jedimaster1227

^You know you're jealous Chuck...

^^^^Sarcasm aside, you may be comforted to know that I hear the producers of the hit series, The Bryan and Adam Show are looking to remake the series for British television. I even hear Ricky Gervais will play the role which Bryan Stoll made famous while Michael Emerson could take on the stunning role which Adam Roth has so strongly played over the last year. Look for an official announcement to be made following the season premiere of LOST. ^^^I try to surprise you more and more with each update--its become one of my goals in the show! ^^I still think we need to have Matt Damon do a guest spot in this season... Considering how you helped me make it through my first SLC without bashing my skull to bits, I think we can afford a few minutes of airtime... Lets get to work on some sort of action scene... Can you ride a flying motorcycle through a Middle Eastern street all while drinking a delicious and refreshing Coca-Cola? If so, you're hired! ^You don't have to lie Matt... Tell them how you really feel!

^Starliner certainly wasn't anything special during its stint at Cypress Gardens... Even the modifications to the turn-around didn't help to make it any less scary than it already was. Feeling the front of the PTC train warp beneath my hands and feet was a sickening experience that I hope to never repeat again.

^It should be noted that the recently removed Starliner from Cypress Gardens is 70 ft in height and features a 65 foot drop and has over 2500 ft of track--this may fit the specifications they are looking for.

This is a great report so far Martin! Keep up the great work and enjoy what seems like an amazing expo ahead!

^I've been told I have that effect on some people...

^Do tell...

As Erik and Eric have mentioned in their great reports, I was fortunate enough to join them last night for the opening night and media event covering Halloween Horror Nights' opening. This year's theme, Ripped from the Silver Screen had had me skeptical for quite some time in fear that the houses would be formulaic and possibly too light for the subject matter they covered--I couldn't have been more wrong. In terms of theme, this year is a true success in every way. In years previous, the shows, houses and scare zones would often split off into different thematic tangents, but thanks to the broad variety of the horror film library, every aspect of this year's event fits its movie theme. The creators of this year's events have focused heavily on detail in ways I'd never experienced before in an extra ticket event such as this. Every house had at least one (if not many) moment or detail that left my jaw hanging on the floor in awe. Every house had plenty of moments that scared the color out of my cheeks and both shows successfully held my attention and then some. So lets break it down by specific houses, shows and scarezones here... Silver Screams: This was our first house of the night, and it certainly set an amazing tone for what we were about to experience during our night. Built in the parade building backstage, this house is innovative and focused to point where every room couldn't help but make sense. Walking through different films divided by elaborate theater hallways complete with marquee posters defining each film (the old style images brought the newer films featured like The Strangers, My Bloody Valentine and Shaun of the Dead into a realm of time that seemed all-too-appropriate when aligned with The Thing, Phantom of the Opera and Army of the Dead [referred to as Medieval Army]) helped to create a charming and engaging flow from scene to scene--a continuity that would seem nonsensical in any other context. Each room featured an accurate representation of the film in question and each offered up some wonderful scares. Typically my first house doesn't top my list, but this year I am proud to say that Silver Screams has become one of my favorite houses I've been in over the last three years. Chucky: As a childhood fear of mine, Chucky was a house that I truly dreaded having to walk into. This house not surprisingly very twisted, shrinking you to the size of a toy in Chucky's factory of evil. The walls are adorned with symbols of this murderer's psychosis and the rooms challenge your mettle thanks to specifically distracting obstacles that line the walls, roof and paths. There was one amazing scare involving a giant green army man and a corner that had me screaming quite loudly, so I was definitely satisfied with the visit. The Spawning: Knowing nothing about B-movies or Fangoria, I wasn't exactly sure what to expect of this house besides the obvious sewer theme. The elaborate yet subtly uniform walls of the Ohio sewage system provide a surprisingly effective backdrop. An added plus--the costumes fit the B-movie title but have a special glow in the eyes that brings an added realism to the creatures that hunt you as you seemingly hunt them. Saw: This was the true house that had me worried before the event. I am terrified of the Saw films and not particularly a fan of extreme gore, but the house certainly was worth the scares. The developers of Halloween Horror Nights have pushed the limits of story immersion by putting guests into the Saw scenarios. Guests footsteps trigger traps seen from the first five films, most of which can be seen as they kill individuals in horribly gruesome ways. The jaw trap that Amanda wore, the knife-to-the-face chair and more show up in this house and no effect was able to disappoint. Of the three years that I've come to Horror Nights, this has been the best house to take up residency in the Jaws queue. Leave it to Cleaver: While this was my least favorite house, this shouldn't be considered an insult, knowing how strong the house itself was. I loved all eight houses this year, so to pick a "worst" just isn't easy. The house itself was gruesome, sickening and well executed. While I don't have much to say about the house itself, it has scarred me to the point where I will never look at Big Boy the same again. Dracula: One word: Greatness. This year's studio houses were extraordinary in their use of space, elaborate sets and superior scare actors. The entrance to the castle is gigantic, removing the feeling of a studio and initiating an immersion within the world of Vlad the Impaler. Some new effects have been tested in this house, including an amazing "flight system" that makes the legend's wives hover over you as if by magic in smooth, almost ghostly fashion. The house has a great length, amazing detail and wonderful scares. Nothing whatsoever to complain about here. Frankenstein: It became quite apparent that the three Horror Legends would truly get the spotlight this year, with their three respective houses being ridiculously strong in every way. Like Dracula, Frankenstein features an amazing set, wonderful storyline (that can be understood from scene to scene with little trouble), amazing scare opportunities and some expert effects that bring this old characters into the new age. Nearly getting trampled by Frankestein to the point where I could see his glowing heart-piece within inches of my face was enough for me. Another great experience to be had with this creature. Wolfman: I have to admit that I had low expectations for this one, but that was quickly turned around. I'm not going to ruin anything for this house because I found it to be the most unique and well thought out... It ends up that the house itself features locales and details ripped directly from the upcoming film--walking through the house is literally a preview of the film to come. And if the film is anything like the house, this will be an amazing re-imagining of a classic monster. I loved this house and consider it my second favorite for the night. Bill & Ted: Always a fun show, I don't have too much to say about the show without spoiling it. There are some great moments that really take stabs at the year's great pop culture faux pas and such, many of which caught the audience by surprise. The show was entertaining as always but I will say that last year's iteration remains my favorite of the three. Rocky Horror Picture Show: I'm not a Rocky Horror fan per-say, but I do enjoy the show itself. Last year was my first time seeing the show and seeing it again this year was a great experience. I feel like I have grown to appreciate it more thanks to my repeated visit, so that's a plus. This year's show is almost exactly the same as last year's, though I noticed that the talent this year seemed to be even better than that of the show I had seen previously. Some returned from the last cast (and their familiar faces made it easier to enjoy the show) and some were completely new faces, so I was definitely happy with the stars themselves. When it comes to the scarezones, I'm just going to sum it up because my memory of the zones themselves is less than sufficient (for now) to write reviews on such. The park's six scare zones are definitely a different take on the zones that we've grown accustomed to in the previous years. I noticed that in many cases, the storyline of each section was more heavily based on the actors than on the scenery with some zones having a substantial amount of scenery as opposed to the more minimalistic spreads of some. Costume design and character appearance is certainly strong, but I also noticed a large decrease in the number of active actors per zone as opposed to last year. What were once crowded pathways in previous years seemed far more open (and safe) as a result of the lessened cast. That being said, the three standout zones for me would have to be Cirque du Freak, Horrorwood Die-In and War of the Living Dead. Overall, the media event and Halloween Horror Nights were excellent once again. As Erik mentioned earlier, with an event this strong, its hard to pick favorites and less favorites. The bar has been raised to a new level in terms of quality thanks to the extraordinary studio houses and the line between reality and nightmare has been blurred thanks to the immersive houses like Saw. There was nothing I didn't enjoy about this year's event and will gladly return with my Frequent Fear Pass over the course of the next month. To the team responsible for this year's Halloween Horror Nights, I thank you for putting together another amazing event and look forward to all that you have to offer in this and future events under the Halloween Horror Nights label. Among the guests for the radio presentation were Brian O'Halloran (of Clerks fame) and Doug Jones (Hellboy, Buffy and much more). Michael Roddy and Michael Aiello also appeared during the night to share information with listeners. I didn't even know Fangoria had a radio station... But then again, I don't really listen to XM Radio... I found Box Man's wife: Grassy Box Girl! You know the deal, so just stay away from her grassy box. "Hao Ald Awr Yoo?" This thing nearly bit me... From what I could tell, he's a vampiric version of Mini-Me. Cirque du Freak had an impressive setup for a scarezone. It isn't Horror Nights without blood bag jello shots... "Yo. I'mma let you finish, but Asylum in Wonderland was one of the best scarezones of all time! Yeah. Sorry!" This screen played a nice compilation of footage from previous years of Horror Nights. It was definitely nice to see some highlights from the year's I've missed. I like my cheesecake with a side of worms... Don't you? I promise you that the placement of the stop light was hardly intentional... This form of public transportation is known as a "party bus." Now that Rockit is complete, the midway games have returned... A truly extraordinary house that debuts long before the movie on which it is based will make its way to theaters. Based on the house alone, I'll definitely be seeing this one! I believe standard war attire has been adjusted to include jean shorts, odd gaits and fanny packs. "No I don't want a Coke! I'm a mutant! I want to eat your feet! Stop filling my deformed brain with images of demand-filling teens and some strange niche web show!" "To give you an idea, this compares to how I felt at the end of I Am Legend. I can show you my happy expression next if you'd like... I've been practicing with the help of Emotion Eric." "I am Box Man! This is my realm of boxes. Don't enter my box or I'll box you straight in the face. This is my personal box space, so don't box it up by stepping in the box. Box. Box. Box. " "Is there something on my face? I knew loading my sandwich with extra spicy mustard was a bad idea!" I'm not exactly sure what the inflatables were supposed to represent, but they were certainly different. "Bear with me here... I'm just waiting for Jeff Goldblum to make his way out of the telepods in Castle Frankenstein..." To help recoup the damages of the recent issues on Isla Sorna, InGen has loaned its Jurassic trappers to the military for use in an undisclosed "aerosol testing." What have we here? Reilly soon announced that he has an obsession with clowns. I'm sure he'll love Chucky's house... Despite the lack of references to the almighty Ricky Bobby, the 30 minute session was extremely fun to watch. Much to my dismay neither words "shake" or "bake" were uttered during the presentation. Roddy explains the work that was done to bring Cirque du Freak to life at Halloween Horror Nights 19... Michael Roddy is truly an entertainer as well as an innovator, and his presence on stage received a well-deserved ovation. "We've been spotted!" Two excellent houses that scared the fear straight out of my bones... Would it ever be an "Roth Report" if it didn't have a "sun shot?" "Mine just says Participant..." Two guests do the bump in hope of winning prizes not related to Twilight. Matching the theme of this year's event, we will be acting out roles of our film-ready counterparts. In this epic, Erik Johnson will be playing the role of Robb Alvey. Adam Roth and Eric Johnson will share the role of Guest. I swear, we thought of it before Dr. Parnassus did. Theme Park Review received several shout outs throughout the night from guests in transit--we appreciate the support! As three teal lanyard-wearing horror fans, it means quite a lot to be recognized as such. Just so you know, John C. Reilly will be visiting today. Just so you know. The cool kids stand in front of the stage almost two hours before a guest appears. That's how we do it here in Orlando. People are lining up just to experience the terror that is the turnstile security! It is all about the Hallowen Orror Nihts! In't his col? Much like what was done with the Carnival of Carnage, posters hang over each arch, announcing a different house within the year's catalogue. Another great entrance setup adorns the Universal gates for this year's event. As a passholder myself, I am certainly glad that I didn't have to wait in this line... Doubling the signs. Doubling the goodness. And so it begins... Another great end to another fantastic year of Halloween Horror Nights--this won't be the last time I visit during this year... And then I thought of Tyler. She's performing just for you my friend... And an appearance by Michael Jackson received much applause and excitement from the audience. The original Kirk helps kick off the "I'm on a ship" song... Love at first Twilight. Billy Mays returns from the grave to share a new product with you... You knew this was coming... And yes, he actually did take the tunnel! It is time for Shatner! The creature from Land of the Lost becomes a pet/sidekick to the ultimate fanboy. Megan Fox seems far less tempting in this scenario... The boys are back in town! Pop culture characters ripped from the silver screen into Bill & Ted in the Land of the Lost. We were told that flash photography was not allowed, so the following photos are both flash-free and stability-free... One of the best ways to go about enjoying Halloween Horror Nights! This year's event brought forth another installment of Bill & Ted's Excellent Halloween Adventure. For me, the show was definitely funny, but of the three that I have seen, last year's was definitely the best. Erik channels his "Robbness" by holding his badge. You ask what "Robbness is? Its Robb's name plus -ness. You've obviously not watched You, Me and Dupree. Lucky you. Here's a fact I didn't know before yesterday: Michael Roddy not only created Jack, but played him (at least in image) for the first year that he was featured at Halloween Horror Nights. Take a look at the first image of Jack and you'll notice how close their "wicked smiles" look... We even got a chance to interview Michael Roddy before our tour began!

I am so proud to know that the image of my nakedness scarred Bryan to the point of a mental breakdown on camera. In that one captured moment, my life has been made!

^As of right now, nothing has been said to indicate either outcome. Someone at another website did note that Merlin's policy with animals in show seems to conflict with that of Busch's though, which some are viewing as a reason why the buyout may not happen. Personally, I don't think the issue is major enough to stop a major transaction such as this, but it is certainly an interesting find.

^Nice save...

Let me just say that I find it extremely amusing that Bryan is co-starring in a new show with a marquee that misspells his name! All the while, this trip report is all kinds of awesome and will surely amuse those missing their daily doses of Colin and Bryan (or should I say, Brian)... You've got a fan in me.

Considering how little attention La Ronde has received since Goliath was built, I'm happy to see them getting an addition, even if it is another Mind Eraser SLC. Personally, if this one rides anything like the one at Six Flags New England, I could be more than content--especially if this ride received the new Vekoma SLC trains that Nor'Easter received not too long ago. I truly enjoyed my visit to La Ronde, and while I don't feel that it has an incredibly strong lineup of attractions (save for Le Vampire and Goliath), I have always viewed it as one of my favorite Six Flags parks and would be more than pleased to see this park get some serious attention in the near future.

^^^My apologies about the previous comment. I now understand that you acquired the photos in a proper manner and apologize for any previous concern. Like I said earlier, I am definitely glad to see you enjoyed the ride. While my first experience was not nearly what I had hoped for, it is uplifting to see such a positive response in the midst of some more harsh criticism.

Jason Garcia of the Orlando Sentinel just tweeted the following from the Universal Orlando Wizarding World of Harry Potter Press Conference: More details regarding the conference should be out later today.

^It is good to hear that you enjoyed the ride and that others like it as well. I'm going to give the thing a second chance and see if I have a better experience the second time around (after revisiting Six Flags over Georgia's Goliath this Summer, I've learned that rides can be forgiven for spotty days). On the other hand, I'm having a hard time reading your post without tripping over the severe lack of capitalization, proper sentence structure and punctuation. And even worse, I'm not sure how you got those photos without paying for them... I don't believe you are supposed to redistribute samples, especially if they have a watermark on them but that is just my impression of what I've seen... Again, I'm glad to hear you enjoyed the ride, but I can't help but be concerned by the content of the above post...

^I would absolutely agree with you. That is the Disney park of dreams and there is not one piece of visual eye-candy or detail in that park that wouldn't make you drool. Plus, its got an amazing catalog of fantastic attractions.

^While I still believe it will be announced at the D23 Expo, the above "announcement" is really a post on the site's forums by a poster quoting Miceage. I wouldn't consider anything 100% official until an announcement is made by the Walt Disney Company...

^I'm pretty sure that they are just joking... I believe they have said the same thing for each of Robb's appearances on the show (as I clearly remember them saying it on some of his guest spots a few years ago), so I wouldn't take it too seriously. They've invited him back plenty of times, so I highly doubt that Robb's hilarious behavior was enough for him to be banned for good!

Fixed. This is a great report Erik! It certainly makes me wish (even more) that I could have continued on with the Texas trip following the Deep South tour...

To make up for lost time, The Bryan and Adam Show (also known as the Adam and Bryan Show) has dug into its archives to give you this small outtake from our Season 1 finale... Enjoy... Or else you'll have a crying Bryan on your conscience forever. [coastertube]http://www.themeparkreview.com/coastertube/play.php?vid=IMGP1001_i4ne[/coastertube]

I believe I've found one of the first TPR approved Marvel characters that will fit perfectly into the parks... Squirrel Girl! http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Squirrel_girl

Here's my try... It is my first time using Gimp since my move from Windows to Mac, so I'm re-learning everything, but hopefully this is decent. Official Entry #1 A shoddy attempt at image editing, complements of my new Mac.

^^^^The theater where I assume she will be playing is the former Hard Rock Live venue. Interestingly enough, the stage offers covered standing space which is currently taken up by rows upon rows of foldable chairs used for the massive crowds coming to see Flip5Live! in concert... ^^Day 1 is dedicated completely to Faerie Glen and the Rock Garden. Day 2 is reserved solely for Monstars of Rock. That is why I would plan for Day 3 if I were to return...

Rampage ERT seemed to evoke a certain comfort amidst all of its random pumps of painful jabs to the ribcage... I guess Dan and I were just feeling the love... And seriously... This is the new logo of the Bryan and Adam Show... And I'm the one that got the nickname last year? Thanks again to Robb and Elissa for an amazing tour. Lets just say that money is slowly being siphoned into a small jar for next year's trip(s)...