Terminal 5 was beset with hundreds of would-be vampires Friday night for a classic Blood Rave—inspired by Wesley Snipes' 1998 film Blade.
Put on by BBQ Films and tied to the weekend-long ruckus that is NYC Comic Con, the Blood Rave featured a live action performance of scenes from the film, with ticket-buyers encouraged to dress the part of hemoglobin-craving vampires. Also adding to the ambiance was electronic music legends The Crystal Method, who headlined the evening.
But the star attractions were Blade... and all the (fake) blood. Just before midnight, a squadron of technicians suited up with body-mounted sprayers surrounded the crowd and, on cue, soaked the writhing masses with synthetic blood. No leather corset or bare tattooed back was spared as the ravers seethed with fanged glee beneath the crimson rain. For a few hours, it was truly weird and wonderful to see a sea of giddy daywalkers living out fantasy bloodlust
When asked what it was he loved about Blade so much, one happy raver screamed “He fears nothing!” Numerous faux-gore-soaked attendees told Gothamist that they had seen the film and its sequels over a hundred times
“It’s the greatest Marvel movie ever made,” Jean Paul, of Brooklyn, said while taking a rave break outside the venue doors. "Blade 4! Bring Wesley Snipes back! He’s fifty years old—ten years left in him. Netflix!” Some attendees admitted to being there strictly for the rave: Briah Scott and Rebecca Murdocca, who had made the trip from Boston for the event, told us they had never even seen the films.
Asked to sum up the entire Blood Rave experience, Elisabeth Danyi of Bethlehem Pennsylvania smirked. “Bloody awesome,” she said. Beside her, fellow Pennsylvanian Catherine Kaetz grinned as well, calling it "excitingly slimy."
Scroll through a gallery of photos from the bloody evening above, and make sure you blast the proper soundtrack as you do so.
