Keosilver

Anyone know if they'll be doing another youtube centered event this year?

That doesn't make any sense to me. Slender Man is an internet meme that was created through a photoshop competition on Something Terrible by multiple different people on an internet board. Slender Man as a concept can't be copyrighted, the games can. As far as I know the idea of a tall, faceless man, who kidnaps children, who may have a supernatural background/origin is not copyrighted to anyone. If the idea was to be copyrighted the games would not have been made and a movie loosely based off the lore wouldn't have been produced either.

Just saying that sounds more like Slender Lore. Slender doesn't just stand and stalk people, he murders children. In the Slender games you are a little kid he is after. There was an earlier comment about urban legend and culture, internet is a culture and it too has urban legends like smile.jpeg and Jeff The Killer. I think it would be kind of nice if Universal casts their eyes toward these internet creations. Not only are they somewhat popular and known by the younger generations but they are also free game. No royalties to pay, no contracts to sign, nothing. They are creations of the internet and don't have a copyright haha.

Just wanted to thrown in a possible idea. La Llorona isn't a well known name or story and is possibly just misdirection. La Llorona's story is very similar to the urban legend of "The Lady In White", perhaps La Llorona is a hint that we'll get a Woman In Black, the movie style of spook house. That movie was full of jump scares and was filled with super creepy atmosphere.

I think the costumes allow a lot of freedom of movements. However, those costumes look like what they use in Cirque Du Soleil Ka. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-wTX16zqyDE#t=09m29s Here they are when they assassinate a king and queen.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OEvK9SAMiLw Some examples and a bit of behind the scenes of how much work sliding in haunted houses takes. If Uni really wants stunt work and sliders in Haunted houses it'll take much more time than a few weeks before opening to teach.

Seeing these pictures reminded me of Grown Evil scarezone. But that isn't my point, did anyone else realize that the music used in the zone sounded Silent Hill like, or was a Silent Hill song? Perhaps Universal gives hints through music as to what we will expect next year.

It would be awesome if this concept is taken further later on down the path. Possibly instead of hordes that are risen by one entity have them be more tribal like. Perhaps plunge the entire park into an apocalypse where tribes fight over resources such as fresh/untainted plasma, meats, etc. The guests to the parks being their prey and their enemies being other tribes. Maybe even stage flash mob sort of shows where stunt actors do combat with each other, while the guest/prey scurry away to find a safe haven within the apocalypse. Totally Thunderdome haha. I could think of four "tribes" right now: Medical Mutations (in the case of an atomic apocalypse), Smilez (A barbaric, sadistic, group of killers who have almost un-evolved into more bestial trains of thoughts. Anarchy themed apocalypse.), The Pure (A perfect species that takes eugenics to a new level, Alien apocalypse.), The Suits (Corporate thugs with many different allied forces with other tribes whose goal is to completely monopolize resources by any means necessary.) That was my biggest problem with the scarezone previous. They were just little pockets of scenes that sure, scared people and gave something pretty to look at, but transitioning from Pilgrim burning to Mardi Gras sort of takes me out of the experience. It is sort of jarring like listening to a cd only to have it start skipping because of scratches. With one unified theme on the streets. The house could be tied in by possibly passing through to another dimension that has been touched by the hordes. Sort of like a fantasy RPG, you got one main quest (The streets) and several different unrelated quests that have ties to the main quest. Just my philosophy on this move. I'm very story forward when I go to Halloween events. If it is just a hodge podge of scenes, I'm generally uninterested.

They have been performing since they were in High School and Teller was still a professor. They got plenty of experience under their belt, I'm pretty certain a few drunken hecklers won't bother them much. Plus Penn is a beast, nuff said.

I unfortunately will not be able to go. However, I just want to wish all of you actors a great season. Make them scream in Terror! Time to lurk till the season ends.

I think this house has potential. Even though there may not be any gas powered saws, there are still potentials to have other sorts of saws. You gotta realize that in a "True" Steampunk setting, diesel or gasoline most likely didn't exist or was very scarce. Something along the lines of this beast: Which is air powered, "Steam powered" and makes quite a racquet! Also do to all the carnage and metal promised in the house, I'd wouldn't be surprised if spark effects aren't used. Like this:

Forgive me if this sounds trollish, but does Lady Luck look like a guy?

Ooo Graveyards are good fun. Add an alchemist at a tale about raising the dead, or something like that, and you will have a winner. I could see, depending on the location and setting, above ground graves, walking into mausoleums that lead to secret "experiment rooms'', catacombs, lots of ghostly effects. Personally, I love that HHN has been adding more traditional esqe haunts to their event. Gore, blood and edgyness is all well and good, but nothing beats a good ol haunted house. Not only that, with the increase in popularity of ghost movies (well at least the increase of the movies that are ghost themed), this is a good move. Can't wait to see some pics of this house and maybe some glimpses of it in video format.

I'm still pulling for a witch or magic oriented house in one of the Sprung tents. I loved the imagery in that one scarezone involving the pilgrams burning while the witches ran free. Forgive me for the name escapes my brain. I've noticed in general, other haunted houses in the industry, seem to be stepping back in terms of content. Instead of focusing their haunt on an original story, they are beginning to integrate old hat cliche monsters like werewolves, victorian vampires, etc. Classic monsters and the such. Nothing wrong with that, but my mind is always moving forward. You do a haunted house like legendary truths, I'm already thinking about how can I one up that? What am I trying to say? Well, perhaps Uni is taking a step back and explore the older ideas of shaminism, voodoo, psychics, fortune tellers, etc. It's been awhile since I last browsed over the thread so I apologize in advanced if there has been more code names introduced, but so far I feel that one of the tents will be magic related.

Why do people feel to defend the old? Is it a form of selfishness or is their some sort of fear of change involved? It's quite annoying. There's been a shift of management of the event so expect changes. The old is gone...but like zombies they might reanimate. But the corpses of the past are too fresh to be exhumed as zombies. Also I apologize, I'm a bit snippy after my long day of work. I have a great appreciation for the carpenters and carvers hired by uni to give you all the framework of the event. Building a haunted house is a dirty and miserable job. *picks the foam out of his hair* But quit the bickering and circular arguments about past icons and characters coming back this year. I'd have to yell COP OUT, if they do bring back characters this year. I'm ready for a new empire a new decade of HHN.

I doubt the Vortex tunnel, if it is one, being "Rusty" has anything to do with the theme. Working with a tunnel myself in previous years as a technician, the audience doesn't see the outside of the tube. In this case it either has had camo painted on the outside or more plausibly it is just dirty. Another option about this mystery tunnel could be that it is a giant theatrical light lit from the inside out. But that is just an unlikely possibility.

Oh, I just had another thought. If the icons this year are indeed based off the two cards dealt they have to be victims. They were most likely dealt something good that someone didn't like "The house" and that led to their demise. A pair of concrete boots perhaps? But the reason why I believe this is because they were dealt not to the dealer, but to a victim who lost his hand. HA I just got the joke, in black jack, what you are dealt is called your hand. You loose your hand when you bust or beaten, this person literally lost their hand lol.

Then for the time being, I'm going to stand by the idea I pitched earlier.

Parade building has me stumped. Could be that war house I mentioned earlier. /joking. Soundstage 22 Sounds like it could be some sort of nautical house? IDK Widow just reminded me of widows peaks and then why they were built into houses. Soundstage 23A Well Impaled is the name of a stage illusion where the magician/assistant is impaled on a spike, but I seriously doubt that is what it is. Sprung Tent 2 I agree, could be the icon house. Sprung Tent 1 Could be a paranormal driven house. Tarot cards, ghosts, runes, voodoo etc. I forget which house had the room named "Rune room"

Well that is good news, I love him but I don't see him working this theme very well. It was a great addition when the carnival came around and it was pretty cool he came back for the 20 years, just sort of a bon voyage. But now, I don't really see a magician working this event, except if it is that shock performer I've seen a couple times. He does a lot of very edgy gory illusions, not to mention topless women!

Even if that is the case, it is still fun to imagine. I was skeptical of the vibe given off from the current site, but I'm starting to come around. I'd surely hope that the speculation in the thread is correct in someways and we aren't just faced with a malevolent force that always wins...haha! I just had the images of the twilight parody in futurama, the Scary door. "A slot machine that I always win, I must be in hell..."

I understand that and it could rather offensive. But to me, listening to my grandpa who was ace pilot during wwii and got shot down and lived to tell the story, a war house would not offend me I guess is what I'm saying. It doesn't even have to be that war specifically, it could be an "Alternate history" house, much like how steampunk is an alternate history of victorian ages. You know you are dropped into a war zone. However, secret military operations and experiments has lead to a battlefield where it isn't just man against man, it's man against X as well. Ooo just had a thought about the movie Jacob's Ladder, not sure if Uni did that movie but, it is sort of what reminds me of what a war-ish ghost type of house could be like. For a war themed house with X: In the jungle death is all around you. Natural things like disease, and animals. But that wasn't the biggest fear to be had in the jungle, death wasn't only natural. Step inside of the humid jungles and endure the obstacles of death as they coil around. Evade the twisted soldiers who lurk in the shadows of the bush, beware their infectious touch. Don't inhale the fog! It's not what it seems. Nothing is as it seems in the time of war. The question is, whose side are you on, or will you tempt fate and be on your own side? Basically it could be like a house that deals with the idea that the media machine covered up what is really going on in war, etc. etc. Also if they do do something like this, where there are no soldiers attacking dead things but instead living attacking living and dead attacking as well, it will def. fit in with the "Agressive" thing.

Here are some more food for thought. Gambling cheats usually work in teams, they use distraction a lovely lady while the other partner steals and does cheating moves. Going off the idea that we may get two icons, perhaps maybe these are two ill fated cheaters who were caught by the house. House being everyone who works as a dealer, pit boss, etc. Perhaps maybe one of/the one icon is missing a hand. Another possibility could be a sort of Bonnie n Clyde type a deal, ace being the mastermind while the queen comes in and helps. I mean if you think about it, in order to make twenty one in the game of black jack using only two cards, you always have to have an ace. Without a court card or a ten you have no way of making twenty one. You need an Ace period, personally because of this I believe that the ace if personified will be a male and that the queen may play a lesser roll. But that is just a possibility. Also I can totally see some sort of war tie in with this as well. I know that during Vietnam soldier would wear the death card on their helmets to scare the vietcong. Course this was later found to be a myth, but it was still part of Americana. Vietnam, unfortunately falls outside of the speculated time period, but still is a plausible possibility if they do not give or strictly a set time period.

I'm not sure how Jaws works, but do they use the que line and the exit for the house? What if they reverse the boats and you first ride on the ferry to somewhere and then have the house at the end? Kind of like a pre-show to the house. IDK But this probably should be in speculation, but it was relevant to the conversation here atm.

I think you missed what I meant. I'm not saying that all the houses would have to have something to do with gambling but instead have some sort of connection with the icon or even icon House. The multi themed areas are nice but I'd find it real creative if they are able to find a way to connect all the zones and houses in some way. Sort of like how Fears symbols could be found on the icons. Each of the icons were different but they were all tied together by the main icon, Fear.