Scareworld Issue 2

Meet Esmerelda, Queen of Screams AtmosFEAR! Launches FEARooms

Meet the Voice from HELL

alton towers Scarefest review Home is Where the Haunt is Scare zone Musical Frights and more....

Exclusive insight into Castle Dracula

Second ScaretaStic iSSue

in tHiS edition

February 2011 -May 2011

4 Letter FroM tHe editor 6 Scare neWS 8, 39 gueSt reVieWS

alton towers ScareFest and cave of the cannibals

11 StageFrigHt

ghost Stories and Soulstice

17 Product SHoWcaSe

Blackwood asylum, Pandoras box and Scare Zone

22 tHe Voice FroM HeLL

Meet the Voice from Hell dick terhune

26 dead and Buried dracula’s castle

30 HoMe iS WHere tHe Haunt iS the bloodshed brothers

34 SPLit PerSonaLitY

in this issue we meet esmerelda

37 MuSicaL FrigHtS Jerry Vayne

40 ScarY WorLd

a Hauntingly enchanted evening

44 SLeePLeSS nigHtS

atmosFear! launches Fearooms

46 oLd MotHer MarJa Scareworld’s very own agony aunt 48 attraction reVieWS

scare attractions.c o.u k cast their critical eye

54 Scare attractionS current listings

this issues cover image: the Bloody Butcher makes an unwanted visit to atmosFear!'s Fearooms

www.scareworld.co.uk

F rom t he e ditor Fellow Haunters, It's that exciting time of year when scare entertainment producers begin finalising their plans for the year, and details of this year's scare season offerings begin to emerge... but a new trend in European scare attractions has recently seen more focus on entertainment at other times of the year, with scare attractions popping up all over the place at usually quieter times.

Christmas, Valentine's Day and even Easter are now proving fertile times for scare producers, which can be no bad thing for an industry still very much in its infancy, but continuing to grow at a considerable rate.

Sadly, since the last issue Passage Del Terror at London's Trocadero Centre has closed its doors and I am informed that they are unlikely to re-open, so we have lost one of our staple year round haunts, but whispers tell of new stirrings in London, and Blackpool is now very much hard on our capital's heels in the scare attraction stakes - with two year round attractions and a brand new Dungeon attraction opening later this year.

In this issue we will continue with our regular features, Esmerelda reveals her Split Personality, Haunt Rocker Jerry Vayne introduces us to his world, we get an exclusive insight into one of America's most famous old haunted attractions - Dracula's Castle, and we meet The Voice from Hell, plus reviews, news and much more are included, which we hope you will enjoy.

Remember, Scareworld is your magazine, and we have been delighted with the feedback we have received since our first issue. Plans are underway to go to print in a hardcopy format in the very near future, and we have some very exciting features and interviews lined up with scare entertainment personalities that you are all familiar with, so keep reading, and please tell your colleagues and friends about the magazine - it's free to subscribe, and free to advertise!

Stay Scary!

Jason Karl Editor

Editor: Creative Director: Deputy Editor: Contributors in this issue:

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Jason Karl jason@scareworld.co.uk Paul Howse paul@scareworld.co.uk Jane Willis jane@scareworld.co.uk Jane Willis, Drew Crow Star, Toni Griffiths, Jerry Vayne, Erik O’Brien, Mark Lofthouse, Dick Terhune, Old Mother Marja, Kevin Sudds & Wayne Davis.

Published 3 times a year by AtmosFEAR! Entertainment Group Š copyright Scareworld 2011.

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

February 2011- May 2011

The UK's First Easter Scare Attraction

21st-25th April 2011 Buzz Nightclub, Wakefield www.buzzwakefield.com www.atmosfearuk.com

www.scareworld.co.uk

S ca re news Developments in the European scare entertainment sector have continued unabated since the last issue of Scareworld, notably with the successful blending of Christmas with scare attraction at Glasgow's Ghosts of Christmas interactive attraction which ran throughout December.

Twisted Christmas characters provided eerie entertainment in an underground environment, proving once again that short term attractions can work outside of the Halloween scare season.

Hell also drew huge crowds in Preston at the beginning of October, and is now on tour throughout the UK, bringing extreme graphic horror to a year round audience, and Easter brings the opening of The Hole, a scare attraction in Wakefield over 5 nights.

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Merlin Entertainments have stamped their mark on Blackpool in recent months, with a huge restoration project based in and around the Tower.

A brand new Dungeon attraction, focussing on local and generic themes of horrific history, is now under construction and is due to open as The Blackpool Tower Dungeon in September this year. Passage Del Terror and Carnesky's Ghost Train continue to draw crowds in the town, and with the addition of the Dungeon, Blackpool is set to become the scare capital of the north.

Passage Del Terror in London suddenly and unexpectedly closed its doors permanently, leaving Death Trap, Scream, London Tombs and The London Dungeon open year round in the UK's capital city.

London Tombs have announced a brand new attraction for 2011, called the Hellevator, while at The London Dungeon details of their new feature, Vengeance.

February 2011- May 2011

www.scareworld.co.uk

The attraction blends horror history with the very latest in scare attraction technology, to create a 5D ride in which guests are transported back to Victorian London, where they will take part in a ghostly battle accompanied by an infamous medium character.

In Edinburgh, a re-development of the Sawney Bean feature puts guests right in the cannibals clutches as they face new effects and narrative created around the Scottish legend, and Gladiators of York opens at The York Dungeon this Spring.

A brand new scare experience will open in Whitby at the end of March, Killers Live, by the same team who produced Deranged Live, features encounters with sadistic murderers and lunatics.

Haunted Magazine launches The Nations Greatest Scare Contest in May, a national talent competition to find the UK's most frightening and freaky performers, run in conjunction with AtmosFEAR! Entertainment Group, the contest will be judged at the beginning of the scare season by a panel of industry experts.

Last year the Halloween season saw more scare attractions than ever before, and with details already coming in for this year's plans, scare entertainment enthusiasts will certainly have plenty to scream about in 2011!

For details on these, and many more, visit the UK's only online resource for scare attractions at www.scareattractions.co.uk.

Scarecon returns for the fourth year, this time based in a hotel in the midlands and offers several new features including a costume ball, seminars and scare infested bedrooms, the event is always a lot of fun and includes something for everyone, professionals and enthusiasts alike.

February 2011- May 2011

Keep your eye on the Scareworld website at www.scareworld.co.uk for breaking news - there are more announcements to come this year!

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guest rev iew aLton toWerS ScareFeSt 2010

by Jane Willis Scare attractions are a relatively new interest of mine but over the past three years or so I’ve seen enough to know the difference between spooktacular and frightfully awful!

So, as always, I kept an open mind on my inaugural trip to Alton Towers last month to experience the theme park’s 2010 Scarefest attractions.

Hands on shoulders we gingerly walked forth into the Terror of the Towers. The dark, eerie surroundings and musty, damp air created an atmosphere of trepidation.

Yeah, you haven’t mis-read that! I might be old enough to have owned a pair of tartan Bay City Rollers’ socks but I do confess to being an Alton Towers virgin and a Scarefest newbie - despite the rave reviews!

So apart from the renowned queues – which that day ranged from about 50 minutes to an hour for the top whitenuckle rides such as Th13teen and Nemesis – I entered one of Europe’s biggest theme parks with eager anticipation.

A video-recording gave us the brief back story which centred on the evil forces that lurked inside the ancient tower’s twisted passageways and imposing stone corridors layered, in part, with authentic cracked tiled flooring apt for a Halloween horror haunt.

Heading over to Terror of the Terrors – part set in the gothic Alton Towers mansion and included in the main admission price – we queued for about 45-minutes before making it to the entrance where a group photo was taken for “identification purposes”, I was told!

We congregated in the domed, glass entrance hall which was reminiscent of the unkempt conservatory in The Haunted Mansion - a rustic fountain feature, the imposing vines and the dead leaves wafting on the floor gave the space a chilly, abandoned look.

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I felt rather let down that the story didn’t continue throughout the maze of the Terror of the Towers – the longest of the theme park’s Scarefest attractions, lasting about ten minutes – but the jump scares were plentiful and the theming was suitably creative.

In single-file we descended well trodden steps and manmade stairwells, passing through themed rooms and spaces decked with cobwebs and battered paintings, while enduring close-up scares from the hoard of heavy-breathing and frightening characters. The long and winding rat-run strobe ending aptly distorted our vision as we dodged macabre masked characters bowing the metal fenced caging with their bodyweight.

February 2011- May 2011

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I’m not sure if the performers were supposed to touch but it was probably inevitable as the space was fairly tight in parts although complimentary to the awesome scary effect.

My only grumble is that the caged characters seemed to wander randomly and could have perhaps improved on the overall scare experience through better direction and staging timed in sync with the strobe.

Before taking on the park’s other Scarefest attractions – The Boiler House and The Carnival of Screams – we took full advantage of the famous Alton Towers rides, although I personally skipped the twisted, high speed rollers!

When I say this attraction is designed for younger visitors the witches didn’t shun older fun-seekers from participating either – even my 20-year-old ‘Peter Pan-esque’ daughter happily announced her name to the gathered crowd in return for a sweetie!

Moving on, lest she reads this review, we waited for darkness to fall before heading off to the two purpose-built Scarefest attractions – The Boiler House and The Carnival of Screams – both with a separae charge of about six or seven pounds.

Without giving too much away I would recommend HEX though, located adjacent to Terror of the Towers, which is a fantastic creation that plays on the senses superbly.

It was great to also see that Alton Towers had not forgotten its very young Halloween visitors either who queued for the Trick or Treat children’s attraction housing three witches akin to the Hocus Pocus trio.

In a muddy fielded area of the park we queued first for The Carnival of Screams and caught a glimpse of the menacing clown’s mouth entrance which was very impressive.

The ten to 15-minute wait could have been enhanced by a few street theatre characters but I loved the themed statues nearer the entrance of this undercover attraction and the odd side stall and refreshments caravan seemed to suffice most.

Tiny faces joined the witches for the rhythmic “trick or treat, trick or treat, give me something good to eat” seasonal sing-song before waiting behind one of three colourful doors in lieu of a Halloween gift.

February 2011- May 2011

We ascended the long, wooden ramp and clustered together before entering the ‘Big Top’ horror attraction, anticipating a circus of scary screamers!

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Where we disappointed? No, not at all!

Although lacking a strong back story this new for 2010 attraction seemed to link-up far neater than Terror of the Towers due to the continuous use of the circus themed scare characters and typical clown-like tricks.

We passed through a weird room of optical illusion which resembled something out of Alice in Wonderland as it decreased in size, or so it seemed, and a scare character camouflaged in a dotted suit ‘crept out of a wall’ painted to match.

A line of creepy puppet characters looked harmless enough until one jumped forward. A nice touch to add a scare character into the static line-up but wasted on most of us as the timing meant it was only seen by the last few people in our 10-12 man line.

A fantastic scare awaited us all at the end of The Carnival of Screams in the shape of a giant gorilla which had been featured on a huge billboard outside the attraction.

To be honest, by this point, I’d forgotten about the gorilla character so when we filed past a zoo-like cage housing a mountain of hey I just expected another ‘boo’ scare. But it was nothing, just hey. Passing next a large trunk I had the same thought but again, nothing happened.

With the outdoors now in sight we headed onwards, straight into the path of a black, 10ft King Kong character! Jump? I nearly had a heart attack! Top marks to the creators for this excellent, unexpected and totally effective scare!

Our short, five minute wait for The Boiler House probably reflected the fact that this was a return attraction to Scarefest despite being a first-time encounter for me.

Entering the smoky courtyard, reminiscent of an abandoned dock, we negotiated the pathway around large stacked crates and clanging pipework where a watchman character warned us of the two resident psychopathic serial killers.

Rushed into the safety of a closed cage – with a psycho man beating on the bars – the attraction had the makings of a good back story but we were sadly directed into the depths with the ‘go forth and watch out..’ mantra – again, disappointing, as ‘boo’ scares prevailed.

There was nothing in The Boiler House that I hadn’t seen before but the use of smoke effects, foul smells and stained, tattered curtaining were well thought out and worked effectively.

In summary, Scarefest 2010 provided a good mix of effective scares and special effects with superb costumes and macabre masks, but the experience could have been enhanced by following through the strong back stories, especially in The Boiler House, and by taking full advantage of Alton Towers’ rich history to provide a Terror of the Towers journey that included a spooky story.

Jump scares are all well and good but rather commonplace in the booming scare attractions industry so companies shouldn’t fall into the trap of being complacent as scare fans such as me are seeking scares that push the boundaries.

Overall, I’d give Scarefest 2010, an 8/10 and will definitely make a return trip.

www.scareworld.co.uk

Stage F right soundtrack. All very simple stuff when you analyse it, but superbly effective! Much of the audience were already terrified, and the curtains were yet to be raised.

This is the fear-inducing tagline for the much talked about GHOST STORIES, a show that premiered a year ago in Liverpool, but quickly transferred to London's West End where it continues to run.

It is the brainchild of Jeremy Dyson (from the deliciously dark 'The League Of Gentlemen') and Andy Nyman (cowriter/creator of Derren Brown's live and TV shows, and a world-class magician in his own right). So, with such a high pedigree, it comes as no surprise to find that this show is something of a masterclass in the psychology of fear!

From the very first steps into the theatre, warnings such as 'we strongly advise those of a nervous disposition to think very seriously before attending' and 'anyone who leaves the auditorium will not be readmitted' are posted all around to unconsciously heighten the anxiety. And the staff clearly relish racking up the fear factor in the more nervous amongst the congregation!

To get to your seat, you will pass seemingly random numbers chalked onto black walls, and enter an auditorium strewn with police tape, flickering lights and a spooky rumbling

February 2011- May 2011

The show begins with a professor of parapsychology delivering a lecture to the audience on the subject of ghosts, fear and the subsequent misinterpretations. His lecture is interspersed with recollections of three of his more interesting interviews.

During these scenes, he stands at the back of the stage asking questions whilst his interviewees re-enact their supernatural experiences.

The first is a nightwatchman with a daughter in a coma. The second is a student out driving in the middle of the night. The third is an arrogant city type who has a wife expecting a baby. I won't go into any great detail about what happens lest I give too much away, but each story involves a supernatural occurrence, a clever build up of tension and ultimately a big final fright! And each story is followed by a lecture by the sceptical professor on why he believed his subjects had actually experienced something different to what they thought they had.

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www.scareworld.co.uk

And just when you think the third and final story has ended, the show takes a darker twist, and it suddenly becomes clear what is actually going on.

So does the show live up to the hype? It's not an easy one to answer...

Although personally I was not frightened by anything in the show, it was clear that many people in the audience were! So to judge whether it's scary or not is a totally subjective matter. There's no denying that the build up of tension in each story was brilliantly done, but I did find the big scare at the end of each one a little underwhelming to be honest.

as the skillful usage of light and shadows conjured up a wonderfully eerie atmosphere. All the actors were very engaging, and it's no surprise to find Derren Brown's creative partner codirecting this; somebody who understands exactly how to manipulate and maximise the primal fear in an audience.

For those reasons alone, I would certainly recommend it!

But remember; 'YOU HAVE BEEN WARNED!' Review by Drew Crow Star

However, the twist ending left a nightmarish taste in my mouth long after leaving the theatre, so even I succumbed to the horror in the end!

The sets are very minimal (I'm assuming the bulk of the budget for the show went on the subliminally powerful publicity!) But it didn't need any more than such simplicity,

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February 2011- May 2011

www.scareworld.co.uk

Stage F right SouLStice tHe MacaBre MuMMerS I adore dramas that echo times long past.

Performances that position the audience in a haunting microcosm in history denied to us through age.So when invited to attend the winter production Soulstice, at Samlesbury Hall, Preston, Lancashire, I was determined to ‘feast and be merry’ on this seasonal performance.

As a traditional mummers’ play, Soulstice, successfully recounts a theatrical performance popular in medieval Britain when guisers’ plays were commonplace in most parts of the UK, including Ireland, as well as pockets of Englishspeaking countries overseas.

Set inside medieval Samlesbury Hall the beamed ceiling and wooden flooring matched the era although a move away from the traditional theatre-in-the-round or outdoor performance of the medieval mummers’ play.

fire [although obviously electric for indoor use] and a stage littered with autumn coloured leaves was, however, inkeeping with dramas of the period which concentrated more on tale than lavish set design.

Spoken in verse, I initially likened its rhythmic narrative to Chaucer’s medieval text, The Prologue to The Canterbury Tales.

But while containing opposing character types and narrated through descriptive verse, Soulstice went beyond storytelling to tell a rejoicing pagan tale of the equal need for death and re-birth through the seasons.

Typical of mummers’ plays, Soulstice included a masked narrator character, Beelzebob, who effectively re-capped the essence of each scene, a distinction which I personally found highly entertaining throughout the overall But with rounded stages rare in contemporary performance, especially if you missed something Britain and the modern audience’s desire for crucial or didn’t quite understand a segment. indoor winter comfort on a cold November evening, the setting for Soulstice was perfect for Medieval mummers were performed by characters in disguise, as depicted by the sixthe 21st century viewer. strong cast in Soulstice, but the deep purple and black cat-like feathered mask of Beelzebob The scant set of a large wooden table topped reminded me how history builds upon times past.

The Venetian masked balls, for instance, with three candles, a lit camp-like medieval popular in the 17th and 18th centuries used ‘need’ the same disguise element rooted in medieval Europe.

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www.scareworld.co.uk Through the icy depiction of winter’s Jack Frost, and his lush green brother, Robin Goodfellow, symbolic of warmer climes, Soulstice took us to a fictional time in history when the seasons squabbled to rule yearround.

The chill of winter versus the warmth of summer was effectively depicted through the contrasting presentation of each seasonal character. The atmospheric Celtic-like music and the variations of lighting effects superbly simulated the essence of each varied season.

A crackling strobe gave the silvery, twigged crowned Jack Frost a chilling, nasty edge, as he danced the stage in merriment, while his sibling’s sunshine green and auburn coloured costume with matching summer leaved face effectively warmed the heart.

In keeping with traditional mummers’ plays, the primary incident in Soulstice is the killing and resurrection of a central character and the restoring of life by a doctor of magical, healing potions, portrayed in the performance by the comedic character, Dr Dee.

mummers although scripted in Soulstice for a modern audience.

“If you can save him I will pay” pleads the mother, “I have no money but I have a bed this way!”

“You silly dame, what a cheek! ... it’s the best offer I have had this week!” replies Dr Dee, in a somewhat campish fashion, while indirectly portraying the Fool type character typical in mummers.

Humour prevailed through the words of Dame Seasons and the festive Old Father Nick, drafted in to end the seasons’ feud.

“Old Nick, tis I, your grand old dame,” she pleads.

“Oh yes, sorry ... err, what was your name?” replies a bemused Old Father Nick before being revealed as the birth father to both seasons.

After presenting their case why each should rule year-round, Old Father Nick crowns both Jack and Robin kings for equal portions of a year, Jack for autumn and winter and Robin for spring and summer. It is through Old Nick’s words that we hear the need for both “the warm and cold, the death and re-growth” the conclusion and true meaning of this 45-minute magical play, superbly scripted by creative producer, actor and writer Jason Karl and performed brilliantly by his company, AtmosFEAR! Entertainment Group.

Review by Jane Willis

Imploring Dr Dee to save her son Robin, killed by the mightier Jack, the comedic banter between the good doctor and Dame Seasons, the mother of all seasons and parent to both, is typical of

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www.scareworld.co.uk

noX arcana BLacKtHorn aSYLuM

P roduc t Showcase

Venture Beyond the Threshold of Madness with Blackthorn Asylum, a sinister soundscape by Nox Arcana offering 21 tracks of ghostly melodies, pulsepounding orchestrations and spine-chilling sound effects to set a dark, nightmarish mood.

Dare to explore the shadows of a forsaken sanitarium that is haunted by the souls of the dead.  High upon the rocky cliffs overlooking the Miskatonic River, the hollow edifice of Blackthorn Asylum stands as a bleak monument to the horrors that once lurked within its desolate halls. Originally built as a sanitarium for the

February 2011- May 2011

criminally insane, the asylum gained a grim reputation after dark rumors began to spread throughout the area.

As Nox Arcana founder Joseph Vargo explains, "Blackthorn Asylum is set in an abandoned sanitarium where the diabolical doctors experimented upon their patients in an attempt to extract the physical essence of evil. The deserted asylum is now haunted by the ghosts of its former occupants and the building harbors a sinister secret.

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The CD delivers a combination of eerie, menacing music and disturbing sound effects to convey the feeling of madness and despair. It's one of the darkest albums we've ever created.

"My original backstory for Blackthorn Asylum expounds upon H.P. Lovecraft's short story "From Beyond," which relates a theory that there is a hidden dimension surrounding us, but we lack the senses to perceive it. This unseen dimension is inhabited by creatures so terrifying that the slightest glimpse of them causes incurable madness. In Lovecraft's story, Dr. Crawford Tillinghast discovers a way to open a portal to this parallel world, but he suffers the grim consequences of his own actions.

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The Blackthorn storyline tells the tale of another doctor, Neville Aldritch, who is continuing this dangerous research by conducting horrible experiments on the inmates."

Blackthorn Asylum is the tenth CD from Nox Arcana.

Nox Arcana's second album, Necronomicon, was the band's first tribute to H.P. Lovecraft.

CDs available at: NoxArcana.com MonolithGraphics.com Amazon, CDBaby and iTunes.

February 2011- May 2011

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.

Pand ora'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?

P roduc t Showcase ScareZone FiLM Released in 2010 to critical acclaim, the first film to be set inside a scare attraction, Scare Zone, is a comedic horror slasher that will have you gasping one minute and laughing the next. Featuring a simple yet effective narrative - a psychopath commits murders inside a scare attraction, the film is a screamingly good jaunt which both pokes fun at, and promotes the scare entertainment industry.

Director and Writer Jon Binkowski clearly has a love for this form of live entertainment, and his passion and inside knowledge shine through the occasionally predictive narrative. With a wealth of experience in theme park productions at Universal, Disney and Warner Bros. Binkowski is perfectly placed to exploit this new horror film environment, playing on primal fears of masked actors, and featuring 'strangely alternative' workers and the obsessive haunt producers that we have all met in our time!

Shot on location at Halloween Horror Nights sets at Universal Studios in Florida, keen haunt enthusiasts will recognise the Body Collectors attraction sets, which gives a greater authenticity to the film. Coupled with a talented cast of young actors and a sharp eye for direction, Scare Zone deserves its place on every haunted and scare attraction producer and enthusiasts shelf.

Scare Zone has enjoyed great reviews at a number of film festivals throughout the world, and was shown in the UK at Scarecon 2010. It is shortly to be released on DVD, which judging from 'zonies' comments on their Facebook page, can't come soon enough!

LL e H m o r f e ic o V e th Meet tHe Voice FroM HeLL

www.scareworld.co.uk How did you become involved in Voice Over work? Who have you worked for?

I left the world of corporate radio to start my own Voice Over studio in 1999. Happily, many of my radio clients followed me, including one that I looked forward to working with every autumn—”The Forest of Fear,” a haunted attraction in upstate New York. A few years later, I was hired as the voice of AtmosFEAR! Entertainment Group in the UK. When/why did you launch yourself as the Voice from Hell?

Dick Terhune is the USA haunted attraction industries internationally acclaimed 'Voice from Hell' and master of the dark arts of advertising and marketing. An award winning writer, producer and voice actor for commercial clients all over the world, he has turned his evil genius to the exclusive creation of attention grabbing, traffic building advertising voice-overs and marketing strategies for the haunt and dark amusement industry.

In this exclusive interview we interview the man behind the voice...

How did you first become interested in the scare industry, and what were your earliest attraction experiences?

Voice From Hell was born as much of frustration as inspiration. Frustrated by my efforts to start my own attraction in 2007, I began to observe the largely lamentable state of advertising for the Haunted Attraction Industry. As a VO professional and a Haunt lover, it angered me!

And one day, my frustrations burst forth aloud as I cried “Professional Haunted Attractions need Professional Advertising! Not some DJ doing a bad Lugosi impression, sound effects of thunder and screams, and ‘Thriller’ in the background—you don’t just need a ‘scary voice,’ you need a VOICE FROM HELL!!” Two months later, VoiceFromHell.com was a reality, and drawing the attention of the Haunt Industry.

After being featured on Rotting Flesh Radio, I began presenting seminars on Haunt Advertising at major Haunt Conventions in the US.

My Dad, my brother and I all worked together on Haunted Houses for his service club when we were kids. And as anyone in this business knows, once you pull off that first good scare, you’re hooked. As years passed, I took dual career paths of acting and broadcasting, ultimately combining the two as a Voice Actor, writer and producer. But whether as actor or voice actor, I always found myself gravitating to scary roles.

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February 2011- May 2011

www.scareworld.co.uk What attractions have you worked with/for?

Halloween gives license to unleash and revel in fantasy. Children are very well-practiced in Today, I work with over 40 Haunted this. It’s us grown-ups (or at least, those of us Attractions—big, medium and small— pretending to be) who need to enjoy the throughout the US & in the UK. My clients experience. include three of the top attractions in the US (Netherworld in Atlanta, Georgia; How does your service help market peoples Creepyworld/The Darkness in St. Louis, productions?

Missouri; and The Asylum in Denver, Colorado), and I continue to inspire chills as the voice of the At VoiceFromHell.com it is my business—my UK’s premiere Scare Entertainment Group, mission—my passion, to create highly effective AtmosFEAR! Entertainment Group. traffic-building results-getting commercials for Haunted Attractions. Everything I know about advertising and voice-acting goes into putting Are you a scareactor too? your message into someone else’s head, then I am! Come to the Darkwalk in Coventry, multiplying by thousands. Through the use of Connecticut this Halloween to catch me as the well-crafted messages, tailored and directed to a specific audience, my clients most often report sinister Professor Nachtleiter. “record attendance.” In some cases, increases of 50%—100%—and with one attraction last season, 200%. As my services are Market Exclusive, I become “their” voice and no one else’s...which is a distinct advantage when trying to stand out in a crowded media landscape.

Get in contact with the Voice from Hell at www.voicefromhell.com Why do you love Halloween?

It began when I first dressed up as Frankenstein (or Batman—not sure which came first for me) as a child, stepped bravely into the night and uttered the magic words “Trick or Treat.”

February 2011- May 2011

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www.scareworld.co.uk

dea d a n d Bu ried caStLe dracuLa Wildwood NJ

by Erik O’Brien

In the summer of 2000 I had my first introduction to the world of scare acting in an attraction on the New Jersey shore.

Castle Dracula had stood in Wildwood NJ for 23 years and during those years it had enjoyed legendary status as one of the best known attractions on the boardwalk as well as one of the best places to work for the summer. I began work in early August of that year, prior to this I’d been in the US for two months working in a summer camp as a camp counsellor taking care of wealthy people’s bratty children. The owner of the camp was a business associate of the Nickles family who owned Castle Dracula, as well as many of the other attractions and properties in Wildwood. He offered some of us jobs, accommodation and a free ride to the shore. Most of us jumped on the opportunity as quick as we could and a day after the kids left we were on our way to the shore.

Of the 9 of us that went I was the only one who ended up working in the Castle. The rest, being considerably more athletic, were offered jobs in the water park beside it where they could spend all day wearing shorts and bikinis and being nice to families.

I was given what was seen to be the booby prize of working in the dark with the freaks. As a bit of freak myself I was quite pleased, I was sick of kids by that stage so the prospect of screaming at them for eight hours a day was particularly attractive.

Also being whiter than frosty the snow man I was relieved not to have to stand in the sun all day. The Castle was to me and, as I soon discovered, to many other actors, a sanctuary.

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Wildwood NJ is a resort town, between the months of May and September crowds of people from the Philadelphia and New York areas flock to it for vacation. The original construction on the Castle Dracula site can be dated back to 1919 when it was known as The Old Mill ride.

This attraction was a boat ride which took on many themes over the years including Arabian nights, American Circus and a Tunnel of Love.

In 1976 John Nickles bought the site for $1.8 million and along with Fred Mahana began planning construction of Castle Dracula. Mahana was somewhat of a local genius when it came to constructing attractions.

He’d constructed several illusion themed ones along the boardwalk and others with quite advanced animatronics for the time with Star Wars and Star Trek themes. The plans for the attraction included the existing boat ride which was incorporated into the theme as a Dungeon boat ride but operated independently to the Castle. The original plans for the castle was laid out over two floors, however due to an inadequate sprinkler system and lack of fire escapes only one floor was ever used (aside from a portion of the walk through where you climbed a ramp only to come right down the stairs on the other side).

In 1977 the castle was opened, Nickles and Mahana’s creation was awe inspiring. From the outside Castle Dracula was an imposing sight

with its tall gray walls, fire pots, flags, gargoyles and drawbridge it was unlike anything else on the boardwalk. Inside the actors took you on a horrific tour through its many rooms which included a rat room (with live rats!), the mirror of death, a séance and a black mass where the visitors were anointed with the blood of the sacrifice.

As the years went by Castle Dracula went through many changes, the rat room was decommissioned due to its maintenance headaches, the black mass was replaced with the guillotine execution chamber (there had been complaints ranging from its graphic content to corn syrup getting on visitors clothes) and the courtyard and giant skull at the entrance of the dungeon boat ride were removed in order to make room for a water park in the adjoining lot. Aside from the physical changes there were many storyline changes too. Scripts were written for each character and each room, the best of which were handed down season after season, from actor to actor. When I started working I paid my dues for the first couple of weeks, taking tickets, working the dungeon and operating the squeeze room. All the while I shadowed fellow actors and learned their lines as they performed each role. Nothing was written down but eventually I had every monologue memorized and was able to work any spot which was essential as actors where switched around every shift.

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As an audience member the Castle Dracula experience was always a memorable one, so much so that there were regular repeat visitors. I believe that this was due to the fact that even though there were established scripts for each scene there was always room for improvisation and with such a varied range of cast members the improvisations were always interesting.

Upon purchasing your ticket you waited in line on the drawbridge for an actor to invite you inside. Groups of up to twenty were ushered through the huge doors and into the great hall. The hall was two stories high, had a large fireplace to the right as you entered, above the fire was a mantel piece and framed picture of ‘The Master’.

Once everyone is inside and the door locked with a heavy bolt the audience was instructed to stare into the fire. The lights went off and thunder storm light & sound effects were accompanied by a voice over which warned of rats scuttling about your feet. Suddenly a spot light came on and in front of the picture the Master stands seemingly having jumped from the ceiling.

February 2011- May 2011

the actor had a small baton which he or she would strike a counter top making a loud noise that punctuated the monologue while he got in the faces of the more squeamish members of the audience.

Once the doctor was finished outlining his plans to kidnap and murder one of the members the audience left the room and were sent down a corridor towards the execution chamber.

Once the Master finished shouting and threatening disembowelment he disappears and the audience is ushered into the next area, Cell Block.

In this area a man (an animatronic dummy) is strapped to an electric chair, an actor informs you that the man is a bounty hunter who has been sentenced to death by the Master. The audience is instructed to count to three, and the bounty hunter gets shocked. The dummy lurches back and forth accompanied by strobe and sound effects. The actor then kicks a ‘secret panel’ and leads the group into the blood laboratory.

This corridor was lined with dummies, some of movie monsters such as Pinhead from Hellraiser and the Alien from the Alien movies. At the end of the corridor a sharp left turn brought you into the execution chamber.

Here an executioner stood holding the rope of a guillotine while another actor sat with his head under the blade. The executioner passed sentence on the minion who was being executed for ‘having his way’ with the bodies in the Master’s dungeon. The audience were asked to shout ‘off with his head’ after a count of three, the blade came down and the head fell into the basket.

In the blood lab the audience is lined up along the wall in single file and the doctor tells them of his duty to harness 12 pints of blood a day for the Master’s consumption and how he needs a ‘volunteer’. In this scene

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www.scareworld.co.uk The audience were directed out of the room and into a maze and which lead them up and down stairs before they found themselves in a room with nothing in it. Once the last person went in the door was closed and bolted behind them, a moment passed before the lights went out, a strobe went on and the walls started to slowly move in accompanied by the sound of moving gears. Once the audience were stood virtually in single file the gears ground to a stop, the exit was opened and it was all over. From start to finish the walk through lasted about 15 minutes.

As there are with every scare attraction and after working there for some time, anecdotes accumulate. On several occasions I’ve put my foot square in it. I’m reminded of a time while working the blood lab where I screamed the line ‘Do you wish to die to feed my Master’ into the face of a deaf lady who stood with a very confused look while her aid signed the line to her. Another time while playing the Master I got my robe caught around my arm and the frame so when the spot came on the audience was treated to a Master who wore Adidas trainers, shorts and a Tundercats T-shirt. However these gaffs are minor occurrences in comparison to the reactions of some of members of the public.

Below are some of the Castle’s more

seasoned actors recalling some their favourite tales. You may notice that these stories emanate from the Dungeon boat ride; this is either a coincidence or products of the high rates of boredom and low rates of supervision which were ever present while working a Dungeon spot.

Ed Kennedy, Actor 1985-1988, Wildwood Crest NJ One Saturday I was working down stairs in “pirates” [one of the areas featured on the Dungeon Boat Ride - EOB].

A boat came out of the tunnel and I popped out on this woman. She jumped up out of the boat and ran across the torture platform [part of the set which was flush with top edges of the moat where it formed a U shape – EOB]

heading for the Emergency Exit.

Luckily a boat was going by otherwise she would’ve been up to her thighs in moat water. She ran across the front of the boat, hit that door and was out of there. But the problem was now I had a hysterical 400 pound woman running around the roller coaster track [which occupied the site behind the Castle during this time- EOB]. I followed her but every time I got near she would scream and run deeper into the coaster track because I was still in makeup. Finally I had to take off my robes to show her I was 'sort of' human and get her off the track before the coaster killed her.

Edward Lavin Jr. , Actor 19891990, Philadelphia PA While working in the Dungeon, I was dressed like a reaper. One of the

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reapers was broken off of one of the boats [at this time the ride’s boats had a dummy dressed as a reaper in the back seat, they had electrics in them that lit up the eyes but due to the water and poor quality materials maintenance was difficult therefore they were gradually removed as they broke down –EOB]. I

crouched on the back and hid my hands and face so it would look kind of like the reaper. Now, here I come like one of the normal boats. Someone in line sees me, but doesn't tell. I am the next boat. A boy of about 12 and his mom get on. Now, if you really look you can tell I’m real and the back of the boat is totally sagging. The kid looks at me several times in the dungeon but I keep still. He's yelling back at people trying to scare him and mouthing off, "Mom, this ain't scary".

He looks at me one last time, I lunge at him and scare the crap out of him.

He jumps out of the boat and runs off into the dungeon. We looked around for a while but couldn’t find him, in the end we actually had to close the ride, stop the boats from continuing through and turn the work lights on to look for this kid. They eventually found him crying behind a prop.

www.scareworld.co.uk Alan Shoesmith Actor & Manager 1992 – 2001, Philadelphia PA This is a little tale about actor Jenn Isaksen's (1996-1997) love for children in the Dungeon. I remember one day getting a call from B.J. [Nickles’ general manager – EOB] on the walkie-talkie asking me if I had a blonde girl working--someone who might have been a little harsh on a small child going through the dungeon with her parents. Turns out to be Jenn of course, and the Nickels' had been getting calls from the family of the girl saying their daughter was still in shock days later, and I believe they wanted money for therapy. We didn't hear from them for a week or so, and then one day the family came to the office to see B.J., and he asked me to bring Jenn up to the office and for her to talk to the girl. So I had Jenn clean up and go upstairs, and I watched for a few seconds as she told the girl how she was just an actress and wanted to be in movies, and Jenn (not being too hard on the eyes) managed to undo most of her damage. The one line I remember her saying that stuck out was: "I really don't know where you live, and I'm not going to be hiding under your bed...".

In January of 2002 disaster struck.

Two local teenagers broke into the attraction and while fooling about in the make-up room set the building on fire. They managed to escape and were arrested but by the time the fire trucks arrived on the scene Castle Dracula was consumed in flame.

Being constructed mostly out of wood, foam and stucco there was very little that survived. A few bits and pieces of scenery were salvaged and are on

February 2011- May 2011

display in the local museum along with other promotional pieces but these artefacts tell a limited story, solely what it looked like and what occurred there.

But the Castle was so much more than that, it was a place of enormous significance to anyone who worked there or visited it regularly. It was considered an unofficial local landmark, working there gave you the status of minor local celebrity as if you went anywhere with your make-up on people knew where you from and would approach you, Ed Kennedy, mentioned above, met and proposed to his wife there (while chopping her head off in the execution room!).

As a psychologist writing this article I found something which I consider very interesting while researching it.

Looking through photographs of the actors through the decades it becomes apparent that the typical Castle actor was nearly always a member of what would be known as the alternative cultures. They’ve changed names through the years and usually follow music genres e.g. new romantic, grunge, metal, goth etc. but essentially these actors would be in their late teens/early twenties and wouldn’t be strangers to being picked on by their peers due to their taste of music or style of dress. The point of this observation is that the Castle gave sanctuary to these people by allowing them to dress differently, provided them with an output for their extroverted nature and experiencing catharsis by scaring the wits out the very peers who would

have tormented them for being different. Anyone who worked there earned more than money and experience, they were part of something very special, a history of late adolescence and all the fun American summer nights brings. This is where I believe the success of the castle lies. It was far from a professional production; there were indiscretions, misbehaviour, missed cues and utter contempt for the audience but being part of a rich history and sharing extremely memorable experiences with likeminded peers was such a huge part in the development of so many people’s personalities it only helps to keep the Castle’s memory alive.

I remember working the front room one evening in 2001 and Alan Shoesmith (the then manager) being visited by an actor who was a regular during the 1980s. He and Alan spent some time talking, exchanging stories and discussing changes to the attraction. Before he left Alan offered him a cloak and cape and a go on frame in the role of the Master. He got up and preformed a monologue which none of us had heard before and that was terrifying. All the actors had gathered at the back of the room and applauded him upon completion (much to the confusion of the audience!). This echoes something Alan had said to me while discussing how working in the Castle was so special and different to any other summer job. ‘No one returns to McDonalds after years to flip a few for old time sake’.

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Home is w here t he Haunt is

www.scareworld.co.uk

tHe BLoodSHed BrotHerS For a couple of lads barely out of college twin brothers, Jeromy and Zachary Ball, from California, USA, are doing pretty well in the scare entertainment world.

Known as The Bloodshed Brothers the lads, now aged 22, first got a taste for scare way back in the 4th grade, in 1996, when they discovered that sitting on their front porch scaring people during Halloween was a lot more fun than trick-or-treating.

It wasn't scary at all but that was the moment we were bitten by the bug.”

From then on all the guys were interested in come October was making their Temecula home look scary while laying in the front yard pretending to be dead just to frighten people.

Due to popular demand the lads’ did more of the same the following year, in 2001, before creating a pretty large walk-through two years later which attracted about 200 fright revellers.

The lads’ macabre sense of fun was non-stop and in 2000 the pair officially unveiled their first haunted house walk-through horror experience using just a fog machine, strobe light and some black plastic.

For the next eight years, as the twins completed high school, their growing scare enterprise was scaled down to a few haunted house fests until 2008 when the lads, then aged 20, made a grand return to ‘hauntville’ after moving into a new rented house which they quickly transformed into a two-night scare-house which pulled in 600 people.

“You walked from the driveway to the front door and back down,” they said. “Our big scare was a cardboard box with a hole cut in it with a person’s head poking through the hole. As you went to grab the candy the head came to life.

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The following year, The Bloodshed Brothers were ‘born’ and the guys founded hauntforum.com and hauntcast.net and

February 2011- May 2011

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pledged to allow Halloween to consume their lives.

The guys said: “We love it for the simple joy of scaring people. It’s an amazing feeling having the ability to create something literally from nothing and evoking such strong emotions from strangers. It’s a labour of love for us there are not many words to describe why we love it, we just do.”

In 2009 the lads returned to their childhood home and graduated to walls made out of wood which included eight themed rooms and 13 actors. It was a huge success which attracted 1,000 people and the lads’ future as scare entertainment creative stars of the future was set in stone.

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“Everyone has been really positive and really supportive of us,” the lads’ said. “The neighbours love it and the guests love it even more. People tell us we are scarier than most pro haunts they've gone to. We've had families drive up from San Diego which is over 70 miles or 112 km away, just to see us. Out of the 2000 + people our little home haunt has scared we haven't heard anything but screams and laughter.”

Log

onto

their

YouTube

channel

at

http://www.youtube.com/user/thebloodshedbrothers

to feast on samples of the lads’ scare house attractions and stop by their website at http://thebloodshedbrothers.com/ for all the latest news and gossip on The Bloodshed Brothers’ latest scare house antics.

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www.scareworld.co.uk

Split Personalit y

I

n this regular Scareworld feature we talk to some of the greatest and scariest scareactors and their alter ego’s. This edition it’s the turn of Esmerelda a.k.a Toni Griffiths.

SW: Firstly please introduce yourself to our readers and tell us a little about what you do.

Toni: My name is Toni Griffiths and I am an actor and director. I’m a good friend of Esmerelda, though she doesn’t like me much really and will never be seen in public with me.

That’s why we’re never seen in the same place.

SW: How did you get into the scare business?

Toni: I was contacted by my good friend Michael Haynes (The Master) about an acting job in the first Terror of the Towers at Alton Towers some years ago. I’d just finished a long tour of Macbeth (playing Lady Mac) and fancied a change; I went from one murderous master to another... But Lady Macbeth and Esmerelda have more than a little in common, and can keep those men on their toes!

SW: What do you enjoy most about your job?

Toni: Making grown men scream.

SW: What other jobs have you had?

Toni: Touring Theatre and Theatre Residencies as an actor and director, and ranging from Shakespeare to Pantomime. I also act and direct in short films for the Corporate Sector and in Education. I run workshops in drama for schools and colleges and have been a guest lecturer in Universities.

I’m a voice artist too, and have done lots of

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voice-over for radio and film and a bit of puppeteering here and there. I write a bit too and wrote the recent FairyTales in the Forest at Tulleys Farm this summer which was a play that happened in the woodlands where the Haunted Hayride takes place at Halloween. I specialise in character and like to play lots of different roles, though it’s always nice to step back into Esmerelda’s shoes. (They were £2.99 from Scope.)

SW: What has been your most memorable scare?

Toni: This year at Tulleys, I managed to get a whole group (eight of them) to leave out of the front door. Esmerelda’s is the first room in The Cellar, and they were so scared that they didn’t even try to carry on in to meet the creatures.

SW: What scares you?

Toni: Esmerelda.

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SW: Which scare attractions have you visited, either in the UK or further afield? Which are your favourites and why?

Toni: I’ve been to lots scare attractions now, all over the country, the year round ones and the seasonal. In the early days I couldn’t go through as they scared me too much, but these days I love it! I will always have a soft spot for Alton Towers Terror of the Towers Bloodfest Banquet where Esmerelda first took over me, and this years’ Carnival of Screams at Alton was lots of fun. I also was very sad to see the Field of 1000 Screams go this year, it was a fabulous trilogy. However, I have to say that The Cellar at Tulleys Farm is incredible, and I’ve not seen anything with that sort of scare factor anywhere else. I love all the attractions at Tulleys, the ideas are so innovative and a lot of larger venues have followed their example.

The Haunted Hayride is perfectly built into the farm’s natural surroundings, and a tractor ride through real woodland to meet the maniacs inside beats any purpose built ghost train.

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SW: What do you do in your spare time?

Toni: Spare time?

SW: How do you celebrate Halloween?

Toni: I’m not allowed out on Halloween night, Esmerelda says I embarrass her in front of her friends.

SW: Tell us a deep dark secret about yourself!

Toni: I don’t like gin.

SW: What is coming up next for you?

Toni: I've just finished panto (Beauty & the Beast) and now I'm about to start directing two plays; a musical and a Greek Tragedy hopefully I won't confuse the two... That could be messy.

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SW: Firstly please introduce yourself to our readers and tell us a little about what you do.

Esmerelda: Do you really need to ask who I am?

You people should already know. Well, if I must. I am Esmerelda, Celebrity, icon and pin-up of the scare industry. And no, you can’t have a wipe clean picture.

SW: How did you get into the scare business?

Esmerelda: I don’t see it as a business, more a lifestyle choice. Don’t get me wrong, I don’t get out of bed for less than a large bottle of Gordon’s (my favourite tipple, though I’m fond of Bombay Sapphire and Tanqueray), but I see it as doing a service to the community. The little people need me. I’d really kept out of sight until the Master asked me to keep his door for him in Terror in the Towers, but once I’d met my public, that was it. I couldn’t deprive them any longer.

SW: What do you enjoy most about your job?

Esmerelda: Making grown men scream.

SW: What other jobs have you had?

Esmerelda: I don’t do ‘jobs’, I do personal appearances. I’ve been around, not in the way that you’re hoping Mr Interviewer, I only have eyes for the Master. Well, some places I’ve graced with my presence are Alton Towers, London Bridge Experience, Tulleys Farm – actually, Tulleys Farm is my most recent home and where I keep all my creatures. If you’ve never been to Tulleys Farm Shocktoberfest then you’re a little late, but MAKE SURE YOU DO IT NEXT YEAR. I do all the celebrity hang outs too, there’s a strange little man from SweetDreams Interactive Theatrical Events (stupid name) who sends me to places, some of them a little unsavoury, like those Screamie Awards and ScareCon – lots of plebs.

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February 2011- May 2011

SW: What has been your most memorable scare?

SW: Tell us a deep dark secret about yourself!

Esmerelda: I don’t remember their faces. I like to make children cry of course, but doesn’t everyone?

Esmerelda: I don’t like Toni.

SW: What scares you?

SW: What is coming up next for you?

Esmerelda: Porl Matthews of SweetDreams Interactive Theatrical er.. thingy. He’s quite frightening to look at. Also, the depth of my talent sometimes scares me. Esme, I say to myself, Esme, is there no end to your talent and beauty? No, I say, there is not. That’s generally the end of the conversation, I’m not in the habit of talking to myself often, but sometimes it is a necessity when surrounded by idiots. Which is often, Mr Interviewer. Is there any gin around here? You’re boring me.

Esmerelda: I’m holidaying for a while, but will be available to my fans on my Facebook page. If you’re not a fan already then find me and become one.

Please bear in mind that you will be ‘fans’ not ‘friends’. I would never consent to be friends with you people. I have a website too if you desperate hangers on want to gaze adoringly at my photographs: www.esmerelda.me.uk. I’m also making a film with my assistant Susan, who helped me to make the ‘Esmerelda’s Behind the Scenes Documentary all about Tulleys Farm Shocktoberfest’ Trilogy. If you haven’t seen them, the films can be seen on YouTube on my channel, ‘Esmerelda’s Videograms’ The new film will be out at Christmas. I hate Christmas. I hope you all had a miserable one.

SW: Which scare attractions have you visited, either in the UK or further afield? Which are your favourites and why?

Esmerelda: I’ve seen it all and done it all. I don’t really like them. It’s exploitation of the poor inhabitants is what it is. It’s like a Victorian freak show. You stick the poor creatures in a maze or a field or somewhere suitable spooky and tell them that they’ve been re-homed (like Dogs Trust but for monsters) and then expect them to jump about like performing monkeys. In the case of Carnival of Screams there is an actual performing monkey, but that’s beside the point. At least I look after my creatures in The Cellar, they get fed every minute and a half... if the queue is constant.

Photographs of ‘Esmerelda’ & ‘The Master’ © Copyright Stephen Candy Photography. http://www.StephenCandyPhotography.co.uk

SW: What do you do in your spare time?

Esmerelda: Drink gin SW: How do you celebrate Halloween?

Esmerelda: Drink gin

February 2011- May 2011

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www.scareworld.co.uk Haunt rocKer The Music of Jerry Vayne Starting with Rotting Flesh Radio's "RFR Presents: Dark Pandemonium, A Descent into the Labyrinth of the Mind", the 18track Dark Carnival/Vampire concept CD "Damnations Embrace", the re-envisioning of the Midnight Syndicate's classic "Shadows" for the sound track CD "The Dead Matter: Original Soundtrack", as well as custom tracks for the Toxicity Haunted Attraction and Wells Township Haunted House to the newest 11 track abomination "Soul Collector", the Haunt Rocker has slowly infested his aural apparitions into the haunts around the globe.

Musical F rights "The MHC Soul Collector Preview" which sold out within a few hours.

He also has included music in the upcoming Grindhouse film "The Back Room from Threedt Productions with the songs "Penance" (from "Damnations Embrace") and the new track "Pieces of You (Dismemberment Blues) from the "Soul Collector" CD. Two weeks after releasing "Soul Collector", Vayne immediately started plotting the storyline for the next CD, tentatively titled "The Attic", revolving around an old music box discovered in an attic that housed a malevolent spirit.

It has been a journey that culminated last year with the Haunt Rocker appearing on the Midnight Syndicate CD release for "The Dead Matter" score with his reenvisioning of the classic Midnight Syndicate track "Shadows� ("Haunt Rocker Remix").

His also recorded a guest appearance on the track "Epilogue" from Virgil Franklin's upcoming CD release "The Plot" and has recently completed his first convention appearance at the Midwest Haunters Convention in Columbus Ohio last June with the release of a specially mixed EP

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Although completed with nine songs, the CD was put on hold in December following a robbery at his US home which meant some of his guitars and recording equipment had to be replaced.

But his determination is as strong as his songs and Vayne has already restarted work on the CD and plans to release a limited edition EP called "Sounds from The Attic" at the Midwest Haunter’s Convention this June this year.

"Because of the robbery, the new CD "The

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Attic" had to be delayed,” said Vayne. “But I am really proud of how strong the material is and felt since the CD cannot be out in time, why do a limited release EP to hold people over until the actual release?"

www.scareworld.co.uk

Vayne’s is a success that goes way back to September 2006 when a song called "When Hinges Creak" was first aired on Rotting Flesh Radio.com Since then The Haunt Rocker has been a staple in the haunted attractions industry. He has been the West Coast correspondent with interviews from the San Diego Comicon to Transworld- Las Vegas as well as recorded songs especially for Rotting Flesh Radio.

He was a regular fixture on the San Diego music scene, most notably with the glam rock band "Foxy Roxx" on two CD's and a home video. He has appeared on several CDs and compilations as well as releasing a solo CD of demos in 2002 and has played in several bands in San Diego as well as several tribute bands.

In June 2008, Vayne contributed "Dark Pandemonium: Enter The Labyrinth" and "Zombie Stomp: March of the Undead" to the "RFR Presents: Dark Pandemonium "A Descent into the Labyrinth of the Mind" Haunt CD compilation and "Dark Pandemonium: Enter The Labyrinth" was featured in several haunts that season.

In May 2009, he released his debut Haunt Metal CD "Damnations Embrace" to rave reviews and several tracks were featured in various haunts like "Raycliff Manor", "The USS Battleship North Carolina" and "Haunted Screams Amusement Park". He also recorded "Radiation Burns (The Toxic Waltz)" exclusively for the Toxicity Haunted Attraction in Ohio as well as "The Wolf's Bane" for the Wells Township haunted House in Brilliant, Ohio.

Several tracks have been used in various US radio and television commercials and the track "Feast" from "Damnations Embrace" was also included as the end credits music for the upcoming horror film "Feast" from Scared-ECat Pictures.

Go to www.jerryvayne.com to get your hands on the new album, Soul Collector, and to listen to samples on the music page of custom tracks Vayne has done for two haunted houses as well the track from "The Dead Matter" soundtrack.

Downloads of free tracks, outtakes and remixes are also available for the very brave!!

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February 2011- May 2011

www.scareworld.co.uk SaWneY Bean caVe oF tHe canniBaLS The Edinburgh Dungeon

By Jason Karl One of the most notorious characters in Scottish history has set up residence at The Edinburgh Dungeon as the cities scariest attraction launched its new 2011 feature, Sawney Bean - Cave of the Cannibals, on February 12th.

Petrified punters are hurled into the horrendous tale of the Sawney Bean clan’s murderous deeds in the sixteenth century, and encounter the bloodthirsty Beans for themselves.

In the 1500s, Sawney Bean and his 48 strong incestuous brood held a reign of terror over the Scottish highlands. Traveller’s falling foul of Bean’s pack were murdered with brutal ferocity, robbed of their earthly goods and devoured.

The clan’s reign came to a bloody end when armed soldiers sent in a search party from King James VI of Scotland discovered their lair littered with human remains. The clan were swiftly sentenced to agonising deaths.

guest rev iew With live actors, special effects and stomach turning scenery, the Edinburgh Dungeon’s new feature challenges visitors to become the soldiers of King James the VI and end the Beans’ ghastly inhuman crimes.

But as visitors creep into the dark, foul smelling Bean lair, the bones of lost travellers crunching beneath their feet, they soon realise they are not alone in the darkness…. the hunters have become the hunted.

Scareworld visited the new attraction during its press launch, and were impressed with the differences between this and other Dungeon venues. The labyrinthine layout completely disorientates visitors as they explore the immersive sets, encountering a talented bunch of scareactors who bring the horror to life before your eyes. As usual, a generous helping of humour is on hand to lighten the horrors of the horrific pasts being bought back to life.

With a short boat ride, including new Sawney Bean effects, coupled with a drop ride, a visit to The Edinburgh Dungeon is a scream not to be missed. The encounter with Sawney Bean in his newly re-themed cave is just one of many highlights inside the attraction, also relatively new is a live encounter with body snatchers Burke and Hare. The Edinburgh Dungeon delivers atmospheric educational entertainment which puts it right at the top of the cities scare entertainment offerings.

The Edinburgh Dungeon’s Sawney Bean Cave of the Cannibals is now open. For more information, please visit: www.thedungeons.com.

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S ca ry World Lantern tou r an d Haunted WoodS WaLK Coventry, CT Dark Walk Sheds New Light on Old Halloween Tradition and Explores Paths Less Taken

www.scareworld.co.uk Old world Ambiance and Intimate Setting This seasonal event, now in its fifth year, is held at the historic Strong Porter House in Coventry, CT and is an early 18th century farmhouse, barn and surrounding buildings.

Customers park off site and take a hayride shuttle delivering them to the check-in area of the tour. Advanced reservations are required, so there is little to no wait.

Arriving at the Homestead, guests are immediately engulfed in an old fashioned, romantic atmosphere. A fall evening in New England illuminated by fire baskets, lanterns, torches and candle lit paths awaits you.

Ambiance is critical to transport guests back in time to the late 1800's as during this period A Hauntingly Enchanted Evening, which puts widespread use of electricity was not an unusual spin on the typical lantern tour, available. is one such event that stands out from the rest however with its blend of interactive The path in the woods is only lit by several Halloween theatre coupled with a haunted hundred votive lights and this part of the woods tour, produced by industry haunters, tour also uses battery activated candles and concealed mini-spotlights to illuminate most creates a very distinctive event. of the structures and sets. Within the four The combination of an old world ambiance, main buildings that guests tour, some intimate setting, historical storyline, electrical lighting and effects are used with theatrics, interactive elements and scares concealed sources so as not to ruin the illusion and make the venue period are what makes this event so unique. appropriate.

The haunted history of New England in the USA has given rise to a plethora of lanternled tours popping up during the fall season and inhabiting the historic dwellings, cemeteries and graveyards.

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February 2011- May 2011

Historical Based Progressive Storyline and Theatrics

Guests are led in and seated at tables where fiddlers, wenches and a barkeep await their arrival. The wenches serve a light fare of popcorn, cheese, crackers and cider, while the barkeep interacts with the “strange visitors” by inquiring about their unusual appearance and how they came to arrive at his residence.

The storyline told by a costumed character recaps the previous year’s tale and is a critical aspect of the event and signals the start of the tour as guests are lantern led into the front room of the first scene, Strong Porter Estate, used to set the stage and mood, before guests The barkeep is extremely venture into the haunted knowledgeable about history -particularly life in the time woods. period and very experienced at interacting with these Tavern “guests from the future”. He One of the most unique uses information they give aspects of the tour is the him about where they are tavern set up in the old barn.

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from and their professions to introduce subjects related to his time period.

Once the guests are finished eating and the lively conversation with the tavern keeper is concluded, the fiddlers strike up a number and an old fashioned ho-down down begins. Wenches drag guests up to dance with them and this proves to be great fun. It is truly a raucous event -providing much laughter and rowdy behavior.

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www.scareworld.co.uk The Woods Walk Following fun of the Tavern guests complete their mission by venturing into the haunted woods. This area has been used to banish the sick (as well as other undesirables) and gated to prevent their return. Makeshift structures have been created from forest resources and occasionally the inhabitants sneak back into the town to steal supplies.

These buildings provide sets and/or hiding places for actors and give people something to explore as they tour the woods.

Along the candlelit path characters are hidden among the brush and trees, giving startle scares from high and low, as they hide up trees and in holes below ground!

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Startle Scare Woods Actors The woods are not just about startle scares.

A couple of interactive characters are thrown in the mix along the way to advance the story and bring it to its conclusion. In 2010’s finale, guests were escorted into an old dimly lit building where they cam face to face with the maniacal heart collector.

This is a scripted, automated scene where the tale is infused with special effects. It utilizes a lighting/sound controller along with pushbuttons for triggering the sequences. A combination of light flashes and momentary darkness is used to disorientate people and highlight the scares that periodically appear around the room. This is a unique and very effective part of the event and grew out of the success Graveside Manor had as a home haunt doing similar shows.

Finally, after completing the tour, guests are escorted out of the woods and invited to hang around the bonfire or visit the fortune teller.

The fire pit features professional story tellers and the opportunity to roast smores Go to www.darkwalk.net to find out more.

Photographs courtesy of A Haunted Enchanted Evening, Graveside Manor

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Sleepless nights FearooMS Check in, Freak Out!

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FEARooms plunges residents right into the action itself, as part of the story, they determine what happens when, and are free to end the encounter at any time by hanging the 'rest in peace' door hanger outside their room.

Either as standalone entertainment, or coupled with our Themed Dining or Street Theatre packages, FEARooms offer an affordable alternative form of entertainment that can create media buzz, give your guests an experience they will never forget, and take your entertainment programme to an entirely new level.

AtmosFEAR! Entertainment Group launches the UK's first travelling hotel based scare entertainment experience, FEARooms, an interactive experience which mixes scare attraction entertainment with theming and narrative to create an alternative to the tired 'murder mystery' hotel concept.

Watch our FEARooms showcase at http://www.youtube.com/user/atmoshorror and download our EXScream Attractions guide for full information at atmosfearuk.com AtmosFEAR! Entertainment Group - Scare Entertainment worth SCREAMING about!

With staged scares, effects, horror movies and terrifying treats, FEARooms offers hotels the opportunity to place guests in a totally new form of entertainment, with live scareactors who deliver the scares throughout a predetermined time frame.

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February 2011- May 2011

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ja’s r a M r e h t o M d l o ag on y Page Dear Old Mother Marja, As a scareactor, I find myself becoming more and more like my alter ego. At first it wasn’t too much of a problem, but of late I find I’m scaring my family over Sunday lunch, people in the bus queue and now even popping to the shops is a horrific experience for all those I meet! I love to scare but I'm finding that I can't stop. Please help.

Nasty in Newbury

Dear Nasty (I like that name!), Dear Mother Marja,

This is a common side effect of passionate scareactors, where your evil (and more fun) character begins to take over in your normal (boring) life! Perhaps it's not a bad thing though? Most peasants I meet seem to lead such drab existences - the theatrical eccentricities of a scary character are far more appealing, so why not cast caution aside and live your entire life in a scary fashion? Just think of all the fun you will have!

I hear you're good at scaring people, you might be able to help me out. Can you give me any points to get ahead in the game and get most screams out of the audience to beat the rest of the cast?

Ambitious in Edinburgh

Dear Ambitious,

Marja Dear Old Mother Marja, I have been a scareactor for many years and feel I may be losing my touch! I used to pride myself on being able to scare the living daylights out of unwilling punters, there really is nothing like the smell of fear in the morning! But now I seem to struggle to make a small child yelp. Some may say its today's society, with children being exposed to video games and horror movies from the womb. Is there anything I can do to ‘pimp my scare’?!

Down in Doncaster

I like a scareactor with gumption, and your desire to trample on your fellow cast members to reach the top is delightfully refreshing! What I would do, is make sure you can be heard when the others are talking - talk louder to drown them out, make sure you get the best scare positions (you can do this by flirting with your manager) and of course, make sure you point out everyone else's failings at every available opportunity, you'll soon be at the top, ha ha ha!

Marja Old Mother Marja is currently terrifying people at Carnesky's Ghost Train in Blackpool, if you want to meet her visit the website for opening times and full information at www.carneskysghosttrain.com

Dear Down, Perk yourself up you depressed demon! This is no way for a true scarer to speak! What you need to do is refresh your scares by immersing yourself in the latest horror novels, games and of course movies - I saw a terrifying one recently which had me cowering behind my tatty old armchair - it was called 'Tangled' - there was me expecting some delightfully warped storyline with a title like that - it wasn't quite what I expected, but it certainly made me sick! bahhhhgghhhhhh!

Marja

*please note Marja's answers are for entertainment only, and should not be taken seriously!

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s at t r ac tion rev iew

Kevin and Wayne and their team have been out and about with thier critical eye once again and we are pleased to have some of thier latest reviews here for you. Dont forget for latest news and reviews on all the scariest goings on to check out thier site at www.scareattractions.co.uk.

'Skate N Scream'

We sent Guest Reviewer, Sally Holmwood, to visit 'Skate N Scream' - a new scare attraction for 2010 at the Eden Project in Cornwall...

Half term found me visiting my relatives in Cornwall. When I heard about “Skate ‘n’ Scream” I was instantly excited – I have explored the Eden Project many times in broad daylight but never by night. Who would want to pass up an opportunity like that?

I was delighted to find that those visitors that came for the day but had passes for “Skate ‘n’ Scream” were permitted to roam the Project at leisure from the moment the Eden Project closed until their allocated “Skate ‘n’ Scream” timeslots. I spent an enjoyable and curiously calming 90 minutes wandering through the Mediterranean

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biome and along the paths outside as the sky grew darker. I listened with great interest to the tales of Les Lavandières as she tended to the shrouds of the dead. Di’s ghostly tale and story-telling style captivated me from the moment she said her first words – so convincingly chilling was she, in fact, that even after the third time of listening, shivers continued to creep up and down my spine!

Whether skating or screaming, you could see that the team behind the event had

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WWW.SCAREATTRACTIONS.CO.UK taken care to make it an enjoyable experience. Visitor numbers were restricted perfectly by the allocation of specific time slots at each event. The ice rink seemed comfortably busy as I watched skaters whizz round on the ice, and when I arrived in anticipation of my Scream slot, I was one of a group of 14 people – a group large enough to ensure I would be among perfect strangers, yet still small enough to encourage collaboration in frightening times.

As we waited to enter the Rainforest Biome, shrouded in pitch darkness and with a spine-tingling soundtrack, a man in a white coat, complete with dead-pan voice and an obvious ability to maintain his eerie character throughout, appeared overly interested in us. We may have been sure, when we arrived, of what might be to come, but as he finished talking to us, his work was done. The doubt had begun to creep in! Now infinitely more apprehensive, we were lectured as a group by two more scientists on the principle of fear and their experimental research.

have been more practical, or indeed whether it would add to the intensity of the experience. Venturing further into the darkness, a sudden bright shining light had the unsettling effect of temporary, yet total, disorientation. This was just one of many spooky, but aptly brilliant, touches around the biome that instilled uncertainty and wariness in every member of the group.

Moving around the biome in almost perfect darkness, you might be faintly aware of dark shadows in the greenery but without being able to say for certain if they might to jump out. Something might brush past or crunch or squelch underfoot, but without the luxury of being able to see it clearly, the imagination could only run wild and conjure

Skate N Scream at the Eden Project ReviewAnd then it was time. Hands on the shoulders of the person in front (typically I found myself sandwiched between what seemed like two of the tallest people on the planet‌), we made our way tentatively into the biome. I considered for a moment, as we moved through the biome, whether holding onto some rope instead of shoulders might

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www.scareworld.co.uk up all sorts of scenarios – from the entirely plausible to the perfectly freakish nightmare…

One youngster had only recently turned 12 and he decided, at the eleventh hour, not to enter the biome. Afterwards he said that he had made the right choice this time but that he was already really looking forward to coming back next year. I, too, am looking forward to returning and to seeing how this particular scare attraction develops. Its debut was, after all, hugely impressive. The dark storytelling by Les Lavandières combined with the other mysterious characters and physical darkness of the Rainforest biome, created an incredible atmosphere of fear and dread.

If I could have asked for any more from my first experience of “Skate ‘n’ Scream” at the Eden Project, then it would be to come across ghosts and ghouls on the paths outside the biomes. For each time that you met with one of the sinister characters around the biomes, the sense of fear and dread as you edged closer to the Scream itself was intensified, making “Skate ‘n’ Scream” the frightfully amazing experience that it was.

It is definitely not to be missed - if you are ready to allow yourself to be immersed in the thrills of the darkened biome, chilling soundtrack and spooky story-telling has to offer, then “Skate ‘n’ Scream” is destined not to disappoint!!

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Alien Attack

If you have read our previous review of Alien Wars when it was hosted in Glasgow last year, you will already know that we found it one of the scariest attractions that we’d ever been through (if not THE scariest!). Once word reached us that the Aliens were heading for Blackpool it was one appointment with fear we didn’t want to miss.

As usual with scare attractions we aren’t going to give away any of the secrets from inside their walls, if you really want to know what happens you have to go and pay them a visit.

What we will say is this: inside it is dark, VERY dark! Add tight corridors and small enclosed spaces and you’ve got a very atmospheric and claustrophobic attraction.

Chuck in a wild alien (or two or three), a marine to guide you through and you’re in for a very unique experience.

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www.scareworld.co.uk Having now experienced two versions of the attraction - similarities with the Glasgow show are inevitable, but there is one that can’t be re-created - the location. The Glasgow attraction used The Arches to great effect (solid brick walls, dust, dirt, etc…) giving it a real underground feel, the set in Blackpool although underground does not have this and at the moment it does lack this special atmosphere. It must be said though that first time

visitors to the attraction wouldn’t be any the wiser. Some of the group we went through with were too busy screaming to notice brick walls and dust! This incarnation is also slightly shorter, but don’t let that put you off, you see enough of the Alien still… and I swear that it got a lot closer!

A key element of this experience is how vulnerable a visitor feels once inside. The tension this caused in Glasgow was insane, while not quite on that level yet we are sure that as the attraction beds in to its new home, we can see that this has the potential to be just as good, if not better than the Glasgow version.

We will be returning later in the summer to re-visit our favourite outer space monsters

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as we do know that the attraction will constantly be evolving. This is something creator Gary Gillies and his team are keen on, with different routes and effects being used at different times, thus creating an almost never the same experience twice effect. As the attraction evolves we will of course be bringing you all the latest updates.

Blackpool is looking like the hot bed for all “scary” activity at the moment, with the planned Dungeons for next year and three other attractions currently in town, Alien Attack is going to facing some stiff competition, but once word gets out that Aliens have been discovered in the Golden Mile Centre… the queues will be around the block.

Rather wisely the marines were being used to maximum effect to generate publicity outside of the attraction and opposite Central Pier. Looking at how popular they were, we suspect a fan following could evolve similar to the show in London back in the 90’s.

A special mention must be made to Corporal Draven who, like his colleagues, make this attraction the experience that it is.

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PrimEVIL

Guest Reviewers, David & Susan Ellis, packed their bags and headed out to Norfolk to visit PrimEVIL at Dinosaur Adventure. Would the attraction, expanded for 2010 live up to it's billing?

Dinosaur Adventure Park (situated 10 miles northwest of Norwich) has just opened its latest Halloween attraction, PrimEvil. Billed as Norfolk’s Biggest Halloween Experience, PrimEvil offers guests three very different frightening adventures, as well as an evening of themed entertainment. Dino Haunts is back, and joining the line-up for 2010 are two new custom attractions: Maze of Mutants and Insanitorium.

The park is tucked away a few miles off the beaten track, and the combination of the darkness and the Dinosaur signage as you approach down the narrow tree-lined country lane leading to the car park gives the feeling that you are already part of the adventure.

On entry you are given a map / leaflet with a list of the evening’s activities and operating times. Whilst it might be a challenge reading the map in the semi-darkness, the main attractions are all very close together, so it doesn’t take too long to find anything. The “Haunting Ticket” include the Dino Haunt walk and the themed entertainment such as spooky story-telling, creepy animal Insanitarium at Dinosaur Adventureencounter, a fire performer and fireworks, which at £7/£8 is good value for an evening’s activities. To add the two new mazes to that line-up you need to buy a “Terror Ticket”, which is still reasonably priced at £10.95 (£11.95 for 28-31 October).

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www.scareworld.co.uk The three main attractions all include live actors, and both Dino Haunts and Insanitorium include the use of strobe lighting, so bear this in mind when deciding if this event is for you. Here is a short summary of the three attractions: Dino Haunts Described as Frightfully Spooky Fun for everyone aged 5 and over. The back-story is that “Death” wants to create a gateway to hell within the dark wood by harnessing the screams of innocent victims. If his zombie and monster friends can get everyone to scream loud enough the gateway will open and suck everyone into the underworld forever. The suggested minimum age for Dino Haunts does require some parental discretion, as our experience found that young children’s reaction to the encounters with live actors varied from enjoyment to real tears of panic.

Despite some first-night technical glitches with the audio volume of Death’s introductory video presentation, our “tour-guide” was excellent in character, and provided a very “enjoyable” 30minute tour of the wooded path. Note that, although most of the walk is on established pathway, there are a couple of places where the path cuts across grass – so wear suitable footwear, as it can get very slippery underfoot when it rains.

Maze of Mutants Adapted from the park’s “Lost World AMazing Adventure”, the Maze of Mutants is a 5-minute dark maze adventure with live actors. The story is that mutants have come to Norfolk but, being shy creatures and jealous of regular people, they have devised cunning traps to keep visitors in their dark world and become one with them. The

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attraction is targeted at guests 12 years or www.scareworld.co.uk older, although the nature of the mutant encounters were, in some respects, less scary than the Dino Haunt tour. There are a few good startle scares, which are best left a secret to not ruin the surprise. Nice use of an existing attraction, with the mutants guiding the way through the maze to prevent guests literally getting trapped!

Overall opinion – For the price, PrimEvil is good value. The park’s assessment of the three attractions is that on a scale of 1 (less scary) to 5 (very scary), Dino Haunts scores a 1, Maze of Mutants a 3 and Insanitorium a 5. We wouldn’t argue too much with that, but parents of younger children will need to judge if the dark interaction with live actors is the sort of thing their children would like.

Sec tion title

A special mention must also go to the park’s Fire Performer, a real character, very entertaining, and the way he interacted and ad-libbed with the children was a real joy to watch. As we left the park he was in the gift shop entertaining guests with a crystal ball and some balancing tricks – was well worth watching - a very funny guy indeed.

Insanitorium Billed as the park’s most terrifying attraction yet, Insanitorium is not recommended for guests under 12, pregnant or those with a heart condition or nervous disposition. The residents of the Insanitorium have been there a few years and have gone a little crazy… visitors to this attraction face the real chance of joining them! Built especially for the park, and with music custom designed, the heavy use of strobe lighting and repetitive music works brilliantly with the live actors.

Although only a 5-minute walk-through, guests were coming out with what seemed like genuine expressions of fear on their faces. Highly recommended, for those that can take it!

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PrimEvil was open daily 23 – 31 October, 6pm to 10pm. PrimEvil at Dinosaur Adventure Park – It’s time you came-n-saurus!

For more news and reviews check out: www.scareattractions.co.uk

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S ca re Listings current euroPean Scare attraction entertainMent LiStingS

YEAR ROUND SCARE ATTRACTIONS London Death Trap, County Hall London, England www.londonsdeathtrap.com The London 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 Vengeance 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

The Stratford Ripper Experience, Stratford-Upon-Avon Warwickshire, England www.stratfordripper.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 Gladiators of York

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 Sawney Bean - Cave of the Cannibals William Wallace The Amsterdam Dungeon, Amsterdam Amsterdam, Holland www.thedungeons.com Attractions: Rembrandt's Secret De VOC Meynes Cornellis Reaper

Buccaneer Bay, Newquay Newquay, Cornwall www.buccaneer-bay.co.uk Sunken Village of the DAMNED, Buccaneer Bay Newquay, Cornwall www.buccaneer-bay.co.uk

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www.scareworld.co.uk The Hamburg Dungeon, Hamburg Hamburg, Germany www.thedungeons.com Attractions: Bog Bodies The Great Fire of Hamburg Stortebeker's Execution Flood of 1717 Extremis Krueger Hotel, Tibidabo Barcelona, Spain www.tibidabo.es The Bram Stoker Dracula Experience, Dublin Dublin, Ireland www.thebramstokerdraculaexperience.com

SEASONAL SCARE ATTRACTIONS 2010 The Hole, Wakefield Yorkshire, England www.atmosfearuk.com Killers Live, Whitby Yorkshire, England www.killers-live.co.uk

The Hellfire Club, Manchester Manchester, England www.thehellfire.co.uk The House of Magic, London London, England www.houseofmagic.co.uk Frankenstein, Edinburgh Edinburgh, Scotland www.frankenstein-pub.co.uk Frankenstein, Glasgow Glasgow, Scotland www.frankenstein-pub.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

STAGED SCARES The Woman in Black, Fortune Theatre London, England www.thewomaninblack.com Ghost Stories, Duke of York's Theatre London, England www.ghoststoriestheshow.co.uk Circus of Horrors, Touring the UK www.circusofhorrors.co.uk

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

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