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Photo By Ralph Palumbo Jessica as a dead Victorian woman |
ne of my greatest joys in life is scaring people. Creepy and twisted perhaps, but no need to call the authorities. There are hundreds and hundreds of others just like me, and it’s their job to terrify. They come out at night around October, when Knott’s Berry Farm’s 160 acres turn scary for Halloween Haunt, which is in its 36th year.
“It’s a big dysfunctional family,” says “Jabber Jaw,” a polar bear-faced monster by night/29-year-old high school theater technical director by day, who’s worked the Haunt since 1998. “It’s a way to unleash the stress of everyday jobs and everyday life. It’s good to take that energy and unleash it on the guests.”
I got my first taste as a Haunt monster a couple of years ago when I dressed up as a dead criminally insane inmate in the “Asylum” for a previous story. I was hooked and had to return. This time before dressing up as a dead Victorian woman killed by her own daughter’s hands in “13 Axe Murder Manor” I tried to get a little more involved with preparation and spend more time socializing with the other monsters. Two monsters celebrated 26 years at the Haunt this year, and I wanted a better understanding on why monsters keep coming back for more despite all the blood and sweat that goes into the event. And believe me, there’s plenty of both.
The Family
Those monsters who don’t already know each other can really start getting comfortable during Scare School, which is essentially a couple of hours of training at monsters’ respective mazes. Un-costumed, soon-to-be-monsters get specific direction and inspiration from maze designers on characters and the best scare tactics.
| Click here for dozens of more Haunt photos |
| Read about Jessica’s previous experience as a Haunt monster |
| Haunt Facts
*One thousand monsters, makeup artists and other talent, and 110 maze builders and decorators were hired for this year’s event. *Planning for each year’s event begins as soon as the previous one ends. When this year’s Haunt ends, maze designers will assess the condition of each maze and decide which to replace and start thinking about what the new mazes will be. *Scare Force was added to Haunt this year. The idea was for 20 experienced monsters to be available each night to beef up scares for weaker mazes. *This year’s 13 mazes include six new ones: “Quarantine,” based on the new zombie flick; “Alien Annihilation,” a 3-D laser tag maze; “The Labyrinth,” including a journey through a forgotten forest and featuring mythical beasts; “The Slaughterhouse,” where Farmer Willy will think you are prime beef; “Club Blood,” an electronic dance club for vampires and their victims; and “Corn Stalkers,” a Wizard of Oz-themed maze that’ll have you racing through corn fields to escape the Wicked Witch’s minions. *Outside the mazes, there are three Scare Zones throughout the park, including “Ghost Town,” “CarnEVIL” and “The Gauntlet.” |
I observed a Scare School session for one of the new mazes, “Quarantine,” based on the new movie and set in a sealed-off Los Angeles apartment building. The maze would inhabit zombies, so it was a fun time as the maze designers coached their students on zombie growling and on the specific character for the type of zombie they were playing – a sort of “zombie Juilliard,” as one of the instructors put it. After Scare School, there’s a dress rehearsal in preparation for the 28-night event.
And if monsters were still getting comfortable during Scare School, everyone was clearly a part of a single unit by the time I joined the monster-hood about a week after opening night. Monsters in varying stages of costume milled about and sat around applying makeup, waiting for their turn in the makeup chair or passing time chatting amongst themselves, waiting for the show to begin. I talked to a few very friendly monsters myself before it was time for me to pretty up for the night’s show.
In the dressing room, I recognized a woman from the “Quarantine” maze that I saw in Scare School. We chatted about the maze and her character, and she thanked me for remembering her. I started to understand what it meant to be in the monster family.
Once in the maze, it only got better. When I was placed in the library at “13 Axe Murder Manor,” the maze captain informed the other area monsters that I would be a guest monster for the night. These monsters were nothing if not hospitable – giving me pointers on how to best scare my quarry and other tips on living the monster life. For one, hydration is very important. Also, if you can’t be outright scary, be funny. Because it all works out if you’re entertaining.
At times, a group of girl monsters from another part of the maze would come to visit. We had a girl monster gab circle there for a bit; that is, until we all parted in order to go scare people.
The Scares
Yes family and camaraderie are definitely a big part of the monster prize. But being scary is just as much of the draw.
“I went to Haunt a few times as a guest and I thought I would enjoy scaring people,” says 28-year-old “Quarantine” zombie Kharissa Argentine, of Anaheim. “I’m a shy girl normally… It’s kind of a power trip.”
There are more than a few shy monsters at Haunt, myself included. More of a listener and observer, I typically prefer not being the center of attention and err on the side of quiet rather than overly talkative. But when the gray makeup of death, white hair paint and dark. velvety Victorian garb came on, I wanted to be looked at – and feared.
After trying a few different tactics including yelling out in a raspy, angry voice to, “Get out of my house!” I settled on a death stare. It seemed to work. I was quite amazed at who I was able to scare. The teenage girls were a given, of course, but more surprising were the 30-something manly men and older, gentlemen in their 50s and 60s. As I’d approach them, gazing up (since they were usually taller than me) with a fixed haunted expression and tilted head, I thought I was wasting my time… until I noticed them speeding up and avoiding eye contact with me.
Then there were the cocky young guys who were determined not to show an inkling of fear by heckling me instead. They’d try and stare me down, and they’d lose. The fact that they couldn’t get me to break character by reacting in any way seemed to unnerve some of them. As the night went on, I got better. I situated myself on the other side of a hallway that guests passed through, behind some fake windows. Guests saw me lit up by strobe lights as they walked by. I’d follow some of the harder nuts to crack from window to window to freak them out.
Many times throughout the night, I elicited screams normally reserved for horror movie victims. And I was thrilled.
A Hard Monster Life
No doubt, being a monster is hard work. It’s five nights a week of hot, heavy costumes and masks; layers of makeup; constant standing; stomping; jumping; skidding on your knees; yelling; and/or doing whatever else it takes to elicit a healthy scare. By the end of the night, monsters are sweaty, smelly and ready for bed. But, ask any of the returning monsters, and they’ll tell you it’s worth it.
See monsters at work at Knott’s Halloween Haunt: October 8-12, 15-19, 22-26, 29-November 1. Hours are 7 p.m.-1 a.m. Wednesdays, Thursdays and Sundays, and 7 p.m.-2 a.m. Fridays and Saturdays. Tickets are $47.99-$49.99 presale and $52.99 on the day of the event. Print-at-home tickets available at knotts.com; more information, (714) 220-5000
