4thdegree's Review (will update each trip)

[4thdegree]

First time through was opening night and I did every once house once, Roanoke a second time, and watched both shows (reviews will get shorter after this first trip, I just wanna give a full opinion on the first go)

HOUSES

Roanoke: Cannibal Colony

1. (10 minutes) (Early/cast change) Sets looked amazing, scareactors were great but scarce, great potential

Scare Rating - 6

Areas of Improvement - Too few scares

2. (Walk-on) Last people through, after our first trip through and we could tell it was in the middle of cast change, we couldn't pass up the "10 minute" line and we turned out to be the only people in the entire house. So we split up (putting roughly 1.5 rooms between each other) and the result was arguably the best run through of a house I have EVER had. That being said, I can't fairly compare this to other houses because this was truly a solo trip through and it was horrifying even if we all had already done it. This house will probably forever carry the best experience ever for my group. (it may not be the best house though, but it's up there).

Scare Rating - 10

AOI - Flawless

Favorite Moment/Features (FMF) - Scareactors, Façade scares, Wendigo, Roof scare, Wendigo at the end, SETS!!!!, solo trip, burning man room

Dollhouse of the Damned

1. (10 minutes) I can barely remember anything about the scares in this house because the sets are SO disturbing and twisted, I loved it. The scares were still great, everybody in my group got awesome scares multiple times because we were so distracted by the sets. Good façade (reminds me of Monster House) and it's a great change of pace from all the other houses.

Scare Rating - 7

AOI - No problems

FMF - Façade, Use of smell, Ballerinas, Truly disturbing sets and design

Halloween

1. (60 minutes) I'm a Halloween/John Carpenter fanatic, so seeing the façade and the projections was surreal for me and the actual house was just one big piece of eye candy for me. That being said, I did not even get kind of scared once and that broke my heart, I saw some potential though, I looked back and saw something with the mirrors that seemed really cool and the room that had like six Michaels in it got my friend really good. Hopefully I just got a bad spot, I'll be giving this house several more chances before I give up on it.

Scare Rating - 4

AOI - Scares lacked and uncreative

FMF - Façade/projections, Car scene (horn should be louder), Loomis

AVP

1. (30 minutes) All around a great house, the scares weren't the most amazing (for me), but they were good, being into the movies makes this house much better(or even just watching the original film for each) The predators were huge (especially to me because I'm only 5'6") and the face huggers were great, Except for the one in the egg room, it needs to fire more often AND I think they need another scare in there (still cool to look at) the house was good the entire way through but once the marines come in to play, it takes the pace and intensity of the house and turns it up to ten, those gunshots and them yelling to "go, go, go!!" Just got my heart racing and got me distracted so that the predator and alien scares got me better. They should try to create that same sense of urgency from the very beginning. Also, the alien puppets are unbeatable; however, they move very slowly and they don't have a large range of motion. I'm not sure if this is because of how they're designed or if it's just because the scareactors aren't quite comfortable enough yet to get in people's' faces with them. Either way hope it changes.

Scare Rating - 7

AOI - Egg room face hugger, Puppet attacks, Beginning was slow

FMF - Predator laser targeting, Window face hugger, Finale (crawlspace), Set/makeup/everything aesthetic

Dracula Untold

1. (25 minutes) Surprised by how much I liked it. Façade and set was amazing, seemed kinda low on scares (only bad thing) but it could've been cast change. The burning village was great , the FINAL scare of the entire house got the single best scare on me of the night. As I looked back to see if what I thought was the final scare got my friends, out of the corner of my eye, I saw a figure attack from a crouched position and I got so scared I couldn't jump or yell or run, it made me freeze and shiver/shake from my feet all the way up my body until I finally got control and ran ten feet until I KNEW I was out of the house. Also, Vlad attacking the Scareactor was awesome.

Scare Rating - 6

AOI - More scares, get in your face more

FMF - Design, Final (unexpected) scare, Vlad attacks scareactor

The Walking DRead

1. (75 minutes) I don't like the series, I haven't liked the houses, and I want it banned from hhn. My problems with the house are the conveyer belt for zombies, the fact that basically every scare is a zombie except two rooms, and it lacks creativity. The only things that are good about this house is that it's REALLY long (though, it didn't seem that long compared to the others)and The Façade is huge (because it's also the exit) and really good and , for fans of the show, you get to see the sets in person. The finale would probably be good if I wasn't so pissed by the time I got to the end from seeing so many zombies already. Sorry, that's as unbiased as I can be about the house.

Scare Rating - 3

AOI - Remove it and don't renew the contract

FMF - Façade, Seeing Big Spot (only episode I've ever seen), Finale, Leaving the house

Giggles & Gore

1. (45 minutes) Surprised by how long it was and SO happy. Great house, very gory, feels like a classic hhn house. In case, the Scareactor is on the forum, the clown at the beginning who is pulling on the girl's brains stared at me the entire time I waled through his room and right before I walked out, I stuck my hand out to fist bump him and he obliged and it was one of my favorite things I've had happen because I remember doing the same thing with a clown back in 2001 in a scarezone (my second year) and it made me feel like a little kid again. Anyway, all the clowns looked great and I loved how gruesome it was with one clown pulling on brains and the other pulling out intestines and so on. This Finale (I believe it's the room with the strobe and a bunch of clowns on each side of you, "Clown Disco" if you will) is arguably the best this year.

Scare Rating - 7

AOI - Keep it up

FMF - Fist bump, Finale, GAT, Easter eggs

From Dusk 'Til Dawn

1. (30 minutes) house was alright first time, seems very repetitive until you get close to the end. The Greeter was hilarious with his talk about "pie" and "beating piñatas", awesome to see the Geko brothers (probably the closest I'll ever come to meeting Tarantino and Clooney) Sets were just like the movie, makeup was spot on, the scares just didn't get to me I guess. All this being said, I'm a huge fan of the movie so it was cool to walk in their footsteps.

Scare Rating - 5

AOI - Scare intensity needs to sky-rocket

FMF - Geko Brothers, Greeter, Satanico, Finale

SCARE ZONES

I will say I can't give a fair break down of each one at the moment, but I went through them all multiple times, I just was rushing to houses instead of enjoying the zones. Soon, however, I'll take a day to appreciate the zones and give a thorough break down on them. All first round opinions about number of scareactors could certainly be due to the rain that plagued us.

Purge

1. Huge, I like the auction, needs more scareactors on the side streets, stop playing metal please (or at least play GOOD metal, not this shizzz), got the only great SZ scare on me the entire night

Scare Rating - 7

Face/Off: In the Flesh

1. Not a scarezone, it's a photo-op. Potential though for easy scares by the minions on those taking pics and focusing on the main characters (hopefully this improves), it's cool that they play Glitch Mob in there

Scare Rating - 2

Bayou of Blood

1. I love Mamba, tons of props but few scareactors, nobody in the back trails of Central Park (broke my heart because that was one of my most anticipated things about the entire event), it should include that circular are last year right after CP where the tent and RV were.

Scare Rating - 4

Maskerade

1. No stilts, I think they shut down part of the night, loved how they all moved through the crowd still carrying their steps to dance to the music (danced with one of the girls), AND my favorite music of all the zones this year, surprised me in a great way.

Scare Rating - 5.5

Thanks to anybody who takes the time to read this and a special thanks to anyone who checks back in to catch it each time I update! See y'all at Horror Nights!

[Cody]

Also, the alien puppets are unbeatable; however, they move very slowly and they don't have a large range of motion. I'm not sure if this is because of how they're designed or if it's just because the scareactors aren't quite comfortable enough yet to get in people's' faces with them. Either way hope it changes.

I think the puppeteers just needed some practice, and they were moving a lot more on Saturday than when I went through during preview. They were made by the same guy who made our werewolves for AWIL last year, and as a puppeteer for those I can attest that they're some of the best in the haunt business period. Hell, they're probably some of the best one-man puppets anywhere.

[clash]

The best thing about the Purge is the music, please Universal don't change it

AVP needs a lot of work, I agree with everything you said. I kind of hated the Egg room because it feels like a waste of a good scare (there should have been another puppet in there or something.
I also completely agree about the Marines and how the beginning of the house needs the same kind of intensity

Edited September 22, 2014 by clash

[4thdegree]

Yeah Cody, I agree that we definitely have some of the best puppets money can buy. I'm especially glad to hear that you feel they just needed practice and that they were moving better Saturday, as I hoped/assumed, since you worked the puppets last year. That was my biggest problem with the house.

Now, Clash and I just need them to add a scare to the egg room and figure out a way to amp up the energy/intensity in the beginning of the house. And, Clash, I'm just saying that I'd enjoy purge a lot more if they played Slayer and some Iron Maiden (plus it would be a lot more recognizable to people that aren't huge metal heads) or they can just put enough chainsaws around me that it drowns out the music. BUT, I'm very glad to hear that is the only thing we don't agree on.

[clash]

Im just messing about the music with you lol. I'm just glad they are playing metal. I don't know if they will ever play Slayer (have they ever played Slayer before?) I completely agree the zone needs better metal, But at least they are playing something different than just the soundtrack for the movies which i was pretty happy about.

[4thdegree]

I've been going since 2000 and I can't remember a time they played Slayer. Just wishful thinking. I'm surprised very much by the music this year, the metal in purge and face/off has glitch mob (which I'm not really a fan but I just like having REAL music in the zones.)

Before the event, as my friend and I were walking around discussing how they could make the scarezones best, we got on the topic of music for them and were saying it would be AMAZING if they played older music like Frank and/or Nancy Sinatra (and similar music) in the purge.

[clash]

I personally would die if they played dimmu or Emperor or something like that, To tell you the truth I dont even know what band is playing in the purge zone, I just know it was metal and it felt awesome

[4thdegree]

Round 2!!!!!

And I'm slightly surprised/very happy to say that it somehow was better than the first night (which I didn't think was possible) I think it helped that a couple joined me that hadn't attended the event yet so I got to see their first trips through and they got absolutely terrified.

HOUSES

Roanoke: Cannibal Colony (3rd trip)

- (10 minutes) my second trip through this house will never be bested but tonight was the worst I've had yet because they were missing like ten 7 or more scares when I went through the house, I love the sets so much, my timing was just terrible tonight.

Dollhouse of the Damned (2nd trip)

- (15 minutes) just as good this time as last time, got to enjoy the sets more and I can actually remember what happens in the house now (for the most part) so damn creepy and twisted, really good original!

From Dusk til Dawn (2nd trip)

- (30 minutes) I was seriously in the perfect spot for this house, I could tell by the second room that I was in for a treat cause I was lined up perfectly with every scare. Two things stood out, one girl ripped a guys throat open and I got shot with blood (water) and it actually grossed me out AND when I saw Richie I started yelling and asking him "Where's Richie?!" And that actually started a full conversation between us as I walked around pool table as we used some of the movie's dialogue with each other and then He yelled "oh shit, there's Richie!" when he popped out and I pointed out a Satanico and acted like I was shooting her as the two of them did the same and then told me to go help Kate. It was probably my favorite moment I've ever had with a/multiple scareactor(s).

Halloween (2nd trip)

- (60 minutes) another big improvement. The biggest improvement of the event for me thus far. My trip last through didn't get me any scares but tonight they got me pretty a couple times and I actually got to see Loomis so it was much better for me. But I still haven't gotten to be victim to the final scare "in" the house, I really hope my group gets it next time.

AVP (2nd trip)

- (60 minutes) scares were even better than my first time last Friday which was already very good. However, it seemed like they turned down the volume on the gunshots and the other loud noises in the house (possibly due to turning it down a notch after the heart attack Saturday?) and this REALLY took away from the intensity of the house. That is my main problem with this house, though they need another scare in the egg room.

Dracula (2nd trip)

- (25 minutes) another great run through despite many people not being crazy about it. Scares still got me pretty great and everybody else in my group as well.

Giggles and Gore (2nd trip)

- (30 minutes) last house of the night, probably a little better than my first run through of the house and the girl in front of me was great to watch. She started panicking as soon as she saw the first clown on the opposite side of the room.

OVERALL RANKING

1. AVP - (looks the best, has amazing scares, CAN BE intense, great in every way)

2. Dracula - Untold (surprise of the event for me, consistantly good scares and great set)

3. FDTD - (my moment with Seth and Richie was great, perfect timing boosted this houses rank a lot)

4. Dollhouse of the Damned - (so disturbed and the scares are pretty good)

5. Halloween - (sets and scenes get it hear, scares are getting better)

6. Roanoke: Cannibal Colony - (single best run through, average is low though)

7. Giggles & Gore - (still a great house)

8. TWD - (only house I don't like)

[4thdegree]

Round Three!!!!

Let me first of all say that this was my favorite trip to hhn ever because I ran into Mike Aiello and we went through some houses and talked afterward about all the houses and hhn over the years and haunts in general. It was perfection, the only time I've ever acted like a fan girl with somebody I met. Now for the real review...

Roanoke

- same as always, there were some great scares, just not very many of them.

Dollhouse

- got sprayed by the baby in the high chair for the second night in a row (Mike told me that man-baby was the very first thing they designed for the house), solid again, scares weren't AS good, but it was just my timing.

Halloween

- got me a few times toward the end, still haven't gotten the final scare on any of my three trips and it's starting to piss me off. But the house just as good as it has been, very enjoyable.

Giggles and Gore

- I was caught up being a fan girl cause of Mike as we discussed the house (and button) while walking through, scares didn't really get me, but I was in heaven so Idc.

Dracula

- the scares weren't as good, I think I just got an awful spot

AVP

- probably MY worst run through yet, but I brought my mother and younger brother tonight and they were in a prime spot, I stopped in the middle of the crawl space cause I damn near fell down laughing at my brother cause the alien shrieked and started attacking right as he got next to it and he almost trampled my mom while trying to run out of the crawl space.

FDTD

- again, my spot was ok, but my mother and brother got just about every scare in the house perfectly timed. So my experience wasn't the best, but it wasn't the house or the scareactors faults at all

OVERALL

AVP

Halloween

Dollhouse of the Damned

FDTD

Dracula Untold

Giggles and Gore

Roanoke

TWD (haven't done since opening)