Universal Studios Halloween Horror Nights gave us a huge Halloween treat Sunday at Midsummer Scream when Creative Director John Murdy and Art Director Chris Williams stopped by for a little presentation in the main theater here. A big presentation, actually. Frankly, they were throwing out tasty morsels for a solid hour and we all ate it up.

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Murdy started out by answering some questions he had chosen from HHN’s twitter feed. The first one was: How did you and Chris meet? Both Murdy and Williams were working for Universal for a long time, Williams as an art director and Murdy in the creative department, helping envision and create such attractions as The Mummy coaster and the Special Effects Show.  They crossed paths when Murdy was hired to bring HHN back from the dead (hehehe) and remembers Williams as a very talented guy who could work well with him.

John Murdy (L) and Chris Williams

The next question was about whether they could ever have seen themselves doing this as a career. Both of them have loved Halloween and scary things in general forever, so they are surprised and delighted to be able to do this. Williams’ first interest was in special effects makeup and making neighborhood haunted houses, while Murdy visited Universal Studios often as a kid to meet his favorite monsters on the backlot.

Then we got our first sneak peek: Ash vs. the Evil Dead.  One of the difficulties with mazes, Murdy said, was that actions had to be repeated every ten seconds or so all night, for nearly two months (about 60,000 times). In a movie shoot, you can try things over and over, making mistakes each time. In a maze, it has to be perfect every time.

He showed off some production sketches from the Evil Dead maze they did a few years ago, and explained how they did some of the gags (like the girl splitting her tongue in two with a knife, or the blood rain climax). He compared those challenges to things you might see in the new maze that will occur at Ash’s trailer park, his boyhood home, his bedroom, the cabin, and the cabin’s fruit cellar. Murdy promised that the possessed wife Henrietta would be making an appearance.

Then came the flood of amazing pictures and info for The Shining. Holy cow.

He said up front that the movie is not easy to do as a maze. There are many wide open areas (like the hotel lobby) that don’t translate well, but he assured us that it will be very recognizable.  The one thing he said numerous times was that they wanted to develop a real sense of dread as you walked through all of the important scenes: the hedge maze, the Grady twins, the flood of blood coming out of the elevator (how in the heck will they do that?), Room 237, even Danny riding his bike down the hallway.

Speaking of which, Murdy proudly showed us pictures of the carpet they had custom woven back on the east coast that matched exactly the infamous geometric pattern in the movie. Amazing.  Also he showed us some drawings of how the axe-chopping-down-the-bathroom-door gag will work. Murdy joked that he didn’t even know if he was allowed to show us the stuff he picked, but then he shrugged and said, “I just brought it all anyway,” with a laugh.

He showed us some concept sketches of characters for a couple of unnamed scare zones: one is a “Hell on earth” concept with evil demons, while another is a “Halloween trick or treat” theme, with homicidal pumpkin men and costumed crazies.

He saved the best announcement for last: The R.I.P. Experience (VIP) is back! It will include a buffet dinner, 2 drinks, and the usual front of the line access.  These and all other tickets will go on sale Tuesday, August 1st.  We can’t wait!


This Halloween Season we are hitting haunts hard by offering readers all of the access, perks, and scares. Introducing the HorrorBuzz Passport to Fear! This year there are four destinations including Knott’s Berry Farm, Queen Mary’s Dark Harbor, Six Flags Fright Fest, and a special night at the Winchester Mystery House on Friday, October 13th! 

       

The Passport to Fear events are one-night, special ticketed meet-ups at the best haunts in southern California. We take you behind the scenes, introduce you to the creators of the haunted attractions you love, and march you to the front of the line. It’s a guided tour of terror sold only by HorrorBuzz. 

Tickets to the four events are on sale NOW  here on the site.

About the Author

Mike Hansen has worked as a teacher, a writer, an actor, and a haunt monster, and has been a horror fan ever since he was a young child. Sinister Seymour is his personal savior, and he swears by the undulating tentacles of Lord Cthulhu that he will reach the end of his Netflix list. Someday.