alone
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Posts posted by alone
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FEAR Revealed to a certain extent. I love the idea of a "last chance" photo zone and as someone who's only been attending since HHN18,
18 was a fantastic year for scare zones, 14 had some classic houses & scarezones & duel park (awesome), 15 for the atmosphere and Body Collectors.
The ghost in the floor, the scrim hall, "burn-image-into-eye-lightup-window", the bronze statues, the living chair, etc. were all well-conceived and executed.I didn't see the ghost in the floor & the living chair, but did see a desk that was shaking and drawers came out. What were these two effects?
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Can someone explain to me why there were "PowerPoint" slides on the walls in the house at least twice?
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Easily Catacombs, the rest were a let down.
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Excellent review and I agree with nearly everything you mentioned.
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Are you sure you actually DID Zombiegeddon? If you did, you would understand how it ties in.
Not that you NEED more of a tie-in than "Zombies in the house, zombies outside", but they were kind enough to actually connect the storylines.
I knew the connection, it was so stretched it was horrible. Also, in the house you hear a car crash - that's the sound a float makes when crashing? Please, at least have some Mardi Gras stuff near the end to make it a little better.
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By nothing I meant you do not offer any suggestions. Specifically 'I am not sure, that is why I am not on the creative team." I understand that you did slightly elaborate about the mask being bloated etc... However, you constantly give points about how and why things are bad but offer no CONSTRUCTIVE criticism.
Edit:
What I'm looking for answers specifically to is:
"Fear Revealed was a joke." - What was wrong with it? What could have made it better? (Already got your point about the stilts and Icons should have houses)
"Zombiegras - how did this even get approved? The worst scare zone in the existence of the event." - I understand this is your opinion but WHY is the the worst in existence? How long did you stay here? Is this just because no one tried to scare you or maybe they did try and you don't scare easily or they just didn't scare you that time? What were the feelings of the other guests in the street while you were there?
I ask this not just because I am in Zombie Gras but because I get more and better scares here than I have previously in streets. As I have said in some earlier posts there are two different casts and I know for a fact that we approach the street differently. You also have to take into consideration time of night, other guest in the street at the time, and how many people are in the street. This goes for all over the park. As actors we have so much to worry about: keeping energy levels high, keeping show as consistent as possible, staying away from people who want to harm us, etc... A lot of the actors that work for HHN also have day jobs which means VERY long days and almost no sleep. Personally, HHN is my THIRD job. I have a Mon-Fri 730-4, another PT job I am at EVERY night I am not at HHN and on Sat and Sun mornings, then HHN on top of that. I know this is not the same for many if not all other actors but maybe you can see my point. I run myself ragged for the month because I love the event so much and I thoroughly enjoy what I do there that it doesn't bother me.
Now, I would agree with you if by "The worst scare zone in the existence of the event." you meant staging and scene. I feel that we are too open in that street but we can make it work. All night long I hear guests "where did he come from?" "holy s*** I didn't see him" etc... If you thought the idea of a Mardi Gras parade gone zombie was a bad idea say so. I'm okay with that too. Not every one is going to like every idea implemented. Even if you thought it was going to be good but the actors didn't live up to your expectations, that's okay as well. Sometimes things just happen but seriously to claim worst ever and not elaborate and you expect to not get flack...
Fair enough. I actually don't blame the actors - they did a great job for what limited amount of resources they had to work with. My observations were based on 20 minutes of being in the scare zone. My primary gripes with the zone is that the theme was ridiculous, both in it being corny and having no direct tie to Zombiegeddon. There was one float, the prop, but it felt out of place and didn't contribute to the atmosphere. It served no function because the actors could not directly work with it for scares. I give full credit to the actors as they were trying very hard after a long day's work.
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I don't feel that everyone that does not like the event is trolling. However, you post all of these things that you don't like and when people attempt to start a disscussion with you on why you didn't like it or feel out ways to make it better you give us nothing. That is why people are calling you a troll. All of your reviews have had an overall negative tone with a few plusses thrown in. I feel that you do this just to make it seem like a review. Maybe you need to try to work the event just one set. Not even a whole night. I guarantee your views will change. You seem to have no idea what it takes to coordinate all that goes on, how much blood and sweat the actors put into this event, and how much time Universal poors into Concept and Design, building, and executing this event every year.
So what should I respond to? If you reference a post or two I'll respond.
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On your Hallow'd Past section. Did you want houses that were the most creative or scary? I mean there were some creative houses that werent scary, if we used those then we would hear about how things werent scary, but when we use scary we hear about how its not creative? I mean i think all the houses were well done, i think all the hard work that goes into design and then actual building all the way to the actual operation (ops and scareactors) really could be a little more appreciated, i mean dont get me wrong i love to read reviews, so thank you.
Since HHN 14 there were many rooms that were far more creative. I could list a ton from memory, and if you want I will, but the chosen rooms were not scary, were not even actual houses (Treaks and Foons, really?), were not scary (Treaks, Dead Exposure), etc. It's sad that the warehouse section was far more scary. The tunnel was a waste. In the Scary Tales room the strobes and concentration on Alice made the other actor(s) barely visible.
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But I do have to ask, reading this...tells me you were looking for it to be more like Sweet 16? Bringing back the old again and being repetitive? Yes Most do love the past, and want those memories to stay grand, not to be killed by a bad re-hash.
I feel the zone was truly ominous, and knowing that this year was supposed to be brooding it fell way on its heels.
Tell me, why would Fear have Zombiegras? Esqueleto? Each theme should revolve around him, scare zones, videos, houses, etc.
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Just a quick question for you: What kind of costumes did you expect in a "period" ghost house? I agree that the masks aren't the best option....but did you want us all in white sheets?????
I do think our house could have been a few scenes longer.
I am not sure, that is why I am not on the creative team. The mask that was used looked too bloated, simplistic, etc.
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I went that night, and agree with most of what you said. I would have lowered the scores on most of them, but otherwise nice review and I'm glad that I am not the only person who didn't think it was a stellar event.
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The Review
After last years event, we all had hopes for a phenomenal anniversary year. The scare zone "Shadows of the Past" gave off a dark vibe that would honor the history of what we all love. Immediately fans were anticipating the arrival of the HHN XX, a year we thought would triumph all others. Upon hearing that this year would usher a new era of darkness I thought "Twenty Years of Fear" would be a brooding, intense event which would stand as the pinnacle of horror and the epitome of what Halloween Horror Nights should be. The event hyped itself to unprecedented levels, but I personally did not find the marketing to really build anticipation for the event. In retrospect, the poor website should of been my personal indication that the event would not do well. Every year before hand the websites had ambiance, interaction, and other means to create excitement. Nevertheless, I forgave my superficial judgment of the event and attended. Compared to most of the years I have been going, this year fell completely flat on its promises.
What went right...
In terms of scare zones, I'm quite pleased they brought back the pumpkin scare zone. It has an atmosphere that was not seen anywhere else this year; dark, mysterious, and pure Halloween. Saws 'n Steam was an excellent idea and had neat sets that used Sting Alley quite well. The Orfanage certainly had a dark theme that I appreciated, believed, and ultimately enjoyed. Great touches were the falling ashes near the entrance, the flame effect, and the props near the entrance. Legendary Truth had some neat effects and a great facade, and I really loved the concept that we were going to investigate a haunted house. Moreover, the wires running from the entrance gave the maze a nice touch. Havoc was a loud, intense house with a ferocity unseen in other houses. Catacombs was a cool idea, and despite the repetitive sets, I enjoyed the dark nature and history of the house (it deserved a sound stage). Hallow'd had awesome props in the warehouse sections.
What went wrong...
Universal must really consider its use of the Studios. There was far too much dead space. I felt as if half the park was unused. Scare zones such as Saws 'n Steam should of been expanded farther into the street, for example. The carnival games are absolutely ridiculous and kill the mood of the event. How can I expect to be immersed when I come out of a scare zone and see brightly lit games? Note, I overheard regular, drunken members even laughing how out of place it was. The price of the event is getting ridiculous, it's getting to the point where HHN does not justify the price. Crowds are clearly less than the years past (and I go to the event the same time, in the same weather conditions, every year). I don't have facts, but when I am not seeing ridiculous waits and people are able to get each house down in one night, that is an issue (remember, houses are being "pulsed" this year).
Reflecting on the event, Fear was a horrendous icon and did absolutely nothing. His story was not reflected well in the park, he came across as pathetic, and he should of been used in the event more. Standing in stilts is improper use of an icon. Let's go back to the days when the icon had a house. I never felt any cohesion to the event which could of bonded all attractions together. This is very important, HHN 15 was a superb example of how to create a truly believable, ambient event. I did not hear any characters on microphones interacting with guests (ex: HHN 14 the two cyborg creatures near the Tesla Coil, HHN 15 Eelmouth, and in certain scare zones in HHN 18/19). Failing to do this dampens the potential immersion of the guest. There were no characters standing on the outside of the houses inviting guests in (ex: Dungeon of Terror: Retold), nor did they have any actors near the facades of the house (ex: Ghost cowboy at Ghost Town, whom was amazing).
The scare zones have to start being innovative in scares. Go to Howl-O-Scream to see how less themed scare zones are scarier than anything HHN puts out: Proper hiding techniques, more in your face scares, less posing, etc. Frankly, I am sick of having scare zones be a photo opportunity. By taking a picture with an actor it destroys the fun another guest may have. Despite what Universal thinks, people go to be scared - when you have actors posing as if it were a photography studio it prevents guests from being scared. None of the scare zones truly felt scary. Twenty Years of Fear had neat props, but it prevented any actors from effectively scaring because of a lack of places to hide. Fear Revealed was a joke. Zombiegras - how did this even get approved? The worst scare zone in the existence of the event. The Coven was okay, but needed more props.
The houses were a disaster overall. Universal, please stop using triggered sound effects when an actor attempts to scare someone. In the past it worked well, but when you use it for every single scare and the hiding places of actors are completely obvious (gaping holes in the wall aren't effective) then it loses its ability to frighten someone. Did I mention that the hiding places for actors are becoming more obvious? When I went to HOS (and I am not sack riding HOS) I had absolutely no idea where the scares would come from because it varied in location and technique every single time. Every house needed to be longer.
Why were there PowerPoint slides in the middle of Catacombs? This house needed to have more scenes about the sick rather than the plague doctors. Hades had a terrible facade and did not live up to the image of Hades that we all have: A good way to see if people know what it is is to question, "If I put a guest in the middle of the house without saying what it is, can the idea be picked up on?" Frankly, Hades had me baffled why it was not grand in scale and in variation of sets. Legendary Truth's costumes were horrible and was a bit too short. Hallow'd Past's rooms were poorly chosen (Dead Exposure, Treaks n' Foons - are these really highlights of creativity?) and the house was way too short. Psycho Scarepy was an absolute disaster with repetitive theming ( I don't remember a single thing from this house). Zombiegeddon, the main house I was excited because each year there is a quirky house, did not live up to my expectations. The absence of gore was disappointing (I know you don't need gore for scares). Please put more color in your houses. There was a ridiculous amount of blue this year (except for LT, Hallow'd).
( I don't know why the formatting is off)
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Opinions are one thing, but just to say something nonsensical for which you have no basis or grounds to prove this on is just plain dumb.
I will be writing a review later tonight. In response to what you said, I don't have any numbers and it is possible my judgment is incorrect. However, since I went there used to be 200 minute waits for houses - 60 minutes, peaking, on a Saturday is considerably low. Walking around I didn't feel the normal vastness of crowds, either.
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I have been attending since HHN 14, and this is one of the worst years I have been to.
From an operational standpoint, I had no problem. My concerns were directly with the quality of the event, and I have many qualms about the event's future. The price is getting more expensive, the immersion is missing, there were many poorly executed houses, crowds are disappearing (bad for the event), and design decisions need to be reviewed.
I travel from New Jersey each year and this was the first year I actually am considering not going next year.
I don't have time to write a full-fledged review, so this is a temporary holder until I can write a thorough review during the next two days. And I fully expect to be criticized for having a non-biased opinion which is not like any others on the forum, but bear an open mind with me.
EDIT: I will please those who expect me to kiss the events rear end by saying that I did love the ambiance of the Orfanage, did enjoy most of Legendary Truth, and thought the execution of Saws and Steam and Esqueleto was good.
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Zombie Gras looks horrendous.
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In on this.
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I see little discussion from actors that will hype up their areas.
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Can someone please upload these pictures on a different host (such as imgur.com)? I can't see them from work. Appreciated in advance!
HHN XXI Website Updates
in Halloween Horror Nights 21
Posted
I wonder who the eye is?