April marks the halfway point to Halloween, and to celebrate, Shudder, AMC Networks’ premium streaming service for horror, thriller, and the supernatural, is bringing back its annual ‘Halfway to Halloween Month.’ The month-long programming event will introduce the biggest slate of programming to date that includes Shudder original films and series, an exclusive documentary, a library of cult classic favorites, and the return of the ‘Halfway to Halloween Hotline.’
“Some do Christmas in July, but at Shudder we celebrate Halloween in April to mark the halfway point to the greatest holiday of the year,” said Craig Engler, general manager of Shudder. “‘Halfway to Halloween Month’ is going to be the biggest month of programming in Shudder history with new movies, series, a killer documentary and more.”
Highlights from this year’s ‘Halfway to Halloween Month’ lineup include:
- The season premiere of the Shudder Original series “Creepshow” and the return of the Shudder Original series “The Last Drive-in with Joe Bob Briggs.”
- The highly anticipated follow-up to Yeon Sang-ho’s Train to Busan and Seoul Station, Peninsula.
- The Power starring Rose Williams (Sanditon) and written and directed by BAFTA-nominated British filmmaker Corrina Faith, which appeared on 2018’s Brit List of best unproduced scripts.
- Christopher Smith’s The Banishing starring Jessica Brown Findlay (Downton Abbey) and Sean Harris (Mission: Impossible franchise).
- Boys from County Hell, which /Film called “legendary in its own right” upon its North American premiere at the 2020 Nightstream virtual film festival.
- Making its US premiere after appearing as a 2020 CANNESERIES Horror Short Form contender, Australian anthology series Deadhouse Dark.
- An exclusive documentary, In Search of Darkness: Part II, which continues to explore the impact of beloved ‘80s horror films.
- The 2021 FANGORIA Chainsaw Awards, hosted by actor and writer David Dastmalchian (Ant-Man and the Wasp).
- The Val Lewton Collection: seven classic titles from the 1940s, including Cat People, I Walked With A Zombie, The Leopard Man, The Seventh Victim, Curse of the Cat People, The Body Snatcher, and Isle of the Dead.
- An Alex de la Iglesia double feature: the mid ‘90s cult classics, Day of the Beast and Dance with the Devil.
With such a packed lineup, if you’re having trouble deciding what to watch, the ‘Halfway to Halloween Hotline‘ returns to help. Every Friday in April from 3 pm-4 pm ET, members are invited to call Samuel Zimmerman, Shudder’s director of programming, to discuss all things horror: from their favorite genre films of all time to the most highly-anticipated horror releases of the year. From those conversations, Sam will then use his horror expertise to offer customized viewing recommendations from Shudder’s expansive film collection.
A new hotline phone number will be announced each Friday on Shudder’s social media platforms. Call volumes are expected to be high, so be patient and keep trying. There are no guarantees that every call will be answered, but Sam will get through as many as he can within the hour.
New Shudder Originals & Exclusives Premiering in April
Creepshow, Season 2 – Premieres April 1 with New Episodes Every Thursday
Based on the 1982 horror comedy classic, the anthology “Creepshow” returns for a second season and is still the most fun you’ll ever have being scared! A comic book comes to life in a series of vignettes, exploring terrors ranging from murder, creatures, monsters, and delusions to the supernatural and unexplainable. You never know what will be on the next page. Executive produced by showrunner Greg Nicotero, Creepshow’s second season will feature guest stars Kevin Dillon, Iman Benson, Josh McDermitt, Keith David, Molly Ringwald, Barbara Crampton, Justin Long, and D’Arcy Carden, among others.
Train to Busan Presents: Peninsula – Premieres April 1 (Shudder Exclusive)
Four years after South Korea’s total decimation in Train to Busan, the zombie thriller that captivated audiences worldwide, acclaimed director Yeon Sang-ho brings us Peninsula, the next nail-biting chapter in his post-apocalyptic world. Jung-seok, a soldier who previously escaped the diseased wasteland, relives the horror when assigned to a covert operation with two simple objectives: retrieve and survive. When his team unexpectedly stumbles upon survivors, their lives will depend on whether the best—or worst—of human nature prevails in the direst of circumstances. Upon Peninsula’s premiere, Shudder will be the only service in which viewers can watch Yeon Sang-ho’s complete trilogy, including Train to Busan and Seoul Station, on a single platform.
The Power – Premieres April 8 (Shudder Exclusive)
London, 1974. As Britain prepares for electrical blackouts to sweep across the country, trainee nurse Val (Rose Williams) arrives for her first day at the crumbling East London Royal Infirmary. With most of the patients and staff evacuated to another hospital, Val is forced to work the night shift, finding herself in a dark, near empty building. Within these walls lies a deadly secret, forcing Val to face both her own traumatic past and deepest fears in order to confront the malevolent force that’s intent on destroying everything around her.
The Banishing – Premieres April 15
From acclaimed director Chris Smith (Creep, Severance, Triangle) comes The Banishing, which tells the true story of the most haunted house in England. A young reverend and his wife and daughter move into a manor with a horrifying secret. When a vengeful spirit haunts the little girl and threatens to tear the family apart, the reverend and his wife are forced to confront their beliefs. They must turn to black magic by seeking the help of a famous Occultist…or risk losing their daughter.
The Last Drive-in with Joe Bob Briggs – Premieres April 16 with New Episodes Every Friday
The hit original series returns with Briggs, the world’s foremost drive-in movie critic, presenting eclectic horror movie double features, interrupting the films to expound upon their merits, histories and significance to genre cinema.
2021 FANGORIA Chainsaw Awards – Premieres April 18 at 8pm ET / 5pm PT (Shudder Exclusive Event)
In April 2021, Shudder partners with FANGORIA to bring the Chainsaw Awards, hosted by actor and writer David Dastmalchian, to fans across the globe. This year’s nominated films include The Invisible Man, Freaky, Relic, Color Out of Space and Possessor as well as actors Vince Vaughn, Kathryn Newton and Elisabeth Moss. Since 1992, the Chainsaw Awards have honored top achievements in horror film and television, with past recipients including Jonathan Demme, Sam Raimi, Robert Eggers, Toni Collette and George Romero.
Boys from County Hell – Premieres April 22 (Shudder Exclusive)
Welcome to Six Mile Hill, a sleepy Irish backwater whose only claim to fame is the somewhat dubious local legend that Bram Stoker once spent a night in the local pub. It’s home to Eugene Moffat, a young man who fills most of his days drinking pints with his friends and pranking tourists who come to visit the gravesite of Abhartach, a legendary Irish vampire some believe to have inspired ‘Dracula.’ When a personal tragedy forces Eugene to go and work for his gruff, no-nonsense father, he finds himself on the site of a controversial new road development that threatens to destroy the town’s livelihood. But strange events unfold when Eugene and the crew tear down a famous cairn believed to be the final resting place of Abhartach, and they soon come under attack from a sinister force that has infected one of their workmates. As the night closes in, The Boys must fight for survival while discovering the true horror of a myth that hits much closer to home than any of them realize.
In Search of Darkness: Part II – Premieres April 26 (Shudder Exclusive)
Building on the hit 2019 superdoc that Forbes called “a scary good magnum opus,” In Search of Darkness: Part II dives deeper into the fabled practical-effects decade of iconic and eclectic ‘80s horror movies that changed the course of film history. Packed with over four hours of brand-new interviews, including such legendary horror icons as Robert Englund (A Nightmare on Elm Street), Nancy Allen (Dressed to Kill), Linnea Quigley (The Return of the Living Dead), and special-effects wizard Tom Savini (Friday the 13th), Part II features 15 new faces alongside 40-plus returning members of the original In Search of Darkness cast to delve into more fan-favorite titles of ‘80s horror, year-by-year, expanding its scope to cover more international releases and spotlighting horror-career retrospectives.
Deadhouse Dark – Premieres April 29
An anthology of six interconnected horror short films, Deadhouse Dark is anchored by a woman who receives a ‘mystery box’ from the dark web, each item within it gradually unveiling a dark and troubling truth. A boxful of dark and chilling tales of terror inspired by frighteningly familiar modern trends including dark web mystery boxes, dash cam footage and Insta-fame hungry vloggers. Deadhouse Dark is a giant mystery box of chocolates – while there is something in there to suit a variety of different tastes, in the end chocolate is still chocolate. And who doesn’t love chocolate?
New Movies Coming to Shudder in April
April 1
- Night of the Lepus (1972)
- The Haunting of Julia (1977)
- The Texas Chainsaw Massacre 2 (1986)
April 2
- The Val Lewton Collection
April 5
- Don’t Panic (1988)
- Zombie for Sale (2019)
April 12
- The McPherson Tape (1989)
- Alex de la Iglesia Double Feature
April 19
- The Stepfather (1987)
- Thale (2012)
- The Conspiracy (2012)
- Housebound (2014)
- The Similiars (2015)
- The Diabolical (2015)
- Attack of the Demons (2019)
April 29
- Horror Express 1972
Are you ready for ‘Halfway To Halloween Month?’ What movie or series on Shudder are you most looking forward to?
