| SPINETINGLERS TRAIL OF HORRORS:
One of these Spinetingling characters hid behind
a car and surprised us before we even got anywhere near the trail itself!
Spinetinglers gets underway at the intimidating entrance to an
underground mine. The mineshaft serves as a unique beginning,
and sets up a huge surprise that comes from a gun toting fiend lurking
in the darkness just outside. Then, it's onto what used to be a relaxing
campground setting, but something's gone terribly wrong! A vicious
killer's on the loose, and several vacationers have already fallen victim
to his ghastly attacks. Any guesses who's next? More scares
come forth from the foggy surroundings of a spooky cemetery, and a hillbilly
family that's all too eager to show how they deal with trespassers.
Perfect sound effects accompany the various scenes, and enhance the overall
experience, that continues into a spine-chilling school bus confinement,
pitch black maze, and eventually climaxes when an encounter with a crazed,
ranting maniac whose enhanced voice amplifies around you, suddenly and
unexpectedly turns into a relentless chain-saw chase out of the Spinetinglers
Trail of Horrors.
Analysis:
LENGTH - 7½, almost 15 min.
ACTORS - 8½, Most gave enthusiastic performances
in bringing their characters to life, providing startles, and often following
close behind us along the trail. Victims portrayed their roles with
believability, desperately calling out for help, or warning us of impending
danger. Crazed, chase-out character gives you something to remember,
and the gun toting stalker provides a top notch scare or two.
SCARINESS - 7½, Close proximity of surprises,
and the intense actors are major attributes, but just too many dead
spots, especially descending the hill to rate higher. Expect improvements
in this category over time as the haunt continues to expand and grow.
DESIGN - 7, Beginning and end scenes rank higher.
The extravagant mine entrance that captivates thrillseekers from the get
go, and the voice distortion finish are standouts. Cemetery and other
structures are nice, but need many more like them. Sound effects
(dripping water in the mineshaft, scary music in the cemetery, and the
voice distorted ending) are most impressive, and strategically located
throughout. The two weakest zones occur just outside the cemetery
where highway traffic is noticeably visible through the open field, then
the area surrounding the descent down a hillside is too barren, and devoid
of props and actors. A few characters and props here, and possibly
some thunder and lightning would have a tremendous impact on this part
of the trail.
PROPS - 5, More scenes are required, and dead zones mentioned
above are crying out for attention. A few animatronics would help
out immensely.
VALUE - 7, While in their second season, this is the
first year at a new location, and $10 seems a bit steep considering the
numerous other options in the area, and the fact that they're still working
to establish themselves and attract a following. Perhaps a discount
coupon on their website would be a good idea.
RATING: 7, An encouraging effort considering they
were forced to pack up and relocate following their debut season.
Everyone here seems intent on making sure patrons experience their utmost
performances. Actors and mood setting sounds are standouts.
A little more attention to the trail itself will elevate their ranking.
Some good scares and characters have established a good foundation on which
to build. Correcting a few flaws can have a drastic effect on the
overall score. Their goal is to hear people come out saying it was
the best time they ever had. Judging from the energy level of the
crew, it will be interesting to watch them strive to achieve their vision..
It's already an enjoyable trail that will continue to get better not only
from year to year, but from week to week as well. When visiting Springboro,
don't forget to schedule a visit to Spinetinglers. And while
you're there, be sure to pick up one of their awesome t-shirts - some of
the best we've seen. |
