t even have to say a word.  It’s better than x-ray vision and it definitely gets its point across. She also has an eagle eye and see’s things you didn’t even know were there. 

Moms know Everything:  It’s an innate thing that is common amongst all moms.  It’s like built in inner radar that’s part of her psyche, or perhaps it’s truly a sixth sense  that is only given to mothers.  But moms know things.  Things you probably don’t want them to know but somehow they still do.  It’s all for your own good for the most part, but very little can slip past your mom.

Moms are Courageous:  There is nothing more powerful than a mama bear; everyone knows that.  Moms will fight off a band of robbers, bullies, bad guys; you name it, all in the name of saving the youngins.  You’d be much better off fighting off any assorted number of cretins than a pissed off mom, trust me on this.  You likely already know this, too.  Mom doesn’t need a large letter “M” emblazoned on her chest, or a fancy cape flying in the wind.  She can pack a wallop with a well-aimed shopping cart or even just her purse.

Moms have an Iron Gut:  There’s nothing squeamish about a mom.  She’s wiped up countless boogie noses, bloodied knees and elbows, and hundreds of blown out dirty diapers that would scare even the most seasoned HAZMAT crew.  The thanks she’s usually given comes in the form of some pretty sassy backtalk and by handing her stuff like banana peels and sticky candy wrappers.

Moms have a Cool Head:  Moms can think on their feet and in the moment of crisis seem to have the wherewithal to know exactly what needs to happen.  If something bad is happening, you naturally and almost always want your mom–there’s a reason for this because of course, she knows exactly what to do.  She always does. 364 days a year we take her for granted.  Make this Mother’s Day “her” day.  She’s your hero, after all.

Happy Mother’s Day to the greatest superheroes out there: Mom’s!  

Halloween Express, where America shops for Halloween, will be featured on The Travel Channel series, Making Monsters this fall. They will be filming footage for the series on Monday, May 7 from 3 pm til 10 pm at the Florence, KY location. The Florence KY Halloween Express store is located at 8145 Connector Drive, Florence KY 41042.

The show – Making Monsters, will follow the concept, design and installation of a custom Halloween “prop” that will only be seen at select Halloween Express locations across the United States during the 2012 Halloween season.

Halloween Express is one of the most aggressive and dynamic Halloween chains in the United States. Started in 1990, Halloween Express has nearly 200 company owned and franchised locations throughout the United States. Based in Owenton, KY they offer one of the largest selections of Halloween costumes and Halloween related items available. The website, HalloweenExpress.com offers seasonal costumes and accessories 365 days per year.

Making Monsters, a series on the Travel Channel, produced by Brian Leonard, will focus on Distortion’s Animatronics from Greely, Colorado who has been leading the way in the Haunted Attraction Industry for over 30 years. The show highlights the process, production and the final results for the movies, retailers and haunted attractions that feature their products.

Travel Channel is the world’s leading travel media brand, and the network is available in nearly 96 million US cable homes. Its Travel Channel HD™ simulcast is distributed to almost 37 million viewers and is carried on every major provider. Travel Channel is headquartered in Chevy Chase, MD, and maintains offices in New York and Atlanta. Scripps Networks Interactive (NYSE: SNI), which also owns and operates HGTV, DIY Network, Food Network, Cooking Channel and Great American Country, is the manager and general partner.

Contact: Susie Merida at 859-338-7102 or baglex1@gmail.com

By now you’ve felt it.  As the weather warms and winter begins to become another year’s memory, thoughts turn toward the summer months and all the fun that they always bring with them.  One of the most anticipated parts of summertime is the fabulous line up of new movie blockbusters that will be hitting the theaters for your hot-weather entertainment.  Just to whet your appetite, here’s a taste of what is coming down the pike this summer at a theater near you! 

The Avengers (May 4) - A team of superhumans combine forces to form “The Avengers,” and as superheroes tend to do: save the earth. 

Dark Shadows (May 11) - Barnabas Collins is a vampire that has been imprisoned for two centuries.  Once set free, he finds himself smack in the middle of 1979, where Barnabas now must deal with his posterity’s serious dysfunctions.

The Dictator (May 16) - The infamous Sacha Baron Cohen and director Larry Charles, of “Borat,” have returned with a new offbeat character.  “The Dictator” risks his life in order to ensure that democracy will never come to his country and that oppression will always reign supreme.

Battleship (May 18) - Based on the board game we all played as kids, a fleet of ships is forced into battle with an armada of aliens in order to try to counter their evil plans.  The talented Rihanna stars in this film in case that’s important to you.

Men in Black III (May 25) - An exciting time travel adventure coming out just in time to spice up your Memorial Day weekend.  Will Smith and Tommy Lee Jones return to reprise their original “Men in Black” roles.

Snow White and the Huntsman (June 1) - No more vampires for Kristen Stewart as this time she takes on the Evil Queen (Charlize Theron). 

Madagascar 3: Europe’s Most Wanted (June 8 ) - The lovable lost boys are still trying to get home.  This time Europe is in the way!

Prometheus (June 8 ) - Ridley Scott directs another long-awaited alien movie.  A team of explorers heads into the darkest corners of the Earth where they must battle in order to save the human race.

Abraham Lincoln: Vampire Hunter (June 22)-Yes, this film is about THAT Abraham Lincoln.  The 16th President of the United States discovers that vampires are set to take over the country; good ol’ Abe makes it his mission to stop them.

Brave (June 22) - An exciting animated adventure featuring archery and a princess–how can you beat that chick power combination? Princess Merida defies the customs of her land and a predictable disaster ensues.

G.I. Joe: Retaliation (June 29) - Dwayne Johnson and Channing Tatum star in this exciting action flick.  The Joe’s all band together to retaliate against the Cobra spy Zartan.

The Amazing Spider-Man (July 3) - This latest Spidey flick has a new star (Andrew Garfield) as well as a new love interest. (Emma Stone) This film promises to spin a web over audiences over the Fourth of July weekend.

Ice Age: Continental Drift (July 13) - Kids really can’t get enough of extinct animals in animation.  Manny, Diego and Sid have another adventure after their continent is suddenly set adrift.

The Dark Knight Rises (July 20)-This film promises to be the summer’s big Kahuna blockbuster and you won’t want to miss it.  Christopher Nolan has created the final chapter of his Batman trilogy.

The Bourne Legacy (August 3)-Without Matt Damon, who knows if movie goers will respond to the latest in the Jason Bourne adventure series.  A new CIA agent story based on the Robert Ludlum series of novels.

Total Recall (August 3)-Colin Ferrell stars in this latest translation of Philip K. Dick’s original story.

The Expendables 2 (August 17)-Sylvester Stallone and his band of AARP commandos are back in action.  They bring with them one of their grandchildren (Liam Hemsworth) in a quest for revenge that releases a surprising new threat.

Generations of teenagers will remember his name, as Dick Clark was for decades the face behind the cultural phenomenon known as “American Bandstand”.  Although Dick Clark passed away this past week, his legacy and the love of the music that he left behind will be remembered forever.  Dick Clark will always be considered by many to be the face behind rock and roll music, and many legendary acts did indeed get their initial catapult to infamy on the stage of American Bandstand.  Music legends and acts such as Buddy Holly, Stevie Wonder, The Jackson 5 and Madonna appeared on the show in the early days of their musical careers — and of course many a wild costume debuted on the show as well.

 American Bandstand had its inception in 1957.  The concept of the show was really quite simple.  A studio was filled with wholesome, fresh scrubbed teenagers who would dance to the tunes of America’s Top 10 hits.  The teens would then rate new music and give various songs a brief critique, talking about the great dance beat or cool lyrics, etc. 

Maybe it was the music.  Or perhaps it was because teenagers constantly surrounded him, but Dick Clark always retained his youthful appearance and ebullience about the music he so readily embraced.  Kids loved Rock n’ Roll music and obviously, so did Dick Clark.

After 30 years of American Bandstand, Dick Clark went on to host “New Year’s Rockin’ Eve” where he counted down the hits on New Year’s Eve until the ball dropped at midnight in New York’s Times Square.  American Bandstand still is considered to be one of network TV’s longest running series, as it for 30 years introduced rock n’ roll music to generation after generation of teenagers.   

“Music is the soundtrack of your life” –Dick Clark

Here’s a video clip of Dick Clark interviewing the Beach Boys on American Bandstand in 1964.

What’s up with vampires? Yes, they are apparently immortal.  And yes, they can be very intoxicating as well as ridiculously sexy for something that is thought to be thousands of years old.  But what is the real appeal of these monstrous, yet surprisingly charming and elegant beings?  What is our obsession with bloodsucking vampires anyway?  Here are a few reasons why we think vampires have their own fascinating terror-tory.

Vampires are oh so cool:  When you were a kid, you may have tied one of your mom’s towels around your neck in order to play “superhero” or perhaps even a “vampire” now and then.  A cape made you feel powerful and yes, it likely added to your cool quotient as well. Today’s vampire costumes are so much more realistic.   The old-fashioned traditional Vampire garb never seems to lose its appeal or fashion appropriateness, either; the Vampire himself is absolutely okay with his timeless, caped sense of style.

Vampires are simplistic:  No fancy gadgets, slick cars, complicated weaponry or fanfare of any kind is needed in this guy’s world.   The vampire’s appeal is in his simple, yet mesmerizingly deadly allure. Using his eloquent charm as his bait, the vampire so easily lures in his victims with little else ever being necessary.  The modus operandi of the vampire is simple, but oh so potent.

Vampires are a bit misunderstood:  We all can relate a little to the slightly withdrawn persona of the Vampire.  Many of us feel alienated, isolated, a bit different and lonely at various points in our lives.  The vampire, in his solitary existence, perhaps speaks out to parts of us that we ourselves can genuinely understand.  The Vampire has to survive on his own without a support group of friends, his self-reliance always being there to sustain him.

Vampires are powerful:  Not in an Incredible Hulk or superhero kind of way, mind you–but the vampire’s power is in his brains rather than in his brawn.  Living for thousands of years on a blood only diet has given him a certain degree of physical strength, but his ability to outwit humans and to be mentally strong is his absolute strong suit.  Vampires are known to be telepathic and to be somewhat telekinetic as well which also illustrates their ultimate mental prowess.

Vampires are the ultimate bad boys:  Women have been helplessly falling for bad boys for centuries and the Vampire has capitalized on this sexy and captivating dynamic, using it to his fullest advantage.  The vampire is suave, mysterious and debonair–yet at the same time he possesses deadly power and ultimate danger.  The vampire’s allure is undeniable and so very perilous–yet little can be done to stop his victims from falling down the slippery slope into his carefully crafted web– where of course, impending doom ultimately lies.

This summer brings with it a whole new onslaught of Vampire themed thrillers that are likely to lure, tantalize and mesmerize audiences everywhere.  Dark Shadows is the latest in a series of long awaited vampire themed movies and is sure to be a big hit amongst vampire loving fans.  Dark Shadows, directed by Tim Burton, is a dark comedy featuring the long imprisoned vampire, Barnabas Collins (Johnny Depp).  After being buried alive for nearly two centuries, Barnabas finds himself inadvertently freed into the modern world, smack in the year 1972.  His once grand estate has fallen into near ruin and his descendants have done little to fare much better for themselves.  It falls upon Barnabus now to assist his somewhat dysfunctional posterity who have found themselves in need of his very special form of protection.  Dark Shadows will be released in theaters May 11, 2012. 

The epic film “Titanic” hit theatres for its second go around last week, which marks the 15-year anniversary of the film as well as the 100-year anniversary of the actual Titanic disaster.  The film, which retells the story of one of history’s biggest tragedies at sea, has been reinvented this time in a 3D format to further punctuate the intense action, excitement and adventure that were found as part of the original film. And of course, there are some terrific early 1900′s period costumes in this film too. Not a fan of 3D?  Not to worry, the movie will also be released in its regular format as well. 

To get you really excited about the rerelease of Titanic as well as to commemorate the 100-year anniversary of the original Titanic sinking, we thought it would be fun to share some interesting Titanic facts as well as trivia tidbits.

• If the Titanic were built today, it would cost over 400 million dollars.  Back in 1912, the cost of a first class ticket to board the Titanic was approximately $4,700, which in today’s dollars would be roughly the equivalent of $50,000!  In other words, to ride this ship you needed to be, in a word, loaded.
• It cost over 200 million dollars to make the movie “Titanic”; prior to the rerelease it had grossed approximately $1,843,201,268 dollars.  That figure is now likely to increase substantially!  Looks like that initial 200 million dollar outlay may have been money well spent.
• Although it is a commonly repeated rumor, no one actually ever claimed that the Titanic was unsinkable.  (Okay, now you tell us…)  The truth is that an article written about the ship was a little misquoted, as it only said that once the watertight doors were shut, the ship would be “practically unsinkable.”  Not quite the same thing.
• The tradition of breaking a bottle of champagne on the bow of a ship before its first sailing was unfortunately overlooked before the Titanic set sail.  (Uh oh…)
• The lookouts in the crow’s nest of the Titanic were not equipped with binoculars.  Had binoculars been used, they may have seen the iceberg in time to avoid impact.  As it was, by the time the iceberg was spotted, it was only about 30 seconds until impact.  Sadly, the last minute effort to turn the ship only made the iceberg hit the starboard side of the bow, rather than have it hit it head on.  Had the ship hit the ice head on, perhaps it would have only suffered minor damage. 
• After impact, the Titanic took 2 hours, 40 minutes to sink. 
• The Titanic carried only 20 lifeboats, as it was thought the ship looked too cluttered with the full amount necessary to rescue all the passengers that would be on board.  The total rescue capacity of the 20 lifeboats was 1,178 but only 711 were rescued.   Even if all the lifeboats were filled to capacity, 1,023 persons would have been left behind.  To make matters even more tragic, however, many of the lifeboats were not filled to their full capacity, which further exacerbated the death toll taken in the catastrophe.  Perhaps the crew initially did not realize the magnitude of the situation and set some lifeboats afloat in the icy sea before they were completely filled.
• As a reverent gesture, it was James Cameron’s original intent to not have any song playing before, during or after the film.  James Horner and Will Jennings secretly wrote “My Heart Will Go On” and had Celine Dion record the demo.  This song went on to win the Academy Award for the “Best Original Song” and has since made its mark as one of the most overplayed songs in all of history.   

Sail on out to find Titanic 3D (for a limited time only) in a theater near you!

You can view the official Titanic 3D movie website link here.

Titanic 3D – Official Trailer

If you’ve seen the huge blockbuster hit of the spring, The Hunger Games, the name Katniss is a familiar one.  Katniss, the noble teenage heroine that shines in The Hunger Games begins as an impoverished girl fighting for her family’s survival in District 12 of Panem.  When her baby sister Primrose is unfortunately selected to be the female tribute representing District 12 in the annual event known as The Hunger Games, Katniss bravely volunteers to take her place, an act of unprecedented courage.  Each of the 12 districts have a male and female tribute selected for a total of 24 teenagers, aged 12-18 who will fight to the death while on live television until only one survivor remains.

Katniss is a rich character with some pretty amazing wardrobe changes during the film; many of these are quite spectacular as well as memorable. We suspect that the Hunger Games look will be popular this coming Halloween season and thought you might enjoy taking a peek! 

The Girl on Fire Jumpsuit:

Katniss and Peeta wore very sleek and powerful looking jumpsuits in the introductory parade; fortunately these were also fireproof!  Made of stretchy black fabric with an embossed plastic on it that almost looks like leather.  These jumpsuits were apparently so tight on the actors that they were made in two pieces otherwise they wouldn’t have been able to get in and out of them!

The Red Interview Dress: 

This stunning red dress not only looks classy and elegant, but is also adorned with bazillions of Swarovski crystals for some added big bling factor.  The dress also has the unique ability to light itself into flames when Katniss spins around–now that my friends, is some kinda HOT!

Survival Gear:

Perhaps not as flashy as some of her other duds, we still have to give some big kudos to Katniss’ tough girl fashion flair while surviving out in the rough and wild places.  A cool leather jacket, sleek black pants, boots and her signature side braid capture the essence of the chick power she simply exudes.  Her weaponry of choice, her infamous bow and arrow completes this amazing look.

Just Plain Funky:

You can’t write about the costumes from The Hunger Games without mentioning Effie Trinket.  Her eccentric and bizarre look speaks for itself with its futuristic drama and some pretty outlandish details including poufy dresses, crazy hats, pink eyelashes and even at times, blue lipstick. 

For those who have not yet seen this blockbuster movie, here’s a link to the Hunger Games trailer.

Which Hunger Games look is for you?

Have you ever wondered who dreamed up the idea of Easter Eggs?  What about the Easter Bunny in that funky Easter Bunny costume — where did that tradition come from?   With Easter just around the corner, we thought it would be fun to explain a little bit about the history of some of the more common Easter traditions.

Easter Bunny-Tradition states that on Easter this wily rabbit brings baskets full of Easter eggs and toys to children.  Although this custom has been around for a very long time, as it turns out, the Easter bunny has its roots as a pagan rather than a religious symbol.  In Ancient days, long before the Christian holiday of Easter was even celebrated, pagan villagers adopted this hare as a figure of their own holiday as it represented to them the beginning of new life.

Pagan cultures of long ago often celebrated the various seasons and the many different things associated with each of them. In the spring, the world began to come to life again with plants and flowers growing and blooming.  These ancient people celebrated this renewal of life and were thought to believe that these rituals would assist in the perpetuation and fertility of crops, animals and even human beings.  The Saxons worshiped a maiden goddess of fertility known as Eastre, and she was frequently glorified during a springtime village gala. (As a side note, Halloween also has its roots as a pagan celebration associated with harvest time.)

When Christian missionaries came to convert these pagan people to Christianity during the second century, these celebrations eventually were adapted to become Christian holidays rather than pagan holidays.  The festival of Eastre was near the time of Christ’s resurrection, so as time went by, the holidays were assimilated into one celebration, and of course, the Easter Bunny came along for the ride.

Easter Eggs-Eggs have been the symbol of rebirth since ancient days as well.  It seems only natural that a springtime holiday would have the symbol of an egg associated with it, as the earth does appear to be somewhat reborn during the springtime months. The tradition of dyeing eggs during springtime celebrations has been around since the time of the Ancient Egyptians, Greeks and Romans. Christians adopted the custom of decorating eggs and used the eggs to symbolize the ideals of rebirth and resurrection.  In the 600’s, Pope Gregory the Great actually made it illegal to eat eggs during Lent (the 40 days before Easter) so that when Easter finally came and it was then again okay to eat eggs, the eggs seemed like a very delicious and special treat.  Over the years it has become a custom all over the world to decorate eggs around the time of Easter. 

Knowing a little bit of history about your favorite holidays makes it even more fun and enjoyable.  Now when you bite the ears off that chocolate bunny or munch a peanut butter filled chocolate egg, you can think about the long history involved to make that Easter fun happen! 

You’re feeling it.  The daylight hours are definitely longer and finally the sun is setting much later in the day.  You’ve likely experienced some warmer days as well, and perhaps springtime flowers are blooming in a place near you.  Birds are building their nests and the hope of a post-winter thaw looms closer than ever!   Here are some fun facts and trivia about spring to help get you excited about yours!

• The Vernal Equinox occurs on March 21.  This is the day when daylight and nighttime hours are nearly the same, approximately 12 hours each.  This occurs when the earth’s position in its orbit around the sun places the equator in a direct line with the sun. 

• A bee must collect pollen from approximately 2 million flowers in order to make honey the equivalent of a one-pound comb.    Speaking of honeybees and pollen, bees actually have a preference when it comes to the flowers they choose.  Their faves seem to be the yellow and blue posies, no one really knows why.

• Spring Fever is completely legit.  If you are feeling more energetic due to the onset of spring, you are not alone.  Scientists have proven that as daylight increases and the weather warms up, the body makes less melatonin (which makes you sleepy) and more serotonin (which makes you feel good).  These hormonal fluctuations actually will cause a form of mild giddiness, jubilance and a surge of energy that may be noticeable to some; it’s not your imagination.  If you are feeling an uncontrollable urge to do your spring cleaning or are unusually amorous, it may be an after effect of these hormonal ebbs and flows, just go with it, it’s completely normal.  You may also find yourself getting fewer colds and flu bugs as well.  Warmer weather decreases the onset of these annoying maladies– say a fond farewell!

• Birds must learn to sing.  It’s completely true.  Although birds are born with the natural ability to sing, they must be taught the bird songs that are indigenous to their own species.  The only way for them to do this is through hearing other like birds sing these complex songs.  Interestingly enough, it’s very rare for a bird to be able to learn the songs of another species of bird.  The Mockingbird is well known as the great imitator amongst birds, and seems to easily learn and sing the songs of other varieties of birds, but this is apparently a unique talent.

• Kids grow twice as fast in the springtime as they do during the other months.  If yours suddenly seem to be sprouting rapidly upward, don’t be surprised!  It seems logical, too, that kids are likely hungrier because of this phenomenon.  If food is also disappearing around your place at a very rapid pace, then yes, it must be spring!

• Most popular U.S. Spring Break getaways: Beach: Miami, Key West, South Padre Island, Myrtle Beach, Maui Mountain/Ski Vacations:  Jackson Hole, Aspen, Lake Tahoe, VailFamily Trips: Washington DC, New York, Orlando, San Diego

Enjoy the longer days, the long-awaited winter thaw, and the warmer weather  Finally, spring is in the air!