Prom Night

Looking for a good solid movie? Prom night may be for you. I still remember when I saw this movie in theaters. It left a lasting impression, and after all that's what we look for in a movie right? Right from the get go, this movie has you interested and keeps you guessing about the outcomes.

A personal favorite of mine is foreshadowing. This movie has tons of it. My girlfriend and I watched this movie recently, and we realized just how apparent the foreshadowing was. The very first scene includes at least 3. And the number only increases from there. Sometimes they came off as cheesy, but it was interesting to try to follow them through out the film. It just fuels the fire as it adds more questions to what these obvious foreshadowing cues will lead to. As the story progresses you get anxious about what the outcome will be.

You follow a girl on her prom night, as she begins the adventure of life in the real world out by herself, while she also combats the loss of her parents due to murder. Little does she know that this murderer is stalking her on her prom night. As events unfold, I became more and more anxious, and even frustrated about the things that the man was getting away with.

Now I am big on not spoiling the movie, so i'll leave the details there and go on with my own personal reactions. If you want a more detailed review and summary you can check this out. This movie has always been a favorite of mine, despite the cheesy aspects. It infuses the perfect amount of side story, romance, challenges, twists and of course scares.

So this winter break if you're looking for a good movie to curl up to with some hot chocolate. Give this one a try.

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John Murdy

John Murdy is the long standing creative director of the all amazing seasonal event called Halloween Horror Nights. With many years of this under his belt, be is capable of producing the best event in horror history. For more information about this event you can check out my previous posts here, here, here, and right here. In my opinion this event is by far his most impressive accomplishment. However, his is not the only thing that this man is known for.

Previous to creating HHN, Murdy was employed at the Universal park in Orlando. He created an amazing attraction. Ever been to Universal Studios in either Orlando or Hollywood, and went of the Revenge of the Mummy ride, well John was also the creative director behind that project. 

After the production of this ride, he requested that he be moved to the California Universal Park, where he could bring Halloween Horror Nights back from its long hiatus. 

After years of work, great challenges, and many changes, John Murdy has managed to make the event what it is today. I have attended the event every year since 2007 and I have personally seen the changes that have arose every single year. The number of mazes, scare zones, and guests has increased by a significant amount. This is all due to the guidance provided by John Murdy. 

During all of these achievements he was also written up by LA Times, NBC and ScareLA. Amongst other well known companies. He is a local legend amongst many groups, and is my personal idol.  

Throughout the years I have seen my favorite event grow drastically all due to this man, and he has even encouraged me to begin a hobby in creature makeup design, just like the characters that lurk around his event. 

John Murdy is a well rounded, man who is full of a variety of skills, exactly what you need for the high stake, versatile career that he is in. 

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Psychology of Serial Killers

Many of us have heard the terrifying stories of serial killers, the havoc that they cause and the lives that they take. But not all understand the true underlying psychological aspects of the crimes that they commit. These monstrous individuals seem to have no filter over what is wrong to do. Perhaps this is why they are perceived as such terrifying people, because they are truly capable of anything that their urges insist they do. Over the years, as more and more serial killers have emerged, psychologists have often pondered exactly why they do it. Are there conditioning aspects, is it hormonal, or biological? Perhaps its a mixture of all of these things, but there is no clear cut answer. Clearly, however, there is a deeply rooted crack in their functioning. And once that crack is exposed, unpredictable catastrophic events can unfold.

In my opinion the most terrifying aspect of a serial killer isn't that they are severely disturbed, and could act on any urge. It is that they are intelligent and thoughtful, they know exactly what is going on, yet they have no remorse, or need to stop what they are doing. I find it intriguing that while they typically  have no remorse, they still try to always find an outside excuse as to the actions that they did, instead of putting the blame onto themselves. Ted Bundy put his blame on pornography, while Jeffery Dahmer clam is that he was born with a part of him missing.

As this website here states, there are specific classifications that are used to identify a serial killer.

• They have to have at least 3 victims, with a brief, or extensive break in between. 
• They murders will appear to be random and unconnected to them.
• They typically do not do these crimes in order to gain any sort of material profit, but instead they do it for their sick mental satisfaction. 
• They often have a specific and unique way about killing their victims. 
• They choose a victim who is vulnerable, and low profile.

Now that it is clear exactly what perimeters a killer must fit inside to be classified as a serial killer, we can discuss a specific individual. Perhaps the most well know of all monstrous men is this man...

Charles Manson
Based out of California Manson was capable of many things, including manipulating a group of followers called "the family" to carry out his chaotic crimes for him. He assembled a type of cult, and within a short amount of time they were able to install fear into the homes of every family in the region. He is truly a sick man who will live in prison for the rest of his days. Charles Manson has been diagnosed with numerous mental disorders, and that combined with his rough upbringing created this monster. However, that is the wonder of the human mind, no matter how sick and twisted someone can be, they are still human and rooted from the same forces as us  "normal" citizens.  For specific information about Manson you can check out this site here.

It has always terrified me that any person, given the wrong mental set up, the wrong up bringing, can formulate a dark and sinister creature like all of the serial killers that we have heard of today, yet they are all driven from the same psychological factors.

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The Psychological Effects of Horror Movies on The Brain

Combining my interests for psychology and horror, I stumbled upon this article here. Upon reading it gave me extra insight as to why we may be so attracted to horror movies. While also giving me the base to come up with my own ideas using my psychology knowledge. There are a few key things that give us our natural attraction towards horror. There are basic human instincts such as fight or flight, the need to protect ourselves in the face of danger and the thoughts of pure fear that these events could actually happen to us. All of these combined allow movie creatures to establish films that are derived straight from people's internal concerns. Why would we want to experience these things? Well it's the adrenaline of course. We are able to reach that high without even putting our self in harms way. We can have the full experience, without even leaving the comfort of our home, or by simply traveling to the theater.

Perhaps one of our most common instincts of survival is fight or flight. Just as it seems, this is our natural reaction when danger comes at us head on, we wither chose to stay and fight off the dangerous stimulus, or we run away from the issue. While fighting or running, adrenaline gives us extra abilities. With the adrenaline coursing through your blood, you are able to fight harder than you normally would have been able to and you're able to run farther and faster than ever before. I believe that the idea of being able to come as close as possible to a fight or flight situation, without actually being in danger, is the key reason as to why we enjoy horror.

This article got me thinking of neurotransmitters, specifically dopamine. When we do something we enjoy, our body rewards itself with dopamine, that is what gives you that feeling of "wow I enjoyed that, lets do it again." When we add adrenaline to our system, as I talked about before, dopamine is released. As a result, we naturally have a desire for horror, even if it is not realized.

Each person has an evolutionary instinct to keep themselves alive, this is derived from our internal instinct to carry on our genes to a new generation. This is a perfect base for horror creators to make their villi ans off of. By developing these characters around people's fears, they are able to create the perfect figure for any movie. This is precisely what a slasher film is, a killer who stalks their prey, and seeks to kill them. We all have a fear that this could happen in real life, and that this would effectively destroy the evolutionary instinct to carry on our genes. Again, horror naturally influences us.

The primary source of fear is our visual cortex. Simply put, visually seeing a horror movie acts directly upon our bodies, and induces the fear head on. Also, perhaps seeing the violence first hand allows us to "purge our negative emotions," as Aristotle suggested. This may lead to cognitive dissonance. As Aristotle believe, we may have negative thoughts within all of us that are brought through in horror movies. As we subconsciously realize these thoughts, perhaps we deflect them back onto the movie in order to give our selves a piece of mind.

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Halloween Horror Nights Offseason

Previously I have posted about Halloween Horror Nights. However, I mainly focused on the current situation during the fall haunt season. As Thanksgiving passes, and Christmas is in the close future, the Halloween Horror Nights season is just starting to begin again. One of my favorite website to venture onto is Horror Night Nightmares. Every year, once I am ready to begin speculation I go to this site, and discuss the possibilities for the following year.

Even though everyone has moved on from the Halloween/ Fall season, the true Halloween Horror Nights fans are still going strong. John Murdy, the creative director, is still doing planning for next years event and is currently trying to narrow down the possible properties that will be featured. This includes reading scripts for movies that have yet to be released, checking out video games, and released movies, reading books, and collecting photos as references.

All along with this process comes the financial planning, and meetings to try to convince the company that his choice of property should be featured. He after all, knows what is the best options for the ultimate success of the next year. His planning not only generates great profit for Universal Studios, but it also makes the hardcore fans, and the general public very pleased.

As Thanksgiving ends, the speculation site picks up its speed. We will continue to focus our attention on figuring out the properties until they are released. Every year, it starts out rough, weeding out the impossible ideas all through out. We do finally come to a decent conclusion, and typically uncover all of the properties before our time is up. How do we go about doing this?

John Murdy gives us deviously tricky carny hints. These are called code names. They are composed of layers and layers of hints that all boil down to what the property is. It is nearly impossible, and every code name could even lead to many different properties. We take this information that the code names have given us, and combine that knowledge with how likely the property is. We do this by asking three basic questions. Is it well known? Are there many solid characters? Are there many environments, or scenes that could be represented in a maze? If the answer is yes to all of these questions, then the property has a good chance of being at the event. With this information we can figure out if we are on the correct path.

This continues on until Murdy releases the properties for each code name that he released. This is about the time when the rest of the population is catching up with the Halloween season, and we can finally blend in and give our reviews about that years event.

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Wes Craven's Scream

Scream includes all of the major dynamics that an effective movie must include. There is a strong female lead, a unique killer, and of course the intense twist at the end. This is a movie that I grew up watching. From the very first film, to the brand new one that came out in recent years. This franchise has worked its way to become a cult classic, but not quite a top slasher. To me, this is a shame. This movie does a great job of including all aspects, as I said before.

Among all of the horror movies out there, this is the one movie that I can recall that actually makes fun of horror movies within its context. From as far back as I can remember, this stood out to me. This isn't just in one of the films, every single one of them encompasses this aspect, particularly the latest expansion. Throughout the entire film I continued to notice (sometimes subtle) comments that they were making towards horror. Including all of the many cliche things that seem to ALWAYS happen. Ever watch a movie where the character didn't fall when running? Or where they didn't go upstairs when being chased by a killer, even though the front door was right in front of them? Well the creatures of this movie noticed this just like myself and many other may have. They take every opportunity to cut at these characteristics. Along with these, they even call out specific movies. During one scene that you can watch here, Kirby blatantly lists off many horror movies, with the clear intention of making fun of them.

This has always seemed like such a unique yet risky thing for them to do. However, they pulled it off. They did it in a subtle and somewhat respectful or joking way. This mixed with the completely amazing plot, twist, and character development is why I have always been extremely fond of the entire franchise. This movie honestly deserves more credit than it gets.

On the other end of my last comment, this film has still managed to develop a strong fan base, and a major recognition. Every year, there is not one Halloween store that you can go into where you will not find a ghost face costume. This is because of the strong name that this franchise has made for itself.

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John Landis' American Werewolf in London

I did not see this film until recently, but I wish that I had discovered it sooner. It is a great film, that has you anticipating the next scene the whole way through. I would love to see this film recreated now with today's technology. I believe that the outcome would be phenomenal. The story harnesses an unique plot, that broadly sets itself apart from other werewolf films. This is a must see for any horror or creature fan. It uses great creativity to capture your attention, and then delivers the final punch by incorporating details that pull you farther into the story. 

In a time where horror movies were not too popular, John Landis created an amazing work of art. In my opinion, this movie stands out among the others created during this time. It encompasses many unique aspects that gave it a refreshing feeling compared to other horror movies that I have seen recently.

In the beginning of the film, two characters bake pack across the country. They stumble upon a small town, and decided to take a break there. The environment of this location, initially creates a eerie feeling, that last throughout the movie. They feel so overwhelmed by this awkward environment that they decide to leave. Before their departure the citizens of this town give them a warning to stay away from the marshes. As they venture on their way, they decide to ignore this warning and they head straight into the marsh. At this point it becomes apparent why the warning was initially given. They're both attacked by a werewolf, and as a result one character dies, and one is bitten. The legend of werewolves that is represented in this film, is extremely intriguing. You then continue to follow the story of this character as he transitions from man to werewolf.

As the character progresses, I couldn't help but feel extremely worried for him and the people around him. Was he going to break the curse? Was he going to terrorize the town? As the full moon arrives, you see the detailed transformation. When this film was created they did not have the advanced imaging technology that we have today. With that said, the transformation scene in this film is exceptionally well executed in my opinion.

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Why All Movies Deserve Recognition

When someone sets out to create a movie, it is not just a spur of the moment decision. That is a desire that has most likely been with them for a very long time. When asked as a child what they wanted to be when they grew up, they probably replied with something like, "a director!" This alone is a reason to take everything that they create seriously.

Many of us have gone to see a movie and afterwards we immediately state our opinion of it. "That was  a waste of money," or " why did we decide to see that one?" The fact of the matter is that some people may have enjoyed that film. Just because it was not for you, does not mean that it was worthless, or not worth your time. That movie required an unimaginable amount of work, money, talent, bravery, enthusiasm, and motivation.

Some movies are by nature not as good as others. Maybe the creators did not have as large of a budget, the same opportunities, or not as much experience as the man who created a hit blockbuster, but either way, their movie deserves credit. Every person in the industry has to start somewhere and work their way up. You think Michael Bay was given his place? No. He worked hard for it, and started off doing small time gigs. So take into consideration that someday, that director may be a big deal.

 It is a tough business, and every amount of support could help that individuals dream become reality. Next time you are at the movie store or surfing the web, consider giving a less recognizable movie your attention, and if you like it, share it. Any small boost could help and it is surely appreciated by all the people involved with creating it.

Think about the things that you do in your daily life. Writing? You write to share your ideas, or get them out of your head and onto a page. This is in order to share that. Just like why I am writing this blog right now, it is to share it to a large audience. Well, that is exactly what the creators of movies are doing. They're taking their ideas, and creating something out of it. All in the hopes that someone will come upon it and take their time to watch what they have made. So again, consider switching it up. Instead of watching the big time, high budget, award winning movie, give your time to another. And maybe you will be surprised that you actually enjoy the film.

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John Carpenter's Halloween Review

I think it is an accurate statement to say that anyone who has any basic knowledge of the horror genre has heard of Halloween, Michael Myers, or can at least recognize his face. This movie has been my all time favorite movie since I was young. It was the film that I grew up watching every Halloween season, and even other times throughout the year. If you haven't seen this movie, then you need to.

It is a staple of the Halloween Season, no matter how much time has passed, Michael Myers will always be an iconic image. Watching this movie instantly gets me into the spirit of Halloween. The great thing about it is that it is a franchise, so even after I re-watch the original over and over again, I have a different film to move onto after.

Halloween is not for everyone. Some could find it extremely boring, and some can't look passed the low quality. It is an older movie, that originally had a very low budget. Therefor, it does not have the best effects. However, if you can look past this, then this movie could easily become anyone's favorite film, or it could even becomes a family tradition.

As I said before Halloween had a low budget. The mask used by Michael Myers is even just a basic William Shatner mask. During the time of production they needed a cheap but effective way of producing a recognizable, yet unique character. They took a William Shatner mask derived from his role in Star Trek, painted it white, added a few details, and made the eye holes larger. Who would have guessed that such a simple change would have created perhaps the most recognizable character in horror?

Growing up with horror I have become accustomed to all types of it. Including low budget, or "boot-leg." I see these movies as more than just the visual qualities, but I see the time and effort that is put into making them. They're works of art, that hold the creators dreams. This is one reason why I find so much greatness within this movie. Even though it was created with a low budget, it has managed to becomes extremely popular, and it even worked its way to having a cult following.

With this in mind, consider watching this spectacular movie. For what they had to work with, they managed to achieve a lot. It is an annual staple for my Halloween season.

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Andrew Douglas' The Amityville Horror Review

In a society where the horror genre is overrun by Paranormal Activity, it was nice to see an actual representation of paranormal horror. I watched this movie as a child, and recently reviewed it again. I was pleasantly surprised by the (not cheesy) jump scares and interesting plot. From the moment they stepped into the house, I knew there would be spirits within. However, I was once again pleasantly surprised that it was not the typical paranormal movie.

The cliche paranormal films usually go something like this... A nice family moves into a seemingly typical house. After a short amount if time strange events begin to take place. The woman of the house, and the children are usually the first to notice, while the husband is naive and does not believe any of it. The strange events escalate into full blown paranormal phenomenons and the husband finally realizes what is going on, right at the end. In the end it is typically resolved and the family lives on with their lives. Sounds familiar right? I bet you could name many paranormal movies that fit this scenario. Well, frankly I am tired of the same replay that these movies have. This is the main thing that stood out to me with The Amityville Horror, it does not follow the same mundane script as the rest. Sure it has its similar elements, but it succeeds in hitting a deeper and darker nerve.

As I watched the film I couldn't help but to feel enthralled by the eerie nature that surrounds it. Throughout the entire film I was constantly engrossed in the scenes. As each new event seemed to be full of scares, and twists. They created a lot of new aspects that are not found in many other films, and even when they did use a common scheme, they made it original by amplifying it.

Just when of the film the whole story is wrapped together in an excellent way. It answers all questions that you may have, and even throws some more information in there just to toggle with your mind. During this time, you are also witnessing the most intense part of the movie. It is a slow pace movie, up until the end, which gives an even more significant feeling of surprise. As you finally get to see the creature that has been causing all of the havoc. This movie really left me with the feeling that I had watched a quality film, and one that actually had an interesting plot, along with solid scares. It is a must watch for any horror fan.

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Scare Zones

Imagine walking through a cloud of fog, as strobe lights flash in the background. Just as you think you're emerging from the fog, a blood covered face appear in front of you and makes an unearthly sound. You recoil in fear and jump in the opposite direction. Welcome to a Halloween Horror Nights scare zone. As if the rest of the park isn't enough to completely have me startled and amazed. These zones are the final touch that made me so attached to this event.

Dark Christmas Concept Art

Dark Christmas Concept Art

The very first time that I ever stepped foot into a scare zone, I recognized how unique this was. No where else that I had been offered this experience. You can wonder around fog covered land, and repeatedly have fear thrown through your body. It's executed in such a way that I forgot about everything else around me, the other guests, my life worries, and just focused on the atmosphere around me. It's all consuming. 

At Halloween Horror Nights 2014 there was 5 scare zones. On the upper lot, 3 of these were located. The first of which was Dark Christmas. At first I was a bit reluctant. I thought, "how are they going to make Christmas scary?" Well I was wrong to be hesitant. This scare zone was executed in the best way possible. All of the popular christmas themes were represented, but each had a dark twist on it. 

Mask-a-Raid Concept Art

Mask-a-Raid Concept Art

The next maze on the upper lot was Mask-a-Raid. This was an original concept created by John Murdy and His partner Chris Williams. To sum up who these characters were portraying, they were members of a cannibal cult during pre-revolutionary France. Mixed in with other members at a masquerade ball, these characters released havoc amongst the party. Their presence resulted in an eery atmosphere that can be described as stepping inside of a nightmare.

The last scare zone on the upper level of the park is The Purge: Anarchy. Based off of the popular movie, this scare zone features dangerous civilians who are set on creating havoc for one night out of the year. In a time where all crime is legal, what is to stop them? This is the main scare zone, which means FLAME CANNONS! This is a signature for H.H.N. and really creates a sense of chaos.

The Purge: Anarchy Scare Zone

Skullz Concept Art

Now onto the lower lot where the Skullz scare zones takes over. These scare-actors run around the lower lot on stilts. These propel them into the air at more than 8 feet tall. They have animal skulls on their head and legend has it that they have an insatiable need for human flesh. With these characters lurking above, it's hard to not feel stalked.

The Walking Dead Scare Zone

On the far back end of the park is the very last scare zone. It is AMC'S The Walking Dead. Just like in the show, herds of walkers can be expected. As you venture onto the backlot you can only predict what awaits you. As you enter the scare zone, building rise up around you, and it creates a trapped

The Walking Dead Scare Zone

feeling. You ease into the fog, and the walkers become visible, a herd is approaching, and the only way to get out, is to keep going forwards. It was truly mind blowing to be able to get that close to what it would feel like to actually be in the zombie apocalypse, without actually being in any danger.

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How Halloween Horror Nights Becomes Possible

In a previous post I gave a brief run down of my favorite mazes at this years Halloween Horror Nights. But because of my deep appreciation for this event, I thought that each aspect of H.H.N needed to be given more attention. First off I will explain how the event begins, from the very start. Some of you may believe that this is public knowledge, however, that is not fully accurate. Yes you could find this information on the internet, but unless you have been following the daily social media updates of the Creative Director John Murdy, then you may not be aware of the exact perimeters in which this event comes to be.

Before the previous year even comes to a close, John Murdy receives many offers from executives celebrities, musicians, directors, or producers. These people all want their product to be featured at H.H.N. They realize the high publicity that H.H.N. could provide for their property. As this goes on, Murdy decides what properties he could use at the event, and he trashes the others. He is constantly brainstorming new ideas, and he puts every single one onto a sticky note, that he places on the wall in his office. By December this wall is completely filled with small sticky notes, all containing ideas that could later be translated into full blown mazes.

As time passes, each and every one of these ideas must be addressed, he searches through them all and decides which properties have the potential to translate into a successful maze. This is a daunting task, and there are three main characteristics that he looks for in each property. Are there environments that could be used to fill the rooms of a maze? Are there characters that could be played by scare actors? Is this property recognized by the general public? Without all three of these things, it can not be translated into a maze.

After a very short amount of time, Murdy must take his list of narrowed down properties and finalize which ones he would like to see at the event. In the end he must pick only seven. Imagine trying to pick seven things out of an entire wall of ideas, some of us have trouble trying to find what clothes to wear in the morning, yet alone that large of a task.

Now that all seven mazes are picked out, he must begin the precise explanation of what the maze will look like. This means he must write out every single object, detail, light, smell and decoration that he wants in each room of the maze. That is everything from the lights that shine above you, to where the scare-actor will be located, to the vine that is on the wall. These treatments are extensively long, and are basically the blueprints, or starting guide for every maze.

An American Werwolf In London Facade

Then begins construction, the walls go up, and the main details are laid out. This process takes most of the year, and always ends just short of when the event begins at the end of September. A large team is brought in for each maze, and this becomes their sole task. Near the end of construction for each maze, Murdy comes in and prepares the lighting. Each light must be placed in the correct location, in order to give off the correct effect. He puts specially created smells into each room, in order to fully engross all of your senses. No maze is complete without its signature facade. Outside of every maze is a detailed front. Just like all books have a cover, all mazes have an opening scene.

By this time, all the mazes have been announced and all the fans are dying of anticipation to see what has been created inside the gates of Universal Studios.

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Halloween Horror Nights 2014 Experience and Review

Previously, I have posted about a Halloween event that takes place in California every year. You can view that post here. On October 17th I made the long journey from Iowa to California for my favorite event in the world, Halloween Horror Nights. I had been anticipating this day since I left Universal Studios the year before. H.H.N. is top of the line, and because of this, I am left wanting more every single year.

As night fell on October 18th I arrived at Universal Studios and I was instantly hit with nostalgia as the familiar gates of H.H.N. stood tall. I entered the park and my best experience at this event to date, began. The front of the park was decked out in the usual lights, fog and music. These combined created an intense atmosphere that can never truly be imagined unless you witness it for yourself. Placed around the front gates are the famous H.H.N. go-go dancers. They dance in sync to the eerie music that is being blasted from the speakers, and they often distract much of the crowd so that the scare-actors can initiate their attacks.

As I sprinted farther into the park, the main scare-zone came into view. This year, John Murdy (Creative Director) chose to replicate The Purge. Dozens of chainsaw wielding scare-actors crept out from the shadows and began to stalk their pray. They then began the opening scaremony. The scare-actors rev their chainsaws and began to charge the large crowd. All of my senses were engrossed, and H.H.N. constantly does an amazing job of doing so. As the night began, I made my way towards the mazes. Below are some of my favorite mazes from this years event.

The Walking dead
For the past 3 years H.H.N. has hosted this incredibly popular show. They recreate everyone's favorite scenes and showcase the most popular characters. The prison was rebuilt in a way that made me feel like I was really on the set of The Walking Dead. The scareactors did an astonishing job of playing their roles, and utilizing their talents of scaring the guests.

Alien Vs. Predator
At this years event The Creative Director John Murdy went all out. Inside of this sound stage was a full size recreation of the space ship that is featured in Alien Vs. Predator. It was so large that it had to be built in three separate pieces, in order to fit it inside of the door. There was an immense amount of detail inside of this maze, and many animatronics that gave off the impression that they would come to life and any moment, a great task that H.H.N always seems to pull off.

An American Werwolf In London
In this maze they showcased the transformation from the human form into the form of a beast with expert precision. Through prosthetics, you could visually see the transformation occurring with your very eyes. This was the highlight of the maze, along with the numerous scares located through out.

Every year H.H.N. seems to raise my expectations, and every year they more than surpass them. This year is no exception to this. I was overwhelmed by the amount of detail that each location had. Anyone who attended this event would be a fool to not notice the obvious amount of time that is spent going into every single detail, and finishing touch. These are the things that brought this even to life for me, yet again.
http://www.halloweenhorrornights.com/hollywood/2014/

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Haunts

Around the time of Halloween many haunts begin to open up around town. Depending on your location, there may be top of the line extravagant haunts, or small family built haunts that are based out of their home. Either way, going to a haunted house is a big part of the Halloween.

You walk down your neighborhood street, and you hear screams coming from your neighbors home. Normally this would be a serious issue, but not tonight. You approach their home, and as you see their haunt you the excitement builds inside you. You can't wait to see what fear they have created, and it is free spooky fun.

On the other hand, creating a haunt can be a great challenge, yet rewarding, once you hear the shrieks of fear that come form within your creation. Seeing your neighbors enjoy the haunt that you have created can be equally as enjoyable. I have personally created a small haunt that was connected to the garage of my house. My family and I spent days before Halloween creating it, and adding lights and fog machines as the finishing touches. In the end, our home built haunt gained many screams and was a success.

Every year I travel to a haunted house that is near me. I wait all year for this, so when the time finally comes it is always a blast. The weekend can never seem to come fast enough, and the days drag on until I finally get  to step inside of a haunt and get this true feeling of Halloween.

All of this is leading up to, in my opinion, the greatest haunted event ever made. Halloween Horror Nights. This is a must see if you are into haunted houses because, it is an entire theme park that is decorated as a haunt. You can check it out here on their website or check out my previous post about it here.

A haunted house is on the list of my top five favorite things to do in the Halloween season. I obviously prefer the larger more significant haunts, but a home haunt can also be enjoyable. So this year when you're thinking of fun things to do this Halloween season, consider creating your own haunted house or attending one elsewhere.

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AMC's The Walking Dead

I remember when I first saw the commercial for The Walking Dead. My family and I were all gathered in the living room, and we instantly became intrigued. As a family that are big horror fans we thought that this would be the perfect show. Little did we know that this show would become the number one show on television.

In the beginning The Walking Dead was not insanely popular, but it received enough viewings to stay on the air. As someone who watched this show from the very start it was interesting to see such a large fan base begin to grow. 

Not only has the fan base grown but I think it has also been a journey to see all of these characters develop and become new people over the course of four years. I've watched a family reunite, and do everything to stay together. As well as strangers come together to form a new and stronger group. 

The Walking Dead has taught me a very valuable lesson. Not how to survive in a zombie apocalypse, but that the real evil in this world resides within humans. This show demonstrates the rare nature of humans who have reached their low in life and have become so desperate that they feed on others in order to prosper.

This show also expresses the strength that comes with loyalty. When banned together Rick and the others are capable of conquering anything that is thrown their way. Just to name a few they faced life on the road, The Governor, illness, separation, death, and cannibals, yet they are still together as one, and continue to fight strong. This showed me the great capability that a solid foundation can have in any situation.

Through this bond that the characters have with each other, it is impossible to not grow attached to them as well. The Walking Dead did a great job of making me feel as if I can relate to all of these characters. You grow to care about the fate of all the people and this leads to a constant "edge of your seat" feeling. What will happen to your favorite character?

When I first saw the commercial for The Walking Dead, I never thought that this show would reach the extent that it has. The Walking Dead has eased its way into my life, and made a lasting impression.

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Sinful Horror

When horror was fist introduced it received a not so shockingly negative impact by society. Majority of the population immediately saw it as evil and something that should be avoided. While the minority embraced it as the new and creative art that it was.

In a time where movies were just growing and not many were released, each movie had a much greater chance to leave an impression. Also, at this time people were not very open minded to thing that were outside of their norm. So when a movie came to their local theatre that featured screaming women, unknown creatures, and things that they have never seen before, it was no wonder they reacted in the way that they did. I can only imagine how much shock was placed upon those very first horror movies goers. When they saw these movies for the first time, I believe that they thought that the films were "evil" and "sinful" because of the strong presence of religion during this time. They were unsure of what they were seeing on the screen and attributed it to being a negative thing for their religious community. On one hand, I can see how this is what people of this time period would turn to, but on the other hand, I think they should have seen the pure talent, and energy that had gone into making these films happen.

The horror genre was brand new, and that alone took a lot of ingenuity to create. When was the last time you created something brand new that had never been seen by the world? For this fact alone, I think that the horror genre should have gotten the benefit of the doubt. Due to the under recognition of these films, many actors ended up poor after their credits had passed. The horror genre almost went down the drain because of the criticism.  This situation should not have resolved to this. Society should have seen this as a brand new art form, and should have anticipated the next release date, instead of judging it based off of their lack of imagination, or knowledge.

There were very few people out there that saw the movies and automatically recognized the value of these films, and these people greatly aided the progress of the horror genre. Just by adding some positive feedback into the pool.

In the very beginning of horror movie history, it was drastically swayed by the judgment of society. Without their perseverance horror movies may not be at the point that they are today. However, they overcame the negative critics and created some of the greatest movies to date.

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Frankenstein

Many of you may only know him as a monster who was created by the strike of lightening in a dark lab. Brought to life by a twisted scientist named Dr. Victor Frankenstein. He is seen as a vicious creature who is to be feared, and killed. But who is the real monster in this scenario? Perhaps, Dr. Frankenstein himself.  He created a new life out of science. He purposely sewed his body together, gave him organs, and the mental capacity to have feelings. Then, as easily as he created him, he set him off into the world to fend for himself. Or perhaps it is the village people who were the true monsters? The ones who tormented him to no end, and made it their duty to destroy him.

Frankenstein's Monster had no clue of the inhumanity that he was about to step into, he did not know the dangers of the common people around him. How was he to know that he would be judged and persecuted just because of the mystery that surrounded him?

There was an attempted made to end Frankenstein's monsters life, and he was eventually ran out of the town in fear. All he was looking for was safety, and someone to call a friend. The whole story of Frankenstein carries a very relevant moral. In the current time where people are judged for their looks, their personality, and generally being themselves, the story of Frankenstein is only increasingly important. It tells us that in life, all we really look for happiness, no matter what form it comes in. However, with the harsh walls that society puts up around us, it can be hard to be happy with who we truly are.

Frankenstein can attribute to many in the sense that he was judge for being himself. The village people did not care to get to know him, nor did they think twice before sending an angry mob after him. Now fast forward many decades, and it is apparent that this issue is still very much at large. People regularly look at any given human on the street, and automatically judge who they are as a person. In severe cases, that person could even be attacked just as Frankenstein was. Simply for being who they are.

Frankenstein's Monster was brought into this world, with no say in it at all. All he wanted to achieve in his life, was to fit in, to find happiness, and for the world to be accepting of him. Sound familiar? We all seek this. Just like in society today, it can be a struggle to deal with the strict barriers of society, but the key is to always remain true to yourself. If you allow the world around you to tear you down, and force you to become what they expect from you, then you will never truly be happy.

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Universal Studio's Classic Monsters

Have you ever wondered where horror movies began? Where the idea to bring intense fear to all audience members originated? The very first horror movies ever created, were brilliantly made by none other than Universal Studios, or previously known as Independent Moving Pictures Company. From 1910-1920 the company had little success in establishing themselves in the industry. They only released two movies, Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde, and The Werewolf. Universal was sinking fast, and in a last ditch attempt to save their company the famous film The Hunchback of Notre Dame was created.

The Hunchback of Notre Dame stared Lon Chaney, a man who would later go on to be in numerous Universal films. For this film extravagant sets were made, including a recreation of the Notre Dame de Paris cathedral. This set still stands today, on the Universal back-lot. This was Universal's first success in the horror industry, and this paved the way for many more movies to be created. This was just the beginning of what Universal had to offer.

Inspired by the success of their previous movie, Universal decided to put together the masterpiece that is The Phantom of The Opera which was based off of a novel by Gaston Leroux. This movie, like its predecessor, was immensely popular. Following these films, a few more where created, such as: The Cat and The Canary, The Man Who Laughs, The Last Warning, and The Last Performance. 

In the early 1930's Universal began creating what would later be known as the main staples of their company, Dracula, and Frankenstein. These movies started off the careers of two of Universal's most famous actors, Bela Lugosi (Dracula) and Boris Karloff (Frankenstein). Despite these movies being produced in the midst of the Great Depression, they were the most successful horror movies of their time, and are to date considered to be the most famous of all Universal Monster's. These films set the standards and the cliches even for movies that are produced today in 2014.

Later on, many more films were created, all of which were greatly successful. Universal started as the underdogs in the film industry, and ended up creating a whole new genre of movie making. Their terrifying movie makeup, and talented actors, made it hard to compete. However, in a time where anything of the spooky sort was looked at as a sin, it was hard to beat the critiques. Universal conquered this feat, and went on to make original films and even offshoots of their own famous movies. Such as The Bride of Frankenstein. 

So next time you go to see a scary movie, keep in mind these extraordinary films, actors, and company that made it possible.

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Día De Los Muertos

In Mexico they celebrate their own version of Halloween. It is called Día de Los Muertos or Day of the Dead. The festivities that they take part in are very similar to the original Celtic roots of Halloween. They share many of the same traditions, and beliefs, however, Mexicans take it to a new extreme.

Day of the Dead can be traced back over 4000 years. It is celebrated between midnight of October 31st and November 2nd. They believe that at 12:00 a.m. the spirits of deceased children can come back to the world and visit with their families for only 24 hours, and then they must return back to the other world for another year. Then on November 2nd it is said that the spirits of deceased adults can come down and enjoy the festivities that have been prepared especially for them.

In most villages, extravagant alters are made for the dead, inside of homes. They are decorated with many things to show their appreciation to the dead. These things include: hundreds of flowers, tons of different food (such as fruits and tortillas), a special bread made just for Day of the Dead called pan de muerto, and many different drinks. For the children, toys and candy is left out, and for the adults, cigarettes and alcohol is left for them. To top it all off, the alter is decorated with an assortment of sugar skulls.

To these natives the whole point of this celebration is to honor the dead, and to remember their loved ones lives, but to also keep them happy and satisfied for another year. They have a strong belief that by offering these gifts to them, they will provide protection, the best of luck, and intellect for their family.

After they celebrate at home in privacy, they head to the cemetery. Here all of the people from the area gather together to clean the graves of loved one, to pray, play cards with one another, and to speak of the fond memories with these loved ones.

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The History of Halloween

Halloween has origins from many different cultures. All of which have been mixed together and over time they have been morphed into the holiday that we celebrate today. Halloween is the shortening of All Hallows' Evening which can also be called Hallowe'en or All Hallows' Eve. Through out the history of this celebration many traditions have been passed along. Some of these include: trick-or-treating (beggar's night in some states), carving pumpkins to create jack-o-lanterns, wearing costumes, bonfires, and much more.

Many do not know the original origin of this holiday, or its true purpose. It was not originally created for children to go around and get candy, or for  adults to wear a promiscuous costume, but for the Celtics to honor the dead. The Celtics believed that around this time of the year, the dead could come about and visit the living. In commemoration of this time of the year the Celtics had a festival called Samhain. People came together at this time and sacrificed foods, and animals to the dead. They also lit bonfires for them. They did all of this in order to guide the dead away from the living. The food would replenish them, and the bonfire was said to light the way to the otherworld.

Samhain was transformed into the holiday that we celebrate today, when the Christian missionaries attempted to convert the Celtics. They changed many of their traditions to fit their own beliefs. However, they did a sort of compromise by keeping some of the customs alive. With the new Christian influence, the outlook of the dead became much more negative. What was once believed to just simply be the dead, was now thought to be evil, and in direct correlation with the devil. As a result of this, other creatures were added to the mix, such as fairies, witches, and demons.

This is where trick-or-treating came about. Celts would leave out food and drinks for the spirits to take. It was believed that this was their offering to them, in order to keep them away for another year.  After a while, people began to dress as these spirits and wander around asking for gifts of food and drinks. Even later in time, these gifts became candy. There even more direct relations left from the holiday Samhain, such as bobbing for apple, carving pumpkins, and apple cider.

Most Halloween traditions can be directly related back to ancient Celtic times. So this Halloween season, keep this in mind when you're out celebrating.

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Rob Zombie

Looking for good spooky music, horror movies, or a haunted attraction? Well one man can bring that all to you. His name is Rob Zombie.

He is well known for his music. His career first began in the mid 1980's with White Zombie, which eventually gave him fame nearly a decade later. His unique and eery sound allowed him to reach the top of the record charts within months of releasing his first single. This small success was nothing in comparison to what was to come. Rob Zombie soon decided to break free from his band White Zombie, and begin his solo career.

A few years later Rob Zombie released an album called Hellbilly it instantly became very popular. This album was highly influenced by classic horror films. This shows visibly in the titles of his songs such as, "Dracula", and "Living Dead Girl". Besides the obvious titles, you can also get a horror vibe just from his sound alone. With unhinged and abstract lyrics, and eery instrumentals, it is clear to see where his inspiration is rooted from.

Since 1998 he has released 4 more studio albums, all of which have been greatly successful. This music is perfect for the Halloween season, and it is a great way to get into the spirit. Not only is Rob Zombie an extremely talented musician, his talent of directing movies is also amongst the greats.

Rob Zombie has released a total of 6 films within the last decade. Beginning with House of 1000 Corpses, his first film. This film is something that is NOT for the faint of heart. When Zombie first released this film, it was met with a very negative feedback, however, since then it has become a cult classic. His next movie was The Devil's Rejects, again this film was met with negative feedback, and for the same reasons. The film appeared to be too grotesque, and much too sicking for the general public. Once again, this film still managed to gain a following despite the negative reviews.

Perhaps Rob Zombies most successful film is his remake of the classic John Carpenter film Halloween. Rob completely re-imagined the story, and turned it into something truly beautiful. He was not done there, a few years later he went on to make a second remake of the film Halloween, this time adding an even bigger twist to the plot. Zombie was an executive producer on the animated movie The Haunted World of El Superbesto. Later going on to create the film The Lords of Salem. This film did not do as good as his other films, perhaps the critics negative reviews had finally caught up to his extraordinary films.

In recent news, Rob Zombie will be releasing a new film titled, 31. Not much information has been released on the plot of this film.

As if this man has not done enough, he has also put his creativity into another aspect of horror. He has taken part in the producing of two haunted attractions. First, his film House of 1000 Corpses was featured at Halloween Horror Nights at Universal Studios, an annual Halloween event in Hollywood, California. Rob Zombie has also created his own attraction called Rob Zombies Great American Nightmare, located in Ville Park, Illinois.

Rob Zombie is the entire package when it comes to all things horror related. If you need something to get you into the Halloween spirit, this is a great place to start. Check out some of his gruesome films, or one of his mesmerizing albums. Either way, you're sure to be shocked by pure talent.

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Universal Studio's Halloween Horror Nights

Every year Universal Studios Hollywood hosts an out of this world Halloween event called Halloween Horror Nights, which is produced and designed by the extraordinary John Murdy. It attracts all walks of life from around the world, due to its intense detail, and terrifying atmosphere. It is believe by many to be the scariest Halloween attraction in the United States. Only the brave can withstand an entire night there, and many underestimate the level of intensity that it brings. They spend numerous hours training hundreds of scare actors. They teach them the ins and out of the business, and show them how to be the scariest that they can be. They are the heart of the event, and without their talent, it wouldn't be nearly as productive.

Each year Halloween Horror Nights raises the bar by bringing new properties. This year there is a large variety of fear. These properties include, AMC'S The Walking Dead, Alien VS. Predator, Dracula: Untold, An American Werewolf in London, From Dusk Till Dawn, and an original property, Clowns 3D with music by Slash. These properties are transformed into mazes that you walk through. Room by room you experience one terrifying scene after another. These properties are executed with such detail, that it is sometimes hard to tell that you are in fact not in a movie.

As you venture from maze to maze, you will travel through what is called a scare zone. These are designated zones throughout the park that are set up with high-end props, and effects. There are different lights, flamethrowers, and fog machines scattered all throughout. Scare actors often hide amongst the fog and jump out at unsuspecting victims. This year there are a number of properties such as, AMC'S The Walking Dead, and The Purge: Anarchy. There are also a number of original concepts.

As if that was not enough, Halloween Horror Nights offers an unique opportunity for you to walk on the Universal back lot, where hundreds of classic and popular movies have been filmed. You get the chance to walk along the Bate's Motel from the movie Psycho, you can make your way through the War of The World's plane crash set, and many more famous locations. All along the way being chased and hunted by scare actors wielding chainsaws and various weapons.

This is no doubt something that must be experienced. There is no possible way to accurately express the intensity, and feeling of fear that this event provides. It is something you have to witness for yourself, and once you've gone once, you'll be hooked for life.


Visit their official website here.

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