Spooky season is almost upon us, as the Halloween season swiftly and sneakily approaches horror lovers are flocking to find activities to quench their horror thirst. Here’s the perfect event for the ultimate terror experience for those that are looking for a nightmarish scare, and scare quite easy.
TERROR presents TerrorVision – Live Screaming Your Nightmares, a new immersive in-your-face horror experience, told over three narrative attractions, flickers to life in Times Square. Located at the fictional ‘Horrorwood Studios’ (300 W. 43rd), Will Munro and Katie McGeoch serve as artistic directors, and the second season of screams begin September 13, with opening night set for Thursday, September 14. Members of the press got to get an exclusive early preview of the fright night. Here’s my experience and recommendations.
*Warning not for children
The experience opens with an elevator ride which takes you on set to a snuff scene, it’s not extremely vivid but it is still a bit uncomfortable and cringe to watch. Otherwise the rest of the tour is just different horror rooms, presentations and eerie locations. Once the director points you in the right direction guests continue on a quest into dark, intricate set-ups that lead you on your nightmarish decent.
The set of rooms are darkly lit and filled with eerie backdrops and props. There are loud angry and creepy sprits, ghouls and creatures of the night spread throughout the entire experience popping out at any moment freaking out guests. The cast of actors have great make-up and shriek skills , there are loads of screams, jump scares and a moment of utter darkness where guests must find a way back into the light.
There are three options to choose from, I suggest choosing the scariest option where you will be literally in the dark for a moment, the actors will also freak you out more, and get closer and closer until you get goosebumps. I don’t think it’s incredibly terrifying as most haunted attractions, yet I don’t scare easy. Try it out and test your endurance and if you can last without a scream or jump!
What is TerrorVision ?
This year’s event will push the boundaries of what audience members can expect in a live horror attraction. In these heart-pounding immersive experiences, guests step through a flickering television screen and into a first-person nightmare.
As audiences embark on a tour of the dilapidated Horrowood Studios, they’re invited to get a ‘behind the screams’ sneak peek of the filming of the upcoming TerrorVision Halloween episode. As things go terribly awry, the screen shatters and guests are suddenly cast as the unwitting new star, forced to face three tales of terror with each manifesting as an immersive walk through haunted house style experience, overflowing with gruesome creatures and movie magic special effects.
Guests are going to see snow, and wind inside of the rooms, giant creatures , and seemingly impossible effects constantly happening all around, quite literally swirling them into this nightmare world.
140 actors inhabit the world of TerrorVision, which includes over 20,000 square feet of rooms, passageways and fright-making it one of the largest theatrical experiences in New York City.
In 2022, TERROR premiered their first horror endeavor, NYC’s largest haunted house, ‘BEDLAM’, in the former Ripley’s Believe it or Not on West 42nd Street, selling more than 20,000 tickets and running for 19 days.
The team behind TerrorVision has designed for the some of the largest horror experiences in the industry, ranging from theme parks to Broadway productions, and have created large immersive events in NYC and in Europe. Co-artistic directors Will Munro and Katie McGeoch have spent more than two decades as the heads of Six Flags’ Fright Fest.
“TerrorVision is truly scary and not for the faint of heart,” said Munro and McGeoch. “When you step into TerrorVision, you’re entering a world set in 1980 – at the height of the slasher genre, when classic horror movies like The Exorcist, Nightmare on Elm Street, Friday the 13th, and Poltergeist were dominating the box office. This year’s show is a complete homage to the 1980’s horror craze and we want our guests to feel like they are stepping into the screen and onto a movie set. Our audiences aren’t going to know what hit them.”
“We’ve created three stand-alone attractions, which would be great on their own, but together, tell a full narrative nightmare,” said Executive Producer Dalton M. Dale. “To pull off some of these amazing effects, we’ve hired Hollywood’s best makeup and special effects artists who will transform our cast into terrifying creatures nightly.”
Tickets, beginning at $39, are available at www.facetheterror.com, with early bird pricing available until September 19.
Guests can choose their own level of Terror:
· General Admission – This is the standard level of scary, heart pounding fun.
· “Chicken” ticket – This allows guests to wear a special amulet to become “invisible” to the monsters. This is perfect for those who do not want to be touched by the ghouls, though still get some residual scares.
· Ultimate Terror – Suited for the most brave guests only, this upgrade will ensure you’re targeted throughout the experience. Bring a change of underwear, you’re going to need it.
***All three levels can also add the RIP/VIP immediate entry upgrade, which skips the general admission line.There is an upcharge for the “Chicken” and Ultimate Terror ticket. Pricing varies nightly.
This experience may be too frightening for children under thirteen. No costumes or costume masks allowed.
The performers are trained in safety, and TerrorVision employs a security team to ensure actor and audience safety, and to enforce their policy of no drugs or alcohol.
For performance dates and schedule, please visit www.facetheterror.com
Gotham Geek Girl 