AsylumSB
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Posts posted by AsylumSB
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Awesome review as usual, ZM! It's funny, but I reacted the same way regarding the printed maps as soon as I walked in. They are a great resource for recalling the event, especially if you visit only once from out of state.
I do miss RIP/VIP (like you, the meal is phenomenal). A few years ago, we opted to skip the RIP tour after dinner and use the unlimited express. The freedom of hitting the attractions when and where you wanted bypassed the constraints of the tour. We used unlimited express this year and will probably use this admission tier moving forward.
Good to see the pandemic has not stopped your "haunt travels".
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The 2012 maze of the original Texas Chainsaw Massacre film was one of the best I've encountered. The ambiance and scare actor interactions were incredible. Looking forward to this one the most. Hopefully, I am not setting my expectations too high for this years version.
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Thanks for posting this! What a great follow-up to 2018's UCM (my favorite horror series). I have always had a soft spot for the film that was the inspiration for this maze. It was the sequel to both the original Wolfman and Ghost of Frankenstein.
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Very nice review. There seems to consistency with the event as your ratings/feedback similarly compare with mine. That is, with the exception of Stranger Things (thought it so-so to mediocre).
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1 minute ago, zombieman said:
What he said!
Stop being so efficient, Zombie Mod-man! Beat me to the post. Haha.
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6 minutes ago, Tangapika said:
That's great to know! I am not seeing a standalone ULTIMATE Express option on the Hollywood website, only the basic Express Pass. We are going this Sunday and the price difference between the Express (1 entry to each maze/ride) and the RIP tour is $120 pp.
The various perks with RIP is great if it is your first time. It adds a little bit of structure to your visit. I found the Unlimited Express to be optimal because it allows a great amount of flexibility to your evening, especially if the focus is enjoying the attractions at your pace. The Unlimited option pops up after placing your order in the cart. Either option, in my opinion, is worthwhile.
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31 minutes ago, bggrenville813 said:
The same people made the Orlando ones
So does Hollywood lol
That's interesting...been through Stranger Things multiple times and saw not one deviation outside of the 'killer dandelion" version. Could it be those costumes were not ready opening weekend?
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2 minutes ago, zombieman said:
Don't. Get. Old.
Already there (sigh). Safe travels, Zombieman....Attended Orlando's event in 2014. Amazing event, not sure why Hollywood has trouble matching the quality of Florida's version.
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What is this "Jabba-the-Hut-Skeez" you speak of?
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Thanks for stepping away from your "day job" to give us your usual thorough review of HHN-H. Just kidding. It has been quite empty here lately. I definitely agree with your thoughts on Halloween and Stranger Things. Halloween was pleasantly entertaining and Michael Myers was relentless through the maze. They seemed to take a slightly different approach with some of the Halloween "standards" and made it seem fresh. Stranger Things, though, felt very underwhelming. I am glad you enjoyed TRT. While I do not think it was the worse maze, it may have been the most disappointing one.
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Nice review, Zombieman. I like the inclusion of your daughter's thoughts; was able to get some good feedback from mine a few years ago, too. Definitely agree with many points in your review, especially with your #1 maze (UCM) and Trick R Treat. Been screaming about getting TRT for several years now but I do not think Universal did it justice. Thought it was very lackluster.
Look forward to your Orlando review!
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While Halloween Horror Nights has impresive and immersive sets, I believe it is scareactors (Yes, you!) who are the heart and soul of the event. Annnnnd...the reason I have been attending for 10 years.
Break-a-leg and scare safe.
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Enjoying RIP as I type. It's good to have the lounge back! Food is excellent but going to forgo the tour this year to meet up with family.
To all scareactors....break a leg, scare well, and be safe!
Insidious is already up to 120 minutes and it's only 630pm!
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1 hour ago, Arsik_22 said:
Here's all of the available merch so far!
This should be an annual thing for you! "Arsik's Annual HHN Pre-Show and Merchandise Spooktacular". Heh.
Impressive merchandise line-up this year, however, I think some of the shirts are a little gaudy. That big vinyl lettering kind of prevents it from being worn all year.
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5 hours ago, StraightEdge said:
The kids nowadays say "let's get it" and at times add a curse word
Thank goodness curse words are forever engrained in our psyche. I am about a two decades behind with pop catchphrases.
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1 hour ago, instamatic said:
Have fun! I hope you love it! We're doing VIP 9/16. Sooooo excited!!!!
Give it up for the 9/16 VIP crew! Whoop Whoop! Hoot Hoot! Yelp Yelp! (Or whatever the kids say these days).
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It's good to see VIP/RIP back from the dead (heh)! I thoroughly enjoyed this admission tier during past events and the unlimited FOL is worth the extra cost. Going opening weekend and plan to attend Son of Monsterpalooza while in town.
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I am wondering that IF Ash vs Evil was going to be announced it would around the time of the Bluray release (similar to the last Evil Dead maze). That last ED maze announcement was accompanied with the release of the Bluray and leaked a bit early regarding a contest for HHN. Season 2 of AvsED comes out in August. Will history repeat itself? Nah!!
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Asylum SB's "AVP versus AWIL Slobberknocker and Puppetry Spectacular"
Review of Halloween Horror Nights 2014
Scareactors, Werewolves, and Go-Go's, Oh My!
Scareactors, Werewolves, and Go-Go's, Oh My!
**NOTE: AsylumSB has neglected his duties of reporting out on previous events (in particular 2014 and 2016). Oddly, the 2014 review was almost completely written. The anticipation of the upcoming 2017 event has re-energized AsylumSB and his 2014 report is now available for human (or monster) consumption....enjoy!
Back from HHN 2014 and happy to announce that this has been one of the most enjoyable events since I started attending in 2009. The whole event felt a bit more organized and the VIP continued to live up to its standard. I was lukewarm towards the backlot mazes last year, which felt a bit awkward, but seemed more cohesive with the addition of the third attraction and beefed up lighting and atmosphere. Additionally, there was the added "attraction" of walking through the "scenic" service roads to the backlot-- Hee Hee! Some of my observations for this year:
- It was a toss-up between Aliens vs. Predator and American Werewolf in London for who would take the top maze. Flip-flopped throughout the night, even after repeats of each maze.
- VIP was great and probably a tighter, more organized experience than in years past.
- Best year for HHN Go-Go's! I find them very entertaining and add to the overall ambiance (especially in the mazes).
- Scareactors make this event what it is...always impressed and worked hard even as the night progressed. Some of the guests were very annoying and disrespectful towards the scareactors. I was a bit cranky towards these individuals.
After a trouble-free flight to wonderful Burbank, we checked into the Sheraton Universal, then visited City Walk before going to the event. Even though the Sheraton is older than the Hilton, it was a great place to stay and within walking distance to the park (even better after getting a great rate through Hotwire!). We started to see folks filter towards the security lines and decided to line up around 615pm. There was already a fairly lengthy line for the VIP check-in and we had a chance to view the (mostly happy) people lined-up and head towards early entry. I was surprised how many were offered that chance and hope it worked in their favor for a chance to see several attractions with minimal wait times. Also, I did not plan to see the opening ceremony but, by chance, ended up close to the show after the VIP check-in. While not the biggest fan of The Purge, the scaremony was a fun way to start the evening.
Our VIP dinner check-in was for 8pm so we decided to go down to the lower lot to check out Clowns 3-D and AWIL, then back up for Dracula and Minion Mayhem. Even though the backlot is the way to go at the beginning of the event, Lower Lot mazes and rides were a walk-on for those wanting to do something quickly without marching to the backlot "Triple Threat".
I loved VIP this year! Best overall experience since 2011. I never thought VIP was designed to fly through the event at record pace, nor did I find having more "things" to do was a plus. After attending this year, I realized that doing the backlot tour bogged down a significant part of the event. Yes, Insidious VIP from 2013 was fun and much different from VIP in the past, but this year, we found ourselves using the unlimited FOL more than before. I loved repeating mazes as it helped me retain memories for what I experienced and provided a second look for details I may have missed or differences in cast.
Since the lounge and scarezone were connected, this part of VIP felt refined, tighter and efficient. It was organized well, the food was great, and our tour was about an hour after the dinner. The scarezone was fun, the scareactors were both interactive and scary, and the graveyard decorations were plentiful. The lighting and fog added a moody atmosphere.
Well, it is once again time for AsylumSB's 4th annual "Slobberknocker" awards for 2014. You might laugh, you might cry, you may even find your life redeemed after reading (or, probably fall asleep-it's all good).
Battle of the Behemoths Award: Aliens vs. Predator (winner by a protruding alien jaw). It was AVP vs AWIL for most of the night. However, I was impressed with the scenic work in AVP as there was emphasis on the smallest of details. The Predator's laser guide, the simple yet effective facehugger scares, and beauty of the Queen alien made this a "must-do" maze. For those of you who were impressed by the finale, we were able to get a special surprise during our second walk-through – a human sized Xenomorph!
The “Give Credit to the Next Best Maze” Runner-up Award: American Werewolf in London. I first entered AWIL early in the evening and thought the transition scenes were a little strange. For some reason, the Jack character was laying in the middle of the path then jumped back into the werewolf setup and acted like he was getting attacked. Hmmm. The subway scare that was so effective in the previous Thing maze felt a little flat and I could not hear Blue Moon (or much of the audio). However, the transformation scenes were great and the animatronic werewolves got me good (even during repeats of the maze). What added to the atmosphere was the maze was very dark and I had a bit of trouble navigating through until "Roarrr!" those wolves scared the life out of me (almost). Mind you, these things of beauty were only inches away from you, not feet. On a few occasions, I could barely see the wolf and noticed its head appeared to be following me as I walked by. Whoever was puppeteering these things had their timing down and lashed out at me just as I was leaving the scene. Best scares of the night.
The award for the category “Walking Dead Was Actually Great This Year” goes to….Orlando, Florida! Had the chance to see what all the hubbub was at our east coast sister park. If you have not been there, I highly recommend going at least once to experience this event. Yes, Walking Dead was considered a “mega-house” and it felt like it. The house was energetic and the scareactors were incredible in their scares and interactivity with the guests. Unbelievably detailed scenes and energy made this a far better WD (or quite possibly any property) experience than Hollywood’s counterpart.
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All I have to say is that the Super Secret Attack Word had better be.....REDRUM, REDRUM, REDRUM...heh.
This is a tremendous announcement.
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Great review, Grind! Succinct and to the point. It's good to see that the event continues as yearly tradition for many people.
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I agree....this is a well written review of 2015 (and pushes me to finally post my 2014 and 2016 reviews). And we have agreement with AVP. I thought the maze was a bit lacking in various areas when compared to 2014. Although, This Is the End was a bit higher on my list of attractions.
On October 10, 2016 at 2:32 AM, DTH316 said:I really loved this review, I'm kinda shocked TitE is over AvP even though it's a repeat, but cmon! Haha can't wait to read your review on this year and to see if anything tops Insidious for you.
Ahhh DTH, don't buy into the hipster TiTE hate train. It was not that bad. Hee Hee!
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Good review, Freak! I agree with much of your observations (except TCM:SIL
). American Horror Story was aesthetically pleasing but scares were sparse. We were able to choose our own way during a few runs through Terror Tram (even though the staff directed guests to a particular path), Have fun on your second run...I admire you local folks for the ability to visit more than once...its a great event.
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It was nice but go there first. They started to close the lines around 530ish.
). American Horror Story was aesthetically pleasing but scares were sparse. We were able to choose our own way during a few runs through Terror Tram (even though the staff directed guests to a particular path), Have fun on your second run...I admire you local folks for the ability to visit more than once...its a great event.
Halloween Horror Nights 2023 Speculation
in Halloween Horror Nights Hollywood 2023
Posted
Looks like we are finally getting (probable) dates for our beloved event! And, a tidbit for a possible maze?