The towering skeletons on the roof of The Montalban Theater in Hollywood mark the home of the new Icons of Darkness exhibit, which features TV actor and collector Rich Correll’s personal collection of movie memorabilia. Stunning costumes, props, and FX pieces line the twisting path of the exhibit, leading guests through hundreds of films – from current superhero blockbusters to smaller horror movies from the 1930s. Every guest is sure to see props or costumes from a movie or show they’ve seen on the big and small screens.

From The Mummy | This image is from the personal collection of Rich Correll.

Rich Correll has been collecting movie memorabilia for 50+ years, noting one of his first collectibles being from Abbot & Costello Meet Jekyll & Hyde. He got his start collecting when he noticed the props department throwing unneeded production elements in the garbage. Since then, his collection has grown exponentially; the now-open ground floor of The Montalban (no stranger to immersive and horror events) is absolutely filled with film relics – and even more creatures lurk above in the balcony – and the mezzanine houses photo ops, and merch and drink stations.

Creatures watch guests from the balcony | This image is from the personal collection of Rich Correll.

Due to stay-at-home orders and the smoky Los Angeles air, I (like most everyone) have been stuck in the house and itching to get away. Little did I know that in one 90-minute tour, I would take a journey from Naboo to Gotham to Derry to planetoid LV-426, to the past and the future. Our docent for the tour – Rich Correll himself – laughed as we stood in the lobby, gawking at the larger-than-life statue of a predator fighting off three xenomorphs. “You ain’t seen nothing!” he said to us, almost giddy with anticipation. He was absolutely right.

Replicas of various predator and alien suits | This image is from the personal collection of Rich Correll.

Icons of Darkness begins with Correll’s superhero collection – screen-used costumes from Batman (1989), The Dark Knight, Superman, Man of Steel, Iron Man and more – before transitioning into a more fantasy realm. Here, guests will see robes and wands from Harry Potter, orcs from Lord of the Rings, and one of Katniss’ outfits from The Hunger Games. The next section whisks patrons to prehistoric times and awesome animatronic sculptures from the Jurassic Park franchise – including the “clever girl” Raptor herself.

From Jurassic Park | This image is from the personal collection of Rich Correll.

From here, Icons of Darkness segues into big names in science-fiction – Independence Day, Star Wars, Star Trek, Men in Black, to name a few. Here, fans of the Predator and Alien franchises will be especially impressed; the 14-foot queen from Aliens is breathtaking. However, the next turn in the labyrinthine tour is a horror fan’s fantasy.

From Aliens | This image is from the personal collection of Rich Correll.

Icons of Darkness impresses throughout, but the horror segment of the tour had this reviewer wide-eyed like a kid in a candy store. There is memorabilia from films spanning decades – the original Universal monsters to Pennywise; blockbusters and duds – Saw to Dead Silence; and everything in between – Texas Chainsaw to Van Helsing to Army of Darkness to The Exorcist. There was something new to discover everywhere I looked. The only complaint I have is that I didn’t have enough time to take it all in!

From The Nun and Hellraiser | This image is from the personal collection of Rich Correll.

Clearly passionate about his collection, Correll pointed out some of the more rare elements in his collection – an original xenomorph from Alien and the only physical robot created for Rogue One – and tested me on my horror trivia when we came to cases of head molds from various scary movies. Correll also regaled how he reconstructed the suit from The Creature from the Black Lagoon, using it as a decoration for ten years at the Playboy Mansion’s Halloween parties. And he enjoyed a chuckle at my expense when one or two of the artifacts moved, startling me. Don’t get too close to the cases…

From The Creature from the Black Lagoon | This image is from the personal collection of Rich Correll.

An in-person event, The Montalban and staff of Icons of Darkness are ensuring guest and staff safety. Upon guests’ timed, ticketed entrance, they will sign a waiver, have their temperature taken via wrist, and offered hand sanitizer. Masks are required for staff and guests during the 60-90-minute duration of the tour. Docents take small, private groups (up to 8 household members) through the collection to maintain social distancing. This event is appropriate for guests 8+, however some characters within the exhibit (such as dinosaurs and/or monsters) might be frightening to some.

A myriad of heads | This image is from the personal collection of Rich Correll.

Icons of Darkness is so full of history for film buffs (especially those interested in the horror genre) that 90 minutes almost doesn’t seem long enough to appreciate it all. Rich Correll’s exhibit is clearly a labor of love and his passion shines through in each minute detail on display. Icons of Darkness is worth getting out of the house for; not only will guests be delighted by mementos from their favorite films, they will be delightfully transported to different worlds.

From Mars Attacks! | This image is from the personal collection of Rich Correll.

Find more information on Icons of Darkness, and purchase tickets, here. Check out our Event Guide for more immersive and Halloween entertainment throughout the year.

All photography by Eric Boguslavsky.

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