Zombie Joes Underground Theatre Urban Death: Tour of Terror 2022 Review
I knew next to nothing about Zombie Joes Underground Urban Death: Tour of Terror before I went, and I wouldn’t have it any other way.
I guess, in order to do a review, I should probably tell you a little bit about the event and give you a little recap…
In sum, Urban Death: Tour of Terror is a haunted theatre attraction in North Hollywood that comes around every Halloween. This year, Zombie Joe’s Underground Theatre Group is hosting two versions of this event; a horrifying, shocking, and hardcore adults-only version, and a still shocking, but milder “kids” version. Both shows begin and end with all guests navigating their way through a dark, flashlights-necessary, haunted maze. Like the maze, both shows also feature a 20-min series of short vignettes.
Okay, recap done! Let’s get into the review part!
As I said at the beginning, I didn’t know what to expect when going to Urban Death! I read their press releases, though, and I was able to deduce that the adults-only version would be a little too intense for my personal taste and comfortability—descriptors of the show include “raunchy,” “bloody,” “scream-inducing,” and “more explicit than ever.” While those might be perfect for all of my intense, horror-lovers, I’m a baby sometimes, so I decided to bring Arjuna to the family-friendly version, which, to my surprise, wasn’t quite as family-friendly as I’d expected!
The family-friendly Urban Death Tour of Terror differs from the adults-only version in that there is no nudity, the vignettes are less grotesque, and it seems like there are much more mild comedy elements. Overall, it’s a bit silly, in a good way! I will say one thing though, that the flier claims the family-friendly version is suitable for kids 8 years and older, but after watching, and using my very own 8-year-old nephew as a barometer, I’d say that kids need to be at least 13 (teenagers+) to enjoy and feel comfortable at this show. Some of the vignettes were a bit too eccentric and emotional for a younger kid, but I think a teen would be just fine. Plus, I can just picture my nephew being scared in the haunted maze!
But, enough about kids, let’s talk about me, a grown woman who had a great time at this family-friendly Halloween theater production. I found myself laughing my way through the night and being genuinely surprised and entertained by all of the vignettes. The group members were so talented and their skits felt very raw. It was like nothing I had ever anticipated going to this Halloween season. Still, I’m so glad I was welcomed into ZJU Theatre with open arms (literally, I got to take a pic thee Zombie Joe) and pizza for the opening night!
I also want to take a moment to shout out to the whole team at Zombie Joes. From the moment I arrived, I felt so welcomed and so noticed. Sometimes, attending these events as media can mean I’m just another one in the crowd, which is fine, but I did notice how good it felt to be greeted and welcomed into this event by the team themselves. It felt very down-home and community-based, which was awesome! I also have a feeling that it wasn't just special treatment for the media, but just genuinely how they are there. Zombie Joes Urban Death: Tour of Terror isn’t just a great show for Halloween lovers, but it’s a great show put on by incredible people that are part of our Los Angeles community. These are the people I LOVE to support and if you’re a fan of my work, I’d assume you love to support them, as well.
That all being said, I had a blast at Urban Death; and if you’re looking to mix things up this Halloween and go to a totally underrated event, you NEED to go to ZJU’s Urban Death: Tour of Terror! You won’t regret it.
Tickets for their shows are selling out fast, so make sure you save your spot ASAP!
