Haus of Horror Is Taking Its Scary Movies to Cockatoo Island for Two Nights of Bumps and Jumps by the Harbour
The next event from the immersive cinema experience will get you exploring the world heritage-listed site, then watching 'A Nightmare on Elm Street' at sunset.
Much has happened on Sydney's Cockatoo Island/Wareamah, which has housed a prison, ship-building facilities, a reform school and a wartime boat repair port in its time. In recent years, the patch of land in the middle of Sydney Harbour has also hosted a film festival and haunted history tours — and now Haus of Horror is combining elements of both for its next immersive cinema screenings.
The movie-loving outfit has been popping up around the Harbour City for over a year, screening The Exorcist and the OG Scream in a haunted prison with sessions at Parramatta Gaol, taking Beetlejuice to Camperdown Cemetery in Newtown and more. Next comes two evenings of A Nightmare on Elm Street on Cockatoo Island on Friday, February 16 and Saturday, February 17, with attendees catching a themed ferry over, then exploring the site. When sunset hits, Freddy Krueger will start stalking.
If you believe the stories about Cockatoo Island's ghosts, you'll be in a particularly eerie place for this date with the horror-movie villain created by the late, great Wes Craven. You'll also be watching the film in its 40th-anniversary year. And, as is Haus of Horror's custom, pressing play on the film in a notable — and notably disquieting — spot is only the start of it. These folks take the immersive part of the setup extremely seriously.
Whether or not you choose to don a striped jumper for the occasion, your ticket includes the chartered ferry to over and back, departing from Barangaroo; moseying around not only the island but the unsettling installations that the Haus of Horror crew sets up around the Turbine Hall and Bolt Wharf; listening to a live DJ as part of the pre-show entertainment; and special guests roaming around, and also a photobooth to immortalise your memories.
A bar will be serving drinks, and there'll be snacks on offer — but you'll be paying for those separately.
"Haus of Horror is honoured to reimagine this historic space. We're more than just a movie with a view; we're an immersive experience where you can step inside the film and find adventure at every turn," explains Haus of Horror's Felicity Heath.
"Haus of Horror collaborates with historic gaols, graveyards and locations to bring excitement-filled immersive events. We're proud to be Australia's number-one immersive cinema."
Haus of Horror's two-day 'A Nightmare on Elm Street' event on Cockatoo Island takes place on Friday, February 16 and Saturday, February 17. Head to the Haus of Horror website for tickets and further details.
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