Celebrating Shudder’s 10th Anniversary with Tattoos, Memories, and Community

Over the weekend, I flew roughly 5,500 miles roundtrip to get a new tattoo. A cross-country journey that started in Los Angeles and granted me 20-ish hours in New York City. That sounds looney tunes, right? In most contexts, I'd agree with you—but this was a landmark weekend. On Friday the 13th of June, 2025, horror watchers, creators, and other industry folks gathered at Wild Heart Tattoo Shop in Greenpoint, Brooklyn, to celebrate Shudder's 10th birthday.

Senior Vice President of Programming and Acquisitions Sam Zimmerman explains why AMC's nightmare factory chose to honor a decade of streaming screams with ink and artistry:

"Something we cherish about Shudder is how much of it is driven by the taste and passion of the team. That taste extends beyond our films, to the way we [and our guest curators] present ourselves, and well, many of us are tattooed. We also knew the folks at Wild Heart were horror and Shudder fans, as well. It naturally clicked that something Shudder-related as a flash event might speak not only to us but, by extension, our audience and Shudder friends and family."

To Zimmerman's credit, that gamble was correct. The event, planned for 12-9 PM, had guns buzzing until about 11 PM due to demand. My stomach was grumbling for a walkin' slice from my favorite Williamsburg pizzeria, but hunger didn't cripple me in the least. Wild Heart was filled with smiles despite everyone getting jabbed by needles; you'd walk past tables and gush about the tattoos in progress.

Zimmerman continues:

"The day was incredibly heartening. The team at Wild Heart put in an unbelievable amount of work, creating a celebratory atmosphere that lasted late into the evening. I'll never take for granted that we've made an impact on the genre, let alone make and release films that would later be tattooed on folks. It rocks."

"Impact on the genre" is an understatement. Shudder has launched careers, bred in-house talent, and rescued "unreleasable" films from sitting on shelves. Filmmakers like the family trio of John Adams, Zelda Adams, and Toby Poser broke out with their micro-budget horror film The Deeper You Dig, thanks to Shudder's support and platform. That's why papa John and his daughter, Zelda, popped in to offer their congratulations to Shudder, where John received a very special commemoration tattoo: a heart hand-drawn by Zelda.

Shudder's festival presence cannot be dismissed. Whether you're at SXSW, Fantasia Film Festival, TIFF Midnight Madness, or seventy billion other genre-focused festivals, chances are you'll be seeing Shudder's branding often. Whether they're premiering future releases or buying boundary-pushing indies, Shudder's given hope to indie filmmakers praying for their festival breakout. Fantastic Fest's director, Lisa Dreyer, came to support Shudder since the company's become such a generous and prominent festival partner: 

"In the past ten years, Shudder has established themselves as the best way to easily discover new horror films. They've become a vital part of Fantastic Fest's family, giving many of the festival's films a great home and visibility to a wide audience. I think most of their team has a Fantastic Fest tattoo, so it was time to return the favor!"

The Future of Film is Female founder Caryn Coleman partnered with Shudder for a double feature later that evening, selecting two appropriately themed films from their catalog. How better to heal your tattoo than with punk-rock witchcraft and shitty men getting brutally murdered? As Coleman tells us, she chose Revenge for her tattoo because it aligns with her foundation's intentions to provide funding, platform new voices, and help launch careers for women in film.

"There's no better way to spend Friday the 13th than by celebrating Sudder and the horrific gifts they give us. It was an honor to be a part of it all, co-presenting a double feature of two of the most badass films by women (Revenge and Hellbender) at Nitehawk. Getting a Revenge tattoo to remind me of the resilience of women and being in community with our fellow horror friends."

Credit where credit is due, the tattoo artists at Wild Heart collectively illustrated a ballpark 20 flash pages that either directly referenced or took inspiration from Shudder titles. The toy phone from Kyle Edward Ball's Skinamarink, the graffiti tiger from Issa López's Tigers Are Not Afraid, and the Wooden Man from Damian McCarthy's Oddity, among many others, were available in multiple styles. My favorite Shudder Original is Joko Anwar's Satan's Slaves, represented in a bedside table bell tattoo (if you know, you know), but my eyes were drawn elsewhere.

Well, in two places. I broke the golden flash rule and asked for a combination of V/H/S' videotape and Late Night with the Devil's hypnotic swirly television. My artist didn't sweat the request, and I'm grateful. The result is better than I'd even visualized.

Now, let me be clear. At first glance, a tattoo's appearance and its meaning can be two different things and often are. Some might read the above and say, "A Shudder-branded tattoo, but why?" Especially in today's capitalist hellscape … yeah, I get that reaction. To many, Shudder is more than just a company. Let me first try to explain my connection to Shudder and why I decided to make the jet-lagged pilgrimage to pay my respects and notch my ninth tattoo (despite my parents' worries that I’m becoming a “tattoo freak”).

Ten years ago, I was a younger and more directionless film critic making a name for myself on the horror festival circuit. My path forward was uncertain at best, and my full-bore horror fandom was still somewhat fresh. That was Shudder as well, in many ways (except they were always horror diehards). The team was constantly bolstering its streaming library and was experimenting with releasing original content. The "Streaming Wars" hadn't escalated, plus there was no proven model for a genre-specific streaming platform to succeed on a level that might impress parent companies. No certainty, just passion.

Ten years later? Well, I've accomplished too many goals that I never thought would be possible. I bet Shudder’s representatives would say the same thing. We're still here—nay, thriving—in an industry landscape under fire every day. 

That's not to insinuate that I've made the same impact as Shudder. I'm not that conceited or delusional. But when I reflect on my evolution as a freelance film critic and how Shudder's been such a presence in many steps of the way, it's hard not to get a little sentimental. Whether that's discovering "lost" relics like Noroi: The Curse or Mute Witness once they hit Shudder's catalog, or getting the word out about exclusives like Satan's Slaves and When Evil Lurks, all roads lead back to Shudder. You can't discuss quality horror releases at the end of every year without mentioning Shudder, which has become a top-tier player in the genresphere.

More importantly, I've met forever friends and professional buds thanks to Shudder. When I talk about Shudder's curation, I'm not only talking about their movies. Shudder's curation of talent and the family they've assembled have embraced that outcast horror mentality as a feature, not a bug. Between their social media post-alongs of Joe Bob Briggs' The Last Drive-In or festival events that attract nuts like me, you, and the rest, it's the people that I'll never forget. Shudder has changed a sizable number of lives, either by releasing their "little" movies or welcoming them into a nurturing community, and I got to spend a night with those very people celebrating a decade's worth of milestones. 

That's what my tattoo will eternally represent. To be the smallest, most insignificant part of all that, it still gives me warm and fuzzies.

In chatting with others, everyone had their own connection to share. Bloody Disgusting's Co-Managing Director Meagan Navarro made the trek from Texas to hang with Shudder at Wild Heart and got what I'd consider to be one of the raddest tattoos:

"Shudder earned my loyalty since day one—that's how long I've been a subscriber—thanks to their unwavering dedication to quality, variety, and pushing the genre forward. It's the exceedingly rare place where you can find new curated favorites while unearthing nearly forgotten deep cuts across time, from all over the globe."

Let me piggyback on Navarro's praise super quick because she's right. Shudder's secret sauce is their investment across all initiatives. The team's exhaustive efforts to resurface rarities are as impressive as their original output has proven to be. That stems from nothing but blood, sweat, and perseverance from Shudder's staff. I'll never forget watching MadS at Fantastic Fest, sitting next to Zimmerman, who, although he'd seen the film countless times, still reacted to every jump scare and gore beat as if he were watching anew. That giddiness, that never-to-be-jaded joy about horror cinema, flows through Shudder's ranks and sets the company apart from the competition.

Oh, right, Navarro's ink! It's a gnarly rendition of the Terrified poster with chilly blue highlights, and here's why:

"Demián Rugna's Terrified did the thing horror movies rarely do for this seasoned horror fan: scare the shit out of me. A master class at scare crafting with potent imagery that gets under your skin. That made for an easy choice to celebrate Shudder's 10th birthday...by etching pure nightmare fuel into my skin, of course."

Fangoria's Community Manager Kimberly Leszak added to her fetching collection of colorfully eye-catching tattoos and chose to honor a title dear to her heart (and professional writing career):

"My design choice was easy once all the flash was in front of me. My first review assignment for Fangoria was The Ugly Stepsister, and I haven't stopped talking about the film since we watched it at [Overlook Film Festival] in early spring."

Leszak continues, highlighting why she drove from Pennsylvania to Brooklyn for Shudder with similar words to Navarro (and many others):

"The secret weapon of this service is the fantastic team of humans curating the best and strangest in new and classic horror. Even if I can't spend hours renting a stack of tapes ever again, Shudder's always got my back for building the perfect Friday triple feature."

Collider's Perri Nemiroff is another lifelong horror fan who you've probably seen interviewing your favorite celebrities or chatting on your movie screens during the pre-show. As for the "Why Shudder?" question, she's right there with Navarro and Leszak:

"It's so abundantly clear that the Shudder library is one curated by people who are passionate about the genre and eager to share that love with as many others as possible. I can't believe how many I've connected with in recent years through Shudder—filmmakers, film festival attendees, even folks I've known my whole life who I'm delighted to discover are dedicated Shudder subscribers. I always say the horror fandom is one of the very best out there. Shudder's become a major part of that community in the last ten years and bolstered it in the process."

And hey, sometimes you recognize that all you want is a visually dope tattoo. Wild Heart's flash pages were covered with options that had me changing my mind until game time, but others had less trouble. Horror host, media personality, and writer Xero Gravity saw what she wanted, and there was no turning back:

"I picked the tattoo I did because I thought it looked the coolest. I mingled with friends until we realized it was a portrait of one of the [Black Skulls] biker demons from Mandy. That movie follows me everywhere—it's so metal. I counted the days leading up to its Shudder release in 2018, and I've been plugged in ever since. That was more than enough to sell me."

Then there's my livestream co-host and friend for over a decade, Ms. Nemiroff. We've been tattoo buddies before, getting our first Fantastic Fest tattoos at last year's event, and now we're Shudder buddies as well. Perri's enthusiasm for the genre is infectious, and honestly, her nudging helped me get on the same flight she took from Los Angeles Thursday night. Here's why she, like me, chose a V/H/S-themed tattoo (with a devilish twist):

"I love a lot of Shudder films, but when I first heard they were doing this event, I had a feeling I'd veer toward whatever designs they whipped up for the V/H/S franchise. Not only have I been covering the series for nearly my entire career, but they're films that make me love my favorite genre even more than I already do. V/H/S encourages new and veteran voices to swing for the fences and embrace the fact that there are no limits to horror storytelling."

In total, the Wild Heart team completed 57 tattoos. Late Night with the Devil took "Most Popular" honors, sending 13 people out the door with distorted television set illustrations or David Dastmalchian's aflame image from the more recognizable poster. Creepshow came in second with five total, including two sizable hitcher pieces. V/H/S collected a respectable four takers (including myself), Dangerous Animals reeled in three trophies, The Creep Tapes inspired two Peachfuzz tats, and you better believe someone left with a Skinamarink phone. Shout out to the Cheddar Goblin guy, too—I'm so happy someone left with a "gobblin' good" tattoo.

I hope my words have bottled some of the electric energy that illuminated Wild Heart well into the late night's darkness. Shudder is more than a streaming platform and production logo. Perhaps that sounds cult-like, and maybe you had to be in attendance to understand fully, but no other genre streamer has been able to achieve what Shudder has. The video vortex-y V/H/S tattoo with blood-red "eyes" above my ankle isn't solely about a movie, or about a company, or my favorite genre. It represents the wild, unpredictable ride that so many of us have been on for the last ten-plus years and how lucky we’ve gotten. A tattoo is hardly ever just a tattoo, and in this case, it's a reminder of cherished memories, present happiness, and, if Baphomet allows, a whole heck of a lot of future left to enjoy thanks to Shudder.