Robyn's Baby
I know it's a Swedish folks song but does anyone else think the last track of Body Talk Pt 1 sounds like that la, la, la song from Rosemary's Baby. Just a thought. Robyn - "Jag vet en dejlig rosa"
I don't know what it is about a haunted house that just gets me grinning. I've been to "Nightmares" downtown (theatrical, vignette-driven), "Blood Manor" in Chelsea (more traditional/clowns jumping out and scaring you) but this year there's a new kid on the block; and I, along with friends Tyler, Tracy and Sage, checked it out last night.
I can truly say I wasn't prepared for this little mindfu*k. And although it was over quickly - I probably came the closest to genuine fright that i've ever experienced in a haunted house. Also, they insist that you go through the house ALONE. Which completely empties out all the giggly fun parts. And there are some intense rules 1) you must follow the path 2) you will be touched 3) you have to wear weird stuff 4) the safety word is "safety".
So here's what happens: You walk in, They give you a shot of whiskey (good so far), then they put a surgical mask over your face (uncomfortable). When I pulled it down off my nose so I could breathe a little better I was chastised. Then they put those plastic individual cuffs (that police use) on each one of your wrists. After an intimidating preamble, the guy gives you a flashlight (about 2 inches in size) that completely doesn't work and you're told to follow the path (basically white glow tape that's impossible to see). Since you can't see anything you are practically crawling on the ground to find your way. After many twists and turns, people seem to jump out of nowhere. You're grabbed, told to walk up and down stairs, THEN they bind your hands together (hence the plastic cuffs), put a burlap sack over your head (!) while grabbing at you some more (going up and down stairs), and generally freaking you out. I had to kneel. Apparently my friend Tyler had to bark. And then you just wait for what happens next. Crazy.
I was NOT prepared to have a burlap sack over my head and admit I had to "talk myself down" a bit as you were stuck waiting for a few minutes to be told what to do next -- which felt like an eternity. [too hot! can't breathe!] After pulling the bag and bindings off (GASP* thank God), you're roughed up a bit more, then walk through some weird maze stuff, until you find yourself in an enclosed Buffalo Bill themed room with a big "EXIT" sign over the opposing door. Of course when you go to open the door --it won't. And then you see that there's some crazy man/woman creature emerging from a rocking chair that you basically have to fight in order to escape.
There is in fact a smaller door, with a padlock. He has the key to the lock. and you have to get it from him. Oh, and he's naked from the waist done (--this is likely fake, though I admit i couldn't quite tell in the moment). Then once you are able to get the key and let yourself out (which is sort of a physical battle), you crawl down this claustrophobia inducing weird tunnel type thing. Then it was over.
Very experiential. All psychological. And all-in-all a trippy experience. Tho I think it would have been better if they continued with that scary torture intimidation theme that was so unsettling at the top. As I was contemplating my own suffocation (Get me out of here) with the bag over my head, I thought for sure they were going to 'walk me to the gallows' or put me in some sort of guillotine contraption. Or why not put you in a room in the dark. They could put you in a chair and bind your arms to it, then throw on the lights and you could be staring at yourself in the mirror, realizing that your stapped into an electric chair. Queue mad scientist throwing switch, houselights way up, then blackout. Etc. I'm just sayin'!
Here's the link to the Vortex haunted house http://www.nychalloweenhauntedhouse.com/
Attached pic shows me wearing the surgical mask after we got back to my house. The crew and I had pizza and watched The Texas Chainsaw Massacre (brilliant/disturbing/why did I watch it again). A nice preable to the main event.
Happy Halloween, everyone.
So there are a few Cronenberg remakes in the pipeline. A risky proposition if you ask me. Especially if the main man isn't involved. But if ever there was a Cronenberg flick that asked for a revisit -- it's this one. No telling how it could be updated for our over-mediated, reality TV-fueled times. There was some televised torture thrown in for good measure in the original if I remember correctly. So obviously there's opportunity for a social commentary bonanza.
Bring on that classic Cronenberg body horror!
The original "Videodrome" starred James Woods as the head of Civic TV Channel 83, who makes his station relevant by programming "Videodrome," a series that depicts torture and murder that transfixes viewers.
The new picture will modernize the concept, infuse it with the possibilities of nano-technology and blow it up into a large-scale sci-fi action thriller.
Cronenberg has no role in the film as yet. He is prepping for MGM "The Matarese Circle" as a starring vehicle for Tom Cruise and Denzel Washington. Since Cruise appears likely to next star in the DreamWorks drama "Motorcade" and Washington has committed to the Fox drama "Unstoppable," "Circle" doesn't appear likely to get under way until later this year or 2010.
Bobker/Kruger Films recently set the thriller "Dream House" at Morgan Creek and is producing, with Matthew Stillman, "The Keep" for Rogue. Kruger co-wrote the June 24 Paramount/DreamWorks release "Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen" with Roberto Orci and Alex Kurtzman.
Read the full article at:
http://www.variety.com/article/VR1118002863.html
