Halloween Prop: The Asylum
November 15th, 2009 by John WolfeSimilar to my fascination with certain cemeteries (like Highgate), I feel a strong connection to some abandoned institutions and asylums. I’m guessing this stems from many years of battling with my own OCD.
Growing up in the 70′s and 80′s (long before OCD was widely recognized and “understood”), I always assumed I’d eventually find myself becoming intimately acquainted with the interior of a padded cell. While a fear developed around that whole scenario, a fascination with asylum-like locations grew as well.
While “The Asylum Door,” by Pale Night Productions is just a prop, (and an amazing one at that) it still makes me want to sing that old novelty song, “They’re coming to take me away, ha-ha! They’re coming to take me away, ho-ho, hee-hee, ha-ha!” 
Video source: You Tube user hauntedillinois666
For more info on this axe wielding momma and other unique Halloween creations by Kip Polley and his talented team, be sure and check out the Pale Night Productions’ site.
November 15th, 2009 at 7:31 pm
That’s sooooo cool! I had my son look at it because he’s always looking for new interesting ways to project his films for art classes and gallery showings. The killer thing is that he has a great source of abandoned things including doors and windows. That would be so cool…
November 16th, 2009 at 2:22 am
Ok….that was really super creepy. Movements like that in a “human” always reach down into that disturbing area. I’ll have to check out the youtube page but was the whole door a prop or was this something they placed on the door to make it look like a window but it was actually a small screen? Either way, this was truly spooky to watch my friend. Great find as always
November 16th, 2009 at 6:25 pm
autumnforest,
That would be awesome to showcase his work in a display similar to “The Asylum Door!” Very creative idea!
Goldie,
I know what you mean — that’s why I’ve always enjoyed jerky movements like that. Strobe lights often came in handy for creating that exaggerated movement during our past haunts. This goes back to when we used to “act” in the scenes playing out throughout the maze/haunted house.
Sorry, I should have given a better description of the prop. From other videos I’ve seen of “The Asylum Door” in action, it is an entire door and not just a small facade.
November 16th, 2009 at 9:47 pm
Very nice, thank you for the deeper clarification John. It looked more like it was the whole door but it’s easy enough to create the door and then attach the small screen of sorts. No problem, please, no apology needed.
Yes, strobe lights DO create that very effect. That experience I had when I was 13 at the haunted house, the room, or scene that pushed me over the edge was the room where it was pitch black, the floor was slick, I was all alone, somehow separated from my 5 friends, and these creepy 8 feet tall creatures were slowly floating towards me with no feet and ropes wrapped around their necks and began surrounding me. I tried to run, I slipped on the floor which made them look all the more enormous as they continued to come after me. I’ll never forget the effect that strobe lights had on them all. Next thing I know, full blown asthma attack and one of the ghouls carry me out to the witches so I could rest in their rocking chair next to their kettle full of blood and bats wings.
LoL, life with me is never normal
November 16th, 2009 at 11:45 pm
Now that’s just flat out frightening! You’d have to hand out Depends at the entrance.
November 17th, 2009 at 4:50 pm
Goldie,
Oh man, that would be bad to have an asthma attack during a haunted house! Did you have an inhaler with you?
Stephanie D,
LOL! That’s what I love about the up-and-coming professional prop industry and pro haunts as well — the ante keeps getting upped! A while back, I saw a video on You Tube discussing how many of Hollywood’s FX artists have now moved into designing Halloween and haunt decor, since the movie industry has moved to CGI. Haunts and their special effects just keep getting better.