Elsewhere on tampabay.com, you'll find reviews of the most popular Halloween frightfests in Florida, including my take on the annual Halloween Horror Nights at Universal Orlando Resort.

Why did I get the gig? Because Universal always does a great job of exploiting its horror legacy, from Bela Lugosi and Boris Karloff to Chucky from Child's Play. They each have a haunted house at the theme park devoted to their bloody exploits, and the ques leading to terror can be scarier than the monsters. But allow me to share a few more available attractions.

Long lines aren’t your cup of blood? No problem. Scores of zombies, cannibals and mutants wander the park, lunging at visitors. The ghoul rule is: You don’t touch them and they don’t touch you. Break it and you may get bounced from the park, no argument and no refund.

The main entrance leads to Containment, a faux chemical catastrophe with dense green fog making monsters hard to detect until it’s too late. World War II soldier-zombies continue fighting a War of the Living Dead on one street, while the Lights, Camera, Hacktion “director” swings a mean (but bladeless) chainsaw at guests on another.

Apocalypse: City of Cannibals is what it sounds like, with actors munching on bogus body parts. Another tie-in with an upcoming movie, Cirque du Freak: The Vampire’s Assistant, is the tamest of the attractions, befitting the film’s PG rating. The Horrorwood Die-In Theater shows movie clips on an outdoor screen; that isn’t popcorn those zombie moviegoers are eating.

The Rocky Horror Picture Show tribute returns with the cult flick displayed above actors dancing and singing live (not lip-synched).

Universal also opens several mainstay rides including Bill & Ted’s Excellent Adventure, The Simpson’s Ride, Revenge of the Mummy, Men in Black: Alien Attack and, on peak nights, Jaws.

You can’t experience everything in one Halloween Horror Night, so Universal offers the Frequent Fear Pass ($69.99) allowing visits every Wednesday, Thursday and Sunday through Oct. 31. Good for your wallet, if your heart and feet can take it.