HHN 28: Vamp 85: New Year's Eve

[Returning-The-Reaction]

From the lists earlier in the thread, here are the songs I wish made it on the playlist:

• For Whom the Bell Tolls by Metallica
• Freaks Come Out at Night by Whodini
• Let's Hear It for the Boy by Deniece Williams
• Love Ain't No Stranger by Whitesnake
• Overkill by Motörhead
• Perfect Strangers by Deep Purple
• Take On Me by a-ha
• Talking in Your Sleep by The Romantics
• Shout by Tears for Fears
• The Warrior by Scandal
• You Spin Me Right Round (Like a Record) by Dead or Alive

 

[Lucky Planet]

Ive noticed a big crowd forming in front of the 1985 stage and rhe vampire host trying to start dance battles, pretty cool to see, but creates a jam

 

[DannyPowers]

I don't know if anyone else ran into this, but did it seem like most of the actors were actively avoiding guests every time you were here? Specifically the vamps. The TV crew, and some of the party goers were great.

I feel like they cast some of the dances from B&T, and they were too standoffish to be fully fledged scareactors.

 

[ReelJustice]

I don't know if anyone else ran into this, but did it seem like most of the actors were actively avoiding guests every time you were here? Specifically the vamps. The TV crew, and some of the party goers were great.

I feel like they cast some of the dances from B&T, and they were too standoffish to be fully fledged scareactors.

I think that’s when they’re doing bits. I found the scareactors there very aggressive otherwise.

 

[Lucky Planet]

I don't know if anyone else ran into this, but did it seem like most of the actors were actively avoiding guests every time you were here? Specifically the vamps. The TV crew, and some of the party goers were great.

I feel like they cast some of the dances from B&T, and they were too standoffish to be fully fledged scareactors.

not really. i really have not noticed this, it is really hard to take pics of them (not selfies, just regular pictures) and they dont really stop moving (unless you know them) , but i cant say ive seen them avoiding people. but im curious about this and i might pay closer attention.

it also depends if the actors you are talking about are the ones doing the dancing, because the regular actors that dont dance are doing the regular scaring and getting in your face. Prince for example is really good at getting in your face with his knife, so is Boy George. the vampires by Starbucks are pretty cool too, but maybe the ones you saw avoiding people were the dancers? and if thats the case your theory of the B&T dancers could be correct

 

[DannyPowers]

Price for example is really good at getting in your face with his knife, so is Boy George. the vampires by Starbucks are pretty cool too, but maybe the ones you saw avoiding people were the dancers? and if thats the case your theory of the B&T dancers could be correct

I'm pretty sure that's the case. It seems like each cast has like three or four that are actively out and trying to interact and scare guests. The others just seem like they're running around not interacting, or hanging out way out of the way.

 

[Lucky Planet]

I really hate to say it but this zone became really lame now.

Yeah sure the music is great, yeah sure the actors look great.... of course

But the music ended up making it feel like Mardi gras or something...
As nice as the music is, it ended up just feeling like a NON hhn event.
When i walk by this area now it just doesnt feel like hhn is taking place.

Also the vampires are too spread out and with the giant crowds it doesnt feel like a scarezone anymore.
( plus you still have the vampires that just talk to each other and dont interact with anyone)

This zone could have been cool, but the lack of props, the actors being too spread out, the giant crowds and the party music has made it feel like the least "hhn horror" scarezone ive ever seen of all years.
Even with the vampires it ended up feeling like a normal, regular new years even at the park

 

[Nick]

Yeah, the actors constantly talking to each other in this zone is ridiculous. They don’t even try half the time I walk through.

 

[DannyPowers]

Also the vampires are too spread out and with the giant crowds it doesnt feel like a scarezone anymore.
( plus you still have the vampires that just talk to each other and dont interact with anyone)

This zone could have been cool, but the lack of props, the actors being too spread out, the giant crowds and the party music has made it feel like the least "hhn horror" scarezone ive ever seen of all years.

Yes! This is exactly what I've been saying. It's akin to walking into a retail store looking for help, and the employees are all just "hanging out".

The area also feels really bare-bones when compared to previous years. Why do they even have that hair-metal stage when it doesn't do anything, and no one really interacts with it?

 

[JunoSynth]

It would've been cool if they had a live 80's cover band there playing in that zone. Maybe at the end of Delancey street.

 

[Lucky Planet]

Also When this was pointed out on fb, someone ( that i think works at the park) mentioned that the actors talking to each other was part of the act and was done "for the benefit of the guests" that it was done on purpose.

I have no idea if they were being serious or sarcastic, but i found that weird and interesting.
Even if thats the case, i wish they hang out on top of the stage at least. Not in the streets.

You are right about the hair metal stage, i wish there was an actor interacting over there. Trying to bite the band members or something.

The zone should have had more decorations or new years banners or something. Even just cheap plastic banners or something. Even though i like the music, i feel the songs end up hurting the hhn atmosphere.
It has become a mess lol

 

[Lucky Planet]

It would've been cool if they had a live 80's cover band there playing in that zone. Maybe at the end of Delancey street.

Hhn japan had two zombie guitar players in punk clothing playing real guitars in their zone. I saw that on youtube. Imagine how amazing having a guitar player could have been for hhn lol.

 

[JunoSynth]

Hhn japan had two zombie guitar players in punk clothing playing real guitars in their zone. I saw that on youtube. Imagine how amazing having a guitar player could have been for hhn lol.

Oh yeah I saw that too and thought it was awesome! That's what got me to thinking they should just start doing live cover bands at HHN.

 

[ProColor]

One thing that I think hurts this zone is that there is no "twist" to anything. The hair band stage is really the only indication of anything going wrong (half the time, the non vampires don't even act like they're scared). One nice touch that '55 had that this one doesn't is that there was an undercut of screaming people underneath the 50s music. I really thought that increases the scope and made it feel like there was a lot more happening just around the bend that we weren't seeing.

 

[SeventyOne]

I feel bad, because this clearly reflects a belief traditional zones no longer work given crowds, and was an attempt to try something new. I wish it worked for me more, but just not gelling for me.

 

[ProColor]

I feel bad, because this clearly reflects a belief traditional zones no longer work given crowds, and was an attempt to try something new. I wish it worked for me more, but just not gelling for me.

I feel like theres a combination of things that worked for these zones that could make a strong path going forward. Chucky's costumes with Klownz cast and Traditions sets could really make for something special.

 

[SeventyOne]

I feel like theres a combination of things that worked for these zones that could make a strong path going forward. Chucky's costumes with Klownz cast and Traditions sets could really make for something special.

Yeah, I think cast big. Dancers and celebrity look-alikes may have a role, but it's not as scare-actors. Let scare-actors scare while other elements of the zone do their own thing.

 

[Brian G.]

I can agree with NY being the biggest zone they have, that they held back a bit. They relegated the area to such a small area that it feels empty in comparison.

Odd about the actors, though. There are a lot of returning vamps from 55, so I don't know. I haven't been enough in the past 2 weeks to give an opinion on the matter.

 

[OhHaiInternet95]

Yeah, this zone was a major disappointment for me. Should've made it a bit more like Scareapy at 25. Heck, New Year's Eve would've been a great theme for that zone--could've had it take place a week after Home for the Holidays.

I think they nailed it with Killer Klowns, though (feels a bit like Asylum in Wonderland), and would've loved to see it get a larger area.

 

[Lucky Planet]

Yeah, this zone was a major disappointment for me. Should've made it a bit more like Scareapy at 25. Heck, New Year's Eve would've been a great theme for that zone--could've had it take place a week after Home for the Holidays.

I think they nailed it with Killer Klowns, though (feels a bit like Asylum in Wonderland), and would've loved to see it get a larger area.

Scareapy in 25 was one of my favorite zones
It really did feel like a block party gone wrong.
How many mini stages did that zone have? 3 or 4?

This vamp zonecould have benefited from 3 mini stages with mini shows.
The news van feels like a waste because they could have easily put the hanging bodies they had for purge.
I have to admit that even the purge zone both years we had it was much more entertaining
The truck picking up and dropping off victims was great. The show on top of the bus was great. The purge guy on top of the car in front of the mummy entrance was great. And then the hanging bodies by the alley.
Both scareapy in 25 and purge had good uses of mini stages and were entertaining to watch.
As much hate as purge gets,the zone used the space very well.

I think thats why the hair metal stage feels lame, because it is missing actors playing around on it, it is missing that novelty of the mini shows.

Even chucky has the operation mini show and the barrel monkey dancing on his stage.
Little things like that makes such a big difference.
The monkey is just playing around and posing for pics sometimes, but it adds to the emtertainment value. It could have been cool if the news van on the vamp zone had an actor dancing on top of it ( well secured with a wire and a non slippery roof of course) I dont know, something like that.
this area needs mini shows. Purge proves they work wonders.