Knott Berry ...Spooktacular

Review  by Jennifer Umana
Photos by Caroline Limuti

A figure jumps out of the fog and lets out a monstrous howl. His latest victims shriek and cower in fear. He follows them until he spots his next victims, where he repeats the process:

Hide in the darkness.

Jump out at unsuspecting people.

Watch them freak out.

Repeat.

This is not some psychopath's way of hunting down his victims, it is merely the method of mayhem that is enacted by more than 1,000 monsters that wander the perimeter of the 28th Annual Halloween Haunt at Knott's Scary Farm.

The monsters love to prey on groups of girls who seemingly do not catch on to the fact that they are the perfect targets. These girls screech loudly and hang on to each other for dear life.

The effectiveness of the monsters is enhanced by the darkness of the park and the smelly fog that is swirling about. If these people that are so easily frightened could see these monsters in the daylight, they would probably laugh at how cheesy they really look. But so is the appeal of Knott's Scary Farm. The appeal is not about how these monsters really look; it is about getting cheap thrills from things that go bump in the night.

Halloween Haunt features eleven walk- and ride-through mazes where visitors can be jumped at by monsters in a more contained area. These mazes generally provide the same effect as walking through the park; the only difference is that there are long lines to get into the mazes.

Besides zigzagging through mazes, people can choose from seven live shows located in various areas of the park. Visitors can check out a magician, a hypnotist and American Indian dancers.

The "Festival of Freaks Theatre" is a must-see. Here is where Flexx, the Rubber Boy can be found. Flexx twists and turns his way through a tennis racket without strings. Flexx proves that it is not impossible to fall through a toilet seat. He squirms through the seat as though he is having convulsions, but he eventually pulls himself through.

One show to stay away from is "Elvira's Monster Rock Revue." Elvira's monologue at the beginning of the show is packed full of sexual innuendoes. The song-and-dance show that follows is hardly entertaining as it takes played-out songs, like Destiny Child's "Jumpin' Jumpin,'" and Eminem's "The Real Slim Shady," and inserts different words into them. The Elvira show is only worth checking out to see her, but people should find their way to the nearest exit as soon as the songs start.

The Mistress of Darkness, above, and the Crypt Keeper, below,  charmtheir audiences during shows.