In the first level, Daytime Part 1 (A Journey Through Transylvania), go the regular way. Get the box with the axes and break the platform. Turn right, facing a wall. Run into the wall and keep jumping. You will go through it. There you will see a still man and three boxes. Go to the man and he will start moving. You just broke the spell he was under and you can now collect the boxes.
When the stage number is displayed, begin rapidly pressing B as fast as possible. There is a single 1/60 second window just as the stage number disappears where if you press B (holding does not count) you'll manage to skip the level. Not easy to get but really useful if you manage to get it.