Shudder Presents: Cursed Films Episode 2 & 3 – The Omen & Poltergeist

Living through the real world horrors of a global pandemic and quarantine makes sitting for horror-based entertainment very interesting, to say the least. Shudder is there for us horror fans, updating their catalogs with a “Halfway to Halloween” theme as well as a new series from writer/director Jay Cheel, Cursed Films. Last week’s premiere episode: The Exorcist, was Shudder’s second biggest streaming debut ever behind their updated Creepshow series last year. This week, we get a two-fer of episodes dealing with two of the most notoriously plagued and cursed productions in cinematic history, let alone horror history: The Omen and Poltergeist.

Shudder Presents: Cursed Films Episode 1 – The Exorcist

Horror fans have long shared stories of cursed productions on the set of some of the most famous and infamous horror films. It’s easy to shake many of these away as superstition or paranoia, but we are talking about the horror genre here, so is it too far out of the reach of our minds, that maybe… just maybe the films that scare us the most are cursed? That is the question being posed by Shudder, AMC’s horror streaming service, which unveiled today Cursed Film, its new 5-part series. The series covers Poltergeist (1982), The Omen (1976), Twilight Zone: The Movie (1983), and The Crow (1994). Perhaps fittingly, though, the premiere episode deals with William Friedkin’s genre-defining classic from 1973, The Exorcist.

I am a shameless [non-paid] promoter for Shudder, AMC’s horror and supernatural streaming service. But like Sy Sperling of Hair Club for Men, I am also a client. Shudder is in the midst of an amazing Fall season, and Greg Nicotero’s new series Creepshow is on the frontlines of all of it. Season 1 of the anthology series is 6 episodes consisting of two 20+ minute segments featuring the acting, writing, and directing talent of some of the best in the genre. And before season 1 can even end, Shudder announced that the series has been renewed for a second season.

Horror fans are in all their glory as Halloween quickly approaches. Those looking to bolster their 31 Days of Halloween horror movie viewing should act now and join AMC’s Shudder, the biggest and best horror streaming service available. And I mean like right now! The service just announced that new members signing up for a year of Shudder can get 31% off annual subscriptions by visiting try.shudder.com/halloween2019. That’s a measly $3.28 per month in the U.S. and Canada, and £/€2.78 in the UK and Ireland. This extremely limited offer expires at midnight Pacific Time on Halloween (Thursday, October 31, 2019).

Shudder also just acquired the exclusive U.S. and Canadian distribution rights for Rob Zombie’s 3 From Hell, the conclusion to his Rejects trilogy. The film will premiere on Shudder in February of 2020, and will join other Zombie films such as Shudder Exclusive 31, House of 1,000 Corpses, and The Devil’s Rejects.

Creepshow
EPISODE 5a: “The Night of the Paw”
Written by John Esposito
Directed by John Harrison
Cast: Bruce Davison, Hannah Barefoot, Susannah Devereux, Grace Toso, Ryan Clay Gwaltney
EPISODE 5b: “Times is Tough in Musky Holler”
Written by John Skipp and Dori Miller
Directed by John Harrison
Cast: David Arquette, Dane Rhodes, Karen Strassman, Tommy Kane, Tracey Bonner, Kermit Rolison, Connor Hammond
Shudder
Air date: October 24, 2019

Shudder’s reimagining of George A. Romero’s and Stephen King’s Creepshow has been a monster hit, breaking streaming records for AMC’s genre service since its premiere in late September. Last week’s Creepshow episode was my favorite of the season thus far and this week we get the penultimate episode of the debut season with a “The Night of the Paw” and “Times is Tough in Musky Holler.” Created by Greg Nicotero of The Walking Dead, Creepshow features phenomenal practical effects, an assortment of genre legends sprinkled throughout the cast, and the darkly comedic fable-like storytelling that Creepshow made popular in the original 1982 film.