10/11/12 Haunt Review: Terrortorium

I'll say right off this was a great haunt to end our evening of a long drive and tour. The place is very easy to find if you can find Oxford Alabama on a map, which shouldn't be hard to anyone at all.  There are plenty of good signs to lead you right to the front door of Terrortorium.
You can find info, directions, pricing and more at The Terrortorium website.  The site is a little difficult to navigate as it is Flash heavy, and especially if you have an older computer so keep that in mind.

So, we got here, pulled in to parking (which is FREE and FREE IS GOOD!!)  We noticed to the right, porta potties. Which first off is way better than the previous haunt with nothing but finding a tree. There was only one, which I speculate if they have a really busy evening there will likely be a waiting line.  They do not have any food or merchandise, but with it being a smaller haunt and the whole city of Oxford within a mile or so away, this shouldn't be a problem for food and actual bathrooms.  As we walked up, the ticket booth is there, with a sign posting pricing plain and visible for everyone to see. They offer the Terrortorium trail itself for $13 dollars, and/or the Dark Ride for an additional $7. Or you can do a combo package for $17.  I will give away that the Dark Ride is more of something for the younger crowd, with no monsters that jump out at you, but the props, colors and designs are enjoyable.

On to the ratings. ★ = bad ★★= needs to improve ★★★ = average ★★★★ = above average ★★★★★ = Excellent   ★★★★★★ = Flawless

The Staff ★★★★★

The staff, from the ticket booth, to the entrance people to those helping were all very friendly, happy to be there, and happy to talk with me. They were happy to hear comments, be it compliments or complaints and even a little criticism. This was a definite plus in my book.  I talked with the owner, Jeremy, and his dad about the haunt, and it's history, and their history of being in the haunt business. They have worked very hard to produce a very impressive haunt, and it shows.

The Trail ★★★★
This was a very well thought and laid out trail. It seems kind of small but they definitely utilized every inch of space they have in this building.  From the entrance, the cue line, going in to the haunt and on through. They put a lot of time in to detail and it's very well appreciated! The first room, where you get a brief explaination tied in with the standard rules of going through the haunt just sets the mood for going through. It wasn't slammed packed with actors, but what actors there were made the trail very good. There's something to catch you around every corner here. My only real problem with the trail is it just needed to be longer!

The Actors ★★★★★
 Literally right off the start you are faced with actors here. The makeup jobs were extremely well done, the costuming was very well also. I do not recall seeing any of the standard horror actor costumes such as Freddy or Jason, which is a good thing. The masks I saw were good, and fit the areas they were in, and the actors blended to their scenes very well. Every actor was interactive, everyone seemed to want to be there and enjoyed being there.  All the actors are volunteers meaning they do not get paid to be there, so this makes it good as well.

The Props  ★★★★★     
I didn't discuss budget with the staff at this haunt, but I must say their props were top notch. The rooms were done very well. Every one of them. The props and things in the rooms were very good as well. Some of the best I've seen in my many years of working haunted houses. As I said earlier, there's something to catch your eye around every corner! I had a few favorite spots but I'm not going to give it away.

Overall
This was a great haunt. Very filling. Not too much though. They didn't go overboard.  Jeremy and his father did the vast majority of the work on this haunt and that's no easy task for a 2 man team. He was quick to let me know that they did have people come in and help and he was grateful for all that help. I definitely see this haunt going places and lasting a long time, and look forward to seeing it grow. I did feel it was a little short for a haunt, but Jeremy told me he's got plans for expansion next year and I will definitely come back to see it. At this, the only thing I can say is fantastic job guys! My hat's off to ya. ★★★★★
Scurryface Approved!

 

10/11/12 Haunt Review: Haunted Hollow

Friday night we ventured out to a few haunts and Haunted Hollow of Ashland Alabama was our first stop.
Now, first I must say, the drive there, the road leading in to this place was just as creepy as the haunt itself, which is a good mood setter.  The aren't very much in the way of signs to Haunted Hollow due to people who want to take the signs I guess as souvenirs or something, so you'll definitely have to keep an eye out for what signs they do have.

We got here, not knowing what to expect, and I must say they did a good job. From the outside I was thinking it's not much to look at, let's hope the inside is much better.  Parking is free, an open space directly across from the entrance, so you don't have a long walk. This is definitely an out int he woods experience, so your bathroom is the nearest tree. You best hope you go before you come here, or hope you can hold it through the twists and turns and scares.  You won't find food here or a merchandise store, just a good hard walk through the woods and see how well you can brave the trail.  They keep it simple, and as you'll see in my review, sometimes simple is good.

Now, a bit of History. While we were in cue for to enter, we spoke with the lady at the entrance, who turned out to be Barbara, one of the siblings of three who own and run Haunted Hollow.  She tells me they've been doing this for 16 years, in the spirit of their father who loved the month of October and enjoyed haunts. So they've decided to keep on going for that. They money they make go to various charities such as Children's Hospital and other worthy causes.  The staff are all family and volunteers.

We talked with Barbara for a few minutes, and discovered some interesting things, for instance, they only allow one group on the trail at all times. This gives the monsters the ability to focus on that one group instead of splitting their time, or having massive backups. A definitely luxury smaller haunts have and one I think is a good advantage (Thus one of the many reasons I prefer hometown and community haunts to the larger ones, NO MASSIVE CROWDS!).  I don't want to give a lot away from their haunt, but this is one that goes to prove you don't need a half million dollar budget and some professional crew to put together a decent scary trail.  A low budget, the ability to work with what you have, creativity, and the desire to have some fun are the necessary tools you need.  You don't need a lot of props or animatronics, just the know how to make use of what you do have.
On to the ratings.
I've changed up a bit since my last ratings, but they're still easy to understand.
★ = bad ★★= needs to improve ★★★ = average ★★★★ = above average ★★★★★ = Excellent   ★★★★★★ = Flawless

The Staff ★★★★★

As I stated earlier, I spoke with Barbara, then after the haunt we spoke with Eric and Mike who are brothers to Barbara and the brains behind putting this haunt together. All very nice folk and we talked for a while. They were willing to listen to constructive criticism and eager to hear comments be it good or bad. They even took a few pictures with us!  They all work the trail, in costume to help make sure you get a good scare and they get a good laugh.

The Trail ★★★
This trail has a lot of darkness. As in meaning, you're not gonna see jack. Many twists and turns, many mazes, many dead ends, many ways to get lost. They let you stew in a corner for a while, but there are folks to help you along the way in some of the harder areas.  That being said, some of the areas are so dark, that when one of the actors are there to scare you, all you see is a silhouette of someone jumping out to get the scare. There's no way to tell what kind of costume they are wearing if you're one to stick around and see that sort of thing instead of running away.  Many dark mazes await you on the trail and areas that will squeeze the claustrophobia out of you!  One area was a little rough, and without giving too much away I'll just say a small enclosed area with a gas powered chainsaw in the room while you have to figure out how to get out may not be the best idea. The fumes will get to you.

The Actors ★★★★
Like I said in the previous section, areas of the trail are so dark, you will see the shadows and hear them scaring you but you won't see much of them. That works in their favor and sometimes it can be against them as well. Of the few that I did see, there were several movie horror characters, which seemed out of place to me in this trail. But you sometimes come to expect that with a community haunt.  Sometimes their scare was lacking in that it was just a quick 'jump out quietly' kind of startle. There were a few actors in makeup I saw moving about, but mostly some of the younger children that were helping about.
All of the actors seemed to want to be there though and I felt they were enjoying what they were doing, and it added to the trail.  Towards the end of the trail the actors kind of thinned out and seemed to be a bit out of place for what they were doing.

The Props ★★★★★
Again, this kind of haunt shows you that you don't have to have a half million dollar budget to know how to use props and how to scare people. I will say first off, I got my first true startle this season at this haunt, great job guys!  Had I been close to speaking at that particular point I would have probably bitten my tongue off.  I won't give away that particular spot, but even though sensing something was about to happen, it still got me.
They made use of cheap elements and did very well with them. There's definitely something to be said about walking through pitch dark and you turn a corner and have the creepy faint glow of something staring at you!

Overall
Haunted Hollow was definitely off the beaten path. It took us about an hour and 45 minutes to get there. These folks are doing a haunt for the right reasons, to have fun and scare some folks during the haunting season. I admire that above all else. Through some of the trials and tribulations Barbara shared with me, they've still managed to keep this place open and running.  The price of admission is only $5 so I definitely say you get more than your money's worth on this haunt.  I wouldn't recommend making a long drive just for this haunt, but there are a few in the area and if you're planning on making a night of hitting haunts, this one definitely needs to be on your list.  ★★★★
Scurryface Approved! 
     

Haunt Review: The Deadman's Trail

This past Friday some of us went out to visit some of the local haunts and we came across this one literally in the middle of nowhere in the small town of Locust Fork. We decided to check it out and rounded out our evening with a fun haunt.
The Deadman's Trail is what I call literally a back yard haunt, but this is a good thing! Robert and his friends and family have been doing this for a few years now and they do their best to keep the true meanings of Halloween and haunts by keeping it fun and a bit scary.  You can find more about it at Deadman's Trail   On a super busy night parking may be limited but available, and it's FREE. Again, free is good!

I'll be honest. This is one of those if you miss the sign you're not going to find it and if you blink you've passed it. So keep an eye out and get the directions off their web page. You can find this off HWY 79, or the cut through from HWY 75 to 79 in the Locust Fork area.
When we got there, we were a bit skeptical. But we quickly found out it was going to be interesting and fun after talking with some of the folks.  Admission is only 5 dollars, so you definitely can't go wrong there!
This is an all outdoor haunt (something in which you don't see very often and I really do miss!), making it have several advantages mainly because it's easy to swap up the trail so people are always experiencing something new.  Now on to the reviews and ratings.

Ratings: I use a 5 ★ rating system. 1★ being not too good, 5★ being great!

The Staff   ★★★★★
We quickly found the staff as we walked up the driveway and talked with them for a while. They told me a little bit about the history of them making the haunt, and we got to watch a few folks go through as well. There wasn't much of a waiting line since we went on a Friday night during the local High School football games (again, this isn't a bad thing, but more of a suggestion on WHEN to go to avoid the crowds!) We met Robert, who not only runs and owns the trail, but works on it as an actor also!  This is a family run event so all the actors/staff are volunteers.

The Trail   ★★★★
Keeping in mind this is an all outdoors trail, so make sure you're dressed according to the weather, and for God's sakes don't be stupid and wear heels or flip flops or crocs. Why people want to do that I don't know...
The trail is somewhere between a quarter mile and half mile of twists and turns through the woods going through varying scenes and scary things. Keeping in mind this is a 'home grown' haunt so don't thinks it's got some super high dollar budget with expensive props. What you will find though is a trail that's pretty well put together on a shoestring budget with some good scares and fun along the way.

The Actors   ★★★★
These are some good folks. They volunteer their time to come out and have some fun scaring people along they trail. They work well together, and they take advantage of the outdoor haunt to slip between scenes to continue scaring you as you walk through.  Robert said they were short handed tonight but they worked good enough that I wouldn't have thought they were short handed. I like people that can work multiple areas and keep up a good pace. One guy told us how he popped out in one area, slipped behind us, changed masks, and was able to get ready in a completely different scene, and he got a good scare on one of our people at least twice! That's good work. They're in this for the right reasons. To have fun and delivering entertainment value to the crowds. Most of the actors I saw had masks or some kind of hoods over their faces, but they went well. The few that we did see that were using makeup did extremely well on their applications.

The Props   ★★★★
All of this was made, I assume on sight, and it was great. They put a lot of time and effort in to making the areas and scenes and what props they have. Don't expect to see super flashy animatronics and a ton of strobes here, they went old school and it worked very well.  I think there were a few strobes here and there so be careful if you have problems with flashing lights just in case.  Also for those with disabilities, the trail isn't really bad, but unless you have an outdoor lighter weight wheel chair you may not be able to get through here. Sometimes the nature of the beast just doesn't allow handicapped access. All in all I'd say the layout and the props worked well for this style of haunt.

Overall
Robert and his band of ghouls and demons do a good show here. The price is very nice at 5 dollars a ticket. It's not super bloody gory type stuff so I'd say this would be a fun haunt for kids to go through and get a scare without being completely terrified out of their minds. That being said, the group before us had one kid that didn't want to go through so he waited outside the trail with the staff and mom. They are definitely happy to listen to any input be it positive or negative, and are looking to expand even more in the years to come, and I hope that works out well for them!  Overall I'd say this is a strong ★★★★for value and entertainment. Job well done folks, keep up the fun and hard work!

ScurryFace approved.

I am a reviewer for ScuRRyFace Haunt Reviews. You can see more reviews on the ScurryFace Haunt Review Page!

Haunted House Review: The Barns of Horror

Our Second stop for the evening was The Barns of Horror out in Locust Fork Alabama. Definitely off the beaten path, but the drive to this can definitely help set the mood for being scared.  You can find directions and more info on their website http://boogiebottoms.com/index.html

We got there and one of my friends had worked here previously so she introduced me to a few people.  Again, being on a Friday night while the high school football games were going on we didn't have a very long wait.

Now, this was the first night that The Barns of Horror was open this year, so they are constantly working to make it even better!
Three floors of terror await you at this scary barn in the middle of nowhere. They boast 3 stories, 12,000 square ft. full of the scariest, creepiest most terrifying horror!  The cost is $10 per ticket.  The money made from the haunt goes to support Boogie Bottoms park, drive in, and other rallies and events they have there.

As we waited, there were a few monsters that came out and through the entrance area to menace the crowd, and I must say, one of them had a very awesome costume. Very tall, what seemed like almost 7 feet tall, and something a cross between The Scarecrow and a swamp monster. Someone even said the smell was authentic too!

So we handed in our tickets and we went inside. "Granny" who is a long time resident of the scary place told us a story about the happenings of the Barns of Horror and what makes them so scary, but I won't give it away. Needless to say it was interesting.

The Ratings I go on the 5 ★ system. 1★ not so good 5★ is great!

The Staff ★★★★
What few staff I got to meet and talk with were pretty busy trying to keep things going, which is definitely what they need to be doing. They did take a few minutes to talk to me as I introduced myself and talked with them.  At the end, we spoke with Marty, who was very friendly and we bounced ideas off each other and we got a laugh out of his "son" Snoopy, a small dog with a LOT of attitude that enjoys 'helping' the patrons find their way to their vehicles. Snoopy feels he's just as much a part as the rest of the actors!

The Trail ★★★½
The trail was pretty good. A little lacking in action, but as I spoke with the management they were a bit on the short handed side. Overall, I think they've got a lot of trail and not enough filler, but that can be worked out as the season goes on. You go up stairs and down stairs so make sure you can do that before you even consider going out there. Due to the nature of this matter, it is not handicapped accessible unless you can use stairs. There's no theme to this haunt, so you're apt to experience many different things in almost every room and you won't see any patterns.

The Actors ★★★
They had a shortage of actors on opening night, which isn't necessarily a good thing but it's understandable. The actors are volunteers, which means they are not paid. This unfortunately hurt the haunt in that there were a lot of dead areas that you just find yourself walking through looking at the scenery. There were also a couple scenes we walked through where people were there, but not wearing any kind of costume. Also, we approached several scenes and heard people talking before we got there, and that can work against an actor when people walk in to their area.  That being said, there were some good spots where some good startles appeared scaring the folks that were with me, and a few points that had us befuddled so good all I could do was stand there and laugh (that part was a good thing!) Some of the areas, the costuming did not make sense with the scene. I almost had the feeling of 'hey grab anything that fits you and put it on'.

The Props ★★★★
Some of the scenes were impeccable. They had a few things that I've never seen before and it worked out great!  Again, this is one of those haunts that spends more time making props than buying props and I admire that. They had a very good variety of things to mess with your senses and befuddle the mind as you're getting scared and walking through the haunt. A few of the rooms had me reeling and trying to figure out which was was up and which way was out, and I found that very amusing. I will say though, there were a few points I felt an over excessive use of strobes.  Strobes have become a staple to haunts these days, but there is something to be said about too much of a good thing.  That being said, the props and use of the props through most of the trail were very good.

Overall
The Barns of Horror has been around for quite some time, and they put a lot in to it. As I stated previously this was opening night and there are always a lot of bugs to be worked out so I won't be overly critical on that. I do think the actors should pull it together a little more and be conscious of their areas and work to getting outfits and costuming more fitting to their scene, or consider using the costumes they have in a scene more fitting to them.  Whereas there is a lot of room here and not a scare around every corner, it definitely had it scary spots, it's tricky spots, and all out fun. It works on all the senses as you go through the trail. So where it may not be really scary to some, I'd say there's a little of something for everyone at the Barns of Horror.  Good job folks, keep up the work. I'd say it's worth the price of 10 dollars.  ★★★½

Scurry Face approved!

I am now part of ScuRRy Haunt Reviews! So you can see more reviews of local haunts at ScurRyFace Haunt Reviews

Haunted House Review: Insanitarium

Friday night I gathered with some friends and we went to some of the local haunts. Not the big half million dollar production haunts, but the smaller local ones in your community.  First off, I think those really have an advantage, because they're not all about the money. They want to put something on, and most of the time they have a purpose for the money they make.  Some big super attractions tend to forget what they're all about and over charge, then they have to bring in a lot of other things to help supplement the money to make up for the budget, blah blah blah.

Which brings to my first haunt. Insanitarium located in Pinson Alabama, just off Hwy 75.
We got there, and first off, it was FREE PARKING, which is always a plus in my book. The tickets were only 10 dollars, and I say it was well worth it. The parking attendants were cool folk, talked with us for a few minutes, and pointed us to where we needed to go for entrance.  Now, this is put on at the Palmerdale Homestead Community Center, and all proceeds are going to help the PVHS Visual Arts Department. A very worthy cause.

I met the heads of this event, of whom is the Arts director at Pinson Valley High School, Chris, and Justin.

I won't give away what you'll find within the creepy and scary halls of this haunt, but I will say it was very good. It's a themed haunt, and you they stick with it from the very time you enter, till the time you leave. And it's ripping and ready to go from the instant you walk in the door!
In the waiting area, they have seating, and movies for you to watch and even refreshments.  They have a small store where you can buy merchandise, again, to support the cause.

Now, the ratings. I use a ★ rating system. 1★ being not so good, 5★ being great!
The Atmosphere  ★★★★
The atmosphere was good. From the time you walk in to the door of the Community Center, you know immediately it's going to be something good.


The Staff ★★★★★
The people who take the money and issue tickets were friendly and helpful, and directed me to management.
After speaking with Chris for a few minutes and introducing myself, he read us the standard warning labels that have to be read during haunts, made a few jokes with us, and sent us on our way.  (I have to tell you, we had no waiting time because it was on a Friday night, and it's just down the road from the High School football games, which everyone seemed to be at, so we had CHOICE treatment!! This is definitely not meant to take away from the quality of a haunt, merely a suggestion of when you might want to go to beat the crowds!) After I went through, I came back and talked with both Chris and Justin, and they were happy to hear what I had to say, and happy to listen to suggestions. They really do care what someone has to say about their haunt.

The Trail ★★★★
From the entrance to the trail it was immediate action.  They have done very well with the small budget and the time that was put in to this definitely reflects a good quality haunt as a pose to a half million dollar budget! Did I mention I like these kinds of haunts? Through many twists and turns you go, seeing all sorts of eery and creepy things, many different rooms you go through, and a few spots you can definitely get lost in. There are many actor pockets and hidden doors you won't see or notice, so you never know when a beastie is going to pop out and get you!

The Actors ★★★★★
Having worked haunted houses for 20+ years, and having been an Actor Coordinator and Actor Trainer for several of those years, this is a very detrimental thing to me if your haunt is going to succeed. You have to have a passion for doing this, and you have to have the heart to do this. It's not just jumping out and yelling boo at someone, there's a lot more to this.
These actors, all volunteers (meaning they do not get paid to do this) were great. They were all moving and doing their job. Having worked haunts so many years, I don't startle easy, and I do not scare easy. One of the best, easiest, and most effective ways to scare someone is a good startle. These folks were on top of their game. Those that were wearing makeup had very good makeup jobs, the few masks that I saw were very good, very fitting to the scenes they were in, and it all worked together very nicely. There were a few locations that had actors in them where the actors looked like dummies and props. Only to jump out at you or move at the last moment and scare the socks off the people I were with.  Some of them I think were roaming actors, and moved from scene to scene behind the walls to work multiple spots. Very well done, and working the actor pockets well enough that you never know where someone is going to jump out of a wall or a door that you didn't realize was an opening!

The Props ★★★★★
The props were very well done, they didn't go crazy with buying a ton of expensive props. They made them. The creativity was great, and you could see that a lot of work and detail went in to doing these. Much more heart goes in to the work if you get someone local than having some team come in from somewhere else in my opinion, and I think it showed here.  My hats off to the arts people.

OVERALL RATING
I think this is a great haunt. Again, keeping in mind that this is a small community run project and not something you're going to see all over the internet as a top billed place, nor do I think that is the route they are wanting to go. They would love to have people come see their haunt and go through, but don't expect a half million dollar haunt.  This was a wonderful start to our evening of exploring, and I strongly recommend you check out The Insanitarium during your haunting season. To Chris and Justin and all the scary beasties there, a job well done folks. ★★★★½

A Call for Help

So, I've got a very good friend of mine who was talking to me about his dad. I've known both for a long time...I guess about 20 years or so.
His dad isn't doing so well these days and I want to do something to help him but I don't know what.  I talked with my friend and asked for a little information so maybe I could write something publicly about him.  After reading the info that came directly from his dad, I don't think there's any way I can put it that isn't what was already written. So I now share this with you.

 After growing up as a abused child. I went in the Army at 17 years old. I served in top secret jobs all over the world. I got out after 11 years of service. I went into the property management business and worked my way up from the bottom all the way to VP of one of the largest property management and development companies in the US. With nothing but a GED. Because I was abused myself, I took in abused children as a therapeutic foster parent. Right after I finally got to where I was making good money I was hit by a meth addict and it busted my back in 3 different places at 48 years old. I lost everything I owned except a old Harley and a 95 Pick up. I just had to get rid of my bike because it was too heavy because my back couldn't take the weight of the old Road King and I need a smaller and lighter Harley. Riding is about all I have left in this world that I can enjoy. I have had 3 different kinds of cancer in the last year. 5 times total. I worked with a lot of Chemical and nuclear weapons in the Army but they deny it has anything to do with it. Now I am living on disability and will never be able to buy a new bike. I have never had one but would love to.

 

My fiance is also disabled, After taking care of me through all the back pain and 2 prostate surgeries, eye cancer surgery and 2 melanoma surgeries in the last year and a half two weeks ago we found out she has female cancer and must have surgery for that, but that will only buy her a couple of years at most.. Our dream is to get a new bike (Harley) someday and be able to ride as far as we can and try to have a little fun for what time we have left in this world. We both love to ride but we have to have something lite and comfortable for us to do this.

 

As I said earlier, I've known this man for a very long time, and he's always been a stand up guy. He's served our country for many years, helped take care of children that weren't even his, and raised a kid that became and is still is one of my best friends. I want to do whatever I can to help him with a dream. 

If anyone has it within their hearts and abilities and would be willing to make any kind of contribution to help him, I think this would be a great and noble thing. He may not be around much longer but I'd love for him to be able to have that last ride into the sunset with his lady, and if there's anything I can do to help that, I will.

Thank you in advance for anyone that can help, and I ask that you please pass this story along to others that may be inclined to help as well.

You can make direct donations to him via paypal. Just go to Paypal and use his email address of pliny58@yahoo.com to send payment to his account.

 

Again, anyone that is able to make a donation is greatly appreciated and just one step closer to helping a man get closer to his dreams.

Thank you.