Halloween

If there's a competition for the most popular Halloween costumes, Barbie and Ariel, the "Little Mermaid" are queens of the hill this year -- and everything related to those characters is flying off shelves.

A rep for HalloweenCostumes.com tells TMZ ... those 2 themes have been knocking it out of the park for 2023, as expected with the popularity of their movies -- especially "Barbie" -- this year.

For Barbie, the company's officially licensed costumes have been selling 9x as much as they did last year ... and the site's "Barbie-Inspired" looks have also boosted 40%.

As for Ariel, her styles are up nearly 70% in 2023, too -- and the company is just hoping its inventory will be enough to get 'em through the spooky season!

Believe it or not, the movies aren't the only hot topics in the world of Halloween costumes ... we're told there's been a major spike in interest for Beyoncé and Taylor Swift looks -- obviously because of their extremely popular concert tours.

HalloweenCostumes.com has responded to the concert craze by making costume guides for each option -- a combination of some of the site's items that, when put together, make for a pretty great look-alike.

Si hubiera una competencia por los disfraces de Halloween más populares, Barbie y La Sirenita serían las ganadoras, ¡porque ambas están agotando las estanterías este año!

Un representante de HalloweenCostumes.com le informó a TMZ que estos disfraces han estado arrasando, sin duda gracias a los estrenos de este año.

En cuanto a Barbie, los disfraces con licencia oficial de la empresa se han vendido 9 veces más que el año pasado y los looks "inspirados en Barbie" también han aumentado un 40%.

¡En cuanto a Ariel, sus atuendos también han aumentado casi un 70% en 2023 y la compañía solo espera contar con el inventario suficiente para hacerle frente a la temporada!

Lo crean o no, las películas no son los únicos temas candentes en el mundo de los disfraces de Halloween. Nos dicen que también ha habido un aumento importante en el interés por Beyoncé y Taylor Swift, obviamente, debido a sus populares giras.

HalloweenCostumes.com ha respondido a la moda de los conciertos elaborando guías de disfraces para cada opción. Si combinas de algunos de los artículos del sitio, te darás cuenta de que al juntarlos dan lugar a un look bastante impresionante.

Zak Bagans is exercising his right to scare the crap out of folks at his Haunted Museum ... by bringing in some creepy-ass artifacts from famous exorcisms!!!

The "Ghost Adventures" star tells TMZ ... he recently got his hands on the fabled "Exorcism Box," which was used during the 1970s real-life exorcisms of Anneliese Michel ... whose story is the inspiration behind 2005's "The Exorcism of Emily Rose."

Zak tells us he got the box from filmmaker Christopher Saint Booth, who wanted to get rid of it after a disturbing experience, to put it mildly. While he had the box, Booth says he felt something growing inside him, and a doctor determined the growth contained teeth and stem cells.

Booth says he had an archbishop exorcise the box ... and while doing so, he saw a dark figure dart past him. Booth believes it was Anneliese, who died way back in 1976 following 67 catholic exorcism rites.

Zak says Booth told him the archbishop saw the figure too, which appeared to have Anneliese's face, and it was shaking uncontrollably as if being pushed away from the box by a dark energy. Booth believes the "Exorcism Box" absorbed all the energy from Anneliese's exorcisms.

If that doesn't give you enough chills ... Zak also obtained a copy of the infamous Exorcist Diary, which inspired the 1974 movie "The Exorcist."

There are only 6 copies of the diary, 2 of which remain in a vault at the Vatican. The diary documents a 3-month period of exorcisms on a 13-year-old boy in St. Louis way back in 1949 and includes a map of Hell.

Zak says Booth had the diary while working on a documentary called "The Exorcist File" ... and Booth says he felt very oppressed and suicidal whenever the diary was nearby.

And, get this ... Zak says Booth told him he had the diary with him in a hotel room when he saw a horned, shadowy figure appear just before something scratched his ankle and pulled him out of bed. 😱

Since bringing the items to his Haunted Museum in Las Vegas, Zak says countless guests are refusing to enter the new Exorcism Room Exhibit before they even know what's inside ... with some saying they felt light-headed.

Zak is not new to the exorcism world -- he filmed the 100th episode of "Ghost Adventures" in the house where the notorious St. Louis exorcism was performed.

It's a timely acquisition for Zak with Halloween lurking, and "The Exorcist: Believer" just hitting theaters.

Have no fear, Halloween Horror Nights is here! With Halloween quickly approaching, even the celebs are feening for some fright at night, and that's why they're hitting up Universal Studios with the expectation of getting spooked TF out!!!

As you may be aware, the L.A. theme park doors have creaked open at Halloween Horror Nights, and the stars have stepped right up ... ready for thrills, chills and freaky haunted mazes!

To kick off the A-list name-drops ... Demi Lovato and Travis Barker hit the mazes running -- but not without first snapping a spooky selfie with some scary-lookin' peeps!

JoJo Siwa also came through with a double thumbs-up, while the creepy characters took over the (dance) floor, upstaging her giddiness with their fake blood and violent props!

And, Siwa wasn't the "only fan" in attendance at the iconic attraction ... Bella Thorne stood by for a spirited snap and let the dressed-up folks commit to their bit (being as in-your-face as humanly possible ... without touching the attendees of course!)

Hollywood is getting lit up at Horror Nights, and there continues to be an influx of celeb visitors ... Amber Rose, Charli D'Amelio, Kenan Thompson and Alesso have all been unmasked and entertained with some friendly frights.

No tengan miedo, ¡la noche más espeluznante del año casi está aquí! Con Halloween acercándose rápidamente, incluso los famosos están deseando pasar un susto, ¡¡¡y por eso están yendo a Universal Studios con la expectativa de salir espantados!!

Como ya sabrán, las puertas del parque temático de Los Ángeles está abierto para sus Halloween Horror Nights, y las estrellas se han acercado para vivir emociones, sentir algunos escalofríos y pasear por sus terroríficos laberintos embrujados.

Para empezar, tenemos a Demi Lovato y Travis Barker, quienes llegaron corriendo a los laberintos, ¡pero no sin antes tomarse una selfie con algunos personajes!

JoJo Siwa también se tomó una selfie con los dedos hacia arriba, mientras los espeluznantes personajes se apoderaban de la pista (de baile), eclipsando con sus accesorios.

Y Siwa no fue la única fan que asistió a la icónica atracción. Bella Thorne se quedó para una instantánea animada y dejó a los anfitriones del lugar hacer su parte.

Hollywood se está prendiendo con Horror Nights. Otros famosos que se han acercado al parque de atracciones son Amber Rose, Charli D'Amelio, Kenan Thompson y Alesso.

Tyler Mane, famous for playing Michael Myers on the big screen, is an expert on prop knives ... and despite their dull edges, he says they can still hurt someone like Britney Spears.

We got the "Halloween" star at LAX and our photog asked him to weigh in on Britney's knife dancing controversy ... playing him a clip of her clanking knives together, which she insists are just props.

Tyler says Britney could be wielding prop knives, based on the sounds they're making, and he tells us how they're different from real knives ... basically, prop knives have dull edges and a dulled tip.

Remember ... this guy knows his stuff, he's used tons of real and prop knives on the set of 2 movies as notorious serial killer Michael Myers.

But, Tyler's not saying prop knives are inherently safe ... warning they still pose a danger if the person wielding them isn't careful.

Britney's fans aren't buying her prop knife explanation ... because she's also on video with a bandage on her arm and a cut on her leg ... and cops went to her house to do a welfare check, which didn't go over so well with Britney.

Tyler Mane, famoso por interpretar a Michael Myers en la gran pantalla, es un experto en cuchillos de utilería, y a pesar de que sus bordes no causan dolor, también pueden herir a alguien como Britney Spears.

Nos encontramos con la estrella de "Halloween" en el aeropuerto de Los Ángeles y nuestro fotógrafo le pidió que opinara sobre Britney y su polémico video, en donde aparece chocando dos cuchillos, los que ella insiste que no son reales.

Tyler dice que Britney podría estar usando cuchillos de utilería, por los sonidos que está haciendo, y nos explica las diferencias que tienen con los reales. Básicamente, los cuchillos de utilería no tienen bordes ni una punta afilada.

Recuerden, este tipo sabe de lo que habla, ha utilizado toneladas de cuchillos reales y falsos en el set en las dos películas como el notorio asesino en serie Michael Myers.

Tyler está diciendo que los cuchillos de utilería no son intrínsecamente seguros, advirtiendo que todavía representan un peligro si la persona que los empuña no tiene cuidado.

Los fans de Britney no están creyendo su explicación de que son de utilería porque en otro video aparece con un vendaje en el brazo y un corte en la pierna. Los policías fueron a su casa para chequear que todo esté bien, lo que no le cayó muy bien a Britney.

Taylor Swift and Travis Kelce's fling has now gotten the Halloween decor treatment ... popping up in an Indiana town as two massive skeletons.

The spooky era decorations recently appeared outside Michal Owens' house in Zionsville, IN -- the Swiftie's pair of themed skeletons are 12 feet high, with the Taylor look-alike rocking a shiny dress straight out of her "Eras" Tour wardrobe.

Michal says the blonde hairdo was a must, sewing 3 wigs together to pull it off. And of course, no Taylor Swift look could be complete without a bejeweled mic in her hand.

TS isn't the only one getting the transformation, though -- her rumored new boo, Travis, has been recreated in bone form just feet away from "Skaylor," fit with a huge Kansas City Chiefs jersey and a larger-than-life mustache.

Michal admits she's been getting quite the crowd to stop in front of her pad since putting up the undead lovers on her lawn ... but she's cool with it, as long as it doesn't lead to crashes!

La aventura amorosa de Taylor Swift y Travis Kelce ya es parte de la decoración de Halloween, ya que esta semana aparecieron dos enormes esqueletos de la pareja en Indiana.

Las espeluznantes decoraciones aparecieron afuera de la casa de Michal Owens en Zionsville. Los esqueletos temáticos son de 12 pies de altura, y la personificación de Taylor aparece con un vestido brillante sacado directamente del armario de "Eras" Tour.

Michal dice que su cabello rubio era obligatorio, así que cosió tres pelucas para lograrlo. Por supuesto, ningún look de Taylor podría estar completo sin un micrófono enjoyado.

Taylor Swift no es la única que está recibiendo estas atenciones. Su rumoreado nuevo novio, Travis, fue recreado en forma de hueso a pocos metros de "Skaylor", con una enorme camiseta de los Kansas City Chiefs y un bigote más grande que él mismo.

Michal admite que ha estado recibiendo una gran cantidad de personas en su casa desde que puso a los "amantes" en su césped, pero dice que no le molesta siempre y cuando no causen problemas.

Taylor Swift is being used as punishment for Universal Studios guests looking for late-night scares past business hours -- as heard in this hilarious closing-time message from the park.

Check out this seemingly pre-recorded message that was blasted over the intercom during Sunday night's Halloween Horror Nights ... where folks traverse the massive theme park to hit haunted mazes and rides into the wee hours of the morning.

HHN officially shuts down at 2 AM, and based on this YouTube streamer's video ... it sounds like stragglers were hit with a warning for sticking around -- namely, loud Swiftie tunes!

Here's what a man could be heard saying, "The rides are closed, mazes are closed there is no reason to stay here any longer. You don’t have to go home but you can't stay here we only have 7 hours to get the park ready for tomorrow. Hit the bricks, take a hike gather your belongings and your drunk friends and go or we start playing Taylor Swift at full volume."

He delivers it in a humorous way, so this is obviously a gag. The interesting part is that this really sounds like a recording, and not just an employee riffing off the cuff. If true, even funnier.

The house where Jamie Lee Curtis' character from "Halloween" once lived is up for sale ... and a true horror fan can get the keys -- if they have a decent chunk of change to spend.

The L.A.-area property is the fictional Haddonfield, Illinois home of teenager Laurie Strode, and can be yours for $1.8 million. Fans of the flick will recognize the house from the scene where she sat on the front stoop holding a pumpkin.

The home's been in the fam for generations, long before filming began in 1978. The seller's granddad planted an avocado tree on the property that's been there since the '40s.

It's been carved up into 3-units, so whoever buys it can pocket some rental income.

The area is being revitalized ... a nearby school is being repurposed with shops, restaurants and even a live music venue.

PETA is cashin' in on Pete Davidson's anger -- the organization is selling a Halloween costume based on the infamously unhinged voice mail Pete left PETA during their feud over a puppy.

We've learned PETA's limited-edition costume comes with a paper mask of Pete's face, an "I Should Have Adopted" hoodie and a hat with a censored cuss word plastered on it -- referring to his profanity-laced telephone rant after the org called him out for buying a pet store puppy, instead of one from a shelter.

It also comes with a plush dog wearing a "Shelter Dogs Rule" bandana. The whole look is going for $99.99 ... and all proceeds are going toward spay and neuter surgeries to help combat the overpopulation of homeless dogs.

According to PETA, over 70 million dogs and cats are homeless in the U.S. ... and breeders contribute to the crisis by denying animals in shelters a chance at finding a loving home.

PETA President Ingrid Newkirk says, "It’s too late for Pete to undo his puppy purchase or that voice mail, but it’s never too late to save a dog’s life by choosing adoption and shunning pet shops and other dog breeders." She hopes Pete will see the joke in having folks dress up like him ... especially since it's for a good cause.

TMZ broke the story, Pete dialed up PETA in June after the org publicly shamed the comedian for buying the new pup at a NYC pet store. In his furious defense, Pete said he's allergic to dogs and, therefore, needed a hypoallergenic pooch like the cavapoo he got.

He also said the puppy was a gift for his mother who'd been mourning the recent death of her dog.

All of that with lots of colorful language sprinkled in, too -- which you can now mock, or celebrate, come Halloween.

James Winburn, the stunt double for the Michael Myers character in the original "Halloween" film, has died.

James' manager, Peter DeLorme, tells TMZ ... James died Saturday in a Los Angeles hospital after a short illness.

It sounds like a sudden health issue because we're told just about 3 weeks ago James traveled all the way to the United Kingdom for a convention.

James was in Manchester, England during the "For The Love of Horror" convention last month, and the company that put on the event says he "was an absolute pleasure to work with and shared some amazing stories with everyone over the weekend."

A veteran stunt performer, James doubled for Nick Castle's version of Michael Myers in 1978's "Halloween" ... including the famous scene at the end of the horror movie, where Dr. Loomis shoots Michael 6 times, sending Myers falling backwards over a balcony.

James also did stunt work on "The Fog" and "Escape from New York" among other films ... and even wrote and directed a handful of movies.

He was 85.

Halloween costumes like Jerry Jones' "blind referee" play into stereotypes that the visually impaired are incompetent ... so says the National Federation of the Blind, which tells TMZ Sports these kinds of outfits are "harmful."

Jerry dressed up in a ref uniform and sported sunglasses and a walking stick over the holiday weekend ... in an attempt to playfully go after NFL officials for missing penalty calls.

While Jones certainly isn't the first person to sport the costume, the NFB tells us it's an "unfortunate" choice ... especially because it leans into the underlying stereotype that the blind are "incompetent."

"When anyone perpetuates that stereotype, it's harmful," Chris Danielsen, the NFB's director of PR tells us ... pointing out nearly 70% of blind people are unemployed.

Instead of ripping into the Cowboys owner for his choice, Danielsen believes this can be a teachable moment for Jones and anyone else considering wearing costumes that make light of the blind.

"He does have blind Cowboys fans," Danielsen added. "They show up at games and put on headsets or listen on the radio. It may be something for him to think about."

Danielsen says there are plenty of blind people who want to be more involved in sports in any capacity ... and the "blind referee" costume only complicates things for them.

Hold the Almond Joys ... the Crenshaw Cougars youth football team got something wayyy better than fun-size candy bars this Halloween -- the kids were treated to nearly $45,000 worth of rare kicks like Jordans and Off-Whites!!

33 players, all 10 years old and younger, received brand new sneakers from Cool Kicks ... courtesy of their coach Big U, a community leader who runs Developing Options ... a non-profit aimed at keeping young kids off the streets.

And, we're not just talking about your standard pair of athletic shoes.

The sneakers cost anywhere from several hundred to over three thousand dollars(!!!) ... and included several Jordan 1 x Travis Scott, Brooklyn Off-White Air Force 1's, and many other incredibly rare pairs. The bill cost an astonishing $44,697.90.

To make the "Trunk or Treat" event a reality, U teamed up with Jas Mathur ... who along with pal Jona Rechnitz, helped hand out the sneakers at Crenshaw H.S.

The kids also got candy and an up-close look at some really cool cars ... courtesy of Hood Muscle Cars (HMC) car club. Many of the cars were decked out in spooky Halloween decorations ... complete with skulls, spiderwebs, and gravestones.

Tom Brady appeared to be on his own for trick-or-treating with the kids -- the Tampa Bay Buccaneers superstar threw on a grim reaper costume for the Halloween festivities ... with no sign of Gisele Bündchen.

Brady posted a pic alongside 9-year-old Vivian and Ben, 12, on Monday ... and he was seemingly in good spirits -- cracking a joke about his all-black attire.

The quarterback and supermodel were known to do cute couples costumes over the course of their 13-year marriage ... including their famous avocado and toast get-up.

TB12 previously said he always left the costume ideas up to the wife ... but given their recent divorce, that's probably out of the question now.

Brady's outfit is about as scary as the Bucs season ... they're currently 3-5 and on a three-game losing streak.