pehyde

This was my second year going to HHN and was my second favorite year as of now. The scarezones were lacking as there was pretty much just the one throughout the whole park, but the houses were some of the best I've ever been through and the shows were all really good. Dead Silence: The Curse of Mary Shaw is my favorite house ever at the event and Psychoscareapy: Home for the Holidays was such a great concept for a house. Although I'm not a big fan of movie-based houses, the New Line Century characters' houses were all great. Here are my (I'll try to be short) reviews for everything in order of favorites. HOUSES 1. Dead Silence: The Curse of Mary Shaw - Such an amazing house, it really showed what they could do with the soundstages. Great effects and awesome scenes. The dolls heads turning to follow you as you walked into the theater and the walkway that dropped as Mary Shaw it looked like Mary Shaw was falling to her death below you was so cool. The second time I went through we were almost alone the whole time and it was such a great experience. Ratings: Story: ***** / 5 Scares:**** / 5 Scenes:***** / 5 Overall:***** / 5 2. A Nightmare on Elm Street: Dreamwalkers - A really great house starring Freddy. You entered into a tent outside of the soundstage and it was set up to sell Sleep-Well, a drug to prevent dreams. We then entered into a dream and the house from Nightmare on Elm Street appeared in the fog (one of the most amazing facades ever). The scenes were all pretty good and the end felt like a labyrinth with characters appearing from the movies. Freddy looked very authentic through the house. Ratings: Story: ***** / 5 Scares:***** / 5 Scenes:**** / 5 Overall:***** / 5 3. Psychoscareapy: Home for the Holidays - Such a unique house to me. We walked through a neighborhood where the patients of Shadybrook Hospital had escaped after their van crashed into a house. There were multiple houses in here and the transitions with the fence and Christmas decorations were cool. Definitely a great house just a little low on scares. Ratings: Story: ***** / 5 Scares: ***/ 5 Scenes: ***** / 5 Overall: **** / 5 4. The Texas Chainsaw Massacre: Flesh Wounds - I was scared to death of Leatherface when I was younger and this house really played with that fear. The sliding metal doors throughout were just scares waiting to happen and the finale, running through bed sheets with Leatherface chasing you was so memorable. Ratings: Story: *** / 5 Scares: **** / 5 Scenes: ** / 5 Overall: **** / 5 5. Vampyr: Blood Bath - This house was pretty cool and definitely got points because of the outdoor portion. Ratings: Story: **** / 5 Scares: ***/ 5 Scenes: *** / 5 Overall: *** / 5 6. Friday the 13th: Camp Blood - The scenes were great but the Jasons in here were very large and scary, I especially remember on putting his machete at my throat near the end of the house. Ratings: Story: *** / 5 Scares: **** / 5 Scenes: *** / 5 Overall: *** / 5 7. The Thing: Assimilation - The concept was cool with the animatronics, but the only time I got through this one I actually missed most of the scares, thus it's low spot. Ratings: Story: *** / 5 Scares: ** / 5 Scenes: *** / 5 Overall: ** / 5 8. Jack's Funhouse in Clown-O-Vision - My only 3-D house I've been through. It was more funny than scary, but I did like the blow-up hallway at the end that you had to push through and had hands pushing back at you. Ratings: Story: ** / 5 Scares: *** / 5 Scenes: *** / 5 Overall: ** / 5 Shows - Not really ranked because they were all so different. Bill & Ted - The show was funny, but the story wasn't very coherent. Still a good time. Freak Show - I saw Brian Brushwood in the Freak Show. He's a really talented magician, but I thought the show was too short. Jack's Carnival of Carnage - Great show that mixed humor and magic. And introduced us all to Chance. If you got through all this, thanks for reading my review.

I've gone every year since 2006. It's hard to order them exactly, but I'll try. 1. HHN 18: Reflections of Fear - This year was a great mix of scarezones and houses. The scarezones were all top-notched, with Path of the Wicked and Asylum in Wonderland leading the way. It also had some of my favorite houses ever, with Dead Exposure and Scary Tales 3. Also, it was the most immersive event I've been to, with Bloody Mary's story present throughout (and Bloody Mary appearing in all of the houses). 2. HHN XVII: Carnival of Carnage - My second year, but the first time that I actually followed all the hype surrounding it with the website puzzles and whatnot. The scarezones were lacking this year (there was not supposed to be any safe zones throughout the park, but that didn't really happen) which is why it is not my top year. The houses though were some of my favorites. Dead Silence was amazing and is possibly my favorite house ever, and Psychoscareapy: Home for the Holidays seemed so unique to me at the time, it was just so fun to go through. 3. HHN XX: Twenty Years of Fear - All of the soundstage houses were amazing and actually pretty scary. Both tents were consistently good, a first for me (I always feel that one tent is a little inferior than the other), and the other houses were really detailed. The scarezones were awesome and I liked getting a history lesson throughout the event. 4. HHN XIX: Ripped from the Silver Screen - I really liked this year which is why I find it hard to rank it so low. This event was really immersive with the whole movie theme. The Usher was a great icon with a cool story and I loved his Silver Screams house. The soundstage houses were all very detailed (especially the Wolfman) and the other houses were pretty cool too (with Leave it to Cleaver in my top five favorite houses ever). The scarezones were all ok, not my favorite year for the streets though. 5. HHN Sweet 16 - My first year. I actually only made it through two houses because I didn't know what to expect and wasn't ready to wait in the long lines, but it did begin my love of all things Psychoscareapy. The scarezones were all pretty good (Harvest of the Souls would probably be my favorite scarezone ever) and the Arrival show was great. Finally this was my favorite Bill and Ted show. The only reason this ranks last is because of only getting through the two houses.

Just to add a few

This was my first ever house at Halloween Horror Nights, so I can try to help out and remember what the scenes were like. From what I remember, you entered the house through the Director's room. It looked like just his office where he was editing his movies. I remember that I never actually saw the Director in his room, but from what I remember reading he was there sometimes, popping out to scare you. I think there was a short transition room and you entered into Scream. You went into the house from the first movie through the garage where there was a body (Rose McGowan's character I think) stuck up in the door above you. Then you walked through the house with Ghostface popping out of closets and around corners at you. Next was The Ring. I've never seen the movie actually, so I don't know if it was a scene from the movie, but I remember being in a cellar like area with wells around you. There were a few strobes and dripping sounds were in the whole area. Samara's from the movie were in alcoves and I distinctly remember staring at one as she popped out for her scare and her seemingly disappearing as the strobes flashed. Next was the scene from Hellraiser. I remember spinning columns of flesh and torture devices around the path. I'm pretty sure Pinhead popped out at a few places to scare you. Next was Silence of the Lambs. You walked through a hallway of jail cells with inmates in them. Most of them beat on their cell bars to distract, and once in awhile one would open the door and jump out at you. Hannibal was at the end with his trademark mask. The finale was a room of strobes flashing. Many of the monsters from the rest of the house were in this room attacking during the strobes until the end of the house. I don't know if any of the scenes would work for a full house. Scream could possibly and maybe Hellraiser. Definitely not The Ring though. Hopefully that gives you a picture of the house. It's been awhile, so maybe others could help flesh out some details.

Legendary Truth - 2 Psychoscareapy - 1 Hades - 2 Hallow'd Past - 2 Catacombs - 2 Havoc - 2 Orfanage - 2 Zombiegeddon - 1 Bill and Ted - 1 Total Nights - 1 (Saturday October 2)