As a seasoned horror enthusiast who’s seen more than my fair share of slasher films and paranormal activity, I must say that Overnightmare was an absolute delight! The Freaky scare experience may have been less spooky than I anticipated, but the Insidious one certainly made up for it. I mean, who wouldn’t be terrified when a baby monitor starts wailing like that?
As a horror enthusiast, I can’t help but get excited when October rolls around, brimming with spine-tingling treats. This year, one of the most chilling fright fests is courtesy of Blumhouse and Peacock.
This past week, I attended Blumhouse and Peacock’s Overnightmare at the Stanley Hotel in Estes Park, Colorado. While I had previously heard of the Stanley, which is the spooky hotel that inspired Stephen King’s The Shining (and is haunted) (I cannot stress enough that this hotel is haunted for real), I had no idea what could be in store for me in what was billed as an “immersive overnight experience” based on the films of Blumhouse.
Checking in
Upon reaching the Stanley Hotel’s Lodge, I encountered what the event invitation called a “conci-scare-ge” – something I thought would be a mere playful wordplay, but soon realized it was far from a harmless joke. (Wink wink, nudge nudge)
In our setting, a character referred to as Avery was distinctively dressed in a blue plaid shirt, sweater vest, and glasses. Interestingly, all the other characters bearing the same name, Avery, were similarly attired. This intentional matching of outfits turned an ordinary work uniform into something eerie and unsettling.
Avery assured me they’d assist me in overcoming my apprehensions as they escorted me to my bedroom, a fact that didn’t exactly ease my nerves during this hotel stay.
The room
Every room was styled according to four distinct themes – “Freaky”, “Happy Death Day”, “The Purge”, and “Insidious”. The rooms we were allocated depended on the terrifying adventures we opted for. Upon entering my room, themed around the Insidous series, I encountered chilling artwork, books on out-of-body experiences, a metronome, a baby monitor, and other fitting decorations. The atmosphere was undeniably eerie, causing me to ponder about my sleep that night. (Spoiler: I slept soundly. Travel is draining and the beds at the Stanley are incredibly comfortable.)
Once I got comfortable in my room, I ventured down to check out the Hospitality Suite (it was quite spooky) and the Blumhouse Bar (a bit eerie too, but they did serve drinks), before it was dinner time – and, as expected, my first encounter with a frightening moment.
The scares
There were four unique scary encounters available, each centered around similar Blumhouse movies that influenced the design of the guest rooms. For individuals seeking a less frightening experience, Freaky offered a lower level of fear, while Insidious was advertised as the most terrifying adventure during your stay. To fully explore the range of horror (for the sake of journalistic accuracy), I opted to try out these two intense experiences.
Each experience was approximately 15 minutes long and highly individualized. For the Freaky experience, there were only four total guests participating (me, my companion, and another party of two). Once I put the provided “Please DO Disturb” sign on my guest room door, I was brought to the third floor of the Lodge, where the Freaky experience began. For those who haven’t seen Freaky, it’s basically Freaky Friday, except it’s a teen girl and a male serial killer swapping bodies. Also, you should watch that movie. It’s a ton of fun. For the task at hand, we had to find Millie, who was played by Kathryn Newton in the film.
The setting was designed to mimic a typical high school house party, complete with streamers, neon lights, red cups, and all the usual trimmings. However, there was an unusual element – a serial killer lurking in the corners, preying on unsuspecting victims. Despite it being the least frightening encounter, I was caught off guard more than once, and experienced the scariest part of my journey: mastering a very basic dance routine (which, fortunately for me, no footage was captured of, but I assure you I excelled at it).
The following night, my friend and I dove headfirst into the Insidious haunting adventure. True to their word, it proved far more chilling than any Freaky encounter I’ve had before. We were instructed to wait in my room, but while we did, a baby monitor—which I thought was just for show until then—suddenly crackled to life, filling the room with the heart-stopping cries of what could only be the World’s Most Agitated Infant. A few tense minutes passed before we heard a knock on the door. It was Avery, ready to escort us to confront our deepest fears as promised. They led us up a long, eerie hallway adorned with slightly open, glowingly red doors. Naturally, the meeting we were summoned for was at the end of that hall. Once inside, we learned how to project ourselves into the “Further” (a nightmarish dimension teeming with demons and monstrosities) in order to rescue a young boy from being trapped there forever. Unfortunately, when we reached the astral plane, all we encountered was a demon, forcing us to flee and save ourselves. Thanks for that, Avery.
As a gamer, I can honestly say that the game offered an expertly crafted, heart-pounding experience. Best of all, it didn’t require me to bust out any fancy dance steps!
The activities
During this event, you could choose from numerous activities to pass the time amidst the frightening encounters. I chose a guided tour themed after The Shining movie within the hotel, along with another ghost-centric tour. Our guides were incredibly informed and allowed us exclusive access to parts of the hotel usually off-limits, such as the Caretaker’s Cottage and an eerie network of underground tunnels.
During the evening hours, the event provided movie screenings in the resort’s Concert Hall. On the first night, we were entertained by the film “Speak No Evil” (2024), while on the second night, we watched the premiere of the first two episodes of the new horror series “Teacup” from Peacock. This added a spooky atmosphere to the various decor and themes we had noticed around the hotel.
Checking out
In summary, attending Overnightmare was an exciting and terrifying adventure for fans of intense horror experiences. Unfortunately, I couldn’t participate in all four fear-inducing events; The Purge one seemed particularly thrilling since I heard that some hidden actors were scattered among the guests, playing a role that could be described as patriotic. Even though there are no current plans to bring Overnightmare back for a sequel, I am hopeful it will become an annual event. By the time it returns, I’ll surely have mastered that dance!
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2024-10-24 23:39