Halloween is just around the corner and about now is the time to start planning what to watch this spooky season. Whilst the cinemas are packed with films such as Smile and Halloween Ends, there’s even more choice and variety at home. Leading the charge for your Halloween viewing is streaming platform Shudder.
Since its inception in 2015, Shudder has slowly been building up its following. A streaming service that specialises in horror, Shudder began with a curation of bespoke genre titles. As its popularity has spread, thanks in no short part to the acquisition of Rob Savage’s Host, it has become the one stop shop for those seeking the best and freshest in horror content. If you haven’t signed up to Shudder yet then now is the perfect time.
It isn’t just movies that Shudder champions either, the platform also creates some great television. With that in mind, rather than make suggestions of what films you should watch this October, here’s a list of TV shows that will help get you into the spooky mood.
The 101 Scariest Horror Movie Moments of All Time
For the last few weeks Shudder has been counting down some of the best movie scares in The 101 Scariest Horror Movie Moments of All Time. Now approaching its climax, the final episode is due to air on 26th October. The show features a ton of industry professionals. Each episode sees these talking heads discuss the moments in horror cinema that have terrified them. The talent interviewed include well known directors such as Joe Dante, Mike Flanagan, and Edgar Wright, stars Alex Essoe, Lydia Hearst, and Tony Todd, and also scholars such as Rebekah McKendry. These are just the tip of the iceberg with almost anybody who is anybody in the horror industry getting the opportunity to share what scares them.
The 101 Scariest Horror Movie Moments of All Time is one of the most meticulous countdowns you’ll find. By splitting into eight episodes, time is afforded to all scenes on the list. Some get slightly more run time than others, but none of the entries are blink and you’ve missed it. As the title suggests, the series presents plenty of frights (101 of them to be precise) and it’s fun to mentally check off which ones you’ve seen. At the same time the show is expanding the audience’s film horizon as they make note of what titles to add to their watch-list. This is the perfect programme to watch whilst carving pumpkins and prepping for trick or treaters.
Queer for Fear
Another excellent documentary series that has just landed on Shudder is Queer for Fear. Over the course of four episodes this show explores the intrinsic relationship between horror movies and queer culture. It begins with a look back at Gothic literary authors, pre-code horror, and those created immediately after the code had been introduced. It features a plethora of filmmakers, critics, and actors from the LGBTQIA+ society as well as several allies. These people discuss the history of queerness in horror cinema, but the show also gets personal with many of the interviewees. The talent on screen share the films that helped them when they were realising and embracing their own sexual identities. There’s a range of answers and horror creatures that have helped the interviewees and it’s fascinating hearing about the horror genre’s capacity to support.
Ahead of its launch back in September, THN spoke with one of Queer for Fear’s directors, Bryan Fuller who is best known as being the mastermind behind cult television sensation Hannibal. Those that are familiar with that show know his credentials make him a great match for Queer for Fear. Head to our interview now for further information about this brilliant series.
The Boulet Brothers’ Dragula: Titans
Shudder does not just make documentaries, it also makes reality competition shows. There is of course a horror slant and The Boulet Brothers have been slaying it with their The Boulet Brothers’ Dragula. The premise is simple: the show is essentially RuPaul’s Drag Race, but horror.
Contestants all have drag persona’s that align within the genre space of horror and each week are set a task to unleash their innermost freak. What makes the Boulet Brothers show so entertaining is that, unlike other reality shows, when a contestant is eliminated, they really are ‘eliminated’. Well they film a death scene that riffs off of a classic horror tied to that task’s theme at least. By settling in to watch a Boulet Brothers competition you’re getting a fashion show, a drag performance, AND at least one short horror movie.
It’s addictive viewing and THN can’t wait for the new series, The Boulet Brothers’ Dragula: Titans, to start on Tuesday 25th October. The Boulet Brothers’ Dragula: Titans brings together 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. It’s the only show to watch whilst getting dressed up for that big Halloween party.
Cursed Films
Everyone has heard those stories about certain films. Those strange things before, during, or after production that led to it getting a spooky reputation. These myths are what the Shudder series Cursed Films investigates. Early this year the second season landed on the platform and once again featured a killer selection of films. After covering Poltergeist, The Crow, The Exorcist, The Omen, and The Twilight Zone Movie in its first season, the second has some very interesting choices. This time around viewers can learn all about the real-life horrors of Rosemary’s Baby, Stalker, The Serpent and the Rainbow, Cannibal Holocaust, and The Wizard of Oz. That’s right, it’s not just horror movies that have sinister origins. The show handles all the legacy of these films with the utmost care and respect. Why not while away the midnight hours with a creepy true story or two before bed?
Creepshow
Originally conceived as an anthology film by Stephen King and George Romeo, Shudder reformatted Creepshow into a TV show. Following the formula of The Outer Limits and The Twilight Zone, each episode of Creepshow presents a double-bill of terror. Overseen by showrunner Greg Nicotero (who was involved in the original movies), the stories have been directed by some of the horror genre’s best and brightest. Episodes from the series have been overseen by directors including Joe Lynch, David Bruckner, and Nicotero himself. The talent in front of the screen is equally as majestic, featuring performances by Barbara Crampton, Tobin Bell, Molly Ringwald, and David Arquette.
Creepshow is one of the highest performing products on Shudder, film or otherwise, and has built up quite a following. Whilst there is no new series at the moment, Halloween is a great time to start watching if you haven’t seen it yet. If however, you’ve already watched all three seasons, why not stick on a favourite episode again.
Sign up to Shudder now to gain access to all these shows plus a treasure trove of other terrifying treats.
