September 29, 2015 – Welcome to another edition of Zoom Lens, where we take a closer look at specific areas of both the park and the studio. In my last Zoom Lens, I discussed the history of one of my favorite locations on the back lot, the Psycho House. Before that, we took an in depth look at the Court of Miracles made famous by some of its spooky inhabitants. Considering the backlot is my favorite part of this park, it makes sense that I inadvertently started a “Backlot Series.” So to continue with this theme, I decided to do…
Author: Kaley Cyrino
Halloween Horror Nights 2015 – Preview September 13, 2015 – Last Friday, Inside Universal was lucky enough to be invited to take a tour of two of the most anticipated mazes of the upcoming Halloween Horror Nights season, Halloween: Michael Myers Comes Home, and AVP: Alien vs. Predator. The tours were led by John Murdy, Creative Director of Universal Studios Hollywood’s Halloween Horror Nights. John Murdy and his partner, Chris Williams, are the ones responsible for reinventing Halloween Horror Nights and making it arguably the most popular and most anticipated event each year at Universal Studios Hollywood. Some of their…
September 9, 2015 – In this episode, Kaley Cyrino, Christopher Tillman and Chris Lord discuss the latest news emerging from Universal Studios Hollywood. Audio Direct download: September 3, 2015 PodcastiTunes link: (034) September 3, 2015 Podcast Kaley Cyrino Kaley Cyrino is the managing editor of Inside Universal. Kaley is a Southern California native who grew up within miles of all the greatest theme parks. As a nursing student, Kaley finds her peace and sanity by visiting Universal Studios whenever she gets the chance. Her dream is to be able to visit Universal Orlando Resort, Universal Studios Japan, and Universal Studios…
August 15, 2015 – Following its immense success in last year’s event, Alien vs. Predator will be returning for Halloween Horror Nights 2015. Alien vs. Predator first made its appearance in the 1990 issue of “Dark Horse Presents #36.” Since then, the AVP series has spanned across several types of media including comic books, novels, video games, and the 20th Century Fox feature films Alien vs. Predator (2004) and Alien vs. Predator: Requiem (2007). The franchise made its debut in the live haunt industry in 2014 at both Universal Studios Hollywood’s and Universal Orlando Resort’s Halloween Horror Nights. Both studios…
“The Walking Dead” is returning for Halloween Horror Nights 2015. Focusing on the most memorable moments from the latest season of “The Walking Dead,” guests can expect to experience a maze that’s bigger, longer, and more gruesome than ever before. In the previous years, guests have followed the cast of “The Walking Dead” through some of their most iconic locations including Rick’s hospital, and the prison. Executive producer and special effects makeup supervisor for “The Walking Dead,” Greg Nicotero, and Executive Producer of Universal Studios Hollywood’s Halloween Horror Nights, John Murdy, and their teams have succeeded in bringing the zombie…
June 18, 2015 – Since Universal Studios Hollywood made the announcement in April of last year, fans of the Fast and the Furious franchise have been anxiously awaiting the arrival of “Fast & Furious – Supercharged.” From the demolishing of the “Curse of the Mummy’s Tomb” tram attraction in 2013 to the construction of “Fast & Furious – Supercharged,” the editors at Inside Universal have been diligently keeping an eye out for any visible changes or updates. However, Universal has been especially secretive with this project, making it particularly difficult to see what was going on. With the official opening…
May 4, 2015 – On April 9, 2015, the Inside Universal team was invited for a special behind-the-scenes look at the new Springfield environment. From the moment we went through Walter’s Gate on CityWalk to the end of the event, we were amazed at the hospitality shown by both the Universal executives and park employees and impressed by the work they accomplished with Springfield. After all the press had gathered, we were kindly greeted by the Project Director of Springfield, Jon Corfino. After a quick overview of what we were to see and do during the tour, we were taken…
The Psycho House April 8, 2015 – Welcome back to another edition of Zoom Lens, where we take a closer look at different attractions both in the park and in the studio. In light of the Psycho House restoration, I chose to give you guys a little history on this iconic set. In 1959, Robert Bloch wrote a suspense novel, inspired by the Ed Gein murders in Wisconsin, about a single man and his mother. When Alfred Hitchcock’s assistant, Peggy Robertson, came across this book, she decided to show it to Hitchcock even though it had already been deemed unfit…
March 28, 2015 – Smashburger will be replacing Original Tommy’s in CityWalk, Inside Universal has learned. This follows the closure of Original Tommy’s earlier this month. In a Facebook post on March 18, Original Tommy’s announced they would be closing its doors after 13 years in its CityWalk location. They stated that according to new management, Original Tommy’s no longer worked with the future plans for CityWalk. Since its closing just three days ago, signs have already gone up announcing the arrival of a new burger joint, Smashburger. This change comes alongside a slew of changes to CityWalk’s offerings, including…
March 18, 2015 – Original Tommy’s Hamburgers has announced that they will be closing their CityWalk location on March 24, 2015. Tommy Koulax first introduced his famous chili-topped hamburger to Los Angeles residents in 1946. Since then, they have opened multiple locations throughout Southern California, including Universal’s CityWalk Hollywood. Original Tommy’s has a very simple menu of burgers, hot dogs, and fries, all topped with their world-famous chili. Located on the second level facing the 5 Towers, Tommy’s has served as a convenient place for guests and employees to grab a bite to eat since 2002. According to an announcement…