| HAUNTED
ATTRACTION |
| SCARE
FAIR |
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| GAUNTLET
RATING: 9 |
| Reviewed
10/10/09 |
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| click
logo (above) to visit their web site |
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| SCARE
FAIR |
| 5891 State
Route 196/Cridersville, OH 45806 |
| Fri/Sat
7 - 11 PM & Sun 7 - 9:30 PM |
| One Attraction
$11 (Gauntlet & Toxic Trauma ONLY) |
| Two Attractions
$13/Three Attractions $14 |
| ALL 4 Attractions
$15 |
| $3 Friday/Sunday
Coupon on their website |
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| REVIEW |
| THE GAUNTLET: The
journey into this darkened gothic castle leads off with corpses, mummies,
skeletons, caskets, and the general feeling of death. Spooky music,
howling wolves, and other intimidating sounds accompany the exposure to
falling panels, wrought iron fences and gates, flashing strobes, mystifying
fog, irate monsters, and unexpected pneumatic surprises, and it’s only
just begun! Ghouls go on the attack from all angles as the course
progresses past a mechanical grim reaper that suddenly springs forward
overhead! Off in the distance, a gigantic animated gargoyle is seen
standing guard over a frightening cemetery hiding another sudden surprise!
A second graveyard is on the horizon filled with impressive looking tombstones,
and more creatures of the night! Just beyond the old boneyard rests
an enormous, fanged monster with impressive horns protruding from
its head. Eluding the viciously bellowing beast delivers you into
more stalking encounters at the hands of the undead spirits that roam these
unhallowed grounds, and a final startling overhead surprise just prior
to exiting The Gauntlet.
Analysis:
LENGTH - 6½, The limiting factor of the attraction,
lasting only 7 - 8 minutes.
ACTORS - 9, The enthusiastic cast provides plenty of
startles, but very little dialogue. Lots of great make-up and intensity.
Total Characters = 25.
SCARINESS - 9½, The Gauntlet setting is
tremendously intimidating, décor is quite elaborate, and mood music
is outstanding! Scares are plentiful both from the atmosphere and
the monsters that call this place home.
DESIGN - 9, The traditionally scary setting makes for
a legitimately frightening experience that's only limited by its duration.
The
Gauntlet would benefit from a more climactic finish, although this
year's is much better than last season's installment. Clowns have
rightfully been removed, but the course remains a bit confusing which necessitates
strategically positioning actors in order to direct traffic.
PROPS - 9½, Haunt is extensively decorated and
complimented with some very unique, one of a kind animatronics. Gargoyle
and horned beast are simply awesome! Expanding the course would perfect
the score.
VALUE - 10, The combo ticket presents an unbeatable bargain!
RATING: 9, This is Halloween personified
- dark, detailed, SCARY, and loaded with high impact startles and surprises!
And its well worth the price of admission! |
| TOXIC TRAUMA:
Once a storage facility for an experimental pathogen, or
so the story goes,
Toxic Trauma revisits a government test sight
gone tragically wrong, and resulting in horrific consequences. The
warehouse from hell is characterized by blaring sirens, blasting horns,
disorienting strobes, moving floors, electrocutions, heavy metal music,
and ungodly amounts of fog so thick one can hardly see his own hand in
front of his face! The course itself is encompassed by chain-link
fence, consists of dead end passages, and is occupied by hounding
ghouls that jump on and off the fence, crawl along the ground, and reach
out and grab at passersby from the obscurity of the mist accenting the
chaos and terror. Confusion and disorientation give way to
panic as the search for the red strobe leads to the one and only escape
from Toxic Trauma!
Analysis:
LENGTH - 7, We were out in under 10 minutes, but it could
easily last much longer depending on one's success with the maze.
ACTORS - 9, Suitable attire, and an energetic bunch doing
their utmost to provide scares. Character jumping along the fence
is most memorable, and hands reaching out of the fog send shivers down
your spine! It's such a blinding experience, you're often face to face
with a monster without ever seeing where he came from, or where he goes.
Total Charactres = Unknown - too foggy to tell, but in excess of 10.
SCARINESS - 9, Fog, Fog, and more Fog, accompanied by
disorienting sounds, and lots of startles from an overzealous cast!
Visibility is limited to just inches beyond your face allowing scares to
be practically looking you in the eye before you even know it!
DESIGN - 8½, The most fog we’ve encountered in
years puts me in mind of crossing the Smoky Mountains! Maze is well
constructed and accompanied by confusing sounds, strobes, etc. Additional
dead ends would prolong the experience, but quite intense while it lasts.
Tumbling barrels and critical announcements have been removed. Exit
door is easier to spot this season with the red strobe replacing the "X,"
and it's a little on the short side.
PROPS - N/A, It’s a maze, so this category isn’t applicable.
Nevertheless, an electric chair execution and a few other surprises take
place along the way, and everything works well to produce a rather nerve
wrecking experience.
VALUE - 10, Only $5 on the combo ticket!
It doesn't get any better than this!
RATING: 8½, Another supporting attraction
at Scare Fair, Toxic Trauma really holds its own as a stand
alone attraction! The combo ticket is the ONLY way to go, providing
3 quality haunts for the affordable price of $14. The secret is now
out! Get to Harold’s Haunted Cornfield,
The Gauntlet,
and Toxic Trauma for a seasonal night of scares and thrills!
Come and see what people are screaming about! You won't believe your
eyes! |
| HAROLD'S HAUNTED
CORNFIELD (including HATCHET CREEK):
Located on the verge of nowhere, the exploration begins across an old wooden
bridge, and up into a mysterious looking shack that houses an "old hag"
who unnervingly speaks through a voice synthesizer and directs us into
the waiting cornfield. Monsters charge out of hiding, sliding along
the path, crawling across the ground, and following along from behind.
A haunted victorian home has been built right in the middle of the cornfield,
and is occupied by an irate family, displeased that trespassers have entered
their house. Traditional decor, a brief dark maze, a hallway of body
bags, and a bloody room of slaughtered animals soon escort you back outdoors,
and over another bridge crossing into Hatchet Creek. Entering
a secluded structure unleashes some demonic characters previously confined
to the abandoned building, then it's back into the corn for run-ins with
several more monsters, and a chainsaw chase-out of Harold's Haunted
Cornfield. Beware! A final surprise lurks on the horizon
just when you think you've escaped!
Analysis:
LENGTH - 8, 15 minutes.
ACTORS - 8, All were trying to deliver the best possible
scares. Cornfield character sliding along the path is most
memorable, along with butchered animal fiend who bit at us, and Hatchet
Creek spook that followed along sniffing and snarling from behind.
Little dialogue throughout, other than "get out of my house" heard repeatedly
throughout the victorian home. Total Characters = 22.
SCARINESS - 8, The walk through the darkend corn is the
primary scare.
DESIGN - 7½, No loops or dead ends exist, it's
just a straight walk through the cornfield that includes 3 separate structures,
none of which are overly impressive. Course should have a longer
duration, especially since it's advertised this season as two separate
haunts. Final surprise is unexpected, and a nice touch. Hatchet
Creek can't be considered an attraction all to itself.
PROPS - 6½, Voice synthesizer is best. Victorian
home features fairly elaborate decor, with the final room leaving the most
lasting impression. Props are absent from the corn, which comprises
the majority of the adventure.
VALUE - 9½, Purchase the combo ticket and enjoy
all of the attractions at Scare Fair. You won't be disappointed.
RATING: 7½,This is
the attraction's lengthiest, yet weakest element. However it offers
a spooky walk through a monster infested cornfield, and is a nice compliment
to The Gauntlet and Toxic Trauma. |
