421 W. Rollins Road, Round Lake Beach, IL
Year: 2014
We Tourers made our first visit to Realm of Terror in 2013. We were very impressed by the first 2/3 of the haunt, as both the set design and the actors made it and intense, action packed visual feast. However, the final portion of the haunt consisted of nothing but a white/dark maze that quickly got very annoying and helped to drop the score for Realm of Terror down two entire chainsaws.
Thus, we were happy to hear that, for 2014, Realm of Terror had updated their opening and had completely changed the ending as they had gotten feedback from others that it wasn't very enjoyable. We took a ride to Round Lake beach to see if the changes were indeed worth it. In short, we're very happy to say that they were! The theme of Realm of Terror is one of an experimental lab gone wrong, where the patients now run the operation and where you, the helpless "volunteer" have to make your way out. It's a theme we've seen many times, and as regular Horror Tourers readers will know, it's not one of our favorites. However, if it's done well, as in the case of Realm of Terror, it can be quite enjoyable. The haunt begins in an elevator that takes visitors to the experimental labs. The entire elevator setup is done extremely well, and visitors watch a live feed of what's going on in the basement as they descend. Of course it all goes horribly wrong, and visitors are treated to an example of that during the elevator ride. It's graphic and bloody, and it's hilarious, too - gets one in the mood to see what they are in for once they step off of the elevator. And it gets good really quickly. Visitors are assaulted from all sides by live actors, running the gamut from loud and crazy to creepily silent, to just plain "I'm always like this" crazy - it's a great mix, and the makeup and prosthetic effects are excellent. Each of the actors has their own style, and it's enjoy able to interact with them, unlike some haunts where "scream loudly in visitors' faces" seems to be the order of the day. The actors are excellent at startling visitors, and once they pop out they often stay with visitors and follow them into other rooms, keeping the creepiness level up. There are many actors throughout the haunt, and a number of them come out from some unusual places. Out favorites include the multiple actors who hang from the ceiling or climb the walls - there are quite a few of them in Realm of Terror. There's even one actor who swings acrobatically from chains in the middle of a room. Great stuff! We loved the crazy people just doing their own thing, like the little girl watching cartoons or something on an old TV while the crazies paraded around her, or the "patient" who seemed to be eating the pus-like discharge that came off of her own face. And special mention must be given to the guy who is cut in half - his lower torso lies on a gurney and his upper torso in on a wall, with guts hanging in between. He looks fake, but he's not, and he gives a great surprise performance. |
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The sets, too, are quite well done. As the haunt has a lab theme, many of them have medical or scientific equipment in them, and often they have lots of body parts, too, from torsos hanging over visitors' heads, to upside down legs hanging on the wall with babies popping out of them (yes, you read that correctly), Realm of Terror really does the "experimental freaks" theme well and provides a lot too look at (and to distract) while visitors are walking through. There are rooms where sparks fly at visitors, rooms where the floors move, rooms with strobes, and many other surprises. One never knows what one might encounter.
As promised, the final portion of the haunt was indeed changed. While it still retained the white/dark maze elements, this time there were actors in the dark maze who quickly flashed light to keep visitors moving in the correct direction, and the what areas had strobes that flashed briefly, enough to disorient visitors for a few seconds, but then allow them to adjust to the rooms and see what was in them. It actually was a nice effect, as it made things seem to appear in an empty room, gradually fading in in front of visitors' eyes.
As promised, the final portion of the haunt was indeed changed. While it still retained the white/dark maze elements, this time there were actors in the dark maze who quickly flashed light to keep visitors moving in the correct direction, and the what areas had strobes that flashed briefly, enough to disorient visitors for a few seconds, but then allow them to adjust to the rooms and see what was in them. It actually was a nice effect, as it made things seem to appear in an empty room, gradually fading in in front of visitors' eyes.
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And we can't give our review without making mention of the great entertainers out in the parking lot who gave us a personal escort all the way to our car and then stayed there to "Visit" with us. There was a very tall guy in a jumpsuit who had a strange appendage where his nose should be, a creepy little person whose entire head was covered in bandages, and then there's the individual to the right, who had an interesting mask with large fake teeth, then some real, pointed sharp teeth behind. This person seem d very interested in helping us with our dental work which, while very kind, looked like it would be painful.
While the actors were crawling all over our car, we got a chance to look at the great costuming and makeup up close. It really is excellent, and has high detail that most visitors will never see as actors briefly jump out at them. Also, all of the actors stayed in character throughout, never breaking it. Our last vision from Realm of Terror is that of the "dentist" running after our car as we sped towards the exit - that's the stuff of nightmares for sure! |
Photo: http://www.timeout.com/chicago/things-to-do/realm-of-terror-horror-experience
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Overall, Realm of Terror really did earn their reputation as a great haunt this year. It was immersive and entertaining (and creepy) from start to finish. It reminded us of a Universal Studios attraction, albeit with a twisted spin. The changes made worked very well, and helped earn Realm of Terror a place in our Hall of Fame for 2014 for professional haunts. Congratulations!