Boasting the tagline ‘New York City’s Premier Haunted Attraction,’ Blood Manor raises the dead and sets free all of its lunatics during the haunt season. Letting unsuspecting guests venture forth into a world of madness and sensory overload, this haunt uses its well-detailed scenery and varied special effects to disorient guests, while the scaractors assault them with screams and shrieks, threats and tantrums; where the wild things live, and the wilder things dance on a pole. So go ahead, scream. It won’t matter.
Stepping into this hellhouse means you are at the mercy of its inhabitants, a group or merciless monsters, crazed killers and sexy strippers? Well, sex sells and what’s a horror movie without some fan service? The scaractors here handle their roles well, acting as main scares, distractions and pure entertainment. The dialogue is mostly scripted, but a few scaractors interacted well with guests, improvising on the spot. Overall, it was well-staffed with only a few rooms having less than two scaractors in them.
The costumes are a mix of “realistic and authentic” and “over-the-top for effect.” Some of the cast use prosthetics, blood and real-looking wounds. Others use airbrush effects to stand out. All the pieces are complete and believable. The clowns look like clowns, the victims look like they had been put through hell and the strippers’well, you get the idea.
Finding the place can be a little difficult. Located in the middle of an NYC block, there is no way for them to put up a fancy fa������������������ade. Barricades with “Blood Manor” signs line the block, though, and a sign above the door make the place at least noticeable. Scaractors terrify the line patrons, ranging from a lumbering beast to a masochistic clown. The staff here are very friendly and helpful, even taking the time to greet guests when they come in and ask them how their visit was afterwards.
For this specific haunt, I consider there to be two atmospheres, one outside on the street where you do most of your waiting, where the scaractors entertain and terrify in the cold night air. Where there may not be much that screams “haunt,” but it’s still amusing; and one once you get inside, to its inner queue, where neon walls depicting freaky faces and other horrors tell you that you are not in some hoity toity luxury apartment in the city that never sleeps. Loud, ominous music plays as you hear various machines going off inside, causing your heart to race. You just have to get off the street first.
Where Blood Manor really shines is its special effects and scenery. The details here are exquisite from start to finish. The kitchen has illuminated maggots crawling on the food props they have on the counter. The wooded room has lumbering monsters that snarl and lunge down at you. The 3D maze is expertly painted and looks amazing; and that’s just visually! Audibly, the music and sound effects match the scenes perfectly.
Enough Sound FX? (35% of score): 8.75
Sound FX Effective? (15% of score): 8.5
Sounds Appropriate? (25% of score): 8.5
Creative, Original FX? (10% of score): 8
Special FX Effective? (15% of score): 8.24
Multiple rooms portray various themes, each pretty easy to distinguish. Only the 3D maze was more than one room long though.
The scaractors have a lot of energy, bringing lots of screams and shrieks. A constant barrage of crying victims, psychopathic predators and the rest of the scaractors make sure that guests don’t have a chance to collect themselves. Most of the haunt is fast-paced and in your face. You never know if the person crying in the corner is the main scare, or if something worse is waiting for you.
359 Broadway, New York, New York 10013