Now that Midsummer Scream is a few days behind us, I can finally sit down and collect some thoughts on it. While the convention had some incredibly massive offerings this year, I was so busy running around, I was unable to see all of them! But, I did want to write about three of the more immersive experiences I was able to see on the show floor, because they were fantastic.
Stash House: Give Up The Ghost
A few months back, we visited Ray and his Stash House, which was essentially an escape room love letter to Los Angeles, and loved it. I was intrigued as to how a non-horror room was going to fit into a horror convention, and I have to say, I was completely blown away by it.
Much like the escape room, Ray was in need of our help to recruit a certain drug dealer into his fold called “Ghost.” Of course, it wouldn’t be easy, and we had to convince this Ghost to join Ray subtlety. After his associate slipped us some…recreational plant-life…myself and fellow HorrorBuzz writer Taylor Thorne set off to find a fortune teller. Once we found her in the Hall of Shadows, we played along as she told our fortune, while complaining about needing some relaxation. After we slipped her the baggie we received upstairs, she went off to take her 15, and told us to cover for her.
We looked through her station, put on her clothes, and found instructions on how to read fortunes…easy enough, right? It wasn’t long before a suspicious looking guy came over, and wanted his fortune read. Taylor adopted her best fake Russian accent, and I became her fortune teller in training, and we read a fortune for this suspicious looking man…while very gently nudging him to join a partnership he had been considering.
All in all, this was an incredibly fun and unexpected offering from Stash House, and definitely fit well into the convention overall. If you’ve not done their room yet, you absolutely should! I really hope they do more pop-up stuff like this in the future, because it was super unique, especially for an escape room!
Find them online at: https://www.stashhou.se
Shine On Collective: Echoes in the Dark
Shine On has always been one of our favorite immersive companies in LA. Last year’s Sweet Dreams was a fun take on the tale of Sleeping Beauty, while their Devoted series will forever remain one of my favorites.
Their Midsummer Scream experience was a 7-minute audio experience, in which a recorded voice told a short story within a space they created. Taking a cue from Frankenstein, when I visited on Sunday, I took on the role of the creator. His tormenting voice filled my ears, as I was able to explore his workshop and his findings. Mad scribblings filled the walls as his lover, played by Karlie Blair, tried to pull me away from the work.
Though simple, it was very powerful. Victor’s words in my ears, instructing me on what to do, when to pull away from his significant other, when to pick up the chalk and continue to work, was lots of fun, and showed a sort of madness that he had been living in. When his own creation betrays him, it was a powerful moment, and the madness overtook me.
Saturday’s offering was slightly different, with the “monster” he created being the focal point, but I heard it was equally as good. I cannot wait to see what comes next in this storyline, and look forward to seeing how they continue to tackle this classic story.
You can find them at: http://www.shineoncollective.com
Screenshot Productions: Prologue
I’ll be honest, it’s been a few years since I have seen one of the Screenshot Productions shows, but I have to say, I am incredibly pleased that I got a chance to see this one. While this was just a play test of a longer experience they hope to have later this year, to me, Prologue was almost like a fully realized show. A 15-minute solo experience, I am unsure of how to even describe it.
Yes, they may be a bit heady for some people at times, but this was an incredibly moving (and relaxing) experience that was hidden away in the chaos of the convention center.
It opened with a game; I had to make the opposite images that the actor made using dark and light pieces of wood. Of course, this was made all the more complicated, because I was sitting on a cart with him, while someone steered us around the show floor. This wasn’t the case for everyone, though; some people played the game while the game pieces were taped to other’s hands. Others were taken down hidden hallways and played. Each one opened differently.
However, once inside the small room they had for the main portion of the show, I was in awe. They managed to transform the small space into an incredible dreamscape filled with lights and sounds. It was relaxing, unnerving, and incredibly well done all around.
To me, this reminded me of moments from their initial show, Fear Is What We Learned Here, and I loved every second of it. Definitely check out the full version when it comes around.
You can find them online at: http://screenshot.productions
A big thanks to Midsummer Scream for allowing these creators a space to showcase upcoming offerings and test new things. I always enjoy these mini-experiences, and only wish I had more time to see them! Definitely check out Midsummer Scream next year for some more amazing shows!
