Strawberry Blood

A Horror Blog by a Manila Zombie Girl.

[strawberrybloody]

Mystery Manila: The Chained Chamber Review

Mystery Manila

Room: The Chained Chamber

Live Escape the Room Game, Live Action Role Playing Game

Website: http://www.mysterymanila.com/

*This is a spoiler free review so read restfully. <3*

Ever since I have first heard of these escape the room games on Facebook, I have been dying to try them out. I know that these aren't exactly horror themed, but it certainly has some elements of creepiness since murders and mysteries go hand in hand (and trust me, it can get pretty creepy). 

Cute testimonials from previous players

For those who aren't familiar with the concept, Escape the Room games are games where you are placed inside a room (or a series of rooms), that you have to escape from. You are given various items, clues, and puzzles that you can use to free yourself. You might have to unlock several things before you can leave, and use logic and intuition to do so. 

I played with my siblings, and we chose The Chained Chamber, a Saw inspired room (Yes, THAT Saw) where you literally get chained to the floor, complete with padlocks and real, heavy duty handcuffs. Pretty intense stuff mind you. 

Ligature marks on my sister from the metal handcuffs. Real chains, real handcuffs, REAL FUN. 

People who are afraid of the dark and of being chained or tied up should *probably* avoid The Chained Chamber room. You will totally miss out on the fun though. Your choice. :P

The theme is that you are kidnap victim that is locked in a room by a psychopath. It's extremely similar in concept to the Saw films, without the overzealous blood and gore. No, you do not need to dive into a pool full of hypodermic needles. However, you WILL have to crawl around the room in the dark to get items, so wear comfy jeans and good shoes!

The Chained Chamber is a creepy room, quite sparse and pitch black. You are blindfolded and chained on opposite sides of the room, and the game starts when they allow you to take off the blindfold. You have to look for your own light source... 

Easy to find exterior of Mystery Manila. Great location! No pictures allowed inside the actual puzzle rooms of course. 

The puzzles were all intuitive, and quite challenging. There is a bit of a stress element too -- Since I was chained together with my other sister, we got on each other's nerves towards the end of the game once time started running out.

There is a gamemaster present in the room to prevent you from cheating and destroying stuff. She is also there to give you clues if you need them. They give you the clues right away, but they add it as a time penalty to your final score. You get prizes if you manage the beat the room within the time limit (Prizes vary depending on how fast you solve it). 

Actually, the only thing that detracts for me is the presence of the gamemaster, since she kinda makes it hard for you to get into the zone of the role play. It kinda makes things a bit less realistic.

My sister and I were thinking about CCTV cameras and PA systems and maybe even a one way mirror as alternatives, but we understand that they aren't feasible options. Oh well...

Either way, the puzzles were clever, and even though we got a bunch of time penalties, we managed to get out of the room within the last minute and a half. The game ends when you unchain all of your team members and manage to find the key to the door. Super fun and exciting stuff! Highly recommended! 

We will totally come back for the other rooms <3

[strawberrybloody]

Scream Park Manila Review

Scream Park Manila

Theme Park

Original run: December 24, 2013 - May 31, 2014

Next run: October 2014

The Old Town. Picture from the Scream Park Manila Facebook page

Okay, so after finding a Metrodeal voucher offering a 299 peso ticket to Scream Park Manila instead of the standard price of 550, I decided to finally visit the controversial horror attraction. This is my experience of the park and what I have to say about. I went last May 24, 2014. It was a Saturday. Scream Park is now closed for this season but will re-open by October.

First of all, I would like to temper your expectations and say that it is definitely more on the level of one of those Universal Studios Halloween Horror Nights walk-through mazes, rather than an actual permanent installation like the Haunted Mansion at Disney Land. As such, everything will have a more “cardboard” feel to it and it has very little in terms of special effects, relying more on scarers in face paint and things that go bump in the night.

Now that I have tempered your expectations, what do I think of the park itself? Well, I thought that it was not a bad experience, but it does leave a lot to be desired. If I were to give it a rating, I would probably give it 3 out of 5 stars.

Is it worth it?

Yes, but in its current incarnation, I think it is best that you wait for the discounted tickets. Frankly, I would have been disappointed if I paid the full price of 550 pesos. As for the VIP fast lane tickets, dude, forget about it. Besides, waiting in line wasn't so bad, as there were not that many folks there, even during a Saturday night.

The gateway to the park. Yes, I am the best photographer evar.

Okay, here is where my real review comes in. I strongly suggest that you do not read any further if you want to experience the Scream Park for yourself. If you have no plans of visiting and you just want to know what is in it, by all means, read on.

LINING UP

The taxi dropped us off right in front of Scream Park Manila, and you immediately notice the metal fence covered with dried grass and your first glimpse of the structures within. There are supposedly three attractions to visit: The Old Town, the Haunted House, and the Living Dead. Of the three of these, only the Haunted House was a full attraction, while the other two were... rather sparse. (Note that your progression is linear, and you have little choice over which attraction you should visit first.)

Lining up did not take up too much of our time – there were maybe 30 or so people in front of us and they allowed groups of ten to enter every 5 minutes.

To keep you entertained in line, there were a handful of zombies walking around and creeping people out. The quality of their make-up varies. Of the two zombies there, one had some nicely done oozing wounds and minor prosthetics, while the other was mostly just a bit of face paint.

This guy had nice makeup. 

THE OLD TOWN

The Old Town was quite nicely made, and if you have seen the images online, looks like a little piece of Calle Crisologo in Vigan. Nothing really happens in this area as they are facades instead of actual buildings. It really is a bit more of a precursor to the main event, which is the Haunted House. You get a bunch of zombies jumping up at you, a little bit of fog, and a bit of dramatic music to egg you on.

The Old Town. Photo taken from Scream Park's FB

You are not allowed any cameras on the premise, even cellphones, so they make you deposit your stuff in one of the rooms on this street. The guy handling your stuff seemed honest, so no worries. You then get to visit the Haunted House.

THE HAUNTED HOUSE

The Haunted House was fun, but you have to line up a second time in order to experience it. It looks like an old two storey house, but this is again a facade, so there are no stairs to climb. You just walk around and follow the path laid in front of you. There is a guy who controls the flow of the groups walking in, allowing them to enter the house every five minutes. As far as waiting goes, I have spent more time lining up at the grocery cashier.

NO CAMERAS BEYOND THIS POINT. This is a look of the main attraction, the Haunted House. Nice use of dead trees. (Photo taken from Scream Park FB)

I was pleasantly surprised when the Scream Park usher/dude allowed my boyfriend and I to enter alone, without being lumped in with another group. I think that this makes it a wonderful date place for couples. I really thought they would put us with another group.

Anyway, this part will make up the bulk of my review, as it is the main attraction. I will do the ol' “Pros and Cons” thing to keep it simple:

Couples are allowed to enter by twos – This is great if you are a small group and wish to experience the house alone. Very nice.

Vertigo inducing floors – This is an effect that I found quite surprising. When you first enter the Haunted House, it is pitch black. The floor is soft, uneven, and sinks underneath your steps. The combined darkness and the soft, moving floor induces a sense of vertigo and slight nausea. I am not sure if this is the intended effect, or if they really just used cheap materials that cannot withstand people's weight. Either way, I think they should keep it. Was cool.

Great use of lighting – Really great use of lighting. Oftentimes, you will end up with flickering strobes or bright lights shone directly in your face, essentially blinding you, effectively concealing the scarer lurking in just front of you. They keep you in almost complete darkness otherwise, and most rooms are very dimly lit.

Scarers get more aggressive if you giggle – They don't like people giggling, so they will charge at you if you laugh. Heh :P

Notable scarers – For me, three scarers stood out, the first one, whom you encounter in the hallway and is tasked to making you follow him (my boyfriend and I didn't hear what he was whispering, to the point where he had to audibly say “THIS WAY!!!” before we did). I call him the House Boy, because I assume that it's what his character was. He had a funny “evil snicker” thing going on which was rather entertaining. Then comes the dude who was hiding in the butchery room full of hanging corpses wrapped in plastic, whom I had a hard time predicting where he was going to pop out. Lastly, there was the White Lady. The White Lady is a creepy little girl whom you encounter sitting on top of her dresser. She jumps and snarls at you, which was okay, but I found it especially creepy when she jumped down, ran across the room, jumped over the bed, and snarled right in your face. That chick is fast! Nice performance.

Groping in the dark – There was a nice part where you end up in a completely dark hallway (partially ruined by the zombie who gave you friendly instructions saying “the wall is your friend, hold the wall” lol.). It was a winding path with padded walls, and it was kinda freaky trying to find your way through the darkness, and I even crashed into the wall once because I missed the door.

WHAT I DIDN'T LIKE SO MUCH

Lack of atmospheric scares and suspense – While the floor and the darkness thing built up some suspense, I felt that they relied too much on jump scares. I don't scare easily but I do admit that I screamed maybe three or four times, but mostly because I was startled. (My boyfriend was no reaction as usual though.) I also felt that it lacked atmospheric scares, such as... creepy sounds when there is nothing there, specters seen at the corner of your eyes, things like that.

Still looks mostly unfinished – Well, no doubt that it still looks like wood and cardboard and plaster, so the rooms felt very unfinished and rather sparse. There really weren't too many props.

Lacks realism – Since everything kind of lacked detail because of the unfinished quality of it all, I felt that the Haunted House did not feel so coherent. I was expecting something that told a bit more of a story, but it felt like a hodge podge with all of the differently themed rooms.

Varied make up quality – Some performers had fantastic make up on, while others were just plain face paint. Not a lot of prosthetics to be honest, but I understand that prosthetics are expensive and labor intensive to apply. Still, I wished there were performers with more warped faces, since the majority of them are just dark eyes and pale faces.

The Ruins Bar. You get to visit this place after you go through the whole thing. 

THE LIVING DEAD/ ZOMBIE GRAVEYARD

The graveyard part kinda sucks. I frankly wouldn't bother, but the chapel part wasn't so bad. 

WHAT I WANT TO SEE THIS OCTOBER

Ok, everyone should know by now that the highly anticipated Asylum of Terror is slated to open by October, during the second season of the Scream Park. This is what I want to see improved, which I think will make everything all the more fun.

More chasing – There were a lot of missed opportunities to be honest, and I felt that some rooms needed one aggressive, terrifying scarer. I would have enjoyed it if they got a big hulking guy to run after you in one of the hallways. There was a perfect hallway with a curtain on the other side, and we walked slowly to see if something will pop out, but nothing really happened. I understand that this will likely tire out the performers, but still, more chasing would have been fun.

Interactivity – I was really expecting a more interactive element to the Scream Park. I wanted to open boxes, open doors, and things like that. Most of the time, you just walk along without really touching anything.

Unexpected gross outs – The part where you grope around the dark would have been greatly improved if there was something nasty on the wall. I would use one of those sticky hand toys and slap them all over the wall at random to freak people out when the touch the wall. Of course, this may not be entirely hygienic so I would not know if this is feasible.

More suspenseful scares – Constant jump scares get old really quickly. I wish there were more suspenseful, atmospheric scares to keep you on your feet.

ALSO, PLEASE LET US SEE THIS GUY AT THE PARK THIS HALLOWEEN. PRETTY PLEASE. 

VERDICT

Scream Park Manila isn't bad, as long as you know what to expect. I do hope to see a full attraction this coming October, rather than seeing all the tarps and the unfinished stuff. The graveyard needs to be revamped and improved, and I am hoping to see the Asylum soon.

Buy the discounted tickets if you can!

[strawberrybloody]

The Descent Review

The Descent

Full Length Film

Director: Neil Marshall

Year: 2005

I don't know but this poster freaks me out somehow. I don't like bodies arranged into symbols. :(

Hi guys, long time, no posts huh? Well, life gets in the way, so there. Aaaanyway, I have decided to change the way I write my reviews here. My sister says that I spend too much time summarizing the films and not enough time actually reviewing it. So, I have decided to turn my reviews into reactions, so that my actual opinion of the film shines through. So, here it goes:

The Descent is truly a horror films among horror films! I have watched this back in high school, but I loved it so much that I regularly crave it whenever I want to a good creature feature.

I like how they managed to create a suspenseful, and effectively terrifying monster movie despite having limited effects and creature make up. The film makers got all the elements right: 

Fear of the Dark - Check

Claustrophobia - Check

Being faced with the prospect of being buried alive - Check

Being hunted by pale, Gollumesque humanoid carnivores (with way sharper teeth) - Check

Having to deal with a lying, scheming bitch - CHECK! 

I find this British film to be quite unique for several reasons: it has an all female cast, there is no hypersexualization or exploitation of female bodies, and best of all: the protagonist is strong, quick witted, and a total bad ass!!!

She can kill you with her bare hands

What I liked about it is that it had incredibly strong female characters who aren't just physically fit, but generally quite capable too. Most of them are seasoned adventurers and quite suited for the challenging descent into a VERY scary cave. In fact, even without the monsters, the sheer terror of finding yourself trapped beneath hundreds of pounds of rock and earth is already quite unnerving. I found myself stressed out by the difficulties they face while trying to conquer the cave. 

**WARNING** SPOILERS AHEAD**

I really suggest that you go for the British version instead of the American one. The American ending kind of diluted the ending in order to capitalize on the "Final Girl" trope. So lame. Well, THERE AIN'T NO FUCKING FINAL GIRL HERE. 

SPOILER: THEY ALL FUCKING DIE

Despite making all the right choices and proving to be an especially strong, capable individual, the protagonist (Okay, I forgot to say her name is Sarah) still gets incredibly overwhelmed by her circumstances. There was really no way for her to survive, and she succumbed to the horror completely. Her personal tragedies, the crisis she was in, and the weight of her own actions all just came crashing down on her.

Now, I definitely want more horror films like this, because it is a bit tiring to always scream at the screen in frustration at the stupidity of the characters (but you want them to die anyway because Gollum monsters are awesome). 

[strawberrybloody]

The Moth Diaries Review

The Moth Diaries Full length film Director: Mary Harron Year: 2011

No boobies for you

The story follows the story of Rebecca, who goes to a stuffy exclusive girl's school -- the type that gives you detention for not brushing your hair.  Like any teenager stuck in a boring private school,  she spends her days playing Rock Band, smoking weed, and covering for her friends who sneak out at night to give their virginity to boyfriends they don't even care about, "just to get it over with" (*groan*). Rebecca has a best friend named Lucy (a nod to Dracula perhaps?), with whom she is rather obsessed with. Though I do understand where she is coming from -- Rebecca is lonely because her father,  despite being a successful poet, committed suicide some time ago, and she never knew why. She clings to Lucy like a leech. The rest of the film just shows Rebecca's increasing feelings of jealousy as Lucy starts to hang out with a mysterious new student named Ernessa.  Ernessa with her unusual name (I really thought it was Vanessa) is a doll-like beauty with a creepy demeanor.  Odd things started happening around school and people begin dying as soon as she arrives.  Rebecca suspects her of being a vampire,  but the type that feeds on the life force of their victims instead of blood. She can also walk through walls and turn into clouds of moths.

Rebecca, Ernessa, and Lucy. Guess which one is the model?

You know,  other than the vampiric transformations into moths and Rebecca's memories of a luna moth her father once pointed out to her, I have no idea why it's called The Moth Diaries.  Sure, Rebecca writes in her diary a lot and eventually finds vamp Ernessa's diary too, but other than that I have no idea. The moths seem to be added in just for aesthetic effect, but I could be wrong.  This film is dreadfully slow, and even the climax is severely lacking.  There's less supernatural and more teen jealousy drama, and you are left wondering where the film is even going. Things seem to be thrown in at random,  and none of them contribute to a coherent plot. The ending is unsatisfactory just like the rest of the film. I would like to say that the film was visually stunning,  but other than the strange exotic beauty of Lily Cole as Ernessa, there's not much in terms of cinematography.  Conclusion: If you want a slow paced film with awkward teenage girls in creepy sexual situations, better skip this and watch Stoker instead. It's so much better. OH WAIT, I JUST REALIZED THAT REBECCA IS THAT CHICK FROM SPIDERWICK.

[strawberrybloody]

Carrie Review

Carrie Full Length Film Director: Kimberly Peirce Year: 2013

This is the review of the 2013 remake of Carrie, the iconic supernatural horror film from the 70s, based on Stephen King's famous break out novel of the same name.

Now, when I first saw the trailers for a Carrie remake, the first thing that shot through my head was "Why? Why make a remake of a horror film that was already perfect and iconic on its own right?".

Anyway, when I finally got to watch the new Carrie remake, my initial reaction is that it was extremely similar to the original film, with only with a few modern touches flung into it here and there. In the infamous shower scene when Carrie first gets her period and freaks the fuck out, the other girls not only throw tampons and pads at her, but take a video of her plight too, posting it on Youtube for everyone to see.

I also think that Chloe Moretz, though an extremely talented actress and a bit of a rising Gore Queen (Don't you just love her covered in blood?), was simply too pretty as Carrie. I truly believe that Sissy Spacek's conflicted, tortured portrayal of Carrie White is still unmatched -- the horror, the anger, the fear, the way emotions register on her face was impeccable.

So pretty covered in blood.

Not so pretty covered in blood.

I really do love Julianne Moore's performance as Carrie crazy fundie mom however. She is so deliciously creepy and unstable, and her penchant for self harm and abuse is what true horror is made of. She's the kind of nightmare parent that seems unsettlingly realistic, because who hasn't encountered that disturbing, mentally unstable religious fanatic living down the street?

Unfortunately, despite the great cast and the updated special effects, there's really not much that this remake has to offer. I admit that I liked Carrie's telekinetic rampage sequence toward the end, but I felt that it did not have the emotional weight that 70s version had.

I also have some issues with the editing, which I find kind of ruined certain scenes. Why would you show the pig blood scene repeatedly from different angles like a lame play by play sequence? Sort of ruined the climax of the film really.

Conclusion: If I had to choose between Kimberly Peirce's 2013 version and Brian de Palma's 1973 version, I would still pick the latter. This Carrie remake had some cool gore scenes, but it simply doesn't hold a candle to the old one.

[strawberrybloody]

Scream Park Manila Finally Opens with One Maze

The Halloween Haunts Scream Park Manila (renamed to just Scream Park Manila) finally opened last night on Christmas Eve. 

Reportedly, the Zombie and Haunted House maze was merged into one. But I think the theme features only the Haunted House. No reports on whether they are still making a Zombie maze, and the Asylum may never open at all. 

The ticket prices for now is 550 pesos, and they will be open daily from December 24, 2013 to March 30, 2014. 

From Mondays to Saturdays, the operating hours are between 6pm- 2am, and Sundays it is open between 12 noon to 11pm. 

If you want to know directly from someone who has been there during the media opening, click here. The media were allowed in the park but not inside the maze because of *the usual* technical issues. >.>

So... that's the end of this saga. Kind of disappointed that only one maze opened, but with all the crazy stuff happening, I guess it can't be helped. So you know, whatever. 

[strawberrybloody]

So "Bashers and Haters", who is spending the holidays at the Scream Park?

As detailed in the screenshot above, the new opening of the park will be on December 24, 2013 on Christmas Eve. There will also be a media preview tomorrow. No news about the band performances, but let's see if the park is finally opening for real this time after delaying for close to two months now.

I wonder if all mazes are available,  including the Asylum maze. Does anyone know?

Gah, hype has died out so much I can't even write a full blog post about it anymore, though I still sort of want to go. I just need to see some good reviews.

I apologize for the strange format. I am posting from my phone.

P.S. Happy holidays everyone.

[strawberrybloody]

Insidious 2 Review

Insidious: Chapter 2

Full Length Film

Director: James Wan

Year: 2013

Creepy lady who *SPOILER* isn't really a lady. *GASP*

Okay, since it is a little quiet right now, I thought that I should go back to my regular programming and write a horror film review.

Since Friday the 13th of December is the digital release of Insidious: Chapter 2, I jumped on the opportunity to download myself a copy.

The latest installment of Insidious actually happens to be darker in material than its predecessor, since there are now themes of child abuse, gender confusion, and vanishing babies. Yet despite its darker subplot, this new film happens to be quite funny too, which was something I didn't expect when I first watched it.

Let me give it to you straight: I thought that the first Insidious SUCKED. It was a total snooze fest, and the demon creature was laughable at best. I do commend its use of astral projection, which admittedly isn't a topic typically discussed in horror films despite being richly discussed in paranormal documentaries and books, but it was just sooo cheesy! Totally not scary at all. 

Darth Maul, is dat yu? Meesa Jar Jar Binks, meesa your humble servant!

Now, was Insidious 2 any scarier? Nah, not at all. It happens to be just as cheesy as the first one. However, I enjoyed it, because instead of trying too hard to be this bad ass scaaaaaryyy horror film, it decided to embrace its delicious cheesy goodness with open arms.

This film doesn't take itself as seriously, and with the addition of comic relief duo Specs and Tucker, the geeky paranormal investigators, you have a winning formula. The film even comes with face-palm worthy one liners, and it tackles things like ghostly death threats with a kind of humorous uneasiness. Quite fun, and there are a lot of laughs to be had.

Oh oh, and you can now talk to the dead using Boggle dice! WEE!

Of course, the story itself is a bit over the top with very little foreshadowing presented in the first film to make it believable. Yet I still think that it ties in quite nicely and every effort was put into adding some form of consistency between the first and the second films. I personally think that they did a better job than what the Paranormal Activity films are currently doing with their story arch.

However, this was still obviously a sequel written as a sequel, instead of being a solid part of an overarching story line. Because of this, the plot felt a little convoluted, and if you have forgotten details from the first film, you may be asking yourself questions like "Who is this again?" and "Where did that come from?".

And yes, there was time traveling. Astral projection magic, yo!

But of course, it wasn't all laughs and poking fun at the geeky paranormal investigators. In fact, it does have some very effective jump scares and a few choice creepy scenes. I know that I screamed several times throughout the whole thing, and was clinging to my boyfriend the entire time (he was unfazed however... didn't even so much as flinch. SO MANLY. Lol). 

Sadly, even though the scares were nicely done, the ghosts are still your typical white grease-paint and black eye shadow types, which I think is the cheapest kind of ghost make-up you can come up with. They just end up looking clown-like and silly. It also lacks atmospheric suspense, relying instead on random, jerky movements and loud music to surprise the audience.

Yet somehow, they made the white sheet work out for them. O_O

Still, the effort was commendable, and I quite liked it despite its flaws and cheesiness.

Conclusion: Cheesy horror for the masses, yet a very enjoyable film. It didn't take itself too seriously, and a nice peppering of comic relief coupled with random jump scares made it a fun ride. Its twisting story line can seem a little convoluted to some, but otherwise, a true sequel's sequel that I found more entertaining than the first.

[strawberrybloody]

Scream Park Manila Gossip: Comparing Informant's Stories

Okay, so I will place a huge disclaimer here already that EVERYTHING YOU READ HERE IS UNVERIFIED INFORMATION. I REPEAT, THIS IS ALL GOSSIP AND NONE OF IT CAN BE PROVEN AS OF THIS POINT.

I am not taking sides and I advise that everyone should take the statements here with a grain of salt. I just wanted to compile all of the information that was given to me, and give an objective outlook on all the rumors that have been circulating. 

I have three informants. Two approached me, and I called up the third one. They are the following:

Informant B -- Referred to as B in previous blog posts, he was the first person to ever message me. At around mid-November, he sent me an FB pm claiming that the Scream Park is a scam. He first introduced himself as just another customer of the park, but he has recently revealed that he is an engineer and that he is one of the contractors that the park allegedly swindled. If he really is who he says he is, I would would not be able to confirm this.

Informant R -- Informant R is a woman who messaged me after my first blog post made the rounds online. She claims to be one of the employees of the Scream Park, but she didn't tell me what position she has or what she does. She didn't give me a lot of details about herself because she is understandably afraid of getting involved. If she really is a Scream Park employee, I cannot verify this as fact.

 Informant A -- Informant A is the one I personally sought out after B mentioned him. He was a former Scream Park employee and he is the only one whose identity I can really verify.

Okay, so those are my three informants. I have decided to use this format for this post to make everything easy to understand: 

Topic > Informant's Stories > Scream Park's official statements. This will give everyone a good comparison of everything that has been going around, and I hope that I portray each of them fairly in this manner.

That being said, I am open to hearing the side of both Gore Street Productions and the contractors. Other bloggers, like The Feed, are also open to anyone who wishes to approach them about the controversy. As for my informants, if I relayed your information incorrectly in this post, please be free to correct me so that I can rectify. A lot of it was originally in garbled Tagalog text, so excuse me if I made a mistake in translating. I am doing my best.

So here goes...

—————————————————————————————————

Topic: On the Scream Park being some sort of scam

Informant B -- Informant B believes that the Scream Park is a scam in that David Willis, the creative director, is transferring the pre-sale money and the money from his investors to a foreign off-shore account in Singapore. According to B, he has already siphoned 6 million pesos into his private account. He says that Gore Street Productions is some kind of a ghost company that is only being used as a front, and that he is using the Philippines as a stage for his ruse. He says that Willis plans on giving an excuse to his foreign investors that the project was unsuccessful so that he can keep the money for himself.

He also says that he receives most of his information from Engineer Erwin and from Informant A. 

Informant R -- Informant R says that the one who was really scammed was David Willis, and that the contractors have not been doing their work properly. She claims that contractor ran off with 1.5 million in wages, which caused the carpenters and construction workers to riot. She also says that David is funding the project using his own and his father's money and that he really doesn't have any other investors except himself and his dad.

Informant A -- Informant A believes that this is not a scam and that even if he was subsequently fired, he claims that David genuinely has great ideas for a Scream Park but is difficult to deal with ("magulong kausap") and disorganized. He says that the park is legitimate, but that the management does not seem to know how to manage a project of this scale. He didn't mention anything about investors, but he believes that the problem with the contractors were all a misunderstanding, especially since all of the departments involved do not communicate with each other. He also says that all of the money is kept safe and that he saw David managing the Paypal accounts of the ticket sales, but will NEVER touch the money because he knows the criminal repercussions of doing such a thing (Note: Paypal has security measures in place to prevent money laundering and other fraudulent activities).

Informant A denies that he shares information with Informant B. He also does not recognize B's Facebook name, but from what I told him about the guy's demeanor, he says that he "thinks" he knows what B's real identity is but won't tell me. 

Scream Park Statement -- The Scream Park FB page vehemently denies that it is a scam and that all of the allegations circulating around online are completely false.

—————————————————————————————————

Topic: On the contractor controversy

Informant B -- B says that David Willis ran off with wages and did not pay anyone, saying that the checks bounced and that he considered the non-payment of services a breach of contract. He says that David still owes him 200k in fees, left unpaid because of the bounced checks. He also says that there were two groups of contractors, one lead by Engineer Erwin. I am not sure if the second group is lead by B or if he is just part of that second group. He says that because of the confusion, the two contractors started fighting and pulled out their construction equipment.

Anyway, at one point, it seems that a guy called Engineer Erwin had a heart attack and had to be rushed to a hospital. B says that the the heart attack was triggered because he was so stressed over the situation. He also says that the Engineer survived, and that they had a sit down together and became friends. At some point, Engineer Erwin provided him with the documents that I posted before in my previous blog post.

According to B, they are now suing David for breach of contract and are filing complaints with the CIDG and NBI. He also says David only has a tourist visa and was using Pearl Bayud to conduct business here. According to him, Gore Street also does not have the proper permits to open a park, and that they are trying to find a way to get him arrested.

Informant R -- Informant R says that David is trying to track down Engineer Erwin with the help of the Mayor of Pasay City and the Cityhall. She says that the park is legit but that they do not have enough funds to construct it, which leads to all the confusions with the payment of the contractors.

She also says that the park has a "bad system" and is not paying the employees properly and that the Scream Park's staff are all morons (translated from "madaming tangang staff").

Indeed, like B, she also says that there were two contractors on site: the red boys of Engineer and the blue boys of Ms. Eunice. She says that the Engineer disappeared, leaving his guys behind, who apparently were very lazy. By late October, the park was still empty with almost no progress. She says that after Engineer left, it was "out of control" inside the construction site and that there was no way they could meet the deadline.

Informant A -- Informant A says that he does not know what the Engineer's name was but that the guy really did have a heart attack. According to him, all of the worker's wages was with the Engineer at the time and after he was rushed to the hospital, the workers all started rioting because they have not received their money. He also says that it became violent, and that people were almost "killing" each other inside. 

As a result, the park is completely unfinished. He also says that there really was a problem with the customs, and that David didn't want to bribe the customs officers to release the props. He says that David was indignant because he thinks they are just trying to take advantage of him because he was a foreigner.  

He also says that the contractor riots are becoming a regular thing onsite and that it is still happening because of the lack of communication (check Vince Golangco's angry mob experience here).

Scream Park Statement -- The Scream Park mentions on their FB page that they have been "scammed by local businesses". They have also mentioned that they will be investigating the documents sent to me by B, allegedly given to him by Engineer Erwin, and that they were actually forged. They also mentioned in a now deleted post that they have fired several individuals responsible for the delays in the park. 

—————————————————————————————————

So that's it guys. That is all the gossip I got my hands on. It seems that it is all very crazy and frankly, I wouldn't know what the truth is unless some real news surfaces done by some professional investigators.

Again, I would like to stress that this is all gossip, and that I am not taking any sides. I too am curious about what is really happening at the Halloween Haunts Scream Park Manila, and what is really causing all of the delays.

The park is unopened, but several customers, including myself, have already received our ticket refunds, so at least people can stop worrying about whether their money has been stolen or not.

Much love,

Bonus: Informant A says that the guy with the bad grammar on the FB page is Willis himself. He says Americans are good at speaking English but suck at writing. Not sure if this is true but it's kinda funny, considering how people keep nitpicking the grammar used on the official page. :))

[strawberrybloody]

Scream Park Manila Moves Opening Date Again

So, I checked the page recently and saw this update:

This was posted 6 hours ago as of the writing of this blog post. It was followed by this post:

According to this, the Scream Park's opening date has now been postponed to an indefinite date "before Christmas".

*Sigh* When, oh when will the Scream Park see the light of day? :<

Well, since they are finally refunding people, I am starting to believe that they really are NOT A SCAM. They are just in a big deep pit of production hell right now, and it seems that they are having a scuffle with all of their contractors. Who was really at fault, I don't really know, but it looks bad if Scream Park announced in another post on their FB page that they have fired a lot of people (Post since deleted and I have not managed to get a screenshot. TheFeed however, managed to do so.).

They also finally gave everyone some instructions on how to get a refund, saying that those who purchased from Ticketworld should call 891-999, while those who purchased from their booth and online should go visit the Scream Park booth onsite. I actually managed to get my refund online through Paypal. If you want to know how, click here for my post on how I got refunded online.

Glad I got refunded,

[strawberrybloody]

hi, do you have an idea on how to make a refund for that scream park shit if I purchased the ticket via ticket world? Thank you! :)

Hi there, from what I've been hearing, you have to go and call up Ticketworld and they will give you the instructions. This is the number: 891-9999. All I know is that it will take them 2-3 weeks to process your request. If you purchased online, your money goes back into your credit card. Not sure how it works if you purchased from a ticketworld outlet. I wish I could help you more, but that is all I know. Hope you get your refund in due time. :)

[strawberrybloody]

You," he said, "are a terribly real thing in a terribly false world, and that, I believe, is why you are in so much pain.

Emilie Autumn, The Asylum for Wayward Victorian Girls

[strawberrybloody]

Scream Park just refunded me. YAY! (Plus tips on how to get refunded)

Okay, so I feel a little better now that I have received a refund. It took a lot of effort, but at least everything is all well and good. I paid Gore Street Productions some time ago in November, and used Paypal to finish my transaction. Today, my refund pushed through and went directly into my card, but it hasn't appeared on my statement yet, so I will just wait for that. 

As for the rest of you, I know that Gore Street still isn't giving out any real information on how to get your refund, so if you paid through Paypal, I can give you some tips. 

NOTE: YOU CAN OPEN A DISPUTE ON PAYPAL ONLY 45 DAYS AFTER YOUR PURCHASE.

DISPUTE A TRANSACTION -- Use the Dispute option on Paypal and choose the appropriate category. I chose "Item not received -- Concerts and Events tickets". Make sure you fill out the description and say that you are asking for a refund.

 BOTHER GORE STREET A LOT -- I called their offices multiple times (and encountered that doofus Jerr who was rude and hung up on me. Read my experience with their customer service here.) and I texted them repeatedly. I also sent them messages through the Paypal dispute form everyday.

 EVEN IF THEY DON'T REPLY, KEEP BOTHERING THEM -- If they don't reply, just keep bothering them. Sending an email through Paypal everyday will ensure that you appear near the top of their inbox, making you more visible and improving your chances of getting a refund ASAP. Try not to flood their email inbox though because you might be labeled as spam.

 RAISING IT INTO A PAYPAL CLAIM -- If you still don't receive your refund after two weeks, you have the option of raising it into a Paypal claim. The difference between a dispute and a claim is that a dispute sends e-mails to your seller and you work out the dispute privately without Paypal's interference. Once you raise it to a claim, Paypal staff will step in for you. Note that you can only raise it into a Paypal claim about two weeks or so after you opened a dispute. Also note that a dispute can only stay open for three or so weeks after you opened it. If you don't receive your refund after two weeks, raise it to a claim immediately.

IF YOU PURCHASED EARLY ON AND HAVE MISSED THE 45 DAY WINDOW, DON'T PANIC -- If you missed the 45 day window, don't panic. Print out your Paypal receipt and go visit Gore Street Productions ticket booth. The address is 

Diosdado Macapagal Avenue cor. Gil Puyat Avenue

(near World Trade Center, Manila)

Pasay City

So, good luck with your refunds everyone! Those who have purchased through Ticketworld should just call Ticketworld itself, and those who have purchased directly from the booth should try to visit the Gore Street offices themselves. 

So the big question is: Will you still go to the Scream Park?

Personally, I don't know. Even if it does open within the week the Asylum maze isn't even there yet, and that is the one I really wanted to visit. If I ever do visit, I might do so between January to March, but only if the park is finally complete. I would feel much more comfortable just purchasing my tickets on the day itself, so I am very happy that my refund pushed through. 

Much love,

[strawberrybloody]

Gore Street Productions' Customer Support is extremely unprofessional

I have sent a Paypal Dispute over the website and after three days, Gore Street still hasn't acknowledged my dispute. You can raise it to a Paypal claim if the dispute cannot be resolved, and I am seriously considering raising it to a claim if it isn't resolved by today.

Just now, I have managed to contact the Scream Park's number: 927 493 0287. Someone picked up and in a very unprofessional manner asked "Hellooooooooo?" in a sing-song voice.

I asked if this was Gore Street Productions, and he said yes. I talked to him about wanting a refund, and that I have already sent a dispute on Paypal. He acted very stupidly and was avoiding all of my questions, saying that "Oh, its there on Paypal", and then he said that I should GIVE HIM MY CREDIT CARD NUMBER AND NAME. I said that I paid through paypal, and that sellers have a refund option on any transaction, and they would only have to click on that, they wouldn't need my credit card number. 

He just said "ahhhh, okay, but the Scream Park is opening this Saturday, and you can get your tickets there". I said that I wasn't interested in attending the event anymore, and that I expect to be refunded immediately. He then said something about going to the Park on saturday and getting my refund there.

I said I wasn't interested in making the trip, especially since the refund should go through Paypal instead. I then started giving him my transaction number and my dispute number. He didn't even take note! He just went "ahh, ok". HE DIDN'T EVEN ASK FOR THE TRANSACTION NUMBER, I HAD TO GIVE IT TO HIM.

He then got really flustered, and I asked for his name. He gave me the name "Jerr". I couldn't even understand him because he was slurring his name as though he doesn't want to give it to me. I then asked for the spelling of his name, and then he said "I will give you to the manager instead". I said, yes, please give me to your manager, in which he replied "we will call you later today". I said no, I don't want to be called later, I want to talk to the manager NOW. He then said, "Ok, sandali lang". And started shuffling around. I could hear a lot of noise in the background, but I could only make out "Gusto niya ipabalik ang pera". I waited for a little while longer, and then, THE LINE WENT DEAD.

I called the number multiple times but it kept saying "line busy" and "The subscriber cannot be reached". I tried calling the second number but it also gave me "The subscriber cannot be reached".

THIS IS SO UNPROFESSIONAL. Not only do they refuse to provide any information on how to get a refund, but they hang the phone up on customers wanting a refund. He acted totally unprofessional and shady. THIS MAKES ME SICK. I demand my money back!! He was rude and totally didn't handle the call correctly.

Not only do they refuse to talk to you about refunds despite promising them, they also have not released any information to the public about how to get their refunds. 

UPDATE:

I just called again, and this time it was a woman who answered. She was very polite and asked how I paid (but didn't apologize for the actions of her colleague earlier). She asked for my name and says she will hand me the refund today. Okay. WHY they had that other doofus JERR on the phone was beyond me. This lady was easier to talk to. I will wait until tonight to receive my refund as was promised.

UPDATE: December 3, 2013

Zilch. No refund, no emails, no confirmation on Paypal, no one answering their phones. Tick-tock Scream Park.

BREAKING NEWS: I JUST GOT MY REFUND! YAY!

December 4, 2013

After much prodding and sending them emails and texts repeatedly throughout the day since they don't answer their damn phones, I have just received my refund. From Paypal it automatically went into my debit card, but as of now it has not reflected on my bank account, so I will wait a bit for the transaction to go through. YAY! I hope that others will get their refunds soon. :)

Tips on how to get your refund through Paypal are listed here.

[strawberrybloody]

so your codename is NOX?are you... by any chance... a potterhead? :)

Well, yes, yes I am. :))

[strawberrybloody]

These are handwritten documents sent to me by B through Facebook, allegedly from Engineer Erwin, detailing his transactions with David Willis, creative director of Halloween Haunts Scream Park Manila.

I did not alter them in any way, just converted them from pdf to jpg.

My blog post of the drama here

[strawberrybloody]

FAIL: Halloween Haunts Scream Park Manila Drama

—————————————————————————————————

AUTHOR'S NOTE: Hi guys, I've just been advised to be careful with what I am writing here on my page because it may amount to libel. Of course, I don't want that since this wasn't meant to be a libelous blog post to begin with. I just want to shed some light on the situation and express my frustrations on the park's operations. Other people's speculations and thoughts are included too in the updates and are not mine.

I changed the title to "HHSPM Drama" so that people will NOT think that I am claiming the park to be a scam. Like I said, it is all SPECULATION based on varying sources that have contacted me.

Anyway, so several trustworthy sources told me that the park is NOT A SCAM, and that our money is all protected so that's all good. Two other blog posts have come up giving details, and I have spoken to someone who was directly involved with the project itself. It's all just really badly organized and there were a lot of misunderstandings (From what I am hearing, it's PRODUCTION HELL). I was requested not to divulge all of the specific details for my informant's privacy. 

For transparency's sake, I will still leave my original post below for everyone's reference, but I will be posting separate blog posts for new developments.

For tips on how to get your refund if you paid through Paypal, click here. 

Scream Park moves opening date to an indefinite date. For more details, click here.

Much love,

—————————————————————————————————

Original Post:

I have been following updates on the Halloween Haunts Scream Park Manila for weeks now, ever since I first caught wind of what would have been the first Hollywood style horror attraction here in the Philippines.

Unfortunately, due to the park’s obvious mismanagement and overall sketchy marketing tactics, it seems that people are slowly becoming enraged over the whole fiasco. Some are even starting to believe it might be a scam. I think, from what I have been gathering, it really wouldn’t be all that far off. 

Now, the hype started sometime before Halloween season, which judging from the park’s title, is when it was *supposed* to open in the first place. Its original opening date was October 31, 2013.

However, sometime on the date itself, this announcement was seen on their website:

The moved the Scream Park’s opening to November 7th instead, which isn’t all that bad since it was only about a week after the original opening. On top of that, it is no real news if things get lost or held up by the Philippine customs, since it is just like that. 

There were some people who didn’t get the memo and were annoyed that the Scream Park didn’t do more to advise customers, but other than that, most were sympathetic.

So a few days passed and November 7th was fast approaching. To everyone’s horror, Supertyphoon Yolanda/Haiyan struck the Philippines. It was a great human tragedy and relief efforts are still ongoing as I type. 

Of course, it seems that our clever friends at the Scream Park have decided that this is a perfect time to stall the opening of the park again, this time citing damage because of the strong winds of the storm.

Note that this announcement was made on November 6, a day before the supposed opening. Instead of fixing the issue quickly and moving it back by another week or so, they decided to go ahead and move it all the way to the end of November, on the 30th. That is a WHOLE MONTH after the original opening of their park. 

Some people were starting to lose interest, and it was looking particularly grim for people who purchased the early bird tickets, such as myself. 

Now, a few days after, I receive a message from this fellow here (let’s call him “B”), saying that the Park is a scam and that David Willis was merely using the pre-sales to fund his incomplete park. He also claims that the contractors hired to build the park have backed out because the guy hasn’t been paying them.

This got me really nervous, because I don’t want to lose my hard earned money and I certainly want don’t want to waste it on a park that will never open. I also noticed that all of this guy’s posts on the page were deleted immediately by the Scream Park FB page. SO SKETCHY. I don't know if B is telling the truth, but I also don't like how the Scream Park FB admin is handling it.

However, they did promise that the park will open with ALL THREE MAZES, so maybe it was worth the wait. So I did. I waited, but now with a significant seed of doubt sown into my head about the whole operation.

Another few weeks passed and the opening was supposed to be today, on Nov. 30. Everyone was excited, even if something strange popped up:

Thanks to the girl who posted this on the Scream Park page. Credits to the screenshot goes to her.

Uh-oh, it seems that they are still having management issues and their promise of opening all three mazes was all words in the wind. A fucking lie. Just two mazes? *tsk tsk* But at least it will open right? They said so on their page:

Uhhhhh. WHAT IS THAT? IT DIDN’T OPEN AFTER ALL?? What kind of a “Grand Opening” was that huh??

According to the unfortunate individuals who lined up today, some guy (UPDATE: It was Willis after all. Some attendants took a video of his apology, which you can watch on the Scream Park FB page and here) just appeared after hours of waiting, only to announce that the park is experiencing “Technical Difficulties”.

I’m not sure what kind of special effects would fuck up here since this is a walkthrough attraction and does not have any rides, but frankly, the “glitch” looks like just another excuse — A stalling tactic because maybe, the park just isn’t fucking complete yet.

You also get news like this:

The Scream Park now sounds like fucking bullshit. All of it. Is this really a scam after all? Was that guy who messaged me telling the truth? Why all the underhanded marketing tactics and the delay?

See what others have to say about the whole fiasco:

So, what is REALLY up with you Halloween Haunts Scream Park Manila? Why so fucking shady? And why can’t you get your fucking shit together? This is extremely disappointing and worrying.

I just hope that everyone will get their money back. Refunds are definitely in order. (I NEED A REFUND FOR MY TICKETS. SERIOUSLY.)

I will be waiting for more announcement as this drama unfolds. You suck Scream Park. So unprofessional. Fess up soon please because everyone wants to know the truth.

Forever waiting,

—————————————————————————————————

UPDATES:

Please note that everything posted here is NOT VERIFIED. I repeat, a lot of this is still pure speculation. I cannot attest to the veracity of the information provided by these outside sources. 

—————————————————————————————————

Dec. 1, 2013

12:42am

Worrying news from B, the guy who first messaged me. However, I cannot guarantee the truth of his statements.

—————————————————————————————————

Dec. 1, 2013

1:46 am

Some conflicting news from someone who was actually there.They conflict with B’s allegations:

And a bit more from Nikki a little while later:

—————————————————————————————————

Dec. 1, 2013

2:36 am

Here is a copy of my conservation with B I just had now. Not a screenshot because it was too long. He also included handwritten documents of Engineer Erwin’s transactions with David Willis. Again, I cannot verify any of these. I’m not a journalist, just a blogger. 

Me: Hey, how many times did you ask for a refund? Have you tried again?

2:23am B: 3x walang refund sabi lang ng staff gamitin yung tickets

2:24am B: heto di nagsisinungaling ang dokumento signed ni david willis, 1.1m di binayaran yung engr. erwin

bounce cheque.pdf

breach of contract 01.pdf

breach of contract 02.pdf

Scan.pdf

2:24am Me: The staff told you to just use the tickets? Hindi siya no questions asked refund?

2:24am B: 2 contractor pa magdedemanda sa nbi at cidg

2:25am Me: how is their case going?

2:25am B: i told them ayaw ko na manood at gamitin yung ticket, pero di na sinagot calls at text ko re refund yan lang binigay sa akin at sinabi yung lawyer na niya nag aasikaso

2:26am Me: who gave you these documents? yung engineer erwin?

2:27am B: naging kaibigan ko tuloy yung contractor engr. erwin, mabait at good christian sabi nga walang downpayment nag mobilize at nag supply siya kasi sabi ni david willis 4.5m binayad sa rental ng venue, tapos nalaman niya na 20% dp lang at 1.5m lang…sinungaling yung david willis niya last week, kasi sabi niya daming maloloko ng taong yun kasi masipag marketing, at pag nakakuha daw ng benta papalitan na naman ng bagong marketing at sales team at least may nakilala akong matinong contractor, papagawa kasi ng house yung tita ko at nirekomenda ko siya

2:29am Me: So you mean the marketing keeps getting switched around?

2:29am B: binigay niya last week nagkita kami sa cubao area, opis niya sa qc lang at may project siya sa cubao area yun yung strategy, palit ng palit…objective to get funds…money kasi kung totoo yung david willis pre selling pa lang matatapos na yung park kasi php2m lang pala yung total construction cost another napoles…foreigner nga lang hehehe

2:31am Me: Did they really earn that much from pre-selling though? How did you find out about the Scream Park’s earnings?

2:31am B: di ko na aasahang bumalik yung pera ko 4 tickets din yun, at least nalaman ko na manloloko yung tao

2:32am Me: I hope everything surfaces na.

2:32am B: from [Name Redacted], yung marketing manager niya na sinipa….kumontak kay engr. erwin baka raw madawit siya sa kaso ni david wala raw siyang alam sa pera

2:33am Me: Pero may lawyers na sila on the case? Where is Willis now anyway?

2:33am B: yung mga vendor may deposit nakakuha rin sila ng pera, may mga nagpa reserve na company events, tapos target nila schools so di posible they get that huge money sabi sa thread fb page nila nagpakita daw kanina tapos nawala agad

2:35am Me: tsk. Sige, thanks for your input. Post ko rin. (Sorry, blogger lang ako di journalist) But I want to get to the bottom of this

2:35am B: yun lang update ko from engr. erwin last week pa yan, nilabas ko lang to check all the facts

2:35am Me: Thank you for your help

B: and fyi yung investor nagpasok din ng pera kay david from australia, singapore and usa kaya malaki talaga yung nakuhang pera niya…he must and need na maging totoo yung theme park kasi may nag invest sa kaniya ng aus$1m….ang palusot na lang niya eh di maganda business sa pinas, at kung napansin mo sa comment daming personal at close-aid security nung david willis…natatakot din sa ginawa niyang panggagantso

2:50am B: next move niyan biglang mawawala si david willis

—————————————————————————————————

Dec. 1, 2013

6:18 pm

TODAY IS DAMAGE CONTROL DAY

So, I have noticed that the Scream Park is now in damage control mode and has deleted ALL negative posts on their page, while simultaneously barring me and several other people from making posts on their page. KINDA MEAN. They also posted the following statements:

Now, I did mention that everything on this blog, especially the updates are still all speculation. They have banned me from posting on their page, but that is nothing new for defensive companies in damage control mode. It still does not change the fact that they are unprofessional and just plain shitty at organizing these types of events.

The new Scream Park opening date will be DECEMBER 6, 2013. Whether the park is legit or not remains to be seen, since we have to wait yet ANOTHER week to see what will happen. December 5 will be the VIP and media opening. I hope that this time, they will finally get some real media coverage instead of this measly blog of mine. Also, sponsors. They need to get some damn sponsors.

Unfortunately for the angry customers, we also have yet to see anyone receive a refund. I have talked to two people already and both times they mentioned that the Scream Park staff told them that refunds are not possible at the moment and urged that they just use their ticket in due time. Again, this is very badly handled.

I was also approached by a woman who claims to be an employee of the Scream Park and she has also expressed the sentiments above ( the bit in the screenshot about getting scammed by local businesses). According to her, B’s allegations are false and the one who was truly scammed was David Willis. Engineer Erwin reportedly ran off with 1.5 million without delivering services.

However, she also claims that the park is really far from done, and that the employees are not being paid properly. A lot of the zombies have to do the make up themselves since apparently, there is only one make up artist for the whole event. 

She also says that the park has a permit from DOLE now, but none of the other documents (not sure what these are really, someone please enlighten me). However, she claims that the Mayor of Pasay City is now involved  and will help Scream Park Manila. What kind of help? I don’t really know.

Screenshots of the alleged Scream Park employee were not included because she requested that I don’t for her own privacy, so I am only summarizing the information given to me. Again, I cannot verify the truth of her statements.

So, what will happen now? Will the Scream Park really open later this week? Fourth time’s the charm? Maybe? Hopefully? Will wait for more updates! :P

—————————————————————————————————

Dec. 2, 2013

10:46am

I called up the Scream Park today to follow up my refund on Paypal. THEY HANDLED IT COMPLETELY UNPROFESSIONALLY, ASKED FOR MY CREDIT CARD NUMBER AND NAME WHEN ALL THAT IS NEEDED IS MY PAYPAL ACCOUNT, AVOIDED ALL MY QUESTIONS, AND HUNG UP ON ME WITHOUT CONFIRMING IF I WILL RECEIVE A REFUND OR NOT.

However, I managed to call a few minutes later and a woman answered who handled the call with a bit more tact. I don't know who that doofus Jerr was, but please don't let him handle customer support. UGH.

Full details of my call on this separate blog post.

—————————————————————————————————

Dec. 2, 2013

7:09pm

So, it's already 7pm and I still have not received any refunds. The woman I spoke to on the phone today said she will send me my refund through paypal today (seriously, it takes like one second to do that. You look for my name and click the REFUND button). I have tried calling them again but SURPRISE SURPRISE, no one is picking up the phone. I have to wait a couple more days before I can escalate my dispute to a Paypal claim.

In other news, The Feed has posted up this blog post with observations of the park. Look at that, unfinished everything, construction workers all over the place, and no event organizers! Technical problems? Pshaw, it looks like the park is just plain unfinished. :/

Also, David Willis says that the Asylum is opening between Christmas and New Years because the props haven't arrived yet? Bull. Shit. 

Thanks to the guy from The Feed giving everyone a glimpse of how everything is so badly handled. 

—————————————————————————————————

Dec. 3, 2013

4:27pm

I called a reliable informant yesterday and he assures me that this is NOT A SCAM. I repeat, NOT A SCAM. Just a plain old mismanaged theme park, which sucks, but sucks a little less than the allegations. He gave me good, believable information that counters B's stories, and was easy to talk to. There is also a new blog post about opening night also cropped up here written by Vince Golangco, who I understand was supposed to be the host that night or something.

As for my refunds, nope, no one has answered my calls again and no, I have not received any refunds. My informant says its probably because the Park is in such a clusterfuck right now but ehhhh, I still don't think that is a good excuse to lead people around in circles. 

Anyway, I will be retiring this post and start up a new one with new updates. Opening night is fast approaching (again), and from the pics people have posted, a lot of it is incomplete yet. It is probably better if everyone goes sometime next year instead so that the park would be fully operational. Hopefully. Let's see what will happen this week.