The Horror Show and Ke Huy Quan signing!

The Horror Show is a popular exhibit at the Academy Museum and walking through it was topped off with a Ke Huy Quan book signing! This was on Thursday, September 24th. The Horror Show fills up the entire fourth floor of the Academy Museum. It began on September 26th and runs to July 25th of next year! There are six galleries that cover horror films with classic movies to the most recent fright flicks. In the Psychological Gallery, there is a Belgian poster of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde (1931). 

Then a portrait of Sigmund Freud and a book with Josef Breuer, Studies on Hysteria (1895). Interesting to see an actual psychology book and not Robert Louis Stevenson’s Strange Case of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde (1886) written nine years earlier. The capper really is the “Mother” dummy used in Psycho (1960). It has a two way mirror so you can take a selfie of you on the other side and take a regular photo on the Psychological section! One of my favorite psychological horror film is Jacob’s Ladder (1990).

Ke Huy Quan at the Academy Museum signing for his book, Never Say Die, author’s photo. 

The Slasher section featured the teen level of horror flicks, but the movies have become clever and well written. It had Billy the puppet from Saw (2003), the costume of Art the Clown from Terrifer 3 (2024), and a bust of Pennywise from IT (2017). I prefer Tim Curry’s performance in the 1990 IT mini-series. He was more mocking, silly, clownish, rather than just all horror. Above Art is the television animatronic of Freddy Krueger from Nightmare on Elm Street 3: Dream Warriors (1987). This is a favorite from the series, though Freddy in a tv set was silly. 

Next, the Ghostface costume from Scream VI (2023) that featured Melissa Barrera as Sam Carpenter, the Sherman Fields costume, arm and hook prostthetic from Candyman (2021) directed by Nia DaCosta. A case held the Chucky and Tiffany puppets from Seed of Chucky (2004) and next to them was the Michael Myers costume and mask made from the original mold who was in Halloween H20: Twenty Years Later (1998). The sequel brought back Jamie Lee Curtis as Laurie Strode.    

Finally, there is a wall of masks and weapons; There was the Sentinel Sphere prop from Phantasm (1979), a paper cutting blade from M3GAN (2023), The Grabber mask from The Black Phone (2021), and the most suprising item, the helmet worn by The Phantom in Phantom of the Paradise (1974)! The following room was Science which had some great movies. The largest display was the Xenomorph from Alien: Romulus (2021). 

The helmet of The Phantom seen in Phantom of the Paradise (1974), The Horror Show, photo by the author. 

It was great to see in a display the prop cereal box, blank cover with the words “Work 8 Hours, Sleep 8 Hours, Play 8 Hours.” Also the sunglasses, and skin-free, skull-like alien mask from They Live (1988). Next to them was the Facehugger prop from Alien (1979), aged, it looks organish like a sea creature. My all-time favorite was a Gill-man mask worn by Ricou Browning from Creature from the Black Lagoon (1954)! The concept design was noted to be Milicent Patrick who didn’t get screen credit. There is prop amp and microphone and broken shuttle from A Quiet Place (2021). 

A wall had concept art of the xenomorph egg by H.R. Giger for Alien and James Camerons art of LV-426, later called Acheron, for Aliens (1986). Plus the concept drawing of The Shape of Water (2017) poster by James Jean. Also there was Mentor Huebener’s concept drawing of the mutated, tentacled creature from The Thing (1982) as well as storyboards. From The Substance (2024), there was a special effects bust of Monstro Elisasue, props of the stabilizer syringe, vials, and medical equipment. 

There was concept art of the makeup for Monster in Young Frankenstein (1974) by William Tuttle. A series of props took up the back wall including a reconstructed wig for The Bride, played by Elsa Lancaster, in the Bride of Frankenstein (1935). Next to it is the prop battery and bust of the re-animated corpse from Guillermo del Toro’s Frankenstein (2025). Lastly, there was a prop ball and chain from Frankenstein (1931), and a first edition of Frankenstein (1818) by Mary Shelley. Some of the best props from Frankenstein films and of course the book that inspired all of them!  

Annabelle doll and case props from Annabelle Comes Home (2019), author’s photo. 

The center of the gallery is the Annabelle doll and case from Annabelle Comes Home (2010), spooky. A display has the music box with tiny clown head that pops up from The Conjuring (2013), the Conjuring 2 had the “Crooked Man” zoetrope prop, and the spirit board props. In the corner is the concept drawing of the evil clown and the clown toy prop from Poltergeist! A prop stickman was in The Blair Witch Project (1999) and there was a desk with a computer showing the promotional website from the film. In a glass display was the sitting and shrieking corpse prop crafted by Rick Baker for The Ring (2002).

I had skipped two of the galleries headed to the Ke Huy Quan signing that was on the fifth floor. The panel was moderated by Amy Homma, Director and President of the Academy Museum. Quan joined her on stage to applause. He answered Homma's question about others he shared his life's story "helped them through a difficult time." This is of course in his book, Never Say Die. Quan didn't think he had the courage to tell all of this story that is in the book. He mentioned, "I'm a big fan of Drew Struzan." The artist painted him in posters for Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom (1984) and The Goonies (1985). 

The later film is where he made friends with the cast including Jeff Cohen who played Chunk. Cohen became an entertainment lawyer and is very supportive of Quan encouraged him to return to acting. He added at the end of the panel that he still hopes for a sequel to Goonies and Homma quoted, "Goonies never say die." He bonded with his Goonies cast members, but felt like an outsider. He didn't know what was Hot Wheels or the cartoons brought up. Homma asked about Everything Everywhere All at Once (2022) red carpet. He said that he was headed closer and closer to the stage for the Academy Awards, he thought he was in row 20 or 30! Quan continued, "When we got to the front row, there was Jamie Lee Curtis, I was like `No way!' and then Jamie turns to me and says, `Ke, where are we?' 

He answered that they were at the Academy Awards. Quan continued with Curtis asked again, `No Ke, where are we sitting' I said `in the front row!", `Damn right, we are." He was emotional discussing holding the award. Quan urged his fans to see his Academy Award for Best Supporting Actor is displayed at the museum. Really to inspire everyone to fulfill their dreams.  The writing of the book was not easy for Quan and he said, "I ate so many bags of Doritos and I have the belly fat to prove it." The audience laughed at his comment. The signing was quick since there was a room full of fans, a signature, and then a photo with the audience. A memorable night with the impressive exhibit, The Horror Show, and a great conversation and signing with Ke Huy Quan! 

#AcademyMuseumOfMotionPictures, #TheHorrorShow, #Psychology, #DrJekyllAndMrHyde, #StudiesOnHysteria, #Psycho, #Slashers, #Ghostface, #ScreamVI, #MelissaBarrera, #ShermanFields, #Candyman, #NiaDaCosta, #SeedOfChucky, #MichaelMyers

#HalloweenH20TwentyYearsLater, #JamieLeeCurtis, #Phantasm, #M3GAN, #TheBlackPhone 

#PhantomOfTheParadise, #Science, #AlienRomulus, #TheyLive, #Alien, #Gillman, #CreatureFromTheBlackLagoon, #MilicentPatrick, #AQuietPlace, #HRGiger, #Aliens

#JamesCameron, #TheShapeOfWater, #TheThing, #MentorHuebener, #TheSubstance #YoungFrankenstein, #TheBrideOfFrankenstein, #ElsaLancaster, #GuillermoDelTorosFrankenstein, #Frankenstein, #MaryShelley 

#Religion, #TheConjuringLastRites, #EvilDeadII, #TheOmen, #Hellraiser, #TheConjuring2, #Midsommer, #FlorencePugh, #Weapons, #AmyMadigan, #Sinners, #WunwiMosaku, #Ghost, #Poltergeist, #TheShining, #AnnabelleComesHome, #TheConjuring, #TheBlairWitchProject

#TheRing, #RickBaker, #KeHuyQuan, #NeverSayDie, #AmyHomma, #DrewStruzan, 

#IndianaJonesAndTheTempleOfDoom, #TheGoonies, #JeffCohen, #EverythingEverywhereAllAtOnce, #JamieLeeCurtis 

  

Lucas Museum of Narrative Art - Part II Review!

The Lucas Museum of Narrative Art opens soon on September 22nd and this review only covers a little more of the museum! The last review covered the Library and Naboo Starfighter to the History of Narrative Art and then to the Level 4 galleries; Star Wars in Motion, Children Stories, the Murals gallery, and the Manga gallery! Still, there are more parts of the museum to explore! It begins with the Graphic Stories gallery, This is at the north side of the museum to the right of the Cinema gallery. Along the wall is a page from Winsor McCay’s Little Nemo in Slumberland (1908). Then, three images of McCay’s groundbreaking Gertie the Dinosaur (1914). 

Princess Leia Frees Herself from Jabba the Hutt (2025) statue, Lucas Museum of Narrative Art, author’s photo. 

Across from the wall with Winsor McCay is a 1983 panel from The Far Side by Gary Larson. A time travel jump of 75 years! Then, a 1970’s page from Walt Kelly’s Pogo that has all of the corrections and notes, impressive! The facing wall has several Charles M. Schulz Peanuts comic strips. I love the Mickey Mouse comic strip by Floyd Gottfredson. Of course, there is the Alley Oop comic strip by V.T. Hamilin that was the first art piece that Lucas had purchased. Along the back of the right wall is the adventure strips featuring Flash Gordon by Alex Raymond. Jaw hit the floor! This is truly what inspired Lucas to create Star Wars. Raymond was a fine artist, incredible detail and characters. 

Then, there is Hal Foster’s Prince Valiant! I have several volumes collecting the work of Prince Valiant. Another jaw to floor drop. His vistas have an epic sweep similar to the Romantic art period. This moves on to the Comic art gallery in the next room with the iconic Invincible Iron Man #1 (1968) cover with art by Gene Colan. The artwork looks like different images pasted around Iron Man in a heroic pose! On the other wall is a portrait of The Joker by Brian Bolland for USA Magazine (1988).Next to it is a page from the graphic novel, Batman: The Dark Prince Charming (2018) by Enrico Marini. 

Prince Valiant comic strip page by Hal Foster, photo by the author. 

On the other side was The Spirit by Will Eisner which goes to inks to a 1975 full color piece! Absolutely great to see the progression of an illustration. I really like the George Perez cover for Wonder Woman #25 (1988). It is signed though the gallery does not list issue numbers. A companion piece was a full page by Jim Lee of Future State: Justice League #1 (2021). Another fantastic art piece was the frontispiece of Avengers #58 (1968). It is by another favorite artist, John Buscema, with Black Panther clinging to a wall with the title, “Even An Android Could Cry”, the second part of the story that introduced Vision. 

A powerful image is of Captain America ripping through the pages of Captain America #109 (1969). Art is by the legendary Jack Kirby and this issue brought Cap from World War II into the Silver Age! Another wall had a painting from Moebius’ Starwatcher II (1985) and also a 1977 pages from Airtight Garage. Next, several paintings of Uncle Scrooge by Carl Barks! The opposite wall featured several paintings of Mad Magazine’s Alfred E. Newman. This includes one 1966 painting by Frank Kelly Freas. The wall leads down with several piees by Robert Crumb including the cover of Fritz the Cat #1 (1969). The wall to the left has several illustration of Mike Mignola’s Hellboy. 

Bernie Wrightson’s Frankenstein (1983), author’s photo. 

Then, some illustrations of Daredevil by Frank Miller. The back wall also had several images of characters from Love and Rockets by Gilbert Hernandez and Jaime Hernandez. The stunning illustration of the Creature and Dr. Frankenstein in his lab was from the graphic novel, Bernie Wrightson's Frankenstein (1983). Across from Graphic Stories is the Rockwell gallery. It has a bronze state of his iconic Triple Self-Portrait. The work of Norman Rockwell is pure Americana and I found them funny. After the Prom (1957) has a soda jerk’s gawking face, the girl brushes him off, and her geeky prom date has a frown! A walk to the other side has the Adventure gallery with a bronze statue of Indiana Jones! There is a heroic, pre-production painting for Raiders of the Lost Ark (1981) by Jim Steranko. 

Plus the Frank Frazetta painting for The Outlaw of Torn (1973). Next is the Romance gallery. It has Donato Giancola’s Elegy for Darkness - The Lady of Shalott (2004). Several paintings of women are seen in The Seasons (1896-1900) by Alfonse Mucha. A knight on horseback with a lady reaching out from a window is the subject of “The Prince” is by N.C. Wyeth. The entrance of the Fantasy gallery has Christos Achilleos’ The War of Powers (1983), Boris Vallejo’s The Lavalite World (1977), and the 1996 painting, The Huntress (Lenda) by Julie Bell. Connected to the Fantasy gallery is the Frazetta gallery. 

Frank Frazetta’s A Princess of Mars (1970), photo by the author. 

The one painting that had stopped me in my tracks was The Egyptian Queen, Frank Frazetta’s 1969 painting. It that has a woman leaning against a column with her blue dress draped across steps! Another iconic painting that stunned me was A Princess of Mars (1970) based on the Edgar Rice Burroughs’ novel, this image is driven into my imagination. Lastly, was the Luana painting for the comics magazine, Vampirella #31 (1974). This leads to the Science Fiction gallery. There are paintings of space ships like John Berkey’s Station Deep Space (1973), Robert McCall’s Palomino spaceship in Study for The Black Hole (1979), was a pre-production painting for the sci fi movie. 

A display case has Olivia De Berardinis’ Carrie Fisher as Princess Leia (2017). The paintings next to the East Viewpoint include H.R. Giger’s Future Kill (1984). A display case has the robotic suit from Earth Versus the Flying Saucers (1956). Behind it is the alien costume from Close Encounters of the Third Kind (1977). Outside the museum in the Park and Gardens section, to the left of the parking structure gate, is the bronze statue, Padme Fights Off Nexu (2026), by Mark Newman. The centerpiece is Princess Leia Frees Herself from Jabba the Hutt (2025), the classic Huttslayer image. Finally, a walk to the farthest path leads through an overhead trellis to the statue of Yoda & Grogu over a fountain! There is so much to see at the Lucas Museum of Narrative Art is that a number of visitors remark that they couldn’t see all of it and want to return!   

#LucasMuseumOfNarrativeArt, #GraphicStories, #LittleNemoInSlumberland, #GertieTheDinosaur, #WinsorMcCay, #TheFarSide, #GaryLarson, #Pogo, #WaltKelly, #Peanuts, #CharlesMSchulz, #MickeyMouse, #FloydGottfredson, #AlleyOop, #VTHamilin, #FlashGordon, #AlexRaymond, #PrinceValiant, #HalFoster, #Comics, #InvincibleIronMan, #GeneColan

#USAMagazine, #BrianBolland, #BatmanTheDarkPrinceCharming, #EnricoMarini, #TheSpirit, #WillEisner, #WonderWoman, #GeorgePerez, #FutureStateJusticeLeague, #JimLee, #Avengers, #JohnBuscema, #CaptainAmerica, #JackKirby, #StarwatcherII, #AirtightGaraga, #Moebius

#UncleScrooge, #CarlBarks, #MadMagazine, #FrankKellyFreas, #FritzTheCat, #RobertCrumb, #Hellboy, #MikeMignola, #Daredevil, #FrankMiller, #LoveAndRockets, #GilbertHernandez, #JaimeHernandez, #Rockwell, #TripleSelfPortrait, #AfterTheProm, #Adventure

#RaidersOfTheLostArk, #JimSteranko, #TheOutlawOfTorn, #FrankFrazetta, #Romance, #ElegyForDarknessTheLadyOfShalott, #DonatoGiancola, #TheSeasons, #AlfonseMucha, #ThePrince, #NCWyeth, #Fantasy, #TheWarOfPowers, #ChristosAchilleos, #TheLavealiteWorld

#BorisVallejo, #TheHuntressLenda, #JulieBell, #Frazetta, #TheEgyptianQueen, #APrincessOfMars, #Luana, #FrankFrazetta, #ScienceFiction, #StationDeepSpace, #JohnBerkey, #StudyForTheBlackHole, #RobertMcCall, #CarrieFisherAsPrincessLeia, #OliviaDeBaradinis

#FutureKill, #HRGiger, #EarthVersusTheFlyingSaucers, ##CloseEncountersOfTheThirdKind, #PrincessLeiaFreesHerselfFromJabbaTheHutt, #PadmeFightsOffNexu, #MarkNewman, #YodaAndGrogu

 

Transformers: The Movie and Optimus Prime: Awakening Review!

 The 40th anniversary of Transformers: The Movie (1986) has the return of the film to theaters and at the end is an animated short that ties up the story of Optimus Prime!  The animated show, Transformers, began in 1984 and ended in 1987. Collectively the Marvel comic, movie, and cartoon is known as Generation 1. There were a number of series until the live action movies began in 2007. This had a reboot with the Bumblee (2018) film. The stand out from all of the series and movies was Peter Cullen, the voice of the Autobot leader, Optimus Prime. Cullen had died on August of this year. Also this year, Hasbro had a promotional campaign called Transformers The Movie: Apology Tour. 

This finally culminates with the Fathom Events showing of the film from September 17th to the 21st, there is still some time! Transformers the Movie was directed by Nelson Shin and had a screenplay by Ron Friedman. A silent, galaxy until we see the sphere of Unicron. Great musical score by Vince DiCola, very familiar. A calm city of robots is disturbed by the robotic planet tearing up the robot planet! This is of course like Galactus from the Fantastic Four. The planet is destroyed and then we pan into space with the rockin’ Transformers theme by Lion. A credit scene which was great to see some familiar names. The narrator says it is the distant future of the Transformers, 2005, nineteen years from season two. 

Optimus Prime (Cullen) orders Ironhide (Cullen) to take a shuttle to Earth. Jazz (Scatman Cruthers) on Moon Base One communicates to Moon Base Two. Cruthers is a favorite voice actor. There is Spike (Corey Burton), the human ally of the Autobots in a cybernetic suit with Bumblebee (Dan Gilvezan). They report there is no Decepitcon activity. Prime says they don’t have enough Energon to counter the Decepticons, “All we need is a little Energon and a lot of luck.” Lazerbeak has spied on the Autobots and Megatron (Frank Welker), the Decepticon leader, orders Soundwave (also Weller) plays the recording. I thought Soundwave had the Cylon voice filter, love it. 

They breach the Autobot shuttle with Megatron transforming into a laser pistol fired by Starscream (Christopher Collins). The last Autobot reaches out to Megatron and only gets blasted! At this point it is a no holds barred story with the “death” of heroes. Daniel Witwicky (David Mendenhall), the teenage son of Spike, is fishing from a stream with his pal, Hot Rod (Judd Nelson). They get a signal from the shuttle and Daniel races with his hover board, he crashes, and Hot Rod transformers into sports car to the “Dare” song. They head to Lookout Mountain. Hot Rod smashes through the barriers set up by Kup (Lionel Stander), an elderly Autobot. 

Daniel notices the shuttle’s breach. Hot Rod opens fire on the Decepitcons. Ultra Magnus (Robert Stack) leads the defense. He sends Arcee (Susan Blu) to activate the city’s defenses. A female Autobot? She is there with an all male robot crew kinda like Smurfette. Kup and Hot Rod are able to enter Autobot City while it is under siege. Contacts Optimus Prime to warn him about the attack. Daniel sees the mega bot, Devastator breach the city wall. The city smokes as Optimus Prime sends in the Dinobots led by Grimlock (Gregg Berger) to take on Devastator. Optimus Prime says, “Megatron must be stopped no matter the cost.” In truck form, Optimus bashes the Decepitcons and then uses his cannon to blast the others. This is to the song, “The Touch” by Stan Bush. 

Megatron confronts Prime who says, “One shall stand, one shall fall.” Megatron throws a pice of shrapel that pierces Prime’s side. Then, he uses a lightsaber? Opteimus knocks him dow and Megatron begs for mercy. Hot Rod tries to save Optimus from Megatron picking up a blaster. Megatron takes Hot Rod hostage and blasts Prime. Optimus is able to knock down Megatron and Starscream (Christopher Collins) leads the retreat. Daniel sees the vitals of Optimus. The leader of the Autobots says, “Do not grieve, soon I will be one with the Matrix.” He gives the Matrix of Leadership to  Ultra Magnus, “One day an Autobot shall  rise from our ranks and use the power of the Matrix to light our darkest hour.” His chest opens and he removes the Matrix, a sphere with glowing crystals. 

Optimus Prime’s final words, “Until that day when all are one”, Prime drops the Matrix picked up by Hot Rod who hands it to Ultra Magnus. The vitals go steady and Optimus eyes stop their glow. He is now greyish and Daniel cries. Unicron sees the transfer of the Matrix. The shuttle, Astrotrain, reports that there needs to be less weight. Starsceram throws out the wounded including Megatron and announces himself as leader. The wounded float to Unicron (Orson Welles) who wants Megatron to destroy the Matrix. He transforms Megatron into Galvatron (Leonard Nimoy)! The Autobot survivors travel the galaxy finding more robot planets, It becomes confusing with little direction, but Galvatron does take the Matrix from Ultra Magnus. Optimus Prime: Awakening begins right after the movie’s credits. 

The twelve minute short is directed by Joshua Wassung and written by Ryan Parrott. This picks up when the Autobot Chief Medical Officer, Ratchet, declares that Optimus Prime’s wounds are fatal. This shifts to computer animation which works here, since Optimus is in another reality, animation from The Third Floor studio. He is pulled back and circles around a ring spiral. Optimus hears, “One will stand, one will fall”, the final performance by Peter Cullen. He hears, “Awaken Autobot” and Optimus revives. The voice belongs to a “bringer of light” and he adds “What is when all are one”, called The One (Simon Henderson). 

This strongly reminds me of Ahsoka’s World Between Worlds and also the Mortis episodes of the Clone Wars  starting with “Overlords” (2011); GC-CW3/15. The One is like The Father, the balance between both sides of The Force. The entity tries to reassure Optimus, “Have no fear, you will die again.”, not very reassuring. There are flashbacks of the movie and also the animated series. The One tells Optimus that he has to break the cycle of the endless war, the “day when all are one.”, Decepticon and Autobots together. Then, Soundwave (Welker) leaps down with an Insecticon! Optimus transforms into his truck form and smashes them against a canyon. Soundwave hits him with several missiles! 

Bumbebee (Jaret LeMaster) joins the fight. I see a parallel with the Mortis episodes; Optimus as Anakin or The Father, Ahsoka’s counterpart or as The Daughter, Bumblebee, and Megatron as Dooku or The Son. It makes sense as a trio of characters. Bumblebee now has the symbol of the Decepticons and says, “Everyone who follows you dies.” He transforms with the other Decepticons into the giant mecha, King Bee to crush Optimus! Betrayal by Optimus’ good friend and a painful truth reflected back at him! There is a final battle with Megatron (Welker), but Optimus has to face what would be the Jedi Trial of Spirit, “Remember your failure at the cave.” He has to learn to put away the sword, unite the factions to bring the day when “all are one.” A great full circle moment that was left unanswered in Transformers the Movie and a tribute to Peter Cullen who has a dedication at the end. 

Five Energon Cubes out of Five! 

#TransformersTheMovie, #NelsonShin, #RonFriedman, #VinceDiCola, #Lion, #StanBush, #PeterCullen, #JuddNelson, #DavidMendenhall, #LionelStander, #SusanBlu, #FrankWelker, #ChristopherCollins, #OrsonWelles, #LeonardNimoy, #RobertStack, #ScatmanCruthers, #CoreyBurton, #DanGilvezan, #GreggBerger. #OptimusPrimeAwakening, #JoshuaWassung, #RyanParrott, #TheThirdFloor, #JaretLeMaster   

Halloween Horror Nights 2026 Review!

 Halloween Horror Nights returns to Universal Studios Hollywood with the highlight being the Sinners haunted house! The event began in 1992 and has continued as an annual scare fest. In 2001 was the house, The Mummy Returns: Chamber of Doom, and it became a regular attraction. It became Van Helsing: Fortress Dracula, two years after the Van Helsing movie.  Finally, it became Universal’s House of Horrors before it closed in 2014. It has been some time since I last went to Horror Nights, but I also knew from Universal Fan Fest Nights that the Express Pass was the way to go. The event has been wildly popular, the regular lines looked they last one to two hours. The regular tickets start at 7 p.m. so it would be about four mazes of exhausting waits. 

Do you dare enter Club Juke in Sinners and have a great time?, Universal Studios Halloween Horror Nights, author’s photo. 

The price is $79 per person, but this depends on the time like the weend which is more. Express is $279, far more expensive, but worth it to bypass the long lines. This gives you access to the Express lines for one maze a night. It is much faster than regular lines. The Express Unlimited gives you Express access all night without the limitation. I think every maze one time is a good deal. The other option is After 2 p.m. Day/Night, $119, you get a wristband that allows you Early Event Access to the haunted houses. This works with the lower lot mazes at around 5 p.m. 2 hours before the opening. 2 p.m. may allow you to bypass the Express pass price. I had bought the expensive After 2 p.m. Day/Night Universal Express, $349! I had hoped to go to the Sinners house twice, line up for the Day/Night part and then use the Express.  

My other objective was to see Nikki from Obsession. She is a roaming character so there is no set area. There is a code word for the day and you get a gift from her, a One Wish Willow card that has the phone number from the film, pretty cool. Still, it was a frustrating search, I covered some of the Upper Lot before I went into the Sinners queue. I saw outside of it HamiKuma Bear. This is the zombie teddy bear that is a mascot that debuted in 2021 for Universal Studios Japan. It has cute bear face and body, but one eye is dangling, it has claws, and a stomach with candies falling out! Side note: down Baker Street past Sinners is the Club Juke bar. This was Mulligan’s Irish Pub. There are drinks like I Lied to You, I Love the Blues-berry, vodka with blue curaçao syrup, also non-alcoholic with white grape juice. 

The haunted house for Sinners was located at the former Walking Dead attraction on the Upper Lot. Sammie is playing his guitar on a stage. The background flashes to Remmick and the vampires. The music is great, I could stay overnight, even with the vampires. This is the setting for the “I Lied to You” dance number, but in a small space. A window in the queue shows Smoke dancing. A window and a door open, I missed them the first time, a modern dj, and then Stack was there welcoming you to Club Juke. I thought he looked identical to Michael B. Jordan complete with red hat and toothpick. Around the corner, you have wandered into a dark forest with glowing eyes, and whispering! 

Sammie and his guitar, Sinners haunted house, photo by the author. 

Then, there is a dead woman clinging to a guitar with two vulutres over her on a log.  Remmick with bloody mouth and blood stained shirt! Vampires, who must be Bert and Joan, pop out of the darkness! He has glowing eyes which I think is some kind of reflective contacts, but I don’t want any spoiler reveals on how it is done. It continues on with the Patterson-Greenfield touring car and the entrance to Club Juke, where’s Cornbread? He is around somewhere. This seems backwards from the entrance of the haunted house. I love the curtains, not rubber, but a kind of burlap which is thin and almost see-through. This leads you to long line of frosted windows, maybe Remmick faces you, as you walk on! The backroom has the bloody Stack with vampire Mary above him! I still like her even with the bloody jaw. Smoke runs in to drive her off! 

There is a two story part of the barn, bodies, vampires, and ends with Pearline staking a vampire on the bar! Around the corner, maybe watch for the vampire leaping down at you! Dawn has come, the vampires are burned, and Smoke leaps at you with a stake! This is my top maze at Horror Nights, not just for that night, but all time! Universal Studios does it best making you feel like you walking through the films! I would have put the forest and Remmick first and then get into the enterace of Club Juke, and the centerpiece, the dance number. I would have separated dancers, go into different eras, by tables and stacks of boxes. Then, I went to the H-Lot, this is a new area, past Hogwarts there is a fence that leads back stage to the H-Lot. Down a hill, then coming back up it!, this leads to a path that has a large area that may be for parking. 

The Lament Configuration, Hellraiser maze, author’s photo. 

The Hellraiser haunted house has a giant Lament Configuration, puzzle box, at the entrance. The 1987 horror film was a Clive Barker gore fest, but the standout was Pinhead who gives you an introduction to the summoning of the Cenobites by opening the box! There are chains in the dark room and another room, a wall lights up showing Pinhead who says, “We have such sights to show you.” Crumbling walls, the rubber curtains, and the Cenobites! A patient is impaled with chains. There is a hospital room with six patients in bed, the door opens and Pinhead is revealed with a head covering, a lare worm with a claw clutching his skull? Gruesome scenes, it was so dark, I tried to enter a closed door until a team member guided me out! Um, don’t want to stay there, no blues music, or antyhing comfortable! 

Next to it was the Evil Dead Burn house. What looks like Edgar Price stands in a gazebo. An upturned car has victims smashed against the roof. On a pile of dirt and wood chips is the smiling woman’s head swings around talking to you, eerie! There is a large page written in blood with “Montrossi”, one of the words from the Necronomicon ex mortis, the book fo the dead. The forests are filled with Deadites. The problem with my walk through was that I saw them before and after they surprised guests. You walk into a house and see an elderly lady on a chair halfway up steps. A woman with a lawnmower sets it on a victim in a bathtub, this sent water spraying at me! Where’s Ash with his boom stick? It didn’t remind me of the Evil Dead movies and no humor in the haunted house. This would be one of my lowest rated houses for the night. Next, after some rest next to Hogwarts, I took the escalators to the lower level. 

These fellers have a delievery for you!, Killer Klowns from Outer Space, photo by the author. 

There was really only one house that I wanted to go to there, Killer Klowns from Outer Space, 1988 comedy horror film was heavy on the comedy! This had a downward path a little past the Transformers attraction. It went through the backstage past the building that had the Dungeons & Dragons: Secrets of Waterdeep building from Fan Fest Nights. Farmer Gene Green talks to you with the circus tent enterance. Once you enter there are the tall klowns with creepy faces that are absurdly funny. Brilliant creations by the Chido Brothers. There is a giant yellow balloons with red splotches that trap victims! A door opens so several klowns can greet you! Then, there is the house with snake-like klowns jumping at you from laundry hampers and one out of a toilet that sprayed me! At the Crescent Cove police station, a klown has his ventroloquist dummy, Officer Mooney! This is almost the only victim of the killer klowns. My favorite is the little klown with boxing gloves knocking the block off of the biker! 

A last maze, Killceñera which features music by Slash!, it was next to the Sinners house which I went on for the second time. It is Lola’s Quinceañera, 2 de Noviembre de 2026, as the sign reads above the balcony. Lola is there in traditional black dress, but with skull-like face. I hope this becomes a horror movie! Lola is in the maze along with demonic figures and a brilliant La Llorona! Much scarier than the mild horror film, The Curse of La Llorona (2019). There are women in white dresses, victims of Lola’s curse! There are figures of four mariachi players with skull heads and glowing red eyes, except one moves!  A reliquary for Lola’s mother also has a ghostly woman in white! I wandered into the secret maze, fun, and also caught The Purge: Dangerous Waters show at Waterworld, ok, but the high bar was set with the One Piece: Grand Pirate Show at Fan Fest. I didn’t go to Stranger Things or the other houses, I did surprise Art the Clown at the plaza walking past him, the only big disappoinment was not seeing Nikki. The After 2 PM Day/Night pass wasn’t worth it, seconded by other guests that I had met, unless you want to go to a house like Sinners. 

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