Frightmare

OVERALL RATING :

Scare Factor

Actors

Set Design

Length

RAW SCORE : 8.44

RATING

REVIEW

Frightmare has been amongst Colorado's elite haunted houses for as long as I can remember. Every time that I set out to this haunt I know that I'm in for a good show. This year continued that trend.

Walking up to the line of the haunt now looks like a medieval castle, which started to get me in the mood to enter this haunt. This structure up close appears quite permanent and is attached to the house. This speaks to me about how dedicated the owners are to their haunt. The line has a very ominous voice welcoming you to Frightmare. It makes me feel like a demon is trying to make me feel secure so that I'll foolishly follow his plan and end up exactly where he wants me. Once inside the gate an actor grants you a bit of spooky conversation and some entertaining conversation before entering the haunt.

Once leaving the walls of the castle, you are transported to another world. The distance away from Denver that Frightmare has tends to create the illusion for the haunt vict… err, visitor, that they are in a different reality.

Frightmare contains some of the best scenes in a haunt in the Denver area. You can go from a castle to a cave to old farmhouse but it all seems to fit and they all look great. The monsters in each of the areas waiting to turn your stomach inside out all fit the theme of their area. This is one of the few haunts in the Denver area that also even has portions where you will go up to a full second story of a building.

The acting has a couple of very bright flashes that I very much enjoyed and would love to experience again. However most of the characters perform the standard growl. One of the great aspects of this haunt still has to do with the monsters. There are really great costumes. I don't recall too many that look like they were purchased from the local Halloween shop. Most were quite good, high quality full costumes.

I very much enjoyed my trek through Frightmare. The end though almost seemed too abrupt. I remember walking out of the last scene enjoying my self quite a bit but then looking around and thinking that I had gone back to reality too fast without much transition.

PROS

Great Scenes and environments, cool looking monsters.

CONS

Not enough dialog from quite a few actors that could have benefited. The haunt seemed to end too abruptly.

RATING

REVIEW

They have changed a lot this year! Way different direction and walk through than last year - always a good sign to see a haunt changing it up in creative ways for their customers. As usual, their set design is extremely engaging and creative - if you have never been here it is worth checking out just for that. Regular visitors will notice the changes but see all the favorite elements from years past. The walk through seems longer this year too. They have some tall corn in the haunt this year, which always makes for great places for the actors/actresses to hide. The old town facade is a great addition! The part of the haunt that really surprised me was coming out of a claustrophobic situation to see a man dragging a corpse down into a mineshaft - great! The actors/actresses were evenly divided between those who obviously put forth the effort and were creative in their noises/scare attempts/acting and those who just stood there and tried to look menacing. Although the length and set design are A+ the actual scares in this haunt are overshadowed by the aforementioned. You find yourself losing yourself in their creativity. There are some great scare spots, but then again, there are some dead spots too. Overall, this haunt is always a great time.

PROS

Imaginative set design

CONS

Some spots need work on scare tactics

RATING

REVIEW

Frightmare is a very, very cool venue! I really loved the overall look and feel of this haunt. The sets by themselves are scary and some are very Hollywood. It is also lit just right. It is not so dark you are tripping on everything or having your eyeball accidentally skewed by one of the actor's props, but dark enough to keep us a little on edge about what was coming next. I was disappointed I couldn't see the Jeepers Creepers character though who was mounted on a post like a scarecrow. Of course he suddenly came to life and dashed after us. I think he was in make up or had a mask and so I got right up in his face to see if it was actually a Jeepers Creepers costume, but it was too dark to tell even up really close. I mean I was only inches away and couldn't see. It was that dark! There are a couple of other good scares in this one though easily seen. Do you remember what Stephen King turned into after he touched the asteroid in the original Creep Show? There is an awesome Creep Show like moss monster covered from head to toe in moss that blends in perfectly with the set. Good luck spotting him ahead of time, but I promise, he will see you!

The actors' award in this haunt goes to an old miner character in his long johns who entices you to walk into his little wood shack and then step into his closet. This character was great! He was really colorful and you believed he was an old crazy miner. My only complaint about this haunt is I wished all the actors were this good. The performers were sparse the night we went through and so the energy level was low. It is a shame to have such cool sets but have lame acting. Many of the characters that were there didn't do anything but stare at you as you walked by. Maybe make a slight grunt. They acted like they were really bored. So the overall performances skewed the ratings on this particular haunt. Fix that, you have a KILLER attraction! Looking at my other scores again for this one including, props/set/FX and length, this haunt ranked very high on my card and gave everyone else in town a serious run for their money. Aside from the actors this round, this was still one of my favorites. It is worth seeing for sure! Hopefully as the season goes on, they will have more performers ramped up and it will only get better. I will go back again before the end of the season to see if they do, because it would be a whole different experience.

PROS

Fantastic sets, great themes, scary venue

CONS

Still exposed to weather a lot, acting was poor.

RATING

REVIEW

Frightmare has long been one of my favorite haunts simply because of their attention to detail and this season is no exception to that. The entrance is well done and has good lighting to set the stage for great details and scenes that are well done.

Once inside there are the favorite scenes that make this haunt one of the top in the area. The old farm equipment that has been weathered with time still lurks about the property looking ominous in the moonlight.

Mine shafts are done well and have some great water and sound effects to bring them to life. Weaving in and out of the old timbers makes it exciting and keeps the suspense flowing. The modification to the caves is an excellent touch, not to mention what lurks there!! The sounds made while navigating here are something beyond this realm.

Cemeteries are creepy at night, especially when the caskets are above ground and half open. Take a peek if you dare, but watch out, not everything in the cemetery sleeps.

Being invited into the old prospector's room is fun until you see where he leads you. I never knew clothes could be intimidating, but in here they are! Lots of twists and turns, new layouts and added length make this haunt a great adventure!

There were a few spots that could have used actors to spice it up and prevent lag time. Actors stayed in character and costumes and makeup were good and the props they carried were authentic which gave me shivers! The ending has changed up some and while the concept was one that was tried and true, it could have been elaborated on a bit as it had in years past.

PROS

Great new sets and costumes, sound and lighting, length

CONS

Needed more actors, some scenes lacked elements

RATING

REVIEW

This haunt messes with your head because the scenes look so real, bringing scary to another level. I really enjoyed the caves, which looked completely realistic. I also liked that they had cornfields but that they didn't overdo it. The smells were real and with people jumping at you, it felt as if anything could happen. I had a hard time differentiating reality from fiction. I thought they did a great job making good transitions between rooms. The only thing really missing, I think, was more props.

There is one room that got me scared the most, and I mean very scared! The clown room did it for me. If you are scared of clowns, I have to warn you that you will be scared!

I thought the scare tactics were good since the actors disguised themselves very well and did a good job playing their roles. I liked this one character that made very unique noises that gave me goose bumps. I could not see his face, but I could see him and hear him—unique and scary. It would have been better if the actors would have interacted with one another or with the guests. This would have helped the haunt to be scarier. Overall, I can say the haunt was good.

PROS

I liked the set up, good costumes and make up

CONS

Could use more props, more scares

RATING

REVIEW

Frightmare was a naturally creepy haunting experience due to the fact that it was outdoors and many of the sets are enhanced by mother nature. In addition to the natural setting, they have elaborated on it by using hay and rocks. They used a real barn and other buildings in the area to establish an extremely realistic environment.

The haunt beings as you walk through a castle like façade, and then begin traveling through the old farm and old buildings. One of my favorite parts of the haunt involved the squishing ground in certain locations, a quick sand like effect. Another great part of the haunt is when they made you walk through the never-ending closet, a nice touch, and really suspenseful. The scare factor of Frightmare was average though not very many scenes that startle you or make you jump. There also seemed to be an overall lack of blood and guts, which for gore fans, will keep you wanting more. The actors could use some help on their scares and timing.

The realistic sets at Frightmare are something that you should not miss; the natural setting is absolutely fantastic.

PROS

Natural props, quick sand floor

CONS

This haunt was not high on scare factor

RATING

REVIEW

The mainly outdoor haunt, Frightmare, was incredible when it came to the props and outstanding sets. The realistic outdoor environment as you travel through the haunt is something that everyone should experience. Adding to the natural setting are effects like the lightning and the quicksand floors. I liked that there were a lot of different rooms and scenes for you to experience as you make your way through. The abandoned mine shaft makes you wonder if the old walls could cave in on you at any moment. I can't say enough about the sets, some created simply by nature. From the moss covered rocks to the swampy areas, there is no lack of scenery anywhere in this haunt.

The downfall is that the time between some of the scares seemed a little too long, and the actors seemed sparse and not as in to it as they could have been, combined together, this lowered the scare factor for me. Also, if you are scared to get your clothes or shoes a little dirty this haunt is not for you.

Other than that Frightmare was a very enjoyable experience, one that I would recommend for sure.

PROS

They used the props they had in creative ways, the natural setting

CONS

It became a bit repetitive as far as the acting goes, needs more scares

RATING

REVIEW

I love Frightmare! It has such a naturally creepy set, that on a chilly, windy, dark night, Frightmare really comes alive! This haunt really knows how to build great scares from the frightening set it already has. I like the fact that it is not flooded with actors and so much commotion, because the still and quietness inside the mind shafts and the rest of their sets is much more terrifying than any monster could create. They really show that your worst nightmare doesn't have to be so far fetched. By giving your mind time to wonder what could be around the corner, anticipation and fear builds, and with the monsters in strategic locations, an excellent scare is created, and I just love how it is achieved! I definitely caught myself screaming a few times…the moss man and the hay man freaked me out! The man who was dragging the body up the hill was scary too! A few minor adjustments with the actors bringing the scares to the next level would be perfect. Also, it could stand to be a tad longer, but overall, a fantastic haunt!

PROS

Great set and flow of haunt

CONS

Tiny adjustments needed