Shudder jam-packs April schedule in honor of Halfway to Halloween
- Carla Davis
- 2 days ago
- 6 min read
Anybody who was dissatisfied with Shudder’s rather small number of additions in March should be thrilled to see that April is jam-packed with new films in honor of the Halfway to Halloween point. In addition to the originals that were already announced, we have tons of “resurrected” titles.
The originals/exclusives coming in April include: Deathstalker, Somnium, Night Patrol, Dolly, and The Last Drive-In with Joe Bob Briggs: Joe Bob’s Witch Wingding Special.
March 31:
An American Werewolf in London – In this iconic 1981 film, David Naughton and Griffin Dunne star as David and Jack, two Americans backpacking in England. When they are attacked by a creature, Jack is killed, and David is injured and wakes up in a hospital. Though he is told that an escaped lunatic is responsible, Jack appears to his friend and tells him it was actually a werewolf, and urges David to kill himself before the next full moon.
The Fog – In John Carpenter’s follow-up film to Halloween, the California coastal town of Antonio Bay is invaded by the ghosts of crew members who died when their ship wrecked. Antonio Bay’s centennial celebration is waylaid by the vengeful ghosts, as Jamie Lee Curtis, Tom Atkins, Hal Holbrook, Adrienne Barbeau, Janet Leigh and the other residents try to stay alive.
Hostel – This wildly gory horror flick was written and directed by Eli Roth, and was followed by two sequels. Three college students visit a nightclub in Amsterdam, where they end up befriending Alexei. He urges them to visit a hostel in Slovakia, which turns out to be a deadly mistake.
Hostel: Part II – In the sequel, three female art students visit Slovakia (apparently they didn’t see the first movie), where they end up being auctioned off to people who want to torture and kill them. The gross-out level is equal to Hostel.
May – Poor May (Angela Bettis) is shy, awkward, and cursed with a lazy eye. While her eye is eventually fixed, she struggles to connect with people, and clings to her doll Suzie, which is in a glass case. May begins to notice the attractive features in people around her, and as her sanity slips, she works out a plan to stitch together the attractive parts into one true friend.
Rob Zombie’s Halloween – In Zombie’s remake, we see more of Michael Myers’s early life, including his dysfunctional family, and learn how he ended up in a mental institution. When he escapes, he sets out to find his baby sister “Boo.”
Rob Zombie’s Halloween II – In this sequel, we revisit Laurie (Scout Taylor-Compton) one year after Myers killed her parents. As she tries to deal with the trauma she still lives with, Loomis writes a book, and Michael drifts around seeing visions of his mother.
Sorority Row – When a group of sorority sisters accidently kills a fellow sister in a prank gone bad, they agree to cover the incident up. But soon the remaining girls become stalking victims, and some are murdered.
Wolf Creek – Inspired by the true case of the Australian backpacker murders, this gritty, violent film features John Jarrat in a powerhouse performance. Jarrat portrays killer Mick Taylor, who stalks and murders people backpacking in the Outback.
Shudder's April schedule starts off strong
April 1:
Ben – The sequel to 1971’s Willard picks up where the first film left off. Willard’s rat buddy Ben has escaped, and ends up with a lonely boy named Danny, who begins to think of Ben as his friend. But Ben has bad intentions, and uses his flock of rats to kill people.
Blood for Dracula – “An ailing vampire count travels to Italy with his servant to find a bride.”
The Boogey Man – When Lacey and Willy were young kids, Willy killed their mother’s evil boyfriend. Now as adults, they are still traumatized, and the trauma gets worse when they begin to see the boyfriend in mirrors.
The Crazies – Things get – well, crazy in Evans City, Pennsylvania when a biological weapon crash lands and infects the local water supply. The townspeople who are affected begin to either die or go completely insane and homicidal.
The Devils – “In 17th century France, Father Urbain Grandier’s protection of the city of Loudun from the corrupt Cardinal Richelieu is undermined by a sexually repressed nun’s accusation of witchcraft.”
Flesh for Frankenstein – This 1973 film was originally rated X due to the amount of sex, nudity and violence. In this version of the Frankenstein story, Baron von Frankenstein is obsessed with the idea of creatin a master race.
House of Wax – In the 2005 remake, we meet a group of teens who are stranded in a town called Ambrose after their car breaks down. They discover a very strange wax museum…which they never should have entered.
Luther the Geek – Luther has always been fascinated by carnival freak shows, even after he loses his teeth at one. When he is fitted with metal dentures, his psychotic streak kicks in and he is imprisoned for 20 years after biting off the heads of people. When he is released, he goes back to killin’.
Pumpkinhead – Lance Henriksen stars as Ed, whose son is accidently killed by a group of teens riding dirtbikes. When all but one of the bikers takes off, the grief-stricken Ed seeks revenge by visiting a witch, who agrees to help him. Though she warns the man that the price for revenge is high, he still summons a murderous creature known as Pumpkinhead.
Season of the Witch – In this George A. Romero film, unhappy housewife Joan becomes embroiled in a witches’ coven, and discovers that’s not necessarily a bad thing (at least not for her).
Steppenwolf – “Tamara searches for her missing son in a violent town. She hires a morally questionable ex-detective to find him. His methods are cruel, but she is determined to find her son whatever the cost.”
The Texas Chainsaw Massacre (2003 version) – Five young adults are travelling to a concert when they encounter a young woman who has been traumatized and ends up shooting herself. This being a TCM movie, they end up being terrorized by Leatherface and his dysfunctional family members.
Three…Extremes – In this Asian anthology, viewers are treated to three short horror films from different directors and countries. Dumplings is directed by Fruit Chan (Hong Kong), Cut is directed by Park Chan-wook of South Korea, and Box is directed by Japan’s Takashi Miike.
Three (also known as Three Extremes 2) – Just as Three…Extremes, this feature length film includes three short movies by directors from three Asian / East Asian countries. Memories comes from Kim Jee-woon of South Korea, The Wheel is by Nonzee Nimubutr of Thailand, and Hong Kong’s Peter Cahn directed Going Home.
Troll – “A wicked troll king in search of a mystical ring that will transform him to human form invades a San Franciso apartment complex where a powerful witch lives.”
Troll 2 – In the sequel, a family on vacation finds themselves in a town populated by goblins who eat humans.
Willard – Willard is socially awkward and has no friends until he takes up with a rat he names Ben. He uses Ben and other rats to get revenge on the people who bully him.
April 4:
Phantasm: Remastered – When orphaned teen Mike, his brother and some friends encounter the Tall Man, they have to contend with the grave robber’s weapons.
Phantasm III: Lord of the Dead – “Mike and Reggie continue to hunt the mysterious Tall Man, discovering along the way that the invasion has already begun.”
Phantasm IV: Oblivion – Still searching for the origins of the Tall Man, Mike travels through time and multiple dimensions.
Phantasm: Ravager – Reggie and Mike continue their search for the Tall Man.
April 9:
Shiver – Wendy is a shy young woman with no self-confidence who is abducted by a serial killer. She must find the confidence and courage to escape.
April 15:
Black Eyed Susan – “Derek takes a job at a tech firm, developing an AI sex doll named Susan. As he explores the boundaries of desire, pleasure, and pain with Susan, he confronts profound questions about humanity in an uncertain future.”
Keep your eyes on The Horror Lounge for Shudder’s May additions for Halfway to Halloween!