SOMETHING WICKED THIS WAY COMES ...; AND THAT MUST MEAN THAT OUR INTREPID REPORTER FREDDY (`NIGHTMARE ON OXNARD STREET') SHUSTER IS OUT TO SCARE INNOCENT VICTIMS (BOO!).Byline: Fred Shuster Daily News Staff Writer The creature crept through the mist, its badly disfigured dis·fig·ure tr.v. dis·fig·ured, dis·fig·ur·ing, dis·fig·ures To mar or spoil the appearance or shape of; deform. [Middle English disfiguren, from Old French desfigurer face hidden in the darkness as an unsuspecting family stood peering at a map of the park. Craggy white with bloody, painful wounds, the monster's face resembled a zombie death mask. Above its bloodshot blood·shot adj. Red and inflamed as a result of locally congested blood vessels, as of the eyes. bloodshot Vox populi adjective eyes, knotted clumps of gray, dead hair splayed out in all directions. The creature's weathered ears, neck and arms were chapped and leathery leath·er·y adj. Having the texture or appearance of leather: a leathery face. leath  er·i·ness n. . Protruding pro·trude v. pro·trud·ed, pro·trud·ing, pro·trudes v.tr. To push or thrust outward. v.intr. To jut out; project. See Synonyms at bulge. from its upper lip, a twisted set of chipped and dirty broken teeth. I was that monster. And my prey, oblivious to the apparent danger lurking nearby, was intent on finding a path through the darkened dark·en v. dark·ened, dark·en·ing, dark·ens v.tr. 1. a. To make dark or darker. b. To give a darker hue to. 2. To fill with sadness; make gloomy. 3. Universal Studios Hollywood park as Halloween Horror Nights Halloween Horror Nights could refer to:
The couple and their three kids didn't notice when the monster, limping slightly, silently joined them, gazing over the young girl's shoulder. Slowly, ominously, the real-life horror shook a creaky creak·y adj. creak·i·er, creak·i·est 1. Tending to creak. 2. Shaky or infirm, as with age; decrepit: creaky knee joints; a creaky regime. old lantern. The family looked into the pale face of the undead un·dead adj. No longer living but supernaturally animated, as a zombie. and screeched. It was completely satisfying. Like the hundred or so other spooky actors costumed as vampires, zombie gunslingers, ghouls or ghostly sirens throughout the park, my mission was simple: Scare people! The monster within But before Saturday, I'd never thought of myself as particularly scary. Oh sure, some say I have moments, but nothing to send anyone cowering cow·er intr.v. cow·ered, cow·er·ing, cow·ers To cringe in fear. [Middle English couren, of Scandinavian origin.] to the corner. That was before I underwent a professional makeup job, courtesy of Universal creative consultant and Emmy nominee Michael Burnett. He transformed my face into a grotesque death mask complete with device that made my badly pitted right cheek balloon suddenly as if of its own accord. ``Get some Clearasil,'' some smart-alecky kid shouted later. ``Don't judge a book by its cover, sonny,'' I responded in a hoarse, threatening whisper. Backstage, I remembered, we were warned not to touch the patrons. By the time the fifth kid had made some clever comment about acne medication, I had to restrain myself. Strangling the customers isn't good for business. Along with the horribly disfigured mask, I was wearing a pair of beat-up jeans, a poncho and sombrero som·bre·ro n. pl. som·bre·ros A large straw or felt hat with a broad brim and tall crown, worn especially in Mexico and the American Southwest. that partially hid my hideous good looks. My victims included bunches of giggly teens, couples on dates and families wandering through the artificial mist as the studio theme park became a Halloween chamber of terror. The nightmare, for those strong enough to dare, continues from 7 p.m. Thursday through Saturday. Among the many attractions is a classic monster maze featuring a series of fright-night tableau such as the ``Psycho'' shower scene, the lair of Dracula, and an autopsy gone badly wrong. Visitors are jolted when various cleaver- and chainsaw-wielding lunatics jump from the shadows. An especially timely haunt is Area 51, a maze in which guests explore a secret stash stash Drug slang noun A place where illicit drugs are hidden of other-otherworldly specimens the government probably would rather you didn't know about. For added fun, a containment leak complete with hideous viral exposure is part of the package. Scary when wet Then, there's the ``monster-quarium,'' staged in the park's WaterWorld area and home to marine critters and mutant sea creatures such as the lovable Gill-Man from ``The Creature From the Black Lagoon.'' Halloween Horror Nights, taking place for just the second year since the park opened, also offers the witty March of the Zombies, a ritualistic procession starting in three areas of the park and converging at the steps of a guillotine, where one lucky audience member will, er, never again have to worry about finding a hat that fits properly. But I got the biggest kick out of terrorizing and chasing girls. My zombie sombrero worked particularly well in obscuring my horrible face until the last minute, when I would whip it off and simply stare at someone with a crazed, lopsided grin. It's the same look I use when someone in front of me in the grocery express line puts down more than 10 items. Usually, my monstrous looks drove females into the arms of a friend or parent. A hiding place behind a trailer became my lair, and after sending a few groups of frightened kids scurrying scur·ry intr.v. scur·ried, scur·ry·ing, scur·ries 1. To go with light running steps; scamper. 2. To flurry or swirl about. n. pl. scur·ries 1. The act of scurrying. off, I disappeared into the beckoning shadows. Back in the makeup tent, I finally got a good look at the creature I'd become. As the bandages were unwrapped and my gnarled gnarled adj. 1. Having gnarls; knotty or misshapen: gnarled branches. 2. Morose or peevish; crabbed. 3. teeth pulled out, I noticed my face had taken on an unusually healthy reddish glow. Go figure: After a few hours as a member of the undead, I never felt more alive. THE FACTS What: Halloween Horror Nights. Where: Universal Studios Hollywood, 100 Universal Plaza. When: 7 p.m. Thursday through Saturday. Tickets: $32. Information: (818) 622-3801. CAPTION(S): 3 Photos Photo: (1--Cover--Color) SCARE TACTICS Fred Shuster finds his inner monster (2--Color) Putting on a scary face is easy with the right face makeup (3--Color) no caption (Fred Shuster) Myung J. Chun/Daily News |
|
||||||||||||||
Printer friendly
Cite/link
Email
Feedback
Reader Opinion