My personal opinions, after doing each of the houses 2-3 times(without too many spoilers).
Halloween- 10/10.
The second time I went through this house made it shoot to the top of my list. I was so afraid that it would be overly-repetitive with "Mikey" popping out in every room, making a generic stab motion and then returning to his corner. But they really blew it out of the park. The details are RIDICULOUS for a house tent. You literally feel like you're in the Myers' house, in the garage, outside etc. We have Dr. Loomis. We have Laurie and her friends. And we have Michael's EVERYWHERE. I was with a group of frequent HHN attendees, and this house brought out screams from myself and my friends that haven't happened in years. There were points at which we couldn't move due to having actors coming at us from all sides. Also, great nods to the film with the Silver Shamrocks masks and The Things playing on TV. This is one you should truly consider doing a lights on tour of to get as much out of it as possible. Bravo A&D!
Giggles & Gore Inc. - 9/10
I may be particularly biased on this one, due to my serious fear of clowns, but the three times I have been through G&G have been a blast. There are certainly some dark comedy moments that get you chuckling, along with a boat load of scares and actors playing up the twisted aspect of the house. I have had many a friend have panic attacks in here already (literally, we needed help carrying people out). Unfortunately several of my friends work this house, so my group may have been a target, but I honestly think anyone with a remote dislike of clowns would have issues with this one. I'm hoping by the end of the season I'll get through it without screaming
Dollhoue of the Damned- 8/10
This is one of those houses that makes you feel dirty inside. As soon as you walk out you get that feeling of "What the hell did I just see?". The facade itself is a beautifully wicked setup. When you step in you are almost instantly choked with the overwhelming smell of baby powder (yuck). Each of the rooms have different doll themes, so you get a bit of everything. Baby dolls, teddy bears, ballerinas etc. Chucky is in the house, but you've gotta keep an eye out for him. This is another I'd like to do with the lights on. Its almost claustrophobic due to the cluttered mishmash of things happening inside. Check it out, enjoy it, then go take a shower to wash off all the bad feelings.
The Walking Dead: End of the Line- 8/10
Alright, I know we’ve all got some harsh feelings about TWD. But, I think HHN has finally done it right. Yes, the house is huge. You walk past the prison façade (keep an eye out for Hershel’s head) and straight in to season 4. They delivered with detail and with their promise of a huge cast. Walkers are everywhere. I haven’t watched the show, so I can’t comment on exactly how accurate everything is, but I believe they successfully presented everything they wanted in this house. If we hadn’t had zombies the past two years, this would have been more exciting and possibly earned a higher spot on my list. However, I will say don’t bash it til you try it. This year it deserves a chance. (Just get in line EARLY).
Roanoke: Cannibal Colony- 7/10
This house has been a hit or miss for me. The first two times I went through I had a blast. Energized cast, nice sets, and more gore (yay!). The atmosphere, though obviously meant to be disturbing, is actually pretty fun. Some of the characters talk back and clearly there’s plenty of jokes to be made about tasty meat if you like interacting with them. There are also drums playing in the background, which was fun for our group (we danced our way through). Keep an eye out for the decapitated guy, he’s a hoot. The scares aren’t as intense as I had hoped, but it’s a good original house that I will visit frequently throughout the season.
From Dusk Til Dawn- 6/10
When I first heard that this house was taking the spot of “Ritual” (the LT based house), I was pretty upset. I didn’t need two vampire houses this year, and I wasn’t sure how this would turn out. Reluctantly I watched the TV series and ended up being slightly more excited to see what A&D came up with. You enter through the façade of “The Twister”, and thankfully they’ve got the snarky doorman up front directing people in to the house (don’t worry kiddos, he’s still not allowed to mention particular lady parts). This house is much more aesthetically pleasing than it is scary. Not a lot of scareactors in here but the sets are pretty and follow the show accurately. The best scene is probably the end, where you emerge from under the temple and arrive back at the bar to see the infamous Gecko Brothers battling it out with some sexy vamps. Not a MUST DO, and Hollywood’s admittedly looks better, but if you like the movie/show at all I’d suggest checking it out.
AVP: Alien Vs. Predator- 6/10
Admittedly, I’ll probably get some backlash on my rating of this house. Its obviously a favorite for many of the people that have written reviews on the even so far. However, I think people are more excited by the fact that its AVP than the house itself. I honestly have not had a single scare moment in the house. The alien puppets and predator costumes are spot on, but they’re just sort of there to look at. The predators walk out, look at you, and return to their hiding spots. For a large portion of the maze hardly anything happened at all. Perhaps I have gone through at bad times, but I honestly think its lacking in personality. There’s also an obnoxious crouching section in this one that leads you nowhere but the exit. I may get shunned for my thoughts on this one, but I just can’t get excited about it. It was one of my most anticipated houses this year and I find it truly disappointing (again, Hollywood’s looks much better).
Dracula Untold- Reign of Blood- 5/10
As expected, this is the sleeper of the year. I LOVE the Dracula/Vlad story and was truly looking forward to some vampire action, but this just isn’t where to find it. Again we have some beautiful sets, but the rest of the house is lackluster. Perhaps it will earn some points once the movie has been released, but for now no one can really tell what the hell the storyline is. There’s just something missing. Hardly any vampires are present and the rest of the actors seem out of place. I did see one exciting moment on my last walkthrough, so I’m hoping it will get better with time. Even though this earns my lowest rating, it is still better than the worst houses of previous years. I’d suggest approaching all 8 of the houses at this year’s event an open mind and high expectations.
Scarezones are back and they are fierce. I’m SO SO happy to have this sort of interaction with sets and characters again.
The Purge is huge, and depending on when you walk through you may be surrounded by chaos. There are characters from both films, lots of weapons, and an overall feeling of rebellion. I have yet to watch an entire auction scene, but I love that fact that they are doing it. There are also some well-acted abductions that really help add to the atmosphere of no one being safe. I’d like to spend a night in here just watching people interact with the scareactors. Definitely a lot going on at all times, if you pay attention. This zone is more about personal mini-experiences than spectacle.
Face Off –In the Flesh is exactly what everyone thought it would be. There are five stages set up with a rotation of 10 “popular” Face Off makeups (I watch the show and didn’t recognize half of them…not sure they made the best choices). Just like “7” from HHN 21, the main character stands on the stage as a distraction for photo ops while minion characters run around on the ground trying to get jumps out of people. This is also hit or miss. I enjoy my time walking through, but I wouldn’t say there is anything scary happening. There are some good actors trying their best though, particularly the drunk pirates. And at least you can walk through various times throughout the night and have new character experiences. And, if you’re a fan of the TV series, then its certainly fun to see the makeups in person.
My favorite area this year is absolutely Bayou of Blood. The set isn’t that intricate, but the actors are SO perfect. Truly take your time walking through the zone and try to interact with as many people as possible. They are scary, the are crazy, and they do not break character. The hourly sacrifice is the perfect addition to this year, bringing back a bit of HHN past that everyone loves. The Voodoo Queen is the new love of my life. By all means talk to her, because it will be one of the most fun conversations you’ll ever have. She has completely immersed herself in this character and could not possibly be more fantastic. Also keep an eye out for Ken Stricker. He is fabulous, as always.
MASKerade:Unstitched is small, but lovely. On opening night all of the actors were grounded due to the rain, but for the rest of the event’s dry nights a majority of them are on stilts. I somewhat preferred this area without the stilts, as it was easier to play with the actors and lose sight of them in the fog. The costumes are beautiful and have a wonderful elegant vibe. I enjoy the candelabra/knife props that were made for this zone; very clever. Overall though, it’s a bit underwhelming.
Bill and Ted is what it always is. If you like it, you like it. If you don’t, you don’t. Pop culture from 2014. What else is there to say? ( I do like the Disney bashing of this year’s show, and per usual I’m expecting the jokes to grow on me throughout the season).
I haven’t seen RHPS yet, simply because I have seen it enough and don’t expect anything new.
As a whole I am extremely impressed and extremely excited for this year. HHN may be out of its dark ages. Hooray for us all.
