Post by Michael West on Nov 4, 2006 1:04:11 GMT -5
This was the 10 year anniversary of the West Manor haunted house, and it has come a long way from the black curtains made of trashbags. (For more background on the attraction, visit last year's thread: bymichaelwest.proboards49.com/index.cgi?board=manor&action=display&thread=1131137659 ) But despite my advanced planning, it was hell trying to put the place together this year. There was a lot going on in my life that had nothing to do with the haunt, and I was really afraid it would not come together well. Thanks to the help of many friends, however, we had another great year.
So here we go, the moment everyone has been waiting for, please enter West Manor 2006...
The Graveyard
Above: A view of my house from the street. Not a whole lot different this year, but there were a few additions. Below: For Christmas last year, my wife gave me two huge blow-ups of Jack and Oogie Boogie from Tim Burton's The Nightmare Before Christmas. Jack stood beside the candy table, waving to adults and children alike, drawing attention to the entrance.
Above: Oogie Boogie stood on the opposite end of the yard, filling in a large blank spot beside my tree where the graveyard ends. Below: A wide view of the graveyard.
Above: I purchased a few new headstones this year, including a pirate-themed one. Next year, I need to work on getting some zombies to fill the new graves. Below: Ghosts and bats fill the trees.
Above: The Grim Reaper guards the entrance to the graveyard.
Below: views of the graveyard at night.
Above: My pumpkin-headed ghost peeks out from the front porch. Below: He is joined by my six-foot-tall scarecrow. Bats hang from the gutters and a string of "eyeball" lights provides illumination.
The Haunt
Below: The entrance to West Manor. The doorway was damaged last year during the dismantle, but with some quick repairs it appeared good as new.
Above: Guests were greeted by a teenaged werewolf who opened the door and pointed the way. This was my son dressed in one of my old high school football sweatshirts. Below: Once in the hallway, visitors had to pass by a cage.
Above: The creature inside the cage lunged at the bars, reaching out to try and grab those who got too close. Below: I added several store-bought pictures this year. They appeared to be classic works of art, but as you walked by, they changed into images of vampires and zombies.
Above: Guests next entered a hallway filled with flying bats. The bats had eyes that glowed under the room's black light, creating a very creepy effect. Below: I stood beneath the bats in my Barlow costume. Created by Death Studios of Indiana, the mask is one of my favorites. Tobe Hooper's version of Stephen King's 'Salem's Lot freaked my out as a child, and it was wonderful to pass the fear on to my visitors. Many thought I was a prop...until I reached out for their necks.
Above: After facing the caged beast and the vampire, many turned and ran back out the front door. For those brave enough to continue, they entered a dark room filled with skeletons. Some were props. Some weren't. Below: Samara from The Ring then forced guests out the back door. Originally, I wanted to have a TV in the room, the video taped footage of the open well frozen on the screen, but this didn't happen. It didn't matter, however. Everyone seemed to know who she was.
Above: Trick-or-Treaters, both young and old, line up to enter the haunt. Others were too frightened to go inside. They took their candy and ran off into the night. Below: After the doors had closed for the night, my wife, Stephanie, gives her undead hubby a hug to celebrate another successful year.
So here we go, the moment everyone has been waiting for, please enter West Manor 2006...
The Graveyard Above: A view of my house from the street. Not a whole lot different this year, but there were a few additions. Below: For Christmas last year, my wife gave me two huge blow-ups of Jack and Oogie Boogie from Tim Burton's The Nightmare Before Christmas. Jack stood beside the candy table, waving to adults and children alike, drawing attention to the entrance.
Above: Oogie Boogie stood on the opposite end of the yard, filling in a large blank spot beside my tree where the graveyard ends. Below: A wide view of the graveyard.
Above: I purchased a few new headstones this year, including a pirate-themed one. Next year, I need to work on getting some zombies to fill the new graves. Below: Ghosts and bats fill the trees.
Above: The Grim Reaper guards the entrance to the graveyard.
Below: views of the graveyard at night.
Above: My pumpkin-headed ghost peeks out from the front porch. Below: He is joined by my six-foot-tall scarecrow. Bats hang from the gutters and a string of "eyeball" lights provides illumination.
The Haunt Below: The entrance to West Manor. The doorway was damaged last year during the dismantle, but with some quick repairs it appeared good as new.
Above: Guests were greeted by a teenaged werewolf who opened the door and pointed the way. This was my son dressed in one of my old high school football sweatshirts. Below: Once in the hallway, visitors had to pass by a cage.
Above: The creature inside the cage lunged at the bars, reaching out to try and grab those who got too close. Below: I added several store-bought pictures this year. They appeared to be classic works of art, but as you walked by, they changed into images of vampires and zombies.
Above: Guests next entered a hallway filled with flying bats. The bats had eyes that glowed under the room's black light, creating a very creepy effect. Below: I stood beneath the bats in my Barlow costume. Created by Death Studios of Indiana, the mask is one of my favorites. Tobe Hooper's version of Stephen King's 'Salem's Lot freaked my out as a child, and it was wonderful to pass the fear on to my visitors. Many thought I was a prop...until I reached out for their necks.
Above: After facing the caged beast and the vampire, many turned and ran back out the front door. For those brave enough to continue, they entered a dark room filled with skeletons. Some were props. Some weren't. Below: Samara from The Ring then forced guests out the back door. Originally, I wanted to have a TV in the room, the video taped footage of the open well frozen on the screen, but this didn't happen. It didn't matter, however. Everyone seemed to know who she was.
Above: Trick-or-Treaters, both young and old, line up to enter the haunt. Others were too frightened to go inside. They took their candy and ran off into the night. Below: After the doors had closed for the night, my wife, Stephanie, gives her undead hubby a hug to celebrate another successful year.
