HHN23 - Scare Zones - The Walking Dead

The Scare Zones

The Walking Dead: The Undead Streets

Time for another HHN overview post, this time I want to talk about the scare zones spread throughout the park. This year they are all themed to various scenes from The Walking Dead series.

So what exactly is a scare zone anyway? The scare zones are the streets of the park, where the monsters and various 'scareactors' and such just walk around, hiding and jumping out at you. This year we're gonna see A LOT of zombies!

Here are the official HHN 2013 scare zones -

The Fall of Atlanta - The smell of death is in the air as you make your way past an iconic tank, sandbag barriers, and decayed rotting corpses on your journey through this decimated city. But be warned — the city’s not empty.

Woodlands - Tread carefully through these woods, as you never know who you might encounter. Lurking deep in the hidden depths are unforgettable scenes and characters from Seasons 1, 2 and 3.

Survivors Camp - There’s no one telling ghost stories at this derelict campsite, but there are plenty of undead. Will you dare to go closer to the eerily abandoned RV? Keep your wits about you or you might become a ghost story yourself.

The Farm - Something’s burning and it’s not a Sunday roast. Gasoline fumes ignite your senses as you encounter the smoldering remains of a singed country farm. See and smell the putrid barn, the red tractor, and more as you learn what’s causing that horrifying stench.

Clear - Turn around and live, proceed and face your fate. Stick together as you head down this street, because the spiked barriers are there for a reason. If you refuse to heed the spray-painted warnings, you’re in for a terrifying walk that will feel like an eternity.

And there's one more, not Walking Dead based, that I'm fairly certain would cause a riot if they didn't include these guys...

Chainsaw Gang - This classic HHN troupe returns, and this time they've got a ringleader.

There's also talk of the 'Walker Bomb' truck from season 3 driving around the park and loosing loosing walker to infest the area!

Done well, a scare zone can be worth the price of admission all on their own! Next post we'll go back to the houses.

J. Scott Campbell Spider-Man Collection - Spider-Man!

So here we go, the final piece in the J. Scott Campbell Spider-Man Collection - Spider-Man himself!

Your friendly neighborhood Spider-Man has joined the outstanding J. Scott Campbell Spider-Man collection from Sideshow Collectibles. The beloved web-slinger scales the skyscrapers of New York City in our dynamic new comiquette, designed by the incomparable comic artist J. Scott Campbell. This is one lucky wall-crawler, accompanied by his charming and irresistible leading ladies, the Spider-Man Comiquette completes this must-have collection.

The largest and perhaps the most detailed piece in the set, it's also the most expensive of the bunch. But look at this statue, clearly worth every single penny :-D

I love the building he's clinging to as well, with it's dirty, almost natural looking graffiti of the Spidey-signal.

Also, preordering directly from Sideshow gives you a bonus piece - a changeable head with a pulled up mask, revealing a classic Peter Parker smile that he only ever has when wearing the costume, with all the confidence and anonymity it gives him.

Shipping in May, and measuring approx 19" H x 11" W x 8" L , it's currently unknown how limited in production this awesome polystone statue will be.

Ok, just a couple more pics of this killer statue, cause it's my blog and I say so! :-)

HHN23 - 23 Seconds to Choose!!

So a short break from the house overview to bring you a very cool new video from Universal. If features an interactive map with a short preview of each haunt, you have 23 seconds to choose but I recommend letting the timer run out at least once.

VERY cool, I can't wait to experience it all first hand in just three weeks! :-)

J. Scott Campbell Spider-Man Collection - Gwen Stacy

So here is the second release in the J. Scott Campbell Spider-Man Statue Collection - Gwen Stacy.

Peter Parker's first true love is the gorgeous and brainy bombshell, Gwen Stacy. Sideshow is proud to share this one-of-a-kind design from renowned artist J. Scott Campbell. Capturing the vibrant heroine on an afternoon stroll through the rain, her knowing smile and carefree stride suggest that a friendly neighborhood Spider-Man is watching over her wherever she goes.

I think this may be my favorite of the three, which is saying a lot considering how awesome the third statue is! But I've always had a huge spot in my heart for Gwen and as much as I love the hot redhead and the sexy cat burglar, I think this super sweet blond bombshell will always be Spidey's truest love.

This statue really captures Gwen's innocence while still being amazingly sensual and gorgeous!

Shipping in March, and measuring approx 18" H x 7" W x 5" L, it's currently unknown how limited in production this stunning polystone statue will be.

Check back later for a post on the final (you know who) statue is the series!

J. Scott Campbell Spider-Man Collection - Mary Jane Watson

Ok, so my next few posts are going to be part "This is so awesome!", part "I want so bad!" and a bit "Guess who's birthday is next week?"

This is the first release in the J. Scott Campbell Spider-Man Statue Collection - Mary Jane Watson

Mary Jane Watson is the quintessential girl next door, exuberant and charming, she's the light of Peter Parker's life. Designed by the incomparable J. Scott Campbell, Sideshow brings this irresistible comic siren to life in the Mary Jane Comiquette,. Cast in high quality polystone, MJ is hand painted with a new high-contrast technique, creating added depth and dimension to each piece.

MJ has always been a sexy, flirty party girl and this captures that perfectly! Those sultry eyes and that flaming red hair are just impossible to resist!

Shipping in February, and measuring approx 11.5" H x 5.75" W x 5.75" D, this gorgeous statue is limited to only 6000!

Check back tomorrow for the second stunning release!

HHN23 - Forth House - Havoc 2

Havoc 2: Derailed

"Hang on tight aboard a militaristic train convoy that is secretly transporting the “Dogs of War”—a genetically engineered super soldier outfit. These bloodthirsty maniacs are only bent on mayhem and destruction of a speeding train. This is Havoc! In this all-new original house the train convoy has derailed and the bloodthirsty maniacs are loose!"

So this is a follow up to a previous HHN20 house called Havoc: The Dogs of War which told how Shadowcreek Labs was hired by the government to breed super soldiers. The experiment succeeded, but the procedure had horribleside effects. The superhumans grew insane and ravaged the labs, where they stalked and destroyed anyone who entered. The same crazy super-solders are back as you board a high tech and armored train that is transporting the captured prisoners; on route to a new more secure long-term storage location. 

Truth be told, I barely remember the original house. Hope this one leaves a more lasting impression.

This one is located in the Disaster queue and the entrance is near the Beetlejuice Graveyard Revue theater.

HHN23 - Third House - The Walking Dead

The Walking Dead: No Safe Haven

"AMC’s The Walking Dead returns to Halloween Horror Nights. Fans will have a chance to walk in the footsteps of human survivors as Universal debuts an all-new terrifying maze inspired by Season 3 of the critically-acclaimed, award-winning television series."

The eerily authentic and disturbingly real maze will place you at the heart of the show’s once impenetrable prison, the West Georgia Correctional Facility, now overrun by hordes of flesh-eating walkers. Then, cower through the walker-infested wilderness that surrounds the prison and into the seemingly utopian town of Woodbury, where gruesome secrets are concealed.

Last year's Walking Dead house was pretty good, not great though. Based on season 2, there were a lot of zombies in a farm/barn setting, not my favorite season, to say the least. This year looks to be so much more fun and much scarier, just the fact that it's based primarily in a prison already sounds more terrifying!

A few preview pics of the haunt -

I'll talk more about it later, but I wanted to note that all the scare zones are Walking Dead themed this year as well.

This one is located in the Parade building behind the Simpsons ride and the entrance is near the KidZone stage.

HHN23 - Second House - La Llorona

Urban Legends: La Llorona

Her legend is one of tragedy… of murder. To hear her mournful cries sends chills down your spine colder than the murky, watery depths she drowned her victims within. Forced to eternally walk the earth, she seeks others to share her pain and suffering – now and forever…

I'm actually kinda psyched for this one as it's been a very popular house at HHN Hollywood for a number of years and they're finally bringing it to Orlando!

Guests will come face to face with the 500-year old legend that has haunted millions of people in Latin America for generations, as the popular Mexican legend La Llorona comes to life as a haunted house at Universal Orlando’s Halloween Horror Nights 23.

It will begin when guests enter an old Mexican chapel where they hear La Llorona’s horrifying tale of murder, tragedy and fatal love. Guests step into the funeral of her victims, and as they progress, they’ll hear her cold, ghostly whisper that announces her presence.

“La Llorona’s intriguing and tragic story has been terrifying people in Mexico and all over Latin America for centuries,” said Mike Aiello, Creative Director for Universal Orlando’s Halloween Horror Nights. “And now at Halloween Horror Nights, you will be transported into her mysterious realm and experience firsthand this disturbing folktale.”

From Wikipedia:

Although several variations exist, the basic story tells of a beautiful woman by the name of Maria who drowns her children in order to be with the man that she loved. The man would not have her, which devastated her. She would not take no for an answer, so she drowned herself in a lake in Mexico City. Challenged at the gates of heaven as to the whereabouts of her children, she is not permitted to enter the afterlife until she has found them. Maria is forced to wander the Earth for all eternity, searching in vain for her drowned offspring, with her constant weeping giving her the name “La Llorona”. She is trapped in between the living world and the spirit world.

In some versions of this tale and legend, La Llorona will kidnap wandering children who resemble her missing children, or children who disobey their parents. People who claim to have seen her say she appears at night or in the late evenings from rivers or oceans in Mexico. Some believe that those who hear the wails of La Llorona are marked for death. She is said to cry, “Ay, mis hijos!” which translates to, “Oh, my children!”

A few preview pics of the house -

This one is located in Tent1 behind the Simpsons ride and the entrance is near the KidZone stage.

Random Fun Facts About Polar Bears!

Did you know that the Polar Bear is my favorite animal? No, that's not the random fun fact, just a little more about me.

Polar bears are fascinating animals. Not only are they the world's largest land predators, but also one of the most enigmatic. Researchers believe that polar bears may be just as intelligent as apes, since they seem to be able to learn and modify behavior to match their environmental challenges.  

Polar bears are actually not white. The hair of a polar bear is transparent, made up of a thick hollow core that reflects light. As the light bounces on the air spaces between hairs, you see white, a reflection of all colors combined. This special feature of their hair has a double purpose: it helps them blend better with their environment and it insulates them from the cold and snow.  

And to follow up on that, they are obsessive about keeping clean. Following mealtime, they will spend 15-20 minutes grooming themselves, making sure there is no dirt or residue left on them that may interfere with the insulating properties of their fur.

They are so well padded with fat and thick fur that they can overheat quickly, even in subzero temperatures. To prevent this, polar bears tend to walk slowly, avoid running and spend lots of hours lying down and resting.

They’re excellent swimmers. In fact, they spend so much time in the water that some scientists prefer to classify them as marine mammals. Because their front paws have webbed toes, polar bears are able to paddle better through the water, generating enough momentum to swim for up to 70 miles at a stretch. The webbed toes, along with rough padded feet, are also essential to prevent slipping on the ice.

Unlike all other bear species, Polar Bears don’t hibernate. Pregnant females will curl up in their dens and become less active, but polar bears in general will keep hunting and eating throughout the whole winter. While land bears hibernate, their body temperature drops to about 32F. When polar bears sleep in winter, their body temperature never goes below 88F.  

 
There is a really big difference in size and weight between males and females. While males can reach up to 1500 pounds and 10 feet in length, females rarely exceed 600 pounds and average 6.5 feet in length.  
 
They have been known to have tantrums. Experts have observed frustrated polar bears throwing chunks of ice, kicking piles of snow or growling in disappointment after losing prey they'd been trying to catch.

Finally, one not so fun fact. But considering that Polar Bears are endangered due to global warming and the actions of man - Humans are the only species that preys on polar bears.

I'll leave you with a few links to check out, I encourage you to donate if you can to help save these majestic creatures.

Polar Bears International
WWF Polar Bear Conservation
Sea World Polar Bear Conservation

HHN23 - First House - Resident Evil

Resident Evil: Escape from Raccoon City

"Raccoon City is overrun with Umbrella Corporation’s most terrifying experiments—and the only option is complete destruction. You’ll need to duck and dodge Lickers, Hunters, and Nemesis himself if you have any chance of escaping Capcom’s video game terrors before missiles send everything back to hell."

I wanted to start with a major one, Resident Evil is based on the second and third video games (thankfully NOT the movies), this house brings Raccoon City back from the dead with the series’ most recognizable locations and creatures.

This house was the last and one of the biggest to be announced, they even made a great video for the reveal.

Universal’s Entertainment team collaborated with the Resident Evil video game creators at Capcom to create a horrifyingly authentic haunted house based on some of the popular video games. Guests will become desperate survivors inside the viral catastrophe, Raccoon City. As they journey through the city, they’ll encounter vicious characters from the games such as Lickers, bloodthirsty zombies, packs of Cerberuses and even Nemesis himself. Fans will be completely transported inside the video game realm – to the extent that one room in the haunted house will appear as if an action-packed fight scene is paused, as if the gamer has taken a quick break before returning to the horror of Raccoon City!

This one is located in Soundstage 21B and the entrance is at the Music Plaza courtyard near the Rockit.

Halloween Horror Nights!!

As many of you know, we spend a couple weeks every fall in Florida and one of the main reasons we go is for Halloween Horror Nights at Universal Studios. We LOVE it and have only missed one since 2007. We came close to not being able to go this year, but after working out some hefty money probs, it's happening!! :-D

Today (Sept 20th)  is opening day and I'm so excited for my chance to go! So this is just a warning, I plan on posting a great deal on HHN23 over the next month or so. Both leading up to when we go at the end of Oct, as well as while we're there and our experiences after.

This year is gonna be fantastic, I'll tell you why in great detail in future posts! Stay tuned true believers!

So What Am I Doing Here? What's The Point Of This Whole Thing?

First and foremost, this is about all the stuff that I like and wanna talk about. Whether it's a new movie, comic storyline, video game or whatever else that floats my boat. This may include adult oriented items, so run away now if you're afraid of a little sexiness ;-)

I'm also going to be sharing (or bragging, depending on how you look at it) all my cool stuff with you.  I have an entire room, nay... a house, full of fantastic stuff that is just too awesome to keep hidden! Whether you're just plain enamored with my collection or insanely jealous of me, I think you'll enjoy seeing my stuff.

So I already have some weekly features in mind... like Flash Fridays and Web-Slinger Wednesdays, maybe a day set aside for all things curvy and gorgeous! I hope to post at least 3 or 4 days a week while keeping it interesting and fun for all.

So stick with me, my first real post will show up in the next day or so. But until then, here's a random picture of Spider-Man :-D

The Usual Welcome To My Blog Post

Ok, let's get this thing started up again :)

Allow me to introduce myself, I'm Rob and I'll be your host on this roller coaster of geeky fun!

I've created this blog because I'm a pretty regular guy living in an amazing time and I have a lot to share with the world! I'm a geek at heart. I'm a child of the 80's, which I think created the greatest generation of fun adults ever, we had the best toys, cartoons and influences growing up so now we're the ones making and using some of the coolest tech, games, books, comics, movies, etc.

So I've made this blog to express my thoughts, opinions and overall geek out moments. This isn't for kids though, there will be adult language and themes, as well as nudity and sex on occasion.

I think as we go along you'll get to know me quite well.



I'm gonna spend a bit more time tweeking it until I'm happy with my blog, but if you've found your way here early... welcome to my blog!