2009 Event Reviews

It was a dark and cold night...REALLY cold. Fortunately for me I had a warm car to step out of and to warm back up in. As this haunt is contained within the unheated barns of the fair grounds it appears as if the actors did not enjoy a similar luxury. Perhaps I caught this haunt at a bad time? I checked out The Theater of Lost Souls and Theater of the Absurd...but due to the temps I declined the invitation to partake in the hayride.



The Theater of the Absurd was very entertaining! I kind of got the impression that it's billed to be a side show to the Lost Souls haunt but I really enjoyed the unique concept of an attraction that was completely in 3D. The clown was very energetic and interactive. As we were the only group touring at the time we received quite a bit of attention. Not sure if this is typical as there appeared to be just a few actors in the Absurd attraction but we definitely enjoyed it! (Fun Factor = 4 / Scare Factor = 1)



The Theater of Lost Souls had its moments but appeared to lack the energy and enthusiasm to provide for a good scare or a fun interactive experience with a ghoul by way of a riveting performance. Perhaps the cold temps and sparse crowds of the Friday evening played a role in this? I really enjoyed the voodoo room and the acting performance in this room was absolutely superb! (Loved the accent!) The "Two Dogs" room has a lot of potential. The actor did a good job of heightening your anticipation prior to entering the room but the absence of a surprise once in the room made for an anti-climatic experience. A little bit of darkness combined with a sudden flash of light/sound could do wonders for the scare factor of this room. (Fun Factor = 2 / Scare Factor = 3)

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On the scare factor scale, Burial Chamber is totally off the charts!! I've been to 8 haunts this year and this is by far the scariest one...or should I say two? Burial chamber is actually a mega complex of haunted / scary attractions. Due to time constraints I only checked out the two indoor haunts, Adrenalin and Insanity. Both of these attractions were similar but offered a unique experience unlike the other haunts I've been to this year. Rather than parade you through a series of rooms that feature a variety of themes and skits, Burial Chamber's haunts are comprised of a complex maze of dimly lit hall ways and rooms, all with a consistent theme. Acting appeared to be at minimum (especially in Insanity) and was usually limited to a quick entrance from out of nowhere in an attempt to scare you and then a quick disappearance into the shadows....a very effective tactic to scare you regardless of where you might be positioned in your group.



As much as I loved the scare factor of Burial chamber I must admit the mandatory group size disappointed me. Groups were sized as close to 10 as possible. Given the extremely long lines I can totally understand why groups are sized so large. While the maze of hallways provided great scares for everyone in our group, and could certainly entertain the large group size, many of the rooms struggled to accommodate the size of our entire group. To make matters worse at the end of Insanity the group behind us caught us which resulted in a group size of nearly 20. Due to confusion in traversing a circular maze at this point and the unfortunate actor who had no way of knowing where one group ended and the next started a third group actually caught us....quite the mess.



IF you don't like standing in long lines while being exposed to the weather elements I would strongly recommend the VIP pass. The VIP admission allows you to skip everyone who hasn't purchased it. It does not, however, limit your group size or guarantee that you'll be able to enter immediately.

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Dead by Dawn Productions has surprised haunt-goers for years.  The reason for that reaction is not the scares, although there are plenty of those.   Instead, it is the unique take on “traditional haunted houses” that makes House of Bathory stand apart.   It feels as though monsters actually live in the sets they inhabit rather than just visiting for the haunting season.   They also take harmless themes and spin them around with demented glee until they are either funny, scary, or both.

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House of Bathory is definitely an old school kind of haunt. Unlike most haunts, they don't use animated creatures to scare you. Their actors do an amazing job at scaring you and just leave you wondering what is waiting for you around the next corner. In every scene there is something that will surprise you. Being a smaller haunt, they definitely use their space very well. Every inch is covered in creepy and erie scares. They also touch you in this haunt which I love. Walking through a dark hallway and all of a sudden you feel someone touch your shoulder just sends chills throughout your entire body because you know you aren't alone and who knows what will get you.

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Always in my top three, this year Dominion of Terror is my favorite haunt in Wisconsin.   This non-profit event never repeats rooms and always has expert set design/construction.  What surprised me this year was the scare factor.   This is easily the most difficult aspect of a haunt to review because there are so many variables that can change an already subjective experience.
  
I was forced to go first and got the initial glance at each room.  Several times I groaned and sincerely dreaded uncovering what horror lay within.  In the worst rooms, (or best depending on how you look at it), we would all get an initial scare, then become disoriented, then frantically look for an exit which was never obvious.  It may sound strange, but this required team work by a group of strangers and there was a sense of relief every time we made it out together.
   
There is a difference between being scared and being fearful.  Big noises, surprises, and shocking gore may scare you, but being terrified requires a human element that monsters and props can’t deliver.  Dominion of Terror was terrifying to me because the actors got in my head and clouded the part of my brain that says, “This isn’t real, just have fun.”  Unfortunately, I can’t guarantee that anyone else will have the same experience as me, but in my case it worked.

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In the small town of Hubertus, there is something unsettling finding it's way into an old abandoned house in the middle of town. You are given a ride to this house and you are given the chance to tour it.



Undoubtably one of the older haunted houses in this area, this house again gives a stellar performance. Those who lurk within it are veteran ghouls and goblins (also don't forget the clowns....did I just hear laughter behind me?!). The attraction that they put together could be one of the best that I have seen them have.



One of the neatest things about the experiance is the building itself. It is a genuine old house. It adds a touch of authenticity that you can't build into a set. It a particularly notable example of this, one of the members of my group got all freaked out when he noticed that the spider webs on the stairs going down to the basement were real and not fake.



Once in the basement, you get all the authentic smell of damp earth and mustiness that really does exist. This makes the scares in this area particularly poignant.



One thing of note: This year they have one of the best 3D areas I have ever seen in a haunted house. The basic reason for this is that they actually do a lot with it. I have been in a number of haunted houses where a 3D area is just a little walk through their little 3D world. In this haunted house, there are actually some good solid scares that are hidden in the area. The 3D actually augments it and is not just a distraction.



The only problem with the scene is that it left many in our group wondering when we were supposed to take the glasses off. If you go, don't worry about this, they will collect the glasses when you are done. Just enjoy.

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This reviewer had never attended this event before, however, had heard good things about it and the producers of this project did not disappoint.



If attending all three attractions, the order of progression of what you will see is Morgan Manor, Morgana's Torment and Unstable.



Morgan Manor is a fairly elaborate house featuring a walk through a library, wine cellar and various other rooms full of actors waiting to meet you. Conditions are dim and hazy, but one can make out the dimentions of the rooms and see most of the actors approaching.



Morgana's Torment is essentially a series of darkened mazes to negotiate that involve passing through several inflated air bag enclosures and a hallway with a lazer light effect. You will hear from actors, but they tend not to appear.



Unstable is a walk through various stables, tool sheds, slaughterhouse/smokehouse where you will come upon actors working at their various crafts who become annoyed at your presence and make that known to you.

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