RECAP:  The O’ville Trail of Terror begins at Captain Spaulding’s roadside attraction, also known as The Museum of Monsters and Madmen.  Pointing at a replica of Dr. Satan, “Cutter” briefly recaps a storyline from Rob Zombie’s House of 1000 Corpses and The Devil’s Reject about the body of the aforementioned Satan going missing, thus foreshadowing events soon to unfold.  Dodging an unexpected sledgehammer assault, the adventure continues through the remainder of the big top area where killer clowns laugh and attack, and a strange creature is seen bent over backwards and crawling upside down somewhat blocking the path ahead!  Corridors infested with spider-webs soon connect to Elm Street conjuring multiple appearances by Freddy Krueger, the best being that of a young, sleeping girl being abducted out of her bed when the notorious Nightmare slasher emerges through her bedroom wall!

Lightless walkways conceal random ghouls in advance of the first conflict playing off earlier references to Dr. Satan that witnesses The Devil himself proclaiming, "I'll be seeing you soon!"  True to his words, the course progresses to The Crossroads for another chilling clash with the immoral Lord of the Underworld, and the option to choose your own destiny by selecting the road to Heaven or Hell, which results in the surprise of the night that we’re not giving away!

Other scenes include fence mazes inhabited by knife-wielding clowns, a run-in with an antlered deadhead, and a series of misdirected guidance courtesy of a variety of attackers assertively announcing, “Wrong way!”  A spooky cemetery filled with werewolves returns the journey into the darkness and uncertainty of a pitch-black maze.  Successful navigation brings about the eventual escape from The O'ville Trail of Terror.

ANALYSIS:  Annually held at the Clermont County Fairgrounds, the past few seasons have brought change and rebranding to the attraction due to relocation of the event from the isolated woods to its new indoor venue.  Operating on a limited budget, the site makes the most of their opportunities setting up scares with the initial Captain Spaulding encounter that cleverly play out later in the course at The Devil’s Crossroads, the best scare of the night!  Mazes are well done – dark, confusing, and populated by a number of antagonists.  Most villains are armed with threatening weapons that serve to amplify their engagements.  Devil, Freddy, and Spaulding give great performances.  Backwards crawler is memorable.  Kid dressed in black provided a terrific jump scare when he came out of nowhere, previously concealed by darkness!  Strobes and lasers contribute to the environment.  Additional props, decoration, and detailing with less reliance on black plastic would elevate the score.  Lengthening overall duration and improvements to the soundtrack would also prove beneficial.  Costumes could be improved upon as well.

Admission is only $10 and parking is free.  Funds support the Senior Fairboard.  Pay them a visit for some affordable, seasonal entertainment!