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HHN XXIV: WEEK 2 & CURRENT HOUSE RANKINGS

9/28/2014

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    Greetings HHN fans! Two weeks have come and gone for me (I won't be there on Sunday). I did however attend the event on Thursday, Friday, AND Saturday. I sprang for the first 3 Saturday annual passholder deal and went yesterday, the 27th. I generally don't like to go to HHN on Saturday's, but I felt the itch to get an extra day in. Saturday wasn't too bad honestly. I did notice a trend though; The Walking Dead: End of the Line, fills up REALLY quick. All 3 days I went, the wait time was 90 minutes right from the get-go.
    A couple of quick observations, before we get to the current House standings in my book. If you haven't heard, the human sacrifices that were taking place every hour in Bayou of Blood, have stopped. I've heard all sorts of reasons why, AND if it will, or will not return. I think it will return, but in a much smaller, less intense capacity. However, as of Thursday, Friday, & Saturday, they were suspended. Keep that in mind if you go this week looking for it, and there is no sacrifice.
    I noticed an uptick in intensity from certain Scare Zones on Friday and Saturday. The Minions in the Face Off: In the Flesh Zone, were really aggressive on Saturday night, as were the dancer's in MASKerade: Unstitched. Even some of the Houses have stepped up their game (we will get to that in a moment). Overall, HHN XXIV is still a solid year, and it looks like they are really in it for the long haul. Everyone seems to be finding their grooves at this point, and it can only get better from here.
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HOUSE RANKINGS AS OF 9/27/14

8. FROM DUSK TILL DAWN

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  • CURRENT RATING: 3.5/5
  • HOUSE VISITS: TWO
The sad thing about From Dusk Till Dawn, is just how bland the House is executed. The set design in here is REALLY impressive and is worth a run through, just to look at everything. Everything else, is just OK. I really hope they step up their game over the course of the event. This could be something truly impressive.

7. DRACULA UNTOLD: REIGN OF BLOOD

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  • CURRENT RATING: 3.5/5
  • HOUSE VISITS: THREE
The biggest problem with Dracula Untold, is consistency from the actor's. After my abysmal first run through last Friday, I decided to give it another chance and test a theory. This was my first and last House visit on Saturday, and there was a difference. My first run was INTENSE. The actor's worked in tandem with the sets and atmosphere perfectly. My second visit, wasn't as impressive, but was still better than my first time through last Friday. If they can find a groove, this House could climb higher on my list.

6. ROANOKE: CANNIBAL COLONY

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  • CURRENT RATING: 4/5
  • HOUSE VISITS: THREE
Roanoke continues to improve for me. I really dig the sets in here, and my last two visits, the actor's really brought it. My visit on Saturday was really intense, and this House is quickly becoming a favorite. Another thing I really love in here, is how close you are to everything. It makes for a very good time.

5. GIGGLES & GORE INC.

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  • CURRENT RATING: 4.5/5
  • HOUSE VISITS: THREE
A genuine fun, gory, bloody good time. Giggles is quick, simple, and to the point. It pulls no punches and comes right at you. Love the actor's in here too. They bring it with every visit.

4. AVP: ALIEN VS PREDATOR

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  • CURRENT RATING: 4.5/5
  • HOUSE VISITS: FOUR
The problem I've had with my last few visits in AVP, is in the intensity by the actor's. It seems they may have taken a small step back in here. I'm not sure why, but I do know there was a medical issue in the House at some point last week. Perhaps that is why. Still, AVP is a great House, with sets, and a genuine sense of fun.

3. THE WALKING DEAD: END OF THE LINE

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  • CURRENT RATING: 4.5/5
  • HOUSE VISITS: TWO
My, oh, my. If this is indeed the last year for The Walking Dead, they have certainly gone out with a bang. This House is phenomenally done. It's large, intense, creepy, and has some killer scenery. One of my best scares so far at HHN XXIV, has come inside this House. Just a remarkable job in here. There's some nifty sight gags within the House too that work really well. I really dig the facade as well. Shocker...

2. DOLLHOUSE OF THE DAMNED

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  • CURRENT RATING: 5/5
  • HOUSE VISITS: FOUR
Dollhouse went over the top for me on Saturday. Two other of my biggest scares at HHN XXIV so far, came in this House on Saturday. Dollhouse nails you with its creepy and weird vibe, then beats you with the scares. I got "the smell" on Saturday too. That just upped the ante. A terrific House, and one of HHN's best.

1. HALLOWEEN

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  • CURRENT RATING: 5/5
  • HOUSE VISITS: FOUR
Halloween is still hands down, the best House at HHN XXIV. It really is a perfect House. Everything is executed so brilliantly. One of the fun things I've taken to doing, is trying to spot as many Michael Myers as I possibly can. Trust me when I say, he is EVERYWHERE in here. I love the "surprise" ending too. It's a great spot to people watch if you can do so.


SCARE ZONE RANKINGS AS OF 9/27/14

4. BAYOU OF BLOOD

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  • CURRENT RATING: 2/5
This zone is quickly becoming a huge disaster. With the sacrifice show on hold (maybe indefinitely), nothing in here quite works. It's also still too dark to really see anything as well. Quite disappointed.

3. MASKERADE: UNSTITCHED

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  • CURRENT RATING: 3.5/5
The actor's in here are starting to find a rhythm. They were super aggressive on Saturday night, going after person after person. Still a great Zone to hang out and people watch.

2. FACE OFF: IN THE FLESH

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  • CURRENT RATING: 3.5/5
Like MASKerade, the minions who walk around the carious characters, are also starting to find their groove. They weren't holding back this week, and were going after as many people as possible. I especially like the pig-sack-face guys. They are awesome.

1. THE PURGE: ANARCHY

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  • CURRENT RATING: 4.5/5
Still one of the best Scare Zones HHN has done in quite some time. Everything just flows in here. From the auction show, to the kidnapping of victims, to the Purgers in the streets, it's just a great Scare Zone.


SHOWS

BILL & TED'S EXCELLENT HALLOWEEN ADVENTURE

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  • CURRENT RATING: 3.5/5
I did not find this year's show quite as funny as last year's. Granted, it's still one of the better Bill & Ted shows, but I found it lacking. Yes, they poke fun at the Mouse a lot; some of it works, other stuff doesn't. Still, it's not horrible by any means, I just liked last year's better.

THE ROCKY HORROR PICTURE SHOW: A TRIBUTE

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Rocky Horror is what it is. I'm not going to rate it, as it's the same show every year. If you dig the show, you will like the tribute show. As far as the "censoring" of call-backs goes, I didn't hear as many as I used to in year's past.


    That concludes this week at HHN. I'm not sure how this week will play out. I have an unexpected family issue that I need to take care of, so we'll see how the week goes. Can't wait to go back in the near future!
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HHN XXIV OPENING WEEKEND OVERVIEW

9/21/2014

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MASKERADE: UNSTITCHED
    Greetings Horror Nights fans, it is that time. HHN XXIV has started and is now in full swing. Opening weekend for HHN, is always a tough thing to talk about. Generally, things are still being worked out, Scare Actor's are still finding their groove, and it's still a small work in progress. Don't get me wrong, the event is OPEN and it's not Employee Preview, but there are little things here and there that still may not be 100%.
    With that, there is also one other thing that usually hinders opening weekend: RAIN. We are in Florida folks, and while summer is winding down and the rainy season is coming to an end, it still rains. Sometimes a lot. It's become a tradition on Opening Night for it to rain, and rain it did.
    Most of the time here in Florida when it rains, it passes pretty quickly. We get a torrential downpour for a few minutes and it moves on. There are rare instances, which tend to show up this time of year, when the rain doesn't just go away. This year's Opening Night saw a steady stream of rain, virtually all night. It did briefly let-up for about an hour, but it was a very wet night.
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IN-PARK HOLDING AREA AT FINNEGANS/NEW YORK
    Normally, HHN doesn't bring out the Scare Actor's in the streets if it rains, but surprisingly they did on Friday. It wasn't whole casts mind you, and in instances like The Purge: Anarchy and MASKerade: Unstitched;, some things had to be left under cover. The motorcycles for example in The Purge: Anarchy, and the stilt-walkers in MASKerade, were absent. Still, it surprised me.
    Opening Night wasn't just wet, but busy- very busy. I've been to my share of HHN Opening Nights, and this was by far, the busiest I've ever experienced. A few Houses also didn't have very accurate wait times. For instance, AVP: Alien VS Predator had a posted time of 30 minutes, but we waited well over an hour before we entered.
    I don't use an Express Pass, but I have a limit if I'm going to wait in line, especially the first time I'm doing a House. If I like the House, I may wait longer for it later as the event goes on, but waiting nearly two-hours on Opening Night, I pretty much won't do.
    Still, we did two Houses on Opening Night: AVP: Alien VS Predator, and Giggles & Gore Inc.. We will talk more in detail about Houses in a minute, but the first impressions of the Houses this year are very good. Things will change and fluctuate as the event goes on, and I will keep a running ranking as I do the Houses over the course of the event, but for the most part, they are strong.
    I still have yet to experience The Walking Dead: End of the Line, or From Dusk Till Dawn, but if they continue the trend of the other Houses, then HHN XXIV is shaping up to be one strong year. They seem to be pushing things a little bit and taking some chances. Especially when it comes to content, which is a good thing.
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DOLLHOUSE OF THE DAMNED FACADE
    Everyone is of course shouting from the highest hills that Scare Zones are back. Are they? Yes, but only one so far really stands out. The others are kind of meh. I still have yet to see the sacrifice in Bayou of Blood, and I still haven't seen all the Face Off: In The Flesh characters either, so keep that in mind.
    Saturday was a much nicer day of course, and we spent a lot of time in the Scare Zones, and we did more Houses. So before I blabber on too much, let's get to the current rankings of the Houses and Scare Zones. It's entirely possible (and most likely), these rankings will change over the course of the event. Things change, casts change their approaches, things that don't work can work themselves out ETC... So I will keep a running commentary on all the rankings as we move forward in the event. A full, wrap-up review of the event, will come when it has ended.
    Overall, a great opening weekend for HHN XXIV!

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MUCH DIFFERENT PICTURE ON SATURDAY IN THE HOLDING AREA

CURRENT HOUSE RANKINGS

6. DRACULA UNTOLD: REIGN OF BLOOD

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  • CURRENT RATING: 2/5
This entire House just feels like a waste. I know it was on the bottom of my most anticipated list, but I was really hoping to be surprised here. Instead, I got nothing. No scares. Bland sets. No energy by the actor's in here, and where the hell was Dracula?

5. ROANOKE: CANNIBAL COLONY

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  • CURRENT RATING: 3/5
I feel like I'm missing something in here. I heard a lot of raving about this House, but I thought it was just OK. Some nifty set design, and some good energy, but I didn't really feel all of it. Yes, it's pretty gory as well, which is a plus, and it does kind of have an "old school" Horror Nights feel. However, I left the House kind of like "that was it?".

4. GIGGLES & GORE INC.

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  • CURRENT RATING: 3.5/5
A pleasant surprise. Yes, it's gory. It's also a whole lot of fun too. The House has some nifty scares, and some great interactive elements for guests to mess around with. The cast is great in here too, and they bring a cool vibe to the House. It feels longer than it actually is too, considering how short it really is.

3. DOLLHOUSE OF THE DAMNED

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  • CURRENT RATING: 4.5/5
Positively creepy and twisted. The facade is great too and sets up the House nicely. Some really great scares in here, and the overall vibe is just great. Certain rooms in here, really give off an "I really shouldn't be in here" feeling. Some of the things are just so eerie and disturbing, it's awesome. Such a creepy House.

2. AVP: ALIEN VS PREDATOR

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  • CURRENT RATING: 4.5/5
Facehuggers. Predators. Aliens. Sets. Scares. Special effects. This House is an awesome achievement from A&D. They did a terrific job taking the AVP concept and making it their own. Great scares in here, great cast energy, and it's wonderful just to look at. The Alien puppets are awesome, and work just as good as they did in An American Werewolf in London last year. The Predators also look really good. My only complaint is a spoiler, so I won't post it here, but it's missing in this House. I wish they added it. Still, a great, great House.

1. HALLOWEEN

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  • CURRENT RATING: 5/5
I only got to do Halloween once, but it is dangerously close to beating out An American Werewolf in London as my favorite House of all time. Good Lord, this House is awesome. FANTASTIC scares, awesome energy from a great cast, and you are transported into the film. Everything just falls into place with this one. The facade is great, and the effects projected on the front only make it better. Michael Myers is freaking EVERYWHERE in this House. Such a bloody good time.

    As I said above, I still have yet to do From Dusk Till Dawn, and The Walking Dead: End of the Line. Check back over the course of the event, to see how and if, the House rankings change.

CURRENT SCARE ZONE RANKINGS

4. BAYOU OF BLOOD

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  • CURRENT RATING: 2.5/5
There are a couple of problems with Bayou. The first is the lighting. It's so damn dark, you can't see anything. The second is the sacrifice show. I still have yet to see it, but it seems they are relying heavily on it, for the Zone to work. Everything else in here is just bland. Some cool scenery though. I just wish there was more.

3. MASKERADE: UNSTITCHED

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  • CURRENT RATING: 2.5/5
MASKerade gets the same rating as Bayou, but I'm putting it slightly ahead on my list as of now for one reason: people watching. It's a great Scare Zone to just chill and watch. There's not much to this place really, and the actor's aren't really doing much besides just walking around being creepy. Still, if you like to just watch and chill, it's a great Zone to do it in.

2. FACE OFF: IN THE FLESH

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  • CURRENT RATING: 3/5
Yes, it's just 7 with different characters, but it's still a whole lot of fun. If you like to take pictures with the Scare Actor's at HHN, this is your place to do it. A complaint I have with this Zone though, is in the minions who populate around the different creatures. SCARE US PLEASE!

1. THE PURGE: ANARCHY

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  • CURRENT RATING: 4/5
I think my hatred of these films is quite known, but man, this is a kick-ass Scare Zone! It's energetic, chaotic, interactive, and BIG. I love how some of the characters roam around to places where they shouldn't be either sometimes. The auction is also evil and fun! I love how they round up the victims too. Some of them blend in really well with the crowd. I had no idea one of them was next to me, before she was taken into the truck. A whole lot of fun.


    So that's it for now. I also have not yet seen Bill & Ted. I should be seeing it this coming Thursday. I also added some photos from this past weekend, and more will be coming as we go forth. You can view all the photos HERE I can't wait to see how the event shapes up over the coming weeks!
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THE COMPOUND- NEW INTERACTIVE HHN GAME BEGINS

9/12/2014

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    Well, looks like no Legendary Truth this year, but Halloween Horror Nights has begun a new interactive game called The Compound. I'm still gathering information, but it appears that on nights throughout the event, participants will be doing certain things around the park for the game.
    There appears to be something called a "survivor's meet-up", happening on the 26th of September, where survivor's will be "assessed", and up to 30 will have the opportunity to gain access to some goodies. Apparently, they will be treated to the likes of a Q & A session with Mike Aiello, have treats at the Hard Rock Hotel, and even hear David “Doc” O’Connell from this seasons Face Off speak.
    In addition, there are "recon missions" to take place throughout the course of the event. The first, begins on September 19th. I suspect a lot extra efforts for people who decide to participate in this whole thing... There's something about photos, so if you do decide to play, I suggest you keep your phone handy- and charged.
    You can see if you would like to play here, HHNCOMPOUND.COM. I know the access code, but I am hesitant to put it here. If you would like to know the access code, I will tell you privately on Twitter @HHNLegacy.
    Honestly, I'm still trying to figure all of this out.
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HHN GIVES A PREVIEW OF THE SCREAMS TO COME

9/9/2014

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    On Monday night, select members of the media were given a preview of HHN XXIV. They were given first looks at props, costumes, and yes, Houses. The media was granted access to the Halloween House, and you will be hard-pressed to find anything but a gushing review of the thing. We know based on the early look, the Myers House facade, will utilize 3D mapping technology on its face (previously seen at HHN XXI in Acid Assault). The House seems to closely follow the 1978 film, and even has nods to the sequels.
    Props and costumes were also shared, and it all looks very cool. I was impressed with a few things, but one that stood out to me were the large candles with faces in the wax, which will be used in the Maskerade: Unstitched Scare Zone. It was also good to hear the positive feedback on the Halloween House. Sounds like they really nailed it. 

Here are a few images From the Halloween Horror Nights Facebook & Twitter pages:
FACE OFF: IN THE FLESH
ROANOKE: CANNIBAL COLONY
MASKERADE: UNSTITCHED
MASKERADE: UNSTITCHED COSTUMES
GIGGLES & GORE INC. MASK
GIGGLES & GORE INC.
MORE GIGGLES & GORE INC.
AVP: ALIEN VS PREDATOR COSTUME
DOLLHOUSE OF THE DAMNED
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HHN XXIV UNVEILS ITS COMMERCIAL

9/3/2014

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    The commercial for this year's Halloween Horror Nights was released yesterday via HHN's social media pages. The ad involves a bunch of Walkers (no surprise), and some people at an airport in Orlando, as a plane arrives from Atlanta. I think the ad is pretty clever, even if it is a little plain.
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    TOPHER PICCOLO

    HHN LEGACY OWNER

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