| JAMESTOWN HAUNTED WOODS:
A DJ entertains the queue line with tunes while waiting to enter the haunt.
A fresh, new beginning is on tap for 2007, as the direction of the trail
has been reversed. The adventure through the Jamestown Haunted
Woods gets underway through a tunnel-like structure, into a room of
very loud music, and an immediate attack from what at first appeared to
be a Chucky Doll prop, but turns out to be alive! Spongy walkways
and a simultaneous startle out of the woods lead to a scene of toxic waste,
accompanied by mysterious music, and a variety of masked monsters.
Clowns and a wild ape are loose in the woods, and the sight of an illuminated
revolving head blocking the path gives way to an intimidating encounter
with the Ring Girl, who comes crawling directly at you from out
of the darkness. Other surprises originate from an apparent electric
chair electrocution, and a large snake that suddenly falls into your path.
A blinding flash of light takes away your sense of sight the moment you
prepare to enter into the first of two darkened mazes. Working your
way through leads to a double chainsaw assault, courtesy of two of the
loudest, most deafening power tools you’ll ever hear! Gunshots, cemeteries,
more spongy walkways, a haunted cornfield, falling objects and barrels,
a demented surgery, an elaborate funeral scene, a confrontation with a
metal sickle carrying Grim Reaper, and even Michael Myers
torment the remainder of your journey that climaxes in a blindingly dark,
body bag containing maze that conceals a few more creatures and surprises,
before exiting across a drawbridge that leads out of The Castle of Doom,
and The Jamestown Haunted Woods.
Analysis:
LENGTH - 9, Exactly 20 min.
ACTORS - 7½, A few more monsters in the dark,
isolated woods in comparison to last season, all doing their best to provide
surprising scares, but mostly masks, still very little dialogue, and quite
a few undersized actors. Most surprising encounters occur within
The
Castle of Doom.
SCARINESS - 7, Loud scary music fills much of the trail,
although there are some areas that are devoid of sound entirely.
The music from the dj isn’t nearly as audible along the trail as it was
a year ago. Combining this with the additional characters present
in the woods this year would ordinarily raise the fright lever, but taking
away the multiple chainsaw, caged entrapment is a major negative (discussed
below), and holds down the score.
DESIGN - 7, Reversing the direction of the trail gives
it a fresh look, and the maze is just as powerful a finish as it is on
the front end, although it sacrifices the Castle of Doom façade.
The path is long, but so is the distance between scenes. While being
left alone in the dark allows one’s nerves to gain an upper hand, repetition
results in dead zones which have to be covered by actors, and that's not
always the case. There's more activity in the woods this season,
as opposed to last, as well as additional scenes, which again, would be
rewarded by raising the rating, if not for doing away with the fenced in,
multiple chainsaw entrapment. It may seem a bit harsh to penalize
the attraction for removing a single scene, but it was the most terrifying
aspect of the trail. Eliminating the “hit and run” driver didn’t
help matters either, and the loss of such high impact scares needs to be
compensated for with more of the same.
PROPS - 7, Barrel toss, and falling panel deliver great
surprises, and the yielding ground is a trademark of Jamestown.
Spider surprise is another 2007 absentee.
VALUE - 7½, $10, same as last year earns you a
lengthy trip through the dark spooky woods. A loud, scary soundtrack
improves the mood, but losing one of the more startling scenes, and THE
most frightening incident hurts this score as well.
RATING: 7, This enjoyable, adventuresome
trail could easily score in the 8's with just a few alterations.
It's already one of the lengthier ones around, provides quite a few unique
scares you just don't find elsewhere, and plenty of opportunities for your
nerves to get the better of you. Addressing the sound issue so that
dj music can’t be heard throughout the woods is a step in the right direction.
The Castle maze surprises, and sinking floors are trademarks of
the haunt that give it an identity, which many attractions lack.
The Jamestown Haunted Woods can always be counted upon to deliver
quality seasonal scares. Pay them a visit for some good old fashioned
Halloween fun! |
