Wednesday, November 19, 2014

[Haunt Review] Castle Blood - Still the Most Unique and Surprising Haunt Out There


We've been to Castle Blood a lot over the past year and if you thought the show was good before? You haven't seen anything yet now that they're in a truly unique and twisted space that is befitting of the castle denizens without question. Just what is that? A 100+ year old funeral home. That's right folks, the spiritual extended family of the Addams clan has their very own funeral parlor. How the hell do you go wrong with that?!

Castle Blood is a different kind of haunt and sometimes hard to explain, but I'll try. It's not a haunt with chainsaws or blood and gore in the traditional sense that you're thinking. Well, there are no chainsaws to be seen actually, completely devoid of them (Definitely not a bad thing!). They're not needed here, like I said, this is something all together different and special. Sure there are some startles and other scares in there and that just adds to the ambiance all the more. Though, when you have actors coming back for more every year for 19 to 20 years? You're doing something right and I can't argue that, not one bit.

So, yes, Castle Blood is still in Monessen, PA and very much open, but in an all new location!
  • Date Visited: 10/3/14
  • Review Team: +Carrie H.C., +Alexandra F and +Kitsune Hazard 
  • Rating: Really Damn Good
  • Recommendation: Go! This is hands down, the most unique haunt I've ever been to.
  • Likes:I don't even know where to start. So, here's a list; costuming, make up, set design, story, interactivity, the acting as a whole, and the overall concept. Yep, that's everything I think.
  • Dislikes: Really want to see more of a challenge for the quest you're given and maybe a little more daring/risky stuff in a few scenes but that stuff is minor in the grand scheme of things.
  • Pro-Tip: Take advantage of the "Nightmare Pass" options when put on Facebook and definitely just relax and go with things. Don't be a moron! Have fun with the cast, you'll have a much better time and so will they!
Disclaimer: We were invited to check out this year's Castle Blood so that meant complimentary tickets. However, I also helped move some of the haunt to the new location over the summer as well and we contributed to their Kickstarter campaign. Even with all that, the views that we have about Castle Blood are still free and clear of that first and foremost, just like with every other haunt we review. 

So, let's get on with things!
First things first, no more boring office building. Now they've got a truly unique and interesting place to call home. It's a little hard to miss though but still only a few blocks away from the old location.

Again, you just can't go wrong with kind of setting and haunts that are able to get them? Truly lucky, even if they come with serious logistical nightmares due to them being old construction. Either way, this is the way Castle Blood always should've been in my eyes, what I always envisioned and here it is! What's going on inside and the detail, just amazing, even if it's not 100% where they want it to be just yet.

As soon as you pull up on the place you just know that you're in for a treat, and after purchasing or picking up your tickets, you're led up onto the porch. Here you get a bit of story and a little entertainment from Cedric before being let into haunt itself. During this time it's great to ask questions and banter with the creatures that lurk about, you might learn a thing or two that's helpful or something completely random and won't help you at all. Either way, always fun!

Once you pass through the doors though, you're on the turf of the castle denizens. This is their home and being such mortals as we are, we're lucky to get the chance to visit. Why that is? Well, you'll just have to find that out for yourself because I'm not giving away all the details. In the main parlor you'll come across any number of residents that will give you the greeting and introduce you to the rules and let you know just what you'll be after. This story is ever changing and growing each year...during our visit we were after a Blue Saphire, a Brain and a Broken Heart. Simple enough, right?

After getting this information we were let into the house proper and things start to get a little weirder and more bizarre with each room, turn of the corner, and character you meet. I won't say much, but the castle has a lot to offer and feels so much more at home here compared to it's previous location.

As you walk through Gravely's office, the crypts, seance rooms, even a trophy room and more, you'll find yourself more and more immersed within the world that Castle Blood brings to life. It's two stories of story, detail, magic and the delightfully twisted.

One of the biggest differences this year was that there no guides to take you through, this meant that you were roaming free throughout the halls of Castle Blood and that could spell all kinds of trouble for such foolish mortals. No quarter to be had...unless of course you kept your wits about you and managed to pay attention to what was going on. You'll be asked to do things, participate in the scenes and have some fun with the cast of characters that call the castle home, just go with it...trust me on this.

Even though the show changes slightly every year, I'm not going to give away too many secrets here. However, here's a little bit. Know that you will have to interact with the cast and try and figure out the various riddles and puzzles that they present you with in order to "win" the night and pass judgement by the end. The key here is having fun with it and getting into the flow of what's happening. You're not just part of some cattle drive being pushed through, you're being welcomed into a living, breathing place that the residents of the castle have invited you into...or not as the case may be for some.

Castle Blood is truly one of the most unique and surreal experiences that you have have during the Halloween season. Any fan of the classics like; The Addams Family, The Munsters, and other classic "elegant horror" style shows and movies will completely enjoy it.

It's different, quirky and a little bit insane. You'll see and experience things that you just don't see in any other haunt out there and that's because they want it that way. As they say "Halloween the way it ought to be" and I have to agree.

As Gravely says "Imagine what Disney's Haunted Mansion would be like without the ride, this is it." and there's really no way to argue that. They go to extreme measures to make sure that the sets, costuming and make up are all up to the highest quality, even those in drop windows are decked out and have fully fleshed out back stories. Nothing is left to chance other than the improv that happens between your group and the cast, and that's some of the most fun you'll have to be honest.

Like I said earlier, they didn't quite get everything finished that they had wanted to this year, but moving into a new building and figuring all of that out is difficult. That kind of hurts things for the tour as it stood when we visited and a few things hadn't been fully in place yet either. However, I have no doubt that next year's show will be all the more impressive and filled with even more surprises than ever. The story and life of the castle is ever changing, bringing new and interesting things to table with each incarnation, and this one is far from over.

Every show is new and a little more weird and fun...but we love that. It's not all about the screams...though they are there...it's so much more than that. I've said it before and I'll say it again, if you can't have fun and get a few thrills and chills at Castle Blood, you're probably dead inside.

Overall, we love Castle Blood and make it a point to visit at least once a year, if not twice during the Halloween season and we even swing through during their special Cryptmas (Christmas) and Valentine's Day events that they have.

In the end though, I still wish it was longer, harder and a bit more surprising at times, but that's me and I love these kinds of things. The more challenging and bizarre, the better! So, I'm hoping that future incarnations of the show incorporate some of that and make it all the more interesting for those long time visitors craving it and first time attendees as well. No one does this stuff and how they manage to keep it as such a high level will always blow my mind.

I'm not sure when they'll be doing a Christmas show this year, but if/when they do, we'll be telling you all about it before and after our visit for sure! Or, you can go and see some of what it's all about from the official Castle Blood website or their Facebook page.

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