Universal Studios Hollywood unveils Halloween Horror Nights 2010 mazes and scare zones
Halloween Horror Nights 2010 returns to Universal Studios Hollywood with a lineup of all-too-familiar freak show faces — Freddy Krueger, Jason Voorhees, Chucky and Jigsaw — that we’ve seen many times before.
HHN 2010 will feature five haunted mazes and six scare zones over 17 nights: Sept. 24 and 25 and Oct. 1, 2, 8, 9, 15, 16, 17, 21, 22, 23, 24, 28, 29, 30 and 31. That’s every Friday and Saturday over six consecutive weekends plus a few Thursdays and Sundays.
Universal Studios Hollywood Halloween Horror Nights
2010 mazes & scare zones | 2009 review | Chainsaw-wielding pigs
Knott’s Berry Farm Halloween Haunt
2010 mazes | 2010 scare zones | 2010 shows | 2009 review
A look at the Halloween Horror Nights 2010 haunted mazes:
* “Nightmare on Elm Street” — Freddy returns after marquee appearances in 2007 and 2008 with the “Never Sleep Again” maze based on the 2010 film remake.
* “Friday the 13th” — Another alumni from 2007 and 2008, the hockey-masked slasher returns with the “Kill, Jason, Kill” maze based on the 2009 movie remake.
* “Saw” — Jigsaw, the face of HHN 2009, returns with the “Game On” maze, based on the horror movie franchise revolving around a serial killer who teaches his victims the value of life through twisted traps, tests and games involving physical or psychological torture. This year’s maze will draw scenes from “Saw III” and “Saw IV.”
* “House of 1,000 Corpses” — Based on the 2003 horror movie by filmmaker and rock star Rob Zombie, the maze will feature a walk through the Firefly family residence, Captain Spaulding’s “Museum of Monsters and Madmen” and Dr. Satan’s lair.
Presented in 3-D ZombieVision, “scareactors” in the maze will include Captain Spaulding, Baby, Otis, Mother Firefly, Killer Karl and Dr. Satan. (Back in 2000, Halloween Horror Nights included “Rob Zombie’s American Nightmare” maze, which featured elements from the unreleased film.)
* “Vampyre: Castle of the Undead” — The non-film-based, vampire-themed maze takes over the movie and television theme park’s year-round House of Horrors walk-through attraction.
A look at the Halloween Horror Nights 2010 scare zones:
* La Llorona — Based on the Mexican legend of a distraught mother who drowned her children and then herself, the Western Street scare zone will be haunted by the ghost of the drenched, weeping woman and the wandering children she snatches at night.
* Klownz — The chainsaw-wielding clowns roam the New York Street area of the park. “Scareactors” include a wicked ringmaster, a stilt-walking harlequin and clowns named Stitches, Bummy, Burny and Rainbow.
* Lunaticz — Escaped patients from an insane asylum wander the Baker Street area of the park. “Scareactors” include the ax-wielding Alex Atrophy, the blister-covered Betty Boil, Phrenology Phranc (with a spike through the brain) and Lobotomy Linda (with an ice-pick slashed forehead).
* Freakz — Deranged turn-of-the-century carnival sideshow characters will take over French Street again this year. Last year’s “scareactors” included a beak-nosed birdman, a hunchback rat man and a three-headed fiend.
* Pigz — Based on the “Saw” Pigman character, anthropomorphic killer swine, replete with long curly black hair and red satin capes, return to the Lower Lot for a command performance from last year.
* Nightmarez — The main entrance scare zone features a “Nightmare on Elm Street” theme.
Also returning for 2010:
* Terror Tram studio backlot tour featuring scares by Chucky the killer doll and La Llorona as well as a visit to the new King Kong 360 3D attraction.
* “Bill & Ted’s Excellent Halloween Adventure” pop culture parody
* Scantily-clad and blood-splattered go-go dancers, this year with a vampire theme.
HHN 2010 brings an additional maze to the mix this year, but the line-up feels like repackaged repeats and retreads from the last three years.
It’s particularly disappointing since HHN 2009 delivered an all-new slate of scares. I’d hoped 2010 would be Universal’s year to snatch the Halloween crown from Knott’s Berry Farm. But the movie theme park appears to be resting on its laurels rather than going for the jugular. Maybe next year.
Recent theme park stories
> Disneyland: Mickey’s Soundsational parade | Captain EO | Star Tours 2.0
> Disney California Adventure: World of Color | ‘Tron’ dance party | Silly Symphony Swings | Voyage of the Little Mermaid | Goofy’s Sky School | Red Car Trolley | Maliboomer removal
> Universal Studios Hollywood: King Kong 360 3-D | Transformers | Special Effects Stage | Halloween Horror Nights 2010
> Six Flags Magic Mountain: Superman reboot | Mr. Six’s DanceCoaster | SlamBang | Mr. Six’s Splash Island
> Knott’s Berry Farm: WindSeeker | Snoopy’s Starlight Spectacular | Rock Band Live | Halloween Haunt 2010
> Legoland: Water park (California) | New Florida park | Clutch Powers 4-D
> Universal’s Islands of Adventure: Wizarding World of Harry Potter
> Celebrities: Michael Jackson | Justin Bieber | Lindsay Lohan | Kobe Bryant | Jonas Brothers | Miley Cyrus | Kristen Stewart | Mariah Carey | Rhiana | Barack Obama | Michelle Obama | Guy Fieri
Photo galleries
> Wizarding World of Harry Potter at Universal’s Islands of Adventure
> Top 10 wooden and steel roller coasters in the U.S.
> Top 10 most anticipated U.S. and California theme park rides and attractions for 2010
> Top 10 rides and attractions at Disney World and Universal Studios Orlando
Find the latest amusement and theme park news at the Los Angeles Times Funland blog: www.latimes.com/funland. Follow Funland on Twitter and Facebook.
— Brady MacDonald, Los Angeles Times staff writer
Images: Halloween Horror Nights 2010 concept art. Credit: Universal Studios Hollywood
2 Comments on “Universal Studios Hollywood unveils Halloween Horror Nights 2010 mazes and scare zones”
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September 2nd, 2010 at 2:31 pm
That’s just fantastic news! We took our two young teenagers for the mazes and scare zones last year and they had a blast. Definitely a great night out if you have 12 and up children who love a good scare.
I know there were rumors of a bleak 2010 year, so I’m glad to see the Horror Nights around to scare one more year.
September 2nd, 2010 at 11:16 pm
Last year I took my kids and some friends and they had a very good time..I loved it myself,,see u again this year…