Check out this amature horror flick from the “2010 Halloween Horror Nights Scary Good Film Competition”. This flick entitled The Winter Stalker is fit for the season. “The Winter Stalker” is by filmmaker Stephen Reedy who was one of the 10 finalists of the 2010 Halloween Horror Nights Scary Good Film Competition. The top 10 short films were selected by a panel of industry judges that included: preeminent master of contemporary horror Rob Zombie (“House of 1000 Corpses”, ‘Halloween”), Marc Graser (Senior Writer, Variety), John Murdy (Creative Director, Universal Studios Hollywood / “Halloween Horror Nights”) and Matt Cowan (Getty Images and former short film juror for the Sundance Film Festival, AFI Film Festival.)
Archive for November, 2010
Have Yourself a Scary XMas
Monday, November 29th, 2010Behind the Screams: HHN Hollywood
Monday, November 29th, 2010Here is an exclusive look back at the black magic used to create this year’s HHN at Universal Hollywood!
Black Friday: Gift Ideas for Haunt and Horror Fanatics
Thursday, November 25th, 2010Black Friday: What an appropriate name. And it’s even more relevant when you’re shopping for that haunt fanatic in your life–even if that haunt fanatic is yourself. Scare Zone has been gathering gift ideas, and we present a few of them here.
Apparel
Creepy Tees: Creepy Tees is having a Black Friday sale–$9.99 for any shirt in stock! The downside is that they have only about 8 shirts available, but their selection includes the Friday the 13th 30-year anniversary shirt, plus classics such as Chopping Mall and Re-Animator. The sale is for 24 hours only, so be sure to log on Friday!
Fright Rags is giving 25% off all t-shirts for 24 hours only on Friday, November 26. The sale begins at 12 am EST.
For even more great horror t-shirt selections, check out November Fire.
DVDs/Blu-Rays
Season of Screams DVD: This DVD tells the story behind Knott’s Scary Farm. Perfect for the monster in your family. $24.99.
Haunted Media DVD Magazine: Forget turning magazine pages, now you can browse news and features about haunts using your DVD player. These DVDs provide an inside look into some of the biggest haunted attractions in the country and also include workshop features for those with their own haunts. Issue 3 comes out in February and will include a feature about Six Flags’ Fright Fest haunt. $19.99 per issue.
Amazon has several good deals going on NOW for horror movies. Here are just some of the deals:
Horror DVDs for under $5: Drag Me to Hell, The Unborn, Howling IV, The Hitcher, Mirrors
Horror DVDs for under $10: Gremlins, Paranormal Activity, Trick r Treat, The Crazies, Halloween (Rob Zombie version), Friday the 13th (2009 version), Lost Boys 2-disc special edition
Blu-Rays for under $10: The Wolfman, The Final Destination, The Crazies, The Strangers
Video Games
Recently, AskMen.com ranked the top 10 scariest video games. Ranking at the very top were the following:
1. Dead Space
Scary moment: Take your pick. The ghastly operating room scene, the first time you encounter a Necromorph or… the ending.
2. Resident Evil 4
Scary moment: Try the Bella Sisters, meeting El Lago up close or shooting a hissing and creeping Regenerator in vain.
3. Left 4 Dead
Scary moment: When you hear the Witch weeping nearby and you have your light on, or the anticipation of calling for rescue, knowing “they’re coming to get you, Barbara.”
Check out the article for the rest of the list. All games are available on Amazon.com or other stores in various formats.
Books
1. How to Haunt Your House: Book 2 is now available! This book provides step-by-step instructions on how to create your own pro haunt-quality props and even animatronics in your home haunt, accompanied by beautiful, full-colored photos. $39. Also check out Book 1.
2. So You Want to Be a Haunt Entrepreneur: Have you ever been walking through a haunt and thought to yourself, “I could do better than this,” or maybe “If I had my own haunt, I’d…” Well, now there’s a book to help your haunt dreams come true. This book will guide you through the steps of opening up your own commercial haunted attraction. $24.95
eBay
You can check out eBay for some rare (or not so rare) items from your favorite haunts:
2010 HHN Orlando Media Kit: A starting bid of $240 seems a little steep for this (especially since the seller surely got it for free), but you get a bloody box, a bloody rag, a branding iron with the HHN logo, plus the press release and a photo of a really ugly guy (goes by the name of “Fear).
eBay also has some HHN shirts, pins, park maps, and even a set of Coke cans with HHN coupons on them (really? would anyone actually buy these?).
Other Awesome Online Stores
HalloweenTown.com: This site includes t-shirts, home decor, vintage Halloween items, and much more. The physical store is located in Burbank, California, and if you’re in the area, we highly recommend you check it out.
GoreyDetails.com: Great selection of gothic and literary themed items, including Edward Gorey (of course), Tim Burton, Alice in Wonderland, and Michael Sowa items, such as shirts, jewelry, coffee mugs, prints, nightlights, and much more. Get 10% off orders of $50 or more through November 30 by using the coupon code THANKS.
HHN 2010-2011 Survey Is Out
Friday, November 19th, 2010
Some of you might have seen the survey that came out just yesterday from Halloween Horror Nights Hollywood. They’ve asked that the link not be posted or that the contents not be shared, so we won’t go into too much detail here.
Bu what we can (loosely) infer from the survey is that they may be weighing the possibility of moving/revising the Terror Tram location for next year. A couple of questions asked whether (as a guest) you enjoyed the War of the Worlds and Bates Motel sets, and whether you’d like to see them return next year with new elements or if you’d rather see a different part of the backlot entirely.
Of course, our opinion is that we’d love to see a new section of the backlot. The War of the Worlds set is cool, but they’ve been taking guests through there for several years now, so the novelty of it has worn off. Also, it doesn’t lend itself to scares very well, as the scareactors are out in the open and easy to spot, and you can easily see those ahead of you getting scared. We’re sure there are other parts of the property that would be great for the Terror Tram. Regardless of their decision, they need to inject some life into this attraction. It’s getting a bit stale.
The rest of the survey asks about what horror films you’d like to see made into a maze. There are a lot of options on the survey, and surely not all are possibilities. We think some of the more interesting suggestions include Evil Dead, Silent Hill, Jeepers Creepers, The Hills Have Eyes, Poltergeist, and the Descent. A classic Universal monsters maze would also be kind of cool, and given John Murdy’s love for those monsters, we’re sure it would be highly detailed.
If you want to check out the survey yourself, go to HHN Hollywood’s Facebook page and look for the survey link.
Year-Round Haunts: Raven’s Grin Inn
Saturday, November 13th, 2010Just because haunt season is over doesn’t mean the scares have to cease. There are, in fact, several places around the country where you can be terrified year-round. Throughout the year, Scare Zone will be profiling these haunts (and, we hope, visiting some of them).
Today, we’re featuring Raven’s Grin Inn, located in Mount Carroll, Illinois, about 140 miles east of Chicago.
Raven’s Grin is open year-round, but if you want to visit, you have to make a reservation. The personal tours take approximately 1 to 1.5 hours, and at only $12, it seems like a great bargain.
So what is the Raven’s Grin Inn? The owner (Jim Warfield) has turned his 19th-century house into a weird and crazy attraction that’s half haunt and half art museum. Here’s a brief description from a profile in Time magazine:
Warfield saved the house from demolition 20 years ago, and has filled it with a crazy hodge-podge of his freaky old art projects, like “the last Elvis impersonator” who sits decaying in a wheelchair; relics like the “Poe-Lease” car, a black-and-white 1950s-era Hudson car protruding out of the second floor (three other autos also stick out of the house); and plenty of creaky, spooky secret passages. Oh, and then there are the slides: The four-story Bad Dream Bed-Slide takes you screaming from the second floor all the way to the wine cellar in the haunted basement, where sightings of the Lady in White have been reported.
Yes that’s right: this haunted house has slides. According to one reviewer, Warfield wraps you up in a bed sheet as you lay on a bed, and then he tips the bed upright, shooting you down the slide into the basement. In addition, at Ravens Grin, you’ll find walls that open to reveal passageways and hearses that you’re required to crawl through.
Raven’s Grin Inn is a truly unique haunt that blends scares and comedy, fun house and fright house. If you’re in the area–or if you’re in the mood for a road trip–make a reservation for Raven’s Grin.
For more, check out this story of the house’s inception by the owner himself.
Here’s the Raven’s Grin feature from Wild Chicago in 2009:
Scare Zone’s Haunt Rankings: 2010
Sunday, November 7th, 2010Well, the 2010 season is over, so it’s time to rank our favorites! Haunt experiences can be a highly individual and subjective experience; what may scare one person might not be frightening at all to another, and what scares you one night might fall flat on a return visit. For this reason, the Scare Zone writers will be providing separate rankings.
Also, please note that we’re ranking only those attractions we visited this year in the Southern California area only. There are a LOT of great haunts out there, but we just couldn’t get to them all. For a list of the places we visited and to read our full reviews, please click here.
Now, on to the list!
M. Leota’s 2010 Haunt Rankings
Best Sets/Props/Atmosphere:
1. Reign of Terror (Thousand Oaks)
2. Nightmare on Elm Street: Never Sleep Again (HHN Hollywood)
3. Haunted Hotel (San Diego)
Best Theming (consistent story/setting):
1. House of 1000 Corpses (HHN Hollywood)
2. Terror of London (Knott’s Scary Farm)
3. Submerged (Queen Mary’s Dark Harbor)
Best Individual Scene in a Maze:
1. Lighted hallway in Reign of Terror (Thousand Oaks)
2. Subway scene in Haunted Hotel (San Diego)
3. School bus scene at the Haunted Trail of Balboa Park (San Diego)
Scariest Maze:
1. Friday the 13th: Kill Jason Kill (HHN Hollywood)
2. Theatre 68 (Hollywood)
3. Nightmare on Elm Street: Never Sleep Again (HHN Hollywood)
Best Scare-Actors:
1. Containment (Queen Mary’s Dark Harbor)
2. Friday the 13th: Kill Jason Kill (HHN Hollywood)
3. Theatre 68 (Hollywood)
Best Scare Zone:
1. The Barricades (Queen Mary’s Dark Harbor)
2. Tie: Necropolis (Knott’s Scary Farm)/Klownz (HHN Hollywood)
3. Hell’s Bell Tower (Queen Mary’s Dark Harbor)
Best Maze Name:
1. Uncle Bobo’s Big Top of the Bizarre (Knott’s Scary Farm)
2. Friday the 13th: Kill Jason Kill (HHN Hollywood)
3. Village of the Damned (Queen Mary’s Dark Harbor)
Best Value:
1. Theatre 68 ($10, or $9 with a canned good)
2. Knott’s Scary Farm (13 mazes for only $32 on certain nights)
3. Halloween Horror Nights Killer Deals Nights Pass ($59 for 9 nights)
Most Unique Experience:
1. The Cage (Queen Mary’s Dark Harbor)
2. The Haunted Trail of Balboa Park (San Diego)
3. Theatre 68 (Hollywood)
Best New Maze for 2010:
1. The Cage (Queen Mary’s Dark Harbor)
2. Submerged (Queen Mary’s Dark Harbor)
3. Virus Z (Knott’s Scary Farm)
Most Improved Maze (compared with 2009):
1. Cornstalkers (Knott’s Scary Farm)
[No others worth listing.]
Best Overall Maze of 2010:
1. Friday the 13th: Kill Jason Kill (HHN Hollywood)
2. Theatre 68 (Hollywood)
3. The Cage (Queen Mary’s Dark Harbor)
Best Overall Haunt of 2010:
1. Halloween Horror Nights, Hollywood
2. Queen Mary’s Dark Harbor
3. Theatre 68
Matt E. Horn’s 2010 Haunt Rankings
Best Sets/Props/Atmosphere:
1. Reign of Terror (Thousand Oaks)
2. Submerged (Queen Mary’s Dark Harbor)
3. House of Horrors (The Scream Zone at Del Mar Fairgrounds)
Best Theming (consistent story/setting):
1. Submerged (Queen Mary’s Dark Harbor)
2. Friday the 13th: Kill Jason Kill (HHN Hollywood)
3. Virus Z (Knott’s Scary Farm)
Best Individual Scene in a Maze:
1. Subway scene in Haunted Hotel (San Diego)
2. Freddy school bus scene at the Haunted Trail of Balboa Park (San Diego)
3. Stretching Hallway (Theatre 68)
Scariest Maze:
1. The Haunted Trail of Balboa Park (San Diego)
2. Friday the 13th: Kill Jason Kill (HHN Hollywood)
3. Nightmare on Elm Street: Never Sleep Again (HHN Hollywood)
Best Scare-Actors:
1. Nightmare on Elm Street: Never Sleep Again (HHN Hollywood)
2. Theatre 68 (Hollywood)
3. House of Horrors (The Scream Zone at Del Mar Fairgrounds)
Best Scare Zone:
1. The Barricades (Queen Mary’s Dark Harbor)
2. Hell’s Bell Tower (Queen Mary’s Dark Harbor)
3. Lunaticz (HHN Hollywood)
Best Maze Name:
1. Submerged (Queen Mary’s Dark Harbor)
2. Cornstalkers (Knott’s Scary Farm)
3. Friday the 13th: Kill Jason Kill (HHN Hollywood)
Best Value:
1. Knott’s Scary Farm (13 mazes for only $32 on certain nights)
2. Theatre 68 ($10, or $9 with a canned good)
3. Halloween Horror Nights Killer Deals Nights Pass ($59 for 9 nights)
Most Unique Experience:
1. Theatre 68 (Hollywood) The Cage (Queen Mary’s Dark Harbor)
2. The Cage (Queen Mary’s Dark Harbor)
3. The Haunted Trail of Balboa Park (San Diego)
Best New Maze for 2010:
1. Submerged (Queen Mary’s Dark Harbor)
2. The Cage (Queen Mary’s Dark Harbor)
3. Virus Z (Knott’s Scary Farm)
Most Improved Maze (compared with 2009):
1. Cornstalkers (Knott’s Scary Farm)
2. Terror of London (Knott’s Scary Farm)
3. A Nightmare on Elm St. (HHN Hollywood -compared to 2008 ‘Nightmare’ maze)
Best Overall Maze of 2010:
1. The Haunted Trail of Balboa Park (San Diego)
2. Friday the 13th: Kill Jason Kill (HHN Hollywood)
3. Submerged (Queen Mary’s Dark Harbor)
Best Overall Haunt of 2010:
1. Halloween Horror Nights, Hollywood
2. Queen Mary’s Dark Harbor
3. Theatre 68
Overall Assessment of 2010: It was really a great year for haunts! We were completely impressed by the reinvention of the Queen Mary’s Halloween event, and that visit was definitely a highlight for us this year. We also really liked the Haunted Trail, which took us from unique scene to unique scene on an outdoor trail throughout a park. Although we were initially skeptical of the return of the Friday the 13th and Nightmare on Elm Street mazes to HHN, we found them to be completely terrifying and two of the scariest mazes we went through all year. Finally, our visit to Theatre 68 was the perfect ending to our haunt season–you MUST get to this attraction! It has so many surprises and a lot of unique effects.
As for the bad: Knott’s really needs to step it up in 2011. They’ve been the rulers of Southern California haunted attractions for decades, but what they’re offering is no longer scary or unique. They still resort mostly to the same “monster around the corner” scare, and with increasing competition from HHN and Queen Mary, Knott’s can no longer rest on its reputation. We think Virus Z was a step in the right direction. We hope to see more elaborate sets like that. But most importantly, we hope they reevaluate their scare techniques, because we can see them coming from a mile away.
Also, our readers know we complained a lot about the crowd control issues at Universal. Man, that place was PACKED all month long! We hope they reconsider the way they process their multi-nights pass, as it took us almost 1.5 hours just to get in the park on the first night. They also may need to increase ticket prices and decrease the number of people they let in, as well as add a couple more mazes/attractions AND additional nights (like Thursdays and Sundays). We hope their impressive ticket sales this year leads to expansion in 2011.
We’re counting down to 2011 and can’t wait to see what all the haunts have in store for us. Scare Zone hopes to do more traveling next year…perhaps Florida, Pennsylvania, or Texas. Stay tuned for all the latest haunt news and rumors throughout the year!
Here come the rankings…
Thursday, November 4th, 2010Scare Zone is working on getting our 2010 Southern California haunt rankings together, and we hope to get those out to you in the next couple of days. We attended a lot of great haunts this year, so it will be a tough decision, to say the least.
In the meantime, here are Haunt World’s national rankings for 2010. After reading this list, Scare Zone realizes something: we have to travel more next year!
Check out their site for the full list.
1. Netherworld Haunted House, Atlanta, CA
2. Bates Motel/Pennhurst Asylum, Philadelphia, PA
3. The Darkness Haunted House, St. Louis, MO
4. 13th Gate Haunted House, Baton Rouge, LA
5. Headless Horseman, Ulster Park, NY
6. The Beast, Kansas City, MO
7. Spookywoods, High Point, NC
8. Erebus, Pontiac, MI
9. House of Torment, Austin, TX
10. Cutting Edge, Fort Worth, TX
11. 13th Floor, Denver, CO
12. Dent Schoolhouse, Cincinnati, OH
13. Nightmare on the Bayou, Houston, TX
And here are their top-ranked amusement park haunts:
1. Universal Studios Halloween Horror Nights, Orlando, FL
2. Howl-O-Scream at Busch Gardens, Tampa, FL
3. Knott’s Scary Farm, Buena Park, CA
4. Universal Studios Halloween Horror Nights, Hollywood, CA
5. Kennywood Amusement Park, Pittsburgh, PA
6. Howl-O-Scream at Busch Gardens, Williamsburg, VA
7. King’s Island Haunt, Cincinnati, OH
8. Cedar Point Haunt, Sandusky, OH
9. Six Flags Fright Fest, Jackson, NJ
10. Old Tucson Studios Nightfall, Tucson, AZ
Scott Swenson Talks About “Alone” at Howl-O-Scream
Wednesday, November 3rd, 2010
Last week, MyFox Tampa Bay published an article featuring an interview with Scott Swenson, Creative Director of Tampa’s Howl-O-Scream event. In the story, he talks about how it took 5 years to bring the “Alone” house to life.
We’ll be interested to see if “Alone” returns next year, and whether other theme parks follow in the footsteps of this unique, up-charge house. We read only positive reviews of it this year, so it sounds like it was a definite success.
Check out a video of the “Alone” house on YouTube here.
