RECAP:  Fright Manor gets underway across a wooden bridge and into a spooky cemetery adorned with coffins and tombstones, and inhabited by a screeching ghoul and a mysterious gravedigger that slams his shovel into the ground, then noisily drags his spade behind him as he limps along in pursuit into Terror In The Woods, where more caskets litter the light-starved forest, and lost souls rise from the dead and are buried alive!  A claustrophobic passageway into the 666 Church ruled by The Devil himself finds demonic spirits rising out of their earthen tombs, and second encounter with Satan that yields through a dimly lit corridor of illuminating masks, short-circuiting electricity, floating ghosts, witches, and multiple pneumatic skeletons before dumping into a horn-honking, lights flashing, near-miss hit and run!

Conflicts ensue from a strange monster cutting the liver out of an unfortunate sufferer; a crazed, straight-jacketed lunatic conversing with a severed head, and a “choose your own fate” segment identified as “Not so Dangerous” and “Dangerous,” the latter of which leads straight into the depths of Hell, where a Leatherface-like maniac armed with a chainsaw sets his sights on skinning you alive!  Ducking through a secret passageway empties into a haunted kitchen, where pots and pans rattle on their own, and bodies dangle from iron shackles inside a freezer!

More scares originate from dual confrontations with Michael Myers in the Strode family living room, slithering through a fireplace, a somewhat expected surprise within an area of glowing hockey masks, the sudden emergence of a restrained captive having chains strapped to his wrists, and barrels that come toppling down as the path maneuvers its way across a flimsy, wooden bridge!

In the clown house, killer jesters rip a girl in two while other funsters laugh wickedly, and taunt while holding a decapitated head!  Leaving the circus departs into a murderous meat market operated by a deadly butcher having a mallet for one hand and a spinning saw blade for the other!  Escape through a crawl space lands in the fenced confines of an angry, barking dog that’s none too happy about your arrival!  Cramped, narrowing hallways shrink and pinch furtherance that accesses more mechanical startles ahead of interrupting a hospital operation being performed by the mad Dr. Butcher who announces, “Look!  He needs a little blood!” as he launches a plasma-filled bed pan splattering anyone within reach!  Bodies spring off of gurneys, and the only way out is through a claustrophobic tunnel with the diabolical surgeon and his bloody scalpel hot on your trail!  A chainsaw-packing fiend waits in the wings guaranteed to put a "Smile" on your face while exiting Fright Manor!

ANALYSIS:  This year’s Fright Manor is comprised of three segments all rolled into one.  Beginning with The Undead graveyard, continuing into Scream at South Hollow for skirmishes with killer clowns and Boogeyman Myers, and climaxing in Slice and Dice at the hands of deadly Dr. Butcher and the Smiling clown, this old-school haunted attraction never disappoints!  As advertised, if you’re expecting fancy props, you won’t find them here.  But if you’re looking for dingy, creepy scares, then you’ve come to the right place!  Soundtrack is loud and complimentary at times, but quiet in the cemetery.  Lighting is appropriate for the occasion.  Multiple attack zones are cleverly built into the sets providing actors more than one opportunity to engage and interact with patrons, thus better compensating for staffing shortages being experienced in most businesses these days.  This is exemplified with the dual altercations with Myers referenced above, and is the case on several other occasions with different characters as well.

The attraction has always been appreciated for utilizing “tricks of the trade” like secret passages, and for its unique ideas, like the shrinking claustrophobic tunnel, crawl spaces, and chained captive noisily lunging forth, which is one of their long-time, trademark scares!  They also come up with ingenious plays on words as is the case with 666 Church, Dr. Butcher, etc. This year’s event also incorporates a choice of paths (Dangerous vs. Not so Dangerous) into the route allowing customers to “pick their own poison” so to speak.

Dr. Butcher, Myers, clowns and “Smile” masked villain are best actors of the night.  Exploits of well-known serial killers and impressive levitation scene present on our last visit are missed.  Character dialogue could be improved upon.

General admission costs $25, and parking is free.  Proceeds benefit The Southport Little League.  Pay them a visit to support their annual fundraiser and join Fright Manor in celebrating its 40^th anniversary as "Indy's Scariest Haunted House!"