Grinding the Stream August 2021 UPDATES: North American Horror & Cult
Welcome to the end of summer on the stream! As per usual, I'm including as many movies as I can per each category as I scour Netflix, Hulu, Amazon Prime, Criterion Channel, HBO Max, Peacock, Fandor, Shudder, Arrow Video, Tubi, Midnight Pulp (a "+" will be included wherever subscription fees apply), VUDU’s free selections, The Roku Channel, Popcorn Flix, Crackle, Dark Matter TV, Night Flight, Shout Factory TV (though most of their titles can also be watched via Amazon Prime). This month I've also added Paramount+ and AMC+.
Again, be warned – all of the free apps have ad breaks (I know, it sucks) and the video quality is inconsistent from app to app. Sometimes it's genuine HD, other times, it's sub-VHS. I've also included links to my own reviews of some of these films.
The Masters of Horror (so-called)
Clive Barker Movies
I know he’s British, shhhh...
Transmutations (aka: Underworld; directed by George Pavlou, 1985) – Amazon Prime, Tubi, Shout Factory TV, and Pluto TV
Rawhead Rex (directed by George Pavlou, 1986) – Shudder and AMC+
Hellraiser (1987) – Amazon Prime, Shudder, AMC+, The Roku Channel, and Tubi
Hellbound: Hellraiser 2 (directed by Tony Randel, 1988) – HULU, Amazon Prime, Shudder, AMC+, The Roku Channel, Pluto TV, and Tubi
Nightbreed (1990) – Amazon Prime (via imdbTV), Shudder, AMC+, VUDU Free, Peacock, Tubi, and Pluto TV (director’s cut)
Candyman (directed by Bernard Rose, 1992) – Peacock
Lord of Illusions (1995) – Amazon Prime
Candyman: Farewell to the Flesh (directed by Bill Condon, 1995) – Amazon Prime and Pluto TV
The Midnight Meat Train (directed by Ryûhei Kitamura, 2008) – Amazon Prime (via imdbTV), Pluto TV, and Tubi
Books of Blood (directed by John Harrison, 2009) – Amazon Prime (via imdbTV), The Roku Channel, Pluto TV, and Tubi
Books of Blood (directed by Brannon Braga, 2020) – HULU
John Carpenter Horror/Thriller/Sci-fi Movies
Dark Star (1974) – Crackle, Tubi, Pluto TV, The Roku Channel, and Shout Factory TV
Assault on Precinct 13 (1976) – HBO Max
Halloween (1978) – Shudder, AMC+, and The Roku Channel
The Fog (1980) – Amazon Prime and AMC+
Escape from New York (1981) – HBO Max and AMC+
Starman (1984) – Pluto TV
They Live (1988) – Peacock
Body Bags (with Tobe Hooper, 1993) – Amazon Prime, Peacock, Shudder, AMC+, Shout Factory TV, VUDU Free, Shout Factory TV, and Popcorn Flix
Larry Cohen Horror Movies (RIP)
God Told Me To (1976) – Arrow
Full Moon High (1981) – Paramount+
Q: The Winged Serpent (1982) – Pluto TV
Special Effects (1984) – HULU and Paramount+
The Stuff (1985) – Amazon Prime, Arrow, and Tubi
Maniac Cop (directed by William Lustig, 1988) – Shudder, AMC+, and Midnight Pulp
Maniac Cop 2 (directed by William Lustig, 1990) – Amazon Prime (via imdbTV), Shudder, AMC+, VUDU Free, The Roku Channel, Tubi, Night Flight, and Popcorn Flix
Maniac Cop 3 (directed by William Lustig, 1992) – Amazon Prime (via imdbTV), Shudder, AMC+, VUDU Free, The Roku Channel, Tubi, and Popcorn Flix
Uncle Sam (directed by William Lustig, 1997) – Tubi
Don Coscarelli Horror Movies.
Phantasm (1979) – Amazon Prime, Peacock, Crackle, Tubi, Pluto TV, and Popcorn Flix
Phantasm III: Lord of the Dead (1994) – Peacock, Crackle, Tubi, Pluto TV, and Popcorn Flix
Phantasm: OvlIVion (1998) – Peacock, Crackle, Tubi, Pluto TV, and Popcorn Flix
Bubba Ho-Tep (2002) – Pluto TV
John Dies at the End (2012) – Amazon Prime, VUDU Free, Crackle, Pluto TV, and Tubi
Phantasm: RaVager (directed by David Hartman, 2016) – Peacock, Crackle, and Tubi
BONUS: The Beastmaster (1982) – Amazon Prime
Wes Craven Horror Movies (RIP)
The Last House on the Left (1972) – HULU, Popcorn Flix, and Pluto TV
The Hills Have Eyes (1977) – Shudder, AMC+, Arrow, and Tubi
Stranger in Our House (1978) – Crackle and Tubi
Deadly Blessing (1981) – Tubi
A Nightmare on Elm Street (1984) – Peacock
The Hills Have Eyes Part 2 (1984) – Arrow, AMC+, and Tubi
Invitation to Hell (1984) – Tubi and VUDU Free
Chiller (1985) – The Roku Channel
New Nightmare (1994) – HBO Max
Vampire in Brooklyn (1995) – Peacock
Scream (1996) – HBO Max and Pluto TV
Scream 2 (1997) – HBO Max and Pluto TV
Scream 3 (2000) – HBO Max and Pluto TV
Cursed (2005) – HBO Max
David Cronenberg Horror Movies
Stereo (1969) – Criterion Channel
Shivers (aka: They Came From Within, 1975) – The Roku Channel, Popcorn Flix and Tubi
Rabid (1977) – HBO Max, The Roku Channel, and Dark Matter TV
The Brood (1979) – HBO Max and Criterion Channel
Scanners (1981) – HBO Max and Criterion Channel
Dead Zone (1983) – Paramount+, AMC+, and HULU
Dead Ringers (1988) – Peacock, Tubi, Popcorn Flix, Pluto TV, and Shout Factory TV
eXistenZ (1999) – Paramount+
Joe Dante Movies
Piranha (1978) – Amazon Prime, Shudder, AMC+, and Crackle
The Howling (1981) – AMC+
Gremlins (1985) – HBO Max
Explorers (1985) – Amazon Prime and Pluto TV
Innerspace (1987) – HBO Max
Gremlins 2: The New Batch (1990) – HBO Max
Small Soldiers (1998) – Amazon Prime, Paramount+, and Pluto TV
Brian de Palma Horror Movies/Thrillers
Murder à la Mod (1968) – The Roku Channel and Tubi
Sisters (1972) – Criterion Channel and HBO Max
Phantom of the Paradise (1974) – AMC+
Blow Out (1981) – Criterion Channel and Pluto TV
Body Double (1984) – Criterion Channel and Pluto TV
Snake Eyes (1998) – HBO Max
Passion (2012) – Tubi, Pluto TV, and VUDU Free
Stuart Gordon Movies (RIP)
Re-Animator (1985) – Shudder, Arrow, AMC+, and Tubi
From Beyond (1986) – Pluto TV
Dolls (1987) – Shudder and AMC+
The Pit and the Pendulum (1991) – Tubi and Pluto TV
Castle Freak (1995) – Shudder, AMC+, and Tubi
Space Truckers (1996) – Amazon Prime and Tubi
Dagon (2001) – VUDU Free, The Roku Channel, and Tubi
King of the Ants (2003) – VUDU Free, Pluto TV, and Tubi
Edmond (2005) – Amazon Prime (via imdbTV), VUDU Free, The Roku Channel, and Tubi
Stuck (2007) – Amazon Prime (via imdbTV), AMC+, Tubi
BONUS: Bride of Re-Animator (Brian Yuzna, 1995) – Shudder, AMC+, Arrow, Night Flight, and Tubi
Tobe Hooper Movies (RIP)
The Texas Chainsaw Massacre (1974) – Shudder, AMC+, Arrow, and Tubi
Eaten Alive (aka: Slaughter Hotel; 1976) – VUDU Free and Night Flight
Poltergeist (1982) – HBO Max
Lifeforce (1985) – Pluto TV
The Texas Chainsaw Massacre 2 (1986) – Amazon Prime, The Roku Channel, and Pluto TV
Invaders from Mars (1986) – Pluto TV
Body Bags (with John Carpenter, 1993) – Amazon Prime, Peacock, Shudder, AMC+, Shout Factory TV, VUDU Free, Shout Factory TV, and Popcorn Flix
Crocodile (2000) – The Roku Channel, VUDU Free, Crackle, and Pluto TV
Sam Raimi Movies
Darkman (1990) – Peacock
The Quick and the Dead (1995) – AMC+ and Pluto TV
Simple Plan (1998) – Paramount+ and Pluto TV
The Gift (2000) – Paramount+ and HULU
Drag Me to Hell (2009) – Peacock
George A. Romero Movies (RIP)
Night of the Living Dead (1968) – Criterion Channel and HBO Max (best transfer), Amazon Prime, Shudder, VUDU Free, The Roku Channel, Popcorn Flix, Night Flight, Midnight Pulp +, and Tubi
There's Always Vanilla (1971) – Arrow and Tubi
Season of the Witch (aka: Hungry Wives, 1972) – Shudder, AMC+, Arrow, and Tubi
The Crazies (1973) – Arrow, VUDU Free, and Tubi
Knightriders (1981) – VUDU Free, Popcorn Flix, Tubi, Pluto TV, and Shout Factory TV
Creepshow (1982) – Shudder and AMC+
Day of the Dead (1985) – Shudder, Tubi, and Pluto TV
Monkey Shines (1988) – HBO Max
Two Evil Eyes (Italian: Due occhi diabolici; co-directed with Dario Argento, 1990) – Arrow, VUDU Free, Popcorn Flix, and Tubi
Bruiser (2000) – The Roku Channel, VUDU Free, and Tubi
Land of the Dead (2005) – Peacock
Diary of the Dead (2008) – Pluto TV, VUDU Free, and Tubi
Survival of the Dead (2010) – Amazon Prime, VUDU Free, The Roku Channel, Pluto TV, Crackle, and Tubi
The Amusement Park (2021) – Shudder and AMC+
Vincent Price Movies
(I realize some of these are British-made)
Shock (Alfred L. Werker, 1946) – Amazon Prime (via imdbTV) and Pluto TV
The Baron of Arizona (Samuel Fuller, 1950) – Criterion Channel
House on Haunted Hill (William Castle, 1959) – Amazon Prime, Fandor, Shudder, AMC+, VUDU Free, Dark Matter TV, Midnight Pulp, Pluto TV, and Tubi
The Bat (Crane Wilbur, 1959) – Amazon Prime, Paramount+, Pluto TV, Dark Matter TV, and Tubi
The Tingler (William Castle, 1959) – Tubi, Crackle, and Popcorn Flix
Tales of Terror (Roger Corman, 1962) – Paramount+
The Haunted Palace (Roger Corman, 1963) – Paramount+
The Comedy of Terrors (Jacques Tourneur, 1963) – Paramount+
Diary of a Madman (Reginald Le Borg, 1963) – Paramount+
Twice-Told Tales (Sidney Salkow, 1963) – Paramount+
The Last Man on Earth (Ubaldo Ragona and Sidney Salkow, 1964) – Amazon Prime,The Roku Channel, Popcorn Flix, Pluto TV, Midnight Pulp, Tubi, and Dark Matter TV
The Masque of the Red Death (Roger Corman, 1964) – The Roku Channel
Dr. Goldfoot and the Bikini Machine (Norman Taurog, 1965) – Paramount+
Dr. Goldfoot and the Girl Bombs (Italian: Le spie vengono dal semifreddo; Mario Bava, 1966) –Paramount+
Witchfinder General (aka: The Conquerer Worm; Michael Reeves, 1968) – Shudder
The Oblong Box (Gordon Hessler, 1969) – Paramount+
Cry of the Banshee (Gordon Hessler, 1970) – Paramount+
Theatre of Blood (Douglas Hickox, 1973) – Tubi
Madhouse (Jim Clark, 1974) – Paramount+
The Monster Club (Roy Ward Baker, 1981) – Shudder, AMC+, and Tubi
From a Whisper to a Scream (Jeff Burr, 1987) – Paramount+
Dead Heat (Mark Goldblatt, 1988) – Shudder, AMC+, and Tubi
The Masters of Trash (so-dubbed by myself)
Al Adamson Movies
The Female Bunch (1969) – The Roku Channel and Tubi
Jessi's Girls (1975) – The Roku Channel and Tubi
Sunset Cove (1978) – Tubi
Death Dimension (1978) – Tubi
Herschell Gordon Lewis Movies
Blood Feast (1963) – Arrow and Tubi
Scum of the Earth! (1963) – Arrow and Tubi
Two Thousand Maniacs! (1964) – Arrow and Tubi
Moonshine Madness (1964) – Arrow and Tubi
Color Me Blood Red (1965) – Arrow and Tubi
A Hot Night at the Go-Go Lounge! (short, 1966) – Arrow
Blast-Off Girls (1967) – Paramount+
Something Weird (1967) – Arrow
The Gruesome Twosome (1967) – Arrow
A Taste of Blood (1967) – Arrow
How to Make a Doll (1968) – Arrow and Tubi
She-Devils on Wheels (1968) – Arrow and Tubi
Just for the Hell of It (1968) – Arrow
The Wizard of Gore (1970) – Arrow and Tubi
This Stuff'll Kill Ya! (1971) – Arrow
The Gore Gore Girls (1972) – Arrow and Tubi
Frank Henenlotter Movies
Basket Case (1982) – Arrow, Shudder, AMC+, and Tubi
Brain Damage (1988) – Arrow and Tubi
Frankenhooker(1990) – Shudder and AMC+
That's Sexploitation! (2013) – Night Flight
Ted V. Mikels Movies
Strike Me Deadly (1963) – Tubi
Girl in Gold Boots (1968) – Tubi
The Corpse Grinders (1971) – Tubi
Blood Orgy of the She Devils (1973) – Tubi
The Doll Squad (1973) – Tubi
Missile X: The Neutron Bomb Incident (1978) – Amazon Prime (via imdbTV), Roku Channel, Tubi, and Pluto TV
10 Violent Women (1982) – Tubi
Angel of Vengeance (1987) – Tubi
Mission: Killfast (1991) – Tubi
Dimension in Fear(1998) – Tubi
The Corpse Grinders II (2000) – Tubi
Mark of the Astro-Zombies (2004) – Tubi
Cauldron: Baptism of Blood (2004) – Tubi
Andy Milligan Movies
The Body Beneath (1970) – Paramount+, Popcorn Flix, and Pluto TV
Guru, the Mad Monk (1970) – Tubi
Blood (1973) – Tubi
Legacy of Blood (1978) – Tubi and Shout Factory TV
Must-See North American Underground Horror Classics
These are a series of relatively deep cuts that offer unique, sometimes surrealistic alternatives to the more popular American (and Canadian) horror movies of the ‘70s (and early ‘80s). I can’t guarantee everyone will like them, but, for better or worse, I think of them as vital pieces of Americana and, uh, Canadana(?).
Spider Baby (Jack Hill, 1967) – Fandor, The Roku Channel, VUDU Free, Midnight Pulp, Popcorn Flix, and Tubi
The Headless Eyes (Kent Bateman, 1971) – YouTube
Let’s Scare Jessica to Death (John D. Hancock, 1971) – Pluto TV
Images (Robert Altman, 1972) – Arrow and Tubi
Blood and Lace (Philip S. Gilbert, 1971) – Amazon Prime
Grave of the Vampire (John Hayes, 1972) – Paramount+ and Tubi
Silent Night, Bloody Night (Theodore Gershuny, 1972) – VUDU Free, Popcorn Flix, Dark Matter TV, and Tubi
Blacula (William Crain, 1972) – Shudder, AMC+, and Pluto TV
Scream Blacula Scream (Bob Kelljan, 1973) – Shudder, AMC+, Pluto TV, and Tubi
Malatesta’s Carnival of Blood (Christopher Speeth, 1973) – Arrow and Tubi
Ganja & Hess (Bill Gunn, 1973) – AMC+
Last House on Dead End Street (Roger Watkins, 1973) – Tubi
Blackenstein (William A. Levey, 1973) – Amazon Prime (via imdbTV), VUDU Free, and Tubi
Messiah of Evil (Willard Huyck and Gloria Katz, 1973) – Paramount+, AMC+, Midnight Pulp, and Dark Matter TV
The Baby (Ted Post, 1973) – Arrow, Shudder, AMC+, Midnight Pulp, Night Flight, and Tubi
Deathdream (aka: Dead of Night; Bob Clark, 1974) – Arrow, Criterion Channel, Night Flight, VUDU Free, and Tubi
Devil Times Five (aka: People Toys; Sean MacGregor, 1974) – Tubi
Alice Sweet Alice (aka: Communion; Alfred Sole, 1976) – AMC+ and Tubi
The Witch Who Came from the Sea (Matt Cimber, 1976) – Arrow, Night Flight, and Tubi
The Child (Robert Voskanian, 1977) – Arrow and Tubi
Cathy’s Curse (Eddy Matalon, 1977) – Tubi
Rituals (aka: The Creeper; Peter Carter, 1977) – Fandor
Shock Waves (Ken Wiederhorn, 1977) – Night Flight and Arrow
Death Bed: The Bed that Eats (George Barry, 1977) – Amazon Prime and Tubi
Tourist Trap (David Schmoeller, 1979) – Shudder, AMC+, and Tubi
Don’t Go in the House (Joseph Ellison, 1979) – Amazon Prime (via imdbTV), Pluto TV, The Roku Channel, and Tubi
The Driller Killer (Abel Ferrara, 1979) – Arrow and Tubi
To All a Goodnight (David Hess, 1980) – Paramount+
Christmas Evil (Lewis Jackson, 1980) – Shudder, AMC+, The Roku Channel, and VUDU Plus
Franchise Horror
Friday the 13th
Jason Goes to Hell: The Final Friday (Adam Marcus, 1993) – HBO Max
Jason X (James Isaac, 2001) – HBO Max
Freddy vs. Jason (Ronny Yu, 2003) – HBO Max
Friday the 13th (Marcus Nispel, 2009) – HBO Max (the rest are on Starz if you guys have that)
A Nightmare on Elm Street
A Nightmare on Elm Street (Wes Craven, 1984) – Peacock
A Nightmare on Elm Street 2: Freddy's Revenge (Jack Sholder, 1985) – Peacock
A Nightmare on Elm Street 3: Dream Warriors (Chuck Russell, 1987) – Peacock
A Nightmare on Elm Street 4: The Dream Master (Renny Harlin, 1988) – Peacock
A Nightmare on Elm Street 5: The Dream Child (Stephen Hopkins, 1989) – HBO Max
Freddy's Dead: The Final Nightmare (Rachel Talalay, 1991) – HBO Max
New Nightmare (Wes Craven, 1994) – HBO Max
Freddy vs. Jason (Ronny Yu, 2003) – HBO Max
A Nightmare on Elm Street (Samuel Bayer, 2010) – Peacock
Halloween
Halloween (John Carpenter, 1978) – Shudder, AMC+, and The Roku Channel
Halloween III: Season of the Witch (Tommy Lee Wallace, 1982) – AMC+
Halloween 4: The Return of Michael Myers (Dwight H. Little, 1988) – Shudder and AMC+
Halloween 5: The Revenge of Michael Myers (Dominique Othenin-Girard, 1989) – Shudder and AMC+
Halloween: The Curse of Michael Myers (Joe Chappelle, 1995) – Paramount+
Halloween II (Rob Zombie, 2009) – Tubi
Child's Play
Child's Play (Tom Holland, 1990) – Tubi
Child's Play (Lars Klevberg, 2019) – Paramount+ and HULU (the rest are streaming on the Syfy Channel app)
Final Destination
Sadly, none of these are streaming anywhere, though you can rent/buy them digitally.
Non-Franchise Slashers and Other Mad Killers
Invasion of the Blood Farmers (Ed Adlum, 1972) – Night Flight and Tubi
Black Christmas (Bob Clark, 1974) – Shudder, AMC+, Peacock, VUDU Free, Shout Factory TV, The Roku Channel, Pluto TV, Popcorn Flix, Crackle, and Tubi
Drive-In Massacre (Stu Segall, 1976) – Paramount +, Night Flight, and Tubi
Savage Weekend (David Paulsen 1979) – Paramount + and Night Flight
Maniac (Bill Lustig, 1980) – Arrow, VUDU Free, Shudder, AMC+, Night Flight, and Tubi
Prom Night (Paul Lynch, 1980) – Shudder, AMC+, Peacock, VUDU Free, Amazon Prime (via imdbTV), The Roku Channel, Pluto TV, Popcorn Flix, Crackle, and Tubi
Fade to Black (Vernon Zimmerman, 1980) – Shudder and AMC+
Terror Train (Roger Spottiswoode, 1980) – Shudder, AMC+, and The Roku Channel
Madman (Joe Giannone, 1981) – Pluto TV and Tubi
My Bloody Valentine (George Mihalka, 1981) – Paramount + and HULU
Hell Night (1981) – Shudder, AMC+, Shout Factory TV, and Tubi
The Prowler (Joseph Zito, 1981) – Arrow, VUDU Free, and Tubi
Final Exam (Jimmy Huston, 1981) – Tubi
Bloody Birthday (Ed Hunt, 1981) – Arrow, AMC+, and Tubi
The Dorm that Dripped Blood (Stephen Carpenter and Jeffrey Obrow, 1982) – Midnight Pulp
Sleepaway Camp (Robert Hiltzik, 1983) – Shudder, AMC+, Peacock, Popcorn Flix, Pluto TV, and Tubi
Slumber Party Massacre (Amy Holden Jones, 1983) – Shudder, AMC+, The Roku Channel, VUDU Free, Popcorn Flix, Pluto TV, and Tubi
The Final Terror (Andrew Davis, 1983) –– Popcorn Flix and Tubi
Curtains (Richard Ciupka, 1983) – VUDU Free, The Roku Channel, and Tubi
The Mutilator (Buddy Cooper, 1984) – Arrow, Night Flight, and Tubi
The Initiation (Peter Crane & Larry Stewart, 1984) – Tubi
Henry: Portrait of a Serial Killer (John McNaughton, 1986) – Amazon Prime (via imdbTV), VUDU Free, The Roku Channel, and Tubi
Sorority House Massacre (Carol Frank, 1986) – Shudder, AMC+, and Tubi
April Fool's Day (Fred Walton, 1986) – Amazon Prime
Blood Rage (John Grissmer, 1987) – Arrow, Night Flight, and Tubi
Doom Asylum (Richard Friedman, 1987) – Arrow and Tubi
Slaughterhouse (Rick Roessler, 1987) – VUDU Free and Tubi
Hello Mary Lou: Prom Night II (Bruce Pittman, 1987) – Shudder, AMC+, Peacock, VUDU Free, Popcorn Flix, Pluto TV, Night Flight, Crackle, and Tubi
Slumber Party Massacre II (Deborah Brock, 1987) – Shudder, AMC+, Arrow, Pluto TV, and Tubi
Jack's Back (Rowdy Herrington, 1988) – Pluto TV, Shout Factory TV, and Tubi
White of the Eye (Donald Cammell, 1988) – Shudder, AMC+, and Tubi
Edge of the Axe (José Ramón Larraz, 1988) – Shudder, AMC+, Arrow, and Tubi
Intruder (Scott Spiegel, 1989) – AMC+, Pluto TV, and Tubi
Underseen (?) American Creature Features
Squirm (Jeff Lieberman, 1976) – Tubi (worms)
Shriek of the Mutilated (Michael Findlay, 1974) – Tubi (yeti)
Track of the Moon Beast (Richard Ashe, 1976) – Paramount + and Dark Matter TV (lizard man)
The Incredible Melting Man (William Sachs, 1977) – Paramount + (melting man, naturally)
Slithis (aka: Spawn of the Slithis; Stephen Traxler, 1978) – Popcorn Flix and Tubi
Night of the Demon (James C. Wasson, 1980) – YouTube (penis-tearing Bigfoot)
The Slayer (J.S. Cardone, 1982) – Arrow and Tubi (dream monster)
Neon Maniacs (Joseph Mangine, 1986) – Tubi (mutants)
The Terror Within (Thierry Notz, 1989) – Tubi (mutant creature)
Shakma (Hugh Parks, 1990) – Shudder, Popcorn Flix, and Tubi (angry baboon)
Project: Metalbeast (Alessandro De Gaetano, 1995) – Tubi (seriously if you only watch one movie on this list, watch this one, it’s about a genetically engineered, bulletproof werewolf)