# Serial killer haunted house



## Johnny Thunder (Feb 24, 2006)

Thoughts? Too far?

_NEW YORK (WABC) -- There's a controversial haunted house in Manhattan.

The house features gruesome depictions based on real-life serial killers.

Families of their victims are outraged and offended._

Link


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## Anda (Jun 20, 2012)

I understand that those who have been affected by violence will always have wounds and I sympathize with their feelings. However I don't think it's right to silence this display. 

The Texas Chainsaw Massacre, Psycho, Deranged, Silence of the Lambs and many other books and films are based upon the crimes of Ed Gein. The families of Bernice Worden and those whose graves were desecrated must be sensitive to that and hurt. I just don't think that should mean that the artists are forbidden from using him as an example. Or that we shouldn't be able to use their art to explore our feelings.


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## Eric Striffler (May 6, 2006)

I've been going to this haunt for 5 or 6 years and I just attended last weekend, it's not offensive at all. At no point did I even consider there could be any sort of controversy. As he pointed out, the only reason you know any of these killers is because they've already BEEN sensationalized. People just like to complain.


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## BioHazardCustoms (Aug 5, 2009)

I'm going to have to agree with ES here. People just want something to whine about. Someone noticed that this man was making money from the depiction of actual serial killers, thought "Hey, I wish I could get some money from that" and decided to start calling news agencies to complain, hoping he would pay them off to shut them up. 
*
"The whole world knows who a John Wayne Gacey and Jeffrey Dahmer, or a Ted Bundy is, but nobody can ever name their victims," said Andy Kahn, of Parents of Murdered Children.*

This is because the NEWS MEDIA sensationalizes the killer's identity when he/she is finally captured. The owner of this haunt plainly states that he does not identify the serial killers, but no one has a problem knowing who they are. If he doesn't identify them, what exactly does this advocacy group have to bitch and moan about? By not identifying the serial killers, he technically is not profiting from the family's loss.

A quote:
*"Have they gotten their approval to glorify murders of their loved ones?" the man asked.*
Why do we have to have your approval to depict graphic violence/bloodshed in a haunted house? Are you suddenly the "Don't-depict-blood-and-guts-police"? What, specifically, gives you the right to suppress someone's artistic creativity based upon your personal preference? If that is the case, why do you not contact major motion picture studios and demand that they stop depicting serial killers in movies? I'll tell you why you don't do that. Because Hollywood would eat you for breakfast. The lawyers there would laugh at any individual who showed up demanding that they stop depicting serial killers/slashers. You're attacking an independent haunted attraction owner because you believe that you have a fair shot at getting him shut down, due to the fact that word of mouth drives his business harder than anything else.

Let's be truthful here. The texas chainsaw massacre was loosely based off of Ed Gein. The saw franchise was based off of H. H. Holmes and his big Chicago hotel/ torture maze. Halloween could be any serial killer with a mask fixation. There have been a couple of movies about J.W. Gacy. You never hear about someone throwing a fit to get one of these movies shut down. They know that Hollywood would destroy them in little to no time. This has absolutely nothing to do with the serial killer depiction. Some lackey from an advocacy group has decided to see if he/she can get this man to shut down because he is getting bad press coverage. I, personally, think that the haunt owner should keep his door open and ignore these people until they go away. If he lets them win, it opens the door to the rest of that haunted attraction industry to be bombarded with BS.

This disgusts me, to say the least.

***EDIT**
Please don't get the wrong idea. I completely believe that the families of murder victims should have some type of outlet for their grief. After looking through the group's website, though, it looks like an extremist organization in my opinion.*


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## ironlou (Sep 23, 2012)

I see nothing wrong with it. I wish I was near there to check it out myself.


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## Eric Striffler (May 6, 2006)

Here's a GREAT interview with creator Timothy Haskell: http://www.fangoria.com/index.php/moviestv/fearful-features/7867-annual-haunt-the-serial-killers-of-nycs-qnightmareq

Goes into the making of the haunt, as well as the "controversy" surrounding it.


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## ironlou (Sep 23, 2012)

Thanks for that review. Wow. He is right in that I, like him, have an interest in serial killers. Its the thought process they must go through to rationalize doing what they do. ive read many books and Dahmer and Gein are the ones that Im intrigued most about. Can you share any scenes you got to see Eric?


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## Eric Striffler (May 6, 2006)

One of my favorites was a courtroom set-up in which Dahmer stood and gave his speech, and another was the streets of London with Jack the Ripper. Also I have to give major props to the Dexter room, he actually put Dexter in this serial killer-based haunted house. I didn't think he'd go there but I'm so glad he did because it was AWESOME and the actor was GREAT. I don't want to give too much away! They'll probably post videos soon, I'll keep an eye out and post them here if they do.


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## Gorylovescene (Sep 18, 2011)

Thank you for sharing that interview, Eric- it was a good read, and the questions were so relevant to the topic of the controversy surrounding the house. It is unfortunate that people are so keen to be angry about things they choose not to be informed about. It sounds like he gave this all a lot of thought, and really took care to play to people's fears without making it personal for victims' families, or picking at fresh wounds (so to speak).


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## skeletonowl (Aug 8, 2006)

If the families don't like it they should just stay away from it. Doesn't seem like anything is wrong here.


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## Dan The Welder (Jul 18, 2012)

I believe Haunted houses should be under freedom of assembly, it's only an expressive way to celebrate halloween and it should end there


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