May 2006 Archives

We got a great email from HorrorClix product manager Mark Tuttle pointing us to some great Horror Clix news. Looks like their new Web Site is up and running. It's pretty cool and also includes a great online tutorial on how to play. We also checked out some of the rules of the game including how the monsters get their powers. Which is through their victims. Check out the HorrorClix victims below:

Of course this wouldn't be The Haunted Report if we didn't cover one of the new figures released for HorrorClix. Check out the sweet Skeletal Maiden.

- iamlegend

The Monster Plantation

Six Flags Over Georgia is pretty good about making a ride look fun and happy, but once you're committed they change the deal, scare you. and then want to make you happy again on the way out so your expression
doesn't give away the tricks.

The Monster Plantation is that kind of ride. It is a boat ride through a Monster Swamp where all the friendly monsters are having a sort of block party. It is set in the deep South inside a flooded plantation. You hop in a boat and slowly float into the entrance tunnel. You are graciously welcomed by Mizzy Scarlet, an animated
spaz of a lady, who jerks to life as the boat heads toward the back door of the plantation home. Once out of the back door, you bump into a monster Sheriff named Billy Bob who warns you to not go into the Marsh, where the unfriendly monster dwell. Of course, you can tell where that's going to lead.

Your boat passes through the winding grounds of the plantation as you observe all the animated monsters in the county having a big party. One monster mother is telling her little worried monster baby to not be afraid of you, as "they're just humans". All this activity takes place, for the most part, in one giant scene. But the noise of
the party starts to sound distant, and your boat passes an old graveyard with two slow-moving fellows sharing a jug of corn whisky, whispering unintelligibly to each other, and you reach a fork in the river.

Hey folks. Here you go, as promised here are some great photos from HauntCON. These were taken off of the site of Jayson Allen. He's got quite the nice photo collection from HauntCON as well as a sweet site of his own. Click on over and check them out.

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I recently got a chance to check out the original Haunting at Hill House (AKA The Haunting) this past week. The film moved me with its overwhelming power of suggestion. Although a classic horror monster is never presented, the suggestion that one exists instills a degree of fear over the audience. This film really made me realize how out-of-whack the horror genre has become (for the most part anyway).

Hey all as you can guess HauntCON 2006 was this weekend. it was held in Denver Colorado and from what we can tell had about 1,000 people attend. We didn't get to Blog live from the convention this year but we do have a lot of links to throw your way to show you what exactly went on. Those include the "official Blog" of HauntCON from Pam. A great post about the actual tradeshow from Cyndi and of course lot's of people talking on the message boards of HauntCON. I am having a hard time tracking down some photos but will let you know if any make it our way....next year we need a blogger on the scene.......volunteers?

- iamlegend

:: Editor's Note: This is part of our weekly series of interviews. This week we are interviewing Jim Kadel of Haunt Master Products::

Why did you first become interested in the Haunted House/Horror Business?
Such things, I believe, can stem from early childhood. So it was in my case;my mother was an enthusiast of Halloween as long as I can remember.. Here’s a small photo (circa 1942) of myself examining a carved pumpkin. The following year, my parents accidentally frightened me by moving a paper skeleton via a black thread. I would say that I was introduced to the scare business from childhood.

What previous jobs have you had?
I’m educated in engineering and have worked in quality control and technical sales training in this field.

What job do you do right now? Is the Haunted House/Horror Job your full time gig?
I’m the owner of Haunt Master Products, Inc which has an exclusive product line of my design. The number of products has grown from initially two, to over eighteen today. Currently Haunt Master Products, Inc. is my full time job.

How long have you been in the business?
Nine years

How did you start?
I was seeking to become self-employed in 1997 when I joined the Halloween-L. It was through this list that I realized there were many residential haunters across the country. As I was a home haunter for years, and had built electronic devices to assist in this venture, it appeared there might be a market for selling these devices on the Internet. Thus Haunt Master Products, Inc was born.

Check out this bit of news we got from the Ft. Worth American Cancer Society. Looks like they are teaming up with Hangman's Haunted House in Ft. Worth to recruit volunteers. Hangman's benefits the American Cancer Society along with several other charities in the area. Nothing like scaring the crap out of people to fight cancer!

Check their newsletter out here.

and

Download Application

- iamlegend

Wildwood, NJ - Guests visiting Morey’s Piers this season can count on more thrills, chills and fun as the Jersey Shore’s premier amusement destination announces some exciting changes and enhancements for the 2006 season. These changes and enhancements, all focused on a commitment to guest satisfaction, include a major transformation of a classic dark attraction and upgrades and refinements to lighting, brake, and control systems on existing rides.

“We are confident that guests will recognize our commitment to an improved and enhanced facility this season. Whether you’re returning for another season, or visiting for the first time, our mission is our pledge, ‘To provide a spectacular family recreation experience in an exceptionally safe, clean, friendly and unique environment.’” says Will Morey, President and CEO of Morey’s Piers.

Morey’s Piers increases the fear-factor on one of its original dark attractions, Dante’s Inferno, which opened in 1980 inviting guests to follow the Italian poet’s trek through the depths of hell. This classic ride will now be inhabited by ghoulish gargoyles and be called, “Night of the Living Gargoyles.” The original ride system has been maintained but a totally new ride experience has been created within the structure. New interior & exterior theme elements, created by Dark Rider and Halloween Productions, Inc., include a gothic haunted castle with grisly scenes of ghastly gargoyles in various states of animation, horrifying props, and gruesome sound effects. Gargoyles promises to satisfy those with an appetite for fright.

"When Dante’s Inferno was originally opened, it was a very unique ride with scenes illustrating the various stages of hell as revealed in Dante Alighieri’s work, the Divine Comedy. Even after a major re-painting of the facade just last year, we received many guest complaints,” offers Jack Morey, Executive Vice President of Morey’s Piers. He explains, “Because our season is shorter and revenues much smaller than parks like Six Flags, we must therefore be more creative in adding new attractions. So we decided to change the theme to something more universally accepted. People seem to hate hell, but for some reason do not mind being scared to death.”

Night of the Living Gargoyles? Seriously? And aren't guest complaints (about being scared) a good thing??? Here's what it used to look like....

:: This weeks Interview is with Bloody Mary a.k.a. Bobbie Weiner, world famous make-up artisit::

Why did you first become interested in the Haunted House/Horror Business? I was the Key Note Guest Speaker at the Halloween Show in Chicago in 1999 for the International Assoc. of Haunted Houses. I was asked by many of the owners of the Haunts to come to their Houses that year and train their actors how to do their makeup. This is where the “Bloody Mary Makeup Up To Die For” Seminars and “How To” Workshops got their start.

What previous jobs have you had? I was a clothing designer and owned and operated a 2nd Hand Store for 16 years. I was and still am a F/X makeup artist for the Film and TV Industry. My largest gig was doing the dead floating bodies for James Cameron for his mega hit film, Titanic.

What job do you do right now? Is the Haunted House/Horror Job your full time gig? Today I own and operate Bloody Mary, a Product Development Company and make F/X makeup, stage Blood and Theatrical makeup lines. I am the #1 supplier of Camouflage Face Paint for the Dept of Defense of the USA and the creator of Tales of Bloody Mary Comics which is sold all over the world in Comic Book stores and alternative clothing stores. I manf. and supply colleges, highschools and the different NFL teams with Sports Fan Makeup in their team colors. I am booked as a guest speaker at many Universities, Colleges and large corporations and Tour throughout the country all year round. I am the Hostess for the Bloody Mary/Crazy Bob Moonlight Fantasy Cruise which takes place each year in mid January. This will be my 5th year doing this popular Cruise.

Here’s an update on a previous post about Saw 3. The release date is set for 10/27/06 according to their official movie site: http://www.saw3.com/ The site also has a Saw 3 message board.

In other movie related news:
Here’s a link to an interview with Jake Wade discussing some of his upcoming projects
In the interview he discusses the possibility of “Halloween: The Missing Years”.

I came across this interesting little site Strongman Pictures in Melbourne Australia:
They have an interesting trailer to a movie they’re doing called “Disturbed”. It looks to be very promising if they can get the funds to complete it.

For those of you who want to keep up with the latest news on horror movies your at the right Blog!

Psychoterror

:: Editor's Note : This article is part of a series we are doing on unique Dark Rides across the US. Just in time for travel season. Why not scare yourself a little on your next vacation?::

The year was 1977 and I was just about 6. During a trip to Six Flags Over Georgia, I overheard someone talking about how at the top of the log ride hill there was a man that tried to cut your head off with an axe. I thought how awful that would be to be on whatever ride they were talking about. A little while later I found myself in a hollow log floating down a blue flume. It was not too bad, nice scenery fun going around the turns.

As we turned a corner, I saw up at the top a huge hill a big top hatted man with an axe. Then I knew. At that point I thought my parents and grandparents were the stupidest people in the world for getting on a ride like that and taking me with them. As the hollow log boat neared the top of the hill, I saw an attendant standing on a little platform watching out boat. Not taking any chances with whatever he had in mind I crawled up in the bow of the boat and crouched down by my parents' knees. I felt our log going over the crest of the hill. The terrible clanking sound was louder down there and I waited expecting their heads to roll down any second. The boat slammed down through a log tunnel into the flume and I peeked out and saw them smiling and tugging on me to get back up. I couldn't believe they lived, and I thought how wrong it was to have rides that have killers on them.

- Kingpower Cinema

This CD, done by Virgil Franklin, is my first experience with his work. And as with all albums there were some good ones and some bad ones. He starts off the CD with one of his better masterpieces which is titled after the album. “Dark Hollow” has a great intro. I especially like how Virgil adds more instruments into the piece as he leads us to believe there’s something going to happen. Virgil’s piece titled “Voices From Beyond” has a piano playing most of the time but at some points it seems to overshadow the rest and therefore doesn’t sync in as well at times.

Unfortunately, the album also had some misses. “Lair of the Unknown” sounded like it was taken from a video game and both “Misery Resides Here” and “Catacombs” seemed a bit drawn out. However, Virgil made up for these misses with some other great pieces. The kids singing in “Buried Memories really does give you that eerie feeling. A similar feeling occurred when listening to “Sacrifices” with the chanting. Finally, what separates Virgil from the rest is how he ends his pieces, which seems to be his forte. One of his better endings came in “Buried Memories” as he lets the music die down first as the child continues to sing then lets the music drift away. All in all it is a pretty good CD to get you into the haunting mood.

By Slaughtering Siam

Ok, Awhile back I had someone ask for pics of what we bought from TW. I'm taking some tonight!

For me the best bargains/buys and quality is a key to my purchasing. (Of course - it's the same on everyone)

So who I bought from:
Unit 70
Spookyprops
HauntedVentures
Screamland
Sinister Scents
Distortions
Hauntmaster
Little Spider
Bump In The Night Productions
I know I'm forgetting a couple more... but those are the main core people we bought from to add to our Haunts for 2006. I'll see if I can figure out how to get the pictures uploaded for you to see the things I actually bought and took pics of...

View image Spookyprops Chainsaw ($600 ea. - We have 2)

Check out this new independant horror movie, still in pre-production. I came across it today while surfing MySpace, looks pretty cool. There is also a casting call tomorrow in Chicago, IL. Click the picture below for more details about the movie and the casting call.

HorrorBiZz

This week's Fiendish Friday Interview is with Andrew of Movie Mania. Movie Mania is the Internet's premiere seller of Authentic Movie Props. And of course, they have a ton from your favorite Horror Movies.

Why did you first become interested in the Haunted House/Horror Business?
I first became interested when I saw my first horror movie. There seems to be something about the horror genre - the excitmement, thrill and suspense that other genres just can't seem to produce. So I was definitely hooked after seeing 'Alien'. I started to collect some authentic props which had been used in horror and thriller movies and thats how I became involved in the business I have today.

What previous jobs have you had?
I used to work for a Theme Park and museum theming specialist in the city where I live. It was great to see how much effort went into making models and set designs and it all contributed towards my passion for film as a whole. I then worked for a little while in our 'York Dungeon' attraction which is a key attraction here in the UK. It connects with the London Dungeon and takes people on a terrifying journey into the horrors of history. Then I spent four years in a Wax Museum designing some set pieces for their Chamber of Horrors.

Hydraulic Nail gun which was used in a shockingly gory scene in Final Destination:3.

What job do you do right now? Is the Haunted House/Horror Job your full time gig?
The horror genre is not my full time gig. We do however, get hold of some great Horror pieces. I work with lots of other movie genres. My company sells authentic props and wardrobe pieces from some of the century's greatest movies. All the pieces in our developing collection are either screen-used or production used. One factor which makes us stand out from the crowd of prop vendors is that we take authenticity and provenance as priority and have evidence that every prop we sell is genuine.

Most of you that are involved in haunts are already planning for this years haunt, or soon will be. One thing that you need to do is check with local officials to see what type of permits, if any, will be required. Permits and codes vary from place to place; some places require a permit and have ordinances that have to be followed even for home haunts.

Here is one such ordinance from Topeka Kansas http://www.topeka.org/pdfs/codebook/CH014-AMUSEMENTS-AND-ENTERTAINMENTS.pdf.

It's under Article VI Haunted Houses starting on page 8 and applies to haunts whether an admission fee is collected or not. It’s also a good idea to check with the local Fire Marshal to see what type codes you will need to follow and if you’ll have to submit plans for review. It would be bad to spend all that time and money to set up a haunt and then told it can’t be opened or has to be shut down because of code or ordinance violations.

One thing major haunt operators may want to look into are clean agent fire extinguishers for your haunt, clean agent is different from the old halon extinguishers. Clean agent extinguishers are safe for electronics, props, humans and environment. The agent is in liquid state while stored under pressure in the extinguisher, it’s released as a gas. I have seen several clean agent demonstrations done on a laptop that was on without any harm done to the laptop. There are also clean agent fire suppression systems for those of you who may be interested in a full system.

-Psychoterror

Matt Thompson, has just let us know that their Film "Lycanthrope" has just released it's trailer. The film looks to be shaping up very well and should be coming to a film festival near you very soon. They should really do a YouTube link so people can pass it around.

- iamlegend

I try to keep in mind what freaks out kids in a ride. They can see a an exit sign at the end of a dark hallway and their malleable brains can turn it into a Dracula face. They can hear the grainy sounds of an old Halloween sounds record and imagine with great detail the horrid deeds of those making the etheral noises. Even the faceless mannequins at a department store can deliver an ample supply of the willies. So on rides, especially where a boat or buggy ceaselessly propels young riders ever closer to terrors and trageties, often the scene design has a atronomically greater horror impact than what was originally intended.

- KingPowerCinema