Don’t touch that dial! H.R. Bloodengutz is back, and he’s returning to Halloween Horror Nights (HHN) with a vengeance in the form of an all-night scare-athon of curated Halloween favorites.
If the name sounds familiar, it’s because H.R. Bloodengutz first appeared at HHN back in 2011 in H.R. Bloodengutz Presents: Holidays of Horror. Which just so happens to be my favorite house from my first-ever year attending HHN — nothing scarier than the inexorable passage of time, amiright?
I had the chance to chat with show director Ramon Paradoa and scenic designer Nick Collins about Bloodengutz’s triumphant return to HHN 35 in a brand-new haunted house, H.R. Bloodengutz Presents: A Halloween Fright-Tacular! Lore, characters, scares — we covered it all. Read on for all the gory details!
The Story
Before we dive into his new haunted house, here’s a quick refresher on the lore of H.R. Bloodengutz, also known as Larry Kurtzberg. Back in the 1970s, he was a creature feature TV host for WKNB’s Midnight Horror Show. The show started out popular, but as Bloodengutz began to screen more violent and disturbing films, his ratings took a dive.
When the producer of the Midnight Horror Show informed him it had been canceled, Bloodengutz snapped, setting the stage for his first haunted house. He kidnapped and tortured the producer (a campy spectacle that guests got to see in the house’s queue video) and broadcast one last, ultra-violent holiday movie marathon. Bloodengutz was arrested for his crimes and locked up in the Carey Penitentiary for life — that is, until he escaped 15 years later, which brings us to this year’s haunted house.
“We were talking about this idea of doing a haunted house that was Halloween comfort food — [one] that really leans into the textures and the feel and the vibes of Halloween,” says Ramon. “And then at some point in the process, the idea of continuing H.R. Bloodengutz’ story came up, and then we kind of married those two ideas and it was off to the races from there.”
“We’d always wanted to bring him back, it just never seemed like the right time,” adds Nick. “And then it all kind of dovetailed in to be perfect for an anniversary year.”
Fresh out the slammer, H.R. Bloodengutz has one more movie marathon up his sleeve — and this time, he’s screening all of his favorite straight-to-TV Halloween flicks.
The House
In our world, it’s been 15 years since H.R. Bloodengutz last graced HHN with a full haunted house. But it’s also been 15 years in his world, which means he’s coming back to a long-deserted TV station that was already outdated back in the ‘70s. Not exactly the return to gory glory he was picturing!
“Shortly after the events of the first haunted house, the studio went under and was left abandoned,” explains Ramon. “So when [Bloodengutz] returns to re-engage the studio and present this new marathon, he’s having to kind of work with the old, shoddy equipment and piece it together as much as he can.”
“It’s a crime scene,” adds Nick. “It hasn’t been touched since the day he was arrested, so they’ve boarded it up. The night we’re going in is the first night anyone has been in — it’s like a time capsule.”
That time capsule serves as our portal into H.R. Bloodengutz’ movie marathon, where we’ll journey through the host’s nefarious Halloween features of choice. To ensure a seamless transition between each film, the team created interstitial scenes that HHN super fans will want to pay extra close attention to:
“The idea is that you’re traveling through different living rooms in Carey, Ohio,” reveals Ramon. “And in the decor that you’re seeing in these living room snapshots, there are little Easter eggs and nods to the film that’s coming.”
As for the B-movies themselves, far be it from me to spoil Bloodengutz’ marathon before it’s even had the chance to air! But I can give you a few hints toward some of Ramon and Nick’s favorite flicks.
“One of our favorite films to turn into a scene was ‘The Grayscale Graveyard,'” shares Ramon. “We knew we wanted to do a black and white zombie film set in a graveyard on Halloween night, which proved to be a fun challenge for our design teams to bring to life. Guests will feel fully immersed in a grayscale environment, as the scenic, decor, costuming and makeup all lean into this thematic!”
“The ‘Monster’s Night Out’ scene was a particularly fun one to work on because it’s a tiki bar,” adds Nick. “There’s such a cool crossover between horror and tiki culture, and we hope the fans will enjoy our take on it. An incredible mix of technical and art disciplines worked together to make the scene feel like a place you’d want to hang out in!”
And, of course, there will be Easter eggs aplenty for HHNs past, with two movies in particular that are callbacks to previous events. You might even spot a familiar character or two from the original haunted house!
H.R. Bloodengutz fandom, I know what you’re wondering: What about the queue video? Rest assured that one of the funniest aspects of the original haunted house will be returning in this year’s sequel. It’s sure to be the perfect introduction of the monster movie maven for guests who aren’t familiar with his previous work!
“We’re doing a whole new queue video for our guests,” shares Ramon. “We’re working with the original actor again, which is really exciting — he’s a genius, and he’s reprised his role beautifully.”
Even if you are a studied expert in H.R. Bloodengutz’ history, you’ll want to pay close attention to the queue video. In it, you’ll meet two new characters: fellow prisoners from the Carey Penitentiary who are now proudly serving as production assistants. And, of course, Bloodengutz himself has evolved thanks to his time behind bars. He’s a bit more unhinged, now sporting a combo of his Carey Penitentiary prison uniform and a few remnants of his old costume that he found lying around the abandoned studio.
“In the first house, he was kind of a sympathetic character because [his show] was taken from him, and he wanted revenge,” explains Nick. “Now, he’s a little more grizzled, and he’s just out to have a good time.”
Take it from a 15-year fan of H.R. Bloodengutz: When it comes to his movie marathons, a scary-good time is pretty much a guarantee. Dust off your VCR and get ready to record over some old family movies, because this is one special program you’re not going to want to miss.
Are you a long-time fan of H.R. Bloodengutz or a new initiate this year? Comment below and let us know what you’re most excited to experience in this year’s house!
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