Characters from the latest movie in the “Matrix” series will be making plenty of appearances in Iowa over the next few weekends. Halloween’s a week away but costume parties are already on some calendars for this weekend. Melissa Hawk, who manages a Des Moines theatrical shop, says Matrix characters are this year’s big seller, even though they’re basically regular-looking people, all dressed in black with hip sunglasses. Hawk says it’s all movie and TV characters this year — nothing particularly scary. Hawk says hobbits and wizards from “The Lord of the Rings” are still hot sellers for the third year in a row, along with characters from many TV shows, like Scooby Doo, the Flintstones and even “I Love Lucy.”Hawk says costume buyers are an unusual bunch and even though they come in separately, many people gravitate toward the same sorts of attire.