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New month, new horror recommendations from Deep Cuts Rising. This installment features five selections reflecting the month of September 2024.
Regardless of how they came to be here, or what they’re about, these past movies can generally be considered overlooked, forgotten or unknown.
This month’s offerings include an ’80s slasher, a Mexican sci-fi story, and a twisty thriller about family.
Humongous (1982)
Pictured: Janet Julian in Humongous (1982).
Directed by Paul Lynch.
Humongous begins on Labor Day (September 2) in the 1940s before flash-forwarding to the present day (well, the early ’80s). Once we move into the modern era of the story (and past a rather brutal opening sequence), this Canadian production slips into familiar territory. The setting of an island is, admittedly, different than the usual school or creepy old house, but Paul Lynch’s horror follow-up to Prom Night is still formulaic.
Even so, Humongous passes for a watchable, if not low-stakes and oldfangled slasher. The mutant antagonist is pathetic in the same way many of his ilk are; his response to bad life circumstances are impulsive and violent. Any complaints about the movie being too visually dark, though, should be thankful because the monster looks astonishingly not-great in direct light.
Humongous was only available on Blu-ray for a short time, and those of us who missed out the first time around would love a re-release. In the meantime, find it on YouTube.
Grandmother’s House (1989)
Pictured: Eric Foster and Kim Valentine in Grandmother’s House (1989).
Directed by Peter Rader.
This might not be the movie to watch with your nana and gramps on Grandparents’ Day (September 8 in the U.S.), but who knows, they might get a kick out of this twisted family affair. A pair of orphaned siblings (Eric Foster and Kim Valentine) move in with their maternal grandparents after their father passes away; they have vague memories of living with their mother years ago. As the boy and girl get situated in their new environment, a strange woman begins to stalk them. Things take a weirder turn when the brother then suspects his grandfather is a murderer.
Grandmother’s House delays the inevitable while also leaving viewers with an unsettling parting gift on their way out. This offering of domestic horror may surprise you.
Buy Grandmother’s House on Blu-ray or watch it on Tubi.
The Similars (2015)
Pictured: Cassandra Ciangherotti in The Similars (2015).
Directed by Isaac Ezban.
Keep The Similars (Los Parecidos) in mind when looking for horror for this year’s Hispanic Heritage Month. Although this Mexican movie is more in the realm of science fiction, it does have some undeniable eeriness to it. In the 1960s, several strangers are trapped in a bus station during a storm, and as they wait for their bus to arrive, their faces begin to change…
The Similars has been likened to something out of The Twilight Zone, albeit a touch sillier. This stylish and charming genre piece, however, handles it tonal shifts well and even has some genuinely suspenseful moments.
Watch The Similars on Pluto TV now.
K-Shop (2016)
Pictured: Ziad Abaza in K-Shop (2016).
Directed by Dan Pringle.
National Cooking Day (September 25) presumably doesn’t include cannibalism, but in the movie K-Shop, meat is meat. After a man (Ziad Abaza) takes over his late father’s kebab shop, he eventually finds a new and cheaper food source. And the customers like what they’re eating.
What separates K-Shop from the likes of Blood Diner and Motel Hell is its main character, who acts out of vengeance; someone killed his father. The movie also touches on real-life issues, including class politics, social unrest, and ethical erosion.
K-Shop is currently streaming on Tubi.
Game Over (2019)
Pictured: Taapsee Pannu in Game Over (2019).
Directed by Ashwin Saravanan.
For National Video Games Day (July 12), consider the movie Game Over. Here Taapsee Pannu plays a game designer who is deathly afraid of the dark after suffering a traumatic event. And as she grapples with inner demons, a local serial killer selects her as his next target.
Game Over is an intense but sincere psychological story. The main character is put through a lot of pain in those first two dramatic acts, which can be overwhelming. Yet once the various genre elements do start to come in, the movie positively improves.
Watch Game Over on Netflix now.
No genre is as prolific as horror, so it’s understandable that movies fall through the cracks all the time. That is where this recurring column, Deep Cuts Rising, comes in. Each installment of this series will spotlight several unsung or obscure movies from the past — some from way back when, and others from not so long ago — that could use more attention.