Gowri KanagarajahHalloween Horror Nights
4 scare zones. 4 haunted houses. 444 scare actors. 13 nights of horror. As if the ominous and superstitious numbers aren’t obvious enough, especially in an Asian society of ours, Universal Studios Singapore (USS) promises to unleash all terror in this year’s Halloween Horror Nights.
But before UrbanWire previews the rides and attractions, we had to go through a dramatic live theater show at the launch event held at the Hollywood Pantages Theater. We were introduced to Minister Jonah Goodwill, the newly elected ‘leader of the world’ known for his achievements, which include chairing the World Energy Initiative in 2011, and leading the Global Nuclear Disarmament project in 2012.
All of a sudden, the screen flickered and showed distorted images.
The atmosphere became ominous as the screen rose to reveal the Minister, shrouded in the dark. The inauguration culminated in a violent end, when a man jumped on stage and threw what looked like a grenade at the Minister.
Chaos ensued and brought the dramatic opening to a close as creative director Jason Ramsburg and senior producer Scott Peterson took to the stage to share about Halloween Horror Nights 4 (HHN4).
Theater All Around
For starters, USS had to extend the event from its previous 10 nights to 13, due to popular demand. “This year we’re getting bigger, we’re getting better, and we’re getting scarier. We’re presenting 4 haunted houses and 4 scare zones for Halloween Horror Nights 4,” Peterson said.
Ramsburg further explained the theme of HHN4 and the intention of the dramatic opening earlier. “We try to create theatrical, movie-type plots so we can bring our guests inside the story. We needed a character that represents the entire event. So we thought, why not have a government leader? Then we came up with a story about Minister Jonah Goodwill. He was elected into public office by the world, where there are no separate countries. Unfortunately, after electing him, we find out he’s a – dramatic pause – demon from hell.”
If that thought is enough to send chills down your spine, you’re not alone. UrbanWire previews the scare zones and house of horrors and loses some sanity in the process, and we’re here with some of the morsels of information you’ll get before the real deal.
Scare Zone 1: Demoncracy on the streets of New York
“All hell has broken loose on the streets of New York. We’re going to make a giant fracture in the middle of the ground, so it looks as if the street has opened up. There’s hot, bubbling lava oozing out, and demon minions are going to be crawling out of the lava,” Ramsburg said. The ‘demons’ will be played by aerialists and stunt men from Australia, USA and USS’s Entertainment unit. Look out for every corner of the street because they would be scaling the walls and descending from the ceilings. You’ve been warned.
Scare Zone 2: Meet Boogeyman and his little helpers at Sting Alley
The 2nd scare zone will reenact a popular story/figure from childhood – the Boogeyman. Guests will be able to enter Sting Valley from either New York or Sci-fi City. We know the Boogeyman hunts little children – but this time, they have teamed up! Devilish kids will be running around, thirsty for some blood. “The good thing about Sting Alley it’s very dark, there’s lots of nooks and crannies, so if you go there, be prepared to be scared to death,” Peterson said.
Scare Zone 3: The Canyon of the Cursed
In Canyon of the Cursed, located in ancient Egypt, guests will be transported to a frontier town in Texas, set in 1864. Think Wild Wild West with a violent twist: undead zombies, horses, American Indians, shooting and lots of blood and gore, of course.
Scare Zone 4: Scary Tales
Situated in Jurassic Park, the idea for Scary Tales was to take familiar fairytales and twist them into Halloween-esque versions. Peterson used Little Red Riding Hood as an example. “You think of her as a poor, victimized girl. But this time, she’s not going to be hunted, she’s going to hunt,” he enthused.
Haunted House 1: The L.A.B
The L.A.B., which stands for the Laboratory of Alien Breeding, shows how aliens are trying to experiment with the human species to create human-alien hybrids. Be careful not to run into one of those grisly creatures, lest you become their next experiment.
Haunted House 2: Mati Camp
“The Minister of Evil has placed this evil sergeant in charge of the new recruits. These recruits will be tortured, forced into cannibalism and hanged,” Ramsburg said. Mati Camp was inspired by real-life, local legends and experiences in the army. “A lot of national -serivce stories will be evident in this house, our locals will love it,” Peterson added.
Haunted House 3: Jing’s Revenge
The haunted house of Jing was designed with pre-war and old Chinese schools in mind, according to Peterson. The ghost of Jing, a girl who was bullied by her classmates and driven to her suicide, has returned to the school to haunt its students. Using the latest theatrical technologies, this house will feature a self-writing blackboard. Death Note, anyone?
Haunted House 4: Jack’s 3-Dimensia
More bizarre than scary, Singapore’s first 3-D haunted house, Jack’s 3-Dimensia, will debut ‘Chromadepth’ paint technology and its stereoscopic effects. Jack, the serial-killer clown will also have his own show titled Jack’s Nightmare Circus at the Pantages Theatre. This show will feature contortionists, dancers and Gordo Gamsby, the 9-time Guinness Book of World Records holder for bizarre acts, including sword-swallowing.
Pictures courtesy of Universal Studios Singapore ® and © Universal Studios. All Rights Reserved.