ROB ZOMBIE’S GREAT AMERICAN NIGHTMARE
Review by Patrick Desmond
Rolling into Rob Zombie’s Great American Nightmare, I wasn’t sure what to expect. A huge haunt based around the music and films of the incomparable Rob Zombie sounds awesome to me, but would it only satisfy the rabid Rob Zombie film fans and music fans, or could it reach and entertain a wider audience? Possibly a fine line to walk–including enough fan favorites and “insider” material to interest those who came because it was a Rob Zombie attraction, yet making it “outsider-friendly” enough that non-fans weren’t alienated or confused, and felt they got their money’s worth. These attractions walk that line quite well, and even if you aren’t a fan of the films they represent, you’ll still have a frightening and fun time.
Standing outside afterwards, as I digested all I’d seen, I was asked by someone still waiting in line, “Was it worth it?” I answered, “Definitely, yes.” And here’s why…
Rob Zombie’s Great American Nightmare mixes three different styles of haunted attractions in one, which makes for a long and intense trip. All three attractions are based on Rob’s movies and are pitch-perfect representations of each.
First up is the Lords of Salem, a blackout-maze haunt. Feeling your way through dark corridors, never knowing what (or who) is going to be lurking around the next corner was disorienting and absolutely frightening.
If that’s not your kind of scare, and blackout-mazes are generally not mine either, the next attraction might be your cup of terror. The Haunted World of El Superbeasto mixes eerie weirdness of a black light hallucination with the cartoon-esque characters for a magical experience. El Super Beasto is, like the film, absolutely over the top, fun and satisfying.
The third attraction was my personal favorite and the one I had most anticipated–walking smack-dab into Captain Spaulding’s Murder Ride from House of a Thousand Corpses. Imagine Captain Spaulding’s twisted lair stretched out before you with great detail on key serial killers: Ed Gein and John Wayne Gacy (to name a few). The Murder Ride is reminiscent of a different era when roadside attractions were much more common, and there is nothing like getting to experience a 3–D, immersive, representation of Spaulding’s roadside attraction in the flesh. I have to admit, one of my most interesting fan-boy moments was having an in-depth conversation with Sid Haig, the actor who plays Captain Spaulding, about some similar roadside attractions I had seen while growing up.
Rob Zombie’s Great American Nightmare is one of the best and most diverse haunted attractions I have ever visited. The other host location in Arizona has, in the style of Rob Zombie with no two appearances being exactly alike, a different variation on the haunts. I only wish I could get out there to see it!
If you were lucky enough to make it to the opening night, Rob Zombie played live. I had seen the band several months before, and I wondered to as I fought my way to the front of the stage—what can I expect? I was blown away.
The show had a different set list than the previous show on this tour that I had seen. It was fun seeing them do the Rob Zombie classics, but also mix it up with covers and extras. It was clear the band had been on the road and playing show after show—all members were in sync and playing like a well-oiled machine. The amount of energy that Rob Zombie and the band put out live is infections. I find that seeing him live, I am so amped up, it is tough to go to sleep afterwards. I have to think to myself how tough it must be to do shows back to back like that, and living that way.
The night was filled with extended guitar solos, including one in which the absolutely underrated John 5 morphed the tune into the Munster’s theme song—while playing a Munster-themed guitar. Other surprises included an extended cover of James Brown’s “Sex Machine,” which you simply must hear to believe. Johnny Ramone’s wife was in the audience, and the band ripped out a kick-ass Ramone’s cover in tribute. This particular night just happened to be Sherri Moon Zombie’s birthday, and she came out onstage to be serenaded by both the band and the audience.
If Rob Zombie plays live near you, or his haunted attraction is anywhere near you, I would highly recommend going. You will absolutely NOT be disappointed.
Invalid Displayed Gallery
Photography by: Thao Le
