The Ritual of C.H.U.D.

**Chris_Ferox** · November 14th, 2011

Am I the only person amused by the "Ritual of chud" (umlaut missing) vis the 1984 drive-in/VHS cult classic C.H.U.D.?

I realize the chud of IT has more to do with the pseudo history (real or imagined) of esoteric ancient ritual, but has anyone ever straight asked Stephen King if this was any kind of nod to the movie C.H.U.D.?

IT has been my fave King book since publication, and, as C.H.U.D. was the top horror movie among my preteen cohort in 1984-85, I must wonder if King was aware of the double-entendre the word was sure to invoke among a new 80s generation of monster kids?

**fushingfeef** · November 15th, 2011

Both came out around the same time but I really doubt SK did it as a clever nod to the movie. The ritual of chud was too important for him to get cutesy with something like that.

**GNTLGNT** · November 16th, 2011

Still...a funny comparison....

**Chris_Ferox** · November 16th, 2011

Well, according to the back of the book, King was still writing IT for a year and a half or more after C.H.U.D. was released. The Ritual of Chud isn't mentioned until near the end of the book, so there's more likelihood that he was writing the section after the movie came out. And of course most tellingly of all, C.H.U.D. takes place in the sewers, and the Ritual of Chud takes place in the sewers.

Of course there is no telling unless King weighs in, but personally I think it is quite likely that King recognized C.H.U.D. as a future classic 80s-version of the 50s-era creature features so loved by The Losers, and so incorporated the nod. After all, this is the guy who directed Maximum Overdrive

**Chris_Ferox** · November 17th, 2011

another thought... I'm pretty sure "Ritual of Chud" is a Steve King construct, no? I mean, as far as I can tell googling, there is actually no such historical thing that far off exotic peoples once practiced. in which case, I find it hard to believe that the C.H.U.D. filmmmakers AND Steve King would have both independently alighted upon the word around the same time in the 80s. Another potential hint to this supposed nod from King, it seems to me, is the umlaut he employs over the "u" in his version: so, the Steve King version of Chud has 2 periods, and the B movie version has 4... heh

**evil ed** · December 15th, 2011

Well, if you consider what "C.H.U.D." stood for in the film, and the fact that "C.H.U.D."'s acronym in he novel was never revealed, I would say that it could be a nod to the film. After all, It was a Cannibalistic Humanoid Underground Dweller...wouldn't you say so?