Transformers Coaster coming to Saudi Arabia

Terminator 2 3-D commercial

The Amazing Adventures of Spider-Man commercial (1999)

Just spent some mental time today reflecting on this great ride.

Back to the Future Ju-On edition

part 1 of 2

part 2 of 2

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.

Haunted Mansion ride through

SInce I was just talking about Disney and Halloween... well shucks, can't not talk about the Haunted Mansion! This is a really good quality video, though I will say it bleeds out some of the better projection effects (Leota, Constance) and the sound is a big wall of sound. Normally each sound comes at you from individual places while the music plays in the background and all of it on top of each other in the video drowns out the Ghost Host who's speakers are in your Doom Buggy. Regardless, the video quality is so good you can really make out a lot of the details. Speaking of a Ghost Host who's audio is drowned out in the video, one of the reasons I picked this one was you can clearly see the crow. He's a little easier to see here than in the ride itself in some parts. Fun fact, at one point he was intended to be the Ghost Host, which is why you see him whenever the narration comes on.

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.

Imagining a Pacific Rim Universal Studios Experience

So, Pacific Rim is my favorite movie. I love it. It's a wonder super robot Saturday morning cartoon come to life. With Pacific Rim Uprising coming out just in time for my birthday, excitement is an understatement. A recent conversation in Toku Legion about the possibility of a Universal Studios ride based on PR as Uprising is a Universal Pictures release. The fact that Terminator 2 3D is closing to make room for a new experience based on a 'exciting Universal film franchise' completely inspired me to dream up an attraction based in the Terminator show building in like 5 minutes. I think we all are confused as to why I'm either not employed by one of these companies or locked away in an asylum drawing robots on the wall.

So, here's my newest Universal Studios fan fiction attraction.

Using the Terminator 2 3D set up, I can see the entire thing being a Shatterdome facade and the Pan Pacific Defense Corps putting on a demonstration for new investors or political visitors (which are you, the guests) in the Jaeger program. The rising stage areas that once held the live action Terminators could present Ranger suits at a point in the presentation. The placement in the theater screen could be where live actors walk in and out the 4D movie going on interacting with the Jagers on screen moving about. The 3D video combined with the sensory additions from the theaters moving seats, lights, and other effects would really play up the experience of looking at Gypsy Danger in the face as it moves about. 

Just as things are going smoothly, we have a breach and a kaiju is attacking... ORLANDO FLORIDA! We are then treated to a visual spectacle on screen as the Jaeger fights the kaiju complete with all sorts of 4K tricks. Seats bumping around. Fire, lights, 3D video, (what if the kaiju had banana breath?), you name it. Finally Gypsy Danger kills the kaiju in a messy splatter of blood as we get sprayed by water in the seats. The PPDC then addresses us and the show is over. As we leave the Shatterdome, we enter a gift shoft that of course has all our Pacifc Rim needs available.

Think Charlie Day would want to be in it?

Looking forward to Universal

I've always wanted to go to Universal Studios. I've been to Disney World a few times and other neat theme parks, but never Universal Studios. I distinctly remember the 'coming soon' ads for Universal Studios Florida on vhs tapes we rented when I was a kid. It's always seemed just out of the reach of possibilities.

So, when the future Mrs Rob and I decided to take our honeymoon there this fall, you can imagine how excited I got.

Ironically, it's worked out in a funny way. I usually travel to a Transformers convention once a year. I've always entertained the idea of taking a year off convention travel and go to Universal Studios and ride the Transformers movie ride and shop at the attached store. This year, I was taking off traveling to a convention for my wedding. Somehow both ideas came together wonderfully, and it was her idea!

So adding to my excitement for my honeymoon, my excitement for Universal Studios, let's add in my excitement to really take in the Transformers ride. Despite the negativity in the fandom towards the movies, I've always had a lot of fun with each movies release. The ride and all its included fun has been very interesting to me. I've watched the ride through videos, and seen the pictures of the general attraction. It looks like a lot of fun to take in.

I already have the exclusive Evac figure (he's the ride vehicle!) thanks to a friend picking one up for me. But there is also a plethora of neat licensed exclusive items as well as some other movie figures in exclusive packaging to check out. Not to mention the recent news.

Recently news of the Cyber Battalion figure line, which was prior sold in such countries as China and Brazil will be sold in the US as a Universal Studios exclusive broke out. I've been wanting these simple, yet neat looking toys for a while now. Instead of ordering them, my plan has been to pick them up at a convention (either local or one I travel to). I figured that would be a fun thing to look out for. So needless to say, picking them up on this fateful trip will just be really neat.

So far the two of us have been giddy over all the fun we're going to have. She's looking forward to shopping in the Harry Potter area, I'm looking forward to the Transformers area, and we're both looking forward to all the fun the park offers. Sometimes it's kind of neat having a story that goes with a toy. These Cyber Battalion guys are going to be forever mentally tied to what's going to be an awesome time of my life.

There's something great about that.