We throw ourselves into the elevator, frantic in our attempts to escape the deranged maniac who’s been stalking us through an ice-covered maze for the past minute. The doors close and we realized we’re trapped. There’s no knowing what’s next, but whatever it is, there will be no running from it. The elevator shifts as we feel it slowly rotating and the doors open to a corridor flanked by futuristic-looking control panels and flashing lights. Immediately, my stomach sinks as I start to figure out where we are. I step out of the elevator and onto the nearly abandoned spacecraft… fear fest ’89

Fear Fest ’89 is the 2019 offering from Dreich Society, the team of Inland Empire-based home haunters that debuted in 2015. Tucked away at the end of an unassuming cul-de-sac, the tight walk-through maze offers plenty of jump-scares while also serving as a tribute to several of the most beloved horror films of the 1980s – Friday the 13^th Part 2, The Shining, Alien and Poltergeist to be specific. Fear Fest ’89 arguably made its debut in the Hall of Shadows at this year’s Midsummer Scream convention, but their Halloween weekend version is longer, more elaborate, and reimagined in several key places.

Fear Fest ’89 makes it clear what you’re in for from the start. The entrance, which looks like a classic theater box office and marquee, proudly boasts that weekend’s entertainment – a horror film festival featuring the movies the maze recreates. Guests are taken inside into what resembles a theater lobby filled with classic horror movie one-sheets as the eerie theme from Us plays overhead (an anachronism in this tribute to the 1980s, but one that nevertheless seems to work). From there, visitors make their way through an obstructed entrance and the horrors begin.

One of Dreich Society’s greatest strengths – at least if this year’s maze is any indication – is how much they seem to do with less. Sets are very cleverly constructed and immediately call to mind the film that inspired them, but they’re not what I’d call high-tech. Fear Fest ’89 doesn’t depend on advanced wizardry to create its scares, but good, old-fashioned tension and surprise.

While all four segments of the maze are creatively designed, the two center segments – The Shining and Alien – are the highlights. The Shining recreates the climactic hedge maze, complete with a deranged, axe-wielding Jack Torrance in pursuit. As you try to figure out how to get through the maze, Jack’s never too far behind, shouting threats and iconic quotes from the film (“I’m not going to hurt you… I’m just going to bash your brains in!”).

Eventually, you find yourself in the aforementioned elevator, which transports you to the maze’s Alien recreation, which benefits from how surprising it is. Yes, Alien can definitely be seen as a horror film, but with all its sci-fi trimmings, it’s not often thought of as one. (It’s also, admittedly, from the 1970s rather than the ‘80s, but the sequel came out in 1986 and its influence was still being felt all throughout the decade that followed.) You have to admire the ambition of trying to recreate such a design- and SFX-heavy film as part of a home haunt, but Fear Fest ’89 gives you just enough of a set, complemented by sound effects from the movie, for you to get the idea. And just as you’re processing how well they’ve pulled it off, the xenomorph jumps at you from an unexpected angle for the best scare of the maze.

Unfortunately, the maze does end rather abruptly, and on a confusing note. The final sequence is presumably a tribute to Poltergeist, and the first part is undeniably impressive and effective, as you make your way through a translucent entrance filled with television static, a clever nod to the film’s most enduring image of young Carol Anne Freeling with her hands against an off-air TV screen. With the light of the projector aimed directly at you, you’re almost completely blinded as you make your way through the door – a perfect time for a scare. But we didn’t get one. Instead, as we moved out of the light, we noticed the room’s other occupant, a fiend in a plague mask who pointed us toward the exit. While I know Poltergeist doesn’t have a singular monster like the other films Fear Fest ’89 recreates, I’m pretty sure it doesn’t have any plague masks either, creating an odd bit of head-scratching as you exit the maze.

But I certainly don’t hold Fear Fest ’89’s one unclear creative choice against it. Not when the rest of the maze is scary, cleverly designed, and tons of frightening fun. Dreich Society knows how to bring the scares – they’ve been doing it a while and they’re quite good at it. But seeing how strong they are at recreating beloved, and frequently big-budget moments using everyday items is something of a revelation. While there’s no beating original stories and concepts when it comes to home haunts, I certainly wouldn’t mind seeing a follow-up to this walk-through festival of frights. Fear Fest ’89 is an impressive dose of terror-soaked nostalgia that’s well worth the cost of admission…and the drive out to Ontario.

Fear Fest ’89 has concluded its run, but you can find more information about Dreich Society on their Facebook page. Check out our Event Guide for more Halloween and immersive entertainment throughout the year.

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