Deranged review How to Haunt Your House The Creepy Cauldron musical Frights and more....
Night Fright’s Seance Table
DEAD & BURIED Warwick Ghosts Alive!
Premier iSSUe HALLOWeeN
2010
So, you want Scare Attractions? We e know where to find them!
Are you looking for some frightful fun where ghouls and monsters are guaranteed to pop out of the shadows? Then look no further further.. Contained within our website is a director directoryy of all Halloween, seasonal and year round scare attractions, news, reviews, features and much, much, more...
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iN THiS eDiTiON
O ctober 2010 -January 2011
4 LeTTer FrOm THe eDiTOr 6 SCAre NeWS 8 gUeST reVieW deranged live
11 STAgeFrigHT
the warnings project
15 PrODUCT SHOWCASe
nightfrights latest products
21 DeAD AN D BUrieD warwick ghosts alive!
26 HOme HAUNTerS
how to haunt your house
30 SPLiT PerSONALiTY
in this issue we meet The master
35 mUSiCAL FrigHTS
composer tony longworth
38 SCArY WOrLD
universal halloween horror nights
44 OLD mOTHer mArJA Scareworld’s very own agony aunt
pg 11
46 DeViLiSH DiNiNg the creaky cauldron
50 ATTrACTiON reVieWS
scare attractions.c o.u k cast their critical eye
56 SCAre ATTrACTiONS current listings
This issues Cover image: Lord Francis Dashwood - The twisted owner of Hellfire Hall. A brand new scare attraction at Scare Kingdom Scream Park for 2010.
www.scareworld.co.uk
From t he e dit or Fellow Haunters, Welcome to the first issue of Europe’s first ever magazine covering all aspects of the scare entertainment world – Scareworld. Scareworld is your magazine, created by passionate scare entertainment producers for enthusiasts, producers, scareactors and everyone else who works in this burgeoning industry. Over the last few years, the European scare entertainment market has undergone phenomenal growth, with new year-round and seasonal attractions emerging all over Europe. Stage shows are now including aspects of scare entertainment in their content, ASDA now offers a huge range of Halloween-related merchandise, and television shows featuring fear-based content have become increasingly popular. Together, we are all part of an exciting industry, which, although still far behind our colleagues across the pond, is now a considerable part of our european entertainment market. With growth showing no signs of slowing down, we can all look forward to a bright (or dark!) future in the world of scare. Scareworld will cover all areas of the european industry, as well as features from further afield. From reviews, scareactor interviews, product showcases, editorial features and a whole host of other content, which we hope you will enjoy. We invite your comments and encourage you to contact us with your feedback and ideas, or if you would like to contribute material for inclusion. The magazine will remain a free to subscribe, online publication, for the first year. If interest is high enough we then intend to go into print, and would be interested to hear if you would subscribe to a paid for magazine? For the first year, we are offering free advertising space to all companies involved in the industry. If you have a message which you would like to communicate to our readership, please contact us for details of how you can feature. For now, enjoy the first issue! Jason Karl Editor
Editor: Creative Director: Contributors in this issue:
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Jason Karl jason@scareworld.co.uk Paul Howse paul@scareworld.co.uk Mark Lofthouse, Mike Fox, Shawn and Lynne Mitchell Micheal Hayes, Tony Longworth, Old Mother Marja, Dave Matthews, Kevin Sudds & Wayne Davis.
Published 3 times a year by AtmosFEAR! Entertainment Group © copyright Scareworld 2010. All material in this publication remains the copyright of Scareworld and no part of it may be re-produced without the written permission of the publishers. Materials not copyright to Scareworld are re-produced with permission and all rights are acknowledged. To get in touch or to advertise in Scareworld please email: info@scareworld.co.uk
October 2010- January 2011
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S c a re News 2010 has been an incredible year for the further development of the European industry, with several brand new all-year attractions opening their doors in the UK including The Asylum at Louis Tussaud's Waxworks and Carnesky's Ghost Train , both in Blackpool, and the successful introduction of the SAW brand at Thorpe Park in their brand new Saw Live attraction. The Dungeons saw several new attractions as Merlin continue to build the UK's most well known scare entertainment brand. Witches Burned Alive opened in York, and Bloody Mary - Killer Queen in London - both attractions incorporate an incredibly realistic fire effect, combined with narrative driven content which cleverly mixes education and history with entertainment. In Edinburgh, body snatchers Burke and Hare present a new interactive encounter at the Dungeon, which delivers a fun fright, while in Cornwall, the counties first scare attractions, Buccaneer Bay and The Sunken Village of the DAMNED, have enjoyed a successful season following their overhaul last summer. Those with a keen eye might have caught the transformation, from tired waxworks museum into state of the art scare attraction, on Virgin 1's 'Duncan Bannatyne's Seaside Rescue', and you might also have noticed Carnesky's Ghost Train was the location used to film rap star Professor Green's 'Monster' video recently. Several non-Halloween attractions opened for short runs including Masks in London and Deranged in Yorkshire, plus Europe's scare entertainment forum Scarecon entered it’s third year, this time based at The Magic Circle headquarters in London. Sinister Symphonies, the UK's first and only scare attraction music label launched at the beginning of October, plus of course this free-to-subscribe magazine entered the arena as Europe's first scare entertainment publication.
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October 2010- January 2011
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On the stage Ghost Stories, initially in Liverpool but now in London's West End, blends aspects scare attractions with more traditional stage techniques, and on film Scare Zone was released in the USA, now available on DVD, it features a scare attraction which goes horribly wrong! Over the Halloween season this year a multitude of attractions are due to open, some for only a few nights and others stretching over October and into November - it seems the season grows each year! Alton Towers Scarefest introduces Carnival of Screams, to replace the cornfield based Field of Screams, alongside the return of Terror in the Towers and The Boiler House, plus the hotel based Scare Rooms make a return, this time themed to the new psychoaster Th13teen. Shocktoberfest, Frightmare, Scare Kingdom, Spooky World and Farmageddon Scream Parks all return once again, each with more new attractions than ever before, plus a variety of standalone haunts open in several major cities including Leeds, Manchester and London. For details on these, and many more, visit the UK's only online resource for scare attractions at www.scareattractions.co.uk now fully rebranded and under new management. Keep your eye on the Scareworld website at www.scareworld.co.uk for breaking news - there are more announcements to come this year! October 2010- January 2011
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guest rev iew
DerANgeD LiVe
Friday 13th August 2010 A Review by Mark Lofthouse Several members of the Scareworld team went to visit the Curious Village Productions premier attraction, Deranged Live on Friday 13th August 2010. Driving up o the building, we really didn't know what to expect. The venue was secluded behind houses in the middle of a park. We soon realised it was a Community Theatre which explained it's location. After being welcomed by the fabulous 'Story teller' character whilst paying for our tickets, our mood certainly became apprehensive as the ambience music, screams and smoke filled our senses. We were directed to the bar to 'Steady our nerves' before our allocated time slot. The bar was also playing the child-like horror music with a video showcasing the trailer for the upcoming show. The groups in front of us were running for the exit an bursting through the doors into the bar. This was a great sign of what we had heading our way. We asked several of the guests what they thought of the attraction with a girl saying 'It was absolutely terrifying' (whilst wiping tears from her face)
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followed by a boy saying 'It was hilarious'. This seemed to be the general census from the audience. They seemed to be terrified mixed with laughing, everybody seemed to really enjoy the show. Now, it was our turn to enter. We were lined up against the entrance door and given the rules by the 'Storyteller'. We have to applaud this character as she was fantastic at coping with whatever jokes and quips we said to her. She made the beginning very entertaining whilst keeping the sinister tone. Entering the first section, it became obvious that this wasn't going to be like any attraction we had been in before. The large area was cleverly filled with a winding chain maze path and what seemed like an army of creatures snarling and lurking in the darkest corners of the building. The multicoloured strobe light mixed with the smoke made this a very disorientating section.
October 2010- January 2011
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Following a fence of actors we were directed to a door at the right of the stage, it was apparent we were entering the 'Backstage' area of the little theatre. A crazed shaking actor greeted us with a gas mask asking why we managed to survive in that area after the contagious disease was in there. After leaving this area we entered a clever area with a nice scene with pages from books lit up in blue lighting. This area was nice to see until we were attacked by several mask wearing deranged beings certainly providing a few startle scares in this area. The next section must have been dressing rooms/wardrobes. This, in all our opinions, was the strongest section of the attraction. A circus section greeted us, with a very childlike character wanting us to sing with her. The song 'Let it be' by the Beatles soon filled this space with us all singing along until the music soon took a dramatic dangerous tone and the character screaming 'No No No, It's all wrong'. I guess she didn't like our singing
October 2010- January 2011
after she urged us out of the room at quite a speed, oh well, you win some, you lose some... A room followed with a girl laying on a bed while a male character walked over to her very slowly. This was really eerie and suggestive (whether meant to or not, it was very good) but created a nice little 'break' from the jump out scares. The next two rooms, were by far the most impressive rooms we had seen. One of them was occupied by a very sinister doll character. The room was littered with pictures of dolls on the walls. It was VERY well presented. The room following was an intense strobe attack on the senses. The doll character was also present in this room accompanied by a (very good) half burnt faced character. He literally bounced off every wall and certainly knew how to use the strobe light to his advantage. This character was probably the most memorable character in the attraction. Two more masked beings followed before we were running for the exit in haste to other audience members humour. overall for the company's first attraction, we cannot think higher of them. It's great that new companies are diving in the deep end and giving it a go on such a scale. Curious Village Productions should be extremely proud of the product they accomplished with this attraction.
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THe WArNiNgS PrOJeCT
St Pancras Church Crypt, euston road, London 16 February - 13 march 2010
Stage F r igh t
by Jason Karl
A dank crypt might sound like an unlikely setting for a piece of environmental theatre, but it was the perfect backdrop for 'The Warnings Project' - a site specific theatre production featuring two of the ghostly tales of M. R. James. Set in the labyrinthine passageways beneath St Pancras Church, London, and lit only by the occasional swinging lantern, 'The Warnings Project' certainly delivered a chill up the spine as what firstly appeared to be a birthday party quickly turned into something far more bizarre and sinister. After two jovial welcome hosts announced that it was 'Nick's' birthday, and gestured that several members of the 'audience' knew him, they produced a delicious looking chocolate birthday cake, and placed it upon a table strewn with the remains of what looked like a birthday bash the night before - an odd touch was the human hair stuck in the teapot - I never did understand this 'hair' which seemed to be found in clumps around the set, inexplicably they simply added to the questions and the 'mystery' of what was to unfold around us. As the hosts hurried off into the darkness, a pounding soundscape beckoned the group of 'birthday guests' forward into the inner sanctum of the bowels of the building, where, in a room littered with papers, books and letters, a disembodied voice began regaling the tale of M. R. James 'Count Magnus'. After some minutes of uncertainty, it became apparent that we were free to explore the environment, and discover the secrets that lie in wait for us. October 2010- January 2011
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A clever and artistic mixture of carefully chosen set pieces, suggestive of ghostly tales, could be found in shadowy corners, and the occasional carefully placed prop - a bunch of dead flowers, gravestones, an old coat - held clues as to what would unfold as the show progressed. In a red carpeted chamber a solitary 'storyteller' could be found - his voice, the narration, heard in all parts of the crypt, while other performers skulked around, deliciously vacant looks upon their faces, apparently in a 'world' of their own. Rewards were to be found for those that dared venture around - textures, colours and sounds to be discovered as you walked across, touched, and smelled a variety of props and effects all intended to immerse you in this haunted world. We discovered a valley of sand in one room, in which had been drawn hearts. Choosing to interact with the show, we wrote 'hello' and hastily left, returning later to find a reply had been scribed for us to discover. Encouraged by this response we tried various other interactions with the cast, each was met with an appropriate, and sometimes unexpected, silent response in character - adding suitably to the macabre and eerie atmosphere created by the storyteller and the physical environment. After the appearance of a variety of tiny messages, which seemed to appear suddenly from nowhere and littered the floors of the crypt, the calm was destroyed by a sudden and very frightening encounter with a woman in a black dress and wearing a gas mask, parading through the passageways in pursuit of a 'caretaker' style character whom made a sensible escape to avoid her. This nightmare was accompanied by a sudden change of tempo in sound effects as a thumping drumbeat, indicative of a heartbeat, pounded through the tunnels - it was genuinely shocking and somewhat frightening.
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October 2010- January 2011
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During the second M. R. James 'tale' - 'A Warning to the Curious', a deeper understanding to the back story of 'Nick' became apparent - a card left on a table explained that he had been whisked away to a foreign land and would not be attending his own party - the performers visibly upset and distraught by his disappearance - one even texting him in a quiet corner asking "when will you come back"? 'The Warnings Project' may not have appealed to all, but for those prepared to make the effort to become part of the story and the unique environment, it was an enjoyable, twisted, playful and rewarding experience which I hope will be repeated by the production team at another venue in the future.
October 2010- January 2011
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P rod u c t Showcase When the air turns crisp as the lazy days of summer give way to the darkening days of autumn is when many begin turning their thoughts to the impending arrival of Halloween. But for Mike Fox, creator of the Ghost Bust®, Halloween has always been a yearround obsession. This obsession first took hold in Mike's childhood days, when he and his identical twin brother, Ray, began putting on small "spook shows" in his bedroom, utilizing the most high-end technology available to an eight-year-old boy: string. String connecting a white plastic sheet to the door to facilitate a ghost's rising/falling action as the next victim entered the haunted bedroom; string to animate the tiny arms of an 18" model skeleton; string attached to opposite sides of ping pong ball eyes embedded in a styrofoam wig head to allow the body-less creature's gaze to follow the passing observers. The excitement that emanated from animating a few humble store-bought props with the almighty ball of string was hard to beat. Several decades later, Fox hasn't lost his love of creating spooky animated creatures, though the technology he utilizes to bring his characters to life has progressed a bit. These days, the string has been replaced with computer programs, servos, video projectors and the like. Fox created the original skull and character design for what evolved into the computer-driven servo-based SkullTronix® skull before starting his own Halloween product company, NightFrights.net. Soon afterward, Mike developed the 3-D projection effect for the popular Ghost Bust®, which won Haunt World's "Best New Product" Award and is featured in professional haunted attractions (as well as home haunts) all over the world, from his home in the US to the UK, from Hong Kong and Japan to the Netherlands. "It's one of those captivating effects that seems to amaze folks from all different walks of life" says Fox. But after producing eight different interchangeable video routines for the Ghost Bust®, Fox wanted to be able to offer his customers who'd purchased the system something more... new ways to take what they'd already purchased to a new level of excitement, a new level of thrills and chills. Enter the Seance Table and Ghost Bust Live! First, the Seance Table, which is a high-end prop that capitalizes on the suspense and tension that is evoked from the Seance Routine created for the Ghost Bust®. Actually, the routine was originally written (and voiced, Mike does all the on-camera acting and voice acting for his characters) by Fox for the SkullTronix skull, but was ported over to the Ghost Bust® due to popular demand. Each Ghost Bust® routine has a build-up that leads to a climactic moment. October 2010- January 2011
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By default, the facial features and the audio convey that climax, but by adding different Night Frights速 accessories, that moment of terror can be increased greatly. Originally, that was done via the addition of a Ghost Bust Blaster. The Ghost Bust Blaster is comprised of a pneumatic valve that emits a blast of air or a mixture of air and water through an air hose that is embedded into the bust itself. The challenge was in creating a system that would activate the valve at precisely the right moment within each routine, without having to incorporate a computer. Fox developed a method in which an electronic sensor embedded in the bust detects a signal that has been discretely implanted into each video routine. When the sensor receives the signal, the valve's solenoid is activated and a startling burst of mist is emitted out of an orifice in the bust. The "brains" controlling this interaction is Night Frights' own haunt controller box, the Control Freak, which also features another option haunters will find useful, the Media Monster. The Media Monster enables the Ghost Bust速 to respond to the arrival of new "victims". It registers signals that occur when a visitor activates a PIR (heat/motion sensor) or steps on a switch mat, and triggers the accompanying DVD player to begin playing the next video segment, (or audio track on a CD). It may sound complicated to some, but the implementation of these approaches are made quite simply thanks to the Control Freak's simple design. Back to the Seance Table...taking this methodology a step forward, Fox integrated the same system into the Night Frights Seance Table. The Seance Table is a 4' round table adorned with gypsy-esque tassels and tarot cards, behind which sits the Ghost Bust速 draped in a black veil. The Seance Witch character begins the eerie encounter by calling out to the spirits of the dead, inviting them to join her and her guests on this stormy night. The routine's sound design then incorporates the sound of slow, foreboding knocks as the souls of the departed make their presence known. The room is deathly quiet as the ghosts knock again: once... twice... then a deafening scream as the spectators find themselves face to face with a horrifying skeleton that appears out of nowhere. In this setup, instead of having a "spitter" go off at the climax of the routine, the included
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October 2010- January 2011
www.scareworld.co.uk Control Freak activates a series of pneumatic valves and pistons that lift a secret trap door in the table, then thrust an artfully crafted skeleton up and out at the crowd from it’s hiding place within the table. Simultaneously, a relay is energized that sends power to an optional strobe light or spot light to add even more drama to the sudden effect. Fox had developed this scenario for his own haunted attraction in years past and saw that it was a real crowd-pleaser. He knew it was a natural add-on for the Ghost Bust®, and after assembling a talented crew of some of the best craftsmen in the industry to help him build the tables for sale to the general public, the Seance Table is now available for purchase on their website: www.nightfrights.net . But the Seance Table wasn't the only thing Night Frights had up its sleeve for release in 2010... Fox wanted to offer Ghost Bust® users a way to interact with their audiences in a live setting. Imagine the Ghost Bust® being able to say whatever you wanted it to say at any given moment, opening up endless possibilities for impromptu performances to entertain, advertise, instruct, and even to prevent customers from getting into trouble. That's what the new Ghost Bust Live system is all about. It was on the plane home from a trip exhibiting at the giant annual Transworld Halloween trade show held in St. Louis that Fox began mulling over in his head the requests he'd received from Ghost Bust® enthusiasts to somehow make the effect interactive. Before the plane had landed, Fox had written the software code in his head that would be needed to pull off such a trick. The Ghost Bust Live system incorporates a computer instead of a DVD player to play the video footage. The system was programmed to allow users to press a few keys on their computer keyboard (spacebar, Enter, and a few others) to control the mouth movements of the character. The programming challenge here was to create a fluid mouth movement in response to the key presses, not just display a suddenly-open mouth, then a suddenly-closed mouth but rather a natural movement that looked believable. But what many users seem to feel is the most fun part of the system is the voice changer! Since not everyone is an experienced, deep-toned voiceover artist, the Ghost Bust Live package includes a headset microphone and an electronic device that is capable of changing the pitch of a person's voice on the fly in real time, from monstrously low to comically high. At the flick of a switch, the device can make even a child sound like an enormous ogre, or conversely, a fully grown man sound like a munchkin. Having this versatility at one's fingertips allows Ghost Bust® users to customise their performances at the drop of a hat, utilising the low monstrous voice settings for teenagers or adult visitors, but allowing an instant change to a high munchkin voice to please the children that may visit without traumatising them. Unless, of course, warping the young minds of wee ones ranks high in your haunt's priority list. The Seance Table and the Ghost Bust Live system are two fun and exciting ways that Night Frights has introduced this year to allow Ghost Bust® users even more bang for their Halloween buck! See more high-tech tricks and treats at www.nightfrights.net . October 2010- January 2011
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THeATer OF iLLUSiON NOx ArCANA
Nox Arcana Conjures a Realm of Mystery and Dark Magic with their latest CD album Theater of Illusion Welcome to the Theater of Illusion, the legendary stage of magic hidden beyond the threshold of dreams and nightmares. Behold strange and mystifying acts performed by phantom magicians and discover the dark secrets that lie in wait beyond the veil of shadows. Nox Arcana invites you to enter a realm of magic and dark fantasy to immerse yourself in a soundscape of haunting melodies, mystical rhythms and pulse-pounding orchestrations. A lifelong fan of magic, Nox Arcana founder Joseph Vargo was inspired to create a musical tribute to the mysterious realm of illusion. The setting for this concept album is an old Vaudeville theater, hidden from the outside world, where master magicians gather to display their talents every Halloween night. The 21 tracks take the listener on a musical journey throughout the theater and provide a cinematic soundtrack for the eerie acts that play out on stage. "Our music has always been very popular with magicians, and several professional illusionists have used various Nox Arcana CDs to enhance their acts. With Theater of Illusion, I wanted to create something specifically for magicians and fans of dark fantasy." The tracks range from haunting melodies on piano, harpsichord, and music box chimes to dramatic orchestrations accented by gothic choirs and pipe organ. Other tracks offer exotic, mystical rhythms and hypnotic narratives to create a spellbinding atmosphere.
Theater of Illusion is available at: Nox Arcana http://noxarcana.com/illusion.html Monolith Graphics http://monolithgraphics.com/music.html CD Baby http://www.cdbaby.com/Artist/NoxArcana Apple iTunes http://itunes.apple.com/us/artist/noxarcana/id7041274 Amazon http://www.amazon.com/NoxArcana/e/B000APURDU/
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October 2010- January 2011
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WiNTerS eVe NOx ArCANA
Nox Arcana Introduces a Seasonal Chill for Christmas with Winter’s Eve Explore a spellbinding sounsdscape of haunting melodies and winter magic. As the first snow mingles with stardust and moonlight, an enchanted kingdom comes to life once again, deep in the Ebonshire forest. The White Queen of Winter returns to cast her ancient spell of slumber, and as the woodlands drift to sleep, she watches over a tranquil realm of wondrous dreams and memories frozen in time. Nox Arcana are renowned for creating haunting, gothic-themed soundscapes with strong literary influences as well as original storylines. Their acclaimed Yuletide album, Winter’s Knight, peaked at #8 on the Billboard Music Charts for Best Holiday Album. Their debut release Darklore Manor, based on an original story by Joseph Vargo about a haunted gothic mansion, was recently published as a novella in The Legend of Darklore Manor and Other Tales of Terror. Their Gothic and horror-themed albums, Blackthorn Asylum, Necronomicon, Transylvania, Shadow of the Raven and Grimm Taleswere inspired by the writings of H.P. Lovecraft, Bram Stoker, Edgar Allan Poe and the Brothers Grimm respectively. In this Digital Age, when downloads are cheap and easy, and concerns of illiteracy are on the rise, Nox Arcana go above and beyond to offer fans that "something extra" that makes buying a CD well worthwhile. Only Nox Arcana offer music with interactive packaging, captivating storylines, and puzzles hidden among the lavish album artwork. Unravel the hidden "Gold Bug" riddle with Shadow of the Raven, or go on an elaborate knightly quest with the epicBlood of the Dragon. Explore the myteries of the deep and uncover buried pirate treasure with Phantoms of the High Seas, and enter a realm of magic and dark fantasy with Nox Arcana's newest release, Theater of Illusion. Winter's Eve is available at: Nox Arcana http://noxarcana.com/illusion.html Monolith Graphics http://monolithgraphics.com/music.html CD Baby http://www.cdbaby.com/Artist/NoxArcana Apple iTunes http://itunes.apple.com/us/artist/noxarcana/id7041274 Amazon http://www.amazon.com/Nox-Arcana/e/B000APURDU/ October 2010- January 2011
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SOUNDTRACKS FOR SCARE ATTRACTIONS Born out of the continuing growth of the UK scare entertainment sector, Sinister Symphonies is the UK's only dedicated scare attraction music label, releasing albums for free public usage in scare attractions both in the UK, and beyond. PAN DOrA'S BOx
D on't open the box...
Sinister Symphonies debut album features 13 twisted soundtracks from the creative minds of AtmosFEAR! Entertainment Group and dark music composer Tony Longworth. The album features a creepy cornucopia of haunting soundtracks and heart pounding themes crossing all genres in the scare entertainment world. Each track has been constructed of contrasting thematic elements and sound effects which combine to draw the listener into a dread filled realm, where nightmares never end. Dare you open Pandora's Box and see what lurks inside?
AtmosFEAR! Entertainment Group
www.scareworld.co.uk
dea d a n d Bu r ied
WArWiCK gHOSTS ALiVe!
A Spirit That Lives on From Beyond Attraction Based Scare experience
At the beginning of 2003 an exciting rumour began circulating around the relatively small scare entertainment circle in the UK Warwick Castle, the UK's most impressive heritage attraction was to open the country's first all year theatrical scare attraction Warwick Ghosts Alive. Hosted in the 'haunted' Ghost Tower, the experience would be produced and directed by world leading scare entertainment guru Lynton V Harris of Sudden Impact Entertainment, producers of Madison Scare Garden and a variety of other haunted attractions around the world - including the first seasonal haunts at Alton Towers - 'Terror in the Towers' and Thorpe Park's 'Fright Nights'. With such a pedigree behind the attraction, much excitement surrounded the opening of the attraction in April of that year. Following a comprehensive nationwide advertising campaign the chiller attraction opened as a critical success, setting a new trend for scare entertainment in heritage properties, and paving the way for other attractions that would follow in proceeding years. As the first presentation of its kind in the UK, Lynton and his team introduced tried and tested American theatre principles that combined live actors, atmospheric sound, visual and lighting effects to re- create the historical legend of Sir Faulke Greville the castle ghost, and his demise at the hand of a disgruntled manservant. Historians were quick to point out the potential inaccuracies of the chosen narrative, but they missed the point that the attraction was about immersive storytelling, and not a lesson in the castle's history. 22
October 2010- January 2011
www.scareworld.co.uk Beginning at the steps to the entrance of the Ghost Tower, the attraction commenced with a sombre warning from the 'Landing Host' who demanded that guests move through the Tower with caution. In this case, Harris decided not to employ his ‘hands on shoulders’ technique - now a 'staple' scare attraction safety concept - and one that was first introduced to the UK by Lynton, due to the multiple stairs involved in the experince. Instead, the group was led around by a Narrator who not only told the story, but served as the ‘in-show director’, guiding and choreographing the audience into thier ‘set’ positions for each scare. Once in the fog filled darkness of the Tower itself, the phantom of Sir Faulke sprang to life, while other static manikins glared in the gloom, and spiteful spectres hissed and growled in the pitch black corners of the panelled room. The second scene took place in the bedchamber, reached by a spiral staircase lit by flickering candle lights - guests with a keen eye might have noticed that several of the manikins here had once been part of the tableau at Madame Tussaud's! Once guests had been arranged around an old four poster bed, the murder of Sir Faulke at the hand of Ralph Hayward took place - strobe lighting and an air cannon delivered just the right level of fright to ensure that the attraction delivered its promise, but would not make younger guests too uncomfortable. After leaving the bedroom, guests were ushered into a gallery where a painting came to life and then passed through a curtain to descend into the photo booth
October 2010- January 2011
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www.scareworld.co.uk where, if you were lucky, the camera had caught you looking relatively 'normal' and not screaming wildly (as it often did with me!) Consistently popular, Warwick Ghosts Alive! operated an up-sell ticket policy, with castle guests being asked to pay a further entry fee to experience the attraction. Despite this, it was ever popular, drawing repeat audiences and even a local cult following! Following their takeover of The Tussaud’s Group new castle operators Merlin Entertainments saw an opportunity to capitalise further with the concept and offered a themed dining event which included a visit to the attraction, coupled with extra scares and stories, but sadly the event was not popular and the advertised dates were cancelled. Warwick Ghosts Alive! successfully entertained over 250 thousand guests, until the cast took their final bows at the end of the 2008 season, having paved the way for Merlin Entertainment's stronger nationally recognised brand 'Dungeons' which opened in a different area of the castle in April 2009. While The Castle Dungeon at Warwick Castle is a hugely successful attraction in its own right, and well worth a visit, it was in fact the creative and financial success of Warwick Ghosts Alive! that made this initiative viable. There are many who miss the theatricality and unique qualities of Warwick Ghosts Alive!, and it will not be forgotten by those in the UK scare entertainment industry, along with the many actors who performed in the speacial play in such hallowed grounds. Photos Š Copyright Joe McCabe Merlin Entertainments/Warwick Castle Fotowhizz.com Scare-E TV AtmosFEAR! Entertainment Group
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Home Haunters HOW TO HAUNT YOUr HOUSe Pensacola, FL – March 2009—Husband and wife team, Shawn and Lynne Mitchell, have turned their modest home haunt, The Mitchell Cemetery, into a self-published book about Halloween decorating, prop building and special effects called, How to Haunt Your House. With a fascination of Disney’s Haunted Mansion, old black and white horror classics and movie special effects, the Mitchells created their own version of a Halloween haunted house and graveyard for over the past five years. What they learned along the way, the turned into their own howto home haunt book. A lot of Halloween decorating books offer mostly projects for children. How to Haunt Your House is geared toward the teen to adult age group and offers projects that range from simple to complex. Within the 98 page book are over 300 color photos, step-by-step instructions,
tips and tricks for home haunters and inspirational photos of the Mitchell’s past displays. Readers will learn to create everything from Styrofoam props to special effects, like the Pepper’s Ghost effect seen in the Disney’s Haunted Mansion attraction. Learn how to make glow-in-the-dark candles made from PVC and hot glue. There are instructions for building your own mummy, scarecrow, or a drinking ghoul. A wide range of topics are also covered, everything from lighting, using fog machines, to creating a special entrance for trick-or-treaters and party guests. 26
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www.scareworld.co.uk Pete Henderson, hauntspace.com founder, says: “The content is amazing. Not only does the book offer a thorough index but the topics included in the first book start out on the ground floor in an easy to understand fashion. All of the content is illustrated with step by step instructions on how to achieve your goal. The book has pointers that outline all of the components of a prop and explains its features. The language is simple. I find this to be very important. Haunter talk can be understood by a person who has dabbled in this industry for a long time. A beginner should have the ability to navigate through the book and easily understand the lingo. This is the case here.” More information, additional online tutorials and resource links can be found on the website, www.howtohauntyourhouse.com. The website also features the Mitchell’s past Halloween videos and photo galleries. The Mitchell Cemetery has been featured in the 2007 FearNet series called, “America’s Scariest Haunted Houses”… and was finalist for the 2007 Best Yard Haunt in the Haunt X Awards. How to Haunt Your House, book 2, is currently in production and will be available for October 2010. HOW TO HAUNT YOUr HOUSe, BOOK TWO Shawn and Lynne Mitchell, have written their second self-published book about Halloween decorating, prop building and special effects called, How to Haunt Your House, Book Two. The coffin lid was raised a little higher in, How to Haunt Your House, Book one. Now it’s time to dig a little deeper and conjure up some new projects and decorating ideas to impress thisyear’s ghouls and goblins! Inside, How to Haunt Your House, Book Two, you will find a broad range of home haunt prop step-by-step instructions. From animated props to full sized grave ghosts there is something for the haunt enthusiast in everyone. Readers will learn to create everything from a spider web covered spooky chandelier to simple motorized props that move. Learn how to make witches’ potion bottles to creature cages. There are also instructions for building your own towering Gatekeeper, a scary Wolfenstein and a ghoulish Tomb Turner. A lot of Halloween decorating books offer mostly projects for children. The How to Haunt Your House, book series is geared toward the teen to adult age group and offers projects that range from simple to complex. Within each 98 page book are over 300 color photos, step-by-step instructions, tips and tricks for home haunters and inspirational photos of the Mitchell’s past displays. October 2010- January 2011
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Chris Baker, G-Host of Hauntcast.net, says: “Move over Martha, the real king and queen of Halloween have staged a cu de ta with their second book, How to haunt your house 2. I thought the Mitchell's would be hard pressed to top their first effort, but they have. This book is a must have for newbie haunters as well for experienced prop makers. It is visually stunning and worth the price just to have on your coffee table. I spend an exorbitant amount of time looking at prop making tutorials and really appreciate how Lynn and Shawn break down the projects keeping things very simple. They cover all the basics from materials, hacking store bought props, fencing, gates, tombstones, animatronics to faux wood and stone. The projects in this book will keep you busy for years and help you to create an AwardWinning home haunt. Take your haunt or Halloween party to the next level and buy both volumes.” More information, additional online tutorials and resource links can be found on the website, www.howtohauntyourhouse.com. The website also features the Mitchell’s past Halloween videos and photo galleries. The Mitchell Cemetery has been featured in the 2007 FearNet series called, “America’s Scariest Haunted Houses”… and was finalist for the 2007 Best Yard Haunt in the Haunt X Awards. They were also awarded The Haunters Video Award Best Video Production 2009 and the “Propmaster” Award of Exceptional Contribution Recognition 2010 for their first book, How to Haunt Your House. How to Haunt Your House is a Print-On-Demand (POD) book and can be purchased online from LULU (www.lulu.com), Amazon (www.amazon.com) and Barnes and Nobles (www.barnesandnoble.com).
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Scareworld managed to drag Shawn and Lynne away from prop making and writing for 5 minutes to quiz them on thier ‘Haunting’ lifestyle. You are professional home haunters who have been doing this for a long time, how did you get started?
Our home haunting began because of a Halloween party. We wanted to do something extra special and create a cemetery walk through for our party guests. We didn’t have any large outdoor props, so we got to work and built a bride’s tomb, the Unfortunate Fortune Tellers tomb, several large tombstones, and a Grave Digger’s Shack out of Styrofoam. Twelve cans of black light hairspray along with some strategically placed blacklights and we had a glowing cemetery complete with two Pepper’s Ghosts effects. It was an ambitious first home haunt that turned out far better than we had thought possible. We knew that if we could do this… anyone could! What elements need to be present for a successful home haunt?
Experimentation and Imagination are the two most important elements of a successful home haunt. You need to think outside the coffin! Home haunts can go in a lot of directions. What kind of haunt do you want to be? What makes you afraid? Do you like eerie, suspenseful experiences or blood and screams? Is it monsters or aliens? Build your haunt out of the theme that best fits your tastes. It is a work of art that must be crafted over time so make it your terrifying fantasy! What inspires you in your creations, and where should other home haunters look for inspiration? Shawn and I love classic horror movies, spider web covered sets, period costumes, and musty, old, haunted houses with all the dust and decay that comes from such abandoned things… We love to scavenge for things to use as haunt props. Flea markets, ebay auctions, and store clearances are our favorite resources. A vase might have pink roses painted all over it, but throw on a layer of black paint and it becomes the perfect funeral urn! Tell us about your home haunt The Mitchell Cemetery in Pensacola?
The Mitchell Cemetery began as a small walk through that perhaps 50 people saw. Five years later, it grew three times larger and was visited by over a thousand people. It was an amazing feat for just two people to pull off. We are taking a break from the cemetery this year and just doing some indoor decorating. We are working on a mad scientist lab in one room and a vampire’s den in another! Halloween is very different in the UK, can you give us a flavor of what Halloween Florida style is like?
When we are not battling hurricanes, humid fall temperatures, and hordes of mosquitoes, Halloween in Florida is pretty tame. Trick-or-treating is a dying trend, but Halloween parties seem to be on the rise. Ghosts just seem to want to stay indoors come All Hallows Eve—and given this is Florida, with all the wind and heat and mosquitoes— even the dead can appreciate a little air conditioning! Tell us in your own words about your books and web resource 'How To Haunt Your House'? Are there more books or resources planned?
How to Haunt Your House, books one and two were well received in the haunt community. A lot of fellow home haunters told us how much they were inspired and couldn’t wait for the next book to come out. Shawn and I have notebooks full of ideas still to do, so there will defiantly be more projects to come, which will likely mean more books. One sticky point about being self-published, print-on-demand, color publishers has been the final book cost. We have been working hard on this problem and plan on producing digital versions of each of our books with much lower cost points, and no shipping! Kindle, epubs, and eventually ibook versions will all be available. One exciting future goal are interactive books with video!
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Split Personalit y
In this regular Scareworld feature we talk to some of the greatest and scariest scareactors and their alter ego’s. In this edition we talk to The Master a.k.a Michael Haynes.
SW: Firstly please introduce yourself to our readers and tell us a little about what you do. Michael: Hello everyone, I’m Michael Haynes and I’m a comic character actor who can sing and dance a little. I’ve been in the trade now for 16 years and I’ve performed on screen, stage and theme parks at home and in Spain. I can also play a mean recorder. SW: How did you get into the scare business? Michael: I was thundering along the A34 going to see my parents back in May 2002 when Jamie Greaves from Alton Towers rang my mobile and invited me to audition for what he called Terror of the Towers. After he had explained what the “show” was I was a little dubious that it wasn’t quite the type of performance I’d enjoy.
SW: What do you enjoy most about your job? Michael: Making people laugh. SW: What other jobs have you had? Michael: Over the years I’ve done all sorts but here goes….Green grocer, warehouse stacker, Barman, Night Porter, Hotel Manager, Conference and Banqueting Manager, Bar Manager, Pub Licensee and Manager, Night Club Manager, Main Stage Bingo Caller, Entertainments Manager, Entertainments Co ordinator, Murder Mystery Actor, Events Manager. SW: What has been your most memorable scare? Michael: Whilst playing the Master at Alton Towers TOTT, I discovered that my leather soled shoes slid perfectly over the polynylon carpet in the Great Hall. I was able to slide at speed all over the place, appearing out of the smoke and gloom in an instance herding guests to where I wanted them or splitting groups up so I could chase them around. One day I corned some guests into the huge stone fireplace and they were so scared they tried to climb up the chimney. SW: What scares you? Michael: Sharks
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SW: Which scare attractions have you visited, either in the UK or further afield? Which are your favourites and why? Michael: I’m a bit limited here as I tend to spend too much time working and not enough time visiting attractions. I’ve been to The London Bridge Experience, MASKS, Pasaje del Terror London and Blackpool, Warwick Ghosts Alive and of course worked on and visited every Towers Scarefest. Pound for pound, Warwick Ghosts Alive was the finest of them all for theming, story, script, casting and value for money. SW: Which two people, from fact or fiction, living or dead, would you invite to dinner, and why? Michael: Winston Churchill so that I can look him in the eye and tell him where he went wrong and then shake his hand for being the finest leader and statesman that ever graced the planet. He’d also have a fount of amusing anecdotes. Gandalf would be my other dinner guest and if he did turn up then that would mean that Tolkien’s world is a reality and all my teenage years were not wasted. SW: What is your most annoying habit? Michael: Being right. SW: What do you do in your spare time? Michael: I’m an amateur military historian particularly of the Napoleonic period and I spend several weekends a year portraying a British soldier fighting the French. This is a hobby I started 25 years ago and last year I was promoted Brigadier General. SW: How do you celebrate Halloween? Michael: I work very hard to put the willies up people. SW: Tell us a deep dark secret about yourself! Michael: Not only am I good at keeping my secrets, I’m also very good at keeping those of others. SW: What is coming up next for you? Michael: I’m still working on my One Man Murder Mystery company and this year I signed a full time contract with Alton Towers that will consume most of my working time. Scarefest at Towers 2010 is looking to be bigger and more exciting than ever with a new maze and I look forward to making that another success.
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SW: Firstly please introduce yourself to our readers and tell us a little about what you do. The Master: Is there no sodding peace to had? I’m The Master you blithering idiot, the all powerful Master of the Alton Towers ruins where I prey upon the feebleminded simpletons who wander into the fetid gloom of my halls. Well at least I did until some bloody urban explorers disturbed some bloody vampires in the crypts. Cannibals and vampires do not get on let me tell you. It’s like going to a bring a bottle party and finding nothing but quiche. Sodding things. SW: How did you get into the scare business? The Master: Are you entirely stupid? Just because a load of greasy chavs and pikeys have wandered into your front room poking around at your furniture and having asthma attacks, it does not mean that you have suddenly become a contender for a Screamie award. They never even wiped their sodding feet. SW: What do you enjoy most about your job? The Master: Being the cannibalistic overlord of a mouldering country estate is not work you fool, it’s an existence of constant, hedonistic impulses that are only satisfied when I feel the torn lumps of flesh slide into my distend belly as I wipe the jellifying blood off my claws. SW: What other jobs have you had? The Master: Worked for the Foreign Office back in the Raj but the local diet was too spicy and caused havoc with my innards. Eastern Europe was no better. The natives were all on edge and armed to their cabbage stinking teeth with stakes, torches and pitchforks. Bloody vampires ruined all the best overseas locations. Whitley Bay was no better but then it never was. I had a posting to the Colonies when I first started at the Ministry. Bloody Salem. SW: What has been your most memorable scare? The Master: One of my after dinner entertainments is to demonstrate my freestyle contemporary native dance that I learnt from a little Thugee wallah. There were a couple of guests left out of the original group who had survived the sweetmeats course and before the port went round I thought I’d lighten the mood because so much gibbering and squealing unsettles the servants. Ten minutes into me act the blighters tried to escape up the chimney! Bloody odd. SW: What scares you? The Master: Esmerelda……………………………………..that woman never brushes.
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SW: Which scare attractions have you visited, either in the UK or further afield? Which are your favourites and why? The Master: You silly arse. Do I look like a bloody tourist? SW: Which two people, from fact or fiction, living or dead, would you invite to dinner, and why? The Master: The Marquis de Sade because I want to compare notes, staying power and find out exactly which orifice he was referring too. My next guest would be the famous cook, Mrs Craddock because I really do like hourderves shaped like Fanny’s SW: What is your most annoying habit? The Master: I don’t use a fish knife. SW: What do you do in your spare time? The Master: I collect spleens. SW: How do you celebrate Halloween? The Master: I used to open the house up and get new friends round for nibbles. Bloody sodding vampires have gate crashed the whole event so now I take a few weeks off and go away. This year I’m thinking of Sunnydale in the States. SW: Tell us a deep dark secret about yourself! The Master: I have a fetish for pansies. SW: What is coming up next for you? The Master: Relocation. My idiot son has squandered most of my fortune with online poker so I’m downsizing and moving. I fancy somewhere quiet with a good larder. Milton Keynes is a possibility.
Photographs of ‘The Master’ © Copyright Stephen Candy Photography. http://www.photoboxgallery.com/StephenCandyPhotography
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TONY LONgWOrTH DArK ALTerNATiVe mUSiC COmPOSer
musical F r igh ts
Born and raised on the Wirral peninsula in England, I have had a keen interest in music and movies from an early age. This interest started through frequent visits to the cinema. I remember seeing many movies at as a child and being struck by how the music alone would create tension and emotion. I also vividly remember being fascinated more with the evil characters in the movies more than the good ones. These darker elements really appealed to me; the darker and scarier, the better. In the early 80s, before the big video nasties panic here in the UK, a normal Saturday consisted of my best friend’s older brother renting several horror movies from the local video store and spending the whole afternoon watching them with the curtains closed. They scared the hell out of me but I totally loved them. From that moment on I knew that I wanted to somehow be part of these movies. In 1990 I formed my first band called Morbid Symphony. We started out with no real direction playing cover songs by bands like Iron Maiden, Slayer and Metallica. It took us nearly a year to find our true direction with Morbid Symphony. We wanted to do something dark, something scary so the band’s music slowly evolved into death metal. Both the music and lyrics were heavily inspired by horror movies and horror literature, most notably the works of HP Lovecraft and Edgar Allan Poe. Morbid Symphony split up towards the end of the 90s. About a year before the split I became interested in different forms of instrumentation. I felt there was only so much that could be done within the death metal genre with just drums, bass and guitar, so I began to explore and experiment with different sounds. I started writing small interludes using these sounds that were used between Morbid Symphony songs as interludes.
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www.scareworld.co.uk Synthesisers and samplers fascinated me and I realised that this equipment could realistically create near enough any sound. This opened up a whole new world of music for me to explore. Although these instruments were quite different, I was still creating dark, sinister music with similar imagery to what I’d previously written for Morbid Symphony. When the band split I continued writing dark, electronic music. Greatly inspired by horror movies and fiction, and bands like Dead Can Dance, my first solo album slowly began forming. It was round this time that I visited Orlando, Florida for the very first time. It was October and Universal Studios were holding their annual Halloween Horror Nights event. I went along to it and experienced the most amazing and most terrifying night ever. The event consisted of numerous themed haunted houses featuring live actors in costumes and masks. I remember upon experiencing these for the very first time thinking how it was just like starring in my very own horror movie. I was hooked. I took away many things from this event but the most important thing for me was the realisation of how crucial the sounds and music were in creating these terrifying experiences. The low lighting, the sets, the actors, etc. all add to the experience, but it was the use of sound and music, and how it played such a significant role that stuck with me. Returning to the UK, I used this experience while writing more music for my debut album. Since then I’ve visited Universal’s Halloween Horror Nights on many occasions, each time taking away new ideas and inspiration. I’ve also been fortunate enough to visit the granddaddy of all Halloween haunt events, Knott’s Halloween Haunt at Knott’s Berry Farm in California which was amazingly scary to say the least. After Morbid Symphony split, I stayed in touch with all the members including the drummer Keith Hill. Keith shared the same fascination with dark, electronic music, and towards the end of Morbid Symphony, we spoke about forming another band together. It was round the time of writing my solo album that me and Keith formed the band FleshResonance. We wanted to do something slightly different with this band so we came up with the idea of writing all different genres of music that were linked together with one simple theme – darkness. A typical Flesh-Resonance album contains rock, acoustic, metal, experimental, industrial and dance tracks amongst many other styles, making us quite unique in our approach to song writing. 36
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www.scareworld.co.uk 2002 saw the release of the Flesh-Resonance debut album ‘The Dark Between The Stars’ and my debut solo album ‘Beyond The Veil’. The music contained within these two albums were well suited for film so I set about contacting as many independent filmmakers as I could possibly find. My search led me to America and I found many independent filmmakers including Brad Paulson, Aaron Burke, Kevin J Lindenmuth and David Kenny who were interested in using our music in their movies. Over the years, word of mouth helped me secure a lot more movie work, with new filmmakers contacting me on a regular basis. Back in 2002 I found myself working on mainly no to low budget movies but nowadays I am working on independent movies with more respectable budgets. Some of the recent movies I’ve worked on include 48 Hours In Purgatory, Get Lamp, Morning Funeral, Dead In Love and Suicide Poet created by some of the best up and coming independent movie makers of our day. Flesh-Resonance is still going strong to this day with four CD releases and counting, as is my solo work with several CD releases and many more on the way. Over the past few years I have longed for something similar to the US Halloween events here in the UK. I’d been to a few events around the country but was always disappointed as they just didn’t match up to the American equivalents. That was until I discovered the work of AtmosFEAR! who are truly the leaders in UK scare attractions. AtmosFEAR! are all about creating the best and most frightening events ranging from street theatre right through to all out Halloween theme parks. Upon experiencing their work, I just knew I had to work with them. We set up a meeting and came up with the idea of releasing music specifically written for scare events. I obviously jumped at the chance to write music for them. I’m currently working on the first CD that will be debuted at Scare Kingdom in October 2010. Tony Longworth – dark alternative music composer Email: tony@sinistersymphonies.com Web: www.sinistersymphonies.com Photographs by Tony Longworth and Amanda Norman Photography © 2008
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S c a ry Wo rld HALLOWeeN HOrrOr NigHTS USA By Mark Lofthouse
As many of you scare fans know, Theme Parks have taken on board the Halloween festivities and made them into a whole new dimension. Halloween Horror Nights in the USA (HHN) set the bench mark for these types of events many years ago... In 1991, Universal Studios Florida decided to try out a new Halloween theme to their park which lasted for 3 nights. With the name of 'Fright Nights' guests would enter the park to eerie music and, if they dared, enter the Scare/Haunted Attraction 'Dungeon of Terror'. This was the start of something magnificent, a 20 year spree of fear that would unleash some of the most favoured icon characters in the industry. The event changed its name in 1992 to the infamous HHN. With this new year came a new maze, 'The People Under the Stairs'. This maze is said to be what kickstarted the intense story themes that you see today in Universal and many more attractions world-wide today. With this event, Universal began to realise the potential of holding such an attraction. The idea was put forward to run the event for longer and add more to it. This was the beginning of the icon character... The first icon character the park had conceived was the 'Dungeon Keeper', this brought a reason to hold the 'Dungeon of Terror' for another year. 38
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www.scareworld.co.uk With the addition of the Dungeon Keeper, the creative team behind HHN designed the first 'scare zone'. As opposed to being inside a 'haunt', this would be a section or area of path that would be themed and housed many ghouls and creatures, lurking to get their fresh cut of meat. This format of a 'scare zone' continues to this day with more and more people wanting to venture into them and considering them as affective as a normal 'haunt'. In 1999, with the release of the new Universal film 'The Mummy', The Halloween Horror Nights team created the first real movie based attraction. The Mummy attraction sat along-side another famous horror movie based attraction, 'Psycho: Through the Mind of Norman Bates'. This created a whole new dimension in haunts or scare attractions, with many seasonal (and year-round) attractions using characters and scenes from famous films. This was a clever move for HHN's as being held in the Universal Park, they had props, make-up, sets and costumes from the movies at their disposal. It was obvious that the audience and guests really enjoyed these movie based attractions as screams could be heard all over the park. It was something to watch a horror movie, but then to be transported 'into' the attraction and meet those murderous characters of which you fear, is a totally different experience! In 2002 the new event had upped sticks and moved over to the 'Islands of Adventure' theme park next door to Universal. This continued for another year until in 2004 the resort decided to utilise both parks and have a whole resort themed to the Halloween season.
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The connection between the parks were even themed, this made the whole resort an assault on the senses and threw you in at the deep end of fear. In 2006 HHN turned 16. This year a whole new level of storytelling was unleashed! The 4 main icon characters from the past had joined forces to wreak havoc on un-suspecting visitors. The Storyteller, The Director, The Caretaker and Jack all made an appearance together. Jack was one of the favourite characters of the whole event for a lot of victims, or 'audience members'! His first appearance in the year of 2000 had left a lot of customers wanting more. The character is probably one of the most famous characters in the industry on either side of the pond. With clever marketing and word of mouth, rumours spread like wildfire of the evil clown haunting Universal. Still to this day he is haunting the dark passageways at the park.
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www.scareworld.co.uk 2009 was a major year for HHN with the event named 'XIX: Ripped From The Silver Screens'. This whole event was themed to famous movies that Universal had either produced or collaborated with. With attractions themed to 'Saw', 'Frankenstein', 'Dracula' and 'Chucky', this event was truly immersive. One of the scare zones was themed to a horror movie being filmed at the very moment as you was passing by. Many believe this to be a tribute to The Director character, for the years he had frightened the guests and all his work now coming together. On August 26th, details for the 20th anniversary had been released. An ALL NEW icon character had been released, the character being, FEAR itself. All new attractions and scare zones have been created with some spectacular themes. The themes range from ancient Greece through to the black death. With this year being the 20th year of such an event, the designers at HHN have created an all new scare zone and Show that gives a distinct nod to all the past years of fear they have created. A lot of icon characters and scenes from previous years will be included, and will be a fantastic view into the history of HHN for its fans and the public alike.
So, as you can see, the event really is a spectacle in the true sense of the word. If you live in Florida. or are on holiday in time for the event, you'd be silly to miss out. With fantastic theming, great story lines and a truly amazing creative force, this event is one of the big leaders in the industry and will be for years to come, let's hope there's another 20 years yet to scream at!
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a’s rj a m r e h t o m ld O Ag on y Page Dear Old Mother Marja, Can you please help me Old Mother Marja? My scareactors keep trying to scare me when I am telling them what to do. It is becoming a hindrance, and I am petrified wondering what they are going to do next! Can you out tell me how to put them on the straight and narrow? Worried in Warwickshire.
Dear Worried, Whats the problem you wining wimp? Your scareactors are supposed to scare you, the clue is in the name SCAREactors… For goodness sake, why is it that these ‘scare’ producers are so frightened of the creations they create? I suggest they take the scarefactor up a notch, maybe then you will be scared away for good, and they can get a Producer with backbone, bahhh. Marja. Dear Old Mother Marja, How do you cope with trouble makers, are there any control procedures you can suggest for scare attraction guests? Harassed in Harrogate.
Dear Old Mother Marja, I enjoy my work as a scareactor, and love getting a good ‘scare’ from my guests. Could you advise how I could scare them so much that they might have a little ‘accident’! Evil in Edinburgh.
Dear Evil, What a lovely sign off! I love you, are you married? Anyway, if you are trying to make them wet themselves, you might have a health and safety issue – but if your not worried about that, I should think a good squeeze would do the trick.
Dear Harrassed,
Enjoy!
Eat them.
Marja.
Marja. Dear Old Mother Marja, I have a major problem, as a scareactor, the audience is supposed to be scared of me, but recently I seem to be more scared of them than they are of me. Can you help? Terrified in Tottenham.
Dear Terrified, My, my, this is terrible. I do feel for you. You sound like you need some TLC and a bit of re-assurance? Well this is the last place you will find it! BOO! Did you jump? I expect so… I’d say get down the job centre – scareacting is not for you dear – and take off your makeup first. Marja.
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Dev ilish Dining THe CreePY CAULDrON By Dave Matthews Deep red carpets, swagged velvet curtains, black walls and shelves oh and a huge black chandelier - may be not quite what you’d expect when you walk into a scare attraction, but this is not a normal scare attraction. With the kind of attention to detail that Disney would be proud of, the Creaky Cauldron in Stratford upon Avon has taken the British Scare Attraction to another level. By day the Cauldron is home to Bombay Manor and the extremely eccentric Bombay family whose motto is “The Unusual as Usual” and contains not only the Grand Emporium home to the Magic SpellBox Company and the Taming of the Brew a themed Victorian café and tea garden, but also Dr Bombay’s Imagiscarium. The Victorian café is open all day and serves a daily changing menu of light snacks, coffees and high tea. In the evening it provides an intimate candlelit dining experience for those who wish to stay the night... Spread across the upper two floors and accessed by creaky, winding and darkly lit staircases the Imagiscarium is contained in a warren of rooms and corridors filled with frankly spooky exhibits. The rooms contain a fascinating glimpse into the private lives of one of the country's most eccentric family’s. The Bombay family was cursed many centuries ago and their presence is still felt throughout the building. You wander at your own pace, there is no need to rush - although some visitors fear lingering even more - and encounter the windowless, eerie Chapter Room with it’s antique giant Ouija board. There’s also the Portrait Gallery with portraits of the family, stories of their lives and how each met their untimely deaths. On the third floor the Haunted Nursery is home to old fashioned children’s toys featuring puppets, teddy bears, a dolls house, rocking horse and human sized clown, many of which date back to the 19th century. It is known as the Haunted Nursery for a reason.....some visitors swear they have seen the clown’s eyes move…… All in all, a rite of passage for some and a terrifying experience for others – but nevertheless suitable for the whole family from age six upwards. But as dusk falls, the Cauldron takes on a different air as it shrugs off its light and spooky feel and puts on a much darker cloak to become a fully fledged scare attraction: the Stratford Ripper Experience – Terrifying Tales. With darker, moodier lighting, creaks, groans and candlelight – this is a live tour with a frankly terrifying climax.
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www.scareworld.co.uk Your host greets you and takes you on a candlelit tour of the building and tells you the strange tales of the buildings past and of some of its inhabitants who, it is alleged, still wander the corridors to this day. The tension builds as the speed you travel through the mirrored passageways and darkly lit rooms increases until you pause for breath in your final resting place on the tour – the windowless Chapter Room. Here you get the final piece of the jigsaw and as the fear that has been building around you for the last 40 minutes or so suddenly bursts forth into full blown terror as you realise…. Well, if we told you what it would give the game away – suffice to say it’s made grown men cry. Of course, if you’re feeling brave enough, this autumn, the Cauldron reveals its new 90 minute event “The Jekyll and Hyde Experiment”, officially the scariest experience in town. An evening based on the Victorian tale of Dr Jekyll and Mr Hyde, the experience will take the very brave on a journey deep into the unconscious mind….that is, unless you’re too frightened? No wonder most people refer to it as the “Creepy” Cauldron! Opening Details / Ticket Prices Bombay Manor is open every day from 10:00am – 5:00pm. Tickets cost £5 for adults, £4 for concessions & students, £2.75 for under 16’s and £12 for a family (2 adults & 2 concessions). The Stratford Ripper Experience - Terrifying Tales cost £7.50 and take place Monday to Thursday at 6:30pm and on Fridays at 6.30pm, 7.30pm and 8.30pm. The Jekyll and Hyde Experiment starts on October 1st 2010 and costs £15.00 and runs every Friday night at 9.30pm Victorian Séances (cost £25) and The Seven Degrees of Evil Ghost Hunt (cost £45) take place alternate Saturdays from 9.30pm. All events must be pre-booked and are subject to availability. Contact Details Seek The Magic Org The Creaky Cauldron Henley Street Stratford upon Avon CV37 6QW 0844 824 8600 www.wheremagicbegins.co.uk www.stratfordripper.co.uk
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For one night only, the producers of Preston's 'Scare Kingdom Scream Park' invite you to go to HELL - It really IS on Earth! The UK's most EXTREME scare attraction experience comes to The Great Student Lock In event at St George's Shopping Centre in Preston. Hell includes graphic depictions of horror in all its forms, and is not recommended for the squeamish or those of a nervous disposition. 13 demons, 7 zones of Hell, 1 attraction - PREY you get out alive... ÂŁ1 entry per person. To go to Hell, you must be an event attendee - for information and for admission click here If you escape from Hell, why not visit our Halloween Scream Park, Scare Kingdom full details can be found at www.scarekingdom.com Hell - the scare attraction, will tour the UK throughout 2011 and is now taking bookings. Please contact us by email for further information - satan@hellattraction.com
www.scareworld.co.uk
ws At t r ac t ion rev ie
New name, new management, new Halloween season. Formerly ‘Haunted Attractions’, ‘Scare Attractions’ is now under the new management of Kevin Sudds & Wayne Davis who are poised to give both industry professionals and scare enthusiasts all the latest news and reviews from around the UK. Kevin and Wayne plan to take their site above and beyond it’s previous incarnation to make it the definitive place to go for all things scary! We are very pleased to say that ScareAttractions.co.uk will also be publishing a selection of their reviews in Scareworld each issue. To get us started in this issue we have three reviews: Tom Spindlers ‘Masks’, ‘Bloody Mary’ at the London Dungeon and ‘Scarefest’ at Alton Towers. Scareworld look forward to working with Kevin and Wayne and we eagerly await their reviews from this years round of Halloween attractions. But for now, see what the UK’s most respected and seasoned scare veterans made of these attractions. Tom Spindlers: MASKS
We’ve reviewed all of Tom’s previous scare attractions and if you’ve read the reviews or visited yourselves you’ll know that Tom likes to shock as well as scare. Did his latest attraction, MASKS, live up to the reputation! The maze was located in an industrial nightclub built inside a disused metal factory in Islington, North London. The choice of site was perfect. With a large daunting looking façade located down a small side street, we could hear the screams and sounds echoing off the nearby buildings as we queued. We soon got to experience what was hidden behind the large doors, and it didn’t disappoint. A very professionally edited pre-show set us up for what was about to come, although I do have to admit I didn’t catch much of it, I spent most of my time looking over my shoulder for anything lurking in the darkness.
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WWW.SCAREATTRACTIONS.CO.UK Inside and up the first flight of stairs we soon realised that this was again not your “ordinary” scare attraction. What Tom does, and what his actors did so well, was create a great sense of unease, using the layout of the nightclub (and the dancing cages and furniture) to great effect. Even in the wide open corridors we still felt very exposed. Like previous attractions we were again split up, although not quite as powerfully as Asylum Hill, but still being picked off one by one from a small group wasn’t something that we liked… but we had no choice. Room after room we were subjected to actors that just appeared from nowhere and multiple attacks from all sides. These folks really knew how to work the spaces and the props provided. Halfway through we were directed towards the “upstairs room” where we were greeted by several characters. Now, I don’t want to go into detail with this room, but it was strictly adult content only! Whilst we enjoyed the experience I personally found this a bit disturbing and didn’t really enjoy being force fed food off a spoon that had been around so many other people!. The contents of this room seemed different for every visitor and as we talked to other survivors afterwards we realised what multitude of sick scenes played out in this room! But possibly the best room was saved until last. Take one large open area, add in metre upon metre of fencing, crazy strobes and green lighting and an assortment of very active actors and you have a room that had us running for the exit. Compared to the slow creepy weirdness of the previous room, this strobe area was chaotic and extremely intense. All said and done, the whole attraction was as an intense 20 minute experience as you are likely to experience anywhere. Everyone we spoke to seemed to get a different experience from us, so the improvisational skills of the actors are to be commended. “MASKS off” to Tom for pulling together yet another different attraction. Unlucky for him, the the third person in our group had never been through a real scare attraction before, and he left the building trembling. Wow! – what an initiation!
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www.scareworld.co.uk
The London Dungeons: Bloody Mary review
You have to hand it to the Dungeons attractions for constantly evolving and keeping their shows fresh. Each year brings new additions to the line up or tweaks to existing shows. This year sees a makeover of the original Fire of London exhibit to introduce Bloody Mary: Killer Queen! Mary Tudor, the daughter of Henry VIII was one of England’s most feared rulers and was nicknamed Bloody Mary after she ruthlessly burned 3,000 Protestants as heretics. The new show invites guests into Mary’s private chapel where the embittered Queen decides that we too are heretics. As one poor soul is strapped to a stake above a funeral pyre, judgement is made and all hell breaks loose. The attraction uses a number of different effects to show the ritual burning of the chosen one and as the attraction plunges into darkness, the watching guests are in for a surprise. The first half of the show works really well with a great build up of tension and a real sense of trepidation about what is going to happen. I was slightly disappointed that there wasn’t more “fire” in the room around us but all in all the show works really well. Where it is slightly let down, is as we leave the scene and face off to see Mary’s “fiery wrath”. This part of the attraction leads through the “burning” streets scene from the original Great Fire of London set and is a slightly anticlimactic walk after the build up of tension. Although saying that, I was leading the group and jumped out my skin as I rounded one corner and a very loud sound effect scared me! Bloody Mary: Killer Queen is a huge improvement over the very stale Great Fire section and finally relieves the perceived “dead spot” in the attraction. Interestingly it appears that the Great Fire story has moved to earlier in the show where it’s educational element fits in better. Unfortunately we didn’t get to see that as part of our tour. The rest of the Dungeon remains pretty much the same with their unique mix of gruesome history mixed with a good splattering of blood drenched humour. It was nice to see that the extended Bedlam introduced at last years witches event has been kept as this strobe lit pathway provides a very intense disorienting scare in the midst of all the horrible history!
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One final mention has to go to the wonderful Extremis. I’ve probably now ridden this dozens of times but it gets me EVERY time. Scarily, this time there were just three of us strapped in to the drop tower in the dark and as the bottom fell out of our worlds it was hard to tell which one of us screamed loudest! Bloody Mary: Killer queen will be burning guests daily from today. Alton Towers: Scarefest 2009
As many of our readers will know, Alton Towers have had a checkered history with Halloween. Unlike Thorpe Park that has stuck with it since 2002, Alton Towers have only recently embraced the large Halloween event and in 2007 and 2008 they have been experimenting with things. Some have worked some haven't. What is refreshing though is that the park haven't rested on their laurels and keep on changing to offer their guests a great experience. Starting in the park - we must first comment on the amazing Terror of The Towers. It is clear that a lot of money has been spent on this, as the whole attraction has had a major overhaul, with new sets, a new route and some fun new tricks. But this all comes later. First off is a badly conceived video introduction that adds nothing to the attraction. The film is not strong enough to set up the attraction's story and as such a lot of what comes later are random scenes that don't necessarily fit together in a cohesive story. Its only now that in the cold light of day 24 hours later that I realise the route is all down hill and the final frantic scenes are the reveal of "what lies beneath" Anyway, get past the video and the attraction really picks up (although the very low passage under the chain link fence felt a little TOO low for comfort) and we venture into the heart of the Towers. What is noticeable in these early scenes is that some animatronic effects (falling crates, dropping bodies) have been added to the mix and although effective at getting a jump aren't quite as personal as an actor led scare. Into the dark corridors of the house and this section was brilliant with lots of recurring scares from a lively couple of actors (who we recognised from previous incarnations and were excellent in their roles), and some great distractions and loud noises etc. The constant twisting and turning of the path was very confusing and the whole section was fun from start to finish The following section of the maze was actually quite long for just one simple concept but quite neatly created tension as we moved from room to room KNOWING that something was going to happen. We were concerned about some of the very low walls around these rooms which easily could have been a massive trip hazard. In low light conditions with everyone shuffling forward slowly I was surprised that there haven't been more incidents.
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Ttalking of trip hazards - it feels very unsafe walking DOWN stairs in a scare attraction. We www.scareworld.co.uk appreciate it's relevant to the story but a lot of time the tension was spoilt by the group shouting "look out - steps" as no one wanted to be pushed down them. Thankfully - there are no scares during these sections.
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So then finally (and by this point it feels like you have been in the attraction for a VERY long time) you descended down into the basement to see what all the fuss has been about it. Words can hardly describe the chaotic nature of this section with scares, strobes, fog and loud music and noise all combining to make a truly nerve wracking experience. How the actors stay in there for prolonged periods we don't know but as a finale it works perfectly. It's a hard man who walks out of this version of the Towers unshaken! The success of Terror of The Towers seems to be based on that final onslaught. It works really well but does mean that earlier parts of the maze are quite quiet as the staff all appear to be focused on the finale. Even so - with that, the quality theming and the enthusiastic staff it really cranks out an experience that Alton Towers hasn't seen before. Ok so the story goes a bit awry and there's that awful video but all in - this is definitely the Scariest Terror of The Towers yet! Moving over to The Field of 1000 Screams. The Field will always be a different attraction to Terror of The Towers as it is reliant upon a good story and a great build up. Returning more to the big bang effect of 2007, the Field saves all its best tricks for last and then throws them all at you. PLUS the kitchen sink! But before you get to that you must experience the build up and anticipation. The story is nicely set up through an incompetent army guy who sends us off on our mission through the corn. This early background setting scene is well presented especially with the online video feeds showing actual actors that will be met later (or vice versa in the doctor scenes where you see the army guy you met earlier). Its a nice touch that makes the Field complete and the environment feel real. Of course on the way there are a few fun diversions and the beautiful but twisted Sammie is there playing with the bodies of dead soldiers and adds real light relief to the whole experience. We loved this character and it was great to see her back! Moving on through a couple more scenes we had some great startle effects from actors before we received the chilling warning that there was only one way out and we must get there fast. At this point I don't remember that much more of the specifics as panic started to take over as we were very quickly being hunted down and chased. With the corn moving around us and grunts and yells coming from close by we ended up virtually running into our final refuge and hoping that was the end. Clearly it wasn't and the final scene was everything as chaotic and intense as the farmhouse scene of 2007. The sad thing is, I knew the zombies weren't real, I knew this was going to end soon but the rational side of my brain just couldn't work out how. As the four of us huddled together to survive the attack it took a while to actually realise that salvation had come and as we ran from the scene in blind panic we started to laugh! To give much more away will spoil it but once again we loved the field. Even though its a different story each year it feels so "comfortable" as it always manages to get the same actors coming back each year and keeps characters like Sammie to connect up previous versions of the stories. For those of us doing it each year this makes for fun little references and highlights. The thing is - this doesn't preclude new comers from joining in the attraction, as each years story is self contained in it's own right. Anyway it will be interesting to see what comes next.
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The Boiler House www.scareworld.co.uk Last years Boiler House had plenty of decent scare effects and quite a lively crew despite the slightly random stories being told within (we never really understood the bag lady in 2008!) This year the Boiler House revolves around a twisted pair of serial killers who end up stalking you through detailed scenes and through narrow and low corridors. We had a number of decent scares in here but the two main protagonists never really felt real as they were just masked costume characters. I'm assuming there's probably more than one person playing each character but the whole maze gave the impression of only being populated by three actors. For a maze that's costing £6 in its own right to enter, it really didn't feel that guests were getting value for money. Duel Live Back in the theme park, Duel the haunted house has once again received a spooky makeover with the addition of a number of actors. Unlike the 2 or 3 bored looking actors hiding behind white fences in 2008, this year sees a whole complement of actors that really add something special to the experience. Some of the actors are really well hidden and for an attraction aimed at families, we jumped a number of times at either their appearance or by some of the existing amazing effects which you never get to appreciate when you have a gun in your hand aiming at targets. Ok so if you look closely you can often see what's coming due to the carefully positioned fences to stop the actors being hit by oncoming vehicles but all in all - a marked improvement on last year and a brilliant fun attraction to boot! Looking back at the event overall, it is clear to see that Alton Towers have clearly addressed some of the concerns people have had in the past. The obvious money that has been spent on Terror of the Towers has now finally given the park a 5 pumpkin attraction they can be proud of. And one that is included in your admission price as well. I hope this doesn't mean that people will expect even bigger and better things from the mazes they have to pay extra for. As I mentioned earlier - why pay £6 to enter the Boiler House when you can do Terror of The Towers, which is longer and better, for free? At least the Field offers something different and has it's own unique selling points. This then does lead back to a constant concern that we have about the Scarefest event and that is the fact that to enjoy it all you HAVE to pay extra on top of your admission price. The park really needs at least one more quality scare attraction in its own right that is included in park admission. Until that happens the event will never feel like a complete Halloween experience.
For more news and reviews check out: www.scareattractions.co.uk Please note these reviews and associated pictures are copyright of www.scareattractions.co.uk and are reproduced here with permission. London Dungeon logos and images, Scarefest, Field of 1000 Screams and The Boiler House graphics are © Merlin Entertainment and are used with permission
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www.scareworld.co.uk
S c a re List ings CUrreNT eUrOPeAN SCAre ATTrACTiON eNTerTAiNmeNT LiSTiNgS YEAR ROUND SCARE ATTRACTIONS Pasaje Del Terror, Trocadero Centre London, England www.pasajedelterrorr.co.uk London Death Trap, County Hall London, England www.londonsdeathtrap.com TheLondon Dungeon, London London, England www.thedungeons.com Attractions: Extremis Bloody Mary Boat Ride to Hell The Great Fire of London Jack the Ripper Sweeney Todd Surgery Blood & Guts Scream, Madame Tussaud's London, England www.madametussauds.com The London Tombs, The London Bridge Experience London, England www.thelondonbridgeexperience.com The Ghostbus Tours, London London, England www.theghostbustours.com The Asylum, Louis Tussaud's Waxworks Lancashire, England www.louistussaudswaxworks.co.uk Carnesky's Ghost Train, Blackpool Lancashire, England www.carneskysghosttrain.co.uk Pasaje Del Terror, Blackpool Lancashire, England www.pasajedelterror.com Alien Attack, Blackpool Lancashire, England alienattackblackpool.com
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Buccaneer Bay, Newquay Newquay, Cornwall www.buccaneer-bay.co.uk Sunken Village of the DAMNED, Buccaneer Bay Newquay, Cornwall www.buccaneer-bay.co.uk The Haunted House, Dickens World Kent, England www.dickensworld.co.uk Dracula Experience, Whitby Yorkshire, England www.draculaexperience.co.uk SAW Alive, Thorpe Park Surrey, England www.thorpepark.com The York Dungeon, York Yorkshire, England www.thedungeons.com Attractions: Dick Turpin Ghosts of York Bloody Vikings Guy Fawkes Witches Burned Alive The Castle Dungeon at Warwick Castle, Warwick Castle Warwickshire, England www.warwick-castle.co.uk Terror Towers, Scarborough Yorkshire, England www.terrortower.co.uk The Edinburgh Dungeon, Edinburgh Edinburgh, Scotland www.thedungeons.com Attractions: Extremis Mary King's Ghost Burke & Hare The Cave of Sawney Bean William Wallace The Amsterdam Dungeon, Amsterdam Amsterdam, Holland www.thedungeons.com Attractions: Rembrandt's Secret De VOC Meynes Cornellis Reaper The Hamburg Dungeon, Hamburg Hamburg, Germany www.thedungeons.com Attractions: Bog Bodies The Great Fire of Hamburg Stortebeker's Execution Flood of 1717 Extremis
October 2010- January 2011
www.scareworld.co.uk Krueger Hotel, Tibidabo Barcelona, Spain www.tibidabo.es The Bram Stoker Dracula Experience, Dublin Dublin, Ireland www.thebramstokerdraculaexperience.com SEASONAL SCARE ATTRACTIONS 2010 Alton Towers Scarefest, Alton Towers Staffordshire, England www.altontowers.com Attractions: Terror in the Towers The Boiler House Carnival of Screams Trick or Treat Doors Scare Rooms
Scare Kingdom Scream Park, Hawkshaw Farm Park Lancashire, England www.scarekingdom.com Attractions: Unhallowed Hill Tingler's Toy Factory Hellfire Hall Trick or Treat Labyrinth of the Lost Pirates Frightwater Valley, Lightwater Valley Yorkshire, England ww.lightwatervalley.co.uk Attractions: Enchanted Walk Ghost Train Dracula's Dungeon
Hell Lanacashire, England www.hellattraction.com
Halloween Festival, Tulleys Farm Sussex, England www.halloweenattractions.co.uk Attractions: Circus Maze Boo Barn Spooky Trail Horrid Hayride Haunted Hayride Field of Screams It's Curtains Creepy Cottage The Cellar
The Haunted Castle Warwickshire, England www.warwick-castle.co.uk
Scaresville Haunted Village, Kentwell Hall Suffolk, England www.kentwell.co.uk/scaresville
PrimEVIL Norfolk, England www.dinosauradventure.co.uk Attractions: Dinohaunts Maze of Mutants Insanitorium
Dr Fright's Halloween Horror Nights, Northamptonshire, England www.drfrights.co.uk Attractions: The Asylum: Code Red The Darkness Farmhouse of Horror
Fright Nights, Thorpe Park Surrey, England www.thorpepark.com Attractions: SAW Alive Hellgate Se7en The Asylum
The 13th Seance, London Bridge London, England www.tomspindlerpresents.com
Fright Fantastic Essex, England www.adventureisland.co.uk
Halloween Hocus Pocus, Chessington World of Adventures Surrey, England www.chessington.com Attractions: Hocus Pocus Hall Trick or Treat Stables Black Forest Haunt
Halloween Howl, Millets Farm Centre Oxfordshire, England www.milletsfarmcentre.com Halloween Spooktacular, Shugborough Staffordshire, England www.shugborough.org.uk Halloween Ghost Train, Swindon & Cricklade Railway Wiltshire, England www.swindon-cricklade-railway.org Halloween Ghost Train, Kirklees Light Railway Yorkshire, England www.kirkleeslightrailway.com Hallowscream, York Maze Yorkshire, England www.yorkmaze.com
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www.scareworld.co.uk Hybrid X, Magna Science Adventure Centre Yorkshire, England www.hybrid-x.co.uk Scareshow, Church Farm Wirral, England www.churchfarm.org.uk Attractions: Creepy Cottage Haunted Hayride Nightmare Circus Panic X, X Scape Milton Keynes Buckinghamshire, England www.panic-x.co.uk MediEVIL, Samlesbury Hall Lancashire, England www.samlesburyhall.co.uk Port Aventura Halloween, Port Aventura Salou, Spain www.portaventura.com Attractions: Hotel Burn La Mina del Diablo La Selva del Miedo Laberinto Blacksmith Terenzi Horror Nights, Europa Park Rust, Germany www.terenzihorrornights.com Attractions: The Museum Crossing Over Cirque des Freaks Field of Screams Village of the Damned Vampires Club End of Days Terrorific Night 2, Walt Disney Studios Disneyland Paris, France www.disneylandparis.co.uk Farmaggedon, Farmer Ted's Lancashire, England www.farmaggedon.co.uk Attractions: Terror on the Farm Psychosis Insanity Halloween Spooktacular, Thurleigh Farm Centre Bedfordshire, England www.thurleighfarmcentre.co.uk Attractions: Field of Screams Spooky Woods Ghost Train Deadly Dungeon Orribly Aunted Attic
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Farmaphobia, Causey Farm County Meath, Ireland www.farmaphobia.com Attractions: Bone Valley Graveyard Canyon of Carnage Haunted House of Clonbrehan Tunnel of Terror Halloween Festival, Redhouse Farm Cheshire, England. www.redhousefarm.co.uk Haunted Spooktacular, Grove Open Farm & Gardens County Meath, Ireland www.grovegardensandopenfarm.com Funtasia Frightfest, Funtasia Waterpark Drogheda, Ireland www.funtasiafrightfest.com Attractions: Phantom Funtasia Tunnel of Terror The Spooky Spectacular, Sacrewell Farm & Country Centre Cambridgeshire, England www.sacrewell.org.uk Ghost Trains, Ravenglass & Eskdale Railway Cumbria, England www.ravenglass-railway.co.uk Halloween Festival, The Big Sheep Devon, England www.thebigsheep.co.uk Hallowscream, Crealy Adventure Park Devon, England www.hallowscream.co.uk The Haunting Carousel of Terror Ghost Coaster The Lost World Phantom Ship Terror Halloween Horrors, Babbacombe Model Village Devon, England. www.babbacombemodelvillage.co.uk Attractions: Dracula 4D Workshop of Horrors Gardens after Dark Frightmare, Over Farm Market Gloucestershire, England www.frightmare.co.uk Attractions: Journey to Vampsylvania Lair of the Vampire
October 2010- January 2011
www.scareworld.co.uk Halloween Horrors, Fort Amherst Kent, England www.fortamherst.com
Ghost Stories, Duke of York's Theatre London, England www.ghoststoriestheshow.co.uk
Spooky Castle, Broadditch Farm Kent, England www.spookycastle.co.uk
Circus of Horrors, Touring the UK www.circusofhorrors.co.uk
Halloween Fear & Fun, The Rare Breeds Centre Kent, England www.rarebreeds.org.uk Ghost Train, Exbury Steam Railway & Gardens Hampshire, England www.exbury.co.uk Spooky World, Applejacks Farm Cheshire, England www.spookyworld.co.uk Attractions: Haunted House Haunted Hayride Field of Screams Halloween Hauntings, Hamsterly Forest Durham, England http://www.forestry.gov.uk/website/ourwoods.nsf/LUWebDocsByKey/EnglandDurhamCountyNoForestHamsterleyHamsterleyForestVisitorCentreHalloweenHauntings Tram of Terror, Seaton Tramway Devon, England www.tram.co.uk Halloween, Coalhouse Fort Essex, England www.coalhousefort.co.uk Halloween, Kents Cavern Devon, England www.kents-cavern.co.uk
The Warnings Project, St Pancras Church Crypt London, England www.warningsproject.com
SCARE DINING The Creaky Cauldron, Stratford Upon Avon Warwickshire, England www.seekthemagic.org Attractions: The Stratford Ripper Experience The Jekyll & Hyde Experiment The Halloween Imagiscarium of Dr Thaddeus Bomaby The Hellfire Club, Manchester Manchester, England www.thehellfire.co.uk The House of Magic, London London, England www.houseofmagic.co.uk SCARE THEMED HOTELS Bats and Broomsticks, Whitby Yorkshire, England http://freespace.virgin.net/batsand.broomsticks/ Habitacion 13, de Hotel Burn, Barcelona Barcelona, Spain www.habitacion13.com
Helly's Asylum, Helston Cornwall, England No website Masks, The Metal Works London, England www.tomspindlerpresents.com Deranged, Dearne Playhouse Theatre Yorkshire, England www.deranged-live.co.uk STAGED SCARES The Woman in Black, Fortune Theatre London, England www.thewomaninblack.com
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