REVIEW: HV Asylum

HV Asylum
426 Mill Road
Coram, NY

A 13 acre paintball field is a spectacular venue for a haunt. As the sun sets, High Velocity Paintball becomes HV Asylum. We weren't quite sure what to expect when we first arrived. Gun-toting zombies, perhaps?   First off, it’s in the woods. There’s nothing creepier than what your subconscious imagines to be lurking behind a gnarly old tree. Second, they’re equipped with all kinds of eerie settings ranging from a life-sized militaristic plane crash to a western ghost town complete with livestock, saloons and a creepy old church. A live soundtrack provided by a church organist and a spooky cast brings everything together to make for a really fun haunt.

HV Asylum is split into two sections. A delightfully undead tour guide leads you through the western-style ghost town, where you encounter a slew of living dead wielding farm tools. As you move deeper into the forest, you’re taunted by menacing creatures of the night. A trip though the graveyard and a fantastically executed crypt leads you to the main event: The Asylum. Inside, you encounter fun special effects, tortured souls and all the stuff that nightmares are made of. 

Is It Scary?

According to their Official Website : It’s “The biggest and scariest haunted attraction Long Island has seen to date.”

The Raven and Black Cat says : If you’re afraid of being alone in the dark, then you’re going to love HV Asylum. The unnerving setting combines with a cast of ghastly characters and shocking animatronics to create a spooky, traditional walk through haunted house.

Here's A Tip

HV Asylum is entirely out doors. It can get pretty cold, so make sure you bundle up.

What We Loved

We really love the pacing of this haunt. In the wooded section, there’s just enough time between the startle scares to get your imagination going. The asylum itself is filled with gory animatronics that provide just enough of a distraction for the live actors to sneak in for a startle scare. Favorite moments include hearing the asylum door being nailed shut behind us, a crazy clown assaulting us with a severed head, and being ensnared between a demonic zombie and a flame throwing prison guard. 

What Could Be Better

Why are we visiting the asylum? I think this kind of haunt would really benefit from a backstory and the tour guides are the perfect ones to deliver it. Also, it’s fun that the tour guide leaves you to your own devices, but there’s no motivation for them to abandon the group. This could be the perfect situation for the creatures in the woods to attack or for the guide to turn against the group and have them committed. In the woods, most of the creatures wait until they’re discovered to run in for the "kill." Instead, alternate your methods of scaring; some ghouls can linger menacingly, taunting the crowd with their pitchforks and shovels, meanwhile others can run in quickly for a fly by scare.

Final Thoughts

HV Asylum is a fun and spooky attraction that is big on startle scares and gruesome characters. It's perfect for those looking for an outdoor haunting experience that emphasizes entertainment rather than terror. A lot of the haunts in the area are focusing on an adult-only crowd, where the actors invade your personal space or touch you, but more timid thrill seekers don’t have to worry about that at HV Asylum. You’ll have a blast making your way through this spokky, but family friendly haunt. 

HV Asylum 2012 Runs

October 5th - 28

Ticket Information

• General Admission $25.00

Discount Tickets

• $5 Off General Admission: Click Here!

Additional Information

• Official Website
• Facebook
• Twitter

[caption id="" align="alignnone" width="640.0"] HV Asylum[/caption]




[caption id="" align="alignnone" width="540.0"] HV Asylum[/caption]




[caption id="" align="alignnone" width="540.0"] HV Asylum[/caption]

Blackout Tonight.

 

Visiting Blackout Haunted House Tonight.

 

Half  Excited.   Half  Terrified.

 

You Never Know What They Have In Store For You...

Laurie Lipton's LOS PARAGUEROS

[caption id="" align="alignnone" width="640.0"] Los Paragueros/Laurie Lipton[/caption]

We are loving Laurie Lipton's Los Paragueros. The exclusive limited edition etching can be purchased here. Check out her official website to see more of her gorgeous art.

Living Social Deal: Times Scare Haunted House $13 Tickets

 

For the next 6 days, Living Social is offering discount tickets to Times Scare Haunted House!

Times Scare Is Located At The Corner Of 42nd and 8th In New York City

Buy Tickets 

REVIEW: Killers: A Nightmare Haunted House

Killers: A Nightmare Haunted House
107 Suffolk Street
New York,NY

For 2012, Timothy Haskell has teamed up with Steve Kopelman to create what they describe as “a horrifying, immersive, haunted house experience.”

Is It Scary?

According to their Official Website:  “The most haunting experiences are those that are real. There is nothing more frightening than the monsters that walk among us.”

The Raven & Black Cat says:  Damn straight.  Last year, when Nightmare asked us to write down what we find most terrifying, we gave them a tip: serial killers. The contrast of brutal, methodical, carefully crafted murders perpetrated by someone who could be the clean-cut boy-next-door, is enough to send us to bed clutching a security blanket and kitchen knife. The intense creepiness of these real-life monsters, portrayed by top-notch actors in detailed, realistic settings combined with some very effective startle scares, is a state-of-the-art design for nightmares.

What We Loved

When you visit haunted houses night after night, you tend to see a lot of similar rooms and themes.  “Killers” is unlike any other attraction. It provides a starkly real glimpse into the life and mind of a cold-blooded killer and invites you to play the victim. You don’t have to imagine the terror of  Jack the Ripper grabbing your throat, pushing you up against the walls of dark alley. Here, the actual sensation is available. It’s always a touchy subject in the haunt world, but giving individuals a choice of whether or not they will be touched ensures the right combination of safe and edgy for everyone. And those who choose to allow touching will appreciate how sparingly it is applied. The haunt designers know well that the anticipation is as important to the experience as the actual moment you are physically drawn into the action.

The costumes, sets and makeup are unnervingly realistic, especially John Wayne Gacy’s house. Nothing is exaggerated for dramatic effect. From the outside it could have been any house in Middle America…until you’re behind closed doors.  When you’re dealing with real-life horror you have to walk a fine line and Nightmare is careful not to sensationalize or glorify these tragic events. In one room, a victim’s mother asks “Why did you come here? These are real people. Why are you here?” and for a moment, your heart really does break. Despite the theatrical focus, Nightmare still includes some shocking special effects and fun startle scares. Our favorite moments include a trash bag full of body parts hitting the floor, the Jeffrey Dahmer trial, and a, shall we say “whacky” grand finale that will send you running for the exit.

What Could Be Better

In the Andrew Fish section, the audio recording is nearly impossible to hear over the noise in the other rooms. Our group huddled in the corner and missed the video while trying to figure out what was going on. This could be avoided by having an actor tell the story or using additional speakers. I would love to briefly smell something foul when Pogo opens the trap door. If you’re hiding 26 bodies beneath the floor, it’s certainly going to provide some sensory evidence. For any audience members not familiar with the killer, this would provide a clue as to what’s really going on down there. 

Final Thoughts

We love and respect that Nightmare is willing to take risks. Last year, Fairy Tales was incredibly fun but more performance art, than haunted house. This year, Nightmare has combined a top-notch theatrical experience with the scream-inducing horror their audiences have come to expect. It’s intelligent, artistic, terrifying and hopefully, a blueprint for the haunted house of the future. 

Killers: A Nightmare Haunted House Runs

September 28th - November 3rd

Ticket Information

• Timed Ticketing: $30 (online) or $35 (at the door)
• VIP (Front of the Line Access): $50 (online) or $60 (at the door)

Discount Tickets

• 50% Off Timed Ticketing & VIP Tickets - Click Here!
• $15 - $20 Student Rush Tickets Available 1 Hour Prior to Listed Start Times.
• Military Personnel Night: Sun., Oct. 14th - Buy One Get One Free w/ Military ID.
• Public Servant Night (Policeman, Firefighter, EMT, ect.): Wed., October 10th - Flash your Badge to Buy One Get One Free.

Age Requirements

Children under the age of 16 must be accompanied by a parent or guardian. No children under 10 will be admitted.

Additional Information

• Official Website
• Facebook Page
• Twitter
• Youtube
• Flickr
• Buy Tickets
• 2011 Review - Nightmare: Fairy Tales
• 2010 Review - Nightmare: Superstitions

[caption id="" align="alignnone" width="2048.0"] Jack the Ripper/ Photographer: Joshua Hoffine[/caption]




[caption id="" align="alignnone" width="640.0"] Elizabeth Bathory/Photographer: Joshua Hoffine[/caption]




[caption id="" align="alignnone" width="640.0"] John Wayne Gacy/Photographer: Christopher Brielmaier[/caption]




[caption id="" align="alignnone" width="1000.0"] H. H. Holmes/Photographer: Christopher Brielmaier[/caption]

GIVEAWAY: 2 Tickets to Killers: A Nightmare Haunted House

Nightmare: New York is back with a vengeance. Killers: A Nightmare Haunted House is a serial killer themed haunted house located in downtown Manhattan. We had the opportunity to experience it this past Thursday and it is a chilling masterpiece of horror theatre.  We are thrilled that Nightmare: New York will be awarding 2 Tickets to one very lucky reader of The Raven & Black Cat.

The deadline to enter is 12:00 AM on  October 16, 2012.

a Rafflecopter giveaway


[youtube http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QHaeA8MjbK0?fs=1&feature=oembed&wmode=opaque&enablejsapi=1&w=640&h=360]

REVIEW: Field of Screams

Field of Screams
191 College Avenue
Mountville, PA

I took one look at Field of Screams in Mountville, Pennsylvania, and was bowled-over by what has to be the scariest looking cornfield I have ever seen...and I grew up in Pennsylvania. It's with good reason that this ghastly overgrown cornfield and the haunted attractions it surrounds have been scaring area residents for the last 20 years. Field of Screams resembles a County Fair from Hell, complete with an entertainment area with food vendors, horror-themed games, and a stage. This midway of the macabre sits between an elaborate Haunted Hayride and two creepy old barns that house the walk-through attractions Frightmare Asylum and Den of Darkness.

Frightmare Asylum is a twisting walking tour through insanity, chock full of detailed environments, clever special effects, and disturbing themes. Look out for a seriously creepy homage to clowns.

The Den of Darkness received a massive redesign for 2012. From the outside it looks like your run of the mill Haunted Mansion, but inside there is a tantalizing variety of horror and special effects ranging from a dark dungeon full of spark throwing angle grinders to a small passage in the wall that requires crawling on all fours into total darkness. A surprise photo-op captures your screams for posterity on their Facebook page.

 The Haunted Hayride loads you onto a wagon for a journey into that dreaded corn. Each stop is a grand display of impressive sets and dazzling special effects.

Is It Scary?

According to their Official Website:  "We terrify all who visit, so come prepared to scream."

The Raven & Black Cat says:   They have taken great care to zero-in on many common phobias. If dolls, darkness, cornfields, tight spaces, and clowns (with chainsaws!) are your idea of a frightful good time, then the answer is a resounding ‘yes.’

Here's A Tip

Visit Field of Screams on a Sunday, or spring for the VIP Upgrade to skip the lines. Without timed admission, you could be waiting in line for a while. 

What We Loved

We love the sensory details used at Field of Screams. Creative lighting techniques, the light touch of an actor's hand, the strong smells of the old barn, and an interactive set fully engage you in the experience. We also loved the use of unusual and detailed movement in the asylum. One girl looked like she was straight out of 'Silent Hill.'  

Other highlights are the room full of menacing faceless nurse mannequins, a 'shockingly' dark hallway, and the hayride's horrifying porcine slaughter scene.

What Could Be Better

We wish that Field of Screams would apply the same exquisite attention to detail that is so apparent in their sets and special effects to all of their actors. Detailed characterizations and compelling acting would give the haunt an eerie element of realism.

That said, some rooms can be scarier without any actors at all. Dolls make me really uncomfortable. The doll room would be so much scarier if it were just lots of dolls. I found the girl dressed in the doll costume oddly comforting because she was a person and not a doll. Fear isn't rational. If you want to scare people that have a fear of dolls, all you need is dolls. Underscore the scene with a creepy music box melody and then have one doll move.  

Final Thoughts

Field of Screams delivers a perfect evening of entertainment that will drag you into its  dark underworld of horror and then spit you out to console yourself with a funnel cake.

Field of Screams Runs

September 22nd - November 4th

Ticket Information

• Scream Pass (All 3 Attractions):   $28
• Combo Pass (Any 2 Attractions): $25
• Haunted Hayride Only:  $15
• Den of Darkness Only:  $13
• Frightmare Asylum Only:  $13
• VIP Upgrade (Skip to the front of the line): Add $10 - $20

Discount Tickets

• 13Haunts Coupon: $8 Off VIP Scream Pass/ $5 Off Regular Scream Pass - Click Here!
• Join the Field of Screams Mailing List for Additional Coupons and Discounts.

Age Requirements

Not recommended for children under 10 years old.  (They have a non scary daytime event for children and adults who are young at heart at Corn Cob Acres.)

 

Additional Information

•  Official Website
• Facebook Page
• Twitter
• Youtube 
• Flickr
• Buy Tickets
• 13Haunts

[caption id="" align="alignnone" width="2500.0"] Frightmare Asylum[/caption]




[caption id="" align="alignnone" width="1545.0"] Frightmare Asylum[/caption]




[caption id="" align="alignnone" width="2500.0"] Frightmare Asylum[/caption]




[caption id="" align="alignnone" width="2500.0"] Den of Darkness[/caption]




[caption id="" align="alignnone" width="2500.0"] Haunted Hayride[/caption]




[caption id="" align="alignnone" width="2500.0"] Haunted Hayride[/caption]