A look inside Blackpool's horror themed cafe Scream And Shake with gory props and nostalgic film memorabilia
We took a video tour inside Blackpool’s horror-themed cafe - which is filled with nostalgic film memorabilia including life-size waxworks of Freddy Krueger, Pennywise, and a shrine to The Evil Dead.
The walls are black, and covered in posters ranging from the old Hammer Horror films to 80s splatter movies like Reanimator and The Texas Chainsaw Massacre. I grew up watching horror and walking into the Scream And Shake cafe brings back so much nostalgia for the films I used to stay up late watching on VHS.
This themed venue is relatively busy for a Tuesday afternoon; owner, Kurt Walsh, tells me they have some ‘irregular regulars’, but they also attract tourists who pop in for a cup of tea and ‘remember the old films’. Today the Birley Street haunt has a relaxed vibe, with customers chatting over coffee and cake - while Child’s Play shows on a small screen at low volume from over the bar.
But they also have a big screen projector which is pulled down for their weekend film nights, and a small stage for bands to perform.
I walk past a creepy clown (Captain Spaulding, from House of 1000 Corpses) locked in a cage, and a life-size mannequin with his entrails ripped out overlooking the pool table. How did this unconventional hangout get filled with so many eye-poppingly cool props? Kurt previously owned a scare attraction, called The Horror Crypt, on Blackpool Promenade. He explains, in a forthcoming episode of Unconventional Brits: “We brought over a lot of the waxworks, which were mostly made by friends. Some [items] have been bought in auctions or were given as gifts by people who know I like weird stuff.”
My personal favourites are life-size Freddy Krueger from Nightmare on Elm Street, and the corner dedicated to the Evil Dead movies - but the whole room is strewn with rotten-looking skeletons, mummies, ghouls and masks of all shapes and sizes, as well as a few true-crime keepsakes too.
This place is not meant to be a scare attraction, but rather the memorabilia and props feel like a fun and light-hearted appreciation for the darker side of culture and entertainment through the decades.
You can also visit their brand new stall in Abingdon Street Market - The Crypt sells horror and cult movie merch and clothing from brands such as Kreepsville666 and Sourpuss.
Look out for a longer version of this video on a future episode of Unconventional Brits, available on Shots! TV.