Fear No Evil

The recent fright features we've scribed for this section have depicted terrifying zombies and the blood lust of the dying. Sheesh. We know Halloween is scary, but do we have to pee in our underpants every time we cringe thru a darkened room? In a word, no. After we spoke...

By Leslie Barton

October 23, 2008

[
        {
          "name": "Air - MediumRectangle - Inline Content - Mobile Display Size",
          "component": "18478561",
          "insertPoint": "2",
          "requiredCountToDisplay": "2"
        },{
          "name": "Editor Picks",
          "component": "16759093",
          "insertPoint": "4",
          "requiredCountToDisplay": "1"
        },{
          "name": "Inline Links",
          "component": "17980324",
          "insertPoint": "8th",
          "startingPoint": 8,
          "requiredCountToDisplay": "7",
          "maxInsertions": 25
        },{
          "name": "Air - MediumRectangle - Combo - Inline Content",
          "component": "16759092",
          "insertPoint": "8th",
          "startingPoint": 8,
          "requiredCountToDisplay": "7",
          "maxInsertions": 25
        },{
          "name": "Inline Links",
          "component": "17980324",
          "insertPoint": "8th",
          "startingPoint": 12,
          "requiredCountToDisplay": "11",
          "maxInsertions": 24
        },{
          "name": "Air - Leaderboard Tower - Combo - Inline Content",
          "component": "16759094",
          "insertPoint": "8th",
          "startingPoint": 12,
          "requiredCountToDisplay": "11",
          "maxInsertions": 24
        }
      ]

The recent fright features we've scribed for this section have depicted terrifying zombies and the blood lust of the dying. Sheesh. We know Halloween is scary, but do we have to pee in our underpants every time we cringe thru a darkened room?

In a word, no. After we spoke with Chris Birkett, the owner/operator of Haunted Graveyard Presents: The Mansion, we realized that the playful spirit of Walt Disney is still an inspiration for some. Chris' front-yard scare factory – which is full of “air-compressed grave jumpers” and computer animatronics – is like one of those over-the-top Christmas displays, only, you know, orange. It’s not really freaky like those pee-inducing haunts, but with a headless ghost, pet cemetery, and boneyard, there's still plenty of spooky fun.

As Birkett puts it, "Life is tough as it is. The world needs more love and tenderness." Even on Halloween.

Oct. 27-31, 6:30-10 p.m., 2008

KEEP NEW TIMES FREE... Since we started New Times, it has been defined as the free, independent voice of Phoenix, and we'd like to keep it that way. Your membership allows us to continue offering readers access to our incisive coverage of local news, food, and culture with no paywalls. You can support us by joining as a member for as little as $1.