Chambers of Horror Haunted House, Atlanta, GA

October 21st, 2009

(0 votes)

 Loading ...

The next Haunt on my Tour was Chambers of Horror in downtown Atlanta. With intense and provocative scenes, this was completely different from the other haunts in the area. I got there after 9pm so I saw the R-rated show.

Chambers of Horror is a young haunt produced by Ian O’Brien. Ian’s goal was deliver a more adult and intense experience than you get at most haunted houses (which he achieves by the way). I was very interested in seeing the show since if you have been following the blog, I prefer more intense, gorier places and have already seen some pretty strange stuff on the trip, but I did still have some firsts in this haunt.

The Haunt itself is in a building behind a nightclub so I thought there might be potential problems with drinking etc, but Ian and his crew were managing the crowd like nothing I have seen anywhere else. The crew keeps most of the line away from the haunt and only calls them forward when there is room in the staging area. Once in the staging area, your are matched up and put into single file lines/groups. As one line goes in, you are moved down to the open spot and so on. When your group is on-deck, you receive your safety briefing (complete with verbal pop quizzes to make sure you listened), and you also receive notice that this is an adult haunted house and if you are easily offended, you should not go in. I think the crowd management did a couple of things – first off, it was very efficient and kept the crowd very manageable. Secondly, because it was so orderly, I think it really helps cut down on any potential issues with rowdy people because they are too busy following directions and not just standing there with nothing to do.

Ian was kind enough to pull me to the head of the line and got me in with a group. In the opening scene, we receive a briefing from an attractive employee of Torture Co. who explains that the facility is for wealthy people who want extreme experiences and we should not interfere at any time (think Hostel). We then got to see the armory which contains all kinds of great torture devices and tools. The next room was security where we saw video of the various decadent acts being performed in the facility. Then we were left on our own to wander through the haunt. The scenes are intense, gory and sadistic with a splash of simulated nudity thrown in. I don’t think I had seen as strong a blend of sex and gore this trip as I did at Chambers of Horror. I realize (and so does Ian) that this is not the kind of show that has broad appeal, but that is not his goal. He is delivering a unique experience to the people of Atlanta – some will like it and some will not.

Overall, the scenes were well done and the acting was VERY good. It can’t be easy maintaining that high of an energy level over and over again but they certainly delivered. There was one particular older guy who had nothing on but an apron who was really good which means very disturbing (he’s in a pic below sitting on a table eating a body) and had some great lines. So it wasn’t just about trying to shock customers with gore. The scenic design was well done and there was creativity in coming up with some of the gags and scenes and the actors really brought it all together.

If you liked the movie Hostel, you would like this Haunt. If you thought Hostel was disgusting, you won’t like this haunt. If you like edgier, more intense and gory haunts, you should visit Chambers of Horror. I personally enjoyed it and liked the Chambers of Horror myself. Ian, thanks for your time and for a fantastic show. I hope you have a great season!