In this podcast episode, Sydoney Banks reviews the haunted attraction Mill of Madness, highlighting its immersive and theatrical elements that set it apart from traditional haunted houses. The discussion covers the unique storytelling aspect, the quality of the actors, and comparisons to other attractions in Arizona. The episode also emphasizes the importance of supporting family-owned haunts and teases upcoming Halloween events. https://millofmadness.com/ https://qrco.de/beJjEa
takeaways
Chapters
00:00 Introduction to Mill of Madness
05:11 Theatrical Elements and Storytelling
10:03 Comparison with Other Attractions
12:53 Family-Owned vs Corporate Attractions
15:57 Upcoming Events and Halloween Special
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Sydoney Banks (00:01.142)
Alright, and hello everybody and welcome to Haunted Attraction and Horgallore podcast. And today I'm going to be talking about a haunted attraction we just went through. And it is called Mill of Madness. Now this is second year in. And let me just say they stepped it up big time from last year. And it is quite amazing.
We had a lot of fun going through this. We went through at least twice. And each time was really good and I would say even though it was the same there are things that were different. So you can even go through more than once in this attraction and you wouldn't get the same experience twice. Now, middle of madness, they don't just call themselves a haunted attraction, they are like a haunted experience.
Or I would even call them a haunted play. They're very theatrical. And it's not just a haunted house where you walk through from scene to scene and get scared. You actually walk through scene to scene and there are even little plays in between. So sometimes you'll stop and there's a little bit of a scene going on.
It's not just going through and being scared, you're actually going through and being stopped and told a story. Now the group that we were with did not understand that, so they were like, why are we stopping, we wanna keep going, plus they were terrified. So that was kinda funny, but just so you all know before you go, this is not just a walkthrough on an attraction. It is an immersive
interactive horror show that makes you a part of each scene as you go through. The storyline is completely different than last year. They kept some of the scenes that were popular and that worked. Even though they've kept some of the scenes, they have completely facelifted the whole entire attraction, so it is very much new this year.
Sydoney Banks (02:20.074)
even though some things may feel or seem the same, they have added or have changed a lot. And the story, like I said, is completely different, the storyline. The actors and actresses did a phenomenal job. They do so good with the acting and the dialogue and being in character. So, me and the other
reviewer who went through were quite impressed with how immersive and how into the story they are and how good they are at acting and reacting to the audience and changing within a swivel if the audience says or does something. So their improv skills are on point, which they have to be when you're doing like an interactive theater. Now I will say
This reminded me of something I learned in theater class, which was a while ago, and it's Grand Guignol. Grand Guignol. Which, I hope I didn't say that wrong. Probably did. It's a French, theater thing that started back a long time ago, and it was kind of like the horror gore theater. And it started. You can look it up and go more into it, but they-
They started kind of the live theatrical horror theater with blood and guts and story. And that's kind of what it made me think of. And going back to when I was in college and learned about that and kind of what it was and what it is. And it's quite cool because again, this is a history thing that started a long time ago and what it was.
And like I said, technically it was short plays, popular in Paris in the 19th century, especially in the theater. And the plays were extremely violent. They were horror-based and they were very gory and pretty disgusting. Not saying that necessarily Mill of Madness is horrifying and disgusting. It is, in a way.
Sydoney Banks (04:42.476)
But that's what it reminded me of. It also reminded me of another haunted attraction, Delusion, which a long time ago was really, really cool. Now 13th Floor Entertainment Group bought it, so I'm sure it's not what it used to be. But it also kind of reminds me of that. It's probably the closest thing that Arizona has to Delusion, which is, again, it's an interactive kind of haunted play.
So it's not just an attraction where you walk through and get scared, it is a story telling haunted attraction that you go through and you watch little interactive scenes and the story is being told to you. And from the beginning to the end, the story is being told to you and you are part of it and you're being exposed to this Aurora experiment that has gone wrong and now you're infected and you're going through this madness kind of a phase.
and then you come back to kind of the normal world. So, again, very, very well done, very well written. The backstory, the sets, the makeup, the costuming, all very, very, very good. The sets completely stepped up from last year. They added a lot of new artwork and detail that wasn't there last year, that was there this year, and it was really, really cool and very much appreciated.
And again, just goes more into the story and makes it feel more realistic and is a lot more fun. So, new characters, some of the old characters, and totally a facelift. Unlike some haunts where you go through and it's the same every year and they've maybe like painted something or added a spiderweb and they, it's new and it's really the same thing over and over and over and over. They actually have, this is only the second year and they have made it completely different.
So hats off to Milla Madness and all the staff behind it that create this environment and this haunted play, this haunted journey that you're going through. Very, very cool. So right now on the website and it says, yeah, welcome to Milla Madness, where reality, un- unreal and nightmare begins. So yeah, it says, brace yourself, most immersive.
Sydoney Banks (07:08.206)
horror experience Arizona has ever seen. This year, Mill of Madness takes you beyond the edge of sanity with a story so chilling, it will blur the lines between reality and nightmare. New for 2014, the Roar experiment has gone horribly wrong. Step into the mill, step into the mind of Aurora, the mind altering enhancement drug that was supposed to unlock the human brain's full potential. But when the experiment spiraled out of control, it left
trail of madness turning its subjects into dangerous, dangerous shadows of their form selves. Now as you enter the mill, you too will feel the grip of Aurora taking hold, disorienting you sense and plummeting you into a terrifying journey where nothing is as it seems. This is not just a haunted house, it's an immersive interactive horror show that makes you a part of each
Each horrifying scene from the moment you step inside, you will be thrust into the chaos surrounded by other other hooned minds are slipping away just like yours. The story unfolds around you as you navigate through the ruins of the experiment. Each room, a new and horrifying chapter of the tale. So, yeah, wonder again, you're going through this experience as you're
You're, injected, well, pretty much airborne. You walk through this drug that's supposed to make you feel great and wonderful. And it does kind of the complete opposite. You're going through this nightmare that you don't know is it real, is it reality, is it fake? And it is completely a lot of fun, this experience. It is scary. There are parts that are scary. There are parts that are fun. There are parts that are entertaining, but it for sure...
is a fun experience that I would say you do not want to miss. With, you know, Slaughterhouse possibly closing, which I really, really don't want it to, that gives Mill of Madness easily gonna be the runner-up for the best haunted attraction in Arizona. And right behind it would be Sanctum of Horror, at least in our opinion from the haunts that we've been through and seen.
Sydoney Banks (09:35.446)
So, if that were to happen and Slaughterhouse does close, I'd say Mill of Madness and Sanctum of Horror would be the next best haunted attractions in Arizona. And each one of them, again, being different, as Sanctum's kind of more of your haunted attraction that you walk through in a scary and Mill of Madness being more of a theatrical experience horror immersive show that you go through. So again.
Two kind of different experiences, both really good. And Milla Madness, again, great job. The actors did a wonderful, wonderful job. We had a lot of fun hanging out there and watching the customers. We were there for a while and as the customers were coming out, they loved it. Each one of them loved the experience. They said it was really good. And the bubble machine, the bubble fog machine. it's bubbles of fog in it.
hands down probably the best thing that they have there. There are people that would literally come out of the haunt and spend 5 to 15 minutes playing in the bubbles. So that too is a huge new thing that wasn't there last year at least and people love it so as you come out you can play in the bubble fog and again people are spending hours it seemed like it didn't it wasn't hours but 15 to 10 minutes playing in these
bubbles and I'm saying adults not just kids there are adults taking photos and videos and playing in the bubbles so I was telling them they should add that as an extra ticket add-on because people were there for very long time playing in it so again that was a cool add-on that they added at the end kind of like the finale but great lighting again they did awesome with the sound effects and the lighting and the show and how
Each scene has its own kind of feel and story in its own way. again, great job, Milla Madness. And we are so excited to see what you do next year and how you're going to top this year. And we're very, very, very, very thankful that you let us come out and see what you had this year.
Sydoney Banks (12:02.106)
and be able to experience what you guys did and all the new things. And we're so excited to see and watch you guys grow from the first year now to the second year and hopefully many, many years to come. It is a family operated business as well, which is really cool. We really support the family own and operated haunts on like the corporate.
owned and operated haunts, you can see and feel a difference when you step into a corporate owned to a family owned attraction. There's a huge, huge, huge difference. You can feel the love and the passion in a actual family owned and operated one than just a, like I said, kind of cookie cutter.
business owned, just there for the money, not really there for the love of doing it, and they certainly don't treat their cast always the best. again, hands down, great job. also so you all know, the 30th and the 31st, UZA's miscreation as well as UZA's team, United Zombies of America, are going to be at Milla Madness.
We're going to be there as special guests there to technically play. We'll be there in costume and character. We have a new character that we're going to debut and his name is Sinister Slicer. He is a clown.
He will be there, like I said, as a debut, so we're gonna have Sinister Slicer there as well as Raedigger the Gravedigger and a couple of other characters that are gonna be there actually from Apocalypse Rawhide since we're not open on the 30th and 31st. We asked Milla Madness if we could have some of our characters come out and play since we don't have anything else to do and who doesn't want something to do on Halloween? I mean, come on. So we will be out there on the 30th and 31st
Sydoney Banks (14:38.95)
out there. again, support your local haunts. We only have a couple of nights left. Apocalypse Row Hyatt is only open on November 1st and 2nd and that will the second will be their last night. So support your local haunts, especially the ones that are family owned and operated.
We are very close to Halloween, today is the 28th why I'm making this. So, probably won't do another podcast till then. We do have our Halloween special that will come out on the 31st and it is going to be a sound effect special. So, it's going to be scary music done by UZA's Sinister Sin and scary zombie noises by UZA's
United Zombies of America zombies. So that is our special Halloween special for this year. Last year it was stories, scary stories, which you can listen to also even though it was last year's. you didn't hear it this year, you can listen to some scary stories.
And then after that you can listen to some music with some scary sounds of zombies or you can play it at a party or you know share it with your friends and family.
So that's what we have our Halloween special coming up like I said 31st and 30th of October 2024 we will be at Mila Madness so check us out Get tickets and you can go to milamadness.com for tickets and information But yeah, this is a review on Mila Madness and again, we love Mila Madness This is probably going to be the next runner up of Arizona's scariest and best haunted attraction in our opinion along with Mila along with sanctum of
Sydoney Banks (16:28.324)
We haven't gotten to go to Sanctum of Hor yet, did reach out to them to see if they wanted us to come out and review them, haven't heard back yet, so I'm not sure if we'll be able to make it this year or not. Hopefully we will, if not, well, maybe next year. Thank you for listening, as always, to our little podcast here. And we are very grateful and thankful for y'all listening to us and...
Staying with us means a lot. Again, I can't believe anybody would really want to listen to me talk, but very thankful and appreciative, and we hope you have a very, very happy and safe Halloween. Please be safe out there, and remember, every day is Halloween, at least to us crazies, but please have a safe and happy Halloween. Until next time, y'all, thank you so much.