october 27, 2008 12:47pm – in Korea
More on the topic I wrote about last night.
This guy, despite being creepy, is doing interesting work by documenting and "reviewing" (he loves all of them) these haunted attractions.
I watched several of these, and they highlight a few points I was making. Look at the budget that's gone into this "Labyrinth" maze. Very impressive, but walking through it doesn't really scare the visitors, as far as I can tell. It's more like briefly visiting a community of characters from fantasy movies. Some of them just seem to walk by, while others suddenly lash out and go "blargh!" to make people jump.
It's the mean spiritedness of the whole affair that turns me off. If they catch you in the right frame of mind, then they know they can go "blargh!" and startle you. If not, then forget you. You're useless. A narrative haunted house would be an equal opportunity event.
I wouldn't just let people wander through like cattle. I'd separate them into small groups and put them through a thoughtfully prepared experience. The Tower of Terror ride from Disney World in Florida is a good example of what I mean, minus the ride part:
You're well prepared. Given a story, and you come loaded with a set of expectations. The whole ride uses the power of anticipation to its advantage. There's a drop coming, and you know it, but it makes you wait.
An amusement park should hire me to conceptualize and execute an attraction like this. I have ideas.