HorrorNightFan13'z review of HHN2015 Hollywood

[HorrorNightsFan13]

So I went on Saturday October 10th with a group of five people. Each person had their own FOL pass and because corporate was so nice they gave us those paper one time FOL passes. Six of them, one for each maze. Very nice trade for no VIP however I do hope it'll be back next year. 

I must do the opening scaramony, my trip won't feel complete without it. About 10 minutes before it started, John Murdy walks out and stands off to the side and stays there through the whole thing. The scaramony was really good, up in your face and creepy, I loved it. I ran straight to John once the fire went off for my usual picture and I also got him to sign my map. Every time I wear my 2013 shirt I meet John. I'm not thinking its a coincidence...

My ratings will be on a scale of 5. I'm not gonna average all the ratings together and get a weird number, I'll give them the rating I feel they deserve.  

Accomplished: (in no particular order)
Halloween x2
Terror Tram x2
This Is The End
The Walking Dead
Insidious (only once story later)
Crimson Peak x2
Alien Vs. Predator x2
Jabbawockeez

Halloween: Michael Myers Comes Home
I love this maze. This is my favorite maze of all time that I've seen at HHN, tied with La Llarona and El Cucuy. It was so creepy and well done and intense. I insisted on going up front, by insisted I mean I was the human shield, and I got every single scare! My first run through was better because I was the first person sent into the house after a huge group went further in. Since we did it the second time around 1:15 apparently John was in the mirror room and if he was in the position I think he was in then he got me good! All of the scaractors were on fire in this maze. 
Favorite Scene: Sheets, the guy in there got me not once, twice, but three times in one run. 
Sets: 4.5/5
Scaractors: 5/5
Scares: 5/5
Overall: 5/5 My favorite maze!

Terror Tram: Survive the Purge
It was not terrible, it was not fantastic, it was decent. I enjoyed it. The bates motel massless scaractors were the best ones because they just blend in. But my favorite scaractor was working the second time. He would walk with the crowd, with his mask off and behind his back along with his weapon, then in one swift movement, put it on and run up into someone's face. 
Favorite Scene: Bates Motel
Sets: 3/5, what they had was good and cool, but nothing amazing. 
Scaractors: 5/5
Scares: 3/5, too many people in one large area they don't know who to focus on and I missed all the scares. 
Overall: 3/5, definitely better than The Walking Dead again. 

This Is The End: 3D
This maze was honestly not horrible, but it was not anywhere near great, I'd say a step below decent. The sets, while minimalistic, certain ones looked very cool and very well done. The demons looked cool, and the bull creature puppets were awesome. I had fun in this maze, that was the whole point of it, just have fun. However it could've been done way better, John kinda failed on this one. 
Favorite Scene: The Exorcism of Jonah Hill
Sets: 2.5/5 for what they had that wasn't hallways it was good, but it was mostly hallways. 
Scaractors: 3/5 they didn't really seem into it. Probably because they're in the worst maze of the event. 
Scares: 2/5 none to be had. However, Fun: 3/5 just because it was a fun maze. Not funny though. 
Overall: 2.5/5 could've been done better, or even not at all!

Insidious: Return to The Further
Tied for my second favorite maze for sure. The sets were really really good, felt like I was right in the movie! Only gripe, a lot of black hallways. The scaractors were absolutely on fire in this maze. The scene that got me the most was the closet, with the three dummy's. I figured out they were fake but the light flashed and I saw him and I almost crapped myself! The further was cool, but no low sitting fog. They haven't quite gotten it yet have they? 
Favorite Scene: Finale with all 3 of the entities from all 3 of the movies. 
Sets: 4/5 would be a five but the black hallways. They kill it. 
Scaractors: 5/5 absolutely phenomenal, they were into it, they were aggressive and right up in your face it was awesome. 
Scares: 5/5 was once again in the front, voluntarily and I got quite a lot of the scares, some were fairly obvious to me but they could still get me!
Overall: 5/5 one of the scariest mazes and best mazes I've seen at HHN. Wish I could've done it twice. 

Why I didn't do it twice: well we hit the 12:30 Jabbawockeez, people in my group wanted to do terror tram one last time. So that sent us to around 1am with all of the mazes left to repeat. We did Halloween, went to the backlot for Crimson Peak and AvP. The tram was slow picking us up so by the time we got back it was like 1:55 so I was hauling and I lost my group. I found them and they were all making fun of me for going fast and right when we get to the scanner for Insidious she tells us it just closed. Then they blamed me for taking them to the backlot. I can't win. Then we saw that waiting in line was still open so I ran over there but they closed it right when I got there. Too much time spent eating and at the Jabbawockeez. 

The Walking Dead: Wolves Not Far
For the longest maze in HHN history it felt awfully short. And being a fan of the show, I only recognized a few scenes from the show, the others I was kind of lost during. The actors were really good in this one, especially the living, they killed it. My only gripe about it, as I have for a lot of the mazes. Black hallways. That makes the maze feel shorter!
Favorite Scene: Noah in the revolving door. 
Sets: 4/5
Scaractors: 5/5
Scares: 3/5
Overall: 3/5 definitely wasn't the best TWD maze for me, 2013, but it was good. I'm still sick of it at HHN. 

Crimson Peak: Maze of Madness
Beautiful. Absolutely beautiful. These were some of the best sets I've seen since La Llarona 2012. The scaractors looked decent, I was expecting more just because of Del Toro. There were a couple black hallways again. We'll never get rid of them will we? However despite them the maze was still beautiful and tied with Insidious for my second favorite maze this year. 
Favorite Scene: Clay Mines
Sets: 5/5 they're so freaking beautiful
Scaractors: 3/5 they didn't seem into it really, except the black dress ghost people they seemed into it. 
Scares: 4/5 this maze got me good! Especially the last one on the stand by the exit that got me both times. 
Overall: 5/5 tied for second favorite.

AvP: Alien Vs. Predator:
It's cool. Saw it 4 times last year, 2 this year. When you see a maze six times it gets boring. 
Favorite Scene: Queen
Sets: 4/5 still really cool
Scaractors: 2/5 there aren't many to begin with but the ones in there were just meh. 
Scares: 2/5 I always jump at the face huggers but that's as close as it gets.
Overall: 2/5 they could've done a new AvP and still incorporated the expensive stuff from last year. 

Maze Total: 22.5/30 my ratings for some things may be low however I loved the event this year! 
Onto scarezones

Externinatorz:
Loved this scarezone. My favorite one this year. The masks looked so creepy (I have a fear of rats) and this definitely freaked me out a bit. The actors were on point, always scaring or being funny and mocking the scaredy cats. I'll post a link to the vlog when I make it but I got footage of them playing patty cake and being surrounded by several chainsaws. Then I got a conversation between a chainsaw and a rat with a machete making fun of the girls hiding in a store. Another funny thing, one rat had his machete in his orange vest and one of the stilt walkers walked by and grabbed it and dangled it above his head. The scarezone was scary and fun all together!
Favorite Scaractor: the CEO, the big rat on stilts. 
Scaractors: 5/5
Scares: 4/5
Overall: 5/5 great scarezone, great concept. 

Dark Christmas:
Even though it was a repeat I loved it. It's still an amazing scarezone and all of the scaractors are so into it it's great. 
Favorite Scaractor: Blue Krampus
Scaractors: 4/5 there weren't as many people in this zone when I went in as I remember. 
Scares: 4/5 none to be had but the ones I saw happen were awesome so I give them credits for that!
Overall: 4/5 

Corpz:
This zone is both of these but at different times, energetic and intense, or lacking. I've seen it as both. The actors looked really cool, the sets were cool, and I liked how the construction walls were trenches. Loved seeing a bunch of people getting chased all through Exterminatorz by a couple of these guys after the park closed. Like full sprint from Corpz all the way to the front it was awesome!
Favorite Scaractor: Gas Masks
Scaractors: 3/5 some were good and into it, others not really. 
Scares: 3/5 None to me however the people they were scaring looked like they got them good. 
Overall: 3/5 not a terrible zone at all!

The Purge: Urban Nightmare
I like this. I like this a lot. I wanted Purge on the backlot, we got it! The fog was so thick I couldn't see anything and by the time I did they were right up in my face. They got me a few times in this zone. When I went through the second time there was a guy who looked very similar to John on Big Daddy's gun but it wasn't him because he was in Halloween. 
Favorite Scaractor: Tongue mask guy. He was up in my face once he scared me. 
Scaractors: 5/5 they were so in to it and on point
Scares: 5/5 not all got me but the ones that did were really really good ones. 
Overall: 5/5 a very good zone but Exterminatorz reigns supreme to me. 

Scarezone Total: 17/20 they were on fire this year!

Missed the chainsaw chase out unfortunately :/ 
I hope VIP will be back next year. With the unlimited FOL and the buffet you can just stop at any time was my favorite way to do the event. Didn't need to bother and eat at a restaraunt which takes quite a long time. Hopefully next year. 

Cool experiences: Meeting John Murdy, getting the James Franco party invitation, getting scared by John himself. 

2015 Total Score (out of 100)
90/100 the best year I've seen! Definitely beat my previous favorite 2013. With such a solid lineup for the majority of it, it would've been hard to screw it up and I'm happy they didn't. 
Favorite Maze: Halloween: Michael Myers Comes Home
Favorite Scarezone: Exterminatorz

[LetsMakeBiskuts]

Great review!

I was working tram in the bates area near the crushed tram and actually asked my supervisors and scott if I could so that exact mask thing, but they said no one was allowed to do it :/ But they saw me semi-sliding on kneepads and actually liked it and Scott approved it so I'm happy there! If you saw me, I had a grey t-shirt, polite leader mask, baseball bat and bloody arms.

[HorrorNightsFan13]

Great review!

I was working tram in the bates area near the crushed tram and actually asked my supervisors and scott if I could so that exact mask thing, but they said no one was allowed to do it :/ But they saw me semi-sliding on kneepads and actually liked it and Scott approved it so I'm happy there! If you saw me, I had a grey t-shirt, polite leader mask, baseball bat and bloody arms.

I think I saw you the second time I went through. Clearly that guy didn't get the memo but they should reconsider its one of the best tactics I've seen  

 

[AsylumSB]

Nice, descriptive review.  I have similar thoughts about the event as a whole.  Liked FOL, but its still not the same as VIP.

[HorrorNightsFan13]

Oh wait! I forgot to review Jabbawockeez. 

Jabbawockeez:                                      The show itself was good, it was really really cool, the dancing was good and the story was good. I loved the audience involvement. Only time I'll ever do the whip (even though it's popular with the youth my age, 16) but I think it has its own place and that's Vegas not Halloween Horror Nights 

Overall: 4/5

[Freak]

Nice review! 

The black hallways didn't bother me as much in Insidious this year as it did in 2013. At least I felt the few black hallways that were there worked for their purpose. They really did bother me in TWD and Crimson Peak. It made those houses feel a bit choppy. 

I agree that TWD felt too short for it being "da longest maze evaaaa!" It just didn't feel long at all. 

Also, I'm still working on my Orlando review. Hang tight. Its just a little lengthy. 

[DTH316]

We were at the same Jabba show!

[HorrorNightsFan13]

We were at the same Jabba show!

Really?!? I was down by the stage, first row in front of the handicap area on the right side. 

[DTH316]

Oh I was in the upper area to the left cuz I knew a lot of that show would be performed in the middle haha

[Grindhousehero13]

Great review!