RECAP:  Back in the secluded hills of Beaver, Ohio rests the old western Ghost Town of Dogwood Pass.  Each October, the village transforms to Hell City, where customers are required to give their souls to the Devil upon entrance!  The exploration encompasses acres and acres of dense forest, hilly terrain, and several wooden shacks hiding a variety of scares.  Loud gunshots are heard inciting the emergence of an irate brute armed with an axe that comes running out of the darkness pursuing trespassers into The Boot Hill Cemetery.  Paying our respects to the dearly departed soon takes the course to The We Slaughter Meats Bar-b-que joint that hides an unexpected chainsaw assault.  Fleeing down 30 feet crosses an unsteady, swaying, squeaking bridge, into a sequence of Hollywood horror movie recreations beginning with Ghostface from Scream.  A pause in the film tributes provides the opportunity for another chainsaw battle as the path makes its way to Camp Crystal Lake, where an innocent girl pleads, “Help me!  Help me!” only to have Jason Voorhees grab her, place his machete to her throat, and force her inside a cabin to meet her demise!  Dodging the notorious Friday the 13^th slasher, the excursion ventures beneath a skull archway into a haunted cornfield adorned with tombstones before entering a building’s boiler room witnesses Freddy Krueger emerging through an adjacent wall!  “You’re in my world now!” the Nightmare on Elm Street villain boasts as rounding the bend finds him looking you right in the eye!

Uneven ground and whispers asking, “Is anyone out there?” abandon through a series of upright, wooden crate mazes and laser lights that point the way to a strange lady sitting on the floor spelling “Get Out” and “Die” with baby blocks!  Other scenes include a demented girl chewing on a severed arm, conflicts with killer clowns, and a brief entrapment in a room occupied by a deceitful ghoul who gives us just 10 seconds to locate a door handle in order to, “Get out or die!”  Just in the nick of time, a previously unseen escape route is discovered that exposes, a sign warning, “The Purge has begun!” as the trail redirects into a dark maze containing a hidden entrance to "The Montgomery Mine Shaft" that descends to what appears to be a dead end!  Trapped by a hungry, bloody-mouthed zombie, Shaft #2 conceals the only way out!  Finding it eventually brings about a face-to-face, Halloween skirmish with Michael Myers, the elusion from which builds a short-lived, false sense of security, as just when you think it’s safe, The Boogeyman bursts through a refrigerator door ready to stab whoever he can get his hands on!  Seeking freedom through a shrinking tunnel reveals ghostly apparitions, and mysterious projections on the old West buildings chaperoning liberation from Horror at Dogwood Pass!

ANALYSIS:  The legitimate structures of the old West village located among hilly, wooded terrain create an ideal setting for a seasonal haunted attraction!  Dogwood Pass features a number of mechanical and pneumatic startles, flashing and flickering lights, CGIs, frightening sounds, etc. throughout the lengthy course.   Many hidden doors in dark rooms and walls are also excellently incorporated into the route!  Gunshots heard at beginning of the adventure set the stage for all the ensuing scares!  Soundtrack is good and lighting is adequate, although some of the landscape could stand to better lit for safety concerns.  Movie reenactments are well done, and bring familiarity to the event.  Jason and Freddy deliver the best performances of the night, with honorable mention going to Myers, Devil, and brute with the axe.  Additional actors and better dialogue would elevate the score even higher.  Squeaky, swaying bridge is the best, most memorable prop.  Spooky illumination of the forest high up on the hill is likewise appreciated.  The only weaknesses stem from flow issues caused by the movie scenes being split up, and the existence of a couple of additional lines found along the trail that delay entrance into a few structures.  Finding a way to better spread groups out, or hold them up in prior scenes so these waits aren’t necessary would prove beneficial.

Horror at Dogwood Pass has a really nice setup taking full advantage of the old Wild West town!  Their performance earned them a spot on our list of Top 13 Attractions!  Cost of admission is $20 and parking is free.  OVH really enjoyed our first trip to Dogwood Pass and recommends paying them a visit!