I decided to check out Scream World to see what it had to offer.

Of course we were greeted by actors outside – not too frightening though, except when I was caught off guard.

            I began with the Maze of Maniacs. You go into a maze of different monsters such as zombies and killers while you try to find your way. I led a group of people through the maze and found my way out. It’s easy if you aren’t scared of the actors and are brave enough to pass by the actors or you will spend some time in there.

            The Haunted Hotel, the Edge of Darkness and Jake’s Slaughter House all run together so I was unsure where the Haunted Hotel ended and where the Edge of Darkness began. Entering the hotel began with a walkthrough a tunnel of skulls. The actors were very good at the hide-and-surprise technique. I entered a black room with white spots and I really was sure no one was in there. Out of the corner, a man with the same pattern as the wall crawled across the floor and frightened me.

            Scream World has impressive animatronics. In a farm-like setting three mechanic dogs popped outside of tall grass.
Jake’s Slaughter House had a gory scenery and nice detailed body meat laying around on the floor and bodies of pigs and humans hanging from the ceiling. Faces of people, which were artificial, were lying on barrels.

            Scream World has a very professional setting with their determined actors who really do get into character. I give Scream World 4 out of 5 in gore due to their slaughterhouse and for the zombie who carried a real bloody dead chicken around.

In the category of scariness, I give it 3 out of 5. I wasn’t much frightened except when I was in the line, an actor slid on the floor towards me while making sparks fly. That caught me by surprise.

NIGHTMARE ON THE BAYOU

The four-part haunt, which includes two main houses and two small

trailers, was well thought out and the concept behind some of the scares were solid and could truly evoke terror if carried out correctly. However, the execution of many of the scares was weak. Every once in a while, there would be a fantastic actor who was not holding back and was completely committed to his scare, but they were few and far between.

            Several of the surprises were timed poorly and I found myself stopping to admire the artwork in the dimly lit hallways rather than fearing what may be coming next. Although things were done to obstruct our vision and heighten the unpredictability of the haunted house – strobe lights, fog, even 3-D glasses – I found them ineffective, for the greatest element of surprise is the calm that comes before the surprise. The extra effects, rather than making us shake in anticipation of the next thing that would pop out at us, simply made our senses heightened and more prepared for what was coming next.

            The execution could have been better, but a few unsettling scenarios, interesting concepts, great 3-dimensional black light artwork, and several truly scary and innovative thrills saved the haunted house and made it fun and scary to go through.

            In all, a fun way to spend the night as Halloween approaches, but not worth the expensive cost.

Goriness: 3.5