For those of you not familiar with this topic, Halloween Horror Nights ("HHN") is a yearly event that's held at Universal Orlando Resort, the home of Universal Studios Florida. And Universal Studios - a sister company - is the home of some of the most iconic classic monster films ever: Dracula, Frankenstein, The Mummy, etc. etc.
For the past 21 years, Universal Studios Florida, and later Universal Orlando Resort, has been the home of the nation's "premier Halloween event" according to their website, and I have been lucky enough to work for Universal Orlando for the past 4 years.
That being said, I have to admit I was a little less than thrilled when this year's theme and icon were revealed. Lady Luck is the icon, and of course this conjures up immediate phrases: test your luck, take a chance - all of which should work within the scope of HHN. Somehow, it felt a little lackluster though, and as houses and scarezones were announced, it just didn't feel like a cohesive whole. It seemed disjointed without something to tie it all together. Last year's "Fear Revealed" campaign was a bit more tied together - it of course all had an element of fear running through it, and with past icons helping to support it, it was definitely a hit - even though I think the public expected a bit more for the 20th anniversary. My favorite icon+theme was 2009's Ripped From The Silver Screen featuring The Usher Icon - that storyline just interwove everything that HHN had put out there. But this year... I don't know, I expected something better.
So it was, with expectation levels lower than normal, that my wife and I went to our "Team Member Preview" night this past Wednesday - a technical dress rehearsal before the official opening on Friday.
To say I was shocked is a bit of an understatement. I absolutely loved the houses that we were able to see that night. Technically, design-wise and execution of the houses, the Universal Creative team really knocked it out of the park, really going over the top as far as details, design and story are concerned. And although the scarezones lacked a central theme or even very many scares in some cases, the houses themselves more than made up for it. We went back again last night to see the houses we did not get to see during the Team Member Preview, and we were again not disappointed and in many cases completely overwhelmed with the details! Before I get to the house reviews, a little disclaimer: This is my own personal rating, based on many things outside of "how many times did I get spooked". That to me is just icing on the cake. The real draw for me, and my wife - who someday soon wants to work for the very department that puts these things together - is all the craftsmanship, imagination, and technical skill it took to put a house together, and what was the final execution of the story.
Now to the Houses:
1. The Forsaken - To be honest I wasn't expecting much from this. It seemed to be a case of been there, done that (e.g. "Frightanic" et al). Boy was I wrong. This house was among the most creative in design and execution. From the sunken ship details, to a room that really felt like you stepped into a haunted Spanish fort, this room is one of my favorites for this year. The story goes that there were originally four ships that left with Columbus - only three returned, and the undead crew has exacted it's revenge on a supposed abandoned Spanish fort. It was creepy, the details were magnificent, the sound and lighting effects worked wonderfully. Must see!
2. The In-Between - I had heard many good things about this house, and it was one of the few I looked forward to seeing. The story: A portal opens between our world and a 3rd dimension where fiendish creatures rise up to frighten you. Technically, I must say this was amazing. In order to go through the house itself you must be wearing 3D glasses, and the 3D and lighting effects were among the most ambitious for any house. Unfortunately, I don't like houses where I can't see, or I am overwhelmed with special effects merely for the sake of special effects. Some of the demon effects were noteworthy, and again technically I loved this house, but I probably will not revisit.
3. Nevermore: The Madness of Poe - Having a soft spot in my heart for the writings of Edgar Allen Poe, and of course having me portrayed Poe in a stage play, I did look forward to this house. I must say, it did capture the fine line between madness and genius of the writer, infusing Poe lookalikes within some of the storylines {"Pit and the Pendulum" "The Tell-tale Heart" "The Cask of Amontillado") Some of these stories may have gone over the heads of some of the younger generation that visited, but to the storyboard writers I tip my hat. Again, some of the rooms in this house in particular gave that feeling of 19th century dreariness infused with opiate-infused writings and imaginations of the Poe himself.
4. Saws n' Steam: Into The Machine - Traditionally whatever the story is in the location of this house yearly, last years The Orphanage, previous years "Bloody Mary", and many others, for whatever reason the house seems like a good idea, but the execution lacks something. This year, this house was the most surprising. Armed with very low expectations, and a longer than normal wait time, I was indeed overwhelmed and in many cases astounded by the creativity and technical execution in this house. The story in this house involves a nightmarish vision of when technology collides with humanity. And of course, there are chainsaws involved, always a plus.
5. H.R. Bloodngutz: Holidays of Horror - The area that traditionally houses the scare-house here is usually a wonderful coupling of humor and frights, and is again usually one of our favorites. The premise of this house is the final televised performance of a creature-feature host (like Elvira or Svengoolie) as he presents a scare-a-thon of holiday based horror. The tongue in cheek humor seemed dreadfully missing here at times, and although it did provide a few shocks, I might have been holding this house up to a certain standard that for me did not come close enough.
6. The Thing - Based on the upcoming Universal film of the same name (surprise!), this prequel focuses on the Norwegian expedition that finds the creature that eventually terrorizes the American camp in 1982's original movie. I am wondering if the Universal Creative team got to work closely with the designers of the upcoming movie, because the set design is impeccable. In this house you honestly feel as if you have stepped inside the movie set. You can sense the mayhem and confusion that this alien is causing. The makeup effects were the only low point in this house, as you can clearly tell that it's makeup, but the scare-actors make the most of it.
7. Nightingales: Blood Prey - I am usually not a fan of any haunted house that features a war setting. It seems more of a distraction, honestly, than a "typical" haunted house. This one really surprised the heck out of me. Set in World War I, the "Nightingales" are WWI nurses (hence, Nightingales. If you don't get that, read a history book.) The sets, like almost all of the houses encountered are technically amazing, another shout out to the Creative Team. While visiting this house I actually had the imagination that I was deep in those WWI trenches they show in movies with these Nightingales popping up from all manner of places attacking soldiers and of course the visitors going through the house. Technically brilliant, execution was perfect, scares a-plenty. Great house.
8. Winter's Night: The Haunting of Hawthorn Cemetery - Last year in this soundstage, the Creative team unveiled "The Wyandotte House" - a technically superior facade and storyline of a modern-day ghost hunting team encountering a haunting of an old decrepit mansion. I was certain that there was no way they were going to be able to top it - but they might come close. Again, this team has proven me wrong. The Hawthorn Cemetery is another amazing achievement in set design, lighting effects, and the technical skills of these artisans. Full of spookiness, eerie sounds, and frights coming from everywhere, this is definitely a high water mark for this crew. Absolutely breathtaking!
So there you have it. Eight very unique houses, each one is definitely a must to experience, and several should be experienced more than once.
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