Senior Review Crew Member

Pete (dubstyle_2k)

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Previous Reviews: 2021 | 2019 | 2018 | 2017 | 2016 | 2015 | 2014 | 2013 | 2012 | 2011 | 2010 | 2009

2017 Reviews

Please note: this review is for the 2017 season rather than the current season.

Haunted Forest and Cornfield at Meadowbrook Pumpkin Farm

by dubstyle_2k (Senior Review Crew Member) after attending on Friday, October 20, 2017 at about 9 p.m.

Fun Factor: Very High Fear Factor: High

Review

Haunted Cornfield at Meadowbrook!!! Here I thought a fire destroyed this place in 2015 and it was never to return... Well, no, turns out they never missed a a season... See what rumors can do! Meadowbrook has always been one of my favorite attractions during the hunting season and I was psyched to go back, to say the least. Not much has changed since my last trip here in 2014. Once you buy your tickets you are told to wait by a bonfire until your number is called. In years past this has been a great feature, but apparently mid to late October nights in Wisconsin is now 68ยบ season! The ambiance was still nice. Once our numbers were called we were herded into a line, like cattle to slaughter, ironically with a view of cattle that were freer than we were! Waiting in line was entertaining, not because of roaming ghouls and goblins, as there weren't any, but because of the farm animals were hanging out! We soon entered the corn, and our adventure began!

Now I mentioned earlier that Meadowbrook has always been one of my favorites, though that still remains the same, I do think my three year hiatus has given me time to reflect on this place and allowed me to come to some conclusions that maybe I had missed in years past. Meadowbrook continues to awe me with their presumable fortune of animatronics and lighting. Every time I go through that trail I walk away thinking 'That must have been expensive, and their electrical bill must be staggering!', but the lack of updating seems to be catching up to them, Those animatronic props were once my favorite part of the haunt, now just seem kind of boring. There was an over use of strobe lights, which don't get me wrong, can be a great effects, but we found ourselves saying, "Oh great, here comes more strobes." several times through it.

My favorite part of the haunt was the live actors, which there were WAY TOO FEW OF!!! To me, nothing is creepier than being shocked by actual voices in a corn field. If I were Meadowbrook, I would scale back on the animated props and get a significant amout of actors out there. While walking through the trail you will encounter several areas you have to enter, these are some of the more entertaining parts of the haunt. From pirates to backwoods creeps, these sections are what makes Meadowbrook shine! In all though, Meadowbrook is dark, disorientating, and lenghthy! It still remains one of my favorite haunts in the area!

Signage / Visibility / Location


Meadowbrook is down a very dark road, but you'll see it no problem thanks to a marquee and lights!

Wait Area / Line Entertainment


The waiting area is great, there is a nice bonfire to warm you up. The line once you are called is less entertaining, except for tehe farm animals who carry on as usual!

Actors' Performance


The actors in the corn are top notch, and they are the highlight of this haunt.

Sets Scenes / Props / FX


Again, the animatronics and props are phenomenal, my only beef with them is that it's time to update.

Length


The actual haunt is quite lengthy. You will comfortably be roaming around just short of an hour!

Crowd Control


Meadowbrook has a flawless system in place to get everyone from waiting area to line. They know what they're doing.

Most Memorable Moment


I'll keep saying it, the actors all day! They do what they do, and do it better than most haunts!

Summary

Haunted Cornfield at Meadowbrook Pumpkin Farm is, has been, and assumably will always be one of my favorite haunts. It's a high budget, scary trip that won't disappoint! I can't wait to see what changes they make in the future!

View all Haunted Forest and Cornfield at Meadowbrook Pumpkin Farm reviews

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Please note: this review is for the 2017 season rather than the current season.

Phantoms: Matinee of Nightmares

by dubstyle_2k (Senior Review Crew Member) after attending on Friday, October 20, 2017 at about 8:30 p.m.

Fun Factor: Medium Fear Factor: Medium

Review

Let me preface this review by saying I admire Phantoms: Matinee of Nightmares, it's a small operation, it's presumably put together by a small group, if not just one man, and it's proceeds benefit the Historic Downtown Theater in West Bend.

Not being familiar with West Bend, Apple Maps was my navigator, and I found the area no problem. Matinee of Nightmares is located in the downtown area, so don't expect much more than a sign on a storefront (a live actor was behind the glass as we left, which would have been helpful when we were looking for the spot!).

Upon entering the location you have to descend a flight of stairs to the ticket area, please be advised, this is a cash only operation, but I was informed that tickets can be purchased online at: https://phantomshauntedhouse.ticketleap.com/matinee-of-nightmares/dates, From there we were ushered into a room where the proprietor welcomed us and gave us a little backstory. I was very happy to hear that after a few years of moving around, Phantoms was back to where it started in West Bend. Hopefully they can remain in one location and can continue grow a great following!

The haunt itself is interesting. At first I was a little confused due to the lack of blaring crunchy industrial guitar that we've come to expect while walking through a haunt, but for the most part Matinee of Nightmares scrapped that idea and piped in little to no noise, which at times added to the creepiness of the whole thing. Walking down hallways hearing nothing but the shuffling of your own feet adds an element that we don't experience often enough in these haunts The live actors were few and far between, but the ones that were in there were pretty good at what they do.. The biggest jump came from a little girl actor, which I think is great. I was fortunate enough to meet that little girl after, and she was so polite and genuinely seemed to enjoy spooking patrons! Matinee of Nightmares will not blow you away with gore or extreme jumps, but it does fill a void for haunt fans that aren't looking to be uncomfortably terrorized. Matinee of Nightmares was a nice, easy haunt that you are safe to bring the whole family to!

Signage / Visibility / Location


Located in downtown West Bend, it's not easy to get lost trying to find it. Pay attention to the address because the physical signage isn't super eye catching.

Wait Area / Line Entertainment


We were the only ones in the haunt, or at lease in the waiting line. There were no actors roaming the area, possibly is it were more busy they would have had entertainment.

Actors' Performance


As stated above, there wasn't an abundance of actors in the haunt, but the few that there was were very dedicated to their craft!

Sets Scenes / Props / FX


The sets and effects were pretty elementary. A lot of the rooms were simple props laid out with no interactions. They had their share of light up props, abut nothing amazing.

Length


In their description they wrote, "Tour takes about 10-20 minutes, depending how fast you run!", which is a stretch. It was a short haunt, lasting less than 10 minutes from start to finish (I most certainly don't run through haunts!)

Crowd Control


There was no crows at the time of my tour

Most Memorable Moment


The little girl I mentioned in my review. Good spook!

Summary

I definitely love a haunt with a purpose! Anytime I go to a haunt that donates at least some of the proceeds to a cause is alright by me. Matinee of Nightmares wasn't the scariest haunt I've been to, far from it, but it's a small operation and small fee justifies that. If your looking for a nice starter haunt to kick off your season, this is a good option, for a good cause!

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March 29th, 2024 8:19 a.m. CDT 24.01