Shudder News Roundup: March
Big news about what is coming up in April on Shudder. We have all the highlights you need for what should be a busy next month.
Let’s dig in, shall we?
SHUDDER TURNS APRIL INTO ‘HALFWAY TO HALLOWEEN MONTH’ WITH ITS BIGGEST SLATE OF PROGRAMMING EVER
Featuring a New Season of Hit Series Creepshow, the Return of The Last Drive-In with Joe Bob Briggs and a New Exclusive Movie Every Week; Film Slate Includes Yeon Sang-ho’s Highly Anticipated Train to Busan Presents: Peninsula and The Power from BAFTA-Nominated Director Corrina Faith; Live ‘Halfway to Halloween Hotline’ Will Provide Members with Personalized Horror Movie Recommendations
NEW YORK – March 4, 2021 – April showers bring a packed lineup of new horror films and series to Shudder, AMC Networks’ premium streaming service for horror, thriller and the supernatural, for its annual ‘Halfway to Halloween Month.’ With April marking the halfway point to Halloween, the streamer will celebrate its biggest month of programming yet with a loaded slate of Shudder original films and series, an exclusive documentary, a library of cult classic favorites and the return of ‘Halfway to Halloween Hotline.’
“Some do Christmas in July but at Shudder we celebrate Halloween in April to mark the halfway point to the greatest holiday of the year,” said Craig Engler, general manager of Shudder. “‘Halfway to Halloween Month’ is going to be the biggest month of programming in Shudder history with new movies, series, a killer documentary and more.”
This year’s ‘Halfway to Halloween’ lineup includes two Shudder Original series, five new Shudder Original and Shudder Exclusive premieres, an exclusive documentary, the 2021 FANGORIA Chainsaw Awards and more.
As for some of the highlights for April, you have the following:
The season premiere of the Shudder Original series Creepshow and the return of the Shudder Original series The Last Drive-in with Joe Bob Briggs.
The highly anticipated follow up to Yeon Sang-ho’s Train to Busan and Seoul Station, Peninsula.
The Power starring Rose Williams (Sanditon) and written and directed by BAFTA nominated British filmmaker Corrina Faith, which appeared on 2018’s Brit List of best unproduced scripts.
Christopher Smith’s The Banishing starring Jessica Brown Findlay (Downton Abbey) and Sean Harris (Mission: Impossible franchise).
Boys from County Hell, which /Film called “legendary in its own right” upon its North American premiere at the 2020 Nightstream virtual film festival.
Making its US premiere after appearing as a 2020 CANNESERIES Horror Short Form contender, Australian anthology series Deadhouse Dark.
An exclusive documentary, In Search of Darkness: Part II, which continues to explore the impact of beloved ‘80s horror films.
The 2021 FANGORIA Chainsaw Awards, hosted by actor and writer David Dastmalchian (Ant-Man and the Wasp).
The Val Lewton Collection: seven classic titles from the 1940s, including Cat People, I Walked With A Zombie, The Leopard Man, The Seventh Victim, Curse of the Cat People, The Body Snatcher and Isle of the Dead.
An Alex de la Iglesia double feature: the mid ‘90s cult classics, Day of the Beast and Dance with the Devil.
‘Halfway to Halloween Hotline’ in which Shudder’s director of programming, Samuel Zimmerman, provides callers with real-time movie recommendations.
As you can see, there is a lot on the way on Shudder. Let’s learn more about the Originals and Exclusives.
New Shudder Originals and Exclusives
Creepshow, Season 2 – Premieres April 1, New Episodes Every Thursday **Shudder Original Series
(Also available on Shudder CA, Shudder UK and Shudder ANZ)
Based on the 1982 horror comedy classic, the anthology Creepshow returns for a second season and is still the most fun you’ll ever have being scared! A comic book comes to life in a series of vignettes, exploring terrors ranging from murder, creatures, monsters, and delusions to the supernatural and unexplainable. You never know what will be on the next page. Executive produced by showrunner Greg Nicotero, Creepshow’s second season will feature guest stars Kevin Dillon, Iman Benson, Josh McDermitt, Keith David, Molly Ringwald, Barbara Crampton, Justin Long, and D’Arcy Carden, among others.
Train to Busan Presents: Peninsula – Premieres April 1**Shudder Exclusive Film
(Also available on Shudder CA)
Four years after South Korea’s total decimation in Train to Busan, the zombie thriller that captivated audiences worldwide, acclaimed director Yeon Sang-ho brings us Peninsula, the next nail-biting chapter in his post-apocalyptic world. Jung-seok, a soldier who previously escaped the diseased wasteland, relives the horror when assigned to a covert operation with two simple objectives: retrieve and survive. When his team unexpectedly stumbles upon survivors, their lives will depend on whether the best—or worst—of human nature prevails in the direst of circumstances. Upon Peninsula’s premiere, Shudder will be the only service in which viewers can watch Yeon Sang-ho’s complete trilogy, including Train to Busan and Seoul Station, on a single platform.
The Power– Premieres April 8 **Shudder Exclusive Film
(Also available on Shudder CA, Shudder UK and Shudder ANZ)
London, 1974. As Britain prepares for electrical blackouts to sweep across the country, trainee nurse Val (Rose Williams) arrives for her first day at the crumbling East London Royal Infirmary. With most of the patients and staff evacuated to another hospital, Val is forced to work the night shift, finding herself in a dark, near empty building. Within these walls lies a deadly secret, forcing Val to face both her own traumatic past and deepest fears in order to confront the malevolent force that’s intent on destroying everything around her.
The Banishing – Premieres April 15 **Shudder Original Film
(Also available on Shudder CA, Shudder UK and Shudder ANZ)
From acclaimed director Chris Smith (Creep, Severance, Triangle) comes The Banishing, which tells the true story of the most haunted house in England. A young reverend and his wife and daughter move into a manor with a horrifying secret. When a vengeful spirit haunts the little girl and threatens to tear the family apart, the reverend and his wife are forced to confront their beliefs. They must turn to black magic by seeking the help of a famous Occultist…or risk losing their daughter.
The Last Drive-in with Joe Bob Briggs – Premieres April 16, New Episodes Every Friday **Shudder Original Series
The hit original 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 show’s hashtag, #TheLastDriveIn, has trended in the top 10 on Twitter in the US during the premiere of every episode and special, often reaching No. 1.
2021 FANGORIA Chainsaw Awards – Premieres April 18 at 8pm ET / 5pm PT **Shudder TV Exclusive Event
(Also available on Shudder CA, Shudder UK and Shudder ANZ)
In April 2021, Shudder partners with FANGORIA to bring the Chainsaw Awards, hosted by actor and writer David Dastmalchian, to fans across the globe. This year’s nominated films include The Invisible Man, Freaky, Relic, Color Out of Space and Possessor as well as actors Vince Vaughn, Kathryn Newton and Elisabeth Moss. Since 1992, the Chainsaw Awards have honored top achievements in horror film and television, with past recipients including Jonathan Demme, Sam Raimi, Robert Eggers, Toni Collette and George Romero.
Boys from County Hell – Premieres April 22 **Shudder Exclusive Film
(Also available on Shudder CA)
Welcome to Six Mile Hill, a sleepy Irish backwater whose only claim to fame is the somewhat dubious local legend that Bram Stoker once spent a night in the local pub. It’s home to Eugene Moffat, a young man who fills most of his days drinking pints with his friends and pranking tourists who come to visit the gravesite of Abhartach, a legendary Irish vampire some believe to have inspired ‘Dracula.’ When a personal tragedy forces Eugene to go and work for his gruff, no-nonsense father, he finds himself on the site of a controversial new road development that threatens to destroy the town’s livelihood. But strange events unfold when Eugene and the crew tear down a famous cairn believed to be the final resting place of Abhartach, and they soon come under attack from a sinister force that has infected one of their workmates. As the night closes in, The Boys must fight for survival while discovering the true horror of a myth that hits much closer to home than any of them realize.
In Search of Darkness: Part II – Premieres April 26 **Shudder Exclusive Documentary
Building on the hit 2019 superdoc that Forbes called “a scary good magnum opus,” In Search of Darkness: Part II dives deeper into the fabled practical-effects decade of iconic and eclectic ‘80s horror movies that changed the course of film history. Packed with over four hours of brand-new interviews, including such legendary horror icons as Robert Englund (A Nightmare on Elm Street), Nancy Allen (Dressed to Kill), Linnea Quigley (The Return of the Living Dead), and special-effects wizard Tom Savini (Friday the 13th), Part II features 15 new faces alongside 40-plus returning members of the original In Search of Darkness cast to delve into more fan-favorite titles of ‘80s horror, year-by-year, expanding its scope to cover more international releases and spotlighting horror-career retrospectives.
Deadhouse Dark – Premieres April 29 **Shudder Original Series
(Also available on Shudder CA, Shudder UK and Shudder ANZ)
An anthology of six interconnected horror short films, Deadhouse Dark is anchored by a woman who receives a ‘mystery box’ from the dark web, each item within it gradually unveiling a dark and troubling truth. A boxful of dark and chilling tales of terror inspired by frighteningly familiar modern trends including dark web mystery boxes, dash cam footage and Insta-fame hungry vloggers. Deadhouse Dark is a giant mystery box of chocolates – while there is something in there to suit a variety of different tastes, in the end chocolate is still chocolate. And who doesn’t love chocolate?
Halfway to Halloween Hotline
Shudder is also bringing back the hotline. This feature rolls out around Halloween where members can call and get recommendations from the Shudder library from Samuel Zimmerman, the streaming service’s director of programming. For all the details, read on.
Every Friday in April from 3pm-4pm ET, members are invited to call Samuel Zimmerman, Shudder’s director of programming, to discuss all things horror: from their favorite genre films of all time to the most highly anticipated horror releases of the year. From those conversations, Sam will then use his horror expertise to offer customized viewing recommendations from Shudder’s expansive film collection.
A new hotline phone number will be announced each Friday on Shudder’s social media platforms.
**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 Additions to the Movie Library
Shudder also features a ton of new additions across all regions for April. We’ll list them here, and check back with us in April for the regional list and highlights.
April 1
Night of the Lepus (1972): Coming to Shudder just in time for Easter, in this cult classic, an Arizona rancher dealing with massive rabbit overpopulation calls on a local college president, Elgin Clark, to help him. In order to humanely resolve the matter, Elgin brings in researchers who inject the rabbits with chemicals. However, they fail to anticipate the consequences of their actions.
The Haunting of Julia (1977): After her daughter’s death, wealthy American homemaker Julia Lofting moves to London to restart her life. All seems well until she is haunted by the ghosts of other children while mourning for her own.
The Texas Chainsaw Massacre 2 (1986): (Also available on Shudder CA) Chainsaw-wielding maniac Leatherface is up to his cannibalistic ways once again, along with the rest of his twisted clan. This time, the masked killer has set his sights on a pretty disc jockey, who teams up with a Texas lawman to battle the psychopath and his family deep within their lair, a macabre abandoned amusement park.
April 2
The Val Lewton Collection: Seven classic films from the influential writer and producer behind a series of atmospheric, psychologically rich horror classics: Cat People (1942), I Walked With A Zombie (1943), The Leopard Man (1943), The Seventh Victim (1943), Curse of the Cat People (1944), The Body Snatcher (1945) and Isle of the Dead (1945)
April 5
Don’t Panic (1988): (Also available on Shudder CA) Best known as Mexico’s homage to A Nightmare on Elm Street, in this film, Michael is gifted a Ouija board from his best friend, Tony, on his seventeenth birthday. Tony unwittingly unlocks the evil forces of the board, unleashing a wave of violent killings, and the chief suspect appears to be Michael.
Zombie for Sale (2019): (Also available on Shudder CA and Shudder UK) When the illegal human experiments of a Korean pharmaceutical company go wrong, one of its undead test subjects escapes and ends up in a gas station owned by the Park family. When the Park family uncovers the undead visitor, they hatch a plan to exploit this unexpected fountain of youth.
April 12
The McPherson Tape (1989): (Also available on Shudder CA, Shudder UK and Shudder ANZ) Known for being a pioneer in the found footage genre, this film centers on a typical fall evening in 1983 when a young man videotapes his niece’s 5th birthday party. As the night’s strange occurrences take place, he keeps his video camera running, recording the entire event.
Alex de la Iglesia Double Feature: (Also available on Shudder CA) Two cult favorites from the acclaimed Spanish master of horror who most recently directed and co-wrote HBO Max’s 30 Coins: The Day of the Beast (1995), in which a priest, TV psychic and Death Metal record store clerk team up to beat Satan and prevent the Apocalypse, and Dance with the Devil (a.k.a. Perdita Durango, 1997) starring Rosie Perez and Javier Bardem as a sadistic couple involved with human sacrifices, kidnapping, murder and fetus trafficking.
April 19
The Stepfather (1987): (Also available on Shudder CA) Jerry Blake is a family man, but he happens to have a series of families, with each one on the receiving end of his murderous ways. When Jerry sets his sights on a lovely widow named Susan and her headstrong daughter, Stephanie, it appears that his brutal pattern of killings will continue. However, Stephanie begins to suspect that there’s something wrong with the seemingly well-adjusted Jerry, and a violent confrontation is inevitable.
Thale (2012): Leo and Elvis are cleaning up a particularly messy crime scene when Elvis accidentally finds a secret passage that leads to a subterranean living space. He encounters Thale, a beautiful young woman who sings but does not speak. The two are ill-prepared when others tracking Thale finally catch up to her.
The Conspiracy (2012): (Also available on Shudder CA) A documentary about conspiracy theories takes a horrific turn after the filmmakers uncover an ancient and dangerous secret society.
Housebound (2014): (Also available on Shudder CA) A young woman is forced to return to her childhood home after being placed under house arrest, where she suspects that something evil may be lurking.
April 26
The Similiars (2015): (Also available on Shudder CA) Eight people experience a strange phenomenon while waiting for a bus at a remote station on a rainy October night.
The Diabolical (2015): A single mother and her children are awoken nightly by an intense presence. She asks her scientist boyfriend to destroy the violent spirit that paranormal experts are too frightened to take on.
Attack of the Demons (2019): (Also available on Shudder CA) For centuries, a demonic cult has been plotting the destruction of mankind. When a small Colorado town is overrun by a legion of mutating demons, three non-demon hunter friends must use every skill their minds can fathom to stave off the demon apocalypse.
April 29
Horror Express (1972): (Also available on Shudder CA, Shudder UK and Shudder ANZ) While travelling on the Trans-Siberian Express, an anthropologist and his rival must contain the threat posed by the former’s cargo: a prehistoric ape which is the host for a lifeform that is absorbing the minds of the passengers and crew.
Excited for April on Shudder? Why not share with us what you are most excited about in the comments.
We’ve reached the penultimate episode of Original Sin. This season has been a bloody delight so far, but of course, the endings usually ruin anything related to Dexter.
See the original series ending, book series ending and New Blood ending.
But so far this ending has been good. Let’s discuss.
The story
We begin this episode with the whole force worrying over Bobby, Harry’s partner. They decide to have a blood drive, which is a really good way to respond to a tragedy.
In a flashback scene, we see that Harry and Doris took in both boys. Doris is, by the way, a living saint. She takes these two boys into her home and heart. Until that is, Brian almost kills Deborah.
Not for the last time.
Meanwhile Dexter is planning to take out Captain Spencer. The only problem is that, through a series of rather heartwarming events, he’s given blood twice on the same day. So when it comes time for the kill he isn’t at his best.
Even so, Dex almost makes the kill. The only problem is that Nicky is still alive. And Dexter, proving again that he is a strange and gentle monster, cares more about saving the son than killing the father.
What worked
I first want to shine some well-deserved light on the casting in this series one last time. Because Roby Attal, who played Brian, did a fantastic job. He looks very much like Christian Camargo, who played Brian in the original series. But of course, the important thing is the facial and body language. He smiles like Brian, moves like Brian. And, of course, kills like Brian. He was the perfect choice.
I also really enjoyed the scenes between Dexter and Captain Spencer. They were well done and emotional. I loved the passion and anger in Dexter’s voice when he confronted Spencer. I loved Dex playing a video game and putting in Nicky’s initials. And I really loved Dex stabbing Spencer with a hypodermic needle through his hand and into his neck. It was well-written, well acted and cathartic.
Now, in the interest of fairness, I owe Sarah Michelle Gellar an apology. Because she was great in this episode. Her character, Tanya, was passionate and perfectly well-acted. Best of all, she looked her age.
And she looked beautiful.
So often in media women’s ages are hidden like dirty secrets. Even more so when she was popular in her youth. So to see her look her age, look haggard and tired, was fantastic.
What didn’t work
All of that being said, this was not a perfect episode. The worst thing, in my opinion, was that we found out why Captain Spencer abducted his son. Why he killed an innocent boy. Why he kidnapped these boys and tortured them for days before he killed them. And why he slaughtered an entire houseful of people.
I have no intention of spoiling the reveal for you. But when you watch it, I’m sure you’ll share in my disgust. I was expecting some deep dark secret, maybe some sort of corruption or betrayal.
But that’s not it. And the reason he had doesn’t make sense. Why torture these boys with his intention was, well, what it was?
I have some hope that this reveal was false. After all, all we have is the word of a man plastic wrapped to a table. I guess we’ll have to wait until the next episode to find out.
Finally, I do want to point out one thing that is a little disappointing about the series as a whole.
It’s kind of hard for there to be a lot of suspense for the coming episode. We already know that nothing very bad can happen to our dear demented Dexter. He will not be caught. He will not go to jail. He will not die. Neither will Deb, Brian, or any of the other beloved characters from the original series. So much of the tension we might have felt just isn’t there. This is a struggle for a prequel series and one that I don’t think this series has done enough to address.
Despite the slight letdown of the killer’s motivation, this was a good episode. It set up the finale with a great cliffhanger and left us with more questions than answers. I’m cautiously optimistic about the last episode of Dexter Original Sin.
(4 / 5)
Good news to my nonbinary pals – we no longer exist!
“But Brannyk,” you may be thinking, “what am I supposed to do now that I am no longer a real being? How shall I spend my days?”
Unfortunately, the government has not released a handbook for this occasion, so I thought we could brainstorm together.
BECOME A GHOST
There are some benefits to being a ghost, for sure.
No rent or insurance payment. No corporate job, no cleaning cat litter, no AT&T trying to sell you another line after repeatedly telling them that you just want to make sure that your autopayment is on, but they’re all like, ‘Why would you pass up such a bargain on a second line? Are you an idiot? Why wouldn’t you need another phone line?‘ and so you have to tell them, “Because I’M DIVORCED, ASSHOLE, THANKS FOR REMINDING ME OF THAT!”
Ahem. I digress.
Yeah, you may not be able to venture out, much like Adam and Barbara in Beetlejuice. You may need to put up with someone else crashing your place and moving around all of your shit. Or Ryan Reynolds trying to sell you Mint Mobile. Or some toxic couple taking your creepy doll that you spent years on trying to possess.
Or, my absolute biggest pet peeve, when you’re practicing for the ghost speed chair-stacking championship and the normies just don’t appreciate your cool skills.
But the advantages are that you get to stay home, watch tv, stack your chairs and hope whoever buys your house/visits your creepy woods/gentrifies your neighborhood is a cool person, too.
(2 / 5)
It’s a good choice, but has a lot of drawbacks.
BECOME A CREATURE
Look, if you’re not going to exist, go big or go home, I’d say.
Monsters are cool. They play by their own rules. Sometimes they cause havoc. Sometimes they come around and help people. Sometimes they work alone. And other times, they have a lot of friends. Sometimes they just need some affirmation. And sometimes they’re…in high school, apparently?
The cool thing is that they come in all shapes and sizes.
Monsters are generally misunderstood. Some have their fans. Others are hated.
So basically, just like people, except with more tentacles.
The only downsides are that you might be too big or too “ick” for some people (these can also be pluses), you may have a taste for human flesh (no judgement), or the biggest issue – there are too many choices.
You could get stuck trying to figure out what kind of monster you are. If you’re not into labels, it’s an absolute nightmare. Or if you’re like me, it’ll be like standing in Subway for 15 minutes trying to figure out what toppings and dressings you want while the “sandwich artist” is openly judging you.
(4 / 5)
I like the customization, but it can be a bit too overwhelming.
BECOME A CRYPTID
Hear me out. I know it seems a lot like the monster category, but it’s not quite.
Cryptids are weird and mysterious. They keep to themselves. They have people who are fascinated by them and post on Reddit about them. Some have people making documentaries about them.
They’re like monsters’ quieter cousin who reads books in the corner at family gatherings. They collect shiny things they find by the side of the road. Sometimes they’ll steal a peanut butter sandwich or two.
Ever so often, they might scare a human just by existing or by politely asking for their stuff back.
Each one kinda has their own goals and priorities. Their own hangouts and interests. But unlike monsters, they’re not looking to rock any boats-
Never mind, I stand corrected.
(5 / 5)
I like the freedoms of being a cryptid and also dig the cottage-core vibe I get from them.
CONCLUSION: LET’S BE REAL FOR A SECOND…
I know it’s hard right now. It’s going to be hard. You may not exist to some assholes, but you are real. You have real feelings and thoughts and dreams. You have a real future. You have real decisions. Real actions that affect this world.
You have the real ability to wake up tomorrow and choose to exist. And for whatever reason you choose. Use it. Ghosts and monsters and cryptids are powerful, just like you are, even when you don’t feel like it. They have a place in our human world, just like you do. You make this world interesting and important.
You are part of this world, you are real, and you are not alone.
The horror community is one of acceptance, diversity, creativity and passion. In these times, it needs to be. We need to rely on each other. We need to cultivate and protect each other, as much as we need to protect ourselves.
And it looks like I’ll be coming out of my own cryptid hovel I’ve spent the past few years in to remind you that. My job isn’t done. Not by a longshot. And neither is yours.
You exist to me. Today, tomorrow, and forever.
Be safe out there, friends.
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Joe Bob’s Christmas Carnage: A Bloody Good Holiday Special Fri. December 13th – 9pm ET!
