The Kanopy Crypt Collection: A New Name for the Horror Collection Your Patrons Already Love
If you’re a longtime Kanopy partner, you’ll notice something different this October. Fright Fest has a new name: the Kanopy Crypt Collection.
Same curated lineup your patrons look forward to every fall, just under a new banner. Whether your regular patrons come back every year for the classics or your patrons are looking for something new to stream, the collection still delivers cult favorites, arthouse chillers, and international scares, all free with their library card. With the campaign running throughout October, now’s the time to start planning your Halloween promotions so your library is ready before the rush.
The Kanopy Crypt Collection launches October 1 and runs through Halloween, October 31.
Where to Start
Not sure where to start when promoting the collection? Here are five titles the Kanopy Content Programming team suggests featuring, offering something for every kind of horror fan in your community.
The Ugly Stepsister
Watch The Ugly Stepsister on Kanopy
Facing desperate financial straits, wide-eyed and awkward Elvira (Lea Myren) prepares for the royal ball, where she must compete with her beautiful new stepsister Agnes (Thea Sofie Loch Naess) to capture the attention and riches of the handsome prince. Under her mother’s direction, Elvira subjects herself to dancing lessons, primitive plastic surgery, and much, much, worse, but her swanlike transformation comes at a devastating (and disgusting) price.
A body horror spin on the Cinderella story that’s as unsettling as it is inventive. Great for patrons who want something new and aren’t afraid of a fairy tale gone very wrong.
House on Haunted Hill
Watch House on Haunted Hill on Kanopy
A true classic of suspense, this spooky, campy tale tells the story of five strangers who are offered $10,000 each by an eccentric millionaire to spend the night in a haunted house. As the night develops, it becomes clear that these strangers’ selection was no accident–and a few have some diabolical schemes of their own! Starring horror legend Vincent Price, House On Haunted Hill is sure to thrill hard-core horror and classic film fans of all ages.
The genre-defining haunted house classic. Vincent Price hosts a night no one will forget, for a price. A must for patrons who want their horror with a side of camp.
Ghosts
A young couple inherit a grand country house, only to find it is teeming with ghosts.
Not all patrons want nightmares with their horror. This comedy series is a lighter pick for patrons who’d rather laugh than scream, cozy horror at its finest.
Oddity
In the supernatural horror thriller, twin sisters Dani & Darcy Odello (both played by Carolyn Bracken) are at the story’s chilling core. Dani’s brutal murder a year ago consigning Darcy, now blind and gifted with psychometric ability, to the role of investigator and avenger. As Darcy visits the country house owned by her sister’s husband Ted (Gwilym Lee) and his new girlfriend, a life-sized wooden golem arrives in a crate from her curiosities shop, and the quiet night mutates into a labyrinth of lies, haunted objects, and vengeful spirits.
Uncanny
Watch Uncanny on Kanopy | Publishing on September 29
Are you team believer or team sceptic? Danny Robins brings his hit podcast to the screen, investigating stories of the paranormal. It’s about to get weird.
Prom Night
On prom night, a masked killer stalks teenagers responsible for the accidental death of a girl years earlier. With scream queen Jamie Lee Curtis (“Halloween”) and Leslie Nielsen (“Airplane”).
A slasher staple starring Jamie Lee Curtis. Essential viewing for anyone building out their classic horror viewing.
Demons
A neon-soaked Italian horror cult classic from director Lamberto Bava. Cheryl (Natasha Hovey) and George (Urbano Barberini) attend a mysterious screening inside a West Berlin cinema where the audience becomes infected by demonic forces. As chaos erupts, the trapped survivors fight back amid pounding metal anthems from Motorhead and Judas Priest, and an original score by Claudio Simonetti.
An Italian cult favorite that’s equal parts gory and gonzo. A moviegoing crowd gets trapped in a theater with something worse than a bad film. Perfect for patrons who like their horror internationally sourced.
In Search of Edgar Allan Poe
Watch In Search of Edgar Allan Poe on Kanopy
This definitive documentary tells the poignant story of the poet, short story writer, and critic Edgar Allan Poe. It recounts how he invented the detective story, pioneered science fiction, and shaped the horror tale, yet was beset by many personal demons.
Check out the rest of the Crypt Collection here.
Bring the Scares to Your Library
Want to take the Crypt Collection beyond your homepage? A full marketing toolkit is available, with digital graphics sized for social and email, ready-to-use newsletter and social copy, and programming ideas like horror movie nights and bracket-style title tournaments. Find the Crypt Collection toolkit and others on the US Resource Center page, the Canadian Resource Center page and the Australia/New Zealand Resource Center page.