HHN 23: The Walking Dead: The Undead Streets

[tiredoldspook]

Go online and type in HHN reviews, don't go to fan sites go to other sites. Walking Dead comes up over and over from last year. The funny thing is most of the reviews i read complained about the lines and how bad the zombies looked. I understand the event has to costume huge numbers of people but when you are doing zombies at least make a bigger number of them up. The mask fit poorly and you could see the back of peoples heads. I mean I have seen better made zombies at a Zombie Walk. Also zombies lumber they are not exciting. I must say 2 years ago HOS did a zombie theme nailed it , But the secret was they didn't do it as an IP they used piles of hoards and then they used all kind of costumes and make up. Zombies are done at haunts all over the country now I like zombies but I am not a fan of zombies being directed on how to walk, and scare at an event zombies are meant to be original like people.

 

[quickfire609]

hahahahaha oh my god, I have just suddenly stopped caring about HHN.

OH NO THE PARK IS ENTIRELY ZOMBIES is the lamest thing they could have possibly done.

 

[crazyidea]

Now I feel like a traitor for wanting to go this year But I'm such a huge fan of CitW that I can't not. I'll be sure to wear a grumpy face when I arrive at "Walking Dead: featuring some other IP's and Universal Studios" (instead of HHN)

 

[Octobers Fade]

Now I feel like a traitor for wanting to go this year But I'm such a huge fan of CitW that I can't not. I'll be sure to wear a grumpy face when I arrive at "Walking Dead: featuring some other IP's and Universal Studios" (instead of HHN)

I am going I really, really want to enjoy it this year and I will gladly eat my words if they pull it off.

 

[Nick]

With Howl-o-Scream's prices (and what i'e heard about how much the event has changed for this year), I think i'll actually be spending more time there this year than at HHN.

 

[ThemeParks4Life]

This is pretty damn stupid. I know it'll generate money, but we don't need to have TWD all around the park.

 

[romo]

you know what all i can say is nothing untill the release everything...the rest of the house and hordes (if there still doing them)...than we can have a real discussion, i am one who loves original HHN stuff but am also a great fan of the walking dead...So if the do make the all scrarezones zombies than it better be the best dam zombies i have ever seen in my life.

 

[Jordan]

Agreed, the days of Roddy where the whole event was pure originality was amazing...now they watch a movie or a show, point at the screen and say "That'll make a cool house, lets do that"

Roddy was the driving force behind much of the UNoriginal content in previous years. With Marketing's blessing, he was given the power to skew several events towards his pet projects, IPs he was a personal fan of (he was also responsible for the Jack overload, as he was quite fond of his creation.) Some of his ideas were pretty successful in bringing in the hordes, which is why Marketing continues to push harder and harder for IPs.

Im so Dissapointed! Looks like Ailleo's first full year as head creative is a mess! Where's Roddy when u need him!?!!? :

Neither of them were ever the head of the HHN team. That would be TJ Mannarino. Roddy, and later Aiello, were simply chosen to be the A&D team's mouthpiece.

I really love most members of A&D, including Aiello, his passion is fantastic and he's a really great guy, but it frustrates me that everyone will switch their opinion on a dime in an attempt to not offend A&D. They're adults. They can take the heat. We're going to keep getting this BS until the decision-makers of HHN get heat, and a LOT of it.

I find Aiello's damage control nauseating myself. Regardless, A&D aren't always the decision makers. That's the problem here. And unlike A&D, the other powers that be couldn't care less what we think. They'll push whatever they believe will sell to the general public, and it's effectively tearing the soul from the event.

 

[Jakemeister]

Say what you want about Aiello but I can have serious respect for him after someone tagged him in the Horror Unearthed FB group and he had a discussion for 45 minutes with everyone. I posted it in the main thread.

 

[SGT623]

^This.

 

[Blastiel]

I'll get booed but I'm pretty sure that for every 1 person that is down on TWD there are 1000 who aren't. I can't blame US for taking a very popular IP and putting it into its showcase event of the year. I'm UK'er so my experience of HHN is limited to last year. I personally thought the entire event was fantastic, we don't do Halloween in England so it was so refreshing to see what I would consider a balls out experience. The only house I had an issue with last year was Silent Hill because it seemed to have very specific timing (Pyramid head moved between two rooms) and a lack of Scare Actors.

That aside I think expanding on TWD in terms of not just a house but also outside set pieces is a great idea, if I had the money I would be back this year for sure!

 

[SeventyOne]

I think it helps to keep in mind just how big TWD is right now. It's the #1 scripted show on TV. Not #1 genre show, not #1 cable show--#1 scripted show across all networks. Only football gets bigger ratings--not American Idol, not Big Bang Theory, not Game of Thrones.

There hasn't been a horror property this big in the mainstream for at least a generation (I'd say probably since The Exorcist). There probably won't be another one for another generation. And right now, the show is peaking--record ratings for its season finale. Universal already has the rights*, they'd be crazy not to use them. This is like being able to build a Star Wars ride in 1977, or at least an American Idol show in 2005 (not years later like DHS did, when the show was already in decline). The general public eats TWD up with a biscuit, if you can feed them more without having to commit to major park infrastructure, why wouldn't you?

By 2014 or 2015, TWD will be played out, like any hit show, and I doubt there will be another horror IP mainstream enough to take its place as the "face" of HHN. Until then, we at least have set SZs that should help manage the crowds a bit, and--by my count--6 promising houses, not to mention a Bill & Ted from the writer of last year's above-average show.


* Make no mistake, I think Universal got lucky here, licensing the property early on for just a house, not knowing it would explode like it has. But when you stumble upon a cash cow, you milk it.

 

[SGT623]

Well said SeventyOne

 

[Andy]

I think it helps to keep in mind just how big TWD is right now. It's the #1 scripted show on TV. Not #1 genre show, not #1 cable show--#1 scripted show across all networks. Only football gets bigger ratings--not American Idol, not Big Bang Theory, not Game of Thrones.

There hasn't been a horror property this big in the mainstream for at least a generation (I'd say probably since The Exorcist). There probably won't be another one for another generation. And right now, the show is peaking--record ratings for its season finale. Universal already has the rights*, they'd be crazy not to use them. This is like being able to build a Star Wars ride in 1977, or at least an American Idol show in 2005 (not years later like DHS did, when the show was already in decline). The general public eats TWD up with a biscuit, if you can feed them more without having to commit to major park infrastructure, why wouldn't you?

By 2014 or 2015, TWD will be played out, like any hit show, and I doubt there will be another horror IP mainstream enough to take its place as the "face" of HHN. Until then, we at least have set SZs that should help manage the crowds a bit, and--by my count--6 promising houses, not to mention a Bill & Ted from the writer of last year's above-average show.


* Make no mistake, I think Universal got lucky here, licensing the property early on for just a house, not knowing it would explode like it has. But when you stumble upon a cash cow, you milk it.

Perfect example of any business in the country. If its hot bring it to the public and for that matter if you had money invested into a property like Universal how can you honestly say not to use it? I know I would...

 

[Hockeyman55]

Perfect example of any business in the country. If its hot bring it to the public and for that matter if you had money invested into a property like Universal how can you honestly say not to use it? I know I would...

As much as people don't like this idea it does make sense from a business standpoint on Universal's end.

 

[Clive]

As much as people don't like this idea it does make sense from a business standpoint on Universal's end.

It does in the short term - arguably not in the long term if they keep doing this.

 

[Drew]

It does in the short term - arguably not in the long term if they keep doing this.

Which they won't. Walking Dead's run won't last forever. I think this will be the last time we see it at HHN.

 

[ReelJustice]

It wouldn't bother me if it didn't absolutely suck last year.

 

[Clive]

It wouldn't bother me if it didn't absolutely suck last year.

Bingo. And Drew, I was referring to any overly heavy emphasis on a particular property, not just Walking Dead.

 

[Nick]

Bingo. And Drew, I was referring to any overly heavy emphasis on a particular property, not just Walking Dead.

No other property is even close to as big as TWD for Universal to do this type of thing with any other property. It's the biggest crowd drawing IP the event could possibly see for years to come.