York Maze Hallowscream - 2011 Review
York maze is one of the country's most successful Maize mazes and they have always held unique themed events, such as all nude naturist evenings or their popular Haunted Horror maze. Back in 2007 when we visited the horror maze, it was simply a large bunch of actors thrown into the maize, and as we made our way round we were constantly being surprised by sudden appearances and scares.
Over recent years, York Maze has added new attractions and more stories to the mix and as such, Hallowscream the event was born. Comprising three main attractions and a movie, we were impressed with the whole infrastructure of the event which, due to the layout of the buildings, even allowed a mini fog-filled scarezone just inside the entrance!
But what about the attractions?
Over recent years, York Maze has added new attractions and more stories to the mix and as such, Hallowscream the event was born. Comprising three main attractions and a movie, we were impressed with the whole infrastructure of the event which, due to the layout of the buildings, even allowed a mini fog-filled scarezone just inside the entrance!
But what about the attractions?
See No Evil
See No Evil is a collaborative effort between York Maze and the University of
York’s Department of Film,
Theatre and Television. Filmed entirely on location at the venue, the film is a great opener for the whole event and offers tantalising glimpses of the other 3 attractions. The park and the students originally considered this as a 3D production but decided on using in-theatre effects instead, and the film switches seamlessly between filmed scenes and live action all round the auditorium.
Like any good horror movie, See No Evil has moments of comedy alongside some real stomach churning gore and some of the scenes were actually quite uncomfortable to watch (especially when the injured victim is stumbling round the stalls in front of you!)
In an industry where it is becoming harder and harder to come up with original ideas, this attraction stands out as unique, if not overly frightening, but if you are visiting we would definitely recommend you do this one first to get you in the mood.
Like any good horror movie, See No Evil has moments of comedy alongside some real stomach churning gore and some of the scenes were actually quite uncomfortable to watch (especially when the injured victim is stumbling round the stalls in front of you!)
In an industry where it is becoming harder and harder to come up with original ideas, this attraction stands out as unique, if not overly frightening, but if you are visiting we would definitely recommend you do this one first to get you in the mood.
The Carnevil
On entering Carnevil we were worried that it would be just another version of the It's Curtains attraction at Tulleys . Certainly the first section included multiple identical colourful rooms with evil clowns rampaging but then the path makes its way downstairs to a whole other world of clown badness. With strobe lighting, UV lighting and clowns round every corner, this 2nd half of the attraction really delivered and left guests disorientated, confused and scared. It didn't help that the "trommel" spinning tunnel effect, which is quite popular in these style of attractions was set to extreme. The speed at which the tunnel was revovling made it impossible for anyone to remain upright!
We eventually stumbled out of this maze laughing and suitably impressed by its length and execution. One thing to say for sure is that this is certainly no 'standard' clown maze.
We eventually stumbled out of this maze laughing and suitably impressed by its length and execution. One thing to say for sure is that this is certainly no 'standard' clown maze.
Curse of The Corn
Curse of the Corn is a strange hybrid between corn maze scare attraction and trailer ride and really can't decide what it wants to be . The attraction opens promisingly enough with a big trailer and as we made our way round a very ominous looking field of corn, we kept expecting something more to happen than the jokey water effect that is used. As we spied some steps and a platform ahead we expected a big potential scare but this actually signalled the end of the ride.
Now a long way from the safety of the event arena, there was only one obvious place to go, and that was back through the corn. What followed was a long, elaborate and very scary walkthrough, that utilised all manner of abandoned vehicles for theming, alongside a strange array of weapons and props. Lighting throughout the show was kept to a real minimum and we experienced many great startle screams as multiple creatures appeared out of nowhere!
So in summary - Curse of the Corn had some really effective scenes and scares and we certainly jumped a number of times - it was just a shame that more didn't happen on the trailer portion of the ride itself!
Now a long way from the safety of the event arena, there was only one obvious place to go, and that was back through the corn. What followed was a long, elaborate and very scary walkthrough, that utilised all manner of abandoned vehicles for theming, alongside a strange array of weapons and props. Lighting throughout the show was kept to a real minimum and we experienced many great startle screams as multiple creatures appeared out of nowhere!
So in summary - Curse of the Corn had some really effective scenes and scares and we certainly jumped a number of times - it was just a shame that more didn't happen on the trailer portion of the ride itself!
Barnaggedon
Barnaggedon can only really be described as an Extreme attraction. From beginning to end this maze is filled with terrifying creatures, loud and sudden effects and some crazy ideas. Supposedly buried deep under the farm, this subterranean lair is the home to a twisted family of freaks whose only pleasure is to terrify you. Making our way through crawl spaces, outdoor sections, strobe lighting etc, hardly a second goes by when something or someone isn't attacking you!
We ran out of Barnaggedon with our hearts pounding and immediately - stupidly - went straight back in again. Sensing our fear even more, the monsters were just as crazy and even though we had a better idea of what was coming, we still jumped, screamed and yelled like babies.
The interesting thing about the maze is that the focus is mostly on the scare element as opposed to the theming. Bare concrete walls with graffiti are common place, but this all helps with the impression that you are in a mutants lair.
Barnaggedon is the outstanding highlight of the event and is an attraction that shouldn't be missed this Halloween.
We ran out of Barnaggedon with our hearts pounding and immediately - stupidly - went straight back in again. Sensing our fear even more, the monsters were just as crazy and even though we had a better idea of what was coming, we still jumped, screamed and yelled like babies.
The interesting thing about the maze is that the focus is mostly on the scare element as opposed to the theming. Bare concrete walls with graffiti are common place, but this all helps with the impression that you are in a mutants lair.
Barnaggedon is the outstanding highlight of the event and is an attraction that shouldn't be missed this Halloween.
For an event that has only been running a few years, York Maze's Hallowscream is full of very effective scares and fun. The level of scare talent across all attractions was really impressive and the design and presentation of all the attractions was slick and professional.
It benefits by being held in an existing venue so has great infrastructure including proper toilets, and catering facilities etc. Also, the mazes and the maze buildings feel more permanent than most temporary attractions. It is also ideally located very close to the City of York and is easily accessible by road.
So what are you waiting for?
To find out more about - visit their website
You Review
Barnaggedon - wow what a maze full of scares and pure panic. i have never felt so frightened
in a maze in any place i have been. the effects were stunning and diverse with
alot of distraction scares. contantly chased and yelled at you are left exiting
on the verge of a nervous breakdown. oviously alot of emphisis on what "scare"
mazes are for this really stood out as the highlight of the year for me over
alot of the other major events. very long and very frightening this maze isnt
for the weak at heart
See No Evil - filled with alot of elements this attraction had alot to offer. the movies were very well presented and the live elements blended perfectally createing very very big frights and some fantastic screams
Carnevil - from start to finish was very very frightening. a particually long maze "or it felt that way" used some great hallways to confuse and disorientate you so you hadn't got a clue what was comming or from where. the highlight of the maze though was the "trommel" which span so fast i fell over in the middle of it from basically not physically being able to stand and crawled to the other end. the actors did a very very good job and seemed to be coming at you from every angle and really got some very good screams
Curse of the Corn - very long but was the weakest of the event. the trailer was basically just a transport to the other side of the field and hardly anything happened on the way there but once off and into the corn it quickly gained speed. a long twisting path filled with all sorts of scary things coming to get you. the theming was fantastic and offered a lot of diffrent scares round every corner and offered some good frights. not as extreme as the other mazes but a fantastic maze none the less
See No Evil - filled with alot of elements this attraction had alot to offer. the movies were very well presented and the live elements blended perfectally createing very very big frights and some fantastic screams
Carnevil - from start to finish was very very frightening. a particually long maze "or it felt that way" used some great hallways to confuse and disorientate you so you hadn't got a clue what was comming or from where. the highlight of the maze though was the "trommel" which span so fast i fell over in the middle of it from basically not physically being able to stand and crawled to the other end. the actors did a very very good job and seemed to be coming at you from every angle and really got some very good screams
Curse of the Corn - very long but was the weakest of the event. the trailer was basically just a transport to the other side of the field and hardly anything happened on the way there but once off and into the corn it quickly gained speed. a long twisting path filled with all sorts of scary things coming to get you. the theming was fantastic and offered a lot of diffrent scares round every corner and offered some good frights. not as extreme as the other mazes but a fantastic maze none the less
You Review 2
The event was excellent value for money. We would recommend this to any horror fans. Was a brilliant alternative event for Halloween! Make sure you get dressed up to get in the spirit of things. The actors keep u entertained whilst waiting for the attractions. They remained in character all night n really added to the atmosphere. Watch out for carney the clown who has his chainsaw! He'll chase you if you run! There are four attractions all of which were very scary! The tractor ride to the corn maze heightens your suspense. The maze itself was very spooky with the wind rustling through the corn field. There's lots of jumps as well! See no evil was a little gory but the least scary! The frights come from Carnevil and Barnagedon. These are not for the faint hearted and will have you screaming out loud! We recommend this spooky attraction as a perfect way to enter in to the Halloween spirit! Brilliant laughs and screams :)
You Review 3
As the final scare attraction I visited, on Sunday the 30th of October we drove out and visited the highly acclaimed York Maze Hallowscream event. My overall impression of this event was that it was definitely promising, however had quite a number of flaws that really pulled down the evening.
One was being that there was a lack of actors in the mazes, especially in Carnevil. The general atmosphere outside however was fantastic; actors were wandering around all over the place, chasing people, which was great, but, the mazes in terms of actor presence were not. On the plus side, the sets were very good, and the Curse of the Corn was probably the better part of the evening as actors were in abundance here. However, our group encountered the problem of missing scares due to catching up with other groups, and this was also a problem in Carnevil on top of there being barely any actors. So, I definitely think a better management system for separating groups (maybe set periods of time before letting groups through?) is needed here.
An overriding method of scaring people in York Maze Hallowscream this year was extremely loud noises. Now, I can tolerate the odd air pressure blast, but in Barnageddon, I was experiencing temporary dulls in my hearing due to how loud and frequent these noises were. So by the end of Barnageddon, I was past the point of enjoying the attraction, and instead trying to rush out in fear of going deaf, which made was more distressing than anything. There was also a strange little man following me around with a klaxon, which I found quite irritating. Sneaking up on people is just, if not more, frightening than a loud noise. So I think that would be a better alternative, as well as removing the air blasters all together – as also I simply do not think they add to making the attraction more frightening.
One part I think should definitely go was See No Evil – while this is an interesting concept, the film lacked continuity in tying it in with the present (masks were different than on screen, and the setting of the film was daytime but it was dark outside, for example) and the entire thing felt too long. Also with the volume of people fitted in watching the film, it was near impossible to feel remotely frightened.
While this may be an off night as I can totally understand (with the presence of actors in mazes being minimal) , it does aim to scare and I feel given a few tweaks, York Maze Hallowscream could be a really fantastic event. Above any other attraction that has fell short of my expectations I feel hopeful towards York Maze to improve– and I think this is purely because I can see it has potential - good sets, good general atmosphere, actors seem to be in abundance outside, however again there a number of things needed to be improved upon. Therefore, despite my bugbears with certain features from this experience, I would still make a return visit.
One was being that there was a lack of actors in the mazes, especially in Carnevil. The general atmosphere outside however was fantastic; actors were wandering around all over the place, chasing people, which was great, but, the mazes in terms of actor presence were not. On the plus side, the sets were very good, and the Curse of the Corn was probably the better part of the evening as actors were in abundance here. However, our group encountered the problem of missing scares due to catching up with other groups, and this was also a problem in Carnevil on top of there being barely any actors. So, I definitely think a better management system for separating groups (maybe set periods of time before letting groups through?) is needed here.
An overriding method of scaring people in York Maze Hallowscream this year was extremely loud noises. Now, I can tolerate the odd air pressure blast, but in Barnageddon, I was experiencing temporary dulls in my hearing due to how loud and frequent these noises were. So by the end of Barnageddon, I was past the point of enjoying the attraction, and instead trying to rush out in fear of going deaf, which made was more distressing than anything. There was also a strange little man following me around with a klaxon, which I found quite irritating. Sneaking up on people is just, if not more, frightening than a loud noise. So I think that would be a better alternative, as well as removing the air blasters all together – as also I simply do not think they add to making the attraction more frightening.
One part I think should definitely go was See No Evil – while this is an interesting concept, the film lacked continuity in tying it in with the present (masks were different than on screen, and the setting of the film was daytime but it was dark outside, for example) and the entire thing felt too long. Also with the volume of people fitted in watching the film, it was near impossible to feel remotely frightened.
While this may be an off night as I can totally understand (with the presence of actors in mazes being minimal) , it does aim to scare and I feel given a few tweaks, York Maze Hallowscream could be a really fantastic event. Above any other attraction that has fell short of my expectations I feel hopeful towards York Maze to improve– and I think this is purely because I can see it has potential - good sets, good general atmosphere, actors seem to be in abundance outside, however again there a number of things needed to be improved upon. Therefore, despite my bugbears with certain features from this experience, I would still make a return visit.
You Review
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