# Party theme help!?



## Jack'sEckstein (Oct 16, 2012)

These are the themes I'm deciding between. Many ideas for each but can't decide!! Dark carnival, Tim burton or living dead fifties. The Tim burton idea, I feel my friends would easily love. And the living dead fifties theme, I personally think would be great! Zombie pin up girls! But I really want to know your opinions and ideas! Thanks for the help.


----------



## JamesButabi (Aug 30, 2012)

I think you should do the theme that currently has the most ideas / bang for your budget and start with it. I find preparation and starting early on building all of the elements is the biggest hurdle. Every day you contemplate the theme is another lost focusing! They all sound like a great time. Halloween is closer than you think!


----------



## Jack'sEckstein (Oct 16, 2012)

Oh I know! It's killing me. I have consider cost and what ideas I have for each theme and they all seem to be on the same level. I will have to go over everything again, see if I can come to a decision. Thanks for posting! I appreciate the help, if your interested I have a page on Facebook dedicated to Halloween. I just made it not too long ago, so not much there at this point but check it out. Like the page and hopefully you'll like my posts! https://www.facebook.com/CarnivalOfHorrorsNY


----------



## Surfbeatnik (Jul 23, 2013)

4 years ago, our annual party was themed as a dark circus....We called it "The Big Top of Terror!" We had some really creepy clowns show up, a strong man, knife thrower, sword swallower, etc....I was dressed as a Ring Master and my wife was a Magicians Assistant (with a foam rubber saw cutting half way through her!)

It was fun!


----------



## ravenworks69 (Sep 27, 2009)

The Carn-Evil could easily take a turn and end up being alot of creepy clown stuff. You would have to keep it on track. Carn-Evil barker, mid way scrims with the "4 foot man eating chicken", "50/50 he/she", "Geek" etc. 

It may be easier to do the Tim Burton theme. From a decor point of view, lots of black and white stripes and swirls with hints of red and orange. Also like you said it would be "current" enough for guests to recognize the theme right away instead of it just being kinda familiar.

A buddy of mine made this mistake of spending 6 months making a "Phantom Of The Opera" costume (like the one below) and he spent half the night lifting up his mask explaining who he was from the movie and getting lots of..." I thought the phantom had a pig nose, bad teeth, and a black cape?" he was so bummed.


----------



## Jack'sEckstein (Oct 16, 2012)

Agreed, and that's too bad about his costume. I wouldn't like it much if I put so much time and effort into something great just for people to blow me off about it :/ that's a bummer. I am such a large Tim burton fan, I could easily roll with that one! I'm afraid my guests will all do the same costume though :/ I have great people in my life, but their not very creative with costumes.


----------



## ravenworks69 (Sep 27, 2009)

Jack'sEckstein said:


> have great people in my life, but their not very creative with costumes.


How about designating costumes? Not everybody has to dress as Jack Skellington or Sally. Burton has made a ton of live action movies too. They could be Alec Baldwin or Geena Davis from "Beetljuice", Batman or the Joker from "Batman", "Peewee's big adventure", Mars Attacks!", "Sleepy Hollow", "Alice in Wonderland","Ed Wood", "Charlie and the Chocolate Factory", "Sweeney Todd".

Heck, there are 9 characters to choose from in "9" alone. Some costume may be easier than others, but if they go with "James and the Giant Peach" they don't have to go to elaborate just like the folks below.


----------



## Jack'sEckstein (Oct 16, 2012)

ravenworks69 said:


> Jack'sEckstein said:
> 
> 
> > have great people in my life, but their not very creative with costumes.
> ...


if I don't designate costumes people will only do jack and Sally. I know all those movies!! So many great characters to choose from!!! Plus I think designating characters will be interesting!!


----------



## Trinity1 (Sep 5, 2009)

I'm loving the idea of the TIm Burton theme!! I agree...tons of black & white, swirls and SO many different characters to pick from for costumes. Let us know what you definitely decide to do!!


----------



## Jack'sEckstein (Oct 16, 2012)

Trinity1 said:


> I'm loving the idea of the TIm Burton theme!! I agree...tons of black & white, swirls and SO many different characters to pick from for costumes. Let us know what you definitely decide to do!!


 I am so leaning towards Tim burton theme! I can go all out with decorations and food and of course costumes for that theme!!


----------



## Saki.Girl (Aug 22, 2012)

i would do tim burton. I have actual truned my chrsitmas into night mare before christmas then i get to take my halloween in to christmas haha i have enve gotten the black and purple trees i can use them for both halloween and my nightmare before christmas stuff i am a huge fan .


----------



## scheibla (Apr 14, 2013)

I say Dark Carnival, but I am biased because that is my theme this year!


----------



## dawnski (Jun 16, 2012)

If you have many Halloween items in storage, take stock and see what you could pull off with those items. You might find you'll spend more money on one over the other. I've been saving Pinterest boards on each.
Here's one for a dark carnival theme - http://pinterest.com/zim2/halloween-carnevil/
And one for a Tim Burton theme - http://pinterest.com/zim2/halloween-tim-burton/
You might be able to incorporate both ideas. Have a black and white circus style to your decorations (which is kind of Tim Burton's style anyway). You could have the clown with all the chains (when Pee Wee's bike goes missing). Coraline also had a creepy circus vibe in the "other" world.


----------



## kathy2008 (Jul 17, 2012)

Saki.Girl said:


> i would do tim burton. I have actual truned my chrsitmas into night mare before christmas then i get to take my halloween in to christmas haha i have enve gotten the black and purple trees i can use them for both halloween and my nightmare before christmas stuff i am a huge fan .


NBC is such a great mix of both holidays, You've inspired me to "mix it up" this Xmas! I mean, why take down any 'Ween decor if you don't have to? I remember when the movie came out on DVD & my 5 year old son watched it with me, then had nightmares about oogie boogie! Such a great movie to get in the haunted holiday spirit!


----------



## Jack'sEckstein (Oct 16, 2012)

Saki.Girl said:


> i would do tim burton. I have actual truned my chrsitmas into night mare before christmas then i get to take my halloween in to christmas haha i have enve gotten the black and purple trees i can use them for both halloween and my nightmare before christmas stuff i am a huge fan .


tim burton has inspired so much of who I am. If I had to pick two words to describe who I am it would be "Tim burton" I believe I am who am a lot because of Tim burton and his many wonderful creations! This Halloween party will also double as a house warming since I am in the process of buying my first home. I think Tim burton theme would be best  thanks for your opinions!


----------



## Saki.Girl (Aug 22, 2012)

Jack'sEckstein said:


> tim burton has inspired so much of who I am. If I had to pick two words to describe who I am it would be "Tim burton" I believe I am who am a lot because of Tim burton and his many wonderful creations! This Halloween party will also double as a house warming since I am in the process of buying my first home. I think Tim burton theme would be best  thanks for your opinions!


con grads on house i know sometimes buying a house can strap on but there is so much you can do with plywood here is some of the stuff i have done it is christmas based but gives you some ideas i have black and white candy canes , black and white deer have to see if i can find pics of them lol and more lol 











shuters for my house they stay up year around


----------



## Saki.Girl (Aug 22, 2012)

more lol 











ok i will stop now LOL


----------



## yellow_moon (Apr 21, 2008)

Jack'sEckstein's,

Congrats on your new home and Tim Burton Theme party!...if I was coming over I'd bring you a house warming gift of bunches of plants called escargot begonia, it has that classic tim burton spiral you see in so many of his creations






maybe you can find them local greenhouse


----------



## tommytrubbs (Jul 30, 2010)

How about Halloween cinema. You could have a room with a projector showing old horror movies and people could be encouraged to wear film themed costumes. Could have popcorn for snacks etc.


----------



## kathy2008 (Jul 17, 2012)

Saki, 
Love all your NBC work, especially LOVE Jack & Sally on the curly hill, they are tombstones, right? Very, very nice work! I'm going to crawl in my hole now, I was BUYING my NBC stuff, but now I'm taking a stab at making a Hanging Tree with the 5 skellys and I'm using a real tree branch.


----------



## Jack'sEckstein (Oct 16, 2012)

yellow_moon said:


> Jack'sEckstein's,
> 
> Congrats on your new home and Tim Burton Theme party!...if I was coming over I'd bring you a house warming gift of bunches of plants called escargot begonia, it has that classic tim burton spiral you see in so many of his creations
> View attachment 163200
> maybe you can find them local greenhouse


 lol thank you!! And that plant is incredibly pretty! It definitely reminds me so much of Tim burton!!


----------



## Jack'sEckstein (Oct 16, 2012)

Saki.girl those are all so nice! I love it all!


----------

