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Boo!
The scary, haunted Shockhouse
is back for a second year and has
been nearly doubled in size
THE INFLATED mummy is back outside the Blaisdell Center as Tom Moffatt Productions teams up with Rick McCall's Theatre Design and Productions to scare the socks off Oahu residents once again.
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Shockhouse IV Hours: 6 p.m. to midnight today and Saturday, 6 to 10 p.m. Sunday, Wednesday and Thursday, 6 p.m. to 1 a.m. next Friday, and 4 p.m. to 1 a.m. Oct. 30 and Oct. 31 Place: Blaisdell Center, Hawaii Suites Cost: $7.50; $4 children; ages 3 and under free (discounts available with purchase of E'Casanova ticket; see below) Call: 593-8333
E'Casanova Michael Jackson tribute artist performs at Shockhouse IV: Hourly shows: 8 to 11 p.m. Oct. 28 through Oct. 31 Cost: $7.50; $4 children; ages 3 and under free. Discount of $2 ($1 for children) with purchase of Shockhouse IV ticket Call: 593-8333
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But don't just expect a repeat of last year, warned Arato as he led a tour through the unfinished attraction Wednesday night, even managing to get lost for a moment while using back corridors to travel from room to room.
"Even the trail is different," he said after finding his bearings. "If you thought you figured it out (after last year), you didn't."
Those who dare to enter the Shockhouse will be sent through in groups of six every 60 to 90 seconds, with the fright level rising as you proceed through the 10 scenes.
Some of them -- including the "Gruesome Graveyard," the "Living Dead Lava Tube," the "Mad, Mad Doctor's Room" and the "Frightening Forest" -- are back from last year, but visitors can expect to be freaked out by some additions, including two surprises at the very end of the journey that will remain secret until opening night.
A cast of 30 will play various roles, with McCall himself even joining in on the devious fun. "I get to scare people and get away with it," he laughed. "I actually get hit every year."
While most folks scream bloody murder or end up making a break for one of the emergency exits that are accessible in every room, a few people each year make the mistake of taking a swing at one of the actors.
"That actually shows that you've done your job, that you've scared someone so bad that they actually hit you," said McCall. "But if somebody does that, I have security come and take them out."
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AS AN added attraction for the approximately 10,000 people expected to attend the Shockhouse during the next two weekends, Arato has enlisted the help of Las Vegas-based Michael Jackson tribute artist E'Casanova.
The winner of numerous look-alike contests (including the $10,000 first prize for a Las Vegas contest two years ago), E'Casanova has been featured on VH-1 for his uncanny resemblance to the Gloved One. He will take the classic video "Thriller" from screen to stage.
"The video will come to life," he promised.
Performances will take place hourly between 8 and 11 p.m. from Thursday through Halloween. The live show replaces a Halloween-night dance party that accompanied the haunted house last year.
For Arato, the addition of E'Casanova and strolling characters outside the Shockhouse to keep people entertained are designed to provide the best entertainment value for the money. "The wait is expected to be an hour and a half to two hours," he said. "Now they'll be able to enjoy themselves outside."
But even with the crowds expected, the experience is one that's not to be missed. "Halloween is always my favorite," said McCall. "We'll have pregnant ladies coming through, the elderly coming through.
"Everybody likes to be afraid. ... They all like to be scared!"
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