Nightmares Revisited

Nightmares in Victoria, BC has undergone quite a transformation. They have taken over the space from a neighbouring cafe and expanded their shop and their attraction. Previously, Nightmares had two short attractions: an electric chair and a seance scene. Now, they have a walk-through haunted house. If you like haunted houses, it's certainly worth a visit, especially since it's open year-round. One of the things that surprised me about the haunt was how dark a lot of it was. I like the dark, it's scary, and often haunts are over lit, but I actually found this haunt to be a little too dark, a little too often (especially when there are steps involved). I know that the Nightmares people are capable of intricate set design, and I'm hoping that there can be a bit more atmosphere created in the haunt as it evolves. I wont give anything away, but there are some really cool things inside. It also has one of the elements I love in a haunt, which is a couple of doors you have to open, one of which made the best movie-quality squeak that made me giggle like a schoolgirl. I really hope that the haunt is a work in progress, because it has a lot of potential. Add some ambient sounds, a few more scares, and lose the 3D element/glasses which didn't really add anything to the haunt. I look forward to going again to see how and if things have changed.

UPDATE: I went back this summer, and was informed that they will be closing the haunt down, but putting something new together somewhere elsewhere for Oct.... but I just checked the website, which is newly redone (finally) and it says that they have renovated under the new name Take2 Costumes, and that the haunt is still in operation.  Check the website out, it's pretty cool and interactive.

Halloween Costume 2009

Three, three photos of me as The Count ah ah ah [thunder and lightning]. The makeup was the hardest part. I am not a makeup artist, and didn't have one to help me, so I made stuff up as I went along: prosthetic ears and nose, fake beard and eyebrows, and a custom mixed shade of purple. The cape was custom made by a talented friend. Unfortunately, this costume was not enough to bring me a fourth win in a row at the Blarney Stone. Luckily one of the people who beat me was my good friend Sean (pictured in his scary Zombie Shriner costume). This costume was the result of a strict set of guidelines I gave myself after two unwieldy costumes. The guidelines were: must be able to fit in a car/taxi, must be able to see, drink, walk, and breath normally, must be not cause bruises or pain.