Greetings internet dwellers!

It is time once again to discuss the houses and Scare Zones of HHN XXV. I have now officially been through all nine houses. We still need some time in the Scare Zones, to just soak it all in and look around. HHN XXV is a very strong year. There is a lot of stuff to just look at.

The majority of the houses are strong. There have been some tweaks both in the Scare Zones, and houses since our visit last week. A few new characters roaming around. They have added Freddy and Jason in Die-In finally. Psychoscareapy, has added a few different trick or treaters as well. 

Let's talk houses. The range this year, runs the gamut. We have two really awful houses, a few in the middle, and a few epic ones. There have been some improvements within some of the houses as well. 

• CURRENT RATING: 1/5

​Holy, Moses, this house is awful. I am not one to hate on this property. I have maintained since the beginning of The Walking Dead era, if the house is done right, I don't care if the property is used at the event. The Living and the Dead, is just as bad, if not worse, than the first Walking Dead house. It seems like they may have had grand plans for the house, but perhaps budget and time constraints got in the way. Not a whole lot to like in here. If you aren't a fan of the show, you will get nothing out of it. Just poorly executed. I can't see this house improving much, over the course of the event. Just a complete epic fail.

• CURRENT RATING: 2/5

There is a novelty to The Purge, that gives it a slight edge over The Walking Dead for me. I don't think it is a secret anymore that this was supposed to be Scream. The funniest thing for me with The Purge, is noticing all of the Scream sets. Still, there is nothing quite to this house. It is random. Spray paint and strobe lights, can't really save The Purge. There were one or two elements that I dug. Other than that, The Purge is really rather bland.

• CURRENT RATING: 3/5

​I liked Asylum. I didn't love Asylum. The house was fun. It was colorful. It was in 3D. Sort of. I feel like I missed something in here. Contrary to what I was being told, this is NOT the best 3D house HHN has ever done. It is colorful, and I liked some of the crazy characters walking around. I still felt Asylum was rather plain. Not enough scares, and not enough of everything else going on. I have only done this once, so perhaps my next visits will change my mind. For now, I didn't really get enough out of Asylum. It was just OK. 

• CURRENT RATING: 3.5/5

Run, continues to be fun. The house really makes no sense, and is insane. It is colorful, and the vibe makes for a good time. I just wish the scares were a little bit more in here. Still, it is a whole lot of fun, and the actors are really into their parts which is a good thing. 

• CURRENT RATING: 3.5/5

A slight improvement over the first time through, yet still missing the flow and intensity of the original house. There is just not the same intensity flowing throughout the house. The new puppets, while impressive looking, are really quite stiff. I am not sure if the puppeteers are just not handling them properly, or the puppets themselves don't have the range of movement that the original ones had. I still like the house. It is impressive to look at, just not as intense as the original house. 

• CURRENT RATING: 4.5/5​

The actors upped their game in here. I still feel the start of the house is weak, but man, once it gets going, it really gets going. Still very creepy. Love the effects in here. I would like to say that on my run through Friday, one of the house attendants ushering guests along, was standing IN FRONT of a major house effect, blocking the view. This, is unacceptable. 

• CURRENT RATING: 5/5

Still wonderful. I really, really dig the vibe in here. It is creepy, scary, and pretty to look at. The run through on Friday was a little less intense than the first time around, however, it is still top notch, and is a CAN'T MISS house. 

• CURRENT RATING: 5/5

They added more Jason's, and more Freddy's. They are EVERYWHERE in here. The run through on Friday was INTENSE. Even more so than the first time through last week. Just a phenomenal house from every standpoint. The screens work really well, considering it is dependent on timing of the actor's and you. And, it is a lot of fun.

• CURRENT RATING: 5/5

My top 3 can all be interchanged for number one. However, Mayhem still does it for me every time. They finally added the Jack's in here. It didn't even matter that he wasn't in here the first time around. Just a wonderful trip down HHN memory lane, with some truly unique and intense scares. The bear is currently outshining the American Werewolf puppets. That should say something. Great house from start to finish. 

• CURRENT RATING: 2/5

​Still nothing to write home about in here. Great potential on paper, but poorly executed and realized. 

• CURRENT RATING: 4/5

Still a fun place to walk around, and interact. The vignettes are fun, and there are a few Icon actor's who really standout. Incredible fun.

• CURRENT RATING: 4.5/5

Finally. The crowds were light on Thursday and Friday. I was able to actually walk through here. They added Ghillie suit guys in here as well. Love the look, tone, and actors in here. Very atmospheric.  

• CURRENT RATING: 5/5

Psychoscareapy, is a whole lot of fun. The Scareactor's are incredible, and they bring it every time. They are so interactive with everyone too. 

• CURRENT RATING: 5/5

The Scareactor's in Die-In are awesome. They are intense, and really into their roles. They finally added Freddy and Jason on Thursday and Friday as well. Can't wait to see if they have any other surprises waiting in the wings. 

These have been a really great idea. I especially love the clowns in Springfield. They fill in the gaps nicely. Always nice to run into the CDT from time to time as well. 

Well, that's it for this week. I will return next Thursday and Friday for more HHN goodness. Hopefully, I will get to see Bill & Ted, as well as watch The Carnage Returns. I've seen snippets of the show, but not in its entirety. Until next time HHN fans. 

Hasta la Bye-bye for now. 

Greetings internet dwellers!

HHN XXV has begun, and opening weekend is in the books. A couple of quick observations before we get into the current house and Scare Zone rankings. Firstly, hey, it didn't rain! This is only the second opening night I have attended, where it did not rain. That is call for celebration enough. The weather was quite nice Friday and Saturday. Makes me nervous as we move forward...

HHN XXV is huge. Epic. Big. Ambitious. Perhaps, a little too ambitious. It's nice that they are going all out for the 25th anniversary. However, with big and ambitious, comes issues. Things still need tweaking and fixing. Friday night, some things seemed very incomplete. 

The flow will come with time. However, even in the houses things seemed like they weren't ready. Saturday was slightly better. Still, something was missing. Don't get me wrong, I like the scope they are going for, but some things need work. It will come with time.

Crowds. Holy shit this weekend was crowded. This poses a problem for the majority of the Scare Zones. Screampunk, Evil's Roots, and Die-In, are so congested. Evil's Roots suffers even more with the Carnage Returns show. Yes, they have routed the foot traffic. Still, it creates a massive bottleneck in that area. Die-In, Evil's Roots, and Screampunk, are in cramped enough spaces at it is.

On really busy nights, this is going to be a major issue. It was busy Friday and Saturday, but wasn't peak night busy. When HHN hits a peak night, well, good luck my friends. Navigating around is going to be hard. It's very hard to just look around in those Zones. This also hurts the scare factor with the actor's. 

That being said. I dig the interactivity HHN is giving the Scareactor's this year. This is especially true in Psychoscareapy, Die-In and, Icons: HHN. With the Icon Zone, it is incredibly fun just to interact with all the Icons and other characters. 

Chainsaws. You get a chainsaw! And you get a chainsaw! It seemed like every freaking actor had a chainsaw. Even old characters who don't use a chainsaw, had a chainsaw. Lady Luck with a chainsaw is kind of weird, but cool. Even Cindy had a chainsaw. There were clowns with chainsaws, prisoners, crazy people... they were everywhere. 

Yes, chainsaws are the name of the game this year. HHN filled in some of the dead space nicely as well. Springfield, in front of Transformers, and MIB, have people roaming with chainsaws. It's a nice touch to help keep people immersed.

Thank heaven they gave us some new tunes this year. I like the music they are using. The choices in Pschoscareapy: Unleased, are nice and even quite funny at times. 

So, yes, the first week is over. HHN XXV is an epic year, that still needs some tweaking going forward. However, it is a VERY strong year with what they are doing. I can't really fault them for trying. I can not wait to explore more next weekend!

Ah, yes. The houses. I still have yet to complete all the houses. The Purge, The Walking Dead and Asylum in Wonderland, will have to wait until next time. Scope. That is the one word I will use to describe the houses this year. They are big, bold, and beautiful. I hope that as time goes on, HHN doesn't scale back the intensity in some of these houses. Don't cave to complaints! 

From the bottom to the top.

• CURRENT RATING: 3/5

Still trying to wrap my brain around this one. Is it the same house? Yes. However, the "tweaks" for me, only seemed to hurt it. The new wolf puppets are nice. We saw no extra wolf. The energy brought by the actor's in 2013, was sorely lacking in this version. I'm not sure I like the more "closer" sets either. The space in the first house, gave it a grander scale. That was missing here. Our first run through, we had audio problems, and a lot of the effects in the first few rooms, weren't working either. There seemed to be an incredible lack of flow in here, compared to 2013. What did still work from the house in 2013, was superb though.

• CURRENT RATING: 3.5/5

This is going to be a house that people are going to love or hate. Nothing makes sense in here. It's weird, confusing, loud, and insane. Because of its bat-shit crazy vibe, I like it. I really dig the scene transitions in here. Keeping a tally on who is winning is a nice touch. It's also very bright. I found that interesting. I didn't really notice a whole lot of Hellgate in here, but its presence is there. Right down to Old Sparky. Love the opening scene in here. It sets up the vibrant nature of the house nightly. I couldn't help but feel something was missing. Still, if you like weird, crazy stuff, Run is for you. 

• CURRENT RATING: 4/5

Insidious is all about atmosphere. And it oozes it. I LOVE the sets in here. The house itself feels long, the actor's are intense, it's dark, creepy and at times, frightening. The house was populated nicely. I've actually done this three times now, counting my preview at the media event. I will say, the beginning is still kind of bland for me, but it really picks up and goes full throttle to the end. Some really nice lighting in here too. The house also had a whole lot more fog in it last night. 

• CURRENT RATING: 5/5

Gorgeous. Simply gorgeous. This house is awesome. Fantastic sets, great atmosphere, intense, bloody, and scary. There is an incredible haunting vibe in here. The Body Collectors are nicely done. Really awesome scenes and images. The random kills are back in here, which is a great throwback to past Body Collector houses. And they found an operating theater again. Good for them! The facade is gorgeous as well. 

• CURRENT RANKING: 5/5

Everything that AVP got wrong last year, Freddy Vs. Jason does right this year. This house is EPIC too. Great, grand sets and atmosphere. And yes, Freddy and Jason FIGHT! The addition of the screens is a nice touch. However, the actor's pretending to go at it as well, just elevate the experience. Both characters get equal time too. I will say, I am not quite sure about the ending. I know that we are supposed to get a different winner randomly. However, I wasn't so clear on that. Still, just a wonderfully done house!

• CURRENT RATING: 5/5

To be honest, my current top 3, could all be number one. Freddy Vs. Jason, and Body Collectors are just as good as Monsters & Mayhem. Even Insidious is incredibly strong. Monsters & Mayhem, is just perfect. It hits the right bit of nostalgia for HHN fans. Meanwhile, it is intense and immersive enough, for those who may be experiencing these greatest hits for the first time. Mayhem has two things that put it at number one right now for me. One: BEAR. TWO: Surprise ending. This house is BIG too. Love the Universal Classic Monsters segment as well. So wonderfully realized and, a little bit surprising. In a good way. I love the facade as well. 

With the Scare Zones, we were only able to chill in two. Because of the crowds, it was hard to just stop and find a spot to soak it all in. Still, we spent a lot of time in the Scare Zones on Friday and Saturday. 

• CURRENT RATING: 2.5/5

Because of the lack of sets, this is a Zone where the actor's need to be involved. For the most part, they weren't. A few of them stepped up, like Pinocchio there, however the rest just kind of stood there. I do LOVE the costumes in here though. Crowds were an issue in here too. Cramped as the night went on. Overall, a disappointing.  

• CURRENT RATING: 3.5/5

This Zone is a victim of the crowds. The actor's really can't do anything because it is so crowded. However, the atmosphere is just incredible. The lighting, the fog, the costumes and the music, all work well. I need more time in here. 

• CURRENT RATING: 3.5/5

Another victim of crowds. Still, lots of energy by the Scareactor's in here. We have seen both the black and white cast, as well as the color cast. Both are great. The modern cast, has a lot more interactivity with the actors. It is a lot of fun, and I loved seeing the Invisible Man in the black and white cast! 

• CURRENT RATING: 4/5

Psychoscareapy is incredible fun. Love, LOVE the actor's in here. It is pretty much The Purge: Anarchy, but the actor's have personalities. Every single one is a hoot to follow and watch. I love the stalking of the trick or treater's. While the costume contest doesn't have the same vibrato as The Purge auction, it is still fun. We did notice on Saturday, it appeared the kills in the windows were either off, not working, or not happening as frequently. We spent a lot of time in here just watching. 

• CURRENT RATING: 4.5/5

While it may lack in the scare department, Icons: HHN makes up for it with spectacle. The random kill shows on the Icon stages, are awesome. The other characters and Icons walking around, are so much fun. Happy to see some lesser known people like Lady Luck, and the Iniquitus get some love. So much fun in here, and the actor's are so interactive with everyone. To a certain degree of course. Love this Zone. 

So there you have it. Week one has come and gone. I already can't wait for next week. Hopefully, I will get a chance to do Asylum, Purge and The Walking Dead next time. Lots more content throughout the course of the event! Stay tuned!

Hasta la Bye-bye for now. 

Greetings internet dwellers!

A few final words before we officially kick off HHN XXV on Friday night. Firstly, if you follow the HHN Legacy Facebook page, the construction photos that I have been posting since August, will be erased to make room for actual event photos. ALL of the photos associated with HHN XXV, can be found of course, in the HHN XXV Photos and Video section here on the site.

I would also like to extend a great thank you to HHN Crypt again. I had a blast at the media preview, and it was pleasure working with them. I hope to run into them at the event. Also, if anyone runs into me at the event, don't hesitate to say hi. I don't bite, contrary to popular belief. 

HHN XXV coverage from HHN Legacy, will be the same as it has always been. I TAKE MY TIME. I don't rush on the first night to do everything. If all goes according to plan, I will be at the event more nights than ever before (between 18-20 nights). That is a long time to breathe and play. Fear not, for you will be able to follow all of my HHN shenanigans, as always on Twitter @HHNLegacy. 

Like usual, I will keep a running tab on the houses. I will rank them at the end of every weekend. The same for the Scare Zones. If you would like to compare from what my initial anticipation for each house was, go HERE. Houses change and evolve all the time, so I like to see where they are each week. My schedule allows me to attend pretty much every Thursday and Friday. There may be one, or two, Wednesday's thrown in for good measure. 

HHN also released a nifty trivia app the other day. You will only be able to play the game on HHN event nights, between the hours of 4:00pm and 3:00am. You can find the app HERE. Not sure yet how often I will be playing the game. I got a taste of it on Wednesday, and there are already glitches with it. I am not sure I want that added headache this year. You will only be able to play on your mobile devices as well. 

This has been an extremely long pre-season. I am glad the event is finally here. It's time to have some fun! After all, it's all about fun. I think some places and people forget that sometimes. If you like my content, don't forget to follow me on the various social media pages.  

Anyway, go forth and play, people! It's here!

Greetings internet dwellers!

Let's talk the IP properties this year. There is a fantastic mix of things to wet everybody's whistle. We have TV shows, contemporary films, slasher films, and classic films. As we enter the final days before opening night, I wanted to give some insight, and recommendations for people looking to prep before HHN XXV.
 
So let's discuss.

The good thing about this year's house, is that it is only based on season 5. If you are a rabid fan of the show, then you probably have already seen it. If you are curious, getting your hands on the show may be difficult. AMC offers an app, where I believe you can check out the latest episodes of the show. If you have Amazon or iTunes, you can stream the entire season. If you do not want to watch the show, or can't, then that is fine too. The good thing about The Walking Dead property, is that it is basically the same premise, but different locations. If you have experienced the show, or house, in the past, then you should be OK. I myself do not watch the show. I find it kind of fun to experience The Walking Dead blind. It's just a another house with zombies. Story wise, you may be a little lost, but it's not entirely necessary to watch the show. Of course if you do, then your experience may be heightened because of it. Still, not entirely required. 

As far as the first film goes, I am not a fan. I thought the premise was hugely wasted, and the film devolved into a boring home invasion flick. And it was horribly executed. The house at HHN this year, will be more in line with the first film, as a lot of it will be you trapped in a home with Purger's getting in. There will be elements from The Purge: Anarchy thrown in for good measure. A lot of Anarchy takes place on the outside. As much as I don't like it, your best course of action is to watch the first film. While Anarchy is the better of the two films, if you want to get a feeling for what the house will be like, again, the first film is your best bet. I suggest watching both ultimately though. 

An American Werewolf in London, is one of the best horror films ever made. If you like comedy mixed in with your horror, then you will be in heaven. The film balances the two very well. There are some truly terrifying scenes, and some really funny scenes thrown in for good measure. Some of the younger crowd, may never have seen the film. I highly recommend giving it a chance. The Academy Award winning make-up effects by Rick Baker, are worth a watch on their own. It is available for streaming on Amazon Prime Instant Video. There is a "sequel" to An American Werewolf in London. I highly recommend staying away from that. It is a horrible movie, and has very little to do with the first. Do not confuse an American Werewolf in Paris, with an American Werewolf in London. Some younger people may actually know the sequel better, as it came out in 1997. Some may also be familiar with Bush's song "Mouth". It was featured on the soundtrack to An American Werewolf in Paris. The song, is the best thing to come out of that film. 

I have yet to see the third film. However, since I got to get a sneak peek at the house during the HHN media preview, I can tell you it is not necessary to watch the last film. It may be prudent to watch the first two, if you want to do some prep before attending the event though. I personally, was not a huge fan of these films. I watched them myself when I first got word the franchise would be coming to HHN. Both Chapter 1 and 2, have their moments, but overall, I found them kind of bland. They are not "bad" films, just meh. If you don't have time to watch all three, or just time for one, stick with the first film. It sets the mood for what to expect in the house nicely. If you have Netflix, Indidious: Chapter 2, is currently streaming on the service, which may be the quicker option. 

Freddy Vs. Jason is an incredibly fun watch. Sure, it has some things that are questionable (Jason afraid of water?), however it's still a fun gem to discover. England is chewing every bit of scenery he can in this flick. And rightfully so. This is still one of the best experiences I've ever had at a movie theater. It holds up fairly well, minus one or two things. I would give it a chance if you want to do some prep. If you want to dig deeper into both of these characters, you have a few options. For Friday the 13th, watch Friday the 13th Part IV: The Final Chapter. Another I always recommend, is Friday the 13th Part VI: Jason Lives. However, if you just have time for one, watch The Final Chapter. Even though I enjoyed the 2009 Friday remake, stay away from that one. With A Nightmare on Elm Street, you're in luck. Netflix is currently streaming the original A Nightmare on Elm Street. If you want to go deeper, A Nightmare on Elm Street 3: Dream Warriors is a good watch. And if you want to go even further, my favorite Nightmare film is Wes Craven's New Nightmare (also streaming of Netflix). If you are fan of Scream, New Nightmare is a wonderfully Meta precursor to Scream's self-aware playfulness. Also, stay away from the Nightmare on Elm Street remake. Netflix is also streaming Never Sleep Again, a 4 hour documentary about the entire Nightmare series. 

If you would like to check out our ranking's of the Friday the 13th films, go HERE.

Yes, Run. Based on the description, the house is going to pull elements from a wonderful 80's gem. Some younger attendees, may think of The Hunger Games on steroids when reading the description. However, I would actually recommend giving The Running Man a view as prep for the house. The film starred Arnold Schwarzenegger, and is actually based on a novel by Stephen King. It was written under his pseudonym, Richard Bachman. Schwarzenegger plays a wrongfully convicted prisoner, who is forced to compete on a TV game show called The Running Man. On the show, criminal's must fend off Stalkers, while navigating their way through a series of staged areas. If they survive, the prisoners are freed. The Running Man is one of Schwarzenegger's better 80's films, and despite it's totally 80's feel, actually has some relevant commentary regarding today's era of Reality TV shows. It is a very fun watch.

Greetings internet dwellers!

Well, I had the opportunity to attend the media event. I was lucky enough to be asked by HHN Crypt, if I could represent them for the night. I would like to extend a great thank you to them, as it was truly a fun night.

I had no idea what to expect, as I have never attended before. I got to get a glimpse at some of the amazing props, costumes and scares, that will be coming to this year's event. It was a good night.

I also got to get a preview of Insidious. No spoilers here, but I will say that it is bonkers. Bonkers in a good way. I can't wait until this thing is full of Scareactor's and the lighting and the effects, are all in sync.

Anyway, HHN XXV is going to be epic. Lots of blood and mayhem are on the way! It's close!

Below is a taste of what we were showed. Oh, and hey, HHN released their full commercial too.