Seems like this one’s long overdue…
Following the release of the new Hulu documentary, Monster Inside: America’s Most Extreme Haunted House, folks are once against interested in the story of McKamey Manor.
What is McKamey Manor? The twisted brainchild of Navy vet Russ McKamey, it is likely the scariest haunted house on planet Earth. Located in in Summertown, Tennessee and Huntsville, Alabama, this place is scary enough to not only possibly hurt you physically, but maybe even send you to the psych ward. And it is the subject of Hulu’s latest documentary.
The synopsis:
“Russ McKamey is the creator of the world’s “most extreme haunted house” – McKamey Manor. He is also a manipulative abuser, according to three people who realize the horror is never over once you decide to enter the Manor.”
The documentary follows a few stories from people who visited the “haunted house,” and while not only being convenient for the spooky season of Halloween, the film’s ultimate goal is to get McKamey Manor shut down.
Here’s a quick look at the trailer:
Russ told the The Sun that the entire film was a hit piece:
“I will say that I had absolutely nothing to do with that show, and it’s nothing but hate. They didn’t even try to talk to anyone who supports me or the Manor. Also, all the footage you’re seeing is from my movies and personal Facebook pages. The only original is the hate interviews.
It’s just one-sided hate propaganda from people that actually know better but are looking for their 15 minutes of fame. They truly are obsessed with me. It’s very misleading. I hope people realize this. It’s not even about McKamey Manor, it’s all about me, trying to make me look bad. That was their agenda.
I know the people involved and I’ve seen all the messages between the creators of the project and the hate groups. They have been working on this for a long time.”
However, despite the previous attempts to get it shut down, and this new Hulu documentary, there is no shortage of people willing to try it. It’s garnered quite the cult following and even has an extensive interview process to get in.
Why? Well, take a look at some requirements that you need to pass the screening process:
– they make you sign a 40, FORTY, page waiver.
– you must be 21 and above, or 18-20 with parents approval.
– you must get a “Sports Physical” and doctor’s letter stating you are physically and mentally cleared.
– pass a background check.
– pass a screening via Facebook, FaceTime or phone.
– have proof of medical insurance.
– and finally, pass a portable drug test on the day of the “tour.”
Once you schedule your trauma-inducing experience, you’ll partake in the horror fest that takes over 10 hours… and maybe even longer. Who really knows if there is an end. IF you complete the journey (and follow the rules they lay out such as no cursing, drinking, smoking, running, eating, or touching the actors or props), you can win $20,000.
However, fair warning… NOBODY has ever finished.
Their website gives you all the info you need, and even itself looks out of control and scary, but somehow, more than 20,000 people have applied to participate. Granted, it doesn’t cost anything more than a 50-pound bag of dog food (weird) to enter.
According to Nashville Scene, the house can shave your head or eyebrows, inject you with hallucinogens, make you eat bugs, snap you with a mousetrap, wrap plastic wrap around your face, whip you, taze you, bury you alive… and that’s just the beginning. It has been dubbed by some as a real life torture chamber.
So while some claim they were scarred for life by the experience, others have tried to complete the challenge more than once. And since Russ films the entire encounter, there is tons of footage available detailing what you can expect.
There is a massive Change.org petition to have the place shut down. Some have claimed they left with broken bones, bruises, were waterboarded and that founder Russ McKamey and company don’t adhere to the proposed safe word in a timely fashion.
And now it looks like the government is finally looking into the sadistic “haunted house.”
Tennessee Attorney General Jonathan Skrmetti announced on Tuesday (Halloween, which I’m sure is just a coincidence…) that his office sent a letter to McKamey Manor raising concerns about the business practices of the popular attraction.
Seems like “business practices” is a nice way of putting it…
The letter from the AG, which was obtained by The Tennessean, expresses “serious concerns” about McKamey’s practice of not honoring participants wishes to stop during the tour, as evidenced by the owner’s comments in the Hulu documentary:
“We’re known for no quitting and no safe wording.”
And the letter, written by Assistant Attorney General Kristine Knowles, also calls into question the practice of not allowing participants to review the required 40-page waiver describing the risks involved with the experience in advance of showing up for the tour:
Former participants describe the adrenaline and pressure they felt when reviewing the waiver at the start of the tour. One interviewee from the Hulu documentary stated, “I had too much excitement going through my veins at the time.’ If [the waiver] would have said that a man is going to come out of the woods and murder you during this event, I would’ve have signed it.”
The government is also apparently questioning whether the supposed $20,000 reward even exists, or whether it’s impossible to win, citing McKamey’s comments to the Nashville Scene that nobody had ever won the prize and they never would.
The letter puts McKamey on notice that a formal request for information and documents would be coming soon, but from McKamey’s response it doesn’t sound like he’s too worried about it:
