NOVEMBER 4, 2015 WEDNESDAY 10 PM - DOIN' IT ONE MORE TIME

The haunt season is not over!

Select haunts will be OPEN IN NOVEMBER - see the list in What's Next.

NOVEMBER 4, 2015 WEDNESDAY 8 PM - There's a rumbling about a haunt that closed a few years ago which may be on the verge of STAGING A DRAMATIC COMEBACK! Can't tell you who yet, but as soon as we get confirmation we'll break the news.

NOVEMBER 2, 2015 MONDAY 5 PM - THE ARTIFICIALLY EXTENDED FAMILY LIKE NO OTHER

We'd like to give special thanks to all the haunt operators for their very kind assistance this season!

Our aggressive touring schedule of visiting tons of haunts is only made possible by your continuing cooperation and support. YOU ARE THE GREATEST!

NOVEMBER 1, 2015 SUNDAY 3 AM - THE FAT LADY SINGS

ASTONISHING!!!

We ended our 2015 haunt tour with a NUCLEAR BLAST at the HAUNTED PRISON EXPERIENCE in MANSFIELD, OHIO.

This place is ACTUALLY HAUNTED to begin with as it was a densely packed prison with sickening living conditions and many inmates died horrible violent deaths there.

The creepy vibe is already CRANKED TO ELEVEN, so adding a top notch spooky show on top of that SENDS THIS THRU THE ROOF!!! 

OCTOBER 31, 2015 SATURDAY 7 PM - Something really funny just happened...have to tell you later...we're just leaving for Ohio...

OCTOBER 31, 2015 SATURDAY 5:30 PM - AT LONG LAST WE END UP IN JAIL

I can't believe it - WE'RE FINALLY GOING TO PRISON TONIGHT. It's the

HAUNTED PRISON EXPERIENCE in MANSFIELD, OHIO! www.hauntedx.com

OCTOBER 31, 2015 SATURDAY 9 AM - Coming at the end of the year: THE ZIOPTIS 2015 STATE OF THE INDUSTRY ADDRESS

OCTOBER 31, 2015 SATURDAY 2 AM - HAPPY HALLOWEEN!

I can't believe it - somebody finally decided to do a FIREWORKS SHOW AT A HAUNT and it was cool!

BESTMAZE in WILLIAMSTON staged TWO fireworks shows on Friday night, with plans to continue lighting up the sky in the future.

BESTMAZE is tentatively planning to be closed on Halloween due to lousy weather - but would re-open for one last day on SUNDAY, NOVEMBER 1st with fireworks again! Check here to be sure - www.BestMaze.com

OCTOBER 30, 2015 FRIDAY 5 PM - We're heading into the home stretch, but there's still lots of great haunting to do - CARPE DIEM BABY!

OCTOBER 30, 2015 FRIDAY 5:30 AM - Just saw the yard haunt to end all yard haunts on the CBS OVERNIGHT NEWS. It's put on by a former designer for the TV show THE SIMPSONS at his house in VAN NUYS, CALIFORNIA. See it here -www.BoneyIsland.com Just looking some more at their site - the part with "past Tours" is HILARIOUS!

OCTOBER 30, 2015 FRIDAY 3 AM - EIGHT DAYS A WEEK

No, not THE BEATLES.

It's what we wish we had right now, as there's even two more great haunts right off of I-96 that we'll miss this year - SHAWHAVEN FARMS in MASON and of course THE HAUNT in GRAND RAPIDS!

CALL OF THE BUCKEYE

We loved both SHAWHAVEN & THE HAUNT last year, but decided now to FORGE A NEW PATH TO OHIO with haunts we've never been to but keep hearing about!

TERRORTOWN is gone - for now at least. But we also know they have an open ended agreement with Lucas County Fairgrounds so anything is possible. You just never know...

OCTOBER 30, 2015 FRIDAY 1 AM - MORE THAN MEETS THE EYE

On devil's night tonight, we'll hit some haunts along a stretch of I-96 that's chock full of haunted greatness and we're totally stoked!

IN A BLAZE OF GLORY

Usually this trip has us stopping in STOCKBRIDGE for THE BONE YARD, but we already went there this season and it was outstanding...gotta tell you something about it though:

Just thinking...one of their grandiose stunts this year could easily win the award for the ULTIMATE JUXTAPOSITION IN A HAUNT DISPLAY EVER!

This is intense, check this out - first THE DEVIL HIMSELF greets you and banters a bit before telling you to look at a LARGE WOODEN CROSS of all things...FLASH!!! A GIANT PROPANE BLAST goes off right behind the cross, and then the devil commands you to close your eyes.

But when you close your eyes, you still see the cross and only the cross thanks to the natural persistence-of-vision your eyes are subject to.

So here we have the devil himself commanding you to an action that leaves the image of the cross LITERALLY BURNED INTO YOUR BRAIN - the very symbol that's the antithesis of the devil himself!

This is some WILD STORY TELLING that goes beyond just spoken words!

And the operator himself is a key actor in THE BONE YARD, and we totally love when a head honcho is right there in the thick of it cranking the fun to eleven! (See their reviews)

Ah yes...we're going to have a fabulous devil's night for sure...but somehow it's just not going to feel right...driving past STOCKBRIDGE and not stopping to visit our favorite flames that both warmed our hearts and shook our souls! www.BoneYardHaunt.com

OCTOBER 29, 2015 THURSDAY 10 PM - TRY TO SET THE NIGHT ON FIRE!

No, not The Doors.

It's BESTMAZE in WILLIAMSTON, tomorrow night when for the first time they'll stage TWO FIREWORKS SHOWS! The sky lights up at 8 PM and again at 9:15 PM.

We've often speculated about which haunt will be the first to do this or that, but this is one we definitely did not see coming. We like this...A LOT! www.BestMaze.com

OCTOBER 28, 2015 WEDNESDAY 4 PM - ROLL OVER ROB ZOMBIE, TELL TSYCHOWSKI THE NEWS... (guitar solo)

We've been hearing a lot of a certain band at haunts this year besides ROB ZOMBIE - WHAT?! 

It's GODSMACK, and they're GIANT IN DETROIT.

In fact, some friends asked me to come with them a few weeks ago to the GODSMACK show at The Fillmore in Detroit which was killer!

Then, last weekend we're on our way to Flint and I brought some CD's. Without saying anything, I put on the first self-titled GODSMACK album and we were jammin'.

We got to ST. LUCIFER'S and after going thru walked over to 13 FEET BELOW... guess what they were jammin' on the outdoor sound system?

YUP - the first self-titled GODSMACK ALBUM! (doo-doo-doo-doo, doo-doo-doo-doo)

And their recent release LIVE AND INSPIRED was recorded in Detroit. They had 30 shows recorded to choose from, but Detroit was the easy choice! They explain why in this video short - www.vevo.com/watch/godsmack/Live-Inspired-(Webisode-1)-(Expli cit)/U SUV71200895

Then, checking out more GODSMACK on VEVO, we found that the video for AWAKE has many prison scenes...and then shows signs saying "MANSFIELD PENITENTARY." 

Hmmm...is this the same facility that the HAUNTED PRISON in MANSFIELD, OHIO is located in? www.hauntedx.com

We might just have to SPEND DEVIL'S NIGHT IN PRISON to find out!

OCTOBER 28, 2015 WEDNESDAY 2 AM - The video shoot went well, and final footage will be taken today...this is going to be seen by many thousands!

OCTOBER 27, 2015 TUESDAY 6 PM - Out and about today, I saw a TV playing a station from TOLEDO, OHIO and an ad for car dealer Taylor Kia & Ford (in Toledo) came on.

They have a special offer - take a test drive and get two free tickets to the HAUNTED HYDRO in FREMONT, OHIO.

Nobody was paying attention to this boring car dealer ad until the image of the HYDRO head honcho CRAZY BOB hit the screen, then people took notice and one girl broke out laughing - he is just SO SILLY IT'S FABULOUS!

We absolutely LOVE the HAUNTED HYDRO! www.TheHauntedHydro.com

OCTOBER 27, 2015 TUESDAY 3 PM - Can't say where...but we're involved in a video shoot tonight at a big time haunt in connection with a major organization.

And here's yet another "can't say where" item: Next year will be the Grand Opening of HUSH HAUNTED THRILL PARK at a brand new location! This is your last chance to see them on Ford Road in Westland.

OCTOBER 27, 2015 TUESDAY 1 AM - DID YOU HEAR ABOUT THIS ONE HAUNTED HOUSE WHERE_____________________________? (fill in the blank)

Ever play the "Telephone Game," where a circle of people whispers a "secret" to each other one at a time until it goes all the way around?

The first person writes the "secret" down, and compares it to what the final person says. It's NEVER the same, and the results can be hilarious.

Now, imagine a "Telephone Game" where the "secret" is about an outrageous haunted house where all sorts of disgusting stuff is going on.

So every year there's FAKE HAUNT STORIES that are stretched to new dimensions of absurdity with every re-telling.

Multiply this concept by several thousand or so, and you've got this ever evolving story about an elusive HAUNT FROM BEYOND THAT DOESN'T EVEN EXIST, yet lives a life that cannot die!

The details vary widely, but there's always one thing in common with all of these amazing stories - nobody can ever tell you exactly where the haunt is. Why?

It's simple. It's only an urban legend.

But in peoples' minds...ah, that's a whole different animal.

There, it mutates itself and slays even the most rugged He-Man that eats pit bulls for breakfast.

As far as we know, the first version of this story goes something like this:

"There's a haunt that costs $100 to get in, but there's 10 rooms and you get back $10 for every room you make it thru.

But unspeakable things happen there, and three people already went insane.

In fact, NOBODY has made it past the third room!  It's put on by a frat house in Ann Arbor that got banned and kicked out of U of M.

The crazy haunt from hell includes renegade Medical Students who got booted from U of M MED SCHOOL for stealing body parts from cadavers!

They performed hideous experiments, and decided to see what they could get away with before being shut down by the Police.

The first room is filled with 6 inches of water, and you must remove your shoes and socks. (They do promise to return them later when you exit.) There are hundreds of snakes slithering around your feet and in between your toes, but all non-poisonous so they can't get sued.

The second room is totally pitch black. As you make your way to a hallway end, you feel gooey slimy stuff on the wall. It's human remains, mixed in with turkey guts to completely fill the wall.

You get blood all over your clothes. It smells like death, and everybody gags and throws up.

The third room is only 25 feet square, but has 500 live rats. You still have no shoes or socks, so they go to town on your feet and ankles.

But to avoid lawsuits all the rats have been de-teethed so you don't actually get bit, just gummed."  (end of FICTIONAL story - do NOT repeat this to anyone!)

OCTOBER 26, 2015 MONDAY 2 PM - DEVIL'S NIGHT IN PRISON

I can't believe what we're thinking of doing that could land us in the pokey...nah, I really shouldn't be telling you this...never mind!  ;)

OCTOBER 26, 2015 MONDAY 10 AM - OUT OF MY MIND ON MONDAY MOANIN'

Over the weekend we survived being put in a gas chamber, were attacked by a hideous giant rodent with an attitude, came face-to-face with almost every fairy tale character you can name, and had a personal encounter with the devil himself!

But we lived to tell the tales, the tales that keep legends alive.

More later about some legends going around, real and fabricated, and commentary on haunted campouts that have been quite the buzz lately.

OCTOBER 25, 2015 SUNDAY 5 PM - More reviews coming soon...but a quick snippet now - at NIGHT TERRORS in YPSILANTI they have a WAY WICKED LIQUID SKY ROOM in the MINE SHAFT section that's to die for!

LIQUID SKY is the lighting effect with laser beams projected into a dark room with fog to get those incredible EYE POPPING 3D BEAMS.

This one has 4 green lasers projecting flat beams in a criss-cross pattern, and also uses a flickering action for a unique flourish that CRANKS THE EYE CANDY FACTOR BIG TIME.

And remember, basic rule of thumb: ANYTIME you see a liquid sky room at any haunt, be sure to LOOK BACKWARDS when you reach the end of the room with the laser display. It's dramatically different suddenly, and on this one you see a perfect "V" shape they adjusted the 2 projectors for - each projector having 2 green beams.

OCTOBER 25, 2015 SUNDAY 2 AM - SATURDAY NIGHT FEVER

Redemption at last - NIGHT TERRORS at WIARD'S TOTALLY ROCKED IT!

We were long overdue for visiting this long-time favorite haunt, and saw for ourselves why it continues to draw giant crowds at this apple orchard in Ypsilanti year-after-year.

Only problem though - there's just SO much to do at NIGHT TERRORS that we only had time for one more haunt afterwards, PSYCHO PATH in FLAT ROCK. 

Our apologies to BOUGHAN'S HAUNTED HAYRIDE in BELLEVILLE and REALM OF HAUNTED MINDS in ROMULUS for missing them...BOO HOO!

OCTOBER 24, 2015 SATURDAY 2 AM - Our coin toss came up LENOX TWP. so we hit HAUNTED FARM OF TERROR and SCAREFEST SCREAM PARK.

Both haunts have NEW THRILLS!

HAUNTED FARM OF TERROR has an outrageous new chamber in the walk thru haunt, and SCAREFEST SCREAM PARK has an amazing new creature that lurks in the CARNIVAL OF THE DEAD forest walk.

And both haunts were ROCKIN' BIG TIME - Live music from DIGITAL LOVE was groovin' at SCAREFEST and WRIF-FM RADIO was at FARM OF TERROR.

ROCK & ROLL NEVER DIES, BUT SOMETIMES IT HIDES & RUNS AWAY

We talked to the guys at WRIF, and they seemed cool so I asked them about their "ROCK GIRL CAYLA" who we had heard was supposed to come to HAUNTED FARM OF TERROR.

Here's part of an article I just now pulled out of Archive 18 -

SEPTEMBER 10, 2015 THURSDAY 1 PM - WHAT A WAY TO ARRIVE IN STYLE / THAT'S A SPICY MEATBALL!

I was just talking to my partner...somehow we got to talking about what a blast we have every year in Lenox Twp....

....And on October 9th, WRIF and their ROCK GIRL CAYLA will make the 1st of 2 appearances at HAUNTED FARM OF TERROR.

She will no doubt be dressed to kill and drop-dead gorgeous, but none of that will matter when SHE GOES THROUGH THE HAUNT HERSELF to test her like nobody else would ever have to guts to! It should be A TOTAL SCREAM! (end of article)

OK...but here's the scoop: Cayla never did make it to HAUNTED FARM OF TERROR.

I couldn't help but poke some fun and I asked the RIF guy, "So when it came to actually going through the HAUNTED FARM OF TERROR, your BRAVE LEADER ROCK GIRL CHICKENED OUT???"

He just laughed - my good deed for the day!

Oh yeah...smokin' hot chicks...guys thinking somehow they're "out of their league" and such...reminds me of something waaay amusing we saw at a local pub recently...too long for here...we'll put it in Newest later.

Parking lots at both haunts were near capacity - rough estimate at least 1,000 haunters at each place we're thinking...and Saturday nights are even bigger! After all, this is DETROIT - THE HAUNTED HOUSE CAPITAL OF THE WORLD!

OCTOBER 22, 2015 THURSDAY 2 PM - SPARTAN SPOOKS TAKE OVER FOUR STORY BUILDING IN EAST LANSING!

The MSU DRAMA STUDENTS are once again staging a LARGE SCALE HAUNT in their building. We experienced it in 2013 (see Reviews 2013_A) and were amazed at all the innovative ways they used the existing features of the building, essentially creating BIG BUDGET THRILLS ON A SHOESTRING. See Not in FF/HG for details.

OCTOBER 19, 2015 MONDAY 7 AM - HOLLYWOOD COMES TO WINDSOR

Today is the big national election in Canada for the big cheese himself - TRUDEAU or HARPER?

Yeah, yeah, I know... Stephen Harper helped Obama get the Cuba deal done by hosting the SECRET NEGOTIATIONS in Canada, and that's pretty cool...but all I wanna know is HOW COOL THE HAUNTED HOUSES IN CANADA ARE!

They even made a Universal Pictures feature length movie at SCAREHOUSE WINDSOR which is only minutes away from Detroit.

Check out this plotline from THE SCAREHOUSE - Six sorority sisters enter a haunted house attraction, only to discover that there are two former members who seek revenge on them for past misdeeds. www.ScareHouseWindsor.com

SOUNDS LIKE BIG FUN! It won the Best Feature Film at the New York City Horror Film Festival, and their haunt ad promises the movie will be "in wide release across the United States in October of 2015."

OCTOBER 18, 2015 SUNDAY 3 AM - RETURN OF THE MASTER

STU SMITH is a name many of you have heard. He's well established as the PREMIERE 3D HAUNT ARTIST, and many of you no doubt saw his early breakout work with THE HAUNTING in ADRIAN.

But THE HAUNTING is gone, so where can you go to see some TRULY STUNNING NEW 3D ART BY STU SMITH?

DING!

We saw it ourselves last night at THE REALM OF DARKNESS in PONTIAC, which was totally jamming with overflowing parking lots and masses of ecstatic haunters with dropped jaws!

Most of these haunters had never seen anything like this CAPTIVATING SURREAL BIZARRE display with a silly edge for good measure to round out the emotional see-saw Stu takes you on in HOUSE OF NIGHTMARES 3D which is inside REALM.

We also tried a haunt we've never been to, SCOTT'S HAUNTED CORN MAZE, HAYRIDE & ROOMS OF TERROR in OXFORD. This young haunt has a special flavor all its own, and we had a great time there! 

THE JOURNEY OF A LIFETIME STARTS WITH A SINGLE STEP

We can easily see us following the progress of SCOTT'S, as they've got a good thing going that's getting better and better with each year. And the place is MASSIVE, which presents a lot of amazing possibilities.

Our apologies to EREBUS for missing them last night...BOO HOO!

Thing is, SCOTT'S FARMS was so interesting that we talked with them forever and still didn't do all they had available. We had to skip their HAUNTED CORN MAZE, which is ON TEN ACRES!

OCTOBER 17, 2015 SATURDAY 3 PM - MISTAKE BECOMES REALITY

I remember making a mistake years ago while writing an article about Jackson, and accidently typing UnderGROUND instead of UnderWORLD.

This time it's no mistake, and it's time to SPREAD THE WORD - there is now BOTH JACKSON'S UNDERWORLD AND JACKSON'S UNDERGROUND!

JACKSON'S UNDERGROUND is a brand new haunt experience that is located in the same building as JACKSON'S UNDERWORLD, but unfortunately the UnderGROUND part did not make it to press in the ads.

So what IS JACKSON'S UNDERGROUND? (See review in 2015_B)

OCTOBER 17, 2015 SATURDAY 2 AM - THE BONE YARD and JACKSON'S UNDERWORLD were both totally off the hook last night! What a great start to a REALLY WILD WEEKEND...

OCTOBER 16, 2015 FRIDAY 5 PM - ALL IS WELL, MY LITTLE MONKEYS / GOOD NEWS FROM LINCOLN PARK

ANXIETY ALLEY IS STILL OPEN! It's been there FOREVER it seems at the Lincoln Park Community Center (3525 Dix) and it just wouldn't feel right for them NOT to be still haunting there in THE PROUD JAYCEE TRADITION. (See Not in FF/HG)

In case you didn't know,  ANXIETY ALLEY was one of the VERY FIRST HAUNTED HOUSES to our knowledge along with MUTILATION MANSION in MADISON HEIGHTS.

Both of these haunts are just a few tractor trailers thrown together, but they ended up PIONEERING THE HAUNT GENRE ITSELF and their long-range influence cannot be denied.

OCTOBER 16, 2015 FRIDAY 3 PM - HITTING THE GROOVE

We've got a REALLY WILD WEEKEND coming up!

Once again, the operator of THE BONE YARD in STOCKBRIDGE will be an actor in the haunt itself so we'll be playing the "Spot The Owner" game again. Last year, it was absolutely hysterical! (See Reviews 2014_C) www.BoneYardHaunt.com

JACKSON'S UNDERWORLD in JACKSON has opened up the 4th floor of their amazing building, and that alone would be big news!

There's no denying that our future lies with our children, right?

But the fact is, most haunts are WAY too intense for really young children.

So in a forward-thinking move, JACKSON'S UNDERWORLD has added a new KID FRIENDLY feature this year with special glow sticks they can carry to let the actors know to go easy on them.

We've actually seen this approach at THE HAUNTED CASTLE in BEVERLY HILLS before, and it was a big success.

Hmmm...this has an interesting twist I'm thinking...let's say a GUY that's supposed to be a tough dude is secretly afraid to go into haunted houses. And this one IS A MONSTER...does he get the special glow stick for himself? Is he a TOTAL WIMP if he does? haha  ;) www.JxUnderworld.com

OCTOBER 14, 2015 WEDNESDAY 9 PM - We just talked to the operator of HUSH and this is SO cool...they were just getting out of HUNDRED ACRES MANOR HAUNTED HOUSE in PITTSBURG, PENNSYLVANIA.

HUSH will be making a MAJOR ANNOUCEMENT SOON!

OCTOBER 11, 2015 SUNDAY 2 AM - YOU GOTTA BE KIDDING, YOU DID WHAT?

Last night, we cancelled our plans (with notifications of course) to hit three of the MOST AWESOME OUTDOOR HAUNTS IN MICHIGAN - BLAKE'S, HAUNTED FARM OF TERROR and SCAREFEST SCREAM PARK.

We do feel totally confident they're still delivering the goods big time. But instead we visited a much smaller haunt only in its first year, ABANDONED HAUNTED HOUSE in MELVINDALE.

Making risky choices is in our blood, but did this one pay off? (See review in 2015_B)

OCTOBER 10, 2015 SATURDAY 2 PM - CHRISTMAS IN OCTOBER!

If you guessed FRANKENMUTH to the question below, you're right. First we saw the amazing Yuletide decorations and lights at Bronner's where IT'S CHRISTMAS 365 DAYS A YEAR!

NEW BLOOD!

Then after the mandatory super tasty Frankenmuth chicken dinner, we loved exploring the HAUNTED FOREST OF BAVARIA down the block and then BATE'S HAUNTED SAWMILL & JC'S AXE HOUSE in MILLINGTON.

Apologies to HAUNTED ELEMENTARY and XAVIER for missing them. They too are new haunts for us, and we look forward to seeing them in the future!

OCTOBER 10, 2015 SATURDAY 3 AM - We were off exploring more haunts we had never been to last night!

SO MUCH FUN...and the ultimate chicken dinner too...now WHERE in the world could THAT be? Gotta hit the hay, more later...

OCTOBER 9, 2015 FRIDAY 4 PM - GOALS, VISIONS & MASTER PLANS...SUBJECT TO CHANGE

Have you ever noticed that you'll do something to produce a specific result, only to find the outcome is totally different from your original vision?

You can plan until you're blue in the face, but you never know for sure how the details and circumstances will play out, or even if you'll have to start over again...

The haunt industry is a FANTASY DRIVEN BUSINESS, which means it's limited only by your imagination...and then of course your ability to pull it off.

Earlier, we talked about the unusually late start (which is tonight) this year for THE HAUNT in GRAND RAPIDS. (See SEPTEMBER 20, 2015 SUNDAY 3 AM)

So what did they do with their extra time to get ready for this season? What FANTASIES AND ADVENTURES WILL COME TO LIFE this year?? www.The-Haunt.com

OCTOBER 8, 2015 THURSDAY 8 PM - DO NOT PASS GO - DO NOT COLLECT $200!

The hoosegow. The slammer. The pokey.

Prison is one place you sure don't want to be - but we're going anyway.

And it's the world's largest free standing cell block in the world, de-commissioned in only 1998. Guess what it is now?

(more soon)

OCTOBER 8, 2015 THURSDAY 12:30 AM - BIGGER & BADDER / THRILL ME, CHILL ME!

Somebody asked what the ultimate PHYSICAL THRILL HAUNT is, and that's a great question!

No question the hands-down winner is MONSTER TRUCK RIDES in LANSING at MONGOOSE RACING (see Reviews 2011_B) but we also really liked VILLAGE OF THE LIVING DEAD in ST. CHARLES next to the water tower.

Hmmm... MONSTER TRUCK RIDES is closed this year, but VILLAGE OF THE LIVING DEAD is open and we had a blast there last year!

This year marks the 30th anniversary for VILLAGE OF THE LIVING DEAD, so they MUST be doing something right!  And their Facebook page is rockin' www.facebook.com/stchauntedhouse 

OCTOBER 6, 2015 TUESDAY 11 PM - Thinking back to last year for a moment - so we're waiting in line at TERRORFIED FOREST in PINCKNEY and the girls in front of us noticed my partner's TERRORTOWN T-SHIRT and bang we're off and running talking about Ohio...

They said they HAD A BLAST AT THE HAUNTED PRISON in MANSFIELD, OHIO.

Hmmm...we can't go to TERRORTOWN cuz they're gone...and we can't wait to hit the HAUNTED HYDRO in FREMONT and GHOSTLY MANOR in SANDUSKY again... BUT... maybe we'll try something new this year (for us) and set the Tom Tom for the HAUNTED PRISON in MANSFIELD!

IT SOUNDS LIKE A SURE WINNER! www.hauntedx.com

OCTOBER 5, 2015 MONDAY 2 AM - SUNDAY FUNDAY!

Impressive! On Sunday night:

KRAZY HILDA'S SCARED THE BEJESUS OUT OF US FOUR TIMES!

HUSH SENT US FLYING INTO A FUTURISTIC NEVER-NEVER LAND!

And they both have GIANT WOWSER NEW PROPS THAT ARE TO DIE FOR.

Even better, they're right down the road from each other on Ford Road!

OCTOBER 4, 2015 SUNDAY 4 AM - SATURDAY NIGHT, ALRIGHT!

We had a great Saturday night starting off steeped-in-history at THE HAUNTED JUNCTION in FARMINGTON, then off to the much anticipated 2nd year expansion from DARK LEGACY in WIXOM which was last year's surprise breakout new haunt.

OCTOBER 3, 2015 SATURDAY 8 PM - THE BIGGEST CIGAR IN THE WORLD

And it's not from Cuba.

OK, it's not actually a cigar...it's a massive smokestack!

Standing tall and proud of its long history as a major landmark is a new haunt called THE HAUNTED JUNCTION in FARMINGTON, our first destination for tonight...

OCTOBER 3, 2015 SATURDAY 6 PM - RAINING ON OUR PARADE

Rats! We wanted to see BOUGHAN'S HAUNTED HAYRIDE in BELLEVILLE and KRAZY HILDA'S TRAIL OF TERRORS in YPSILANTI tonight, but it's a rainy night...so on to Plan B...

OCTOBER 3, 2015 SATURDAY 2 AM - TAKE ME DOWN TO SERENDIPITY CITY, WHERE THE GRASS IS GREEN AND THE GHOULS ARE PRETTY

BOO HOO! to slow traffic - we couldn't make it to THE HAUNTED FOREST OF BAVARIA in FRANKENMUTH in time last night, so we also missed BATES HAUNTED SAW MILL in MILLINGTON - RATS!

"Hey, let's hit Dort Highway and see what we find...there's tons of 'em..."

"ST. LUCIFER'S WAS FIRST ON OUR LIST LAST YEAR AND WAS KILLER ...hey, there's the search lights...oh wait, it's THE CRYPT instead...THEY ALWAYS FLOORED US TOO...let's stop in here..."

So we experienced THE CRYPT with their great actors and ambience. They scrambled us every which way and shook our emotions up then spun dry our brains! www.TheCryptHauntedHouse.com

And then, before we could even ask, THE CRYPT suggested we also go to ROTTEN MANOR in HOLLY. As a first year haunt, it was already on our MUST SEE LIST.

It's right across the street from the Renaissance Festival...WOW!!! What a FABULOUS FACADE AND IT IS GIANT...now this I can imagine being what childhood nightmares of haunted houses would look like...HIGHLY IMPRESSIVE HAUNT AND FOREST JOURNEY...and this is just their FIRST YEAR??? A SURE WINNER OFF AND RUNNING OUT OF THE GATE! www.RottenManor.com

SEPTEMBER 30, 2015 WEDNESDAY 10 PM - WHAT'S PERU GOT TO DO WITH IT?

Ask anybody who knows the area: What's the biggest landmark in Farmington?

It's that GIANT SMOKESTACK of course, except now there's no smoke.

This is where the historic Farmington Winery was, and you may remember it also being the location of a cool haunt that suddenly did the Jimmy Hoffa Thing disappearing without a trace...

OLD IS NEW AGAIN / BIRDS OF A DIFFERENT FEATHER

We just talked to the operator of the newly listed HAUNTED JUNCTION in FARMINGTON and guess what? YUP! It's at that same historic building we loved so much, but with A NEW HAUNTED ATTRACTION and something else we never could have imagined...FRESH IN FROM PERU!

Get this - there's a RARE BIRD called the CHIMNEY SWIFT that prefers to STAY WAY HIGH IN THE SKY during stops along the way in migration to Peru...

Like on a de-commissioned smokestack for example, and sure enough they set up shop atop THE HAUNTED JUNCTION right there on Grand River in Farmington! Live videos here - www.SwiftSanctuary.org And the haunt website is www.HauntedJunction.com

SEPTEMBER 29, 2015 TUESDAY 10 PM - MORE THAN A FEELING

Anybody remember NAUTICAL NIGHTMARE?

It was a haunt constructed aboard an old BOB-LO ISLAND BOAT. The crews' quarters were left just as they were ages ago, and the resulting sensations and emotions simply could not be duplicated or simulated by any prop.

NAUTICAL NIGHTMARE is long gone - BUT there's another haunt that also has AUTHENTIC ANTIQUES being used as props...and there's been some serious weirdness.

As you probably know, we're talking about THE REALM OF DARKNESS in PONTIAC which is having their MS AWARENESS SCREAM FOR THE CURE ALL NIGHT BLOWOUT this coming SATURDAY, OCTOBER 3, 2015.

Besides the haunt itself, there are all kinds of wild interactive stuff and a fabulous food spread too. www.TheRealmOfDarkness.com

Back to the story, and this is all true not kidding at all here...one of antiques at REALM that gave the paranormal investigators the HEEBIE JEEBIES BIG TIME was a large wooden chest containing stacks of hand written letters.

The chest was originally locked shut, but the haunt operator picked the lock...

These letters had US stamps on them, but many stamps were not cancelled with the envelopes still sealed.

I really shouldn't be telling you this part...

Being the curious sort, the haunt operator had opened the chest to see what she could find. Many letters were from men in wartime military writing home, some of them certainly for the very last time.

And when the paranormal researchers arrived... they GOT A COLD CHILL from this chest of letters, full of memories and dreams lost in limbo land...and yelled "CLOSE THAT CHEST AND LEAVE IT ALONE."

She quickly complied, as she was seeking counsel...

But it was already too late.

Actors had been freaking out after hair raising encounters with certain props...many while in storage rooms like a TELEPHONE BOOTH THAT RANG with no wires connected to it ... and then stuff started happening IN THE DISPLAY TO PATRONS TOO ... some may have thought it was part of the show.

But it wasn't.

PANDORA'S BOX (or chest in this case) had already been opened and spilled...I think you have to sign a waiver against psychological damage and such...remember this is ALL NIGHT IN A HAUNTED HOUSE!

But if you're adventurous enough, you can explore and investigate for yourself this Saturday Oct. 3rd 2015! www.TheRealmOfDarkness.com

SEPTEMBER 28, 2015 MONDAY 7 PM - CALLING ALL JUGALOS!

We know many of you DIEHARD ICP FANS will be making the PILGRIMAGE TO CHICAGO NEXT SATURDAY, and we have a very special tip for you that is sure to MAXIMIZE THE CRAZINESS!

We mentioned this before...but for the newbie's out there:

THE FLYING FAYGO FUELED FRENZY DELUXE

Before leaving Detroit, grab some DIET FAYGO COLA in 2 liter plastic bottles AND some MENTOS brand breath mints. Get some non-diet FAYGO as well to drink, as you will NOT be drinking the diet soda...but it has special properties as you'll see in A FABULOUS WAY!

At the show, try to get up front so everybody can see this - open a 2 liter DIET FAYGO bottle, take one swig then carefully drop a MENTOS brand mint into the bottle.

The resulting chemical reaction turns the bottle into A SHOOTING FOUNTAIN OF FAYGO FOAM that is A SURE WINNER FOR THE ULTIMATE ICP FAYGO EXPERIENCE!

Wait a second...the ICP CONCERT is sandwiched between TWO ROB ZOMBIE CONCERTS...so it seems like Rob would be somewhere close by...and after all IT'S ZOMBIE'S HAUNT this is all happening at...

Hmmm...do you think it's possible there could be a surprise guest star at the ICP CONCERT?

Maybe they could get...oh, perhaps Hootie and the Blowfish.

Nah...Hootie might not be hip to ICP...hmmm... who else could they possibly get to be a surprise guest star for ICP AT ROB ZOMBIE'S HAUNT?

Shut my mouth, hope to die, stick a needle in my eye...

SEPTEMBER 27, 2015 SUNDAY 9 PM - A FASHIONISTA'S PLEA FOR MORE STYLISH HAUNTING ATTIRE

The girls need your help...

People love to dress up at weddings, especially the women who bring out their most stylish and feminine outfits.

DRESSED TO KILL, as they say...

Well, yesterday we went directly from a wedding to a haunt so we dressed differently than we usually would on a haunt journey. My partner had an awesome black and sparkily purple top with the classic V-neck cut.

It was indeed a dramatic departure from her usual appearance of wearing a haunted attraction T-shirt from her massive collection of them. The shirts are great, but they're all non-gender specific with the boxy high-neck collars.

THE BEST OF BOTH WORLDS

So we started to brainstorm the ULTIMATE GIRL'S HAUNT T-SHIRT...

How about black with orange lace trim on the sleeves and most importantly a lower neck line and adjustable V-neck opening with an orange lace-up bodice?

The haunts' logo could be on front or back, or perhaps even both!

EXIT 13 already offers some COOL GIRL'S HAUNTED UNDIES and that's great!

But WHO will now step up to the plate and DELIVER A CUTE & SEXY GIRL'S HAUNTED ATTRACTION T-SHIRT?

SEPTEMBER 26, 2015 SATURDAY 11:30 PM - THINK BIG OR GET OUT OF DODGE

What a great first night out we had at SLAUGHTERHOUSE in FOWLERVILLE!

DROPPED JAWS AND SCRATCHED HEADS

The new show scrambles your senses and emotions with a crazy blend of silly and ghastly story lines, and the magicians defy the laws of physics in full view of disbelieving eyes with their TOP-LEVEL MIND BENDING ILLUSIONS.

But first we went to a giant wedding at a beautiful country church in Howell, and then the reception at a MASSIVE POLE BARN in FOWLERVILLE on Grand River.

Wait a second, didn't SLAUGHTERHOUSE also start on Grand River in a barn?

They threw Halloween parties for the local kids in their barn that were wildly successful. These parties became the talk-of-the-town and for many the biggest event of the year.

The only thing that made any sense was for them to go public with the big fun, and SLAUGHTERHOUSE was born!

ALL MESSED UP / THE BRIGHT BLACK FUTURE

We've come to expect the unexpected from industry leaders, and tonight SLAUGHTERHOUSE gave us a glimpse into what could be a very messy future that would actually be very wonderful!

We can't give away too much right now, but here are a few tasty tidbits:

SLAUGHTERHOUSE has quietly acquired a major nearby property that already has the infrastructure to handle big crowds, including paved parking.

This site has already been used for crazy stuff, some of it involving MASS QUANTITIES OF MUD!

That's all we can say for now, but perhaps some of you will be able to "connect the dots" on your own...

SEPTEMBER 24, 2015 THURSDAY 7 PM - FORD ROAD & TELEGRAPH

Crusin' around on errands today - first I was on FORD ROAD in WESTLAND which also happens to be the location of HUSH, a VIBRANT NEW HAUNT to the Detroit scene now in their third year. And check this out - HORRORLUST gave them HAUNT OF THE YEAR in 2013!

Wow, they must be doing something right! ;)

And HUSH was one of only four haunts to have successful OFF SEASON EVENTS last year. We went - 50 SHADES OF PHUN was a Valentine's Day tie-in and was a total blast!

HUSH has their own DYNAMIC FUTURISTIC APPROACH to the complete haunt experience, and we're looking forward to this year's show! (See Reviews in 2013 and 2014)

Then, crusin' the main drag Telegraph...got to Wick Road in Taylor...looking for the sign about PAPP PARK HAYRIDE AND TERROR ZONE HAUNTED HOUSE...don't see it yet...if they're gone we'll be devastated...we missed them last year and it's always BEEN AN AMAZING HAYRIDE...I'll try to call them...

SEPTEMBER 19, 2015 SATURDAY 10 PM - (pinched nose) "WHAT CITY, PLEASE?"

Anybody remember calling Directory Assistance by calling 4-1-1?

They always asked what city you wanted to check listings in. But if you were an out-of-towner you'd probably say DETROIT when it really was a suburb nearby.

And if you were a local that said "Clinton" you'd get a "NOT FOUND" report if what you wanted was actually in Clinton TOWNSHIP, as these two places are far away from each other. Confusing, eh?

I CAN SEE CLEARLY NOW, BUT ONLY BECAUSE OF MY G.P.S.

But why bring this up now?

There's been some confusion about what's happening where in Illinois.

Earlier, we said that ROB ZOMBIE'S HAUNT IS IN CHICAGO - OK it's actually in the nearby suburb of VILLA PARK, ILLINOIS.

If you're at a concert at Pine Knob Music Theater (aka DTE Energy Music Theater) the rock star says "MAKE SOME NOISE, DETROIT!" right?

It would sound ridiculous for them to say "MAKE SOME NOISE, CLARKSTON!" or even more accurately "MAKE SOME NOISE, INDEPENDENCE TOWNSHIP!"

So, similarly, we may casually mention FLINT or CHICAGO in articles when it's really a lesser known nearby city - but the haunt listing's address will always specify the exact city.

Same as like, if someone in Wisconsin said for example "We're going to Detroit for Dark Legacy" when it's technically in Wixom which is in the so-called "Tri County Area of Detroit" consisting of Wayne, Oakland, and Macomb counties.

Personally though, we would extend that multi-county list to Washtenaw County as well with haunts such as KRAZY HILDA'S TRAIL OF TERRORS in YPSILANTI that are only a brief drive from Detroit.

Confused? Just do what we do, and put your trust in Tom-Tom...or Garmin.

SEPTEMBER 19, 2015 SATURDAY 4 PM - RETURN OF THE MELVINDALE MONSTERS

Miniature Melvindale is about to roar again!

Many years ago, we experienced our very first circular spinning room in Melvindale at a short lived haunt on Oakwood Blvd. at the recreation building I think it was...they construction a GIANT LAZY SUSAN of sorts...the biggest we've seen to date! (Side note: the MOST INCREDIBLE SPINNING ROOM EVER was at the defunct HAUNTED THEATRE HOUSE on LIVERNOIS IN DETROIT - see review in Wayne Cty Cities A thru S)

Then we had the FABULOUS MELVINDALE DADS CLUB HAYRIDE on Outer Drive near Allen Road.

This was the first time we saw deep field holes dug that actors got in to make their heads pop out from the wrong spot, which is a FABULOUS ILLUSION reminiscent of some of the crazy stuff you will see at SLAUGHTERHOUSE in FOWLERVILLE by the way...just sayin'...trust me it'sTOTALLY OFF THE HOOK AT SLAUGHTERHOUSE...whoops, back to Melvindale...

Every year brings NEW HAUNTS and that means NEW BLOOD.

And we can't wait to taste the NEW BLOOD that has just set up HAUNT RESIDENCE IN SMALL BUT MIGHTY MELVINDALE!

It goes by the name ABANDON HAUNTED HOUSE and it's on Allen Road right off Outer Drive...real close to where that killer hayride was.

ABANDON HAUNTED HOUSE is open tonight! Go to 19400 Allen Road in Melvindale, at Play Atlantis which is in itself a super fun place! The haunt phone # is (734) 686-1884.

AUGUST 31, 2015 MONDAY 8 PM - A SAD DAY ON ELM STREET

WES CRAVEN, the creator of some of the absolute best slasher movies, has just passed on we're sad to report.

Haunting and scary movies go hand-in-hand, and Wes' passion for creating some of the most engaging, gripping movies in that genre is legendary worldwide.

THE LAST HOUSE ON THE LEFT was his breakout debut film in 1972, and I remember it spawning all sorts of mini-urban legends in much the same way tall tales about haunted houses get passed around in autumn every year...

(putting on memory cap) "OMG, I just heard that Jimmy took Susie to see Last House On The Left and JIMMY freaked out and peed his pants (or barfed, pooped, whatever) and they got kicked out of the theater!"

So it's a SAD DAY ON ELM STREET...but that reminds me...let's flip this feeling around 180 now...just thinking back right now and reliving the experience in my brain...of going to a KILLER HAUNT with a Wes Craven inspired name that's a little off the beaten path of Detroit but is TOTALLY WORTH DRIVING TO...

It's A NIGHTMARE ON ELM ROAD in WEBBERVILLE, and we've become so attached to this haunt that TWICE we blew off our BIG CITY PLANS RIGHT ON HALLOWEEN to go there instead!

AUGUST 26, 2015 WEDNESDAY 1 AM - THE NEW DIMENSION IN HAUNT LIGHTING JUST WAITING TO BE TAPPED

As you may know, we're always very curious about how special lighting helps the haunt experience.

One of the most dramatic pro lighting effects ever (in any venue) is the so-called LIQUID SKY, where a laser shines through fog (or haze from a hazer) and creates a distinct 3-D image in mid air. The first time you see this, it's a GIANT WOW MOMENT!

Often a fan is used to draw air towards the laser, producing a spinning tunnel that looks like a COSMIC PORTAL DIRECTLY TO THE FOURTH DIMENSION!

For ages, RED LASERS were the only affordable choice for most venues.

But eventually, green lasers became affordable as with the American DJ MicroGalaxian which also has a red laser and can produce an impressive multi-colored liquid sky for only $99.

Then, it was the BLUE LASER that became cost prohibitive.

But we knew that couldn't last - in fact about a year ago we ran an article about a blue laser projector for home use we saw on an infomercial.

That was a consumer level product, but we imagined it still being able to produce an impressive BLUE LASER LIQUID SKY DISPLAY if the room size and ambient lighting was right.

That was then. This is now:

We just spotted a really cool looking red and green laser projector that also features a BLUE LED BACKWASH effect that's priced to move! www.lighting-geek.com/laser-lights/3d-laser/laser-star-proje ctor

So who will be the FIRST ONE ON THE BLOCK with a haunt that will TOTALLY BLOW OUR MINDS with the FIRST BLUE LASER LIQUID SKY?

JUNE 4, 2015 THURSDAY 7 PM - ROCK AIN'T DEAD, IT'S JUST IN REHAB

I just heard a band on ROCKSTATION (internet radio station from Switzerland) that sounds like they could be perfect for haunted house sound systems where you'd often hear ROB ZOMBIE and such...

It's the TEXAS HIPPIE COALITION, with songs like "MONSTER IN ME" and"ROCK AIN'T DEAD" which you can see here with one of the "lyric videos" at https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MIrNsHBSw1k

SOMEBODY needs to give ROB ZOMBIE a run for his money! haha

Hmm...above link did not work when tested just now, but if you search YouTube for Texas Hippie Coalition it'll come right up.

FEBRUARY 20, 2015 FRIDAY 2 AM - HAPPY LUNAR NEW YEAR!

Get the moon dust out, because over 100 countries are celebrating the new lunar year right now, and in China the big national TV event drew OVER 600 MILLION VIEWERS according to CBC News in Canada!

That's more than a long list of award shows you're familiar with like The Oscars COMBINED! Take a look at some of the craziness: 

www.telegraph.co.uk/news/worldnews/asia/china/10611 661/Lunar-New-Year-celebrations-from-around-the-globe.html

SO, WHAT ABOUT THE HAUNT MARKET IN CHINA?

I'll bet they would GO TOTALLY BONKERS if only they could experience a World Class Haunt like for example, THE HAUNT in GRAND RAPIDS.

OCTOBER 31, 2014 FRIDAY 2:30 PM - LET THE SNOW HOWL

Did you ever plan to do something fun with your friends...and then some sort of EXTREME CIRCUMSTANCE HITS...but you go anyway and have the time of your life?

Down the road, those are the stories remembered the most and talked about as well.

It's just human nature...the prim-and-proper everything was perfect just as planned events never get re-told and embellished later on.

HOOTIN' AND HOWLIN' IN THE BLUSTERY SNOW - THE GLASS IS WAY MORE THAN HALF FULL 

The weather for Halloween in Michigan and Ohio is horrible, with rain today and snow and howling winds later right during trick-or-treat time.

That's a good thing.

HUH?

At its' very core, Trick-or-Treating is far more about shared experiences than the sugar-fueled frenzy which fades quickly.

The shared experience of going out on Halloween despite the lousy weather will last far longer than the secret stash of Snickers bars...and then someday...it's like "Oh yeah? That's nothing...one time we actually went TRICK OR TREATING IN THE SNOW...there was gale force winds...nobody else went and we filled three pillow cases...except Freddie...he filled SIX pillow cases...they had to pump his stomach later..."

Thank you, Mother Nature.

 Rest In Peace, Adam T. Ladd
June 19, 1974 – May 30, 2014