Pepsi And Universal Studios For Halloween

I've been on cloud 9 for the past few days. Not just because it's Halloween. In that case I've been on cloud 9 since the Halloween season began, which was last January. The specific reason for my numbered cloud placement for the past few days is a special one.

The Mrs surprised me with a trip to Universal Studios. Which we obviously haven't taken yet. I mean... there's a pandemic and all. It's open, but walking around in Florida wearing face masks doesn't seem like the greatest thing.  So we've got an open itinerary for next December. Which is the perfect timing. You know, put back some money, hope things are a little more back to normal by then... have time for a refund just in case...

So how to I shoehorn the thing I can't stop thinking about right now into the thing I think about all the time? Well duh, Universal Studios is synonymous with Halloween thanks to the world famous Halloween Horror Nights. Not to mention the Universal Monsters!

I also love Pepsi, which is just how great this old commercial from 1992 is! I wish this was just their ad every year, but hey... well why isn't it? Dang, I love that pumpkin.

Chucky's Adventures in Japan

I've been noticing the popularity of Chucky in Universal Studios Japan's Halloween Horror Nights. He practically has a presence every year, haunted mazes, merchandise, he's always there. I like Chucky too. But does he deserve a theme park presence specifically in Japan? He pops up here from time to time, but he's a constant there. So I thought I'd just see what came up for Japanese Child's Play in YouTube and really just a collection or two of commercials. Just foreign language versions of the same movies. Though it's hard to deny how great that kanji looks on that footage, almost at home even. I've admitted I'm a fan of kanji on things, it just looks great, but it really does match up perfectly.

Jaycees Haunted Houses

I spent some years on the charity haunted house scene back in the day. It can be a great way to spend a few nights during the Halloween season. During the Halloween season you'll hear about two kinds of haunted house attractions. The big budget for profit type like Halloween Horror Nights at Universal Studios, or the smaller local haunts usually run for charity. In those circles you'll often hear the name 'Jaycees' as the group is infamous for running these types of haunts generating scares and money for local charities. While there's no comparing the big budget thrills to the solid white make up faces drenched in fake blood. There's no denying that old school charm.

Ghost on road in India

So... did somebody get drunk after working a local haunted house and stumble out into the road or something?

I'm not saying it's not creepy, it is, and it would be unnerving to drive up on.

"Hello Police... yeah... there's a woman dressed like a ghost walking around in the middle of the road... I guess like those clowns from a few years back yeah... ok cool, I'm going to just keep driving now, later bye"

Back to the Future Ju-On edition

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Not long ago, I posted footage of the special Halloween Horror Nights version of Terminator 2 3D at Universal Studios Japan. Not to be outdone, Sadako's rival Kayako from the Ju-On (The Grudge) series also took over the Back to the Future ride. Man, what a freaky ride show. Kayako was always more brutal and visually scary than Sadako and I'm sure having her right in your face like that was pretty nightmarish. I really enjoy both series, though sadly haven't seen the newer entries (including the vs movie). I need to fix that as Japanese horror is something I've always really liked and I'm a little ashamed to have ignored some of it's newer films considering how much I've enjoyed the older films.

Terminator 2 3D Sadako edition

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Part 2 (of 3)

Part 3 (of 3)

Man, during Halloween Horror Nights at Universal Studios, nothing is off limits. In this video at the Japan park (I believe in 2015) they did a special Halloween version of Terminator 2 3D where Cyberdyne Systems got infected with the Ring virus. For those of you who've never seen Terminator 2 3D, it's a 4D attraction with actors walking in and out of the screen in addition to the 3D film with various effects. So that bit at the end when Sadako walks out of the screen and then scares everyone... she was literally in your face if you were there.

Talk about a jump scare warning.

Halloween Things

Yes I know it's a little early for Halloween Horrorcon to present itself here in Zone Base, but bear with me here. My beloved Universal Studios has announced they will have Stranger Things haunted mazes this year at Halloween Horror Nights. That's seriously awesome. Stranger Things is my current favorite show and after two seasons might join the ranks of my all time favorite shows. I've been on the band wagon of if USO ever was to remove the E.T Adventure, that re-themeing it to be a Stranger Things attraction would be awesome. I and others of my generation may love E.T, but it's obvious that others aren't as interested and as the other parks have removed their E.T rides, the clock in ticking on USO (literally the ride is there because Steven Spielberg wants it there) to pull the trigger one day.

As Stranger Things is steeped in a pseudo Steven Spielberg 80's movie setting full of horror references, I'd imagine the que in the woods and woods part of the ride would fit right on in. It's already kinda scary as it is, and some reworking of the government vehicles into Hawkins Laboratory vehicles wouldn't take too much. Hell, really riding those bikes through the woods and being confronted by the police and agents could almost translate directly into a Stranger Things theme. Just work in some new dialog and random bits and bobs. Perhaps even some voice clips of characters calling for Will and or Eleven. Man, some animatronic Demogorgon encounters in those woods would be great.

The scene where the bikes fly over the city would need to be reworked, which I imagine would be a good place to work in entering the research facility and that portal through space to the Green Planet would be the show stopper where you go inside the Upside Down with more Demogorgons and a showdown with the Mind Flayer before getting whisked away to safety of the real world again.

I can literally hear that great theme music playing in my head as I imagine it. The gift shop could be a mix of Stranger Things merchandise and assorted horror merch. I should stop before I get myself too excited.

Don't look at me like that.