Folklore Haunted House, Acworth, GA 2015

               Folklore Haunted House is located in Acworth, Georgia and is an easy ride from most places in the metro Atlanta area.  Though it is a bit off the beaten path with the new location the move has been highly worthwhile for them.  This facility is expected to be able to expand to house a third haunt on site within the next two years and is still providing enough space to grow their existing haunts.  They have been around for a while now, but have had to move more than once due to temporary building rentals that did not work out.  We would love to know for sure that this new location was a purchase and will be their permanent haunting home (although we could do without the mud that can occur in the parking area from rain). 

               One of the greatest things about Folklore is their sets.  The scenes are detailed and often extravagant in nature.  Though there are some places where the walls are bare it only serves to add to the contrast which ebbs and flows throughout the haunt.  We also know that they will fully dress every space within the haunt given the money and time within a location.  The old factory which they are set in is historically beautiful and made us want to spend tire staring at tiny details from the original structure, which only serves to enhance the haunt itself.

               There are two haunts involved and they share one exit. We thought that this sounded a bit strange until we went through and realized that they have it worked out really well and it does not detract from the experience.  The main haunt is in the front of the structure with the secondary haunt entrance being around on the side of the building.  The talk of a third haunt includes a downstairs space which they have already begun to brainstorm ideas for.

               The greatest challenge for Folklore is having enough staff and characters to fill the space which they have.  They have worked on this in some very creative ways, which we won’t spoil for you here.  Needless to say, even when you don’t think that there is someone around in a room you can easily be surprised to find that there is someone right there by you that you knew nothing about.

               We love visiting Folklore and find it to be another reliable favorite over the years.  They are ready to perform on opening night with a show that will mesmerize most audiences.  We rate them with 4 severed heads out of 5 and feel that it could only rise from there with the acquisition of a permanent location allowing them to work on the attraction throughout the year.

The Haunted Theatre on Hill Street, Griffin, GA 2015

               The Haunted Theatre on Hill Street is located in the small town of Griffin, Georgia.  This event is limited to approximately six nights each haunt season and is held to benefit the Griffin Ballet Theatre.  The group responsible for this haunt is a tightknit group of people who are passionate about the arts an about haunting.  They love what they do and are all volunteers, even the management.  Each year they choose two of their nights to break from whatever theme that they have chosen to present and do special events.  One night will have a unique theme change.  In the past that particular night has been zombie night, vampire night, and carnival night.  Each of those takes its own special twist upon whatever they are already presenting.  Their other special event night is a tradition for them and still manages to use their yearly theme.  They present one night in which all of the lights within the haunt are turned out.  On this particular night you traverse the basement haunt in complete darkness…well, maybe not complete, they might give you a glow stick or the world’s worst flashlight if they have any available.  This year we have learned of an upcharge choice that you could also make.  The regular admission is $7, but if you want to pay $10 you can go in alone and leave your friends behind to fend for themselves.

               The location of the haunt is a wonder in and of itself.  The event is held in the basement of Studio D Dance on Hill Street in downtown Griffin.  The aged location adds a lot of character to the event itself, but them you add to it the ideas which are created within the space and it can become quite spooky.  The space is normally used as costume and prop storage for the ballet, however for a short time each year the haunt team is permitted to move things around and get creative.  They have constructed walls and sets to make the environment as different from its normal life as possible, though it is not entirely able to hide what lies beyond.  In some cases, what you may see past their sets might be creepier than what you would expect to find there, and this could be a good thing.

               Many years they have guests who pay for their tickets and still can’t quite seem to make it to the actual haunt.  This could be owed to the long and narrow hallway which you must walk down before opening the basement door to the stairs.  When you see the stairs you can understand why others may have backed out and forfeited the cost of their admission.  The walls are pealing and crumbling, the ceiling is sloping down, and the stairs make an abrupt left turn which prevents you from knowing anything at all about what you are going to walk into.   The unknown is often a huge fear for guests, and this alone can be enough to stop them in their tracks.  If you go, don’t be surprised to find people exiting through the entrance who can’t bring themselves to make that one turn.

               The actual haunt is very short, but for $7 and for charity you really can’t expect more.  Their space is limited and provided to them freely, so again, beggars can’t be choosers.  There are usually anywhere from six to ten rooms or unique spaces within the event, and they encompass a variety of scenes are scares.

               This year their theme was Bayou in the Basement.  With this concept they attempted to bring the swamp and its inhabitants to Griffin for a visit.  In doing so you may encounter fiercely protective Cajun families, swamp monsters, voodoo priestesses, mausoleum maniacs, and redneck friends.  The characters are often well planned and thought out.  The gentlemen who greeted us when we entered what appeared to be his bayou home did so with a rifle and a little attitude.  He maintained his character and was so good at his acting that we might easily have been convinced that he would use that gun on us if we had been the general public.  At some points we questioned whether the gun was there to scare us out or to protect him from what else lay beyond his home.

               Within the swamp there are trees, creatures, and people who will interact with you.  The floor beneath your feet even changes as you enter and exit the swamp, so be aware that things are not always as they appear.  You will need to able to handle at least two sets of stairs and a long alley which may hold your doom if you choose to enter this haunt, so be forewarned about what physical expectations are made upon you when you enter.  Nothing is dangerous about it, but it certainly helps to know that stairs are involved and there is no way to avoid them.

               When you meet the country man’s daughters please feel free to get to know them if you dare.  They are highly interactive and will try to keep you around if they can persuade you to stay.  They may have a little something they want to sell you, but sometimes you just have to make the best out of a crappy situation (and they are sure trying to). 

               There are a lot of great things which can be said about this haunt and we encourage everyone to visit (we saw that Leonard Pickel recently visited!).   Every cent that they raise through this event is for a good cause and their actors are well aware of the need to scare or entertain so that you get your money’s worth out of the experience.  We rate The Haunted Theatre on Hill Street 3.25 severed heads out of a possible five and wish them much luck in their fundraising this year and in the future.

The Haunted Theatre on Hill Street, Griffin, GA 2015

               The Haunted Theatre on Hill Street is located in the small town of Griffin, Georgia.  This event is limited to approximately six nights each haunt season and is held to benefit the Griffin Ballet Theatre.  The group responsible for this haunt is a tightknit group of people who are passionate about the arts an about haunting.  They love what they do and are all volunteers, even the management.  Each year they choose two of their nights to break from whatever theme that they have chosen to present and do special events.  One night will have a unique theme change.  In the past that particular night has been zombie night, vampire night, and carnival night.  Each of those takes its own special twist upon whatever they are already presenting.  Their other special event night is a tradition for them and still manages to use their yearly theme.  They present one night in which all of the lights within the haunt are turned out.  On this particular night you traverse the basement haunt in complete darkness…well, maybe not complete, they might give you a glow stick or the world’s worst flashlight if they have any available.  This year we have learned of an upcharge choice that you could also make.  The regular admission is $7, but if you want to pay $10 you can go in alone and leave your friends behind to fend for themselves.

               The location of the haunt is a wonder in and of itself.  The event is held in the basement of Studio D Dance on Hill Street in downtown Griffin.  The aged location adds a lot of character to the event itself, but them you add to it the ideas which are created within the space and it can become quite spooky.  The space is normally used as costume and prop storage for the ballet, however for a short time each year the haunt team is permitted to move things around and get creative.  They have constructed walls and sets to make the environment as different from its normal life as possible, though it is not entirely able to hide what lies beyond.  In some cases, what you may see past their sets might be creepier than what you would expect to find there, and this could be a good thing.

               Many years they have guests who pay for their tickets and still can’t quite seem to make it to the actual haunt.  This could be owed to the long and narrow hallway which you must walk down before opening the basement door to the stairs.  When you see the stairs you can understand why others may have backed out and forfeited the cost of their admission.  The walls are pealing and crumbling, the ceiling is sloping down, and the stairs make an abrupt left turn which prevents you from knowing anything at all about what you are going to walk into.   The unknown is often a huge fear for guests, and this alone can be enough to stop them in their tracks.  If you go, don’t be surprised to find people exiting through the entrance who can’t bring themselves to make that one turn.

               The actual haunt is very short, but for $7 and for charity you really can’t expect more.  Their space is limited and provided to them freely, so again, beggars can’t be choosers.  There are usually anywhere from six to ten rooms or unique spaces within the event, and they encompass a variety of scenes are scares.

               This year their theme was Bayou in the Basement.  With this concept they attempted to bring the swamp and its inhabitants to Griffin for a visit.  In doing so you may encounter fiercely protective Cajun families, swamp monsters, voodoo priestesses, mausoleum maniacs, and redneck friends.  The characters are often well planned and thought out.  The gentlemen who greeted us when we entered what appeared to be his bayou home did so with a rifle and a little attitude.  He maintained his character and was so good at his acting that we might easily have been convinced that he would use that gun on us if we had been the general public.  At some points we questioned whether the gun was there to scare us out or to protect him from what else lay beyond his home.

               Within the swamp there are trees, creatures, and people who will interact with you.  The floor beneath your feet even changes as you enter and exit the swamp, so be aware that things are not always as they appear.  You will need to able to handle at least two sets of stairs and a long alley which may hold your doom if you choose to enter this haunt, so be forewarned about what physical expectations are made upon you when you enter.  Nothing is dangerous about it, but it certainly helps to know that stairs are involved and there is no way to avoid them.

               When you meet the country man’s daughters please feel free to get to know them if you dare.  They are highly interactive and will try to keep you around if they can persuade you to stay.  They may have a little something they want to sell you, but sometimes you just have to make the best out of a crappy situation (and they are sure trying to). 

               There are a lot of great things which can be said about this haunt and we encourage everyone to visit (we saw that Leonard Pickel recently visited!).   Every cent that they raise through this event is for a good cause and their actors are well aware of the need to scare or entertain so that you get your money’s worth out of the experience.  We rate The Haunted Theatre on Hill Street 3.25 severed heads out of a possible five and wish them much luck in their fundraising this year and in the future.

Plantation Blood, Augusta, GA 2015

               Plantation Blood in Augusta, Georgia is an old favorite.  Going there for us is like coming home.  The staff provides amazing customer service and truly listens to what their guests want.  One case which clearly points this out is that they planned to remove an entire zombie section and their fans complained that they loved the zombies, so they found a way to keep that well-loved element with a twist.  Haunters such as this have a passion for what they are doing and long to see satisfied customers either running or smiling as they exit the fence after a night of mischief.

               Plantation Blood has a long history rooted in the Augusta area, and when we visited some haunts in North Carolina which disappointed us we needed something that was reliable and enjoyable to end our weekend.  It was a long drive down from Charlotte, North Carolina, but it was worth every mile of it.

               This particular haunted attraction is set up as a multi-layered event.  After purchasing your tickets, you will pass through a space which can either be benign or be used to scare.  Once you are beyond the fence you will see roaming characters, reasonably priced food, souvenirs, and other activities which you can choose to partake in.  One of the souvenirs this year is related to your own personal experience going through the haunt house.  As you pass through there are hidden cameras throughout and they are set to capture the scares.  These images are then able to be purchased in print or digitally.  What we found to be the best deal was a combo pack with one print of your choice and the remainder of your images emailed to you in a link for only $10.  When was the last time that you saw a souvenir of that quality for only $10? 

               For your haunted house experience, you may choose to stand in the general line or go for fast pass service.  On a busy night (they can have lengthy waits) you may find it more beneficial to get the fast pass, but if you don’t mind hanging out in line and chatting up others it can be fun to wait your turn like everyone else.

               The haunted house itself is a twisting and turning maze of motion and sound.  Frequently you will find that things are not always as they seem.  The walls around you, and even the floors beneath you, will leave you questioning your decision to traverse their course.  Objects which should not interact with you suddenly come to life with either motion or sound, and sometimes with both.  The environment which you have chosen to drop yourself into contains realms from houses, caves, cabin, creatures, and hordes of zombies.  Everything around you has been planned and implemented in order to bring the best possible experience to you.  The technology which they are running on has been created by one of their team members and is just beginning to make it out into the market for other haunts across the country.  They are able to program in a variety of sensory experiences based upon your interactions with the environment and their equipment.  This elevates the haunt experience to the next level.

               Sights, sounds, and smells engulf your senses and add to the realism of the world you are trekking through.  This haunt is not for wimps and small children, though you may take them with you for your own entertainment value.  We rate Plantation Blood with 4.5 severed heads of out 5 and can’t wait to return there with victims, um, friends, in the future.

Fear the Woods, Stockbridge, GA 2015

               Fear the Woods is located in Stockbridge, Georgia at a combined pumpkin patch and Christmas tree farm.  Fear the Woods is a multi-event attraction including a haunted house, a haunted trail, and zombie paintball.  Located at the same facility you also can find a reptile exhibit, possible live music, and a variety of other smaller activities for those in your party to enjoy.  For a $30 combo ticket you can enjoy it all!

               After we had our tickets well in hand we roamed through the reptile exhibit while we waited for everything to get started.  The animals here are real and on loan from Randar’s Reptiles, a shop not too terribly far away.  They are beautiful and some are even entertaining.  It is a great way to spend a few minutes between events or while waiting for the night to begin.

               Once the lines began to form for the main attractions we chose to go through the haunted house first.  This particular event has been known to be either really good or really a letdown, depending on the year.  This year it was well considered and structured with actors who were better than we have seen there in the past.  Some of the highlights for this attraction include walls which change, scares from down low and up high, and sets which are beautifully designed. 

               After exiting the haunted house we joined the wagon for the zombie paintball experience.  This particular event has a lot of potential, but it is not fully developed in our opinion.  They have one section which is limited due to nearby neighbors, as well as the actors are also a bit sparser through some sections of the shoot.  It is fun to shoot the paintball guns and experience interactions, and we can clearly see where they have room to evolve this attraction into something more over time.

               When we were dropped back off by the hayride style wagon we hopped onto the bus. Yes, we said bus.  This party bus style treat involves current popular music, laser lights, and surprises as it takes you from the front of the facility around to the trailhead at the rear of the lot.  We loved this so much that we were talking with one of the staff members about how we could see people wanting to rent this bus as a party bus for events.  We would!

               When you eventually are kicked out of your ride you are at the starting point for the trail portion of the haunt.  This trail includes enough light to feel reasonably safe for walking and reasonably intimidating due to darkness.  The path twists and turns through outdoor as well as indoor scenes as your progress along.  The indoor scenes here are some of our favorites at this location.  They are well layered and clearly have had serious thought put into their conception and design.  We would love to see scenes like those spread like a virus throughout the remainder of the event. 

               The only downsides which we found to this event were that the big props were not necessarily used to their fullest potential, the 3-D glasses were not in the best shape for actually experiencing the 3-D effects in that section, and the paintball needed some more staff members willing to be zombie victims.  With that taken into consideration, we looked at our overall experience and found that we rate them at 3.5 severed heads out of a possible five.  We love going there and the staff makes the trip enjoyable with their exceptional customer service.  Check them out and let us know what you think.

Gates of Misery, Rome, GA 2015

               Gates of Misery haunted house is located in Rome, Georgia across from what seems to be the central office for the school district.  We found this highly entertaining and our initial impression was rooted in the idea that it couldn’t be too terrifying if it is across from a school system building.  This environmentally induced piece of input from our surroundings was misleading, and we are very glad that it was.      

               The facility is located in what appears to have been a factory or warehouse in its former incarnation, however it currently is housing some meticulously crafted and layered sets filled with menacing creatures ready to involve you in their stories throughout the night.  The scares begin before you have even entered the attraction, which is always a plus.  You may meet some rather disturbing characters on your way in the gates, but do not be alarmed, they are the least of your worries.

               The management of Gates of Misery has figured out some things which we see as highly intelligent decisions and it shows from beginning to end.  This is a self-guided tour with a high quantity of high quality actors throughout.  They are ready for you and anything that you can throw at them (we do so love trying to get an actor to break character, you have been warned).  The staff were talented, skilled, and had a variety of weapons within both their physical and verbal arsenals. 

               The scenes were visually appealing as well as multi-layered.  There was input for your eyes, but also for your ears and nose.  The sprawling multi-leveled haunt includes a dining room with a table set for entertaining the most vicious of cannibalistic villains, a bathroom which would make both Norman Bates and Mr. Clean cringe, and a true maze with multiple potential paths to take.  The haunt is stimulating to your senses and keeps your mind active as you follow the path which has been laid out for you.

               We thoroughly enjoyed our visit and when we weren’t jumping we were laughing (if you can’t scare the patron then you had darn well better entertain them so that they get their money’s worth!).  Gates of Misery was worth the drive to the northeast corner of Georgia for us and made up for other not so great experiences which we had that same evening.  Our opinions of Gates of Misery were slightly split, so we took an average.  We rate them at an unusual 4.6 severed heads out of a possible five.  This is extremely high for us, which should definitely be noted.  This is a haunt which is not to be missed!

Bloodwood Trail, Rome, GA 2015

               Bloodwood Trail is located in Rome, Georgia amongst a unique combination of close together neighborhood homes and dense forest landscapes.  The cost for attending is a $13 admission with the option to add on a $5 fast pass.  For a total of only $18 you can jump to the front of the line to begin your experience.

               One thing which must be stated up front with this attraction is that there is a real danger involved that patrons should be aware of.  This attraction is an outdoor trail, but that alone is not where the danger is found.  The trail was exceptionally dark in many places along that route and the path is not quite as well maintained as we feel that it should be for you to safely traverse the space over limb, roots, and dips at night.  Though it can be done safely, we feel that you should be warned to be careful.  Being a scaredy cat who runs would not be wise in any way at this particular event.

               While we did witness people who seemed to enjoy the attraction we cannot count ourselves among them.  We encountered many scareacters who came out of character far too easily, strike one.  Just because you are in the woods does not mean that you can neglect the need to provide more detailed and interesting set designs, strike two.  There was a tunnel which was hard and covered with carpet that you had to crawl through which was tilted downhill and muddy, strike three.  We could go on, but we just didn’t enjoy this one as much as we had hoped.  We could see the potential, and the line and parking indicated to us that some people definitely like it.

               When we considered the price of the attraction it seemed that if you lived local and were not someone who goes to a lot of haunted houses regularly it would probably be a pretty good deal and a reasonably enjoyable experience for you.  We drove for about two hours and did not find our experience to be either scary or entertaining, so for us it wasn’t worth the cost.  Everyone has their own experiences and I am sure that some of you would love this haunt, so please let us know if you visit it and enjoy it.  We would love to hear what it was about it, specifically, that you liked so that we can guide the right patrons to the right haunts.

               Based upon our own experience, and that’s really all that we can determine our ratings by, we gave Bloodwood Trail one severed head out of a possible five.  Please contact us with you experiences at this or any other haunted attraction so that we can share your thoughts.  You can find us on our Facebook Page: Haunt Review.  Message us through the Facebook Page for the fastest response.  We look forward to hearing about and sharing your haunted house experiences. 

Talmadge Brothers' Funeral Home and Casket Company, Jasper, GA 2015

               Talmadge Brothers’ Funeral Home and Casket Company is located in Jasper, Georgia not far from the Woodbridge Inn.  When you arrive at the scene of the accident you will find that a hearse has had an unfortunate run-in with a power pole and the situation is rather unstable.  Flames erupt from the transformer and alight the night sky.  Carefully skirt the edge of the incident and you will find the entrance to the attraction. 

               The set pieces upon entry into the facility are a bit of a mixed bag.  There is a highly detailed and extremely beautiful cabin front porch in the same area as the ropes which function to guide the que line.  The ticket booth is highly generic in the adjacent space with a table set up for merchandise sales next to it.  The plain and simple has interspersed areas of detail and creativity.

               Once you have your passes and you have traversed the que line you will believe that you have begun your haunt experience, however you may soon find that the journey through has not actually begun yet.  Surprisingly the initial sets that are located before the formal entrance are so intricate and well designed that you become immediately immersed in the world being created for you.  The floors bulge and sag beneath your feet in a manner which throws off your balance before you are able to even begin your experience in earnest.  We fully admit that we fell in love with those floors and it got our hopes up for what was to come.

               Once you finally enter the active portion of the haunt you will experience a wide variety of situations.  There will be moments which are subtle while others are in your face.  There will be extreme contrasts between dark and light areas, which impact your ability to see well and help them to keep you further off balance throughout the attraction.  The elements will conspire together to immerse you in a world where the dead come to life and so do things which should never be alive in the first place.

               One of the most memorable moments for us was the elevator ride that felt as though it genuinely wanted to drop us into the pits of hell.  It was exhilarating and highly enjoyable which having the potential to absolutely terrify the typical haunt patron.

               We highly recommend a trip up to Jasper to visit the Jasper Brothers’ Funeral Home and Casket Company.  We sincerely hope that you do not need to make your own final arrangements while you are there, however they are prepared with a special resting place for you if you find that you need it.  We strongly rate this attraction with 3.75 severed heads out of a possible 5 and hope that many more people can make the trek to their facility…and survive to tell the tale.

               As always, we love to hear about your experiences with this or any other haunted attraction.  We happily post any reviews which are submitted to us and look forward to hearing from you.  Happy haunting!

Containment Haunted House, 2015

     Containment Haunted House is located in Hiram, Georgia.  This haunt has been given new life after its stint at Atlantic Station.  The modular haunt consists of a total of 33 shipping containers between the sign, office, storage, make-up, costuming, and haunt areas.  There have been a few modifications since it has been purchased, however they are not drastic...yet.
     The containers are currently located on land adjacent to the railroad tracks in old downtown Hiram.  The parking that is available is in downtown, and you walk across the tracks and down a gravel path to reach the ticket office.  When we did this, twice, it was raining.  We can honestly say that rain is not a friend for Containment.  The hill leading from the ticket office down to the haunt itself can become quite slippery when rain has been falling, so please be prepared for the mud if you go during or after rain (which there has been too much of this haunt season).
     Containment has several interesting characters located throughout which are fully prepared to interact with anything that you can throw at them.  If you get to meet Uncle Remus take a moment to enjoy it! These characters have been well considered and are developed enough, in almost every instance, to stand up to what would normally throw the average scareactor out of character.  The training which has been provided to this staff is evident and helps you to fully enjoy your experience.
     The sets range from minimal to fully themed, but each one has a great deal of potential.  The scenes range from a bathroom with enough details to fully immerse anyone to passageways between containers which can take you out of the moment due to the need for layered theming in those areas.  The items which have been added to the attraction by the current owners are well planned out and show that with time and funds they are going to continue to improve this haunt.  We can't wait to see what they do with it!  It's already hard to imagine that they only acquired it in August of this year and were ready enough to open for the current haunt season.
     We ranked Containment at 3.75 severed heads.  We try to stick with halves or wholes most of the time, but some haunts fit between levels and we also try to be accurate.  The customer service is impeccable, the actors skilled, and the sets well on their way to being excellent.  This haunt has a great future ahead of them if you only go to check them out.  No haunt can be successful (now or in the future) without the customers who make it all possible.  Go, Take a friend.  We took ten on the second night that we went!
   

Paranoia Haunted House, 2015

     Paranoia Haunted House is located in Canton, Georgia.  In the past we have enjoyed going to Paranoia.  In recent years it has only been one of us, and usually a friend.  We would arrive, talk to the lady who worked the ticket booth and get to talk to the owners for a bit about what was going on that year.  This year it was completely different.  On a Saturday night eight of us went to Paranoia in the rain.  I say that not as an excuse, but rather as a simple statement of fact.
     This year we experienced a late start, long wait, short staffed event, with limited scares and minimal details within the sets.  It pains us to say this since we have historically been a fan of this haunt.
     I can give you one simple story that proves they have far more room for growth this year than they have in the past.  When we entered the elevator a staff member was going through with us.  Since there was no introduction or statement by a working staff member while we entered I decided to make up my own.  I went into full character voice and my monologue matched the situation.  It was highly generic, but effective.  The staff member riding with us looked over at me and said, "Do you want a job?"  Really?  That's saying something that you need a stranger to help make you better so badly that you would offer up a job on the spot.  I bet you think that she was joking, but it was clear that she wasn't in that moment.
     When we finished the first haunt we had experienced one of two decent scenes and a handful of skilled actors, but nothing impressive.  We went back to the front of the building to join the line for the second haunt.  We stood in that line, not moving, for over half an hour!  We saw the door to the haunt open twice, but we never saw the line move.  Staff members told us that people were going through, but we highly doubt it if our eyes were telling us the truth.
     After such a long wait we finally had to give up and leave without even going through the second haunt that we had paid to attend.  This was a first for us!  We never walk away from a haunt, especially after we paid for it.
     This year we have to drop the rating for Paranoia to only one and a half severed heads.  We hope that when we do decide to return, probably in a few years, that they will have resumed their previous high standards.

Upcoming Reviews

     We still have reviews to share for Folklore, Paranoia, and Containment haunted houses here in Georgia.  Those will be coming within the week.  To hold you over until then we will go ahead and share with you that our video post for Containment is up on the fan page (Facebook) and we will even share with you our severed head ratings for the current season so far:

Netherworld - 5
Nightmare's Gate - 4.5
Folklore - 4
Containment - 3.75
Camp Blood - 3.5
Paranoia - 1.5
House on Horror Hill - 1

We will keep working to get the reviews posted before our out of state haunting trip next weekend.  Where could we be going?  We can't tell you, or they would see us coming!  Happy haunting!

House on Horror Hill, Alpharetta, Georgia, 2015

http://www.gahouseonhorrorhill.com/

    It was a damp and dreary Friday night when we visited House on Horror Hill.  Lucky for us we had gotten a discount through a Groupon, so we were saving some money.  When we arrived at our last haunt of the night there was nobody in line.  We were delighted to not have to stand in the rain waiting, so we entered eager to see what had changed in the seven years since our last visit (hey, we stay busy this time of year!).  Now our tale takes a truly frightful turn.
     Waiting for the rules we encountered actors still slipping through the room in order to reach their scenes deeper within the haunt.  Perhaps they were just not ready because of the rain, so we can let that slide.  It seemed to be a slow night, so we'll keep an open mind for that, but once you enter the first room all bets are off for unprofessional behaviors such as this.
     It saddens us to say that things were still set up in the same manner as it was seven years ago when we left shaking our heads and wondering what we had paid for.  The rooms are set as theatrical haunts, which are not particularly common in our area.  Theatrical haunts have the patrons enter a room and stop to view a scene, and at some point a scare should occur before the guests are moved on to the next scene.
     The sets are well thought out and generally they are very detailed on the portion of the room which they take up.  Why don't the fill the whole room?  That is because they have a wooden rail separating you from the scene.  You are safe behind your little barrier and can't enter or interact with the sets.
     The actors know their parts and are intensely interactive with one another.  They may even become extremely physical with one another at times.  When they have completed their skit the lights go out.  This is where strobes and rock music come on and the actors appear to be coming after you across the rail.  Sometimes they breach that space, however we aren't particularly scared by that and enjoy trying to see if we can get actors to break character...so we tried something.  In one of the rooms, when the lights went out, one of us took two steps forwards so that when the strobes started we were closer than the actor was expecting.  This completely threw the actor for a loop!  She was so taken out of character that she simply said, "Have a good night," and walked away.
     As we left that space we could hear the man from that room talking to her and saying, "You really hit me."  I guess that don't mind how much that takes the paying guests out of the experience, but we mind.  The talking continued in different rooms and through different walls, to the point of distraction.  At one point the actors in a room we were about to enter actually told the guide no because they weren't ready.  I shook my head and said, "Please tell me this is opening night."  Her reply was, "No, we opened last night."  My dear, that just makes this worse.
     In conclusion, we gave them seven years to get creative and see if they could improve and they did nothing to make it better.  If anything, it may actually have been worse this time around.  We can give them credit for the creative scenes and the sets, but there are far more negatives counteracting that to make it worth the money.  We are giving them one severed head and the knowledge that we won't be back for a while again in the hopes that maybe, just maybe, they actually try to improve.  Being the longest running haunt in the state doesn't mean that you are anywhere near the best, so please consider every opinion out there when you are deciding to visit or not.
     We encourage people who have had different opinions than ours to contact us through our fan page on Facebook and give us their own reviews.  We share guest reviews that are both the same as our own and different.  Our goal is to have a unified haunting community that is striving for excellence at the level they are currently on.  Someone with a backyard haunt can't compete with a corporate entity, but they can do the best with what they have and still be considered a success in our book.  Happy haunting!

Netherworld, 2015

     Do we really need to say once more how much fun we have at Netherworld in Norcross, Georgia?  I guess we do!  It is a new season with some new incarnations at Netherworld.  The Rotting and Vault 13 are prepared to accept new victims.  Each haunt is just as thoroughly detailed as always, and the characters are ready for you from every possible angle.
     This year we have seen a ridiculous amount of rain in Georgia for the start of haunt season, so we had a rainy night for our visit as well.  Since the weather was being dreary and uncooperative we didn't have our usual fun-filled encounters with the scareactors outside of the haunt.  When we prepared to leave we did notice more characters roaming the lot, but we didn't get to enjoy them as we often do while we are distracted from the lines.
     The lines this year produced what seems to be a new development.  In the past the lines were not able to be formed until after the businesses in the attached building closed at 6 PM.  We noticed that the lines were prepared before that and all of those businesses are empty at this time.  Of course, we feel certain that this means huge things for the future and continued growth of Netherworld Haunted House.  The lines were even allowed inside of the building and took advantage of the hallway space to serpentine the masses up and down the ramp inside the building (which is far better than standing in the rain).
     Another new addition is the foam at the end of the smaller downstairs haunt.  Last year this space was a foggy whiteout room, which it still is in many ways.  Now you have a choice when you enter of going through only fog or going through the Toxic Foam.  We went for it! You only live once, right?  Our thoughts on this are varied.  First of all, it was fun and a novel experience.  Secondly, however, you come out soaking wet as though you stood in the rain.  If you choose to do the Toxic Foam please be aware of what this will mean for you when you exit.  You likely will not want to be going anywhere else afterwards (unless it is home) and you will be getting into your car in a completely drenched cat, jumped into the ocean, more water than an ice bucket challenge, level of soaked...be prepared for that.
     As you are already aware, if you have read past reviews of Netherworld from us, we are huge fans.  It is a delight to visit and become encapsulated in the world which Ben and Billy have imagined for us.  The details are so well layered and considered that you can easily forget where you are and that you chose to enter into this journey of your own free will.  When you encounter monsters they will be fully interactive (yes, you may get touched...we love that), so just remember your own monster manners and that this is all in fun.
     Netherworld consistently receives our highest five severed heads rating and we encourage anyone who wants to take a trip into a fantastical world for a bit to make the trip to Norcross and meet with your own nightmares.  Happy haunting!

Fan Page on Facebook

Hey everyone!
Since Facebook is wanting us to verify the identity of "Haunt Review" using things that we can't do it with we are having to switch over to a fan page.  What this means to us is that we had to set it up and invite everyone.  What is means to you is that you simply go there, click like, and interact so that you continue to see posts.  We have already noticed that our video posts get more interactions, so we are going to try to do those as much as possible.  Our written posts will still keep coming from here, but there is more immediate interactions and feedback going on with the fan page on Facebook.  See you there!