It is no secret that we here at HorrorBuzz Love Zombie Joe’s Underground Theatre and their various productions. It’s also no surprise that we like Halloween, horror, and scary fun. So, when their annual Halloween production URBAN DEATH: Tour of Terror rolls around, we are pretty much there for it. So why should average haunt fans be interested too? Good question. We have an answer.

URBAN DEATH: Tour of Terror is a blend of haunted house and Avante Garde theatre that mixes elements of both to deliver something unique and wholly terrifying. We advise you to grab your tickets online ahead of time,  then allow about 30 minutes prior to your show time to queue up. The theatre is an innocuous storefront along Lankershim Blvd whose only feature is the letters Z.J.U. in block font above the door. During busier nights there is a festive grouping of fans outside, either just exiting a show or waiting to go in.

This year we are graciously offered not one but two spectacular editions of URBAN DEATH: Tour of Terror; One for adults, and one for kids. For those familiar with the show, you might ask, “A Zombie Joe’s Kid show?”. Yes, and it’s wonderful.

We queue up under the amber light of a street lamp just outside the theatre. Cars zoom past us mere feet away on the busy street but we are undaunted, focused on a transformative theatre experience. Benevolent undertaker Zombie Joe bounces around working the box office, the crowd, and catching up with old friends.

We line up for our particular show and are prepared to go in. Showtime arrives. We are broken up into groups of two or three, handed a flashlight, and guided into the inky darkness just inside. Making our way through an intimate maze of black plastic sheets we navigate dimly lit horrors lurking around every turn until we make it to a black box theatre. Here the “show” aspect of Tour of Terror takes place. The lights come up, a new horror takes place, and the lights go out. We see scenes both poignant and horrifying daring us to guess what we may see next. The show is over and we are invited to reverse our path out of the theatre, back through the maze. A new set of horrors awaits us.

We’ve been covering URBAN DEATH: Tour of Terror for years and it’s safe to say that this is easily one of their stronger shows. It’s creepy, vile, uncomfortable, and demanding as any good theatre should be. The trick that ZJU pulls off with this show is that it plays to their loyal base of fans while inviting newcomers in for a world of fright. It should be noted too that Zombie Joe’s is also staging an all-ages version of the show that is just as wonderful. It’s a very different show, of course, but it dives into the same difficult themes of sadness, alienation, being weird, and the unexplainable. We highly recommend both versions.

Our advice is that this is a DO NOT MISS for Halloween 2022 in Los Angeles.

If you really want to dive deep into URBAN DEATH: Tour of Terror, we are holding a special PASSPORT TO FEAR event that offers ticket holders admission to the show followed by a lights on tour and meet and greet with the cast and creators of the show.  Join us if you dare.