Shudder is celebrating Halfway to Halloween with April's schedule
By Carla Davis
Halfway to Halloween is back on Shudder and AMC+, and Shudder’s April schedule is chock-full of tricky treats to celebrate!
Shudder has celebrated the Halfway to Halloween point for the past few years; it’s a time when they really beef up their already packed schedule. This year, we are getting three new original films – including one that will hit theaters soon, and is already generating a lot of buzz!
First, let’s talk about the sixth season of The Last Drive-In with Joe Bob Briggs. The new season officially began on Friday, March 15 with the special The Last Drive-In: A Tribute to Roger Corman. It was filmed live at October’s Jamboree, and includes a Corman double feature. After that, the series goes to a single feature watch party every other Friday until the beginning of September.
April 1:
The Terror (season two) – You can binge the entire series (including season one) in April. During World War II, strange and mysterious deaths are happening in a Japanese-American community. As it turns out, the deaths are being caused by a dangerous being.
Mute Witness – A slasher movie filming in Moscow has employed a mute special effects makeup artist. When she is accidently locked into the studio, she witnesses a snuff film being shot, and now she must evade the sadistic filmmakers.
The Gates – In Victorian London, William Colcott is a serial killer scheduled to be the first man to die in the electric chair. Unfortunately for everyone in the prison, he has placed a curse on the place.
**Drag Me to Hell – In this fun, gory Sam Raimi film, Christine is a meek and kind young woman desperate to receive a promotion at the bank she works at as a loan officer. Against her instincts, she turns down an equally desperate old woman who wants to avoid losing her home. Uh-oh, turns out the woman is a gypsy, and now Christine is under a curse.
Ghost Stories – In this British horror anthology film, a debunker of the paranormal investigates three different claims of supernatural happenings.
The Rental – Two couples on a weekend getaway rent a house on the Oregan coast. Their mini-vacation is ruined when a masked stalker begins to kill them off.
At the Devil’s Door – A real estate agent agrees to help sell Chuck and Royanna’s home, she has no idea that the house has some mysterious secrets.
The Wind – In this horror Western, Lizzy and her husband Issac settle in New Mexico in the late 1800s. Their solitude is interrupted when another couple move close by, and Lizzy befriends the pregnant wife. Emma. When Emma begins to insist an evil entity is after her, Lizzy struggles to help her.
Summoning Sylvia – In this fun LGBTQ+ horror comedy, a group of gay friends plan a weekend getaway/bachelor party staying at a haunted Victorian style home. The legend is that a woman named Sylvia murdered her son and was, in turn, killed by the townspeople. The group conducts a séance…which works.
**Madman – In this 1980s summer camp slasher, an axe murderer known as Madman Marz terrorizes counsellors. I HIGHLY recommend watching the version of this film that was shown on The Last Drive-In with Joe Bob Briggs (season one, episode four). You get all of the trivia and shenanigans, plus Joe Bob sings the movie’s theme song.
Spookies – An evil sorcerer trying to keep his wife from dying works to sacrifice people that are living in his house. This film is also available to watch on The Last Drive-In with Joe Bob Briggs (season three, episode seven).
**Creepshow – The classic collaboration between Stephen King and George Romero features five creepy stories, presented comic book-style. .
April 4:
Gateway – “In an ordinary abandoned house – on what could be your ordinary street – a gang of desperate criminals have found something – or it has found them.”
Wakewood – After their 9-year-old daughter Alice is killed on her birthday by a dog, her grieving parents move to Wakewood. When they are given the opportunity to conduct a ritual that will allow Alice to return to them for three days, they jump at the chance – with grave results.
Emelie – A babysitter is kidnapped and a mentally unstable woman shows up in her place. As the children begin to realize that Emelie is deranged, the oldest boy must fight to save himself and his siblings.
April 5:
Baghead (Shudder Original) – Iris inherits a creepy old pub when her estranged father dies, and travels to Berlin to check it out. She then discovers that by taking over ownership of the pub, she is also taking responsibility for a 400-year-old shape shifting entity that lives in the basement. In a storyline that sounds sort of similar to last years Talk to Me, this creature can allow people to speak with their loved ones who have passed on – with a two-minute limit, lest “Baghead” be set loose in the world.
April 8:
The Third Saturday in October – In October of 1979, Ricky Dean sets out after Jakkariah Harding, the man who murdered his child. Meanwhile, Jakkariah sets out after friends who have gotten together to watch a football game.
The Third Saturday in October Part V – Seven years later, Harding is back in town and up to his old slashing ways. When he happens upon a football game watch party, he gets down to his bloody business.
April 15:
The Tunnel – “An investigation into a government cover-up leads to a network of abandoned train tunnels deep beneath the heart of Sydney. As a journalist and her crew hunt for the story, it quickly becomes clear the story is hunting them.”
The Tunnel: The Other Side of Darkness – This documentary shows us how the makers of The Tunnel used crowdfunding-type methods to finance and distribute their creation.
April 19:
Late Night with the Devil (Shudder Original) – This is the buzzy film I was referring to. Set in 1977, the story involves a talk show called Night Owls, which is hosted by Jack Delroy (David Dastmalchian). After his wife’s death, the ratings of David’s show have plummeted, and he is desperate to win back viewers by hosting a Halloween special that includes a girl who is supposedly possessed. Spoiler alert: Bad idea.
April 22:
**The House of the Devil – While you may think you are watching a movie that was made in the 1980s, The House of the Devil was actually released in 2009 (written and directed by Ti West of X fame). It’s 1983, and college student Samantha is desperate for money. Samantha takes on a shady babysitting gig, and soon finds that the job is much more dangerous than she expected. This is another film that can be watched on The Last Drive-In with Joe Bob Briggs (season one, episode five).
**The Innkeepers – Another Ti West film, The Innkeepers blends light-hearted humor with some genuinely spooky moments. The historic Yankee Pedlar Inn is preparing to close down, and Claire and Luke are working during its final days. As they conduct a paranormal investigation, a couple of eccentric guests check in, and some strange stuff starts to go down.
**The Changeling – George C. Scott is a composer grieving the recent deaths of his wife and daughter. When he rents an historic mansion, he begins to hear and see things that lead him to believe the place is haunted. The terror amps up as begins to uncover a decades-old mystery that involves the death of a child. This is also available to watch on The Last Drive-In with Joe Bob Briggs (Season one, episode three).
Final Cut – “A reporter and his girlfriend follow around a famous actor/entrepreneur and discover some dirt on him to be made public.”
April 26:
Infested (Shudder Original) – Meet 29-year-old Kaleb, who is currently on the outs with both his sister and his best friend. Kaleb, who loves exotic animals, discovers a strange spider and makes the decision to bring it home. When it escapes and reproduces, the venomous creature traps the building’s inhabitants and causes them to enter a fight for their lives.