The Scream Machine – Full Review
The Scream Machine is a Haunted Attraction located in Taylor, MI.
25710 Northline Rd, Taylor, MI 48180View All Details
Haunt Type(s):
Features:
Free Parking, Restrooms/Porta Potties On-Site, Handicap Accessible, Food/Concessions, “Hi-Tech” Attraction, You will NOT be touched, Indoor Waiting Line, All-Indoor Attraction
How Do We Get These Scores?
Our Rating System
UPDATE FOR 2022: Our former “Atmosphere” and “Theme” categories have now been combined and renamed “Immersion.” Our intent with this is to give more appropriate credit to attractions that have shown a clear focus on achieving and maintaining better customer experiences (both inside and outside the attractions) and developing creative storylines.
Each of the category scores in this review are calculated using a weighted average of several questions that we rate on a scale of 1 to 10.
The following breakdown explains what these scores typically mean. All of our Teams use this as a reference for providing accurate ratings:
10: “Peak Performance”This score is treated as if it has a chastity belt on it. “10’s” are reserved for the best of the best; those that we feel could not possibly improve on what they’re doing.
9: “Innovative and Groundbreaking”It rocked! Nearly everything seemed to go as planned and it was one of the best we’ve ever seen! These guys are leaders in the industry, and attractions like this are truly hard to come by.
8: “Solid”A high score on our scale. They had a good handle on it and, overall, they knew how to use it well. Most attractions can learn from what these guys are doing.
6 to 7: “Good”We could tell that a good effort was made. However, we’ve seen this done much better at other places, or can detect areas where significant improvements can be made. This is about the top end of what we’d call “Family Friendly.”
5: “Average / Fair”Compared to the competition, they weren’t the best, but definitely not the worst. Scares and Special Effects in this range are usually considered “Family Friendly.”
3 to 4: “Below Average”We could see that a clear attempt was made, but most other professional attractions are doing a much better job at this.
1 to 2: “Poor”It appeared that very little time, thought or effort was contributed to this aspect.
0 (Zero): “Non-Existent”No apparent effort was made to make this a significant contributor to the attraction.
Afterword:This rating system is standardized across all of The Scare Factor’s official haunt review teams. However, keep in mind there will always be minor differences between Teams, as we all have varying levels of experience. Regardless, we do our best to remain true to our core values, which is to promote all haunted attractions!Perhaps the biggest thing to remember is: sometimes the score – in and of itself – doesn’t tell the whole story about an attraction’s merits. This is why we provide detailed explanations for each category… to help you better understand how and why we chose the score/s that we did.We do our best to not let feelings or emotions rule our judgement, while also viewing the attraction through the lens of the typical haunt-goer. But, because all reviews with ratings are inherently subjective, this is nearly impossible to completely prevent. Though, when in doubt, we tend to give slightly lower scores than our original “gut feelings” to account for this, and also give the attraction more room to improve over time.We also do our best to be fair and consistent across all of the haunts that we review. We know that you’ll be looking at these scores and comparing them to other attractions, so we hope this review helps you out in that aspect.Do you have some feedback about our review system? Contact Us Here to let us know what you think!
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Final Score: 7.9
How Did We Get This Score?
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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Summary:
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: 8.04
How Did We Get This Score?
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: 8.22
How Did We Get This Score?
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: 9.15
How Did We Get This Score?
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: 7.3
How Did We Get This Score?
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: 8.68
How Did We Get This Score?
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: 6.1
How Did We Get This Score?
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: 7.28
How Did We Get This Score?
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: 7.42
How Did We Get This Score?
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
Our Rating System
Each of the category scores in this review are calculated using a weighted average of several questions that we rate on a scale of 1 to 10.
The following breakdown explains what these scores typically mean. All of our Teams use this as a reference for providing accurate ratings:
10: “Peak Performance”This score is treated as if it has a chastity belt on it. “10’s” are reserved for the best of the best; those that we feel could not possibly improve on what they’re doing.
9: “Innovative and Groundbreaking”It rocked! Nearly everything seemed to go as planned and it was one of the best we’ve ever seen! These guys are leaders in the industry, and attractions like this are truly hard to come by.
8: “Solid”A high score on our scale. They had a good handle on it and, overall, they knew how to use it well. Most attractions can learn from what these guys are doing.
6 to 7: “Good”We could tell that a good effort was made. However, we’ve seen this done much better at other places, or can detect areas where significant improvements can be made. This is about the top end of what we’d call “Family Friendly.”
5: “Average / Fair”Compared to the competition, they weren’t the best, but definitely not the worst. Scares and Special Effects in this range are usually considered “Family Friendly.”
3 to 4: “Below Average”We could see that a clear attempt was made, but most other professional attractions are doing a much better job at this.
1 to 2: “Poor”It appeared that very little time, thought or effort was contributed to this aspect.
0 (Zero): “Non-Existent”No apparent effort was made to make this a significant contributor to the attraction.
Afterword:This rating system is standardized across all of The Scare Factor’s official haunt review teams. However, keep in mind there will always be minor differences between Teams, as we all have varying levels of experience. Regardless, we do our best to remain true to our core values, which is to promote all haunted attractions!Perhaps the biggest thing to remember is: sometimes the score – in and of itself – doesn’t tell the whole story about an attraction’s merits. This is why we provide detailed explanations for each category… to help you better understand how and why we chose the score/s that we did.We do our best to not let feelings or emotions rule our judgement, while also viewing the attraction through the lens of the typical haunt-goer. But, because all reviews with ratings are inherently subjective, this is nearly impossible to completely prevent. Though, when in doubt, we tend to give slightly lower scores than our original “gut feelings” to account for this, and also give the attraction more room to improve over time.We also do our best to be fair and consistent across all of the haunts that we review. We know that you’ll be looking at these scores and comparing them to other attractions, so we hope this review helps you out in that aspect.Do you have some feedback about our review system? Contact Us Here to let us know what you think!
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Guest ReviewsGuest Average: 9.33 out of 10
Savannah – 10/10 – October 28, 2021This place was amazing! Definitely needs more recognition for sure! This was my 5th haunt this …show more month.. Erebus was my #1 until I went here! I don’t scare easily at all and this place scared the crap out of me! Staff did an amazing job!! Short wait time to! Definitely will be back next year!
Isaac Currier – 10/10 – September 13, 2019I absolutely love this place, it was my 2nd round this tear but this time i went by myself! If you …show more dont know Fetters The Clown, he is a great guy! He is the operations manager here and he will maje your visit very fun, especially like how he did for mine! I recommend this place for brave people and people think they can make it out alive 😉
Ben Zeestraten – 8/10 – October 6, 2023Haven’t been to one in 14-15 years. Took my daughters to their first one (11 & 13 yr). They …show more were brave going in by the 3rd or 4th scare they were begging to get out. I loved it. GREAT For taking someone younger to. Especially for their first haunt.
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Past Awards
2019 Awards
Best Intro Scene (Given by: Team Michigan Macabre)
