Back in the general discussion thread, I mentioned I liked this year more than last year. Though something I didn't mention is when it comes to house rankings, this is honestly really tricky. I personally enjoyed all ten houses, and the conundrum I'm in is where you rank houses like KKfOS which weren't focused on scares...but were an absolute blast to go through each time?
Ultimately, like with last year I can't give a precise 1-10 ranking just yet, but I can put down a general idea of things. Over the course of Sept 21-22nd, I made sure to hit all ten houses at least twice, and a good chunk at least 3 or more. Something I was looking for was consistency, and that is a factor which helps me decide on a few houses.
For my general top three, I know what houses are in there and they ain't gonna' drop.
Ghostbusters (3 times) - While it's not as big on scares like the other houses, this house was the fun, special effects extravaganza which I hoped it would be! I loved the look alikes, Janine was always a hoot, the scale of some of the sets were jaw dropping and scare-wise I will say Slimer, one of the dogs, the Scoleri Brothers and that Wendigo looking thing did get me. Also, the house did end on the audio cue which I hoped it would have.
Graveyard Games (4 times) - This house really shined for me. The sets were beautiful, I liked the story, and the scares ranged from the utterly creepy to downright terrifying. One of which being the scene with the candles which is now the hardest hitting scare I've ever gotten, so much so I ended up falling flat on my side in a instant. Add in a truly creepy ending and this house shook me to the core. Anytime I went through this house, the cast was very aggressive and always showing me something new. An it's that kind of consistency which lands it in the top 3...possibly a potential GOAT for me as well.
Universal Monsters (5 times) - I've always liked the classic monsters, so of course I was excited for this one. An hoo boy, it delivered and then some! Great sets, a very energetic cast and a plethora of scares. I also gotta' hand it to the cast, since it's clear the house did reuse set pieces from Scary Tales last year...but CftBL worked that Little Mermaid set nicely, and the Phantoms worked their scene FAR better than ST did last year! Like with Graveyard Games, it gave the kind of consistency that can also make it a potential GOAT for me. I really enjoyed it that much!
Besides those three which I know are on top, but I don't know the exact placement...I actually know what house is #4 for me. While it didn't reach the top 3, it definitely stood out enough for me to firmly place it close behind.
Nightingales: Blood Pit (4 times) - Well, well well. The gore house get's in the top 4! How did it do that? It certainly had nice sets, the claustrophobic setting also helped with the scares, and there was some pretty nice tricks to it. Ultimately, it came down to the casts who were consistently aggressive in all four of my run throughs. There were certain Nightingales who never failed to get me each time, too. (I'm looking at you, Nightingale in the room with the wind!) An while I know people aren't fond of their look in this house, I'm fine with it. For me it gives off a neat harpy kind of look, without a doubt the kind of ugly face you don't want to see lunging at you...but they have no trouble getting all up in your face!
Now for 5-8, it's tricky. Got some real good houses all duking it out, and I still don't know how I'd rank them just yet.
Killer Klowns from Outer Space (3 times) - This house was hands down the most fun of them all. I loved the GAT's, there's some nice gags in there, and that Klownzilla puppet is jaw dropping. How the heck did they cram that in there?! While this house wasn't big on scares, that's kinda' the point. An it was a treat going through it each time. This one might be the closest to being ranked #5 for me.
House of 1000 Corpses (3 times) - Without a doubt, this is the best MIB tent house. Great façade, can say the same for the sets, and there was a nice batch of scares in here, especially in the tunnels. While the film itself is not to everyone's tastes, I personally got a kick out of it, and I thought they did a real good job with the house. Friggin' Rufus got me every time in this house, and the first scare of this house is downright MVP worthy.
Us (3 times) - So this house has probably the most stunning of the look alikes, my jaw hit the floor on a lot of them. An they really pulled off a great creepy feel throughout the whole house, it was unsettling in the best way for me. I had some real good run throughs in here, and the finale was really tuned in so all of them in there have been able to pinball me around.
Stranger Things (2 times) - While this year's version isn't the surprising hit like 28's, I was really impressed how much they were able to cram into SS 25. There was some wonderfully big scenes, and I liked how creative they got with some of the transitions, too. The puppets near the end were really good as well.
Finally for 9 and 10, it's a bit more clear and firm then the middle of the pack.
9. Yeti : Terror of the Yukon (2 times) - I know a lot of you have this highly ranked, but to go back on consistency...unfortunately the two run throughs I had were consistently OFF on timing. I got some scares, but most of them were ahead of me, behind or resetting. I still enjoyed it, since the scares I did get were fantastic (Hello, yeti arm and Attack of the Swamp Yeti throwback!), but missing a good chunk of the scares is a big factor on me having to put this near the bottom.
10. Depths of Fear (4 times) - I'll preface that just because this house is 10, it doesn't mean I think it's a "bad" house. Far from it, I'd happily take this house over Blumhouse and H4 from last year at least. The sets are fantastic, and I love the creature feature vibe I get from this house. An the cast is doing what they can to get some great scares. I have to have this at 10 because there's a lot of potential in this house for me, but it's just not there yet. The missing water effects do hurt it since in some cases such as the finale, it relies on it working. It's a bummer it's not, but ultimately I still enjoyed this house quite a bit.
Scare zone wise, personally I don't get scared in those to begin with, so I'm more looking at the atmosphere and whatnot. For what it's worth, I did enjoy the zones this year. (Especially Hellbilly Deluxe, Vanity Ball and Anarch-ade.)
As for shows, I did see both of them!
Academy of Villains : Altered States - This is quite possibly the best show AoV has done since House of Fear, it's a really tight show with a great horror theme and good choice in tunes, too. It's quite a step above Cyberpunk which is generally regarded as a bit of a whiff.
Halloween Marathon of Mayhem - Now THIS is a lagoon show! A killer mix of synth tunes, projections and fountains for a awesome show to watch and jam out to. This really strengthen the overall 80's theme and I really hope they can do more shows like this in the future!
To close things off, last year in my 28 review I said the only downside is 29 will have big shoes to fill. Welp, 29 waltzed right in with Yeti-sized feet. It was a wonderful step up from last year, and I look forward to seeing what 30 will bring!