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Universal Studios Hollywood Halloween Horror Nights – Review
Universal Studios Halloween Horror Nights continues to be considered a great experience and continues to outdo themselves each year. The theme park goes all out to transform its grounds into a spooky and immersive Halloween experience. They use detailed sets, props, and special effects to create a genuinely eerie atmosphere that transports visitors into the world of horror.
This year, the park offered eight new houses, including Evil Dead Rise, Chucky: Ultimate Kill Count, Holidayz In Hell, Universal Monsters Unmasked, The Exorcist: Believer, The Last of Us, Monstruos: The Monsters of Latin America, and Stranger Things. The terror tram was also newly themed this year to The Exterminatorz, and I was pleased with the change. The Exterminatorz offered a fresh new take on the terror tram, no clowns and no zombies this year. Larry Larva is the host and using the bugs gimmick could be terrifying for guests who HATE bugs! Throughout the attraction an updated creepy version of the ‘Its Bitty Spider,” which I enjoyed. Be forewarned, the song will be stuck in your head.
Chucky: Ultimate Kill Count and Holidayz In Hell – Tied for #1
Immediately after attending the event, I was asked what was my favorite and least favorite and how this event compares to years past (I have been attending this event since 2007). I had a tie for my favorite: Chucky: Ultimate Kill Count and Holidayz In Hell this year. This is the first year ever that Chucky has had his own house. We’ve seen him on the tram, and he even had a show where he insulted guests; now he’ll be doing the killing! No live actor portrayed Chucky; he was completely animatronic and puppeteered. The house was based on the films that Universal produced along with the television series. Next up tied as my favorite was Holidayz in Hell. Starting from the New Year’s Countdown, each room is themed with a twist for a different holiday, including an Easter Bunny who is demented and a blood-thirsty Cupid; even though this is a repeat from 2019, it is still gratifying.
What made it into last place?
One of the most difficult questions. “Well, what didn’t you like?” The attention to detail and time spent on each one of these houses is incredible and if I had to pick a maze out of the bunch that was the most forgettable it would have been Monstruos: The Monsters of Latin America. This wasn’t because it was a horrible house, it was the first one I experienced and on my way out of the park, I really thought I hadn’t gone through it and after doing a double take it was realized that I had indeed already gone through it. Overall I couldn’t rank something in last place because of the power and craftsmanship that is vested in each house.
Do you need an Express Pass? (front of the line).
Another big question. This all depends on what you want out of the event. If you don’t mind waiting in some long lines and aren’t too interested in any of the rides, then you should be able to get most of it done, on a weeknight without the Express Pass. If you’re hoping to get through everything and the rides, I highly recommend the Express Pass. Just as a note, Super Nintendo World was not opened during this event.
Final Thoughts
A powerful year for Universal Studios Hollywood’s Halloween Horror Nights and it was one heck of a good time! Over the years the park sure has ramped up the scares and has grown its brand. From the number of mazes, shows, and food, Halloween Horror Nights has something to offer everyone. If this is your jam, you won’t be disappointed. Some substantial houses were part of their lineup. Have we seen better? Sure. Have we seen worse? Yes. For me, this year settled right in the middle. However, everything was good on its own, and I’m sure everyone worked hard to bring this tradition to life. Universal continues to do what they have done for a hundred years now, entertaining people. The fact that people keep having fun and making a tradition out of this is ultimately why we all continue making the trip back. Horror Nights is no different than a motion picture, you just have the opportunity to LIVE IT! Until next year, Happy Halloween!
Halloween Horror Nights began on Thursday, September 7 at Universal Studios Hollywood with eight frightening haunted houses. It will run select nights through Tuesday, October 31. Pre-order your tickets as this event has a tendency to sell out most nights!
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This Week in Horror: DC Goes Full Body Horror, A24 Has Its Chainsaw Man, and The Bone Temple Is Finally Yours
Good week. The Clayface trailer dropped and made DC relevant to this website for the first time in a while, A24 put a director on the Texas Chainsaw Massacre reimagining, and we got some interviews worth reading. Here is all of it.
Clayface Has a Trailer, and It Is Exactly What You Want
The Clayface trailer landed Wednesday, and it is DC’s first real horror film. Not horror adjacent. Not dark. Horror. Tom Rhys Harries plays Matt Hagen, an actor whose face gets disfigured by a gangster. He turns to a scientist, played by Naomi Ackie, who transforms his body into clay. Then the body horror starts.
James Watkins directed, which is the right choice. He made Speak No Evil and before that The Woman in Black, and he understands how to make dread feel physical. The screenplay is by Mike Flanagan and Hossein Amini. That combination should tell you everything about the tone they are going for.
A24 Has a Director for Texas Chainsaw Massacre and His Last Film Cost Under a Million Dollars
Deadline confirmed that Curry Barker is writing and directing A24’s reimagining of the 1974 original. Barker made Obsession for under a million dollars. Focus Features paid north of fifteen million to distribute it. It sits at 96% on Rotten Tomatoes. A24 hired him before it even opens, which opens May 15.
Kim Henkel, who co-created the original with Tobe Hooper, is executive producing his own creation’s reimagining. That is either a blessing or a haunting. Probably both.
Astrolatry Is Going to Cannes and We Talked to the Actor Who Faced the Creature
Astrolatry is heading to the Frontières Buyers Showcase on May 16-17. The film has a sentient severed penis that grows into a ten-foot practical creature with spiky teeth. We interviewed star Ethan Daniel Corbett about what it was actually like to act against it. Short answer: genuinely terrifying. Long answer is on the site.
The Bone Temple Is Home
28 Years Later: The Bone Temple hit 4K UHD, Blu-ray, and DVD on Tuesday. If you held out from the digital release in February, now is the time. The 4K presentation is supposed to be great. Extras include audio commentary and a deleted scene. If your gonna watch The Bone Temple, why not watch it where the snacks are better.
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Astrolatry Built a Ten-Foot Practical Penis Scorpion
A sentient severed penis grows into a ten-foot creature with spiky teeth. Genre cinema is doing fine.
Astrolatry follows Elliot, played by Ethan Daniel Corbett, who is every ingredient for quiet catastrophe assembled in one man. Socially isolated. Physically isolated. Craving dopamine and finding it in the wrong places. The romance guru pipeline, followed to its logical conclusion. Elliot does not just spiral. He loses a piece of himself, literally, and that piece does not cooperate.
Corbett described it as “a horror satire, a trippy mind-fuck roller coaster” and “a modern retelling of Maniac,” both of which are accurate and neither of which adequately prepares you. Director David Gordon is making his feature debut after shooting 14 films as a cinematographer and he is swinging for the fences.
The Creature
The effects company behind the creature has festival circuit work Corbett had already seen before signing on. He knew what they could do but he was not ready. “When I saw it in person it was kind of mind-blowing,” he said. “Everything that you see in this movie is practical. Very, very little else. It was genuinely terrifying to have a ten-foot creature coming at you with a big mouth and spiky teeth.”
A CG creature asks an actor to imagine something. A ten-foot physical creature on a set asks nothing. It just arrives. The fear on Corbett’s face in those scenes is not a performance. It is the normal reaction to a scorpion dick with sharp teeth.
Elliot
Corbett went into the character through the body. “I mainly focus on the physicality of it. Who this character is and who he is wholly. I strive in those kinds of moments as an actor.”
Gordon was explicit about the concept, the “nice guy” archetype and the overtly toxic one are the same problem, both aimed at the same object. That reading lands because Corbett does not play it as a reading. Elliot is not a symbol. He is a person.
Where It Is Going
Astrolatry is heading to the Frontières Buyers Showcase at Cannes on May 16-17. “To be able to get into that kind of room on David’s first feature is incredible,” Corbett said. “To be in front of buyers and to showcase the film and potentially get distribution through that.” Frontières is the correct room. It is full of people who understand that the most extreme premise, executed with precision, is not a punchline. It is an argument.
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ShoStak Opens the Door for Filmmakers to Build and Own Their Stories
A new player is stepping into the space, but ShoStak is making one thing clear right away.
It is not trying to be the next Netflix. It is not chasing TikTok.
“Cinema does not need another platform. It needs a new model.”
That idea sits at the core of what ShoStak is building. Not just a place to watch content, but a system where creators and audiences connect in a way that feels very different from what we are used to.
The First 150 Competition Is Already Underway
ShoStak is kicking things off with its First 150 Competition, giving filmmakers a chance to present their story worlds and compete for the opportunity to move into production.
Projects are introduced as series concepts or pilots, then advance through multiple stages. Audience voting plays a role, but it is only part of the process.
Selections are ultimately shaped by a mix of audience engagement, creative execution, and overall project readiness. It is not just about popularity. It is about building something that can actually move forward.
For creators, it is a rare chance to get in front of both an audience and a structured development path at the same time.
One Platform, Built Around a New Model
Everything now lives under ShoStak.tv, where both creators and audiences come together.
Creators can sign up, develop their projects, and begin building their audience. Viewers can discover new series, follow story worlds, and engage with projects as they evolve.
ShoStak describes this as a cinematic ecosystem. Stories are not treated as disposable content designed to spike and disappear. They are built to grow over time.
And that growth happens in public.
Ownership Without Losing Structure
One of ShoStak’s core ideas is giving creators more control over what they build.
Filmmakers are positioned to:
- Retain ownership of their intellectual property
- Build direct relationships with their audience
- Grow projects based on real engagement
At the same time, this is not a free-for-all.
There is still structure. Projects are evaluated, developed, and refined through a process that blends audience input with creative and strategic decision-making.
Instead of removing the system entirely, ShoStak is reshaping how creators move through it.
Development Happens in Public
This is where things start to separate from the traditional model.
Instead of developing behind closed doors, ShoStak allows projects to evolve in front of an audience.
Creators introduce their ideas, build a following, and expand their worlds over time. As engagement grows, so does the project.
It is less about waiting for approval and more about proving momentum.
Over time, that turns the platform into something larger than a development program. It becomes an open ecosystem where creators and audiences push stories forward together.
More Than Just Testing Ideas
Micro-series are a big part of ShoStak’s approach, but they are not just a testing ground.
They can be the final product.
The format allows creators to:
- Tell complete stories in shorter form
- Build long-term story worlds
- Expand into larger projects when it makes sense
It is not about proving an idea and moving on. It is about giving that idea room to grow in whatever direction fits.
Why This Matters for Horror
Horror has always thrived outside the system.
Some of the most memorable films in the genre came from creators taking risks, working with limited resources, and finding their audience without waiting for permission.
ShoStak’s model fits naturally into that mindset.
It gives horror creators a space to:
- Build original story worlds
- Connect directly with fans
- Grow projects without losing control
And with early content like Civilian and Liminal already rolling out, it is clear the platform is aiming for more than just quick-hit content.
A Different Path Forward
ShoStak is not trying to compete by doing the same thing better.
It is trying to change how stories are created, developed, and sustained.
By combining creator ownership, audience engagement, and a structured development path, it offers something that feels closer to a creative ecosystem than a traditional platform.
Whether it works long-term is still unknown.
But for filmmakers looking for a new way in, it is opening a door that has been closed for a long time.
The Evil Dead Burn Trailer Is Here and It Is Everything
This Week in Horror: CinemaCon Delivered, Nicolas Cage Is Coming Back, and Someone Let Ti West Near a Christmas Story
Chucky Is Going Back to Theaters, and Don Mancini Says It’s Going to Be Scary Again
The Evil Dead Universe Now Includes a Mummy Film
The Practical Magic 2 Teaser Trailer Is Finally Here
10 Horror, Thriller, and True Crime Series to Watch This Spring
7 Horror and Mystery Films That Explore Jack the Ripper
Sacrificios Review: Some Miracles Have a Price Tag
“It’s My Era. I’m a Rockstar Now.” The Official ‘The Vampire Lestat’ Trailer Is Here
The HUNGRY Red Band Trailer Is Here and We Need to Stop Laughing at the Hippo
‘Speed Demon’ Acquired by Maverick Film & Complex Corp Ahead of May Release
This Week in Horror: DC Goes Full Body Horror, A24 Has Its Chainsaw Man, and The Bone Temple Is Finally Yours
The Vampire Lestat Releases Cover of Billy Idol’s “Dancing With Myself”
Astrolatry Built a Ten-Foot Practical Penis Scorpion
Samara Weaving and Kyle Gallner Star in Romantic Crime Thriller ‘Carolina Caroline’ [Trailer]
ShoStak Opens the Door for Filmmakers to Build and Own Their Stories
The Clayface Teaser Just Made October Feel Very Far Away
‘Behind the Mask 2’ Slays Kickstarter
The Best Possible Person Is Directing A24’s Texas Chainsaw Massacre
“It’s My Era. I’m a Rockstar Now.” The Official ‘The Vampire Lestat’ Trailer Is Here
ITCH Is the Outbreak Film That Actually Gets Under Your Skin
The Evil Dead Burn Trailer Is Here and It Is Everything
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News3 days ago
The Evil Dead Burn Trailer Is Here and It Is Everything
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News3 days agoThe Evil Dead Universe Now Includes a Mummy Film
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News4 days agoThe Practical Magic 2 Teaser Trailer Is Finally Here
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Lists5 days ago10 Horror, Thriller, and True Crime Series to Watch This Spring
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Trailers2 days ago“It’s My Era. I’m a Rockstar Now.” The Official ‘The Vampire Lestat’ Trailer Is Here
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News4 days agoThe HUNGRY Red Band Trailer Is Here and We Need to Stop Laughing at the Hippo
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News2 days agoITCH Is the Outbreak Film That Actually Gets Under Your Skin
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News1 day agoShoStak Opens the Door for Filmmakers to Build and Own Their Stories
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