Hi I'm Onezumi Hartstein, and along with my partner James Harknell we review Haunted Attractions and Dark Rides at our website http://www.onezumiverse.com. We also have a podcast at iTunes: http://itunes.apple.com/podcast/rantings-stupid-insane-onezumi/id272184585?mt=2

Over the last 6 years we've been through hundreds of Haunted Attractions and Dark Rides and gone thousands of miles to tour them. We've seen practically every type of crazy thing they can throw at you to scare you (and given them ideas to make things even scarier).

We're currently the top ranked blog site for "haunted attraction reviews" and we are shooting a video series right now that will be up on Youtube soon.

Here's the link to our announcement for tonight's AMA: http://www.onezumiverse.com/2013/09/tonight-8pm-come-hang-out-with-me-on-reddit/

We'll be starting our answers at 8pm tonight. Happy Haunting!

EDIT: Because we are getting so many questions Harknell is now answering on his own account!

EDIT: Thank you for all of the great questions! We are exhausted so we are going to have to go now (10:19). Please check out our site for new reviews over the next few weeks. We will also announce when our YouTube series (http://www.youtube.com/user/OnezumiStudios) will premiere there soon! HAPPY HALLOWEEN!

Comments: 250 • Responses: 80  • Date: 

stevenmw16 karma

Where are the attractions you review? If you have reviewed in the U.S., what was your favorite?

Onezumiverse14 karma

O: I cover NJ (where I am based), NY, MD, VA, PA, OH, FL and I added Georgia this year. When talking about favorites it depends on what type of haunt. Some are theatrical, others are startle scare. Hotel of Horror/Altered Nightmares in Saylorsburg, PA is probably my favorite although Pennhurst in Spring City, PA is coming close with their 2013 show. UPDATE H: I love Field of Screams in Mountville, PA. It has one of my all time favorite houses called Den of Darkness. I'd freak out if I couldn't go there every year.

sryguys3 karma

I wish I could've seen Pennhurst before it turned into a Halloween attraction. It looked absolutely terrifying.

Onezumiverse5 karma

They told us that they may be putting in a legit walk through of the actual grounds. So you may be able to see it but safely because they are gonna keep it decayed but fix any health hazards. Emphasis on Might. No one told me for sure I just heard it was very likely.

Onezumiverse3 karma

Also their Ghost Hunt is just that - letting you walk through an area with no actors. It's pretty darn scary.

harknell3 karma

It's still scary as crap. We just did a recording this past weekend for our new youtube series and the drive to get there when you go on the property was scary with no other cars around. The funny part is we talked with Donna and Ruth there, 2 former employees, and they said the place wasn;t scary at all when it was operating. It was bright and open. Looking at it now though and man does it have the super creep factor going for it.

Eastern State Penitentiary: Terror Behind The Walls in Philadelphia PA is the only other place I can compare it to.

sryguys2 karma

Can I have a link to your YouTube page? I wanna check that video out.

Onezumiverse2 karma

The video is not up yet, but it will be posted here as soon as our editor fixes it up, so totally subscribe: http://www.youtube.com/user/OnezumiStudios

rabidjellybean12 karma

Is there a place that you would say "no" to revisiting out of fear?

Onezumiverse28 karma

O: No, it takes a lot to scare me. Usually it makes me laugh. But I wouldn't try Blackout NYC for the first time. They do things like make you put fake bloody tampons in your mouth and a naked guy puts his junk in your face. That is just not my type of thing but for those who it is their type of thing I hear they are amazing at what they do.

harknell4 karma

Well, generally we're cool with going back to any place we've been to--but some things just don't interest me. Blackout and some of the "experiment" type haunts aren't really haunted attractions in my opinion. They are really more S&M experiences. I like seeing cool stuff and am not much interested in sticking things in my mouth or being covered in nasty crap. For some that's cool though, so to each their own.

Onezumiverse2 karma

Part of my journalistic drive woudl like to cover them in another way, though. Like maybe WATCHING someone ELSE go through.

Mere_bystander10 karma

What is the most overused scare tactic that you see at attractions?

Onezumiverse25 karma

O: Chainsaws. Definitely chainsaws. They are the Photoshop lens flare of haunted attractions. I don't even react to them anymore. But for regular people they work really well!

H: I'm tired of asylum stuff. crazy people and doctors tend to be used as a cheap way of getting out of doing something better. The costumes are inexpensive and people just shake and lunge. Kinda boring.

Toyou4yu7 karma

Due to all of the Haunted Attractions you've been to have they gotten less scary because you know what to expect?

Onezumiverse17 karma

O: Somewhat. I can predict the simple tactics like the "boo hole to the left or right of the door" thing. (Yep, "boo hole" is a real term for those hiding places where the actors jump out from.) But it is VERY possible to get me with misdirection and tag teaming. I still enjoy every second and laugh or scream as my applause.

H: I agree with Oni, but I can point to times where my knowledge kicked me in the ass. Once in a house there were some standard electrocution animatronics on either side and I thought they were just props, well one of them was a real actor who was really good at mimicking the prop and he jumped in my face and blew me away. I totally didn't expect it since I "knew" what the props were.

JustJon7 karma

Which haunted attraction(s) have the best tacos?

Onezumiverse26 karma

OH SHIT, SON I JUST REMEMBERED THAT HOWL O SCREAM IN TAMPA HAS A TACO TRUCK THIS YEAR!!!

tbonesullivan2 karma

gonna be a stinky event if they put in too many beans, that's for sure.

Onezumiverse10 karma

They actually have parts of houses that smell like shit these days. Literaly. They sell scenters.

Onezumiverse5 karma

No

JustJon2 karma

I know, but I promised to do it. :)

harknell4 karma

You know, if a haunt had a dude in a giant zombie taco outfit I'd probably lose it both laughing and screaming due to the unexpected nature of it.

Haunt owners, I expect to see this next season!

Onezumiverse2 karma

Get Randy Bates on this. If anyone can pull it off it's him.

Onezumiverse1 karma

You are a man of your word. HAHAHA!

StephJane6 karma

Was there ever a time when you've been too scared to continue reviewing an attraction?

Onezumiverse6 karma

O: No, I am pretty hard to scare. If it actually happens the actors have some mad skills.

FrightTour6 karma

Hey ONI! Louis from FrightTour here!

Onezumiverse6 karma

HAY LOUIS! Frighttour IS AWESOME!!! :D

TimsInsanity3 karma

Any long distance trips planned this season??

Onezumiverse5 karma

O: We are getting ready to leave for Orlando and Tampa then back up to Orlando and to Atlanta then back to Orlando. (YUP.) Then the following week we are going to Pittsburgh and Ohio. And then there's a trip to Virginia again this season for us.

TripsB133 karma

Can you recommend a good place in the Chicago area?

Onezumiverse2 karma

We haven't been out to Chicago yet, unfortunately. Perhaps a haunt from that area will invite us out one day! :)

jakus_ch1 karma

Some of Great America's haunted houses are good, if you haven't seen those yet.

Onezumiverse1 karma

Six Flags? I have not been there yet. The one in NJ is not good but I have heard good things on the others.

Vervex3 karma

Fright fest NJ just has shit teenagers screaming loudly in your face to be dicks.

As a child I started crying because they wouldn't stop screaming at me. One yelled in my ear "What's a matter little boy?! Scared?!" So loud it hurt. My mother shouted back "He's crying because you keep screaming in his ear!"

20 something years later, loud pop up scares even in movies piss me off...

Question! TL;DR

Ever have someone violate your personal space so bad it got you mad?

Onezumiverse3 karma

FF NJ is on my list of haunts that they probably couldn't pay me enough to go to. I hate it. A lot.

I can pretty much turn off my reflexes in a haunt, but once a guy put me in a headlock and dragged me into the next room, which was way different from the level he was supposed to do. That didn't make me mad but I was like come on now.

Also once someone started poking my in my calves really hard and wouldn't stop. That was just stupid.

harknell1 karma

If you are talking about Scare actors, then no--I expect them to do that. In fact I love the haunts where they can actually touch you--it cuts down on punk ass attendees who want to prove they're tough--at regular haunts they know they can;t be touched so they often will talk back to the actors or try to prove to their friends it's "a joke". I hate those people.

We've been to a few haunts where other attendees were so drunk they were psuhing each other around and actually one threw their girlfriend into a boo hole. We told security and they were surrounded by a bunch of police quickly. I hate when attendees act like asses and ruin it for everyone else--so that's my big annoyance.

Onezumiverse2 karma

Yeah they were really damaging the set pieces and striking the actors.

jakus_ch2 karma

Yeah, there's one in the Chicago area. They've got a couple of different ones with varying levels of spookiness, for different age levels and all of that. By the time you're 12 or so you should be able to handle the scariest one. A lot of it isn't jump scares, it's not being able to find the right way to go, spinning rooms, etc. They also decorate the whole park and all of the people who would usually be Disney characters are now zombies and they scare people instead of take pictures. It's a lot of fun and you can tell the employees much prefer this time of year to the rest.

harknell2 karma

It's funny, one of the biggest questions we get is if there are haunts that are kid friendly. It's a difficult thing. We really believe haunts should be for adults and older teens, and in fact we suggested to Busch Gardens Williamsburg that they close off to younger children. But I can see the value in celebrating Halloween for kids, Disney's "Not So Scary" though was a complete fail and wasn't worth it. Just a bunch of candy stations and a really terrible parade using any old prop and float they had hanging around in their storage area.

Onezumiverse1 karma

Yeah, I mean small kids won't notice that though

jakus_ch1 karma

The kid one at the SF here isn't extremely scary, I remember 8 year old me walking through it trying to be cocky to the employees. Just as I was walking out a jump scare got me and I ran away as fast as I could. I remember it had a lot of neon colors and bright lights, with mummies and vampires walking around. It was around 10 minutes long or so, depending on the pace you went and there was not anything particularly noteworthy.

Onezumiverse2 karma

Haha! :) They always get ya when you aren't expecting it...

Onezumiverse1 karma

OK that is pretty awesome! I do find that the SF parks vary a lot. The one in NJ has a lot of gang-type people coming in so the atmosphere isn't nearly as cool as it probably is over there. I got clocked in the face the last time I was at the Six Flags NJ Fright Fest. I love when they do cool things with the mazes!!!! We are going to try Dorney Park Haunt this year which might be similar?

jakus_ch1 karma

I've never been to Dorney Park Haunt, have a good time though. There are a fair amount of gangbanger types at the SF here basically whenever they're open, however if you come later at night they've usually gone, especially during Fright Fest.

harknell2 karma

We went to frightfest back when it was a separate ticket, not part of the season pass--it was way better back then. When they converted it over to free for season pass holders it dropped in quality like a rock.

In fact, you have to double pay if you aren't a pass holder! You have to buy a regular ticket and also buy the haunt part as a separate charge. That's crazy!

Onezumiverse1 karma

They might as well say "don't come here" to the general public. The food and atmosphere is awful as well.

PackerAmerica1 karma

I have been to Six Flags during freight fest. It's awful, at least last year it was. There's just people walking around in costumes all over the park, other than that the place is decorated and there is one "haunted pathway" that consisted of three people over the course of 100 yards. Don't go there.

Onezumiverse1 karma

The problem with them (besides what you said) is also that they let the season passholders in for free and upcharge for the haunts. So you get a park packed beyond a comfortable level with gang members. Everyone is rowdy and dicky. I used to go prior to 2005 and it wasn't ad but once they opened it up to passholders it went into the toilet.

dhero273 karma

Do you like to separate haunted attractions into different categories while reviewing? Such as ones with animatronics and ones without?

Also, best one you've been to so far?

Onezumiverse7 karma

O: No, but we do try to keep corporate haunts like Universal Studios and Farm-based Haunts in different conceptual categories. We want to retrofit a rating system and category system later on. We didn't realize it would get popular at first.

dhero272 karma

Awesome to hear that, it would be awesome to read "best budget attractions" or "best scares for the price" from you guys. Thanks for the AMA.

Onezumiverse3 karma

I agree with Harknell on the farm haunts mentioned. Headless Horseman has a large midway and shopping experience - you can buy fresh baked goods and even halloween trees and ornaments. It's epic.

Onezumiverse2 karma

I'll see about researching and putting this together

iwantmeaning3 karma

What's the best country for haunted attractions?

Onezumiverse4 karma

O: America! Halloween isn't really that much of a thing in other countries from what I understand. Although Canada has some badass-looking haunts near Niagara Falls that we want to do.

FangirlMona2 karma

What made you decide that reviewing haunts would be your "thing"?

harknell2 karma

Oni and I wanted to do something that we both could do together. She loves rollercoasters but I can't do them because I'm chickenshit and have a bad back. So we discovered we both enjoyed Dark rides and Haunts--plus we could remember which we did by writing them up on the site.

Onezumiverse1 karma

Some of the names are so similar it's impossible to remember who is Fright Ass or Ass Fright

Onezumiverse1 karma

It happened by accident - We just started doing it because Harknell can't ride coasters with me bu the grew up wanting to go to the Haunted Mansion in Long Branch, NJ.

TimsInsanity1 karma

Poor man:-( Love them coasters!!

harknell2 karma

Ugh, I wish I wasn't so viscerally scared, but I got ruined at a young age when I almost fell out of a coaster (seriously, it was the Runaway Train at Six Flags Great Adventure). I also have some minor back issues so the idea of going on what I call an "ass inverter" would be my nightmare.

I really miss seeing Verbolten or The Mummy. Oni is always trying to get me to go on them but I'd honestly puke and crap myself on them. In fact, if aliens ever wanted to torture me to reveal our hidden defense plans they'd just have to place me on a coaster and I'd betray the human race in a second.

Onezumiverse1 karma

Runaway Train was ass.

Yo if you puke and crap it'll be our secret. And everyone else in the park...

Onezumiverse1 karma

Still trying to get him on Splash Mountain.

Onezumiverse1 karma

Verbolten at Busch Gardens Williamsburg is the one I wish most that he could try.

SteamySecrets2 karma

what haunted attraction was the worse? what made it the worse?

Onezumiverse4 karma

I actually had the shits at Nightmare Screamplex and they had no port o johns. I considered crapping on their castle. I proved I had an iron ass that night.

SteamySecrets2 karma

crapping on the castle?? show them how you really feel!!

Onezumiverse3 karma

True story-I thought of my ass as a reverse pac man on that day

Onezumiverse2 karma

Well, their wooden castle was crappy and I also had to crap. There really was no alternative. You see, in times of dire straights you must consider your crapping options at hand.

But I held my butt shut through the next 30 minutes of the attraction successfully.

Herramenn2 karma

How do you compare to John Cusacks character in 1408?

Onezumiverse3 karma

We aren't ghost hunters, so probably not very much. Heh. But if we got trapped in a crazy room like that at a haunt we'd probably love it.

anthonyhoh2 karma

What is the furthest distance that you would even consider traveling for a haunt?

Onezumiverse4 karma

O: As far as we can afford OR if a haunt wants to fly us out, anywhere. We'd love to get to TX and CA in the coming years.

BoneslyGrifter1 karma

There are some great ones in Texas. My friends and I went to one in College Station that's run by a TAMU fraternity, and they do a pretty damn good job. This is coming from someone who's been through dozens on dozens of haunted places and doesn't scare easily; actually being set in some reportedly haunted woods helps the atmosphere a lot.

Onezumiverse5 karma

OMG I have heard TX is one of the best places for haunts. I think there is on called Scares for a Cure that is actually INSANE. It's done by the crew that used to do the crazy Garriott house. The guy who did Ultima Online and made his house into a secret passage castle and set a haunt in it.

harknell1 karma

I really want to get down there next year. And also Louisiana. One of our favorite haunts is Lulu's House of Horrors which is actually a charity haunt in PA, so it's not always the big money places that kick major ass.

Onezumiverse1 karma

Often it's the little guys who astound me.

ghosthost9992 karma

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Onezumiverse5 karma

O: I think that haunts are going to become more theatrical, like Then She Fell in NYC and Sleep No More. I hope that this is true because it's the best. Busch Gardens Tampa's Alone house did that last year.

Busch Gardens Williamsburg Virginia has the best ride ever in Verboten - a combo dark ride and coaster. It's really the best in my pinion.

ghosthost9992 karma

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harknell3 karma

On the Sleep No More point, "Then She Fell" is another awesome experience in NYC that kicks super ass. We supported it when it was a kickstarter event and it;'s now in regular production. Imagine living in the book "Through The Looking Glass for 2 hours with branching paths through the experience and areas only you see--it's one of the best things I've ever experienced and I can't recommend it enough.

Onezumiverse3 karma

And, unlike the Sleep No More crew, Then She Feel treated me in a respectful manner when I tried to talk to them. So that's a plus.

ghosthost9991 karma

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Onezumiverse3 karma

Have you been to Netherworld? From what I hear it is the be all and end all of Haunted Houses. We will be there next week for the first time!

ghosthost9991 karma

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Onezumiverse1 karma

Yikes! Yeah. Big country is huge! Big state is big. :(

[deleted]1 karma

[deleted]

Onezumiverse1 karma

Visit NJ where we are - my commute to work is 1.5 hours one way. Heh!

Where are you from?

Onezumiverse2 karma

Actually The Mummy is another favorite of mine, I thikn if they gave it a good refurb (I heard they might have actually done that since I last rode) they would be close contenders. Although I have to say that my personal bias toward Verbolten is probably because it was an original concept and not licensed IP. It just seems more ballsy.

Onezumiverse3 karma

Sadly my fear is that pre shows and narrative will be less in the future because it seems young peopel just want TO RIDE EXTREEEEEEMMMME. I like narrative and pre shows. I almost power bombed an annoying kid in Tower of Terror at Disney who was whining through the pre show that it was boring.

Onezumiverse4 karma

GET OFF MY LAWNNNNNN

ghosthost9991 karma

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Onezumiverse4 karma

Agree on the attention spans! I also find the HM queue to be a bit too cartoony. Like The Little Mermaid ride, everything is moving toward happy dappy bullshit ballhockey shifuck. Put something that looks legit out. The Haunted Mansion is family friendly and legit. No need to Barney the Dinosaur and his flying fartknockers.

EDIT: Spelling

ghosthost9991 karma

[deleted]

Onezumiverse2 karma

The biggest thing I love is that you can now see the front of the house from the Liberty Belle

harknell1 karma

Yeah, it's kind of weak. But I have to admit, the fact they spent any money on the Haunted Mansion at all was a positive. In our opinion they seem to be practically disavowing it's existence. They dumped it's merch location and stuck it in another place as a small corner. We constantly don;t understand why they don't have a ton of stuff for that attraction. They could make a ton off it, but we suspect they think it's "too scary for children" and wouldn't even make it again if they could.

[deleted]1 karma

[deleted]

Onezumiverse1 karma

This would be the best news!

undercooked_lasagna2 karma

You need to get down to VA more often. You're missing some really good haunts.

Onezumiverse2 karma

I agree! VA is one of my favorite places.

harknell2 karma

We are going to hit VA this year--but the sad thing is there's only a few weeks most attractions are open--and so many want us to come that we can't fit even half of them in!

undercooked_lasagna1 karma

Yeah, October is not long enough. Darkwood Manor, Paxton Manor, and Haunted Hollow are all well worth a stop and within about an hour of eachother. If you've never been to Markoff's Haunted Forest in Dickerson, MD, that is also a must-visit.

harknell2 karma

Dammit, we need to petition for a longer season. Oni and I have a hell of a time working out a schedule each year. It's horrible when we have to cut places due to time/distance. I want to go to every place on the planet! We need more year round haunts!

Onezumiverse1 karma

It's actually quite stressful to schedule stuff for this reason. :( It's a shame that it's not financially viable to have hem operate all week long. That woudl help with touring.

Onezumiverse1 karma

I want to do them all! We will try our best for sure.

anthonyhoh2 karma

How important do you feel is the soundtrack of a haunt? For example, do you think Midnight Syndicate is overused?

Onezumiverse2 karma

I actually see MS mentioned, but I am not familiar with their music. I probably have heard them. I think soundtrack is really important and I would say that Delirium Dog at Scarehouse in Pittsburgh probably has the best sound track.

FrightTour2 karma

Soundtrack is important but there are some attractions that should be void of overhead music. Sometimes silence is a powerful weapon for a haunted attraction. Especially a completely dark maze, those should always be silent. I personally will be blasting MS outside my home haunt this Halloween!

Onezumiverse3 karma

I agree with you quiet can be fucked up. I got freaked out in Ghost Hunt at Pennhurst! We were the only ones in there I felt like shoving my head in my vagina like a snail.

harknell1 karma

You are right Louis--in fact I think dead silence in a haunt based more on atmosphere can really kick it up.

Onezumiverse1 karma

Louis is The Man

SteamySecrets2 karma

have you walked through "Blackout" yet? if so, your thoughts?

Onezumiverse2 karma

No, I think they were trying to invite us, but the penis in the face and the tampon in the mouth is just not my thing. When I think of haunted houses I think of horror fantasy, not this. But that is just my personal opinion. I hear that they are amazing but I am just not the target audience.

theguywith46cats2 karma

I read in this thread that you said some scare tactics are overused and unoriginal. What are some tips you think would be new and scary?

Edit: thank you for replying, but I have two more questions. Where I volunteer, it is a local haunted trail in the woods in Long Island . We don't have a big budget, but we are resourceful. We have a chainsaw guy (of course) who follow people around and chase them. And if we find out a persons name, we like to follow the group and chant the persons name. We also have a clown house, a butcher, etc. What would you add or take away? Also, do you like to dress up for Halloween?

Onezumiverse5 karma

I like it when 2 actors improve or combine together for distraction scares. Also I love it when the actors create characters that are very developed. Hotel of Horror in Saylorsburg, PA allows their actors this freedom. Last night they got me at Pennhurst by making me think the wrong way was the exit - and there was a guys there. So subverting what I think is true is a good way. It takes some thought and training.

Onezumiverse2 karma

I like the idea of your haunt! What's the name of it?

I think what you are describing is awesome. If you don;t have a big budget, following someone like that and or comedy can really make up the slack IMO. I can;t really tell what to add or take away without seeing the actual attractions. Clowns can be overdone, but they really are effective.

Sadly we don't dress up for Halloween. We'd like to but no one we know throws an epic Halloween party. I might have to do so one year, But I live in a small apartment. :( Ironically, Halloween day itself is generally nothing and the end of a month and a half of touring haunts and partay.

fndragon2 karma

Here's a softball: What Youtube channel should we subscribe to for your video series when it goes up?

friedjumboshrimp2 karma

What do you think of the video for Bruce Springsteen's Tunnel Of Love?

Onezumiverse2 karma

Pretzel Dark rides are the best. Trimper's Rides i Ocean City, MD has one of the best classic family-friendly dark ride.haunted houses now. Also Rehoboth Beach in Delaware.

but I've never seen that video. :) I just heard "dark rides".

friedjumboshrimp1 karma

If you love classic New Jersey amusement parks check out the video. I'm on a Kindle so I can't copy and paste or I would post a link to the video.

Onezumiverse1 karma

I totally will after the reddit! :D

harknell2 karma

Now I'm really scared!

But you know what, I really wish more classic Tunnel of Love places still existed. Most classic Dark Rides are now gone, and it's a shame. In the off season Oni and I try to visit as many classic rides as we can to document and experience that part of haunt history.

Onezumiverse2 karma

I saw one on Sam and Max Freelance Police

mrpirate232 karma

Best place for me to get scared in the south east?

Onezumiverse1 karma

Depends on what you mean by "east". Busch Gardens Howl O Scream and Universal Studios Halloween Horror Nights are the best. I hear Netherworld (Atlanta) and Atlanta Zombie Apocalypse are amazing. I don't know if that is far enough east for you though.

friedjumboshrimp2 karma

Have you ever been to either Dark Rides in REHOBOTH, DE or OCEAN CITY, MD ? If so, your thoughts?

Onezumiverse2 karma

Oh yes! Ha! Actually just posted above at the same time. They are probably my 2 favorite things in the world. We did an entire podcast on each. More parks should restore these treasures.

harknell2 karma

If you haven't been to the ones in Knoebels in PA those are spectacular as well. They have a haunted house cart ride and a mine cart ride. Both top form. we hit them every year as well.

Onezumiverse2 karma

They are the best. Also chicken and Waffles at The Alamo!

tbonesullivan2 karma

Have you ever been asked to consult and/or create your own attraction at any of the haunts you have reviewed?

If you could do so, what style of haunt would you create?

harknell2 karma

We've never been formal consultants, but often we get asked by haunts what we'd suggest they do to be better. We love the industry and want it to grow so we try to give as good feedback as we can provide.

I'm a fan of Lovecraft (Duh, our comic at onezumi.com was based on a skewed version of that mythos) and I'd love to see more of that stuff out there. I can easily imagine a Innsmouth haunt, or a At The mountains of Madness haunt.

tbonesullivan1 karma

I love the Lovecraft stuff. So much good material there for haunts, and so much of it deeply psychological. Nothing gets inside my head like that except for John Carpenter movies.

Onezumiverse2 karma

I am surprised more haunts don;t use this material. That and Alien.

Onezumiverse2 karma

Oh man, that would be a dream come true. Not yet. Anything I design would have a narrative string that pulls the viewer in as well as through the attraction. There woudl be octopi involved. And a lot of atmosphere.

And NOTHING woudl be in neon 3d. Absolutely nothing. Those are rarely good.

tbonesullivan2 karma

A narrative style would be pretty interesting. Are there many haunts currently that have a strong storyline going on through the haunt?

harknell1 karma

Well, Hotel of Horrors has one. The first room in fact has an actor who gives you a minute or 2 story to set the mood--this is exceptionally uncommon for a haunt.

Howl O Scream and Universal tend to do some kind of story every year--our favorite year for Universal was 2008 where they had "Bloody Mary", their icon, scattered throughout all of their houses--sadly they've never done anything quite as good since then.

Onezumiverse1 karma

Dam, son. Burn lol

August4971 karma

Hi, I'm from Delaware and have gone to a place called Frightland way too many times, so I was wondering what is the best place around or near Delaware? Thanks!

Onezumiverse2 karma

Oh hey, I just saw that more questions were asked after we logged off. I'll go ahead and answer now: I think your best bet would be to look to the MD or Eastern PA area. I am not sure of the geography (sorry if this is far) but Hotel of Horror in Saylorsburg, PA and hmm...we actually got rained out in MD this year so it's tough to say. I'll keep my eyes open for this coming year!

lilylover93211 karma

anything interesting and scary in Illinois to go to? what is the scariest attraction you have been to?

harknell1 karma

We haven't been out to Illinois area yet. The haunt that got our 2012 brutality award was Hotel of Horrors/Altered Nightmares in Saylorsburg PA. Those guys just don;t give a crap and go balls out crazy. They don't touch you though, which is a small mercy.

Onezumiverse1 karma

LOL small mercy. Tell The Penitent that.

anthonyhoh1 karma

Do you have any pet peeves when it comes to scare actors?

Onezumiverse2 karma

O: The lunge and scream with no other tactics involved. Variety is good.

H: Many actors do the "help me" stuff. Kinda boring. It's better to have it be something more in depth than just a trapped victim. But this is more the design of the attraction than the individual actor.

FrightTour1 karma

How about when scare actors repeatedly roar in your ear...? I have never heard a zombie roar like a cat? That usually does nothing for me! And Harknell I totally agree the whole trapped victim is only effect if it is used as a distracta-scare....

Onezumiverse5 karma

I also hate when some just shake cans. Once I went to a haunt where vampires were shaking cans (WHY?) and they looked like they were trying to jerk off the invisible can man.

BrodieRJ1 karma

Do you guys make a living from reviewing the attractions, maintaining your blog etc? Or do you have day jobs to support your passion?

Onezumiverse1 karma

Yeah, we just did what we love and kind of have to retrofit the monetization now.

mhy2531 karma

There is a haunted house called Scareview Haunted School in St. Albans, West Virginia. I was really skeptical about it, but it was so well done. Have you been?

Onezumiverse1 karma

Sadly, I have not! They haven't contacted us to invite us out and I didn't know about them. Perhaps I'll introduce myself.

harknell1 karma

It's funny how many places are now popping up all over. Haunts really seem like a growth industry right now. I wish we could go to all of them.

Onezumiverse2 karma

Give Them All To Me

H0dgeheg1 karma

Have you been anywhere in Europe? If so where is your best location, with an emphasis on UK sites?

Onezumiverse1 karma

I wish! I have never been out of the country. My goal with my life is to be able to be secure enough that I can do that. I do have some guest posts on my site about UK haunts, though. I have been told that they aren't as well developed as US haunts but due to the Six Flags influence they are taking on a life and culture f their own, which is awesome to hear.

p0is0n_ven0m1 karma

I would love to do what you guys do. I usually only make it to Factory of Terror and The Haunted Schoolhouse and Laboratory every year. Can't find much else in the area that's that good really. You guys sound like you have a blast!

Onezumiverse2 karma

Oh hey, I just saw that more questions were asked after we logged off. I'll go ahead and answer now: I LOVE The haunted Schoolhouse and Lab. Honestly you have probably the best on in the country right there.