filmfanatic

Oh, nice. That is an arrangement I could definitely see working. Midway of the Bizarre Step right up, and see the most horrifying show on Earth! The Midway of the Bizarre is back in town, with Jack the Clown as the new ringmaster for this carnival of horrors. With his motley crew of killer clowns and demented carnies, this is certain to be a show that you will never forget. Scream House: Homecoming Not even the walls of the old mortuary can contain the evil which Albert Caine had brought with his twisted experiments. Haunting ghosts and ravenous zombies have begun to rise from the grave, and a secret society has come to lend their aid to his work: the Body Collectors. All Nite Die-In: The Director's Cut The drive-in's projector flickers to life, and the cinematic nightmares come right off the screen! The Director has assembled his own collection of modern horror films, and you'll be the star of this film festival of fear. From slasher movie icons to the horrors of Blumhouse, there's no way you'll live to see the ending credits. Tales of Terror Stories have power within their words, and the Storyteller will remind you that they offer devastating lessons as well. From scary tales to urban legends, all of them offer one simple lesson: follow the Storyteller's rules, or there's no happily ever after for you. Silver Screams: The Last Picture Show The Universal Palace Theatre may have closed its doors, but the movie monsters it terrified audiences with still haunt its grounds. The Usher is here to guide you into an era of classic nightmares, where the Universal Monsters and horror icons of old are just as horrifying as they were when they first appeared on the silver screen.

Thanks for the kind comments. Also, I've had an idea for something that might be fun for HHN 30. I know some of the previous anniversary years have had scare zones devoted to the icons. What if they did scare zones ruled over by the main icons (Jack, Caretaker, Director, Storyteller, and the Usher)? Basically, five scare zones (probably inspired by older scare zones or houses), and each one is essentially lead by an icon.

By the way, I hope no one minds that I've been doing posts that are short descriptions of these houses and scare zones. I'm not as good as doing full write-ups of houses or scare zones like a lot of folks here, but I enjoy coming up with these summaries for them, like the sort you'd see on the Halloween Horror Nights website.

It would definitely be cool if an Until Dawn house could do multiple paths. I know there was one year that HHN tried out dual-run houses, but I couldn't imagine that happening today. Just imagine the line back-ups from people trying to decide which way to go. Perhaps the paths might periodically diverge, and it's all up to the time you're going through the house that affects which path you go down. Also, a Doom house would be great, and probably is one that would have a better chance of making it into the event. The demon designs are great, and would allow such a variety of scare-actor styles. You bring up the stilt walker Baron of Hell idea, but what if the last or second-to-last room of the house had a huge Cyberdemon figure.

I said I'd post some ideas for video game-related content for HHN, so here are some ideas. First, some houses: BioShock Journey beneath the waves to the underwater city of Rapture, built by Andrew Ryan as a utopia where man could create free from censor or morality. Now, with its citizens warped by a mutagen known as ADAM and split by civil strife, Rapture is tearing apart at the seams. Watch yourself, for if the splicers don’t get you, then Ryan’s security forces surely will. Dead By Daylight Find yourself in a realm ruled over by the Entity, a dark being that insists on sacrifice through a brutal hunt. Hunting you and other poor souls are a collection of vicious killers and monsters, convinced to serve the Entity. Fight for your life as you escape, for the Entity wants every last drop of hope before you fail. Doom In the halls of the Union Aerospace Corporation research facility, Hell has come to Mars when a portal to another world lets horrific demons emerge into ours. Try to escape the carnage, not only caused from the demons seeking to destroy you body and soul, but also by the one man who can fight them: the Doom Slayer. Bendy and the Ink Machine Enter the old halls of Joey Drew Studios, where Joey Drew and his animation team brought dreams and delights to the big screen with their cartoons. Unfortunately, you’ll only find nightmares as a machine brings terrifying life to their creations. As these beasts of ink and paint hunt you down, you’ll learn to fear the machine. Five Nights at Freddy’s Freddy Fazbear’s Pizzeria was once a place of fun and dreams, until a series of murders left it haunted by evil. You’ll see this evil for yourself, as you wander the dark halls roamed by its animatronics. Their cute appearances hide real danger, and it’s no fun and games when they catch you. Until Dawn When eight friends reunite at a mountain retreat, they find themselves trapped in a nightmare. From facing a twisted killer to monsters of legend, you’ll join these eight as they fight to survive until dawn. You may think you have a choice here, but your fate looks bleak. I've also got some ideas for scare zones: Silent Hill A siren sounds. A thick fog rolls in. Buildings crumble around you. In front of you lay the streets of Silent Hill, a small town home to unspeakable horrors. Now, the darkness that has taken hold over the town draws you in… Dead Rising: Fortune City Better hope you have your Zombrex ready, because a zombie outbreak is bringing some grime to the glitz of Fortune City. You may find some aid from Chuck Greene or Frank West, but if you think you’ll live to see backup, then your luck has run out. We Happy Few Welcome to Wellington Wells, the cheeriest town in Britain thanks to its wonder drug: Joy! Some may say that the town is falling apart from neglect and that we shouldn’t take Joy, but those are just Downers in need of a good thrashing. Remember, listen to Uncle Jack and put on a happy face!

Wow. Props to your friend. He did a good job capturing the spirit and iconic images for a Jaws house without doing it as purely a scene by scene recreation.

Seriously. Just imagine the iconic moments and places you could bring to life. For instance, a house based on that first game would have to have the moment when the Cerberus dog bursts in through the window.

When it comes to IPs at HHN, I would like to see some representation of video games. There are plenty of games that could offer potential for houses at the event, or even some scare zones. Plus, it would help to stem the pace a little when it comes to adapting movies for the houses. So, I'll be posting some ideas for video game-inspired houses soon enough. Firstly, there's one game property I'll mention: Resident Evil. Yes, there has been a house based on the franchise once before, but there is still some room for potential houses based on specific entries. For instance, these two: Resident Evil Witness the beginnings of Capcom’s signature horror video game series, as a distress call brings the S.T.A.R.S. team to the abandoned Arklay Mansion. Follow Jill Valentine and Chris Redfield as they explore its ruined hallways, encountering zombies and other monsters that lurk in its secret corners. Resident Evil 7: Biohazard Experience the most recent chapter in Capcom’s horror game franchise, as you venture into the swamps of Louisiana for a missing woman. Your journey brings you to a derelict plantation that has been infected by evil. The plant life fights back with monsters of living mold, while Jack Baker and his demented clan seek to make you part of the family…whether you like it or not. Also, it might work for a scare zone that takes a more general approach: Resident Evil: Streets of Raccoon City The results of Umbrella Corporation’s research spill out into the streets, and terror takes hold of Raccoon City. Despite the efforts of some like Leon Kennedy to help clear a way towards freedom, zombies and other genetically-engineered monsters spill out from every building and alleyway, ready to tear you apart.

Jaws would be really cool to see, if they could pull it off. I agree with your idea on how to handle the house. I could see something like Poltergeist or even Exorcist, where you play with the dominant imagery (or imagined imagery, like you say) and capture the feeling of the movie instead of just trying to do it scene by scene. I'd also imagine they'd have to figure out some of the puppet stuff for the shark attacks. Honestly, something I'd enjoy seeing as a house would be Gremlins. The main issue there would just be how many puppeteers they'd probably need to pull it off.

Indeed, finding new IPs to use and maintaining a sense of variety can be challenging without just rehashing what's been featured before. Still, here's hoping that they can maintain a good balance of using IPs as well as creating original houses.

Here are a few ideas for houses that are sequels or reimaginings of past HHN houses. Night of the Atomic Creatures! Tear open the pages of AtomiComics’s latest issue, for a spine-tingling tale of nuclear monstrosities! Radiation from the local nuclear plant has mutated some of the local wildlife, transforming once tiny creepy-crawlers into massive mutants, hellbent on feasting from human flesh beneath the green glow of the atomic reactors! Terror Underground: Railway to Hell A recent earthquake has done some serious damage to the H Line subway track, and you have been sent down to help inspect the damage. Unfortunately, there’s more than just rubble and fissures to worry about. The damage has cracked open a portal to the depths of Hell, and lurking demons seek to bring you to the end of the line. Nightingales: Scavengers of the Waste Even the end of the world does not mean the end of the Nightingales. Posing as the Sisters of Mercy, they lure in desperate survivors of the apocalypse with a promise of a fresh meal. Unfortunately, the only meal here are the poor souls like you who wander into their clutches. Frightanic: Port of No Return Out on the Pacific Ocean lies the Port of No Return, a stretch of sea where ships are said to vanish. A horrible storm has diverted the path of your cruise liner, sending you to this cursed patch of ocean. Now, ghosts from previous wrecks seek to drag you and all the other passengers down to a watery grave. Psycho Scareapy: Lockdown After years of scandals and horrors, Shadybrook Sanitarium has at last reopened its doors under the leadership of a new director: Dr. Thomas Strickland. Believing the patients simply need discipline, he has completely rebuilt the asylum so that no one can escape treatment. With aggressive guards and lethal security measures, you’d have to be crazy to try to leave.

Here's another house and scare zone idea, rooted in HHN history. First, the house inspired by an icon who went unused: Cindy: Playtime of Terror In the burnt-out remains of Albert Caine’s mortuary, there is a dollhouse that still carries the rage of Cindy with it. Find it, and you’ll find yourself in a world of Cindy’s imagination. Here, nightmarish toys and haunting memories mix together for a terrifying playtime where the only one being toyed with is you. Now, the scare zone inspired by an epic world that fell by the wayside for the Storyteller: Terra Cruentus: Season of the Queen Once upon a time, there was a brutal world known as Terra Cruentus. From the shadowy depths of Gorewood Forest to the blaring roars of Bone Thunder Alley, all pay tribute to their Queen through blood and suffering. Pay witness to this work for yourself, but be warned: you may be selected as the Queen’s latest sacrifice.

I'm not sure if we'll ever actually get to see him as an icon for HHN, but I'd like to see Eddie finally brought out and used as the host for the event one year. Personally, I could see it designed around the idea of him tired of being stuck in the shadow of his brother, Jack, and seeking to violently take control. In fact, I've got two ideas for a house and scare zone to go along with that. The house: Run: Live Scream Ready to emerge from the shadows, Eddie has torn apart an old warehouse and rebuilt it into a killer game show that's livestreamed to the sick and twisted. Here, unwilling contestants must escape from Eddie's horde of psychos and reach the exit, or else be caught and subjected to horrific torture chambers. With the rules set, there's only one way to win: run. The scare zone: Carnival of Chaos Say goodbye to Jack’s midway of the bizarre and say hello to Eddie’s midway of murder, as the chainsaw-wielding psycho tears down the iconic clown’s carnival to make his own home base for his horrifying takeover. The greasepaint monsters may be gone, but Eddie’s band of marauders are sure to offer the kind of thrills you’d die for.

Hey there, everyone. In recent years, Halloween Horror Nights has gotten big into using established IPs as a basis for houses at the event. Considering the roster and variety of IPs they have used (such as classics like The Exorcist or The Shining, or even more surprising entries like Ghostbusters), I thought it might be fun to discuss what sorts of IPs you'd like to see used for houses. For me, I definitely want to see some video games used as inspiration. Not just something like Resident Evil (which could use another good shot), but other fare like Doom, BioShock, Fatal Frame, or Dead by Daylight. Honestly, even Five Nights at Freddy's would serve as a solid base for a house. Scary Stories to Tell in the Dark would also be pretty good for a house. It could be based on the movie, but I would moreso see an anthology house rooted in the original book and illustrations. As for movies and television, there are plenty that could make for good houses. A few that come to my mind include The Phantom of the Opera (a reimagining of the 1925 film, sort of like this year's Universal Monsters), Hellraiser, Channel Zero, Alien (based on the original film), The Conjuring, and Beetlejuice (serving as more of a "fun house" at the event).

You're welcome. Can't wait to see what other mazes you come up with.

I know I'm late to the party on this vote, but just wanted to chip in and say that your maze write-ups are really impressive, themazethinker.

Those sound fun. It's just interesting for me to read about how far the event has evolved and changed since its early days as "Fright Nights".

If you don't mind me asking, what were the houses like from that event? I've read the basic descriptions on this site, but I'd be interested to hear a bit more on what sort of things were featured in those houses.

I know there's a YouTube video of a walkthrough of the Hollywood house they did of the Halloween films. The biggest surprise I'd say of that house is that they did a room referencing the third Halloween film.

Thanks. The wendigo is a monster you don't hear about much in horror stuff nowadays and I thought the idea of the creature could work as the subject for a house within the theme I kind of have going. By the way, saw your thread. Some good ideas and hope things unfold nicely over there. Maybe you might like to collaborate some with me on doing write-ups for my houses? I know you also have your thing, but I'd appreciate the chance to flesh out from the descriptions I have to room-by-room breakdowns for them with someone else.

Hey there, everyone. I've been thinking about my own idea for a Halloween Horror Nights event. I've got a solid idea for the icon and basic ideas for the houses and scare zones. If anyone would like to collaborate with me on it, I'd love to work with someone to do treatments for each of the houses for what they would be like room by room. Anyway, onto my idea: Halloween Horror Nights: Darkness Within Tagline: Are you prepared for the evil within? Icon: The Darkwatcher Backstory: Ever since the dawn of man, people have been observed by a collection of beings known as the Watchers. They keep an eye on humanity, watching their development and their progression. The Watchers hope that one day, humanity may truly achieve greatness beyond their flaws. However, one of the Watchers found himself drawn to something else: mankind's cruelty. He watched the shortcomings with interest, finding himself intrigued with their brutality, their greed, their faults. His curiosity and interest then grew into delight, as he gained a sadistic joy from his watching. One day, he was discovered to have broken the Watchers' vow and directly interfered. Cast out from the Watchers, he has since become known as the Darkwatcher, presenting himself as a man dressed head to toe in black, from his suit to his cloak to the dark fedora resting on his head. Now, he travels the world, observing the injustices man inflicts on man...and sometimes guiding things to those results. Houses: Darkness Within: Torment of the Ages Within the crumbling halls of a tourist attraction known as the Museum of Evil, the Darkwatcher has taken up residence among the exhibits showcasing killers and madmen from days past. Step inside if you dare, for the Darkwatcher has brought life to these historical horrors once more and they’re ready to continue their work. BioShock: Rapture’s Descent Businessman Andrew Ryan founded the city of Rapture as an underwater utopia where people could create without restraint from morality or otherwise. Now, with its people warped by a mutagen known as ADAM, Rapture is at war with itself. Watch where you go, for if the depraved citizens don’t get you, then Ryan’s security forces will. Samedi’s Realm: Voodoo of the Bayou Out in the swampland of Louisiana, an ancient mansion was home to dark and powerful voodoo. That magic continues its work, as zombies walk the grounds intent to keep out any trespassers who wish to witness the horrible beings of the other side. Urban Legends: Wendigo Legends tell of the Wendigo, a creature that arises when a human has feasted upon the flesh of another. The halls of Alamodot Outpost, a 19th-century Alaskan trade outpost which fell prey to starvation and cannibalism, serve to show that legends can have truth to them. Arcanium: Game Over In the testing labs of SynTech, step up and plug in to the next evolution of gaming that’s harder than your average first-person shooter. The name of the game is Arcanium and in it, the enemies will hurt you for real and no extra lives or save points will protect you. Organ Harvest: Under the Knife At the Golden Heart Medical Facility, they promise the very best in treating those who have been severely incapacitated. Behind its polished doors and professional staff, however, lies a plot to gather organs from the patients and sell them to high-priced clients. Watch out, for you might become their next patient. Soul-Suckers of Sorority Row Welcome to Carey University, where the girls of Sigma Epsilon Xi are known to throw a hell of a party. However, they may have heavenly bodies, but their personalities are downright demonic. Nyarlathotep: the Crawling Chaos For one night only, at the Dunwich Speaking Hall, is Nyarlathotep! Come in and learn the cosmic truths he seeks to share! It is guaranteed that his scientific demonstration will change you... Scare Zones: The Shadow over Innsmouth Desperate to survive in the midst of turmoil, town members offered human sacrifices to fish-frog men known as the Deep Ones in exchange for prosperity. Now, the town’s population bears an amphibious look and don’t take kindly to strangers who venture in. Silent Hill A siren sounds. A thick fog rolls in. Buildings crumble around you. In front of you lie the streets of Silent Hill, a small town home to unspeakable horrors. Now, the darkness that has taken hold over the town draws you in… Highland Flesh Eaters Among the foggy moors of Scotland, Sawney Bean and his clan of cannibals hunt for unsuspecting victims in the dead of night. As you walk by the caves there, watch out for eyes peering from the darkness: they’ll be the last thing you see. The Freakshow Hurry, hurry, hurry! Step right up and see Dr. Morbid’s Sideshow of the Strange. Witness the bizarre abominations and oddities of nature that make their home along the midway. Who knows? Maybe they might even add you to the show. Havoc: War Zone Shadow Creek Enterprises had developed a new line of elite soldiers, soldiers driven to rage and who had taken over the facility. They have now gotten free from the building, taking to the streets and launching their own personal war. Hangman’s Harbor Along the wharf of Halton Harbor, a brutal crime spree and the resulting massacre of "justice" resulted in the district earning the nickname of Hangman's Harbor. They say that, when the moon is full and the fog rolls in, you can see the spirits of the lost souls wandering and still wrapped in their final moments.

Perhaps a movie marathon spanning the history of horror movies?

I've seen a video on YouTube of a queue video for H.R. Bloodengutz where the name given for the President's Day film is Undead President's Day II: the Re-Election.