By Charly SHELTON

It’s time to step into the fog once more as the year’s first Halloween haunt descends on Universal Studios Hollywood. Halloween Horror Nights 2024 kicked off with all the thrills, chills and scares fans have come to expect as this year’s event delivered on its promise to be one of the best yet. Universal brought CV Weekly out to experience the horrors firsthand and, while all the mazes had their highs and lows, two particular standout mazes stole the show: Universal Monsters: Eternal Bloodlines and Dead Exposure: Death Valley.

Universal Monsters: Eternal Bloodlines takes the crown as the best maze of the year and, frankly, one of the best I’ve ever seen at Halloween Horror Nights. The all-female-led haunted house combines the stories of some of Universal’s most iconic monsters including Dracula’s Daughter, the She-Wolf of London, mummified Egyptian princess Anck-Su-Namun and returning favorite vampire hunter the Bride of Frankenstein.

The narrative follows Saskia Van Helsing, daughter of legendary monster hunter Abraham Van Helsing, as she avenges her brother’s death at the hands (and fangs) of Dracula’s daughter Countess Marya, who herself arose from the dead to seek revenge for her father and destroy the Van Helsing bloodline.

Saskia allies herself with the only other living person who has faced down vampires – The Bride of Frankenstein – when she sought to use their undead blood to bring her husband back to life in 2021’s maze, “The Bride of Frankenstein LIVES.” Dracula’s daughter creates an alliance between herself, the She-Wolf, and Anck-Su-Namun to end the monster hunters who have plagued them for so long, leading to a shocking and epic battle. The maze is dark, atmospheric and packed with intense set pieces and stunning effects – there’s even a beheading gag that’s executed with jaw-dropping realism.

Slash’s music perfectly underscores the experience adding a layer of authenticity and excitement for die-hard monster movie fans like myself. And, as one final cherry on top, the maze is built in Stage 12 where 1931’s “Dracula,” 1931’s “Frankenstein” and 1935’s “The Bride of Frankenstein” were filmed. This maze, with these monsters, is taking place in the literal spot where monster movies were invented. Suffice it to say, this is one maze you absolutely cannot miss.

Elsewhere on the Lower Lot, Dead Exposure: Death Valley is a completely original concept house that taps into a different kind of fear – irradiated zombies. This maze was all about the lighting and special effects with blacklight rooms and eerie green glows creating an atmosphere of dread. The maze is set in a research station that has gone awry with animals and humans alike succumbing to radioactive contamination. The attention to detail here is impressive and the way the lighting enhances the scares made it one of the most unique mazes of the night. The room where everything appears to be on fire with bright green (projected) flames was particularly well done and immersive, adding to the tension. Definitely put this one high on your list, especially after dark to fully appreciate the lighting effects.

Other mazes at the event, from films “A Quiet Place” and “Ghostbusters: Frozen Empire” were fun but didn’t quite reach the level of scares delivered by Eternal Bloodlines or Death Valley. The maze A Quiet Place is the one many fans are looking forward to with ASL woven into the experience to stay true to the film’s premise. However, it felt repetitive at times with the same jump scares that didn’t quite escalate. The maze Ghostbusters: Frozen Empire is a nostalgic journey for fans of the franchise filled with fun nods and a few effective scares, but it’s more of a love letter to the films than a genuinely good maze.

The Terror Tram: Enter the Blumhouse experience, while always a staple of the event, felt more like a walkthrough of vignettes from “Freaky” and “M3GAN” rather than something fresh. It’s still a crowd-pleaser, but with the long lines and time commitment, it’s one of the few experiences you could skip without missing out too much.

All in all, this year’s Halloween Horror Nights brought an impressive slate of haunted houses, scare zones and live entertainment. From the chainsaw-wielding maniacs of Chainsaw Punkz to the eerie elegance of Murder of Crowz, there’s plenty to keep guests on edge as they navigate the park. For those looking to cap off their night, don’t miss stunt show The Purge: Dangerous Waters at the Waterworld stage –a fiery, explosive spectacle that delivers high-energy action from start to finish.

With such a solid lineup, Halloween Horror Nights 2024 is shaping up to be one of the best in recent memory. For those who only have time for a few mazes, make sure Universal Monsters: Eternal Bloodlines and Dead Exposure: Death Valley are at the top of your list.

This event runs on select nights from Sept. 5 through Nov. 3. Don’t wait to get tickets – they’re selling fast and the best dates are already filling up. Visit UniversalStudiosHollywood.com for more details.

For an in-depth review of each maze and show, check out my video review with spoilers and no-spoilers versions on YouTube. Scan the QR code attached to this story or search me out on YouTube @Zipahdeedoodad.