Despite being a lifelong lover of the horror genre, I have to admit that I’ve never cared for the whole haunted house attraction concept. Call me crazy, but I never understood why I should lay down my money so that people in costumes can jump out from around corners at me. It’s thrilling to some, yes, but I find it to be comparable to dry toast and would rather watch paint dry.
Still, there are exceptions to the rule, as I envy those who were able to experience any attractions tied to the Resident Evil and Silent Hill franchises (yes, they did exist). Similarly, an attraction officially spun from the Saw line of films has caught my attention as well.
Set to open on January 26 in Las Vegas, Nevada, “‘The Official SAW Escape Experience’ will feature numerous themed rooms where guests will go toe-to-toe with the notorious Jigsaw. After entering what appears to be an old, abandoned meat-packing plant, guests will be plunged into a world of traps and puzzles where they will need to work together to escape not just a single room, but the twists and turns of an entire building. The iconic SAW bathroom scene will be just one of the many highlights along the way, as visitors are put to the test in what has been designed to be an entirely immersive experience and one of the largest escape attractions in the world.”
After reading that, not only does this thing sound like a ton of fun, but one has to wonder if patrons will be able to “die” as one would during a game of paintball, thus making the experience feel more authentic. Suffice it to say, this sounds like the horror lover’s equivalent of The Wizarding World of Harry Potter, only with disembodied limbs strewn about.
Fright Dome creator Jason Egan, who partnered with Lionsgate to make this a reality, had this to offer:
“Over the years we have become known for having one of the top haunted attractions. Back in 2009 and 2010, I had the privilege of partnering with Lionsgate to base haunted houses on the ominous SAW films, so it was only fitting that when my team began to make plans to launch a large-scale escape experience that we again turned to one of the most popular horror franchises of all time.”
Before doors open, be sure to pick up the latest entry in the Saw franchise, Jigsaw, when it arrives Blu-ray and DVD on January 23 – Amazon is now taking pre-orders.
