Haunt-O-Phonic: A Ghoulish Journey (HHN 34)

[MikePat]

We are so back!!!

 

[srbmarc]

Does anyone remember if the R.I.P. Tours included a stop at the lagoon show the last time they did them or is it just Nightmare Fuel?

 

[RGMick77]

Does anyone remember if the R.I.P. Tours included a stop at the lagoon show the last time they did them or is it just Nightmare Fuel?

When they did Marathon of Mayhem in 2019, it was featured on the RIP Tour. Since then, they have been featuring Nightmare Fuel instead.

 

[AriGoldenstein]

Oh thank god! I got worried when I saw the announcement for Nightmare Fuel and not Lagoon show!

So pumped!!!!! LETS GO!!!

 

[TheCodeMan95]

So what's the verdict on drones? Any chance they return for this?

 

[Brian G.]

So what's the verdict on drones? Any chance they return for this?

They’re teasing “new tricks”, so possible!

 

[HHNObsession]

So what's the verdict on drones? Any chance they return for this?

The “new tricks up our sleeve” I took as drones are coming this time. Could be anything though.

 

[Tobias]

Very happy to have the lagoon show return, it's definitely needed for a year like this!

2019's MoM debut was absolutely stellar, @Parkscope Joe put it best as "All Killer, No Filler". It was a perfect storm in thanks to the IP's which all played incredibly well with the soundtrack, and the visuals were bright, poppy and gosh heckin' darn it, this show just worked from beginning to end!

As for Carnage Factory, unfortunately that was a sophomore slump. It had some moments here and there, but it also had some pretty muddy visuals with the TCM and Hill House clips, and it just didn't hit like the debut show.

With Ghoulish! I honestly really enjoyed it and felt it was more of a return to form. The original direction worked very well so the custom animations popped, we had a nice mix of cover songs, and the licensed song being "Blinding Lights" made for a great finale. There was also a bunch of little playful touches that added to the charm. Definitely a shame the show got cut short due to the lagoon/fountains getting gunked up.

And with the new fountains and tech, I am very looking forward to seeing what they've come up with! The lagoon show is perfect for a quick little breather that you can easily pop in and out for, so once again it's a very welcome return!

 

[johnathanm]

Do we expect the show to be more IP focused a la 2019’s show versus more original like 2022?

 

[krazyhorrorkid]

Our entire group LOVED that Mayhem show (the first one) - so much that it brought tears to our eyes. Yeah, sappy af, we are. I hope this show is even half that good.

No no, completely valid.
I cried too I admit.

 

[GA-MBIT]

I'm hoping it's as good as Ghoulish, but not expecting Marathon of Mayhem 1.0. MoM v1 had the perfect blend of IP iconography to base a show on. They haven't had a good mix of IPs for that since.

I liked Ghoulish since it was original versus reliant on IPs like Carnage Factory which made it obvious that MoM's success were the IPs.

2019's was really the perfect storm of IP for that kind of show. Stranger Things, Killer Klowns, and Ghostbusters are all poppy and fun IP, with iconic musical themes that all evoke the same kind of synthy 80s flair. Trying to emulate that with Haunting of Hill House and Texas Chainsaw Massacre, while not being able to utilize the much poppier Beetlejuice theme ... well, that one didn't turn out so hot.

Elements of the last few years could've been solid as Lagoon show tracks: Running Up That Hill comes to mind immediately, and I could see the theme song from The Last of Us working too in the right show. The Insidious title card sting would've been an insane (and probably eventually grating) addition to the event's soundscape last year haha. But yeah, nothing with the same natural thematic flow as 2019's tracks.

This seems a lot more in the spirit of Ghoulish, which is probably the better move until they can cement the licenses for a similarly musical lineup as they had in 2019. The variety format gave them a lot more room to come up with something solid than trying to make the MoM lightning strike twice.

 

[Mad Dog]

Sure helps to spread the crowd a bit. And, it really helps to make HHN seem complete.

 

[HHN Maddux]

Personally I wouldn't wanna see drones, I feel that would really take away from the immersion they've been hyping up so much for this year.

 

[Lucky Planet]

Our entire group LOVED that Mayhem show (the first one) - so much that it brought tears to our eyes. Yeah, sappy af, we are. I hope this show is even half that good.

The “new tricks up our sleeve” I took as drones are coming this time. Could be anything though.

No no, completely valid.
I cried too I admit.

mayhem show also brought tears to my eyes. the stranger things music at the end and the montages was what did it.
I don't know why but the stranger things section and the end of the show hit me hard.

I guess back then I really loved the show and I loved those characters. the show music and the visuals got my hands shaking, I remember.
it was truly magical.
the stranger things segment plus the whole ending is when i got choked up and teary eyed..

I loved that show so much I immediately changed my regular ffp to the ffp plus.

I also commented on this for the survey

 

[Parkscope Joe]

Elements of the last few years could've been solid as Lagoon show tracks: Running Up That Hill comes to mind immediately, and I could see the theme song from The Last of Us working too in the right show. The Insidious title card sting would've been an insane (and probably eventually grating) addition to the event's soundscape last year haha. But yeah, nothing with the same natural thematic flow as 2019's tracks.

Don’t forget The Weeknd

 

[GA-MBIT]

Don’t forget The Weeknd

The Weeknd was a huge one! But it was also partially used in Ghoulish itself that year, so I skipped bringing it up. Those After Hours trilogy tracks would've fit perfect in a 2019-esque MoM show though.