Shudder brings us plenty of Christmas Fear in December

There is plenty of ho-ho-horror to watch on streaming service Shudder this month, so take a break from cheer and give fear a shot instead!

Dec. 1 — The Lost Boys – Shudder brings us the 1987 classic, starring Keifer Sutherland, Jason Patric, Jami Gertz and Corey Feldman. When Michael and Sam move with their Mom to Santa Carla to live with their Grandpa, they encounter a gang of vampires.

The People Under the Stairs – Wes Craven’s 1991 comedy/horror flick was a surprise hit with decent reviews, and it’s still a fun watch. Young “Fool” and his family are being evicted, and Fool breaks into the landlord’s home with the help of two adult friends. They find children imprisoned in the basement, and soon find themselves fighting for their lives. Trivia: Mommy and Daddy Robeson are played by Wendy Robie and Everett McGill, who played Nadine and Big Ed in Twin Peaks.

The Serpent and the Rainbow – This is another Wes Craven gem, featuring Bill Pullman as Dennis Alan. Alan is an anthropologist who is hired by a pharmaceutical company to acquire a voodoo drug in Haiti rumored to create zombies. When he attempts to find out how to create the drug, he is tortured and framed for murder.

Shocker – It’s Wes Craven Appreciation Month on Shudder apparently! Mitch Pileggi plays Horace Pinker, a serial killer sentenced to die in the electric chair. Since Pinker has made a deal with the devil (literally), his execution changes him into electricity, and he works to exact revenge on the young man who led the cops to him.

Sleepwalkers – 1992’s Sleepwalkers was Stephen King’s first original screenplay, not based on an already-existing novel. A mother and son team of energy vampires are able to shape shift, while existing by feeding from virgins. Unfortunately, they are vulnerable to cats.

Dec. 2

Deadly Games (also known as Code Pere Noel, Game Over, Dial Code Santa Claus)- The writer-director of this 1989 French horror film once threatened the makers of Home Alone with a plagiarism lawsuit, such were the similarities. A deranged thief who believes he is Santa breaks into a mansion, and young Thomas must set booby traps and fight the murderous man off.

Silent Night, Deadly Night Part 2 – This 1987 black comedy/horror film is, of course, the sequel to 1984’s Silent Night, Deadly Night. Ricky, now an adult, tells a psychiatrist how the Christmas murders of his parents and the death of his brother Billy led him on the road to becoming a psychopathic killer.

Dec. 5

The Head Hunter – A medieval warrior has an impressive collection of human heads, but is still in search of one more – that of the man who killed his daughter. He sets out on a revenge-driven quest to find the killer.

Dec. 9

Trivisa – Three of Hong Kong’s most notorious mobsters are rumored to be working together on a final hit. They know nothing about this supposed plot at first, but when they become aware of the rumor, they start to think it’s not such a bad idea.

Iskander: Shadow of the River – In this four-episode French miniseries, a couple has been murdered on their boat in French Guiana, and their little boy is missing. When cops Chloe and Dialo are assigned the case, they end up searching the dangerous rainforest.

Dec. 11

Perfect – When a man awakens to find his murdered girlfriend lying next to him in bed, he is sent to a clinic that promises to relieve him of his dark visions. Perfect was executive-produced by the great Steven Soderbergh.

Inner Demon – In this low-budget thriller, a teenage girl is kidnapped and imprisoned by a sadistic couple. When she manages to escape from them, she comes across a house in the woods, and that’s when the terror really begins.

Dec. 13

Joe Bob’s Red Christmas – Everyone’s favorite drive-in movie critic, Shudder’s Joe Bob Briggs, brings us a live-streaming triple feature on Friday the 13th, beginning at 9:00 p.m. No announcement has been made yet regarding which films he will show, but Darcy the Mail Girl is sure to join in on the fun. It’s also pretty certain that the triple feature will be available to watch in its entirety after the live stream.

Dec. 16

Class of 1984 – Music teacher Andrew has just started working at an inner-city school, where metal detectors and weapons are part of daily life. When a gang of students start harassing him, things escalate rapidly (and violently).

From the Dark – In this horror film, a couple visiting the Irish countryside become lost, and find themselves fighting off a terrifying monster who attacks at night. From the Dark is directed by Conor McMahon, who also brought us Stitches.

Smoke and Mirrors : The Story of Tom Savini – Be still, my heart! Legendary horror make-up effects expert/actor/stuntman/director Tom Savini is finally given the documentary treatment he deserves on Shudder. Savini, who provided gory make-up effects for Dawn of the Dead, Friday the 13th and Maniac (among others), has had a fascinating life, and I am really looking forward to hearing all about it.

Available now:

Unhappy Holidays Collection: Shudder’s Unhappy Holidays includes three of my all-time favorite holiday horror films, Black Christmas, Better Watch Out and Christmas Evil. Also included are All theCreatures Were Stirring, A Christmas Horror Story, holiday-themed short film We Always Find Ourselves in the Sea and series Black Lake and NOS4A2 (which features a diabolical place called Christmasland).

Why watch It’s a Wonderful Life for the thousandth time when you can catch all of these grisly gifts on Shudder this month? Find out how to subscribe by visiting Shudder.com.

Will you be making this list and checking it twice? Which of the December additions to Shudder are you most excited about? Let us know in the comments section.