Week in Review

Week In Review
Well, the most wonderful time of the new is over (Halloween) and this year was fun just like all the others. I attended two events that were very cool. First off I went to Universal Studios Halloween Horror Nights, and I must say, they were the best of the rest for my taste.

First off, I must admit, I bought a front of the line pass which automatically bumped up my pleasure meter to maximum capacity. the first thing I hit was the Terror Tram. The theme this year was SAW so the in tram video was a long drawn out narration from jigsaw about how we are all going to die. they do a gimmick where they single out plants in the tram audience and talk about them while they ham it up and act shocked and paranoid. the tram dumps us at the psycho apartments, and thus begins our hike! I walked through the bates motel, up the hill and through the Universal hills, all the way pass the psycho house and through the War of the Worlds plane wreckage. the entire time I was accosted by zombies, and puking plane crash victims. there were a few Mike Myers, and Bloody Valentine Killers walking around and taunting people, which made it cool. All in all the Tram gets a 4 out of 5 stars from me. I've always loved the Tram ride since I was a kid so I'm biased.

I then went to the SAW maze downstairs and it rocked. there were replica scenes from the movie, and the scenes were laid out in chronological order, as to how they appeared in the films. there were some great gags that worked so well. the best by far was an incinerator that had a body inside of it burning, and as people walked passed it, the body would launch into the crowd scary the crap out of everyone! The SAW maze was authentic, and looked very real. there was even a putrid smell throughout the maze that made you want to scratch out your smelling senses! By far the best maze at Universal, and anywhere else in southern California! 5 stars!

The Bloody Valentine maze was good. I didn't see the entire film, so I am not one to talk about authenticity. I edited interviews for the film, so I saw enough clips to know the basic premise and what the film looks like. The maze was well done, and the scares were many. I was blown away by the cavalier swinging of the pick axe into peoples faces with no regard to how close they got to my face. I later found out the "axe" was made of foam. Credit to the Universal FX department, because those things looked real! 3 out of 5 stars.** I hear next year they will have the Wolfman maze in order to promote the release of the film.

I rode the Mummy Coaster which normally is not worth a one hour wait, but for ten minutes, it rocks!! 4 stars!
Jurassic Park- never disappoints! 5 stars!
Bill and Ted Show- it was my first time watching it, and I must admit, it was pretty clever. It supersedes the "Hanging" at Knotts for this year, and made me laugh out loud many times. 5 out of 5 stars.

The Chucky maze- pure insanity. there is just something creepy about a bunch of psychopathic Cabbage Patch Dolls running, crawling, and scratching after you! 4 out of 5 stars.

Michael Myers Maze- very cool, and well done. My only complaint (and the complaint of the people in front of me) Myers has to look like Myers. The Myers I saw through out the maze looked like 18 year olds that haven't puberty yet, and have not eaten in weeks. Since when is Myers 5' 10", 120lbs? I think the casting call next year should be for 6' and up, and no one under 210lbs. Then maybe I'll be a bit more scared. 2 out of 5 stars! **Kudos to FX and Set Department: the scene and House replicas were perfect!

So Universal Studios Halloween Horror Nights gets a final score of 5 out out 5 for this year! That wolf man maze better kick ass next year; I'll be there front of the line once again!
++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
Knotts Scary Farm


I'm going to keep this one short. There were two mazes I went to see specifically, the Jack the Ripper themed London, and Dia De Los Muertos. Ripper (as I am referring to the London maze) was cool. the sets were very well done and the entire maze was a nice new addition. It was located in the Mystery Lodge, which has a nice layout. The scares were good and i especially liked the recreation of the murder victims from the Jack the Ripper history books. 4 out of 5 stars
Ghost Rider- This coaster continues to be the best in all of California! 5 stars!
The Hanging- over all it is still fun to watch and the first 15 minutes were a bit slow and repetitive, but once the action started, it was a hit. Although the parodies were similar to the Universal Counterpart, there were some that I did not see over on Lankershim. I can't wait to see what next year's hanging will bring. 4 out of 5 stars.

Dia De los Muertos- This was a fun maze because I am a fan of DDLM, as a holiday. It was a 3-D maze, but I did not get glasses. Even without the gimmick, the maze was enjoyable because of all the references to the Mexican Holiday (except for the only zombie that just had to have a bottle of tequila in his hands....thanks Knotts, for reminding me that Mexicans are a bunch of drunks) I've included some of my favorite images from the maze, and do hope they bring this one back. 5 4 out of 5 stars.

Honorable Mention:
Quarantine- The hotel set was awesome. It looked as if you were walking through a hotel lobby and floors. I really liked the look of things. The zombies did not stand out from any other, but this was one of the more good looking mazes in terms of design.
4 0ut of 5 for set design

Overall Knotts gets a 4 out of 5 stars this year!
++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++

Knotts vs. Universal??
So which park was better? Well, Universal was the best by far in terms of scares, looks, FX, and entertainment value. In terms of price, Knotts offered more discounts, and even did a special 19.99 price on Nov 1 for all Buena Park residents. In this economy, Knotts probably got more attendance, especially with the extra night. My vote goes to Universals Halloween Horror Nights, and if Universal offers special discounts next year, they have a good chance at taking over the Best Haunted Theme Park In SOCAL for sure. I also think universal should add some more mazes to the park. They only have 4, but if they bump it up to 6, that would also tighten the noose on Knott's neck.

Recommendations:
Universal: More Discounts, and add two more mazes!
Knotts: Drop the Labyrinth, bring back Lyre of the Vampire, add a front of the line ticket.
+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
Nic Cage
So now that Nic Cage is broke, it looks like we can expect to see some more of his lame films. Here are some that I think he will make.
Returning to Las Vegas: Zombie Version
The Rock 2: Violation-He gets picked up for violating parole and has to do it all over again.
National Treasure 3: Mo' Money, Mo' problems!
The Bad Tax Collector
9MM:2 Mini DV
OK, I can't think of any more Nic Cage films, so I'll stop.

++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++

The 2009 World Series Champions New York Yankees.




MLB give them the title already so I can stop listening to New Yorkers grab their dicks while they profess to be the best in the world. I could say something in poor taste right now and sound like an idiot, but I won't....because I'm not a New Yorker.
++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++