A Murdock's View
A blog by the webmaster, which is also a character in the Pataskala Haunted Forest.
Tuesday
October 16, 2007

For those of you that don't know, I am the Webmaster of this website as well as the ring master in the circus scene in the Pataskala Haunted Forest.  I started this blog because I felt
this site needed a personal touch as well as a behind the scenes look at the PHF.

I have to say that I am having the time of my life working at the PHF as well as doing this website.  I have always loved Halloween, and LOVED scaring people.  Halloween is the ONLY
time of year where you can pretend to be someone or something else and not get looked at like your crazy.  Last year I was a guide in the PHF and this year I get the privilege of working
a scene in the PHF.  I don't really get to scare anyone with the part I play, but I throw in my own stuff from time to time just to get someone to jump and when it works and they get scared
and scream, I get that feeling of "Well, my job is done"...lol.

Well, this last weekend kinda started off sucky, I arrived at the PHF and got into make-up.  After my make-up was done, I walked outside and saw The guy that plays JA the Clown in the
Circus scene... He did not look happy at all which is unusual for him.  I went to him and pretended not to notice the gloom OK on his face and showed him the new prop I had.  He
preceded to tell me that I probably would not be able to use it today because he was just back at the Circus scene and noticed that all of the power lines in our scene had been cut to
the point that it could not be quickly repaired.  He also had other things on his mind and understandably, he decided to NOT do the scene that night.  With about 1 hour till the forest
opened, about 4 of us that wanted to do SOMETHING with the scene instead of making the PHF shorter for the night by bypassing that scene altogether, We decided to go back to the
"Murdock Family Freak Show" for one night and do it with nothing but us and 2 flashlights.  We threw together a scene and script in about 20 minutes and surprisingly enough, it kinda
worked.  For one night in the Circus Scene, we had about 5 "FREAKS"  We had Zig & Zag, The Siamese deaf mute twins, Cousin Clarence, The Canable, Jiggyjag The Clown and
Brother Mortis.  With the 5 of us and 2 flashlight... NO MUSIC, NO SOUND EFFECTS, just us, 2 flashlights, and a thrown together script, we actually got some good scares out of people.

I think its really sad that someone that has nothing better to do would purposely go out to the PHF, Go Directly to the Circus scene, and cut the power lines like that.  Whoever you are,
Remember... Karma is a B&$@#, and you will get whats coming to you someday... What goes around, comes around.

ANYWAYS....

I am PRAYING that the rain holds off this weekend because (in case you haven't heard) WE WERE RATED 8.2 out of 10 by
www.ohioshaunted.com
You can read the review by CLICKING HERE.  With a rating like that, we are hoping that we have a even BIGGER crowd then last Saturday...and last Saturday was HUGE.... The
LARGEST crowd this season so far.

Well, I am going to wrap this up for now.  If you have anything you would like for me to touch on in this blog, let me know by e-mailing me at themurdockclan@yahoo.com

Don't forget to become our friend on myspace, there is a link on the front page of this website.

TOODLES
Sunday
October 21, 2007

WOW, What a weekend.  I asked and I received.  In my last post, I stated I wanted us to have a bigger crowd this weekend and we did, so I want to thank each of you for making that
possible.  I am still tired from this weekend.  We had such a big crowd last night, that I didnt get home until 3:30 this morning.  Lets think about that.  We stop selling tickets at Midnight
and we continued to scare people for the next 3 hours.  SIMPLY AWESOME!!!

One thing I wanted to bring up in this post is where exactly the money goes that we bring in during the Haunted Forest.  People dont realize that everyone that works at the haunted
forest are volunteers.  No one gets paid to put this on.  Every dime we bring in goes to the Southwest Licking Youth Football and The Pataskala Lions Club which that Loins Club uses
for different charity reasons.  This is our biggest fund raiser of the year.  The money you spend while at the haunted forest is all going to a good cause.. so thank you :)

In my last post I brought up about how someone or some people vandelized the circus scene last week.  Well, it looks like they were not done.  This week they attacked the bar scene.
If those that are responsible are reading this post, I hope you enjoyed your time doing this, because after last weeks stunt, We spent all day, one day last week installing video cameras
in multiple spots in the forest pointed at each scene just incase something like this happened again.  At this point, the videos have been handed over to the Licking County Sheriff's
Office and they are investigating as we speak.  Hope you enjoy your time in jail.

Well, I think I amall done with this post.  I hope to see you all this weekend for the FINAL weekend of this HAUNTING season.

Dont forget to become our friend on myspace which is linked on the main page of this site.

Until next time...

TOODLES!!!
Monday
October 29, 2007

Well, This haunting season has come and gone.  What a season it was too.  In the 2007 haunting season, we saw our largest turn out in one night since 2000.
We saw lots of new faces and even more of the old ones.  We saw the continued progress the Pataskala Haunted Forest is making... Thinking of new ideas to
scare you each year can be kinda hard.  I felt that everyone this year was a lot closer to each other then years past.  I think everyone is realizing that we are
one big family and weather we like it or not, we are there for each other.

I also am sad to see some people retire from the haunted forest.  This year marked the end of the circus scene.  Yes, it was the "YEAR OF THE CLOWNS" but
it was also like a fair well party for them as well.  The 2 main clowns in the scene (JA the Clown & LL Cool Clown) have decided to focus on other ventures in
their lives, weather it be a personal venture, or a venture for their child, I wish them well in the future, and who knows, maybe they might come back and make
cameo appearances.

Also, This year marks the end of Pickles the Bunny in the Slaughter House.  He has decided to move on and focus on his personal goals.  I wish you well in the
future as well.

Now, as far as I know, The Slaughter house will remain as is... but things always have a way of changing as well.  I know that the Circus scene will be gone.  As
of the final night of the haunted forest this year... LL Cool Clown & JA he Clown handed over the reigns of the clown scene to me.  It saddens me to see them
go...and I had honestly thought about keeping the clown scene going... but then I felt that it could never be done as well as i was when JA & LL were doing it.  
So I have decided to retire the clown scene and change the scene for next year.  Now, I can't go into details a to what it will be, but I promise...

#1.  NO FREAK SHOW
and
#2.  NO CHAINSAWS

I do know what I want to do with the scene, and I beleive it will be VERY scary... but I don't want to let the cat out of the bag... You will just have to come see it
for yourself  in 2008.

I have made some new friends this season, friends i never thought in a million years I would have.  Myself, I am hoping that next year, I can break the "click"
barrier and make friends in every scene.  I am probly one of the easiest going guys you will ever meet, I will be friends with anyone that wants to be friends with
me.  I am hoping that the Pataskala Haunted Forest show me a kind of people that I have never known.  So far, I love everyone I have met, and yes, a wire was
crossed here and there, but honestly, its nothing that can't be fixed, and I hope you feel the same way too.

Now, on to something that I have been thinking about doing for a while now... its the FIRST EVER... PATASKALA HAUNTED FOREST WEBMASTER AWARDS.
I am honoring those that have shown me the greatest thing they can in the Pataskala Haunted Forest... and thats "How to be a Murdock"

THE 2007 PATASKALA HAUNTED FOREST WEBMASTER AWARDS

Most Intense Scene:  The Tunnel

Most Promising Scene:  The Slaughter House

Best Acting:  Jebidiah Murdock

Best Lighting:  The Slaughter House

Best Sound:  The Tunnel

Favorite Acting:  JA The Clown & LL Cool Clown

Favorite Character:  Pickles the Bunny

Best Prop Used:  JA The Clown's Sledge Hammer & The Moonshine Bottles in the Bar Scene

Friendliest Person:  TIE Jenny & Pam

Best Costume:  TIE Jebidiah Murdock & The Sheriff

Best Effect:  The flexible bridge in the Slaughter House

Best Design:  The Tunnel

Best Voice:  The Psycho Chick in The Psychosis Scene

Best Dialog:  TIE Jebidiah Murdock & The Tunnel Entrance

Best Ring Master:  ME...lol

Thats it... This years PHF Webmaster Awards are over... TA big thank you for everyone involved this year and lets make a even better NEXT YEAR.

toodles
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CENTRAL OHIO'S
LONGEST RUNNING
HAUNTED
ATTRACTION
Est. 1989