Halloween Horror Nights 27 Review part 1

Yesterday my Dad, Aunt Laurie, Uncle Doug, Cousins Delaney and Jack went to Universal's Annual Halloween Horror Nights for the second time together. We went through seven houses, all the scare zones and even went to see Bill and Ted's finale show.


Houses

The first house went through was the Horrors of Blum House which featured three of the Blum House production films; they were Sinister, The Purge, and Insidious. The house seemed to emphasized more on the Insidious film franchises while the rooms that featured The Purge and Sinister were a bit short and would have been more effective if it was around night time.

Scarecrows; The Reaping reminded of Tomb of the Ancients, only its set in an old farm house takeover by scarecrows ranging from zombies to pig heads. 

Hive, even though the name of the house is misleading, has a unique backstory to this house; a house overrun by a hoard of vampires that ranged from Nosferatu like to bat like; just the way vampires should be depicted in movies and TV shows. The make up was fantastic, the rooms of the house were filled with debris ,and the entire house was only lit in black light.

Dead Waters was kind of short, but I did enjoyed it with it's swampy environments from a submerged river boat to the den of the Voodoo Queen. It liked the effects that were walking through the river boat made us feel off balance. There were some voodoo trinkets that were decorated throughout the house. The zombies were more corpse-like rather than what the media depicts nowadays as bloody and raving for brains.

The Fallen reminded me of Hades; The Gates of Ruin and Gothic, with it's arabesque style architecture and the flying demon effects were phenomenal. It was truly something out of Dante's Inferno.

The Shining was a unique experience, the rooms were like recreations from the sets and scenes from the movie, but it was a bit more psychological that the hotel seems to have taken a mind of it's own. The audio dialogue was different in the maze from the movie, as if they didn't had afford the rights.

American Horror Story was final house of the evening, like it's predecessor from last year it featured Asylum, Coven and Roanoke. Showcasing scenes from certain episodes from each series and characters such as Bloody Face, The Angel of Death, Pepper, Papa Legba, Delphine Lalaurie, and the Butcher. 

Trick r Treat

Facade: The front yard of Emma all decorated with Halloween paraphernalia with sheet ghost scarecrows, orange lights, jack-o-lanterns, and severed hanging body parts. The corpse of Emma is strung up to a post, like scarecrow, with a lollypop in her mouth. 

They will walk through the front porch of Principal Willkins with a trail of blood on the steps. Billy Willikins will jump out from behind porch with a mask and scare the guests. Inside Principal Steven Willkins's house, the severed head of Charlie is place on a table filled with razor blades and cyanide for kids who haven't checked their candy. Principal Willkins will stab at the head with a knife, he will also attack guests. Guests will exit through the backyard, where a victim in a body bag emerges from a shallow grave. 

Outside guests will come across the remains of a school bus submerged in a lake from a rock quarry. Voices of children can be heard with in the fog as jack-o-lanterns flickr in the darkness as the lights blow out from a gust of wind. Zombie children in vintage Halloween masks and costumes, as well as chains, will emerge from the fog. Sam will make his first cameo in the house.

Guests will then enter a forest with Jack-o-lanterns lining the forest pathway, as the howl of wolves can be heard through the night sky. A young woman in a Red Ridding Hood outfit will emerge from the bushes as she pleads for help, a man in a dark clock and mask with vampire fangs emerges from the darkness and drags his victim away.

In a forest clearing lit by bonfires, women in skimpy halloween costumes dance seductively in the middle of their werewolf transformations with sharpened fangs, talons, and wolf like eyes. They will either snarl or swipe their claws at the guests, a fully formed werewolf will emerge an underbrush and attack guests. Sam can be seen sitting on a log. 

Guests will then find themselves in the front yard of Mr Kreeg all decorated with Jack-o-lanterns. Old man Kreeg isn't too happy with both the decorations and the trespassers in his house as he brandishes a baseball bat. 

Inside Mr Kreeg's house, words of Trick or Treat, give me something good to eat are scribed all over the wall. Sam will raise his lollipop made weapon in an attempt to strike, but Mr Kreeg will fire a shoot gun at him. The finale scare will Sam as he is unmasked to revile a pumpkin faced demon. 

Brave New Worlds of Horror

Brave New Worlds of Horror is a Halloween event very much like Halloween Horror Nights, Howl o Scream and Knotts Scary Farm. With haunted mazes and scare zones that guests will brave through and encounter creatures from their nightmares. 

Icon: The Toymaker

Henrik Coppelius was once a humble wood carver who made figurines that were so life like and would sell them at the market place. His creations were successful to children with his new fortune, he built himself a toy shop. He was prosperous man, but he lacked on thing in his life for he had no children. His wife died in child birth, along with his first born child. He used his carving skill to help cope with the lost of his loved ones, which also caused him to decent into madness. Eventually reports of children went missing with life like dolls in their places. Suspicion fell on the toymaker, as an angry mob set fire on the Coppelius's workshop, trapping him and his creations. Many believed the Toymaker survived the fire and still worked to bring his creations to life again. 

Houses 

Toy Maker's Den

Coppelius has been working hard to recreate the family he never had, by assembling the bits and pieces of his victims. Try to escape his dollhouse of horrors with his abominable toys and playthings.

Voodoo Plantation

The once opulent Shadyoaks plantation had been a site of a massacre one Halloween night in 1847, when a servant girl, Brijit, risen the dead to avenge the wrongs she had suffered from the family. Now the undead still prowl the swamplands awaiting to give orders from the Voodoo Queen.  

Hotel Hell

It has many years since the Hotel Hellmont has closed it's doors to the public, after a series of tragic events of murders and suicides that plagued the hotel. Now the souls who once checked in can never check out.

Lovecraft: Mouth of Madness

Step into the pages of Lovecraft's work and into a world of ancient horrors that lurk beyond the cosmos that will lead you to the point of madness. 

Blood Ruins

A team of archeologists have uncovered an forgotten temple, unleashing the evils that lurk within.

Fright Factory 

Explore an abandoned prop warehouse that once housed state of the art animatronics of lifelike monsters, until a lighting storm brought them to life. 

Dead Waters: Here Be Monsters

Travel through the depths of an underwater netherworld of lost souls, sirens and creatures from the deep.

Suicide Forest

For many years, the forest was place where many souls took their lives and condemned to wander through the dense wilderness. Try not to stray from the path or the tormented spirits will tempt you into suffering the same fate.  

Scare Zones

Festival of Souls 

Lose yourself in this macabre celebration where life and death mingle in this procession of souls.

Black Forest

 Walk down the path less traveled and into a dark forest home to creatures that existed in legend, waiting to lure unexpected travelers to their not so happy ending. 

Cyber Space 

Set in a dystopian society overruned by cyborgs, mad scientists and alien empires.

London After Midnight 

Step through the streets of old London, and come face to face with Jack the Ripper, My Hyde, Sweeney Todd and many more. 

Ken Anderson's Haunted Mansion

This is what would Ken Anderson's original concept for The Haunted Mansion as a walkthrough haunted attraction with new enhanced special effects.

Among the hustle and bustle of New Orleans Square, lies a derelict 19th century manor house that invites the brave or rather foolish to venture into the halls of this old house. 

Guests will begin their tour through a ruined courtyard filled vegetation overgrown or dead, statues that seem to come to life and interact with guests, a fountain that tricks with water, and ravens perched on trees that seem to keep on eye on guests. Before guests can enter, one might see a silhouetted figure in the upstairs windows.

A servant in 19th century attire opens the door and ushers guest into the foyer that seems to be well kept despite the exterior is in state of disrepair. The servant points to a painting of a stern yet regal looking sea captain on the fireplace mantel. 

"Welcome to the historic Gore Mansion, it was built in 1810 by Captain Bartholomew Gideon Gorelieu or Captain Gore as he was called in his days when he sailed the seven seas for his bloodthirsty reputation. For it was rumored that he was notorious pirate. He purchase this plot of that the house stands to this day. It was a wedding present for his bride to be Priscilla. Despite the warring from the townsfolk that it was an Indian burial ground, but Gore didn't believe in such nonsense."

With that the entire room is consumed in darkness, only for a few seconds to be relit as the room transform into a state of neglect. The servant seems to have disappeared and the painting of the sea captain morphs into a pirate as a disembodied voice rings through the room. 

"So you really want to known what happen on the fate night? Well go ahead, and see for yourselves." 

With that a secret passageway opens within the walls to hallway lined with portraits that morph ghoulish images as guests pass by them.  

Guests will then find themselves Captain Gore's study, a room furnished with artifacts and curious from around the world. 

The servant reappears from a hidden panel. "Aside being a pirate captain, he was also a collector of many strange antiquities from the far conners of the globe to furnish his home."

At the left side of the room is a antique harpsichord, when the moonlight hits a ghostly woman can be seen playing a haunting song. Could this be the ghost of Pricilla? Soon the room starts to come to life, books fly off the shelves, mummified hands try to open a sarcophagus, and man eating plants are fighting over their meal. "Come along now, the spirits are become restless of our presence."

The servant will escort guests to a staircase that will lead them to the second floor.

Guests will find themselves in a lofty attic filled with crates, artifacts, and bric-a-brac all collecting dust.

 "It happened on that fate full night in 1810, on the eve of the wedding. Captain Gore was on a sailing voyage, leaving Priscilla to wait for him and prepare for the wedding. His one request is never go to the attic, however Priscilla's curiosity go the best of her and against her intended's wishes it was here that she found an old sea chest. Pry it open she found the truth of her future husband's true nature as the infamous Captain Bloody Bart."

While the servant narrates, the spirit of Priscilla can be seen wandering the attic with a candle as her only source of light. She opens the chest to find a content of jewels, but unbeknownst to her a shadowy figure looms over her. The entire room becomes pitch black followed by an ear pricing scream. The room relit to find out that a struggle has occurred with everything overturned, and the servant has vanished again. A panel opens to a hallway.

Guests will enter a bedroom where poltergeist type activities occurs within the room. The bed vibrates, furniture starts to move by itself, and ghostly spirits roam around the room. The servant reappears again and narrates.    

"After Priscilla's discovery of her husband's secret life, Gore murdered her and the wedding guests in one singe night. After that ghastly night, Gore became tormented by the souls of his victims and drove him to madness. So he took his life so he can join his bride in the after life."

The ceiling becomes transparent as the body of Captain Gore can be seen swaying from the rafters of the attic with a noose around his neck.

The servant will then lead them to a hallway with a large window that overlooks a swampy graveyard, where ghostly spirits rise from their graves. 

The servant will assemble guests to a balcony overlooking a grand dinning hall, all decked out in what appears that wedding feast once took place a hundred years ago, with withered flowers, tattered banners, and a molded wedding cake.  

Soon many spirits start to materialize out of thin air as they seen dancing, feasting and mingling with each other. Some of the ghosts can be recognized by the guests from history and fiction; such as The Phantom of the Opera, Jean Lafitte, King Tut, Anne Boleyn, Blackbeard the Pirate, Marie Laveau, Bloody Mary, Jacob Marley, Vlad Tepes (aka Dracula), Lucretia Borgia, Jack the Ripper and so on. The storm builds to a climax as "all hell seems to break loose" and the wild ceremony is cut short as the balcony's floor starts to vibrate and collapse under guests feet. The servant will guide guests to an elevator that will take them to the lower leave of the basement.

Guests will then enter a sub-terrain basement filled with dripping water sound effects. A skeleton in a tattered dress can be seen chained to a conner in the wall. Could this be what happened to Priscilla? 

Suddenly, the ghost of Captain Gore manifests in a curtain of mist. "You fools think you can leave my home and live to tell the tale of my secret? No one leaves this house alive!" Eventually, the spirit of Priscilla appears and rushes through the Captain as he devolves into a puddle of water. Guests will then ascend to an uphill ram and make their way through a cemetery with tombstones with epithets of  the houses guests that attended the wedding.