Giovetti and Giovetti, Certified Public Accountants

The Firm Meet the Staff Where Are We? News
Gossip New Tax Laws Tax Help Credit Courses
Committees Articles CPE Courses The Computer Show

Internet Fright Directory Launches

By c.s.

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

HAUNTEDHOUSE.ORG - THE NATION'S FRIGHT DIRECTORY LAUNCHES Site Lists Nationwide Halloween Haunted Houses - Find One Near You

SAN FRANCISCO, CA - September 24, 1998 - Mythic Visions, Inc., the world's largest horror and personal special effects catalog, announced today the launch of HauntedHouse.org at http://www.HauntedHouse.org . HauntedHouse.org contains THE GREAT AMERICAN HAUNTED HOUSE LIST, a state-by-state directory listing of major haunted houses throughout the United States. HauntedHouse.org provides complete information on dozens of Halloween oriented haunted house attractions. As of September 21 more than 60 major haunted houses were listed, with new Haunted Houses added daily.

Each listing on hauntedhouse.org includes the location of the haunt, hours and dates of operation, description of the haunt, and contact information including phone number, email address and web site if available. Site visitors can simply click on their state and scroll down until they find a house near them. HauntedHouse.org invites listings from any Halloween-oriented haunted event. Listings on hauntedhouse.org are free. All listings should be sent to ghost@horror.net.

Haunted houses listed in this year's HauntedHouse.org range in shape and size and they are not all inside houses. A selection from this year's HauntedHouse.org list includes The Death Row Haunted Prison, a 60,000 square foot abandoned prison (Nashville TN); a haunted steamboat (Pittsburgh, PA), a haunted firehouse (Oyster Bay, NY), several haunted forests, haunted mansions, and of course haunted hay rides. As with any piece of real-estate, the location of the haunt can make a difference.

"Halloween is our biggest time of year," said Steve Johnston, president of Mythic Visions which operates HauntedHouse.org. Mythic's line of special effects and horror products are a big sellers to individuals for costumes and to haunted houses alike. "Due to our recent relocation from New Orleans to the San Francisco bay area, Mythic will not have a haunted house of its own this year. We felt the next best way to participate was to establish HauntedHouse.org as an online scare directory to help people find a haunt close to home," said Johnston.

A peak behind the scenes shows that haunted house planning begins early. As much as six months prior to October, scripts and scenes are drawn up, organizing committees are selected and weekly planning sessions held. Soon a location is selected. In August, the planning sessions move into high gear with assignments handed out and a call for actors. In September, construction is already nearing completion in many larger haunted houses. Actors are honing their lines, building in just the right inflection of fright. Rehearsals become more intense. After the carpenters finish their construction, the painters paint and the lighting and sound crews complete their wiring. The props are added and by now, the last week of September, the 'stage' is set. All that's missing is an unsuspecting audience.

Haunted Houses range from the simple to the elaborate. Community haunted houses organized by schools or local clubs, such as the YMCA and Jaycees, usually only cost a couple of dollars per person and are operated by volunteers. The larger, professional houses, are managed makeshift acting troupes and are completely choreographed to scare the daylights out of you. Even amusement parks have gotten into the act. Knots Berry Park in Buena Park, CA becomes Knots Scary Park for half of October. Cedar Point in Sandusky, OH gets into the spirit with its annual HalloWeekends. "It would appear that no one is safe - but then that's the point," said Mythic's Johnston.

HauntedHouse.org is operated by Mythic Visions, Inc., the world's largest alternative merchandise and special effects catalog. Based in San Rafael, California, Mythic Visions operates an Internet-based store at http://mythic-vision.com. In addition to horror and Halloween related materials, Mythic carries a high-end line of fantasy and pagan jewelry, amulets, finger extensions, armor rings, vampire clan shirts and related alternative merchandise and services. Mythic's personal special effects catalog includes custom-fit Hollywood dentures (vampire fangs), custom-fit special effects contact lenses (used in Star Trek and other TV shows and movies), and a complete catalog of special effects body parts, from finger nails to every known human appendage. Mythic operates a number of web sites including http://www.Horror.net, http://www.HauntedHouse.org, http://www.MagicPotions.com, and http://www.mythic-vision.com .

All contents of The Computer Show are Copyright © 1998 Joppa Computersbacktothetop.gif 1.65 K