People have different ideas of having fun, and they are free to explore them as they want. But sometimes, unknowingly, they cross the line and start doing things that are not morally correct. Now, where that line lies can be subjective, and people have the freedom to do what they wish to do in life, but seeing some people pay to get tortured physically and psychologically is beyond our understanding. Unfortunately, that’s the horrific reality of America’s most haunted horror house, “McKamey Manor,” run by the former Navy officer, Russ McKamey, the founder of this cult slash haunted house attraction. Monster Inside: America’s Most Extreme Haunted House, a Hulu original documentary film, showcases the disturbing truth of this haunted house attraction, inviting people in and then torturing them inhumanely. The real-life footage of these participants being tortured was violent, scary, and unwatchable, especially when the disclaimer appeared on the screen, claiming that this footage was not in any way fabricated for the documentary.
What Is McKamey Manor? Who Is Russ McKamey?
In the realm of McKamey Manor, the haunted house founded by Russ McKamey, only a few participants could visit each year. Russ made them sign a waiver with the terms and conditions that they could inflict various kinds of torture upon the participants. This torture included all kinds of physical or psychological torment for which the participants had to be ready. But the tortures were unspeakable. In the name of offering a real-life horror experience, they were inhumanly torturing people, including gagging them, waterboarding them, immersing their faces in the mud, and even making them eat their own puke. They even made the participants sign a waiver, that went was as far as permitting tooth extraction and fingernail removal. People paid for these horror experiences and wanted to go to these “immersive horror haunts.” But upon arriving, they got to know about the actual reality behind the horror house. Especially when the prize money was announced at almost 20 grand, more people became attracted to the offer and tried their luck in such horrific haunts. But things went wrong when these tortures turned out to be unbearable for the participants. Monster Inside: America’s Most Extreme Haunted House showcases the interviews of those very angry participants of the “McKamey Manor” immersive horror haunts, venting out their terrible experiences, especially with Russ McKamey.
What Happened To Russ McKamey?
Kriss Smith, Melissa Everly, Gabi, and many more like them had spoken out against the inhuman torture that Russ had inflicted upon them. They were all very excited about the initial haunts they participated in, and even those initial tortures, despite being physically and mentally traumatizing, enticed them to follow Russ’s commands and accept more horrifying challenges. The videos of those tortures were being posted on social media groups and YouTube channels, prompting the participants to garner a massive fan following. The growing fame and the allure of the prize money were driving these people crazy. Some others were there simply to gather experience and come out even stronger to deal with any kind of situation in their lives. However, soon enough, they realized how physically and mentally draining these tortures were. Sometimes, these inhumane tortures went beyond just physical or mental. A prime example was Melissa’s experience with Russ, who told her during one of the haunts that he couldn’t film a part of their torture procedure, which could turn out to be explicit content. Melissa remains terrified to date, wondering what exactly Russ might have done to her other than immersing her face in the mud. One of the most terrifying truths about McKamey Manor was that before each of these haunts, the participants were drugged by Russ. These participants, having no idea what was happening to them, had to depend entirely on what Russ was telling them. Russ totally took advantage of that fear, and according to his associates, he was raising the level of the torture to the point where he could have killed someone in the haunted house, resulting in his imprisonment.
One of the participants, named Justin, was not like the others. He was not very submissive to Russ, which angered him. Russ was enjoying his cult leader-like status, being able to boss around his assistants, and torturing the participants like they were some kind of animal.
As Justin wasn’t quite obeying Russ’s commands, Russ humiliated him in front of everyone, badmouthing him and kicking him out of the haunted house. Justin decided to take revenge on Russ. He started a Facebook page called “McKamey Manor Exposed,” where people would come to vent out their anger on Russ. He even hacked into Russ’s email account and exposed all his dirt. Justin exposed Russ for not paying his taxes and even claimed that his videos were fake to the tax collectors, who were pressing them to pay. His violent and obsessive nature towards his ex-girlfriend was exposed, which tarnished Russ’s public image. Many people outside of the haunted house who believed Russ to be an amusing guy started hating him. But that didn’t prevent Russ from continuing his horrific and torturous haunts in McKamey Manor. McKamey Manor is still a popular haunted house attraction, luring some really weird people with an unreasonable addiction and obsession towards these haunts into its trap. Ranging from teenagers to elderly women, many people are still obsessed with the haunted house and, especially with Russ, defending his behavior and his perverted and sickening mindset. They even criticized the participants, who shifted the blame on Russ despite signing the waivers.
Monster Inside: America’s Most Extreme Haunted House ended on a horrifying note, showcasing how twisted and irrational people’s minds can be. I’m not sure if this footage was real, but these people needed therapy. An elderly woman working as a healthcare professional encourages Russ McKamey’s torturous and murderous haunts, claiming that he is a good man. This is something very surreal that depicts real-life horror and makes us ponder the multifaceted nature of human psychology. The documentary is an intriguing watch for us who didn’t have any clue about such a horrific place existing despite the controversies. The horror elements were so disturbing that sometimes you need to take your eyes off the screen. The documentary does a brilliant job of portraying such real-life horror, which might resonate well with horror enthusiasts, especially now as we enter the Halloween season.
