Had the opportunity to visit the Field of Screams at the Diamond Stadium in Lake Elsinore on Monday night. I'm going to throw out a couple disclaimers before writing up a review on this attraction: 1. I was in a sour mood after having just watched the Chargers blow what may very well be the most critical game they will play this season, and 2. I'm going to be a little more critical of this event being that it is a commercial gig and for profit. We chose this night to go because it was touted as "Haunter's Night", an event specifically designed to lure other haunt owners and enthusiasts to their event with discounted tickets of $10 regularly $15. I was accompanied by the Haunt Masters from Darkwolf Manor and The Final Resting Place (aka The Bloodshed Brothers).
THE GOOD: I'm an enthusiast. I love any effort that anyone puts into Halloween, particulary haunted houses and full scale events. This was a great venue. Diamond Stadium lends itself quite nicely to a multiple haunt event, and doing a night just for haunters? Thumbs up. Several of the actors were key to making this memorable for me. Specifically, I was impressed by the red faced clown with the smoker's voice who followed us around and was adept at maintaining a disquieting monologue about absolutely nothing. There were also 2 girls who were working the exit of the carnival-gone-wrong event who spoke with accents and over enunciated the last words in their sentences. These girls were creepy, and they worked together very nicely slithering their way down the corridor like serpents. Both the haunts were well constructed and solid with quality contruction. The kiss of death when I walk through a commercial haunted house is black plastic. I expect to see walls and barriers made of black plastic in home haunts and church fundraiser Halloween events, but if I see the stuff in commercial haunts, I want my money back. Aside from 1 short section of tunnel in the Carnival of Fear, black palstic was not to be seen. The Chop Shop Slaughterhouse is billed as the main event, and it did not disappoint. Plenty of props and attention to detail, and it is packed with actors who are animated and loud.
THE BAD: Who turned out the lights? When I drove up to the stadium at 8:30 p.m. it looked closed. There was nothing as you approached to indicate there was anything going on there. Even the first parking lot I pulled into was dark, and I would have missed the turn had I not known the stadium from previous visits. This is billed as a 3 haunt event, but it is in reality a 2 haunt event with a section of walkway connecting the 2 haunts that they are calling the 3rd event (Blood Storm Alley). I instantly had a problem with that, because there was virtually nothing going on in that area except for a booth selling pretty lazer light gizmos and a few character actors. As you approach the Chop Shop there are a few more characters lurking in corners and making noises and knocking over pallets, but it fell way short of being anything I would have paid to experience. The Carnival had too few props, little attention to detail and too few quality actors to divert our attention from those shortcomings. As you enter the corridor is divided by red and white vinyl tarp that you push out of your way to enter chamber after chamber seemingly forever. My arm actually got tired doing it. Your senses are blasted by music and every manner of lighting effect. The lights actually started to make me dizzy after a while. I found myself more nauseated and irritated than scared, but I admit I am a haunted house traditionalist and the scary carnival/fun house/clown thing has never been my bag. Some of the actors were a little overzealous about getting ahead of us and exposed a hidden door that sort of took me out of the moment. Was also unimpressed by the fog machine that was just sitting out on the floor exposed close to the exit.
THE UGLY: Me. In the mirror.
Overall I was entertained by this event, but it is an $8-$10 event at most. It falls well short of its usual $15 price tag. This is a 2 event haunted attraction, not a 3 event haunt as billed. Had I paid full price, I would not have been pleased. Blood Storm Alley certainly has the potential to be billed as a 3rd haunt, but it needs more icon characters to set it apart from the rest of the event and give it its own identity. Chop Shop was lots of fun, but Carnival of Fears needs more attention to detail and less lighting designed to give us headaches.
We took Day31 to new heights this year! Nearly 600 visitors total visited the Day31 haunt in 2009. What an amazing year. I have been comsumed by the tear down, but I have lots of great pictures to share just as soon as I get the front of the property de-halloweened. I have not had a chance to review the video yet, but I will also put together a 2009 video once the dust settles. Thanks so much to all our volunteers and actors who are the heart and soul of this haunt. We had some new additions to our staff this year, and their talents and enthusiasm blew me away. I can't thank them enough for giving us their time, and I look forward to having them back next year. We will update the STAFF page on the website soon as well.
