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Shudder Celebrates Halloween with Argento, Dragula, Fulci, & More!

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Shudder October 2022

September is almost halfway over, but Shudder’s 61 Days of Halloween has only just begun. The all-horror/thriller streaming platform has curated a haunted host of horrors for those of us who live spooky season all year around, but go extra hard from September 1st to October 31st.

Next month is no different with the streamer creating a curated Dario Argento Collection as well as The House of Psychotic Women which features some of our favorite unhinged femme fatales.

Take a look at the full list of October releases below, and refresh your memory with this month’s schedule by CLICKING HERE.

What’s New on Shudder in October 2022!

September 30th:

Queer for Fear: The History of Queer Horror: Queer for Fear is a four-part documentary series from executive producer Bryan Fuller (Hannibal) and Steak House (Launchpad) about the history of the LGBTQ+ community in the horror and thriller genres. From its literary origins with queer authors Mary Shelley, Bram Stoker, and Oscar Wilde to the pansy craze of the 1920s that influenced Universal Monsters and Hitchcock, through the “lavender scare” alien invasion films of the mid-20th century and the AIDS obsessed bloodletting of 80s vampire films, Queer for Fear re-examines genre stories through a queer lens, seeing them not as violent, murderous narratives, but as tales of survival that resonate thematically with queer audiences everywhere. New episodes every Friday through October!

October 1st:

May: Nobody knows what to make of May (Angela Bettis). Born with a lazy eye, for which she wore a patch while growing up, she became a loner oddball whose only friend was a perfectly kept doll. She moves to L.A. and takes up with a filmmaker (Jeremy Sisto), but the relationship sours quickly — and dangerously. She then befriends an alluring lesbian colleague (Anna Faris), but that, too, along with every connection May attempts to make, turns deadly.

The Descent: One year after a tragic accident, six girlfriends meet in a remote part of the Appalachians for their annual caving trip. When a rock falls and blocks their route back to the surface, the group splinters and each one pushes on, praying for another exit. But there is something else lurking under the earth – a race of monstrous humanoid creatures that have adapted perfectly to life in the dark. As the friends realize they are now prey, they are forced to unleash their most primal instincts in an all-out war against an unspeakable horror. Neil Marshall’s relentless, claustrophobic creature feature proves one of the truly scary films of the 21st century and is rightly regarded as essential.

The Descent Part 2: Distraught, confused, and half-wild with fear, Sarah Carter emerges alone from the Appalachian cave system where she encountered unspeakable terrors.

The Gate: When two boys accidentally dig up the gates of Hell and summon an army of tiny demons, they have to work fast to stop the demons from turning them into human sacrifices, or a big bad demon king will soon be slithering through the gate to take over the world. Starring a young Stephen Dorff (Blade).

October 4th:

The Collingswood Story: Young couple Rebecca and John attempt to keep their long-distance relationship alive via video chatting. However, a chance encounter with an online psychic plunges their lives into a world of nightmarish supernatural phenomenon.

Dark Night of the Scarecrow: When young Marylee Williams is found viciously mauled, all hell breaks loose in her small rural town. A gang of bigots pursue a suspect: her mentally challenged friend Bubba Ritter.

October 4th:

The Other Side of the Underneath: In 1972, screenwriter/feminist/radical theater icon Jane Arden adapted her own multimedia stage production “A New Communion for Freaks, Prophets and Witches” into a nightmarish exploration of reason, chaos, and her own battles with mental illness unlike anything audiences have seen before or since.

I Like Bats: Katarzyna Walter stars as a happily single vampire who works in her aunt’s curio shop when not feeding on various suitors and sleazebags. But when she falls for a handsome psychiatrist, she’ll discover that no affliction is more horrific than love. It combines splashes of absurdist black comedy with jolts of old-school gothic horror for a slyly contemporary take on the female bloodsucker mythos.

Footprints: In the most criminally underseen giallo of the ‘70s, Florinda Bolkan (A Lizard In A Woman’s Skin, Flavia The Heretic) stars as a freelance translator who wakes one morning missing all memory of her past three days. But will a trail of odd clues lead her to a place where perception and identity are never what they seem? Directed by Luigi Bazzoni (The Fifth Cord) with cinematography by three-time Oscar®-winner Vittorio Storaro (The Bird with The Crystal Plumage).

The Rats are Coming! The Werewolves are Here!: The Mooney’s are a typical English family, except for one tiny detail… they’re all werewolves. One member of the family is of a mind to change their legacy, which stirs up family drama of the worst kind. The second of gutter auteur Andy Milligan’s productions made in England, this werewolf family saga is filled with the bitter worldview and confrontational hysteria Milligan is known for.

October 6th:

Deadstream: A disgraced and demonetized Internet personality (Joseph Winter) tries to win back his fans by live streaming himself, spending a night alone in an abandoned haunted house. However, when he accidentally unleashes a vengeful spirit, his big comeback event becomes a real-time fight for his life (and social relevance) as he faces off with the sinister spirit of the house and her powerful following. Deadstream stars Joseph Winter, who wrote and directed the film with Vanessa Winter. (A Shudder Original)

October 10th:

Opera: A stalker torments an opera star by forcing her to watch her friends being murdered in one of giallo horror god Dario Argento’s most terrifying films. When young operetta Betty is thrust into a leading role in Verdi’s Macbeth, she’s unprepared for the carnage that’s going to be unleashed. Soon enough she’s being stalked by a black-gloved killer who loves tying Betty up and taping needles around her eyes so she – and by extension us – are forced to watch the vicious slayings. The great Brian Eno and Goblin’s Claudio Simonetti composed the stellar score.

The Stendhal Syndrome: A detective suffers strange hallucinations while hunting a serial killer in Dario Argento’s bone-chilling ‘90s masterpiece. Anna (Asia Argento) is on the trail of a psycho when she experiences Stendhal syndrome, a condition that causes people to become overwhelmed by works of art to the point of psychosis. But when the killer kidnaps and rapes her, it begins a process that threatens all who cross Anna’s path. Using CGI to bring Anna’s artistic hallucinations to life, Argento crafts a brutal yet visually stunning thriller that stands on par with his classics.

Identikit: In what remains the most obscure, bizarre, and wildly misunderstood film of her entire career – and perhaps even ‘70s Italian cinema – Elizabeth Taylor stars as a disturbed woman who arrives in Rome to find a city fragmented by autocratic law, leftist violence, and her own increasingly unhinged mission to find the most dangerous liaison of all. Academy Award® nominee Ian Bannen (The Offence), Mona Washbourne (The Collector) and Andy Warhol co-star in this “unique, hallucinatory neo noir” (Cult Film Freaks) – barely released in America as The Driver’s Seat – directed by Giuseppe Patroni Griffi (‘Tis Pity She’s A Whore), adapted from the unnerving novella by Muriel Spark (The Prime Of Miss Jean Brodie) and featuring cinematography by three-time Oscar® winner Vittorio Storaro (Apocalypse Now, The Last Emperor).

October 11th:

Dragula Season 1: The Boulet Brothers host a competition of drag performers who don’t just push the envelope – they hew it up and spit it out. With themes like Zombie and challenges like being buried alive, this ain’t your momma’s drag competition. Joining seasons 2, 3 and 4 and ahead of the upcoming Titans spin off exclusively on Shudder, revisit the first season of the Boulet Brothers’ beloved groundbreaking drag-horror competition.

Lux Aeterna: Béatrice Dalle and Charlotte Gainsbourg are on a film set telling stories about witches. Technical problems and psychotic outbreak gradually plunge the shoot into chaos. Written and directed by Gaspar Noé.

October 13th:

Dark Glasses: In Dark Glasses, an eclipse blackens the skies on a hot summer day in Rome – a harbinger of the darkness that will envelop Diana (Ilenia Pastorelli) when a serial killer chooses her as prey. Fleeing her predator, the young escort crashes her car and loses her sight. She emerges from the initial shock determined to fight for her life, but she is no longer alone. Defending her and acting as her eyes is a little boy, Chin (Andrea Zhang), who survived the car accident. But the killer won’t give up his victim. Who will be saved? The long-awaited return from Italian master of horror and acclaimed writer-director Dario Argento, the film stars Ilenia Pastorelli, Asia Argento and Andrea Zhang. Beginning Friday, October 7, Dark Glasses will debut at the IFC Center in New York and at the Laemmle Glendale in Los Angeles, ahead of the film’s streaming debut on Thursday, October 13.Additional theaters, to be announced later, will follow beginning Friday, October 14.  (A Shudder Original)

She Will: After a double mastectomy, Veronica Ghent (Alice Krige), goes to a healing retreat in rural Scotland with her young nurse Desi (Kota Eberhardt). She discovers that the process of such surgery opens questions about her very existence, leading her to start to question and confront past traumas. The two develop an unlikely bond as mysterious forces give Veronica the power to enact revenge within her dreams.  Also starring Malcolm McDowell, Jonathan Aris, Rupert Everett, and Olwen Fouéré. Directed by Charlotte Colbert. (A Shudder Exclusive)

October 20th:

V/H/S/99: V/H/S/99 marks the return of the acclaimed found footage anthology franchise and the sequel to Shudder’s most-watched premiere of 2021. A thirsty teenager’s home video leads to a series of horrifying revelations. Featuring five new stories from filmmakers Maggie Levin (Into The Dark: My Valentine), Johannes Roberts (47 Meters Down, Resident Evil: Welcome To Raccoon City), Flying Lotus (Kuso), Tyler MacIntyre (Tragedy Girls) and Joseph & Vanessa Winter (Deadstream), V/H/S/99 harkens back to the final punk rock analog days of VHS, while taking one giant leap forward into the hellish new millennium. (A Shudder Original)

October 21st:

Joe Bob’s Haunted Halloween Hangout: For his fourth Halloween special on Shudder, the World’s Foremost Drive-In Movie Critic leaves no plastic skull, fake spider, or foam tombstone behind in his mission to celebrate the Samhain season the RIGHT way for once! Leaving nothing to chance, Joe Bob and Darcy enlist the help of a special surprise guest.

October 24th:

Manhattan Baby: In Lucio Fulci’s chilling follow-up to The New York Ripper, an evil Egyptian entity possesses the young daughter of an archaeologist. When Susie returns home, she and her brother Tommy start behaving badly, and visitors to their room begin turning up dead. Can Susie’s parents stop the entity from destroying her? Or is it already too late? Borrowing elements from Rosemary’s BabyThe Exorcist and Poltergeist, Fulci crafts a surprisingly gore-free ghost story that favors suspense over gruesome kills. The opening sequence ranks among the director’s best work.

Demonia: In what fans consider his last great film, Godfather of Gore Lucio Fulci returns to the startling imagery and bloody excesses of his ‘70s/‘80s classics for an unholy saga of demonic nuns and supernatural carnage: When a Canadian archeological team excavates the ruins of a medieval Sicilian monastery, they unleash the vengeance of a crucified coven of satanic sisters with full-on Fulci fury.

Aenigma: For his final horror hit of the ‘80s, writer/director Lucio Fulci combined elements of CarriePhenomena, and Suspiria with the grisly surrealism of his own past classics for one last shocker: When a bullied student at a New England girls school becomes comatose after a prank gone wrong, her tormenters will suffer graphic telepathic punishment that includes the infamous ‘death by snails’ scene.

Fulci for Fake: He was known as The Maestro of Splatter, but who was the real Lucio Fulci? Through never-before-seen home movies, rare behind-the-scenes footage from his classic films, audio confessions from Fulci himself and revealing interviews, writer/director Simone Scafidi creates an unflinching portrait of the one of the most visceral, controversial, and immortal horror filmmakers of all time.

October 25th:

The Boulet Brothers Dragula: Titans: Hosted and created by the Boulet Brothers, “The Boulet Brothers’ Dragula: Titans” is a ten-episode spin-off series starring some of the most popular drag icons from the show’s previous seasons competing in a grand championship of drag artistry and shocking physical challenges for a one hundred-thousand-dollar grand prize, the headlining spot on the upcoming world tour and the first ever “Dragula Titans” crown and title. Guest Judges include Elvira, Harvey Guillen, Justin Simien, David Dastmalchian, Poppy, Alaska, Katya, Joe Bob Briggs, Bonnie Aarons, Barbara Crampton, and more to be announced later. Exclusively on Shudder!

Shudder Dragula

October 28th:

Resurrection: Margaret’s life is in order. She is capable, disciplined, and successful. Everything is under control. That is, until David returns, carrying with him the horrors of Margaret’s past. Resurrection is directed by Andrew Semans, and stars Rebecca Hall and Tim Roth. (A Shudder Exclusive)

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Editorial

Yay or Nay: What’s Good and Bad in Horror This Week

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Horror Movies

Welcome to Yay or Nay a weekly mini post about what I think is good and bad news in the horror community written in bite-sized chunks. 

Yay:

Mike Flanagan talking about directing the next chapter in the Exorcist trilogy. That might mean he saw the last one and realized there were two left and if he does anything well it’s draw out a story. 

Yay:

To the announcement of a new IP-based film Mickey Vs Winnie. It’s fun to read comical hot takes from people who haven’t even seen the movie yet.

Nay:

The new Faces of Death reboot gets an R rating. It’s not really fair — Gen-Z should get an unrated version like past generations so they can question their mortality the same as the rest of us did. 

Yay:

Russell Crowe is doing another possession movie. He’s quickly becoming another Nic Cage by saying yes to every script, bringing the magic back to B-movies, and more money into VOD. 

Nay:

Putting The Crow back in theaters for its 30th anniversary. Re-releasing classic movies at the cinema to celebrate a milestone is perfectly fine, but doing so when the lead actor in that film was killed on set due to neglect is a cash grab of the worst kind. 

The Crow
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Lists

The Top-Searched Free Horror/Action Movies on Tubi This Week

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The free streaming service Tubi is a great place to scroll when you’re unsure what to watch. They are not sponsored or affiliated with iHorror. Still, we really appreciate their library because it’s so robust and has many obscure horror movies so rare you can’t find them anywhere in the wild except, if you’re lucky, in a moist cardboard box at a yard sale. Other than Tubi, where else are you going to find Nightwish (1990), Spookies (1986), or The Power (1984)?

We take a look at the most searched horror titles on the platform this week, hopefully, to save you some time in your endeavor to find something free to watch on Tubi.

Interestingly at the top of the list is one of the most polarizing sequels ever made, the female-led Ghostbusters reboot from 2016. Perhaps viewers have seen the latest sequel Frozen Empire and are curious about this franchise anomaly. They will be happy to know it’s not as bad as some think and is genuinely funny in spots.

So take a look at the list below and tell us if you are interested in any of them this weekend.

1. Ghostbusters (2016)

Ghostbusters (2016)

An otherworldly invasion of New York City assembles a pair of proton-packed paranormal enthusiasts, a nuclear engineer and a subway worker for battle.An otherworldly invasion of New York City assembles a pair of proton-packed paranormal enthusiasts, a nuclear engineer and a subway worker for battle.

2. Rampage

When a group of animals becomes vicious after a genetic experiment goes awry, a primatologist must find an antidote to avert a global catastrophe.

3. The Conjuring The Devil Made Me Do It

Paranormal investigators Ed and Lorraine Warren uncover an occult conspiracy as they help a defendant argue that a demon forced him to commit murder.

4. Terrifier 2

After being resurrected by a sinister entity, Art the Clown returns to Miles County, where his next victims, a teenage girl and her brother, await.

5. Don’t Breathe

A group of teens breaks into a blind man’s home, thinking they’ll get away with the perfect crime but get more than they bargained for once inside.

6. The Conjuring 2

In one of their most terrifying paranormal investigations, Lorraine and Ed Warren help a single mother of four in a house plagued by sinister spirits.

7. Child’s Play (1988)

A dying serial killer uses voodoo to transfer his soul into a Chucky doll which winds up in the hands of a boy who may be the doll’s next victim.

8. Jeepers Creepers 2

When their bus breaks down on a deserted road, a team of high school athletes discovers an opponent they cannot defeat and may not survive.

9. Jeepers Creepers

After making a horrific discovery in the basement of an old church, a pair of siblings find themselves the chosen prey of an indestructible force.

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Movie Reviews

Panic Fest 2024 Review: ‘Haunted Ulster Live’

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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
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