Let me start out this review with the statement that this is not a film for everyone.
8 MM follows Private Eye Tom Welles (Nicholas Cage) as he is hired by a wealthy widow to investigate a dubious film reel that she finds in her deceased husbands safe. The film reel appears to be that of a snuff film. With porn store clerk Max California (Joaquin Phoenix) as his guide Tom delves into the seedy world of pornography as he searches for answers.
The acting done here is all of a superb quality. Nicholas Cage, Joaquin Phoenix, James Galdofini, Peter Stormare, and Chris Baur all put on jarring performances as the leads, the latter three of the list portraying three of the most disgusting, despicable characters ever seen in a film. Chris Baur's performance here is sure to affect just about anyone. Joaquin Phoenix is great fun as the niave and innocent bad talking clerk who fancies himself a bad ass that teams up with Tom to help him solve the mystery (Like all good sidekicks he eventually finds himself in waaay over his head), he almost steals every scene he's in and is thus one of the most memorable characters in this film. Nic Cage also acts his heart out here as a faily well-cut man that begins to change as he delves deeper into this darker world. The climax of the film is sure to throw most viewers onto the edge of their seats in tension and anticipation, you can't beat a climax like this one...it's damned near perfect.
While it may borrow some of its themes and its tone from Blue Velvet, it one ups its predecessor by upping the intensity and subtracting its happy ending. This is the ending Blue velvet felt like it was building up to, and its the one I honestly prefer. In the end, the good guy doesn't really win over the forces of evil he faces, instead he becomes like them...that in itself makes for one hell of an interesting twist (even though I have seen it done before).
Even though I may not be a big fan of Joel Scumacher I must say this is the best film that he's made. I'm really digging the dark tone of the film and how the latter half really pulls a 180 on the audience. It makes for a neat trick that most films are unable to perform correctly, happily this is one of those films that gets it right.
The film is incredibly dark and does make for some pretty tough viewing. It inevitably will leave some (I'd dare say most) with a bad aftertaste, but despite this I still think it to be a superb film that is pretty well crafted and succeeds in building thick suspense and tension.
With some engrossing (and disturbing) themes, several cool characters, and a wondefully dark tone 8 MM is sure to be a film that most will find pretty hard to forget.
4/5 stars
Tuesday, November 23, 2010
Friday, November 19, 2010
BEETLE REVIEWS HARRY POTTER AND THE DEATHLY HALLOWS PART ONE
I saw Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows at a midnight showing on Thursday. After much contemplation on this film I now bring my review to you today.
2010 seems to be the year where franchises go to die. So far we've had Toy Story 3, Saw 3D and now the beginning of the end for the enormously popular Harry Potter Franchise: Harry Potter and The Deatly Hallows Part One.
This review may get a bit confusing for those who have never read a HP book or seen a HP film, so bear with me as I try to make this as newbie friendly as possible. Of course, I can't go over every little detail of the previous films and, unfortunately, that's whats required in order to understand this wonderfully dark piece of art. So, before you run out to view this one I highly reccommend that, if you've never seen a HP film before, you run out and get caught up. Trust me, it'll make the sentimental moments and some of the exposition easier to follow.
HPATDHP1 (Wow, what an abbreviation huh...maybe I should jus go with HPDH1) begins where Half-Blood prince left off: With Dumbledore dead and several Horcruxes (Soul containers) scattered about that need to be found and destroyed. After several attacks from Death Eaters (A nasty bunch of Voldemort followers that are after Harry) Harry, Ron, and Hermoine decide to go on a hunt for the remaining horcruxes and destroy them in an effort to weaken Voldemort (The horcruxes contain pieces of voldemorts soul, thus with each one they destroy the weaker Voldemort will get).
The acting seen here is quite possibly the best seen in a HP film to date. The characters go through some interesting changes. Their relationships are inevitably strained as their loved ones are killed off and tough decisions are made. The most satisfying character arc is that of Ron in this film. He has several surprising moments that redifine his relationship with Harry, his best friend throughout the franchise. Harry and Hermoine's relationship is also redefined in this film in some surprising ways. Rupert Grint (Ron), Daniel Radcliffe (Harry), and Emma Watson (Hermoine) have evidently matured with each new film that was released, so the acting done by the three here is quite convincing and comes across as genuinely human (The scene at the beginning in which Hermoine has to erase her parents memories of her in order to protect them is especially painful and heart-wrenching to watch). It is made clear that these characters are going through trying times and are finding out new things about themselves. Rounding out the cast are the amazing David Thewlis as Remus Lupin; one of Harry's old teachers and one of his protectors; Helena Bonham Carter as the despicable and dirty Bellatrix Lestrange; Tom Felton as Harry's former classmate and reluctant bad guy Draco Malfoy; and Bill Nighy as head of Ministry of Magic Rufus Scrimgeour.
Deathly Hallows is by far the most sentimental and reminiscinent Harry Potter film to date. Several items (Like the golden snitch from the first film) and characters (Dolores Umbridge and Dobby the House Elf) from previous films reappear to help flesh out the story and take it in a new direction. I, for one, was ecstatic to see Dobby back again. He was one of the best parts of The Chamber of Secrets and his prescence here helps to raise the film up to a higher degree. While he isn't necessarily a lead player, he is a crucial element to the story and shares a good amount of screentime with Grint, Watson, and Radcliffe. His ultimate character arc is quite sad, but still uplifting nontheless.
HPDH1 is a darkly magical film that dares to focus on the human element instead of on magic (a decision that other Potter films did not make). I thought that this was a welcome change that made the stroy here all the more engrossing and watchable. HPDH1 still boasts some impressive effects work including a Dementor scene and a showdown between Ron and what lies in one of the horcruxes. Yet another surprising addition to this film is an exquisite animated portion that helps to explain the legend of the Deathly Hallows. The portion is done using CGI but looks hand-drawn. It is one of the most surprising pieces in this film and one of the best as well. Deathly Hallows does drag its feet at times, but due to the focus on the characters this is never more than mildly annoying.
With all this said, there are a few dissapointments found in HPDH1. The main souce of disapointment for me is that the majestic Hogwarts Castle is never viewed once during the 146 minute running time of this film. Another annoyance is, with all the information they throw at you in this film it's kind of hard not to get a bit confused every now and then (yet another reason why rewatching the previous films before viewing this one is a MUST).
Overall, while HPDH1 may not be the best Potter film to date, it still remains one of the best in the franchise due to its stunning special effects, strong character development, surprising character twists, and some cool sentimental elements thrown in for good measure. HPDH1 is a film that I highly reccommend to any Harry Potter fan.
4/5 Stars
2010 seems to be the year where franchises go to die. So far we've had Toy Story 3, Saw 3D and now the beginning of the end for the enormously popular Harry Potter Franchise: Harry Potter and The Deatly Hallows Part One.
This review may get a bit confusing for those who have never read a HP book or seen a HP film, so bear with me as I try to make this as newbie friendly as possible. Of course, I can't go over every little detail of the previous films and, unfortunately, that's whats required in order to understand this wonderfully dark piece of art. So, before you run out to view this one I highly reccommend that, if you've never seen a HP film before, you run out and get caught up. Trust me, it'll make the sentimental moments and some of the exposition easier to follow.
HPATDHP1 (Wow, what an abbreviation huh...maybe I should jus go with HPDH1) begins where Half-Blood prince left off: With Dumbledore dead and several Horcruxes (Soul containers) scattered about that need to be found and destroyed. After several attacks from Death Eaters (A nasty bunch of Voldemort followers that are after Harry) Harry, Ron, and Hermoine decide to go on a hunt for the remaining horcruxes and destroy them in an effort to weaken Voldemort (The horcruxes contain pieces of voldemorts soul, thus with each one they destroy the weaker Voldemort will get).
The acting seen here is quite possibly the best seen in a HP film to date. The characters go through some interesting changes. Their relationships are inevitably strained as their loved ones are killed off and tough decisions are made. The most satisfying character arc is that of Ron in this film. He has several surprising moments that redifine his relationship with Harry, his best friend throughout the franchise. Harry and Hermoine's relationship is also redefined in this film in some surprising ways. Rupert Grint (Ron), Daniel Radcliffe (Harry), and Emma Watson (Hermoine) have evidently matured with each new film that was released, so the acting done by the three here is quite convincing and comes across as genuinely human (The scene at the beginning in which Hermoine has to erase her parents memories of her in order to protect them is especially painful and heart-wrenching to watch). It is made clear that these characters are going through trying times and are finding out new things about themselves. Rounding out the cast are the amazing David Thewlis as Remus Lupin; one of Harry's old teachers and one of his protectors; Helena Bonham Carter as the despicable and dirty Bellatrix Lestrange; Tom Felton as Harry's former classmate and reluctant bad guy Draco Malfoy; and Bill Nighy as head of Ministry of Magic Rufus Scrimgeour.
Deathly Hallows is by far the most sentimental and reminiscinent Harry Potter film to date. Several items (Like the golden snitch from the first film) and characters (Dolores Umbridge and Dobby the House Elf) from previous films reappear to help flesh out the story and take it in a new direction. I, for one, was ecstatic to see Dobby back again. He was one of the best parts of The Chamber of Secrets and his prescence here helps to raise the film up to a higher degree. While he isn't necessarily a lead player, he is a crucial element to the story and shares a good amount of screentime with Grint, Watson, and Radcliffe. His ultimate character arc is quite sad, but still uplifting nontheless.
HPDH1 is a darkly magical film that dares to focus on the human element instead of on magic (a decision that other Potter films did not make). I thought that this was a welcome change that made the stroy here all the more engrossing and watchable. HPDH1 still boasts some impressive effects work including a Dementor scene and a showdown between Ron and what lies in one of the horcruxes. Yet another surprising addition to this film is an exquisite animated portion that helps to explain the legend of the Deathly Hallows. The portion is done using CGI but looks hand-drawn. It is one of the most surprising pieces in this film and one of the best as well. Deathly Hallows does drag its feet at times, but due to the focus on the characters this is never more than mildly annoying.
With all this said, there are a few dissapointments found in HPDH1. The main souce of disapointment for me is that the majestic Hogwarts Castle is never viewed once during the 146 minute running time of this film. Another annoyance is, with all the information they throw at you in this film it's kind of hard not to get a bit confused every now and then (yet another reason why rewatching the previous films before viewing this one is a MUST).
Overall, while HPDH1 may not be the best Potter film to date, it still remains one of the best in the franchise due to its stunning special effects, strong character development, surprising character twists, and some cool sentimental elements thrown in for good measure. HPDH1 is a film that I highly reccommend to any Harry Potter fan.
4/5 Stars
Wednesday, November 10, 2010
SAW 3D
At long last, we have arrived at the FINAL chapter of the Saw Franchise.
The story this time around centers around a self-help guru that claims to be another Jigsaw survivor. Of course, he's lying (NO, THATS NOT A SPOILER!!!!! THERE IS NO SURPRISE WHEN THEY CONFIRM THIS AT THE END OF THE FILM) and soon finds himself in another of Jigsaws convoluted mazes which feels sadly familiar. No seriously, This film feels just like Saw 3 and Saw 6. What, did the film makers decide to go the safe route and rely on a tried and true formula instead of deciding to take the riskier route? Seriously disapointing, I mean this IS supposed (key word: Supposed) to be the final outing, so why not pull out all the stops and give the audience a fireworks show of an ending?
I've sat through every single Saw entry so far, and I must say that this one feels like the last entry. Why??? Well, for one the filmmakers seem tired....BORED even!!! The first 3 traps are really neat (The opening one being the best in the whole franchise I'd dare say) but the traps that come after are just plain lazy. There's one trap where the hero has to guide a friend along some planks high above the ground, one misstep and the friend gets hung. What's the gimmick??? THE FRIEND IS WEARING A BLINDFOLD! Really, filmmakers??? thats the best you could come up with here??? A BLINDFOLD??? shoot me. And the last trap is sure to piss off any Saw fan SPOILER ALERT because there is no way Jigsaw would create a trap where it is LITTERALY impossible to win. Pissed me off. Seriously though...it just seems like jigsaw had an idea who his next victim would be but never specified the traps to put him through.
Do I really have to talk about character development here???? I do??? Ok, FINE!!!!! The main hero cop in the film, Gibson (Chad Donella) is apparently brain dead. Almost everyt line and piece of delivery he has is eye-gougingly bad. There's a scene in the film where he has Jill Tuck; the widow of Jigsaw; holed up in a safehouse for protection. She tries to tell him that Hoffman (Jigsaws successor) knows where she is but he scoffs her off and says something along the lines of "THIS IS A SAFEHOUSE". Not even a minute after he says this he gets a message from Hoffman saying he knows where she is. STUPID !!!!! In fact, this film makes cops look bad. There's another scene where a bunch of cops break into the maze to save the "hero" of the film, but what do they do??? they take their time, they dick around and eventually set off a trap which kills them off. IDIOTS!!! Ok, enough ranting...let's move onto the "hero's" performance. In this film the hero/main victim is Bobby (The self-help guru, played by Sean Patrick Flannery). Amazingly he puts on a pretty good performance, succeeding in gaining the audience's sympathies. He does try a little too hard at times, which is an effort I appreciate but this film does not deserve. Jigsaws performance here is pretty cool but adds garnered disbelief on my part. he only really appears in one scene (sad misuse of Tobin Bells acting chops) and the scene he's in would appear to imply Bobby has been doing this scam since before Saw 3. The scene confused me and seemed like a cop out. The filmmakers seemed like they needed to throw one scene of Jigsaw in there and opted for a cheap, easy one that only convolutes the plot even more.
Now onto the 3D. You'd expect a movie filmed in 3D and made for 3D would be pretty cool in 3D. WRONG!!! Sure, blood splatters into the audience every now and then, yeah, pieces of traps penetrate the screen...but for the most part the filmmakers don't seem to know how to use the 3D technology to their advantage. All the 3D does here is make the film more grusome and brutal than previous ones. I was sadly disapointed...skip 3D and opt to see it in 2D instead.
In the end Saw 3D is more confusing, unnecessary, and god-awful boring (a sin!!!) than any of the previous installments. It does succeed in wrapping up the story quite nicely (Dr. Gordon reappears, his scenes were some of the only good ones in the film even though, ONCE AGAIN, his arc doesn't make sense in this one. How does a guy go from wanting to kill Jigsaw in the first Saw film to doing this in the last one???) and some of the traps are pretty cool to watch. unfortunately, Saw 3D is still more or less an overwhelming failure that is due to lazy filmmaking and total disregard for what was set up in previous films. They could have done better, but as it is....it's still bearable....barely.
2/5 stars
Thursday, October 28, 2010
BEETLE REVIEWS THE ROCKY HORROR GLEE SHOW
This is my first ever review if a TV episode...so bear with me guys.
Normally I wouldn't review a TV episode...let alone a TV episode of Glee. I'm not very big into Glee to be quite honest. I love the songs they choose to cover and I appreciate how the show is making the arts popular and appealing to the mainstream. I am a big supporter of theatre and the arts and think it's great that this show is getting the news out about it. That said, I don't think the show has an appealing plot or any real staying power so I've more or less just stuck with the Cds they've made. I've never actually seen a full episode of the show until now. I had heard that the show was planning on doing a Rocky Horror tribute episode so me being the big Rocky Horror fan that I am, of course I was intrigued. When the episode was finally released online I gave it a viewing. What was my reaction???? well...it was good for what it was.They added a few more sing-songy parts than were in the original film (understandable, this is a theatre tv show after all) and they chose a chick to play Frank N Furter (A SIN I SAY...A SIN!!!! Probably made this choice so they would not offend the censors) as well as changing a few lyrics (once again...censors). But, surprisingly there was more good than bad. the cover versions of the songs were all pretty fun and definently enjoyable. Adding to the fun was the surprise appearance of Uncle Jesse from Full House playing the role of Eddie (John Stamos) as well as another surprise appearance by Barry Bostwick (Brad from Rocky Horror). The people that were chosen to play Brad, Riff Raff, Magenta, and rocky all fit in quite nicely with their roles (My favorite was Rff Raff of course).
So overall, The episode gets props from me for having the balls to actually do a rocky Horror tribute, quite possibly the raciest movie in history. I'm hoping that the episode will get those virgins out there curious enough to go give the film a rental. While the episode didn't help to spike my interest in the show overall it still did get a respectful nod for doing something quite brave. this is one episode that I reccomend for a Halloween night viewing (online) if there is nothing else scary enough on the TV.
3/5 Stars
Wednesday, October 27, 2010
FRIGHT FEST REVIEW: BEETLEJUICE
"Let's turn on the juice and see what shakes loose."
Oh Beetlejuice. What a fun, crazy film. Right from the opening credit score which deftly mixes the opening of classic song "Day-O" (Which will come into play later on in the film) with an original opening by Danny Elfman most should know they've walked smack dab into something unique.
Beetlejuice is the story of happily married couple Barbara (Geena Davis) and Adam Maitland (Alec Baldwin). One day, while driving into town they actidentally drive their car off a bridge and when they finally arrive home, come to the startling realization that they are dead...a fact that both don't take too kindly too. Their home is sold off to city folk Delia ( Catherine O' Hara) and Charles Deetz( Jeffrey Jones) and their gothic daughter Lydia (Winona Rider). Pushed one step too far when the Deetz's decide to so some redecorating, Barbara and Adam turn to Bio-exorcist Beetlegeuse/Beetlejuice (Michael Keaton) to help them rid their home of the unwelcome guests. Of course, what the Maitlands don't realize is that whenever Beetlegeuse is involved things are bound to get a little complicated.
For the first half of the film brilliant director Tim Burton treats the audience to what his version of the afterlife is like. During this part things are little bit slow but still amusing nontheless, aided by Burton's mean dark humor streak he injects into the film. Of course the part everyone is waiting for is the grand entrance of that loveably wacky Poltergeist Beetlegeuse, and what a grand entrance it is. The film continually teases the viewer with pop-up appearances by the ghoul until he finally enters the film as one of the key players, and once he is introduced, well, that's when the real fun begins.
Beetlejuice (For all those who haven't seen the film) is a fast talking, loud mouthed, crazy, wild west type poltergeist that bills himself as the afterlife's most famous bio-ecorcist. His specialty?? Ridding homes of the living. He bursts forth onto the screen in all his uncontrolled ADHD-type glory. He is a sight to be seen and remains one of the most unforgettable screen antagonists ever dreamed up. In Beetlejuice he steals the spotlight in every single scene he appears in and acts as the films's more-or-less villain...even though the V word is a little too harsh in my opinion. He's a prankster that likes to mess stuff up and doesn't care about what the consequences of his actions are. Does this make him a villain??? Kinda...but not totally.
The film is chock-full of memorable scenes such as Beetlegeuse's main entrance, a hilarious dinner scene set to the tune of Day-O, and the Grand finale in which Beetlegeuse is called upon to save the day and then some. While most of the film is somewhat slow, all is made up for by the prescence of Keaton as his most memorable role to date (screw Batman). If you're in the mood for some knee-slapping fun and all out hilarity then feel free to slip this one into your DVD player. A good time is just about guaranteed.
3/5 stars
FRIGHT FEST NEWS
Ok folks...since we are unfortunately running dangerously close to the end of my Fright Fest ( I know...try to hold in the tears guys) I am now going to post a quick list of all the other films I will be reviewing before Halloween.
The Goonies
Fright Night
The Lost Boys
Beetlejuice
Trick 'r Treat
and a very special review of the ultimate Halloween film ever dreamed up...what is it you ask?? Well, you'll have to wait until Halloween to find out.
Once BEETLE'S HALLOWEEN FRIGHT FEST ends I will be starting a new feature on the site called Movies I Love. Expect past reviewed films and new films to be brought up. No review will be posted, instead I will go into my history with the film and why it is I love it.
Ok, with all that out of the way let's continue on with BEETLE'S FRIGHT FEST
Saturday, October 23, 2010
BEETLE'S FRIGHTASTIC TRIP REPORT FROM HALLOWEEN HORROR NIGHTS 20
Hey there Beetle-heads!!!! It's that time of year again...thats right, it's time for my trip report from scare central: Halloween Horror Nights 20.
Let me start out by asking if there is anything better than coming home smelling like fog? HHN uses copious amounts of fog and I've got to be honest, I'm addicted to the smell of it...smells like Halloween, and I do love coming home drenched in that scent.
This year Jumpy and I have had a falling out (he's turned into a major douche), so I decided to hang with some new friends: Sissy (a cute girl that considers me her big brother, hence her nickname), Schweet (a cool dude), Invisible Man (IM for short, he's very quiet), and Horndog (my partner in crime, one of my bros up at college).
So we entered the gates at around 6:45 and walked right into the Chainsaw Drill Team all dressed up in camo. Sissy freaked and immeadietly wrapped her arms around me and Horndog. I wanted to stay there to see what they would do but the rest of the group decided this would be a bad idea so instead we made our way over to HHN 20 years of Fear. This is a pretty neat scarezone set up to resemble the HHN props warehouse. Once inside the area (With sissy still wrapped around me and horndog, my arm was wrapped around her waist and I would allow her to squeeze my left hand at odd intervals) we ran right into some of my favorite characters from past years including Wolfman, Frankenstein, and some chainsaw Dudes. They quickly chased us out of that zone and right into Fear Revealed.
Fear Revealed is mainly a zone set up to introduce guests to the Go of Fear himself: Adaru. Now, I had my doubts about how this character would end up looking but Uni. did a bang-up job with him. Adaru towers above evryone else in the zone and is truly an imposing figure to approach. I snapped a few photos before we moved on to our first house of the night: Horror Nights The Hallow'd Past.
This house ranks in at the number 4 spot for the night. It's got a really neat set-up. the theme is that we have just entered the props warehouse for HHN, and something appears to be amiss inside. Our first clue is that the electricity appears to be out as we pass by props from previous years, our 2nd clue would be when we enter a swirling vortex to find ourselves smack dab in the middle of an alternate universe where memorable scenes from past houses come to life. This house had quite a few great scares. One time some dude jumped out into my path, Me, Sissy and Horndog were essentially tyed together (Sissy was in the middle of us and had her arms wrapped around both of us), so when I jumped to the side of the dude to avoid running into him my action resulted with Horndog having his leg rammed into one of the steel poles. He continued to complain about his leg for the rest of the night. The most memorable scenes were the warehouse scenes for all the cool props and characters that you encounter throughout them (especially liked the final warehouse scene where the warehouse had essentially come to life). Despite the cool factor in this house I still feel like they may have crammed too much into one house.
After all the screaming and running we did in the Hallow'd Past Sissy decided she needed a break so Horndog and IM took her on the Jaws Ride at Night while Schweet and I hit The Orfanage: ashes to ashes. This was my least favorite house of the night, ranking in at number 8. The theme here is that of a burned down orfanage where one of the previously unseen characters of the past; Cindy; has taken over. the result is a few fire effects, the constant scent of burning wood (and flesh?), and some freaky orphans attacking you. While Schweet liked it I felt that it was very poorly themed and just wasn't scary enough for me.
After this Schweet and I hit the Jaws ride. During Halloween Horror Nights they have intensified the effects and brought back the much missed ring of fire effect at the exploding gas dock scene (right before the finale). So, if you want to see the Jaws ride in its full Bad-ass glory then HHN is the time to give it another try. Schweet and I both gave it 2 thumbs up.
Shortly after getting off the ride we hooked back up with Horndog, IM and Sissy and traveled onwards, running right into Zombie Gras. Zombie Gras is a cool little zone themed to a Mardi Gras parade that has fallen victim to a zombie outbreak. There are tons of cool zombies to mess with here. it's not a very scary zone per say but I did get a few good jump scares here.
After Zombie Gras we hit the next house in sight: Zombiegeddon. The story here is that the US has been hit pretty hard by the North American Zombie Virus, luckily most of the zombies have been killed or captured and the US is now hiring independent companies to help clean up the remainding zombies. One of the companies is a low-tech one named Z.A.P (short for Zombie Awareness Program), a group of bad-ass zombie killers that have taken it upon themselves to teach civilians the proper zombie killing methods. We are about to enter one of their civilian training facilities named Z.I.P where hoards of zombies have been pacified by the use of some clunky collars and are now being used for training purposes. With Sissy securely fastened to me and Horndog's waists we entered the facility. The facade is pretty cool. It is a very industrial looking street that leads into the entrance to the facility. Once inside we run into one of the Z.A.P members that is coaching us on proper zombie killing methods. All seems fine for the first 2 or 3 rooms, but during the 4th room we can make out the image of a parade float (apparently there was a celebration going on outside) crashing into one of the walls of the Z.I.P Facility. There is the silhouette of flames, we canb hear screams of people outside. The lights flicker and we can hear the terrifying sound of the electricity going out completely and the lights go black. The collars keeping the zombies pacified now off, the zombies bare able to break free of their restraints and terrify the innocent civulians inside. Sissy didn't do so well in this house, she was freakin out quite a bit (This is where I would allow her to squeeze the crap out of my left hand). Despite her freakin out she still made it out ok (THANK GOD). I thought this house a nice effort on Uni.'s part and I loved all the different zombie references found inside. With this said I still felt that there was something missing and that is why the house ranks in at the Number 6 spot.
Once we had escaped from Zombiegeddon, we stopped for a quick bite to eat. Afterwards we decided to hit the Saws N Steam Scarezone. Sissy wrapped herself around Horndog and I and refused to enter the scarezone so we left her with IM and Schweet as we ventured further into it. I love the story here, the citizens of a small town have lost their minds when sea vents open up under their home and turn the place into a scorching hot foggy zone devoid of water. Once you enter the citizens turn their sights on you, the water in your body now a coveted resources that they will do anything to get. I later revisited this scarezone several times. this is where I met C_D and Giant (Friends of mine from a forum we belong to). Giant quickly responded when I called out his name, charging forth to block my way. I smoved back a step...he didn't have to do anything to scare me, his size doing the job for him. It took C_D a few minutes to respond to his name, but when he did it nearly sent me running. He put his chainsaw against my leg and revved it up (I was wearing jeans) and then proceeded to circle me. Overall this scarezone was very fun and is a definite DO-NOT-MISS for it's inventive use of Sting Alley (All fogged up with random mists of water spraying guests) and the look of the scareactors that inhabit (STEAMPUNK FTW!!!)
After Saws N Steam Horndog, Schweet and I split up from Sissy and IM as they went to go rife The Mummy and my group decided to go hit more haunted houses. The next Haunted house we decided to hit was Hades: Gates of Ruin. In this house the theme is that we are traveling into the depths of the greek mythological version of Hell. Inside you run into Medusa, Cyclops, Minotaurs (I pointed one out before he had time to make a scare so he ran up to the corner I was aquickly approaching and exacted his revenge on me....LESSON LEARNED), and other mythological creatures that you may or may not recognize. The facade here was pretty neat, It's set up so that you're entering through the mouth of a skull that has fog pouring out its nostrils. Once inside there is no safety to be found as the citizens of this mythological hell come after you from all angles. I highly enjoyed getting to visit some of my favorite mythological characters (and having them scare the snot out of me). The atmosphere found inside is also very neat with it's fiery look, cavernous setting, and neat set-pieces (In one area your vision is encompassed by a thick fog, truly creepy as you wait for the next unavoidable scare). This house ranks in at the number 2 spot.
The next house we hit was Legendary truth: The Wyandot Estate. This house is themed to a paranormal research teams (picture Ghost Hunters TV show)investigation into the very much haunted Wyandot house. Here we are invited to join the team as honorary members as we help them dig into the house's storied past and uncover the mystery surrounding the house. This haunted house was highly built up by Universal as having some cool effects never before seen in a haunted house. Some of these effects include a ghost sliding underneath the floor, skating past behind a wall, some items coming to life, lights flickering, and some low-key anamatronics. the house I feel relys too much on its effects and not enough on its actors ability to scare guests, and while the effects ARE pretty cool I feel that this was the wrong decision. It's still a fun little house that is pretty beat to walk-though (The facade is the best one of the night, you enter the house from the outside, up its steps, right into its front door...I spazzed out). this one ranks in at number 5.
Once out of LT we decided to take a jog through The Coven scarezone. Once entering the first thing you will notice are the burning figures of puritan men roped up on stakes beneath fire pits. As you continue on through the zone you will see some hot witches roaming around but beware for in dark corners lurk ugly hags that like to surprise unwitting guests (I wanted to tell one of the hot ones to take alook because that will be her in 30 years...Never got a chance to say this though :( ). In this zone I got to complement a hag on the eyeball she was carrying (This apparently got her to give props to me since she pointed at me and gave me a sign I took to mean that she agreed). Near the end a small witch scared me...the scare didn't last long once I realized the scareactor was a midget...All I could say was ohhhh...so cute. Overall while the scarezone isn't long or eleaborate it's still pretty cool and can hold a few good scares.
After we had exited the Coven we decided to hit up The Catacombs: Black Death Rising. The story here is that in 19th century France a nasty plague popped up and started infecting people. The infected were quarantined in a catacomb and Plague Doctors (people wearing long back robes, goggles, and bird masks) went inside to watch over them. Unfortunately the townspeople panicked and locked the infected and the plague doctors inside the catacombs. Several hundred years later we are part of an excavation crew that is clearing out the catacombs only to discover that the infected and the plague doctors never died and that the plague they carry is still very much contagious. The whole house is pretty awesome, the setting is one of the best parts. It really does feel like you are traveling through a real catacombs. I felt that the best part of the house were the tottally rad Plague doctors (I love how they look!!!). 2 doctors teamed up to make me do the scared mans limbo. they reached their hands out to block my path which resulted in me having to duck and weave to avoid hitting them. this house ranks in at the number 3 spot.
After Catacombs we ran ahead to hit Havoc: Dogs of War. the theme here is that the military has been conducting tests at their Shadowcreek facility of a gas that will turn their soldiers into super-soldiers. Unfortunately they find that the gas works a little too well, turning them into adrenaline and rage filled monsters. When a gas leak occurs all hell breaks loose as the experiments break free to terrorize the civilians (us) that are touring the facility. The whole house is sensory overload and has an adrenaline filled pace as the supersoldiers burst out of corners and walls to attack us. Throughout the whole house sirens are going off like crazy, alerting us almost immeadietly that we chose the wrong time to enter Shadowcreek. There are bursts of air that blast us at random intervals, helping to keep us off guard throughout the entire house and helping the scareactors jobs that much easier. There are several really neat surprises that KO'd my butt on several occasions including a surprise chainsaw and machine gun scare. All the scareactors in the house were required to shave their heads for their roles, going to show their immense commitment to the art of the scare. This is the most intense house I have seen in all my 3 years attending Halloween Horror Nights and that makes it the number 1 spot on my top houses list.
After Havoc we ran over to Psychoscarepy: Echoes of Shadybrook. For the most part the Psychoscarepy houses have been the humorous ones but this year Uni. decided to switch things up and give PS a more serious and bleak overtone. Shadowbrook, the infamous mental institution, has been closed for 15 years. We, being the hoodlums that we are cut our wy through the wire fence and make our entrance into the facility. Once inside we make the startling revelation that even though Shadowbrook has been closed for a while now, the ghosts of past residents still remain inside. the facade is the same as the original PS house, except with the addition of a run-down paint job and a wirefence we must make our way through in order to gain admittance (a neat addition). The scareactors do a pretty good job here, and although scary also have some sympathy factor since they are tortured souls. My favorite scene is the 2nd one where 2 crazies are running outside some windows during a lightning storm. It makes for a somewhat memorable house, ranking in at the number 7 spot.
After Psychoscarepy Horndog, Schweet and I realized it was almost time for us to meet up at the van for our departure back to my college so we made our way back to the entrance of the park, stopping by at Esqueleto Muerte. This is a blacklight scarezone that is themed to the mexican Day of the Dead festival. while the blacklighting is cool, it's not when most of the scareactors are busy stopping for pictures. Only one tried to scare Horndog when his back was turned. he didn't even acknowledge her which was hilarious. after this we mwet back up with Sissy (I gave her a huge hug and was glad to see she made it out in one piece) and IM and togther we headed onto the van which drove us back to the apartments.
So is Halloween Horror Nights 20 better than previous years???? Well, I felt that last year was scarier to be honest (maybe it's because it was basically just me and another person last year whereas this year I had a group of people and the added bonus of a girl clinging onto me...which usually helps to lightly diminish the scare factor of any house or scarezone) but scarier doesn't always mean better. 20 was better themed than last year's and I had more fun than I did last year...so in my opinion : yes, HHN 20 was better than previous years I've seen.
So this year I got hug a cute girl to me for the first few houses, got to hang with some REAL friends, and got to hit all the houses and scarezones in one night. Yeah, I'd have to say that HHN 20 was a HUGE success. Till Next year, this is Beetle signing off from the scare central.
HOUSE RANKINGS
1. HAVOC: DOGS OF WAR
2. HADES: GATES OF RUIN
3. CATACOMBS: BLACK DEATH RISING
4. HORROR NIGHTS: THE HALLOW'D PAST
5. LEGENDARY TRUTH: THE WYANDOT ESTATE
6. ZOMBIEGEDDON
7. PSYCHOSCAREPY: ECHOES OF SHADYBROOK
8. THE ORFANAGE: ASHES TO ASHES
SCAREZONE RATINGS
1. HHN: 20 YEARS OF FEAR
2. SAWS N' STEAM
3. FEAR REVEALED
4. ZOMBIE GRAS
5. THE COVEN
6. ESQUELETO MUERTE
OVERALL RATING FOR THIS YEAR: 5/5
So we entered the gates at around 6:45 and walked right into the Chainsaw Drill Team all dressed up in camo. Sissy freaked and immeadietly wrapped her arms around me and Horndog. I wanted to stay there to see what they would do but the rest of the group decided this would be a bad idea so instead we made our way over to HHN 20 years of Fear. This is a pretty neat scarezone set up to resemble the HHN props warehouse. Once inside the area (With sissy still wrapped around me and horndog, my arm was wrapped around her waist and I would allow her to squeeze my left hand at odd intervals) we ran right into some of my favorite characters from past years including Wolfman, Frankenstein, and some chainsaw Dudes. They quickly chased us out of that zone and right into Fear Revealed.
Fear Revealed is mainly a zone set up to introduce guests to the Go of Fear himself: Adaru. Now, I had my doubts about how this character would end up looking but Uni. did a bang-up job with him. Adaru towers above evryone else in the zone and is truly an imposing figure to approach. I snapped a few photos before we moved on to our first house of the night: Horror Nights The Hallow'd Past.
This house ranks in at the number 4 spot for the night. It's got a really neat set-up. the theme is that we have just entered the props warehouse for HHN, and something appears to be amiss inside. Our first clue is that the electricity appears to be out as we pass by props from previous years, our 2nd clue would be when we enter a swirling vortex to find ourselves smack dab in the middle of an alternate universe where memorable scenes from past houses come to life. This house had quite a few great scares. One time some dude jumped out into my path, Me, Sissy and Horndog were essentially tyed together (Sissy was in the middle of us and had her arms wrapped around both of us), so when I jumped to the side of the dude to avoid running into him my action resulted with Horndog having his leg rammed into one of the steel poles. He continued to complain about his leg for the rest of the night. The most memorable scenes were the warehouse scenes for all the cool props and characters that you encounter throughout them (especially liked the final warehouse scene where the warehouse had essentially come to life). Despite the cool factor in this house I still feel like they may have crammed too much into one house.
After all the screaming and running we did in the Hallow'd Past Sissy decided she needed a break so Horndog and IM took her on the Jaws Ride at Night while Schweet and I hit The Orfanage: ashes to ashes. This was my least favorite house of the night, ranking in at number 8. The theme here is that of a burned down orfanage where one of the previously unseen characters of the past; Cindy; has taken over. the result is a few fire effects, the constant scent of burning wood (and flesh?), and some freaky orphans attacking you. While Schweet liked it I felt that it was very poorly themed and just wasn't scary enough for me.
After this Schweet and I hit the Jaws ride. During Halloween Horror Nights they have intensified the effects and brought back the much missed ring of fire effect at the exploding gas dock scene (right before the finale). So, if you want to see the Jaws ride in its full Bad-ass glory then HHN is the time to give it another try. Schweet and I both gave it 2 thumbs up.
Shortly after getting off the ride we hooked back up with Horndog, IM and Sissy and traveled onwards, running right into Zombie Gras. Zombie Gras is a cool little zone themed to a Mardi Gras parade that has fallen victim to a zombie outbreak. There are tons of cool zombies to mess with here. it's not a very scary zone per say but I did get a few good jump scares here.
After Zombie Gras we hit the next house in sight: Zombiegeddon. The story here is that the US has been hit pretty hard by the North American Zombie Virus, luckily most of the zombies have been killed or captured and the US is now hiring independent companies to help clean up the remainding zombies. One of the companies is a low-tech one named Z.A.P (short for Zombie Awareness Program), a group of bad-ass zombie killers that have taken it upon themselves to teach civilians the proper zombie killing methods. We are about to enter one of their civilian training facilities named Z.I.P where hoards of zombies have been pacified by the use of some clunky collars and are now being used for training purposes. With Sissy securely fastened to me and Horndog's waists we entered the facility. The facade is pretty cool. It is a very industrial looking street that leads into the entrance to the facility. Once inside we run into one of the Z.A.P members that is coaching us on proper zombie killing methods. All seems fine for the first 2 or 3 rooms, but during the 4th room we can make out the image of a parade float (apparently there was a celebration going on outside) crashing into one of the walls of the Z.I.P Facility. There is the silhouette of flames, we canb hear screams of people outside. The lights flicker and we can hear the terrifying sound of the electricity going out completely and the lights go black. The collars keeping the zombies pacified now off, the zombies bare able to break free of their restraints and terrify the innocent civulians inside. Sissy didn't do so well in this house, she was freakin out quite a bit (This is where I would allow her to squeeze the crap out of my left hand). Despite her freakin out she still made it out ok (THANK GOD). I thought this house a nice effort on Uni.'s part and I loved all the different zombie references found inside. With this said I still felt that there was something missing and that is why the house ranks in at the Number 6 spot.
Once we had escaped from Zombiegeddon, we stopped for a quick bite to eat. Afterwards we decided to hit the Saws N Steam Scarezone. Sissy wrapped herself around Horndog and I and refused to enter the scarezone so we left her with IM and Schweet as we ventured further into it. I love the story here, the citizens of a small town have lost their minds when sea vents open up under their home and turn the place into a scorching hot foggy zone devoid of water. Once you enter the citizens turn their sights on you, the water in your body now a coveted resources that they will do anything to get. I later revisited this scarezone several times. this is where I met C_D and Giant (Friends of mine from a forum we belong to). Giant quickly responded when I called out his name, charging forth to block my way. I smoved back a step...he didn't have to do anything to scare me, his size doing the job for him. It took C_D a few minutes to respond to his name, but when he did it nearly sent me running. He put his chainsaw against my leg and revved it up (I was wearing jeans) and then proceeded to circle me. Overall this scarezone was very fun and is a definite DO-NOT-MISS for it's inventive use of Sting Alley (All fogged up with random mists of water spraying guests) and the look of the scareactors that inhabit (STEAMPUNK FTW!!!)
After Saws N Steam Horndog, Schweet and I split up from Sissy and IM as they went to go rife The Mummy and my group decided to go hit more haunted houses. The next Haunted house we decided to hit was Hades: Gates of Ruin. In this house the theme is that we are traveling into the depths of the greek mythological version of Hell. Inside you run into Medusa, Cyclops, Minotaurs (I pointed one out before he had time to make a scare so he ran up to the corner I was aquickly approaching and exacted his revenge on me....LESSON LEARNED), and other mythological creatures that you may or may not recognize. The facade here was pretty neat, It's set up so that you're entering through the mouth of a skull that has fog pouring out its nostrils. Once inside there is no safety to be found as the citizens of this mythological hell come after you from all angles. I highly enjoyed getting to visit some of my favorite mythological characters (and having them scare the snot out of me). The atmosphere found inside is also very neat with it's fiery look, cavernous setting, and neat set-pieces (In one area your vision is encompassed by a thick fog, truly creepy as you wait for the next unavoidable scare). This house ranks in at the number 2 spot.
The next house we hit was Legendary truth: The Wyandot Estate. This house is themed to a paranormal research teams (picture Ghost Hunters TV show)investigation into the very much haunted Wyandot house. Here we are invited to join the team as honorary members as we help them dig into the house's storied past and uncover the mystery surrounding the house. This haunted house was highly built up by Universal as having some cool effects never before seen in a haunted house. Some of these effects include a ghost sliding underneath the floor, skating past behind a wall, some items coming to life, lights flickering, and some low-key anamatronics. the house I feel relys too much on its effects and not enough on its actors ability to scare guests, and while the effects ARE pretty cool I feel that this was the wrong decision. It's still a fun little house that is pretty beat to walk-though (The facade is the best one of the night, you enter the house from the outside, up its steps, right into its front door...I spazzed out). this one ranks in at number 5.
Once out of LT we decided to take a jog through The Coven scarezone. Once entering the first thing you will notice are the burning figures of puritan men roped up on stakes beneath fire pits. As you continue on through the zone you will see some hot witches roaming around but beware for in dark corners lurk ugly hags that like to surprise unwitting guests (I wanted to tell one of the hot ones to take alook because that will be her in 30 years...Never got a chance to say this though :( ). In this zone I got to complement a hag on the eyeball she was carrying (This apparently got her to give props to me since she pointed at me and gave me a sign I took to mean that she agreed). Near the end a small witch scared me...the scare didn't last long once I realized the scareactor was a midget...All I could say was ohhhh...so cute. Overall while the scarezone isn't long or eleaborate it's still pretty cool and can hold a few good scares.
After we had exited the Coven we decided to hit up The Catacombs: Black Death Rising. The story here is that in 19th century France a nasty plague popped up and started infecting people. The infected were quarantined in a catacomb and Plague Doctors (people wearing long back robes, goggles, and bird masks) went inside to watch over them. Unfortunately the townspeople panicked and locked the infected and the plague doctors inside the catacombs. Several hundred years later we are part of an excavation crew that is clearing out the catacombs only to discover that the infected and the plague doctors never died and that the plague they carry is still very much contagious. The whole house is pretty awesome, the setting is one of the best parts. It really does feel like you are traveling through a real catacombs. I felt that the best part of the house were the tottally rad Plague doctors (I love how they look!!!). 2 doctors teamed up to make me do the scared mans limbo. they reached their hands out to block my path which resulted in me having to duck and weave to avoid hitting them. this house ranks in at the number 3 spot.
After Catacombs we ran ahead to hit Havoc: Dogs of War. the theme here is that the military has been conducting tests at their Shadowcreek facility of a gas that will turn their soldiers into super-soldiers. Unfortunately they find that the gas works a little too well, turning them into adrenaline and rage filled monsters. When a gas leak occurs all hell breaks loose as the experiments break free to terrorize the civilians (us) that are touring the facility. The whole house is sensory overload and has an adrenaline filled pace as the supersoldiers burst out of corners and walls to attack us. Throughout the whole house sirens are going off like crazy, alerting us almost immeadietly that we chose the wrong time to enter Shadowcreek. There are bursts of air that blast us at random intervals, helping to keep us off guard throughout the entire house and helping the scareactors jobs that much easier. There are several really neat surprises that KO'd my butt on several occasions including a surprise chainsaw and machine gun scare. All the scareactors in the house were required to shave their heads for their roles, going to show their immense commitment to the art of the scare. This is the most intense house I have seen in all my 3 years attending Halloween Horror Nights and that makes it the number 1 spot on my top houses list.
After Havoc we ran over to Psychoscarepy: Echoes of Shadybrook. For the most part the Psychoscarepy houses have been the humorous ones but this year Uni. decided to switch things up and give PS a more serious and bleak overtone. Shadowbrook, the infamous mental institution, has been closed for 15 years. We, being the hoodlums that we are cut our wy through the wire fence and make our entrance into the facility. Once inside we make the startling revelation that even though Shadowbrook has been closed for a while now, the ghosts of past residents still remain inside. the facade is the same as the original PS house, except with the addition of a run-down paint job and a wirefence we must make our way through in order to gain admittance (a neat addition). The scareactors do a pretty good job here, and although scary also have some sympathy factor since they are tortured souls. My favorite scene is the 2nd one where 2 crazies are running outside some windows during a lightning storm. It makes for a somewhat memorable house, ranking in at the number 7 spot.
After Psychoscarepy Horndog, Schweet and I realized it was almost time for us to meet up at the van for our departure back to my college so we made our way back to the entrance of the park, stopping by at Esqueleto Muerte. This is a blacklight scarezone that is themed to the mexican Day of the Dead festival. while the blacklighting is cool, it's not when most of the scareactors are busy stopping for pictures. Only one tried to scare Horndog when his back was turned. he didn't even acknowledge her which was hilarious. after this we mwet back up with Sissy (I gave her a huge hug and was glad to see she made it out in one piece) and IM and togther we headed onto the van which drove us back to the apartments.
So is Halloween Horror Nights 20 better than previous years???? Well, I felt that last year was scarier to be honest (maybe it's because it was basically just me and another person last year whereas this year I had a group of people and the added bonus of a girl clinging onto me...which usually helps to lightly diminish the scare factor of any house or scarezone) but scarier doesn't always mean better. 20 was better themed than last year's and I had more fun than I did last year...so in my opinion : yes, HHN 20 was better than previous years I've seen.
So this year I got hug a cute girl to me for the first few houses, got to hang with some REAL friends, and got to hit all the houses and scarezones in one night. Yeah, I'd have to say that HHN 20 was a HUGE success. Till Next year, this is Beetle signing off from the scare central.
HOUSE RANKINGS
1. HAVOC: DOGS OF WAR
2. HADES: GATES OF RUIN
3. CATACOMBS: BLACK DEATH RISING
4. HORROR NIGHTS: THE HALLOW'D PAST
5. LEGENDARY TRUTH: THE WYANDOT ESTATE
6. ZOMBIEGEDDON
7. PSYCHOSCAREPY: ECHOES OF SHADYBROOK
8. THE ORFANAGE: ASHES TO ASHES
SCAREZONE RATINGS
1. HHN: 20 YEARS OF FEAR
2. SAWS N' STEAM
3. FEAR REVEALED
4. ZOMBIE GRAS
5. THE COVEN
6. ESQUELETO MUERTE
OVERALL RATING FOR THIS YEAR: 5/5
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