Nightcrawler
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Posts posted by Nightcrawler
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Well I think they have put away the movie houses... At least for a while. Especially seeing as they did the Thing just 4 years ago. Even with the revamp of the movie I think its probably too soon.
Also,
Cold Blind Terror was supposed to be cold and it was in a sound stage... But it was more of a soapy light inferno. at least when I went through. It was so hot it was uncomfortable. I don't think they can make it too cold for cost reasons.
As I recall, in 'Dead Silence: The Curse of Mary Shaw,' the first part where you're going through the cemetery was quite cold.
For my ideas:
1. Possibly another 'The Thing' House.
2. I would gladly pay extra to see a 'Trick 'r Treat' House. The movie ruled, and several of the environments in it could fit perfectly into a House (Especially the abandoned quarry, and Mr. Kreeg's dark house).
3. Kind of going along with the general theme from 2008, a House centering around childhood fears, like the monster under the bed or the Boogeyman.
4. Making 'Saws 'n Steam' into a full House.
5. For kind of the scary/ funny House this year, I'm recalling a funny conversation I once had with someone while in line for one of the Houses in which the queue line went through Barney's Playland. Looking at how surprisingly spooky the Barney statue appears late at night, someone (Maybe me) had the idea for a House centered around a "Barney"- esque kids' show in which the already mentally unstable man who played the show's main character abruptly snaps and goes on a homicidal rampage throughout the studio.
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Legacy, excellent points, I hadn't thought of that.
In particular, great points on how a casino setting could be a great way of utilizing the sort of sensory/ distracting type scares that HHN developers are fond of using. For instance, in the slots room, between the heavy lights and the loud whirring and bells from the machines, visitors could experience the kind of sensory overload that would so completely distract them that they could then have a Scareactor jump out and scare the living crap out of them.
For the theme, as you pointed out, there can be three ideas for what Scareactors to use:
1. Zombies. Similar to Zombie Gras, you're stuck in a casino infested with the undead.
2. Vampires. I remember a story from I think 'The Vault of Horror' in which there was a town which had a restaurant that did regular business during the day, but at night, vampires took it over, and served blood- themed dishes in the same way a vegetarian restaurant serves vegetable dishes (i.e. roast blood clots instead of steak). I recall at the end of the story, a human trespasser to the restaurant who didn't realize the truth until it was too late is hung upside down from the ceiling, a tap is inserted into his jugular, and the vampires use it to fill their glasses with his blood for a toast. The House could function in a similar way, with it being a normal casino by day, but taken over by vampires during the night, with humans betting on their lives and blood. In fact, for the "Restaurant/ Bar" room, it could maybe have the upside down guy with a tap in his neck from the story.
3. Ghosts. A haunted casino could be VERY cool. Especially considering how many casinos have been run by the mafia in the past, maybe the backstory for the House could be that it is a casino haunted by the ghosts of the people killed in a brutal gangland massacre that occurred there in the 1930s. Of course, one should never underestimate the scare value of the right sound effects at the right time (Hence the love of using chainsaws at HHN), I'm betting the sound of a ghostly gangster's tommygun going off would be great for making unsuspecting visitors jump out of their shoes.
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I hit each House 3 times. That was my goal, a new record for me, and I'm proud of it.
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I think I can do that, too!
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Have you been watching any news?? He's been hogging it!
He had a couple scandals over the summer, but nothing like the one he had a few years ago. I still think they could have gone with others.
btw, to continue my review, I went back to HHN Saturday night (The first time I've gone on the first Saturday). I didn't get there until 10, to avoid the parking fee, and because I knew what I wanted to do that night.
First, I went right away to Hades, but it was closed temporarily due to "Technical difficulties." Annoyed, I went to the other House I was planning to hit that night:
Psychoscareapy: Echoes of Shadybrook
This was an alright House. I got a few good scares, but it wasn't as memorable as "Home for the Holidays." Nice enough set design, great facade, and good makeup for the mental patients, not to mention details on the walls (i.e. strange writing). I just wish the scareactors would interact a bit more. I'd say another B-
While I was in line there, I saw that the line for Hades opened back up, so after leaving the first House, I immediately went for it!
Hades: The Gates of Ruin
Absolutely amazing! A lot better than the other reviewers led me to believe. The facade looked great (Though it reminded me a bit of the Goonies), the environments were well- done (Especially the Medusa room), the hanging stuff was a bit of an annoyance but not enough to really bother me, and the performances/ makeup for the Scareactors was awesome! I was especially frightened by the Minotaur, he was freaking huge (And considering that I myself am 6'2", that's saying something)! The only real problem I had was that the final room seemed to be in need of a scareactor at a certain point. Other than that, an awesome House I'll gladly go to again later, earning at least an A-.
6 Houses down, 2 to go! I'll let you know how I feel about them and the Brushwood show when I tackle them.
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Hey,
Well, yesterday was interesting and exciting, and the whole day had me on a whole range of emotions.
First, I was a bit irritable when I arrived at the parking lot, because the traffic was so bad and I was later than I thought I'd be (I got there around 6:00).
I went to Bob's, and met the HNN crew there. Unfortunately, that was all I ended up seeing of them last night. I suddenly remembered that I forgot to write down what my parking space was, so I sprinted back to write it down, then ran back to the entrance, but I never saw them there. It's just as well, though, because I would have held things up for them with my next annoyance that night. See, I got my FFP from a Ticketmaster store like usual, but this time, they said it wasn't valid, and I had to get it validated at the guest service window. This, of course, took several minutes, and further irritated me. Finally, when I actually got into the park, my mood soon improved. The 20 Years of Fear and Fear Revealed Scarezones were a lot of fun, the scareactors were both scary and friendly, and the environments looked good. So, I set off for the first House:
Havoc: Dogs of War
Pretty good House. The facade was great, and I got some good scares. The set design wasn't anything special (Other than the medical chart screens in the beginning of the House) and it was took dark to see what we should have occasionally (Especially the final scene), but the scareactors worked well (I liked how they appeared to have barcodes tatooed on the side of their heads, nice touch) and there were a few good moments. All in all, a nice House which, while not terrifying, got me in the mood. I'd give it I think a B-.
From there, I decided to hit the Orfanage, since it was close, and it's usually good to hit Jaws Queue Houses on opening night when the lines aren't as long.
The Orfanage
Wow! This House was great! The designs were awesome, the effects, while minimal, worked well (There may have only been fire in one scene, but it worked all right), and the kids were great! I screamed a LOT. It's funny, when we were going through the final scene, I was thinking, 'Good House, but there really needed to be more Cindy,' when all of a sudden, the girl in question lunged right at me! Good times, probably the best Jaws Queue House I've seen in the four years I've gone. I'd say it deserves an A-.
Next, I went through the whole zombie area.
Zombiegeddon
This House took me by surprise. I expected it to be the funny House this year, and the amusing queue video reinforced this, but it quickly turned really scary in a hurry. The smell in a certain room(Those who've gone through it probably know which room I'm talking about) made me feel a little sick, but made it feel more immersive. The only issue I had was there didn't seem to be much variety in the zombies' costumes. Then again, considering the House is supposed to be a training scenario gone wrong, it makes sense that they'd be wearing similar costumes. Having Zombie Gras be right outside it was a nice touch. A good B+
So, I made my way through Saws and Steam. The Steampunk was great, and the actors seemed to be doing good. It was especially good/ scary in the alley, where it really lived up to the "Steam" part of the title. After this, it began quickly to rain (My final real annoyance of the night), just as I was about to go through the Coven (A later walkthrough turned out to be very good). So, I got shelter and an overpriced Cherry Coke in Mel's, while I waited for it to die down a bit, at which point I promptly went to my next stop:
Catacombs: Black Death Rising
Very scary. Lame facade, and repetitive designs, but both were to be expected. The scareactors did a great job on this, I screamed a LOT, especially at the doctors (Thought their masks kept makign me think of 'Spy Vs. Spy'). There were a lot of Scareactors in some scenes. It definitely scared me good. I'd give it a B.
With that, I wasn't sure what else to do, and fatigue was beginning to set in (I had a very long day before then). So, I hit the Simpsons Ride, MIB, and Bill and Ted
Bill & Ted's Excellent Halloween Adventure, 2010 edition.
Okay, but not as good as it's been in the past. A few funny remarks, but as others have noted, the selection of guests could definitely have been better. SPOILERS! I didn't even know who it was that was supposed to be Ted's replacement, or the girl with him. The Mel Gibson part was unnecessary, as he hasn't really made news in at least a year or two. There were loads of movies this year they could have and should have used at the show (i.e. the Elm Street remake, Avatar, Clash of the Titans, and Scott Pilgrim vs. the World would have all been great). The Toy Story part, the Twilight part (Especially the surprise at the end of it), and the Hit Girl part were good, but that's about it.
Worth a watch, but maybe not a repeat viewing.
So, I was feeling really tired, and decided to call it a night. All in all, a good time.
I'll be back tonight around 9:30 or 10 or so, to try and hit Hades, Psychoscareapy, and maybe Brian Brushwood.
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That's basically a Bowdlerized way of saying that it's indefinitely closed. The ride has enough problems from bad manufacturing, but Universal rushing the opening kept them from fixing even some of them. Hence the constant problems last year that resulted in severe testing during HHN and now the coupling bar issue.
I wouldn't be surprised if the ride goes the way of Jaws and gets a major revamp.
I thought the problem with last year's HHN was that the line for the Wolf Man House at one point passed directly under Rockit's tracks, and they weren't able to set up safety nets in time (It wouldn't do, after all, to have a visitor potentially getting conked on the head by a camera or cell phone that fell out of a rider's pocket)?
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Sounds hot Jake!
Your description of the Coven gets me all excited as Susannah Martin my Great Great Great Great etc. Grandmother, John Proctor my Great Great etc. Uncle and Mary Bradbury my Great Great etc. Aunt were all Salem Witches.
Susannah and John were executed, but Mary escaped from Jail (good thing too, otherwise my cousin Ray would never have been born to write all those awesome books!) so to hear that this is a reverse of Salem makes me happy.
REVENGE FOR THE BLOOD OF THE ANCESTORS!!!
lol.
Though, having people burned at the stake in the scarezone is historically inaccurate, as none of the people executed at the Salem witch trials were burned at the stake. One (Giles Corey) was crushed under rocks, and the others were all hanged.
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I'll be there, at about 6:00!
I'll be eating beforehand, so I probably won't order anything, but I look forward to meeting you guys there!
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I'd go with outfit 1.
As for what I wear, just a T- Shirt, jeans, my sneakers, an HHNvault pin/ button I got from Gravenights last year, and maybe a hat.
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All kinds of things can, usually things that bring Houses to mind.
For example, I remember once a month or so before HHN 2008, I was watching 'Shrek the Third,' and the whole scene with Prince Charming leading the fairy tale villains in attacking Far Far Away immediately brought to mind the idea behind Scary Tales, as I figured that House would be similar.
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We saw ALL the scarezones. It's so funny to me how everyone has a different opinion. I absolutely LOVED the scarezone Fear Revealed and 20 Years of Fear. I thought it was awesome to see such icons and characters from the past. Kudos to the crypt keeper in 20 years of fear - I thought he was a statue - not so much!!!
They've got the Crypt Keeper?
(Does happy dance).
I've GOT to get a picture of him!
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So, does anybody know yet what they have prepared for opening night (i.e. Opening Scareamonies)?
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That blows!I still haven't ridden it!
THings are always keeping me from riding it!
Last year's HHN, it was never open.
I went last December, it was closed for maintenance.
I went last weekend, the same thing.
Now this?
I cannot believe this!
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Has there been any word yet on what the Opening Night festivities are going to be like?
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They all seem like they'd be pretty good. But I'd say the most anticipated for me would be a tie betwen Hades and LT, with the Orfanage in second. My least anticipated would probably be Havoc, mainly because it seems like it would work better as a Scarezone than as a House.
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Well obviously merchandise we'll be seeing this year will be: shirts, lanyards, pins, shotglasses..(am I missing something?)
Stuff I wanna see this year : keychains(?), dvd of the past 20 years or a book of the past 20 yrs, ehh..I don't know. My mind is blank at the moment.
1. Are lanyards what people hold their home- printed tickets in?
2. All the items you said you want to see this year sound great, I'd love to see them, too!
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Well?
Does anybody know about my Ticketmaster question?
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It has nothing to do with Christians...
Well, with all due respect, your comment about parents getting "Enraged" and "Throwing Bibles at us" suggests otherwise, and is rather offensive.
But, enoguh about that, let's get back to talking about construction.
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Im really excited for this scarezone because i love blacklight kinda things.Another thing is has anyone seen Princess and the Frog it sorda reminds me of the bad guy from that movie.
"I got voodoo, I got hoodoo, I got things I ain't even tried, and I got friends on the other side!"
He's one of my favorite Disney villains, and yeah, that scarezone design does bring him to mind a little!
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Sorry if this has been asked already, but can you buy HHN tickets through Ticketmaster outlets (i.e. FYE) like we could last year, or has Universal ended its relationship with them?
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This will be my first time going Opening Weekend! I'll be doing whatever Stephanie and Liz are doing. I just tend to follow their lead. But, I do hope part of our path is swinging by Bob Marley!
I'd be up for meeting up with people, especially on opening night. Anyone who wants to meet up with me that night just send me a message on where and when.
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I just love the atmosphere there. I enjoy looking at the details and admiring the makeup. I love the scares too though!
Yeah, the atmosphere is great.
I remember back in 2008, I hit the Scary Tales House a total of three times, and noticed something new each time!
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I'd be to scared to go alone, honestly.
Me too!
Humiliating, shameful admission time:
When I was going into Doomsday in 2008, I was alone when I entered the House, but I was so afraid of getting nailed by everyone that I waited for someone else to catch up to me before proceeding!
That blows!
Worst Troll/Kid You've Seen?
in General Halloween Horror Nights - Orlando
Posted · Edited by Nightcrawler
Two stick out in my mind:
1. At the very first House I visited, 2007's 'Vampyr: Bloodbath,' there were like 3 REALLY annoying teen boys behind me. They kept loudly (As in, in an exaggerated, fake way) yelling at everything, and the one who seemed to be kind of the leader of the group kept shouting to the others, "You guys are vaginas! You guys are vaginas (I hope saying that doesn't violate any site rules or anything)!" I wanted to smack that kid.
2. The next year, the final night, in 'Reflections of Fear,' the girl behind me kept shrilly screaming right in my ear at everything.