A Cinematic History of Horror for Hallowe'en On Roku - DAY 31: Folktales & Supernatural Forces! (2015-2016)

HAPPY HALLOWE'EN, EVERYBODY !!!!!!!

Well, Boils & Ghouls... the BIG DAY has arrived !! Yes, October 31st is here at last and FINALLY we can REALLY get into the spirit of things (ahem!) and celebrate HALLOWE'EN in fine style !! Of course, this also means that the Countdown To Hallowe'en 2016 is now over, and this will be the last post in the month-long blogathon that was "A Cinematic History of Horror for Hallowe'en On Roku"!


So, let's begin 'Day Thirty-One' of "A Cinematic History of Horror for Hallowe'en On Roku" by bringing you my last batch of fright flicks from the enormous back-catalogue of macabre movies that have been thrilling cinema-goers for more than a century and can now be streamed to your television sets via the magic of Roku player - and then dim down the lights... to enjoy all those frights! :-O


If you read my special hallowe'en blogathon preview - FOUND HERE - which I published at the end of September, then you'll know I have been posting one Hallowe'en / Horror related article each day, throughout the month of October, each featuring one horror movie per year from cinematic history, starting in 1895 and ending in 2016. This averaged out at about four films per day, until now, but there's only two more years (as well as films) left to go. Even so, you'll have plenty of choice for macabre movie viewing as we enjoy "A Cinematic History of Horror for Hallowe'en on Roku"! ;-)

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Our first movie today is a feature-length film from the USA, directed by David Robert Mitchell, and first released in 2015 under the title of "It Follows"... while based on an original screenplay that was also written by the director. This horror mystery movie tells the tale of Jay Height (Maika Monroe)... a nineteen year-old girl for whom Autumn was supposed to be about school, boys and week-ends out at the lake. But, after a seemingly innocent sexual encounter, she finds herself plagued by strange visions and the inescapable sense that someone, or something, is following her. Faced with this burden, Jay and her friends must find a way to escape the horrors of this unknown supernatural force, which seems to always be no more than a few steps behind them at any time, wherever they go!

It Follows (2015) [Movie Poster]

PHOTO CREDIT: impawards.com

It Follows (2015) [Alternative Poster]

PHOTO CREDIT: imdb.com

It Follows (2015) [Portuguese Poster]

PHOTO CREDIT: impawards.com

It Follows (2015) [French Poster]

PHOTO CREDIT: impawards.com

It Follows (2015) [British Quad Poster]

PHOTO CREDIT: aceshowbiz.com

As with some of the other films shared recently, I was unable to find a decent copy of "It Follows" that was both free-to-stream and compatible with the requirements for playback on Roku devices. Sure, there are some rough copies out there... either with reduced aspect ratios, heavily cropped, or shrunk to less than one quarter screen-size - not to mention those with foreign language audio dubs and/or subtitles, plus a few whose sound and/or picture quality left a lot to be desired. Please feel free to do your own search for those, if you wish to do so. For my part, I am recommending you go with the best of the options I found for streaming "It Follows" (2015) and that is via 'Amazon Video'.

If you have yet to install this Roku channel, you will find it under "Film & TV" in the "Official" Roku UK Channel Store that is built-in to your Roku streaming media player(s). Those of you who are Amazon Prime members are already good to go and can watch this film for free once you're signed into the app with your Amazon UK login. Any of you who are (currently) not Prime members can either choose to take advantage of the 30-DAY FREE TRIAL of Amazon Prime for new subscribers, or you can simply rent the video from Amazon Video UK for £0.99 in both (SD) and (HD) - or else, buy it (again, via Amazon UK) for £2.99 (SD) or £3.99 (HD) - and watch it via the Amazon Video channel on your Roku device. Do bear in mind that, when renting from Amazon Video UK, you have 30 days to start watching... and 48 hours to finish your video rental, once you have started playback for the first time. Details of various options are shown in the screenshot (below) taken from the Amazon UK website and there is a link provided beneath the screenshot image which will take you directly to the webpage shown therein:-

HINT: Please CLICK on the above image TO ENLARGE IT for easier viewing !!

AMAZON UK WEBSITE LINK:- It Follows (2015) [via Amazon Video UK]

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And so, we come to our last movie for today... and, indeed, for this series of posts as a whole. What we have is another feature-length film from the USA... but, this time, directed by Robert Eggers, that was first released in 2016 under the title of "The VVitch: A New-England Folktale" but, more often than not, referred to simply as, "The Witch", which was the world-wide English title for this movie. Based on an original screenplay, written by the director, this horror mystery tells the tale of a family in 1630's New England which is torn apart by the forces of witchcraft, black magic and possession. William (Ralph Ineson) and Katherine (Kate Dickie) try to lead a devout Christian life, homesteading on the edge of an impassible wilderness, with daughters Thomasin (Anya Taylor-Joy) and Mercy (Ellie Grainger) plus sons Caleb (Harvey Scrimshaw) and Jonas (Lucas Dawson) as well as a baby. When their newborn son mysteriously vanishes and their crops fail, the family turn on one another with devastating consequences. "A New-England Folktale" may sound quaint, but "The Witch" is a chilling portrait of a family unraveling within their own sins, leaving them prey for inescapable evil!

Ralph Ineson in The VVitch - A New-England Folktale [aka The Witch] (2016)

PHOTO CREDIT: imdb.com

Harvey Scrimshaw in The VVitch - A New-England Folktale [aka The Witch] (2016)

PHOTO CREDIT: imdb.com

Anya Taylor-Joy in The VVitch - A New-England Folktale [aka The Witch] (2016)

PHOTO CREDIT: imdb.com

Fortunately for us, as with "La Piel Que Habito" [aka The Skin I Live In] (2011) shared yesterday, this film is (once again) free-to-stream via the 'XTV' private channel on Roku devices. If you have yet to add 'XTV' to your channel selection, please refer to yesterday's post for full instructions on how to go about it. Once you have added the 'XTV' private channel to your Roku device(s), you should see the following channel icon at the end of your list of installed channels:-

If you then launch the 'XTV' private channel, on your Roku player, and navigate to the icon marked, "On Demand Movies & TV Shows", you simply click the "OK" button (on your Roku remote) to access the sub-menu. Once you're in the sub-menu... you need to scroll to the right, within the "XTV Movies" heading (n.b. you should already be in that section, when it loads), until you come to an icon marked "Horror" (all genres are listed alphabetically - i.e. Action, Animation, Comedy, Drama, etc). Then just click the "OK" button on your Roku remote again, and you'll soon see a vertical list of all the horror movies (again, listed alphabetically for convenience) so next you just scroll down until you come to "The Witch" (n.b. it's listed by the short title, not "The VVitch: A New-England Folktale" as per the original title of the film) and then simply click "OK" again to begin playing your movie! :-)

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Before I sign-off on this year's "Countdown To Hallowe'en" blogathon, I'd just like to acknowledge the inspiration behind my theme of "A Cinematic History of Horror for Hallowe'en On Roku", which began when I watched a video by Diego Carrera, entitled "A History of Horror", on Vimeo - this took the form of a short video essay, proposing a timeline of influential and aesthetically beautiful horror movies from around the world. Were it not for Brazilian film critic and editor, Diego Carrera, creating this fantastic visualisation of how horror films (from 1895 to 2016) have evolved over that 122 year period, then this entire month-long series of posts (covering each and every one of those films) may never have happened. Obviously, given my involvement in the Countdown To Hallowe'en over the years, I would have come-up with an alternative theme for 2016... but, when all is said and done, I'm really pleased to have had the opportunity to do this. As a gesture of my gratitude to Diego, I'm going to share that original 12-minute video with you now, so you can see it for yourselves:-

A History of Horror from Diego Carrera on Vimeo.

For reference purposes, I'm also including a series of screenshots (taken from the credits in the video) which detail every single movie included... by way of an index to all of the films which I have shared with you in this month-long series of posts. Thanks again to Diego for the original inspiration... and here's what films to look out for - both in his video and in the recent series of posts from this blog:-

A History of Horror (1895-2016) - The Films (1895-1904)

A History of Horror (1895-2016) - The Films (1905-1914)

A History of Horror (1895-2016) - The Films (1915-1924)

A History of Horror (1895-2016) - The Films (1925-1934)

A History of Horror (1895-2016) - The Films (1935-1944)

A History of Horror (1895-2016) - The Films (1945-1954)

A History of Horror (1895-2016) - The Films (1955-1964)

A History of Horror (1895-2016) - The Films (1965-1974)

A History of Horror (1895-2016) - The Films (1975-1984)

A History of Horror (1895-2016) - The Films (1985-1994)

A History of Horror (1895-2016) - The Films (1995-2004)

A History of Horror (1895-2016) - The Films (2005-2016)

HINT: Please CLICK on any image above TO ENLARGE IT for easier viewing !!

And there you have it... all one hundred and twenty-two films (yes, that's 122 horror movies) indexed for posterity. While they are not (necessarily) the film(s) that I would have picked for any given year, I decided from the outset that, for this series of posts, I wanted to remain faithful to Diego Carrera's original video essay. I'm glad that I did, too, because I actually got to enjoy a few films that I'd either not heard of... or had otherwise passed me by for one reason or another, and this exercise seems to have given me the much needed jog to the memory that I really ought to be watching some (if not all) of them before they disappear into the ether once more! Hopefully, you all got to enjoy some of these films as well... if not, then don't leave it too long - because content comes and goes from the various streaming services out there, and I wouldn't want you to miss out on these cinematic horror gems! :-)

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Anyway, that's about as much as I can offer you in terms of Hallowe'en entertainment on your Roku player goes (at least, for the time being) so, hopefully you have all managed to find a movie or two, from those on offer, to make your Hallowe'en season just that extra bit special this time around?!

Unfortunately, if these particular Hallowe'en / Horror-themed movie classics were not to your liking then YOU WILL HAVE A LONG WAIT as there won't be any more of these dedicated posts until October 2017, when the successor to: "A Cinematic History of Horror for Hallowe'en On Roku" will be unveiled. Meanwhile... have a safe and happy Hallowe'en 2016 and, when you're done with this blog, please be sure to take some time (as I will) to visit the many varied websites for the dozens of other contributors to the 2016 Countdown To Hallowe'en and discover all of the Hallowe'en treats that they have been serving-up each and every day throughout the past month... especially for you! ;-)

Fangs (as always) for stopping by !!

A Cinematic History of Horror for Hallowe'en On Roku - DAY 30: Zombies, Conjuring & Babadook! (2011-2014)

Welcome back, Boils & Ghouls...

... to 'Day Thirty' of "A Cinematic History of Horror for Hallowe'en On Roku" in which I'll bring you my next batch of fright flicks from the enormous back-catalogue of macabre movies that have been thrilling cinema-goers for more than a century and can now be streamed to your television sets via the magic of Roku player - so, let's dim down the lights... and enjoy some more frights! :-O


If you read my special hallowe'en blogathon preview - FOUND HERE - which I published at the end of September, then you'll know that I plan to post one Hallowe'en / Horror related article each day, throughout the month of October, and to feature one horror movie per year from cinematic history, starting in 1895 and ending in 2016. This should average out at about four films per day, so you'll have plenty of choice for your macabre movie viewing as we count down the days to Hallowe'en! ;-)


To get things started, in the first week of this blogathon, we went all the way back to the end of the 19th century for some of the earliest horror cinema ever recorded. The movies on day one were from 1895 - 1898 (inclusive) and featured beheadings, vampires, skeletons and nightmarish dreams. For my second article on day two of this series, I shared four films (one for each year) from 1899 - 1902 (inclusive) and those featured ghostly apparitions, aliens and selenites, plus a visit from the devil to a convent. In my next post on day three, I shared four films (again, one for each year) from 1903 - 1906 (inclusive) and those featured impish devils, demons and ghost brides, plus a man who practices entomology being pinned to a cork like an insect. For my fourth article on day four in this series of posts, I shared four more films (one for each year) from 1907 - 1910 (inclusive) which featured evil spectres, haunted houses, plus the first filmed version of the story of Frankenstein's monster. Following that post, on day five, I shared four films (again, one per year) from 1911 - 1914 (inclusive) and those were all based on works of literature by either Dante Alighieri, Robert Louis Stevenson or Edgar Allan Poe. Next up, on day six, four more films were shared (one for each year) from 1915 - 1918 (inclusive) and those included one about a spooky portrait, another about the victim of a kidnapping, plus a Faustian tale told from a female perspective and another about an artificial creature produced by a mad scientist. For my next post, on day seven, I (again) shared four more films (one for each year) from 1919 - 1922 (inclusive) and those featured an epic account of the horrors of war, plus tales of vampires and phantom carriages, as well as a hypnotist who used a somnambulist to commit acts of murder!


To kick-off the second week of my month-long blogathon, on day eight of this series, I shared another four films (again, one per year) from 1923 - 1926 (inclusive) and those included tales of hunchbacks, phantoms, and a pact with the devil plus a pianist whose hands were replaced by those of a murderer (following a train accident) after which he discovered they had a will of their own! Then for my next post, on day nine, I shared four films (one for each year) from 1927 - 1930 (inclusive) and those included a truly stunning "mood piece" based on the work of Edgar Allen Poe, along with the story of a master criminal who terrorized the occupants of an isolated country mansion, plus the creepiest, spookiest, mystery melodrama ever produced, with an early animated horror short thrown in for good measure. After that, on day ten, I shared four more films (again, one for each year) from 1931 - 1934 (inclusive) and those told various tales of terror, including: two American honeymooners trapped in the home of a Satan-worshipping priest, a colossal gorilla hitting the heights in New York with a movie starlet, a tale of love between a siren, a giant and a dwarf from a circus sideshow, plus the story of the strangest passion the world has ever known! Following on from there, on day eleven, I shared four more films (one per year, as before) from 1935 - 1938 (inclusive) and those featured the story of an escaped convict who used miniaturized humans to wreak vengeance on those that framed him, more tales of the horrors of war, and a Chinese ghost story (of sorts) plus the film which, when first released, was billed as the super shocker of the twentieth century! In the subsequent post, which I made on day twelve, four more films were shared (one per year) from 1939 - 1942 (inclusive) featuring strange creatures such as Werewolves, Cat People and The Hound of the Baskervilles, as well as some light-hearted comic relief (of the horror variety) courtesy of Bob Hope! Yesterday... the four films that I shared, on day thirteen, were from 1943 - 1946 (inclusive) and there was (again) one film per year - as there has been for each of my previous posts from this series. That batch of macabre movies included films about ghosts, zombies, and severed hands, plus what is widely believed to be the forerunner of all the horror anthology films that would follow it - a British film, from Ealing Studios! Yesterday, on day fourteen, I shared four more films spanning the years from 1947 to 1950 (inclusive) with one movie per year (as previously) Those included faceless killers, hidden secrets and a tale of human avarice, plus further light-hearted comedy (of the 'tongue-in-cheek' horror variety) courtesy of Bud Abbott and Lou Costello!


Then, as we entered week three of this month-long blogathon... on day fifteen, I shared another four films (again, one for each year) from 1951 - 1954 (inclusive) and those featured a dinosaur-like beast out to destroy the world, an artist (out for revenge) who created wax sculptures from human cadavers, a woman who visited her local shaman and was turned into a white reindeer vampire, plus... the tale of the thing that turns your blood ice-cold, as it creeps and crawls, then strikes without warning! For my next post, on day sixteen, I shared four more (one film per year) from 1955 - 1958 (inclusive) and those included the tale of of a sadistic boarding school headmaster whose wife & mistress plotted to kill him, another about a doctor with a demonic curse put upon him by a devil cult leader, and one from Hammer Films involving Count Dracula, plus the extraordinary tale of the most awesome fate that ever happened to earth people... with the invasion of the body snatchers from another world! For the next post, on day seventeen, I shared another four films (one for each year) from 1959 - 1962 (inclusive) and those featured a "Haunted House" party where the guests had to spend their night with ghosts, murderers, and other terrors, and; the tale of a woman, caught in a storm while driving, who got off the highway and pulled into a remote motel managed by a quiet young man who seemed to be dominated by his mother, and; another based on a ghost story written by Henry James, wherein a woman experiencing apparitions had to confront the evil spirits & exorcise the demons head on, plus one more story... "so unusual, it will burn itself into your mind"! After that, on day eighteen, I shared four more films (again, one per year) from 1963 - 1966 (inclusive) and those included tales of ravens, repulsion, The Red Death and a Gothic horror from Mario Bava! Following on from there... for my next post, on day nineteen, I shared four films (one for each year) from 1967 - 1970 (inclusive) which featured a tale about a group of people beset by flesh-eating zombies, as well as the second part of the "Coffin Joe" trilogy - featuring more possessed corpses and sadistic practices, and another about a demented cremator who enjoys reading the Tibetan book of the dead, plus a surreal tale in which love, fear, sex and religion merge into one fantastic world! The next post in this series, on day twenty, featured four more films (one per year) from 1971 - 1974 (inclusive) and those included a film which is widely considered to be the "grandfather" of the modern slasher, as well as a mystery surrounding a series of child killings in a remote southern Italian town, and the story of a teenage girl possessed by a mysterious entity, whose mother sought the help of two priests in order to save her, plus the tale of some youngsters who had the misfortune to meet a family of cannibalistic psychopaths! After that... on day twenty-one, came four more films (again, one for each year) from 1975 - 1978 (inclusive) and those included the tale of a high school senior who unleashed the full extent of her telekinetic powers on the classmates that humiliated her, as well as an account of a series of grisly murders at a ballet academy involving a coven of witches, and the tale of a psycho-killer who, having been in a mental hospital for 15 years (after stabbing his sister to death), broke-out and returned to his home town, just in time for Halloween... plus a story about a Great White shark, menacing the small community of Amity Island, which attacked people as they enjoyed the water at the beach!


As we began week four of this month-long blogathon, on day twenty-two, I shared four more films (one for each year) from 1979 - 1982 (inclusive) and those included stories of mysterious alien life-forms, and evil spirits causing mid-winter havoc for the caretaker-manager & his family in an isolated hotel, as well as five friends who must fight for their lives when flesh-possessing demons are unleashed upon them, as they vacation in a remote cabin, plus the crew of an isolated U.S. research station in Antarctica, who must endure the ultimate in alien terror! After that, on day twenty-three, I shared another four films with you (again, one per year) from 1983-1986 (inclusive). Those included tales of a sleazy cable-TV programmer who began to see his life spin out of control in a very unusual fashion when he acquired a new kind of programming for his station, as well as a group of friends being hunted by a serial killer murdering victims in their dreams, and a dedicated student at a medical college who became involved in bizarre experiments to re-animate dead tissue when an odd new student arrived on campus, plus the story of a brilliant but eccentric scientist who began to transform into a man / fly hybrid after one of his experiments took an unexpected turn! Following on from there, on day twenty-four, I shared four more films with you (one for each year) from 1987-1990 (inclusive). Those featured a strange puzzle box that (once unlocked) let loose some sadomasochistic creatures which took great pleasure in ensnaring human victims to toy with, as well as some special sunglasses which enabled the wearer to see the world as it really was (including how some people were, in fact, aliens) and that there was a grand scheme to keep humans subdued, and another story about a bizarre character with an insane compulsion to stick pieces of scrap metal into his body and the bodies of those who had wronged him, plus the tale of a best-selling novelist who was rescued from a car crash only to be held captive and abused by his "number one fan" who became even more unhinged on discovering the heroine in those novels had been killed-off by the author! The next batch of four films, on day twenty-five, included one film per year from 1991 - 1994 (inclusive) and those featured stories of a young F.B.I. cadet who confided in an incarcerated and manipulative killer to receive his help in catching another serial killer, a vampire from eastern Europe who came to England and began a reign of seduction and terror, as well as a mysterious device (designed to provide its owner with eternal life) which resurfaced after four hundred years... leaving a trail of destruction in its path, plus a "Cemetery Man" who had to kill the dead for a second time, when his graveyard was overrun by zombies! For my next post in this month-long series, on day twenty-six, I shared four more films (again, one for each year) from 1995 - 1998 (inclusive). These included the story of two detectives, one a rookie and the other a veteran, who were hunting a serial killer that used the seven deadly sins as his modus operandi, and a teenage girl who, one year after the murder of her mother, was then terrorised (along with her friends) by a new killer, using horror films as part of his deadly game, as well as six strangers who were involuntarily placed in an endless Kafka-esque maze of deadly traps, plus a tale involving the ghost of a seer's daughter, herself ruthlessly murdered by her psychic father, who inexplicably killed all those that watch a mysterious video tape, unless they broke the curse before seven days had passed! After that, on day twenty-seven, came another batch of four films (one per year, as before) from 1999 - 2002 (inclusive) and those featured a psychological thriller about some film students who visited the Black Hills in Maryland (USA) to make a documentary about a local legend, and a film which focused on the difficult relationship between the director and lead actor in a well-known silent era vampire film, as well as the tale of a woman and two children living in a haunted mansion in the Channel Islands, plus the story of how some scientific research led to a viral outbreak, which left the surrounding area inhabited by a horde of zombie-like humans who caused mass carnage & horror everywhere! Following that, on day twenty-eight, I shared four more films with you (again, one per year) from 2003 - 2006 (inclusive). Those included a tale of two sisters (and I meant that quite literally) who were haunted by the tragedies of multiple deaths within their family, as well as a mystery thriller about the sadistic "Jigsaw Killer" who played a game of death with his victims in which every piece had a puzzle, and the story of a caving expedition that went horribly wrong, when the explorers became trapped and, ultimately, pursued by a strange breed of predator, plus a monster that emerged from Seoul's Han River and started killing people! :-O


As we began week five of this month-long blogathon, on day twenty-nine, I shared four more films (one for each year) from 2007 - 2010 (inclusive). Those included the story of a young couple who, after moving into their new suburban home, became increasingly disturbed by a nightly demonic presence, as well as the tale of an overlooked and bullied boy, Oskar, who found love and revenge through Eli, a beautiful girl with the characteristics of a vampire, who gave him the strength to hit back... and a girl who took a job baby-sitting for a couple that practiced satanism in the suburbs, plus a man who abandoned all compassion to take bloody vengeance on a dangerous serial killer that had murdered his fiancée - even if it meant becoming a monster himself! All of which brings us rather nicely to this post... wherein I plan to share another four films (again, one per year) from 2011 - 2014 (inclusive). These are set to include... well, if you read on, you'll find out soon enough! ;-)

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Our first movie today is a feature-length film from Spain, which was directed by Pedro Almodóvar, and first released in 2011 under the original title of "La Piel Que Habito"... although, perhaps more familiar to British and American audiences under the alternative title, "The Skin I Live In", which was also the world-wide English title reserved for this movie. Based on the novella "Mygale", written by Thierry Jonquet, and adapted for the big screen by director (Pedro Almodóvar) in collaboration with Agustín Almodóvar... this crime, drama, thriller tells the story of scientist, Dr. Robert Ledgard (Antonio Banderas), who (in honour of his late wife, that died in a flaming car wreck) is trying to synthesise the perfect skin - which can withstand burns, cuts or any other kind of damage. For his test-subject, he chooses a mysterious and volatile woman by the name of Vera Cruz (Elena Anaya) who we learn, as the plot slowly unfolds, also happens to hold the key to his obsession. As he comes closer to perfecting this new "skin", the scientific community grows skeptical and, when his past is revealed, it shows just how closely his patient is linked to the tragic events he would rather forget!

Elena Anaya and Antonio Banderas in La Piel Que Habito (2011)

PHOTO CREDIT: imdb.com

La Piel Que Habito [aka The Skin I Live In] (2011) [Spanish Poster]

PHOTO CREDIT: cinemagia.ro

La Piel Que Habito [aka The Skin I Live In] (2011) [Teaser Poster by Juan Gatti]

PHOTO CREDIT: lanacion.com.ar

POINT OF INTEREST:- The image used for this "Teaser Poster" by Juan Gatti utilises a painting, as it's subject matter, the lower portion of which can clearly be seen hanging on the wall over the heads of Antonio Banderas and Elena Anaya in the movie still from "La Piel Que Habito" (above).

La Piel Que Habito [aka The Skin I Live In] (2011) [USA Movie Poster]

PHOTO CREDIT: parscinema.com

La Piel Que Habito [aka The Skin I Live In] (2011) [Argentinian Poster]

PHOTO CREDIT: Discreet Charms & Obscure Objects

La Piel Que Habito [aka The Skin I Live In] (2011) [British Quad Poster]

PHOTO CREDIT: heyuguys.com

While none of the big hitters (Amazon, Google, Netflix, NowTV, etc.) thought to add this fantastic psychological thriller of a movie to their current catalogue(s) of horror films, we are (nevertheless) fortunate enough to be able to watch it on Roku devices thanks to a private channel, called 'XTV', who have included a version (complete with English subtitles) that is free-to-stream for anyone with the app installed. To do so, you must add it via your online Roku account ( ACCESS CODE: xtviptv) because you will not find 'XTV' featured in the "Official" Roku channel store - regardless of which Roku "region" you happen to be in. Once you've logged-in to your Roku account, simply scroll down the page a bit, until you see the 'Manage Account' section. Beneath the heading, you'll see a link that allows you to "Add a Channel" by entering an 'invitation code' (also called an 'access code' by some) to install a private channel on your devices by adding it to the channel selection associated with your Roku account. Here's a screenshot, to show you where to click once logged-in to the Roku website:-

HINT: Please CLICK on the above image TO ENLARGE IT for easier viewing !!

That will take you to another screen, where you input the access code (provided above) and then click to confirm that you wish to add the channel to your account. It is FREE-TO-ADD as well as offering a vast amount of FREE-TO-STREAM content, so it's well worth installing! ;-) Anyway, once you have confirmed and added the 'XTV' private channel, you can return to your account and log-out... because now you need to go to your Roku device and make sure it has been added. If successful, you should see the following channel icon at the end of your list of installed channels:-

REMEMBER:- You can always select it and use the "Option" (i.e. asterisk, or star) button on your Roku remote to move it to another position in your list. Basically, wherever is most convenient for you... and then click the "OK" button (on your Roku remote) to launch it - just like any other channel found on your device. After that, you'll see a splash screen... which is basically the same as the icon for this private channel (shown above) but just a bigger version, which appears on your TV screen while the main menu for the channel is loading.


Once you're looking at the main menu, you'll see five options: "24/ 7 Channel", "On Demand Movies & TV Shows", "Live TV", and an icon marked "New" (which is where the developer lists the most recent changes to the channel - additions, removals, etc.) plus another icon marked "Disclaimer" that is, basically, for the small print - i.e. there's no streamable content in that sub-menu. Anyway, for the purpose of watching "La Piel Que Habito" [aka The Skin I Live In] we are only interested in the icon marked, "On Demand Movies & TV Shows", so you can explore the other sections on your own! ;-)


Once you're in the sub-menu for "On Demand Movies & TV Shows" you will need to scroll to the right, within the "XTV Movies" heading (n.b. you should already be in that section, when it loads) until you come to "Horror" (all the genres are listed alphabetically - i.e. Action, Animation, Comedy, Drama, etc, etc.). Then just click the "OK" button on your Roku remote and you'll then see a vertical list of all the horror movies (again, listed alphabetically for convenience) so you can just scroll down until you come to "The Skin I Live In" (n.b. it's listed by the English title, not "La Piel Que Habito" as per the original title of this film) and then simply click "OK" again to begin playing the film! :-)


Do take some time, after enjoying this film, to explore all of the other streaming media content made available by the developer of this channel. Essentially, they provide links to Roku-compatible streams of both audio and visual content which has been previously posted by third parties via the internet. You can think of it as being a curated version of the 'channelPEAR' private channel, if you like. Basically, rather than finding your own links to streaming URL's online, and playing them via 'channelPEAR' on Roku, the developer of 'XTV' has done all the hard work (of searching) for you and simply uses this channel as a Roku-friendly platform for streaming the links to any media they find online. Since no content is hosted by 'XTV', they are unable to fix any broken links... although, it would help them out if you sent an email (details via the built-in "Help" section of the channel) if you happen to come across one at any time. They also welcome suggestions for improving the channel, so... don't be shy, go ahead and drop them an email - I'm sure they'd love to hear from you! :-)

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Anyway... our next movie today is a feature film from the USA, directed by Drew Goddard, and first released in 2012 under the original title of "The Cabin in the Woods"...while based on a screenplay which was also written by the director (Drew Goddard) together with Joss Whedon. Anyway, this horror, mystery, thriller tells the story of five teenage friends, who go for a weekend break at a remote cabin in the woods. They arrive to find they are quite isolated, with no means of communicating with the outside world from this secluded hideaway. When the cellar door flings itself open, they of course go to investigate. They find an odd assortment of relics and curios but when Dana (Kristen Connolly) reads from a book she discovers, they get far more than they bargained for as her actions awaken a family of zombie killers. However, there's much more going on than (at first) meets the eye... and the teenagers must work together, if they are to discover the real truth behind the cabin in the woods!

Kristen Connolly in The Cabin in the Woods (2012) [Movie Still]

PHOTO CREDIT: imdb.com

The Cabin in the Woods (2012) [Movie Poster]

PHOTO CREDIT: slantmagazine.com

Unfortunately, as with some of the other films shared recently, I was unable to find a decent copy of "The Cabin in the Woods" that was free-to-stream and also compatible with the requirements for playback on Roku devices. Again, there were rough copies out there... either with reduced aspect ratios, heavily cropped images, or shrunk to less than one quarter screen-size. Others had foreign language audio dubs and/or subtitles... plus there were a few whose sound and/or picture quality was sub-par. Feel free to do your own search for those, if you so wish. For my part, I advise going with the best option I found for "The Cabin in the Woods" (2012) on Roku... namely, 'Amazon Video'! :-)

If you have yet to install this Roku channel, you will find it under "Film & TV" in the "Official" Roku UK Channel Store that is built-in to your Roku streaming media player(s). Those of you who are Amazon Prime members are out of luck once more, however, as there is no option whereby you can watch this film for free via your Amazon Prime membership. Your only choices are to rent the video from Amazon Video UK for £0.99 (SD) and £1.99 (HD)... or, if you prefer, you can buy it outright at a cost of £4.99 for either the 'SD' or 'HD' version. Whichever you decide on, it can either be watched via the Amazon Video channel on your Roku... or, any other compatible device you happen to own. Confirmation of these options, taken from the Amazon UK website, is provided (below) and there's a link beneath the screenshot which takes you to the webpage where you can rent or buy this film:-

HINT: Please CLICK on the above image TO ENLARGE IT for easier viewing !!

AMAZON UK WEBSITE LINK:- The Cabin in the Woods (2012) [via Amazon Video UK]

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Our third film today is another feature-length movie from the USA... but, this time, it was directed by James Wan. First released in 2013 under the title of "The Conjuring", this horror, mystery, thriller tells the story of Carolyn (Lili Taylor) and Roger Perron (Ron Livingston) who, in 1971, move their family into a dilapidated Rhode Island farm house. Soon after, strange things start to happen around the house, with escalating nightmarish terror. In desperation, Carolyn contacts the noted paranormal investigators, Ed (Patrick Wilson) and Lorraine Warren (Vera Farmiga), to examine the house. What the Warrens discover is a whole area steeped in a satanic haunting that now targets the Perron family wherever they go. To stop this evil, the Warrens have to call upon all their skills and spiritual strength to defeat this spectral menace at its source. Meanwhile, it threatens to destroy everyone involved!

Lili Taylor as Carolyn Perron in The Conjuring (2013) [Movie Still]

PHOTO CREDIT: imdb.com

Joseph Bishara as Bathsheba in The Conjuring (2013) [Movie Still]

PHOTO CREDIT: imdb.com

POINT OF INTEREST:- As well as playing 'Bathsheba' in the film, Joseph Bishara is also credited with the music for horror, mystery, thriller "The Conjuring" (2013) - he did a nice job of both, too!

The Conjuring (2013) [Movie Poster]

PHOTO CREDIT: bloody-disgusting.com

As with the other films shared today, I was unable to find a decent copy of "The Conjuring" that was both free-to-stream and compatible with the requirements for playback on Roku devices. Sure, there are some rough copies out there... either with reduced aspect ratios, heavily cropped, or shrunk to less than one quarter screen-size - not to mention those with foreign language audio dubs and/or subtitles, plus a few whose sound and/or picture quality left a lot to be desired. Please feel free to do your own search for those, if you wish to do so. For my part, I am recommending you go with the best of the options I was able to find for streaming "The Conjuring" (2013) and that is via 'Amazon Video'.

If you have yet to install this Roku channel, you will find it under "Film & TV" in the "Official" Roku UK Channel Store that is built-in to your Roku streaming media player(s). Those of you who are Amazon Prime members are already good to go and can watch this film for free once you're signed into the app with your Amazon UK login. Those of you who are (currently) not Prime members can either choose to take advantage of the 30-DAY FREE TRIAL of Amazon Prime for new subscribers, or you can simply rent the video from Amazon Video UK for £1.49 (SD) and £1.99 (HD) - or else, buy it (again, via Amazon UK) for £4.99 (SD) or £5.99 (HD) - and watch it via the Amazon Video channel on your Roku device. Do bear in mind that, when renting from Amazon Video UK, you have 30 days to start watching... and 48 hours to finish your video rental, once you have started playback for the first time. Details of various options are shown in the screenshot (below) taken from the Amazon UK website and there is a link provided beneath the screenshot image which will take you directly to the webpage shown therein:-

HINT: Please CLICK on the above image TO ENLARGE IT for easier viewing !!

AMAZON UK WEBSITE LINK:- The Conjuring (2013) [via Amazon Video UK]

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Our last movie for today is the result of an international collaboration between Australia and Canada which produced a feature-length film, directed by Jennifer Kent, that was first released in 2014 under the original title of "The Babadook"... while based on a screenplay that was also written by the director. This drama, fantasy, horror tells the story of a single mother, Amelia (Essie Davis), who is plagued by the violent death of her husband, while also battling with her son's constant fear of a monster lurking in the house. The violent reaction Samuel (Noah Wiseman) has, in order to overcome the fear, doesn't help her cause either... and makes her friends become distant. When things can not get any worse, they read a strange book in their house about the 'Babadook' monster that hides in the dark areas of their house. Even Amelia seems to feel the effect of Babadook and soon discovers a sinister presence all around her. When the nightmarish experiences the two encounter start to escalate further still, Amelia tries desperately to destroy the book - but, you can't get rid of... The Babadook!

Noah Wiseman and Essie Davis in The Babadook (2014)

PHOTO CREDIT: imdb.com

Tim Purcell in The Babadook (2014)

PHOTO CREDIT: imdb.com

The Babadook (2014) [Movie Poster]

PHOTO CREDIT: imdb.com

The Babadook (2014) [Alternative Poster]

PHOTO CREDIT: imdb.com

Unfortunately, when it came to finding free-to-stream versions of "The Babadook" I was unable to locate a decent copy that was also compatible with the requirements for playback on Roku devices. Again, there were rough copies out there... either with reduced aspect ratios, heavily cropped images, or shrunk to less than one quarter screen-size - never mind those which had foreign language audio dubs and/or subtitles... plus others, whose sound and/or picture quality left a lot to be desired. Feel free to do your own search for those, if you so wish. What I did discover to my delight, however, was that "The Babadook" is available for any UK Roku owner with a subscription to 'Netflix UK'... and, if that's you, then you're in luck! Surprisingly, despite (already) covering more than one hundred films in my cinematic history of horror, this is only the fourth movie for which the primary streaming source available has been 'Netflix'... which, like I said the other day, may (or, may not) say something about the value and/or worth of the service to hardcore horror fans in the UK. Even so, just as with "Paranormal Activity", "The Others" and "Scream" before it, they came up trumps on this one! ;-) :-)

If you have yet to install this Roku channel, you will find it under "Film & TV" in the "Official" Roku UK Channel Store that is built-in to your Roku streaming media player(s). For those of you who have never subscribed to 'Netflix UK', this film may be the ideal excuse for you to take advantage of their ONE-MONTH FREE TRIAL and see what else the streaming service has to offer. Don't forget that, as long as you cancel before the end of your trial period, you will not be charged... so, with the dark nights closing in, it could be the perfect opportunity to spend a month binge-watching, say "House of Cards" for example, and get to watch this excellent drama, fantasy, horror film from Jennifer Kent for free, while you're at it!?! To make life easier, I'm providing a link to the movie (below) so UK Roku users can find the film more readily. Those who already subscribe to 'Netflix UK' can go ahead and add it to their watchlist from there... while anyone wanting to start a free trial can sign-up just as easily from this page as any other on the 'Netflix UK' website - so, every one's a winner! ;-)

NETFLIX UK LINK:- The Babadook (2014) [IMDB Rating: 6.8]

The next best alternative, if you'd rather not go down the 'Netflix' route (e.g. if you're ineligible for the free trial, or don't have a current subscription already) is to watch it via 'Amazon Video UK' who are offering rentals of "The Babadook" (2014) for £0.99 in both 'SD' and 'HD' formats... or, if you prefer, you can buy it outright at a cost of £2.99 (SD) or £3.99 (HD). Whichever you decide on, it can be watched either via the Amazon Video channel on your Roku... or, using any other compatible device you may happen to own. Confirmation of these options, taken from the Amazon UK website, is provided below and (as in previous posts) there's also a link beneath the screenshot image which will take you directly to the webpage from where you can rent or buy this film:-

HINT: Please CLICK on the above image TO ENLARGE IT for easier viewing !!

AMAZON UK WEBSITE LINK:- The Babadook (2014) [via Amazon Video UK]

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Anyhow, that's all I've got time for today... but do remember to come back again tomorrow, for more macabre movies from the history of horror cinema, when I serve-up the last two films for this series of posts on 'Day Thirty-One' of "A Cinematic History of Horror for Hallowe'en On Roku" right here on this blog. Meanwhile... please be sure to visit the Countdown To Hallowe'en website and show your support for this annual online Hallowe'en extravaganza... PLUS don't forget to use the links you find there and check out all the other 'Cryptkeepers' taking part this year. I know they'll appreciate it if you visit their blogs & share your thoughts on the contribution(s) they've made.

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BEFORE I GO: Don't forget that, aside from all the Hallowe'en / Horror-themed ghastliness going on around these parts for the next month, you can always keep up with all the UK Roku action (as it happens) by following the companion Twitter Feed: @ukrokuchannels where you will find up-to-the-minute info on all things Roku is posted on a daily basis (well, almost).

Until the next time, then...

That's all folks !!