Archive 21

OCTOBER 25, 2015 SUNDAY 2 AM - SATURDAY NIGHT FEVER

Redemption at last - NIGHT TERRORS at WIARD'S TOTALLY ROCKED IT!

We were long overdue for visiting this long-time favorite haunt, and saw for ourselves why it continues to draw giant crowds at this apple orchard in Ypsilanti year-after-year.

Only problem though - there's just SO much to do at NIGHT TERRORS that we only had time for one more haunt afterwards, PSYCHO PATH in FLAT ROCK. (Reviews coming soon)

Our apologies to BOUGHAN'S HAUNTED HAYRIDE in BELLEVILLE and REALM OF HAUNTED MINDS in ROMULUS for missing them...BOO HOO!

OCTOBER 24, 2015 SATURDAY 2 AM - Our coin toss came up LENOX TWP. so we hit HAUNTED FARM OF TERROR and SCAREFEST SCREAM PARK.

Both haunts have NEW THRILLS!

HAUNTED FARM OF TERROR has an outrageous new chamber in the walk thru haunt, and SCAREFEST SCREAM PARK has an amazing new creature that lurks in the CARNIVAL OF THE DEAD forest walk. (Reviews coming soon)

And both haunts were ROCKIN' BIG TIME - Live music from DIGITAL LOVE was groovin' at SCAREFEST and WRIF-FM RADIO was at FARM OF TERROR.

ROCK & ROLL NEVER DIES, BUT SOMETIMES IT HIDES & RUNS AWAY

We talked to the guys at WRIF, and they seemed cool so I asked them about their "ROCK GIRL CAYLA" who we had heard was supposed to come to HAUNTED FARM OF TERROR.

Here's part of an article I just now pulled out of Archive 18 -

SEPTEMBER 10, 2015 THURSDAY 1 PM - WHAT A WAY TO ARRIVE IN STYLE / THAT'S A SPICY MEATBALL!

I was just talking to my partner...somehow we got to talking about what a blast we have every year in Lenox Twp....

....And on October 9th, WRIF and their ROCK GIRL CAYLA will make the 1st of 2 appearances at HAUNTED FARM OF TERROR.

She will no doubt be dressed to kill and drop-dead gorgeous, but none of that will matter when SHE GOES THROUGH THE HAUNT HERSELF to test her like nobody else would ever have to guts to! It should be A TOTAL SCREAM! (end of article)

OK...but here's the scoop: Cayla never did make it to HAUNTED FARM OF TERROR.

I couldn't help but poke some fun and I asked the RIF guy, "So when it came to actually going through the HAUNTED FARM OF TERRORyour BRAVE LEADER ROCK GIRL CHICKENED OUT???"

He just laughed - my good deed for the day!

Oh yeah...smokin' hot chicks...guys thinking somehow they're "out of their league" and such...reminds me of something waaay amusing we saw at a local pub recently...too long for here...we'll put it in Newest later.

Parking lots at both haunts were near capacity - rough estimate at least 1,000 haunters at each place we're thinking...and Saturday nights are even bigger! After all, this is DETROIT - THE HAUNTED HOUSE CAPITAL OF THE WORLD!

OCTOBER 23, 2015 FRIDAY 5 PM - CALL OF THE WILD

Mother Nature is being so nice to us right now...TIME TO HIT THE GREAT OUTDOORS with some haunts where the stars are sparkling and the ghouls are on the loose...LENOX TWP. and ARMADA are prime pickings...might have to flip a coin on this one...

Now under construction in News: review for SCOTT'S HAUNTED CORN MAZE, HAYRIDE & ROOMS OF TERROR in OXFORD.

OCTOBER 23, 2015 FRIDAY 6 AM - Decisions, decisions....so many great haunts beckoning....it's A VERY NICE PROBLEM TO HAVE!

OCTOBER 22, 2015 THURSDAY 2 PM - SPARTAN SPOOKS TAKE OVER FOUR STORY BUILDING IN EAST LANSING!

The MSU DRAMA STUDENTS are once again staging a LARGE SCALE HAUNT in their building. We experienced it in 2013 (see Reviews 2013_A) and were amazed at all the innovative ways they used the existing features of the building, essentially creating BIG BUDGET THRILLS ON A SHOESTRING. See Not in FF/HG for details.

OCTOBER 19, 2015 MONDAY 7 AM - HOLLYWOOD COMES TO WINDSOR

Today is the big national election in Canada for the big cheese himself - TRUDEAU or HARPER?

Yeah, yeah, I know...Stephen Harper helped Obama get the Cuba deal done by hosting the SECRET NEGOTIATIONS in Canada, and that's pretty cool...but all I wanna know is HOW COOL THE HAUNTED HOUSES IN CANADA ARE!

They even made a Universal Pictures feature length movie at SCAREHOUSE WINDSOR which is only minutes away from Detroit.

Check out this plotline from THE SCAREHOUSE - Six sorority sisters enter a haunted house attraction, only to discover that there are two former members who seek revenge on them for past misdeeds. www.ScareHouseWindsor.com

SOUNDS LIKE BIG FUN! It won the Best Feature Film at the New York City Horror Film Festival, and their haunt ad promises the movie will be "in wide release across the United States in October of 2015."

OCTOBER 18, 2015 SUNDAY 3 AM - RETURN OF THE MASTER

STU SMITH is a name many of you have heard. He's well established as the PREMIERE 3D HAUNT ARTIST, and many of you no doubt saw his early breakout work with THE HAUNTING in ADRIAN.

But THE HAUNTING is gone, so where can you go to see some TRULY STUNNING NEW 3D ART BY STU SMITH?

DING!

We saw it ourselves last night at THE REALM OF DARKNESS in PONTIAC, which was totally jamming with overflowing parking lots and masses of ecstatic haunters with dropped jaws!

Most of these haunters had never seen anything like this CAPTIVATING SURREAL BIZARRE display with a silly edge for good measure to round out the emotional see-saw Stu takes you on in HOUSE OF NIGHTMARES 3D which is inside REALM. (Review coming soon)

We also tried a haunt we've never been to, SCOTT'S HAUNTED CORN MAZE, HAYRIDE & ROOMS OF TERROR in OXFORD. This young haunt has a special flavor all its own, and we had a great time there! (Review coming soon)

THE JOURNEY OF A LIFETIME STARTS WITH A SINGLE STEP

We can easily see us following the progress of SCOTT'S, as they've got a good thing going that's getting better and better with each year. And the place is MASSIVE, which presents a lot of amazing possibilities.

Our apologies to EREBUS for missing them last night...BOO HOO!

Thing is, SCOTT'S FARMS was so interesting that we talked with them forever and still didn't do all they had available. We skipped their HAUNTED CORN MAZE, which is ON TEN ACRES!

OCTOBER 17, 2015 SATURDAY 4 PM - CALL OF THE WILD / CALL OF THE MEGA-HAUNTS

Last night we checked out TWO KILLER HAUNTS that are certainly in the MEGAHAUNT category - THE BONE YARD and JACKSON'S UNDERWORLD.

And tonight we'll try something new (to us) and try to also make BOTH MEGAHAUNTS IN PONTIAC.

Both, you may be asking?

YUP - Pontiac has TWO major haunts - EREBUS AND THE REALM OF DARKNESS!

WOWSER - TWO FABULOUS HAUNTS IN ONE CITY?

Oh wait, there's LENOX TWP. as well with TWO FABULOUS HAUNTS IN ONE CITY!

The more, the merrier we always say...

www.HauntedPontiac.com www.TheRealmOfDarkness.com

OCTOBER 17, 2015 SATURDAY 3 PM - MISTAKE BECOMES REALITY

I remember making a mistake years ago while writing an article about Jackson, and accidently typing UnderGROUND instead of UnderWORLD.

This time it's no mistake, and it's time to SPREAD THE WORD - there is now BOTH JACKSON'S UNDERWORLD AND JACKSON'SUNDERGROUND!

JACKSON'S UNDERGROUND is a brand new haunt experience that is located in the same building as JACKSON'S UNDERWORLD, but unfortunately the UnderGROUND part did not make it to press in the ads.

So what IS JACKSON'S UNDERGROUND? (review coming soon)

OCTOBER 17, 2015 SATURDAY 2 AM - THE BONE YARD and JACKSON'S UNDERWORLD were both totally off the hook last night! What a great start to a REALLY WILD WEEKEND...

OCTOBER 16, 2015 FRIDAY 5 PM - ALL IS WELL, MY LITTLE MONKEYS / GOOD NEWS FROM LINCOLN PARK

ANXIETY ALLEY IS STILL OPEN! It's been there FOREVER it seems at the Lincoln Park Community Center (3525 Dix) and it just wouldn't feel right for them NOT to be still haunting there in THE PROUD JAYCEE TRADITION. (see Not in FF/HG)

In case you didn't know, ANXIETY ALLEYÂwas one of the VERY FIRST HAUNTED HOUSES to our knowledge along with MUTILATION MANSION in MADISON HEIGHTS.

Both of these haunts are just a few tractor trailers thrown together, but they ended up PIONEERING THE HAUNT GENRE ITSELF and their long-range influence cannot be denied.

OCTOBER 16, 2015 FRIDAY 3 PM - HITTING THE GROOVE

We've got a REALLY WILD WEEKEND coming up!

Once again, the operator of THE BONE YARD in STOCKBRIDGE will be an actor in the haunt itself so we'll be playing the "Spot The Owner" game again. Last year, it was absolutely hysterical! (See Reviews 2014_C) www.BoneYardHaunt.com

JACKSON'S UNDERWORLD in JACKSON has opened up the 4th floor of their amazing building, and that alone would be big news!

There's no denying that our future lies with our children, right?

But the fact is, most haunts are WAY too intense for really young children.

So in a forward-thinking move, JACKSON'S UNDERWORLD has added a new KID FRIENDLY feature this year with special glow sticks they can carry to let the actors know to go easy on them.

We've actually seen this approach at THE HAUNTED CASTLE inÂBEVERLY HILLS before, and it was a big success.

Hmmm...this has an interesting twist I'm thinking...let's say a GUY that's supposed to be a tough dude is secretly afraid to go into haunted houses. And this one IS A MONSTER...does he get the special glow stick for himself? Is he a TOTAL WIMP if he does? haha  ;) www.JxUnderworld.com

OCTOBER 14, 2015 WEDNESDAY 9 PM - We just talked to the operator of HUSH and this is SO cool...they were just getting out of HUNDRED ACRES MANOR HAUNTED HOUSE in PITTSBURG, PENNSYLVANIA.

HUSH will be making a MAJOR ANNOUCEMENT SOON!

OCTOBER 11, 2015 SUNDAY 2 AM - YOU GOTTA BE KIDDING, YOU DID WHAT?

Last night, we cancelled our plans (with notifications of course) to hit three of the MOST AWESOME OUTDOOR HAUNTS IN MICHIGANBLAKE'S, HAUNTED FARM OF TERROR and SCAREFEST SCREAM PARK.

We do feel totally confident they're still delivering the goods big time. But instead we visited a much smaller haunt only in its first year, ABANDONED HAUNTED HOUSE in MELVINDALE.

Making risky choices is in our blood, but did this one pay off? (See preliminary review in Newest)

OCTOBER 10, 2015 SATURDAY 2 PM - CHRISTMAS IN OCTOBER!

If you guessed FRANKENMUTH to the question below, you're right. First we saw the amazing Yuletide decorations and lights at Bronner's where IT'S CHRISTMAS 365 DAYS A YEAR!

NEW BLOOD!

Then after the mandatory super tasty Frankenmuth chicken dinner, we loved exploring the HAUNTED FOREST OF BAVARIA down the block and then BATE'S HAUNTED SAWMILL & JC'S AXE HOUSE in MILLINGTON.

Apologies to HAUNTED ELEMENTARY and XAVIER for missing them. They too are new haunts for us, and we look forward to seeing them in the future!

OCTOBER 10, 2015 SATURDAY 3 AM - We were off exploring more haunts we had never been to last night!

SO MUCH FUN...and the ultimate chicken dinner too...now WHERE in the world could THAT be? Gotta hit the hay, more later...

OCTOBER 9, 2015 FRIDAY 4 PM - GOALS, VISIONS & MASTER PLANS...SUBJECT TO CHANGE

Have you ever noticed that you'll do something to produce a specific result, only to find the outcome is totally different from your original vision?

You can plan until you're blue in the face, but you never know for sure how the details and circumstances will play out, or even if you'll have to start over again...

The haunt industry is a FANTASY DRIVEN BUSINESS, which means it's limited only by your imagination...and then of course your ability to pull it off.

Earlier, we talked about the unusually late start (which is tonight) this year for THE HAUNT in GRAND RAPIDS. (See SEPTEMBER 20, 2015 SUNDAY 3 AM)

So what did they do with their extra time to get ready for this season? What FANTASIES AND ADVENTURES WILL COME TO LIFE this year?? www.The-Haunt.com

OCTOBER 8, 2015 THURSDAY 8 PM - DO NOT PASS GO - DO NOT COLLECT $200!

The hoosegow. The slammer. The pokey.

Prison is one place you sure don't want to be - but we're going anyway.

And it's the world's largest free standing cell block in the world, de-commissioned in only 1998. Guess what it is now?

(more soon)

OCTOBER 8, 2015 THURSDAY 12:30 AM - BIGGER & BADDER / THRILL ME, CHILL ME!

Somebody asked what the ultimate PHYSICAL THRILL HAUNT is, and that's a great question!

No question the hands-down winner is MONSTER TRUCK RIDES in LANSING at MONGOOSE RACING (see Reviews 2011_B) but we also really liked VILLAGE OF THE LIVING DEAD in ST. CHARLES next to the water tower.

Hmmm...MONSTER TRUCK RIDES is closed this year, but VILLAGE OF THE LIVING DEAD is open and we had a blast there last year!

This year marks the 30th anniversary for VILLAGE OF THE LIVING DEAD, so they MUST be doing something right!  And their Facebook page is rockin' www.facebook.com/stchauntedhouse

OCTOBER 6, 2015 TUESDAY 11 PM - Thinking back to last year for a moment - so we're waiting in line at TERRORFIED FOREST in PINCKNEY and the girls in front of us noticed my partner's TERRORTOWN T-SHIRT and bang we're off and running talking about Ohio...

They said they HAD A BLAST AT THE HAUNTED PRISON in MANSFIELD, OHIO.

Hmmm...we can't go to TERRORTOWN cuz they're gone...and we can't wait to hit the HAUNTED HYDRO in FREMONT and GHOSTLY MANOR in SANDUSKY again... BUT... maybe we'll try something new this year (for us) and set the Tom Tom for the HAUNTED PRISON in MANSFIELD!

IT SOUNDS LIKE A SURE WINNER! www.hauntedx.com

OCTOBER 5, 2015 MONDAY 2 AM - SUNDAY FUNDAY!

Impressive! On Sunday night:

KRAZY HILDA'S SCARED THE BEJESUS OUT OF US FOUR TIMES!

HUSH SENT US FLYING INTO A FUTURISTIC NEVER-NEVER LAND!

And they both have GIANT WOWSER NEW PROPS THAT ARE TO DIE FOR.

Even better, they're right down the road from each other on Ford Road!

OCTOBER 4, 2015 SUNDAY 4 AM - SATURDAY NIGHT, ALRIGHT!

We had a great Saturday night starting off steeped-in-history at THE HAUNTED JUNCTION in FARMINGTON, then off to the much anticipated 2nd year expansion from DARK LEGACY in WIXOM which was last year's surprise breakout new haunt.

OCTOBER 3, 2015 SATURDAY 8 PM - THE BIGGEST CIGAR IN THE WORLD

And it's not from Cuba.

OK, it's not actually a cigar...it's a massive smokestack!

Standing tall and proud of its long history as a major landmark is a new haunt called THE HAUNTED JUNCTION in FARMINGTON, our first destination for tonight...

OCTOBER 3, 2015 SATURDAY 6 PM - RAINING ON OUR PARADE

Rats! We wanted to see BOUGHAN'S HAUNTED HAYRIDE in BELLEVILLE and KRAZY HILDA'S TRAIL OF TERRORS in YPSILANTI tonight, but it's a rainy night...so on to Plan B...

OCTOBER 3, 2015 SATURDAY 2 AM - TAKE ME DOWN TO SERENDIPITY CITY, WHERE THE GRASS IS GREEN AND THE GHOULS ARE PRETTY

BOO HOO! to slow traffic - we couldn't make it to THE HAUNTED FOREST OF BAVARIA in FRANKENMUTH in time last night, so we also missed BATES HAUNTED SAW MILL in MILLINGTON - RATS!

"Hey, let's hit Dort Highway and see what we find...there's tons of 'em..."

"ST. LUCIFER'S WAS FIRST ON OUR LIST LAST YEAR AND WAS KILLER ...hey, there's the search lights...oh wait, it's THE CRYPT instead...THEY ALWAYS FLOORED US TOO...let's stop in here..."

So we experienced THE CRYPT with their great actors and ambience. They scrambled us every which way and shook our emotions up then spun dry our brains! www.TheCryptHauntedHouse.com

And then, before we could even ask, THE CRYPT suggested we also go to ROTTEN MANOR in HOLLY. As a first year haunt, it was already on our MUST SEE LIST.

It's right across the street from the Renaissance Festival...WOW!!! What a FABULOUS FACADE AND IT IS GIANT...now this I can imagine being what childhood nightmares of haunted houses would look like...HIGHLY IMPRESSIVE HAUNT AND FOREST JOURNEY...and this is just their FIRST YEAR??? A SURE WINNER OFF AND RUNNING OUT OF THE GATE! www.RottenManor.com

OCTOBER 2, 2015 FRIDAY 6 PM - WOW! I can't wait...we're hitting 2 haunts tonight we've never seen before! And hopefully we can sneak in ST. LUCIFER'S or THE REALM OF DARKNESS afterwards too...

Tonight is OPENING NIGHT for most haunts - there's LOTS of awesome fun and experiences just waiting right around the block at your local haunted house. GIT' OUT THERE!

SEPTEMBER 30, 2015 WEDNESDAY 10 PM - WHAT'S PERU GOT TO DO WITH IT?

Ask anybody who knows the area: What's the biggest landmark in Farmington?

It's that GIANT SMOKESTACK of course, except now there's no smoke.

This is where the historic Farmington Winery was, and you may remember it also being the location of a cool haunt that suddenly did the Jimmy Hoffa Thing disappearing without a trace...

OLD IS NEW AGAIN / BIRDS OF A DIFFERENT FEATHER

We just talked to the operator of the newly listed HAUNTED JUNCTION in FARMINGTON and guess what? YUP! It's at that same historic building we loved so much, but with A NEW HAUNTED ATTRACTION and something else we never could have imagined...FRESH IN FROM PERU!

Get this - there's a RARE BIRD called the CHIMNEY SWIFT that prefers to STAY WAY HIGH IN THE SKY during stops along the way in migration to Peru...

Like on a de-commissioned smokestack for example, and sure enough they set up shop atop THE HAUNTED JUNCTION right there on Grand River in Farmington! Live videos here - www.SwiftSanctuary.org and the haunt website is www.HauntedJunction.com

SEPTEMBER 29, 2015 TUESDAY 10 PM - MORE THAN A FEELING

Anybody remember NAUTICAL NIGHTMARE?

It was a haunt constructed aboard an old BOB-LO ISLAND BOAT. The crews' quarters were left just as they were ages ago, and the resulting sensations and emotions simply could not be duplicated or simulated by any prop.

NAUTICAL NIGHTMARE is long gone - BUT there's another haunt that also has AUTHENTIC ANTIQUES being used as props...and there's been some serious weirdness.

As you probably know, we're talking about THE REALM OF DARKNESS in PONTIAC which is having their MS AWARENESS SCREAM FOR THE CURE ALL NIGHT BLOWOUT this coming SATURDAY, OCTOBER 3, 2015.

Besides the haunt itself, there are all kinds of wild interactive stuff and a fabulous food spread too. www.TheRealmOfDarkness.com

Back to the story, and this is all true not kidding at all here...one of antiques at REALM that gave the paranormal investigators the HEEBIE JEEBIES BIG TIME was a large wooden chest containing stacks of hand written letters.

The chest was originally locked shut, but the haunt operator picked the lock...

These letters had US stamps on them, but many stamps were not cancelled with the envelopes still sealed.

I really shouldn't be telling you this part...

Being the curious sort, the haunt operator had opened the chest to see what she could find. Many letters were from men in wartime military writing home, some of them certainly for the very last time.

And when the paranormal researchers arrived... they GOT A COLD CHILL from this chest of letters, full of memories and dreams lost in limbo land...and yelled "CLOSE THAT CHEST AND LEAVE IT ALONE."

She quickly complied, as she was seeking counsel...

But it was already too late.

Actors had been freaking out after hair raising encounters with certain props...many while in storage rooms like a TELEPHONE BOOTH THAT RANG with no wires connected to it...and then stuff started happening IN THE DISPLAY TO PATRONS TOO... some may have thought it was part of the show.

But it wasn't.

PANDORA'S BOX (or chest in this case) had already been opened and spilled...I think you have to sign a waiver against psychological damage and such...remember this is ALL NIGHT IN A HAUNTED HOUSE!

But if you're adventurous enough, you can explore and investigate for yourself this Saturday Oct. 3rd 2015! www.TheRealmOfDarkness.com

SEPTEMBER 28, 2015 MONDAY 7 PM - CALLING ALL JUGALOS!

We know many of you DIEHARD ICP FANS will be making the PILGRIMAGE TO CHICAGO NEXT SATURDAY, and we have a very special tip for you that is sure to MAXIMIZE THE CRAZINESS!

We mentioned this before...but for the newbie's out there:

THE FLYING FAYGO FUELED FRENZY DELUXE

Before leaving Detroit, grab some DIET FAYGO COLA in 2 liter plastic bottles AND some MENTOS brand breath mints. Get some non-diet FAYGO as well to drink, as you will NOT be drinking the diet soda...but it has special properties as you'll see in A FABULOUS WAY!

At the show, try to get up front so everybody can see this - open a 2 liter DIET FAYGO bottle, take one swig then carefully drop a MENTOS brand mint into the bottle.

The resulting chemical reaction turns the bottle into A SHOOTING FOUNTAIN OF FAYGO FOAM that is A SURE WINNER FOR THE ULTIMATE ICP FAYGO EXPERIENCE!

Wait a second...the ICP CONCERT is sandwiched between TWO ROB ZOMBIE CONCERTS...so it seems like Rob would be somewhere close by...and after all IT'S ZOMBIE'S HAUNT this is all happening at...

Hmmm...do you think it's possible there could be a surprise guest star at the ICP CONCERT?

Maybe they could get...oh, perhaps Hootie and the Blowfish.

Nah...Hootie might not be hip to ICP...hmmm... who else could they possibly get to be a surprise guest star for ICP AT ROB ZOMBIE'S HAUNT?

Shut my mouth, hope to die, stick a needle in my eye...

SEPTEMBER 27, 2015 SUNDAY 9 PM - A FASHIONISTA'S PLEA FOR MORE STYLISH HAUNTING ATTIRE

The girls need your help...

People love to dress up at weddings, especially the women who bring out their most stylish and feminine outfits.

DRESSED TO KILL, as they say...

Well, yesterday we went directly from a wedding to a haunt so we dressed differently than we usually would on a haunt journey. My partner had an awesome black and sparkly purple top with the classic V-neck cut.

It was indeed a dramatic departure from her usual appearance of wearing a haunted attraction T-shirt from her massive collection of them. The shirts are great, but they're all non-gender specific with the boxy high-neck collars.

THE BEST OF BOTH WORLDS

So we started to brainstorm the ULTIMATE GIRL'S HAUNT T-SHIRT...

How about black with orange lace trim on the sleeves and most importantly a lower neck line and adjustable V-neck opening with an orange lace-up bodice?

The haunts' logo could be on front or back, or perhaps even both!

It should be lighter than the heavy fabric T-shirts, perfect for those warmer haunt evenings.

EXIT 13 already offers some COOL GIRL'S HAUNTED UNDIES and that's great!

But WHO will now step up to the plate and DELIVER A CUTE & SEXY GIRL'S HAUNTED ATTRACTION T-SHIRT?

SEPTEMBER 26, 2015 SATURDAY 11:30 PM - THINK BIG OR GET OUT OF DODGE

What a great first night out we had at SLAUGHTERHOUSE in FOWLERVILLE!

DROPPED JAWS AND SCRATCHED HEADS

The new show scrambles your senses and emotions with a crazy blend of silly and ghastly story lines, and the magicians defy the laws of physics in full view of disbelieving eyes with their TOP-LEVEL MIND BENDING ILLUSIONS.

But first we went to a giant wedding at a beautiful country church in Howell, and then the reception at a MASSIVE POLE BARN in FOWLERVILLE on Grand River.

Wait a second, didn't SLAUGHTERHOUSE also start on Grand River in a barn?

They threw Halloween parties for the local kids in their barn that were wildly successful. These parties became the talk-of-the-town and for many the biggest event of the year.

The only thing that made any sense was for them to go public with the big fun, and SLAUGHTERHOUSE was born!

ALL MESSED UP / THE BRIGHT BLACK FUTURE

We've come to expect the unexpected from industry leaders, and tonight SLAUGHTERHOUSE gave us a glimpse into what could be a very messy future that would actually be very wonderful!

We can't give away too much right now, but here are a few tasty tidbits:

SLAUGHTERHOUSE has quietly acquired a major nearby property that already has the infrastructure to handle big crowds, including paved parking.

This site has already been used for crazy stuff, some of it involving MASS QUANTITIES OF MUD!

That's all we can say for now, but perhaps some of you will be able to "connect the dots" on your own...

SEPTEMBER 26, 2015 SATURDAY 1 AM - OLD SCHOOL RETURNS TO DOWNRIVER IN A BIG WAY

Earlier we talked about the haunted history of small but mighty Melvindale. (See SEPTEMBER 19, 2015 SATURDAY 4 PM - RETURN OF THE MELVINDALE MONSTERS article below)

We wondered who's behind this brand new ABANDON HAUNTED HOUSE right there in magical Melvindale...and we just found out!

This is an amazing story actually, and it's the very stuff HAUNT MAGIC is made of!

Anybody out there remember the laser tag place in Macomb County that also ran the WILDLY SUCCESSFUL HAUNT WICKED?

It was old school with an edge...A WICKED EDGE that kept us coming back for more and more (see archives) until it finally closed up shop much as THE EXTREME SCREAM did.

But time and circumstances have a way of changing everything, and eventually led the CREATORS OF WICKED to team up with the WILDLY SUCCESSFUL PLAY ATLANTIS ARCADE in MELVINDALE!

Wait, it gets better...not only that, but another well known haunt design expert got on board too ensuring this will enthrall and dazzle the eyes of all who enter.

We're always anxious to check out new haunts, but the rich history of high quality haunting experience here makes it even more compelling! Click here for details - www.PlayAtlantis.co 

SEPTEMBER 25, 2015 FRIDAY 11 PM - SUPER MOON THIS SUNDAY

What a nice addition to the ambience for haunting!

There ARE some haunts open this Sunday - it could change but so far we've got our eye on KRAZY HILDA'S TRAIL OF TERRORS in YPSILANTI which has expanded this year at their new home of PANAMA FARMS which is massive. www.KrazyHildas.com

Could the owners of Panama Farms be the ones that eventually create a west side version of the HAUNT INDUSTRY GIANT BLAKE'S???

Time will tell, but this much we know for sure:

Everything starts as a thought and the bigger the idea the bigger the result!

And consider that once upon a time, BLAKE'S was largely undeveloped just like PANAMA FARMS.

In the WILD WORLD OF HAUNTED ATTRACTIONS, we've come to expect the unexpected as we realize that THE ONLY CONSTANT IS CHANGE!

SEPTEMBER 24, 2015 THURSDAY 7 PM - FORD ROAD & TELEGRAPH

Crusin' around on errands today - first I was on FORD ROAD in WESTLAND which also happens to be the location of HUSH, a VIBRANT NEW HAUNT to the Detroit scene now in their third year. And check this out - HORRORLUST gave them HAUNT OF THE YEAR in 2013!

Wow, they must be doing something right! ;)

And HUSH was one of only four haunts to have successful OFF SEASON EVENTS last year. We went - it was a Valentine's Day tie-in and was a total blast!

HUSH has their own DYNAMIC FUTURISTIC APPROACH to the complete haunt experience, and we're looking forward to this year's show! (See Reviews in 2013 and 2014)

Then, crusin' the main drag Telegraph...got to Wick Road in Taylor...looking for the sign about PAPP PARK HAYRIDE AND TERROR ZONE HAUNTED HOUSE...don't see it yet...if they're gone we'll be devastated...we missed them last year and it's always BEEN AN AMAZING HAYRIDE...I'll try to call them...

SEPTEMBER 24, 2015 THURSDAY 2 AM - THE MAGICAL MYSTERY TOUR

We can't wait!

Our annual haunt tour begins this weekend, but we have a wedding to attend Saturday too. Hey no problem, the city the wedding is in ALSO has one of the most INCREDIBLE HAUNTS EVER, AN ABSOLUTE MUST SEE!

So which one is it?

Never mind that for right now...just get out there and SUPPORT YOUR LOCAL HAUNTED HOUSE.

We'll swap stories later, maybe around a bonfire sipping on some SUPER TASTY FRESH MICHIGAN CIDER at one of the fabulous farm and/or orchard haunts.

Close your eyes...imagine how that super-fresh goodness tastes and feels going down your throat...mmmmm happy tummy....or try dipping a hot donut in a jar of apple butter to send your taste buds to haunted heaven!

SEPTEMBER 20, 2015 SUNDAY 3 AM - So I'm talking to my partner earlier, and she's all like "WHEN ARE WE GOING TO GRAND RAPIDS?"

Hold your horses, and don't git 'yer panties all in a bunch just yet...'YA GOTTA WAIT UNTIL OCTOBER 9th when THE HAUNT OPENS FOR 2015.

Wait, that's October NINTH? WHY SO LATE???

1 Team. 60 Minutes. Countless Clues.

There's some wild new stuff happening at THE HAUNT involving a NEW INTERACTIVE DIMENSION that's sure to take off like Beanie Babies and pet rocks, so preparations are bound to be longer than usual...

ESCAPE MICHIGAN is new this year and seems likes the perfect wild new addition to the Waldorf building, which is massive.

The operator of THE HAUNT is a very demanding (of himself) creative madman that refuses to compromise in any way artistically and ethically - and if that means NOT OPENING UNTIL HE'S SURE TO BE READY FOR THE SEASON, so be it. In fact, KUDOS to them for making sure every fan gets their money's worth consistently.

The logistics alone of what they're doing with the ESCAPE MICHIGAN addition could easily overwhelm any less of an expert as JB! haha

Oh yeah...and their Facebook page is a gas with almost 37,000 LIKES!! www.facebook.com/thehaunt

SEPTEMBER 19, 2015 SATURDAY 10 PM - (pinched nose) "WHAT CITY, PLEASE?"

Anybody remember calling Directory Assistance by calling 4-1-1?

They always asked what city you wanted to check listings in. But if you were an out-of-towner you'd probably say DETROIT when it really was a suburb nearby.

And if you were a local that said "Clinton" you'd get a "NOT FOUND" report if what you wanted was actually in Clinton TOWNSHIP, as these two places are far away from each other. Confusing, eh?

I CAN SEE CLEARLY NOW, BUT ONLY BECAUSE OF MY G.P.S.

But why bring this up now?

There's been some confusion about what's happening where in Illinois.

Earlier, we said that ROB ZOMBIE'S HAUNT IS IN CHICAGO - OK it's actually in the nearby suburb of VILLA PARK, ILLINOIS.

If you're at a concert at Pine Knob Music Theater (aka DTE Energy Music Theater) the rock star says "MAKE SOME NOISE, DETROIT!" right?

It would sound ridiculous for them to say "MAKE SOME NOISE, CLARKSTON!" or even more accurately "MAKE SOME NOISE, INDEPENDENCE TOWNSHIP!"

So, similarly, we may casually mention FLINT or CHICAGO in articles when it's really a lesser known nearby city - but the haunt listing's address will always specify the exact city.

Same as like, if someone in Wisconsin said for example "We're going to Detroit for Dark Legacy" when it's technically in Wixom which is in the so-called "Tri County Area of Detroit" consisting of Wayne, Oakland, and Macomb counties.

Personally though, we would extend that multi-county list to Washtenaw County as well with haunts such as KRAZY HILDA'S TRAIL OF TERRORS in YPSILANTI that are only a brief drive from Detroit.

Confused? Just do what we do, and put your trust in Tom-Tom...or Garmin.

SEPTEMBER 19, 2015 SATURDAY 4 PM - RETURN OF THE MELVINDALE MONSTERS

Miniature Melvindale is about to roar again!

Many years ago, we experienced our very first circular spinning room in Melvindale at a short lived haunt on Oakwood Blvd. at the recreation building I think it was...they construction a GIANT LAZY SUSAN of sorts...the biggest we've seen to date! (Side note: the MOST INCREDIBLE SPINNING ROOM EVER was at the defunct HAUNTED THEATRE HOUSE on LIVERNOIS IN DETROIT - see review in Wayne Cty Cities A thru S)

Then we had the FABULOUS MELVINDALE DADS CLUB HAYRIDE on Outer Drive near Allen Road.

This was the first time we saw deep field holes dug that actors got in to make their heads pop out from the wrong spot, which is a FABULOUS ILLUSION reminiscent of some of the crazy stuff you will see at SLAUGHTERHOUSE in FOWLERVILLE by the way...just sayin'...trust me it's TOTALLY OFF THE HOOK AT SLAUGHTERHOUSE...whoops, back to Melvindale...

Every year brings NEW HAUNTS and that means NEW BLOOD.

And we can't wait to taste the NEW BLOOD that has just set up HAUNT RESIDENCE IN SMALL BUT MIGHTY MELVINDALE!

It goes by the name ABANDON HAUNTED HOUSE and it's on Allen Road right off Outer Drive...real close to where that killer hayride was.

ABANDON HAUNTED HOUSE is open tonight! Go to 19400 Allen Road in Melvindale, at Play Atlantis which is in itself a super fun place! The haunt phone # is (734) 686-1884.

SEPTEMBER 16, 2015 WEDENSDAY 11 PM - MAKIN' THE MONSTER MOVE IN A PINK CADILLAC...(OR LINCOLN TOWN CAR)

We still can't believe that TERRORTOWN IS GONE! OH NO!

It was always my partner's BIGGEST ROAD TRIP ANTICIPATION OF THE YEAR after THE HAUNTING had also suddenly shuttered some time ago...ah, Stuart...we miss you dude but know east coast TV made you an offer you couldn't refuse...

Oh yeah, an offer you can't refuse...that's actually why TERRORTOWN closed as you may know if you've been following here...their owner started working with ROB ZOMBIE WHO HAS HIS HAUNT IN CHICAGO THIS YEAR!

COULD BE TIME FOR A...  N - E - W  R - O - A - D   T - R - I - P ! ! !

Or a really quick flight of course, but hey DETROIT TO CHICAGO is no big deal driving especially with multiple drivers and super cheap gas now...but be sure to PICK UP SOME FAYGO 2 liters IN DETROIT BEFORE YOU GO making sure that you get at least a few DIET FAYGO's in your buy. (We'll tell you later more about THAT and you're gonna absolutely love it!)

SATURDAY WITH THE CLOWNS!

INSANE CLOWN POSSSE is PLAYING AT ROB ZOMBIE'S GREAT AMERICAN NIGHTMARE HAUNT, headlining along with P.O.D. ON SATURDAY NIGHT, OCTOBER 3, 2015!

HUESKER SEE, HUESKER DO

But hold on...it gets better...hey, it's ROB ZOMBIE'S HAUNT...c'mon we've all heard the soft, sweet, lilting strains of Dragula a couple hundred thousand times at countless haunts across the land...ah, memories...and the video of Dragula on Vevo has OVER 35 MILLIONS VIEWS! It's almost like a horror movie within itself - www.vevo.com/watch/rob-zombie/Dragula/USIV20300562

STRAIGHT FROM THE HORSE'S MOUTH

So how about if you could GO TO A MEGAHAUNT AND SEE AN ACTUAL ROB ZOMBIE CONCERT? Would that be the HOLY GRAIL, OR WHAT?!

I mean, have you ever seen his WILD STAGE ANTICS? Check out this live clip on Vevo: www.vevo.com/watch/rob-zombie/Superbeast-(Live)/USUV71 40064 6

THIS DAY HAD TO COME, and now we know exactly when too! It's actually TWO days though - it's the ROB ZOMBIE CONCERT & GREAT AMERICAN NIGHTMARE HAUNTED ATTRACTION on FRIDAY OCTOBER 2nd AND SUNDAY OCTOBER 4th, 2015

Full details here, and be sure to check the photo gallery! www.GreatAmericanNightmare.com

And have you heard the ROB ZOMBIE VERSION OF "WE'RE AN AMERICAN BAND," originally by Grand Funk Railroad from Flint, Michigan?

It TOTALLY ROCKS! And I'm tired of the old version; at this point I actually like this ultra-modern version better! The drum tones are stellar featuring a giant fat sounding cowbell - the sound production values on this studio version are through the roof: www.vevo.com/watch/rob-zombie/Were-An-American-Band-(Lyric-V ideo)/USUV71301401

SEPTEMBER 16, 2015 WEDNESDAY 3 AM - IN A MOST DELIGHTFUL WAY

Quick - which two bands are most commonly associated with haunted houses?

1. _______________________________________________

2. _______________________________________________

The vast majority of you probably just said ROB ZOMBIE and INSANE CLOWN POSSE, or I'll be a monkey's uncle and eat your hat - or FAYGO bottle as the case may be...

A STRANGE BOMBASTIC MUSICAL ASSAULT FROM BEYOND

So if you could get any two bands for a haunted concert weekend, ICP and Zombie would be the ultimate choice, right? But what's the chance of THAT happening?!

Actually, it's 100% because it's already a done deal.

Stay tuned, details coming later today...

SEPTEMBER 11, 2015 FRIDAY 10 PM - How cool to think at this very moment the first haunt experiences of the season are happening!

The FEAR FINDER is ready online already, but THE HAUNT GUIDE is finishing up artwork layout for the ads.

They both have Facebook pages this year -www.facebook.com/FearFinder  and www.facebook.com/TheHauntGuide

AUGUST 31, 2015 MONDAY 8 PM - A SAD DAY ON ELM STREET

WES CRAVEN has just passed on we're sad to report.

Wes was the creator of some of the absolute best slasher movies, and that makes him family because:

Haunting and scary movies go hand-in-hand, and Wes' passion for creating some of the most engaging, gripping movies in that genre is legendary worldwide.

THE LAST HOUSE ON THE LEFT was his breakout debut film in 1972, and I remember it spawning all sorts of mini-urban legends in much the same way tall tales about haunted houses get passed around in autumn every year...

(putting on memory cap) "OMG, I just heard that Jimmy took Susie to see Last House On The Left and JIMMY freaked out and peed his pants (or barfed, pooped, whatever) and they got kicked out of the theater!"

So it's a SAD DAY ON ELM STREET...but that reminds me...let's flip this feeling around 180 now...just thinking back right now and reliving the experience in my brain...of going to a KILLER HAUNT with a Wes Craven inspired name that's a little off the beaten path of Detroit but is TOTALLY WORTH DRIVING TO...

It's A NIGHTMARE ON ELM ROAD in WEBBERVILLE, and we've become so attached to this haunt that TWICE we blew off our BIG CITY PLANS RIGHT ON HALLOWEEN to go there instead!

AUGUST 26, 2015 WEDNESDAY 1 AM - THE NEW DIMENSION IN HAUNT LIGHTING JUST WAITING TO BE TAPPED

As you may know, we're always very curious about how special lighting helps the haunt experience.

One of the most dramatic pro lighting effects ever (in any venue) is the so-called LIQUID SKY, where a laser shines through fog (or haze from a hazer) and creates a distinct 3-D image in mid air. The first time you see this, it's a GIANT WOW MOMENT!

Often a fan is used to draw air towards the laser, producing a spinning tunnel that looks like a COSMIC PORTAL DIRECTLY TO THE FOURTH DIMENSION!

For ages, RED LASERS were the only affordable choice for most venues.

But eventually, green lasers became affordable as with the American DJ MicroGalaxian which also has a red laser and can produce an impressive multi-colored liquid sky for only $99.

Then, it was the BLUE LASER that became cost prohibitive.

But we knew that couldn't last - in fact about a year ago we ran an article about a blue laser projector for home use we saw on an infomercial.

That was a consumer level product, but we imagined it still being able to produce an impressive BLUE LASER LIQUID SKY DISPLAY if the room size and ambient lighting was right.

That was then. This is now:

We just spotted a really cool looking red and green laser projector that also features a BLUE LED BACKWASH effect that's priced to move! www.lighting-geek.com/laser-lights/3d-laser/laser-star-proje ctor

So who will be the FIRST ONE ON THE BLOCK with a haunt that will TOTALLY BLOW OUR MINDS with the FIRST BLUE LASER LIQUID SKY?

JUNE 4, 2015 THURSDAY 7 PM - ROCK AIN'T DEAD, IT'S JUST IN REHAB

I just heard a band on ROCKSTATION (internet radio station from Switzerland) that sounds like they could be perfect for haunted house sound systems where you'd often hear ROB ZOMBIE and such...

It's the TEXAS HIPPIE COALITION, with songs like "MONSTER IN ME" and "ROCK AIN'T DEAD" which you can see here with one of the "lyric videos" at https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MIrNsHBSw1k

SOMEBODY needs to give ROB ZOMBIE a run for his money! haha

Hmm...above link did not work when tested just now, but if you search YouTube for Texas Hippie Coalition it'll come right up.

FEBRUARY 20, 2015 FRIDAY 2 AM - HAPPY LUNAR NEW YEAR!

Get the moon dust out, because over 100 countries are celebrating the new lunar year right now, and in China the big national TV event drew OVER 600 MILLION VIEWERS according to CBC News in Canada!

That's more than a long list of award shows you're familiar with like The Oscars COMBINED! Take a look at some of the craziness: www.telegraph.co.uk/news/worldnews/asia/china/10611661/Lunar- New-Year-celebrations-from-around-the-globe.html

SO, WHAT ABOUT THE HAUNT MARKET IN CHINA?

I'll bet they would GO TOTALLY BONKERS if only they could experience a World Class Haunt like for example, THE HAUNT in GRAND RAPIDS.

OCTOBER 31, 2014 FRIDAY 2:30 PM - LET THE SNOW HOWL

Did you ever plan to do something fun with your friends...and then some sort of EXTREME CIRCUMSTANCE HITS...but you go anyway and have the time of your life?

Down the road, those are the stories remembered the most and talked about as well.

It's just human nature...the prim-and-proper everything was perfect just as planned events never get re-told and embellished later on.

HOOTIN' AND HOWLIN' IN THE BLUSTERY SNOW - THE GLASS IS WAY MORE THAN HALF FULL 

The weather for Halloween in Michigan and Ohio is horrible, with rain today and snow and howling winds later right during trick-or-treat time.

That's a good thing.

HUH?

At its' very core, Trick-or-Treating is far more about shared experiences than the sugar-fueled frenzy which fades quickly.

The shared experience of going out on Halloween despite the lousy weather will last far longer than the secret stash of Snickers bars...and then someday...it's like "Oh yeah? That's nothing...one time we actually went TRICK OR TREATING IN THE SNOW...there was gale force winds...nobody else went and we filled three pillow cases...except Freddie...he filled SIX pillow cases...they had to pump his stomach later..."

Thank you, Mother Nature

 Rest In Peace, Adam T. Ladd
June 19, 1974 – May 30, 2014

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