Friday night marked the beginning of Universal’s Halloween Horror Nights on both coasts, kicking off a nationwide reign of terror. In Hollywood, horror fanatics were able to dive into 6 mazes, 4 scare zones, and the one-of-a-kind Terror Tram experience. West coasters also enjoyed an all-new stage show featuring the renowned dance group, JABBAWOCKEEZ.
Before the event kicked off, we were on the blood-red carpet interviewing the celebrities and creative minds that came out to kick off Halloween. You can read about that HERE.
Let’s see what Universal Hollywood Halloween Horror Nights has to offer this year.
MAZES
The mazes, the west coast version of a haunted house, were impressively varied this year, ranging from classic horror to more modern-faire. Among the mazes were two ghost stories, a wildly popular T.V. show, a comedy, a sci-fi pic, and an iconic horror classic. We are happy to report that there isn’t a single failure in the bunch.
Crimson Peak Maze of Madness
Some houses retain the evil acts that were committed within their walls. The spirits of the victims of these violent transgressions linger on, long after the dead have been buried, to haunt the living. Such is the case with Allerdale Hall, an ancient, crumbling Gothic mansion in the remote English countryside that has seen its fair share of tragic events. Just below the surface of the house is a dormant clay mine that bubbles up to the surface to stain the snow-covered landscape with patches of blood-red clay. This is why the locals refer to Allerdale Hall as Crimson Peak.
Welcome to Crimson Peak: Maze of Madness, a terrifyingly immersive experience inspired by the new motion picture by Guillermo del Toro, the modern master of horror and dark fantasy. Your journey will take you through Allerdale Hall, a creepy and cavernous manor house that’s haunted by the vengeful spirits of its past inhabitants and the unspeakable dark secrets of the fractured family that still clings to their cursed ancestral home!
Beware of Crimson Peak!
Years in the making, Crimson Peak: Maze of Madness marks the culmination of plans between Creative Director John Murdy and legendary Filmmaker Guillermo Del Toro to one day work together. Having met at the Eyegore Awards, the two hit it off and knew that a creation between the two parties was inevitable. Here we come to the end of that road…just beware of Crimson Peak.
Based on the upcoming film by Guillermo Del Toro, Crimson Peak: Maze of Madness begins as we enter a cemetery. Setting up the storyline, a ghostly figure in black warns young Edith to “Beware of Crimson Peak.” Next thing you know, we are wandering into Allerdale Hall, the titular location, and narrowly escaping the ghosts that inhabit it.
Hallmark to both Guillermo and Art Director, Chris Williams, the maze is exquisitely detailed and expertly crafted. Thick fabric drapes before windows in a myriad of patterns. Vaulted ceilings give a feeling of expanse as we wander the eerie halls of the haunted mansion. The atmosphere is stunning. Created with such care, the attraction convincingly makes one feel alone, despite being in the flow of a constant stream of people.
This maze is heavy on visuals and mood, and far less aggressive with the scares. Don’t get us wrong, it’s scary fun to be sure, but there is a certain sweeping romance to the proceedings that give it all a certain grandeur.
Make sure to see this one.
Halloween: Michael Myers Comes Home
October 31st, 1963 is a day that will forever haunt the small town of Haddonfield, Illinois. That’s the night a six-year-old boy named Michael Myers inexplicably stabbed his sister to death. The family house where the murder took place has sat abandoned all these years, the source of endless tales about “The Boogeyman,” Michael Myers. The local children believe the house is haunted…and they may be right.
Welcome to Halloween: Michael Myers Comes Home, a terrifying new haunted attraction based on the classic movie that spawned an entire genre of horror. Return to the town of Haddonfield on Halloween night, the night “he came home” to take his bloody revenge. Michael Myers is waiting for you in the dark, relentlessly stalking you at every turn.
Just remember: “You can’t kill the Boogeyman.”
Michael came home, we hope he stays. Halloween: Michael Myers Comes Home is our favorite maze of the night. Yes, we are biased, as Halloween is one of our favorite films ever. The trick that was pulled off here is that they captured the suspense of the original film with a brilliant soundtrack. Yes, they use the unmistakable theme of Halloween, but they use sound bites and dialogue from the film to push the story along.
The maze begins at the infamous scene of Michael’s first crime, his own home. The Myers home in a dilapidated state as we enter, seeing Michael’s original murder playing out before us in the second story window. Inside, the smell of mildew is thick and it is clear that we are in the “present.” Turning a corner, we see the infamous white mask, and soon he is at every turn, stabbing and darting at us.
There is a disgusting amount of detail in this maze. The period furnishings, the props, the vintage television in the kitchen scene, all work to take us back to 1978.
360º Viewing
If you are viewing the website on your smartphone, you can watch a virtual walkthrough here.
Just click here. When the video begins to play, move around and look at the video in every direction.
What sells this maze, however, are the actors. All looking like carbon copies of their celluloid counterparts, the illusion of being in the film is heightened. Fans of this movie need to make sure to hit this one. The entire production was firing on all cylinders each of the three times we experienced it. We feel that this was the best maze of the night.
Insidious: Return to the Further
The Further is a world far beyond our own, yet it’s all around us – a place without time as we know it. It’s a dark realm filled with the tortured souls of the dead. A place not meant for the living…they crave life; the chance to live again. But there are other entities who are malevolent and have a more insidious agenda.
A new threat has crossed over from that world into ours, a threat that does not merely seek to possess the souls of the living, but to steal the living back to their world of shadows and keep them there for eternity. To face this new threat, we are going to have to confront the demons where they live; we are going to have to Return to The Further!
Welcome to Insidious: Return the Further, a terrifying journey into the paranormal based on all three chapters of the Insidious saga. Keep a steady stride, into The Further you go!
Insidious: Return to the Further is a very effective walkthrough attraction based on all three of the Insidious pictures. The maze attempts to pack three films worth of ghosts and storyline into a single maze, which is no easy task. They are all here too; the Black Bride, the Red Demon, and the Suffocating Ghost. All are intent on taking life from the living.
As per usual, the set design is perfect, the art direction beautifully done, and the lighting is spot on. Everything should work, but somehow, it misses the mark a little. Could it be that there is just too much trying to be packed into one single walkthrough? That might be it, as we are never given the real chance to get lost in the Further, as the name of the maze would suggest. The beauty of the previous Insidious maze that was produced in 2013 was its pacing. Here, there is just a little too much going on for any real mood to set in.
Don’t get us wrong, there are wonderfully effective scares here. One scene in particular involving digital map projection and a ghost climbing the walls is startling and works quite well. Add to that the fact that the Black Bride is creepy as hell and the Red Demon is the stuff of nightmares, and you have a fun, if not entirely successful maze.
The Walking Dead: Wolves Not Far
The Walking Dead is back with the biggest, longest, most gruesome footprint ever. The all-new maze experience, at a brand-new location on the Lower Lot, will retrace the most iconic moments from Season 5 of the hit AMC series.
Welcome to The Walking Dead: Wolves Not Far, where you relive the most intense moments of the show as you try to escape the horrors of cannibalism in Terminus, a lonely backwoods church cursed by the sins of its pastor, and a FEMA camp where the government has lost all control. Your journey will lead to a sprawling warehouse facility where a mysterious new threat that call themselves “The Wolves” are ready to spring the ultimate trap!
Even if you can survive the walkers, just remember…there are wolves not far.
Oh, walking dead. When will you actually die? We return to the world of the walkers in The Walking Dead: Wolves not far. Touted as the biggest maze ever created for Universal Hollywood’s Halloween Horror Nights, one would think you could feel that. Not so here.
The maze begins in TERMINUS, the “safe haven” in season 5. Of course, as we enter we see that things are not as they seem. Soon the living have turned on one another and we attempt to flee. Walkers are everywhere and we are treated to some fun scenarios. Fans of the series will have a wonderful time seeing the previous season acted out before them in scene after scene. Fans of the HHN event will think they have seen all of this before.
The bummer is that HHN fans haven’t seen this before, but it is all too familiar. Blood-soaked walkers leer and around every turn, gnashing and lunging at guests as they pass by. There are are some surprisingly graphic murder scenes in the beginning of the maze that brought a new level of danger to the familiar mix, but it was short lived. There’s just nothing new about any of these proceedings.
On it’s own, The Walking Dead: Wolves Not Far is fine. Zombies are scary. There are some spectacular scenes that are really effective too. This maze will terrify fans of the show and Halloween Horror Nights newbies. Unfortunately, to the loyal HHN fans, there isn’t much new here.
360º Viewing
If you are viewing the website on your smartphone, you can watch a virtual walkthrough here.
Just click here. When the video begins to play, move around and look at the video in every direction.
Alien Vs Predator
Back by popular demand,Alien vs. Predator puts you in the crossfires of battle between two ancient enemies! Using technologically advanced creatures and state-of-the-art special effects, this is the most awe-inspiring maze ever!
A spaceship belonging to the hunter race known as the Predators has crash-landed in a remote forest. The ship was carrying life form samples of another extraterrestrial species – the cold-blooded Alien xenomorphs — that use living hosts as incubators, including humans. Now, those life forms have escaped into the countryside, with blood-drenched chestbursters and parasitic facehuggers leaving a deadly trail. But, you haven’t confronted the real threat yet.
With a relentless battle to the death, one thing is for sure…whoever wins, we lose.
The one maze that we really hoped would return from last year was Alien Vs. Predator. This wish was granted. The near-perfect maze returns in all of its supremely stunning, sci-fi glory. The journey takes place on Earth. Both aliens have crash landed in a sleepy country town, and we wander in the wake of their destruction.
When the two titular monsters are not fighting each other, they are attacking the earthlings around them. We get to see the Xenomorph enjoying a delicious midnight snack with a girl, we see a happy family living room scene, face huggers firmly planted on each victim, and we see the most impressive puppet that Universal Halloween Horror Nights has ever created as the grand finale.
The two story Alien Queen is still a jaw-dropping spectacle of a finale. Creative Director John Murdy took the time to improve some of her articulation and mechanics, and the changes are great.
The irony isn’t lost on us that we just complained about the familiar of Walking Dead, yet are praising the perfectly exact return of a maze from 2014. The difference is simple. This is only the second year of this maze whereas The Walking Dead has been around. Yes, each Walking Dead maze has been different to reflect the different seasons of the show, but it is still the familiar threat of walkers. Alien Vs. Predator has so much detail to soak in and so many well-crafted, expertly paced scares, it is a joy to experience it again.
Highlights from Alien Vs. Predator 2015
360º Viewing
If you are viewing the website on your smartphone, you can watch a virtual walkthrough here.
Just click here. When the video begins to play, move around and look at the video in every direction.
This is the End 3D
Today is your lucky day! You have been invited to attend a party at James Franco’s house, a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to hang out with some of Hollywood’s biggest and brightest stars! Unfortunately, your timing sucks! “The Apocalypse,” the end of the world prophesied in the Book of Revelations, occurs before you can make it to the party!
Now you’re trapped in a life and death struggle as you’re forced to confront not only the Demons of Hell but a bunch of seriously tweaked-out Hollywood A-listers! Will you be saved and raptured up to Heaven or be damned for all time?
Based on the 2013 genre-defying blockbuster, This Is The End – 3D will combine horror, comedy, and mind-altering visuals to create a new kind of Halloween.
It will be the party to end all Hollywood celebrity parties… literally!
We now come to one of the more anticipated mazes of the year, This is the End 3D. Based on the genre defying film, guests are invited to James Franco’s house for a swanky Hollywood party. Of course, this has to happen on the same night as the apocalypse and rapture. Just your luck, huh?
We enter the home as the disaster has already begun. As we approach the home, we catch the hint of pot floating in the air. Michael Cera hangs, impaled on a street light above, as we enter the maze. The first room is pulsing with ethereal energy, as Jonah Hill sits in the living room, smoking a bong, and already possessed by a demon.
Key scenes are recreated from the movie here and there, as we are treated to long hallways covered in Chroma-Depth colors that make the walls come alive. Dialogue from the film is playing throughout the maze, setting up the scenes guests are about to take in. Every so often we come across a flat screen playing James Franco’s video diary from the movie.
Overall, we would say that this was not only a brave choice for Universal to tackle, but a fascinating experiment. We are sad to say that what makes both properties so well-known is sorely lacking here. The humor from This is the End has had its edge sanded down to a nub, never going close enough to the edge to remind you of the raunchy source material. At the same time, the aggressive scares and gore that Halloween Horror Nights is known for are dialed way back. This makes for a maze of mild chuckles and boo scares instead of comedy and horror.
Then again, another thing that made the movie excel was the banter between the friends and the absurdity of the situation. This was a nearly impossible feat to achieve and credit goes to the Universal team for at least trying.
The maze isn’t a total wash, as there are some wonderful bits throughout. One of the only scenes to perfectly convey both the rapid, irreverent comedy and scares is the hysterical possession of Jonah Hill scene. Sheer brilliance.
Once outside of the Franco Home, we follow the plot line of the movie and run into the band of aberrant cannibals. That’s another scene with some shocking yucks to it along with a great scare.
Many would say that This is the End 3D marks the first time that Universal Hollywood has attempted a comedy/horror maze at Halloween Horror Nights. I would like to remind readers of the maze that sat in the same spot behind Mummy, was in 3D, and was even funnier. Klownz 3D was a tour through a demented, clown owned and operated, popsicle factory. Filled with eye-popping 3D, the jokes were subversive potty humor insanity.
This is the End was a great way to test the waters and see where they can go with the edgier ideas and properties. I say they should take things even further. Don’t bleep the F-bombs in the dialogue, give us some supremely nasty and silly smells to experience, and get as bawdy as the movie was. This maze could have been a groundbreaking shock-fest. Instead, they played safe with the comedy and the scares.
360º Viewing
If you are viewing the website on your smartphone, you can watch a virtual walkthrough here.
Just click here. When the video begins to play, move around and look at the video in every direction.
Terror Tram: Survive The Purge
Since the inception of The Purge, patriotic citizens have taken to the streets in record numbers to “purge” the country of its less desirable elements. During this once-a-year event, all crime is legal – including murder.
Recognizing that not all citizens choose to hunt during The Purge, Universal Studios Hollywood has created the Purge Party as a safe alternative to watch the night’s dramatic events unfold on large video screens set up around the famed Universal backlot. What better way to celebrate the spirit of The Purge?
Blessed be Our New Founding Fathers and America. A nation reborn!
Folks, we hope you are sitting down. The Terror Tram: Survive the Purge is great. In fact, let’s make that, really great. As the set-up goes, we are heading to a safe area to wait out Purge Night as others enjoy it. We board the tram, being promised music, arts, crafts, family fun, and wholesome entertainments as we celebrate our new founding fathers and the cleansing of the nation.
Of course, once we get close enough to the drop off spot, it becomes clear that we are but fodder for others to purge.
360º Viewing
If you are viewing the website on your smartphone, you can watch a virtual walkthrough here.
Just click here. When the video begins to play, move around and look at the video in every direction.
Scare Zones
We are happy to report that all of the scare zones this year are great. Varied and effectively fun and scary, the sections of the park work nicely as segues between mazes and rides. What’s more, they have wisely avoided making the lower lot area a scare zone, as it was always far too crowded and way too lit to be scary.
Exterminatorz
There is something terrible happening deep underneath our city streets! For decades, people have carelessly dumped dangerous chemicals down their drains, not thinking about the consequences of their actions. All that toxic waste has had a terrible effect on the denizens of our sewer systems – spawning a hideous new hybrid that is part pest/part man! Now these persecuted pests are rising up from the sewers to turn the tables on their human oppressors! They say insects alone outnumber humans 200 million to 1 on this planet! We don’t stand a chance!
The first scare zone guests are confronted with when entering the park is Exterminatorz. The creepy crawlies have mutated and are on the attack, ready to exterminate those pesky humans. It is a welcome change to the area that has in the past been overrun with chainsaws and a carnival barker character. Here, we simply get chased around by evil bugs and rodents that want nothing more than to squash us.
Yes, there is one chainsaw that we could see (and hear). There are other tactics that are used to get at visitors nerves though. Mind yourself around the creature that is spraying for humans in the area. You might just get misted. Of note here, the talent has the heft job of setting up, not only scare zones for the night, but for setting the tone for the entire event. They do an admirable job as they scuttle about, jutting in and out of crowds with twitchy, insect-like movements and behavior. You’ve never lived until you have been quizzically studied by a human-sized fly.
Dark Christmas
For most of the world, Christmas is a time for holiday cheer but in certain parts of the world, it is a time of fear and dread. Since Pagan times, people have secretly celebrated the dark side of the holiday season with terrifying tales of demonic creatures that hunt down disobedient children and drag them to Hell! The most famous of these creatures is Krampus, The Christmas Devil…the evil version of good ol’ Saint Nick. Now that Krampus and his mythological companions have been unleashed on the streets of Universal Studios, it’s going to be a Scary Christmas for all! Have you been naughty or nice?
Hands down, still the very best scare zone in the history of scare zones at Universal Hollywood. Dark Christmas invites guests into its dense fog with bright Christmas lights and “cheery” music. However, once in the thick of it, you soon realize that this is a far darker holiday than before. Evil elves, a nasty St. Nick, and the Krampus are out for blood.
It was hoped that Dark Christmas would be a maze for 2015. However, Michael Dougherty, the writer director of the absolutely brilliant film Trick Or Treat, has been working on a new film entitled Krampus.
The film’s description reads…
A boy who has a bad Christmas ends up accidentally summoning a Christmas demon to his family home.
It would also be good to note that, just like this year’s film Crimson Peak, which is a maze for this year, Krampus is also being distributed by Universal and Legendary Pictures for a December 4th release. We have two wishes for Christmas. We want the new Krampus movie to be a hit, and we want a Krampus maze for next year.
Santa, we swear to be good.
Corpz
World War I, the “The War to End all Wars,” has left a swathe of destruction through war-torn France. The merciless slaughter caused by machine gun and mustard gas has turned “no man’s land” into a field of corpses and the constant artillery bombardment has turned the twisted network of trenches into a sprawling graveyard! Now, the slain soldiers known as the “The Lost Generation” are rising from their muddy graves and coming home…to haunt the streets of old Paris!
Located in the Paris section of the Upper Lot, Corpz continues the “Z” spelling thing going and delivers nasty, vintage zombies. Shrill air raid horns and bombardments surround you as you make your way through the blinding “mustard gas” and the undead soldiers.
While not overly compelling, the scare zone is done very well and offers more than a few chances for a good scare. Of note are the soldiers limping along the periphery of the area, gasping for air, hands clutched to their gas masks. They add a certain level of subliminal atmosphere that really sells the area. They also work as a perfect distraction for the monsters in the midway.
There is some wonderful work here. The lighting is a riot of unnerving colors and the fog is on at full force. The energy here is not one of attack and aggression like the other scare zones. It is far more somber and eerie. This is a nice change from the chainsaw-wielding maniacs in ExterminatorZ and The Purge areas. They have also worked the construction at Mel’s Diner into the atmosphere in a very clever way. Nice job.
The Purge: Urban Nightmare
The last place you want to be during the annual Purge is out in the city streets after dark! During this 12-hour period of government-sanctioned lawlessness, average citizens take to the street to hunt anyone they come across! To make matters worse, paramilitary units led by the infamous “Big Daddy” have also been dispatched to this location to help keep up the government’s “kill quota.” Will you survive this urban nightmare?
In order to get to both Crimson Peak: Maze of Madness and Alien Vs. Predator, there is a separate transport tram to take guests to the backlot where the mazes are located. Nestled to the right of the entrance to Transformers: The Ride, and just to the left of the entrance to the maze This is the End 3D, is a path that goes down a slope which leads guests to a tram pick up area.
Boarding the tram, everything appears to be normal, lights are on, nothing out of the ordinary. Then the Emergency Broadcast sound pierces the air and we are alerted that it is Purge Night. The Tram guide says that in order to get where we are headed, the two mazes, we are going to have to make it through The Purge.
Waiting patiently for guests are an army of ne’r-do-wells skulking around a path between shipping containers. We are dumped off and have to make our way through.
Here, the Purge theme works again. Surprisingly so, actually, as we have never been a fan of its implementation thus far. Something is different. The audio fills the air with the sound of chaos and anarchy. The evil-doers around you are sometimes too busy to bother attacking you and other times they head straight for you. It’s a wonderful technique that keeps you on your toes, guessing where the threats are going to come from. Nicely done.
Jabbawockeez
Bringing a show back to Halloween Horror Nights in Hollywood was inevitable. The choice was to use JABBAWOCKEEZ. The supremely talented and highly entertaining dance troupe have taken over the Special Effects Stage to offer a brand-new, custom-made show for Halloween Horror Nights.
Those expecting anything like what was there before need to leave those ideas at the door. This is a new vibe and a new feel for HHN’s live show roster. There is little to speak of in the way of any Halloween-like element to the show. There is little comedy, and no dialogue. Instead we are hit with a torrent of music and dancing, so forceful, so energetic, that it is hard not to like it.
Bringing the JABBAWOCKEEZ is certainly a safe bet. There is no way for anyone to be offended by this show, the vulgarity is kept to a minimum in the songs, and there is no chance for a performer to utter a single improvised lest it should offend someone. Though, it is sad to see the sexiness and the humor of the previous show thrown out the window in favor of less risky material.
Really though, to compare with what was there before to the JABBAWOCKEEZ would be a disservice to the dance troupe. They are amazing talents that can get a crowd up on their feet and dancing in the aisles. Yes, that actually happened. That’s a good thing though. If the show entertains, and can even engage the uninitiated, like myself, then it has accomplished what it set out to do.
JABBAWOCKEEZ is that welcome respite from scares and aching feet. It is entertaining, features infectiously fun music, and talented dancers that will keep your attention for the 25 minutes you are sitting, enjoying the show.
Pricing and Tickets
Pricing for the ever popular event rose again this year.
Depending on which night you choose the prices vary
General Admission is $80-$85
Front of Line Ticket is $159-$179
This year the VIP Experience was done away.
It is recommended that you buy your tickets online before going as you will save some money doing so.
That concludes our review of Halloween Horror Nights 2015 for Universal Studios Hollywood. They took a few safe bets with a lot of the material and much of it paid off. One of the more consistent experiences in years, Universal Hollywood’s Halloween Horror Nights is a fun night out.
A special thank you to Ken Toghia for his video work here.
To learn more about “Halloween Horror Nights,” click here.
For more information about “Halloween Horror Nights” at Universal Studios Hollywood visit www.HalloweenHorrorNights.com.
Join the “Halloween Horror Nights” conversation using #UniversalHHN on Facebook at Halloween Horror Nights – Hollywood and Instagram; Twitter and Periscope @HorrorNights. Add username HorrorNights on Snapchat for nightly live content, and watch the terror come to life on Halloween Horror Nights YouTube.
Dark Harbor VIP Haunt event, Long Beach CA, Oct 3rd
If you will be in the southern California Area and would like to experience another amazing haunt, we have just the thing for you. Join us for the Dark Harbor VIP Haunt event on Saturday Oct 3rd.
- Lights-on tour of a maze with creator/designer JJ Wickham:
- Admission to the All-New Anubis Paintball Adventure: This up-charge experience is certain to sell out quickly every night, because it allows you to face an onslaught of mummies and monsters, armed for the first time with a paintball gun. Do you have what it takes to survive this “newly” transplanted pharaoh’s tomb?
- Admission into the Freakshow experience
- All Night Front of the Line access: This really is worth its (lack of) “wait” ingGold. Most of these mazes you will want to experience more than once, and this is the only way to do it without spending most of your night in lines.
- All-night-access to the exclusive R.I.P. lounge: Perhaps the greatest perk of all! A deck above, and yet in the middle of all the action, with endless, delicious street tacos, 3 drink tickets at the exclusive bar (again, avoiding the long lines below), and a variety of places to comfortably lounge while enjoying the delightful chorus of horrific screams that the world famous Dark Harbor sliders relentlessly create all evening.
We have bundled all of this together at the very reasonable price of $125.00 per person. If you have visited before, you know what a great value all these extras are. If you haven’t, this is the best way to first experience this distinctively unique haunt that is the Queen Mary’s Dark Harbor.
Get your Exclusive Event Tickets Here
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