October and Halloween are not just my favorite month and holiday because I was born during that time, but I have always enjoyed the happenings during this time of the year. From fall festivals that serve delicious apple cider to TV horror specials and to the haunted attractions across the state, I love everything that October has to offer. I loved this time of year, especially the ‘scary’ part, so much that beginning in high school I started working on an entertainment farm and also worked for their haunted hayride, as an actor, that they put on every October.
As such I have 3 years experience as an actor for a haunted attractions and 2 years experience as a supervising actor for the same haunt. Thus, when I go to haunted attractions there are two big categories I look for. These categories include Experience and Scares. When I talk about 'experience' I am talking about how well the haunted attraction immersed you into 'their world' and how well the haunt spaces groups. If I can tell that I am in a semi-trailer, there is a problem. In terms of the scares, I look for good ambush and sudden scares that have a powerful presentation behind them. It is not fun to come to haunt where all the actors do is go "boo" nor is it any more fun to go to one that is making their actors try too hard to convey a storyline. Thus if the experience is excellent and the scares are solid, that is a solid haunt in my book.
Previous Reviews: 2014 | 2013 | 2012 | 2011 | 2010
Please note: this review is for the 2010 season rather than the current season.
by DarkWolf1088 (Newbie Review Crew Member) after attending on Friday, October 22, 2010 at about 4 p.m.
Submitted: Monday, October 25, 2010
Well all I can say is WOW! This haunt is branded as the best in Milwaukee and now I have seen that not only is this true but why it deserves this title. I have to tell you now that I had to go through this haunt TWICE in order to take in all the work that this haunt has put into its house. I was amazed.
I was most impressed that this haunt really relies on its actors. I have seen too many haunts that have turned to relying on animatronics and not on actors that to see what the Mars actors were capable of was extremely refreshing. I spoke with the manager of the haunt who you could tell is proud of his actors, as he should be. These actors will absolutely blow your mind!
Next to the actors the haunt's scenes and sets were just as impressive. You really could not tell that you were in an old office building. The sets were so expansive and well made that it was hard to focus on anything else. I sometimes found myself just starring at the scenes and of course the actors used this time to their advantage.
A lot of hard work was put into this haunt. Everything looks as if it was done for a Hollywood horror movie...the makeup, the sets, the lighting...everything. Needless to say I really enjoyed this haunt.
The level of passion that those who work this haunt is really admirable. They really help to set the tone of the haunt. Depending on the person this passion is going to build up sweet anticipation or dread of what is to come. Either way it is quite a thrill.
Simply put these guys go all out and it provides for one heck of a ride!
Note: Do not worry about parking. There are ample places to park including the street. You will see parking meters but those only run up to 6PM on any given night so no need to worry about spare change.
Further these men and women NEVER faltered or got tired. Even my second time through...30 minutes later...these guys were still going at it strong. These actors are dedicated! It was the actors that made the haunt. The sets and scenes only complimented their actions...which is how it should be.
As I already mentioned the best part with these actors is that you could interact with them which pulled you even further into the experience. If there was an Oscar Award Show for haunted houses I would give each of these actors an Oscar. It was just that amazing. You have to go and check these guys out. You will be impressed.
Finally these actors know how to scare. They know when to jump out and they know when hide in the shadows. These actors are good!
Also I have to give a shout out to two female actors that really stuck with their roles. The girl playing the statue and the girl playing the crawler. Excellent job!
All I will leave you with is that there are PLENTY of places for actors to pop out of and hide in.
Please note: this review is for the 2010 season rather than the current season.
by DarkWolf1088 (Newbie Review Crew Member) after attending on Friday, October 22, 2010 at about 3 p.m.
Submitted: Saturday, October 23, 2010
I'll be upfront. This is not the type of haunt for those that really seek to be scared. It appears that the haunt was more focused on younger viewers or those that want an entertainment only haunt. To sum it up in one word, it was, simple. This is not an entirely bad thing, however. It provided a few effects that I actually have not seen in a long time. As a whole, though, the haunt left a lot to be desired.
When my father and I arrived at the haunt we were required to take a number and wait in a small room that left little in ways of entertainment. The idea of taking a number would not have been so bad if there actually appeared that there was a line.
When we were finally called we had another wait outside the doors to the haunt. One time I actually entered early as the actors were re-setting due to the lack of instruction. After we were finally admitted we were quickly whisked away to a room where they had a séance (I was able to really "take in the first scene".) The whole experience of the séance would have been a lot more enjoyable if I had not heard all the actors talking and coughing in the background.
This interference was so bad that the actor who was doing the séance was required to improvise with "what the spirits were saying." I will say, however, that I saw some neat effects in the room but they just could not make me forget about the interference.
From there we were moved out of the room by the unrested spirits and through the rest of the haunt. Again some pretty cool effects but a lot was left to be desired. Decorations, and scenes were minimal. Further as we walked along I caught several actors that were late in their scares or that were not ready.
All in all it was an interesting haunt and for a charitable purpose had a good cause and provided a, however short, form of Halloween entertainment.
View all Elements of Fear reviews
Please note: this review is for the 2010 season rather than the current season.
by DarkWolf1088 (Newbie Review Crew Member) after attending on Saturday, October 9, 2010 at about 2:30 p.m.
Submitted: Monday, October 11, 2010
Ah outdoor haunts...how they have always held a special place in my heart. It takes a special breed of actor to work in and work with the elements to achieve a scare. Schuster's Haunted Forest did not disappoint. First and foremost I have to say that this attraction used strobe lights and darkness amazingly well. If you are expecting to be able to attain your night vision on this outdoor attraction you can just forget about that now.
There has always been something about wandering through the woods, freely, and getting scared that most people enjoy. The Schuster's have set their haunt up for success. When you begin the haunt you really feel as if you have been dropped off in the woods and you are working your way back home. This aspect I really enjoyed.
The haunt had plenty of scare variety. Haunts can get boring if all they are is actors jumping out and screaming. This haunt had a good combination of role playing type scenes and flat out jumping out of the darkness. The one thing I was disappointed in, however, is that there are some spots that are dull due to the lack of scares or scenery.
This minor "hic-up", however, was few and far between. The haunt still did well with keeping the creep factor up. Being in the woods alone (mostly by yourself) is enough to put anyone on a bit of an edge, but the way the haunt moves you around and pinch points that it puts you through it definitely keeps you up on your guard.
Schuster's Haunted Forest is definitely a must for those that want that "Halloween feel". Nothing quite beats woods, creeps, and only moonlight to guide you home.
Don't have the nerve to be scared but still want to be out on a fall night. The event also offers the ability for visitors to take a night time tour of their corn maze. All in all there is plenty to do before and after the haunted attraction.
Traffic control, on the other hand, left a lot to be desired. The event had A LOT of vehicles tightly packed into one parking area with little room to back out and head home (without hitting another vehicle). When I left there was a line of cars jockeying to get into a spot. That is another time you need to factor in.
View all Schuster's Haunted Forest reviews
Please note: this review is for the 2010 season rather than the current season.
by DarkWolf1088 (Newbie Review Crew Member) after attending on Friday, October 8, 2010 at about 3:30 p.m.
Submitted: Saturday, October 9, 2010
I have to say that this is the first time that I have visited this haunted house even though that I had great things about this haunt since I was 16. I am happy to say that those excited murmurings proved true.
The event started off slow. I had to wait for my number to be called and then have the rules of the house explained to me by a mad doctor but after that the fun began! The entrance was perfect. A creepy door, slowly opening and fog pouring out. This opening, in one word, was creepy.
The attention to detail and entertainment value only continued. The scares began only seconds after I set foot in the haunt. These guys know how to scare. They used extreme darkness and strobes well. When you expected a scare because of the set-up they didn't scare you. When you passed that point that is when they got you. I loved it. They really had the art of the haunted house down to a science.
I have to be honest, at the beginning I was nervous when I heard this haunt had inventive animatronics. I have often found when haunts start collecting animatronics they start relying WAY too much on the technology and not enough on living and breathing actors. Terror on Rural, however, knew what to do with this technology. They used it to help the actors do what they need to do. This was great to see.
I will touch more on this later but right now I have to say that you can tell that the men and women that run this haunt put their all into making it highly entertaining. The scenes and effects were amazing. They were some of the best that I have seen in a long time.
One of the most interesting aspects of this haunt is that it forced those within the 4 or 5 person group (even if they were strangers) to come together and hold on to each other to get to the next area. Why? This house had some VERY dark areas. We are talking you-cannot-see-your-hand-in-front-of-your-face dark. So get ready to get close to whoever. That may be the only way to get through without running into a wall.
Quite simply this place was great. Just entertainment value alone makes this event well worth visiting. Terror on Rural Street had no lack of scares, no lack of effects, and no lack of fun.
The props were also great. The haunt did a great job of making the room look like it is supposed to look. The "operating room" did not just have a table and medical instruments. This haunt's room had everything that you would expect to find in a mad doctor's lab. The effort to pull the person into the scene is obvious and I really enjoyed that effort.
Finally the FX. I won't ruin what you will find in the house but what I will say is that I saw some amazing FX that I have never seen before. The FX were definitely a new way of distorting your concentration and focus. Everything you need to make a good scare. So go and check it out. I think you will be impressed too!
View all Terror on Rural Street reviews
November 21st, 2024 5:24 p.m. CST 24.11.01
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