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| Our "Scary" experience November 3, 2019 |
My Fears
At first, I objected because I did not want to be scared in a darkened room for 2 hours, which is my whole point of *not* attending scary movies! But after reading all the reviews on the internet, I found that it was nothing more than a set of photo-op back drops inspired by scary movies. The "I Like Scary Movies" website calls it "an interactive art experience." Nothing scary about it -- except the location of the venue (more on that later).The Price
Initially, the $40 per ticket price tag also scared me. But reviewers mentioned getting $25 tickets from Goldstar, which I discovered were only available for Thursday and Sunday viewings. There is also an additional $5 service fee per ticket on Goldstar, making the least expensive outlay for tickets (that I could find at the time) $30 per ticket.
The Location
Another thing that scared me was the location of the venue in a not-so-nice part of LA with only street parking available. But reviewers mentioned that street parking was free on Sundays. Considering that Sunday tickets were deeply discounted through Goldstar, I also reasoned that Sundays might not be crowded, allowing us to possibly park closer to the venue in a not-so-nice part of LA.
Crowds
In addition, crowds were definitely something I wanted to avoid. Otherwise, we would end up waiting in line at each exhibit to get our photos taken, or we'd be rushed through the exhibit by the crowds while trying to get our photos taken, making for a possibly miserable "Scary" experience.
For my daughter's sake, I was eventually able to overcome my fears by purchasing discounted Sunday afternoon tickets and treating the family to a "Scary Movies" experience.
Parking
When we arrived at "I Like Scary Movies" in the middle of a Sunday afternoon, we were guided through a graffiti-laden back alley to a parking lot behind the building where we miraculously found a free spot amidst all the "No Parking" signs. Then we walked through the same scary alley to the front door of the "Scary Movies" experience. Let's just say, I'm glad we weren't out there at night! |
| A back alley in Los Angeles |
The Lobby
When we arrived, the happy host scanned our tickets and outlined the following warnings:- While most of the art exhibits are "interactive," staff will be present to indicate which parts are interactive and which are not.
- Staff will also be on hand to take family or group photos with your device, and to offer ideas for the best shots.
- The exhibit is one way: no backtracking; so take full advantage of each exhibit while you're in it.
- The exhibit trail does not return to the lobby; instead it exits into the gift shop, then out a completely separate door.
- The only restrooms are in the lobby, so "use the restroom now or forever hold your pee..."
The Experience
As we went through the exhibit, there were other patrons there but it was not crowded, we did not feel rushed, and it was easy to stay out of each others' way to get all the videos and photos we wanted.The staff was also very helpful with suggestions for expressions, poses, camera angles, positions, locations etc. to get the most interesting shots.
Below are just some of the shots we got in the lobby.
This "interactive art experience" celebrates five scary movies:
- The Shining
- Nightmare on Elm Street
- It
- Beetlejuice
- Friday the 13th
Complete with redrum furnishings from floor to ceiling...
Nightmare on Elm Street
Watch out for the claw!
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| So into her selfie, she misses the claw coming... |
Probably the largest room in the exhibit, the "It" room includes
- A walk through a dizzying tunnel...
- A fear wall: add your fear to it and get a shiny new, one-of-a-kind, souvenir clown penny!
- And, of course, things float too...
Beetlejuice
Another large room, where you too can be undead -- in more ways than one.
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| The family split |
The smallest room in the exhibit, in my opinion, required a campy host to really work it, and the host in that room knew how to work it. Let's just say, I thought she was a great photographer. Camping, anyone?
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| The water in the lake looks a bit "choppy" |
The Escape
After an hour, we managed to escape our experience, with a plethora of pleasing photos, into the gift shop at the end of the tunnel. It was small, but roomy, with the typical gift shop fare. My daughter wanted a Friday the 13th slasher necklace, but I told her it would come out of her allowance. When she was told it was $15, she just wasn't willing to make the sacrifice.
We then headed back out into the alley from whence we came to get our car. For me, that alley was the scariest part of the whole experience.
Want to Experience More?
Better hurry: the last day for this exhibit is Sunday, November 17, 2019.In the meantime, here's a short video of our experience:
Want to see more photos? Check out our 2019 I Like Scary Movies photo album! And thanks for playing with us!
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