'Tis the season – for monsters and mayhem! Already halfway through October, Halloween is weeks away – but, like Derby, it's a celebration that lasts all month. Decorations, pumpkins, scary movies, and, most importantly, haunted houses. Louisville is graced with the presence of several of these homes of terror, and thus it is something quite possibly taken for granted by attendees. Many people see it as a staple, and thus aren't fully aware of all the work and dedication it takes to get these attractions up and running.
Enter local filmmaker William McHugh, who decided to explore the phenomenon firsthand and document the creation of a haunted house. His new documentary Screamer
, which was in and out of production for seven years, follows entrepreneurs Matt Kemp and Phil Granger as they create the haunted attraction Psychomania in southern Indiana. The film shows the long, hard journey behind creating and maintaining such a thing – while we, the patrons, see it one month out of a year, it is a full-time year-round job, fraught with peril and potential disaster – such as the accidental burning of the 12,000 square foot building.
The film also takes a look into familiar haunted houses such as the Baxter Avenue Morgue and the Haunted Hotel, as well as featuring interviews with haunted house experts (which are apparently a thing).
Screamer
makes its premiere tomorrow, Saturday, in the Grand Ballroom of the Sheraton River Side Hotel, located at 700 W. Riverside Drive in Jeffersonville. Tickets are $10.00 online (and can be found here) or $12.00 at the door – and proceeds go to benefit the Dream Factory, so it's for a good cause.
Image: press release
