Haunters: The Art of the Scare

Horror, to some, may seem like a niche. A small genre that gets attention every October in the form of Haunted Houses, a couple scary movies, and some good old fashioned trick or treating. To others it is a lifestyle, an art. Haunters the Art of the Scare reveals that massive iceberg below the surface. The haunter world is extremely complex, from the politics, to the construction, to the social impacts. Haunters perfectly encapsulates a digestible look for those who may not be familiar with terms like "Extreme Haunt", "Scare Actor", and of course the infamous "McKamey Manor". But it also offers something to the seasoned horror veteran. Reading between the lines and seeing the underlying dynamic between many legendary haunters, allows you to begin to understand the true complexities of the community. I myself, love to make and build and create. Seeing others so passionate about their craft serves as inspiration to continue my personal path deeper into the horror community. The film also seems to serve as a warning. The key to being a good haunter is surrounding yourself with those that support you even though they may not understand you. I loved how the film begged the question: How far is too far? Every viewer has the ability to make that determination and choose their own experience. Jon Schnitzer's Haunters: the Art of the Scare is a must see documentary for everyone from October pilgrims to a Hardcore Haunter.

This is the perfect documentary for anyone who is remotely into haunts, events, horror and more. Such a great way to tell multiple haunt stories. Such a great watch with in-depth interviews and great footage of attractions.

In the past few years, I've become very interested in the subject of this film. Haunted houses, extreme haunts, immersive theatre productions, they're all the same thing. They're all about creating exciting and visceral experiences for their audience members. Here, Jon Schnitzer has done a remarkable job documenting "The Art of the Scare." He has shown us three examples of people that have dedicated their lives to something that they truly care about: scaring the hell out of people! Each person has different opinions on how much they should scare people and I would have to say that I agree with Shar Mayer more than Russ McKamey on this (watch the documentary and you'll know what I mean). And by following these people, we the audience come to understand them and discover why the art of the scare is so important. We also learn about this scene of interactive horror, which has been around for some time, but only recently has begun to blow up. The documentary showed me that there are so many people out there, just like me, that are obsessed with these crazy experiences. Like me, they seem to understand that in some weird way, these experiences are about facing your fears. With "Haunters: The Art of the Scare" Jon Schnitzer has clearly demonstrated a respect for horror and this scene of crazy, passionate, and supportive individuals.

Really dug this documentary. Not only does it highlight some of the most fascinating haunts in the country, but it also sheds light on the folks who both love to scare and be scared in this industry. I appreciated a chance to get to know more about folks like Shar, Donald, and even a madman like Russ. Definitely worth a watch!

Finally a film I can get inspired and love watching over and over again. Haunters: The Art of Scare is truly a delight for upcoming Haunt Owners, Actors and HorrorFanatics alike. This film is amazingly awesome, VERY EDUCATIONAL and brings you back to when you were a kid and going into your first Haunt for the first time. I absolutely enjoyed this movie from the beginning to end and cannot wait to see more from this director. Truly inspiring.

This documentary is amazing! As a haunter myself, having worked a theme park scare zone and a current haunt, this documentary shows nothing but the beauty and art behind the things we do. It's eye opening to audiences that real people find true passion in haunting, halloween and horror. From talking about Mckamey Manor, to Knotts, to real extreme haunts and regular walk throughs, it's all just interesting to see what different types of haunts exists. I highly recommend this documentary to the public, and to haunters. It's an amazing passionate community whom bond together over something fun we all like to do. 10 of 10 stars from me!!!

I really wish i could have given a better rating but the filmakers really chose the wrong people to feature. Unlikeable doesn't even cover it. From the guy who treats his wofe with no respect so he can build a haunt thats open for 4 hours to the wedding singer who has mental problems and gets off on seeing people in terror. Just not what i wanted to see from a documentary about haunts. Missed an opportunity here to show a much better side of what is really high art when done well. Too bad

Watched it twice and will watch it again. Showed us things we had no clue about! Never knew there were such extreme haunts. Loved Shar of course! She was my favorite part! Learning that people spend all their lives devoted to haunts gave us a deeper understanding about the actors behind the scenes! Thank you to all the people who create or work inside the haunts. Keep it up, we need you to feed our love of the scare!