Friday, August 20, 2010
The Scare Zone Has a New Home!
We've moved to www.scare-zone.com. Be sure to check us out over there. There's a TON of great haunt information coming in now, so be sure to keep up with all the latest news!
Tuesday, August 3, 2010
Rob Zombie Returns (in Maze Form) to HHN Hollywood
Not only is Rob Zombie judging the Halloween Horror Nights Scary Film Competition, but he's also helping create a new maze for this year's Halloween Horror Nights.
We're not exactly sure of the title yet, but the maze will be based on House of the 1000 Corpses and will include the characters of Captain Spaulding, Baby, Otis, Mother Firefly, and Killer Karl. We know that the maze will begin with the Murder Ride (though it won't be an actual ride, duh) and that it will also include the Firefly House and Dr. Satan's Lair.
And if that's not enough for you, it's going to be in 3-D. John Murdy, HHN Creative Director, promises this will NOT be a typical "black light" 3-D maze, though. He claims they will be taking "a different approach" although 3-D glasses will still be involved.
We can't wait to see what Universal does with 3-D. Quite honestly, the gimmick is becoming tiresome at some of the other haunts, where the approach has been to paint polka dots or stripes in orange and blue on black plywood walls and light it up with black light. We know this is not Universal's style, and we hope they'll infuse a little more "dimension" into the concept.
Also, some of you may remember Rob Zombie had a maze back in 2000 themed to House of 1000 Corpses. Rob and HHN go way back.
We're not exactly sure of the title yet, but the maze will be based on House of the 1000 Corpses and will include the characters of Captain Spaulding, Baby, Otis, Mother Firefly, and Killer Karl. We know that the maze will begin with the Murder Ride (though it won't be an actual ride, duh) and that it will also include the Firefly House and Dr. Satan's Lair.
And if that's not enough for you, it's going to be in 3-D. John Murdy, HHN Creative Director, promises this will NOT be a typical "black light" 3-D maze, though. He claims they will be taking "a different approach" although 3-D glasses will still be involved.
We can't wait to see what Universal does with 3-D. Quite honestly, the gimmick is becoming tiresome at some of the other haunts, where the approach has been to paint polka dots or stripes in orange and blue on black plywood walls and light it up with black light. We know this is not Universal's style, and we hope they'll infuse a little more "dimension" into the concept.
Also, some of you may remember Rob Zombie had a maze back in 2000 themed to House of 1000 Corpses. Rob and HHN go way back.
Wednesday, July 21, 2010
First Look at HHN Hollywood's Klownz
Halloween Horror Nights (Hollywood) released some scareactor concept art this week for their new scare zone, Klownz. Check it out:
For a couple more images, visit the exclusive story on Dread Central.
If you've always dreamed of being a chainsaw-wielding clown manic, scareactor auditions are being held next week, Monday, July 26th at 5pm and Wednesday, July 28th at 10am at the Globe Theatre at Universal Studios Hollywood. They're looking for stilt walkers and scareactors, plus actors for the Bill and Ted Stunt show.
And if you're in Florida, auditions for HHN Orlando are going on now.
Once people start getting hired to work in a particular maze, it's hard to keep the themes and names secret, so we hope this means that maze information will be released soon.
For a couple more images, visit the exclusive story on Dread Central.
If you've always dreamed of being a chainsaw-wielding clown manic, scareactor auditions are being held next week, Monday, July 26th at 5pm and Wednesday, July 28th at 10am at the Globe Theatre at Universal Studios Hollywood. They're looking for stilt walkers and scareactors, plus actors for the Bill and Ted Stunt show.
And if you're in Florida, auditions for HHN Orlando are going on now.
Once people start getting hired to work in a particular maze, it's hard to keep the themes and names secret, so we hope this means that maze information will be released soon.
Saturday, July 17, 2010
KSF 2010: L.A. Times Preview
The LA Times has an article about Knott’s Scary Farm’s 2010 mazes and Scare Zones. It also ranks what they believe are the best, rest, and worst mazes coming back. Scare Zone will have to disagree with some of their rankings such as cronstalkers which isn't one of the worst and The Salughterhouse which isn't one of the best.
The thing with Knott's, like other haunts, is one's expereince in a maze and the scare factor can vary greatly depending on when they go. That is why we reccomend going to haunts earlier in the season when the talent is fresh or during weeknights. Opening weekends can be fun but then you must keep in mind that the scareactors are still learning what scares really work on their victims.
Knott’s Berry Farm unveils Halloween Haunt 2010 mazes
Knott’s Berry Farm will add three new mazes for Halloween Haunt 2010, according to theme park officials. The 38th annual Knott’s Scary Farm will take place on Wednesday through Sunday nights from Sept. 24 through Oct. 31 (except for Sept. 29). Knott’s Berry Farm. The granddaddy of Halloween events will feature 13 mazes scattered throughout the Buena Park theme park, with construction currently underway in backstage areas.
New mazes for 2010:
> Sleepy Hollow Mountain, featuring the headless horseman legend with ghosts, ghouls, witches and goblins, replaces the Pyromaniax theme (on the Timber Mountain log ride).
> Virus Z replicates a small town overrun by infected cannibals, zombies and blood-thirsty corpses, replacing the woefully bad Quarantine maze (in Fiesta Plaza).
> Fallout Shelter, where the insane residents haven’t seen the sun since the Atomic Age, replaces the tired and predictable Alien Annihilation 3-D laser-tag maze (near Reflection Lake).
Returning mazes from 2009:
The Best
> Terror of London
> Lockdown: The Asylum
> Slaughterhouse
The Rest
> Dia de los Muertos (in 3-D)
> The Labyrinth
> Black Widow’s Cavern
> Club Blood
The Worst
> Uncle Bobo’s Big Top of the Bizarre (in 3-D)
> The Doll Factory
> Cornstalkers
Halloween Haunt will once again feature three scare zones, including:
> The Necropolis, with Victorian Steampunk vampires haunting a city of the dead, replaces The Gauntlet scare zone in Camp Snoopy (New for 2010).
> Carnevil (in the Boardwalk area)
> Ghost Town (in the Wild West area)
Also returning for 2010: “The Hanging” pop-culture comedy revue plus several shows
The thing with Knott's, like other haunts, is one's expereince in a maze and the scare factor can vary greatly depending on when they go. That is why we reccomend going to haunts earlier in the season when the talent is fresh or during weeknights. Opening weekends can be fun but then you must keep in mind that the scareactors are still learning what scares really work on their victims.
Knott’s Berry Farm unveils Halloween Haunt 2010 mazes
Knott’s Berry Farm will add three new mazes for Halloween Haunt 2010, according to theme park officials. The 38th annual Knott’s Scary Farm will take place on Wednesday through Sunday nights from Sept. 24 through Oct. 31 (except for Sept. 29). Knott’s Berry Farm. The granddaddy of Halloween events will feature 13 mazes scattered throughout the Buena Park theme park, with construction currently underway in backstage areas.
New mazes for 2010:
> Sleepy Hollow Mountain, featuring the headless horseman legend with ghosts, ghouls, witches and goblins, replaces the Pyromaniax theme (on the Timber Mountain log ride).
> Virus Z replicates a small town overrun by infected cannibals, zombies and blood-thirsty corpses, replacing the woefully bad Quarantine maze (in Fiesta Plaza).
> Fallout Shelter, where the insane residents haven’t seen the sun since the Atomic Age, replaces the tired and predictable Alien Annihilation 3-D laser-tag maze (near Reflection Lake).
Returning mazes from 2009:
The Best
> Terror of London
> Lockdown: The Asylum
> Slaughterhouse
The Rest
> Dia de los Muertos (in 3-D)
> The Labyrinth
> Black Widow’s Cavern
> Club Blood
The Worst
> Uncle Bobo’s Big Top of the Bizarre (in 3-D)
> The Doll Factory
> Cornstalkers
Halloween Haunt will once again feature three scare zones, including:
> The Necropolis, with Victorian Steampunk vampires haunting a city of the dead, replaces The Gauntlet scare zone in Camp Snoopy (New for 2010).
> Carnevil (in the Boardwalk area)
> Ghost Town (in the Wild West area)
Also returning for 2010: “The Hanging” pop-culture comedy revue plus several shows
Monday, June 28, 2010
HHN: King Kong Sized Line?
According to a tweet from HHN Hollywood the new King King 360 will be presented as it's own attraction and not part of the Terror Tram at this year's haunt. This seems strange as Kong is part of the Tram Tour. If this turns out to be true, then this will be an (bad) attempt for them to try to squeeze out another attraction for HHN. This would mean yet another line to stand in for what is a less than 2 minute experience (according to the YouTube video) so we hope this isn't true.
Nonetheless, for those of you you can't wait until HHN or even this Thursday's opening of the ride here is a video of the experience here.
*Spoiler Warning*
Nonetheless, for those of you you can't wait until HHN or even this Thursday's opening of the ride here is a video of the experience here.
*Spoiler Warning*
Sunday, June 27, 2010
Zombie Manor: Sneak Peek August 13!
Zombie Manor, in Arlington, Texas (Dallas-Ft. Worth area), will be letting victims in for a sneak peek at their 2010 haunt on Friday, August 13, from 8 to 11 pm.
Zombie Manor bills itself as "DFW's top-rated zombie experience." Just how many "zombie experiences" ARE there in the Dallas area? Regardless, it's nice to see a haunt that has a consistent theme throughout and isn't just a bunch of rooms with different "scary" themes (we're looking at YOU, Blood Manor). Zombie Manor opened in 2009, and though it hasn't earned any "skulls" yet on HauntWorld.com, it lists some positive reviews on their own web site. Some photos available on their site show some pretty creepy sets.
Their site doesn't list ticket prices for the August event, but the haunt was $15 last Halloween season. How can anyone resist $15 for a haunt on a summer night, and on a Friday the 13th, no less? You Texans are lucky.
Zombie Manor bills itself as "DFW's top-rated zombie experience." Just how many "zombie experiences" ARE there in the Dallas area? Regardless, it's nice to see a haunt that has a consistent theme throughout and isn't just a bunch of rooms with different "scary" themes (we're looking at YOU, Blood Manor). Zombie Manor opened in 2009, and though it hasn't earned any "skulls" yet on HauntWorld.com, it lists some positive reviews on their own web site. Some photos available on their site show some pretty creepy sets.
Their site doesn't list ticket prices for the August event, but the haunt was $15 last Halloween season. How can anyone resist $15 for a haunt on a summer night, and on a Friday the 13th, no less? You Texans are lucky.
Blood Manor Adds to the Terror
Blood Manor will be adding new scenes to their haunt this year. According to their web site, we can look forward to these additions for 2010:
- The Wolves Den
- Zombie Attack
- It's Alive!
- Vortex Laser Tunnel
- Serial Killer's Thriller
- Electrocution
- Vampire's Lair
- 3D Circus of Horrors
I think most of those concepts are self-explanatory, except for maybe It's Alive! (described as a “chaotic chamber of sights and sounds”) and Serial Killer's Thriller (which might be some kind of scary portrait gallery). Is there anything this haunt DOESN'T have???
Blood Manor opens October 1st.
Knott's Halloween Haunt Maze Lineup for 2010
It's official! Knott's will once again feature 13 mazes at their Halloween Haunt. The full lineup is as follows:
1. Club Blood
2. The Doll Factory
3. Black Widow's Cavern
4. Labryinth
5. Slaughterhouse
6. Uncle Bobo's Big Top of the Bizarre
7. Dia De Los Muertos
8. Cornstalkers
9. Terror of London
10. Lockdown: The Asylum
11. Virus Z*
12. Fallout Shelter*
13. Sleepy Hollow Mountain*
* New for 2010
(Gone to the Ghost Town graveyard: Alien Annihilation, Pyromaniax, Quarantine.)
Wednesday, June 23, 2010
Knott's Reveals 2 More New Mazes for Halloween Haunt 2010
New for Knott's Berry Farm's Halloween Haunt 2010:
"Virus Z": Fiesta Plaza explodes with a brand new zombie nightmare. The virus is out and the end is near... Enter the barricaded town of Pleasanton, where the virus has turned the entire population into ravenous zombies! From the insane mind of Brooke Walters, designer of Doll Factory and Terror of London.
"Sleepy Hollow Mountain": Ghosts and ghouls, witches and goblins, long-legged beasts and things that go bump in the night...take a dark ride through haunted Sleepy Hollow. The witching hour is at hand and the legends of long ago haunt the living. Specters and witches are on your heels as you try to out run The Headless Horseman of Sleepy Hollow. Can you keep your wits? Or will you lose your head? Brought to you by Haunt Designer, David Ortiz (Dia De Los Muertos)! (Description from Theme Park Adventure.com)
So this means that Virus Z is replacing Quarantine and Sleepy Hollow Mountain will replace Pyromaniax (Timber Mountain Log Ride). We're VERY excited for Sleepy Hollow Mountain. It sounds like it could be a nice, traditional Halloween theme, which really is missing from many haunts these days. Most haunts are overrun by post-apocalyptic zombies, vampires, and aliens. We can't wait to see a few pumpkins and witches, and hopefully a fog-filled graveyard.
Knott's Halloween Haunt opens on September 24.
"Virus Z": Fiesta Plaza explodes with a brand new zombie nightmare. The virus is out and the end is near... Enter the barricaded town of Pleasanton, where the virus has turned the entire population into ravenous zombies! From the insane mind of Brooke Walters, designer of Doll Factory and Terror of London.
"Sleepy Hollow Mountain": Ghosts and ghouls, witches and goblins, long-legged beasts and things that go bump in the night...take a dark ride through haunted Sleepy Hollow. The witching hour is at hand and the legends of long ago haunt the living. Specters and witches are on your heels as you try to out run The Headless Horseman of Sleepy Hollow. Can you keep your wits? Or will you lose your head? Brought to you by Haunt Designer, David Ortiz (Dia De Los Muertos)! (Description from Theme Park Adventure.com)
Knott's Halloween Haunt opens on September 24.
Wednesday, June 16, 2010
BREAKING NEWS: HHN HOLLYWOOD NEWS ANNOUNCED!
From the LA times:
After getting bigger and better ever year, Halloween Horror Nights at Universal Studios Hollywood this year will offer more mazes and more nights in a bid to out-scare and out-gore the competition.
For 2010, Halloween Horror Nights will feature five mazes and six scare zones over 17 nights running from Sept. 24 through Oct. 31, theme park officials confirmed.
The 2010 dates: Sept. 24 and 25 and Oct. 1, 2, 8, 9, 15, 16, 17, 21, 22, 23, 24, 28, 29, 30 and 31. That’s every Friday and Saturday over six consecutive weekends plus a few Thursdays and Sundays.
No word yet on themes for any of the 2010 haunted mazes, which in years past have been tied to classic horror movies such as “Saw,” “Halloween,” “My Bloody Valentine,” “Friday the 13th,” “Nightmare on Elm Street” and “Texas Chainsaw Massacre.”
I would be shocked to see any of those movie properties reappear in 2010, although the park’s year-round House of Horrors attraction will almost certainly be one of the five haunted mazes.
For 2010, Universal also promises to unveil an all-new Terror Tram studio tour through the backlot that will include a stop at the new King Kong 360 3-D attraction. [!!!!!!]
No word yet on this year’s shows either, although I wouldn’t be surprised to see a return of the “Bill & Ted’s Excellent Halloween Adventure” pop culture parody and last year’s “Rocky Horror Picture Show” live musical revue, which has been a perennial favorite at Universal’s sister park in Orlando, Fla.
Universal’s Halloween event has had a sporadic history at the Hollywood movie and television theme park, returning with renewed vigor in 2006 after an extended hiatus. Since then, the rebooted event has grown from seven nights in 2006 to 10 nights in 2007 to 13 nights in 2008 to 16 nights last year and to 17 nights this year. Expect the park to tack on a few extra nights this Halloween season if ticket sales prove brisk at the beginning of October.
Universal will have a long way to go to catch up to the sheer volume of Halloween Haunt at Knott’s Berry Farm in Buena Park, which featured 13 mazes, seven shows and three scare zones over 28 nights in 2009.
Universal has taken a decidedly different approach than Knott’s — relying on marquee movie monsters over generic vampire, alien and zombie themes, while significantly amping up the blood, guts and gore.
Halloween Horror Nights Orlando: 2010
Earlier this week, HHN Orlando updated their Web site with dates and a few details for 2010. The dates will be:
September 24, 25, 30; October 1, 2, 3, 7, 8, 9, 10, 14, 15, 16, 17, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24, 27, 28, 29, 30 & 31, 2010
There was also mention of the "20 year" theme, but it appears that has been removed from the site for the time being.
Tickets are on sale now!
Friday, June 4, 2010
Are You Ready to Rock?
Busch Gardens Tampa Bay has updated their Howl-O-Scream splash page with a teaser image for 2010 and the note: "Howl-O-Scream Is Gonna Rock!"
While we're not sure what this means for this year's theme, it at least seems better than last year's mascots: bored-looking vampire models.
Meanwhile, Williamsburg's Howl-O-Scream page claims a new "spooky" site will be up in June. We'll be checking back...
While we're not sure what this means for this year's theme, it at least seems better than last year's mascots: bored-looking vampire models.
Meanwhile, Williamsburg's Howl-O-Scream page claims a new "spooky" site will be up in June. We'll be checking back...
Thursday, May 6, 2010
Reign of Terror creator Bruce Stanton featured on HauntCast
Bruce Stanton, creator of the excellent home-to-commercial haunt Reign of Terror, located in Thousand Oaks, California, is the featured guest on the April 2010 episode of HauntCast, the podcast for "haunters and Halloween fanatics."
Bruce talks about taking his haunt from his house, to a community center, and then to a busy mall, as well as the difficulty in opening a commercial haunt in the somewhat oversaturated haunt market of Southern California. (Although we would like to be the first to say that there can never be TOO many haunts in Southern California.)
We had the chance to visit Reign of Terror in 2009, and it was great! So much attention to detail, great scares, and great animatronics. The haunt was long—there were so many rooms, we lost count. And 2010 promises to be even better: Their Web site says they're planning to add 6 to 8 more rooms "with all new scares throughout."
2010's theme: Asylum for the Criminally Insane! And if any community needs an asylum, it's Thousand Oaks. Trust us, we've been there. Oh, how we've been there.
Here are a couple of pictures from last year's facade:
Bruce talks about taking his haunt from his house, to a community center, and then to a busy mall, as well as the difficulty in opening a commercial haunt in the somewhat oversaturated haunt market of Southern California. (Although we would like to be the first to say that there can never be TOO many haunts in Southern California.)
We had the chance to visit Reign of Terror in 2009, and it was great! So much attention to detail, great scares, and great animatronics. The haunt was long—there were so many rooms, we lost count. And 2010 promises to be even better: Their Web site says they're planning to add 6 to 8 more rooms "with all new scares throughout."
2010's theme: Asylum for the Criminally Insane! And if any community needs an asylum, it's Thousand Oaks. Trust us, we've been there. Oh, how we've been there.
Here are a couple of pictures from last year's facade:
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)