The Advance Screaming Post

Halloween is in the air and its time again for Universal Studio’s to put on their Halloween Horror Nights event. The park is transformed at nightfall into a creepy carnival featuring haunted houses, eerie actors and long lines. Tonight was the employees only advance showing of the event for this year and I got to go thanks to the awesome efforts of Rich and Henry at the office. Unfortunately I was seemingly unable to coordinate the other people who where going and ended up toughing the night out solo. While there is a lot to do and see and some really cool effects and scares to be had, it definitely loses something having to do it on your own. I saw a lot, but not nearly everything, and look forward to going again on a regular night with Sarah when she is down for Halloween next month.

This year’s theming was much more impressive than last year’s and overall it was a better production. Featuring characters like Leatherface, Freddy Kruger and Jason and some awesome carnival creepiness the whole park really came off a lot better than last year’s attempt. Unfortunately the food wasn’t free this time, and there where no light up glasses with interesting beers (beer came in plastic cups and was limited to Bud only). The Bill and Ted show had its wings clipped noticeably from last year’s raucous show, though still posed a few good pop-culture oriented jabs. Unfortunately it kept falling back to making fun of Britney Spears (though the ‘leave Britney alone’ audio was classic). They where forbidding any and all photography and filming during the show this time too which is a bummer. But any show featuring a phone booth transformer-ing into Optimus Prime while Leonidus the Spartan tosses javelins at Lindsey Lohan is ok in my book.