8211 and 8215 S. Mulligan, Burbank, IL
years: 2013
The Nephilim is just one of those home haunts/yard displays that keeps getting better and better each year. It definitely hits a 5 out of 5 chainsaws on all of our rating criteria, from actor enthusiasm to uniqueness, to use of space. It is simply a great haunt, and the dedication of those who put it on is obvious.
The haunt covers the front yards of two houses and contains a large number of props, static and otherwise. There is always something new to see, and from the moment we pulled up we could see some of the new items immediately. First and most obvious was the giant video projection on the roof playing horror films. While we have seen houses that do projections before, we can honestly say we've never seen a roof projection. Very cool! Also new was some glowing neon paint that when viewed in the dark, covered the house with various words and numbers, including "Help me" and "666" while at the same time adding an eerie glow to the proceedings. Additionally, there was a giant motion-sensored clown in a box that popped up when visitors passed a certain point in the display. And speaking of displays, The Nephilim has many, many things to see. Almost all of the props in front of the first house are animated in some way, from props that move from side to side, to pneumatic props that pop out at you, to various items triggered by motion sensors. The second house features mostly static props, although there are one or two, such as a pop up ghoul on a bed, that do come out at you. All of the props are unique and hand-created, and are a visual representation of the owners' desires to ensure that their haunt is creative and unlike others out there. Further confirmation of this can be seen in a very clever way: inside a spider web in the second portion of the haunt are bits and pieces representing all of the typical monsters and characters one might see at a haunt or yard display, including Freddy Krueger's glove, Jason Voorhees' mask, and various other items. All of these represent the intention to stay away from the "norm" when it comes to the display.
As we have mentioned in our previous reviews of The Nephilim, even if the haunt was simply a bunch of static props with no movement, there would be enough creatively designs props and setups to keep even the most jaded haunt reviewer interested. But fortunately for haunt fans, there is more. In addition to the moving props and the movies on the roof, there are the live actors. Special mention must be given to them for the way they "sell" the haunt experience. Having been to as many home haunts, yard displays, and professional haunts as we have been to over the years, you get used to seeing some oft he same things again and again. Not that this is a bad thing - sometimes if it ain't broke, don't fix it. Also, we tend to see a number of different acting performances, from in your face psychotic to the "jump out and startle" routine, to simply yelling "get out." Our favorite type of haunt acting, by far, is the quiet creepiness, and The Nephilim has that in abundance (along with some good scares, too). |
Commentary
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First off, there are usually a lot of actors present. Last year when we went there were about a dozen, from little kids to adults, all with their own acting style. Some actors wandered around amongst the crowd, while some blended in with the props, jumping out to scare when the need arose. This year there were only about five actors, but that didn't diminish the experience at all. Making his usual return appearance was Ghost Rider, the only character in the haunt that's not original.. However, his creepy appearance and his riding a real motorcycle make that a total non-issue. The character fits well, and is one of the highlights of the haunt.
Additionally, there was a great chainsaw guy, a staple at many haunts. This one not only had a very unique costume, but he was able to stand directly along the path were people we walking and look just like a static prop. I saw him as I passed by and he creepily turned his head to look at me but kept the rest of his body still. Very effective.
In general, all of the actors at The Nephilim know how to scare somebody without going over the top. They genuinely portray ghoulish, creepy characters that seemingly have a life of their own, as if they live at the Nephilim and we visitors are disturbing them. In our opinion, this type of acting is far more effective that just screaming at people. It's a testament to the quality of the entire setup.
In short, for anyone out there who thinks that home haunts aren't worth it because they somehow pale in comparison to the "real" professional haunts - think again. You are missing out, plain and simple. Many home haunters do things just as well as professional haunts, sometimes with many fewer resources. Looking at the Nephilim, one can truly see the hard work and dedication that goes into home haunts, and we're thankful for that as, being haunt fans ourselves, we love seeing people enjoy the season as much as we do.
Do yourself a favor and make a visit to the Nephilim. We guarantee you'll enjoy it, at least until its inhabitants make you one of their own!
Additionally, there was a great chainsaw guy, a staple at many haunts. This one not only had a very unique costume, but he was able to stand directly along the path were people we walking and look just like a static prop. I saw him as I passed by and he creepily turned his head to look at me but kept the rest of his body still. Very effective.
In general, all of the actors at The Nephilim know how to scare somebody without going over the top. They genuinely portray ghoulish, creepy characters that seemingly have a life of their own, as if they live at the Nephilim and we visitors are disturbing them. In our opinion, this type of acting is far more effective that just screaming at people. It's a testament to the quality of the entire setup.
In short, for anyone out there who thinks that home haunts aren't worth it because they somehow pale in comparison to the "real" professional haunts - think again. You are missing out, plain and simple. Many home haunters do things just as well as professional haunts, sometimes with many fewer resources. Looking at the Nephilim, one can truly see the hard work and dedication that goes into home haunts, and we're thankful for that as, being haunt fans ourselves, we love seeing people enjoy the season as much as we do.
Do yourself a favor and make a visit to the Nephilim. We guarantee you'll enjoy it, at least until its inhabitants make you one of their own!