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Eli Roth Presents: Terror Tram

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Halloween Horror Nights Hollywood attraction
Eli Roth Presents Terror Tram

Eli Roth Presents: Terror Tram

Attraction type Terror Tram
Event

Halloween Horror Nights 2016 (Hollywood)

Park Universal Studios Hollywood
Area Backlot
Year

2016

Housed in Studio Tour Backlot
Based on Original
Preceded By Terror Tram: Survive the Purge (2015)
Followed By Titans of Terror Tram: Hosted by Chucky (2017)

Eli Roth Presents: Terror Tram was the terror tram that was featured during Halloween Horror Nights 2016 (Hollywood). It was located in the Studio Tour Backlot.

Story[]

In the late 1950's, Los Angeles resident Harold Kappowitz entertained television audiences with his alter ego Koodles the Clown. Koodles soon became Universal Studios' unofficial mascot until the media began to depict clowns in a negative light, turning them into the stuff of nightmares. In the 1970's, circus attendance plummeted, forcing Kappowitz to work as an unpaid street performer. His behavior became increasingly unstable as he scared guests in rageful psychosis and schizophrenia, resulting in his permanent removal from the property. Kappowitz confined himself to the Hollywood Hills as his alter ego ceased to exist. But from it, a far more sinister ego emerged.

Decades later, strange things began happening at Universal Studios Hollywood. The studio's wildlife population declined and tour guides began to go missing one by one. By the summer of 2016, Kappowitz emerged from his isolation and Hollywood Harry was born.

Currently, dozens of people claim to have seen the maniacal clown roaming heavily populated areas in Los Angeles with authorities linking the masked man to a series of kidnappings. With the creepy clown still at large, watch your backs roaming Universal Studios this holiday season. Hollywood Harry is one clown that'll make sure you never laugh again. Share to make aware of Hollywood Harry and stay safe.

Scareactors[]

Quotes[]

  • "I scream, you scream, we all scream for Ice Cream!" - Hollywood Harry*"Cut! That's a wrap kiddies!" - Hollywood Harry

Pictures[]

Videos[]

Soundtrack[]

Trivia[]

  • The treatment for the tram was 66 pages.
  • The original name for the tram was Eli Roth Presents Terror Tram - Klowntasm.
  • This all started with Eli Roth who Murdy met in 2010 at the Eyegore Awards & have remained friends with. They worked together on the Hostel maze in 2011 and wanted to do something else together. Eli was working with Crypt TV which helped create a viral campaign for Hollywood Harry. [1].
  • The story which was inspired by 2 things. The first was this picture of a clown riding the old “glamour tram” in 1964 at the opening of Universal Studios Hollywood. Murdy found this pic doing research on the 100th anniversary of the studio & always wondered who he was? [2].
  • The 2nd inspiration was “Pete the Hermit” a odd man who lived in the Hollywood Hills by Universal in the silent movie era & use to wander down to the studio. Carla Laemmle, the niece of Universal’s founder, told Murdy his story. She lived on the lot in those days and remembered him. [3].
  • The working title for this project when I was writing it was “Clowntasm” but Murdy changed it for what should be obvious reasons. The plan was Murdy would write & gorilla shoot the footage & Crypt TV would do a viral “true crime” video. [4].
  • From the start, Murdy wrote the part of Harry for one of our scareactors named Bob who had just played the creepy “He’s got your baby!” guy in Insidious the year before. Little did they know 2016 would be filled with crazy clown sightings in the media, so they used it to our advantage. [5].
  • Since Harry was established as a former TV star and mascot for the Studio Tour who now lived in the hills above Universal and preyed on Tour Guides, they worked the original tour guide jacket and an eclectic collection of employee name tags down through the years into his design. [6].
  • In the video, Murdy needed to show Harry in his former glory days as mascot for the Studio Tour welcoming guests in the 60’s and as the host of his own TV show in the 50’s that filmed on the lot. They created different looks for him and photoshopped him into old archival photos. [7].
  • For his modern look, they tried to imagine what a man whose been wearing clown make up for decades and living in the wilderness around Universal would look like. Murdy gave him the black balloons to suggest his turn to the dark side. [8].
  • The gorilla shoot they did in one day on the backlot and City Walk all used Bob as Harry. They told very few people what we were doing so they could get real reactions from the guests. For the Terror Tram experience they created this silicone mask so multiple actors could play him. [9].
  • After the video set up Harry’s backstory, the tram arrived at the drop off point and this was the image you were greeted by Harry standing alone, waiting for you holding his black balloons (which were fake balloons of course). Murdy always loved this tableau. [10].
  • There’s well over a hundred performers in Terror Tram so they needed Harry’s circus friends to fill it out. Murdy came up with an idea of mimes with chainsaws with their mouths stitched shut. Marcel Marceau meets Clockwork Orange. [11].
  • Bates Motel was turned into a Hobo camp kind of like a clown version of the “Hoovervilles” that existed during the Great Depression of the 1930’s. Murdy grew up with the clown TV host Hobo Kelly so that was part of the inspiration. [12].
  • There were multiple Fun Signs in the Bates Motel section saying Honk You and Clown B Que.
  • The area behind the Psycho house was an ambitious attempt to give Terror Tram a maze like experience (until thet bottlenecked the damn thing & had to make 2 paths). The theme was Freaks which was really just an excuse to bring back their favorite characters from the old scare zone. [13].
  • War of the Worlds was filled with firemen clowns as first responders, all with horrific burn wounds. That scene in Dumbo was the inspiration here albeit a tad darker. [14].
  • The final sequence at the end of War of the Worlds was another maze like experience with Harry taking horrific revenge on the guests. [15].
  • The Static Figures in Front of the Koodles Carnival Facade was inspired by the Clown Thugs from Batman Arkham Asylum and the Furies from the Movie, The Warriors.


References[]

  1. ↑ https://twitter.com/john_murdy/status/1316123419679903745?s=20&t=A90x1t19WEXp6xV8mY0PBg
  2. ↑ https://twitter.com/john_murdy/status/1316124288232181763?s=20&t=A90x1t19WEXp6xV8mY0PBg
  3. ↑ https://twitter.com/john_murdy/status/1316125284861718535?s=20&t=A90x1t19WEXp6xV8mY0PBg
  4. ↑ https://twitter.com/john_murdy/status/1316126620063879175?s=20&t=A90x1t19WEXp6xV8mY0PBg
  5. ↑ https://twitter.com/john_murdy/status/1316127434316697602?s=20&t=A90x1t19WEXp6xV8mY0PBg
  6. ↑ https://twitter.com/john_murdy/status/1316128306257899522?s=20&t=A90x1t19WEXp6xV8mY0PBg
  7. ↑ https://twitter.com/john_murdy/status/1316129159245107201?s=20&t=A90x1t19WEXp6xV8mY0PBg
  8. ↑ https://twitter.com/john_murdy/status/1316130012202967044?s=20&t=A90x1t19WEXp6xV8mY0PBg
  9. ↑ https://twitter.com/john_murdy/status/1316131133998985217?s=20&t=A90x1t19WEXp6xV8mY0PBg
  10. ↑ https://twitter.com/john_murdy/status/1316132239726518274?s=20&t=A90x1t19WEXp6xV8mY0PBg
  11. ↑ https://twitter.com/john_murdy/status/1316133206442356736?s=20&t=A90x1t19WEXp6xV8mY0PBg
  12. ↑ https://twitter.com/john_murdy/status/1316133985462947840?s=20&t=A90x1t19WEXp6xV8mY0PBg
  13. ↑ https://twitter.com/john_murdy/status/1316134908973244419?s=20&t=A90x1t19WEXp6xV8mY0PBg
  14. ↑ https://twitter.com/john_murdy/status/1316135511799615489?s=20&t=A90x1t19WEXp6xV8mY0PBg
  15. ↑ https://twitter.com/john_murdy/status/1316136467475947520?s=20&t=A90x1t19WEXp6xV8mY0PBg
Halloween Horror Nights Hollywood 2016
Characters: Hollywood Harry
Haunted Mazes: American Horror Story  • The Exorcist  • The Texas Chainsaw Massacre: Blood Brothers  • Freddy vs. Jason  • Halloween: Hell Comes To Haddonfield  • Krampus  • The Walking Dead Attraction
Terror Tram: Eli Roth Presents: Terror Tram
Scarezone: The Purge: Election Year
Show: Jabbawockeez
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