Greetings, Boils & Ghouls...
...welcome to 'Day Twenty-Nine' of "Awesome Horror Streams for Hallowe'en Screams on Roku" in which I will suggest my top picks of the fright flicks from the carefully curated catalogue of macabre movies available via the 'Shudder UK' streaming service - any of which can then be streamed to your television using the magic of Roku player - so, let's dim the lights... and prepare for some frights! :-O
If you read my Hallowe'en blogathon preview - FOUND HERE - published on 30th September, then you will know that I plan to post one Hallowe'en / Horror related article every day, throughout the month of October, each featuring one horror movie from the current 'Shudder UK' content library. With recommendations for thirty-one of the best fright flicks I can find, by the end of the month, this means you should have plenty of great choices for your macabre movie viewing as we count down the days to Hallowe'en... as well as ensuring some top-notch cinematic scares come October 31st! ;-)
If you read my Hallowe'en blogathon preview - FOUND HERE - published on 30th September, then you will know that I plan to post one Hallowe'en / Horror related article every day, throughout the month of October, each featuring one horror movie from the current 'Shudder UK' content library. With recommendations for thirty-one of the best fright flicks I can find, by the end of the month, this means you should have plenty of great choices for your macabre movie viewing as we count down the days to Hallowe'en... as well as ensuring some top-notch cinematic scares come October 31st! ;-)
There Are No Good Wholes... Only Good Parts!
"May" (2002) [Movie Poster] - PHOTO CREDIT: Pinterest
For my twenty-ninth instalment in this series of posts I'm going to suggest another feature-length movie from the United States but, this time, directed by Lucky McKee and first released in 2002 under the original title of "May", which is short for "May Dove Canady" - the full name of the titular character, around whom the entire movie revolves. Based on a screenplay that was also written by the director, Lucky McKee, for what was to be his directorial debut... it tells the story of a lonely young woman, who remains traumatised by her difficult childhood. May Dove Canady (Angela Bettis) was a lonely girl with a lazy eye and no friends, save for a strange-looking doll kept in a glass case, which was a birthday present from her equally oddball mother. As an adult, May finds work assisting a vet in an animal hospital... helping-out in the surgery, and spending much of her time sewing-up all of the animals once they have been operated on. Although contact lenses have helped her adjust to life as a young adult, May's deep-seated awkwardness remains a problem. One day May meets a mechanic by the name of Adam Stubbs (Jeremy Sisto), a young man with a passion for fixing wrecked cars, whose hands she finds most appealing and, as a result, soon develops a crush on him. The relationship starts to blossom, and Adam soon takes a shine to May's oddball ways, so they begin dating each other. In the meantime... May's lesbian co-worker at the animal hospital, Polly (Anna Faris), has developed an equally strong attraction to her. When May's overall weirdness & generally bizarre behaviour become too much for Adam, she ultimately drives him away, leaving her open to Polly's amorous advances. As loneliness takes it's toll, May embarks on a brief affair with Polly... but she is left feeling rejected once again after her colleague meets Ambrosia and, when Polly then dumps her too, May's emotional instability quickly turns violent. When her doll is accidentally broken, the deranged May decides to "build" another "friend" for herself, using the best "parts" from each of her recent acquaintances! :-O
'Doll Parts' featured in "May" (2002) [Movie Still]
PHOTO CREDIT: IMDb.com
If you haven't seen the film before, here is a brief taster in the shape of a video trailer for this dark comedy psychological horror, courtesy of an upload by 'Horror Lover' to their 'YouTube' channel:-
If you'd like to know more about this quirky thriller... there's a full list of the cast & credits on the Internet Movie Database (IMDB) listing for "May" (2002), FOUND HERE, which also includes a full storyline / plot summary as well as box office stats, technical specs & much more. For die-hard fans, there's even more info to be had from the Wikipedia Page for Lucky McKee's "May" (2002) which is available VIA THIS LINK, and may help to fuel your appetite for (yet) another screening. Although if you're as much a fan of this film as I am, and enjoy psychological horror interwoven with social commentary, it probably won't take too much persuading for you to watch this film again! ;-)
Anyway... you probably guessed already but, if not, this film (like the others from this series of posts) is also available via the 'Shudder' streaming service and can be easily viewed on any Roku device via their dedicated channel (app) for these streaming media players. There are no other opportunities for UK Roku users to watch "May" (2002) so, if you don't already subscribe to 'Shudder', now might be a good time to take advantage of their FREE TRIAL offer - although, if you've already done so before, I'd suggest taking a look at some possible free alternatives instead, because (unless they're trying to tempt you back again) these promotions are usually reserved for "new blood" only! And, you never know, there may be some free sources available online that are compatible with Roku and which can be used to stream Lucky McKee's directorial debut film "May" (2002). However, as my original idea for this month-long blogathon was to suggest thirty-one great Hallowe'en / Horror themed movies from the fang-tastic 'Shudder UK', I'm going to recommend that you stream it there - if possible! ;-)
If you haven't already added it to your channel selection, you will find "Shudder" listed among the "Film & TV" channels in the "Official" Roku UK Channel Store. You can easily install it on your Roku by navigating to the built-in 'Channel Store' (accessed via "Streaming Channels" from the home screen on your Roku device) and scrolling through the options until you see the channel icon (pictured above). It's completely FREE-TO-ADD so, once you've located it in the list of channels, just click the "OK" button on your Roku remote to select it and then click "OK" again where it says 'Add channel' to install it on your Roku player(s). Having done that, it's simply a case of launching the channel via the 'Go to channel' option and navigating the on-screen menu to log-in (if you already have an account, but haven't yet done so) or start your free trial (if you are new to the service) and, once you see 'Shudder TV' playing on the screen, just push the "DOWN" arrow on your Roku remote to get to the main menu... from where you can 'Search' for "May", then press 'OK' on your remote to select and 'Play' this darkly disturbing psychological horror which, for the record, runs to 1h 33mins.
LINK TO WATCH 'May' (2002) VIA THE 'SHUDDER UK' WEBSITE
Unfortunately for Roku users in the USA, this film is (currently) not available for streaming via the 'Shudder' service in the United States... although, there is a free-to-stream (ad-supported) option to watch this film via 'TubiTV', plus the additional choice of renting Lucky McKee's "May" (2002) for just USD $2.99 (SD) or USD $3.99 (HD) from 'Vudu' and then watching it on your TV through their Roku channel. The same rental pricing also applies to 'Google Play Movies & TV' when it comes to renting "May" (2002) in the U.S. - so feel free to rent this movie from there (instead) if you prefer. Meanwhile, the good news for Canadian streamers is that, just like in the UK, this film can also be streamed via the 'Shudder' subscription service. Additionally, the same alternative of renting the film via 'Google Play Movies & TV' also applies to Canadians, just as it does in the United States. That said, as suggested previously for UK Roku users, there could well be one or two other streaming resources you can use, so it might be best to check for free alternatives online if you're not eligible for a 'Shudder' trial. As always, should you have difficulty finding a reliable source online, message me via Twitter: @ukrokuchannels and I'll try to sort out a link so you can stream it for free on Roku! ;-)
Meanwhile, for that full cinema experience, here's a few of the film posters which movie-goers in 2002 (and more recently) would have encountered depending on their location around the world:
Finally, to round-off the twenty-ninth instalment in my blogathon on 'Day Twenty-Nine' for this edition of 'Countdown To Halloween', here's more FRIGHTENINGLY FUN FILM FACTS... for example: did you know that the original opening sequence for the film was to have been a lengthy introduction to 'May' as a child? However, when the film was deemed to be taking too long to get to the point, most of those early scenes were cut. The revised opening with May as an adult, or more specifically the first scene with her and the doll, were shot quickly and only included so as to make the point that May was a lonely individual, as quickly as possible. Likewise, the eventual scene in which 'May' meets 'Blank' was also a re-shoot. Originally, 'May' came across as angry, rather than cold and vague, and insulted people as they walked by on the street, ending with the two of them in the park. While that scene remains a part of the film, it was entirely re-edited and replaced... and is now the scene where 'May' meets 'Adam' for their final talk in the park. It is now shown only through close-ups, with both 'May' and 'Adam' glancing off-camera. They had originally both been looking at 'Blank' who was sitting beside 'May', but he was completely edited-out of the scene in the final cut!
Meanwhile, for that full cinema experience, here's a few of the film posters which movie-goers in 2002 (and more recently) would have encountered depending on their location around the world:
"May" (2002) [Movie Poster]
PHOTO CREDIT: Pinterest
"May" (2002) [USA Poster #1]
PHOTO CREDIT: Pinterest
"May" (2002) [Russian DVD Cover]
PHOTO CREDIT: Twitter
Finally, to round-off the twenty-ninth instalment in my blogathon on 'Day Twenty-Nine' for this edition of 'Countdown To Halloween', here's more FRIGHTENINGLY FUN FILM FACTS... for example: did you know that the original opening sequence for the film was to have been a lengthy introduction to 'May' as a child? However, when the film was deemed to be taking too long to get to the point, most of those early scenes were cut. The revised opening with May as an adult, or more specifically the first scene with her and the doll, were shot quickly and only included so as to make the point that May was a lonely individual, as quickly as possible. Likewise, the eventual scene in which 'May' meets 'Blank' was also a re-shoot. Originally, 'May' came across as angry, rather than cold and vague, and insulted people as they walked by on the street, ending with the two of them in the park. While that scene remains a part of the film, it was entirely re-edited and replaced... and is now the scene where 'May' meets 'Adam' for their final talk in the park. It is now shown only through close-ups, with both 'May' and 'Adam' glancing off-camera. They had originally both been looking at 'Blank' who was sitting beside 'May', but he was completely edited-out of the scene in the final cut!
Other interesting tidbits of trivia include the fact that the director, Lucky McKee, plays a cameo role in the movie... as the man seen in the elevator with his girlfriend (both times). Also, the teenage girl who asks 'May' whether she has "...got any cold ones in there?" is dressed up as a zombie cheerleader in the exact same costume and make-up as the one from "All Cheerleaders Die" (2001). I also like the way that the name of the "friend" eventually created by 'May' in the film is "Amy", which is not only an anagram of "May", but also a play on the word "Ami" which is of course French, for "Friend"! :-)
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Still, that's all I've got time for today... but do remember to come back again tomorrow, for my next macabre movie recommendation from the 'Shudder UK' streaming library, when I will suggest a film for 'Day Thirty' of "Awesome Horror Streams for Hallowe'en Screams on Roku" right here on this blog. Meanwhile... please be sure to visit the Countdown To Hallowe'en website & 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 and share your thoughts on the contribution(s) they've made.
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ONE LAST THING, BEFORE I GO: Don't forget that, aside from the Hallowe'en / Horror-themed ghastliness going on around these parts for the next month, you can also keep up with the UK Roku action (as it happens) by following the companion Twitter Feed: @ukrokuchannels where you will find that up-to-the-minute info on all things Roku-related is posted on a daily basis (well, almost).
Until the next time, then...
That's all folks !!
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