Universal Studios Hollywood Announces 2014 “Eyegore Award” Recipients Honoring Top Achievements in the Horror Genre as Theme Park Celebrates Opening Night for Halloween Horror Nights, Friday, September 19 
For the First Time Ever, 500 Halloween Horror Nights Fans are Invited to Attend The Coveted “Eyegore Awards” with Purchase of a Special Add-On Ticket

Universal City, CA – Universal Studios Hollywood sets the stage for the eagerly-awaited arrival of Halloween Horror Nights on Friday, September 19, with the annual “Eyegore Awards,” honoring influential entertainment professionals for bringing the horror genre to life within the movie, television and music industries. And, for the first time ever, Universal Studios Hollywood is offering 500 Halloween Horror Nights fans a chance to attend the coveted “Eyegore Awards,” which will feature a roster of today’s leading Hollywood horror icons.

The 2014 “Eyegore Award” recipients include multiple Emmy® Award-winning filmmaker and Special Effects Make-Up Supervisor Greg Nicotero (“The Walking Dead,” “Galyntine,” “ Sin City:  A Dame to Kill For,” “Breaking Bad,” “Pain & Gain,” “Django Unchained,” “Predators,” “The Chronicles of Narnia,” “Piranha 3D”), with the award presented by Chris Hardwick, comedian and host of AMC’s “Talking Dead” and Robert Kirkman, Creator and Executive Producer of “The Walking Dead” and “Outcast.”

Versatile, award-winning filmmaker and Founder & Chairman of El Rey Network, Robert Rodriguez (“Sin City,” “Sin City: A Dame to Kill For,” “From Dusk Till Dawn,” “Machete,” “Grindhouse”), will accept the award, presented by prolific actor, producer and last year’s “Eyegore Award” recipient, Danny Trejo (“From Dusk ‘Till Dawn,” “Heat,” “Once Upon a Time in Mexico,” “Machete,” “Machete Kills”).

Renowned filmmaker John Landis, (“An American Werewolf in London,” Michael Jackson’s “Thriller,” “The Blues Brothers,” “Animal House”) will accept the award, presented by seven-time Academy Award®-winning Special Effects Make-Up Artist and previous “Eyegore Award” recipient, Rick Baker (“An American Werewolf in London,” “Dr. Seuss’ How the Grinch Stole Christmas,” “Men in Black,” “The Nutty Professor,” “The Wolfman”).  

Celebrated Grammy® Award-winner and Rock and Roll Hall of Fame guitarist SLASH will also accept the “Eyegore Award.” Hailed as one of the 10 best electric guitar players of all time by Time magazine SLASH will also release his new album “World on Fire”—with his band featuring Myles Kennedy and The Conspirators—on September 16.

Immediately following the “Eyegore Awards” presentation, SLASH, who composed an original score for the “Clowns 3D Music by SLASH” maze, will be joined by Myles Kennedy, to perform the title song from “Nothing Left to Fear,” the first-ever motion picture he co-produced from Slasher Films, his film/TV production company.

 McKenzie Westmore, host of Syfy’s hit TV series, “Face Off,” will serve as the event’s emcee, as she joins Universal Studios Hollywood in celebrating the “Eyegore Awards” for a third consecutive year.

            Add-on tickets to attend the “Eyegore Awards” will be made available to the first 500 Halloween Horror Nights fans who purchase online athttp://halloweenhorrornights.com/hollywood/2014/eyegore_awards.php. The special commemorative add-on ticket will also include a one-time front-of-line access to the “Terror Tram.”  Attendees must also purchase separate admission tickets to the Halloween Horror Nights event on Friday, September 19 at www.HalloweenHorrorNights.com/hollywood.

Halloween Horror Nights 2014 at Universal Studios Hollywood will be “More Dead Than Ever” as it brings together the sickest minds in horror to immerse guests in the living, breathing, three-dimensional world of the most notorious and terrifying creatures ever.

This year’s event will feature an all-new slate of unrivaled film production quality mazes, terror-filled scare zones and a fully re-imagined “Terror Tram” experience, uniquely themed to today’s most definitive horror properties, including, “The Walking Dead:  The End of the Line,” based on AMC’s critically-acclaimed, Golden Globe®-nominated and Emmy® Award-winning television series; “From Dusk Till Dawn,” inspired by Robert Rodriguez’s cult film and El Rey Network’s TV series; “Clowns 3D Music by Slash,” featuring an original maze score created by celebrated Grammy® Award-winning and Rock and Roll Hall of Fame guitarist; “Dracula Untold: Reign of Blood,” based on Universal Pictures’ upcoming epic action-adventure; “AVP:  Alien vs. Predator,” based on the Twentieth Century Fox film franchise; “An American Werewolf in London,” based on Universal Pictures’ Academy Award®-winning and genre-defining film, written and directed by John Landis; “Face Off:  In the Flesh,” based on Syfy’s hit TV series, and “The Purge: Anarchy,” a new scare zone inspired by Universal Pictures’ blockbuster thriller.

            As a complement to the nighttime event, Universal’s most popular rides and attractions will also be open to guests, including “Transformers:  The Ride-3D,” “Jurassic Park—In the Dark,” “The Simpsons Ride” and “Revenge of the Mummy—The Ride.”

Updates on Halloween Horror Nights at Universal Studios Hollywood are available online atHalloweenHorrorNights.com/Hollywood and on Facebook at: Halloween Horror Nights – Hollywood, on Instagram at @HorrorNights and Twitter at@HorrorNights as Creative Director John Murdy reveals a running chronicle of exclusive information. Watch videos on Halloween Horror Nights YouTube and join the conversation using #UniversalHHN.

Halloween Horror Nights dates are as follows: September 19, 20, 26, 27, October 3, 4, 5, 10, 11, 12, 16, 17, 18, 19, 23, 24, 25, 26, 30, 31, and November 1, 2, 2014.

Universal Studios Hollywood, The Entertainment Capital of L.A., includes a full-day, movie-based theme park and Studio Tour; theUniversal CityWalk entertainment, shopping and dining complex, the Universal CityWalk Cinemas and the “5 Towers” state-of-the-art outdoor concert venue.  World-class rides and attractions include the all new 3D Ultra-HD movie motion-simulator adventure, “Despicable Me Minion Mayhem” and “Super Silly Fun Land,” the intense, award-winning ride, “King Kong 360 3D” on the famed behind-the-scenes Studio Tour, the critically-acclaimed mega-attraction, “Transformers™:  The Ride-3D,” “The Simpsons RideTM,” “Revenge of the MummySM—The Ride” and “Jurassic Park® —The Ride.”

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UNIVERSAL CITY, Ca., ORLANDO, Fla., (July 14, 2014) — From cult horror film to breakthrough television series on El Rey Network, “From Dusk Till Dawn” will add terrifying maze to its credits when filmmaker Robert Rodriguez’s acclaimed supernatural show debuts as a menacing new “Halloween Horror Nights” experience at Universal Studios Hollywood and Universal Orlando Resort, beginning Friday, September 19.

This all-new maze, inspired by the critically acclaimed television series, will thrust guests into the deviant world of “From Dusk Till Dawn,” where they will encounter sordid mythological creatures known as “Culebras,” serpent-like vampires who have tormented the earth for centuries.  Residing within the elusive and sinister nightclub, “The Twister,” located just over the Mexican border and above cursed ancient ruins, the “Culebras” prove to be a band of immoral and depraved beasts with a deadly agenda. As guests navigate the maze and venture deep within the bowels of “The Twister,” they will find themselves face to face with a cast of perverse characters, including exotic dancer, Santanico Pandemonium, a mysterious and irresistible “Culebras” femme fatale and Queen Vampire.

Based on the film of the same name, "From Dusk Till Dawn: The Series” is a supernatural crime saga centered around bank robber, Seth Gecko and his violent, unpredictable brother, Richard "Richie" Gecko, who are wanted by the FBI after a bank heist leaves several people dead.  While on the run to Mexico, Seth and Richie encounter former pastor Jacob Fuller and his family, whom they take hostage. Using the family RV to cross the border, chaos ensues when the group detours to a club populated by vampires and are forced to fight until dawn in order to get out alive. The series deepens the tone of the film,From Dusk Till Dawn, upon which it is based, adding new characters and backstories that expand the Mesoamerican mythology behind the creatures inside the club.

“Universal Studios’ ‘Halloween Horror Nights’ event is the ideal platform to take fans of ‘From Dusk Till Dawn’ to literally experience the terror of stepping into the show,” said Robert Rodriguez.  “It has been an incredible opportunity to work closely with the Creative teams at both Universal Studios Hollywood and Universal Orlando Resort to bring this maze to life with such detail and authenticity.  This maze will capture the visceral excitement and thrills of the series, and I can’t wait to experience it myself.”

A versatile and award-winning filmmaker, Robert Rodriguez is renowned for directing a variety of successful and groundbreaking film sagas, including such cult horror classics asPlanet Terror, Machete, Grindhouse and From Dusk Till Dawn, upon which El Rey Network’s hit television show, “From Dusk Till Dawn:  The Series” is based. Rodriguez is also the Founder & Chairman of El Rey Network, a 24-hour, general entertainment English-language cable channel which debuted in the U.S. in December 2013.

“Robert Rodriguez’ genius in pushing the boundaries of the horror genre is a perfect pairing for ‘Halloween Horror Nights’ as we continue to intensify our event with the most credible horror voices within the entertainment industry,” said John Murdy, Creative Director for Universal Studios Hollywood and Executive Producer of “Halloween Horror Nights.” “This radical new maze will give fans of ‘From Dusk Till Dawn’ an unprecedented opportunity to experience the show’s Mesoamerican mythology and will come to life with the same attention to detail and production value that Robert’s work is known for.”

“Robert Rodriguez’s vision of ‘From Dusk Till Dawn’ has translated so well into a maze experience,” said Michael Aiello, Director of Entertainment - Creative Development, Universal Orlando Resort.  “We will feature the over-the-top gore that the show does so well and our guests will come face-to-face with Robert’s unique and wickedly cool take on the vampire mythos that is completely authentic to the show. From the Nightclub interiors to the inner sanctum of its tombs, these bloodthirsty beasts will be everywhere and have a thirst that can’t be quenched.”

Universal Studios’ “Halloween Horror Nights” events have a more than 20-year history of creating incredibly entertaining, horrifying Halloween experiences that are consistently rated the nation’s best. The events on each coast feature highly-themed, disturbingly real, haunted mazes based on everything from films to nightmares – and streets filled with hundreds of specially trained “scareactors.” In addition to the “From Dusk Till Dawn” maze, other announced mazes include, “The Walking Dead:  The End of the Line.”

To learn more about the “From Dusk Till Dawn” maze featuring Robert Rodriguez and the series cast members, click here:  "From Dusk till Dawn" maze announcement video and here"From Dusk till Dawn" cast Q&A

About Universal Studios Hollywood

Universal Studios HollywoodSM, The Entertainment Capital of L.ASM. includes a full-day, movie-based theme park and Studio Tour; the CityWalk entertainment, shopping and dining complex, the Universal CityWalk Cinemas and the “5 Towers” state-of-the-art outdoor concert venue.  World-class rides and attractions include the popular “Despicable Me Minion Mayhem” family adventure ride, the intense, award-winning ride, “King Kong 360 3-D” on the famed behind-the-scenes Studio Tour, the critically-acclaimed mega-attraction, “Transformers™:  The Ride-3D,” “The Simpsons Ride™,” “Revenge of the MummySM—The Ride,”and “Jurassic Park® —The Ride.”

Updates on “Halloween Horror Nights” at Universal Studios Hollywood are available online at HalloweenHorrorNights.com/Hollywood and on Facebook at: “Halloween Horror Nights – Hollywood,” on Instagram at @HorrorNights and Twitter at @HorrorNights as Creative Director John Murdy reveals a running chronicle of exclusive information. Watch videos on Halloween Horror Nights YouTube and join the conversation using #UniversalHHN.

Universal Studios Hollywood is part of NBCUniversal, a Comcast company. Follow Universal Studios Hollywood on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram and YouTube.

About Universal Orlando Resort

Vacation like you mean it at Universal Orlando Resort – where every heart pounding, jaw-dropping, goose-bumping second counts.  It is the only place where you can turn spending time with your family into spending time as a family. Together, you can soar above Hogwarts with Harry Potter, swing above the streets with Spider-Man, become a Minion in the hilarious and heartwarming Despicable Me Minion Mayhem ride, and join Optimus Prime in the fight to save mankind on the new mega-attraction, TRANSFORMERS: The Ride – 3D. And, coming this summer, you can step into The Wizarding World of Harry Potter – Diagon Alley.

Universal Orlando Resort is home to two incredible theme parks: Universal Studios Florida and Universal’s Islands of Adventure; four magnificently themed on-site hotels: Loews Portofino Bay Hotel, Hard Rock Hotel, Loews Royal Pacific Resort and the newest addition, Universal’s Cabana Bay Beach Resort; and Universal CityWalk - a nighttime entertainment complex featuring a collection of nightclubs, restaurants and shops. And located just minutes from Universal Orlando Resort is Wet n’ Wild, Orlando’s premier waterpark.

Tickets and vacation packages for Halloween Horror Nights at Universal Orlando are on sale now at HalloweenHorrorNights.com\Orlando. More information about the event will be available soon. Updates on Universal Orlando’s Halloween Horror Nights are available on Facebook at Halloween Horror Nights – Universal Orlando and on Instagram at@HorrorNightsORL. Plus, fans can get exclusive updates from Creative Development Director Mike Aiello on Twitter at @HorrorNightsORL.

Universal Orlando Resort is part of NBCUniversal, a Comcast company. Follow Universal Orlando Resort on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram and YouTube.

About El Rey Network:

El Rey Network is a new English language network founded by maverick filmmaker Robert Rodriguez. Curated by Rodriguez and his artistic collective, the network unites the most culturally diverse generation in history through fearless, badass and original content that awakens the renegade in everyone. The network's action-packed content is anchored by original signature dramas, feature films, grindhouse genre, cult classic action, and horror/sci-fi.

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CoasterMatt headed up to Universal Studios Hollywood just before the holiday last week and made sure to take some great pictures of all of the ongoing work going on at the park. 

Just a few pictures for today, we should have a bigger update for you in the next week or so including pictures of the all-new Starbucks that recently opened on the Lower Lot. 


If you'd like to see more of Matt's great pictures, you can check out his Flickr page. 

We'll start off with a picture of Forbidden Journey. It continues to grow at an alarming rate. It may look like a big box of nothing right now, but probably not for much longer. 

Springfield continues to take shape. You can see some of the Hogsmeade buildings to the left. 

Not Diagon Alley ... err ... Fast and Furious Supercharged. 

Down below, maze stuff is starting to take shape. No idea what maze this is yet but this is the location of Texas Chainsaw Massacre (2012) and Insidious (2013) among others. 

Looks like it could be a house of some kind? Doesn't really tell us much. 

Stage 747 continues to be worked on for HHN. I doubt this is going to be some kind of Airplane themed maze ... insert your favorite Airplane Quote in the comments below. Our favorite may get something special.

And that's it for this update. We know it's Monday and you are hard at work so we didn't want to take up too much of your time. 

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