Making a magical monster experience

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Some magicians say they would never reveal their secrets because it’s simply magic. That’s not the case with these magicians. This week I had the privilege to talk with the creators behind Distortions Monster World to hear how they, along with the great minds at Distortions Unlimited came up with one of the most magical monster experiences in Denver.

We’re all familiar with the spooky side of monsters but after talking with Nate and Heidi Webb, Co-Owners of Blazen Illuminations, I came to realize there is so much more to see –just around the corner. I must first admit a couple things. One, I’m a long-time admirer of the diverse art that both Blazen Illuminations and Distortions Unlimited are known for and second, there are too many great Halloween puns out there to not use a few in this blog. So — hold onto your broomsticks!

It took but only a few minutes into our interview for me to feel as if I was transported into the creative world where Nate and Heidi found the inspiration for Distortions Monster World. They spent several years working alongside Ed and Marsh Edmunds to perfect how to bring together the haunt industry with an immersive experience and it was obvious that the fans were the driving force to get the project off the ground. They revealed the key to every project is to have the fans be the focus in the layout and choice of exhibits. Nate pointed out, “This is their chance to allow the fans to connect with the art of monster making.” I don’t recall a time where I’ve heard the words, “art of monster making” used to describe ghoulish designs. However, I clearly see how this Insta worthy experience fits into that mold. Heidi elaborated, “These works of art have a shelf life because of the material used to create them. They are not sculpted in bronze so they won’t last forever”. This was a huge revelation making this interactive pop-up even more of a must see. It allows us to have a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to see the beauty, yes — beauty of monsters.

The over 30 year relationship between Blazen Illuminations and Distortions Unlimited provided the foundation needed for them to bring this experience to life. Nate and Heidi were given special access to search deep within the vault of Distortions’ creations and pull out some spectacular treasures. The Queen Alien from James Cameron’s 1986 film “Aliens” exhibit is one of my favorites and is currently the only one on display in the world. Queen Alien was inspired by H.R. Geiger’s creations and sculpted by the creative geniuses at Stan Winston Studios. I learned that Distortions was the only company outside of the Alien’s studio that was granted special privilege to sculpt this masterpiece. There is no other place in the world where you could stop in and get your picture taken with the Queen Alien. Now that’s magical!

I had to ask if there were any sneak peeks of upcoming events or new exhibits they could share with us and they couldn’t give me the specifics as they are still working out details with regard to the copyright laws on some of these exclusive designs. However, they hinted at new exhibits so I would not put it past this creative crew to surprise us with something new in the very near future.

Monsters can be both scary and magical but only if presented in the right way. Distortions Monster World did just that — they pulled back the curtain on monster making to give us an exclusive, backstage look at this art. It’s now possible to immerse yourself in an experience where you get to choose if you want the family friendly tour or if you’d rather have them bring on the scare. AND — don’t miss your chance to see what Nate calls, “The best version of our experience”, during Monster to Midnight. It’s the after-hours Halloween event happening now through October 31st!

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