1 minute read
When nightmares stalk
Antonio Hernandez / Roundup
Hollywood is synonymous with scares. Since the early 1940s, the motion picture capital of the world has constantly put audiences on the edge of their seats, upping the ante with more blood and guts than you can shake a stick at.
So when Universal Studios Hollywood opens its gates in the month of October, you would expect to walk into a park that will scare the wits out of its occupants. And for the most part, the annual Halloween Horror Nights does its job. Universal was transformed into a segmented fright fest, each section of the park representing some of the most influential horror films to scare this generation.
Walking into the park, patrons are immediately assaulted from all sides. Fog masks your vision, speakers blare loud rock music from every direction and straight ahead stands a towering pillar that sprouts flame as if it were taken from Hades itself.
The main entrance greets visitors as if it were the entrance to Hell. Literally.
Horned devils on stilts emerge from the fog and stalk park-goers, men with metal-toed shoes slide with sparks in their wake and a single man in a white suit stands with a megaphone blaring that all must repent. To put it lightly: It’s absolute chaos.
Universal does a great job putting different themes in the park, calling each section a “Scare Zone.”
A zone entitled “SAW: There Will Be Blood” pits visitors against pig-faced minions who stalk the grounds with chainsaws. Yes, these chainsaws sound real (just without their sharp teeth), and yes, it will scare the hell out of you. After walking through the area, you can visit the first of four mazes: “SAW: Game Over,” are shown in full-glory in the maze.
The maze takes approximately five to 10 minutes to navigate and guides visitors through each of the six SAW films, which, for the most part, do their job scaring patrons.
