REVIEW: Universal Studio's Halloween Horror Nights

SEPTEMBER 19, 2021

review: Universal Studio's Halloween Horror Nights

]Last year, due to the pandemic, everyone was forced to abandon what would have been a normal Halloween season filled with wonderful mazes that showcased the incredible talent that exists in Los Angeles. The uncertainty of the pandemic left many creators scrambling at the last minute or just going dark. There were some notable yard displays and events in 2020, but we really felt the absence of those who were missing.

We hoped that the amount of time that had passed since the 2019 Halloween would have created a fertile ground for creativity and the exploration of new realms. In particular, we were looking forward to seeing what Universal Hollywood came up with for this Halloween season since they were dark in 2020. Our hopes for a grand return were quickly dashed. Though Halloween Horror Nights (HHN) is the most highly attended (and therefore most well-funded) Halloween event in the Los Angeles area, our experience left us feeling very underwhelmed. The energy was lackluster and the space more constrained - overall feeling like the ball was really dropped this year. The recycled mazes, the terrible (and shorter) terror tram, the lack of printed programs, and the endless lines altogether made the price of this event - for the majority of people who had general admission - not worthwhile.

Let’s start off on a positive note and show our appreciation for the Horror Nights employees who don’t get to share the spotlight with Hollywood's creative director John Murdy. The scare actors did fantastic work with their acting, especially considering that they have to work during a Covid Delta surge with thousands of visitors who don’t keep their masks on indoors. Our favorite maze might have been “Universal Monsters: The Bride of Frankenstein Lives” in which the actors interacted with the crowd in an engaging and seamless manner. Multiple cast members portrayed The Bride’s main characters - offering uniform and consistent performances that felt like you were seeing the same actors throughout the maze. We really hope that Universal incorporates more of their classic Monsters again into future events.

We also loved the production of the mazes: the design, the lighting, and the sound effects. (The immense budget of Universal certainly helps to bring creative visions to life on a grand scale.) We found ourselves happily immersed in the black lit world of “The Curse of Pandora’s Box'' - which felt more immersive than most of the other mazes. The team also did a great job recreating Regan MacNeil’s bedroom for “The Exorcist” maze - where at one point Regan’s head spins as she vomits towards the audience. The sound engineers did an excellent job with perfectly synchronizing the timing of the sound effects in the mazes - though sometimes the sound level was way too loud. Also, the inclusion of Dubstep music in The Bride of Frankenstein maze was awful and completely broke the mood.

Our biggest complaint would be Universal Hollywood’s constant recycling of maze designs year after year. Once again, the “boo boxes” were everywhere. Boo boxes are when you turn a corner and hear a loud sound accompanied by a bright flash of light out of a corner as a monster peeks out. This trick quickly wears thin and becomes predictable throughout the night - especially if you are someone who has attended Horror Nights in previous years. There are also areas of the mazes that are wasted potential - like the numerous dark hallways in The Exorcist.

And it goes without saying - the lines were completely unbearable. We made a deliberate choice to not go as Media in order to give an honest review of Horror Nights. (Universal gives free passes to Media and influencers in exchange for favorable posts and reviews). As general admission ticket holders, we had to wait in the regular lines like most people who attend this overcrowded event. The wait in most lines was over an hour. If you don’t have a plan for how to tackle this event, you might spend most of your night waiting in lines. We made a specific plan which began with arriving at Universal before the 6 pm, unannounced magic hour. Then, we ran to the lower lot and queued up for The Exorcist and then did The Texas Chainsaw Massacre. We completed both mazes before most people arrived. If you start off your night with the lower lot, and then make a plan for when you go back upstairs, you should be able to experience all of Horror Nights. Keep in mind that the mazes have different opening times, between 6:15 pm and 8:00 pm. Go with a plan otherwise you are not going to see much.

We understand that a lot of people love John Murdy, however we have been consistently disappointed by what he brings to Universal Studios Hollywood. Murdy lacks the vision and imagination that Universal Orlando’s Michael Aiello holds. Aiello brings to life original characters and creates enthralling mazes - offering an overall more satisfying visitor experience. It’s frustrating to think that Murdy could do so much better with his exceptional creative team and limitless budget however he just delivers the same lukewarm event year after year.

VC

September 19, 2021

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