By Shrub

Imagine. The lights of the city gradually disappear behind and you continue down a dark two lane blacktop. Then you see the billboard for haunted houses and turn off onto a darker dirt road. There is dust flying, and you move slowly through empty cars which seem to lie all around. Is this an empty car lot? A junkyard? You are waved by flashlight into a lot behind the cars, still engulfed by dust clouds and quiet other than the crunch of the tires. You step out of the car and it remains mostly quiet but for distant voices and the sound of occasional screams. And saws.

You must climb a set of stairs onto a front porch to reach the entryway. Now you are exposed on 3 sides and you still can hear saws and shouts coming from around corners but shadows prevent you from identifying their source. Here you are met by your guide who seems normal and friendly enough. OK, so maybe this is a safe place. Still, it looks really old, possibly condemned. And there are the screams.

OK I got a little carried away there. Nightmare in the House of Wax does such a great job of setting the mood I’m remembering it like a rerun of the Texas Chainsaw Massacre (the original of course) or A Nightmare on Elm Street in my head. It’s a neat setup, it’s easy to suspend reality and believe you have walked into a true grisly scene. I like that. And for a change, this place actually uses chainsaws effectively!

There are some good n’ gruesome props in here and enthusiastic, effective actors of all sizes including one seriously cool and imposing lead character, Magnus the wax sculptor. This guy is massive and keeps a firm grip on what’s going on inside his residence, so don’t think you’ll be escaping without him noticing you.

Nightmare in the House of Wax and Haunted Mead Manor, which combine to create the Phantasms Halloween Screampark, are dynamic examples of what you can do with a smaller budget and a lot of know-how backed up by a real passion for haunting. Both really embody the spirit of Halloween and maintain a serious approach to the subject matter which is often lacking. We should support these guys by all means and help them continue the tradition.

 

[ Nightmare in the House of Wax Website ]

You are led in through a funeral parlor. Elegant but in disrepair. The stained glass is still intact but it’s dark and the walls feel tight. The air is thick and there’s a smell of gasoline coming from somewhere up ahead. With your guide in front and nothing but darkness behind, you move forward. You begin to hear babies crying! The cries multiply and grow louder. And then you realize… there are rats. Rats make babies cry!

Babies! Babies crying! Ack my head!

Magnus, sizing up some victims, er, visitors.