Shudder December 2022 Holiday Horrors Schedule
On the 11th day of Christmas Shudder gifted me, new series and movies! Why hello fellow mutants and Shudder aficionados, winter has fast fallen upon us bringing with it snow chilled nights, crackling embers smoldering in wood-burning fireplaces, mugs of rich hot cocoa, twinkling Christmas lights, and festive new holiday horror films to watch comfortably nestled under our blankets.
As we prepare to bid adieu to one of the genres most exciting years to date confidently strutting into 2023, Shudder has a few more frightful presents placed under our trees for us to unwrap in joyous delight. Allow me, your festive ghoul to guide you through all that will be arriving, as well as leaving Shudder for the month of December 2022, including the return of the king himself Joe Bob Briggs in ‘Joe Bob’s Ghoultide Get-Together‘ special and Joe Begos’ eagerly anticipated holiday slasher, ‘Christmas Bloody Christmas’.
New Treats and Returning Favorites
Let’s jump right into the festivities with Shudder this month with the return of their hit original series, the oh-so-horrifically fabulous The Boulet Brothers’ Dragula: Titans, new episodes premiering every Tuesday.
The Boulet Brothers’ Dragula: Titans –Now Streaming
Finding a new home in the company of Shudder, the exquisite mistresses were able to bring a vast number of loyal fans over to the premier streaming service, while garnering a warm embrace from their newly adopted mutant family. Returning with their new original series ‘The Boulet Brothers’ Dragula: Titans‘ reintroduces popular drag icons from the show’s previous seasons to come together and compete in horrifying challenges of drag artistry pushing these talented artists both physically and mentally. A one hundred-thousand-dollar grand prize, the headlining spot on the Boulet Brothers upcoming world tour, and the first ever “Dragula Titans” crown and title. Filled with surprising guest Judges throughout this spooktacular season including the legendary Cassandra Peterson (Elvira), Harvey Guillen, Justin Simien, David Dastmalchian, Poppy, Alaska, Katya, Shudder Alumni Joe Bob Briggs, Bonnie Aarons, Barbara Crampton, and many more. (A Shudder Original Series)
The Last Drive-In Presents: Joe Bob’s Ghoultide Get-Together – Streaming LIVE NEXT FRIDAY, December 16, at 9pm on Shudder TV, and on demand starting Sunday, December 18
When Joe Bob Briggs made his triumphant return to television with his one-time special The Last Drive-In, horror enthusiasts including myself rejoiced in excitement. I’ll admit, memories of late night ‘MonsterVision’ binges with my father instantly came flooding back to mind. Due to the specials massive success, breaking Shudder’s server engines, it’s clear we fans wanted more from Joe Bob Briggs, his lovely new mail girl Darcy (Diana Prince co-host and host of The Lost Drive-In Podcast), and The Last Drive-In. Shudder has continued to listen to its fans, as we are now 4 seasons into the show, with a 5th season already in production and a BRAND-NEW holiday special premiering exclusively on Shudder in just under 1 week.
Shudder alumni’s Joe Bob Briggs and Darcy the Mail Girl make their festive return to celebrate Christmas in classic drive-in fashion, buckets of gratuitous gore and Joe Bob’s copious knowledge of grindhouse horror and humorous rants. The Last Drive-In’s third annual holiday special ‘Joe Bob’s Ghoultide Get-Together’ airs live on Shudder December 16th at 9pm EST, with all auctions and proceeds going to charity. And who knows, this year’s double feature might even include a holiday horror film or two… (A Shudder Original).
Be sure to join us fellow mutants at HauntedMTL on Twitter as we live tweet along with the show and celebrate the festivities alongside Joe Bob Briggs and Darcy the Mail Girl. Simply tweet @hauntedMTL as well as @shudder, @therealjoebob, and @kinky_horror so we can reply/retweet any posts you have during the live showing.
1 Brit flick, 1 Canuck flick, 20-plus outrageous auction items, 2 rants, 1 sappy letter (because Darcy always insists), the Mormon Tabernacle Choir, the ghost of Bing Crosby, and oceans of Last Drive-In merch that will channel 💰 to charities that need YOU. Genuinely stoked! pic.twitter.com/x9ZpPlWXfJ
— Joe Bob Briggs (@therealjoebob) December 9, 2022
New Seasonal Shudder Original & Exclusive Movies
Provided below is a comprehensive list of new upcoming holiday horror films and their premier dates curated by Shudder. Allow me, your purveyor into all things Shudder, be your guide.
A Wounded Fawn – Now Streaming as of December 1st
Inspired by surrealist art and Greek mythology, writer/director Travis Stevens (Jakob’s Wife) makes his Shudder return with ‘A Wounded Fawn‘. Following the story of Meredith Tanning (Sarah Lind, The Humanity Bureau), a local museum curator who reluctantly begins dipping her toes back into the murky waters of the dating pool, only to be targeted by a handsomely charming serial killer (Josh Ruben, Scare Me and Werewolves Within). With sparks igniting, a fateful romantic getaway between the two quickly becomes a tense game of cat and mouse, both confronting the madness within him. (A Shudder Original)
Christmas Bloody Christmas–Now Streaming as of December 9th
One of my most anticipated releases of the year, Joe Begos (writer and director of Bliss, VFX) has made a lasting impression with his use of grindhouse gore, bright neon colors and signature psychedelic visuals. Begos continues to ride his success with this year’s Christmas Bloody Christmas. It’s Christmas Eve and spit-fire record store owner Tori Tooms (Riley Dandy, That’s Amor) just wants to celebrate Christmas getting drunk and partying, until the robotic Santa Claus at a nearby toy store malfunctions, causing Tori’s night of festive debauchery into a night of desperate survival. Jolly robot Santa Claus enacts a rampant killing spree through the flashing neon drenched snowscape against a backdrop of drugs, sex, metal and violence, ultimately forcing Tori in a night of blood splattered fisticuffs against the killer heavy metal Saint Nick. Co-starring Sam Delich (Spiderhead), Jonah Ray Rodrigues (“Mystery Science Theater 3000”), Dora Madison (Alone with You), Jeremy Gardner (After Midnight), with Jeff Daniel Phillips (The Lords of Salem, The Munsters) and Abraham Benrubi (“ER”). (A Shudder Original)
Be sure to check back next week for my full review, as I continue to provide you with more jovial horror film reviews all month long here on HauntedMTL.
The Apology-Premiering Friday, December 16th
Twenty years following the disappearance of her daughter, recovering alcoholic Darlene Hagan (Anna Gunn, Breaking Bad) is preparing to host her family’s annual Christmas celebration with the help of her next-door neighbor and close friend, Gretchen (Janeane Garofalo, Wet Hot American Summer). Arriving at their family house unannounced late Christmas Eve, Darlene’s estranged ex-brother-in-law, Jack (Linus Roache, Mandy) comes bearing nostalgic gifts and a heavy secret. Soon, Darlene finds herself caught between reason and ruthless instinct. Trapped together by a dangerous storm, a battle of wits escalates to a savage game of revenge. Written and directed by Alison Locke in her first full feature debut, ‘The Apology‘ is sure to fill your chilly nights with unsettling nightmares. (A Shudder Exclusive)
Scare Package II: Rad Chad’s Revenge – Premieres Thursday, December 22
With the surprising success of Scare Package, it’s only obvious director and co-creator Aaron B. Koontz delivers his follow-up ‘Scare Package II: Rad Chad’s Revenge‘ exclusively to Shudder, offering new and hilariously fun practical effects along the way. When horror guru Rad Chad Buckley’s funeral turns into an elaborate series of death traps centered around the deceased’s favorite scary movies, the guests must band together and use the classic rules of horror to survive Chad’s bloody game. Maintaining the anthology structure from its predecessor:
Core Story: Rad Chad’s Revenge directed by Aaron B. Koontz.
Segments: Welcome to the 90’s directed by Alexandra Barreto, The Night He Came Back Again Part VI – The Night She Came Back directed by Anthony Cousins, Special Edition directed by Jed Shepherd, and We’re So Dead directed by Rachele Wiggins. (A Shudder Original)
Burial – Premieres Thursday, December 29
Set in 1945 during the final days of WWII, a band of Allied soldiers trafficking Hitler’s remains out of Germany are ambushed by Nazi Wehrwolf fighters. Burial is a gritty fresh take on the werewolf subgenre acting as both a political thriller period piece and bloody creature feature. Directed and written by Ben Park (Girl on the Third Floor) and starring Charlotte Vega (2021’s Wrong Turn remake), Tom Felton (Harry Potter series, be sure to check out the massive amount of selfless work in charity he’s done over on his Instagram livestream @t22felton), Harriet Walter, Barry Ward, Dan Renton Skinner and Bill Milner. (A Shudder Exclusive)
The Unhappy Holiday Collection; for the Grinch in you!
Are you like me and completely dread the holidays? They’re stressful, expensive, and the dreary weather brings anything but a festive spirit. However, with the holidays comes beautiful decorations, excuses to bundle up in hooded sweaters and loose sweatpants, and of course, new yuletide tales of terror along with returning classic favorites. Let your Grinch flag fly and celebrate this season with Shudder’s “Unhappy Holidays Collection.” New additions this month include Night of the Comet (12/1), Christmas Bloody Christmas (12/9), along with current Shudder titles Silent Night, Deadly Night Part 2, Silent Night, Deadly Night 3: Better Watch Out, Silent Night, Deadly Night 4: The Initiation, Silent Night, Deadly Night 5: The Toymaker, To All A Good Night, Black Christmas (1974), Christmas Evil, Better Watch Out, A Christmas Horror Story, All The Creatures Were Stirring, Christmas Presence, Deadly Games, Blood Beat, The Advent Calendar, A Creepshow Holiday Special, and a personal favorite of mine, The Christmas “Ghoul Log
Killer Classics Returning to Shudder’s Library
For a full comprehensive list of everything returning to Shudder throughout the month of December, be sure to sign up for Shudder now to receive monthly notifications sent directly to your email and your first 7 days free. Offering an abundance of categories, award winning exclusives including The Last Drive-In with Joe Bob Briggs, and membership plans starting as low as $5.99 per month, Shudder is the perfect gift for the lovable and dorky horror junkies in your lives.
December 1
Night of the Comet: A huge comet passes near the earth, vaporizing nearly the whole planet. Only a few teenagers (Catherine Mary Stewart, Kelli Maroney), survive–all those outside… turned to dust. Those few partially exposed people who survived are now mutated, blood-thirsty zombies begin a deadly hunt for the last remaining humans to feast upon their flesh.
December 12
The Police Are Blundering in the Dark: During an outbreak of violent murders in the area targeting young women, a journalist searching for a female friend gone missing ends up in a villa owned by an eccentric photographer.
The Killer is One of Thirteen: A widow invites thirteen guests to stay at her rural mansion. She reveals to them that she suspects whoever killed her husband must be one of them. Soon, they too are being murdered one by one.
Girl in Room 2A: A sadistic killer cult kidnaps and sacrifices beautiful women. A young girl, just paroled from prison, moves into a strange house and appears to be the cult’s next victim.
The French Sex Murders: A man is accused of killing his favorite prostitute in a French brothel. He’s tried and sentenced to death. He tries to escape but dies during pursuit. Soon, people connected to the case are killed one by one.
Autopsy: This lurid giallo stars Mimsy Farmer (Four Flies on Grey Velvet) as a morgue worker who begins investigating a series of suicides that she comes to suspect may actually be murders. Helping her with the case is a priest who’s prone to violent outbursts. Could his short fuse be because his sister was a recent victim – or is he the man behind the crimes? The only thing certain in this fast-paced fright film is that nothing is certain.
Murder Mansion: A couple, lost in thick fog, take refuge in an old mansion next to a cemetery. Strange things start to happen.
Crazy Desires of a Murderer: A rich girl invites a few of her friends, including one she befriended during a recent trip to Asia, to her family manor to spend the weekend. Soon, someone gets horribly killed, and secrets and dark desires begin to unravel.
Arabella Black Angel: Arabella is a nymphomaniac who has sex with any man. One day, her husband, a writer, meets her and another man. She has a strange reaction: kills the lover. Her husband hides the corpse. From that moment on, he encourages her meetings with other men, and writes down the experiences in his new book.
The Killer is Still Among Us: During a spree of violent killings, a young woman writing a thesis in criminology begins to suspect that her new boyfriend, who is a forensic pathologist, might be a serial killer.
The Sister of Ursula: While searching for their estranged mother, two beautiful sisters, Dagmar and Ursula, arrive at a luxurious seaside hotel. At the same time, a mysterious killer starts murdering promiscuous women in the area
Keep checking HauntedMTL.com, as well as follow us on Twitter and Instagram @_hauntedmtl_ for all your latest Shudder news, provided by yours truly. Now, grab your remote, dim the lights, kick back and enjoy what remains of 2022 with a nice helping of Christmas horror movies with the whole family if you dare.
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.
Breaking News
Joe Bob’s Christmas Carnage: A Bloody Good Holiday Special Fri. December 13th – 9pm ET!
