Connect with us

Movies

Shudder Sets the Mood for a Chilling February with New Catalog Additions!

Published

on

Shudder February 2022

Shudder never lets us down when it comes to quality horror programming, and February 2022 is no exception. The all horror/thriller streaming platform is never short on titles, and they’ve pulled out the stops as Winter’s deep freeze continues with the continuation of the final season of A Discovery of Witches, a tribute to Boris Karloff, and an all-new Valentine’s Day special from Joe Bob’s Drive-In.

Check out the full line-up below and let us know what you’ll be watching in February on Shudder!

Shudder February 2022 Calendar

February 1st:

THE BORIS KARLOFF COLLECTION: A collection of Boris Karloff’s most iconic film roles, premiering February 1 on Shudder US. Presented as a companion to the January 27th Shudder Exclusive documentary Boris Karloff: The Man Behind the MonsterThe Black Cat, Frankenstein, Bride of Frankenstein, House of Frankenstein, The Mummy, and Son of Frankenstein, along with The Old Dark House and Black Sabbath, both now available on Shudder US.

Tales from the Hood: (Available on Shudder US) A funeral director tells four strange tales of horror to three drug dealers he traps in his place of business.

Tales from the Hood 2: (Available on Shudder US) A sequel to the cult classic reunites executive producer Spike Lee and writer/directors Rusty Cundieff and Darin Scott for this horror-comedy starring David Keith.

Tales from the Crypt: Demon Knight: (Available on Shudder US) Brayker is a man who carries the last of seven keys, special containers which held the blood of Christ and were scattered across the universe to prevent the forces of evil from taking over. If The Collector gets the last key, the universe will fall into Chaos, and he has been tracking Brayker all the way to a small inn in a nowhere town. And now the final battle for the universe begins.

Tales from the Crypt: Bordello of Blood: (Available on Shudder US) The Crypt Keeper returns to tell the story of a funeral parlor that moonlights as a vampire bordello.

Cherry Falls: (Available on Shudder US) In the small town of Cherry Falls, a psychotic murderer is killing off the virgins of the local high school.

Queen of the Damned: (Available on Shudder US) In this loose sequel to Interview with the Vampire: The Vampire Chronicles the vampire Lestat becomes a rock star whose music wakes up the equally beautiful and monstrous Queen of all vampires.

Roh: (Available on Shudder US, Shudder Canada) Cut off from civilization, a single mother puts her children on high alert when they bring home a young girl caked in clay. She tells of spirits and spirit hunters, but these are not mere superstitions. As more strangers show up on her doorstep, she quickly finds another reason to fear the forest. Malaysia’s official submission to the 2021 Academy Awards.

Amulet: (Available on Shudder Canada) An ex-soldier, homeless in London, is offered a place to stay at a decaying house inhabited by a young woman and her dying mother. As he starts to fall for her, he cannot ignore his suspicion that something sinister is going on.

Censor: (Available on Shudder Canada) After viewing a strangely familiar video, Enid, a film sensor, sets out to solve the past mystery of her sister’s disappearance, embarking on a quest that dissolves the line between fiction and reality.

The Initiation: (Available on Shudder UKI) A professor struggling to save his marriage and career uncovers a society of witches.

Battle Royale: (Available on Shudder UKI) In the future, the Japanese government captures a class of ninth-grade students and forces them to kill each other under the revolutionary “Battle Royale” act.

Battle Royale II: (Available on Shudder UKI) Three years after the failure of the last Battle Royale program, a second act is forged, and a class of students is sent to an island with one objective: to kill international terrorist Shuya Nanahara.

February 2nd:

Blood Glacier: (Available on Shudder US) Scientists working in the Austrian Alps discover that a glacier is leaking a liquid that appears to be affecting local wildlife.

The Last Winter: (Available on Shudder US) An oil company drilling in the Arctic triggers something very scary during an expedition in director Larry Fessenden’s eco-horror film, which stars Ron Perlman (Nightmare Alley), Connie Britton (American Horror Story) and James Le Gros (Hunters).

February 3:

Slapface: (Available on Shudder US, Shudder UKI, and Shudder ANZ) After the death of his mother, Lucas, a loner who lives in a rundown home with his brother Tom, regularly seeks solace in the nearby woods. With his only “friends” being a group of female bullies, he keeps to himself most of the time. But, after a strange encounter with an inhuman monster, Lucas begins to withdraw from others. When the two reach a tentative trust, a bizarre friendship is born, and Lucas is swept up in a series of primal adventures.

February 7th:

Rock, Paper, Scissors: (Available on Shudder US and Shudder Canada) Jesus and Jose Maria are siblings living in a closed-off world constructed of strange games and relentless madness. When their half-sister Magdalena returns home to inquire about her share of their inheritance, a strange and bloody affair ensues.

Entwined: (Available in all Shudder territories) Panos, a city doctor, relocates to a remote Greek village to offer his services to the underserved community. It’s love at first sight when he sees Danae, who lives in isolation and with a mysterious skin condition. Determined to cure her, Panos will soon discover Danae is not the helpless princess he thought she was, and time is of the essence for both.

Fragile: (Available on Shudder US and Shudder Canada) At her new job in a rundown children’s hospital, a nurse desperately tries to keep her patients safe from a plague of random mysterious acts.

City of the Living Dead: (Available on Shudder UKI) A reporter and a psychic race to close the Gates of Hell after the suicide of a clergyman caused them to open, allowing the dead to rise from their graves.

The Bird with the Crystal Plumage: (Available on Shudder UKI)  An American expatriate in Rome witnesses an attempted murder that is connected to an ongoing killing spree in the city, and despite himself and his girlfriend being targeted by the killer, he conducts his own investigation.

Initiation: (Available on Shudder ANZ) Whiton University unravels the night a star-athlete is murdered, kicking off a spree of social media slaying that force students to uncover the truth behind the school’s hidden secrets and the horrifying meaning of an exclamation point.

February 8th:

I Blame Society: (Available on Shudder US) A struggling filmmaker senses her peers are losing faith in her ability to succeed, so she decides to prove herself by finishing her last abandoned film… and committing the perfect murder. Writer/director Gillian Wallace Horvat, nominated for this year’s “Someone to Watch” Independent Spirit Award, stars along with Keith Poulson (Her Smell) and Chase Williamson (Scare Package).

February 10th:

All the Moons: (Available on Shudder US, Shudder UKI, and Shudder ANZ) North of Spain, at the end of the 19th century, during the final throes of the last Carlist war, a little girl is rescued from an orphanage by a mysterious woman after it’s destroyed by a bomb. Wounded and close to death, the girl believes the woman is an angel coming to take her to Heaven. Soon, however, she discovers that this strange being has given her the gift of eternal life by turning her into a vampire.

February 14th:

Knocking: (Available on Shudder US and Shudder CA) After suffering a traumatic incident, Molly (Cecilia Milocco) moves into a new apartment to begin her path to recovery, but it’s not long after her arrival that a series of persistent knocks and screams begin to wake her up at night. Molly’s new life begins to unravel as the screams intensify and no one else in the building believes or is willing to help her.

Corporate Animals: (Available on Shudder US) A delusional CEO (Demi Moore) takes her staff of misfits on a disastrous team building retreat led by an overeager guide (Ed Helms). When catastrophe strikes and the food runs out, mandatory office bonding becomes a lot more… appetizing.

I Am a Ghost: (Available on Shudder US and Shudder Canada) Emily, a troubled spirit, haunts her own house every day, wondering why she can’t leave. With help from a clairvoyant hired to rid the home of ghosts, Emily is forced into a “patient/therapist” relationship, uncovering disturbing mysteries about her past that may help her move on to the “next place.”

Silent Retreat: (Available on Shudder US and Shudder Canada) Janey is sent to a silent meditation retreat, in the woods, for rehabilitation, only to realize that the men who run it are brainwashing women, and if she breaks the rules, she’ll discover what lurks beyond the trees.

Spring: (Available on Shudder US) A young man in a personal tailspin flees to Italy, where he sparks up a romance with a woman harboring a dark secret.

Eat, Brains, Love: (Available on Shudder US) A laugh-out-loud funny, romantic, zombie road trip movie filled with heart and brains.

The Wretched: (Available on Shudder UKI and Shudder ANZ) A defiant teenage boy, struggling with his parents’ imminent divorce, faces off with a thousand-year-old witch, who is posing as the woman next door.

31: (Available on Shudder UKI) Five carnival workers are kidnapped and held hostage in an abandoned and hellish compound and forced to participate in a violent game, the goal of which is to survive twelve hours against a gang of sadistic clowns.

Hagazussa: (Available on Shudder UKI)  In a remote Alpine village in the 15th century lives a marked woman. The scapegoat of ancient superstitions and monstrous misogyny, this self-styled witch begins to assert her otherworldly birthright. This atmospheric debut feature from Lukas Feigelfeld is a haunting pagan death trip and a startling vision of psychedelic horror.

A Night of Horror: (Available on Shudder ANZ) A collection of strange and terrifying shorts from Australia’s long running A Night of Horror International Film Festival.

XX: (Available on Shudder ANZ) XX is an all-female helmed horror anthology featuring four dark tales written and directed by fiercely talented women: Annie Clark (St. Vincent), Karyn Kusama (The Invitation), Roxanne Benjamin (Body at Brighton Rock) and Jovanka Vuckovic (Riot Girls), featuring a cast that includes Natalie BrownMelanie LynskeyBreeda Wool and Christina Kirk.

February 17th:

They Live in the Grey: (Available on Shudder US, Shudder UKI, and Shudder ANZ) While investigating a child abuse case, a young social worker discovers that a supernatural entity is tormenting the family. To save the parents from losing custody of their child, she must confront her fears and use her clairvoyance to stop the malevolent force.

February 21st:

Dawn of the Beast: (Available on Shudder US, Shudder Canada, and Shudder ANZ) A group of graduate students get more than they bargained for while searching for the legendary Bigfoot. Not only is he real, but there’s something far more dangerous lurking in the shadows.

Dogs: (Available on Shudder US) Roman returns to the land he just inherited from his grandfather. After he decides to sell the vast desolate property, a local police officer warns him that his late grandfather was a local crime lord, and his men will never let go of the land.

Detention: (Available on Shudder US and Shudder Canada) 1962 Taiwan, during the time of the White Terror. Fang wakes up at her desk, but school has changed. As she wanders through the sinister corridors and other dilapidated rooms in search of her teacher, she meets Wei (Tse Jing-Hua). Together, they must confront the ghosts and deformed monsters that have taken over their alma mater, to find out what happened there.

Come to Daddy(Available on Shudder Canada) A man in his thirties travels to a remote cabin to reconnect with his estranged father.

Bloodline: (Available on Shudder Canada) Evan values family above all else, and anyone who gets between him, his wife, and his newborn son learns that the hard way. But when it comes to violent tendencies, it seems the apple doesn’t fall far from the tree.

Undergods: (Available on Shudder UKI) An otherworldly journey through a Europe in decline – a collection of darkly humorous, fantasy tales about ill-fated characters and doomed fortune.

The Lesson: (Available on Shudder UKI) Fin, a lone teen from a broken family, gets caught up in the wrong crowd of delinquent kids in this chilling horror film filled with white-knuckle suspense.

February 24th:

Hellbender: (Available on Shudder US, Shudder UKI, and Shudder ANZ) 16-year-old Izzy leads an isolated life on a lonely mountaintop. All she’s learned is from her protective mom and the wilderness that swallows them. It’s a gentle, quiet existence — except for when Izzy and Mom bang out loud songs for their band, H6LLB6ND6R. Izzy dreams of a live gig, but her mother thinks she’s too sick and mustn’t be around others. Questioning her illness and starved for companionship, Izzy sneaks down the mountain where she befriends brazen Amber. Izzy is in heaven until a cruel drinking game with a live worm unleashes a new kind of hunger.

February 28th:

ABCs of Death 2: (Available on Shudder ANZ) Another 26-chapter anthology that showcases death in all its vicious wonder and brutal beauty.

Across the River: (Available on Shudder ANZ) An ethologist works in the remote woods trapping animals and mounting cameras on them to monitor their behavior. The resulting recordings lead him to an isolated village, the site of an ancient curse, where he gets trapped due to heavy rain that raises the level of the river and floods his only way out.

Sputnik: (Available on Shudder ANZ) The lone survivor of an enigmatic spaceship incident hasn’t returned home alone – hiding inside his body is a dangerous creature.

V/H/S 2: (Available on Shudder UKI) Searching for a missing student, two private investigators break into his house and find a collection of VHS tapes. Viewing the horrific contents of each cassette, they realize there may be dark motives behind the student’s disappearance.

V/H/S Viral: (Available on Shudder UKI) A Los Angeles police chase sends a fame-obsessed man on a wild ride to save his girlfriend from a cybernetic terror.

Listen to the 'Eye On Horror Podcast'

Listen to the 'Eye On Horror Podcast'

Movie Reviews

Panic Fest 2024 Review: ‘Haunted Ulster Live’

Published

on

Everything old is new again.

On Halloween 1998, the local news of Northern Ireland decide to do a special live report from an allegedly haunted house in Belfast. Hosted by local personality Gerry Burns (Mark Claney) and popular children’s presenter Michelle Kelly (Aimee Richardson) they intend to look at the supernatural forces disturbing the current family living there. With legends and folklore abound, is there an actual spirit curse in the building or something far more insidious at work?

Presented as a series of found footage from a long forgotten broadcast, Haunted Ulster Live follows similar formats and premises as Ghostwatch and The WNUF Halloween Special with a news crew investigating the supernatural for big ratings only to get in over their heads. And while the plot has certainly been done before, director Dominic O’Neill’s 90’s set tale of local access horror manages to stand out on its own ghastly feet. The dynamic between Gerry and Michelle is most prominent, with him being an experienced broadcaster who thinks this production is beneath him and Michelle being fresh blood who is considerably annoyed at being presented as costumed eye candy. This builds as the events within and around the domicile becomes too much to ignore as anything less than the real deal.

The cast of characters is rounded out by the McKillen family who have been dealing with the haunting for some time and how it’s had an effect on them. Experts are brought in to help explain the situation including the paranormal investigator Robert (Dave Fleming) and the psychic Sarah (Antoinette Morelli) who bring their own perspectives and angles to the haunting. A long and colorful history is established about the house, with Robert discussing how it used to be the site of an ancient ceremonial stone, the center of leylines, and how it was possibly possessed by the ghost of a former owner named Mr. Newell. And local legends abound about a nefarious spirit named Blackfoot Jack that would leave trails of dark footprints in his wake. It’s a fun twist having multiple potential explanations for the site’s strange occurrences instead of one end-all be-all source. Especially as the events unfold and the investigators try to discover the truth.

At its 79 minute timelength, and the encompassing broadcast, it’s a bit of a slow burn as the characters and lore is established. Between some news interruptions and behind the scenes footage, the action is mostly focused on Gerry and Michelle and the build up to their actual encounters with forces beyond their comprehension. I will give kudos that it went places I didn’t expect, leading to a surprisingly poignant and spiritually horrifying third act.

So, while Haunted Ulster Live isn’t exactly trendsetting, it definitely follows in the footsteps of similar found footage and broadcast horror films to walk its own path. Making for an entertaining and compact piece of mockumentary. If you’re a fan of the sub-genres, Haunted Ulster Live is well worth a watch.

3 eyes out of 5
Listen to the 'Eye On Horror Podcast'

Listen to the 'Eye On Horror Podcast'

Continue Reading

Movie Reviews

Panic Fest 2024 Review: ‘Never Hike Alone 2’

Published

on

There are fewer icons more recognizable than the slasher. Freddy Krueger. Michael Myers. Victor Crowley. Notorious killers who always seem to come back for more no matter how many times they are slain or their franchises seemingly put to a final chapter or nightmare. And so it seems that even some legal disputes cannot stop one of the most memorable movie murderers of all: Jason Voorhees!

Following the events of the first Never Hike Alone, outdoorsman and YouTuber Kyle McLeod (Drew Leighty) has been hospitalized after his encounter with the long thought dead Jason Voorhees, saved by perhaps the hockey masked killer’s greatest adversary Tommy Jarvis (Thom Mathews) who now currently works as an EMT around Crystal Lake. Still haunted by Jason, Tommy Jarvis struggles to find a sense of stability and this latest encounter is pushing him to end the reign of Voorhees once and for all…

Never Hike Alone made a splash online as a well shot and thoughtful fan film continuation of the classic slasher franchise that was built up with the snowbound follow up Never Hike In The Snow and now climaxing with this direct sequel. It’s not only an incredible Friday The 13th love letter, but a well thought out and entertaining epilogue of sorts to the infamous ‘Tommy Jarvis Trilogy’ from within the franchise that encapsulated Friday The 13th Part IV: The Final Chapter, Friday The 13th Part V: A New Beginning, and Friday The 13th Part VI: Jason Lives. Even getting some of the original cast back as their characters to continue the tale! Thom Mathews being the most prominent as Tommy Jarvis, but with other series casting like Vincent Guastaferro returning as now Sheriff Rick Cologne and still having a bone to pick with Jarvis and the mess around Jason Voorhees. Even featuring some Friday The 13th alumni like Part III‘s Larry Zerner as the mayor of Crystal Lake!

On top of that, the movie delivers on kills and action. Taking turns that some of the previous fils never got the chance to deliver on. Most prominently, Jason Voorhees going on a rampage through Crystal Lake proper when he slices his way through a hospital! Creating a nice throughline of the mythology of Friday The 13th, Tommy Jarvis and the cast’s trauma, and Jason doing what he does best in the most cinematically gory ways possible.

The Never Hike Alone films from Womp Stomp Films and Vincente DiSanti are a testament to the fanbase of Friday The 13th and the still enduring popularity of those films and of Jason Voorhees. And while officially, no new movie in the franchise is on the horizon for the foreseeable future, at the very least there is some comfort knowing fans are willing to go to these lengths to fill the void.

Listen to the 'Eye On Horror Podcast'

Listen to the 'Eye On Horror Podcast'

Continue Reading

Movies

Mike Flanagan Comes Aboard To Assist in Completion of ‘Shelby Oaks’

Published

on

shelby oaks

If you have been following Chris Stuckmann on YouTube you are aware of the struggles he has had getting his horror movie Shelby Oaks finished. But there’s good news about the project today. Director Mike Flanagan (Ouija: Origin Of Evil, Doctor Sleep and The Haunting) is backing the film as a co-executive producer which might bring it much closer to being released. Flanagan is a part of the collective Intrepid Pictures which also includes Trevor Macy and Melinda Nishioka.

Shelby Oaks
Shelby Oaks

Stuckmann is a YouTube movie critic who’s been on the platform for over a decade. He came under some scrutiny for announcing on his channel two years ago that he would no longer be reviewing films negatively. However contrary to that statement, he did a non-review essay of the panned Madame Web recently saying, that studios strong-arm directors to make films just for the sake of keeping failing franchises alive. It seemed like a critique disguised as a discussion video.

But Stuckmann has his own movie to worry about. In one of Kickstarter’s most successful campaigns, he managed to raise over $1 million for his debut feature film Shelby Oaks which now sits in post-production. 

Hopefully, with Flanagan and Intrepid’s help, the road to Shelby Oak’s completion is reaching its end. 

“It’s been inspiring to watch Chris working toward his dreams over the past few years, and the tenacity and DIY spirit he displayed while bringing Shelby Oaks to life reminded me so much of my own journey over a decade ago,” Flanagan told Deadline. “It’s been an honor to walk a few steps with him on his path, and to offer support for Chris’ vision for his ambitious, unique movie. I can’t wait to see where he goes from here.”

Stuckmann says Intrepid Pictures has inspired him for years and, “it’s a dream come true to work with Mike and Trevor on my first feature.”

Producer Aaron B. Koontz of Paper Street Pictures has been working with Stuckmann since the beginning is also excited about the collaboration.

“For a film that had such a hard time getting going, it’s remarkable the doors that then opened to us,” said Koontz. “The success of our Kickstarter followed by the on-going leadership and guidance from Mike, Trevor, and Melinda is beyond anything I could have hoped for.”

Deadline describes the plot of Shelby Oaks as follows:

“A combination of documentary, found footage, and traditional film footage styles, Shelby Oaks centers on Mia’s (Camille Sullivan) frantic search for her sister, Riley, (Sarah Durn) who ominously disappeared in the last tape of her “Paranormal Paranoids” investigative series. As Mia’s obsession grows, she begins to suspect that the imaginary demon from Riley’s childhood may have been real.”

Listen to the 'Eye On Horror Podcast'

Listen to the 'Eye On Horror Podcast'

Continue Reading