Universal Studio's Halloween Horror Nights in Hollywood Are Back!

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Headline: Universal Studio's Halloween Horror Nights in Hollywood Are Back!

18th October 2006 Posted by: ryanizay

The big draw for the return of Halloween Horror Nights is in true Hollywood fashion. Over the weeks prior to the opening night of Halloween Horror Nights, Universal Studios created a fake myth about a foreign director who was hired to make a film until his footage was deemed too shocking and the project cancelled. The rumor has him lurking somewhere on the lot. All of this is shown on the Terror Train in a documentary that has footage from a famous experimental film at the dawn of cinema used as The director�s film. Then the tram breaks new ground by letting the tram off on the Psycho film set, where you will be led up past the motel and a few Norman Bates. After walking around the motel and past the house guest are led past the plane wreckage from War of the Worlds, which is lit up in the dark. There are alien characters walking along the path to scare you as you are starring at the excellent movie magic displayed. After that there isn�t much to do but get back on the tram and return, which can seem somewhat anticlimactic. It would have been nice had there been some interaction with The Director.

There are other attractions open as well, but none so changed as the tram. Jurassic Park is available to ride in the dark. Terminator 2: 3D and Back to the Future are still open as well as Revenge of the Mummy. There are also a few shows to watch, such as Carnival of Carnage which has strange and disgusting human tricks and Fear Factor Live: Dead Celebrity Edition, which is exactly what it sounds like.

The Waterworld stunt show has been changed to Slaughter World, although the only thing horrifying about it is how sexist it manages to be. The stunts are relatively the same, but there are a few detours in the adult nature. There are even a few semi-striptease dance numbers somehow worked into the action. More than a few offended women left after the first few minutes of endless sexual puns. Although the show has been fashioned for rowdy and drinking adults, it isn�t really related to horror or Halloween in any way. There is no slaughtering as the title suggests. What the show needed was some zombies doing stunts.

Slaughter World wasn�t the only area where adult humor could be found. Along with the Chucky�s Insult Emporium show where Chucky hurls insults at the audience, the Terror Tram was filled with great sporadic adult humor from a talented tram host. As well as blatantly hitting on girls in the geeky persona he had created, he instructed the tram to call out obscenities to the guests still waiting in line. This humor is great for adults with open minds, but is just one of many reasons why children should be left at home. The other obvious reason is the many horrific creatures wandering the five scare zones in the theme park.

The first scare zone is Dawn of the Dead, which is a New York street where the dead have begun to feast on the living. Zombies will approach you holding intestines in their hands, and many other assorted scares involving similar carnage. Old London has a lot of fog so that you can hardly see where you are walking, but between clouds of smoke you will pass street walkers and Jack the Ripper on the streets of London. Other assorted characters wander the streets as well. I�m rather certain Freddy Krueger was following me for a bit. Black Death is the third scare zone, which is a medieval setting where the plague has begun to set. The fourth zone is Deadwood, which is a ghost town with plenty of scares. This stretch is particularly dark and enclosed, making it perfect for them to get a scare in. The last scare zone is Studio Center, which has a weird assortment of characters, more iconic than frightening. This is like the cartoon scare zone.

Those that like the scares on the streets of the park will love the mazes. The problem with the mazes is that there aren�t nearly enough. The Universal�s House of Horrors maze was just barely above average, which is upsetting considering it is one of two mazes in the theme park, but The Asylum almost makes up for it. The Asylum is the second maze and it is an elaborate one. It takes you through a hospital for the criminally insane, who wander around the corridors you are forced to walk through. There are some disturbing moments and they have some good scares in a lengthy maze. It is a good thing that the maze is long because the line was unbelievable for most of the night that I attended.

Universal Studios Halloween Horror Nights opened on Friday the 13th and it continues on the next two weekends and of course on Halloween. The dates are October 20-21, 27-28 and October 31. The event begins at 7 and is priced between $34.00 and $39.00. Tickets are available by phone at 818-622-3801 or online at www.HalloweenHorrorNights/hollywood.com.