HauntedWeb - Tormented Review

Haunt: Hauntedweb of Horrors - Tormented
Address: 700 North Germantown Parkway (Trinity Commons Shopping Center)
Price: $10 per haunt, or $18 for both
Dates Open: October 8-10, October 15-17, October 22-24, and October 27-31, 7:30-10 on weeknights, and 7:30-midnight on Fridays and Saturdays. (Note: Dark Matter will not be open on October 27. Only Tormented will be running that night.)

Category

Skulls

Notes
First Impression Although there is actually a small sign visible from the parking lot (and I know it was a big feat just to get permission to put that up), from the outside, there is very little to let you know there is a haunted attraction going on. From the outside, you'd never know what a great operation you are getting on the inside, which can be deceiving, and probably doesn't attract as much walk on traffic as the haunt might get otherwse. A vehicle used for advertsing from the streat, some props that can be set up outside to help establish the theme of the haunt (and can be placed quickly inside at night when closing), and outside entertainment visible to walk on patrons could do wonders. (I know that as the season goes on, there will likely be outside entertainment of various kinds based on past seasons.)
Actors I found the actors very enthusiastic, and was surprised to find out how many haunting rookies were actually in this haunt, as they didn't seem timid even though I was in the first group through on opening night. A number of actors used dialogue and really got into their characters.

The biggest complaint I found was the timing of scares. A lot of actors scared from the front, or missed the prime opportunities. This was the one sign that there were a number of rookies. Scaring from the front wasn't that big of a problem on a low traffic Thursday night, but as the season progresses, that could easily turn into some bottlenecks.

Several of the actors had tough scenes to sell (the actress in the final room did a great job with a difficult part to give a finale), but did it with a lot of enthusiasm. In many ways, I found that the actors in this haunt outperformed the actors in the Dark Matter even though they aren't as experienced on average. The level of interactivity and dialogue with the audience was greatly appreciated.
Audio/Sensory The ambient sound seemed to flow well between different areas of the haunt, supporting the sound coming from actors and props. I think this really helps to pull the audience into the scenes.

This haunt tends to depend more on actor performances while Dark Matter is more based on effects supported by actors, so there isn't the same level of visual, audio, or other effects within this haunt.
Special Effects Although I'd consider this haunt mainly actor focused for scares, there are some key effects in the haunt for a number of scenes. There are several animatronics in various places within the haunt, but there are a couple of things that stand out to me.

For some reason, I've always been a fan of the classic "secret passage", and this haunt uses this well at one point where a door is stuck, and the someone is helping the patron's escape. Not a new effect for the haunt, but one of my favorites from the past that still makes an impression on me. Not every "effect" needs to be really high tech to be effective.

The second one that makes a big impression is an animatronic scene integrated with an actor in the swamp shack. I don't want to give away the scare on this one, but I'd be surprised if anyone leaves the haunt and doesn't remember the effect later. When I first saw this prop at a trade show, I wondered how anyone would actually use it in a haunt, but not only does it fit where it is used, it fits really well.
Theming and Storyline Last year, I believe one of my complaints revolved around the transition from Doctor Hacker's Asylum to a swamp house full of cannibals. I just didn't get what one had to do with the other. In the past, there had been a story on the haunts website establishing this continuity, but over the years, with changes to the site, the story had faded away. I was very happy to see that this storyline got reestablished this year to help make the transition.

The asylum itself has always been strongly established as a theme, taking advantage of a large number of medical props to help make Doctor Hacker's domain believable. It's always been a strong theme. I think the difference is that the swamp after escaping the asylum has made great strides to catch up with the asylum as a theme this year. It's gone from being somewhat awkward as an extension, to really being established on it's own. Some strong acting from several actors really helped in this area, along with changes to the haunt itself.
Fright Factor There are definately a number of scares in this haunt, and I believe it will only get scarier as the season goes on and timing improves. Of all the haunts in the midsouth area, this is the one where you will get the most interaction and dialogue with the actors, and they are one creepy bunch.
Gore Factor Just starting with the theme, an asylum run by a mad doctor who does experiments on the patients, then casts the bodyparts out back in the swamp only to have those part collected by the inbred cannibal swamp dwellers makes for a pretty adult haunt. Add to this inclusion of a lot of blood, a few weapons, and childbirth, and it's definately focused more for a PG13 crowd than children. I don't think the blood and gore is as over the top and gratuitous as in many haunts, but it definately plays a role in this haunt.
Value At $10, this haunt is right in the middle of the pack as far as haunt pricing is concerned, and it offers an intense experience few other haunts in the area can match. For $8 more you can get the combo ticket to also visit Dark Matter, and at $9 each they offer slightly better value, with each haunt lasting 10-15 minutes of walking time.
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