Beyond an unassuming façade on forty-third street, the producers of TerrorVision have mounted an early entry into the season’s haunted houses.  The premise is this: we are visiting the set of HorrorWood studios, where director “Bob” Castle is filming an upcoming, Halloween-themed episode of its anthology television series TerrorVision.  We are here to audition, and the elevator man assures us that rumors of Castle’s involvement in snuff filmmaking are false.

Most of which is unimportant to the experience that follows.  We navigate through a series of rooms that could be sets for various episodes—there is, for example, a giant, flesh-eating plant that bears a strong resemblance to Audrey II—but no continuous story to follow beyond the preamble in the elevator.  Because there were no cameras or filmmaking equipment visible, the rooms did not create the atmosphere of some kind of macabre studio.

It doesn’t really matter.  This is a scary haunt, particularly because the actors are wonderful at being still.  It is difficult to tell from a distance whether you are looking at a man or a mannequin, increasing the tension you feel as you wait for a possible jump scare.  Further, the design is terrific; highlights include a giant snake and a flesh-eating plant that bears a strong resemblance to Audrey II.  The scariest room, though, may be the one that required moving through complete darkness, creating a sustained sense of vulnerability.

With one hundred forty actors and twenty thousand square feet, the producers of TerrorVision (no relation to the ’eighties masterpiece) make the most of their cast and their space.  It’s never too early to start Halloween season.

TerrorVision runs through November 5th at 300 W. 43rd Street  New York, NY. 20-30 minutes. Photograph by Hal Schulman.