Owned and operated by Dallas police officers, this haunt is located in Historic West End and their proceeds go to various charities in the Metroplex. Enter under the huge skull, and be sure to check out the pictures hanging on the walls while waiting at the entrance. These may seem like just decoration at first. But you must appreciate how difficult it is to obtain these kinds of pictures, and please take a moment to admire each one. You will know what I mean when you see it!
Scare Factor: 8 out of 10
We noticed right away that the two couples in front of us were already scared. I believe I heard one of the guys telling his date that he would run and leave her behind if he gets too scared. We asked if we could follow them through so we could sit back and watch their reactions. After going through as many haunts as we do every year, it is very refreshing to see other people and how they respond to the experience. As luck would have it, the group agreed to have us follow them, and this group showed us exactly the kind of scare we were looking for. So I want to send out a big thank you to them (you know who you are).
Set design / Props / FX: 6 out of 10
For the most part, there was very good attention to detail and the environment was consistent throughout. However, with a name like Slaughterhouse, I was left wondering where the slaughter was. Personally, I would have liked to see much more GORE and actually be repulsed, but the gore wasn’t really that much. There is consistency, but it does not flow well with the actual name of the haunt. Some blood, yes, some bodies, yes… but not enough to really make it feel as gruesome as the name entails.
Live Actors: 8 out of 10
We greatly appreciated the great timing and focus of the actors. They knew exactly when and WHO to jump out at, and had the right tactics to scare them over and over again. But the key in this haunt was the good mix of actors and animatronics. Normally I am not a big fan of animatronics, but the actors very effectively distracted us just in time for the animatronics to be much more effective.
Animatronics: 7 out of 10
There were not too many animatronics, and as noted previously, there were live actors to make it very effective. We were in awe over one particular piece of machinery though. There was a very large creature grasping the wall as it consumed flesh, and it was positioned so perfectly that the first sight of it makes you want to take a step backward. As much as we wanted to take a moment to admire it closely, we had to keep up with the group ahead of us. Something about the girls shrieking screams and cries... we just HAD to keep up with them.
Length: 6 out of 10
This is a short haunt, maybe 10-15 minutes to walk through, and there was a sense of wanting more upon exiting. But that is a good sign, because you know how they say… time flies when you are having fun. For the price in comparison, you may consider the printable coupon (http://www.dfwhauntedhouses.com/coupons/sh_coupon.html) to make the over all cost more suitable.
Summary:
Loud noises and compressed air increased the experience and while mixed with good actors to grab your attention long enough so that you could not predict what would happen next. Complete with chain saws and circular saws and talented actors, Slaughterhouse is worth checking out.
Additional note... One of the last scenes was another perfect example of mixing good actors with animatronics for an effective scare. With the strobes flashing and blood splatters across the walls and floor, one of the girls in the group in front of us seemed as though she was about to cry. I could hear her slight moans and sobs as the actor approached her and she tried to back away. Then the second surprise… I think she would have been running if her date was not holding her so tightly. I believe one of the actors chased her down the street, but by the time we found her she had made it down the block, and she ran just a bit faster than the actor.
Click here (http://www.dfwhauntedhouses.com/modules.php?name=Reviews&file=viewreview&id=13) to see the Slaughterhouse 2004 review.
Dallas, TX
Review Date: Friday, Sept 23
http://www.dfwhauntedhouses.com/images/banners/slaughterhouse_2005.jpg
Owned and operated by Dallas police officers, this haunt is located in Historic West End and their proceeds go to various charities in the Metroplex. Enter under the huge skull, and be sure to check out the pictures hanging on the walls while waiting at the entrance. These may seem like just decoration at first. But you must appreciate how difficult it is to obtain these kinds of pictures, and please take a moment to admire each one. You will know what I mean when you see it!
Scare Factor: 8 out of 10
We noticed right away that the two couples in front of us were already scared. I believe I heard one of the guys telling his date that he would run and leave her behind if he gets too scared. We asked if we could follow them through so we could sit back and watch their reactions. After going through as many haunts as we do every year, it is very refreshing to see other people and how they respond to the experience. As luck would have it, the group agreed to have us follow them, and this group showed us exactly the kind of scare we were looking for. So I want to send out a big thank you to them (you know who you are).
Set design / Props / FX: 6 out of 10
For the most part, there was very good attention to detail and the environment was consistent throughout. However, with a name like Slaughterhouse, I was left wondering where the slaughter was. Personally, I would have liked to see much more GORE and actually be repulsed, but the gore wasn’t really that much. There is consistency, but it does not flow well with the actual name of the haunt. Some blood, yes, some bodies, yes… but not enough to really make it feel as gruesome as the name entails.
Live Actors: 8 out of 10
We greatly appreciated the great timing and focus of the actors. They knew exactly when and WHO to jump out at, and had the right tactics to scare them over and over again. But the key in this haunt was the good mix of actors and animatronics. Normally I am not a big fan of animatronics, but the actors very effectively distracted us just in time for the animatronics to be much more effective.
Animatronics: 7 out of 10
There were not too many animatronics, and as noted previously, there were live actors to make it very effective. We were in awe over one particular piece of machinery though. There was a very large creature grasping the wall as it consumed flesh, and it was positioned so perfectly that the first sight of it makes you want to take a step backward. As much as we wanted to take a moment to admire it closely, we had to keep up with the group ahead of us. Something about the girls shrieking screams and cries... we just HAD to keep up with them.
Length: 6 out of 10
This is a short haunt, maybe 10-15 minutes to walk through, and there was a sense of wanting more upon exiting. But that is a good sign, because you know how they say… time flies when you are having fun. For the price in comparison, you may consider the printable coupon (http://www.dfwhauntedhouses.com/coupons/sh_coupon.html) to make the over all cost more suitable.
Summary:
Loud noises and compressed air increased the experience and while mixed with good actors to grab your attention long enough so that you could not predict what would happen next. Complete with chain saws and circular saws and talented actors, Slaughterhouse is worth checking out.
Additional note... One of the last scenes was another perfect example of mixing good actors with animatronics for an effective scare. With the strobes flashing and blood splatters across the walls and floor, one of the girls in the group in front of us seemed as though she was about to cry. I could hear her slight moans and sobs as the actor approached her and she tried to back away. Then the second surprise… I think she would have been running if her date was not holding her so tightly. I believe one of the actors chased her down the street, but by the time we found her she had made it down the block, and she ran just a bit faster than the actor.
Click here (http://www.dfwhauntedhouses.com/modules.php?name=Reviews&file=viewreview&id=13) to see the Slaughterhouse 2004 review.
OVERALL SCORE:
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