AMC NETWORKS’ SHUDDER ACQUIRES TRIO OF FEMALE-LED PREMIERES FROM FANTASIA: ‘LUCKY,’ ‘SLAXX’ AND ‘HUNTED’
New York, NY — August 19, 2020 — Shudder, AMC Networks’ premium subscription streaming service for horror, thriller, and the supernatural, announced today the acquisition of three bold, female-forward horror films screening at this week’s virtual Fantasia International Film Festival. Vincent Paronnaud’s HUNTED and Elza Kephart’s SLAXX will have their world premieres, while Natasha Kermani’s LUCKY—previously set to premiere at the canceled SXSW festival—will celebrate its international premiere as part of the Canadian geo-locked event.
“Fantasia is one of the world’s top showcases for genre cinema, and in a challenging year for all festivals, they’ve done an impeccable job programming a bold lineup that we’re excited to be a part of. We’re also thrilled to be working with the talented filmmakers behind LUCKY, SLAXX and HUNTED, and we look forward to sharing their movies with our members around the world early next year,” said Craig Engler, Shudder’s General Manager.
“Brea and I are thrilled to be releasing LUCKY with Shudder,” said Natasha Kermani. We love Shudder’s curation and their commitment to finding unique, conversation-starting genre films and filmmakers, and know that LUCKY will have a great home with the Shudder community. The film is a surreal and satirical genre story with real-life horrors just below the surface, and after a very crazy year, we can’t wait to share it with the world in 2021. We couldn’t be happier to be joining the Shudder family!”
“I’m so thrilled that SLAXX will be part of the Shudder line up!”, said Elza Kephart. “ I remember when Shudder began, hoping one day my films would be part of its great horror family. Now it is!”
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Putting a fresh spin on the home invasion subgenre, LUCKY stars Brea Grant (After Midnight, Heroes) who also penned the script directed by Kermani, whose previous credits include the festival darling Imitation Girl. The surreal feminist thriller follows a self-help book author who suddenly finds herself stalked by an elusive and dangerous man and becomes caught in a struggle to regain control over her life. Shudder has acquired all rights to LUCKY in the US, Canada, UK, Ireland, Australia and New Zealand.
The outrageous horror-comedy SLAXX is the third feature from Canadian director Elza Kephart, who co-wrote with Patricia Gomez Zlatar, and stars Romane Denis (Slut in a Good Way). A possessed pair of jeans is brought to life to punish the unscrupulous practices of a trendy clothing company. Shipped to the company’s flagship store, Slaxx proceeds to wreak carnage on staff locked in overnight to set up the new collection. Shudder has acquired all rights to SLAXX in the US, UK, Ireland, Australia and New Zealand.
Directed by acclaimed French filmmaker and comic artist Vincent Paronnaud, co-director of Cannes Jury Prize and Academy Award nominee Persepolis, and co-written by him and Léa Pernollet, HUNTED is an exhilarating, transcendent take on survival horror that blends primal violence with the timeless quality of myth and fairytale. The film stars Lucie Debay (The Confession) as Eve, a woman who encounters a seemingly charming man (Arieh Worthalter, Girl) at a bar, only to uncover his true sociopathic nature, sparking a dire, life-or-death chase through the wilderness. Shudder has acquired all rights to HUNTED in the US, Canada, UK, Ireland, Australia and New Zealand.
LUCKY is produced by Epic Pictures and DREAD in association with Illium Pictures. SLAXX is the latest collaboration between Anne-Marie Gélinas’s EMA Films and Shaked Berenson’s Entertainment Squad’s genre label The Horror Collective. Gélinas and Berenson previously collaborated on the cult hit TURBO KID, which is also available on Shudder in North America. HUNTED is produced by Alexandre Perrier on behalf of Kidam (France), Benoit Roland on behalf of Wrong Men (Belgium) and Conor Barry on behalf of Savage Production (Ireland). It is co-produced by Yohann Comte on behalf of Charades, Norio Hatano on behalf of Longride, BNP Paribas Fortis Film Finance, Wallimage, Screen Scene, Voo/Betv and Telenet.
The deals were done by Emily Gotto for Shudder, and by CEO Patrick Ewald on behalf of Epic Pictures and Dread for LUCKY, by CAA Media Finance and Executive Producer Shaked Berenson for SLAXX, and By Carol Baraton on behalf of Charades for HUNTED.
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Shudder’s acquired some strong films recently and these three new additions should make great companions to the female-led hit HOST, released a month ago, and SATANIC PANIC, released earlier this year. SLAXX, in particular, looks to be a good addition to the range of horror-comedies already streaming on Shudder. All three, however, help expand the diverse array of voices in horror present on Shudder.
What are your thoughts on these three new films coming in 2021? Let us know in the comments.
If you live in the United States, it’s time to rock the vote for real. I shared this video before in conjunction with my identity-based costume work, and I feel it’s important to revisit now, with the election coming up in just a few days. Besides which, Jack Black and Tenacious D are brilliant and given the current political climate, who doesn’t want to do the time warp? But seriously, get out and rock the vote, your life kinda does depend on it (at least insomuch as being able to make for yourself the life that you want, without the government telling you how to do so – especially if you live on the fringes of socially acceptable awkwardness like me and so many of my friends).
Besides which, this video is so good, it’s worth sharing again anyway. And again, if for some reason the video doesn’t load, you can find it here.
Art Attack
And here are some artworks I made awhile back as political commentary. The photograph was shot of the scene exactly as found, of a sign above a parking lot in a quickly gentrifying neighborhood making sure all knew that any unauthorized vehicles were unwelcome, and hung right in front of a flag that was tattered and torn from being caught on the chain link fence driving the point home. The flags were meant to be interactive, with gallerygoers waving them while singing The Star Spangled Banner in its elitist entirety. The whole really spoke to me regarding some of the political climate at the time (this was right before Trump was elected President the first time). How much has changed since then? In some ways, a lot. In other ways, I guess we shall see.
Famed horror host, Pulitzer Prize nominated, and Cracker Barrel aficionado Joe Bob Briggs is back in action, ready to bring some macabre merriment to your holiday season with Joe Bob’s Creepy Christmas. It also gives us horror fans something to take into the new year, be that something Darcy’s panties (sorry, box, I tried) or just the intangible good feels of hanging with friends and supporting a lot of good causes.
The Return of Joe Bob Briggs’s Christmas Special
The Joe Bob Briggs’s Christmas event is akin to a Jerry Lewis telethon for Gen X, with a twist of ‘the last drive-in with Joe Bob Briggs’. This ‘Briggs’ auction of sorts is a nostalgic nod to the past, especially for those who remember the telethons. The dread, however, has shifted from the … well… whatever Jerry was supposed to do (see Sam Kinison’s bit on this for more info) to that of evil goodies.
Without a doubt, this Joe Bob Briggs special is the event we eagerly anticipate each year. It’s a tradition, and a worthy one at that. We hope to see everyone on the interwebs, joining the ‘creepy links’ and engaging in the conversation (We’ll be on Threads and Twitter….tag us as you wish!) ‘live’ the only way anyone should ever watch a tv show (oh, and I guess on demand, but ya weirdos will never know the sting of the Iron Mutant Award!). ‘Live’ is the only way anyone should ever watch a TV show, especially ‘the last drive-in with Joe Bob Briggs’ (as it’s far too hard to watch tv whilst dead).
Joe Bob’s Creepy Christmas The ‘Last Drive-In with Joe Bob Briggs and Darcy the Mail Girl’ special will hit the airwaves live on Shudder TV and AMC+ TV on Friday, December 15th at 9 p.m. ET. Fans of ‘the last drive-in with Joe Bob Briggs’ can also catch the special on-demand starting Sunday, December 17th.
A Creepy Christmas with a Cause
In its fourth year, the holiday tradition of The Last Drive-In goes beyond mere entertainment. It aims to use the platform to raise funds for four vital causes. The charity auction will feature unique props and exclusive merchandise from The Last Drive-In and memorabilia from Briggs’ illustrious 35-year career…including some of his unspoken work as John Bloom. I say Unspoken, because if anyone remembers the first Christmas Special, the autographed copy of Eccentric Orbits was featured (sincerely, a good book–check it out if you haven’t. Jim gives it 4.5/5)
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The supported charities for Joe Bob’s Creepy Christmas will include:
The Mystery of the Joe Bob Briggs’s Creepy Christmas Special
The anticipation for Joe Bob’s Creepy Christmas is high, with fans wildly speculating what films will be featured. Personally, nothing can beat the #1 top horror Christmas film of all time, the Easter classic: Passion of the Christ (if a snuff film about a guy who doesn’t fit in getting whipped and nailed up doesn’t scream horror story, I don’t know what does. Also: See Sam Kinison’s concept on crosses and resurrection). However, a Christmas movie I really want to see up on this is Hogzilla and Kiss Save Santa Clause! BOOMMM!! Christmas Won!
As we eagerly wait for December 15th, we wonder what surprises our favorite horror host, Joe Bob Briggs, has in store this time. Will there be exclusive ‘merch’ that Jim will buy and then accidentally put in a Toys for Tots box in the mall?
Join the Fun, Join the Cause, Join the Joe Bob Briggs Christmas event!
Are you ready to dive into the world of Joe Bob’s Creepy Christmas? Do you dare to watch along and help raise money for a good cause? If so, join us at HauntedMTL on Threads (_HauntedMTL_) and maybe Twitter (@HauntedMTL) as we experience the thrill and chills that only Joe Bob Briggs and Darcy can deliver.
Remember, this is not just about indulging in some good old horror fun with ‘Joe Bob’s’ double feature. It’s about giving back and making a difference. So, let’s gear up to have a creepy Christmas with ‘Joe Bob Briggs’, filled with ‘christmas horror films’, ‘christmas demons’, ‘christmas slasher films’, ‘ho-ho-horror’, ‘yuletide horror’ and insightful ‘horror commentary’.Joe Bob’s Creepy Christmas and make this holiday season memorable for all the right reasons! I’m sure Fright Rags will have another stellar set this year, too. They are perfect for the horror fan in your life (even if that fan is you!). I can’t wait to see what they have in store (no pun).
SPECIAL — IF YOU WANT Freeeeeeeee (as supplies last) Fright Rags Joe Bob Briggs merch for this year, just tweet/thread at us during the event and Jim will pick the one that makes him chuckle the most (you will need to give us your address and size in DMs)
No subscription to watch Joe Bob Briggs’s Creepy Christmas yet? No problem! Check the link below:
AMC Networks’ Shudder is a premium streaming video service, super-serving members with the best selection in genre entertainment, covering horror, thrillers and the supernatural. Shudder’s expanding library of film, TV series, and originals is available on most streaming devices in the US, Canada, the UK, Ireland, Australia and New Zealand. For a 7-day, risk-free trial, visit Joe Bob at www.shudder.com.
But sometimes there comes a film that’s smartly written, full of humor and social commentary, plus great acting. Oh, and scares that actually scare the shit out of me.
Almost a year to the date, I got to watch such a film called #CHADGETSTHEAXE that I saw as a screener for FilmQuest Fest in October, 2022. And I was blown away by the talents of director/co-writer Travis Bible and co-writer/producer Kemerton Hargrove; starring Spencer Harrison Levin (Black Jesus), Michael Bonini (New Amsterdam), Taneisha Figueroa (Duck World), Cameron Vitosh (Walker), Brandon Doyle (Murder Made Me Famous), and Shun Hagins (Snitch).
Mini-Review, I swear it’s short:
And, I know, I know, I know. ‘But Brannyyyyk, isn’t livestreaming horror movies just a flash in the pan? Hasn’t it been done beforeeee?’ For one, stop saying it like that, it’s weird. For two, not like this. The care and attention that went into #CHADGETSTHEAXE is wickedly clever with such tongue-in-cheek humor of influencers, humanity, and the toxic culture of fandom. It’s the shining example of live-streaming movies because it’s so f-ing smart.
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Case in point, the characters are living up to their personas. However, even when the personas are ragged and driven to the edge of life and death, we never see them as people, fully dimensional people, because we never see them break away from their devices. There’s never a shot that shows us ‘hey, this is a film, now let’s see them as the real character they are’. The actors are really carrying dual roles as the personas and the real people underneath; as they are struggling to keep up appearances in front of the millions of viewers.
Plus, don’t get me started on the characters within the livestream feed, along with running jokes and clues to the haunted house.
Anyway, I don’t want to give too much away as I’m going to be covering it on Streamin’ Demons soon. But I wanted to also tease about the fact that I’m going to be interviewing some VIPs from the movie for What’s Kraken? So, shhh, only tell your closest friends because it’s going to be incredible.
Join the Hype Train:
Adapted from an award-winning short with the same title, #ChadGetsTheAxe follows four social media influencers as they live-stream their trip to Devil’s Manor, former home to a Satanic Cult. Things don’t go well. And as the violence ramps up… so do the views.
The film premiered at FilmQuest in October 2022 and Internationally at FrightFest Glasgow in March 2023 where it was well received by critics. #ChadGetsTheAxe was produced by Travis Bible, Eric Gibson, Kemerton Hargrove, and Frances O’Hanlon, while Dream Big Group serves as executive producers.
The Horror Collective is the genre label of Entertainment Squad — a production and distribution company founded by veteran producer Shaked Berenson (TURBO KID, TALES OF HALLOWEEN). The label’s latest releases include the Daytime Emmy nominated Limited Series DOOMSDAY, the killer-pants Shudder Original SLAXX, and the critically acclaimed horror-comedy SUMMONING SYLVIA.
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