HHN AT 25: HHN LEGACY'S 25 FAVORITE HOUSES OF THE LAST 15 YEARS. PART 2: THE TOP 10

Greetings internet dwellers!

Been a bit busy here this week, with my job and all the HHN XXV goodies. If you haven't seen the first part of our countdown, you can see 25-11 here. The top 10 was hard. Really hard to put together. I'm positive there may be one or two houses, that may surprise some. 

Like the entirety of this list, everything was placed for a reason. Some sentimental, and others, for different reasons. Still, they were all placed because they were loved in some way, shape, or form. 

So, here it is, the final countdown.

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BONUS: TWO OF OUR WORST HOUSES

HHN, isn't perfect. They have had some misses, and during our 15 years, we've been through a few. While we have more than these, here are two of our absolute worst experiences inside HHN houses.  

FEAR FACTOR- HHN XII

• Location: Thunder Falls Terrace

To this day, I still have no idea why. This thing was a wreck. From start to finish, Fear Factor was bad. It was cheap, and felt cheap. Nothing in here worked at all. This is the absolute worst example of an IP coming to the event. When I hear people today complain about certain IP's, this always comes to mind. Believe me, no IP since, has been as bad as Fear Factor. It is on a whole other level of awful.  

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VAMPYR: BLOOD BATH- HHN XVII

• Location: Nazarman's

How you go from Castle Vampyr at HHN XIV to this, is beyond me. I liked the first Vampyr, but not as much as some people. However, this, was atrocious. The last house ever in the Nazarman's location, was not a good send-off. The flow of this house was awful too. Nothing worked in here. The wait times for this were horrid as well. This is the last house I remember where HHN, actually "pulsed" the line. Just a bad house all around. 

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THE TOP 10

10. TERROR MINES- HHN XV

• Location: Poseidon's Fury

Another house, I unabashedly love. In terms of sheer, unadulterated fun I have had in a house, this would be it. Was it gimmicky? Sure, but it was fun gimmicky. The use of Poseidon's Fury's effects throughout the house, fit nicely. The fire going off was a nice, hellish experience, and entering the house through the water vortex was a nice aesthetic. The creatures in here were awesome too! I loved the miner helmets as well. It added another level of guest interaction, which hasn't really been done to the same effect since. They tried again with The People Under the Stairs: Under Construction, but not to the same effect. Had a really funny incident in here, where our leader with the helmet, led us through a Scareactor's boo-hole. That was both terrifying and funny at the same time.

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9. ALL NITE DIE-IN- HHN XIII

• Location: Sound Stage 20

The first time I really got to experience my favorite horror films as a kid, in real life. Freddy, Jason, Leatherface, Michael Myers; they were all here. Silver Screams, obviously borrowed elements from All Nite Die-In, but this house was the better of the two in my opinion. Still kind of in that sweet spot, that was the early Icon years for HHN, it still holds that charm for me. And I loved that Crystal Lake room. It really felt like you were outside. My favorite Icon house. 

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8. HELLGATE PRISON- HHN XIV

• Location: Sound Stage 20

One word sums up Hellgate Prison: intense. There was a very real sense of atmosphere in here. The Robert L. Strickland character, is one of the best HHN has ever created, that isn't an Icon. From the queue video, and into the house, his presence was there. Lots of amazing sets in this house as well, with some great moments. I'm sure most people remember the electric chair scene, as well as the ending, where you were separated from your party. I'm surprised HHN hasn't done a direct sequel to Hellgate Prison. We know now, that Run: Blood, Sweat and Fears will feature the prison. I welcome that. Hellgate was fantastic.

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7. HALLOWEEN- HHN XXIV

• Location: Sprung Tent 2

A nearly perfectly realized representation of the film. It's incredible to think that HHN Orlando took this long, to bring the film to life as a house. Halloween was intense, in your face, fun, and superbly executed. It hit all the right notes when it needed too, and never missed a beat. Even when you left the house. Like Camp Blood, I was waiting for some criticism about Myers being too repetitive. However, they utilized him perfectly in here. All the iconic scenes from the film were represented nicely. A great visceral experience.

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6. BODY COLLECTORS: COLLECTIONS OF THE PAST- HHN XVIII

• Location: Sound Stage 20

This house. Oh, yes, this house. Not only was the mythology of the Body Collectors expanded, their creepy level was intensified. The sets in here were absolutely amazing. I love the whole Jack The Ripper was really the Body Collectors doing. Fantastic scenes in here, including the operating theater. That is still one of the most memorable scenes in a house for me. Just so awesomely morbid, scary, intense, and bloody. Still one of the scariest houses I have ever been through at HHN. The imagery in here is still burned into my memory.

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5. DEAD END- HHN XXII

• Location: Sound Stage 20B

I have said it in the past: I love when HHN goes paranormal. One of the things that I don't really like, are houses that rely heavily on special effects when you walk through. It's all dependent on timing. This house did it right. Timing was key, yes, but there was so much more going on, it didn't matter. Beautiful sets in here too, which just complimented the special effects. The design of the house was extremely creepy, and in a way, was kind of a throwback. Dead End, was just an old school haunted house. And of course, that eerie tune. It all just fit perfectly with Dead End. I would LOVE to see a sequel to this house someday. 

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4. NIGHTINGALES: BLOOD PREY- HHN XXI

• Location: Sound Stage 23

Nightingales, is one of the best houses HHN has ever done aesthetically. The setting alone is unique, in that it is set in World War I. Making your way through the trench warfare of the conflict, was incredible. The Nightingales themselves were fantastic looking, and very sinister. Lots, and lots of stuff happening around you too. Gunfire, crashed planes, soldiers attacking each other, getting attacked by the Nightingales, and even dead horses. Such a wonderfully realized house and concept. 

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3. H.R. BLOODENGUTZ PRESENTS: HOLIDAYS OF HORROR- HHN XXI

• Location: Disaster Queue

With Bloodengutz, HHN for me, nailed that darkly comic tone which they love to do. They even managed to make Bloodengutz kind of a tragic and sad figure. I don't think many people could blame him for snapping. There is a reason people want to see this character return someday, maybe even as an Icon. For a Disaster Queue house, this one is a really good one. Great sets, scares, and a whole lot of fun. Also some great guest triggers in here as well. I think most people know of the button in the Oval Office. All around, a lovely fleshed-out experience. Another one I hope they bring back in the future. I mean, come on, one of the holiday horror movies featured, is centered around Arbor Day. That alone is awesome. 

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2. SAWS 'N STEAM: INTO THE MACHINE- HHN XXI

• Location: Jaws Queue

The last house ever in the Jaws Queue, and it was a good one. A really, really, REALLY, good one. I LOVE the way this house looked. It was so eerie, so disgusting, so odd, yet, so beautiful. The Scare Zone the year before was great. The house took that concept and ran with it. It expanded the story, and setting along with it. The man in the diving suit, and waterfall, is one lasting image I can't shake. This is my all-time favorite looking house in the Jaws Queue. You forget it is even in that location. Such a wonderful, and eerie house. Another one I would love to see a sequel to in the future. Can you imagine this thing in a Sound Stage? 

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1. AN AMERICAN WEREWOLF IN LONDON- HHN XXIII

• Location: Sound Stage 22

The perfect example of an IP, and what the creative team at A&D can do. The story was easy to follow, for those who had never seen the film, the sets were stellar, the scares were awesome, and all the little details were perfect. Add in those wolf puppets, and you have the perfect mix for a memorable house. It was easy to tell that An American Werewolf in London, was a labor of love for A&D. They had tried multiple times to do the house at the event, and had come close a few times, but to no avail. Those puppets were a masterstroke by A&D. Not even the Aliens in AVP the following year, could duplicate the terror these things brought to the house. I can not WAIT to see what they do with this for HHN XXV. In my opinion, An American Werewolf in London, is a perfect house.   

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So that concludes our top 25 of the last 15 years. Once again, to see 25-11, go here. HHN XXV is a mere days away, folks! Can you believe it? Bring on the next 25 years.

Hasta La Bye-bye for now.

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