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BROOKLYN HORROR FILM FESTIVAL 2023 RUNDOWN: When & Where It’s Happening, What to Watch, And How To Get In

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The sirens are going off here at the Horror Press Estate because it is time yet again: Brooklyn Horror Film Festival 2023, THE premier East Coast horror film festival, is coming in hot, and its lineup is a doozy. It’s going to be serving up cinematic fare from all around the world: from the gory to the thrilling, from the highbrow to the low down and nasty. We’ve got you covered with everything you need to know. 

No time to waste. Let’s get into it.  

WHEN IS BROOKLYN HORROR FILM FESTIVAL 2023 HAPPENING?

The festival screening will be running from October 12-19, at Nitehawk Cinema Williamsburg and Nitehawk Cinema Prospect Park. On top of that, there are live events associated with the festival all throughout the borough, like Final Exam Horror Trivia and Miskatonic Institute Of Horror Studies analyzing Ringu and Godzilla (1954)

Plan your schedule out now because this will be jam-packed with the hottest independent horror this year.

WHAT FILMS ARE PLAYING AT BROOKLYN HORROR FILM FESTIVAL 2023?

There are so many incredible films playing that we literally cannot fit them all. Still, I’ve got a juicy preselection of the top five films we’re looking forward to the most here at Horror Press.

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MONOLITH – This film has a newly minted member of horror royalty starring Lily Sullivan of Evil Dead Rise, which is reason enough for buzz. Following a reporter who discovers a trail of ruined lives, she finds the victims all came in contact with a strange black brick and endeavors to figure out the truth about the artifact. I love a good mystery, and Sullivan’s acting in the best horror film of the year put it at the top of films we’re anticipating. 

CANNIBAL MUKBANG – Winning the award for “Titles That Automatically Make You Want To Watch”, Aimee Kuge’s work tackles one of the internet’s most captivating (for better and worse) subcultures: mukbanging. Following a romance between a man and his new mysterious crush, he soon gets dragged into her favorite pastime: eating grotesque amounts of food, which may or may not be human meat. Need I say more?

CONANN – With two of the most visually unique films of the past decade under his belt, you know Bertrand Mandico had to deliver the goods at BHFF for his third go around. The title is just as it sounds: a play on Conan the Barbarian that promises “a time-jumping and visually wild riff” on Robert E. Howard’s classic rogue. As a massive sword and sorcery nerd and someone who fell in love with the aesthetics of Mandico’s film After Blue, this is a no-brainer for movies to get hyped for. 

BREATHING IN – I covered director Jaco Bouwer’s Gaia in my Hidden Horror Gems of 2021 article way back when, and I still feel the same about Bouwer’s incredible directing on my recent rewatch. Adapting a South African play about a wounded general of the Second Anglo-Boer War asking the wrong mother and daughter duo for help, this may be one of the quieter films at Brooklyn Horror Film Festival, but don’t you dare sleep on it; it’s almost guaranteed to be visual gold. 

THE J-HORROR VIRUS – For those of us who love the historical side of the genre as much as we love cult films and creature features, one of the biggest horror documentaries this year is airing at BHFF. Sarah Appleton and Jasper Sharp dive into the history of J-horror, exploring the films of directors like Hideo Nakata (Dark Water) and Takashi Shimizu (Ju-on: The Grudge), and breaking down the relationship between these films, technology in the modern age, and our very own subliminal fears. 

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The full lineup of films playing can be found here, so get your planner and a strong cup of coffee so you can spend the night finding what you want to see. 

HOW DO I ATTEND BROOKLYN HORROR FILM FESTIVAL 2023?

If you want to access all the goodies BHFF has to offer, here is the breakdown of your ways to get in:

  • Badges that allow access to multiple screenings are on sale right now, and you can purchase them here. Badge Holder early access preselection starts TOMORROW (September 13th) AT NOON.
  • Individual tickets to films will go on sale THIS FRIDAY (September 15th) AT NOON, but these are limited so get your clicking fingers ready.

As a sponsor and just plain old fans of the Brooklyn Horror Film Festival, we’re so excited to see all the horror creators and fans that will be showing out for the week of celluloid mayhem, and we hope to see you there too. 

Stay tuned for more Brooklyn Horror Film Festival coverage, and keep it cool, ghouls! 

 

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Luis Pomales-Diaz is a freelance writer and lover of fantasy, sci-fi, and of course, horror. When he isn't working on a new article or short story, he can usually be found watching schlocky movies and forgotten television shows.

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‘V/H/S Halloween’ Promises Seasonal Horror with New Trailer

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The V/H/S franchise is back and scarier than ever, just in time for the season of the witch. The series, which began with its initial entry in 2012, promises a new theme with each installment. Themes such as science-fiction, 1994, and 1999 have been covered, but this year’s may prove both the scariest and the most fun: Halloween. Even more exciting is, about two months after announcement, the trailer for V/H/S Halloween has finally been released.

The trailer is itself a total blast. Starting with a 90s-family-movie-esque voice over, the intro back to the Halloween commercials of the early 2000s. The viewer is welcomed to an array of nostalgic, seasonal costumes, decorations and animatronics, only to be blindsided by a switch to ominous music and bloody, grungy terror with autumnal flare. One could most likely expect possessions, masked killers and nightmare-inducing mascot characters. So far, this seems perfect for Goosebumps fans.

Directors for this installment include genre favorites Alex-Ross Perry, Paco Plaza, and more. V/H/S Halloween will be released on SHUDDER on October 3rd.

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What Fans Can Look Forward to in the ‘Terrifier’ House at Halloween Horror Nights 2025

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Terrifier fans are eagerly looking forward to the indie franchise that will be getting its very own house at Halloween Horror Nights 2025—and with good reason! The Terrifier franchise excels in the practical effects and stand-out killer departments, both of which are ingredients for an incredible HHN house.

Art fanatics on both coasts can expect a close encounter with the killer clown this year. The Terrifier house will appear at Universal Orlando Halloween Horror Nights, which spans 48 nights between August 29 and November 2, as well as at Universal Studios Hollywood Halloween Horror Nights in Southern California, running from September 4 through November 2.

Here’s what we know about the house so far—and what we hope to see!

The House Will Be Inspired by Terrifier 2, but There Will Likely Be Nods to the Other Films

In an official press release reported by Fangoria, Universal Studios confirmed that the Terrifier house at Halloween Horror Nights will take us “into Art the Clown’s gruesome Funhouse, which first appeared in Terrifier 2. Guests will be overwhelmed by the sights, sounds, smells and dread of Art’s grotesque kills, gleefully displayed for all to see.”

Smells? Let’s hope that means some good-old carnival scents will be pumped into the house (in addition to the overwhelming stench of blood and death, of course).

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But it sounds like the house won’t restrict itself in the chaos of Terrifier 2 alone. Per the press release: “Chaos reigns at the Clown Café, terror festers in a revolting bathroom and holiday cheer turns deadly in a Christmas nightmare.” Does that mean we’ll see the unfortunate Victoria Heyes hibernating in her goopy bathtub from Terrifier 3, or Art slaughtering a couple in the shower? And will we get the Santa Clown mall massacre, or Art’s brutal liquid nitrogen kill? You’ll have to check out our upcoming coverage to find out—or brave the house yourself!

Vicky and the Little Pale Girl Will Accompany Art the Clown in Scaring Guests

Art the Clown (David Howard Thornton) might be the star of the Terrifier films, but he’s not the only demented face that guests will encounter in the house! The press release notes that we’ll meet fan-favorite Victoria “Vicky” Heyes, played in the films by Samantha Scaffidi. A final girl gone very, very wrong, Vicky is the horrifically disfigured survivor of the first movie’s massacre, who goes on to aid and abet the killer clown after being possessed by the Little Pale Girl and rebirthing Art. Speaking of the Little Pale Girl, she’s going to make an appearance, too!

But what about brave Sienna (Lauren LaVera), the hero of Terrifier 2 and 3, last seen decapitating Vicky and vowing to rescue her cousin Gabbie from Hell? While there’s been no mention of her yet (at least that I’ve seen), let’s hope she shows up to help us avoid becoming Art’s next victim—perhaps wearing her iconic Valkyrie armor.

This Will Be Universal’s Bloodiest House Ever, With Both a Wet and Dry Path

The Terrifier films are known for their extravagant and often stomach-churning practical gore effects, so it’s no surprise that Halloween Horror Nights is teasing an exquisitely gory haunted house for fans. Darren Scott, editor of SFX Magazine, shared details from the UK media event, noting that this will be “the bloodiest and goriest house that HHN has EVER done” with “more water effects than in any house, ever.”

If this is your first visit to Halloween Horror Nights, water effects are often used to simulate the sensation of being splashed with blood or other fluids. A good way to guess when they’re coming is to look out for anti-splash mats beneath your feet. But if you’re worried about getting damp, never fear: this will reportedly be a branching house, with guests able to choose a “wet” or “dry” path on their way out. That suggests some of the goriest scenes will take place at the very end. So, brace yourself. And maybe wear a poncho.

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The Clown Café Could Get Its Own Food Booth

With most houses at Halloween Horror Nights being accompanied by a themed food booth, what Terrifier-inspired snacks and drinks can we expect? Are there Art Crispies treats in our future?

The food and drink offerings for Halloween Horror Nights 34 have yet to be revealed, so we can only speculate at this point. However, with the Orlando event set to kick off in late August, we can expect to see the food booth facades going up soon, which may give us a hint of what’s in store. If you’re planning to visit the parks this month, keep your eyes peeled for signs of a Clown Café. But… maybe don’t get too close. Just in case Art the Clown has arrived early.

The Terrifier house is just one of ten epic new houses coming to Halloween Horror Nights 2025, along with Five Nights at Freddy’s, Fallout, the Jason Universe, and much more. All tickets are on sale now from Universal’s website, and we’ve got a handy guide to help you make the most of your trip. See you in the fog!

And stay tuned for more Halloween Horror Nights coverage from us here at Horror Press!

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