It is time for the Shudder Content Guide for Dec. 2021. Another year comes to an end. The plague still rages, injustices still abound, fruitcakes are still a thing for some reason. But we also have Shudder.
We always have Shudder.
This December Shudder offers some fun, wintery treats in the form of originals, specials, and holiday favorites in the library. So, slap on your mittens, rev up the chainsaw and let’s carve through the ice and see what ol’ Saint Shudder has in store for us this month.
Shudder’s December Originals and Exclusives.
As always, here is our guide to the service as a whole. We’ll get into regional specifics in a bit.
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The Advent Calendar *Holiday Special
New Film Premieres Thursday, December 2
Written and directed by Patrick Ridremont, Eva (Eugénie Derouand, Paris Police 1900), an ex-dancer, is now living in a wheelchair, unable to walk. When her friend Sophie (Honorine Magnier, Tomorrow is Ours) gives her an old wooden antique advent calendar before Christmas, she realizes each window contains a surprise that triggers repercussions in real life. Some of them are good, but most of them are bad, really bad. Now Eva will have to choose between getting rid of the calendar or walking again – even if it causes death and destruction to everyone she holds dear around her.
Death Valley
New Film Premieres Thursday, December 9
A group of battle-weary guns for hire are commissioned to rescue an imprisoned scientist from a secret Cold War bunker. Upon entering the facility, they find themselves in a fight for survival when they come under attack from a terrifying creature of unknown origin. Written and directed by Matthew Ninaber (PG:Psycho Goreman). Starring Jeremy Ninaber (Escape the Dark), Ethan Mitchell (Escape the Dark) and Kristen Kaster (If I Should Die).
We're baaaack! It's an auction, it's a telethon, and it's the kind of genre-bending movie choices that are guaranteed to make you say "Huh? What? Explain that one again." Join us for a major distortion of what Christmas is all about. Friday December 17, 9 p.m. Eastern/6 Pacific. pic.twitter.com/DFZkGD2T5c— Joe Bob Briggs (@therealjoebob) November 17, 2021
Here are the regional release schedules for Shudder’s various markets. We present the dates in their standard form for the region, and all originals and exclusives will be listed in bold.
Coming to Shudder CA in December 2021
Canada isn’t getting the short end of the stick this month as all originals will be available on Shudder this December, as well as a strong selection of films to enjoy. For this month’s selection, we suggest the Shudder original Death Valley.
Directed and written by Mattew Ninaber, the film stars Jeremy Ninaber, Ethan Mitchell, and Kristen Kaster.
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Mercenaries with nothing to lose are hired to rescue a bioengineer imprisoned in a cold war bunker. Upon entering the ominous facility, they find themselves in a fight for their lives when they come under attack from an unknown and deadly creature.Death Valley synopsis
Check out Death Valley on Shudder CA on December 9th.
12/1
Behind the Monsters: Pinhead
A Very Ghoul Log Christmas
To All A Good Night
A Christmas Horror Story
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The Children
Brotherhood of the Wolf
Mill of the Stone Women
Pyewacket
12/2
The Advent Calendar
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12/6
Fangs
Screams of a Winter Night
Devil Times 5
12/7
The Boulet Brothers’ Dragula Ep. 408
Switchblade Sisters
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12/9
Death Valley
12/13
All the Colors of Giallo
Orgasmo
Knife of Ice
So Sweet So Perverse
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A Quiet Place to KIll
12/14
The Boulet Brothers’ Dragula Ep. 409
Rose Plays Julie
12/17
Joe Bob Ruins Christmas – 9 PM ET
12/20
Etheria: Season 2
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12/21
The Boulet Brothers’ Dragula – Season FinaleCourtesy of Shudder
Coming to Shudder US in December 2021
The US has a large selection of films to watch, as is usually the case, but rather than focus on one of the major releases, I think spotlighting a documentary is in order. We suggest 2019’s All the Colors of Giallo.
Directed by Federico Caddeo, the documentary is described as “A celebration of the genre with interviews by many contributors and gialli filmmakers.” Such talents discussed include Dario Argento, Lamberto Bava, and Barbara Bouchet.
Catch All the Colors of Giallo on Shudder US on December 13th.
12/1
Behind the Monsters: Pinhead
A Very Ghoul Log Christmas
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House of Wax (1953)
House of Wax (2005)
Silent Night, Deadly Night 3: Better Watch Out
Silent Night, Deadly Night 4: Initiation
Silent Night, Deadly Night 5: The Toymaker
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To All A Good Night
Brotherhood of the Wolf
Mill of the Stone Women
12/2
The Advent Calendar
12/6
Fangs
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Screams of a Winter Night
Devil Times Five
12/7
The Boulet Brothers’ Dragula Ep. 408
Switchblade Sisters
12/9
Death Valley
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Hail to the Deadites
12/13
All the Colors of Giallo
Orgasmo
Knife of Ice
So Sweet So Perverse
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A Quiet Place to KIll
12/14
The Boulet Brothers’ Dragula Ep. 409
Rose Plays Julie
My Heart Can’t Beat Unless You Tell It To
12/17
Joe Bob Ruins Christmas – 9 PM ET
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12/20
Etheria: Season 2
12/21
The Boulet Brothers’ Dragula – Season FinaleCourtesy of Shudder
Coming to Shudder UKI in December 2021
It can sometimes be a rare treat that Shudder UKI also gets the same originals as the US and Canada. That is why this time around we suggest checking out The Advent Calendar.
From Shudder: Written and directed by Patrick Ridremont, Eva (Eugénie Derouand, Paris Police 1900), an ex-dancer, is now living in a wheelchair, unable to walk. When her friend Sophie (Honorine Magnier, Tomorrow is Ours) gives her an old wooden antique advent calendar before Christmas, she realizes each window contains a surprise that triggers repercussions in real life. Some of them are good, but most of them are bad, really bad. Now Eva will have to choose between getting rid of the calendar or walking again – even if it causes death and destruction to everyone she holds dear around her.
Catch The Advent Calendar on Shudder UKI on December 12th.
1/12
Behind the Monsters: Pinhead
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A Very Ghoul Log Christmas
Mill of the Stone Women
Pyewacket
2/12
The Advent Calendar
Silent Night Deadly Night
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Silent Night Deadly Night Part 2
Silent Night (2012)
6/12
Screams of a Winter Night
Devil Times Five
The White Reindeer
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John Dies at the End
The Terror: Season 1
7/12
The Boulet Brothers’ Dragula Ep. 408
Spider Baby
Switchblade Sisters
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9/12
Death Valley
13/12
The Isle
Antibirth
Birth of the Living Dead
14/12
The Boulet Brothers’ Dragula Ep. 409
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My Heart Can’t Beat Unless You Tell It To
15/12
Deadly Games
20/12
Etheria: Season 2
Gwen
Blood Punch
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21/12
The Boulet Brothers’ Dragula – Season FinaleCourtesy of Shudder
Coming to Shudder ANZ in December 2021
Looking for something to watch in the ANZ region? Why not try Deadwax?
This series is “A mind-bending neo-noir set in the obsessive world of vinyl collecting. Etta Pryce, a vinyl tracker, is hired by a rich collector to hunt a legendary rare record that has driven its owners mad and killed anyone that has dared to play it.”
Why not close out the year with a Deadwax marathon beginning on December 21st?
1/12
Behind the Monsters: Pinhead
A Very Ghoul Log Christmas
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2/12
The Advent Calendar
3/12
Silent Night Deadly Night
Silent Night Deadly Night Part 2
7/12
The Boulet Brothers’ Dragula Ep. 408
Screams of a Winter Night
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Devil Times Five
9/12
Death Valley
14/12
The Boulet Brothers’ Dragula Ep. 409
What Lies Below
16/12
Deadly Games
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21/12
The Boulet Brothers’ Dragula – Season Finale
Etheria: Season 2
Deadwax
Black Water
Courtesy of Shudder
While the assembly isn’t as large as it has been over the past few months, Shudder still has a lot to share with viewers. Do you have a favorite in your region? What do you think of our selections? Let us know in the comments.
The Science Fiction, Fantasy Writers Association is one of the most prestigious organizations in America for speculative fiction writers. While horror is not specifically mentioned, we all know that it’s nearly impossible to discuss fantasy and science fiction without the shadow of horror creeping in.
Each year, SFWA hosts a convention for writers called Nebula Con. I have virtually attended the convention for the past two years. And if you’ve never attended, you might want to consider it. Even if your writing, like mine, is long in the shadows and short on the elves.
First off, I do want to be clear that Nebula Con is a convention for speculative fiction writers. There are some fan panels, like the one on the works of Robin McKinley, this year’s Grandmaster. But the majority of the panels and events are for writers.
That being said, there are panels for writers at every stage of their careers.
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For writers interested in crafting better stories, craft panels abound. My favorite panel was the one titled For The Love of Short Fiction. This panel started with a reading of some of the best short works from 2022. Then, each panelist dug into what made that piece work for them.
There were several other terrific panels, including one all about constructing a realistic legal system in your fictional world and writing fictional podcasts. (Like I do.)
But, you might say, these are panels for sci-fi and fantasy writers. No, these are panels for speculative fiction writers. Horror authors who want to have any kind of career would do well to master the short story. And if you don’t think there’s room for some legal horror in the market, you are wrong.
While the craft panels were wonderful, the career and marketing panels were probably the most useful and valuable of the whole convention. Are you, like many other online creatives, worried about the effects AI-generated writing is going to have on our field? There were two informative panels regarding that. Are you wondering how writers’ relationships with agents have changed now that self-publishing is so prevalent? There’s a panel for that.
A lot is going on in the publishing world. It’s confusing as hell, my friends. And one of the ways we keep each other up to date is with conventions like this. What I got out of the panel most was that having a career in writing is possible. My fellow participants and I learned from writers who are doing the thing. It’s hard, but it’s possible.
Of course, a convention is more than just panels. There’s the chance to meet with other authors. This might be where a virtual convention seems to have a deficit. And while I’ll admit that meeting online isn’t the same as meeting in person, there are certainly perks. I was able to meet, chat with and share stories with other writers in a Zoom chat room. And I came away feeling much like I did as a kid, having met new friends at summer camp. Even if I wasn’t sitting across from them, it was great to be surrounded by other people who want to make a living scaring the hell out of other people.
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All of this writing joy culminates with the Nebula Awards Ceremony. If you’re interested in catching the awards but didn’t make it to the convention this year, you can watch it all on Youtube. Each year speculative fiction authors of all kinds of honored, from written work to gaming to television. This year’s toastmaster was Cheryl Platz, an author, and actress. As a critic, awards ceremonies are usually something I usually force my way through. The Nebula Awards are a rare treat in that scene. Partially because there’s a chance I’ve met the people up for the awards. But also because the people involved are, first and foremost, writers. It’s amazing how much more entertaining events are when the people being honored are, you know, talented storytellers.
If you’ve been on the fence about attending Nebula Con virtually, I suggest giving it a try. The world certainly needs more stories that go bump in the night.
So on my recent road trip to Miami AZ USA for my menstruation art installation, we decided to detour to Roswell NM en route home. To be honest, this was one of the best decisions of my life, up there with road trippin’ from Arizona to San Francisco along CA-Highway 1, and I will go into the details of why here soon.
Some of the signs: Roswell NM
Roswell NM USA has totally embraced its alien history of the UFO crash in the late 1940s and subsequent government cover up. The whole town is alien-happy with beautiful hand carved wood totems, murals and statues everywhere celebrating otherworldly denizens of all types, though predominantly the gray aliens of the crash (and their green counterparts). Even the city logo features a flying saucer as the center of the letter “R”. It really is kind of incredible.
Alien crash site photo opportunity
One of the biggest draws is the International UFO Museum and Research Center, housed in the wonderful old theater building. This museum details the crash history as well as celebrating aliens in movies and media and examining newer alien sightings and abductions. It is very thorough and includes maquettes, statues, written accounts and an extensive research library, as well as an interesting art collection of various items.
Alien landing
And there are TONS of fun alien themed curiosity shops. I will give a shout out to the newer Invasion Station north on Main Street where there had once been an old car dealership. I love the quirky nature of this particular store as well as their strong desire to promote local artists. Most of their wares are hand-painted in NM and feature designs by prominent local artists including one of the lead muralists in town (I bought a magnet of his). They also feature really alternative kitsch like KISS and Ace Frehley alien bobbleheads, marijuana and anal references, and such. All in all, our own Haunted MTL’s kinda folks…
Portrait at Roswell Visitor Center
And the city is a huge tourist draw internationally, so you can meet some amazing and interesting folks from all walks of life who have caught the alien bug or at least want to check out all the hype. As a result of the tourism, the residents seem really laid back and accommodating (kind of like Hawaii but not quite as much) and there is a thriving art scene. And it’s totally my kind of art – weird and a little creepy. Anyway, I feel like I’ve finally found my peeps and am eager to return someday.
Portrait of myself with dark makeup and crow skull headdress, backlit by the sun.
If you’re feeling a bit extraterrestrial, I invite you to also check out some of my alien-themed stories here on Haunted MTL: LTD UFOs among us; my Drive-By short story; and LTD Abducted.
Killer Queens, I wasn’t expecting to be back so soon with American Horror Story info. But yesterday we were blessed with a teaser for the intro of Season 12, which we believe will be titled Delicate.
We are looking at a Summer release for season twelve, but won’t know for sure until June, according to The Hollywood Reporter. Here’s what we know right now.
First, yes Kim Kardashian is starring alongside Emma Roberts in a role that was written specifically for her.
That’s the bad news. The good news is that AHS favorites will also be involved. According to IMBD, Charlie Carver, Rebecca Dayan, Cody Fern, Leslie Grossman, Billie Lourd, and Denis O’Hare will be included this season.
AHS Delicate is different from other seasons in many other ways. It’s the first season to ever be written by just one writer, Halley Feiffer. This isn’t a writer most of us as horror fans will be familiar with. She’s written episodes of shows like Kidding, SMILF, and American Crime Story. The last one can at least be seen as a sister show to AHS.
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As far as I have found, Feiffer has never written horror content. She is now the sole writer for an entire season of the most popular horror show in America. I’m not saying this is a bad thing. It’s just not what I would have expected. Most AHS writers are staff writers, actors from the show, or at least people I’ve heard of. So as we don’t have any former work to look at, we can only wait to see how she does.
We also know what the source material is for this season. It’s a book called Delicate Condition, by Danielle Valentine. This book will be released in August of this year. Which also seemed strange to me. Normally a book would be, you know, published before it inspires additional work.
Even so, Delicate Condition seems like a fascinating story. According to Goodreads, it’s the story of a woman named Anna. Anna is trying to get pregnant but starts to believe that something dark is working against her. Her doctors don’t believe her. Her husband doesn’t believe her. Is she losing her mind?
I’d be lying if I said I wasn’t deeply interested in this book. And I have to assume that Feiffer and Murphy already have hands on it, to jump to this sort of decision.
By the way, Valentine at least is not an untested writer. Her first novel, How To Survive Your Murder, also made it right on my TBR pile. With a rating of 3.7 out of 4 on Goodreads, I think we can assume Valentine knows what she’s doing with the written word.
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This is all that we know about American Horror Story Delicate so far. What follows are my thoughts and opinions only.
My first thought is that this season is going to be dealing heavily with women’s reproductive rights. This is a topic a lot of us are concerned about right now, as it feels like every day women lose more and more rights to our bodies.
(By the way, if you want to help fight the good fight for body autonomy and get some spooky stories, we have an anthology for that. I have a story in it, as does the horrifyingly talented Jennifer Weigel. All proceeds go to support organizations that help women make their own health decisions.)
American Horror Story has handled important political issues before. Last season, AHS NYC discussed the AIDs epidemic that went largely ignored in the 80s and killed hundreds of young gay men. They did this in the best way possible, in what this critic believes to be the only way fiction should handle heavy topics. They rooted the issue in a good story. A story that was pure fiction, but also true.
However, this season has a lot of red flags. Never before have I seen the guest star be the main focus so early. Never have I seen any franchise bank so much faith in an all but untested writer, basing work on a book that isn’t even published. And frankly, I’ve never been much of a fan of Kim K, or anyone else who’s famous seemingly just for being famous.
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I’m not rooting for this season to fail just because I don’t like the guest star. If Kardashian is good at this, I’ll be thrilled. I’ll be the first one singing her praises. But when everything we know so far is added up, I’m a lot more concerned about AHS Delicate than I am excited.
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