This attraction was reviewed on October 17, 2021 by Team Michigan Macabre.

Final Scores:

(15% of Final Score) Cast: 8.04

(15% of Final Score) Costuming: 8.22

(10% of Final Score) Customer Service: 9.15

(10% of Final Score) Atmosphere: 7.3

(15% of Final Score) Special Effects: 8.68

(5% of Final Score) Theme: 6.1

(15% of Final Score) Scare Factor: 7.28

(5% of Final Score) Entertainment & Value: 7.42

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The Scream Machine is back again! The non-stop action of Scream Machine is awaiting your arrival and it may, or may not, allow you to leave its walls. Are you brave enough to voluntarily offer yourself to Dr. Strach, a demented yet, well-versed doctor seeking patients to complete his research? Fear is what he is seeking from you and within the Scream Machine’s walls are numerous scenes, creatures, and experiences to leach the fear from your body.

Cast Scores (15% of Final Score):

(20% of Cast Score) Did it seem like there were enough actors?: 10

(30% of Cast Score) How creative, believable and convincing were the actors?: 7.5

(20% of Cast Score) How interactive were the actors (verbally and physically)?: 7

(15% of Cast Score) How creatively & appropriately did they use dialogue?: 7.5

(15% of Cast Score) Was there a good variety of characters?: 8.4

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The Scream Machine never disappoints with the number of actors they have. You will experience a constant barrage of actors and their props. The cast will walk solemnly, slowly following you as you go from scene to scene, or, they will make their presence immediately known with loud noises, screams, or a collaboration of both.

We always loved the authentic actors within The Scream Machine and their unique dialogues. Unfortunately this year we were missing a few of those key characters. Even though the scares kept flowing from the actors present we missed interacting with Peepo the Clown, for instance.

The actors used their props well, some being entirely encompassed in them! Most actors were there to scare and few carried out any dialogue. But those who did engage were great at getting us engaged like the opening man looking for Nurse Paula. Dr. Strach also never disappoints!

One surprise actor kicked down an entire wall to get to us, completely unexpected! Additionally, there was a bird in a cage who brought us to question, ‘Is that real?’ This actor portrayed the feathered friend so well it was disturbing to think of it being released from its cage.

Costuming Scores (15% of Final Score):

(15% of Costuming Score) How complete / finished did the costumes appear to be?: 8.9

(25% of Costuming Score) How creative / detailed were the costumes?: 7.5

(20% of Costuming Score) Was their makeup creative? Detailed? Realistic?: 7.9

(15% of Costuming Score) How effectively did they use masks (if used)?: 7

(25% of Costuming Score) How appropriate were the costumes for their scene/s & theme/s?: 9.5

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Most of the costumes seemed to be a standard of dark clothes with a mask. However, a few distinct characters had costumes unique to them like the security guard, Dr. Strach (of course), and the caged bird. (The bird was a favorite of ours!)

Some masks were put on without a matching costume and seemed to be purposefully not covered in any way, potentially taking you out of the moment. For instance, some of the animal heads were sitting atop someone’s shoulders wearing normal street clothes. But, again, it seemed like they were intended to be seen that way, unsure if it was paying homage to a Texas Chainsaw Massacre-type family of weirdos or not.

Those without masks donned some make-up and colored eye contacts. Nothing extravagant but it got the job done.

Customer Service Scores (10% of Final Score):

(25% of CS Score) How easy was it to locate the attraction, park, and navigate the premises?: 9

(30% of CS Score) How safe was the attraction?: 9

(25% of CS Score) How professional, helpful and friendly were the staff members?: 9.2

(20% of CS Score) How easy was it to find their information before* arrival?: 9.5

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The Scream Machine has a sign by the road and a lit sign on the building. Located within a strip mall, it has free parking and there are plenty of spaces available. The haunt has a few stairs throughout and tight spaces as you make your way through as well as a spinning vortex, leaving this haunt not wheelchair accessible. Keep an eye out for those steps (they are outlined in neon tape) and don’t be like a scared member of our team who was not paying attention to the floor but rather the actor following us, and almost took a tumble.

The staff was attentive and helpful. We observed many staff manning the entrance and being visibly present for safety. All of The Scream Machine’s information is located on their website where you can also buy tickets ahead of time.

Atmosphere Scores (10% of Final Score):

(60% of Atmosphere Score) How obvious was it that you were at a haunted house before entering?: 7.5

(40% of Atmosphere Score) How well did the atmosphere prepare you for what you experienced inside?: 7

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Upon arriving, more than likely you will see a long line of haunt-goers waiting for admission. The green lighting and decorated windows show you where to go. Screams from within, the queue line, music, and a prop or two welcome you. The caged walls guide you to the entrance and the security guard set the tone to be greeted by Nurse Paula.

The Scream Machine is held back by their location being in a plaza, therefore they cannot have a huge all-encompassing display outside of their building. They do a good job with what they can, having a queue line actor taunting those waiting is always a good way to engage the audience! We observed one in all black with a white-faced mask, slowly observing all the victims in line.

Special Effects Scores (15% of Final Score):

(20% of SFX Score) How effective were the sound effects?: 7.8

(20% of SFX Score) How creative / original were the scenes & props?: 9

(20% of SFX Score) How well were the scenes detailed?: 8.8

(25% of SFX Score) How well did they achieve & maintain the suspension of disbelief?: 8.9

(15% of SFX Score) How effective were the SFX at providing scares / entertainment?: 8.9

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The Scream Machine has detailed scenes you won’t soon forget. As you enter each room you are put into a new fear-based concept to pull out those fears from deep within you. There are so many different scenes, from a child’s bedroom to a doctor’s laboratory and even a mausoleum-type facade.

Some commonly seen aspects are in The Scream Machine; a Hellevator is waiting to plummet you to your death and a spinning vortex tunnel disorients you. Some of the scenes seem very intricate while others lack detail. Some plain black walls were observed and a pallet room seemed slightly thrown together and not cohesive with the rest of the haunt.

The Scream Machine has some immersive moments as you see from the floor to ceiling details and prop-filled rooms like the kitchen or bedroom.

We did not hear very many distinct soundtracks or planned audio throughout. The record player was a nice touch in the taxidermy/living room. Although, you are constantly hit with very loud noises, pops, bangs, and shouts so some audio could have been drowned out.

Walls, beds, bodies, and doors are all used to capture a scare. Some typical props were used, a lot of drop walls were experienced and videos, if you have seen before, then you know what to expect.

Theme Scores (5% of Final Score):

(30% of Theme Score) Could you tell what the theme was?: 6

(50% of Theme Score) How well was the theme carried throughout the attraction/s?: 7

(20% of Theme Score) How well does their location authenticate the theme?: 4

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The Scream Machine has a revamped theme this year as they promote the ‘Axe Man’ in videos, and on their Facebook page building anticipation for their new addition. The Axe Man was a (you guessed it!) ax-wielding serial killer whom Dr. Strach gave refuge to inside the Scream Machine. We were very excited to see how this new arrival to the asylum would be portrayed this year. However, we were let down when the Axe Man never appeared. Perhaps he was hacking away at another victim when we sneaked through, but either way, the letdown of not meeting the new Axe Man haunts us.

The original Scream Machine theme, Dr. Strach’s asylum of fear-inducing scenarios has always been a favorite of ours. Having you run into many different fears throughout could be considered not having a solid theme but as it is clearly being used for Dr. Strach’s research as he eloquently describes upon meeting him, this solidifies the theme for us. A few actors throughout do mention Dr. Strach and his research so the effort to incorporate this theme is evident due to these encounters. However, some portions of the haunt do not coincide, especially the ending in which we could not see any connection.

Scare Factor Scores (15% of Final Score):

(30% of Scare Factor Score) How scary was it?: 8

(15% of Scare Factor Score) How well did they provide scares to the entire group?: 8

(25% of Scare Factor Score) How predictable were the scares?: 8

(15% of Scare Factor Score) How well did they provide a wide variety of scares?: 8.2

(15% of Scare Factor Score) How strong was the ending / finale?: 3

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As The Scream Machine indicates on their website, they are a ‘relentless in your face, action-packed haunt experience.’ This is a fact. Scream Machine is quite an intense assault on your senses resulting in a consistent scare throughout. There are only brief periods where you can take a deep breath, and have a moment of silence before the attack of sounds and actors begins again. Due to this, you feel yourself on edge and never having a chance to ‘come down’ from being on guard. Sweat completely covered us as we exited due to the rise in blood pressure!

Some scenes and scares were predictable, the drop walls, a repetitive video from years prior, and some animatronics carefully placed in their homes come out to say, ‘Hi! Remember me?!’ This haunt is primarily a startle haunt vs. a more interactive/engaging one. The Scream Machine’s MO is to catch you off-guard and use noises and shock scares to instill fear.

We don’t want to spoil the finale for anybody. It was not a ‘scary’ ending and we yearned for more once realizing it was over. I think we all can agree, a terrifying ending would be a great improvement, perhaps with the unseen Axe Man!

Entertainment & Value Factor Scores (15% of Final Score):

(30% of E&V Score) How satisfied were you with the entertainment received during the main attraction/s?: 8

(25% of E&V Score) How satisfied were you with the entertainment that’s available with* the ticket price, excluding the main attraction/s?: 4

(30% of E&V Score) How appropriate is/are the ticket price/s?: 8.9

(15% of E&V Score) Have they effectively used their available space?: 9

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It took our team about 15 minutes to exit the machine. Note – a team member was sufficiently scared throughout and kept attempting to flee, so, some people could tack on a minute or two if they aren’t going to be shoved at rocket speed by a friend the entire time. General admission is $20 and that equates to a .75 MPD (minutes of entertainment per dollar spent) rating.

Make sure to visit the mini 5-minute escape rooms, ‘Trick or Treat’ and ‘The Void’ for an extra $5 each per person.

General Admission – $20
VIP Fast Pass – $32
Two additional 5 Minute Escape Rooms – $5

How Did We Get These Scores

Awards:

2019