Experience 'Paranoia' in Santa Monica

Terrifying killer clowns, blood-soaked hospital patients, and horrifying children of the Manor of Mayhem walk amongst the living , on the third floor of Santa Monica Place. A sign at the entrance warns, "Enter if you dare," and as you take a good look at these terrorizing characters, you really have to ask yourself: Do I dare?For the first time, Santa Monica Place invites the brave souls to come out and enjoy three mazes designed to make you shriek at their new haunted attraction, Paranoia. Paranoia offers a fun and frightening alternative to other Halloween haunted attractions such as Knott’s Berry Farm’s Halloween Haunt and Universal Studios’ Halloween Horror Nights, at only a fraction of the price. The three terrifying mazes, The Infirmary, Insomniac Clown Playhouse, and Granny’s Manor of Mayhem are placed in order from least scary to scariest, but ear-splitting screams are heard coming from every maze. Paranoia does its job of scaring anyone who dares to enter. The characters inside the mazes do an excellent job terrifying each group. In each maze, you will find yourself hesitant to turn each corner for fear of another monster jumping out to scare you and follow you, making the experience even more horrifying. Each maze is dimly lit, but feature special lighting techniques such as bright flashes to make the walk through the mazes dreadful, exciting and unpredictable. Expect to see tons of blood spilled over the walls and floor, caskets with ghouls that pop out unexpectedly, hospital patients with missing limbs, eyeballs preserved in jars, people being electrocuted violently, and so much more. Paranoia is considerably less scary than the other attractions such as those at Universal Studios or Knott’s Berry Farm, which feature some of the scariest and most infamous murderers of all time, with special effects, makeup, and props designed to scare even the bravest enthusiasts of all. Though the price is significantly lower, perhaps this attraction is most suitable for those who are new to the attractions of the Halloween season. Another downside to Paranoia is the fact that some may feel limited to what they can do, considering there are only three mazes which take about five to seven minutes each to complete by walking, and incredibly less to run through. After completing each maze, those with unlimited access are able to go through as many times as they please, but the mazes become predictable after the second time around. Paranoia at Santa Monica Place is a great way to jump-start your Halloween excitement. The attraction is sizeable and well decorated with spooky and intimidating Halloween decorations and props. It is an overall fun, affordable way to experience all the horror of the Halloween season locally, particularly for students at Santa Monica College. Paranoia will run through Oct. 31 with shows Thursday through Sunday. For more information visit paranoiahalloween.com.