For the first time in all of our visits to Zombie Joes, we're going to try and review this event. But how do you review an event that just has to be experienced? 

​Written by Gregg Condon

Last Saturday after our visit to the amazing Reign of Terror, we made our way to North Hollywood to take in this years Urban Death Tour of Terror. This would be my 4th or 5th time visiting Zombie Joes, and it would be my wife's first. After a LOT of coaxing and convincing I finally got her to one. Even though she kept telling everybody she was going to the "porn haunt", she quickly realized it was anything but. 

A bit of background on Zombie Joes. This event is definitely for adults only, and not for the faint of heart. 

The first time I experienced Zombie Joes was 5 years ago at Midsummer Scream. With my 18 year old son. Neither of us had any idea what to expect, needless to say there was radio silence for a good 20-30 minutes afterwards. 

And that seems to be the case with any Zombie Joes show. It takes you a few minutes, or even days to digest. 
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The Urban Death Tour of Terror starts off with a flashlight tour of their maze, which is basically in the lobby of the theater. You get some glimpses of what is to come, but never too many glimpses. 

In all of my visits to Zombie Joes I always still wonder if and where I'm supposed to look. But that's kind of the point I guess. 

After arriving in the theater you experience a 15-20 minute show featuring vignettes that are equal parts sexy, disturbing and thought provoking. And it's all uniquely Zombie Joes. 

The actors, as always, give it their all in each scene. There are a few scenes that are definitely tough to swallow for some, so be prepared for that. 

This event is not for everybody, in fact, the day after my wife admitted to me that it's just not her thing. That said, I think I may have her convinced to go check out their holiday show this year. 

But if you're game for something a little different than your standard Halloween maze, we definitely recommend Zombie Joes. It's a top-notch production from top to bottom (puns definitely intended). ​

For more information on Zombie Joes, visit their website. 

Tickets on sale here. 

The event runs through November 1st with shows every hour or so. 

They also run a "family friendly" Urban Death on Saturdays at 7:00pm. I have to be honest, I have no idea what that would even look like. 

Zombie Joes runs shows throughout the year, so if Urban Death isn't your thing, there may be some other shows that are up your alley. 

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It's 2021 and Reign of Terror in Thousand Oaks, CA is back for another year of amazing fun. We aren't sure how they do it, but this event just continually brings it each and every year. 

Written by Gregg Condon

In a new location for 2021 (in the same mall) they've taken over what used to be a Famous Footwear and we think one other store. This event has always taken about 20-25 minutes to walk through, and this year we think we clocked it at about 30. And it was all our group of 5 for most of it, save for a couple of pre-planned stops in the maze to make sure groups are spaced out. 

Themes for this year include: Un-Hallowed Ground (new), Containment, The Asylum, Infected, The Haunted House, Miner's Revenge, Inbred, Fun House, Casa Blood and Quarantine. 

While most of these themes are holdovers from previous years, all have been rearranged in their new location. So if you're expecting the same Reign of Terror you've experienced before, it's not this.

​It's somehow even better. 

Without giving too much away, Reign of Terror is basically the length of every maze at say Knott's Scary Farm combined, but you walk through them all at once. Each theme is clearly outlined as you are walking through. 

The talent is amazing as always, and the animatronics are right up there with any major Halloween event you've experienced. 

As far as admission, they've gone with timed entry this year which is $30 (so basically $1 a minute, well worth it). We got the first time-slot of the evening and waited maybe 10 minutes. 

If you're in a hurry you can get "Immediate" entry for $55. 

But even if you decide to wait, you'll have some friends waiting for you. ​

Masks are required at all times inside the event. 

The event runs through November 6th this year so you have plenty of time to get your tickets. They are running a special "LIGHTS OUT" event on November 6th. Not 100% sure what that is but we may have to go check that out to end our Halloween season. 

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Happy Wednesday everybody and welcome to another Halloween Update! 

Today we're going to be talking a little bit about the Ventura County Fear Grounds in Ventura, CA. They kicked off their inaugural event last week and we were invited out to the Fair Grounds to check it out. 

Written by Gregg Condon

As far as the event itself, I'll start off by saying we had a lot of fun at this event. The Cage was super fun and filled with monsters, the Terror Trail took about 20-25 minutes to complete and the Fear Train had at least one really good scene, but had about an hour wait (we do suggest doing this first if you are visiting). 

One thing we will mention however, is the props at the event. During their panel at Midsummer Scream, Edward Marks who is the creative director for this event, was talking about his past history of being the Creative Director at Halloween Horror Nights Hollywood and other work for Disney.

​We're just going to put it bluntly, there are no props or scenery at the Fear Grounds that would ever be acceptable at Disney or Universal, or Knott's or Six Flags or most Home/Independent Haunts. 

So if you're going to see some awesome Halloween props and scenery, this event isn't for you. 

However, if you like walking through creepy scenes filled with monsters and trees and cool lighting, you will actually enjoy this event. We just want to make sure you all know what you're getting into. 

One other thing we have to mention is that the event seems to be scrubbing negative comments of their event on Social Media.

​We get it, it's your inaugural year, you're trying to sell your event. But scrubbing comments isn't the way to go. People deserve to know what they're getting for their hard-earned money and sacrificing a night out at an event. I do hope they reconsider this policy. 

All of that being said, we've been giving every event a "pass" this year due to a shortened timeline for prep, struggles in hiring talent and the general "not normal" 2021 Halloween Season. It would be completely unfair to not give this event the same pass. We really do wish them a successful season, and we hope to see even more from them in 2022. 

Here are some more pics of the event. 

For more information on the Ventura County Fear Grounds, and to purchase tickets, click here.