DIY Life

Batman kicks butt in his latest movie, The Dark Knight, a gloomy yet action-packed flick that scored big at the box office this weekend. A summer blockbuster has been born, to be sure. The stunningly cool vehicles used in the movie are attracting interest all on their own, especially the sleekly menacing Bat-Pod motorcycle.

It turns out the bike was a bit of a DIY job on the part of the film's creators. According to an article in Popular Mechanics, the 'Pod is actually a motorcycle-ATV hybrid, all wrapped up with plumbing parts and some creative duct-work. The entire exhaust frame was custom built especially for the movie, while those massive wheels suffered blow-out after blow-out until the steering was just right. Another cool little factoid: the footrests disguise the bike's radiator.

Speaking of The Dark Knight, the movie's star, Christian Bale, seems to have gotten himself into a spot of bother with the police. Read all about it at our sister site, Cinematical.

Everything is expensive nowadays, and let's face it -- a summer vacation just may not be in your budget this year. You don't have to sacrifice family fun just because you can't get away, though; instead, follow my tips for a frugal staycation filled with old favorites and new adventures!

Come on in -- the water's fine!
No staycation would be complete without a day at the beach or pool, and you've got lots of cheap options.

• Got a friend with a pool? Bum a visit, and bring burgers and hot dogs for everyone. You've done your share -- and gotten a free day of swimming.
• Find a state park (here's a list of all U.S. state parks) with a lake and beach. They are usually only about US $5 per car; they often have BBQ pits so you can cook your own meals, and you could even rent a canoe.
• If you live in the mountains, you can probably pull over to the side of the road and frolic in the rocky river for the day, like we do when we visit New Hampshire. That's free, folks!
• Living near the ocean is quite a perk, and can cost anywhere from free to about US $20 per car. If you are coastal, you've got to take advantage!

Here at DIY Life you've learned how to write a love song (and a song parody!), how to compose wedding vows and a love letter, and how to deliver a graduation speech to wow the crowd.

Do you still have your creative juices flowing? Are you ready to tackle something just a bit more involved?

On his blog, TV writer Ken Levine details how to write a romantic comedy, one that a studio will look at. He's got some interesting advice, stating that classes, reading, and film analysis aren't going to help you write a salable script. Here's what will, according to Levine:

• a hook, like the girl is a mermaid (his shout-out to Splash)
• a poster and tagline
• "trailer moments," to sell it to the viewers with ads
• songs from the 60's sung by lead characters
• spontaneous dance number

OK, me thinks Ken Levine is getting silly, but he's got a point. These are the things that get people to see movies sometimes, aren't they?

His blog post has more details and ideas that you may want to consider adding to your script to make it appealing to studios and audiences alike. Good luck!

Iron Man gear is all the rage these days, thanks to the popularity of the new hit movie. We recently went to my nephew's fourth birthday party, and as a gift, he received an Iron Man mask and an arm attachment that shoots discs. Ah, the weaponry a four-year-old apparently needs....

If you've got an Iron Man buff in your household, why spend the money on a store-bought mask and arc reactor when you can build one yourself? Details after the break.

Just like the change in the year, everything old is new again, right? In the last few years, I've watched the media icons of my childhood and early teen years become popular again with today's kids (and with nostalgia buffs around my own age). The Transformers are the most obvious and, it seems, successful resurgence, but the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles have also regained a lot of ground lost in the mid-to-late 1990s.

Craftster user atsuko created these adorable amigurumi Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles -- the whole team! -- for her young daughter's Christmas present. She cobbled the pattern together from other simple patterns, with permission.

They're simple to crochet, and if you want to leave off the "Teenage Mutant Ninja" part, they'd probably also make pretty cute just-plain-turtles; advanced crocheters could even try to make little outfits for them. You need worsted weight yarn in two shades of green, a yellowish shade, and the colors for the masks. According to Wikipedia, they are:

• Blue for Leonardo (the "good boy")
• Red for Raphael (the "bad boy")
• Orange for Michelangelo (the "funny one")
• Purple for Donatello (the "smart one")

Turtle power!

Now, in the olden days of, say, the 1980s, we thought a La-Z-Boy recliner was the height of indulgent relaxation. No longer. Now you've got your specialty home theater seating, meaning super-adjustable, huge, comfortable theater-style loungers complete with cup holders. Mmm. Comfort. And a mere $1,499.99 for a three-seat set of leather loungers. Yikes! Oh, and check this out for the ultimate in lavish living. At the other end of the spectrum, though, are budget-conscious DIY makeovers like this one for under $500, proving you don't have to be super-wealthy like Tony Soprano to theater-it-up. (Remember those episodes where he installed a home theater in the downstairs den, complete with an old-timey popcorn machine?)

Thinking of taking the plunge? The home improvement website Home Time has a really useful feature on home theater planning. It covers everything you'll need to consider, like the space you'll need and even suggested room layouts, to maximize your viewing pleasure. Need inspiration? Visit Projector Central for tons of makeover pics.

It's been over a week since Halloween. For days, you've been nagging your roommate to take down that ghost decoration they put up in the corner of the living room, near the ceiling. The trouble is, said roommate (who is usually pretty good about washing the dishes and not using all the toilet paper without buying more) claims not to have put up a ghost decoration anywhere in the house.

Meanwhile, the ghost stares at you balefully, waves its arms around, attempts to make spooky noises, leaves ectoplasm stains on the walls, and is starting to gather dust. You think you may have a bit of a problem on your hands: you're not afraid, you're annoyed. So, who you gonna call? There aren't many actual exorcists in the phone book, let alone Dr. Peter Venkman. (Does he even count as an "actual exorcist"? I mean, have you seen the man work?)

My prescription: get a copy of Ghostbusters and run it incessantly on your DVD player this weekend. At the same time, visit the Ghostbusters Prop Archive, a site dedicated to building all sorts of replica props from the film. Make a point of lingering on the pages for Proton Packs and Ghost Traps: print out a few plans, make some notes, and, most importantly, let your uninvited house-guest see you doing it. Periodically make calculating glances in his direction. Munch on marshmallows.

If your ghost is a reasonably bright ghost, he'll put two and two together and head for someone else's apartment. He doesn't have to know that you're not figuring out how to build real ghost traps, right?

If you just want to make some costumes and props for Ghostbusters cosplay or fan films, the GPA would probably work for that, too, I guess... because I'm joking about the exorcism idea. The site has all the detailed information, screen grabs, and building suggestions you could possibly need to make your project a success. There's even a small shop full of elements that may be difficult to find: knobs for the goggles, belts for the uniforms, etc. Get busting!

Looking for something to sew for a Halloween costume? Wondering how well the costume pattern you've chosen is going to work out for you? Look no further!

San Francisco's Greater Bay Area Costumers Guild was started in 1990 by a couple of people who... well, they just really love to create costumes. The group provides members with costuming resources, places to wear costumes in the form of themed special events, and a group of like-minded enthusiasts. The focus seems to be mostly on historically accurate costuming, with some other stuff that's just for fun. Some members sew professionally; for others, it's a serious hobby.

(They're not quite the same thing as cosplay, which usually involves dressing as a specific character or person in a detailed recreation of an existing film, TV, anime, or stage costume; however, you'll see a bit of cosplay here and there on their site.)

One of the GBACG's most interesting projects is The Great Pattern Review. Read more about it, and how it can help you with your Halloween plans, after the break.

Okay, so you have an idea of a home theater, but knowing exactly where to put speakers can be a guessing game. Not anymore. Setting up a home theater is easier than you think. Most people don't want a separate movie room, and for good reason. Most of us are not part of the Motion Picture Academy of Directors and don't need the $600 movie chairs with cup holders (although my husband would argue this). It only takes two great things to make any living room into a great movie room: audio set-up and video quality.

I'm not an audio or visual expert, but I do know what works in my room and my set-up. Every room and personal preference is different, so trust yourself when it comes to making adjustments and modifications for your set up. However, here are the basics for any home theater.