 FEAR
FAIR: The queue line encompasses the old
western ghost town of Rockford - original population 368, but that's
been crossed out in blood, and reduced to 17! Journey past the General
Store and other village businesses, as well as a spooky old water tower
en route to a scenic view of the area that eventually leads to the entrance
of Fear Fair. The official welcome takes place inside The
Winscott Saloon, decorated with an old player piano, and spider web
covered bottles of booze. From there it’s onto the now deserted Sheriff’s
Office, where the skeletal remains of a long forgotten prisoner is
all that remains, and corpses propel forward out of upright coffins.
Justice prevailed in this once thriving town, evidenced by the hanging
of a would be horse thief, convulsing in agony from the noose around his
neck, as his life is snuffed out in the gallows. The venture continues
upstairs where a napping cowboy, sleeping with his trusty rifle delivers
a startling surprise, and more skeletal gunslingers go on the offensive.
Passageways are narrow and confining, forcing you to duck down at times,
as your navigation takes you across Bells Ford Bridge, where another
unexpected surprise takes place, while a werewolf unleashes an attack from
out of the darkness. The smell of popcorn is a reassuring scent,
as you escape into the “safety” of the Vondee Theater, only to discover
a horror movie marathon in progress, and its seats occupied by the dead,
or perhaps the undead, whichever the case may be. The cinema scene
foreshadows an upcoming series of authentic structures that feature realistic
recreations from the silver screen including, Michael Myers (Halloween);
Frankenstein;
Scream;
Hellraiser, where Pinhead lurks amongst the décor
of chains; a cabin at Friday the 13th's
Camp Crystal Lake that
offers a horrifying encounter with Jason Voorhees; and Nightmare
on Elm Street, featuring original street signs, Freddy's face
materializing through the wall a la Dream Warrior, and a legitimate
looking furnace that smokes and actually gives off heat! An amazing
surprise stems from The Entity revisitation, complete with impressive
electrical arcs that radiate toward you from the output of a Tesla coil!!!
These movie replications eventually give way to another big surprise, more
extraordinarily cramped corridors, an assault by a disgruntled Indian,
a double encounter with an impressive waterfall scene, and a Leatherface
chainsaw chase-out of Fear Fair.
Analysis:
LENGTH - 8½, addition of the upstairs exploration
extends the event to 15 minutes.
ACTORS - 9+, All were well hidden, and delivered frightening
performances. Horror characters bore striking resemblances to their
infamous counterparts. Dr. Frankenstein and Freddy
deliver the best dialogue, Pinhead's voice is mysteriously amplified/distorted,
Leatherface
is the most aggressive, and Jason looks like he stepped right off
the set!
SCARINESS - 9, The authenticity of the various structures
is remarkably believable. Numerous startles originate not only from
the energetic cast, but from the nice compliment of animated devices as
well. You wouldn’t think the western, cowboy themed beginning would
be all that scary, but they make it work very well.
DESIGN - 9½, One of the most realistically designed
haunts the industry has to offer. The Theater setting and
various movie scenes are constructed with authentic looking entrances,
intricately detailed with actual doors that must be opened in order to
progress from place to place. Seeing the "smoke", and feeling the
heat from the "flames" in Freddy's boiler room are indescribable!
Scenes are kept close together, with less frightening ones (Earl’s Outhouse
and Bubba’s Barn) removed in favor of more powerful replacements (waterfall
and big surprise)! Theater does an outstanding job connecting
the movie reenactments to remainder of the theme. The only negative
occurs early on, where you actually pass back by the noise and confusion
of the queue line. The course has been expanded this year to include
a portion of the second floor. Use caution on the stairs, as some
are not all that well lit.
PROPS – 9½, Great original detailing throughout.
Waterfall is quite dramatic. Tesla coil is unique,
and beyond comparison!
VALUE - 10, Less than $10 with their internet coupon
earns you the right to enjoy one of the best, most realistic haunted attractions
around.
RATING: 9+, Can't stress enough how well
the various reconstructions lend realism to the scenes, thus making them
even more frightening. 2007 marked only our second visit to Fear
Fair, and it’s even better than last year! This is an upper echelon
attraction - a definite must see event, and legitimate HAUNT OF THE YEAR
contender. Don’t miss the ghosts of Frank, Simeon,
William
and John Reno exacting revenge in some of the most realistically
unique scares the season has to offer, proudly displayed at Fear Fair! |
