Rounding up a scary good time

Whether watching a man pound nails into his head or screaming your own head off in honor of Halloween is your pleasure, haunted houses around the valley are guaranteed to satiate every one of your sadistic needs.

At least six local haunted houses, each with different appeals and themes, are available for kids and adults alike. Freakling Brothers Inc.'s cofounder and owner Duke Mollner has been in the freak-out business for more than 20 years.

After starting his first haunted house in 1976 out of his private residence, Mollner has mastered the art of putting up and taking down equipment during the month of October. Part of a show business brethren, Mollner's haunted houses have evolved into an annual event held at three locations around town.

"We started doing this in our home in 1976 when there was nothing like it here," Mollner said. "We were it, and because we were the only ones doing it, we got a lot of publicity. Almost 1,000 people would stand in line to go into the house and get some candy. In 1992, we moved to a new home and someone suggested we do this on a commercial basis. We decided to build the Circus of Horrors. We never dreamed it would be that popular. It was overwhelming. But after a couple of years it was so hard to put it up, we developed the trailer concept."

Mollner now has three haunted houses around town: the Mortuary at 1301 W. Sunset Road; the Black Box at 2321 N. Rainbow Blvd.; and the Dungeon at 5051 E. Bonanza Road, which will retire itself this year to give way to a whole new concept.

Mollner attributes part of the success of the houses to the type of scare he provides. He doesn't waste his time on fake blood or visible dead people. The fear his houses inspire is far more psychologically based, thus a lot more real. He situates his entrance and exit right next to each other so people can be seen screaming and running out of the building.

"I try to stay away from blood and gore," Mollner said. "I've felt it's the easy way out. If you present the scares in a certain order to heighten the experience, by the time they come to the last scare, you get the effect you want. All three of my shows get about 90 percent of people to run out screaming."

While psychological terror suits Mollner just fine, other enthusiasts opt for shock value.

Captain Howdy's name makes him sound whimsical despite a bag of tricks that begs the question, "Why would anyone want to do that?" He has been employed by the Asylum of Terror at Jones Boulevard and U.S. Highway 95 in the Smith's parking lot, as well as Cirque Du Demone at the parking lot at the Fantastic Indoor Swap Meet on Decatur Boulevard at Oakey.

Captain Howdy, aka Douglas Pitts, is the human equivalent of a car wreck. Whether it's the long needle he sticks directly through his arm, or the nail he hammers into his skull, Pitts guarantees to give audiences a grimace.

"I've been involved in haunted houses since I was knee high," Pitts said. "My stunts range from the blockhead to flame to a bed of nails, but I always tell people not to try it at home. I had a great mentor, and that's the only way to truly learn how to do this without seriously hurting yourself."

As for Rich Strelak, owner of the Asylum of Terror, his haunted house is as closely themed with the spooky concept of an asylum as possible. He uses local high school students as some of the actors in his productions.

But all haunted houses are not exclusively designed to make people cry out. The FrightDome at Circus Circus offers something a bit more tame, including a decorated haunted arcade, a monster midway, two stage shows and three haunted houses, open from 7 p.m. to midnight for $29.95 per person through Friday. Those interested can call 794-3939.

Freakling Brothers houses are open through Saturday. Hours of operation for those attractions are 6:30 p.m. to midnight Friday and Saturday, 6:30 to 11 p.m. Sunday through Thursday. The cost is $9 per person or $21 for all three attractions. Those interested can call 362-FEAR or visit www.freaklingbros.com.

Cirque Du Demone is scheduled to be open through Friday, with all ticket prices $13. Those interested can call 339-5522 or visit www.dbdhaunt.com.

The Asylum of Terror Haunted House is open through Saturday, from 6:30 to 10 p.m. today and Thursday, and 6:30 to midnight Friday and Saturday and will feature Captain Howdy at 8 p.m. today. Tickets are $10 per person. Those interested can call 631-6682 or visit www.asylum-lv.com. Those interested in learning more about Captain Howdy can call 301-2210 or log onto http://hometown.aol .com/theecaptainhowdy/.

Other haunted houses around the Las Vegas Valley include:

¥ The Halloween Haunt at Karate For Kids, 3270 N. Buffalo Road, from 4-8 p.m., Thursday and Friday. This haunted house is free and Karate For Kids will be giving away grab bags, free classes and prizes. Those interested can call 645-5425.

¥ Fright Sight: The Haunted Maze is sponsored by the Henderson Rotary Club, and features performances by Shawn Ealy and his band Dripline. The event is scheduled through Saturday in front of Pioneer Americas, on the corner of Lake Mead Parkway at Reserve Boulevard in Henderson. The cost is $15 per person, hours of operation are from dusk til late evening.

¥ Screamers Haunted House, 5115 S. Industrial Road. This scarefest features an exorcist room, a baby crypt, a toxic waste room and a crushing area where the ceiling actually lowers to create the illusion guests are about to be flattened. Next up is the clown puppet theater and the alien spaceship autopsy room, en route to a chilling swamp and the chain saw massacre room. Admission is $10, and the house is open seven days a week through Nov. 7 from 6 p.m. to 2 a.m.


<<--[back]