Jason Blum, CEO and Founder of Blumhouse Productions, and his crew had developed a solid concept with enough terrifying thrills to balance out the plot. In the 1920’s Magii, a disturbed practitioner of the dark arts, regularly performed his magic on the stage of the Variety Arts Theater. Every show his assistant would climb into the magic box and disappear only to reappear later. One night, the assistant stepped inside and vanished, but Magii couldn’t bring her back. Immediately the theater was closed off to the public and had been ever since, until Blumhouse reopened its doors.
The macabre sets they created added to the eerie mystique the Variety Arts Theater already possessed. Professional actors displayed their talents in the roles they played, but there was an important aspect not being used to its fullest: the scare factor.
October 3rd it was decided the actors would attend a course in scaring courtesy of Scream Team. Throughout the rest of October the Elite Team of Monsters provided by Scream Team Productions trained the newest actors. During the event the Elite Team was set free to roam the sidewalk in front of the building entertaining the patrons awaiting entry and giving a final scare to those trying to escape.
Blumhouse of Horrors opened October 4th and the world took notice. Hundreds of pictures made their way to Instagram, Twitter, and Facebook. Many nights the line ran down the block and around the corner with people ready to be scared.
The Huffington Post relayed to their readers, “Who better than the producers of the horrifying Paranormal Activity franchise… to take Halloween to the next level?”
Shock Til You Drop™ called it an “impressive, extravagant affair with stunning production design and, more importantly, terrific scares.”
“If you live in L.A. and are a fan of haunted houses, I certainly recommend it,” wrote Bloody-disgusting.com
October 10th the attraction was listed as third “World’s Spookiest Ghost Tour” for the Travel Channel. Later on November 1st The Golden State Haunts and Events 2012 Haunted Attraction Awards named Blumhouse the “Best New Attraction” with the “Best Costumes”.
Having ties to a big production studio it’s only natural to see the occasional celebrity. The crew from Paranormal Activity 4 showed up opening weekend. Neil Patrick Harris came for a scare on Halloween night. Other celebrities include Kate Walsh (Grey’s Anatomy), Jon Herder (Napoleon Dynamite), Michael Rosenbaum (Smallville), Carol Radiwill (Real Housewives of New York City), Aly & AJ (78violet), T.J. Thyne (Bones), Joey Fatone (NSYNC), Sophia Bush (One Tree Hill), and Josie Loren (Make It or Break It) to name a few. DJ Jojo Wright and Producer Ian Zack from 102.7 KIIS FM decided to swing by, hitting it off with Boinx and Whipstitch. Even John Murdy, the man who created Universal Studio’s Halloween Horror Nights, dropped by for a spell and enjoyed himself.
Jason loved the new elements Willie’s team brought to the event! Each night since the training the actors inside the maze tried new things to make each experience different. They succeeded in eliciting terror from the patrons walking through. Outside screams were heard up and down the block. Elite Monsters were seen chasing the runners and sneaking up on unsuspecting victims throughout the line queue. There was a lingering enthusiasm within the creatures to personalize scares to every individual.
The BlumHouse of Horrors was well received in 2012. To anyone who experienced this amazing event it’s obvious that good things can be expected should Blumhouse Productions and Scream Team Productions cross paths once again.
