JDW

It is money in the bank. But it hinges on being able to take pictures. If the ban remains, interest will fall dramatically and it will no longer make mad money.

Agree this may be the death nail in the UMTH tour.

Wow that is... absolutely terrible. what are they thinking?!? Some IP got there knickers in a knot perhaps? they are offering refunds though

No but I'm saying some people, who have given worse reviews, have complained I was too lenient. the rest is from die-hards who hate that I would dare to besmirch the name of HHN

Yeah I dunno. *Shrugs* I mean sure I had a really bad time last year. I could understand last year's review even though I tried to make it sound as positive as I could. But you are right, not even remotely the worst review. I've had a few people tell me my scores are too high this year. But I really thought they were all top-notch houses. Ah well whatcha gonna do?

For what it's worth, here is my site review. I truly mean both. Even if they sound like opposing opinions to some. I don't understand the hate I've gotten from this review (not here but elsewhere). I'm just being honest with how I feel. It's the only thing I really know how to do.

I can't say with certainty one way or the other honestly. I've been burnt out before. This is different. Perspective shift I guess. The reason I think it's final is I just don't feel one way or the other. I'm not mad or upset. I think I've been riding on nostalgia for some time now. Like I said, It's a great event. It's just not my event anymore. If it's thrown at me free... sure. If my daughter in 10 years just has to go... OK. If a wormhole opens up and I, myself, pop out and say it is imperative I keep going lest time itself unravel... fine I guess but do you have to be so overbearing? Only time will tell. Even for all it's frustration the community BUILT around HHN is like family. A very strange screwed up family that likes to each one another but Ohana means family. Family means nobody gets left b... Yeah whatever I just like this screwed up community and the speculation season. But only time will tell what the future holds.

OK OK I know the title is sensational and you either clicked this saying "Oh lord, what now?!?" or "Oh no what happened?!?". I'm sorry to say the answers to these questions will probably disappoint you. There is no juicy controversy to speak of, no horrible crowds to complain about, and no quality issues to nitpick. It is simply me. I'll explain. But first, Let me run down the houses in quick succession. Thar be mild spoilers ahead. We arrive and I am barely molested by security. In fact the umbrella was no issue and they only mildly ask about my clothes. Apparently people can come in any manner of splatter punk attire to the event but, if you dress in a suit and a long coat, Something's about to go down. I jest of course but they did ask me. I told them it was rain attire (which it technically is now) and I was on my merry way. It did not rain a drop the entire evening. It was a bit hot and muggy but otherwise a perfect night weather wise. I walk through the front gates for the first time I can remember in my limited memory (Always been an AP party person) and there was barely a pause. We walked past AHS (already 110 min). This doesn't phase me thanks to my new "JW's zen approach to haunts" (book forthcoming) and decided Krampus is the one I have to see. I immediately noticed the loud banging techno music overlaid with Bart Simpson's voice. I think that really sets the... wait what? Oh Chance's voice!... gothca . I swear I was waiting for her to say something like "Don't have a cow man". Finding the entrance was a challenge, as I went into the event fairly blind, I couldn't remember all the houses, scare zones, or their locations. Walked all the way around the building till we got to the front and it was 55 min. It took an actual 27 min. Krampus 9 out of 10 Krampus was a technical marvel. The snow falling on your head in between houses, the blasts of cold air, the authenticity and attention to details. It all worked. OK, the snow man was kind of lame and I was a little disappointed in the attic scene (no perchata I could see and der Klown was not how I would have thought he'd be executed) but that's a nit pick. Good scares, quality house true to the movie. Overall very pleased with this house. From here, we wander through a fairly empty Chance scare zone (whatever it's called). Well, when I say "empty" here and henceforth I mean of scare actors. There is no time when the crowds let up. The sets are cool and the chandelier thing is pretty awesome. The scare actors are giving there all. I see some very questionable quality costumes (assuming they are supposed to be make shift looking?). This is the second time we have gone through but, the first time, I wasn't paying attention. I will reserve any judgement until night fall. We decided to do all the originals and then whatever we have time for after that. So at this point we head over to the cluster that is the queue system at the concert venue and find Ghost Town. Ghost Town 10 out of 10 55 min wait posted. We, again, wait 27 min. The house is everything I expected it to be and more. There are actual rain effects and, at one point, I looked up to see if we are still inside. The sets are really amazing. Whoever said their wouldn't be guns was a dirty liar... oh yeah that was me. Hey, not everything I hear is accurate. They level weapons right at you and let loose. The wind coming from them took me aback the first time. The final shootout may have been a little sparse in actual gunmen but the sound was everywhere... along with the flipping cannon. Really well done. Scares were there. Sets were there. I really enjoyed it. We left and checked out the new store just outside the exit. Really nice. Great set pieces, great merchandise. Really happy with it. Bought a few chotchkies and we were on our merry way. This lands you in Acid Assault 2.0 Acid Assault 2.0 8 of 10 I know that's not what it's called. But I'm rolling with it because I can't remember the name and I don't feel like looking it up. Plus, it might as well be. This is a larger version of Acid Assault complete with mapped projections, abandoned cars, and a dude on a high podium spewing some diatribe about... whatever the scare zone was about. Oh I can't forget the turf wars going on. What can I say? I like Acid Assault. This was a bigger version of it and the costumes were awesome. In fact this was better than acid assault. I just I feel I would have liked them to explore different scenarios in the area. Anyway, we head down the (pretty much void) back streets towards San Francisco and towards Dead Man's Warf: Dead Man's Warf 8 of 10 I like the idea of this zone... a great deal. I think it fails my way too high expectations. It's just too small for me. I wanted this to be the big scare zone with more set pieces and more going on. But it is thematically great. I didn't get a good look at the costumes but their profiles were uber creepy. Just wish it was bigger and more going on. We head over to Chance's house: Chance's House 7 of 10 Posted 45 min wait time. Real wait time: BAHAHAHAHA! not even close. I have doth deemed this queue "You have no chance... of escaping this queue". It winds and weaves like a drunk snake across ever square inch in front of the facade. You get a good look at it. A really good look. You watch that queue video cycle at least 10 times. "I said everyone get back!" the cop on the screen says to absolutely no one. But still the video is pretty interesting. I had no idea Amanda was so important. In fact, I had know idea who Amanda was so I looked it up. So Chance only killed one person? Like ever at HHN? I'm slightly disappointed. Regardless, after 5400 seconds that just FLEW by, I entered the house. I had already decided... several years ago, I would never wear those glasses again. I like to see what I paid for thank you very much. It was... cool? I guess? I mean it was well done and it had some cool effects. I saw what they were going for but I wanted something more. I would have loved for it to flit back and forth between dream and imaginary but it doesn't. It's no mystery I don't like 3D but, from what I saw, the 3D was well executed. I may have had a better opinion of this house if my daughter hadn't graduated college while I was in line... *shurgs* We moved immediately over to Texas Chainsaw Massacre. Oh wait! Before we do, we buy the refillable cup and that sweet sweet coke zero quenches my very parched throat. The machine says unlimited refills for 3 hours. This is a dirty, bold faced, lie. Because I drink it down and go for another and it promptly tells me next refill in 20 min. So there is, actually, a very real limit to how many I can have. Talk about deceptive advertising. Anyway, we head to TCM. Texas Chainsaw Massacre 10 of 10 60 min posted wait time. We wait just about that. This house is a flawless recreation of the movie. The facade, the rooms, the sets. It is perfection. I am miffed I missed the metal door scare but it is fantastic and goes on for quite some time after the house ends. Really just bravo. Fill up the cup and pass a redneck chainsaw, a scarecrow chainsaw, and two cheerleader chainsaws... and we move on to "Crap hanging in my face: The House!" Tomb of the ancients 10 of 10 Yes, if you like crap in your face then this house is your house! We got burlap, fabrics of all kinds, sisal rope, root thingies, and thin black tread to your hearts content! It got so bad my glasses got entangled in all this crap and I was kind of trapped for a second. That being said, this house is bar none the jewel of the event. The mythology makes no sense, the crap hanging from the ceiling was so severe I couldn't see anything and I still loved it. Clever set, amazing effects, and the croc monster... dang that got me good. Filled the cup... On to awkward Celtic music over strange concept zone Banshee something or other 5 of 10 What? No really what? I don't know what was going on and the music made me feel like I was in one of those new age herbal shops. Um OK. Some of the costumes looked cool I guess. Which moves us right into... The Vamp zone. 7 of 10 This is not my thing. But the floats are kind of cool/funny. I don't care for vampires so... there you go. I would like to have seen more set pieces but there were a lot of scare actors. We are tired at this point. My old bones ache. But we decide to hit one more house, either Exorcist or AHS. Seeing that AHS is at 75 min and Exorcist is 60, we pick Exorcist. We have to pass through Chance's area... um that didn't come out right. Chance's zone? Yeah that works. Chance's ̶a̶r̶e̶a̶ Zone 9 of 10 This is pretty cool at night. The chandelier thing and the fog is really great. There is a lot of fog. The stages are great, I wish they moved like marionettes but it's fine. Chance is on one of the stages being... well Chance. I know it's not Erin but the girl doing it is doing a really good job. Same casts is there as before and they are just as good the second go round. Back to the queue of doom for the Exorcist. Exorcist 9 of 10 Well done again. Great likeness to the movie. Great facade. Interesting way they depict the scenes. We see a slightly edited Pazuzu statue in the desert (great effect). The room, and then Hell. Just a great job and nice way to visualize the Exorcist. And that is it. We drag our tired carcasses to the car. So with all that, what's this rubbish about this being my last review? Well, it's complicated. I figure if you read all this then you want to know. So here's the big answer: Honestly, I don't really know. I have been going to this event for over a quarter of a century. I have so many memories in my life that tie to this event. Parts of my life are Frankensteined into unnatural ties to HHN. I've spent untold countless hours on forums like this and the vault. But there is a... ineffable quality that was lost a few years back. Maybe it's the prices, maybe it's the crowds, maybe it's how it's a corporate money making machine, or maybe it's simply that I've been going too long. I don't know. It is really hard to put my finger on but it's missing none the less. Now, my "professional" review for my site will be completely different. It will be a highly praising piece applauding Halloween horror Nights for the technical wonder that it is (and rightly so). There truly is nothing as big and all encompassing in the way of Halloween events. The creative team, despite challenges with balancing creative with corporate, have done an amazing job in bringing to life a solid and on point event. But it just isn't my event anymore. Will I go again? Well, I have to go one more time this year. I paid for those ridiculous tickets so I better, at least, get my money's worth. As for subsequent years? IDK. I'm not worried and I'm not angry. We can have a clean breakup and still be friends can't we? I guess it remains to be seen. Perhaps I'll pine for it like a junkie or an obsessed lover but I'm not thinking so. The event has changed, definitely towards their benefit. I am truly proud of them. I wish them well and maybe we'll talk again. But this bird has changed as well and I must be traveling on now. So that is the best I can muster for an explanation. It may sound irrational or it may sound stupid but it's how I feel. I'll still be around here because there are people I like to talk to and friends on the forum. Plus I have to shamelessly plug my show right? But I don't think I'll be attending in subsequent years. At least not anytime soon. Time to really cut the cord and branch out. Edit: Forgive the initial errors. My process is to hammer maniacally on the keyboard and post it. Then I go back through 400 times and edit the mistakes. If they are still there then FOR SHAME!

I was only mildly assaulted by security. They asked me whats with my outfit. I told them it was rain gear. They let me go. Which is sort of true. But it didn't rain once.

and look at that I made a comment in it. >.< Add that to the weirdness lately. Can you move it for me then?

You made me shoot coke out my nose... bravo.

EP:3 What Masks Hide Art By Junker Jane: Website:: http://www..JunkerJane.com Facebook: hhttps://www.facebook.com/junkerjane Twitter: https://twitter.com/JunkerJane

A recycled pumpkin mask from 2008 will spoil the event? LOL OK I will refrain anyway. Funny this is coming from the guy who says the event sucks. I just didn't really know where to put "roaming hordes" Seeing as we do not have a thread for it.

Chainsaw cheerleader roaming horde. I'll give you a guess who they look like. No not chance. also: roaming scarecrows with chainsaws. Roaming Geisha ninjas (or something)... with chainsaws Roaming rednecks... with chainsaws

Dang ok I'll leave the sword/cane/gun/umbrella at home.

New episode tomorrow. Teaser of it. Will be at HHN Friday. debating on doing live feeds, videos, pictures, etc. Not sure if anyone would care though.

Will they deny a cane as well? 3 ft is a standard umbrella. My umbrella doubles as my cane so I hope they don't give me trouble.

Yeah who are those people? I hadn't heard of anything but I guess it's not a huge shocker anymore.

No they shut down if there is rain. Safety all around. I haven't seen a fully operation scarezone in three years. Mostly due to rain. But it's all in when you hit them. Few years back I was walking through Saws and steam and they have some water effects over head dripping a bit. Wasn't raining when I went in but, halfway through, I started thinking "ease up on the water effects" then I noticed all the scareactors disappeared. It was a torrential downpour. Also, sometimes houses get shut down as well. I'm mostly thinking of Jaws queue because it flooded easily. But Chance's house is a big unknown location so who knows. I've never been in the MIB extended queue when it was raining. I did wait as the next person in line for the Saws and steam house for an hour when the sky opened up and the whole house flooded. Guess I better waterproof my coat and bring an umbrella

Yeah... That's about right

I am jack's ragining indiffernece. I feel like Mike played Leather face in the commercial. I can't back that up just feels like him if that makes sense? IDK he probably didn't.