Here are 5 Horror Films ‘The Witch’ Director Robert Eggers Wants You to Stream
READ MORE: Shudder Launches Program for Horror Filmmakers (Details)
Robert Eggers‘ terrifying debut “The Witch” is opening this weekend to rave reviews. But if you can’t make it out to the theaters, or if you are embarrassed to scream in front of your friends, Eggers has curated a list of his own favorite movies to watch comfortably at home on the streaming service Shudder.
If you consider yourself a horror fan, then consider Shudder your new home. The horror-exclusive streaming service, backed by AMC Networks, is now in beta and launching a new initiative where influential horror directors personally curate lists of their favorites in the genre. Shudder, which houses a variety of films that span all decades and subgenres of horror, already provides detailed collections from lead curators Colin Geddes and Sam Zimmerman to promote easy discovery.
“Shudder prides itself on providing carefully selected horror films that speak to all types of horror fans,” said Geddes in an official statement. “Including the filmmakers we respect and admire in to this process is a natural evolutionary step for our service, and a way of celebrating the breadth and overall excellence of top creative voices in horror.”
Robert Eggers is the first to be chosen, while Karyn Kusama (“The Invitation,” “Jennifer’s Body”) and Alexandre Aja (“High Tension,” “The Hills Have Eyes”) will curate lists in the following two weeks, respectively. This week, Eggers has a solid list of classics mixed with contemporary entries.
“The Cabinet of Dr. Caligari”
“For me, this is the most iconic of the German Expressionist silent films. The design is immaculate and incredible the strange stylized performance by Conrad Veidt is mesmerizing. I’m getting chills remembering the close up of his awakening as I write this.”
“Kill List”
“Ben Wheatley continues to be one of the most original voices in contemporary film. I love all of his work and look forward to his next film. This is one of the few horror films in recent films that actually scared me. And the performances are fantastic.”
“Magic”
“Anthony Hopkins is so good in this film, it’s hard to believe. He¹s one of the greatest actors of the century, and it’s a pleasure to see him younger and raw. And man, he is creepy.”
“Nosferatu”
“It was an indie horror in its day, a bit rough around the edges yet it¹s one of the greatest and most haunting films ever made. The newly restored color tinted versions are really impressive, but I still prefer the poor black and white versions made from scraps of 16mm prints. Those grimy versions have an uncanny mystery to them and helped build the myth of Max Shreck being a real vampire.”
“The Snowtown Murders”
“One of the best debut features I have seen. The light, the atmosphere, the fantastic naturalistic performance, and the uncompromising truth, makes for a film that it more horrific than horror. It is notto be missed and impossible to be forgotten.”
You can sign up for Shudder here. Watch a personal video message from Robert Eggers introducing the collection above.
READ MORE: Review: ‘The Witch’ is a Uniquely Spooky Discovery
