The Devils Attic (Louisville, KY)
“Have You Ever Danced With The Devil In The Pale Moonlight?”
By Noah Wullkotte: Jollypumpkin@aol.com
The Devils Attic has moved from an outdoor shopping center to an old dusty building that looks like its out of a spooky ghost story. It’s only the second year this haunt has been in operation, but it’s making big strives in becoming one of the premier haunts in the Louisville area. We arrived a little past nine and I was excited to see the new changes this haunt has made. Right away I noticed the concession area that offered hot dogs, chips, soda and plenty of other goodies. The people working at The Devils Attic seemed to be having a great time talking with people and enjoying the fall weather. This was especially the case with their queue line actor referred to as The Orlock. The mask this actor uses is made of high grade silicone and you would swear he was a real life vampire bat or some type of blood thirsty beast.
The crowd wasn’t big for any haunt we toured that night because of the big highschool football game at Papa John’s Cardinal Stadium. But, the people that were in line were obviously psyched up about what they would experience at The Devils Attic. Throughout the night, The Orlock would scour the grounds looking for people to interact with. He would walk up to someone and guess their blood type before moving on to the next person. He’s a very convincing character and is perfect to represent The Devils Attic.
We waited in line close to 20 minutes before it was our turn to enter The Devils Attic. I wasn’t sure what the hold up was since there wasn’t a large line, but the wait was well worth it. The Devils Attic begins with a bright green laser light that makes it appear like you’re entering another dimension. It felt like I was entering a dark nightmare before I was transported into another world. From there you’ll meet up with the Devil himself. He wants you to feel pain and sorrow and feel the wrath and vengance of the damned in his house of horrors.
The Devils attic is full of horrific spectacles that Beelzebub would be proud of. Victims cry out in pain as you navigate through horror movie themed areas of the attic. You’ll feel like your part of some of the most famous horror movies of all time and will meet some of the most gruesome horror villains. These aren’t cheap movie scenes either. They are pretty authentic and feature actors who are spot on. One of my favorite scenes inside The Devils Attic is the laboratory that has an impressive animated Frankenstein’s monster and a colorful mad scientist. Before you can exit the laboratory, you’ll need to perform a dance unless you’d like to be used as spare parts. The Saw entrapment maze is also clever, but could be more difficult. You can clearly see the next scene on the other side of one of the doors. But, hopefully it’s more confusing for most people. The addition of an animated Jigsaw puppet would make the scene more interesting. Right now, there’s a small figure of Jigsaw that hangs high above and that’s just not enough.
The creators of The Devils Attic obviously grew up watching the best horror flicks around because the haunt is full of some of the most notorious serial killers found in horror cinema. Pinhead pays rent at The Devils Attic in the hanging chain room and Regan from the Exorcist can be seen battling her evil nemesis, a catholic priest. I really enjoyed the 13 Ghosts glass walls scene featuring a boxed head freak known as The Jackal and the nude female ghost known as The Angry Princess. Yes, I said nude female ghost. The scene is just like the movie. But, The Devils Attic doesn’t just focus on horror movies. There are many detailed scenes you’ll enter while on your dark journey. There are crypts, a gory hospital, a dark dungeon and much more.
The Devils Attic could use more high tech props to enhance scenes. There are a few, but some scenes need more eye candy. The lighting is great throughout The Devils Attic because many scenes are lit using small LED spotlights which are just bright enough without being overpowering. The haunt is a big improvement from its first year, but it’s still pretty short. Almost 2 minutes is taken up from Satan talking at the beginning of the tour. The entire tour time is under 10 minutes, but could be longer depending on how quickly you can find the exit in the Saw maze. The Devils Attic could easily compete with haunts that have a huge following in the Louisville area, but changes need to be made. The outside of the building needs to be better lit to bring more attention to the haunt and signs need to be placed in different areas leading up to The Devils Attic. With the right changes, this could be a 9+ haunt.
The admission price is $16 which is a little steep considering it lasts less than 10 minutes depending on how how well you do navigating through the Saw maze. But it is competitive with other haunts in the area. Make sure to grab a bite to eat or something to drink at the concessions area. Also, don’t forget to enter the Hallows Eve Haunted Hearse Giveaway where you have a chance to win a decked out hearse with custom audio and video. Visit http://www.thedevilsattic.com for all the details.
Length-7 Design-8 Props/Animatronics-8 Acting-9 Scare Effect-8
Final Stab: 8.0
http://www.thedevilsattic.com