Horror Museum: How-to?

[Spookyfinder]

Hey guys,

I've been long searching the web for either a dealer/vendor, how-to site, etc. etc. about Horror Museums. I'm looking for a place to either make or buy FULL SIZE REPLICAS of HORROR MOVIE ICONS and PROPS!!!

An inspiration I'm looking at is the Haunted Hollywood attraction, is this a traveling show?

Any help would be awesome! I'm really having a hard time finding stuff. Thanks. -Tyler

[Jim Warfield]

Would there be copyright problems copying some of those figures in a museum setting?
I was once asked if I could make some Ninja Turtles for a local wax museum?
I didn't even give it half a thought I said, "No!"
This wax museum seemed to buy "seconds", so maybe if I did a poor enough job of duplicating the Ninja Turtles nobody would have realised what they were supposed to be, thereby saving legal action, just don't put the sign infront of them saying what they are supposed to be!
They had a wax figure that was supposed to be Elvis. I thought it looked alot more like Jim Warfield than any rendering of Elvis that I had ever seen.
"So is this "Elvis" in his younger days? Maybe his fat period? No I think this is Elvis in his Jim Warfield period." hahahaah!
That wax museum is long gone now, the owner died.
(Too much waxy build up?)

[Spookyfinder]

I don't know about that Jim?

Does anyone know where a license could be bought, I mean, other museums do it, right? -Tyler

[Jim Warfield]

What I would do.

But then, this is just "me", I would create my own "celebritys", afterall somebody sure created all of them to begin with anyhow.
Think of how unique this could be.
Then YOU copyright Your "guys" and .....
It's the same as creating a storyline for your haunt and the characters to go with it, just multiplied times? 30?

[MMManiac]

Tyler, you would need a liscense agreement for each character you use. Make a list of each character you want and find out who owns the rights to each one. (Universal I believe owns the right to Freddy Kruger, Jason, Leatherface) After you do that go to the companies webpage and they should have a contact name for the liscense agreement. Just a warning though it wont be cheap!

[Spookyfinder]

Thanks Sean, I'll start doing that today!

Jim, the more I think about your idea... the more I think it would be AWESOME!!! Thanks.

-Tyler

[MMManiac]

Tyler-

I just spent 2 hours online looking up horror movie characters, their owners and who to contact and let me tell you.. HELL ON EARTH.. WOW its almost impossible to figure this stuff out. Im pretty sure Freddy Kruger, Leatherface and Jason are owned by New Line Cinemas, Chucky, the mummy, swamp thing and king kong are universal studios, Pinhead is miramax which is disney owned, Jigsaw is evolution entertainment, Alien and predator is 20th century fox and michael myers is the weinsten company. Now the reason its so hard is most of the production companies which made all the movies have since merged with other companies or are out of business. I couldnt find ANY contact information from any studio regarding licensing information.

Your best bet is to use away and wait for the "stop using" letters from the lawyers to show up in your mail box. At least that way you know for sure which company really does own the rights for each character. Best of luck to ya buddy and let me know if you find anything out.

[Spookyfinder]

Thanks much Sean, I've come to the same finds! haha... trying to find this stuff is a haunted maze all on it's own!

So now, I'm in need of props, costumes, full size figures, replicas, etc. etc. I've only seen ONE full size mannequin... and that's the alien from the "ALIEN" movies. But I'm wanting full size characters for each exhibit:

-Nightmare on Elm Street
-Texas Chainsaw Massacre (originals and remakes)
-Friday the 13th
-Childs Play/Chucky
-ALIEN
-Predator
-Halloween
-SAW (series)
-Hellraiser/Pinhead
-SCREAM
-Universal Monsters


Thanks so much! -Tyler

[Jim Warfield]

Of course the rights to have a "Jim Warfield" MANniquin will also be substantial unless my agent Mr. Tuxedo's weakness for a certain cat treat will be discovered before the final version of the contract.

[MMManiac]

The easiest and cheapest way to do this would be to make PVC frames for the bodies, and use chicken wire or what not to bulk it up. Then go out and buy each characters costume and add it over your frames. The costumes and masks can be pretty much bought at most halloween stores or walmart, or the Morris Catalog if you have it.

[PAT MATTHEWS/HOUSE OF WAX]

From my experiance working with and touring wax museums I have seen wax museums get away with using trademarked characters by using a little disclaimer in the description (based on the character Jason ) or (inspired by new line cinemas Freddy kruger) They never claim its the actual character its based on it therefore its a knock off. Most museums will use an actors likeness as themselves and not from a liscensed movie. They could be crossing lines. I do know a certain set of amazing lord Of the Rings figures got pulled from use due to the studio.

[Jim Warfield]

A display of actual murderers should not need any copyright since they were real people and are now mostly all executed?
My likeness could be in that Cereal-Killer line up since from the time I was maybe 4 yrs. old I personally killed a box of Cheerios every week!
I didn't have a care as to how much they pleaded or screamed or what toy they had waiting for me inside themselves was, I killed them all anyway!
Then I burnt their bodies behind my parent's house in the dead of night!