Even after packing in another day of Midsummer Scream 2017, there was still not enough time to see it all, but what we managed to catch was some really great stuff. (Be sure to check out what I posted about day one.)
Halloween Horror Nights Presentation
The presentation for Universal Studios Halloween Horror Nights got me beyond excited! They announced that they were bringing Ash Vs Evil Dead to HHN as a full fledged walkthrough haunted attraction. Can I say, “Groovy!” The original Evil Dead series is probably my all time favorite horror franchise. I simply can not wait to see the monsters in this maze that will “swallow your soul!”
The good news didn’t end there. HHN will also be bringing us a walkthrough of one of Stanley Kubrick’s greatest works, The Shining. Kubrick’s The Shining is probably the best film adaption of any Stephen King story, bar none. You will now get to walk on that amazing, and oddly unsettling, hyperchromatic mosaic-style hotel carpet, yourself! (Yes, they even replicated the carpet!) Just a small handful of the behind-the-scenes photos they showed the audience, made my face melt.
Midsummer Scream Mini-Haunts
I was able to get through most all of the mini-haunts on day two. One, in particular, I found very interesting in that it was sitting on wheels. HallowEve Designs had a 44-foot trailer setup as a ready-to-go haunt called Cold Storage. Yes that’s not a lot of room and it was pretty short, but they really did pack a lot into that trailer. The video effect with zombies behind a door, trying to get through, was really fun. They did a really good job giving you a lot of details to look at, to distract your attention, and get a good scare. It’s still not quite the same as a full sized walkthrough but I think it would be great to rent 1 or 2 of these to add to your existing haunt location (perhaps in the parking lot) to give your patrons some more options.Another take on this idea of bringing the haunt to you was Immersive Parties’ Mutation Analysis Center. This was a zombie apocalypse style walkthrough that was built to be torn down and setup quickly with many of the effects built into the structure and ready to go. It was actually much more effective at getting some good scares vs some of the other mini-haunts. It also had a lot of great detail.
And the best mini-haunt…
My favorite out of all of the mini-haunts had to be The Maritime Horror by The Haunted Rose. The facade on the front of this haunt set the mood, and then some. The unique theme of a fishing dock was very original. Thick fog, rolling into the bay on a dark and ominous night; of course, that would be creepy and scary, but I’d never thought about how that would make such a good theme. I was so surprised to find out that these guys are backyard haunters. They have a haunted house in Whittier, CA that doesn’t even charge (although donations are welcome)- they just do it for fun!The first room of The Maritime Horror was great at setting the mood with a mutated fish man chopping a dead fish in front of you on his cutting board. The “blood” (water) spurted all over our group which was a great shock and a good laugh. There were lots of great original makeup effects throughout, but the thing I kept nerding out on was that all of the stone felt real. Nothing felt like styrofoam. The stone walls, the columns, all of it was done with (I’m guessing) some sort of mortar/plaster sprayer. That one detail made everything seem so much more immersive and believable. I tried to do that effect on several of my own haunts and could never pull it off right; these guys nailed it!
Midsummer Scream Exhibitors
There were a ton of great vendors there but a few of them really caught my eye. I was especially impressed with Jasper Anderson’s creations from ChickenProps.com. Jasper has managed to create some projection effects that I really thought were every bit as impressive as something you might see at Disneyland. The Ghoul was particularly remarkable. Not only was the disembodied head talking, it tilted his head around, as well. Jasper has created a way to add something very dramatic to your haunt on a tight budget.
But if you do have a big budget for your haunt, you can always pick up a custom Frankenstein Lab Machine from Das-Machina.com. These authentic looking devices will certainly make any mad scientist lab come to life. The plasma globes and radio tube-style lights are mesmerizing to watch. You might spend $2000-$4000 on a machine but they are built to last and would look great in any man cave in the off-season.
There was so much more!
What you’ve read here is just the tip of the iceberg. Come back to thefright.com/ for more articles coming your way regarding Halloween Horror Nights, Knott’s Scary Farm, Six Flags Fright Fest, and much more.
