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Review: Haunted Rose in Whittier Museum

Insanity from the stars has been unleashed upon the Whittier Museum. Some deranged experiment by an esoteric society known as The Haunted Rose has opened doorways to vast dimensions beyond our understanding, and the strange inhabitants who dwell within the Realm of the Supernatural have entered our world, eager to unleash their fury upon the human race.

The strange, spider-like creature on the sign above the entrance would appear to the distracted senses of average passersby to be nothing more than a mere seasonal decoration – would that it were true! Alas, to those of us cursed with knowledge of horrible dangers lurking beyond the usual realm of our senses, this arachnid monstrosity is a harbinger of doom – a warning of the terrors now unleashed within the museum’s once hallowed halls.

Enter if you dare, but the only reward for foolish curiosity will be a mind-rending attack upon your perception of reality, driven by the appearance of multiple ghoulish creatures beyond imagining. The museum is not only inhabited; it is transformed. The familiar structures and displays still exist in this time continuum, but other scenes and settings have been transposed on top of them – a bizarre overlay comprised of fragmentary bits of other worlds – past, future, parallel – who can tell? All I know is that the once pleasant walk through the familiar surroundings has become a gallery of horrors painted by demented minds from beyond.

Once I was naive as you – I dared look beyond the veil, and what I saw will now haunt me the rest of my days – may they be short! Be not so foolish as I – stay away if you value your sanity!

Realm of the Supernatural Rating
5

Rating Scale

1 – Avoid
2 – Not All Bad
3 – Recommended
4 – Highly Recommended
5 – Must See

With Realm of the Supernatural, The Haunted Rose achieves a level other Halloween haunted houses only aspire to. The maze fires on all cylinders, from production design to costuming and makeup to characters and performances. Everything looks great, and it feels as if all the available spaces are filled by a variety of scares – live actors, mechanics, and special effects.

It’s completely satisfying from beginning to end, and it’s hard to imagine how it could be improved. This is probably the best scary walk-through maze we entered this season. We give it our highest recommendation.

The Haunted Rose continues at the Whittier Museum on Sunday, Halloween Night, 6-11pm. Tickets are $5 and can be purchased at the door.  The address is 6755 Newlin Avenue in Whittier.

Get more information at thehauntedrosehaunt.weebly.com.

Note: There was also a display of hearses in the parking lot on October 30.

Realm of Supernatural Review: Photographs

Steve Biodrowski, Administrator

A graduate of USC film school, Steve Biodrowski has worked as a film critic, journalist, and editor at Movieline, Premiere, Le Cinephage, The Dark Side., Cinefantastique magazine, Fandom.com, and Cinescape Online. He is currently Managing Editor of Cinefantastique Online and owner-operator of Hollywood Gothique.