‘Halfway to Halloween’ 2022 – This April on Shudder
It’s that time again for April showers, May flowers, and certain death with Shudder‘s ‘Halfway to Halloween’ event for 2022. Like last year, there is a lot to cover, so why don’t we dive right in?
Here is Shudder’s press release for this upcoming ‘Halfway to Halloween’ 2022:
SHUDDER’S “HALFWAY TO HALLOWEEN HOTLINE” OF HORROR FILM RECOMMENDATIONS RETURNS THIS APRIL ALONG WITH A KILLER LINEUP OF NEW ORIGINAL FILMS AND SERIES
April Lineup Includes New Seasons of Original Series Cursed Films and The Last Drive-In with Joe Bob Briggs; Original Films Night’s End, The Cellar and Virus 32; and New Additions to Shudder’s Library, Including The Boulet Brothers’ Dragula, 1992’s Candyman, The Devils and More
NEW YORK – March 16, 2022 – Shudder’s popular “Halfway to Halloween Hotline” of personalized horror movie recommendations returns this April as part of the streamer’s annual “Halfway to Halloween” celebration, which also features a killer lineup of new original series and films and genre-defining additions to Shudder’s unbeatable movie library of timeless horror classics. The premium streaming service for horror, thriller and the supernatural will debut new seasons of Original Series Cursed Films and The Last Drive-In with Joe Bob Briggs, Original Films Night’s End (on March 31), The Cellar, starring Elisha Cuthbert, and Gustavo Hernández’s Virus 32, and Exclusive Film See for Me, along with library titles The Boulet Brothers’ Dragula, 1992’s Candyman and The Devils, among others.
Said Craig Engler, Shudder’s General Manager: “We’re curating a slate of the best in horror all year round, but April and October give us a unique opportunity to connect with and hear from our members directly about the movies they’re craving and what they love most about the genre. And we’re pairing that with an impressive lineup of new, fan-favorite titles, as we continue to go deep on the genre like only Shudder can.”
“HALFWAY TO HALLOWEEN HOTLINE”
Every Friday in April from 3 pm – 4 pm ET, members are invited to call Samuel Zimmerman, Shudder’s VP of programming, for customized horror viewing recommendations from Shudder’s expansive film collection – from his favorite genre films of all time to highly anticipated releases this year. A new hotline phone number will be announced each Friday on Shudder’s social media platforms.
Please note: While recommendations are provided for free, please note that normal phone and long-distance charges may apply. Call volume is expected to be high, so please keep trying if a busy signal is received. There are no guarantees that every call will be answered, but Sam will get through as many as he can within the hour.
NEW SHUDDER ORIGINALS & EXCLUSIVES
Night’s End – Premieres March 31
In Night’s End, an anxious shut-in unwittingly moves into a haunted apartment and hires a mysterious stranger to perform an exorcism that takes a horrific turn. Starring Geno Walker, Felonious Munk, Kate Arrington, and Michael Shannon. Written by Brett Neveu and directed by Jennifer Reeder (Knives and Skin, V/H/S/94).
Cursed Films II, – Premieres Thursday, April 7, New Episodes Every Thursday (Shudder Original Series)
Shudder’s acclaimed documentary series is back to explore the facts and myths surrounding a new batch of famous films some consider cursed. The new season will feature The Wizard of Oz, Rosemary’s Baby, Stalker, The Serpent and the Rainbow, and Cannibal Holocaust. Featuring new interviews with FX expert and former Mythbusters host Adam Savage, Oscar-winning cinematographer Roger Deakins, actor Bill Pullman, and director Ruggero Deodato, among many others.
See For Me, Premiers Thursday, April 7 (Shudder Exclusive Film)
A blind young woman caught in the crossfire of a home invasion scheme must rely on an Army veteran via an app to survive in this shocking cat-and-mouse thriller. Starring Skyler Davenport, Laura Vandervoort, Kim Coates, and Jessica Parker Kennedy.
The Cellar, Premieres, Friday, April 15 (Shudder Original Film)
Filmed on location in Roscommon, Ireland, The Cellar tells the story of Keira Woods (Elisha Cuthbert), whose daughter mysteriously vanishes in the cellar of their new house in the country. Keira soon discovers there is an ancient and powerful entity controlling their home that she will have to face or risk losing her family’s souls forever. Official Selection, SXSW 2022. Also, out in theaters on April 15 from RLJ Films.
Virus 32, Premieres, Thursday, April 21 (Shudder Original Film)
A virus breaks out and a chilling massacre rages through the streets. The sick become hunters, and only calm their fever by unscrupulously killing all those not yet infected. Unaware of this, Iris and her daughter spend the day in the sports club where Iris works as a security guard. When night falls, their fight for survival beings. Their only hope of salvation arrives when they discover that after each attack, the infected seem to stop for 32 seconds of calm before attacking again.
The Last Drive-in with Joe Bob Briggs Season 4 – Premieres Friday, April 29, New Episodes Every Friday (Shudder Original Series)
The hit series returns with Briggs, the world’s foremost drive-in movie critic, presenting eclectic horror movie double features, interrupting the films to expound upon their merits, histories, and significance to genre cinema. The season premiere will feature a celebration of The Last Drive-In’s 100th movie since Joe Bob’s first Shudder marathon in 2018, with surprise special guests.
NEW ADDITIONS TO SHUDDER’S LIBRARY
April 1
Candyman
Student Helen Lyle learns of the terrifying local legend of The Candyman – a hooked serial killer who appears when you say his name in a mirror, five times.
The Evil Dead
In 1979, a group of college students who, during a weekend getaway, find a Sumerian Book of the Dead in an old wilderness cabin they’ve rented. When they unwittingly unleash evil spirits and demons while reading incantations from the book, that’s when the real havoc begins.
Evil Dead II
Ashley J. Williams returns to the same cabin in the woods and again unleashes the forces of the dead in Sam Raimi’s classic sequel to/retooling of The Evil Dead. Considerably upping the ante from the raw, meaner indie that put the director on the map, Evil Dead II is spooky, splattered blast of pure cinema. Raimi’s virtuoso vision twirls his love of cinema, terror, and slapstick into simply one of the greatest horror movies of all time.
The Fog
The ghosts of shipwrecked sailors return to get revenge on a seaside village on the 100-year anniversary of their deaths at the hands of the town’s founders. Since six were murdered, six residents of Antonio Bay are destined to die. Who will it be? Radio host Adrienne Barbeau? Hitchhiker Jamie Lee Curtis? Party planner Janet Leigh? Priest Hal Holbrook? Or maybe they’ll all be pulled into the fog…
Near Dark
Country boy Caleb Colton whittles away the quiet rural nights hunting local girls – but when he falls prey to the mysterious and beautiful Mae, Caleb unknowingly becomes the hunted. From master director Kathryn Bigelow, Near Dark is simply an essential of vampire cinema.
The Serpent and the Rainbow
Wes Craven directs this frightening excursion into the supernatural as one man goes to Haiti to retrieve a powder that has the power to bring humans back from the dead.
Session 9
In this now celebrated creeper, an asbestos abatement crew wins the bid for an abandoned insane asylum. What should be a straightforward job, is complicated by the discovery of audiotapes from a former patient with multiple personalities. Slowly, the team succumbs to whatever darkness lies inside the Danvers State Mental Hospital.
The Funhouse
From horror master Tobe Hooper, four teenagers visit a local carnival for a night of innocent amusement but instead find terror when they are trapped inside the funhouse maze with a monster that stalks them one by one
The Devils
In 17th century France, hunchbacked nun Sister Jeanne (Vanessa Redgrave) lusts after the town’s priest Father Grandier (Oliver Reed), a sinful but ultimately just man. But when the priest marries, jealous Jeanne accuses Grandier of using witchcraft on her convent, and the other nuns play along, behaving as obscenely as possible. Ken Russell’s savage portrait of religious hypocrisy earned the film the top spot on the list of most controversial horror films ever made. Rarely streaming in the US, The Devils is essential viewing.
Trick ‘r Treat
On the night when demons and tortured souls are free to walk the earth alongside mortal revelers, four tales of terror–of a staid high school principal who is a Halloween serial killer, a college-age virgin seeking that special guy, a woman who hates dressing up for Halloween and whose husband is obsessed with the holiday and a group of young teens who pull a cruel prank–will make you laugh even while scaring you.
April 4
Ritual
During a vacation in the woods, a man tries to find his family while being hunted by a sadistic killer. From Joko Anwar, director of Satan’s Slaves and Impetigore.
It’s the summer of 1984, the perfect time to be 15 years old and free. But when neighborhood conspiracy theorist Davey Armstrong begins to suspect his police officer neighbor might be the serial killer all over the local news, he and his three best friends begin an investigation that soon turns dangerous.
April 11
Rocktober Blood
An executed rock star comes back to haunt a rock star who betrayed him, or so she thinks.
Assailed by nightmarish visions, Alex Whitaker and his fellow psychics descend on the Bodega Bay Inn. There, they discover that their compatriot Neil has apparently committed suicide. But, as the gruesome visions continue, they sense that there’s still something sinister afoot. When they find themselves hunted by a band of homicidal marionettes created by twisted puppeteer Andre Toulon, they discover they’re right.
Puppet Master 2
The malicious marionettes are back to resurrect their dead master and evict parapsychologists from the family estate.
Puppet Master 3
Gestapo agents face killer dolls when they murder puppeteer Toulon’s wife in this prequel to Puppet Master.
April 12
Subspecies
Michelle and Lillian are two American students who have joined their friend Mara in Romania for their studies of the ancient myths and legends of Transylvania. But Myth turns into reality when the women become the object of desire of the powerful and grotesque Radu, an evil vampire obsessed with making them his consorts.
The Pit and the Pendulum
In the quest to save souls, the Spanish Inquisition will stop at nothing and knows no boundaries for its evil. Maria must find the power to save her husband from the ultimate machine of torture: the razor-sharp pendulum poised over the pit of hell under the direction of Torquemada the Grand Inquisitor of Spain
Intruder
The overnight crew of a supermarket finds themselves pursued by a mysterious maniac in this fun late-80s slasher from regular Sam Raimi mainstay Scott Spiegel, who co-wrote EVIL DEAD 2 and appeared in many of Raimi’s films.
April 18
The Boulet Brothers’ Dragula Seasons 1-3
After its biggest-ever hit fourth season and its first as a Shudder Original, past seasons of The Boulet Brothers’ Dragula are coming to Shudder, making the streamer the exclusive home for all four seasons plus 2020’s Resurrection special. The beloved reality series is a competition created and hosted by The Boulet Brothers to find the world’s next Dragula Supermonster. Each season, a new group of drag artists vies for the title and crown through a series of challenges to demonstrate their mastery of the four pillars of Dragula: drag, horror, filth, and glamour.
April 25
Etheria season 5
11 episodes featuring savage serial killers, desperate robot husbands, ghostly visitors, gory body horror, demented sibling rivalry, ruinous secrets from the past, witchcraft and witches of several kinds, mermaids, campfire legends, and a hilarious cult indoctrination.
Jamie Marks is Dead (2014)
Fifteen-year-old Adam McCormick’s life hasn’t been the same since classmate Gracie Highsmith found Jamie Marks’s dead body at the edge of the river. Adam becomes fixated on Jamie’s death and gradually a deep bond develops between the living teenager and the dead boy’s ghost. But the more attached Adam becomes to Jamie’s ghost, the weaker his ties to reality become.
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Looking forward to ‘Halfway to Halloween’ 2022 on Shudder?
There is a great assembly of new and returning horror fun this April on Shudder. What are you most looking forward to? Let us know in the comments.
Find some of these horror classics on Amazon!
Can’t wait for ‘Halfway to Halloween’ 2022? Consider nabbing a classic horror film on Blu-ray through Amazon. Tell them we sent you.
They say good things come to those who wait, and boy have we been patient. It has been close to a year since our eyes have indulged a full season of ‘The Last Drive-In with Joe Bob Briggs’, in fact, the season 4 finale premiered on Shudder July 1st, 2022. Since then, we have been able to satisfy our appetites with festive holiday specials sprinkled throughout the past year. Specials such as ‘Joe Bob’s Halloween Hangout’ guest starring horror’s favorite Mistress of the Dark, Elvira (played by the legendary Cassandra Peterson) and ‘Joe Bob’s Ghoultide Get-Together’. Last month was a treat in itself, as we were able to witness Joe Bob Briggs and co-host Darcy the Mail Girl (Diana Prince) marry one lucky couple for the first time on the show with ‘Joe Bob’s Vicious Vegas Valentine‘ special.
While the current changes in staff at Shudder have left fans questioning whether we will receive a new season of the popular series, I can happily say mutant family, we need not worry. In fact, to our wonderous surprise, Joe Bob Briggs has officially announced via Twitter, season 5 of ‘The Last Drive-In‘ will be premiering April 21st, exclusively on Shudder! One thing that is noteworthy, is unlike previous seasons, it has been reported by 1428Elm that season 5 will be broken up into two parts of five double-feature blood-curdling episodes. Though we have not been provided the official release schedule for the second block of season 5, here is a sneak peek of what we can expect for the first half of the season:
April 21: Season 5 Launch Party!
April 28: Walpurgisnacht Part 2!
May 5: Cinco de Fucking Mayo!
May 12: Mama’s Day!
May 19: Dysfunctional Family Jubilee!
Unfortunately, we do not have an official list of the brand-new double feature films for the first half of season 5 but, with amusing episode titles such as these, one can only imagine what grindhouse-classics will be joining ‘The Last Drive-In’s’ already eclectic list of sloshy goodness. For those impatient mutants eagerly waiting for more hilarious Joe Bob rant-filled commentaries, or those newcomers who’ve yet to experience the magic that is ‘The Last Drive-In‘, all previous four seasons, including past holiday specials are currently available to stream now on Shudder.
If you are just as big of fans of ‘The Last Drive-In‘ as we here at HauntedMTL are, please be sure to follow us on Twitter @HauntedMTL and join us April 21st as we tweet along with Joe Bob and Darcy the Mail Girl for the season premier. As is tradition, we will be hosting live watch parties every Friday with each new episode, including fresh holiday specials. The road to season 5 is upon us…let the countdown begin!
April 21: Season 5 Launch Party!
April 28: Walpurgisnacht Part 2!
May 5: Cinco de Fucking Mayo!
May 12: Mama's Day!
May 19: Dysfunctional Family Jubilee!
. . . and that's only the beginning.#TheLastDriveIn pic.twitter.com/WfeTx0shNa— Joe Bob Briggs (@therealjoebob) March 16, 2023
Mutant family, please gather ’round as February kicks rocks and we shove our way into March. With the new month comes the shifting from winter to spring as death beautifully resurrects back to life, drunken patrons swarm our local bars like rabid locusts for St. Patrick’s Day celebrations, and of course new exclusives and returning favorites on Shudder to satisfy the horror fiend in us all. To quote the prestigious Samuel L. Jackson, “hold onto your butts” and let’s dive right into Shudder’s March 2023 release schedule.
Shudder Exclusives
While it is true that the release schedule for the start of 2023 on Shudder has been minor and slightly mixed, with films such as the much talked about experimental low-budget indie ‘Skinamarink‘, the surprisingly entertaining horror comedy ‘Sorry About the Demon‘, and writer/director Neil Marshall’s return to the genre with ‘The Lair‘. We also graciously received the wildly fun ‘The Last Drive-In: Joe Bob’s Vicious Vegas Valentine” special, with season 5 currently in production and premiering later this year; though it can’t come soon enough. As we like to do here at HauntedMTL, let’s kick off March with Shudder’s newest exclusives currently streaming now and in the coming weeks.
Spoonful of Sugar – Now Streaming
Starting off this list we begin with director Mercedes Bryce Morgan and writer Leah Saint Marie’s latest film ‘Spoonful of Sugar‘, now currently streaming.
Millicent (Morgan Saylor), a disturbed college student working on her thesis about children with severe allergies, is hired to babysit little Johnny (Danilo Crovetti), a sickly, mute child who suffers from every allergy under the sun. His mother Rebecca (Kate Foster) is an accomplished author currently focused on her newest book release, while his father Jacob (Myko Olivier) spends his days in the backyard working on frivolous carpentry projects. After experiencing a bizarre sexual awakening while using LSD as an alternative treatment for Johnny, she soon uncovers the family’s dark secrets as things begin to become unhinged.
Leave – Premiering Friday 3/17
After having been abandoned as an infant at a cemetery wrapped in a cloth with satanic symbols, Hunter White (Alicia von Rittberg) grows obsessed with figuring out who her biological parents are and why they seemingly abandoned her. However, as she gets closer to the answers she so desperately seeks, a malevolent spirit is warning her to leave.
‘Leave‘ premiers exclusively on Shudder Friday 03/17 and is directed by Alex Herron and written by Thomas Moldestad, starring Alicia von Rittberg, Herman Tømmeraas, Ellen Dorrit Petersen, and Stig R. Amda
The Unheard – Premiering Friday 03/31
‘The Unheard‘ follows the story of deaf 20-year-old Chloe Grayden (Lachlan Watson) after she undergoes an experimental treatment to restore her hearing. While recovering at her family’s beach home after the successful procedure, Chloe begins to fear she is not alone as she begins to experience auditory hallucinations related to the mysterious disappearance of her mother.
‘The Unheard’ is directed by Shudder alumni Jeffrey A. Brown (The Beach House) and written by brothers/screenwriting partners Shawn Rasmussen and Michael Rasmussen (Crawl), co-starring Michele Hicks and Nick Sandow. ‘The Unheard‘ premiers exclusively on Shudder Friday 03/31.
Returning Classic and Fan Favorites
Now that we’ve removed the veil for the new exclusive titles dropping this month, I think it’s time we reveal the returning classics jump starting our transition into spring for 2023. Allow me to highlight some of my favorite films returning to Shudder for March including ‘Gretel and Hansel‘ and ‘The Company of Wolves‘; grim re-telling’s of popular children’s fairy tales. We also cannot forget John Carpenter’s haunted coastal horror ‘The Fog‘; no, not the remake…thankfully.
Gretel and Hansel – Now Streaming
Directed by Osgood Perkins, ‘Gretel and Hansel’ is a terrifyingly dark and unique vision to one of history’s most famous childhood fairy tales. After being thrown out of their mother’s home, Gretel (Sophia Lillis) leads her younger brother, Hansel (Samuel Leakey), through the woods in search of food and work. The children soon discover a quaint cottage where a fragile old woman Holda (Alice Krige) offers fresh food and bed. The children accept all Holda has to offer, with little thought as to what may be asked of them in return.
Though it has been met with mixed reviews, ‘Gretel and Hansel‘ offers astounding performances by veteran actress Alice Krige as the films iconic Witch of the woods and Sophia Lillis as lead Gretel. Director Osgood Perkins does well to draw his viewer in with a beautifully haunting score and unnerving cinematography, making this one grim re-telling worth checking out at least once. ‘Gretel and Hansel‘ is available to stream now.
The Company of Wolves – Now Streaming
Continuing our list of returning classics, we have yet another bold re-telling of a beloved children’s fairy tale, 1984’s ‘The Company of Wolves‘. While the story of ‘Little Red Riding Hood‘ has been retold through various forms of media, including numerous films, ‘The Company of Wolves‘ is a beloved horror interpretation with adult themes and memorable practical effects including one of the genres best werewolf transformations.
A wise grandmother (Angela Lansbury) tells her granddaughter Rosaleen (Sarah Patterson) a disturbing tale of innocent maidens falling in love with handsome strangers … and of their sudden mysterious disappearances when the moon is full and accompanied by the strange sound of a beast in the woods.
‘The Company of Wolves’ is co-written and directed by Neil Jordan and stars Sarah Patterson, Angela Lansbury, Micha Bergese, and David Warner, streaming now.
John Carpenter’s The Fog – Streaming 03/31
Writer, director, musician, and horror master John Carpenter is a legend in the genre having provided countless classics such as ‘The Thing‘, a terrifyingly gruesome remake of ‘The Thing from Another World‘. Or his sci-fi action/horror ‘They Live’ where he deals with societal control through corporations and government. And of course, my personal favorite, the film that jumpstarted his career and created one of horror’s most iconic slashers…’Halloween‘.
1980’s ‘The Fog‘ is a terrifying shoreside tale of vengeful spirits haunting the fictional coastal town of Antonio Bay, OR. as they begin preparations to celebrate its centenary. Following exactly 100 years after a ship mysteriously sank in the town’s waters, a thick unearthly fog harboring the souls of those who perished rolls in and with them, the dark secrets of Antonio Bay’s past.
John Carpenter’s ‘The Fog’ stars scream queen and recent Academy Award winner Jamie Lee Curtis, genre alums Adrienne Barbeau, Janet Leigh, Tom Atkins, Charles Cyphers, and Nancy Kyes, and was co-written by the late Debra Hill. ‘The Fog‘ will be available to stream on Shudder 03/31.
Full Shudder March 2023 Film Releases
For a full comprehensive list of all the titles being added to Shudder for the month of January, please refer to the graphic below. Please be on the lookout for our review of ‘The Last Drive-In: Joe Bob’s Vicious Vegas Valentine’ to drop later this week here on HauntedMTL and be sure to follow us on Twitter and Instagram for more Shudder news and spooky reviews!
3/1:
Gretel and Hansel
3/2:
Spoonful of Sugar
3/9:
The Company of Wolves
3/13:
Holidays
3/17:
Leave
3/20:
Jack be Nimble
3/27:
Ultra Pulpe
After Blue
3/31:
The Unheard
The Fog
The Blair Witch Project & Book of Shadows: Blair Witch 2
Breaking News
The Last Drive-In: Joe Bob’s Vicious Vegas Valentine Special Live Watch Party February 10th!
The sweet putrid stench of love lingers through the air which can only mean one thing…Valentine’s Day and its annoying little winged cherub mascot, Cupid, is fast approaching. Soon, partners will be spoiling one another with extravagant bouquets of roses, heartfelt Hallmark cards, obnoxiously large teddy bears, glistening diamond jewelry, and heart-shaped candies or boxes filled with assorted mediocre chocolates. You know? Normal things couples do. I tend to prefer my chocolate boxes filled with bleeding hearts, à la ‘My Bloody Valentine’ but, beggars can’t be choosers, right? All jokes aside, Valentine’s Day is special for many couples, however, there are also many others who find themselves celebrating this day without a significant other. Luckily, Shudder, along with drive-in king Joe Bob Briggs and co-host Darcy the Mail Girl (Diana Prince) will graciously be keeping us lonely mutants’, and yes, all you horror fanatic couples’ company on Friday, February 10th as they return with The Last Drive-In: Joe Bob’s Vicious Vegas Valentine, premiering live at 9pm EST.
Love Spells Abound…
Back in 2021, Joe Bob and Darcy invited us to a gruesomely passionate night of spell-binding love witches and animatronic dinosaurs infused with teenage human brains during The Last Drive-In: Joe Bob Put a Spell on You. Many, including myself, were introduced to the tantalizing 70’s inspired retro throwback ‘The Love Witch’ and the graphically goofy cult classic ‘Tammy and the T-Rex’, providing the perfect viewing pleasure to mend any broken heart. While the two films for this year’s morbid love-induced special have yet to be announced, as a special treat, Briggs has announced for the first time on The Last Drive-In, he will be marrying one lucky couple during the live showing. We here at HauntedMTL are eagerly awaiting the return of the ghoulish duo so, as is tradition, we will be proudly hosting a watch party on Twitter during the broadcasting of The Last Drive-In: Joe Bob’s Vicious Vegas Valentine. Be sure to follow us on Twitter and tag us @hauntedMTL as well as @shudder, @therealjoebob, and @kinky_horror to partake in this night of unholy love.
What started off as a one-time special premiering on Shudder July 13, 2018, ‘The Last Drive- In’ was originally meant to be Brigg’s swan song; one last special before hanging up the bolo tie in retirement. However, due to so many mutants, excuse me…viewers tuning in and breaking the Shudder servers, it was only natural to announce an official full season of ‘The Last Drive-In‘, which would make its explosive debut March 19, 2019. Since then, Darcy and Briggs have spawned many exclusive holiday specials, have graciously donated to many charities within the community, and have accumulated 4 seasons of ‘The Last Drive-In’, with a fifth currently in production premiering on Shudder’s 2023 schedule sometime this year, let’s hope sooner rather than later.
