This month’s installment of Deep Cuts Rising features a variety of horror movies, with each one reflecting a special event or day in May.
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 tense battle between mothers, a tale of evil in the suburbs, a fast-food slasher, a twisty wartime horror story, and an indie slow burn with a Hitchcockian vibe.
You’ll Like My Mother (1972)
Directed by Lamont Johnson.
The movie stars Oscar winner Patty Duke as young widow Francesca, who’s visiting her late husband’s mother (Rosemary Murphy) for the first time at a remote house in snowy Minnesota. Soon things take a turn when Francesca becomes not only stranded at her in-law’s house, but also drugged and taken prisoner.
Just in time for Mother’s Day is this suspenseful ’70s psycho-horror. This movie was shot at the Glensheen Historic Estate, which was later the site of real-life murders. The director, who was also an actor, crafted an enjoyable if not deliberately paced thriller with great performances.
You’ll Like My Mother is available on Blu-ray from Scream Factory.
Night Visitor (1989)
Directed by Rupert Hitzig.
Teacher’s Day (May 2) is a good time to discover (or revisit) the underseen Night Visitor (also known as Never Cry Devil). Derek Rydall plays a high-school student and prankster who makes a startling discovery while spying on his hot new neighbor (Shannon Tweed). In her bedroom, the neighbor — also a sex worker — is murdered by a man in a demonic mask. Although the young protagonist fails to save the victim, he unmasks the culprit; the assailant is no other than the teen’s teacher (Allen Garfield). Now the boy plays a deadly cat-and-mouse game with the teacher, who will stop at nothing to protect his secret.
Night Visitor is a bit of Fright Night copycat; Elliott Gould isn’t a vampire hunter but rather a retired investigator. There’s also nothing supernatural going on here, seeing as this is much more of a straightforward teen-horror movie inspired by the Satanic Panic.
Night Visitor is available on Blu-ray from Ronin Flix, and it’s currently streaming on Tubi.
Drive Thru (2007)
Directed by Brendan Cowles and Shane Kuhn.
On National Hamburger Day (May 28), feast on the schlocky teen-slasher Drive Thru. The cheesy burger joint in this town has added murder to the menu. Mascot Horny the Clown is on a killing spree, and only Leighton Meester‘s character can now stop him.
This movie feels a lot like fast food; it’s enjoyable in the moment, but it’s cheap and won’t fill you up for long. However, the cast’s familiar faces — aside from a pre-Gossip Girl Meester, there’s Final Destination 5‘s Nicholas D’Agosto, Super Size Me‘s Morgan Spurlock and You star Penn Badgley — are fun to point out, the music is metal, and the quippy and clown-themed killer is amusing at times.
Drive Thru is available on DVD from Lionsgate, and it’s currently streaming on Roku and Vudu.
Shadow (2009)
Directed by Federico Zampaglione.
Horror is the best genre for contextualizing war. And for this Memorial Day (May 29), Shadow is another war-related movie worth checking out. Jake Muxworthy‘s soldier character, after serving in Iraq, is on a bicycling tour of Europe when he and his love interest are terrorized by violent locals. The danger only escalates when another character then enters the story.
Shadow is a heavy movie with occasionally beautiful scenery. This Italian production ultimately transforms into a dark and torturous survival tale with a potent conclusion.
Shadow is available on DVD from MPI Home Video, and it’s currently streaming on Tubi.
Actress Wanted (2018)
Directed by Nguyễn Đức Minh.
May is Asian American and Pacific Islander Heritage Month, and directors like Nguyễn Đức Minh are addressing the lack of Asian American horror movies. The filmmakers’ second feature Actress Wanted (Vai Diễn Đổi Đời) starts out like a character drama; a struggling Viet-American actor helps a lonely old widower by acting out scenes from his marriage. Things later change for the worse when the client goes off script.
Actress Wanted initially may not seem like a horror movie, however once it does show its sinister side, there is no turning back. It’s a real “waiting for the other shoe to drop” situation here.
Actress Wanted is currently streaming on Tubi.
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.
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