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Downtown’s Hallow-weirdest happenings

Satiate your theatrical urges, at the Theater for the New City’s 40th Annual Village Halloween Costume Ball. Photo by Jonathan Slaff.
Satiate your theatrical urges, at the Theater for the New City’s 40th Annual Village Halloween Costume Ball. Photo by Jonathan Slaff.

BY SEAN EGAN | It can be a hellish task to choose from the sheer variety of Halloween events in that vast and twisted underworld known as Downtown Manhattan, so we’ve handpicked some of the best ways to go about the deadly serious business at hand.

VAMPIRE MASQUERADE | It’s not easy describing exactly what “Vampire Masquerade” is — and that’s because this immersive, free-form “happening” (as creator Michael Alan describes it) won’t really exist until it happens, naturally. “There’s a whole lot of things that it’s not,” said Alan, an artist and musician born and raised in New York City. “I don’t see a lot of fine art things around Halloween that are very scary, or even a little scary,” he elaborated. “I really wanted to give people an authentic New York horror show from the arts culture.”

A mask that will be featured in artist/musician Michael Alan’s horror-themed happening “Vampire Masquerade.” Photo courtesy the artist.
A mask that will be featured in artist/musician Michael Alan’s horror-themed happening “Vampire Masquerade.” Photo courtesy the artist.

While the exact specifics of how the happening will shake down are abstract, what we do know in advance is that it will involve fine art created by Alan and collaborators spanning multiple mediums, from painting, sculpture, image/video projection, and experimental music, to performance (Alan’s been fleshing out a cast of characters for the evening). And with audience participation greatly encouraged and the requirement to unplug for the happening’s duration (photography and phone use aren’t allowed), “Vampire Masquerade” seems poised to be the kind of strange, fun, had-to-be-there Halloween experience that could only happen in New York.

Oct. 22, 7pmmidnight, at Teatro IATI (64 E. Fourth St., btw. Second Ave. & Bowery). Visit michaelalanart.com.

FEARnyc FILM FESTIVAL | This year sees the inaugural edition of FEARnyc — billed as New York’s biggest horror film festival — featuring dozens of screenings of new features and old favorites. “We wanted to give the audience really a tour through the horror world, and represent all of the various subgenres,” said festival founder John Capo. “We really wanted to present variety.” The repertory slate attests to this, featuring a showing of “The Exorcist” with a live séance, John Carpenter’s “Halloween” paired with an in-theater party, and screenings of tons of classics (including “The Cabinet of Dr. Caligari” and “Psycho”).

In “Dry Blood” (just one of over 65 screenings happening at FEARnyc), a supernatural mystery interrupts one man’s attempts to sober up. Photo courtesy the filmmakers.
In “Dry Blood” (just one of over 65 screenings happening at FEARnyc), a supernatural mystery interrupts one man’s attempts to sober up. Photo courtesy the filmmakers.

“For the new films it was about, ‘What are the most exciting new films people haven’t seen that they’re gonna be talking about tomorrow?’ ” Capo revealed, of the lineup that includes “Dead Awake” by “Final Destination” creator Jeffery Reddick, and a remake of “Blood Feast.” The merits of these films will be weighed by a panel that includes jurors like Kate Siegel, the star/co-writer of the tightly wound thriller “Hush,” and Robert Eggers, director of “The Witch.” “If you like horror films, there’s no better opportunity this year to see so many of them on the big screen,” Capo asserted. “It’s an incredible experience to see these films in a theater full of fans, so I think people will have a great time.”

Oct. 2127 at Cinema Village (22 E. 12th St., btw. University Pl. & Fifth Ave.). Visit fearnyc.com for info.

THE ALCHEMIST COOKBOOK | Luckily, homebodies need not leave their couches to check out some new, adventurous horror cinema; they just need to queue up Joel Potrykus’ latest feature “The Alchemist Cookbook.” Mixing an uneasy blend of dark comedy, intimate character study, and horror, “Alchemist” tells the story of Sean, a loner living off-the-grid in a trailer in the woods, who spends his days mixing chemicals in a ramshackle kitchen lab, and poring over a mysterious book full of Latin incantation and eerie illustrations. His only companions are his cat Kasper, and his supply-bringing friend Cortes — and, well, whatever evil force might be causing the threatening whispers and roars on the wind. As the film progresses things alternate between shaggy, offbeat humor and slowly mounting psychological terror, never letting on what’s coming next. This confident balancing of moods is the film’s greatest strength — it’s unsettling and entertaining in equal measure, making it a thoroughly original must-watch for genre fans.

In “The Alchemist Cookbook,” Sean skulks through the woods, where demonic forces may or may not lurk. Photo courtesy Oscilloscope Laboratories.
In “The Alchemist Cookbook,” Sean skulks through the woods, where demonic forces may or may not lurk. Photo courtesy Oscilloscope Laboratories.

Best of all, it can be yours right now — as Potrykus released the film on Oct. 7 on a “pay-what-you-want” model using BitTorrent. Chances are, though, “Alchemist” will linger with you, and you’ll end up wanting to pay more for the peek into Potrykus’ distinct cinematic world.

Visit thealchemistcookbook.oscilloscope.net.

BLOOD MANOR | Nothing says Halloween quite like a good, solid haunted house — and Blood Manor is nothing if not a tried-and-true, time-tested scare shack. A perennial favorite of this paper, Blood Manor has been operating for years downtown, consistently and thoroughly providing scares for visitors. Guided through in groups, the attraction provides visitors with a (pardon the pun) killer lineup of different themed rooms — and with the variety on display, at least one is guaranteed to strike a nerve. Highlights of previous years include a grimy meat locker, a mad scientist’s lab complete with vivisected gorilla, and a neon-soaked zombie strip club (the Manor’s campy sense of humor is also a plus). Real thrill-seekers should take note of the special “lights out” nights the Manor offers, upping the ante by leaving victims (er, visitors) to stumble around in the dark.

Through Nov. 5, at 163 Varick St. (btw. Charlton & Vandam Sts.).Visit bloodmanor.com.

THEATER FOR THE NEW CITY VILLAGE HALLOWEEN COSTUME BALL | For those who want to raise the curtain on Halloween in style, look no further than the Theater for the New City’s Village Halloween Costume Ball. Now in its 40th year, the ball (which requires participants to be in costume or don formal wear) finds the theater’s premises transformed into a Halloween wonderland, packed to the gills with artists and activities for those who attend. Starting with outdoor festivities and progressing inside as the night goes on, attendees will be treated to cabaret acts, big bands, dancers, numerology readings, and the “House of Horrors” maze. And naturally, food and drink will be available for purchase at the “Witches’ Cauldron,” ensuring you have enough energy to party through till the Monsters and Miracles Costume Parade, where participants have a chance to win prizes for their getups.

Oct. 31, at Theater for the New City (155 First Ave., btw. E. Ninth & E. 10th Sts.). Visit theaterforthenewcity.net.

Some of the gory party-goers at Webster Hell, Webster Hall’s after party for the world-famous Village Halloween Parade. Photo courtesy Webster Hall.
Some of the gory party-goers at Webster Hell, Webster Hall’s after party for the world-famous Village Halloween Parade. Photo courtesy Webster Hall.

THE 43rd ANNUAL VILLAGE HALLOWEEN PARADE/WEBSTER HELL | The Village Halloween Parade, NYC’s pre-eminent Halloween event, has been thrilling people for years — 43 to be exact — as tens of thousands of costumed New Yorkers march up Sixth Ave., from Spring to 16th Sts., creating a spooky spectacle. Anyone and everyone decked out in a costume is invited to participate in the parade (whose entertainment also includes bands, dancers, and giant puppets) with no prior registration needed, making for a truly unique New York community experience.

And if you aren’t all Halloween’d out after marching in the parade, you’d do well to head on over to Webster Hall’s annual parade after party.

The event, fittingly titled “Webster Hell,” allows visitors the chance to dance into the wee hours of the night and compete for costume prizes, culminating in the climactic annual “virgin sacrifice,” in which the “Demon Queen” hoists a randomly chosen virgin over the crowd in order to spill her blood.

 

Oct. 31 at Webster Hall (125 E. 11th St., btw. Third & Fourth Aves.). Visit halloween-nyc.com and websterhall.com/halloween.