NBC/Universal Studios Press Release

HALLOWEEN HORROR NIGHTS & THE DIRECTOR

Fear strikes at the heart of "The Entertainment Capital of L.A." as Universal Studios Hollywood employs the incomparable resources of the world's largest movie studio, the birthplace of the horror genre, to present "Halloween Horror Nights." The production will redefine the "live" Halloween event and allow the public to have pedestrian access to the backlot for the first time in the studio's 93 years of operation.

"Halloween Horror Nights" will incorporate the twisted concepts of "The Director," a mysterious horror genre auteur whose warped vision caused him to be officially banned from the Universal lot. "The Director" has sworn revenge on the studio and has vowed that his production will go on, with or without the blessings of Universal executives.

Universal Studios Hollywood's "Halloween Horror Nights" will extend over seven nights beginning Friday the 13th of October and continue on October 14, 20-21, 27-28 and on Halloween, October 31.

THE GUEST EXPERIENCE: MEETING "THE DIRECTOR"

In true cinematic fashion, Universal Studios Hollywood will invite guests to experience a "reel" horror production helmed by "The Director." "Halloween Horror Nights" will take unwitting guests on a horror chase from the theme park environs to the sets and backlot of the famed movie studio where they may become "live" prey in the "The Director's" masterpiece.

For the first time in the studio's history, guests will be permitted to disembark the "Terror" Tram and parade through such original movie film sets as War of the Worlds, Psycho House and Bates Motel, newly peppered with a disturbing display of blood-thirsty Zombies and unspeakable creatures. The journey will provide a gruesome yet vividly memorable experience.

From the moment guests enter "Halloween Horror Nights," they'll be struck by its raw intensity. Uniquely themed Horror Zones -- pockets of terror - will appear throughout the theme park, each with its own array of Zombies and "scareactors." A strong constitution will be a guest's prerequisite. The weak-spirited may need to reconsider. As guests weave their way through the theme park, they'll find there's no reprieve as they encounter more and more Zombies at every twist and turn.

Here's a sampling of what to expect at "Halloween Horror Nights":

"TERROR" TRAM": "THE DIRECTOR'S" CUT

This is "Halloween Horror Night's" marquee attraction. It's also where "The Director" is casting for his underground film and where guests will be blind-sided into an open casting call - completely unbeknownst to them. They'll congregate as spectators while "The Director" observes from afar as he systematically selects who'll make the cut...and who won't. Once they disembark the tram and serendipitously stroll down a Zombie infested area, they'll bear witness to unspeakable acts of mayhem. Guests may never be the same again once they experience the Sorority Party massacre, become prey to Killer Clowns and traipse through decaying corpses at the "War of the Worlds" 747 jetliner wreckage site.

THEMED "HORROR ZONES"

THE ASYLUM

A freakish twist of fate turns an ordinary nut house for the deeply demented into a hellacious horror environment, shepherding guests through a labyrinth of corridors and one-on-one encounters with the dangerously insane. In this truly maddening experience, guests will need to summon inner strength to exit in one piece. Sample rooms within the Asylum include:

- The Kitchen: Same old boring institutional food is replaced with savory cannibal fare, starting with a "gory-met" first course: stuffed nurse á l'orange.

- The Lab: Newly run by inmates where precision incisions are made for little noninvasive procedures like a lobotomy.

- The Bathroom: Talk about artsy-fartsy, who knew the many applications of...feces. No arts and crafts awards here.

- Lock Down: Adding insults to injury, the inmates aren't just disturbed, they're also severely deformed...try not to be one of the unlucky guests locked in the lock down basement.

HOUSE OF HORRORS

Universal's classic horror films burst through the celluloid veil to send guests on a terrifying trek through a gruesome "House of Horrors" where too-close-for-comfort encounters with many of filmdom's most notorious creatures are commonplace. Highlights of the creepy confines include:

- Flesh & Blood: paying homage to film's Vampires and Cannibals

- Nightmares & Screamscapes: saluting supernatural horror

- Psycho Killers: for the far-from-silly slasher films

- The Laughing Death: for its sage reminder that laughter isn't always the best medicine

- Monster Mash: acknowledging the venerable classic monster

CHUCKY'S INSULT EMPORIUM

Sensitive folks and those with short fuses should consider detouring their trek through "Halloween Horror Nights" to avoid "Chucky's Insultorium" where they risk slander from Hollywood's least charismatic leading man whose demented demeanor and indiscriminate insults feast on the feeble, the ill at ease and socially inept.

CARNIVAL OF CARNAGE

Freaks and geeks take center stage when such oddities as "The Human Pin Cushion," "The Human Garbage Disposal" and "The Grinder" proudly display a variety of talents of which their mom's would be proud. Flaunting their exhibition of self-mutilations while dining on swords, fire and glass, these eccentrics toast their strong suits with stomach churning chasers of cockroaches, worms and maggots. "Halloween Horror Nights" recommendation: don't eat first.

GAUNTLET OF HORROR

Lurking around every corner and parading down the theme park's cobblestone streets are countless "scareactors" encounters and meetings with a barrage of Bubonic Plague-infected Zombies in all phases of gnarly decomposition. The dead and undead and every level in between will prey on victim-guests whose shrills will fall on deaf ears, drowned out by the surrounding mêlée of lunacy.

Also dispersed throughout "Halloween Horror Night" will be a selection of theatrics, high voltage musical performances and scary twists on some theme park favorites. For example:

FEAR FACTOR LIVE: DEAD CELEBRITY EDITION

Think over-zealous couch-jumpers, drunken slander sessions and miscalculated bullet-flying-duck-hunting excursions and the cast of an irreverent Fear Factor Live: Celebrity Tabloid edition leaps to life. This A-listers gone wild display intricately tosses a mix of gore and guts with highly offensive humor along with some sex and violence exposing guests to a very off-putting and tasteless experience...not to dissimilar to what's featured in the weekly tabs.

THE MUTAYTOR CONCERT PERFORMANCES

Multiple performances by trance music - performance artists The Mutaytor, a multi-media ensemble that was formed at the legendary Burning Man Festival by members of Oingo Boingo, Supertramp and other musical and theatrical groups will rock throughout "Halloween Horror Nights." The Mutaytor's blend of pyrotechnics, stunt performance, tribal dancers and pounding percussion-a riotously surreal techno-retro-funk-audience-will add a spine-tingling and alarming element to the overall Halloween experience.

TERMINATOR 2: 3D

A virtual adventure ride combining the world's most sophisticated 3-D imaging with spectacular live action stunt work and visceral special effects, "Terminator 2: 3D" gets a major attitude adjustment for "Halloween Horror Nights." Sci-fi fans will be awed with an arsenal of terrifying creatures, heart pounding suspense while acid-tongue dialogue whips at the "Governator."

JURASSIC PARK-IN THE DARK

Havoc erupts when Universal's oldest monsters turn their ravenous appetites on unsuspecting guests thrust unwittingly into the cold, still night of the Jurassic era. Only inches from gigantic carnivorous dinosaurs, guests in fear of their lives will navigate uncharted waters before they plunge head-first down an 84-foot drop into the frigid waters of "Jurassic Park-The Ride."

REVENGE OF THE MUMMY- THE RIDE

Fear of the dark, fear of insects, fear of speed, fear of heights and fear of death are served up to deliver the world's first psychological thrill ride roller coaster. Utilizing animatronics, sophisticated motion picture technology, state-of-the-art ride, audio and robotics engineering, the ride preys upon every human phobia, immersing guests in a total multi-sensory environment in utter darkness.

BACK TO THE FUTURE- THE RIDE

Strapped into a hyper-speed, aerodynamic DeLorean and engulfed in an icy fog, guests will find themselves on an erratic journey through time spanning from the Ice Age to sometime in the near future as they navigate a harried mission to save the world.

DATES & TIME

"Halloween Horror Nights" screams to life on Friday, the 13th of October and continues for six additional nights on October 14, 20-21; 27-28, 31.'' The horror begins nightly at 7:00 p.m.

Tickets are available at www.HalloweenHorrorNights.com (http://www.halloweenhorrornights.com/) and range in price from $34 to $39 when purchased in advance. More information is also available at www.UniversalStudiosHollywood.com (http://www.universalstudioshollywood.com/).

Wow!

Is this an extension (expected? natural?) of what USH does for Halloween, or is it REALLY precedent-breaking?

Well, I thought, "Why not?"

I bought my ticket on-line for the first night.
$25 for Annual Passholders.
7:00 pm to midnight.
I think I'll get $25 worth of fun. -- First night for a first-time event, and all that.

They used to do this about five or six years ago. It is alot of fun. I am going on 10/14. If this is anything like it has been in the past, it is well worth it. Plus, the added attraction for me is being able to actually walk on the backlot. You could only do this previously on the VIP tour.

I went when I was a freshman in high school.. so 1997. That was (I belive) the first time they really did it, and it only went on 1 or 2 years after that.. and this is the first year they are trying again.
I remember being a bit dissapointed, that it was about the level of Knott's Scary farm.. if even a little less scary. They had a building near the tram tour line that was a vampire themed maze, an alien maze and something at waterworld that had monsters jumping out of water splashing you, and chucky was there too.
But I'm a wuss, so I guess I was kinda happy that it was on the tame side..
But I looked at the website for this year.. and it looks like they're going balls out. I am so curious to go (the walking on the backlot sounds so cool - what a great use of those sets) but I'm such a chicken.. it won't happen.
I have an annual pass for Universal though, so I will go one day and see whats up on the tram ride.. just to satisfy my curiosity.
To anyone going - have a blast!

I have an annual pass for Universal though, so I will go one day and see whats up on the tram ride.. just to satisfy my curiosity.
To anyone going - have a blast!

Just FYI... Things like this (Halloween Horror Nights) Universal considers a private or special event. It happens after the park closes for the day. So your Annual Passes aren't valid. You need to purchase a seperate ticket to get in to Halloween Horror Nights. The good thing is with your Annual Pass you can get tickets for like $25, which is basically 50% off the regular price you'll have to pay to get in anyway.

Just FYI... Things like this (Halloween Horror Nights) Universal considers a private or special event.


Oh I know, I meant I'm gonna go one day before the horror nights, just to see whats set up on the tram ride, or if the tram ride during the day skips over the horror stuff. :)

if they offer a "r.i.p" tour, get it .we did it the year they had the undertaker maze,buffy,rob zombie's house of a thousand corpses,and others and it was sooooooo worth it.you didn't have to wait in any lines,and you got into every maze and show.unlike my friend who got into 2 mazes and 1 show all night.i think the cost was $40.00 more but you had your own guide for the whole tour.well worth it:D

I just right now came back from USH, Fri. Oct. 13.
(It is 1:30 a.m. late Friday night, or very early Sat. morning.)

"How was it?"
It is NOT worth it.

The crowds were way too big.
The queues were way too long.
USH obviously oversold.

Add the fact that the RAIN on a FRIDAY NIGHT during RUSH HOUR made the traffic three times slower than normal.

Crowd control was bad. ("What crowd control?")

Look at this time table.
********
7:45 I get in line to get into USH.
8:45 I pass thru the admission gate, and head for the tram ride.
10:45 I have finished my meal (after first going on "Terror Tram").
11:15 I get in line for "The Asylum."
12:05 While inside "The Asylum," the lights go on and the announcement is made that, "Due to technical difficulties, the attraction is closed."
********
(You know what really happened, don't you? -- The park closes at 12:00, so at 12:05 they invoke "technical difficulties.")
You do the math.
I got to "see" 1.5 attractions in 3.25 hours.

My rating: Thumbs down.
My recommendation: Go to Knott's Berry Farm. Their Halloween event is practically guaranteed to have no lines to go in (like it was for me in 2005) and no lines for any of the haunted houses.

One saving grace: Perhaps my experience would not have been so bad if I had upgraded to the "Front of the line" pass. But I paid the Annual Passholder discounted special of $25 for ordinary admission. (You know the drill: Go to web site; buy on-line; print ticket at home.)

P.S. -- While walking to the parking lot, I necessarily had to walk thru half of CITYWALK, of course. But here is the kicker: The majority of businesses on CITYWALK were closed! --- Un-be-liev-a-ble! ---A big, planned event, with massive numbers of attendees guaranteed to walk thru CITYWALK, and 90% of all the stores and eateries didn't think it worthwhile to stay open past midnight. What where they thinking?

Add a thumbs down for the 90% of CityWalk businesses who saw no value to staying open after midnight on the most-croweded event of USH I've ever seen.

That bad huh? Guess I'll find out for myself tomorrow night. Hopefully they'll have a better handle on things although I'm not counting on it.

Knott's can be just as bad if not worse though. I don't know how it is this time of the month, but I have gone in the past when I believe they had some sort of discount Wednesday or Thursday and I managed to go through only 3 mazes the whole night.