Hey folks! I had a week off from work and I spent my time playing the Evil Dead video game, recording episodes for my podcast (Autopsy of a Horror Movie), and watching movies on Shudder. It was a good, horror-filled week off! For this month’s “It Came From Shudder” article, I’ll share some recommendations from my time off and a short review for each. Let me know if you end up checking out any of these!
Popcorn (1991)
I was intrigued with the title of this 90s slasher shot in Jamaica. With a title like Popcorn, I was expecting campy horror, cheesy effects, and tons of movie references. I was kind of right! The plot centers around a high school film club hosting an all-night-horror-thon to raise money. The catch? The horror-thon will occur in a soon-to-be closed-down cinema with a dark past involving a director who murdered his family in front of critics. The film club puts on a William Castle-esque production with nods to his classic gimmicks, such as the flying skeleton in House on Haunted Hill (1959) and zapping chairs from The Tingler (1959). All of this leads to a theater environment similarly seen in Scream 2. There are some good gags, a messy plot, crafty kills, bad acting, and a twist to boot. I’d recommend it to anyone who prioritizes camp over continuity.
See for Me (2022)
I bought into this movie early on when I received my screener for it. See for Me is the story of a skier, Sophie Scott (Skyler Davenport), who lost her vision after a skiing accident. She is an angry and stubborn person who makes money by house/pet sitting for wealthy clients. The movie plunges us deep into the home-invasion subgenre as three men break into the house she is sitting for. Through the help of FaceTime with an army vet, Sophie is talked through how to handle the situation and fight off the burglars. I have seen some reviews calling this movie slow, but I enjoyed the pacing. It’s very slick, which makes for an easy watch with a cup of coffee. I found the premise to be unique, and super cool to discover that Davenport is legally blind herself. Sophie is a morally gray character, and I enjoyed following a horror protagonist that was not a goodie-two-shoes. I recommend it for those looking for a twist on the subgenre.
The Last Matinee (2020)
I am a sucker for movies set in a theater; how fun is it to see characters doing what you’re doing? The best way I can describe The Last Matinee is to imagine if I Know What You Did Last Summer (1997) made a baby with The Phantom of the Megaplex (2000), then forced the baby to watch Giallo films. Tada! You have this Spanish slasher filled with bodily fluids, camp, funny characters, surprisingly good direction, and gross body horror. It also successfully presents the different groups of people that would be at a theater late at night. You have the awkward couple on a date, teens with nothing better to do, an older man who enjoys cinema, and a murderer with a jar and bag. This movie has everything! Watch it on a Friday night for a good time.
The Flesh and the Fiends (1960)
This is one of my favorite hidden gems on Shudder. A period horror piece starring Peter Cushing and Donald Pleasence…sign me the fuck up! Peter Cushing plays a very successful surgeon and medical school professor. He needs a constant import of cadavers to perform his experiments on to advance his studies. The issue with grave robbing is that the bodies aren’t fresh enough. Donald Pleasence’s character can offer a solution by providing extremely fresh cadavers for the right price. This movie asks us what boundaries we are willing to break to help humanity? And are we even trying to help humankind anymore, or are we more concerned with being the best? Peter Cushing gives a phenomenal performance and is deliciously evil. I recommend this to anyone interested in seeing Cushing deliver some highbrow insults. (TW: brief scene of sexual assault).
The Shed (2019)
I will admit…I think vampires are boring. I am more of a wolfman guy myself. That being said, The Shed offers a fun spin on the typical vampire story. A newly turned vampire is seeking shelter from the rising sun. They find a shed adjacent to a farm and seek refuge there. However, they become trapped in the shed as our high school protagonist, Stan, tries to figure out what to do with them. It’s a coming-of-age story as Stan and his friend, Dommer, see this as an opportunity to stand up to bullies and abusive parents. The movie itself has good production value and presents an interesting plot. Its downfall is the subpar acting and poor dialogue. It’s worth a shot but doesn’t need to be a priority viewing.
What I’ll Be Watching Next:
I love a good horror documentary, and Shudder recently released a documentary on found footage movies called The Found Footage Phenomena (2021). I’m stoked to see what list of movies they have curated and how the subgenre has changed over time.
The last thing I’ll mention is Revealer (2022). An 80s apocalyptic flick with a stripper and preacher stuck together trying to survive. I got my screener for it, and it looks like it’ll be a fun, bloody, visually poppy ride. Check out the trailer here, and you will see what I mean.