No Fooling: April is “Halfway to Halloween Month” on Shudder!
April has long been celebrated by horror fans as the halfway point to Halloween, and this year Shudder makes it official with the launch of Halfway to Halloween Month. Shudder, AMC Networks’ premium streaming service for horror, thriller and the supernatural, will offer its biggest month of non-October programming ever, at a time when many people are turning to streaming to help entertain them while they’re social distancing and quarantining.
Related Article: SHUDDER OFFERS FREE MONTH OF SERVICE TO HOUSEBOUND HORROR FANS
Put on a costume and whip up a pumpkin spice latte, because here’s what’s in store:
- The premiere of new Shudder Original Series Cursed Films, a five-part documentary exploring the myths and legends behind some of Hollywood’s notoriously cursed horror films: The Exorcist, The Omen, Poltergeist, The Crow and Twilight Zone: The Movie
- An all-new season of The Last Drive-In with Joe Bob Briggs, with weekly hosted double features streamed live on ShudderTV
- The long-awaited second season of the hit Australian horror series Wolf Creek
- The Friday the 13th Collection: including the first eight movies in the franchise to go with the epic six-hour documentary Crystal Lake Memories: The Complete History of Friday the 13th, Smoke and Mirrors: The Story of Tom Savini and To Hell and Back: The Kane Hodder Story.
- The return of Shudder’s Halloween Hotline, with live, personalized horror movie picks from Shudder curator Samuel Zimmerman, every Friday in April from 3-4pm ET.
- A special Halfway to Halloween collection featuring holiday favorites like Tales of Halloween, Haunters: The Art of the Scare and Extremity (all new to Shudder) along with Hell House LLC, Haunt, Spookers, Halloween, Halloween 4, Halloween 5, Rob Zombie’s 31, the Creepshow series and fan favorite The Ghoul Log.
- The Shudder Original supernatural thriller 0.0Mhz, starring Korean pop star Jung Eun-Ji.
- Newly added movies Elvira: Mistress of the Dark, Absentia, We Are What We Are (2013), Voice from the Stone and The Siren
See below for programming details. New members can sign up at Shudder.com with promo code SHUTIN for an extended 30-day free trial.
Related Article: 10 AWESOME HORROR MOVIES TO STREAM ON SHUDDER DURING THE CORONAVIRUS CRISIS
APRIL “HALFWAY TO HALLOWEEN MONTH” U.S. HIGHLIGHTS
Titles also available on Shudder Canada and Shudder UK as noted
ORIGINAL & EXCLUSIVE SERIES
Cursed Films — Premieres April 2
Cursed Films is a five-part documentary series from writer/director Jay Cheel (How to Build a Time Machine) exploring the myths and legends behind some of Hollywood’s notoriously “cursed” horror film productions. From plane accidents and bombings during the making of The Omen, to the rumored use of real human skeletons on the set of Poltergeist, these stories are legendary … but what’s real and what’s myth?
Cursed Films recounts the horrifying events that haunted these productions through interviews with experts, witnesses and the cast, directors and producers who lived through them, including Richard Donner, Linda Blair, Michael Berryman, Lloyd Kaufman, Kane Hodder, Gary Sherman, Eileen Dietz, Mitch Horowitz. Were these films really cursed, as many believe, or just the victims of bad luck and bizarre circumstances? A Shudder Original Series. Also available on Shudder Canada and Shudder UK.
April 2: Ep. 1 The Exorcist
April 9: Ep. 2 Poltergeist and Ep. 3 The Omen
April 16: Ep. 4 The Crow and Ep. 5 Twilight Zone: The Movie
The Last Drive-In with Joe Bob Briggs Season 2— Season Premiere April 24
Each weekly double-feature will premiere on the “Shudder TV” feed Fridays at 9pm ET / 6pm PT, beginning April 24 and concluding on Friday, June 26.
Proving once again that “the drive-in will never die,” iconic horror host and exploitation movie aficionado Joe Bob Briggs is back with an all-new season of weekly Friday night double features streaming live exclusively on Shudder. Over the course of ten episodes, The Last Drive-In series will offer an eclectic selection of movies running the gamut from horror classics to obscurities and foreign cult favorites along with the occasional surprise guest. A Shudder Original Series. Also on Shudder Canada; some episodes also available on demand on Shudder UK.
Wolf Creek season 2 — Premieres April 30 (full season binge)
In the second season of the hit horror series, a group of international tourists embark on the Outback adventure of a lifetime, but a chance encounter with trigger-happy pig hunter Mick Taylor (John Jarratt) sets them on a journey none of them could have imagined. With Tess Haubrich (Alien: Covenant), Matt Day (Rake), Ben Oxenbould (The Code), Laura Wheelwright (Animal Kingdom), Charlie Clausen (Home & Away) Stephen Hunter (The Leftovers) and Chris Haywood (Muriel’s Wedding). A Shudder Exclusive Series. Also available on Shudder Canada and Shudder UK.
NEW ORIGINAL MOVIE
0.0Mhz — Premieres April 23
Members of a paranormal exploration club go to an abandoned house in the remote small town to prove the existence of a ghost using radio frequency-based technology. Unfortunately, the young students unwittingly become the ghost’s host… Starring Yoon-young Choi, Shin Joo-Hwan, Eun-ji Jung (of the K-pop group Apink), directed by Sun-Dong Yoo. A SHUDDER ORIGINAL (Also available on Shudder Canada and Shudder UK)
FEATURED COLLECTIONS
The Friday the 13th Collection — available 4/1
Jason takes Shudder as we present the first eight films in one of the most beloved and successful franchises in horror history. If that’s not enough, go behind the scenes with documentaries Crystal Lake Memories: The Complete History of Friday the 13th and Smoke and Mirrors: The Story of Tom Savini. Ki ki ki, ma ma ma…
Featuring Friday the 13th, Part 2, Part III, The Final Chapter, A New Beginning, Part VI: Jason Lives, Part VII: The New Blood, Part VIII: Jason Takes Manhattan, Crystal Lake Memories: The Complete History of Friday the 13th, Smoke and Mirrors: The Story of Tom Savini and To Hell and Back: The Kane Hodder Story (April 27)
HALFWAY TO HALLOWEEN — available 4/1
Spooky season is too much fun to celebrate just once a year, so Shudder is unleashing Halloween in April with this curated collection of All Hallows Eve-themed films and series.
Featuring The Exorcist, Halloween, Halloween 4, Halloween 5, Haunt, Hell House LLC, Rob Zombie’s 31, Spookers, the Creepshow series (episode “All Hallows Eve”) and the fan-favorite streaming jack-o-lanterns The Ghoul Log and Return of the Ghoul Log, along with Haunters: The Art of the Scare and Tales of Halloween,both starting Apr. 6, and Extremity starting Apr. 20. (Select titles also available on Shudder Canada and Shudder UK.)
HALFWAY TO HALLOWEEN HOTLINE
EVERY FRIDAY IN APRIL FROM 3-4PM ET
Shudder has the best, hand-selected collection of horror movies around, but sometimes you need a little extra help picking exactly which great slasher, ghost story, giallo or monster movie to watch next. As a #HalfwayToHalloween treat, Shudder’s head curator, Samuel Zimmerman, will be offering callers live, personalized picks for what to watch. (Read a recap of last October’s hotline recommendations.)
Movie lovers from around the world are invited to call Sam (via a new number to be announced) every Friday in April from 3-4pm ET and tell him about their mood or taste. From that information, Sam will use his horror knowledge to pick a film from Shudder’s vast library custom-suited for them. Call volume is expected to be high, so if you get a busy signal please keep trying. We can’t promise every call will be answered, but Sam will get to as many as he can during each hour. While the recommendations are provided for free, please note that normal phone and long-distance charges may apply.
NEW MOVIES FOR APRIL
April 1
The Friday the 13th Collection (see above for details)
The Exorcist (Director: William Friedkin)
When a charming 12-year-old girl takes on the characteristics and voices of others, doctors say there is nothing they can do. As people begin to die, the girl’s mother realizes her daughter has been possessed by the devil—and that her daughter’s only possible hope lies with two priests and the ancient rite of demonic exorcism. One of the best and most influential horror movies ever made. Starring: Ellen Burstyn, Max von Sydow, Linda Blair, Jason Miller
April 2
Cursed Films: EP.1 The Exorcist (see above for details)
April 3
HALFWAY TO HALLOWEEN HOTLINE 3-4pm ET
April 6
Haunters: The Art of the Scare (Director: Jon Schnitzer)
Explore the rise of terror as entertainment by going behind-the-screams and into the lives of Shar Mayer, legendary scare actor, Donald Julson, a traditional boo-scare maze designer, and the infamous Russ McKamey, as he creates the most controversial full-contact haunt of all time in this documentary about how family-friendly haunted houses for Halloween have spawned a growing subculture of extreme horror simulation. With Jason Blum, McKenzie Westmore, the Soska Sisters, Slash (Also available on Shudder Canada)
Tales of Halloween (Directors: Darren Lynn Bousman, Axelle Carolyn, Adam Gierasch, Andrew Kasch, Neil Marshall, Lucky McKee, Mike Mendez, Dave Parker, Ryan Schifrin, John Skipp, and Paul Solet)
This critically acclaimed anthology weaves together ten chilling tales from top horror directors. Featuring Barry Bostwick (The Rocky Horror Picture Show), Lin Shaye (Insidious), John Savage (The Deer Hunter), Adrienne Barbeau (The Fog), Joe Dante (Director of Gremlins), Barbara Crampton (Re-Animator, We Are Still Here), Pat Healy (Cheap Thrills), Caroline Williams (The Texas Chainsaw Massacre 2), Kristina Klebe (Rob Zombie’s Halloween), Alex Essoe (Starry Eyes), Pollyanna McIntosh (The Woman) and more.
April 9
Cursed Films: Ep.2 The Omen (see above for details)
Cursed Films: Ep.3 Poltergeist (see above for details)
April 10
HALFWAY TO HALLOWEEN HOTLINE 3-4pm ET
April 13
Abstentia (Director: Mike Flanagan)
As Tricia prepares to declare Daniel legally dead, she encounters a mysterious tunnel and a terrified man inside. Soon after, Daniel returns, shaken and bloodied—and scared to death of the tunnel. What happened, and what secrets does the tunnel hold? From Mike Flanagan, the director of Doctor Sleep and The Haunting of Hill House. Starring: Katie Parker, Katie Bell, Dave Levine
Elvira: Mistress of the Dark (Director: Phil Rubenstein)
Upon arriving in a small town where she has inherited a rundown mansion, the famous horror hostess must battle her evil uncle and townspeople who want her burned at the stake.
Starring: Cassandra Peterson, Phil Rubenstein, Larry Flash Jenkins (Also available on Shudder Canada)
We Are What We Are (Director: Jim Mickle)
The Parkers seem to be a wholesome family but when tragedy strikes and sisters Iris and Rose are forced to assume terrifying responsibilities, the local authorities begin to uncover clues to a horrible truth that the Parkers have hidden for years. Starring Michael Parks, Kelly McGillis and Julia Garner.
April 16
Cursed Films: Ep.4 The Crow (see above for details)
Cursed Films: Ep.3 Twilight Zone: The Movie (see above for details)
April 17
HALFWAY TO HALLOWEEN HOTLINE 3-4pm ET
April 20
Extremity (Director: Anthony DiBlasi)
Allison is an emotionally troubled young woman who believes that confronting her past trauma might be a means of exercising her demons. She signs up for a trip to Perdition, an exclusive haunt that promises absolute, unadulterated terror, but the most frightening thing on display will prove to be Allison’s own twisted psyche. Starring: Chad Rook, Dana Christina, J. LaRose
Voice from the Stone (Director: Eric D. Howell)
A haunting thriller set at an isolated castle in 1950s Tuscany. Verena (Game of Thrones’ Emilia Clarke) is a determined young nurse who is hired to help the mute young heir within. But the more she observes him, the more Verena becomes convinced he has fallen under the spell of a powerful and otherworldly persona trapped in the villa’s stone walls, one that seems to be rapidly entwining with her own. Starring: Emilia Clarke (Game of Thrones), Marton Csokas, Caterina Murino
April 23
0.0Mhz (see above for details)
April 24
HALFWAY TO HALLOWEEN HOTLINE 3-4pm ET
The Last Drive-In with Joe Bob Briggs 9pm ET season premiere(see above for details)
April 27
The Siren(Director: Perry Blackshear)
Tom rents a cabin on a secluded lake marked by a local legend of a lovelorn spirit who haunts the surrounding woods and drowns anyone she encounters. Drawn to her immediately, Tom knows he has found his soulmate in the seemingly human Nina, who must battle to repress her demonic instincts when she feels the same towards him. Starring: Margaret Ying Drake, MacLeod Andrews, Evan Dumouchel (Also available on Shudder Canada)
To Hell and Back: The Kane Hodder Story (Director: Derek Dennis Herbert)
Overcoming a dehumanizing childhood and a near-death burn accident, Hodder worked his way up through Hollywood, leading to his ultimate rise as Jason Voorhees in the Friday the 13th series. After decades of watching Kane Hodder on screen, get ready to meet the man behind the mask in a gut-wrenching but inspiring story about one of cinema’s most vicious monsters. Starring: Kane Hodder, Bruce Campbell, Danielle Harris, Robert Englund, Cassandra Peterson
April 30
Wolf Creek Season 2 (see above for details)
Are you a Shudder subscriber? Which films are you most looking forward to checking out next month? Let us know in the comments below or on Facebook, Twitter, or Instagram! You can also carry on the convo with me personally on Twitter @josh_millican.
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