Released: October 3, 2017
Director: Jon Schnitzer
Screenplay: Jon Schnitzer
Opening with a definition of haunts and the so-called "scare industry," Haunters takes an in-depth look at several prominent members of the haunt community ranging from amateur to professional before taking a deep dive into the world of extreme haunts. The main subjects of the documentary, who all take center-stage in talking head interviews, b-roll footage, and voiceover, are Shar Mayer, legendary haunt actor, Donald Julson, maze designer for traditional semi-pro haunt "Nightmare on Loganberry," and Russ McKamey, owner and creator of the infamous extreme haunt, McKamey Manor. In between are snippets of interviews with other famous haunters and horror icons, including Jason Blum, the Soska Sisters, and fear specialist Margee Kerr.
Without question, Mayer is the most endearing interviewee. She radiates a pure love for her work that's infectious and will be familiar to most lifelong horror fans. She also offers keen insight into the world of haunts and what attracts actors and creators to an industry that demands so much of their time, physicality, and mental energy to deliver quality scares. It's hard not to feel the warm fuzzies when Mayer describes the world of horror, and the haunt community in particular, as her family, and how her passion for scaring others has shaped her into the woman she is today. With horror such a huge part of my own identity, I related to Mayer's story and applaud her years of work.
Perhaps less heartwarming are the segments focusing on Julson, though no one can argue that he is not equally as dedicated to his craft. A former props master for Universal (he worked on Van Helsing), Julson decided to create his own haunt when he found himself out of a job. The resulting attraction, "Nightmare on Loganberry," now involves his whole family, but puts considerable strain on his marriage. His wife is quite vocal with her reservations about the haunt world and how much time her husband spends working on the haunt and obsessing over Halloween. Her position is understandable and shines a light on the intense time commitment demanded not just by her husband's creation, but all haunts. That said, it can still feel awkward to watch the two shoot passive aggressive statements at one another in their shared interviews, and there's a sense that they may have more issues to work through than just time management skills.
Mayer and Julson aside, the bulk of Haunters centers around the extreme McKamey Manor and its notorious owner, Russ McKamey. His "manor" is far-and-away the most infamous extreme haunt in America. A wedding singer by day, McKamey also found fame by building and operating his own haunt, but not all the attention is positive. McKamey Manor is the only known extreme haunt without a safe word (though participants can quit at certain stages) and forgoes the traditional boo-scares for one-on-one psychological and physical manipulation. Many have derided McKamey's work as torture rather than haunting, but McKamey argues that he's just giving his customers (who are required to pay for the experience only in cans of dog food) what they want--the wait list for the Manor is several thousand people long and everyone selected to participate must endure a rigorous screening process before being accepted. Schnitzer presents both sides of the argument surrounding McKamey Manor equally, leaving it up to the viewer to decide where they fall on such a controversial haunt experience.
Those involved in the scare industry are a dedicated, passionate people, and Haunters explores their world with heart and appreciation. Though it doesn't peer into some corners as closely as it could have, the film tackles a lot in a relatively short runtime. In the end, it's an entertaining love letter to the art of frightening people for fun and an interesting new entry to the horror documentary sub-genre.
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