As you’ll read below, the 2010 haunt season began not quite with a bang. This Hallowblog entry from Sunday, October 10, 2010 is rare and perhaps even unique, due to the fact that it chronicled two separate outings and then previewed a third. Soggy weather, and at least one work schedule, would see that plans were shuffled mightily through the first two weekends of October that season.
The promotional video mentioned in reference to Wood of Darkness would become a reality in time for the 2011 haunt season. This was one of my earliest forays on the other side of the haunted attraction industry. If memory serves, I believe I shot this video on a Hi-8 video camcorder. Curious parties can view that video below:
Saturday, October 2nd marked the first outing of the 2010 haunt season, on the agenda was a trifecta of Downriver attractions. Jason was unable to take part in the opening night festivities because of work but I was joined by Jerry, Richard, and haunt veteran the Disco Devil.
Our first stop brought us to the door step of an old favorite, The Scream Machine. A new facade has been constructed and sets the scene well with its various props that adorn the structure. The environment could be more effective though if only the entire lobby were utilized or if the operators added a little line entertainment. The first sequence of the haunt winds guests through a series of creepy hallways featuring spooky family photos not unlike something you might witness in House of the Dead at TerrorTown. The hallway dead ends at the Hellevator which happens to be the hangout of a femme fatale. She kept Jerry scurrying about the confined space much to the amusement of the rest of us.
This year The Scream Machine has combined new and old blending their current theme with some of the style that ruled the haunt during the early 2000s. The overall effect was not disjointed or jarring rather it mixed things up just enough to keep the show from becoming stale. The first room featured a soaring possessed girl, a monstrous rat, and an elephantine pair of hands that clawed at us from beneath a bed. Interestingly, Scream Machine has included a lot of dark passages into this years attraction, a feature that has never been emphasized at this location. I wonder if this addition has anything to do with the departure of Extreme Scream from Taylor? Nevertheless it was a nice change of pace for a haunt that relies so heavily on vibrant eye candy.
Oh and there was eye candy! The highly detailed cemetery scene is located near the end of the haunt this year and remains gorgeous. The church scene also returns but has been tweaked and expanded. The church has more of a gothic look this year and forces haunters to wind through three rows of pews all chucked plum full of rotting fiends. This scene features a simple, yet effective scare utilizing a pair of strobe lights and misdirection as well.
The haunt concludes with a short jaunt through what used to be a part of Carnevil of Lost Souls, a one time 3D attraction. This is really the one glaring weak spot of The Scream Machine. It doesn’t jive with the rest of the attraction and worse lacks little punch as a finale. There was a female clown in the area who entertained us with some creative vocalizations but I do believe the haunt would be better served if the ending were overhauled.
I was also disappointed in the actors’ performance on the whole. A number of them were out of sync and some lacked passion but this early in the season I try to grant them the benefit of the doubt because on average it seems that they just have to get in a certain number of scares before they’re able to hit their stride. The last complaint I have concerns the $15 price of admission. I like The Scream Machine it is a well done haunted attraction but we completed the haunt in less than ten minutes and in all honesty I think a $10-$12 price tag would be more reasonable.
“You can eat me but I’m fun-sized.”
-Richard, responding to the sugar starved clown who questioned us about a supply of candy.
Rating: 3 1/4 stars
Next we drove to Leo’s House of Horrors in Riverview but discovered that for unknown reasons the modular haunt would not open until the following weekend. Disappointed but undeterred we struck forth for the first year effort in South Rockwood known as Woods of Darkness. By the time we had arrived it had been rainly steadily for an hour or so and as a result the operators had decided to shut down early. I spoke to one of the people in charge about their event and haunted attractions in general and told her that we’d try our best to return.
Undoubtedly the night did have its share of disappointment but I was eager to make a return to both haunts. Last Friday the whole of the Haunt Trinity was set to have a big outing at The Haunting in Adrain and Darksyde Acres in Jonesville but Jason ended up picking up a shift and plans had to be altered. My Haunt Trinity brethren and I decided to go haunting today instead but I wasn’t about to let a perfectly good Friday in the great month of October simply go to waste. I called up my old friend, Craig, and we made the short drive to Leo’s House of Horrors. Admission to Leo’s is $8 but being the frugal (see cheap) fellow that I am I made sure we were armed with the $1 off coupon that can be found in the Haunt Guide. We would find out shortly though that at even $7 Leo’s House of Horrors is overpriced.
Let’s not get ahead of ourselves though Leo’s was not without some redeeming qualities. The entrance hall where haunters purchase tickets features several horror movie posters including The Evil Dead. There was also an inventive prop that amused me to no end mid-way through the haunt, a headless body chained to the wall twitches and reaches for guests as they pass. I also enjoyed a number of the black light paintings that were splashed across the walls as well as the fenced ceiling that created a mild sensation of claustrophobia, but it was all too little to make up for Leo’s obvious shortcomings.
The hallways were far too wide which is especially crucial in a modular haunt where space is at a premium. The path allows guests elbow room which does little to make people feel compressed or uncomfortable and ultimately apprehensive about what lies just around the corner. The actors were also a point of criticism as many were ill timed, delivering the scare prematurely. My biggest criticism however is over the length of the haunt which may have been all of five minutes.
Leo’s House of Horrors isn’t without some potential but if they hope to survive in a rapidly expanding haunt industry the operators will have to bring in some new blood with a flair for the creative. $5 would’ve been a more appropriate price for admission.
Rating: 1 1/2 stars
Twenty minutes later Craig and I pulled into the Woods of Darkness, a first year attraction that seemed to hold promise. Once again I spoke to the lady running the front counter. She was pleased that I had returned and asked for my honest opinion once we returned from our trek into the unknown. I also presented her with the idea of shooting a video for their attraction, an idea that seemed to interest her greatly, but that my friends is a tale for a different day.
The tractor pulled in shortly and Craig and I stepped aboard the hayride with a small gathering, all of which we were about ten years older than. Woods of Darkness has a wonderful nature atmosphere and we came on a great night because the skies were clear and full of stars. A sound system is connected to the wagon which does a good job not only setting the mood but also covered the noise of the tractor. The ride back turned out to be nearly scare free which was a bit disappointing but there were two interesting scenes on our way to the woods, the second was truly special. The tractor winds around a bend in the path and a massive pumpkin headed figure glares menacingly from behind a set of tiki torches. The scene was cool enough but when the tiki torches erupted into six foot flames it was truly a sight to behold. It’s not common to see fire integrated into a haunted attraction for obvious safety issues but this was something I’ve never witnessed anywhere. I was impressed.
The tractor comes to rest at a path that leads to an old house. A darkly robbed ghoul approaches and unlatches the back gate to the wagon. I was struck by a gnarled tree to my right that was bathed in a bluish-green light. It looked medieval and was the perfect nature scene setting. We headed to the entrance of the haunt and gained entrance after handing our tickets to a quiet, old hermit. The set up here is fairly unique in that haunters actually follow a path through the woods. Walls have been put in place to create the sensation of being enclosed but the natural elements of dirt and leaves crunch beneath your feet and in many areas the night sky can be viewed over head.
The actors were serviceable on the whole if not a little green but they committed and that means a lot to any haunt enthusiast. A few that deserve mention include a large clown that stalked a room full of neatly hung corpses, the expertly disguised Ivy Man, and the chainsaw wielding nut who chased us through a winding maze. The scenes are appropriately done according to the setting and size of the event as well. The operators did well with what they had and avoided stretching the haunt too thin. The haunt does end without a true final dash to safety but all things considered this is a fine first year effort with a lot of potential.
I talked to the lady in charge again after we returned and shared my thoughts with her (her name is Denise by the way). She told me about some of their plans to expand in the future and as a haunter always looking for new and exciting scenes and scares I hope their vision comes to fruition. With some time and the right creative force, Woods of Darkness could become one of this areas premier haunt destinations.
Rating: 3 3/4 stars
Tonight the Haunt Trinity embarks on a massive outing that will take us to three locations. We head first to Pontiac where we will return to the formidable Erebus after a one year hiatus. Then we’ll test our wits once more against the wizard at The Realm of Darkness. The wizard and all his minions are celebrating ten years of tyrannical rule for one night only. That’s right, tens are wild on 10/10/10 which means us lucky haunt freaks will enter the wizard’s kingdom for a mere $10 tonight. After that we’ll head to Waterford where we’ll experience an old favorite at a new location, the Extreme Scream. This trip has Haunt Trinity history written all over it!
