5 Fun Horror Anthologies on Shudder, and What’s New for November 2020
Crossing the Streams is our monthly look at all the offerings hitting the big streaming services each month, and this time we’re checking out the new Shudder arrivals for November 2020. This month’s titles include a documentary on The Exorcist, a collection of Mario Bava films, the terrifically titled Blood Vessel, and more!
The list of new arrivals to Shudder for November 2020 is below. But first, I’m going to celebrate five films currently available on the world’s best horror streaming service.
Horror anthologies are a favorite of mine, and while too many of them stumble, there are more than a few that deliver enough fun thrills to make a watch recommended. Shudder is currently hosting several of them, so I’m highlighting five to check out next time you’re in the mood for anthology fun.
A Christmas Horror Story (2015)
Christmas is still more than a month away, but it’s never too early to get excited about Christmas-themed horror. This effort is the expected mixed bag, but while the tale of high-schoolers making a misguided documentary falls flat, there’s big fun to found elsewhere. A family is stalked by an angry Krampus in one tale that bleeds over into the film’s best sequence: a bloody battle between Krampus and Santa Claus. It’s a blast. An added bonus here is the presence of William Shatner as a radio DJ popping up between tales.
Creepshow Animated Special (2020)
Shudder’s original anthology series has a second season coming soon, but they’ve delivered a tasty treat while we wait in the form of a two-story animated special. First up is Stephen King‘s “Survivor Type,” a classic tale from Skeleton Crew about a surgeon trapped on a desert island who slowly but surely eats himself to stay alive. The second tale comes from Joe Hill, and it’s called “Twittering from the Circus of the Dead” which follows a teenager who documents her family’s boring vacation on Twitter even as they encounter the undead. Sharp-eyed viewers will see cameos from King and Hill in their respective tales.
The Mortuary Collection (2019)
Last year produced two new gems to the horror anthology subgenre with this being the first and more stylized. A young woman arrives at a mortuary to apply for a job, and the interview process sees the current mortician — a fantastic Clancy Brown — share stories of death and horror with her. There’s a nice, old-school feel to its humor and character, and at least two of the tales are big winners. First up is a revenge story involving a frat boy turned sexual predator that manages some dark laughs amid its entertaining practical effects and justice. The highlight, though, is writer/director Ryan Spindell‘s babysitter segment. It’s a gem.
Scare Package (2019)
The second of last year’s anthology winners comes courtesy of a handful of writers and directors. The different voices create different tales, but they do great work running a connective tissue between them. They also manage some sharp dialogue that serves to entertain with something of an homage to video store horror fans. Like the film above, the wraparound here involves someone telling stories to a prospective hire, and it’s good fun throughout. It’s also gleefully gory at times, making for a bloody romp that holds your attention through its visuals and its wit.
Tales of Halloween (2015)
While most horror anthologies deliver a handful of tales across their running time, this one features a whopping ten stories. The expected mixed bag rule applies, but we still get some creatively entertaining little chillers from filmmakers like Axelle Carolyn, Neil Marshall, Lucky McKee, and more. Some more serious and dark tales would have raised it overall, but the movie still works for fans of silly chills and horror-themed shenanigans.
The Complete Shudder November 2020 List
| Release Date | Title | Note |
|---|---|---|
| 11/2 | Emelie (2015) | |
| Salem’s Lot (1979) | ||
| Urban Legend (1998) | ||
| 11/5 | Blood Vessel (2019) | A Shudder Exclusive |
| 11/9 | Blood & Flesh: The Reel Life and Ghastly Death of Al Adamson (2019) | |
| Cherry Tree (2015) | ||
| 11/12 | Lingering (2020) | A Shudder Original |
| 11/14 | Saturday the 14th | |
| 11/16 | Are We Not Cats? (2016) | |
| Blood of Wolves (2018) | ||
| Coherence (2013) | ||
| Let the Corpses Tan (2017) | ||
| 11/19 | Leap of Faith: William Friedkin on The Exorcist (2019) | A Shudder Original |
| 11/23 | The Mario Bava Collection | |
| 11/24 | Porno (2019) | A Shudder Exclusive |
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