It's been another fun adventure this week. And keeping in tradition, I'm posting more than a day late.
At work today, I encountered the fun differences between WDS and FOG. Say what you will about FOG and getting it to play nice, at least it plays nice across other VLANS! Personal rant over.
The main adventuring this week was our weekend getaway. My brother-in-law has taken up a fun side project this season as an actor at a haunted attraction. Naturally, then, we took the opportunity to go to this place and see him in his role, as well as experience everything else. After waiting in line in what feels like the middle of nowhere, Idaho, we rode on a trailer of hay bales to the "island". The place was The Haunted River, and the spooks were on! But let me elaborate more descriptively.
I've admittedly only been to one other haunted attraction, and it was pretty fun; it was an abandoned hospital with spooky tales and the like, which the people turned into exactly what you'd expect- a hospital full of creeps. The experience was fun because you had to sign a waiver before entering, allowing the actors to handle you (though obviously to no intentional harm), and so the threat and adrenaline feels more real. On the other hand, with The Haunted River, I found myself having a far more enjoyable time- for a few reasons. First, and perhaps most simply- it's outdoors, and I'm a bit of a sucker for outdoor events. But a more important reason it was more fun was due to the atmosphere. While the haunted hospital was dark, intense and thrilling, the Haunted River was eerie, quiet, and yet full of a certain light. Actually, I think their use of lighting everywhere is a good portion of what did me in. You see, if they had just thrown up a light here and there, given you a flashlight as you go on your way and kept the path well lit, it would been alright, but probably far less memorable. Rather, by using bright- and yet colorful shades of orange, purple, and more, and by giving you an authentic-looking hurricane lantern (albeit obviously fake), you feel adventurous and curious and safe- to a degree, but you also know the silence in the woods and dwellings around you is all the less reassuring. The quieter it is, the more likely you're about to get snuck up on.
Besides lighting, the dedication of the actors creates a grand atmosphere that can't easily be rivaled. Every one of the actors has a different personality; some are similar, but never quite the same. And it doesn't matter if their accents might sound slightly fake (though I personally thought they all did a pretty good job)- the dedication to their roles just makes you ignore that fact and enjoy the good time your having.
But I guess that's my main rant this week. It's the same argument that holds that great directors like Hitchcock and Kubrick left an impression because they used a subtle atmosphere to build a fascinating story or world, rather than throw jumpscares at you endlessly. I guess, in a nutshell, it's the concept of moderation. Anyways, if you have the chance to go to the Haunted River in Idaho, and it's within reasonable arrangements, do it. Have a nice week and a happy Halloween!