The Conjuring movies, based on the paranormal investigations of Ed and Lorraine Warren, have been a favorite of mine. There’s a whole series of them, with a few centered around a smiling, though creepy and possessed, doll. I also went through a Stephen King phase and read the epic, 1138 page It in a matter of days, and only when I kept the lights on. But I have to admit, the movie that really had me counting the rosary beads was The Exorcist, with its colorful special effects, and a story that involved a priest, and I mean, who wouldn’t believe the devil exists when it’s talked about in the Bible! So, when Madame Tussauds New York brought in their Halloween-themed figures for the season, including my who’s who of nightmare favorites, I just had to face my fears in this bone-chilling experience. Just in time for (cue the Vincent Price evil laugh), Halloween.
The wax figures in Madame Tassauds are already infamous for their masterful detail, from eye-color to height, to their mannerisms and even forehead wrinkles, so these terrifying characters, the stars of the Warner Bros. Icons of Horror exhibit, will no doubt be truly creepy in person. We’re talking Annabelle, the possessed doll who has been placed center stage at a tea-party awaiting the next victim to sit beside her for a picture. Next, we have Regan, the possessed 12-year-old who we find levitating above her bed with a sinister, devilish grin. As the story goes, ghost investigator, Lorraine Warren, was haunted by a demon known as Valek, who takes the form of a nun, and in the traditional black and white habit and scream-face, follows her throughout the movie. But watch out, Valek might just be lurking behind the next corner. And would Halloween be Halloween without a terrifying smiling clown? The infamous character from King’s It, known as Pennywise, makes an appearance and brings horror fans eye to eye with this guy.
“The horror genre has one of the most dedicated fan followings and we can’t wait to send a chill down visitors’ spines when they immerse themselves into these iconic scenes featuring terrifying wax figures,” says the museum’s head of marketing, Tiago Mogadouro. These characters are situated in small, intimate, and appropriately decorated quarters, bringing us nose to nose, and there’s a tiny part of us that wonders if the character is real or not. Somewhere, somehow, after stepping through the doors, the sense of logical thinking goes by the wayside making one a little unsure about standing alongside the creature for a keepsake photo.
After your heart has calmed down from the Icons of Horror section, there are 5 floors of halls to visit, each with their own theme, like the the Zone: figures from the movies and TV; the Experiences: Marvel Universe “face flinching” 4D movie, multi-sensory Carnival Carnage 7D game; and new figures like Biden and Harris, Harry and Meghan, Bad Bunny, Anitta, and Loki, God of Mischief. And for those who want to take a little wax home, as a way of giving yourself a “hand” for facing your fears, guests can have a wax hand created before their very eyes (included in the All-Inclusive Ticket package).
It’s time to face YOUR fears.
Photos by MJ Hanley-Goff
