| MT. HEALTHY HAUNTED HALL:
Monsters terrorize the queue line that winds through a frightening cemetery
outside the annual Haunted Hall. The old graveyard hosts a
mysterious fountain of blood, a hanged victim barely clinging
to life, and an undead body (animation) making one final, desperate attempt
to escape its earthen tomb! A skeletal watchman guards the premises,
peering down from an upstairs window with illuminated eyes, and waving
a beckoning lantern back and forth inviting visitors to the old haunted
house. The exploration begins up an ominous looking staircase that's
haunted by a hovering, green eyed ghost, as well as a wicked witch en route
to a waiting elevator that buzzes and thrashes about on its way to
delivering scare seekers to their ultimate destiny - the 13th floor!
A wicked attendant is bounced off the walls by the inconsistent action
of the old hoist as it grinds to a halt, and releases its occupants into
a room known as Tilted Bones, where an evil, masked ghoul has taken
up residence, and a chandelier comes crashing down onto a table with a
thunderous thud! Barely escaping with our lives, the course leads
into the clutches of a young girl playing with dolls, but the surprise
she's hiding looks and sounds much more like a murderous chainsaw!
Then it's onto a demented dentist who's enjoying himself a bit too much
offering Novocain to passersby, while performing extractions for the affordable
price of 25 cents per tooth! A moving walkway accesses a room of
uncertainty, where clocks decorate the walls, each displaying a different
time of day. From there it's into a Vampire's lair that witnesses
an innocent young girl that's fallen victim to the ever present Count
Dracula, and exits through an upright coffin onto the outdoor portion
of the attraction. Visiting an Executioner scene finds the
horrifying sight of a live victim who's been recently deprived of his lower
extremities by the murderous axe of his aforementioned enforcer!
Werewolf attacks ravage the upcoming forest, claiming several victims,
as the course makes it's way past an alarming crate, and into The Bates
Motel. Still to come is a descending ceiling, then a brief mirror
maze that's tormented by crazed clowns and a rotating floor that brings
you to an I Scream Shop serving delicious flavors like vicious vanilla!
A sharp guillotine surprise awaits, as does a spinning vortex in advance
of a brief exploration through some isolated woods, another surprise from
behind a glass panel, then into Camp Crystal Lake, where JasonVoorhees
and a corrupt cohort deliver a double chainsaw chase into a jail cell that
initially appears to be a dead end! The insanity of a psych ward
is on the horizon, followed by undead zombies, and then
Sin City Bar-b-cue,
where heads and bodies roast over an open grill much to the delight of
Satan
The Devil who demands everyone bow down before him, and crawl beneath
his elevated throne that lands you in the midst of a spooky cemetery, and
brings about the traditional dark maze conclusion to 2011's Mount Healthy
Haunted Hall entitled Still Cookin' after 22 years!
Analysis:
LENGTH - 9, 20+ minutes - difficult to determine a precise
time due to the uncertainty of the maze. (Our time was 23½
minutes.)
ACTORS - 7½, All try very hard to deliver believable
scares, but there will always be a number of undersized actors due to the
nature of the attraction. Many are utilized portraying victims, or
stationed behind drop-down panels, but there's just too many of them to
score any higher. Total Characters = 36.
SCARINESS - 7, Background music seems somewhat quieter
in comparison to past years. Each scene is staffed with a variety of
characters. Maze provides an appropriate finish, and is an annual
favorite! Increased intensity and more adult actors would strengthen
the scares.
PROPS - 8, Good décor, some pneumatic surprises,
and a few unexpected startles you won't experience anyplace else.
Spinning floor is unique to Mt. Healthy. Dracula's
coffin door and secret maze passages are novelties. Elevator is a
standout, and falling chandelier makes a triumphant return for 2011.
DESIGN - 9, Clever ingenuity takes advantage of every
inch of available space inside The Hall itself, and outdoor course
has seen expansion over the course of the past few seasons. Maze remains
an outstanding finisher. All things considered from a budget perspective,
this is an annual masterpiece!
VALUE - 9½, Cost remains just $8 with a canned
good donation, which reflects no price increase for the fourth consecutive
year! In a day and age when many attractions expect $20, Mt.
Healthy Haunted Hall resists conforming to the times and continues
to provide an affordable entertainment value! This is the way it
SHOULD be!
RATING: 8, The Mt. Healthy Haunted Hall
never
disappoints! Customers exiting the attraction described it
as "scary" and "fun!" Go with a group, and ditch your friends in
the maze! |
