Greetings, Boils & Ghouls...
...welcome to 'Day Twenty-Five' 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! ;-)
David Hyde Pierce as 'Warwick Wilson' in "The Perfect Host" (2010)
PHOTO CREDIT: IMDb.com
For my twenty-fifth instalment in this series of posts I'm going to suggest an independent movie from the United States, which was directed by Nick Tomnay, and first released in 2010. Co-written, as well as directed, by Tomnay... with screenplay co-writing duties handled by Krishna Jones, although it can also be considered as based upon (or, perhaps, a feature-length remake of) an earlier short film project which was known as "The Host", from the same director. Anyway, I should probably say that it's less of a "horror" film and more a psychological thriller with a black comedy vein running through it. The film fits nicely alongside other two-person mystery thrillers, such as "Sleuth" or "Deathtrap", but also warrants comparison to "The Usual Suspects" and can also be considered as similar (in some ways) to other suspense movies, like "Swimming With Sharks", "Hard Candy", "Misery", or (perhaps) even "American Psycho" which I shared on 'Day Sixteen' in this series of posts. The scene is set at the start of the film, as consummate host Warwick Wilson (David Hyde Pierce) carefully prepares for a dinner party, with the table impeccably set and the duck perfectly timed for 8:30pm. Everything seems to be going according to plan when John Taylor (Clayne Crawford) arrives on Warwick's doorstep. He is a career criminal, who happens to have just robbed a bank so he needs to get off the streets fast, and to gain entry to Warwick's home John poses as a friend of a friend, explaining he's new to Los Angeles and has been mugged, while also losing his luggage along the way. Having gained Warwick's trust, and entered his home on the premise of making a phone call, the wine begins to flow and the evening progresses as we (the viewers) become deeply intertwined in the lives of the two men. However, it is not long before we discover how deceiving appearances can be... as certain truths about human nature are exposed, and we see just how far some individuals are prepared to go to satisfy their needs! :-O
"The Perfect Host" (2010) [Canadian DVD - Front Cover]
PHOTO CREDIT: Ravepad
If you haven't seen this film before, I would recommend you DO NOT WATCH THE TRAILER as you'll soon discover that it CONTAINS SPOILERS which could well effect your enjoyment of this excellent "cat and mouse" thriller. My personal feeling is that, even though there are more twists and turns than a tornado in this film, the trailer reveals rather more than is necessary and you're better of seeing it "blind", as it were. That said, I have included a trailer for all of the other films I've shared in this series of posts... and I know some of you would rather have a "sneak peek", so here's a taster for this dark comedy thriller, courtesy of an upload by 'hollywoodstreams' to their 'YouTube' channel:-
If you'd like to know more... there's a full list of the cast & credits on the Internet Movie Database (IMDB) listing for "The Perfect Host" (2010), 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 Nick Tomnay's "The Perfect Host" (2010) 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 dark comedy crime thriller as I am, or enjoy psychological suspense films in general, it probably won't take too much persuading for you to watch this again! ;-)
Finally, to round-off the twenty-fifth instalment in my month-long blogathon on 'Day Twenty-Five' for this edition of 'Countdown To Halloween', here's more FRIGHTENINGLY FUN FILM FACTS... for example: did you know the tattoo on John Taylor's hand contains 3 Hebrew letters, which are the initials for "Ura Riva Yerivi" - a kabbalah term meaning "absolute certainty" and that is supposed to enhance confidence and belief? Or, that this film was selected for the 2010 Sundance Film Festival?
Other interesting tidbits of trivia include the fact that "The Perfect Host" had a rather meagre budget (even for a film released in 2010) of just $500,000 USD... which probably goes some way towards an explanation as to why the entire production was photographed (filmed) in just seventeen days! :-O
Anyhow, 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 Twenty-Six' 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.
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 !!
If you'd like to know more... there's a full list of the cast & credits on the Internet Movie Database (IMDB) listing for "The Perfect Host" (2010), 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 Nick Tomnay's "The Perfect Host" (2010) 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 dark comedy crime thriller as I am, or enjoy psychological suspense films in general, it probably won't take too much persuading for you to watch this again! ;-)
David Hyde Pierce as 'Warwick Wilson' in "The Perfect Host" (2010)
PHOTO CREDIT: IMDb.com
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 other opportunities for UK Roku users to view "The Perfect Host" (2010), including multiple options from 'Amazon Video' so feel free to simply "Rent" for £0.99 in either 'SD' or 'HD' quality (the cost is the same, either way) or else "Buy & Keep" it for £4.99 (SD) / £5.99 (HD) - the choice is entirely yours. Having said that, I'd suggest taking a look at the possible alternatives before parting with any money... because there might be some free sources available online that offer file formats compatible with Roku. However, as my idea for this month-long blogathon was to suggest thirty-one great Hallowe'en / Horror movies from the fang-tastic 'Shudder UK', I am recommending you stream it via their channel - 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 "The Perfect Host", and then press 'OK' on your remote to select and 'Play' this psychological thriller which, for the record, runs to 1h 33mins.
LINK TO WATCH 'The Perfect Host' (2010) VIA THE 'SHUDDER UK' WEBSITE
The good news for Roku users in both the USA and Canada is that "The Perfect Host" (2010) is also available to stream via the 'Shudder' service in both countries. As far as other subscription options for Roku users in the United States go, you can also use the 'Netflix' streaming service to watch this film. Meanwhile, those in USA who wish to rent "The Perfect Host" (2010) can do so via 'Amazon Video' where the fees are (currently) USD $2.99 (SD) or USD $3.99 (HD) for anyone without a subscription to 'Shudder' or 'Netflix'. Alternatively, the same rental prices also apply to 'Fandango Now' and 'Vudu' in the United States. Unfortunately for Canadian streamers, while this psychological thriller can be streamed via 'Shudder' in Canada, there are no other Roku-compatible options to watch this film for Canadians, as there are for Roku users in the United States. Still, there's no need to scour the internet for streaming sources... because the 'Shudder' channel on Roku has it all taken care of for you! ;-) :-)
Clayne Crawford as 'John Taylor' in The Perfect Host (2010)
PHOTO CREDIT: IMDb.com
Meanwhile, for that full cinema experience, here's a few more of the film posters that movie-goers in 2010 (and more recently) would have encountered, depending on their location in the world:
The Perfect Host (2010) [USA Poster #1]
PHOTO CREDIT: Goat Hate
The Perfect Host (2010) [USA Poster #2]
PHOTO CREDIT: IMP Awards
The Perfect Host (2010) [USA Poster #3]
PHOTO CREDIT: IMP Awards
The Perfect Host (2010) [Japanese Poster]
PHOTO CREDIT: IMP Awards
Other interesting tidbits of trivia include the fact that "The Perfect Host" had a rather meagre budget (even for a film released in 2010) of just $500,000 USD... which probably goes some way towards an explanation as to why the entire production was photographed (filmed) in just seventeen days! :-O
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Anyhow, 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 Twenty-Six' 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 !!
