So, Halloween is a little over two weeks away. The time has come to decide how best to celebrate this event. Most eventualities will involve costume dress-up, getting scared out of your skin or having a party. What better than a combination of the three, right? Halloween scare events have become increasingly popular in the UK over recent years with over 100 organised fright-fests taking place in October 2014, not even including murder mysteries and parties/discos. The concept of being able to immerse yourselves in an interactive horror experience plays to our primal fears to a far greater degree than simply watching a scary film and, speaking from personal experience, its way more fun!!
The history of such events is difficult to pinpoint, however they originated from – yep, you guessed it – the United States. They have evolved from the classic premise of a Haunted House where guests would walk through it’s rooms and corridors, being scared by actors and sound effects. Visitors may experience intense animatronics, bloody and frightening set pieces, rustic antiques, scary music and sounds, dynamic lighting, fog, costumed actors with elaborate make-up or masks, and other special effects used to create scenes of terror. Haunted houses can be located in hospitals, grocery stores, shopping malls, warehouses, semi trucks, factories, boats or ships, dilapidated homes, etc.
Another evolution of the Haunted House that I’m sure a large number of people have experienced at one time or another, whether at a theme park or local fair, is the Ghost Train. These would generally be set within a house like before, or sometimes a cemetery. Visitors would once again encounter actors in make-up along with other environmental scares. The beauty of these rides are that because the speed of your movement is controlled, there is little chance to properly brace yourself for the next scare! A dark ride does not have to be dark. They are enclosed, so all illumination is artificial, and most use special lighting to achieve theatrical effects. Selective use of darkness helps hide the ride mechanisms and increase the visual drama of the experience.
So these scare attractions attempt to combine the very best of what works with conventional Haunted Houses or trains, before taking them a step further. Usually set within a specific theme, these attractions generally involve visitors walking though a themed maze of sorts or travelling from one enclosed room to another.
Spooktacular – Heart of England Conference & Event Centre, Meriden
This Halloween we at Alterego Fancydress will be attending the Spooktacular, at the Heart of England event centre. These nights of horror are the brainchild of Stephen Hammon, Managing Director of Heart of England, and feature seriously spooky live Halloween entertainment with a cast of terrifying characters, a host of evil props and a trip to the hauntingly scary woods. This will be our third outing here – its that good!
The Heart of England have been running these events for many years now. This year’s theme is ‘Zombie Apocalypse’ – and is described as follows:
“Shortly after the end of WWII, a team of scientists operating under the command of Professor Vivian Mortuus began work on a top-secret experiment designed to create a new breed of super-soldier. Professor Mortuus’s formula was said to heighten physical abilities, phenomenally increasing muscle growth.
Military volunteers referred to as ‘candidates‘ were sent to a location so secret that its whereabouts was kept from all but those few working there. Work was extraordinarily successful at first but before long, disturbing reports began to emerge.
Last communication received mentioned the appearance of unexpected and apparently frightening side-effects. Massive deformities in certain subjects, before the onset of sudden death. Strangely the bodies, although showing no signs of life, appeared in some cases to continue ‘growing‘. The decision was made to bury the cadavers within the secure compound, and evacuate immediately. But it appears that all contact was lost before this task was ever confirmed as completed. And none of the base personnel ever reported for duty again, presumed AWOL.
The location has remained a mystery…until now…”
Have a look at a video of last year’s event, ‘The Possessed’
We are extremely excited about this year’s event, and for good reason. People travel from all across the UK to visit this scare-fest and with the reputation that it has garnered, the ante is upped each time.
Please check back in 3 weeks for our review of ‘Zombie Apocalypse’ and click here for tickets, but be quick, there is only limited availability now!
Thanks
Chris J
Alterego Fancydress
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