Connect with us

Published

3 years ago

on

My apologies for this taking a bit. It’s been kind of strange during this time of the Coronavirus and patterns inevitably become disrupted. I finally found time to get some writing done for Haunted MTL (which I love doing, but this has not been a very productive month for me). Hopefully, you’ve already read the three prior outlines in this Friday the 13th reboot miniseries proposal. If you have not, I suggest you stop here and check them out: Chapter One: Camp Crystal Lake, Chapter Two: The Woman in the Woods, Chapter Three: The Crystal Lake Massacre.

I will outline the final chapter here, as well as a little writing about the choices I made in this reboot.

Let’s dive into Friday the 13th, Chapter Four: Camp Blood Forever.

Friday the 13th, Chapter Four: Camp Blood Forever

The episode begins with two counselors late at night enjoying the last dying embers of a fire. They were left behind to keep an eye on the kids while the rest of the counselors were out searching for the unfortunate victims of the previous episode. They’re somewhat nervous about what is going on, but they’re talking tough to psych themselves up.

Then Alice comes stumbling out of the woods, screaming and bloodied. Alice arrives at the camp in a panic and begins rousing counselors to evacuate the kids. The two counselors are confused and call Eddie Jarvis, who is already on his way. The counselors manage to hold off Alice from disturbing the kids who are sleeping until Eddie arrives and tries to defuse the situation.

Eddie has arrived with one of the Crystal Lake deputies. The deputy asks for Alice to make a report and Alice lets them have it. She talks about the dead counselors, Sheriff Savini, Ms. Voorhees, and the approaching Jason. Eddie and the deputy aren’t sure how to react.

Back in the woods, we watch as Jason makes his way toward the camp. He is sticking close enough to the road for a deputy to see him. The deputy pulls over and loses track of the gigantic Jason, only for Jason to almost supernaturally show up behind him and smash his face into a tree. Jason watches the body drop, stares at it for a moment, and pushes forward.

The deputy at camp makes a call to the others and finds out about the death of Savini, Cunningham, and Hodder as well as the dead Ms. Voorhees and the child from Crystal Lake. He asks for everyone to regroup at camp as something is on the way, believing Alice about Jason. Most of the counselors are still missing, so Eddie, Alice, and the remaining support staff start securing the kids and get ready to put them on the bus to leave camp.

It’s too late, however, as Jason has already arrived. Alice heads to one cabin to secure the kids, narrowly missing Jason who is heading another direction, not noticing her. Jason smashes into a counselor cabin and attacks one of the counselors who tries to defend himself with a hockey stick. Jason grabs the stick, snapping it, and repeatedly stabs the counselor with the broken end.

Eddie enters the cabin trying to see what the holdup is and is pinned to a wall by Jason’s ax. Eddie’s wild death motions knock down stuff off a shelf. Jason rips Eddie from the wall and kills him by crushing his eye sockets. Jason looks at his handiwork and lifts the sweater sleeve he is wearing as mask enough to eat some of Eddie’s blood.

He spies on a hockey mask on the floor and looks at it curiously.

Meanwhile, Alice is in the girls’ cabin getting them to pack up what they can into their bags. The deputy knocks, he tells her to get them to the bus. She gathers them and heads out the door. Screaming grabs her and the deputy’s attention and they see a group of boys fleeing a cabin. The deputy heads that direction and urges the kids to follow Alice.

Alice leads the kids to the bus but the driver is already dead. She tells them to get into the mess hall and hide. She manages to secure the building and has the kids hiding under the tables. She runs off to the kitchen and grabs the biggest knife she can find.

She crouches on the floor next to a group of kids but the sounds of screaming outside of the mess hall pierce the silence. Alice peeks over a table only to see the deputy’s body come crashing through a window. She begins to move toward it, but Jason steps into the frame and he is wearing the hockey mask.

Alice dives back out of sight and Jason peers into the darkened building, unable to see anything. He lifts his tremendous bulk through the frame and broke glass and begins walking around the mess in the dark. Alice gestures to the children to remain silent. Alice creeps around, hiding just out of sight as Jason wanders between the rows of tables and chairs. A child begins to whimper and Jason pauses. He looks around.

Alice quickly stands up and bolts for the window, shouting for Jason. He begins following her as she climbs out the window. She is out of the building when one of the kids accidentally scuffs a chair across the floor. Jason turns his attention back to the mess hall.

Alice realizes Jason isn’t following, so she climbs back into the window and sees that Jason has turned over one of the tables and is approaching a pair of cowering children. She screams and berserker-rushes him, jamming her knife deep into his back. He stumbles backward on top of her and she struggles to escape his weight as she screams for the children to run for a cabin and lock it. The kids unlock the mess hall door and stream out, screaming.

Alice manages to worm her way out from under Jason’s body and nearly escapes until his tremendous hand grabs her ankle and crushes it. Alice screams and kicks at his fingers. He finally lets go and a hobbled Alice limps out the door. Jason rises to his feet, snapping the knife out of his back.

Alice tumbles into the dirt in the common area and can barely walk. She doesn’t see the kids. She tries to put distance between herself and the mess hall, but it is virtually impossible. Jason stumbles out of the building and his masked face looks at her direction. He begins a slow walk toward her and pauses at a memorial pole in the common area; a wooden beam with a couple of placards. He rips it from the ground and approaches Alice.

Three cars come screeching into the camp area and six deputies draw their guns on Jason, who doesn’t seem to notice or care. He just wants Alice. They tell him to stop and drop the weapon, but he keeps walking toward the crawling woman. They open fire. Jason’s body is rocked by a hail of bullets and after a couple dozen shots he finally falls to the ground. Alice, unsure, keeps crawling as one of the deputies runs over to secure her. The others approach the apparently lifeless body of Jason Voorhees.

Jason, not dead, nor alive, really, snaps up and grabs a deputy’s leg, digging dirty, thick fingers deep into his thigh and dropping him. Jason begins to rise to his feet and any attempts by the deputies to bring him down simply results in their deaths. Alice screams as Jason approaches. The deputy next to her attempts to help her up and take her toward a car. Jason is gaining, however, so he tries to unload a clip into him. Jason simply grabs the gun and shoves it through the deputy’s skull.

Alice limps into the car and manages to drive it into Jason, who holds onto it, rather than simply bouncing off the hood. Alice screams and drives Jason and herself into one of the cabins. The crash is spectacular and Jason appears to be crushed between stone, tinder, and a car. Smoke is spilling from the car.

Alice blacks out.

She wakes up in a hospital surrounded by state police. They ask her what she remembers. She tells them the story and she asks if they found Jason, but they reveal there was no sign of him. They also reveal that the cabin she crashed into was where the children were hiding and that they are dead or missing.

About three years later we see Alice is in a mental hospital. She looks terrible and she is sitting across from an attorney who informs her that at this point all her appeals have failed. Her attorney leaves and she is taken to the activity room where she gets back to an art project… a paper mache hockey mask. She stares at it a moment and tears it in half, scowling.

Back at Crystal Lake, a young Tommy Jarvis, about 12 or 13 now, wanders around the abandoned Camp Crystal Lake. He enters the cabin where his father died. His memorializing is cut short by a van arriving at the campgrounds. He watches, hidden, in the cabin as a new group of people spill out of the van. They begin talking about what they could do with all of this land. Perhaps a resort?

Tommy slips out of the cabin as they approach and watches from around a corner. The camera pulls back in a long take as he listens to them. Further back now, the camera is in the woods. It gets darker.

The infamous Jason Voorhees riff plays.

The end.

Reasoning

So why did I go with the route I went? As I mentioned in my first post in this series, I do love Friday the 13th, but it is a nonsensical series. It was never really planned out and the fact that Jason doesn’t become a thing until the second movie just strikes me as bonkers. I feel that the series was ultimately successful in spite of itself because it delivered boobs, gore, and a great, imposing killer from the 3rd film on.

So, when I thought about how I would want to reboot the series, I had a couple of things I wanted to make sure I did:

  • Have Pamela and Jason in the same story
  • Bring in the hockey mask
  • Establish Jason as supernatural right away
  • Give Jason a reason to kill beyond simple vengeance or territoriality
  • Actually kill some damn kids

Ultimately, I think I was successful in these regards, but your mileage may vary. I’d love to know what you thought of this series. My proposal is a mini-series for cable television, 4 episodes at around an hour and a half to two hours each. Would this be something you would watch? Does it respect the established series enough?

Eventually I would like to take this outline that was spread across four posts, pull them together, and edit them. I recognize there are elements I can probably establish earlier on and set up for later. That’s the challenge of writing these things piece by piece.

Anyway, have at me, folks. Let me know your thoughts and if you’d like for me to reboot any other horror classics.

Related posts:

  1. Weekly Wail: In which I try to reboot Friday the 13th.
  2. Weekly Wail: My Friday the 13th Reboot – Chapter Two: The Woman in the Woods
  3. Weekly Wail: My Friday the 13th Reboot – Chapter Three: The Crystal Lake Massacre
  4. Weekly Wail: Rats!
Related Topics:

David Davis is a writer, cartoonist, and educator in Southern California with an M.A. in literature and writing studies.

Continue Reading
Click to comment

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.

Breaking News

The Last Drive-In: Joe Bob’s Vicious Vegas Valentine Special Live Watch Party February 10th!

Published

4 days ago

on

February 1, 2023

By

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.

Drawn image of Joe Bob Briggs pouring a drop of pink liquid into a clear glass potion bottled filled with a glowing red substance. To his left lies a book a magic spells with a golden pentagram necklace resting on top. Also on the books rests a human skull with heart shaped pupils for eyes hiding behind a pair of clear glasses. In bold white letters a text reads "Join us on February 10th as we live tweet The Last Drive-In Valentine's Day Special".
Follow @hauntedMTL for live tweets and replies!

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.

Picture of Joe Bob Briggs, Darcy the Mail Girl, John Patrick Brennan and Yuki Nakamura standing together dressed in medieval costumes. A cardboard cutout of Tom Atkins stands between Darcy and Yuki. Darcy is seen drapped in a beautfiul elegant princess dress, satin white with gold trim. Yuki is seen holding a small wreath of purple, white, and yellow flowers that match his loud medieval king costume. Resting atop both their heads are golden crowns. Joe Bob Briggs is seen standing to the left of Darcy, as he smiles whilst wearing a half-put together jester costumer. Lastly, we see Brennan with two wooden recorders in his hand as he mimics playing them both dress clad in a bright yellow dress.
An unexpected ceremony during The Last Drive-In: Joe Bob Put a Spell on You (2021) special.

Related posts:

  1. Shudder December 2022 Holiday Horrors Schedule
  2. Coming to Shudder and AMC+ for January 2023
  3. The Last Drive-In Summer Sleepover Guests Revealed
  4. Shudder’s 61 Days of Halloween
Continue Reading

Breaking News

Evil Dead Rise Trailer is Here and It’s Gruesome!

Published

1 month ago

on

January 5, 2023

By

close up of Alyssa Sutherand sitting in a tub possessed as a Deadite. Her skin is pale and blotchy, thick sweat and plasma like substances runs down her face as her bright yellow demonic eyes stare into the camera. A light grin is on her face. Her hair damp and stringy adding to the sinister tone.
Alyssa Sutherland as Deadite Ellie in ‘Evil Dead Rise’

It has been a long few years since fans of the ‘Evil Dead’ franchise have been able to delve into the grisly world of the Necronomicon, with the last venture being the critically praised 2015 Starz original series ‘Ash vs Evil Dead’. Though short-lived running only 3 seasons, ‘Ash vs Evil Dead’ was able to bring back beloved horror icon and franchise alum “Groovy” Bruce Campbell (‘Evil Dead 1&2’, ‘Army of Darkness’) as the legendary Ash Williams, as well as introduce a few new would-be fan favorites including Dana DeLorenzo’s rebellious badass Kelly Maxwell and Ash’s silly loveable sidekick Pablo played by Ray Santiago. Before ‘Ash vs Evil Dead’ graced our living rooms, the last entry to splatter the silver screen was the much-loved 2013 reboot ‘Evil Dead’ written and directed by Fede Alvarez (‘Don’t Breathe’, ‘Crawl’) and starring Jane Levy (‘Don’t Breathe’, ‘Castle Rock’) as final girl Mia and Shiloh Fernandez as her protective older brother David. However, after a decade long hiatus, fellow Deadites can soon rejoice, as the fifth installment to the ‘Evil Dead’ franchise is mere months away with Lee Cronin’s ‘Evil Dead Rise’. 

Closeup of Lilly Sullivan as Beth covered in blood. Her short brown hair wet and damp with the crimson liquid as it runs down her face and arms. In her hand she grips a double barrel shotgun pointed at someone or something off-screen. Her mouth slightly ajar as she begins to speak a line of dialogue. Above her head are rusted water pipes indicative of a basement setting.
Lilly Sullivan as Beth in ‘Evil Dead Rise’

To add even further to the hype train, Warner Bro’s Pictures was gracious enough to drop the first official red band trailer for ‘Evil Dead Rise‘ today and boy oh boy, is it bloody! Not only do we get a terrifying first look at the film’s flesh-ripping demons but, we also get a sneak-peek of the many homages to previous entries whilst witnessing a bold, grim, and equally violent fresh take on the popular cult classic franchise. The official synopsis for ‘Evil Dead Rise’ reads: 

Official poster for Evil Dead Rise. The image features Alyssa Sutherland as Ellie holding her characters 2 children and younger sister beth. A sharp sinister smile floods her face as her demonic yellow eyes pierce the soul. Her Hands cradle her son and sister's heads in either hand. On her right hand we see a floral vine tattoo that wraps down her pinky, he left hand is injured and bloody. The Words "Mommy Loves You To Death" printed in white run down the poster above the film's title 'Evil Dead Rise'. The bottom of the poster provided the official release date of April 21st.
official poster for ‘Evil Dead Rise’

 “A road-weary Beth (Lilly Sullivan) pays an overdue visit to her older sister Ellie (Alyssa Sutherland), who is raising three kids on her own in a cramped L.A apartment. The sisters’ reunion is cut short by the discovery of a mysterious book deep in the bowels of Ellie’s building, giving rise to flesh-possessing demons, and thrusting Beth into a primal battle for survival as she is faced with the most nightmarish version of motherhood imaginable.” 

‘Evil Dead Rise’ is written and directed by Lee Cronin (The Hole in the Ground), with franchise creator and horror maestro Sam Raimi (‘Drag Me to Hell’, ‘Doctor Strange in The Multiverse of Madness‘) acting as executive producer alongside Bruce Campbell and Robert Tapert. Those hoping to see “Groovy” Bruce reprise his role of Ash will be met with disappointment, as unfortunately he will not be returning, however, per Campbell the three of them have been “heavily involved” during the production. ‘Evil Dead Rise’ is scheduled to possess our theaters in the US, April 21. Until then, turn up the volume and flick off the lights for the official red band trailer of ‘Evil Dead Rise’! 

Related posts:

  1. Coming to Shudder and AMC+ for January 2023
  2. American Horror Story goes to summer camp with ‘1984’
  3. Upcoming – Mutants Compete For Souls In Dystopian Past
  4. Shudder December 2022 Holiday Horrors Schedule
Continue Reading

Breaking News

Coming to Shudder and AMC+ for January 2023

January 2023 Shudder and AMC+ release schedule.

Published

1 month ago

on

January 4, 2023

By

2022 was an impressive year for the horror genre, as we received a slew of incredible films, many of which premiered exclusively on Shudder. However, news has recently been quiet regarding Shudders current slate of 2023 releases. This is in part due to the recent cutback in staff Shudder, as well as other AMC Network sites have recently received, including Shudder GM Craig Engler. Though the current January list is less significant than it has been in the past, we still have a few scary treats to look forward to. 

Let’s kick off the bloody new year and see what will be streaming exclusively on Shudder and AMC+ for January 2023.

AMC+ Exclusive Premiers

Before we jump into Shudder’s upcoming list of exclusive streaming titles, let’s first take a peek at AMC+ and ‘Vesper‘, which made its world premiere in the Crystal Globe Competition at the 2022 Karlovy Vary International Film Festival. We’ll also touch on the much-anticipated series ‘Mayfair Witches‘, based on Anne Rice’s best-selling trilogy, Lives of the Mayfair Witches. This will be the second series in the Anne Rice Immortal Universe, which is being overseen by Mark Johnson (Anne Rice’s Interview with the Vampire, Breaking Bad, Better Call Saul). Johnson will also be acting as the series executive producer alongside Esta Spalding (Masters of Sex, On Becoming a God in Central Florida) and Michelle Ashford (Masters of Sex, The Pacific, John Adams), who will also act as writers for the series.  

Vesper (Streaming Exclusively on AMC+ January 6th)

official poster for Vesper. Image of the main character and her hovering robot companion standing in a marsh, In front of them sits a large ship/robot of some kind with mist rolling across the puddled ground. 2 more of the large metallic structures sit in the background as the sun begins to set.
official film poster for ‘Vesper’

We kick off the new year with the sci-fi thriller ‘Vesper’, streaming exclusively on AMC+ January 6th.

Set in a bleak post-apocalyptic Earth following the collapse of our ecosystem, Vesper (Raffiella Chapman, The Theory of Everything), a rebellious 13-year-old girl who uses her survival skills to subsist in the remnants of a strange and dangerous world with her debilitating father, Darius (Richard Brake, 31 and Barbarian). After Stumbling upon a mysterious woman named Camellia (Rosy McEwen, The Alienist), solo and disoriented after an aerial crash, Vesper cautiously agrees to help find Camellia’s missing companion in exchange for safe passage to the Citadel – a dark central hub where oligarchs live in comfort courtesy of state-of-the-art biotechnology. Vesper soon discovers that her violent neighbor, Jonas (Eddie Marsan, Sherlock Holmes), has been searching for Camellia, who harbors a secret which could change their future forever. Forced into a dangerous adventure, Vesper must rely on her wits and bio-hacking skills to unlock the key to saving their lives and our planet.

Vesper and her Robot walking through a marsh. Vesper is wearing brown pants, a large grey/green jacket and mustard yellow scarf draped across her neck. Her robot is seen with a face drawn on with what appears to be dry blood. Light mist fades in the background of the wooded marsh.
Raffiella Chapman as Vesper.

Anne Rice’s Mayfair Witches (New Series Premier Exclusively on AMC+ Sunday, January 8th)

Starring Alexandra Daddario (Texas Chainsaw 3D and We Summon the Darkness) as main character Rowan, who discovers she is the unlikely heir to a family of ancient and powerful witches. As she grapples with her newfound powers, Rowan must clash with a sinister presence that has tormented her family for generations. Mayfair Witches also co-stars Harry Hamlin (1981’s Clash of the Titans) as Cortland Mayfair, money and power obsessed patriarch to the Mayfair family. Jack Huston (Antebellum) as Lasher, a mysterious ghost who has haunted the Mayfair family of witches since the 1600’s, Tongayi Chirisa (Antebellum) as Ciprien Grieve, head of the town of Maska and, Beth Grant (Donnie Darko and Child’s Play 2) as Carlotta, a cruel and dangerous member of the Mayfair family of witches.

Mayfair Witches begins streaming exclusively on AMC+ Sunday, January 8th.

Image of Alexandra Daddario as Rowan. Her long dark brown hair is pulled back as she stands with a look of curiosity on her face. Rowan is seen wearing a business casual black dress with a black leather purse draped around her left shoulder. Her hands pressed together as she stands in a home study. Bookshelves filled with rare encyclopedias and other rare pieces of literature can be seen in the background. An old decadant lamp rest on a table in front of Rowan, an old book lying open, pages ready to flip on itself.
Alexandra Daddario as Rowan in ‘Mayfair Witches’

New Shudder film exclusives for January

Now that we’ve covered the exclusive horror and thriller premiers that will be premiering on AMC+ very soon, it’s time to get into the content we’ve been waiting for; Shudders exclusive January 2023 premiers and returning content. While the list is thin, there are still some worthy films dropping this month that usher in the new year with optimism and hope Shudder will still reign supreme as the premier horror streaming service.

Sorry About the Demon (Premiers Exclusively on Shudder January 19th)

Image of Grace possessed. Blood streaks across her pale face as her long string like black hair shields her black demonic eyes. Her body is hunched over and covered in an orange and white striped shirt.
possessed Grace (Presley Allard) in ‘Sorry About the Demon’

Written and directed by Emily Hagins (Scare Package segment ‘Cold Open’) ‘Sorry About the Demon‘ is the story about a heartbroken young man named Will (played by Jon Michael Simpson) that is tricked into living in a home plagued by an evil presence. Taking residence with a family at wit’s end, an unexpected, surprising twist on ghostly haunts and demonic possession follows the film’s wildly entertaining and silly climax. 

‘Sorry About the Demon’ also stars Jeff McQuity as Patrick, Olivia Ducayen as Aimee, and Paige Evans as Amy. Dave Peniuk and Sarah Cleveland costar as the film’s parents of the fractured family as Ken and Tammy Sellers, with Presley Allard and Jude Zappala playing their children Grace and Jake. 

The Lair (Premiers Exclusively on Shudder January 26th)

Neil Marshall (writer/director of The Descent parts 1&2) makes his triumphant return to the genre with his latest creature-feature and eagerly anticipated film ‘The Lair’, co-written by Charlotte Kirk (The Reckoning). As Royal Air Force pilot Lt. Kate Sinclair (Charlotte Kirk) is shot down over Afghanistan and finds refuge in an abandoned underground bunker, where unbeknownst to her, deadly man-made biological weapons have been developed. Soon after Lt. Sinclaire encounters a group of soldiers, the half human, half alien monstrosities are awakened, prompting the films characters to ban together in order to escape the deadly bunker alive.

Picture of 5 soldiers staring down an elevator shaft, fear spreading across all of their faces. From left to right: Troy Alexander is seen holding a pistol wearing military garbs and a gun holster on his right leg. Hadi Khanjanpour is wearing white robes and a bullet proof vest holding an AK-47. His white robes are stained in dirt and blood. Kibong Tanji is seen wearing similar military camo clothes and holding a pistol in her right hand, and a bat wrapped in barbed wire in her left. She is also wearing a utility vest. Charlotte Kirk is the only character seen not holding a weapon. She stands wearing tan airforce pants and dirty dark brown jacket. Her short brown hair covers her right eye as you see her character covered in dirt and blood. Lastly we see Leon Ockenden also in military clothing holding an automatic rifle of some kind. His character is very rugged and scruff looking with a full beard, white shirt, military cargo pants, and utility vest. Each character is seen staring down an open elevator shaft as red and orange light paints the scenery with caution.
Cast left to right: Troy Alexander, Hadi Khanjanpour, Kibong Tanji, Charlotte Kirk, and Leon Ockenden in ‘The Lair’

‘The Lair’ promises to deliver Marshall’s signature claustrophobic, high-octane energy filled with plenty gory and masterfully crafted practical effects, including the films’ creatures. Be sure to catch ‘The Lair’ premiering exclusively on Shudder Thursday, January 26th.

Fan favorites returning to Shudder in January

We continue our look at Shudder’s January release schedule with a couple fan favorites returning for the month including the critically acclaimed first season of ‘Chucky‘, by franchise creator Don Mancini and Andrzej Żuławski’s controversial 1981 demonic horror film ‘Possession’.

Possession (Premiers on Shudder January 5th)

Image of Isabelle Adjani as Anna in Possession. Her character is seen on her knees in an empty subway tunnel. Blood and vomit are seen dripping from her mouth, covering her blouse and dress as it runs down her clothes forming a puddle on the ground between her legs. A look of pain washes over Anna as she's clutching between her legs. The subway is dimly lit, and a small heap of trash can be seen behind Anna.
Isabelle Adjani as Anna in ‘Possession’

Back in 1981 when Andrzej Żuławski’s film ‘Possession’ was originally released, it was met with critical backlash and banned in the UK being coined as a “video nasty”. Throughout the years, Zulawski’s disturbing masterpiece ‘Possession’ has since garnered massive praise amongst genre fans and is considered a nightmarish experience of demonic possession and crippling marriages.

‘Possession’ centers on professional spy Mark (Played by Sam Neil; ‘Jurassic Park’, ‘Event Horizon‘) returns to his West Berlin home to find his wife Anna (Isabelle Adjani; ‘Nosferatu the Vampyre‘) insistent on getting a divorce. As Anna’s frenzied behavior becomes ever more alarming, Mark discovers a truth far more sinister than his wildest suspicions. With its pulsating score, visceral imagery, and some of the most haunting performances ever captured on screen; including Anna’s possession serving as one the film’s most memorable scenes, ‘Possession’ is cinematic delirium at its most intoxicating and one I highly recommend adding to your list on January 5th.

Chucky (Complete first season returns to Shudder January 12th)

Chucky half melted getting ready to transfer his soul into a new Good-Guy doll. We see the extent of Chucky's damage as the left side of his body is completely melted, the plastic burnt and dropping down. Only half of his head is still covered in his signature bright orange hair, as the burnt half only has few strands remaining. His left arm is also burnt and raised in the air as he calls upon the power of his voodoo God. His blue coveralls and multicolored striped shirt are also burnt and charred.
Ade Due Damballa…Give me the power I beg of you!

As a fan of the ‘Child’s Play‘ franchise for many years, when it was announced the iconic killer doll would be getting his own television series courtesy of SyFy and USA Network, I’ll admit, I was skeptical. My main worry being a watered-down PG-13 version of a character synonymous with crude language, catchy one-liners, and a kill count that rivals the biggest of slasher icons. Thankfully I was wrong, as the first season of ‘Chucky’ proved to be a massive hit amongst fans and critics alike, enough so to greenlight a second season. Shudder brings back the hit first season of ‘Chucky‘ for our binge worthy delights before season 2 drops for VOD and physical purchase.

Jennifer Tilly as Tiffany Valentine holding the living decapitated head of Chucky. We can only see the back of Tiffany and her short bob blonde hair cut as she cradles Chucky's head. Chucky is seen with blood splatters on his face as his bright orange hair falls over his left eye. He stares back at Tiffany angrily, a sinister look peering deep into Tiffany's eyes.
Jennifer Tilly as Tiffany holding a decapitated Chucky

After a vintage Good-Guy doll turns up at a suburban yard sale, young Jake Wheeler (Zackary Arthur) purchases the doll at a steal and takes him home to use for parts on personal art project. Unbeknownst to Jake, this seemingly lifeless doll harbors the soul of serial killer Charles Lee Ray aka Chucky (reprised by Brad Dourif; The Exorcist III and Rob Zombie’s Halloween). As the show progress, we see an idyllic American town thrown into chaos as a series of horrifying murders begin to expose the town’s hypocrisies and secrets. Meanwhile, the arrival of enemies and allies from Chucky’s past threatens to expose the truth behind the killings, as well as the demon doll’s untold origins as a seemingly ordinary child who somehow became this notorious monster. It is up to Jake and his friends Devon (Bjorgvin Arnarson) and Lexy (Alyvia Alyn Lind) to put a stop to Chucky once and for all and end his reign of terror. ‘Chucky’ also stars returning franchise alums Jennifer Tilly (Bride of Chucky, Bound) as the killer dolls equally maniacal love interest Tiffany Valentine, Alex Vincent (Child’s Play 1&2) and Christine Elise (Child’s Play 2, Body Snatchers) as Chucky’s old rivals Andy Barclay and Kyle, and of course Fiona Dourif (Curse of Chucky, Cult of Chucky) returns as fan favorite Nica Pierce. Be sure to binge the first season of ‘Chucky’ streaming on Shudder January 12th.

Additional titles Premiering on Shudder in January

For a full comprehensive list of all the titles being added to Shudder for the month of January, please refer to the graphic below. Though we are starting off the year mildly light, there are still plenty of spooky treats and surprises to look forward to throughout the year. 2023 is just getting started!

Complete List of Films coming to Shudder for the month of January, featuring an image of possessed Grace from 'Sorry About the Demon' as the background image. We see a more clear look at her pale skin, the bloody veins across her face and bright yellow demonic eyes, List of films premiering in the month of January: 1/1: Lake Mungo & Near Dark 1/2: Undead & Q: The Winged Serpent 1/5: Possession (1981) and The Wolf of Snow Hollow 1/9: Dawn Breaks Behind the Eyes and Countess Dracula 1/12: Chucky season 1 1/16: Take Back the Night and Road Games (1981) 1/19: Sorry About the Demon 1/23: Let the Wrong One In and Isolation 1/26: The Lair 1/30: Death Spa and In Search of Darkness: Part 3.
Complete list of new movies being added to Shudder for January 2023

1/1:

Lake Mungo

Near Dark

1/2:

Undead

Q: The Winged Serpent

1/5:

Possession (1981)

The Wolf of Snow Hollow

1/9:

Dawn Breaks Behind the Eyes

Countess Dracula

1/12:

Chucky, Season 1

1/16:

Take Back the Night

Road Games (1981)

1/19:

Sorry About the Demon

1/23

Let the Wrong One In

Isolation

1/26:

The Lair

1/30:

Death Spa

In Search of Darkness: Part 3

Related posts:

  1. Shudder Content Update: October
  2. Shudder’s ‘Behind The Monsters’ Lands October 2021
  3. Shudder December 2022 Holiday Horrors Schedule
  4. Shudder Content Guide – July 2020
Continue Reading

Trending