I Like Scary Movies interactive horror exhibit is art for the Instagram era

Enlarge / "Look dead. No, more dead." Ars writer in a horror playground inspired by 2017 film adaptation of Stephen King's It. (credit: Rachael Porter)

Horror-movie fans are known for their love of immersive "haunts:" special exhibits of events that pay tribute to their favorite films while letting the fans in on a bit of the scary action. That's the thinking behind I Like Scary Movies, a pop-up interactive art installation that just opened in Los Angeles.

I Like Scary Movies is the brainchild of "experiential" artist Maximillian Castillo (who goes by Maximillian), well-known for his interactive immersive creations, like a Snakes on a Plane installation or a Pirates of the Caribbean walk-through for San Diego Comic-Con. He's also a horror-movie buff, and the current exhibit-housed in the historic art deco building The Desmond, along Los Angeles' Miracle Mile-draws inspiration from five films in particular: The Shining, It, A Nightmare on Elm Street, Beetlejuice, and The Lost Boys.

"I wanted to do something that was more like an interactive art installation-something that isn't your standard Halloween scare maze, which I love, but I feel like we can celebrate and interpret these movies over and over again," Castillo said in an interview. "Other than going through a walk-through maze once a year during Halloween, there's really no other way to really enjoy these movies and dive deeper into the content of these films and these worlds."

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