And that's exactly my point. I even forgot the backstory since seeing the movie once in the theaters a decade or so ago. But guess what? Doesn't impact my enjoyment of the film at all. I still recall liking the movie. It could have been the war of 1812 or the Iraq War. I don't get bogged down with the details
If I think Jack was stuck in Fear's lantern and he was actually in the jack-in-a-box or locked up in Hellgate or Shadybrook or wherever, doesn't matter. He's a scary clown dating a Harley Quinn ripoff. That's all I need to know to enjoy any house he's in. To think that a 2 minute walkthrough with 10 rooms and scares/interactions you might only get every third time through tells a deep narrative story is silly. Lots of people go one night only and they enjoy the houses for what they are.
Not trying to start an argument, just stating my personal opinion and I feel bad when newbies post their, "This is my first HHN, so excited!!!! What's Jack's backstory!?!?!? I need to know before I can enjoy the event!" and that makes me sad. You need to enjoy the house for what it is, and what you get out of it, and not go in thinking of 20 years of event history and trying to figure out how it all plays in. Don't want people thinking they won't enjoy the event if they don't understand the entire hisotry. All the power to you if you want to analyze the house during/after the event and flesh out and update the history/canon. Just not my cup of tea.