14130 McKinley Avenue, Mishawaka, Indiana
years: 2013
WARNING: THIS REVIEW CONTAINS SPOILERS
Fear Itself is another "scream park," similar in approach to the Niles Scream Park in Niles, Michigan, in that it offers a series of haunt experiences in one place. While Niles Scream Park is and older attraction, Fear Itself is relatively new, having been around since about 2009 or so. The web site promises lots of scares, and looking at it, one might think that it was one of the scariest haunt experiences one could have. Much like Niles Scream Park, though, it's not. However, as with Niles, simply because Fear Itself is not high on scares does not mean it's not entertaining. The thing is that it's not intending to be high on scares. If it was and it didn't deliver then we'd have been disappointed. However, it was clear to us that the haunts were more designed to be fun and entertaining, and at that they excelled. The price for all five haunts is $39.95, but if you buy tickets online then it's $32.95, a savings of $7. However, this does not take into account the $3.50 convenience fee, so the online savings are really only $3.50. Still, though, it is cheaper than purchasing tickets in person. The Fear Itself complex is consists primarily of one large, long building which houses four out of the five haunts (a sixth, "Rat Trap" was under construction when we arrived, and it appeared to be in a location separate to the main building). The closeness of all of the haunts saves a lot of time and makes it easy to get form haunt to haunt. The five haunts on offer when we visited were the Thirteenth Hour and Sinister Circus (both 3D experiences), Rock Monkey Caves, Lost in the Woods (a haunted trail), and the Cuckoo's Next (a psych hospital). The lady taking our tickets recommended we start with Thirteenth Hour first, so that's what we did. Thirteenth Hour is billed as a "4D" experience. We're not sure what that means, but it definitely was in 3D. We got some 3D glasses from the person at the entrance and headed in. From the beginning, the experience is impressive. The entryway featured a very large Roman numeral 13 (XIII) that appeared to be floating in front of us. While it was actually real, there was a lot of other stuff floating around, off the walls, the ceiling, and the floors. Each room of 13th Hour featured a different theme, from clowns to various faces, to sea creatures, all of which seemed to come out towards us. By far the oddest room featured the only live actor in the whole haunt - a pole dancing stripper. Most odd to find a stripper as part of a haunted house. The final room was a series of archways surrounded by 3D effects. We had to find our way out through the correct archway, all the while listening to recorded voices telling us which way to go or not to go. Overall, we enjoyed 13th Hour. It was cool to see all of the 3D effects, and it was creepy being in there by ourselves. Following this we made our way to Lost in the Woods, which was located in the back of the haunt complex. We waited for a few minutes until "Cletus" was ready for us. We found out who Cletus was when he came out and introduced himself to us and promised to take care of the females in our group after the males got killed, which was nice of him. Cletus, clad in dirty trucker's hat and overalls, and carrying a bottle of homemade white lightning, was our guide to the trails beyond. He took us into his shack and proceeded to ask each of the girls if they could cook. When they responded in the negative, he assured them that they were "D-E-D" - dead. Then he asked the guys about cooking, and took a liking to one tall fellow in the back. He told him he could stay behind with him while we went on our way, but he declined. Cletus was pretty amusing, and was an example of the tongue in cheek nature of Lost in the Woods. Normally, we kind of cringe when haunt actors go into long details and back story, but Cletus was genuinely amusing, particularly when talking about how attractive he found the guy who could cook. The trail itself actually had little to see along it. It was not well lit, so we were concerned with falling. There seemed to be several setups along the sides of the trail, although with no light it was difficult to be sure. There were also two cabins, one populated with a cannibal redneck sharpening his knives, and the other hiding a chainsaw maniac. When they heard the chainsaw, the people with us took off running down the trail. They ran so fast that we lost sight of them around a curve until we heard another a scream followed by an actor shouting "where ya goin?" - in their haste to escape the chainsaw they ran right into another cannibal redneck lying in wait - it was most amusing to us! Overall, the trail itself wasn't that exciting. It had few actors and not much to see, plus the uneven terrain and lack of lighting caused us to focus more on making it out without injuring ourselves than anything else. However, Cletus was pretty funny, as were the other actors., so it wasn't a total bust. Our next stop was the Sinister Circus, portions of which were also in 3D. Our guide was a female clown who told us the rules and led us into a large room with rows of seats, where were were told some more by an actor pretending to be an automaton. He informed us that a horn sound meant keeping going and a whistle meant stop. He then repeated this, and when the whistle blew again, some of the clowns in the rooms jumped out to startle us - it was pretty effective, given that most of the people didn't notice the live actors surrounding us. The 3D glasses and the various mannequins served as an effective distraction. Inside the circus we encountered many different rooms, including ones with uneven floors, some that shot jets of colored smoke in the air, rooms filled with creepy clowns and oversized toys, and even a stairway that led us over a seemingly infinite drop below our feet. All along, our clown guide kept cracking jokes and making innuendos - fully tongue in cheek and, like Cletus, pretty amusing without crossing over into annoying or embarrassing territory. At one point our guide led us into a hall of mirrors and told us to clasp our hands behind our heads as if we were being arrested. She singled me (Bryan) out as I apparently demonstrated the technique very well, leading to much amusement. She also gave me a hug and told me she'd kiss me later, which became a running joke all through the haunt. Also within the haunt were not one, but two giant passageways consisting of air bladders that visitors had to squeeze their way through. The first was long, and our guide told us that the second was supposedly the longest in the world. It certainly seemed so, especially since it was about 80 degrees in the haunt and even hotter when squeezing through a long, tight passageway. Finally, though, we were through, and after we exited the haunt, our guide asked me if it was time for my kiss. I said yes, then she proceeded to kiss Laura, who was touring with me. All part of the comedic "schtick" that permeated the Sinister Circus experience. Like the two haunts before, Sinister Circus was not scary but it certainly was entertaining. The actors were all funny and clearly enjoyed what they were doing. As mentioned, we usually don't get into the whole character experience in a haunt, preferring instead to look at the set details and to be creeped out by silent but effective actors. However, if the entire experience is all intended to be on the humorous side (as this was) then it turns into something different altogether. As an entertaining experience, we'd rate Sinister Circus a 4 out of 5 on the chainsaw scale. Our desire to see some nice set design was satisfied with our next haunt experience - Rock Monkey Caves. Basically, it is what the title says - a series of caves with a Rock Monkey in them. The caves were very well designed, and looked like real rock, despite being inside what looked like an office building. The lighting was effective, and the experience was complemented by sounds of water, bats, monkeys, and other things. As we walked, we encountered skeletons set into wall niches, curving passageways, and even an unfortunate explorer who found himself impaled on a wall. |
The main haunt complex
Poster for The Cuckoo's Nest, the main haunt at the complex
My "gift" from the surgeon's hands
Commentary
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One really cool portion featured a rope bridge through a narrow passageway, along which was a waterfall. The humidity, wind, and water effects really made it seem as though we were inside a cave system. Finally, right before the exit, we encountered the Rock Monkey. He was a very impressive animated prop, standing about 15 feet tall, and looking like a cross between the Rancor monster from Return of the Jedi and The Thing from the Fantastic Four. He was chained to the wall, his glowing eyes staring at us as he growled in anger. An impressive sight! Although there were no live actors inside Rock Monkey Caves (save one at the very beginning), there really didn't need to be. The sets and the atmosphere were enjoyable all on their own. Again, not "scary" per se, but creepy and somewhat realistic.
Finally we came to the Cuckoo's Nest, an obvious psych ward-themed haunt. Whereas each of the previous haunts had certain elements (scares, comedy, sets), Cuckoo's nest combined them all into one really enjoyable experience. From the very beginning the set design was eye catching. Visitors walk down a long corridor to a waiting room area. The corridor is populated by framed photos and magazine covers, and a large section featuring the "staff" of the sanitarium. A new report plays on an old TV in the waiting room, and various old newspaper articles and magazine covers detailing the horrors of the institution adorn the walls. Some were very well done, including fake Life and Time Magazine covers about the place.
Once inside the haunt proper, we found ourselves in a hospital waiting area populated with several patients. Each patient had his own mannerisms, and they formed an interesting background atmosphere as we listened to the head nurse nervously tell us we had to come back during business hours. Of course, the nurse was called away and the inmates took over. Our guide through the haunt was "Jimmy", a tall, lanky patient in robe and bunny slippers. From the waiting room, Jimmy led us down a long corridor of patient rooms, complete with various patients staring back at us from behind closed doors. Following this came the file room, which was very well done and added to the dilapidated look of the entire haunt. Along our journey we passed a number of patients in various states of distress, as well as several staff members clearly annoyed at our presence. One of them even called Laura a "little sh*t" while telling her to move along. Again, all very tongue in cheek as opposed to gritty and scary.
One of our favorite actors was the dentist, who seemed unhealthily obsessed with teeth. He demanded we smile for him as we passed by, then he followed us all the way into the next room, all the while talking to himself about our wonderful teeth. The room turned out to be a padded cell. We wound up being locked in the with dentist, Jimmy, and a crazy man in a straight jacket. The lights suddenly went out and when they came back on Jimmy was gone and the dentist was so upset that he stormed out of the room, ranting about doing away with us as we were "worthless" - I reminded him that he said we had nice teeth, to which his shouted reply from the other room was "I lied!" Jimmy reappeared and continued with us on our journey, which led us through a well designed boiler room set, complete with crazy janitor, a bathroom with very bloody bathtub and victim inside, and even along a long corridor in the "basement", lit only by the light filtering through the blades of a giant fan in the wall in front of us - very effective.
One really impressive scene was a doctor performing brain surgery on a "patient" - the actor playing the patient had makeup that really made it look like their skull was open and their brain exposed, reminding us a lot of the scene from Silence of the Lambs where Hannibal Lechter has some brains for dinner. Soon we came to another surgeon, this one slicing open an unfortunate victim on an operating table. He welcomed us in, showing us his bloody hands and even wiping some oft he blood on our faces. He even took out some guts from his victim and used them like a feather boa. Although he didn't speak, he did manage to convey a good deal of insanity,creepiness, and black humor. His silence only enhanced the effect, and turned what could have been a somewhat embarrassing scene into a creepy and amusing one. Following the surgery, we wound up in the morgue, where an attended urged us to leave. Upon exiting, we found ourselves back in the waiting room where we entered, although this time we were ushered out by angry attendants.
Oddly enough, although the waiting room looked the same, it was actually a duplicate room that led to the exit instead of into the haunt. It was so well done that, at first glance, it really did appear to be the same room. A nice effect that we have not seen done anywhere else. Our final scare came from the surgeon again, who appeared in the exit hallway brandishing a knife and chasing the faint-hearted.
Overall, Cuckoo's Nest lasted over 20 minutes and was well worth the trip to Fear Itself just on its own merits. The set design was top notch, and seemed more permanent than normal haunt setups. The actors were all very good, combining craziness with humor (and a bit of creepiness) that made us laugh while startling us at the same time, and several of the sets were cleverly designed and featured some things we'd never seen before (like the brain surgery bit). We enjoyed the Cuckoo's Nest very much. While we wouldn't say it was high on scares, it was very high on the entertainment scale. Kudos to all of the actors involved for their performances. As we've said, sometimes actors can go over the top or be rather one note in their performances, and actually detract from a haunt, but such is not the case here. Well done!
Overall, we'd rate our Fear Itself experience a five out of five chainsaws. Individually, we'd give 13Th Hour, Sinister Circus, and Rock Monkey Caves 4/5 and Lost in the Woods about a 2.5, but Cuckoo's Nest is a definite five, and taken as a whole, Fear Itself offers some solid entertainment (about two hours worth for us) for one low price. That alone makes it a good deal, and one we'd recommend. Also, the higher emphasis on comedy and humor over scares makes it more accessible for families to enjoy. One other thing to note - unlike haunts in Illinois, where the mantra is "don't touch the actors and they won't touch you" here it's "don't touch the actors but they will touch you" - on other words, the actors can and did touch us during our visit, from the hugs and kisses of our clown guide, to the surgeon's bloody handprints on our faces, to one Cuckoo's Nest patient who wiped her wet hand across Laura's face (leading to much disgust on Laura's part). It was certainly different!
Finally we came to the Cuckoo's Nest, an obvious psych ward-themed haunt. Whereas each of the previous haunts had certain elements (scares, comedy, sets), Cuckoo's nest combined them all into one really enjoyable experience. From the very beginning the set design was eye catching. Visitors walk down a long corridor to a waiting room area. The corridor is populated by framed photos and magazine covers, and a large section featuring the "staff" of the sanitarium. A new report plays on an old TV in the waiting room, and various old newspaper articles and magazine covers detailing the horrors of the institution adorn the walls. Some were very well done, including fake Life and Time Magazine covers about the place.
Once inside the haunt proper, we found ourselves in a hospital waiting area populated with several patients. Each patient had his own mannerisms, and they formed an interesting background atmosphere as we listened to the head nurse nervously tell us we had to come back during business hours. Of course, the nurse was called away and the inmates took over. Our guide through the haunt was "Jimmy", a tall, lanky patient in robe and bunny slippers. From the waiting room, Jimmy led us down a long corridor of patient rooms, complete with various patients staring back at us from behind closed doors. Following this came the file room, which was very well done and added to the dilapidated look of the entire haunt. Along our journey we passed a number of patients in various states of distress, as well as several staff members clearly annoyed at our presence. One of them even called Laura a "little sh*t" while telling her to move along. Again, all very tongue in cheek as opposed to gritty and scary.
One of our favorite actors was the dentist, who seemed unhealthily obsessed with teeth. He demanded we smile for him as we passed by, then he followed us all the way into the next room, all the while talking to himself about our wonderful teeth. The room turned out to be a padded cell. We wound up being locked in the with dentist, Jimmy, and a crazy man in a straight jacket. The lights suddenly went out and when they came back on Jimmy was gone and the dentist was so upset that he stormed out of the room, ranting about doing away with us as we were "worthless" - I reminded him that he said we had nice teeth, to which his shouted reply from the other room was "I lied!" Jimmy reappeared and continued with us on our journey, which led us through a well designed boiler room set, complete with crazy janitor, a bathroom with very bloody bathtub and victim inside, and even along a long corridor in the "basement", lit only by the light filtering through the blades of a giant fan in the wall in front of us - very effective.
One really impressive scene was a doctor performing brain surgery on a "patient" - the actor playing the patient had makeup that really made it look like their skull was open and their brain exposed, reminding us a lot of the scene from Silence of the Lambs where Hannibal Lechter has some brains for dinner. Soon we came to another surgeon, this one slicing open an unfortunate victim on an operating table. He welcomed us in, showing us his bloody hands and even wiping some oft he blood on our faces. He even took out some guts from his victim and used them like a feather boa. Although he didn't speak, he did manage to convey a good deal of insanity,creepiness, and black humor. His silence only enhanced the effect, and turned what could have been a somewhat embarrassing scene into a creepy and amusing one. Following the surgery, we wound up in the morgue, where an attended urged us to leave. Upon exiting, we found ourselves back in the waiting room where we entered, although this time we were ushered out by angry attendants.
Oddly enough, although the waiting room looked the same, it was actually a duplicate room that led to the exit instead of into the haunt. It was so well done that, at first glance, it really did appear to be the same room. A nice effect that we have not seen done anywhere else. Our final scare came from the surgeon again, who appeared in the exit hallway brandishing a knife and chasing the faint-hearted.
Overall, Cuckoo's Nest lasted over 20 minutes and was well worth the trip to Fear Itself just on its own merits. The set design was top notch, and seemed more permanent than normal haunt setups. The actors were all very good, combining craziness with humor (and a bit of creepiness) that made us laugh while startling us at the same time, and several of the sets were cleverly designed and featured some things we'd never seen before (like the brain surgery bit). We enjoyed the Cuckoo's Nest very much. While we wouldn't say it was high on scares, it was very high on the entertainment scale. Kudos to all of the actors involved for their performances. As we've said, sometimes actors can go over the top or be rather one note in their performances, and actually detract from a haunt, but such is not the case here. Well done!
Overall, we'd rate our Fear Itself experience a five out of five chainsaws. Individually, we'd give 13Th Hour, Sinister Circus, and Rock Monkey Caves 4/5 and Lost in the Woods about a 2.5, but Cuckoo's Nest is a definite five, and taken as a whole, Fear Itself offers some solid entertainment (about two hours worth for us) for one low price. That alone makes it a good deal, and one we'd recommend. Also, the higher emphasis on comedy and humor over scares makes it more accessible for families to enjoy. One other thing to note - unlike haunts in Illinois, where the mantra is "don't touch the actors and they won't touch you" here it's "don't touch the actors but they will touch you" - on other words, the actors can and did touch us during our visit, from the hugs and kisses of our clown guide, to the surgeon's bloody handprints on our faces, to one Cuckoo's Nest patient who wiped her wet hand across Laura's face (leading to much disgust on Laura's part). It was certainly different!