An article concerning Halloween Horror Nights: Ripped from the Silver Screen written by Peter Covino from the Osceola News-Gazette:
Transcription[]
Universal serves up some strange treats for Halloween[]
Nothing makes the editorial newsroom come running faster than a cardboard box full of popcorn, clearly marked: "Fresh". "Delicious". "Crisp".
The box was also marked "nutritious", but nutrition or any words boasting healthful benefits has never been known to cause a hunger stampede in a newsroom.
But nothing makes a newsroom halt more than when the popcorn box is opened and it is full of bloodied popcorn with lots of hair mixed in.
Probably any office lunchroom is the site of a mass feeding frenzy when something edible is up for grabs when it is placed on the community table.
But just to make sure that popcorn doesn't come from Universal Orlando on the eve of Halloween Horror Nights.
The theme park wins hands down in press promotion in recent years when it comes to creativity particularly when they are promoting when what is Universal's most popular annual event, Halloween Horror Nights.
This year, it was the box of bloody popcorn, accompanied by the same kind of notebook reporters use, also bloodied and full of photos and notes of what is awaiting the media if they are brave enough to attend this year's media opening for Halloween Horror Nights. The "press kit" also included an audio recorder, presumably capturing the last moments of a reporter foolish enough to attend Halloween Horror Nights.
The best horror night promo ever still goes to the innocent looking box that Universal sent out that was just inviting enough to get many an unsuspecting person (usually someone at the office) to open it. The ingenious little box delivered a jolting shock, usually followed by screams or expletives or both.
The Universal folks have also delivered numerous body parts to the office, including a severed hand which was good for lots of laughs, driving around with the gory hand stuck in a closed car window or door.
The popcorn was a good tie-in to this year's Halloween horror event which is all about modern horror and classic films.
This year's haunted houses will be themed around that evil doll Chucky, the Wolfman, Dracula, Frankenstein, and other movie house horror favorites.
Like last year, Halloween Horror Nights will have eight haunted houses, as well as the various scare-zones (you know, those places with walking zombies and guys with chain-saws).
I suspect Universal will be plugging particularly something new this year: live preview concepts of three new films, Saw VI due in October; The Wolfman, debuting in February 2010 and Cirque Du Freak: The Vampire's Assistant, also due in theaters in October.
Saw, which has become one of the most profitable of all the horror film franchises, gets in its own haunted house this year. The haunted house will feature some of the iconic scenes from the film including "Jigsaw's" Lair and the tomb-like bathroom. And, yes, Jigsaw himself is also expected to make an appearance.
The Wolfman, who has been around almost as long as there have been talking pictures and special effects, gets his own house as well, as Universal readies guests from the 2010 version of Lawrence Talbot, the man who who know never-ending torment as the next full moon approaches.
Classic horror fans (which definitely includes me) should like new interpretations of Frankenstein and Dracula, both will be featured in their own houses.
And the Silver Screams haunted house - based on a demented movie theater run by a supernatural usher - features Shaun of the Dead, The Phantom of the Opera, My Bloody Valentine 3D and more.
Also returning this year are Bill and Ted's Excellent Halloween Adventure (which was rather lame last year, I thought) and The Rocky Horror Picture Show: A Tribute.
Halloween Horror Nights opens this weekend and continues October 1-4, 8-11, 15-18, 21-25 and 28-31.
Pretty much all you needed to know about Halloween Horror Nights can be found at www.HalloweenHorrorNights.com.
Advance tickets are on sale for $69.99 plus tax.
PHOTO CAPTION: Halloween Horror Nights has a movie theme this year, but be wary of the popcorn.
Article Link[]
http://ufdc.ufl.edu/UF00028318/00492/12?search=halloween+horror+nights