JUNE 2019 U.S. HIGHLIGHTS
Things get wild this month, starting off with the Shudder exclusive big bad pig pic, Boar; a Pride Month collection headlined by the Shudder premiere of Knife+Heart; our latest original podcast, Visitations with Elijah Wood & Daniel Noah; a tour through some of our favorite sub-genres with curator Sam Zimmerman’s Shudder Guides, and new additions to the Shudder vault from horror masters John Carpenter, Brian De Palma and William Friedkin, among others. (Programming also available on Shudder Canada where noted.)
BOAR (2017) — available Thursday, June 6
Director: Chris Sun, Cast: Nathan Jones, Bill Moseley, Hugh Sheridan
Bruce (The Texas Chainsaw Massacre 2’s Bill Moseley) is having a hard enough time relating to his new Australian step-family and their rough, outback town—and that’s before the arrival of murderous, rampaging pig the size of a minivan shows up to wreak havoc. It’s man vs. monstrous beast in this wild, raucous creature feature. A SHUDDER EXCLUSIVE. (Also available on Shudder Canada and Shudder UK)
SHUDDER ORIGINAL PODCAST
VISITATIONS WITH ELIJAH WOOD & DANIEL NOAH — premieres on Shudder Monday, June 3
The exhilarating, entertaining and sometimes even therapeutic experience of facing one’s fears through stories has always fascinated Elijah Wood and Daniel Noah. That exploration can be seen throughout their company SpectreVision’s projects and the artists they work with. Visitations features the two hosts traveling to the homes and workshops of some of their favorite creators in the genre community and beyond. In these intimate visits, guests delve into their lives, their work and how they’ve managed to turn their deepest fears into art. Episodes include conversations with:
- Taika Waititi (director, What We Do in the Shadows)
- Mike Flanagan (director, The Haunting of Hill House)
- John Landis (director, An American Werewolf in London)
- Ana Lily Amirpour (director, A Girl Walks Home Alone at Night)
- Dan Harmon (co-creator, Rick and Morty)
- Flying Lotus (musician and director, Kuso)
- Richard Stanley (director, Hardware)
- Kate and Laura Mulleavy (Rodarte founders & designers, directors of Woodshock)
- Panos Cosmatos (director, Mandy)
All episodes will be available on Shudder Monday, June 3, exclusively for its members. The first episode will premiere on Apple Podcasts, Spotify and other platforms on Friday, May 31, with new episodes released every Monday and Friday. The series features new music by BADBADNOTGOOD and art by Jay Shaw, senior creative director at Mondo.
NEW SHORT-FORM SERIES
SHUDDER GUIDES — available Tuesday, June 18
Discover fascinating history, key films and signature stylistic elements that make up some of horror’s most important sub-genres in this five-part series from Shudder’s lead curator, Sam Zimmerman. Episodes: Giallo, Haunted Houses, Killer Kids, Revenge, Slasher (Also available on Shudder Canada and Shudder UK)
FEATURED COLLECTION
QUEER HORROR — available Monday, June 3
Celebrate Pride Month with a curated collection of must-see LGBTQ+ horror, featuring films with queer themes, characters and/or creators. Includes the Shudder premieres of Knife+Heart (2018, premiering June 20) and The Wild Boys (2017, premiering June 17), along with The Old Dark House (1932), Vampyros Lesbos (1971), Hellraiser (1987), Nightbreed (1990), Let the Right One In (2008), Predestination (2014), Alena (2015), Sweet Sweet Lonely Girl (2016), Rift, (2017), and Lizzie (2018).
KNIFE+HEART (2018) — available Thursday, June 20
Director: Yann Gonzalez, Cast: Vanessa Paradis, Kate Moran, Nicolas Maury
Paris, Summer 1979. Anne (French pop star Vanessa Paradis) produces third-rate gay porn. After her editor and lover Lois leaves her, she tries to win her back by shooting her most ambitious film yet with her trusted, flaming sidekick Archibald. But one of her actors is brutally murdered and Anne gets caught up in a strange investigation that turns her life upside-down. An ultra-stylish and blood-soaked ode to ’70s-era De Palma, Argento, and Friedkin, shot on 35mm and featuring a killer retro score from M83.
THE WILD BOYS (2017) — available Monday, June 17
Director: Bertrand Mandico, Cast: Pauline Lorillard, Vimala Pons, Diane Rouxel, Anaël Snoek, Mathilde Warnier
Five adolescent boys (all played by actresses) are enamored by the arts but drawn to crime and transgression. As punishment for a brutal crime, they’re forced to board a boat whose captain is hell-bent on taming their ferocious appetites. After arriving on a lush island where dangers and pleasures abound, the boys start to transform in both mind and body. Shot in gorgeous 16mm and brimming with eroticism, genderfluidity, and humor. Starring: Pauline Lorillard, Vimala Pons, Diane Rouxel, Anaël Snoek, Mathilde Warnier
ADDITIONAL NEW MOVIES FOR JUNE
May 27 (added too late to make last month’s highlights)
Christine (1983, John Carpenter)
A high school geek falls in love with Christine, a bright red 1957 Plymouth Fury that has seen much better days. Setting himself the task of restoring it to its original condition, his friends notice that the car is not the only thing that is changing. Based on the novel by Stephen King. Starring: Keith Gordon, John Stockwell, Alexandra Paul, Robert Prosky, Harry Dean Stanton
The Haunted (1991, Robert Mandel)
Malicious poltergeists haunt a Pennsylvania family, who call upon paranormal investigators Ed and Lorraine Warren (later featured in The Conjuring franchise) for help. Based on a true story. Starring: Sally Kirkland, Jeffrey DeMunn, Louise Latham
June 1
The Exorcist (1973, William Friedkin)
When a 12-year-old girl takes on the characteristics and voices of others, the girl’s mother realizes her daughter has been possessed by the devil—and that her only hope lies with two priests and the ancient rite of demonic exorcism. Starring: Ellen Burstyn, Max von Sydow, Linda Blair, Jason Miller
Ghost Story (1981, John Irvin)
Fred Astaire stars in this terrifying story of the Chowder Society, a group that gathers weekly to share tales of horror, but is invaded by a real-life ghost that is part of their past. Starring: Fred Astaire, John Houseman, Melvyn Douglas, Douglas Fairbanks Jr., Alice Krige
The Phantom of the Paradise (1974, Brian De Palma)
A gifted rock composer plots revenge after a devious record producer steals both his music and his girl. Brian De Palma’s insightful satire on the 1970s music scene delivers a rock opera take on the classic Phantom of the Opera story. Starring: Paul Williams, William Finley, Jessica Harper (Also available on Shudder Canada)
Ravenous (1999, Antonia Bird)
Soldiers stationed in the barren and icy Sierra Nevada mountains during the Mexican-American war have a close encounter with cannibalism. Starring: Guy Pearce, Robert Carlyle, David Arquette (Also available on Shudder Canada)
June 10
Hagazussa (2018, Lukas Feigelfeld)
In a remote Alpine village in the 15th century, the orphan Albrun grows up to become a marked woman. The scapegoat of ancient superstitions and monstrous misogyny, this self-styled witch begins to assert her otherworldly birthright. The plague she conjures makes human cruelty look pathetic and small by comparison. This atmospheric debut feature from Lukas Feigelfeld is a haunting pagan death trip and a startling vision of psychedelic horror. Starring: Aleksandra Cwen, Celina Peter, Claudia Martini (Also available on Shudder Canada)
Here Comes the Devil (2013, Adrián García Bogliano)
Two children go missing while on a family trip near caves in Tijuana. The kids reappear the next morning without explanation, but it becomes clear that they are not who they used to be—and that something terrifying has changed them. Starring: Francisco Barreiro, Laura Caro, Alan Martinez (Also available on Shudder Canada)
June 17
The Wailing (2016, Na Hong-jin)
In this unbelievably tense supernatural thriller, a foreigner’s mysterious appearance in a quiet, rural village causes suspicion among the locals – suspicion which quickly turns to hysteria as the townspeople begin killing each other in brutal outbursts for seemingly no reason. As the investigating officer watches his daughter fall under the same savage spell, he agrees to consult a shaman for answers – unknowingly escalating the situation into something far more dangerous. Starring: Kwak Do Won, Hwang Jung Min, Kunimura Jun, Chun Woo Hee (Also available on Shudder Canada)
June 24
Next of Kin (1989, John Irvin)
A dedicated Chicago cop with roots deeply embedded in the Appalachian backwoods is forced to put his loyalties to the test when the mob cruelly inflicts tragedy on his family, bringing about a violent clash of clans. Starring: Patrick Swayze, Liam Neeson, Adam Baldwin, Helen Hunt, Bill Paxton (Also available on Shudder Canada)
Viy (1967, Konstantin Ershov, Georgiy Kropachyov) — streaming only on Shudder
A seminary student is forced to spend three nights praying for a young woman who has died, drawing him into a frightening, twilight world, where he is enticed and tormented by Satan’s minions. Based on the acclaimed horror novella by Nikolai Gogol. Starring: Leonid Kuravlyov, Natalya Varley, Aleksey Glazyrin (Also available on Shudder Canada)
