Halloween Horror Nights 29 General Discussion

[Sledge]

Like, I can understand in the MARKETING for the event, but they're not even allowed to appear in their own houses? If, say, Dead Exposure and Scary Tales can appear at the event, couldn't Silver Screams, as long as Usher wasn't on the marketing?

No one said that. Use your head and apply a little common sense here. All that was said was the the jamokes in marketing don't see Usher (or any icon other that Jack) as a strong enough characters to base the event's marketing around. In fact, @Legacy didn't even require a Rick and Morty gif and made it perfectly clear when he said "Any of the icons can appear." I know you saw it; you quoted it.

 

[OhHaiInternet95]

No one said that. Use your head and apply a little common sense here. All that was said was the the jamokes in marketing don't see Usher (or any icon other that Jack) as a strong enough characters to base the event's marketing around. In fact, @Legacy didn't even require a Rick and Morty gif and made it perfectly clear when he said "Any of the icons can appear." I know you saw it; you quoted it.

Sorry, “using” was the confusing word. But I guess he meant to base the event around.

 

[GA-MBIT]

If we aren’t expecting a new icon, can we expect some sort of a unifying theme? Last year had the whole 80s theme but it was honestly a little hit or miss especially with half the park going unthemed. Do we think they’ll go any further in that direction?

 

[Legacy]

If we aren’t expecting a new icon, can we expect some sort of a unifying theme? Last year had the whole 80s theme but it was honestly a little hit or miss especially with half the park going unthemed. Do we think they’ll go any further in that direction?

I think 28 was about the best we'll get until 30 for a "unifying theme."

 

[jrn14]

I finished Haunting of Hill House last night and there is more than enough material here for a great and atmospheric house. I really hope it comes next year. Fantastically terrifying show, and not the ghosts aren't the only haunting part. HIGHLY recommended.

 

[Legacy]

Here's one of the "challenges" of converting Hill House - really, converting any atmospheric "ghost" house but Hill House especially.

The tone of the show, and the way the scares work, is very "static." It's a face in a mirror. It's something watching you from a hallway. Throughout the entire series, there's only 3 true "startle scares" that stand out.

Spoiler

The body in the basement, the "Bent-Neck Woman" at the hotel (when she drops from the ceiling), and Nell screaming in the car (which wouldn't actually work in a house)

Now, HHN has done these sorts of "haunted manor" houses before. Legendary Truth: The Wyandot Estate, Winter's Night, and Dead End were all concerted efforts to match the eerie, slow haunting of this sort of story. The problem is they didn't really work. None of those three houses, despite their beauty and the effects they used, were considered "scary" (by most people) and were chalked up as disappointments. I think that's why that style of house hasn't been attempted sense.

There are some fantastic visuals in Hill House. The Bent-Neck Woman, the Bowler Hat Ghost, Poppy, will all be great to see in-person. But, apart from one scene (in the spoiler), none of those characters actually DO anything.


Another direction: I didn't realize the new Child's Play is getting released in June. That is a prime HHN release window.

 

[OhHaiInternet95]

Here's one of the "challenges" of converting Hill House - really, converting any atmospheric "ghost" house but Hill House especially.

The tone of the show, and the way the scares work, is very "static." It's a face in a mirror. It's something watching you from a hallway. Throughout the entire series, there's only 3 true "startle scares" that stand out.

Spoiler

The body in the basement, the "Bent-Neck Woman" at the hotel (when she drops from the ceiling), and Nell screaming in the car (which wouldn't actually work in a house)

Now, HHN has done these sorts of "haunted manor" houses before. Legendary Truth: The Wyandot Estate, Winter's Night, and Dead End were all concerted efforts to match the eerie, slow haunting of this sort of story. The problem is they didn't really work. None of those three houses, despite their beauty and the effects they used, were considered "scary" (by most people) and were chalked up as disappointments. I think that's why that style of house hasn't been attempted sense.

There are some fantastic visuals in Hill House. The Bent-Neck Woman, the Bowler Hat Ghost, Poppy, will all be great to see in-person. But, apart from one scene (in the spoiler), none of those characters actually DO anything.


Another direction: I didn't realize the new Child's Play is getting released in June. That is a prime HHN release window.

I mean, it's good that HHN still cares about being scary. Thinking about an idea someone on Nightmares had, giving Revenge of Chucky the "Trick R Treatment" (EDIT: the Saws 'N Steam route) would be good for another shot at a wide open house (a toy store).

 

[NuteGunrayWasFramed]

Here's one of the "challenges" of converting Hill House - really, converting any atmospheric "ghost" house but Hill House especially.

The tone of the show, and the way the scares work, is very "static." It's a face in a mirror. It's something watching you from a hallway. Throughout the entire series, there's only 3 true "startle scares" that stand out.

Spoiler

The body in the basement, the "Bent-Neck Woman" at the hotel (when she drops from the ceiling), and Nell screaming in the car (which wouldn't actually work in a house)

Now, HHN has done these sorts of "haunted manor" houses before. Legendary Truth: The Wyandot Estate, Winter's Night, and Dead End were all concerted efforts to match the eerie, slow haunting of this sort of story. The problem is they didn't really work. None of those three houses, despite their beauty and the effects they used, were considered "scary" (by most people) and were chalked up as disappointments. I think that's why that style of house hasn't been attempted sense.

There are some fantastic visuals in Hill House. The Bent-Neck Woman, the Bowler Hat Ghost, Poppy, will all be great to see in-person. But, apart from one scene (in the spoiler), none of those characters actually DO anything.


Another direction: I didn't realize the new Child's Play is getting released in June. That is a prime HHN release window.

You forgot Mister Smiley (minor, yes) but it's there.

 

[Legacy]

I mean, it's good that HHN still cares about being scary. Thinking about an idea someone on Nightmares had, giving Revenge of Chucky the "Trick R Treatment" would be good for another shot at a wide open house (a toy store).

I don't like "Trick R Treatment."

Saws and Steam did it first.

 

[horrornights789]

You forgot Mister Smiley (minor, yes) but it's there.

And the Grandma and Burning Man

 

[OhHaiInternet95]

I don't like "Trick R Treatment."

Saws and Steam did it first.

That sucks LOL. Good word play opportunity.

That seemed to be a pretty polarizing house, BTW. Man, I'm hoping we get some sequels to houses from 21 at 30.

 

[jrn14]

Here's one of the "challenges" of converting Hill House - really, converting any atmospheric "ghost" house but Hill House especially.

The tone of the show, and the way the scares work, is very "static." It's a face in a mirror. It's something watching you from a hallway. Throughout the entire series, there's only 3 true "startle scares" that stand out.

Spoiler

The body in the basement, the "Bent-Neck Woman" at the hotel (when she drops from the ceiling), and Nell screaming in the car (which wouldn't actually work in a house)

Now, HHN has done these sorts of "haunted manor" houses before. Legendary Truth: The Wyandot Estate, Winter's Night, and Dead End were all concerted efforts to match the eerie, slow haunting of this sort of story. The problem is they didn't really work. None of those three houses, despite their beauty and the effects they used, were considered "scary" (by most people) and were chalked up as disappointments. I think that's why that style of house hasn't been attempted sense.

There are some fantastic visuals in Hill House. The Bent-Neck Woman, the Bowler Hat Ghost, Poppy, will all be great to see in-person. But, apart from one scene (in the spoiler), none of those characters actually DO anything.


Another direction: I didn't realize the new Child's Play is getting released in June. That is a prime HHN release window.

These are good points, but as i've seen HHN do countless times you don't really need an iconic jump scare to make a haunted house. I love how they use scenes that aren't really scary at all and create scares out of them... (The cat lady opening the door in trick r treat, the pirate kid, zelda rubenstein coming out of the corner and quoting one of her iconic lines scared the bejesus out of me this year)

I think from an artistic point of view there is a lot here... and I think there are some real scares in the funeral home that can be done, the dumbwaiter, and dream sequences in the finale that you hadn't mentioned.

I know they like to use prerecorded audio from the IP they are portraying and a lot of these ghosts/scares are silent, but I'm sure they could incorporate loud bangs, or thunder and have a ghost jump out.

 

[RevFreako]

Another direction: I didn't realize the new Child's Play is getting released in June. That is a prime HHN release window.

That Child's Play is unrelated to Chucky (which Universal owns the entire franchise except the first movie) and involved neither Brad Dourif nor creator Don Mancini. You won't see it at HNN.

 

[Legacy]

These are good points, but as i've seen HHN do countless times you don't really need an iconic jump scare to make a haunted house. I love how they use scenes that aren't really scary at all and create scares out of them... (The cat lady opening the door in trick r treat, the pirate kid, zelda rubenstein coming out of the corner and quoting one of her iconic lines scared the bejesus out of me this year)

I think from an artistic point of view there is a lot here... and I think there are some real scares in the funeral home that can be done, the dumbwaiter, and dream sequences in the finale that you hadn't mentioned.

I know they like to use prerecorded audio from the IP they are portraying and a lot of these ghosts/scares are silent, but I'm sure they could incorporate loud bangs, or thunder and have a ghost jump out.

Watching the show, I was looking really hard at how best to adapt it as a house. The funeral home episode has, probably, the best "haunted house" moments:

Spoiler

The coffin falling and the exploding glass during the storm

The first (if done literally) requires a fairly long, rather unnatural reset. They can approximate it though.

But tone is the issue. Adding startle scares to a movie that already has several built-in startle scares and high intensity scenes (like Trick R Treat and Poltergeist) is fairly easy. That doesn't happen in Hill House. For the most part, you see the ghosts coming (if you actually see them). The scariness of Hill House comes from the fact that so many things are watching the characters. They're not really doing anything though. If you start making them DO stuff, then you're altering what made the show effective in the first place.

The Wyandot Estate really tried this. The ghosts in that house, for the most part, were glimpses. They would speed past you out of the corner of your eye. They would appear in walls for a fraction of a second. A handful of scenes would have them linger, but most of the scares were of a "Did I see that variety." That's the tone HHN would likely try to take for Hill House.

And it didn't really work before - at least not as gang-busters as it was expected to.
​

You forgot Mister Smiley (minor, yes) but it's there.

And the Grandma and Burning Man

Mister Smiley never appears in Hill House (and probably should be used, considering what he represents).

Grandma (Hazel) literally just sits there. And I don't remember Burning Man (which tells you the impact he had).

There dozens of ghosts. We could sit here and name them all. None of them really DO anything though. Even Poppy, who we see the most, is intentionally NOT scary.

 

[jrn14]

yeah, I agree it would def be a challenge and I could see it not being the scariest house, but I (personally) would love to see it happen.

Great point about the tone though... I was trying to describe why I felt the show was so scary... and a lot of it is the quiet shots of a giant open rooms and hallways and the dread of not knowing what's there a lot of tension building and mood setting, which doesn't really translate to a haunted house... and quiet... but I have faith haha.

 

[Clive]

I mentioned this in the Hollywood thread, but I'll say it again here:

Merchandising loves Chucky. I think there's a high chance they "Halloween 4" Chucky next year - i.e. they do a Chucky-based maze centered on the IP they can control (Child's Play 2 and later).

 

[JunoSynth]

I mentioned this in the Hollywood thread, but I'll say it again here:

Merchandising loves Chucky. I think there's a high chance they "Halloween 4" Chucky next year - i.e. they do a Chucky-based maze centered on the IP they can control (Child's Play 2 and later).

Is that because his stuff sells well? I know the little mini poster they had there looked really cool and I had to buy one.

 

[truejonas]

The Last Of Us: Ss 25, would like to see this come as the game really lends itself to a house and a new game is coming, Universal already has clicker costumes(Sox) too,( AHS could work here otherwise)

I would cry tears of joy so hard. Every piece of merch would be purchase by yours truly. I would refuse to leave the house. I would cling to the scareactors and beg them to never let me go.

I don’t know what Universal’s relationship with Sony is, but as that’s a PlayStation exclusive (both Silent Hill and ResE are multi platform), they’d have to drive a hard bargain. On the plus side, Naughty Dog would probably get involved, so I think it would be great. Not sure on the commercial viability for HHN though.

 

[RevFreako]

I mentioned this in the Hollywood thread, but I'll say it again here:

Merchandising loves Chucky. I think there's a high chance they "Halloween 4" Chucky next year - i.e. they do a Chucky-based maze centered on the IP they can control (Child's Play 2 and later).

Absolutely, unless the timing if the TV show makes 30 a better fit.

 

[horrornights789]

Not sure if it’s to be believed or not but HHNU is reporting that there’s been one IP locked for HHN29 besides Stranger Things 2. It may or may not be surprising depending on your speculation list:

Spoiler: Maybe spoiler if true

Hellraiser

My guess would be 1+2 but it could just be a Poltergeist type where it’s purely the first film.