Thursday, October 31, 2013
Wednesday, October 23, 2013
Extreme Haunted Houses: Meet the Creators
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Blackout Haunted House[/caption]
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McKamey Manor[/caption]
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Freakling Bros. Horror Shows[/caption]
[youtube http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PwS4pqoLuEA?feature=oembed&wmode=opaque&enablejsapi=1&w=640&h=480]
[youtube http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eq51PriaQx0?feature=oembed&wmode=opaque&enablejsapi=1&w=640&h=480]
[youtube http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RQ0-o2kfKw8?feature=oembed&wmode=opaque&enablejsapi=1&w=854&h=480]
[youtube http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=M0o02ehC1cM?feature=oembed&wmode=opaque&enablejsapi=1&w=854&h=480]
Blackout Haunted House[/caption] [caption id="" align="alignnone" width="500.0"]
McKamey Manor[/caption] [caption id="" align="alignnone" width="500.0"]
Freakling Bros. Horror Shows[/caption] The creators of the three most extreme haunted houses in America were interviewed by Rick West (Theme Park Adventure) for "Extreme Mazes: Pushing the Limits of Terror" at the 2013 ScareLA Haunt Convention. Watch and enjoy the evil genius of JT Mollner (Freakling Brothers), Russ McKamey (McKamey
Manor), and Josh Randall (Blackout).
Videos courtesy of McKamey Manor.
[youtube http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PwS4pqoLuEA?feature=oembed&wmode=opaque&enablejsapi=1&w=640&h=480]
[youtube http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eq51PriaQx0?feature=oembed&wmode=opaque&enablejsapi=1&w=640&h=480]
[youtube http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RQ0-o2kfKw8?feature=oembed&wmode=opaque&enablejsapi=1&w=854&h=480]
[youtube http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=M0o02ehC1cM?feature=oembed&wmode=opaque&enablejsapi=1&w=854&h=480]
Monday, October 21, 2013
The 7 Most Extreme Haunted Houses in America (Updated 2015)
UPDATED 2015: We seek out the craziest most extreme haunted attractions in the country. The haunted houses on our list cater to adult audiences and involve waivers, extreme physical contact, safe words, abduction, violence, nudity and electric shock. The 7 haunts below shatter the traditional rules and limitations of haunted attractions to provide the scariest, most intense experience the haunt industry has to offer.
7. Haunted Hoochie at Dead Acres
Pataskala, Ohio | Official Website | $25 – $45 | Parental Advisory Explicit ContentFeatures: Violence, Sexual Undertones, Extreme Physical Contact.
When we attended the Haunted Hoochie at Dead Acres an actor threw me over his shoulder and carried me off into a different room where he spun me around several times and then pushed me back in with my group. We were also cornered by men with chainsaws and one of us got hit in the head.
A sign at the entrance of the haunt warns, “ATTENTION: Entering Dead Acres entails known and unanticipated risks that could result in physical or emotional injury. Risks may include among other things, slipping falling, collision with fixed objects or other participants…This may be the best haunted house you’ve ever experienced. Have Fun.”
6. D E A D OF N I G H T
Long Island, New York | Official Website | ? | Adults 18+ OnlyFeatures: Violence, Sexual Undertones, Extreme Physical Contact, Submersion in Water, Humiliation, Must Sign a Waiver, There is a Safe Word.
In 2013, DEAD OF NIGHT on Long Island had one of the most brilliant haunt openings I’ve ever seen. Everyone waited in lines listening to a calming “we are here for your protection” recording, which was interrupted at intervals by an air raid siren and men in gas masks and suits, who each grabbed an unsuspecting patron and dragged them into the haunt. Some people were dragged in, one girl was zipped into a body bag, and I was thrown over someone’s shoulder and carried inside. The haunt opened with this very strong abduction scenario, then the focus shifted to humiliation, the smearing of strange substances, and hitting people in the face with laughably large and painfully heavy fake penises. The experience has evolved quite a bit since 2013 and the theme changes every year.
5. ScareHouse: The Basement
Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania | Official Website | $35 – $50 | Adults 18+ OnlyFeatures: Violence, Sexual Undertones, Extreme Physical Contact, Electric Shock, Religious Themes, Must Sign a Waiver, There is a Safe Word.
The Basement at ScareHouse is an intense, immersive, and interactive experience inside a nearly 100-year-old historic and haunted building. You may enter in pairs or alone. I chose to enter alone. It was a spectacular experience. There is a great deal of improvisation and dialogue with the actors as you make your way through each scene of your own personal horror movie. The actors were incredibly creative and fun to talk to as they doled out electric shocks and extreme physical contact. The Basement is a collaborative immersive theatre experience peppered with elements of extreme horror.
4. The Cult
North Conway, New Hampshire | Official Website | N/A | Adults Only | No Longer ExistsFeatures: 18+, Must Enter Alone, Encounter Live Animals, Edibles, Extreme Violence, Sexual Undertones, Must Sign a Waiver, There is a Safe Word, Extreme Physical Contact.
Our visit to The Cult involved drinking faux urine, being bound and gagged and getting crawled on by cockroaches! Read a complete walk through of our experience here.
**UPDATE: Cranmore Mountain Resort chose not to bring back The Cult for the 2013+2014+2015 season. Ask The Ghoullog Creators to bring back The Cult in 2016! Contact them now on Facebook or Twitter!**
3. Blackout Haunted House
New York/California | Official Website | $45 – $150 | Adults 18+ OnlyFeatures: 18+, Extreme Violence, Full Frontal Nudity, Sexual Situations, Must Enter Alone, Edibles, Submersion in Water, Must Sign a Waiver, Extreme Physical Contact, There is a Safe Word.
Blackout Haunted House earns the #3 spot for their extreme OFF-SEASON EVENTS which combine their unique brand of immersive horror theater with elements that due to a gag order I am not permitted to disclose. Their annual October haunt and exclusive off-season events are infamous. In the 7 events I have attended since 2010, I have been abducted in a van, faux-water-boarded, rolled naked in a sheet of plastic and forced to walk barefoot down a used condom covered hallway. Blackout is never predictable. The experience is always shocking, upsetting, and exhilarating.
INFERNO is currently running in San Francisco Armory.
Blackout Reviews & Walk-Throughs
Blackout Haunted House Review (2012)
Blackout Haunted House Walk-Through & Review (2011)
Blackout Haunted House Walk-Through & Review (2010)
Blackout Off-Season Event Reviews & Walk-Throughs
Blackout: May Off-Season Event Walk-Through & Review (2012)
Blackout: May Off-Season Event Walk-Through & Review (2011)
2. Freakling Bros: Victim Experience III
Las Vegas, Nevada | Official Website | $100 – $150 | Adults 18+ OnlyFeatures: 18+, Extreme Violence, Deeply Personal Experience, Sexual Undertones, Partial Nudity, Submersion in Water, Electric Shock, Must Sign a Waiver, There is a Safe Word, Extreme Physical Contact.
The Victim Experience III is an uncensored, more extreme way to experience their 18+ Gates of Hell attraction. The Victim Experience is incredibly intense and you must go through alone. Participants will experience extreme physical contact, light torture, simulated drowning, and more. A member of our team made it all the way through and described the Victim Experience as, “intensely personal …more intense, scary and painful than the most intense Off-Season Blackout experience I have ever had.”
Boy, do we believe him! We attended just the regular 18+ Gates of Hell attraction back in 2012 (before they started the Victim Experience) and that was deliciously intense! I watched a camouflaged attacker appear out of nowhere, grab my colleague by the foot, then knock her down and drag her away down a long hallway. I was left alone in the darkness until the attacker came back for me and threw me over his shoulder. We also faced electric shocks, professional wrestlers, and a firing squad. Read more about our experience here. Coming Soon: a no-spoilers account of what it’s like to survive the Victim Experience.
and the Most Extreme (Possibly Unsafe) Haunted House in America is…
1. McKamey Manor
San Diego, California | Official Website | Dog Food Donation | Adults 21+ OnlyFeatures: 21+, Extreme Violence, Small Enclosed Spaces, Edibles, Submersion in Water, Haircut, Covered in Blood, Must Sign a Waiver, Extreme Physical Contact, 4-7 Hour Experience.
McKamey Manor is the only attraction on the list that we have not personally experienced. This insanely extreme home haunt tops our list because it can use scare tactics that are off limits to professional attractions. We’re also not sure that what they’re doing is 100% safe. Participants are covered in blood, forced to eat disgusting things, threatened with power tools, stuffed into a clothes dryer, submerged in water, physically assaulted, and given a haircut. Don’t believe us? Just watch their 2013 promotional video below. Did we mention the experience lasts for 4-7 hours?! This one is too insane for even us!
Thursday, October 17, 2013
Haute Macabre: The Best Halloween Parties in NYC (2013)
If you love macabre Victorian horror then there are only two ways to spend the evening of Saturday, October 26th in New York City.
1) PHANTASMAGOREY 2013:
Edward Gorey Grand Halloween Ball
October 26, 2013 - Halloween Saturday, 9PM
TICKETS: $30 General Admission / $40 at the Door / $25 Group Tickets of 6
LOCATION: One Hanover Square, New York, NY
Full Cash Bar, Must be 21+ ID to consume alcoholic beverages.
DRESS CODE: Neglected Murderesses, Doubtful Guests, Gashly Crumb Tinies, Hapless Children, Gilded Bats. Anguishing Artists, Restless Widows, Lonesome Mourners, ect.
BUY TICKETS
2) Gemini & Scorpio's Masquerade Macabre
October 26, 2013 - Halloween Saturday, 9PM
TICKETS: $20 General Admission / $30 VIP (includes Absinthe Den)
LOCATION: Grand Harmony Restaurant, 98 Mott Street, New York, NY
Full Cash Bar, Must be 21+, Costumes Required.
DRESS CODE: Macabre Carnival, Aberrations of Nature, Cabinet of Curiosities, Dark Victoriana, Evil Funhouse, Steampunk, Jan Svankmaier & Brothers Quay Films, Freaks, The Cabinet of Dr. Caligari, Think Dark & Creepy. Or Dark & Funny, Or wharever your Halloween costume happens to be. But if we have to ask, it's not a costume.
BUY TICKETS
Tuesday, October 15, 2013
GIVEAWAY: Macabre Custom Pottery
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Cougar Skull 7-inch Plate ($25.00)[/caption] [caption id="" align="alignnone" width="500.0"]
Anatomical Heart 6-inch Bowl ($25.00)[/caption] We love the exquisitely macabre pottery of Pirate Rose! You may remember her beautiful work from our March 2012 giveaway. We are so excited to announce that Pirate Rose will be awarding one of her beautiful custom pieces to one very lucky reader of The Raven & Black Cat.
The winner will receive One Custom Pottery Piece of Their Choice from the Pirate Rose Pottery Etsy Shop. Here are a few of our favorites and instructions on how to enter.
The deadline to enter is 12:00 AM on November 30, 2013.
a Rafflecopter giveaway
Pirate Rose is located in British Columbia, Canada. All of her pottery is handmade with the finest clay and glazed with a custom glaze that she makes herself to ensure that every item is food safe, microwave safe, oven safe, and dishwasher safe. She is a passionate artist and creates some delightfully creepy pieces. Visit the Pirate Rose Pottery Etsy Shop to see her entire collection of spooky and unique pottery. It's never too early to start your holiday shopping!
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Human Ribcage 9-inch Plate ($30.00)[/caption] [caption id="" align="alignnone" width="500.0"]
Creepy Spider 5-inch Plate ($20.00)[/caption] [caption id="" align="alignnone" width="500.0"]
Lady of the Dead 5-inch Plate ($20.00)[/caption] [caption id="" align="alignnone" width="500.0"]
Bat Skeleton 9-inch Plate ($30.00)[/caption]
Sunday, October 13, 2013
REVIEW: Nightmare Killers 2
Nightmare: Killers 2
107 Suffolk Street
New York, NY
Nightmare Haunted House celebrates its 10th year in New York
City with Nightmare: KILLERS 2, a continuation of Tim Haskell and Steve
Kopelman's smash hit serial killer haunted house. Killers 2 features a new cast
of real and fictional mass murderers. The new lineup is joined by a few
holdovers from last season. If you’re feeling brave, volunteer to be marked
with a bloody “X” and be touched and manhandled by the cast of psychopaths. New
for 2013, is the Dos Equis – sponsored Killer Stage Acts. Every hour a new
performer takes the stage to entertain those waiting in line. During our visit,
we watched a masked woman play creepy horror movie underscoring on the violin.
Is It Scary?
According to the Official Website: “Yes.
This isn’t a theme park ride. The whole purpose is to scare you. We have worked
long and hard to create the most horrifying experience possible. Get ready for
your adrenaline fix.”
The Raven & Black Cat says: Killers 2 presents real-life horror that will make you think twice about offering to help that injured man move a couch into his van.
What We Loved
Our run in with Harrison Graham was particularly shocking. Make sure to
read up on him before you go. We also enjoyed getting hit on by coked up
psychopath Patrick Bateman. His twisted compliments are to die for. Other
highlights include an opening warning from a parent, a room with
three doors and a brain splattering surprise.
The detailed sets and costumes are appropriately disturbing and a creepy soundtrack of original music by Chris Thomas completes each scene perfectly.
What Could Be Better
We loved encountering Patrick Bateman and his blood
splattered business cards, so the next day I tried calling the phone number printed
on the card. I was hoping that it would
lead to a voicemail message of Patrick Bateman yelling over chainsaw background
noise. I was disappointed when a generic operator announced “your call has been
forwarded to an automatic voice message system…”
We loved last year’s Lizzie Borden ending and wish that
Killers 2 had a bigger final scare to chase you out of the haunt.
Final Thoughts
Killers 2 offers a second dose of real-life horror that is
just as deadly as the first.
Nightmare: Killers 2 Runs
September 27 - November 2
Ticket Information
Timed Ticketing: $30.00 Online | $35.00 At The Door
VIP (Front of the line access): $50.00 Online | $60.00 At The Door
DISCOUNT TICKETS
Start Times.
Firefighter, EMT, ect.): Thurs., October 10th - Flash your Badge to get $10 Off
All Night Long.
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
- Youtube
- Flickr
- Buy Tickets
- 2012 Review - Killers: A Nightmare Haunted House
- 2011 Review - Nightmare: Fairy Tales
- 2010 Review - Nightmare: Superstitions
[youtube http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Eovcv-Iq9V8?feature=oembed&wmode=opaque&enablejsapi=1&w=640&h=480]
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Nightmare: Killers 2 / Photo Credit: Anathema Photography[/caption] [caption id="" align="alignnone" width="500.0"]
Nightmare: Killers 2 / Photo Credit: Jeff Eason[/caption] [caption id="" align="alignnone" width="500.0"]
Nightmare: Killers 2 / Photo Credit: Jeff Eason[/caption]
Monday, October 7, 2013
REVIEW: The Cult
The Cult
1 Skimobile Road
North Conway, NH
Mount Cranmore just became your worst nightmare. After years
of producing the traditional walk through haunt, The Ghoullog, creator Lance Davis debuts an extreme, personalized haunt on the top of the mountain. The Cult is an hour-long haunted attraction. You must walk
through alone. You will encounter violent and sexual situations. You will be
touched. It’s 18+ and requires you to sign a waiver.
Is it Scary?
Creator Lance Davis says, “The Cult is the ultimate in terror. It's not for everyone, just for
the die hard. It's for those who want the true experience of 'real life terror'
to test your fears.”
The Raven and Black Cat
says: I was one breath away from giving up my safety card and going home. I’ve
never been so uncomfortable in a haunt. Well done.
2012 Walk Through
This is the experience as I can remember:
It’s the end of September, but it feels like the dead of winter
as I wait to be let into The Cult. I’ve been to extreme haunts before, but I’ve
never been to one at the top of a mountain. The bone chilling weather is slowly stealing my confidence and I'm getting nervous about what I’m about to experience. A military man approaches the gate and brings us to a debriefing area. We give him our
personal items and are told to sit. The man asks if we have any problems with
the following: darkness, heights, claustrophobia, eels, rats, bugs, needles,
being fully submerged in water… what the hell am I getting myself into?
We’re
given a red card on a lanyard. If we decide the experience is too much, we can give
up our “safety pass” and the experience will be over. One by one we’re asked to
walk towards the chair lift and follow the path. I board the chairlift and attempt
to prepare myself for the long, cold ride. The anticipation is killer. It feels
like the chair is moving at 2mph, did I mention I’m freezing?! It’s 24 degrees
out and all I can think about is how awful it will be to ride back down the
lift after being fully submerged in water. They won’t really do that, right?
I finally reach the top and stumble off the lift. I gaze to
the right- at the end of a dirt path there is a dimly lit cabin. I realize
someone is calling my name and hurry towards the front porch. I’m blinded by a
flashlight shining in my face. A man asks if I’ve ever done anything like this
before, and I say, “Yes.” Immediately I’m reprimanded for replying. I’m only
allowed to answer if the haunter says, ‘speak.’ Good to know. He shoves me into
a booth and faces me towards the wall. Headphones are placed on my head. “Don’t.
Fucking. Move.” I can tell that there
are others in the booths next to me because every few minutes he’ll scream at
someone else to stop moving or drag someone inside.
After what seems like
eternity, the headphones are yanked off my skull and I’m being pushed into the
cabin. A doctor is in the entryway. He asks, “How much do you weigh?” When I
tell him he asks, “Are you lying?” I shake my head as he grabs a vial. He opens
my mouth and shoots liquid into it. Instantly, a bag is over my head and I’m
swept off my feet. I’m being carried completely perpendicular to the ground.
The attacker carries me outside and slams me up against a wall. My legs are
spread uncomfortably wide, and a man tells me not to move. I freeze, listening
for any signs of my torturer. Suddenly, he presses his entire body into mine –
so hard that all the breath is squeezed from my lungs. My heart begins to
pound. I’m finally released and placed on a chair. Construction ear muffs are thrust
on my head. I hear the sloshing of water. Suddenly I’m being sprayed and my
gloves are soaked. I wait. When it seems my attacker has disappeared, I
experience a terrifyingly loud thud as someone smacks the earmuffs.
The earmuffs and bag are removed and I’m being forced back
inside. A girl says, “follow the string.”
I’m shoved forward to follow it through a tunnel and into a different medical
office. Straight ahead a television plays static. To my right is a table with
medical instruments, urine and blood samples. The doctor asks me to take a
seat. A camera is pointed towards my chair- I’m being filmed. He pours
something into a Dixie cup and says, “Drink.” It’s warm, salty and utterly
disgusting. My gaze wanders towards the urine samples as I gag. I hear the snapping of latex gloves; he opens
my mouth and uses his fingers to poke and prod at my gums. Soggy cotton balls are
shoved into each side of my mouth. A plastic bag is placed over my head. The
light of the camera combined with the fog from my breath makes it impossible to
see what he’s doing. I feel my sleeve being lifted and a slight pinch on my
arm. Blood is smeared across the plastic bag and my arm is bandaged. The doctor
whispers, “Whatever he says, whatever he does – Don’t tell him where I put it!”
He asks me to pick a number, I choose two. He removes the bag and shoves me
through the second door in the hallway.
I wait in the small,
dark space hoping my eyes will adjust to the darkness. I feel someone approach
me from behind. They begin to gently caress me, getting closer, smelling my
hair, my neck. I’m shoved out another door and into an S&M chamber. Death
metal is blasting. Another victim is handcuffed to a pole in the corner with a
bag over his head. My captor is a shirtless man wearing an S&M dog mask,
with a collar and a leash. I’m thrown onto a dirty bed and my attacker crawls
on top of me. He tells me there’s two ways to survive, “Give up your card or
fuck the devil.” He asks, “Where did they
hide it?” My silence causes him to search my body. He gives up and pulls a bag
over my head. I feel him bind my wrists,
the cuffs are looped through a ring over the bed. He whispers, “Are you afraid
of bugs?” I shake my head no, hoping that might be a deterrent to what torture
he has in store for me. “You’re going to enjoy this.” The bag is lifted off of
me and my captor is holding a cage of cockroaches. He grabs one and thrusts it
towards my face. I close my eyes and the hood is pulled back over my head. My
shoe and sock are removed. I’m immediately aware of the cockroach crawling up
and down my leg. Fuuuuuck. I’m freaking out, and trying to keep it together. I
begin to breathe when he finally removes the bug. My hood is pulled up, and he
asks for my card again. I shake my head no and the hood is immediately pulled back
on. This time the cockroach is placed under the hood! It’s crawling on my neck.
I lose it. Expletives are erupting from my mouth. My torturer reminds me that
speaking is not permitted and rips a band aid off his nipple and places it on
my mouth to emphasize the point. I switch tactics. Remaining as still as I can
actually seems to work! He removes the cockroach and starts to untie me. I’m
lifted off the bed and pushed up against a wall. The hood is removed and I see a tunnel. Inside is my boot and sock. I crawl in put them on and enter
into a kitchen scene.
A 50’s style housewife is setting up for a tea party.
Children’s drawings decorate the walls. She keeps trying to have a conversation
with me but I can’t speak, so the scene seems pointless. She announces that
it’s time for tea, so we pretend to sip tea out of demitasse cups. She asks
if I’d like milk and cookies. I nod and she brings out a plate of cookies
covered in fake cockroaches. It’s a completely lame attempt after the real
cockroaches in the last room. Suddenly a man appears with a syringe of milk. He
throws a bag over my head, lifts my sleeve and I feel a pinch as I’m given my
‘shot’ of milk.
I’m ushered into a dark room. The hood is removed and a
flashlight shines on a handwritten note. It says,
“1.
Find the Bowl
2. Get the Key
3. Unlock the Door”
I love this! I confirm that I understand and the light goes
out. I drop to my hands and knees and start searching for a key. The floor is
covered in dirt. I run into a person who yells, “wrong way!” I turn and place
my hand on something small, hairy and mouse-like. Finally, I find the bowl.
It’s filled with fake worms. As soon as I get my fingers on the key, someone
yanks it out of my hand and shoves me through the door.
A girl opens 2 trap doors and leads me into an underground
coffin. As I crawl inside, I glimpse fake spiders. The doors are slammed shut
and I’m left in the dark to ponder if there are any real spiders inside with
me. Just in case, I hold my head above
the ground. I’m not sure why I think that will help me, but if feels like the
right thing to do. A few minutes later there’s a loud banging from underneath
the coffin floor. I feel the coffin rolling and I emerge in a different room. A
girl pulls me out and tells me to get on the floor and crawl over to a chair. There’s
a table with a telephone and a few objects under a sheet. They ask for my pass,
and when I refuse they say, “Then we’ll have to mark you.” The sheet is rolled
back to reveal a machete, a blowtorch and a branding iron. The girl lights the
blowtorch and begins to heat up the iron. The guy grabs my neck and asks if I’m
sure I want to go through with it. I nod. As the iron approaches, a bag is
pulled over my head and what feels like a staple gun is pushed up against my
neck. The guy whispers, “If you ever tell anyone what happened here, we’ll find
you and kill you.” I’m pushed into the freezing air. The hood is ripped off my
head and the man shouts, “Get off my mountain! GO!” I stumble back toward the
chairlift to ride back down to safety…and the bar.
What We Loved
The Cult skillfully builds anticipation before the haunt begins. Having a list of possible scenarios that I had to agree to (both
on the waiver and verbally) really had my imagination going. I spent almost the
entire chair lift ride imagining how terrible it will be if I had to ride back
down after being fully submerged in water…with eels. I love it when I’m given a
task in a haunt. Having to find the key was challenging and interrupting me before
I completed all the tasks made the startle scare more effective. I don’t think
I’ve ever had to ingest anything for a haunt. Even though I saw the urine samples
on the table, it never occurred to me that the Dixie cup would be filled with a
warm, salty, DISGUSTING beverage. It was both shocking and disturbing. The
cockroaches were TERRIFYING. I’m not even really afraid of bugs, but I
definitely don’t want them crawling on me. I loved that I was given battle
wounds; the staple gun was dipped in ink, leaving a black mark on my neck, and
the ‘injection site’ was covered with a ‘bloody’ bandage.
What Could Be Better
I liked the idea of the hidden medical implant and keeping
it a secret, but certain scenes – particularly the 1950’s housewife scene – muddled
the plot. Be clear about why we’re going through the experience, it grounds all
the craziness in reality. In the beginning, there should be music/static in the
headphones to block out outside noises. I could hear what was happening with
other victims and as a result knew what to expect. I loved the idea of ‘marking
us’ with a branding iron, and the blowtorch was definitely intimidating, but as
soon as the staple gun touched my neck it was clear I wasn’t being burned. Use
ice to make the gun so cold that it feels hot on the skin. I think there was a
missed startle scare opportunity: after you take the chair lift back down you
have to walk through a dark field back to the haunt area and it would be the
perfect moment for one final scare after victims think the experience is over.
Final Thoughts
The setting is terrifying, the actors are committed and the
scares are uniquely disturbing. If you’re looking for an extreme haunted
experience, The Cult is everything you’ve been waiting for.
The Cult 2012 Season
September 28 - October 28
Ticket Information
General Admission: $30.00
Age Requirements
No one under 18 permitted and you must walk through alone.
2013 Update
Cranmore Mountain Resort chose not to bring back The Cult for the 2013 season. Ask The Ghoullog Creators to bring back The Cult in 2014!
Contact them now on Facebook or Twitter!
Additional Information
The Anniversary of Edgar Allan Poe's Death
Edgar Allan Poe died on October 7, 1849 in Baltimore, Maryland. He was 40 years of age. A monument now marks his burial site, but at the time of his death he was buried in a grave marked only with a numbered stone. His remains were moved to their current location in 1875 and a marker was placed in the original location.
Rest In Peace
Sunday, October 6, 2013
'Spirited' October Events at The Merchant's House Museum
The Merchant's House Museum has been called "Manhattan's most haunted house." The private residence, built in 1832, has been preserved intact and still contains the family's original furniture and possessions. The home is seemingly frozen in time. A visit at any time of year can be creepy and filled with unusual occurrences, but their seasonal Halloween events are even creepier.
This October, the museum will offer several exciting new events in addition to their annual ghost tours and 1865 funeral reenactment. Perfect for those looking for an elegant blood-free way to celebrate Halloween. Don't miss these unique opportunities to immerse yourself in New York City's haunted history.
October 2013 Event Calendar
October 9 - Lecture: Ghosts of Manhattan
October 10 - Exhibition Opening: A 19th Century House in Mourning
October 18 - Chant Macabre: Songs from the Crypt
October 22 - Lecture: Unsolved Murders of 19th Century New York
October 24 - Reading the Rooms: A Psychic Talks with the Tredwells
October 25 - Candlelight Ghost Tours
October 26 - Candlelight Ghost Tours
October 27 - 1865 Funeral Reenactment and Graveyard Procession
October 28 - Candlelight Ghost Tours
October 29 - Candlelight Ghost Tours
October 30 - Candlelight Ghost Tours
October 31 - Tales of the Supernatural: Horror on Hallowe’en
Wednesday, October 9, 6:30 p.m.
Lecture: Ghosts of Manhattan
Author and actress Elise Gainer shares historical images and tales of local haunts from her new book, Ghosts and Murders of Manhattan, from Arcadia Publishing. See the faces of the dead that still cling to Broadway theaters, stately hotels, picturesque homes, and cozy taverns. Hear about apparitions, footsteps, phantom smells, and mysterious fires, and the events that still echo today. $15, MHM Members Free. Reservations required; click here to purchase tickets.
Thursday, October 10, through Monday, November 4
Exhibition: A 19th Century House in Mourning
Step back in time to 1865, when family patriarch Seabury Tredwell died at home in his bed. Poignant scenes of death and grief recreated in the House will explore mid-19th century mourning customs. Included with regular admission; reservations not required.
Friday, October 18, 7:30 p.m.
Chant Macabre: Songs from the Crypt
Ghosts, ghouls, and goblins haunt the music of the 19th century. Come be spooked by these harrowing tales as the Bond Street Euterpean Singing Society bewitches your imagination and sings shivers down your spine, echoing sumptuous, rarely-performed songs in an authentic Victorian parlor. Singers Roberta Alessandra, Anthony Bellov, Jane Elizabeth Rady, and Dayle Vander Sande. Music by Schubert, Schumann, Liszt, Debussy, Loewe, Mussorgsky, and others. $25, $15 MHM Members. Reservations required; click here to purchase tickets.
Tuesday, October 22, 6:30 p.m.
Lecture: Grisly Crimes and Unsolved Murders of 19th Century New York
Ike Iikiw, licensed private investigator, retired NYC Police Detective, and founder/owner of NYC Adventure Tours shares “just the facts” of the most macabre, gruesome, and some unsolved crimes of 19th century Gotham.$15, MHM Members Free. Reservations required; click here to purchase tickets.
Thursday, October 24
60-minute tours at 6:30, 8, and 9:30 p.m.
Reading the Rooms: A Psychic Talks with the Tredwells
A rare opportunity to walk the dark and hallowed halls of “Manhattan’s Most Haunted House” (The New York Times) with Certified Psychic Medium and Paranormal Researcher Cathy Towle. Ms. Towle will relate happenings and unexplainable occurrences from her several years of on-going paranormal investigations at the House – and deliver any messages from the beyond she might receive on the spot. Bring your questions. $60, MHM Members $30. Reservations required; click here to purchase tickets.
Friday & Saturday, October 25 & 26; Mon, Tues & Wed, October 28, 29 & 30
50-minute tours begin every half hour from 6 to 9:30 p.m.
Candlelight Ghost Tours of ‘Manhattan’s Most Haunted House’
Updated with the latest eerie happenings!
Doors slam, floorboards creak, voices call into the night. Restoration work always ‘stirs things up’ at the Museum so we’ve had lots of new reports of especially strange experiences this year. We invite you to venture into the shadows of history to see the house where eight family members died and hear the newest tales of inexplicable occurrences from the people who actually experienced them. And the creepiest of past ones.
6 p.m. (includes 4th floor Servants’ Quarters) $40;
6:30, 7, 7:30 p.m. $25; 8, 8:30, 9 p.m. $30;
9:30 p.m. (includes 4th floor Servants’ Quarters) $40;
MHM Members $15 all times.
Reservations essential, click here to purchase tickets.
Read The Raven & Black Cat's review of The Merchant's House Museum's Candlelight Ghost Tours.
Sunday, October 27, 4 to 5:30 p.m.
From Parlor to Grave: 1865 Funeral Reenactment and Graveyard Procession
In the 19th century, death and funerals took place at home. Join us in the Museum’s double parlors as we recreate the 1865 funeral service of Seabury Tredwell and discuss the funerary customs of 19th century New York City. After the service, mourners follow the coffin to nearby New York City Marble Cemetery – rarely open to the public – for the graveside service and cemetery talk. 19th century mourning attire is encouraged. VIP tickets include front-row seating, black crape armbands, and the opportunity to lead the graveyard procession as a pallbearer. $50, $65 VIP Seats, $25 MHM Members; $10 Graveside Service & Cemetery Talk only. Mourners attending the Graveside Service and Cemetery Talk only should arrive at the Merchant’s House at 4:30 p.m.
Reservations essential, click here to purchase tickets.
Thursday, October 31, Hallowe’en
Performances at 7 and 8:30 p.m.
Tales of the Supernatural: Horror on Hallowe’en
Dramatic readings from 19th century Gothic literature and true ghost stories as reported by visitors of the Merchant’s House through the years told in the Museum’s parlors set for a Victorian funeral. $25, $15 MHM Members. Reservations required; click here to purchase tickets.
Sundays, 1 p.m.
‘Spirited’ Walking Tour of 19th Century Noho: Glamour, Greed — & Ghosts
Tour is 50 minutes and begins promptly at 1 p.m.
Promenaders will return to the Museum in time to take the 2 p.m. GUIDED TOUR if they wish.
$10, Students $ Seniors $5, FREE for Members.
Reservations not necessary.
NOTE: Tours are canceled in the case of heavy rain, snow, or extreme heat and cold advisories.
Thursday, October 3, 2013
REVIEW: The Haunted Mansion
The Haunted Mansion
Walt Disney World's Magic Kingdom
Orlando, FL
The Haunted Mansion was the first haunted house I ever
attended. (Leave it to Disney to create a haunted attraction where a 4 year-old
can make it through unscathed) The Mansion’s 999 ghouls have been haunting
guests since 1971, but that doesn’t mean the scares are old as dirt. Disney
continues to update technology, while paying homage to everyone’s favorite
unearthly characters. A recent update includes an interactive queue that allows
guests to play ghastly tunes, help a ‘posthumous poetess’ complete a rhyme, and
decode a ‘cryptogram’. Despite its mild scare factor, The Haunted Mansion remains
a favorite of adults and children alike, providing spooktacular entertainment
that the whole family can enjoy.
Is it Scary?
Disney says: “The
Haunted Mansion contains some mildly frightening subject matter. But there is
no gore, the ghostly residents are friendly and the experience is appropriate
for all ages.”
The Raven and
Black Cat Says: Disney’s Haunted Mansion is the perfect introduction to the
Haunt world, particularly for timid guests that want to experience something
spooky without startle scares and gore.
What We Loved
There are many spooky moments that make The Haunted Mansion a classic. The stretching
portrait chamber never fails to frighten a few unsuspecting children. I always
look forward to the transparent ghastly dancers in the Grand Ballroom. I love
all the singing ghosts in the graveyard; there are so many ghosts you always
seem to catch something you haven’t seen before. The new animation of the
hitchhiking ghosts is really fun.
What Could Be
Better
In terms of a
family friendly haunt experience, The Haunted Mansion is ‘practically perfect
in every way.’ However, I wish that Disney World’s Haunted Mansion had a Nightmare Before Christmas theme during Christmas time. It's unfair
that only the west coast gets to experience such a treat.
Final Thoughts
The Haunted
Mansion is an eerie ride that the whole family can enjoy. Since it’s open year round, it’s a great way
to experience some spooky Halloween fun at any time of the year.
The Haunted Mansion Runs
Year-Round
Ticket Information
Walt Disney World's Magic Kingdom 1-Day Pass
General Admission: $95.00 | Children 3-9: $89.00
Age Requirements
There are no age requirements.
Additional Information
Wednesday, October 2, 2013
REVIEW: Haunted Acres
Haunted Acres
446 Raymond Road
Candia, NH
There's something about driving down an unlit road through acres of woods that really gets you in the Halloween spirit. Haunted Acres is the first water park haunt I've ever been to and I'm not quite sure what to expect, but the rural setting provides a blanket of darkness to swallow any hints of jovial summer festivities and provides a sinister tone for a spook walk. The haunt is made up of 5 separate attractions encircling the central bonfire and the Toxic Tavern, where guests are encouraged to hang out and sip on adult beverages or hot cocoa. If you're feeling extra brave, buy a ticket for the zombie zip line - a zombie themed adventure ride!
There are five haunted attractions to choose from. Cell Block 13: a prison filled with flesh eating inmates, Maze From Hell: a maze cloaked in darkness, 3-D Nuclear Accident House: a sabotaged nuclear plant where a breed of mutant lunatics wait to torture you, Quarter Mile Nightmare Walk: Haunted Acres signature walk-through haunt filled with handmade sets, interesting effects and familiar horror legends, and make your exit through Graveyard of the Damned: an abandoned graveyard filled with real hand cut gravestones, a 'human floor' and the creepiest crypt keeper I've ever encountered.
Is It Scary?
Haunted Acres says: "Haunted Acres continues to maintain its reputation as the scariest, most terrifying, blood letting attraction in New England!"
The Raven and Black Cat says: Haunted Acres is a nostalgic Halloween experience perfect for those looking to avoid the overproduced store bought haunts packed with gore.
What We Loved
It's fun to navigate through the confusing design of Cell Block 13. The false and hidden doors keep you on your toes and allow for some fun startle scares. The Maze from Hell has an equally confusing design, but uses pyrotechnics to startle unsuspecting victims. The Graveyard of the Damned's mausoleum and vampire section is incredibly detailed and is really enhanced by the fresh graves and real hand carved headstones. The star attraction is the Nightmare Walk, filled with unique handmade sets, which explore an array of themes from witches to hillbillies, a bloody princess trapped in a castle, even pirates...it's a fun, nostalgic haunt where everyone will find something to love and something to startle them. My favorite moment had to be crossing an amazing drawbridge - it's covered in a thick blanket of fog, a slew of Alice in Wonderland-esque wrong way signs, and a blinding strobe light that sets you up for a brilliant startle scare.
What Could Be Better
Haunted Acres has mastered the art of the startle scare - actors are trained to get in and get out, avoiding that awkward moment when they have nothing else to say or do. That being said, with five haunts to explore you need more variation. Hire a few actors that can improvise and utilize at least one in each haunt. Use actors as living set pieces to breathe life into scenes. The success of the handcrafted Nightmare Walk proves that you don't need high tech effects or expensive sets to be spooky, but when animatronics are dated and poorly timed or the handmade sets are sloppy it starts to take away from the experience. Retire old animatronics or mask them in strobe and fog as a distraction for startle scares.
The Maze isn't truly dark, so try using disorientating effects like extremely bright lights followed by darkness, strobe, fog, unsure footing and unpleasant wall surfaces to make it more challenging and fun. Most of the attractions are missing a final scare - everyone loves a big finish that sends them running out the door. With such a fun Halloween party atmosphere, it's a shame that so much time is spent waiting in line. You will have happier guests and more business at the Toxic Tavern if you utilize a timed ticketing system.
Here's A Tip
Haunted Acres is a great haunt for a group to attend. Plan on going on Date Night (Thursdays) when tickets are two for $40 or upgrade to VIP and enjoy a complimentary beverage. The lines will be shorter and you’ll get all the scares without some of the teenage crowd.
Final Thoughts
If your ideal Halloween experience is telling ghost stories by the campfire, you’ll enjoy Haunted Acres. It’s the perfect wooded traditional walk through haunt without all the blood, guts and gore and you don’t have to worry about the actors touching you.
Haunted Acres 2012 Season
October 5 - October 31
Ticket Information
Adult Combo: $27.00 | Child (12 and under) Combo: $19.00
Adult VIP: $39.00 | Child VIP: $27.00
VIP: Skip the lines and get a complimentary non-alcoholic beverage
Thursday Date Night Adult Combo: 2 for $40
*Haunted Acres also accepts competitors coupons, so put those $5 off Spooky World coupons to good use.
Age Requirements
No age requirements are specified.
Additional Information
Tuesday, October 1, 2013
OBSESSED WITH ETSY: Trick or Treat
There are so many reasons to love Etsy. Here are 16 more...
An Ethereal Modern Vintage Halloween Collection.
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'Trick or Treat' by RavenBlackCat
An Ethereal Modern Vintage Halloween Collection.
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