KNOTTS SCARY FARM 2012
So here's the recap of Knott's Scary Farm Halloween Haunt 2012. it's the 40th anniversary as well as opening night, and here's how it went..
.so after we ate, we head to the...
MAZES: these are in the order we walked through and the ones with an asterisk are the new ones
1. Trick or Treat* - the concept here harkens back to the good old days of trick or treating. ring the witch's doorbell and walk through her house for a treat. actually, there is a nice touch here. you can purchase bags and masks and actually trick or treat to get...some kind of treat. we actually don't know because at the time we went through, they hadn't started this yet. the witch's house was awesome. there was a tree out front with pumpkins hanging from it. there were pumpkins decorated on the staircase as you walked in. this was a very short maze. do you remember the very first spider maze? where there was a show and you walked through a little maze? well this reminded me exactly of that.
score:
design - A+
execution - A
talent - A
scares - none, but there's potential
final thought: this maze was placed in a shed underneath Ghost Rider, which is down for repairs. i expect big things from this maze...wait till number 10.
2. Endgames - a walkthrough of a post apocalyptic battleground. this was the same exact thing as last year only in a different spot. i'm not sure how the internet feed thing worked, you'll have to tell me.
score:
design - A
execution - B+
talent - B+
scares - none
final thought: same maze different year.
3. Dominion of the Dead* - the obligatory vampire maze is back and is far from obligatory. they have done away with the "Blade" type vamps and have brought romance back. this is a beautiful maze. beautiful sets, art, music, women, handsome men, it is pretty.
score:
design - A+
execution - A+
talent - A+
scares - none...but it doesn't really matter if you know what i mean
final thought: this is a favorite of this year. the second pass through was better because we got to walk slowly and check everything out...things we didn't see the first go round.
4. Delirium - a walk through of every worst nightmare you can imagine. almost like you're born into a nightmare. you face endless hallways, bugs, maniacal men and women...this might just be my favorite maze ever. i can only describe it as disturbingly beautiful.
score:
design - A+
execution - A+
talent - A+
scares - oh yeah!
final thought - the 2011 maze of the year is back with a vengeance. okay so i'll say it, this is the best maze i've ever walked through.
5. Evil Dead* - this is a maze based on the movie made by a young film student named Sam Raimi (yes the spiderman Raimi). it's about a group of college kids who go camping in the woods, find a cabin and a book...the necronomicon, or book of the dead. when they read it, all hell breaks loose. literally. people get possessed, trees rape women (yeah that's right), the dead come back to life...it's pretty weird but they have a huge cult following and there's about to be a remake. this has taken over the "Headless Horseman" maze that sat in the log ride the passed two seasons.
score:
design - B+
execution - ?
talent - ?
scares - ?
final thought: this maze could've been so great! it's the perfect setting as the ride takes place in the woods and the movie takes place in the woods. but they didn't fully grasp the disgusting, disturbing nature of the movie. as you can see a lot of the scores were given a question mark. this is because the time we went through, there were hardly any talent on the tracks. i'll keep you posted as my journey through the 40th anniversary continue.
6. Virus Z - a zombie outbreak in 1950s-60s small town america. you walk through its shops, diners and movie theaters, all culminating in the high school scene. here's where it gets weird. the end of this maze was sponsored by the movie "Carrie", which i also believe they are remaking. highlights here are threefold: 1 and 2 are the young men who play zombies. these guys are always in character...ALWAYS. and when i say "character" i mean, they are zombies from 7pm - 1am. they do not jump out at you, scream or slam their hands on walls with metal tips attached to their fingers. they limp, drag their legs, moan and lunge at you with their mouths open. they are great. number 3 is the girl that played Carrie, who looked eerily similar to Sissy Spacek, the actress who played Carrie in the original movie.
score:
design - A
execution - B+
talent - A+
scares - many
final thought: you can't go wrong with zombies. there's a reason why they are so popular and have been for years. people are genuinely afraid of them. the only reason why execution got a B+ was of the "Carrie" scene. while it was done well and everything, it has nothing to do with zombies which doesn't make it fit.
7. Uncle Willy's Slaughterhouse - this was the surprise of the night. we were not expecting this maze to return. when it did, we were expecting it to be exactly the same as years passed. while we were walking up, we noticed that the entrance was different which warranted me to say to Petee "i wonder if its going to be different since the entrance is different?" boy was it! it was completely rebooted. you first walk into a diner, then to a store room where i swear it smelled like BBQ sauce, then into the factory where you learn that the secret ingredient is people.
score:
design - A
execution - A+
talent - B+
scares - a few
final thought: this is a weird one. we didn't think it was coming back, and it did. we thought it was going to be exactly the same, but it wasn't. i would say that it shouldn't come back next year, but now i don't know. it was a really good reboot, and they're even selling Uncle Willy's t-shirts at the merch stands.
8. Fallout Shelter - what would've happened if things went south during the cuban missile crisis. this confirms the fact that your experience in a maze is dependent on how many guests are walking through with you. through most of this, we were on our own. during a long stretch, we got separated and were walking through alone!
score:
design - B+
execution - B
talent - B
scares - a lot, but again, we were by ourselves
final thought - this maze has a decent concept but is kinda boring. it's supposed to be in 3D, but those effects are minimal. if you walked through with a group of guests, you would find this maze to be filler.
9. Pinnocchio Unstrung* - pinnochio takes revenge on geppetto, the blue fairy and anyone else who gets in his way after being denied his one wish of being human. so no more Doll Factory means this is just going to be a reboot of the old maze right? wrong. the talent of the Factory was there but the concept is different. this is not people turning people into dolls. this is attack of the dolls and puppets. it has all the creep factors that are necessary in a maze like this, and the talent is amazing. the highlight was the hall of bloody, hanging marionette puppets.
score:
design - A+
execution - A+
talent - A+
scares - several
final thought - this is a close second to Delirium. anything with dolls has my creep factor raised by 10. this is another maze where the second walk through is key in order to see everything. this thing is creepy dude.
10. Terror of London - you've walked through this. it's the same. it still looks cool...but c'mon, really?
score:
design - A-
execution - A-
talent - A
scares - none
final thought - we were surprised to hear this was returning. we'll be shocked if it comes back. this is one of my favorite mazes but even i know when something should be retired. my theory is that the Trick or Treat maze is in a test run. they weren't sure how well it was going to do because of the whole 'you can actually trick-or-treat during the maze' thing. and so next year, when Ghost Rider is up and running, they could move Trick or Treat in place of London. but that's just a theory and my opinion...we'll see what happens.
11. Dia de Los Muertos - this is again, the same. you've walked through this.
score:
design - B-
execution - C
talent - C
scares - one...see below
final thought - i have no idea how this maze returns. it flat out sucks. My friend thinks that the bumper cars (which is where this takes place) is cursed. he might be right. i did get scared and it was so stupid. i saw the guy. i saw him hide behind a wall. when he jumped out at me (almost on top of me) he yelled out the "Aye! Aye! Aye!" that mariachis are known for. to that i say that if THAT is your huge scare, it's pretty sad.
12. Uncle Bobo's Big Top of the Bizarre - the clowns have returned. you have been through this as well.
score:
design - B
execution - B-
talent - A+
scares none
final thought - it must be so hard to be a clown at haunt. you have to be funny and scary. it's not a job i would want. My friend hates this maze. part of his hate, or most of it i believe, stems from the fact that you have to walk quite a distance in order to get to it. clowns have been a part of haunt for many years and i don't see them leaving anytime soon. i don't think they should go, i just think they ought to do it different. you walk through the boardwalk area known as Carnevil and you laugh. these clowns are hilarious. its fun and scary. clowns are naturally scary. what i think they should do with the maze is not make it funny. make it real and scary. real clowns, "It" clowns, John Wayne Gacey clowns. make the maze the reason why people are scared of clowns, like really scared of them.
SCARE ZONES:
Necropolis - same as years passed. sets are cool. costumes are amazing. talent are great.
Carnevil - its hard to be a clown, but these guys do it right and are awesome.
Ghost Town - the masters of it all are back and are better than ever.
"The Witching Hour" - show:
so back in the early days of haunt, they had a woman dragged through town and accused her of witchcraft. she of course, claimed innocent. today, this all happens, but before she is hung, she turns into the green witch (which is the mascot of this year and whom you should remember seeing roaming the Ghost Town streets). she first kills all her attackers, then curses the people of Calico saying all their worst nightmares will come through. she then curses the town saying that it will rot until it turns into a Ghost Town. she then claims that every autumn, the dead will rise from Boot Hill cemetery and roam the streets. this was a cool show and cooler because it's literally what they did 40 years ago.
my final thoughts on the event as a whole...i loved it. everything about bringing classic halloween to haunt was amazing. the concept of holding the line longer so you walk through with less people is great. this is my favorite place in the world to be. the new mazes excite me, the returning ones for the most part, do too.
i applaud when i get scared. i laugh at myself and others. i sit in Ghost Town watching the monsters at work. and i will be returning to do all this next week
So here's the recap of Knott's Scary Farm Halloween Haunt 2012. it's the 40th anniversary as well as opening night, and here's how it went..
.so after we ate, we head to the...
MAZES: these are in the order we walked through and the ones with an asterisk are the new ones
1. Trick or Treat* - the concept here harkens back to the good old days of trick or treating. ring the witch's doorbell and walk through her house for a treat. actually, there is a nice touch here. you can purchase bags and masks and actually trick or treat to get...some kind of treat. we actually don't know because at the time we went through, they hadn't started this yet. the witch's house was awesome. there was a tree out front with pumpkins hanging from it. there were pumpkins decorated on the staircase as you walked in. this was a very short maze. do you remember the very first spider maze? where there was a show and you walked through a little maze? well this reminded me exactly of that.
score:
design - A+
execution - A
talent - A
scares - none, but there's potential
final thought: this maze was placed in a shed underneath Ghost Rider, which is down for repairs. i expect big things from this maze...wait till number 10.
2. Endgames - a walkthrough of a post apocalyptic battleground. this was the same exact thing as last year only in a different spot. i'm not sure how the internet feed thing worked, you'll have to tell me.
score:
design - A
execution - B+
talent - B+
scares - none
final thought: same maze different year.
3. Dominion of the Dead* - the obligatory vampire maze is back and is far from obligatory. they have done away with the "Blade" type vamps and have brought romance back. this is a beautiful maze. beautiful sets, art, music, women, handsome men, it is pretty.
score:
design - A+
execution - A+
talent - A+
scares - none...but it doesn't really matter if you know what i mean
final thought: this is a favorite of this year. the second pass through was better because we got to walk slowly and check everything out...things we didn't see the first go round.
4. Delirium - a walk through of every worst nightmare you can imagine. almost like you're born into a nightmare. you face endless hallways, bugs, maniacal men and women...this might just be my favorite maze ever. i can only describe it as disturbingly beautiful.
score:
design - A+
execution - A+
talent - A+
scares - oh yeah!
final thought - the 2011 maze of the year is back with a vengeance. okay so i'll say it, this is the best maze i've ever walked through.
5. Evil Dead* - this is a maze based on the movie made by a young film student named Sam Raimi (yes the spiderman Raimi). it's about a group of college kids who go camping in the woods, find a cabin and a book...the necronomicon, or book of the dead. when they read it, all hell breaks loose. literally. people get possessed, trees rape women (yeah that's right), the dead come back to life...it's pretty weird but they have a huge cult following and there's about to be a remake. this has taken over the "Headless Horseman" maze that sat in the log ride the passed two seasons.
score:
design - B+
execution - ?
talent - ?
scares - ?
final thought: this maze could've been so great! it's the perfect setting as the ride takes place in the woods and the movie takes place in the woods. but they didn't fully grasp the disgusting, disturbing nature of the movie. as you can see a lot of the scores were given a question mark. this is because the time we went through, there were hardly any talent on the tracks. i'll keep you posted as my journey through the 40th anniversary continue.
6. Virus Z - a zombie outbreak in 1950s-60s small town america. you walk through its shops, diners and movie theaters, all culminating in the high school scene. here's where it gets weird. the end of this maze was sponsored by the movie "Carrie", which i also believe they are remaking. highlights here are threefold: 1 and 2 are the young men who play zombies. these guys are always in character...ALWAYS. and when i say "character" i mean, they are zombies from 7pm - 1am. they do not jump out at you, scream or slam their hands on walls with metal tips attached to their fingers. they limp, drag their legs, moan and lunge at you with their mouths open. they are great. number 3 is the girl that played Carrie, who looked eerily similar to Sissy Spacek, the actress who played Carrie in the original movie.
score:
design - A
execution - B+
talent - A+
scares - many
final thought: you can't go wrong with zombies. there's a reason why they are so popular and have been for years. people are genuinely afraid of them. the only reason why execution got a B+ was of the "Carrie" scene. while it was done well and everything, it has nothing to do with zombies which doesn't make it fit.
7. Uncle Willy's Slaughterhouse - this was the surprise of the night. we were not expecting this maze to return. when it did, we were expecting it to be exactly the same as years passed. while we were walking up, we noticed that the entrance was different which warranted me to say to Petee "i wonder if its going to be different since the entrance is different?" boy was it! it was completely rebooted. you first walk into a diner, then to a store room where i swear it smelled like BBQ sauce, then into the factory where you learn that the secret ingredient is people.
score:
design - A
execution - A+
talent - B+
scares - a few
final thought: this is a weird one. we didn't think it was coming back, and it did. we thought it was going to be exactly the same, but it wasn't. i would say that it shouldn't come back next year, but now i don't know. it was a really good reboot, and they're even selling Uncle Willy's t-shirts at the merch stands.
8. Fallout Shelter - what would've happened if things went south during the cuban missile crisis. this confirms the fact that your experience in a maze is dependent on how many guests are walking through with you. through most of this, we were on our own. during a long stretch, we got separated and were walking through alone!
score:
design - B+
execution - B
talent - B
scares - a lot, but again, we were by ourselves
final thought - this maze has a decent concept but is kinda boring. it's supposed to be in 3D, but those effects are minimal. if you walked through with a group of guests, you would find this maze to be filler.
9. Pinnocchio Unstrung* - pinnochio takes revenge on geppetto, the blue fairy and anyone else who gets in his way after being denied his one wish of being human. so no more Doll Factory means this is just going to be a reboot of the old maze right? wrong. the talent of the Factory was there but the concept is different. this is not people turning people into dolls. this is attack of the dolls and puppets. it has all the creep factors that are necessary in a maze like this, and the talent is amazing. the highlight was the hall of bloody, hanging marionette puppets.
score:
design - A+
execution - A+
talent - A+
scares - several
final thought - this is a close second to Delirium. anything with dolls has my creep factor raised by 10. this is another maze where the second walk through is key in order to see everything. this thing is creepy dude.
10. Terror of London - you've walked through this. it's the same. it still looks cool...but c'mon, really?
score:
design - A-
execution - A-
talent - A
scares - none
final thought - we were surprised to hear this was returning. we'll be shocked if it comes back. this is one of my favorite mazes but even i know when something should be retired. my theory is that the Trick or Treat maze is in a test run. they weren't sure how well it was going to do because of the whole 'you can actually trick-or-treat during the maze' thing. and so next year, when Ghost Rider is up and running, they could move Trick or Treat in place of London. but that's just a theory and my opinion...we'll see what happens.
11. Dia de Los Muertos - this is again, the same. you've walked through this.
score:
design - B-
execution - C
talent - C
scares - one...see below
final thought - i have no idea how this maze returns. it flat out sucks. My friend thinks that the bumper cars (which is where this takes place) is cursed. he might be right. i did get scared and it was so stupid. i saw the guy. i saw him hide behind a wall. when he jumped out at me (almost on top of me) he yelled out the "Aye! Aye! Aye!" that mariachis are known for. to that i say that if THAT is your huge scare, it's pretty sad.
12. Uncle Bobo's Big Top of the Bizarre - the clowns have returned. you have been through this as well.
score:
design - B
execution - B-
talent - A+
scares none
final thought - it must be so hard to be a clown at haunt. you have to be funny and scary. it's not a job i would want. My friend hates this maze. part of his hate, or most of it i believe, stems from the fact that you have to walk quite a distance in order to get to it. clowns have been a part of haunt for many years and i don't see them leaving anytime soon. i don't think they should go, i just think they ought to do it different. you walk through the boardwalk area known as Carnevil and you laugh. these clowns are hilarious. its fun and scary. clowns are naturally scary. what i think they should do with the maze is not make it funny. make it real and scary. real clowns, "It" clowns, John Wayne Gacey clowns. make the maze the reason why people are scared of clowns, like really scared of them.
SCARE ZONES:
Necropolis - same as years passed. sets are cool. costumes are amazing. talent are great.
Carnevil - its hard to be a clown, but these guys do it right and are awesome.
Ghost Town - the masters of it all are back and are better than ever.
"The Witching Hour" - show:
so back in the early days of haunt, they had a woman dragged through town and accused her of witchcraft. she of course, claimed innocent. today, this all happens, but before she is hung, she turns into the green witch (which is the mascot of this year and whom you should remember seeing roaming the Ghost Town streets). she first kills all her attackers, then curses the people of Calico saying all their worst nightmares will come through. she then curses the town saying that it will rot until it turns into a Ghost Town. she then claims that every autumn, the dead will rise from Boot Hill cemetery and roam the streets. this was a cool show and cooler because it's literally what they did 40 years ago.
my final thoughts on the event as a whole...i loved it. everything about bringing classic halloween to haunt was amazing. the concept of holding the line longer so you walk through with less people is great. this is my favorite place in the world to be. the new mazes excite me, the returning ones for the most part, do too.
i applaud when i get scared. i laugh at myself and others. i sit in Ghost Town watching the monsters at work. and i will be returning to do all this next week