Shudder to Explore Horror Icons in New Series ‘Behind the Monsters’

Written by John Edward Betancourt

These days, horror truly is one of the most, popular genres out there. Because everywhere you turn, spooky stories are in theaters, on your television screens or on the shelves at the supermarket. For people simply love the genre through and through these days and well, what’s truly amazing about horror… is that it wasn’t always so beloved. Because back in the day, it was considered to be gross, and a nuisance and people couldn’t quite understand why it had a fanbase. But something magical happened in the 70s and 80s and 90s. In that, iconic horror characters were born, the kind that were forces of nature and their mystery and seeming invincibility captivated audiences everywhere.

Plus, the advent of home video allowed for these movies and these wild characters to reach countless new audiences and recruit a vast array of fans and well… as they say, the rest is history. But the power and majesty and enigma of these characters still fascinates and captivates us to this day and that’s precisely why Shudder is going to explore them in great detail later this year. For earlier today at TCA, Shudder announced a brand-new series that dives deep into the wonder of some of horror’s most infamous monsters and well, here are all the details on Behind the Monsters, courtesy of Shudder.

‘Shudder, AMC Networks’ premium streamer for horror, thriller and the supernatural, announced today the new original docu-series Behind the Monsters, which takes a deep dive on cinematic horror icons.  Each of the series’ six episodes will focus on a single horror character, including Freddy Krueger, Jason Voorhees, Michael Myers, Candyman, Chucky and Pinhead, and feature interviews with horror experts and the writers, directors and actors from the original films that made each character the stuff of genre legends. Written and directed by Gabrielle Binkley and Anthony Uro and produced by Stage 3 Productions, Behind the Monsters debuts on Shudder on Tuesday October 26 with episodes rolling out weekly.
 
“In the history of film, only a handful of stars and characters like Mickey Mouse or Marilyn Monroe have risen to the heights of fame to become instantly recognizable the world over. Yet somehow, a small group of monsters who got their start in low-budget horror movies have transcended their humble beginnings to become international pop culture icons. Behind the Monsters will tell the story of their unlikely rise to fame, from the ideas that inspired them to the indelible mark they’ve left on the world,” said Craig Engler, Shudder’s general manager.
 
Behind the Monsters will focus on the following horror icons over six episodes:

• CANDYMAN, featuring interviews with the original Candyman (1992) Director Bernard Rose and stars Tony Todd and Virginia Madsen; Candyman (2021) Director Nia DaCosta; and Horror Noire’s Tananarive Due, among others.  

 

• CHUCKY, with interviews with Child’s Play (1988) Creator/Writer Don Mancini, Director Tom Holland and star Catherine Hicks, along with the voice of Chucky, Brad Dourif, among others.

 

• JASON VOORHEES, including interviews with Kane Hodder, actor/stuntman from Friday the 13th Parts VII & VIII, Jason Goes to Hell and Jason X, and Tom Savini, special effects creator on Friday the 13th Parts I & IV, among others.

 

• MICHAEL MYERS, featuring interviews with actor Nick Castle from Halloween and the new Halloween films from Blumhouse, as well as Halloween (2018) stunt actor James Jude Courtney, among others.

 

• FREDDY KRUEGER, including interviews with A Nightmare on Elm Street (1984) and Wes Craven’s New Nightmare (1994) stars Heather Langenkamp and Lin Shaye, as well as Special Effects Designer Jim Doyle, among others.

 

• PINHEAD, including an interview with Hellraiser actor Doug Bradley and others.

 
Other experts from the within genre set to appear throughout the series include Drac & Swan Boulet (The Boulet Brothers’ Dragula), Horror Noire documentary writer and producer Ashlee Blackwell, The Last Podcast on the Left hosts Ben Kissel and Henry Zebrowski, Blumhouse producer Ryan Turek and filmmakers Jeffrey Reddick (Final Destination), April Wolfe (Black Christmas, 2019), David Bruckner (Hellraiser reboot), and filmmaker and drag artist Peaches Christ.  

Behind the Monsters is executive produced by Phil Nobile Jr., Kelly Ryan and Mark Shostrom.’

If anything, this series appears as though it is going to be the definitive examination of horror icons and why we carry them with us years and decades after their final films were on the silver screen, and we here at Nerds That Geek cannot wait to see what insights and incredible stories will come to fruition when Behind the Monsters arrives on October 26.

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