Movies
Welcome to Alice Cooper’s Nightmare at Universal’s Halloween Horror Nights!!
Rob Zombie is going to have a little maze competition at this year’s Halloween Horror Nights, thanks to the master of shock, Alice Cooper!
The legendary Alice Cooper, who single-handedly masterminded the rock-horror genre, will spin a new collection of disturbing horror imagery in Alice Cooper: Welcome To My Nightmare, an outrageous new “Halloween Horror Nights” maze at Universal Studios Hollywood. The event begins on September 23 and continues on select nights through October 31.
Inspired by the rock icon’s landmark concept album and its long-awaited sequel “Welcome 2 My Nightmare,” to be released on September 13 through Universal Music Enterprises,” the new attraction will take guests on a terrifying trip through Alice Cooper’s twisted mind, where his most famous songs, bizarre themes and demented characters collide inside a living horror movie.
This original, one-of-a-kind walk through experience will feature trademark elements from Alice Cooper’s celebrated shows, including guillotine decapitations, electric chairs, a sadistic insane asylum, predatory snake and giant Black Widow spiders that have helped make his imagery timeless and indelible. Music will be a powerful element within the maze and will include both new and classic Alice Cooper material.
Recently inducted into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame, Alice Cooper created the concept of the theatrical rock concert and has thrilled generations of fans with spectacular stagecraft and darkly flamboyant showmanship. His recording career spans six decades, includes over two dozen albums, many millions of record sales, countless world tours and appearances in scores of movies and videos, including a brief but memorable appearance in both “Nightmare on Elm Street: Freddy’s Dead” and Universal Pictures’ “Prince of Darkness.”
Sharing his enthusiasm, Alice Cooper said: “We’ll be creating this living horror movie within screaming distance of the sound stages where horror movies first began, so there’s no place more appropriate to offer a preview of the new `Welcome 2 My Nightmare.’ This will be a nightmare that will haunt visitors’ dreams for a long time to come.”
John Murdy, Creative Director, “Halloween Horror Nights,” added: “There are few people in the entertainment business who can be called a true original. Alice Cooper is in that rare pantheon. As a life-long Alice Cooper fan who’s been motivated and inspired by his craft, I am absolutely thrilled by this incredible opportunity to collaborate with him on this new haunted attraction. It’s a nightmare come true.”
Alice Cooper will be a key member of a Hollywood horror “dream team” assembled by Universal Studios Hollywood to create the ultimate “live” Halloween nightmare. The team also includes director, writer, producer and actor Eli Roth, who will present the new maze, “Eli Roth’s Hostel: Hunting Season.” “The Thing: Assimilation,” inspired by Universal Pictures’ upcoming thriller, will add to the Hollywood horror clout.
“Halloween Horror Nights” 2011 will bring unprecedented star power to an array of unrivaled, film production quality mazes uniquely themed to today’s most definitive horror properties and deliver the most compelling, spine-chilling, haunted attractions. All-new terror filled “scare zones,” original shows and the popular “Terror Tram” will be among the “Halloween Horror Nights” offerings. Additional new content for the 2011 “Halloween Horror Nights” mazes and attractions will be announced shortly.
The theme park’s favorite thrill-ride attractions will also remain open for “Halloween Horror Nights” as well, many with menacing twists. Favorites include “The Simpsons Ride
Just three years after Evil Dead Rise set the box office on fire with a $147 million worldwide haul, Evil Dead Burn was unleashed into theaters this past weekend. Unfortunately, the opening weekend for Evil Dead Burn wasn’t quite as strong as the debut for its predecessor.
Evil Dead Burn debuted in 3,004 theaters across North America and scared up $13.7 million in its domestic debut, about $10 million less than Evil Dead Rise‘s $24.5 million opening.
Worldwide, Evil Dead Burn debuted with $25 million. Given the film’s production budget was somewhere in the ballpark of $20 million, all is certainly not lost for Evil Dead Burn. That said, Warner Bros. and New Line no doubt hoped that Burn would top or at least match the domestic opening of Rise, but instead we’re looking at a case of diminishing franchise returns.
The good news for fans? Next installment Evil Dead Wrath has already wrapped production for expected release in 2028, so there’s no danger of the franchise ending with Evil Dead Burn.
Evil Dead Wrath from director Francis Galluppi (The Last Stop in Yuma County) is currently set for theatrical release on April 7, 2028, though that could change in the coming months.
Will the Evil Dead franchise be taking a break after Evil Dead Wrath? That all depends on how Wrath performs at the box office. But for what it’s worth, the post-credits scene at the end of Evil Dead Burn suggests that the franchise’s creators are hopeful for a bright future ahead.
The critical reception for Evil Dead Burn was a bit less positive than the reception to Evil Dead Rise, with Rise hitting 85% on Rotten Tomatoes and Burn currently sitting at 71%. It’s interesting to note, however, that the “Popcornmeter” on Rotten Tomatoes is a bit higher for Burn than it was for Rise, with Burn‘s currently at 80% and Rise‘s sitting a tad lower at 76%.
The site’s “Popcornmeter” scores are decided by users, rather than verified movie critics.
Which do you prefer? Evil Dead Rise or Evil Dead Burn? Sound off below.
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