Shudder news roundup: A new Director of Programming, info for V/H/S/Mixtape, and the return of Dragula
Whew! Shudder sent out three exciting press releases in one day, and we can’t wait to talk about the news they announced.
First Up: A new Director of Programming has joined Shudder, and she is someone you may be familiar with if you love horror as much as I do. Fangoria, the premiere horror magazine, recently announced the departure of their digital editor, Angel Melanson, who was in that role for five years. Editor in Chief Phil Nobile, Jr. made the announcement, speaking very highly of Angel and hinting that she was moving on to another horror-related position…and she certainly did.
Melanson is now officially part of the Shudder family just in time for their Season of Screams, and I have no doubt she will do great things. Her passion for, and knowledge of, anything horror-related is exactly what the streaming platform needs.
Melanson will report to Shudder’s Executive VP of Linear and Streaming Products, who called her “one of the most respected and well-connected voices in the horror community, with a deep understanding of the genre, its creators and fans. Her passion, editorial instincts and unique perspective will be critical as we continue to grow Shudder and strengthen its position as the premier destination for horror fans around the world."
Melanson is very respected in the horror community, having interviewed filmmakers and leading actors, as well as moderating panels and hosting events. She is also very social media-savvy, and has appeared in Shudder documentaries such as Queer for Fear and Into the Darkness: Part III.
News item number 2: Shudder series The Boulet Brothers’ Dragula will be back for a seventh season right before Halloween!
The Boulet Brothers promise that season 7 will celebrate “everything that has always made Dragula dangerous and different, while pushing the series into its next era.” The cast will consist of “raw, hungry artists” who aren’t prepared for what will happen.
The new season will feature judges such as Rose McGowan (Scream), Doug Jones (The Shape of Water), David A. Janisse and Chelsea Rebecca (YouTube’s Dead Meat), Yvie Oddy (RuPaul’s Drag Race), Lauren LaVera (Terrifier), Bailey Sarian (YouTube’s Murder, Mystery and Makeup), special makeup effects creator Howard Berger, and past Dragula winners Landon Cider, Dahli, and Asia Consent.
Over the past years, The Boulet Brothers’ Dragula has garnered multiple Emmy nominations, Make-Up Artists and Hair Stylists Guild awards, GLAAD Media Award nominations, and won the Critics Choice Association’s Reality TV Award. The new season will premiere on October 27.
The third Shudder announcement involves the newest entry in the V/H/S franchise
Segment details and the poster art have been released for V/H/S/Mixtape, which will debut on Shudder Friday, October 9. The found footage anthology style film will feature four segments wherein music and sound are the basis.
The segments are:
Dance, Dance, Dance, Dance (directed by Renee Zhan) – “A studio attempts to reboot a long-cancelled puppet show with a mysterious past.” The puppets for this segment were created by Jim Henson’s Creature Shop.
Heartbeat (directed by David Moreau)– Social media influencers find themselves trapped in an old military facility that was used for mysterious experiments.
The Music of Mr. SZE (Directed by Ernest Dickerson) – “A college film student’s documentary project uncovers the reclusive life of a tormented musician.”
Death Tone (directed by RZA) – A young woman who is a sound engineer tries to create the ultimate track by following instructions left by her late father.
The wrap segment will feature the band members of GWAR hosting music videos and skits in an MTV-style show. The videos in this segment were directed by Tobias Forge and Flying Lotus.
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