#15. All-Nite Die In
Event Year: HHN 13
Location: Soundstage 20
Best Feature: Opening Scene/Theater
Best Scene: Camp Crystal Lake (We’re we outside?)
Brian: What could now be considered as a quasi-prequel to future Halloween Horror Night events, this house featured great sets for each of the films represented. As I walked thru Camp Crystal Lake, I couldn’t believe how well executed it was. It genuinely felt as if you were outside. It was the perfect house for an underrated icon.
Drew: If there was ONE house I could go back and visit that I never had the pleasure of doing, it’d be the All-Nite Die In. This was the first house that I read about that genuinely made me want to visit Halloween Horror Nights. Jason, Freddy, Leatherface AND Michael Myers? Unbelievable. Great concept and it has laid the foundation for future events.
Hate: Where do I start? This is one of my all-time favorite houses, due to my love of the slasher flick genre. The Icon house of HHN 13 opened with one of my all-time favorite facades, a movie theater with a torn screen you passed through. You ventured into the house of Michael Myers, then into Camp Crystal Lake, escaping Leatherface, then finally down into Freddy’s boiler room. Each film had 2 to 3 scenes that represented the feel of the films with great accuracy and execution. I mean this house was amazing, terrifying, and extremely well done. If their was a house I could recommend people go back in time to see, this would be it.
#14. H.R. Bloodengutz Presents Holidays of Horror
Event Year: HHN 21
Location: Disaster Queue
Best Feature: The usage of Arbor Day
Best Scene: President’s Day Room
Brian: The unanimous selection for 14; the house is my choice for best “joke” house ever created. Featuring a perfect mix of humor and scares, each scene hit it’s mark. Anytime you can use President’s Day and Arbor Day effectively in a haunt gets an A+ from me. The transition rooms featuring H.R. were a great set-up for each room. I wouldn’t be surprised if we see Mr. Bloodengutz return in the future.
Drew: This house was just straight up fun. Included some scares, some laughs, and some cool imagery; it had it all. In all my years of attending Horror Nights, it was probably the best house to ever take place in the Disaster queue. Loved the concept and none of the rooms fell flat. Brilliantly executed and I’d absolutely welcome a sequel.
Hate: I loved this house, and as a matter of fact, this may be the best Disaster queue house ever created. The holiday aspect mixed with matching characters of horror were so well done. In addition, anytime you have a house that throws multiple things (in this case holidays) all at once, it can get a little confusing. That was’nt the case here. The whole house flowed perfectly. If their was one thing I could change it would of been the finale but again, still awesome.
#13. The In-Between
Event Year: HHN 21
Location: Sprung Tent
Best Feature: Laser Room
Best Scene: The Demon Attack
Brian: I’m not a fan of 3D houses at all, I think they’re ultimately gimmicky but I understand the purpose behind them. If I were to create a list of my least favorite houses, there’d be a few 3D houses sprinkled throughout it. So for me to support this house’s ranking shows how great it truly was. A disorienting experience filled with great scares and used the distractions perfectly to set up the scare.
Drew: Personally after a few runs through a house I usually learn all the in’s and out’s and know what to expect. This was NOT the case in the In-Between. Genuinely terrifying every run through and featured some of the coolest imagery I’ve experienced at the event. The winged Demons will forever be one of my favorite Horror Nights characters. I’m not big on sequels because I prefer “original” content, but just like Bloodengutz, I’d welcome an In-Between 2.
Hate: A week before I hit this house, I hated 3D houses. I can honestly say I wasn’t even interested when it was announced. I was at Horror Nights in Hollywood and experienced “House of a 1000 Corpses”, which was in 3D, and changed my perception on what 3D houses could be. Then came this house… Holy crap! The house was insane, chaotic, trippy, scary, loud, confusing, and so on. The house was the surprise of the event and it’s cast delivered outstanding performances each and every trip through.
#12. Frankenstein: Creation of the Damned
Event Year: HHN 19
Location: Soundstage 23
Best Feature: Hand thru Doctor’s Chest
Best Scene: The Finale
Brian: I was concerned with this house at first because Frankenstein’s monster isn’t exactly very frightening. However with a great cast, fantastic setting, and a clever take made the house one of my Top 3 of the year. I absolutely adored the entrance facade as well.
Drew: An interesting, modern take on one of the all-time classic Monsters, Frankenstein featured a steampunk theme that made it completely unique to all the other re-imaginings that took place at Horror Nights 19. It seems to me like the reception to this house paved the way for the classic scarezone Saws N’ Steam. In a year featuring solid houses, Frankenstein just made it into my top 5 for 2009. I can see why there’s love for it though, no doubt.
Hate: A beautiful house with amazing sets, great scares, and in-your-face larger than life actors. Seriously, this house really gave you an idea of how a 21st century take on this horror franchise would be scary, especially with a monster that doesn’t register high on the scary meter.
#11. PsychoScareapy: Home for the Holidays
Event Year: HHN 17
Location: Soundstage 23
Best Feature: Chainsaw Santa
Best Scene: Wood chipper Scene
Brian: The 2nd of 2 houses I missed that year and it makes me sad to this day that I never got to truly experience. I loved the previous 2 versions of Psychoscarepy and was happy to see that they took the mayhem out onto the streets with the Holiday twist. I’ll let the other two guys tell you why it made the top 10.
Drew: The perfect mix of cool, funny and scary. One of the first houses I ever went through, I actually had the pleasure, or displeasure to some, of going through this house solo. Unbelievable sets, so many funny gags and the music; to walk through a house playing Jingle Bell Rock is one of those things that I’ll always remember.
Hate: This house was a true visual stunner that didn’t just take you into your typical house but rather an entire neighborhood. I still remember the entrance to the house with the Shadybrook Van crashed directly into a home. This was truly a house where if you didn’t know it, you’d swear you were just outside walking an entire neighborhood full of homes. The overall vibe of the house was chaos and truly gave you an idea of what would happen if a busload of psychotic killers crashed outside your front door. I can still remember the inmate wrapping the decapitated drivers head, as well as the wood chipper scene. Just an overall awesome house.
