This Halloween noticed the debut of an all-new horror anthology within the type of Guillermo del Toro’s Cabinet of Curiosities. True to its identify, the eight-part sequence featured a set of macabre tales from quite a lot of administrators, with del Toro serving because the overarching host. The anthology has been nicely obtained as a result of number of the tales concerned and the way it ties into del Toro’s penchant for exploring the actual horrors of the world. The indisputable fact that it led as much as Halloween simply occurred to be the icing on high of the cake. While Cabinet of Curiosities has but to obtain a sequence renewal, there are many different horror anthologies that followers can take a look at. Here’s only a number of sinister sequence which can be up horror followers’ alley.
Masters of Horror
The Masters of Horror sequence could be referred to as the non secular predecessor to Cabinet of Curiosities – particularly given del Toro’s connection to it. He was certainly one of ten administrators that sequence creator Mick Garris invited to dinner. The dinners grew to contain different horror icons corresponding to Wes Craven, David Cronenberg, and even Ti West. Soon, most of them would write and/or direct hour-long installments in Garris’ appropriately titled Masters of Horror anthology.
Many of the installments are primarily based on brief tales, together with “Dance With The Devil” by Richard Matheson and “Valerie on the Stairs” by Clive Baker. And like Cabinet, they function hallmarks of their director’s model. Take the Season 1 finale “Imprint” from Takashi Miike. Keeping according to Miike’s penchant from swinging wildly from style to style, the episode encompasses a romantic story that slowly grows increasingly more disturbing as time goes on. Showtime would shelve “Imprint” for its disturbing content material, however Masters of Horror impressed one other Garris-created TV present Fear Itself, together with a comic book ebook adaptation from IDW Publishing.
Masters of Horror is obtainable to stream on Tubi and Prime Video.
The Twilight Zone (2019)
Del Toro is not the one horror director to develop into concerned with an anthology sequence in recent times. Jordan Peele helped spearhead a revival of The Twilight Zone alongside Simon Kinberg and Marco Ramirez, which made its debut on the streamer previously generally known as CBS All Access (now Paramount+). In addition to serving as an govt producer and penning the Season 2 episode “Downtime,” Peele additionally served because the mysterious Narrator of The Twilight Zone – getting into Rod Serling‘s footwear.
The Twilight Zone revival obtained combined evaluations upon its debut, however it’s price a watch. From episodes that explored the price of fame, like “The Comedian” and “Ovation”, to the remake of the traditional episode “Nightmare at 30,000 Feet,” these episodes keep true to the spirit of the unique Zone. And like the varied incarnations of the Zone, the revival encompasses a star-studded solid together with Steven Yeun, who would later star in Peele’s sci-fi thriller Nope.
The Twilight Zone (2019) is obtainable to stream on Paramount+.
Black Mirror
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Cabinet of Curiosities is not the one horror anthology that is debuted on Netflix. One of the most well-liked sequence on the streamer is Black Mirror, which takes a darkish have a look at how expertise can have an effect on human beings’ lives. Series creator Charlie Brooker threw down the gauntlet with the premiere episode “The National Anthem,” the place the Prime Minister of Britain (Rory Kinnear) is blackmailed into having intercourse with a pig. Yes, you learn that proper.
Other episodes proceed to play out technological horrors, with “U.S.S. Callister” being a standout. That specific episode options Cristin Miloti as an ensign aboard the titular starship, who learns that she and the crew are literally clones of the programmer Robert (Jesse Plemons). “U.S.S. Callister” takes a darkly humorous and infrequently horrific spin on the Star Trek mythos, whereas additionally exploring the poisonous fantasies that may brew inside followers’ heads.
Black Mirror is obtainable to stream on Netflix.
Deadtime Stories
Horror anthologies aren’t only for grownup viewers. Younger viewers have loads of spooky sequence to take a look at, together with Deadtime Stories. Based on the ebook sequence by Annette & Gina Cascone, the sequence encompasses a babysitter (Jennifer Stone) who reads from the titular ebook to her younger expenses. Though Deadtime Stories is focused to a teen viewers, it nonetheless manages to maintain the horrific parts intact within the ebook sequence – significantly within the third episode “The Witching Game,” which tackles the city legend of Bloody Mary. Part of that is because of Annette Cascone serving because the showrunner and penning all 13 episodes. Though the present was short-lived, it is an ideal intro to horror for younger adults.
Deadtime Stories is obtainable to stream on Prime Video.
Just Beyond
Another younger adult-skewing anthology sequence price testing is Just Beyond. Based on the BOOM! Studios graphic novels created by R.L. Stine, the anthology options eight separate tales involving witches, alternate dimensions, and curses gone horribly fallacious. Unlike the opposite anthologies, Just Beyond is focused towards a youthful viewers. It’s additionally extra comedic in nature – the episode “Which Witch” filters the trials and tribulations of adolescence right into a world the place witchcraft exists, and “Parents Are From Mars, Kids Are From Venus” is pretty self-explanatory. Stine is probably finest identified for his Goosebumps books, which spawned their very own anthology tv present; with Just Beyond he proves to be a persistent drive in horror for younger adults.
Just Beyond is obtainable to stream on Disney+.
Are You Afraid of the Dark?
The honor of “original horror anthology for young adults” undoubtedly has to go to the Nickelodeon sequence Are You Afraid Of The Dark? The present facilities round a bunch of youngsters generally known as the Midnight Society, who would meet round a campfire. Each member would inform the others a scary story, with the story taking part in out for the viewers. In a twist on conference, a lot of these tales would finish fortunately – although there have been nonetheless loads of scares to be discovered. Are You Afraid of the Dark? turned certainly one of Nickelodeon’s hottest sequence, even spawning a pair of revival sequence in 1999 and 2019 respectively.
Are You Afraid of the Dark? is obtainable to stream on Paramount+.
Tales from the Crypt
Perhaps probably the most well-known horror anthology sequence is Tales from the Crypt, primarily based on the EC Comics sequence of the identical identify. While it’s famend for its decrepit host generally known as the Cryptkeeper and his bone-chillingly unhealthy puns, it additionally was allowed to push the envelope in a approach few sequence of its variety hadn’t. Due to airing on HBO, Tales from the Crypt was free from community restrictions involving blood and nudity and took the possibility to ship some really chilling tales. Like The Twilight Zone, it performed host to a lot of well-known visitor stars together with Brad Pitt and Ewan McGregor. It additionally led to a lot of spinoffs, together with function movies like Tales from the Crypt Presents: Demon Knight and the animated Tales from the Cryptkeeper. Del Toro has been open in regards to the affect EC Comics had on Cabinet of Curiosities, revealing that he learn loads of comics in his youth. “And I remember when I was a kid being very scared by Graham Ingels of EC Comics and by Jack Kirby’s Demon, his superhero/horror comic. It was full of really repugnant, perverse characters,” he told the Austin Chronicle in an interview.
