SHUDDER

Hey horror fans! Are you sick of Netflix? Had it with Hulu? Well you are in luck! There is a new horror streaming act in town and it is called Shudder presented by AMC. I recently received an invitation from the good folks at Shudder to test out their beta site for the next two months for free. Once I received their invite via email I was able to create an account and explore. I was required to enter my credit card information which has not and will not be charged until after the two month trial expires. At that time if I wish to continue my subscription the monthly charge is $4.99.

At present there are approximately 220 movies available to stream. You can sort alphabetically or browse by collection. There are  27 collections or catagories some examples include Psychos and Madmen, Romantic Bloodsuckers, Bad Genes & Killer Kids. The beta site is available only on your desktop or laptop but once the full site is launched and the free trial is over, mobile and Roku versions will be added.

I watched two films on the site in the last week. The picture quality and sound were comparable to Netflix or Hulu. However, I love the look of the Shudder site and the categories they have the movies arranged in and prefer the look over any other streaming sites I have used. I reviewed the FAQ section on the site which indicates that Shudder does accept requests for titles that are not currently available. As a horror fan and someone who already pays $20.00 per month total for three other streaming subscriptions I am hoping Shudder will add more content. 

I have already found a few films that I was unable to find to stream anywhere else so I am hopeful. To be totally satisfied with Shudder’s content, I would like a movie selection of at minimum 500 to 1,000 films at any given time and at least some films not available anywhere else.  I would also like television shows either original or classic horror TV shows. The current content and look of the site are a good start for just three weeks into the beta testing. I am looking forward to how the site develops over the next month. There is potential but this site will need to do something to set it apart from the rest of the pack! If you would like to test it yourself click the link below and register your email address but be patient it may take a bit to receive an invite.

An Alternate Point-of-View:  Your faithful editor here to offer another viewpoint of the Beta testing.  Unless they make some good sized changes, it’s not worth $5 a month.  75% of the movies available can be found on free horror channels on Roku, Chromecast, etc.  The other 25% are titles that any self-respecting horror fan already has like Amityville Horror or Sleepaway Camp.  Now, if they had the entire Sleepaway Camp or Amityville franchise available — then it’s a new ballgame, but like all other streaming services, no entire franchises.

Most complexing is the lack of Walking Dead.  I don’t know the deal that AMC has with the creators of The Walking Dead, it may prevent them from using the show on their streaming service.  However, it would be a great boon to the site. B-rate horror is easy to come by.  To set itself apart from other horror streaming services, AMC needs to make use of their deal with Universal that they use every October and book some stuff that horror fans can’t get anywhere else.

TV shows would be a good start.  Freddy’s Nightmares can’t be that expensive.  Old Tales from the Darkside or even Masters of Horrors episodes would go a long way to making the five bucks a month more palatable. Maybe add some podcasts?  AMC — talk to me.

At the moment, not worthy of $5 a month, but certainly worthy of keeping an eye on.

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