New month, new horror recommendations from Deep Cuts Rising. This installment features five selections reflecting the month of November 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 a horror western, a gory tale of bad science, and […]
New month, new horror recommendations from Deep Cuts Rising. This installment features five selections reflecting the month of November 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 a horror western, a gory tale of bad science, and a supernatural slasher.
Craze (1974)
Image: Craze (1974)
Directed by Freddie Francis.
The choices for movies to watch on Occult Day (November 18) are endless, but what about the lesser known Craze? This adaptation of Henry Seymour‘s novel is a grisly delight. () is the murderous antiques dealer whose killing spree is done in the name of an African idol.
Here Palance goes around butchering women as part of a series of sacrifices for the aforesaid idol. His plans to lure and slay his targets become more and more ridiculous as the movie goes on, and watching the police struggle to find a clue is even more amusing. Despite its kookiness, Craze is carried by solid direction and a committed lead performance.
Find Craze on Tubi now, but for a better-looking print, Vinegar Syndrome has included the movie in its Cruel Britannia: Three Killer Thrillers From The UK set.
The White Buffalo (1977)
Image: The White Buffalo (1977)
Directed by J. Lee Thompson.
Charles Bronson was not known for starring in too many horror movies, but one of his few entries in the genre, along with director J. Lee Thompson’s 10 to Midnight, is The White Buffalo. Based on a novel by Richard Sale, who also wrote the screen adaptation, this mixed-genre western finds the action star in pursuit of a legendary animal. The titular creature haunts the dreams of Bronson’s character, and it’s up to him and Will Sampson to find this elusive monster.
While The White Buffalo is considered more fantasy than horror, there are those undeniably tense moments between man and beast. So consider this movie for National Bison Day (November 2).
The White Buffalo is now streaming on Tubi. And for physical media fans, it’s on Blu-ray from Kino Lorber.
Shallow Grave (1984)
Image: Shallow Grave (1984)
Directed by Richard Styles.
Go For A Ride Day (November 22) would normally be about having enjoyable rides in your car, so the Southern fried slasher Shallow Graveis a dubious choice. Well, the characters here intended to have fun as they made their way over to Florida for Spring Break. And if it wasn’t for one unyieldingly cruel sheriff down in Georgia, they would have made it there without injury.
This regional obscurity qualifies as a total feel-bad movie; it’s far meaner than many of its low-budget contemporaries. Then again, that nastiness is what makes this one stand out.
For all those folks who like horror about bookish types, check out I, Madman for Book Lovers Day (November 2). The Gate director Tibor Takács delivered a story where the menace leaps off the page and straight into one woman’s life. As a used bookstore employee (Jenny Wright) continues to read an absorbing pulp novel, she becomes trapped in a realm between fantasy and reality; she has terrifying dreams of the book’s killer (Randall William Cook) before he finally manifests before her.
The film noir influence and overall visual style are things to look forward to in I, Madman. It definitely surpasses expectations for horror movies made during the very late eighties.
You can watch I, Madman on Roku as well as Blu-ray.
The Rage (2007)
Image: The Rage (2007)
Directed by Robert Kurtzman.
Your options for turkey-themed horror for U.S. Thanksgiving Day (November 28) are limited, but what about turkey vultures? This gross gem from the Wishmaster director draws from slashers, splatter pics, mad scientist tales, zombie stories, and creature features. It’s a real cornucopia of horrors.
The Djinn from Wishmaster, Andrew Divoff, plays a Victor Frankenstein type who has gone and created something no one asked for: a virus that makes people rage. And a few young people get mixed up in the inevitable consequences of the doctor’s amoral experiments. This includes his deformed and disgusting test subjects, as well as mutated vultures who have moved on from carrion to living prey. The Rage is absolute schlock, however, it’s also loaded with heaps of practical effects and makeup. It’s fun for the gorehound crowd.
The Rage is now at several digital outlets, but you can still buy the ol’ DVD at a decent price.
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.
