Connect with us

Published

on

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: TitansNow Streaming

Shudder poster for the series The Boulet Brothers Dragula: Titans. The 2 hosts stand with their hands at their waists, one has them crossed while the other has them firmly pressed against their hips. Their outfits are skin-tight black and red latex with shoulder/back piece appearing as a large bat wing or deadly alien flower. Their eyes are a striking white and sharp elegant, winged mascara and bright beautiful blonde hair styled in a sinister crown.  Dark black and blue clouds fill the screen the behind them as the words "The Boulet Brother Dragula: Titans" in bold teal horror font.
The Mistresses of drag return in The Boulete Brothers Dragula: Titans

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)

Advertisement
Erika Klash in brightly colored drag sugar skull drag makeup consisting of yellows, greens, purples, pinks, and blues. Her hair is big and flowing rose pink reminiscent of 50's pinup models. Her dress is a pink and blue a-frame with rainbow-colored leggings underneath. She stands in platform shows, her left hand seductively reaching out towards the camera.
Erika Klash in ‘The Boulet Brothers Dragula: Titans
Koco Caine stands there loud and proud with big beautiful black hair styled in an afro. Her eye makeup is sharp and piercing with hints of purples and gold eye shadow. She wears a revealing one piece and short jacket, sequenced white splattered in stage blood. She wears Matching white blood-stained thigh high heel boots covering her long caramel brown legs.
Koco Caine in ‘The Boulet Brothers Dragula: Titans

Abhora stares at the camera with a maniacal puppet like face. Her skin a porcelain white with large yellow doll eyes and short curly locks for hair. Her legs a tiny and disproportionate to her body, giving her an unnerving doll like appearance. Her clothes are brown and resemble pilgrims as she wears a large brown cap and carries a large brown popsicle.
personal favorite Abhora in ‘The Boulet Brothers Dragula: Titans

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

hosts Joe Bob Briggs and Darcy the Mail Girl sit side by side with smiles on their faces as they are discussing scenes during a break in the movie. in the we see streams of red and green Christmas tinsel vines and white cabinetry. Darcy and Joe Bob are clad in festive holiday wear as Darcy wears a revealing Mrs. Claus strapless dress and festive Santa hat. White silk gloves flow up her, while a cover of ShrunkenHead magazine covers her hands. The title is written in yellow horror dripping font and has an image of vincent Price holding 2 objects in his hand. Joe Bob Briggs is where a black and silver printed sports jacket, with a vibrant red button down shirt underneath and his signature bolo tie. His hair is nicely combed back as his hands rest on the counter. We also see the twinkling of bright Christmas lights and flickering of candles in front of the camera and background.
Darcy (Diana) the Mail Girl (Prince) and Joe Bob Briggs on the set of 2021’s Ghoultide Get-Together holiday stream.

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.

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

Dark image of Jos Ruben walingin a gloomy forested area. Fog encapsulates him and the screen as only the faint glow of his oil lamp helps lead his way. We see faints hints of green and browns, but the darkness eats away the light, leaving us feeling alone and isolated.
When Josh Ruben is in your movie, you know you’re in for a treat.

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 RubenScare 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 ChristmasNow Streaming as of December 9th

Image of Santa Claus covered in blood standing behind a broken down door in a scene paying Homage to Stanley Kubrick's 1980 masterpiece The Shining. Green and red Christmas lights are seen dangling behind Santa. His eyes staring fierce in front of him. His beard and long white locks drenched in the blood of his victims.
Here’s Santa….Ho ho ho

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 DandyThat’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 GunnBreaking Bad) is preparing to host her family’s annual Christmas celebration with the help of her next-door neighbor and close friend, Gretchen (Janeane GarofaloWet Hot American Summer). Arriving at their family house unannounced late Christmas Eve, Darlene’s estranged ex-brother-in-law, Jack (Linus RoacheMandy) 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)

Advertisement
Gretchen and Darla sit next to each other staring at someone in a bed. White opaque curtains shield the windows behind them as the room they sit in sits in faint lamp luminescence. Grethen, sitting on the left wear glasses and is wearing a black long sleeve shirt, while her friend Darla sits to her left in a red and black sweater with a white diamond pattern stitching. Her hair is medium length blonde, resting just past the base of her neck.
Janeane Garofalo as Gretchen and Anna Gunn as Darlene Hagan in the Shudder exclusive The Apology.

Scare Package II: Rad Chad’s Revenge – Premieres Thursday, December 22

a retro 80's style poster with a tube tv in the background. A zombiefied hand reaches out of the screen holding 2 fingers up signifying the film being a sequel. The title of the movie is in Bold Green and white print with 2 purple claw dashes for 2's. The tagline on the poster in bold white print reads "The Call is coming from inside the movie." are above the rotting hand. 4 VHS boxes lie on the white-noise gleaming television with the films segments as title for the movies.
Official poster for Shudder’s Scare Package II: Rad Chad’s Revenge.

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:

image of girl with blood splattered on her face running down her chin and neck, a snarling look of anger flooding over her. The background is hard to see as the lighting in the shot is really dark unfortunately. The character has long straight brown hair and is wearing a blue jean jacket over a bloody white shit. IN her hands she carries a festive looking club painted blue and red with stars (signifying the American flag) and the word The Final Kill reading down the side in bright red font.
Hence why you never mess with the final girl!

Core StoryRad Chad’s Revenge directed by Aaron B. Koontz.

Segments: Welcome to the 90’s directed by Alexandra BarretoThe Night He Came Back Again Part VI – The Night She Came Back directed by Anthony CousinsSpecial 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)

Picture of Charlotte Vega as an WW2 soldier holding open a cellar door in what appears to be a barn house. In her right hand she holds a rifle. The title of the film Burial in bold white print is paced above the characters head. Her silhouette brilliantly lit by a setting sun seeping through the cracks of the wooden barn.
official poster for Shudder’s Burial.
Actress Charlotte Vega is seen holding her rifle in a cautionary firing position draped in her military garbs during day time. Her character is walking along a gravel road deep in a forest on the outskirts of town. Her brown hair is pulled in a pony tail and a small cut across the bridge of her nose.
Actress Charlotte Vega as Brana Vasilyeva

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 2Silent Night, Deadly Night 3: Better Watch OutSilent Night, Deadly Night 4: The InitiationSilent Night, Deadly Night 5: The ToymakerTo All A Good Night, Black Christmas (1974) Christmas Evil, Better Watch OutA Christmas Horror StoryAll The Creatures Were StirringChristmas PresenceDeadly GamesBlood 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.

Advertisement

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.

Advertisement

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.

the dead boy of a man lays cut open on a surgical table, his insides, arteries, and nerves displayed in artistic fashion hanging above his head. Blood covers the entire body and table, the surgeon green blacket draping the lifeless body stained in scarlet fluid as the haunting blackness begins to swell over the room.
2008’s ‘Autopsy’ directed by Adam Gierasch.

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

Advertisement
An image of a large hunters kife and reflection of a pinup woman lifting her stocking up her thighs. A Bright pink floral boa drapes her neck barely covering her breasts., Her hair is a full blone flowing to her shoulders. The hunters blade gleams as blood runs down the backdrop of the cover. The title, The Sister of Ursula is printed in bold scratched white font.
poster art for 1978’s The Sister of Ursula written and directed by Enzo Milioni.

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.

Utah transplant TT Hallows now resides in Portland OR haunting the streets of PNW for the past 5 years with his spunky feline companion Gizmo. Horror and writing are his passions, taking special interests in sloshy grindhouse slashers, thought-provoking slow burns, and fright-filled creature flicks; Carnage Candy reigns supreme! When not binging excessive amounts of gratuitous gore, you can find TT Hallows shopping the local thrift and witchcraft shops (oh yes, he's a witch), expertly dancing (or so believes) to New Wave/Dark synth melodies or escaping the monotony of "walking amongst the living" with serene oceanic views and forested hikes. TT Hallows is an up-and-coming horror reviewer/writer for HauntedMTL. Step with me into the void...if you dare.

Continue Reading
Advertisement
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

A horror author goes to Nebula Con

Published

on

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. 

Advertisement

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.

Clip from Nebula Con, 2023

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. 

Advertisement

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. 

Continue Reading

Editorial

Crashin’ in Roswell NM: Road Trippin’ with Jennifer Weigel

Published

on

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 including city limits, UFO Museum and stickered parking sign, and Restricted Area from inside the museum
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 at UFO Museum
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 at UFO Museum
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 of the writer at the Roswell Visitor Center (Yes even they have aliens!)
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.
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.

Continue Reading

Breaking News

American Horror Story Season 12, Delicate

Published

on

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. 

A still from American Horror Story Delicate first promo.

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. 

Advertisement

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.

Advertisement

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.

Advertisement

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. 

Continue Reading

Trending