boogeyman13

Even if they are the same, it could still be cool to see the other park's take on them. Plus, Orlando has a different Bill & Ted, and different SZ's.

Per the title, if you could go back and spend one more night at any past HHN you've been to, which one would you choose? Since I've only been to two of them, I would choose HHN XX. It was my first one, and I didn't really know anything about the event. I only did the majority of the houses once, and they weren't the best walk-throughs. Now that I have a much larger understanding of the event, the characters, and the stories, I would love to go back and really spend some more time in the SZ's, and walk through all the houses a few more times. I think I'd get so much more out of Hallow'd Past now than I did the first time around. If I could do any HHN at all though, it'd be XIX. Love the Usher, love the theme for the year, and would love to experience the event personally. What about you?

HAHAHA Try doing an MBA program. You get to learn all about the "fun" things some unethical companies do in the search for the best margins. And as a marketer, we're probably some of the worst offenders.

It depends on how they're executed this year. The IP's (read that as TWD) drew in massive crowds, but the IP houses themselves weren't really all that great. Not to say that they didn't still look amazing, just that the intensity and the scares weren't there. Something was missing from each of the big three.

Just finished watching the Bill & Ted show from 2006. Man, I wish they brought back a show like this back. Much better story, and pretty funny.

Let's all play nice. Everyone is entitled to express their opinion, and we can disagree and still be respectful about it.

They were attempting to turn the franchise into an anthology series. But when Halloween 3 bombed (interesting idea, imo, just terrible execution), they went back to what worked. And if you think THAT'S one of the worst horror films ever, you should spend an afternoon watching stuff on Netflix. You'll come out think H3 wasn't actually all that bad.

Except that they've already taken this approach with another IP. Unless I'm mistaken, wasn't the first Thing house a sequel, and took place after the events of the film? This house, as described above, would essentially be a prequel.

I totally get what you're saying, but I wouldn't call the Monsters originals. Alice Cooper and P&T were more original houses than they were, and they're all considered IP's. But my larger point it, just because it's IP, it doesn't automatically mean it'll suck. And vice versa for originals. So to say that an event is ruined because they're going IP heavy is a fairly black and white statement.

Goo, which event are you going to? There was only two movie houses last year, only one the year before that, and none the year before that. And while the IP houses can get to be a bit clip show-ish at times, I think you're also underselling the talent of A&D a little bit. There's still a lot of artistry that goes into a house, whether it's an IP house or not. Last year, I was a big supporter of a lot of the anti-IP points being made here. But I'll tell you, my favorite house without question was House of Horrors. Why? Because it took a simple concept, through in a bunch of atmosphere, gave it a twist, and used a stellar cast. The first time through, the Dracula in the hallway even got me. And I can usually see scare actors coming a mile away. It left me a new appreciation for IP's. As I wrote in my last post, things change. The market and the consumer base changes, and you should expect the event to change as well. Legacy it sounds like you and I are in pretty much solid agreement here. If you don't like it, don't go. Go check out some local haunts, or go to Busch Gardens, or become a home haunter. That's one of the best parts of Halloween, you can celebrate it a million different ways and have a blast. I for one am looking forward to this year's event. I'm expecting it to be crowded, loud, tiring as all hell, and expensive. But I'm making a choice to partake in it, because it's still the best option out there for this type of experience. Hell, I'm willing to fly down from Illinois to enjoy 4 nights of it, because it's something you just can't get anywhere else, IP's or not. And while it may be different from what it was 4+ years ago, I'd hardly call it ruined. And as for the price, when your average haunt is anywhere between 16-30 dollars for a single 20 minute house, HHN is still one hell of a deal, and I have zero problem supporting them financially for the show they put on.

So here's a thought. We're all assuming that CitW will be a straight up adaptation of the flick, but that's not really the point or the fun of the film. What if, instead of that, the house is all about the OTHER monsters, and we get to see what the film would of been like if they'd been chosen instead? Or maybe we'll get to see the origins of where the monsters came from, in their original environments? That would be a very cool house experience, and add to the film without just being a straight up clip show.

I'm genuinely hoping it is, but you never know.

While I don't disagree with your points, until people en masse stop coming, that won't really change. They know they can get away with less, and if people are still willing to pay, there's no need to change the model. Knott's isn't really a fair comparison, though, as they have a much more competitive market than Orlando. I'd be very curious to know how the GP feels about the product offerings as of late. This year's business will probably be pretty telling, although I'm honestly expecting a repeat of last year's numbers. Especially with Transformers now, assuming it's open.

No worries, and I'm certainly not singling you or anyone else in this thread out. The mentality I'm speaking of, while popping up in this conversation a bit, transcends this thread. It's a viewpoint that shows up from time to time forum-wide, and even across different fandoms, as I mentioned.

I just wanted to say thanks for posting the vid. I hadn't seen this one before, and it was fun to take a stroll back to my first HHN.

As much as I would like to agree with everyone here, I just can't. The philosophy presented here that the wants and desires of the hardcore fans should be more important than the the GP is something you see in every fandom, and it's why Star Wars fans get so bent out of shape every time Lucas changes something to "their" trilogy. As fans, we have a personal investment in the brand, and feel a sense of ownership. But it's not the case. Ultimately it is still a business, and Universal, as a company, will do what makes the most amount of sense to grow their market share and please their shareholders. Last year should have been an eye opener into just how much we as the hardcore fans impact revenue streams. If we were really that influential, then the event would have been selling out for years, not just when they got a hot IP for the event. It's why it looks like this year is going to be IP heavy again. Even if we as a group refused to go, there are what, a few hundred of us at most that would actually do that? It's the same groups of people posting here and over on HU, and that probably carries through to the other fan sites as well. HHN deals with thousands of visitors on a nightly basis. Visitors, btw, who will buy a 1-night pass, maybe upgrade to express, and then drop 60+ dollars on food and booze, and who knows how much on merch. And maybe they'll get a second night out of them, with the same amount of spending. And even better, if they can get them in the park during the day as well, then that's additional income. That's where the money is, and that's where the focus is. I am very grateful that elements of the Universal team reach out to the fans at all, but I also understand that it's a small, dedicated group of individuals. Horror Unearthed was orchestrated by what, 5-6 people? And the majority of the GP (and even a lot of the employees) had no idea it was going on. I think it's fantastic that Universal allows the level of interaction that goes on leading up to and during HHN with programs like LT and HU, but it isn't how they generate the bulk of their profits. They're going to aim the event to whichever market segment offers them the most financial opportunities. We thought (myself included) that HHNH's business model would never work in Orlando, as it was a different market with different needs. But that belief is being proven wrong, and most likely will continue to do so. Look, as a fan boy for a number of things, I understand the mentality of "we were there from the beginning, we love this brand, and it used to be about the fans and the art." But that's wrong. We got the HHN that made the most sense in that market climate, and we identified with it. Now we're seeing a new market climate, and a shift in the event to capitalize on it. To bring this back around, it's the exact same concept you see from OT Star Wars fans. They saw the Prequel Trilogy and bemoaned it, running around yelling about how it wasn't their Star Wars and how George sold out and raped their childhood. But to a whole generation of fans, that IS their Star Wars. They love it more than the Original Trilogy, and will be the future revenue generators. The same thing is happening here. We may run around yelling about how this isn't the HHN we love, and they've sold out. But I guarantee you there's a growing fan base who is perfectly fine with this new format, and would prefer it to what's come before. And they're younger, are the source of future revenue, and will eventually replace us. I understand that this isn't a popular viewpoint, and my aim was not to offend. So if I did, I apologize. I'm a huge, huge fan of the holiday and season, and will defend the merits of HHN against any other haunt until the day I die. But, in my personal opinion, the sense of entitlement and betrayal that's popping up in this thread is misplaced. We are a vocal, but minor part of the larger community. This event has grown a lot larger than what it was, and in the larger context, we are ultimately not that vital to their success.

Dr. Jimmy, ironically enough, one of the earlier drafts of Freddy vs. Jason actually did have Freddy as a camp counselor where he molested a young Jason. So this line of reasoning is not outside the realm of possibility.

Not passing any sort of judgement here, as I have no idea how big of fans you are of the larger horror genre at all. Just wanted to make that disclaimer now, in case this comes off as a "I'm more a horror guy than you." But for me, I loved it. I've seen so many films that follow this same generic plot: teenagers go to "abandoned/isolated/vacant/etc." "house/amusement park/hospital/cabin/etc." where they find themselves terrorized by "hillbillies/cannibals/slasher/demon/science experiment/monster/alien/dinosaur/etc." until only one is left. So many of them are so terribly awful, that CitW was the perfect sort of summary piece to them. It felt like it was written to me, and burnt out grizzled fans like me. Instead of just retreading the same story beats, it added a layer to it. Instead of repeating it, the film instead told us WHY it happens (and why so often), while concurrently creating a reflection upon and critique of the genre and its tropes. The characters become actors performing roles, the control room directs their performance and actions, and even the audience becomes the Ancient Ones watching the ritual unfold and demanding blood, suffering, and sacrifice. It's a brilliant bit of writing, and a really unique twist to a very tired sub-genre of horror. And it made me, a very caustic audience goer, actually giggle during the movie several times. Are there some plot issues? Sure. But show me a movie, especially in this genre, that doesn't have those. What I choose rather to focus on is that it's a celebration of the film we've seen countless variations of, with a little bit of a wink to the audience. I very much appreciate and love the obvious affection they have for the genre. And while I doubt all, if any, of that will be present in the house (if indeed it does show up at HHN this year), just to be a part of something like that excites me to no end. From all the houses rumored to be happening, this is in my top two of houses I'm looking forward to, and I'm hoping that both the grizzled horror fan and the grizzled haunt fan in me come out laughing and grinning every time I walk through this house.

If they do 100 years of Universal horror, then it more likely will be about the icons of the past 100 years than specific milestones. While I would love anything that celebrates the early years, if they did it, I don't think they'd get that technical about giving a fair, even spread. I could see a scare zone with some of the more famous classic monsters and their contemporaries, or even just a lagoon show that has clips (of which the few silent classics could be a part). The 100 years thing is more a marketing tool for the brand, and a really good one at that. As a marketer, I'll personally be fairly disappointed if they don't go that angle at least a little bit. Nothing like 100 years of famous Silver Screams to differentiate yourself from your competition! On a different topic, assuming this house list is indeed correct, I went back and watch a behind the scenes tour of HHNH's La Llorona house from last year. I know that even if we share a house, often it's done mostly, if not entirely, differently. But as a fan of urban legends and folklore, if we get anything like this house, I'll be very happy.

If it was the return of Hellgate, that could be pretty cool. It would also be our first pre-New Era HHN thing to return, IIRC. The new WD house may not be entirely prison oriented, either, much like last year's house wasn't just one thing. There may be bits in it from Season 4, too.

Honestly, I'm surprised I'm not upset by this ratio. But I think it'll be a good year. I'm expecting some actual SZ's this year, and the 100 Years of horror will probably be addressed by the lagoon show, which I'm assuming is returning. Maybe it's also the stepped up game presence, but I'm excited for this year. If the rumored show turns out to be true, I think we're going to have a fun, varied year. And there will be more people eaters available, which is always a good thing.

So, given that it looks like there's a rumored prison house as well as a return of TWD, which one do you think this will be? As much as I'd like to keep the larger areas clear for the other houses, I'm guessing this is the other prison house.

CitW could very easily fill that role. The queue video could be the two guys talking from the control room with their deadpan humor, and the house could have the betting board, the unicorn impaling someone, the clown, and I will lose it if they have the merman attacking somebody who's screaming "Really?! The Merman?! AAAHHHHHHhhh...." As for the rumored/confirmed house list on the previous pages, I actually don't think I'd mind this line up. Even though they're IP's, there can still be a lot of creativity done here. And the potential for gore is immense. With some good SZ's/roaming hordes, and some awesome shows (read that as NO MAGIC SHOWS), this could be a really good year!

You know, Dr. Jimmy, I have to wonder what you're up to. Going back and reviewing all your cryptic comment videos, you've put some other very interesting clues in them. But what do they mean? Hmmmm.... What do they mean... Here's the breakdown of what I've picked up on, and my guesses. 1) Balloons - Nothing discernable on your shirt in the first video, but the first guesses video showed Doctor Who, and the second Captain America. You also mentioned HHN dubloons in IoA, which I believe someone else found. 2) Kevin - Nothing discernable in the announcement video, but the first guesses video saw you wearing a zombie shirt from last year, and the second guesses video appears to have you wearing a shirt featuring HP Lovecraft. 3) Surname - First video had Guinness on the shirt, and the guesses video had you reading a magazine with two visible items printed on it: "Ridiculously Reliable" on one side, and an ad for "Lost Wizard" on the other. You mention reading an article about Tesla, but say it's not related. Your t-shirt had a wolf or werewolf on it. 4) Eraser - The announcement video was shot in the dark, with spotlight in upper left. The shirt you're wearing is for the Blair Witch Project, and the shirt in your guesses video says Prague. 5) Christine - Your shirt in the announcement video says "Kennedy for President," and you spend some time talking about nazi zombies and Hitler's death. The guesses video shows you fairly clearly presenting us your t-shirt that reads "The Devil is Real," with the rubber man from AHS Season One. With a quick web search, that is indeed an official AHS shirt, with the quote from a character named Leah. 6) Silencio - The announcement video was shot in the dark, and nothing visible on your shirt. Given all that, I'm revising my guesses for the older clues, given below: 1)TBD 2) Lovecraft/Re-animator. Zombies and Lovecraft go together, and the audible version of the story is narrated by Kevin Yancy. This one feels a bit shaky, but it is a connection of all the elements I've picked up on. 3) American Werewolf in London. Guinness refers to the pub in the beginning, and the werewolf is fairly explanatory. Also, Rick Baker was presented with a Tesla award by John Landis in 2008 at the 13th annual Satellite Awards. 4)TBD 5) American Horror Story. Besides the shirt, the actress Christine Estabrook was on the first season. Additionally, the second season takes place in 1964, which is the year after President Kennedy was assassinated. 6) El Chupacabra. Until we get the guesses video and additional clues, I'm still going with my Chupacabra guess, given what I wrote in the HU Facebook group. Not sure about comments 1 and 4 yet, but I'll figure them out yet...

Wish I could be there for this. Sounds like it'll be fun.