Impaled victims sprawled across the bed with blood oozing all over their stomachs, creatures with huge fangs breathing violently on your shoulder, and ugly pigs chasing after you with loud chainsaws are just a few of the features that you will find at Universal Studio’s annual attraction, “Halloween Horror Nights,” inviting guests to “Live Your Worst Nightmare” this October.
Universal Studios, Hollywood hosts one of the largest Halloween events in Southern California. John Murdy, the creative director at Universal Studios, believes that one of the main reasons that the event is so successful is because of their meticulous attention to detail.
“We have movie-quality experiences,” Murdy said. “We try to create a living horror movie and we put in enormous detail. My job is to bring these movies to life and make a fan’s ultimate fantasy come alive.”
The terror at Halloween Horror Nights commenced Friday, Oct. 3 and will run every consecutive weekend until Nov. 1, beginning nightly at 7 p.m. Tickets run $54 each and can be purchased online at www.UniversalStudiosHollywood.com or at the park itself. Along with admission to the regular theme park, guests are invited to experience terrifying new attractions, including a ride on “Terror Tram: The Nightmare Tour,” which takes guests to Universal’s back lot on foot through sets from “How The Grinch Stole Christmas,” “Psycho,” “War of the Worlds,” and more, filled with “scare-actors” at every turn. Additionally, the event includes four mazes: “The Texas Chainsaw Massacre: Back in Business,” “Friday the 13th: Camp Blood,” and the brand new “Universal’s House of Horrors” and “A Nightmare on Elm Street: Home Street Hell.” Each of the mazes is designed around classic horror films, each filled with different twists and haunts.
With the darkest horrors in mind, Murdy made his fan’s nightmares come to life with each of the attractions, and with the “A Nightmare on Elm Street” maze, fans will have a lot to watch out for.
“We created a creature suit of an anorexic girl and we mix up our own puke,” Murdy said. “We always use sense of smell. She is literally going to vomit on the guests”.
The five senses definitely play a big role in the illusion of all of the nightmares. Along with the smell of vomit that Murdy described, seeing all of the scare-actors jump out at you periodically, especially if they are carrying chain saws or sharp knives, will definitely induce fear. The sounds of screams pierce the air, while you hear the laughter of audiences in “Chuckie’s Insult Emporium” as the creepy puppet makes grotesque jabs at innocent victims. Feeling the cold body bags against your skin as you wander through the maze, along with the blood-soaked leather hides is enough to make anyone’s blood curdle.
With all of the unique experiences it has to offer, Universal Studios definitely goes a step beyond the wildest of expectations to leave an imprint of both excitement and fear amongst the guests.
“We push the limits,” said Murdy. “There are times where we step back and ask, ‘Whoah, is this too much?,’ but we always reply with a ‘no.'”
For more information on Halloween Horror Nights, visit the website at http://www.halloweenhorrornights.com/
