Welcome One and All!

For all you Halloween Fanatics....this will be a review and links site of the Best Haunted Houses in the country that my wife Lisa and I have had the pleasure - or displeasure - of gracing....

I've been a *huge* Halloween and horror fan since I can remember...I dunno...it just brings the kid in me out...by the end of September, our place is suitably adorned and we await each weekend with anticipation of which haunts to hit next....

We've been blessed enough to be able to travel quite a bit around the country and see some wonderful attractions and the cities they lurk in...and we're hoping to pass on the fun we've had on to anyone willing to listen in....

Saturday, September 20, 2014

THE DEVIL'S ATTIC - the place to scream in 2014!

Jason Besseman's Devil's Attic in Louisville, Kentucky - one of the finest haunted attraction in the Midwest, let along the country - home spun, hand crafted and a sight to behold...most importantly, run by a group who band together as family, both literally and figuratively...this is more than a haunt, this is tight night unit, joined together by a lot more than scaring your pants off....which they do most effectively, I might add!

I'm not going to ramble on and on here, I'll let those who have gone before me tell the tale...


"The Devil’s Attic haunted house is becoming a beacon of fear in the Louisville area. As the story goes, since the dawn of time the Devil has been collecting evil souls….souls that have brought terror to us all. The Attic is where he has chosen to keep them locked away for centuries. They have been waiting…..waiting to unleash their hellish fury! Go prepared to face pure evil as they welcome you……to The Devils Attic!

The Devils Attic haunted house is a collection of the true elements that make up many classic horror films. They have taken these elements and integrated them into a VERY interactive and detailed environment within the walls of this haunted attraction. Within the realms of The Devils Attic you will encounter many of your childhood demons as well as a slight horrific twist on some of the classic monsters of Hallows Eve. The result of many years of planning and passion is sure to frighten even the bravest of souls.

The 2014 season will add scenes from the mad imagination of Edgar Allan Poe and also scenes of Yuletide terror with the Christmas Krampus!

Can you withstand the terror of The Devils Attic?"

http://www.louisvillehalloween.com/the-devils-attic/




“The Prince of Darkness sits upon his throne in the opening scene of The Devil’s Attic at 647 West Hill Street, watching each group of foolish mortals as they dare to enter his kingdom. He will try to warn you about the nightmares you’ll encounter if you pass the threshold into his inner sanctum through the door beyond, but you may be too distracted by the Gothic visual splendor around you to hear his dire words.
Now in its fourth season of tormenting souls, The Devil’s Attic has ultimately become one of the most intricately detailed haunts I’ve ever explored, and this year I have to congratulate owner/operator, Jason Besemann, for delivering the best make-up and costumed characters of any haunt I’ve experienced so far this season. All the nastiest villains of literature and the movies are brought to life inside. Besemann’s haunt has come a long, long way in just four years, and it’s his eye for extreme detail that sets The Devil’s Attic apart from the crowd.”



THE SCARE FACTOR http://thescarefactor.com 
“2013 is The Devil’s Attic’s 3rd year in operation at their location on W. Hill Street in Louisville and their 4th year altogether. The staff and actors behind The Devil’s Attic have taken this attraction to the next level by adding and renovating their scenes to be sure that you’ll experience the most authentic and scary Hollywood moments in history.
The dialogue chosen by each of the actors matched their characters and relative themes flawlessly and most of them were able to interact with us while still being scary and intimidating. This made them very believable and is a testament to the training they received before the season began.
One of the things that The Devil’s Attic’s crew focused on this year was paying attention to details and adding props where needed to various scenes this season, and it shows! The scenes were laid out in such realistic fashion that we had no problems with figuring out where we were walking into.
The idea behind The Devil’s Attic is that the Devil has put on display “…the most wicked…” compilation of souls he could find on Earth, which just so happens to be primarily movie characters. But these aren’t your typical haunt characters, like Jason Voorhees, Michael Myers, and Freddy Kreuger. In fact, you won’t see them here at all! The haunt is debatably the best we’ve seen so far with movie characters, and they even throw in a few original characters like the Devil and Orlock.
Because of the realism and accuracy of the characters and their scenes, The Devil’s Attic is one scary place to be! Another focus of their staff this year was to lock down some good distraction techniques, which they did. We found ourselves multiple times interacting with one character while another one would sneak up on us from another direction. Good hiding spots are used which made them difficult to predict and several types and levels of scares are delivered after they’ve revealed themselves, like screams, intimidating demands and pleas for help.
If your looking for a haunt in the Louisville area with some of the finest movie characters around and a good bang-for-your-buck factor, then be sure to hit The Devil’s Attic, where you can definitely “Live the Nightmare!”



HAUNTED HOUSE TOURS http://www.hauntedhousetour.com 
“This haunt was pretty amazing. The actors were believable and the costumes are impressive and well-done. As a horror-movie fanatic, I loved the themed rooms, which were all very detailed and did its celluloid counterpart justice. I’ve seen other haunts attempt movie themes, but seem to fall short on acting ability and decor…. Overall, this was a very entertaining and creepy joint! There were some shocking scenes, and many good scares throughout. Great job!!…. The length was also good, there is nothing worse than a haunt that’s too short, but that was not a problem here. You could tell that these guys really got into their decorations. Great experience!
This 4th year haunt was a true breath of fresh air with haunt designs. Clever, well organized, great costumes and actors, scenes that ran the gamut from funny to terrifying and fantastic special effects. Each room was designed to mimic a movie about hell or the devil with all the gruesome details. I loved the Devil at the beginning of the haunt. He sets the tone for the whole haunt and really sold the character in his performance. Great job, fun haunt, highly recommend a visit!”



The Set Design – There were some very awesome scenes in here that actually induced fear enough for the four of us to form a chain (with me thrust to the front) to make our way through the maze of rooms adorned with some pretty intricate details. A lot of work goes into this design every year, and not only does it show, it pays off.
The Actors – Honestly, I’ve come to think Louisville has some of the most talented actors and actresses out there. I wasn’t let down in any way by the actors, who had me squawking and screaming as they threatened my life. Once again, you impressed me.
The Shock Factor – There were more shocks than I can even number off here. Again, another compliment to both the actors and the designers for making us scream too much to remember. There was a happy balance here, because this haunt doesn’t rely solely on the “Boo” factor. There was just the right amount to keep us on our toes and wondering when something else was going to pop up, doing so at just the right moment when we were distracted by the other elements of the haunt.
The Scare Factor – Again, a beautiful balance between shock and actual fear, though I will admit I refused to let go of Aly’s hand at one point and she may or may not have lost some circulation for a while. It was definitely creepy and you just get filled with that feeling of dread and impending doom. You really didn’t know what to expect walking around from room to room, with the anticipation building for the next horrifying scene.
Originality – I hate it when there are a bajillion Jason’s and Freddy’s, though by now you probably know this. It makes it almost impossible to have movie characters at all without seeming cliche. Thankfully, The Devil’s Attic made it happen and they weren’t cliche….everything about this house from the layout to the costumes to the actors and everything in between was very creative and original.
Other Factors Influencing My Rating – The haunt was way longer this year than it was last year. I recall last year it seemed to be about half as long, but this time, it seemed to just keep going, which is awesome.
Overall Entertainment – This haunt really impressed me. It impressed all of us, really. The fun began as soon as you got inside the haunt and didn’t end until you were outside again. It was fun, it was scary, and either I’m being very lenient or everyone is stepping it up this year, I can’t find much of anything I didn’t like about this haunt. I have to score it at 4.5 Stars. This was truly amazing and I screamed my throat out. Literally. My throat is killing me today and I woke up with half my voice.”



“The Devil’s Attic is one of Louisville’s Premier haunted attractions. Inside an old brick building is a house of horrors of unspeakable atrocities. Some of your favorite horror movies come out to play at The Devil’s Attic and they welcome you to their twisted world.
The Devil’s Attic is an extremely detailed haunt and the lighting is superb. Many scenes use LED Lighting to save on electricity and to highlight details. There are plenty of scenes that focus on horror flicks. Dr. Frankenstein’s lab is dark and electrifying. You’ll meet Frankenstein’s Monster in a very unique way. The Devil’s Attic uses contortionists in The Exorcist and The Ring scene. The Exorcist scene is quite bloody and the priest and possessed girl are very convincing. You would swear that you just walked in on a real life exorcism and were being cast off into hell.
You’ll meet some iconic characters like Pumpkin Head, Pinhead, the Wolfman, Leatherface and many ghouls and creatures from beyond the grave. The Thirteen Ghosts room is pretty intense. You’ll meet the Angry Princess who wears a body suit to makes it look like she’s nude. You’ll also meet The Jackal. He’s a sick freak with an insatiable appetite for prostitutes. He committed himself to an insane asylum and has been permanently bound to a straight jacket. He wears a cage over his head for your protection.
We always have a wonderful time at The Devil’s Attic. It’s one of the most detailed haunts in Kentucky and one hell of a good time.”



OHIO VALLEY HAUNTS (http://www.ohiovalleyhaunts.com
“A demonic horned creature once again terrorizes the queue line outside 647 W. Hill St, the home of The Devil’s Attic! Dense, murky fog pierced by a mysterious green laser summons the unrighteous into the abode ruled by Satan himself! The mighty Lucifer leaps from his elevated throne speaking in rhymes “…So step inside my house of horrors, witness all the pain and sorrows, and feel the wrath and vengeance of death” as he kicks open a door inviting atrocious sounds, and progression onto unholy flames, piles of bones, severed heads and skulls, caskets, and freshly filleted corpses that line the walls.
A good sized cast does its very best to provide interesting, believable scares. Characters are familiar from horror movies for the most part….Devil‘s speech provides an intimidating beginning. DoctorNurseAngry PrincessJackalReganPriest and Pumpkinhead also give admirable performances. Samara‘s ankle was turned sideways like it was actually dislocated! Prisoner was going completely berserk! Cast intensity as a whole seems more elevated this season, with some actually coming in contact with members of our group. Good lighting and a fantastic soundtrack combine to create a frightening atmosphere that’s conducive to delivering quality frights. Good acting also contributes to strong scares.
Ohio Valley Haunts thoroughly enjoys visiting The Devil’s Attic! Scenes are nicely detailed, and acting is top-notch!! Pay them a visit and “Live the Nightmare!”




http://www.facebook.com/#!/pages/The-Devils-Attic 

(Guest:Anthony Salinas) “You all put on one hell of a haunt! I’ve been 3 years ago, but it was NOTHING compared to how it was this past weekend when my sister and I went. It was non stop and NO TIME to catch our breath lol the exorcist scene was FLAWLESS!!!”




Mr. Bessemen himself with a new fiend....errrr...friend! 




http://www.louisvillehalloween.com/the-devils-attic/

(Guest: Ed) “One badass haunt!!!!!!!!  All the actors stayed in character and were totally intense throughout the entire haunt.  I love some of the changes to the haunt this year.  Some of the scenes really gave me an errie feeling but that is what it was suppose to do.   The folks at the Devil’s Attic need to be very proud!!  they have something special there!!!  The other haunts need to take notice!!!!”


  

The Attic's crew in tranquil repose....for now...


...and finally...who the Hell is this guy, anyway???? 


(The Vysther Haunt Journal) 
“I’ve got one Hell of a haunt to tell you about…this month, we’re off to Louisville, KY to visit The Devil’s Attic. In 2012, they ranked as one of Louisville’s Top Must-See haunts and they are rapidly gaining a reputation as the one’s to watch out there… Why is that? A lot of it comes down to atmospherics, lighting and prop designs. These folks get it that a lot of an attraction’s effectiveness comes down to presentation and they are extremely good at it…plus the actors here are top notch, going above and beyond to make you scream your lungs out.
This is another terrific example of making the most of props and actors and limiting the CGI and animatronics. The Attic harkens back to the ’70s and ’80s when imagination was king and your haunt lived or died based on these. The Devil’s Attic is a text-book example of what a superb haunt should be.”


...and here we have Izzie Jones of Lust Beauty & FX - also the Executive Makeup Director of the Devil's Attic

...like her work? 

She can be reached at (502) 439- 1318




Go check 'em out - you shan't be disappointed!!! 

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