Introduction
A shockingly brutal haunted hayride, Hells Nightmares is a volunteer/charity attraction supporting the fine work of the IREM organization that, while not the most budget-intense, is creatively designed, shockingly detailed with impressive lighting, small-scale special effects, and at times downright violent. With a larger budget and perhaps a year-long focus on “haunting” and modernized marketing/promotions, this show can truly shine and grow. While some of the scenes may not be at the highest level of detail yet, there have been many additional improvements this season, new builds, and creative take on haunting/scares.
The actors themselves are absolutely brutal; scenes, while at times simple initially in design, convey a sense of realism, and they work at such an aggressive, hands-on pace it is as if you are witnessing a violent assault, twisted vial hillbillies, a chainsaw maniac who actually conveys a sense of violent madness, and representation of the iconic “Halloween” showdown between Dr. Loomis and Michael Myers that is a tribute to the season. We cannot understate that for such a reasonable price, the length, diversity, and, at times, violent seriousness of this attraction is shocking.
We love “old school” haunted attractions that are passionate, love the season, and love horror. Flying under the radar this season is this “new” haunted hayride attraction in Northeast PA, which is genuinely an old-school throwback, with surprisingly dark, aggressive performances and scenes that rival many major attractions with far larger budgets and development times. Many scenes and set designs are not the most detailed or elaborate, but each has a grindhouse-style nature in presentation, rudimentary special effects, lighting, etc. Hell’s Nightmares Haunted Attraction is an action-focused, at times, gritty and violent haunted hayride that displays a passion for “haunting” and scaring guests on a smaller budget.
While some scenes are more robust than others and even feature pyrotechnic displays (which is surprising for such a developing attraction), the structures are not yet on the level of significant competitors, and investment in design/construction is needed. However, the de-sanitized, gritty nature of the scenes seems to generate distinct energy amongst the “scare-actors” and performers of this hayride. Each actor/actress in this attraction goes above and beyond to create scares and engage guests along the roughly twenty-minute journey. What is exciting to see is the performances of those actors (who are in the majority) that outpace set design, exceed elaborate make-up/costumes, and create moments of genuine fear. With continued development, a larger budget, media, and marketing, this attraction can quickly rise to one of the region’s premier “hayride” focused shows.
Hell’s Nightmares Haunted Attraction features numerous scenes in style and intensity, exploring the vast array of themes and depth of Halloween-infused entertainment. Wisely, the attraction utilizes the performance aspect “strength” of a haunted hayride attraction by catering to different fears and establishing a broad range of themes that are guaranteed to get a reaction from guests with diverse worries associated with the season. From a structural standpoint, most of the hayride is richly detailed on a smaller scale with custom-built designs, surprising use of pyrotechnics, and visual special effects that bring to life such haunting scenes as a creepy “graveyard,” “toxic waste dump,” cannibalistic butcher shop, psychotic clowns, an “Insane asylum” and trailer park hillbillies that violently attack each wagon. Performers are intense and outwork the overall quality of the sets themselves (which are still developing), wrestling each other in scenes of violence, aggressively attacking the wagon, and pouring every ounce of energy into generating scares.
The Attraction
Various shockingly violent settings, including killers that butcher victims, witches that “cook” babies, and scenes of violent murder (with a hooded killer stalking and beating his prey to death” are just some of the shocking scares featured along this twisted journey. There is evident passion and love for the industry, and while some actors may yell too much (screaming get out or in someone’s ear isn’t exactly scary), others are perfect in their respective roles. From helpless victims begging for help to the undead stalking “the wagon,” the performances were strong enough to add realism to each scene. Even when the sets may be smaller than expected, the theatrical performances are so strong that they add nonstop action to the event. From an authentic recreation of a showdown between “Dr. Loomis” and “Michael Myers” to a chainsaw finale fueled by NONSTOP aggression, this old-school haunted attraction has excellent potential to grow and become a staple in the region.
Again, some of the scenes are shockingly sinister and gory, which is a welcome departure from “family-friendly” events, and the physicality of the acting itself is commendable. In scenes in which scare actors threaten to replace the “faces” of their helpless victims,” to a brutal butchering by a chainsaw-yielding maniac, there is a spirit of intensity that is refreshing to see in a developing haunted attraction. With the continued building of larger sets, enhanced performer training/costuming, a more extensive marketing presence, and audio/soundtrack, Hell’s Nightmares Haunted Attraction can quickly become a premier emerging haunt in Northeast PA and the tri-state area.
Final Word
Hell’s Nightmares Haunted Attraction may not have the most elaborate sets, make-up designs, or industry-shattering “special effects.” Still, it has a spirit of fear and a gritty-realistic nature to its style that is a welcome throwback to haunted attractions of yesteryear. We cannot stress enough how intense the performers are during the attraction; most are perfect in their respective scenes. Performances such as an iconic recreation of a showdown between “Michael Myers” and “Dr. Loomis” are masterfully recreated on a smaller scale. Not enough can be said about the violent, sadistic nature of those performances that involve stalking, hunting, and massacring helpless victims, bringing to life “horror”. As the attraction continues to grow, we would love to see more “big budget” scenes, improved sound effects/soundtrack, and, of course, a longer show. However, this season, the attraction has spent time upgrading each scene with custom-designed improvements, creepy lighting effects, and shockingly impressive special effects.
Hell’s Nightmares Haunted Attraction is a great way to celebrate the season for a reasonable cost and an intense experience with endless growth potential. A developing attraction, we are excited to see what is planned for future seasons. Hell’s Nightmares Haunted Attraction hopefully will be able to utilize its resources and talented staff and be able to invest in itself to grow professionally (increasing marketing, social media, adding website) and performance-wise now, and ideally become established as one of the must see local attractions in the entire region. We will certainly be visiting again!
Location: 70 Ridgeway Drive, Dallas, Pennsylvania