Tue, March 03, 2015

Thu, February 12, 2015

Fri, February 06, 2015

Tue, February 03, 2015

Winter Haven, Florida - The Shallow Grave
By Hauntworld Magazine

TO FIND MORE HAUNTED HOUSES IN FLORIDA CLICK HERE ... http://www.hauntworld.com/florida_haunted_houses

 

Florida Haunted Houses are some of the scariest and best in America!  Hauntworld.com rates and review the best and Scariest haunted houses, haunted attractions, and Halloween events in America!  The Shallow Grave is located in Winter Haven, Florida which is actually right between Orlando and Tampa Bay, Florida.   Prepare to scream!  This Halloween you can't miss the scariest and best haunted attraction in the entire state of Florida, The Shallow Grave.  Two of the biggest theme parks in America Tampa Busch Gardens and Universal Studios produce two of the biggest Haunted House Events and sitting directly between these two massive haunted house events is The Shallow Grave.  Orlando and Tampa are only 90 miles apart so Shallow Grave is less than 45 minutes from Orlando Florida and Tampa Florida.  To make people scream in the shadow of these two major Halloween Horror Attractions Shallow Grave must produce something scarier!  Now learn how by reading  our review of The Shallow Grave near Orlando and Tampa Florida.
To learn more about Florida's The Shallow Grave visit their websit below:

www.theshallowgrave.com

 

Backstory:  The Shallow Grave and the mayhem within orbits around its resident trouble maker, Thaddeus Van Buren, a good guy gone bad with a tragic ending. Sound familiar? Not so fast… Thaddeus, a jack of all trades (when it comes to the dead that is), was a caretaker of the old cemetery on the hill around the time of the Great Depression. Things were good for the Van Buren family until that dark day. Poverty set in, then famine, followed by the horse of death. With more bodies to bury, it seemed as though Thaddeus was in high cotton. Only one problem…There was no money to pay ole Thaddeus for his services. Eventually, the same dead that fed his family were now starving them. Torn between his sense of duty to the community and the responsibilities to his family, Thaddeus came to a conclusion. He would continue to put the dead to rest, only in another way. Thaddeus thought he had it all figured out. Since no one could pay for his services with money, they would pay in flesh. One way or another, Thaddeus was going to feed his family. He pretended to bury the unfortunate all while loading the coffins with bricks and serving up the bodies to his otherwise clueless loved ones. Things were good for Thaddeus again. The community was happy, his family was doing just fine, and things started to get back to normal. But eventually the dead weren’t as plentiful, and food became scarce for Thaddeus again. Driven mad by his cannibalistic ways, the once gentle man just trying to do the right thing turned savage hunter. His thirst for flesh outpaced the dead, so he decided to tip the scales in his favor. With this came more problems; the souls of the dead were restless. They became furious with Thaddeus and his lust for the living as well as the dead, so those fortunate enough to be laid to rest refused to do so. They rose from their slumber to seek vengeance against Thaddeus and his family. And that’s exactly where you will find yourself, when you visit The Shallow Grave…Caught in a war between the dead and YOU the living.

How it all started: The Shallow Grave is the brain child of owner/producer, Joe Phillips. Joe always had a deeply rooted love for horror, but never imagined he’d be in the haunted house industry. Joe was raised in Orlando, FL and frequented the classic ‘Terror on Church Street’ haunted house often, but actually building his own haunt never even crossed his mind. Until one day, Joe found himself diving head first into the passionate yet stress filled grinder of haunted houses.

After driving home one day in October to prep for his upcoming Halloween house party, Joe took a peek at his groundbreakers from the big box stores in his front yard and the embarrassment he felt was demoralizing. That evening he hit the internet. “There has to be better decorations,” Joe thought. That night he came across Distortions’ Spitting Debbie and Poison Props’ Lunging Spider, plus he picked up an air blaster. “Well now what?” Without a haunt, a plan was crafted to booby trap the house for the party.  Just one problem… Joe didn’t know how any of this worked. Hours into internet research, he stumbled across Home Haunting. Puzzled, he watched a few videos about them. After about 100 hours or so of scouring the internet, he learned what NOT to do. From those lessons, he did what so many others have done; he started a home haunt. Not having anyone else to share his madness with, he began obsessively rigging his house with as many animatronics as possible in his free standing 725 SQ FT haunted joke (as he called it). With dark walls, $5 strobes, and whatever props he could muster, Joe quickly decided it wasn’t gonna cut it. It reminded him of how he felt that day driving home and seeing the pitiful attempt in his front yard for the party. But by year three and some help from friends, Joe went from 725 SQ FT to nearly 2,000 SQ FT with fully-equipped animatronics and ADA compliance, ALL in his backyard. Little did he know that the municipalities had caught wind of his venture into the dark world, so that didn’t last long, but Joe had three years in with hooks set deep. What’s a guy to do? As it turns out, there was another local home haunter in the same predicament.  “Chad Ashley (current house manager for The Shallow Grave production) stopped by my house on my last night open that season. He too was being forced to close his home haunted house due to complaints from neighbors that live to ruin things for everyone,” jokingly recollects Joe. So, the pair did the only natural thing. They teamed up and started planning a professional haunt.

Getting started:  “No amount of seminars at the tradeshows could prepare me for the coal raking I was in store for from the local powers that be,” said Joe. All the same, he pressed forward. Joe and his team aspired to bring Central Florida something they hadn’t seen before. He had been to HHN once before and enjoyed himself, but the bug never bit him until his first year at Midwest Haunters Convention. There the bug kicked him in his face when Joe was lucky enough to experience the Haunted Hoochie in Ohio. “Holy Cow,” he thought. “Florida is getting robbed!” Being a perfectionist, Joe knew he was going to set high standards, which is great for the paying customer, but typically not so great when it comes to setting a budget and trying to stay within budget. So YES, Joe broke the cardinal rule of setting a budget and sticking to it from year one.  

Fight or Flight:  At Shallow Grave, realism is paramount. “Just scaring people was never the plan. There is an art to being scary, the setting must be just right,” said Joe. At The Shallow Grave everything is done to trigger the “fight or flight response”. Even the props must serve a function. This is a fear symphony with every part in concert with another, constantly pushing those closer to the edge.  

High Praise as SCARIEST haunted house:  On one Friday night alone in 2014, Haunted Hills had over 40 people in one night quit. The Shallow Grave quickly gained the reputation of being the scariest haunted attraction in Central Florida. That’s high praise considering the competition. In fact, Orlando Weekly said, “I was impressed by the length, scenic detail and gooey gore of The Grave which rivaled or exceeded Universal’s mazes in most respects.” The Shallow Grave is by no means an “extreme” haunt, nor do they have any desire to be, but The Shallow Grave haunted house does allow controlled minor contact with some of its patrons from some of the more seasoned actors. Almost everything done is through a tactical filter, all to squeeze every bit of discomfort from the customers.

The Players: The design team and haunt ‘think tank’ at The Shallow Grave consists of Joe Phillips, Chad Ashley and Eric Dodson. Three very different people with very different views, which gives The Shallow Grave a plethora of ways to extract fear from the customers looking for more than beer and high prices elsewhere. The Shallow Grave has an all-volunteer staff of almost a 100 strong. The Shallow Grave pours everything back into the attraction in an effort to weather the storms. The building is leased year round so the design and build team can create breathtaking sets full of realism that can rival even the major theme parks in the area. Joe Phillips (owner), Chad Ashley (House manager), Eric Dodson (character DevelopmentWardrobe i.e. “Fabric Wizard”) along with Mike Grenfell (Technical Advisor i.e. “Prop Ninja”) all work their usual 9-5 grind only to hit the haunt for another 4-6 hours a day preparing for the next season. Together with Eric Lonski (make-up director) and Mike Ashley & Jeff Kistler (lead contractors), they hope to bring enough nightmares to quench the thirst of those willing to test their mettle with what The Shallow Grave has to offer.

The Future: With a third attraction in the designing stages, The Shallow Grave crew hopes to continue to push the envelope and feed the cravings that have been neglected for so long. Central Florida is becoming quite the hot spot for haunted houses as of late, and that can only mean good things for the industry. The Shallow Grave offers 2 attractions, and in 2015 (which is only their 3rd year), they will have Haunted Hills: The Rage and ADHD (Attention Deficit Haunt Disorder). “Haunted Hills is home to our beloved Thaddeus Van Buren, and unlike Halloween Horrors Nights or Howl-O-Scream only 6 or fewer at a time are subjected to our brand of torment,” informs Joe.

 

Haunted Hills - The Rage:  You will be dropped off outside the Van Buren two-story farmhouse next to the once quiet uneventful old cemetery. As you approach the porch of this playground from Hell you can see the living dead roam back and forth in the upstairs windows from the front yard. Enter the foyer and make your way through the house that holds so many evil secrets, as you lumber through the Van Buren house you will witness the havoc that Thaddeus wreaks on his victims as you try to keep from becoming one of them. Make an effort to survive where he prepares the meals or follow the stench of rotting flesh to the blood stained morgue and see where evil thrives. Thaddeus is everywhere in this old house. If you happen to make it through his abode, you still must trek through his backyard, work sheds and graveyard. Make your way through a fully themed environment of an 18thcentury, above-ground graveyard complete with fully scaled tombs and crypts laced with oversized monsters and enough walking dead to make the most seasoned Call of Duty player nervous.

ADHD (Attention Deficit Haunt Disorder):  This is a completely different drink of water for your haunt thirst. ADHD is a litany of nightmares experienced by the few victims that escaped the wrath of Thaddeus Van Buren, but never truly escape his grasp. It’s a phobia based haunt that blends all things: fear of being choked, snakes, spiders, clowns, serial killers and a dash of Voodoo. Then, sprinkle in a zombie or two, and ADHD is sure to have something for everyone. ADHD was added in 2014 to rave reviews and is a nice complement to the rustic, classic horror movie feel that Haunted Hills offers.

TO FIND MORE HAUNTED HOUSES IN FLORIDA CLICK HERE ... http://www.hauntworld.com/florida_haunted_houses

 

Tue, January 27, 2015

Cleveland, Ohio - Rockin' - R - Ranch Presents Spooky Ranch
By Hauntworld Magazine

TO FIND MORE HAUNTED HOUSES IN OHIO CLICK HERE ... https://www.hauntworld.com/ohio-haunted-houses

 

Ohio Haunted Houses are some of the scariest and best in America!  Hauntworld.com rates and review the best and Scariest haunted houses, haunted attractions, and Halloween events in America!  Spooky Ranch is located in Cleveland, Ohio and has one of the scariest haunted houses in America!  Prepare to scream!  This Halloween you can't miss the scariest and best haunted attraction in the entire state of Ohio, Spooky Ranch. Spooky Ranch features multiple haunted Halloween attractions including haunted houses, haunted hayrides, and attractions.  Cleveland Ohio has some of the best and biggest haunted attractions in America but Spooky Ranch is one that truely can make you scream!  Below you will read our review of Spooky Ranch In Cleveland.
To learn more about Ohio's Spooky Ranch visit their websit below:

www.spookyranch.com


 

WOW!  Sensational! Over the top! A knock out! A winner! A triumph! Incredible! Amazing! Astonishing! Exceptional! Heart stopping! Bind blowing! Remarkable!
Where do we even begin! This is one of the country’s BEST haunts.

Many years ago Cleveland, Ohio had the unfortunate stereotype given to it by a misguided, uninformed, non-talented comedian as the “mistake on the lake”. Today, Cleveland is a vibrant entertainment and health-conscious mecca. Inside this wonderful entertainment district are theatres showcasing Broadway productions, the Cleveland Orchestra, the Cleveland Clinic Hospitals, the beautiful metro-parks, Lake Erie for boating, the Cleveland Cavs, the Cleveland Indians and of course the Cleveland Browns. Cleveland is a great place for seasonal entertainment due to the change of seasons each with different weather patterns. People in this neck of the woods think in terms of what they do for fun and enjoyment in relation to what season it is, such as snuggling together in front of the fireplace & drinking hot chocolate in the Winter, dreaming of the winter thaw and fresh flowers at the Home and Garden Show in early Spring, planning a trip to Cedar Point Amusement Park in the Summer to try out the newest roller coaster and checking out the beautiful Fall colors of orange and bronze, pumpkin carving, trick or treating and of course, haunted houses, in Autumn.  

Cleveland is quite competitive in the haunted house and haunted attraction industry with several new haunts popping up each year while several other haunts close every other year. Only the good ones last, and one of the best is SPOOKY RANCH also known as the Rockin’-R-Ranch.

Derek Vitas and his brothers Jimmy and Damian were mere teenagers back in 1990, twenty-five years ago when the Rockin’-R-Ranch, now known as Spooky Ranch began. The Vitas brothers did not sit down one day and start planning a haunted house attraction. The idea evolved when their mother almost lost the farm where they lived. “It’s uncanny how your survival mode kicks in when necessity of survival becomes a reality,” agrees the family.  The oldest son, Jimmy recalls how he used to make haunted houses in his basement and had his school friends come over to scare. “I remember thinking…If the farm down the road can do hayrides, why don’t we?  But to differentiate us, I wanted to make ours a haunted hayride. We didn’t have much money, but we had a couple of credit cards, an old tractor, a hay wagon and some hay. We had some talent, drive and a hard work ethic.”  They started making homemade props, and the rest is haunting history. The saga of Spooky Ranch at the ole Rockin’R-Ranch began with the introduction of the now famous Haunted Hayride, but originally it was called Spooktacular Nights at Rockin’R-Ranch. Time progressed, other haunted houses were added to the venue, and eventually the name changed from Spooktacular Nights to Spooky Ranch.
Most every haunt owner will attest that their haunt is the scariest, the best, the most frightening, the biggest, the most well-known, has the best actors, the most monsters, most gruesome zombies, most wicked creatures, most crazed clowns or whatever else they can dream up to say. Through the last 25 years, Spooky Ranch has provided all that and more which is why their customers (victims) keep coming back for more! What sets Spooky Ranch apart from everyone else to be ranked so high in the haunted house community?  To be awarded an 11 out of 10 rating by the Haunted House Enthusiasts is quite an honor. They’ve been rating haunts for over fourteen years. Their average attendance is forty to fifty haunts per season. So why did they rank Spooky Ranch their rare 11 out of 10 rating when only 5 other haunts prior had been bestowed such honor?  Obviously, the simple math of that speaks volumes. Where Spooky Ranch goes above and beyond is the “quadruple threat” of acting, prop use, proper animatronic use and timing. Spooky Ranch hits on all cylinders. Some might say that every haunted house utilizes these 4 facets, but to say that all haunts use them correctly would be false. The Spooky Ranch team is expert! Here is an example: You walk into a room and are greeted by a monstrous actor. He introduces himself as your ‘master of ceremonies’ for the evening. As he gives his outrageous spiel, you fail to realize he has moved closer to you. Just as you notice the prop in his hand, the floor starts to drop & vibrate and a deep, penetrating laugh that emanates seems to shake the whole room. Without giving away the whole gag, I believe you get the idea. Not realizing that he changes his proximity to you as well as producing a scream rendering prop, gives you an idea of how Spooky Ranch interweaves the ultimate quadruple threat. Now, combine those scare tactics with the great sets and exterior designs, and that’s why Spooky Ranch deserves all the accolades.

What makes Spooky Ranch so special?  
“Our haunt is managed properly, professional and unique, but even more importantly is the family aspect.  I’ve learned… The family that scares together, stays together.  Who knew?” says Darlene with a smile, mother and CFO of this family operated business.

What could credit the success & longevity of this haunt?
Spooky Ranch has done such a good job at pleasing so many age groups at the same time. Even while being a hard core haunt, Spooky Ranch is also a major draw for families. It’s not easy to please so many age groups, but kudos to them for being the rare haunt that truly caters to all generations.

Weighing in on this is son, Derek Vitas, who is perhaps the creative genius behind the success of Spooky Ranch. “Spooky Ranch appeals to the masses not just teens,” says Derek. “We truly are the theme park of haunted houses, and our actors have speaking roles. Instead of giving the typical ‘boo’s and ‘rah’s found at other haunts, we give you a professional, theatrical production. People of all ages attend our incredible haunt. How we do that?...We have different levels of fright and fear. We have kids that will come with their parents to ride our now famous Haunted Hayride. This is a ride of terror and suspense at every turn.  We have Hollywood quality sets and scenes in the Forest of Fear including massive thirty-foot-tall, gigantic props, monsters and many surprises. The Haunted Barn is a theatrical production with all the glitz, screams, thrills etc. of a ride at Universal Studios. In fact, when the doors open to exit, our patrons are clapping their approval… That’s when you know you’re doing something right!  Plus, this is the only place in the Cleveland area to ride a haunted hayride.  Spooky Ranch has it!”
I couldn’t agree more with Derek. The ambiance is so electrifying as you drive up and immediately see the gigantic, lighted skull atop the barn. Nothing beats their Haunted Hayride. It’s the flagship of the production. After all, what’s better than a ride underneath the starry Autumn skies with the Halloween moon shining down as you timidly enter the Forest of Fear with creepy monsters, ghouls, zombies and ghosts lurking behind each tree and prop along the way.

“The second level of fear might be the Wicked Clowns in 3D or the new Blood Slingers Saloon with a western theme,” says Derek, “and the extreme level of fear & fright would be our new Bloody Mary’s Revenge haunted house.”  

Spooky Ranch is the only haunt in the U.S. to have the copyright to use the Bloody Mary name. Previously, Universal Studios Horror Nights in Orlando, Florida used it. “Children are not permitted in this house,” tells Derek, “not for vulgarity, but it’s just THAT frightening.” Spooky Ranch’s top actor, Gus Maurer, is the lead actor who sets the stage in this house. “He is well renowned in the industry, and for GOOD reason,” explains Derek.  I happen to know Gus, and I certainly agree with Derek.  

Other SPOOKY RANCH projects: Hauntville in Elyria, Ohio is another extreme, rare, totally out of the box, over the top, scary haunted attraction produced and operated by Derek Vitas, the family’s guru of haunted attractions. Derek designed and began this amazing haunt in 2010.  He and his scare-masters production team managed by Maureen and Krieg Hall is a whole new haunting experience. The five mind-blowing, awesome attractions are Cellblock 13, the Butcher Barn, Psycho Manor, Zombie Hunt in 3D and Wicked Clowns in 4D. Wicked Clowns is the first 4D attraction of its kind utilizing a whole new sensory perception of sight, sound and smell. For years, Hauntworld.com has recognized BOTH Spooky Ranch and Hauntville as two of the best, scariest, most well-done haunts and gives them extremely high ratings.
 
Also, back in 1995 the family started a daytime festival called The Old West Pumpkin Fest at the Rockin’-R-Ranch. This is a real Autumn treat for the whole family. It features hayrides, pumpkin patches, pony rides, animal petting farm and more.  They even feature a professional stage show with a live production of the costumed characters called The Country Kids Show.
Past, Present and Future:  Derek Vitas is the creative talent behind both Spooky Ranch and Hauntville, and with the invaluable help of his siblings, Jimmy, Damian, Travis and Allison they have moved way beyond that first haunted hayride experience twenty-five years ago. The original, old tractor used in haunt season one has been laid to rest many years ago. In Columbia Station, (Cleveland) and Elyria, Ohio you will find two haunts unlike any other in the country.  These creative giants led by Derek will give you an experience like no other. They will make you scream, laugh and be totally entertained and amazed. Derek’s plans are to imitate his success by expanding into other cities across the country as his family migrates elsewhere. It’s a natural progression for this well-run family business operating 2 of the country’s best haunts!

Spooky Ranch and Hauntville will be highlighted during the Midwest Haunters Convention (MHC), the largest Halloween convention of its kind in the US serving a primary audience of haunted attraction producers, actors, artists and home haunters, May 29 -May 31, 2015, featuring the pre-bus, spotlight tour of the best haunted houses in Northeast, Ohio.
 

Get on the bus and check them out, or go to Spookyranch.com, Elyriahauntedhouse.com, Hauntworld.com, and Clevelandhayride.com.

TO FIND MORE HAUNTED HOUSES IN OHIO CLICK HERE ... https://www.hauntworld.com/ohio-haunted-houses

To learn more about Ohio's Spooky Ranch visit their websit below:

www.spookyranch.com