Holiday Horror
It started with Black Christmas. Bob Clark's groundbreaking slasher film took the then-shocking notion of setting a sorority bloodbath at Christmastime, offering a dark contrast to the joy of the holiday season. Halloween came a few years later, and its success spawned a slew of holiday-themed horror movies. The idea still catches fire every decade or so, retooled for new generations of viewers.
Why are these films so popular? It's partly because horror is the bad boy of cinema, always looking for ways to upset the status quo and topple sacred cows. To horror creators, the purity of a holiday is just waiting to be splashed with stage blood. But the deeper reason is that holidays are times when we gather with our families, and that can be joyful and painful. For some, the explicit violence of holiday-themed slasher films brings the angry undercurrents churning around the dinner table out into the open. For others, the shocking juxtaposition of a day of celebration with death and dismemberment is just another part of the play-acting thrill ride of moderated fear.
This episode features a deluxe sampler of holiday mayhem, including Black Christmas, Krampus, Silent Night Deadly Night, Terror Train, My Bloody Valentine, April Fool's Day, Happy Death Day and the blockbuster 2018 sequel to Halloween, featuring returning guest Jamie Lee Curtis.
Trailer
Recently Updated Shows
Brilliant Minds
Inspired by the extraordinary life and work of world-famous author and physician Oliver Sacks, Brilliant Minds follows a revolutionary, larger-than-life neurologist and his team of interns as they explore the last great frontier - the human mind - while grappling with their own relationships and mental health.
Buried in the Backyard
Buried in the Backyard examines true-crime stories of victims found buried in the most unsuspecting of places. While most people enjoy their backyard as a safe haven, others are not so lucky when they discover the horrors lurking beneath well-trimmed hedges and manicured fences. Uncovering the remains is only the beginning, however, as each hour-long episode follows a unique police investigation to identify the body, determine a cause of death and find the person responsible. Captivating recreations, along with first-hand accounts from those closest to the victims and law enforcement agents involved in the case, bring each shocking tale to life. As investigators dig into the "how" and "why" surrounding each crime, viewers are taken on an unpredictable journey and reminded that this could happen to anyone - in any home, in any neighborhood.
Universal Basic Guys
In Universal Basic Guys brothers Mark and Hank Hoagies suddenly find themselves with no jobs when the Glantontown Hot Dog factory switches over to automation. Lucky for them, the town started a radical Universal Basic Income pilot program, giving all residents of Glantontown $3,000 per month with no strings attached. Now, Mark, Hank and the rest of their local buddies are once again kids in the summertime, overflowing with the perilous combo of free time and stupid ideas. This is a show about men trying to find purpose in a world where they're no longer needed.
