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Mr.HHN Survives the Night: Halloween Horror Nights 2013 Review


Mr.HHN

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Occasionally from time to time I will include spoilers in my review so you have been warned.

Ah it's the time of the year again. Were fog thickens the air and the roar of chainsaws hauler in your ear at Universal Studios Hollywood for Halloween Horror Nights!

Around 4:30 Me and 2 others left home on the way to pick up another of my friends. After that we headed to Universal. The traffic dint seem that bad this year as it seemed in other years. Around 5:10 my dad dropped us off and we got our tickets at the gate. We chose to do Early Entry which was a clever choice. We lined up next to Water World until around 6:15 when they moved us next to the Cartoon shop. At around 6:35 they let us free and me and my friend ran to the star way. We were right behind the dude that was leading us so we can board the first tram to the back lot. When we reached the lower lot we ran to the tram pick up which was kinda far IMO.

The Walking Dead: Dead on Arrival

As we boarded the first tram to the metro sets of the universal back lot I was really excited. Just taking that first step of the tram and seeing the walkers come at you gives you such a rush. I really loved this scare zone. The Tank was here and it looked bigger than it looked last year in Dead Inside. The walkers in this zone had such high levels of energy and made sure to make you feel intimidated! Best zone of the night!

Scares-8.5/10

Sets and Props-10/10

Scare Actor Design-9/10

Total Grade- A

(Only thing it's that it's not really a scare zone but a walkthrough since you can't return to it unless you take the tram again)

The Walking Dead: No Safe Haven

We dashed through the line for this to make it to be the first ones which we did! Reading some of your reviews I heard of how you guys complain that there's a line inside the maze, but thanks to early access Our group made it in with nobody in front of us! The facade was amazing! The best facade this year. I loved the walkers outside the facade. That was a really nice touch. The level of detail in here was spectacular! It actually felt like I was there. My one complaint was the part were the survivor cuts the other guys leg of they are spraying too much water. My shirt got soaked and it dint feel good lol. As a fan of the show I loved seeing all the little references like my personal favorite the inmate with the machete in his head in the laundry room. The horde anamatronic got me really good! Once out the prison the Crashed plane scene which connected it to Woodberry was amazing! I dint know how they were gonna pull it off but they did and it looked awesome! The governor's head tanks were amazing following penny coming out of the closet which scared the living day lights out my friend. They reused the saw pigs again this year which kinda irritates me but not so much since it fit in. The Last room thought I thought it was over and a walker pops out and gets in face giving me one of the best scares of the night!

Scares: 9/10

Sets and Props: 10/10

Scare Actor Design: 10/10

Final Grade: A+

After this it was around 6:50 and Black Sabbath said 10mim so then I thought if it's 10min already everything else will be packed! But it was a big lie it was a walk in.

Black Sabbath: 13 3D

I'm not such a big fan of Sabbath and just downright hate Ozzy but I began to like their music to take interest in the maze. I liked how there was a pre facade here leading to the immense facade with Black Sabbath playing and the figure in Black giving you a pre scare. As soon as we enter I hear NIB playing and begin getting the tail end of the scare. The dude in front of me got all of them from the living statues. The room after Lucifer's wedding nope just nope. It was Alice Cooper goes to Hell! WTF!!! If I thought that was bad in the Osbourne Asylum there were two major Saw props! Nope Hell No! Jigsaw needs to burn those things for good I'm tired of seeing saw props scattered all over the place year after year. The paranoid room I liked though. I got the tail end of the scare but I did chainsaws. For the War Pigs I feel there was more that could have been done but never the less a nurse gave me the only good scare here. Iron Man room to bright and he wasn't really trying to scare people. The next room I will complain though. What was that freaken flash man! WTF that hurts your eyes man! Radioactive Demon room I liked but I got the tail end of the scare.

I really feel that this house wasn't ment to be in a soundstage. No big scenes no real aggressive scares. This had potential to be better but it feel flat

Scares: 5/10

Sets and Props: 4/10(No more Saw or Alice Cooper

Scare Actor Design: 8.5/10

Final Grade: D

Went back up to the lower lot and it was 7:15.

Part 2 Coming Soon!

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Good review so far, can't wait to see your thoughts on everything else!

And yes, early access is the best way to go for multiple reasons:

- Backlot done by 715

- No line for trams to the backlot

- Less conga line effect in TWD

- No wait for the disappointing BS haha

- Not have to watch that bland opening scaramony

The only con is the night starts off VERY weird whilst walking through the park as its dead. No music, no scareactors, no lighting. And then you get to Scarecrowz, and ofcourse that zone sucks so it hardly counts. Its like you don't even realize you're at a haunt until you unload for DOA. Which you can make up in your mind as an opening scaramony/gauntlet scarezone in your head if you wish.

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Part 2!

Ok so it's like 7:20 when we return to the lower lot and everybody seemed to be heading towards the back lot and my friends wanted to do the rides so what the heck let's go for it! We did Transformers as a walk on then the same for Mummy. For the scarecrowz though...(rant incoming!)

Scarecrowz

UNIVERSAL THIS IS NOT A SCARE ZONE! 4 dudes on stilts are not scary! No props just stilt walkers come on I know there's capacity issues but would it really hurt to at least put 2 chainsaws and some freaken props down there! I want to feel like I'm at Halloween Horror Nights not at Fright Fest! Good Job to the scare actors because it does look hard running around in stilts all night.

Grade: F

Evil Dead: Book of the Dead

After the mummy two of my friends were already wussing out but I still forced them in lol. We when in without any wait and I was the second person going in. The facade was Ok it was the worst facade but I get it plus I dig the tape recording and the music. The very first scare landed on me but dint get me as I thought it was weak and predictable. I do understand why the tree rape is an anamatronic as it is elevated from the floor. As we approached the cabin I felt I was dreaming but I was not I really did step trough the screen of one of my favorite movies! But I did not like that Eric wasn't played by an actor but the book looked ripped out of the sliver screen. The puke scene another water gag on me. She turns her head and "pukes" on you. The bathroom scene loved it, Natalie cutting her arm of awesome but predictable scare. The basement I fell in love with. Mia cutting her tongue looked so real! The Dead Kitties! The "floating" Mia I can also understand why it's an anamatronic due to safety issues. The scene were the abomination comes out with the machete you and David got me then I remembered you were from the forums so I yelled SHAROOON!In the ending it did actually rain blood but the only real complaint is that when Mia chainsaws the abomination it shoots water out like a water gun and it hit my friend straight in the eye. He told the dude in the exit which responds "Man up kid it's just water"

Scares: 7/10

Sets and Props: 6.5/10

Scare Actor Design: 8.5/10

Total Grade: B

After we went on Jurassic which still had darn Guns & Roses then my two friends wussied out of Insidious.

Insidious: Into the Further

Now I'm not a fan at all of the first one the second one is ok so I wasn't thrilled if you all remember when it was announced at Scare La. We lined up at around 8:10 and it was a 40min wait. I got to see the Scare Patrol people who kept making people dance and cheer for Team Tucker and Team Specs etc. I got a Jello shot in the line and my friend got a dinosaur I mean Turkey leg. At around 8:50 we got to the facade and told Tucker the password and surprisingly they still had cards! The facade it looked just like the house and that one creepy yet annoying sound that you hear when the title shows up was blowing up my ear. The first room was really cool I have to admit but I was getting the tail end of the scare again. They could have used live actors in the table scene though. But even though as much as I hate him Darth Maul looked good and was really aggressive. No fog in the Further though but I liked the red door. In here is were I got the scare of the night though. There is a room with some further ghosts which are fake but one is real so I'm trying to find out which one is real as a ghost pops out from the left the camouflaged ghost then scares the Hell out of me and I thought it was over but the old woman pops out from the right and gets in my face! Awesome! The rest of the rooms were ok but they did smell a lot. Oh and when Mother Mortis poped out in the black brides lair the lady behind me accidentally slapped her and she started screaming at her until they escorted her out.

Scares: 8.5/10

Sets and Props: 7/10 (No Fog/ No big scenes eh it's insidious)

Scare Actor Design: 8/10

Final Grade: A- B+

Part 3 Coming Soon!

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Part 3!

We headed towards the upper lot and it was around 10:00pm. We headed towards the 30 min wait line for the terror tram!

Terror Tram: Invaded by the Walking Dead

I got pissed off when this was announced since I feared it would be the same as last year. But then they said that you get to venture outside the walls of the prison and go in Woodberry. The entrainment was alright, the tram video still crap! Chainsaws were not so energized this time so meh. This time we went around rather than into the Bates motel. I liked the experience this year but the story falls flat on itself though. So lame. I liked Michomes Pets and the Deer Locker a lot it was good. The burning walker pit was alright. It was decent but not an amazing 2009 Terror Tram.

Scares: 4/10

Sets and Props: 8.5/10

Scare Actor Design: 9/10

Final Grade: B-

It was around 10:40 so we decided to do the Simpsons and then watch the 11:15 Bill & Ted show.

Bill and Ted's Excellent Halloween Adventure

This show actually started out strong with the At&t Knotts parody and using the sharknado to get to Oz but then it just felt like random things thrown in the blender. Yea it was funny from time to time but it just felt random. I don't even think Kim Jon Uhn fit in with the story. My favorite part though was the Evil Dead parody part but yea this is a great time waster! I feel like it's becoming the same year after year. You always have the same Beiber jokes, same Kristen Stewart is a hore etc. It eventually gets old.

Show Grade: D-

It was now around 12:00 and two of my friends went down to do transformers again while me and another friend did El Cucuy.

El Cucuy: The Bogeyman

Waited 40min in line for this. I really liked the facade and I loved how it blended in with Mel's. There was a group in front of us but me and my friend walked really slow while entering to get away from them. The theater was cool even though I laughed at John's cameo. The scares were a bit too predictable sometimes but the sets were amazing! I loved the part were the fingers come out from under the bed. The long black hallway scare was really really cool. He was dressed like a maze usher so I thought there was nothing in the room but then I hear something growl in my ear and I say to myself the maze ushers can't scare you so I turn around and his face is up with mine. Amazing! His layer was gruesome and awesome. Really good maze but sorta short.

Scares: 7/10

Sets and Props: 8.5/10

Scare Actor Design: 7/10

Final Grade: B

Cirque Du Klownz

This scare zone was very colourful which added on to the creepy level of these guys it was almost 1am and these guys were fired up and scaring everyone walking through. Good Job guys you got me. But still same old props everywhere

Scares 8.5/10

Sets and Props: 3/10

Scare Actor Design: 6/10

Final Grade: B- C+

Eh we had time for Remix so there we headed. It said 15min but there was really no wait. Oh wait yes we hanged out in the Purge for a bit first.

The Purge: Survive the Night

These guys were energy high just like the Klownz last year. The energy, enthusiasm and tension was really high. These guys had no mercy. The barker was a shoe in for the polite stranger. Good zone and finally New Props!

Scares: 9.5/10

Sets and Props: 8.5/10

Scare Actor Design: 7/10

Final Grade: A

Universal Monsters Remix: Resurrection

Same crap as last year just a couple of new songs. Last year it was alright but this year it's just like why do you even have to be here just go we don't need you lol. At least the scare actors tried

Scares: 4/10

Sets and Props: 2/10

Scare Actor Design: 4/10

Final Grade: F

It was now 1:30 and we had 30 min so we went to go hang out with Chucky. His Insult Imporioum was going on.

Curse of Chucky/ Insult Imporioum

The insult imporioum was kinda funny but he did get repetitive after a while like he kept saying. Close your legs it smells like fish ever once in a while. I scream out hey Chucky and tells me "Get the D**k out of your mouth when you talk to me lol. For the rest of the zone the scare actors were really really good. I even talked to Charles Lee Ray who told me to make him proud by strangling my friend with the bag I had my t-shirt in lol.

Scares: 7/10

Sets and Props: 9/10

Scare Actor Design: 8.5/10

Final Grade: A

We walked through the chainsaws chase out and left around 2:15am.

The event itself was really strong but it's just the little things that make it look bad (Scarecrowz, Remix, Not using actors were there should be etc.) But nevertheless I enjoyed the event.

Final Event Grade: B

who yelled at who? lol

Mother Mortis yelled at a lady who slapped her.

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Evil Dead: Book of the Dead

After the mummy two of my friends were already wussing out but I still forced them in lol. We when in without any wait and I was the second person going in. The facade was Ok it was the worst facade but I get it plus I dig the tape recording and the music. The very first scare landed on me but dint get me as I thought it was weak and predictable. I do understand why the tree rape is an anamatronic as it is elevated from the floor. As we approached the cabin I felt I was dreaming but I was not I really did step trough the screen of one of my favorite movies! But I did not like that Eric wasn't played by an actor but the book looked ripped out of the sliver screen. The puke scene another water gag on me. She turns her head and "pukes" on you. The bathroom scene loved it, Natalie cutting her arm of awesome but predictable scare. The basement I fell in love with. Mia cutting her tongue looked so real! The Dead Kitties! The "floating" Mia I can also understand why it's an anamatronic due to safety issues. The scene were the abomination comes out with the machete you and David got me then I remembered you were from the forums so I yelled SHAROOON!In the ending it did actually rain blood but the only real complaint is that when Mia chainsaws the abomination it shoots water out like a water gun and it hit my friend straight in the eye. He told the dude in the exit which responds "Man up kid it's just water"

Scares: 7/10

Sets and Props: 6.5/10

Scare Actor Design: 8.5/10

Total Grade: B

Thanks for the review! Glad that I was able to scare you! The guy who plays David, we're like a team, if you don't get scared from him, you'll get scared from me. When both of us are on the money, we send people running to the hills. We'll be sure to find new ways to scare guests while staying to the creative given to us! Hope you enjoyed the event this year!

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You popped out and scared the crap out of me then I yelled "SHAROOON" and David came out and scared my friend lol Nice Work guys! :)

Yeah im pretty sure I heard someone say Sharon! I thought I was going crazy lol but anyways yeah thanks for coming out! if you do come again, it'll be fun to get you a different way! Im all about innovating myself and I'm pretty sure the cast is gonna amp up their game too!

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