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New month, new horror recommendations from Deep Cuts Rising. This installment’s five selections reflect the month of July 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 snake thriller, a giallo, and more.

Death Walks on High Heels (1971)

Death Walks on High Heels (1971)

Directed by Luciano Ercoli.

For fans, July is dedicated to gialli. And one giallo that doesn’t come up too often in discussions is Death Walks on High Heels (La morte cammina con i tacchi alti in Italian). After Nieves Navarro‘s character’s father — a jewel thief — is murdered, the masked assailant comes after the daughter. The protagonist flees to England, however, her pursuer won’t stop until he gets what he seeks.

Death Walks on High Heels never quite reaches the heights of its contemporaries,...

In today's edition of Horror Highlights, we have details on the Arrow streaming platform, the trailer for Expulsion, and a Q&a with Jacob Bloomfield-Misrach to discuss his work on 12 Hour Shift:

Arrow Launches New Streaming Platform in North America in Time for Halloween: "London, UK - Arrow Video is excited to announce the bow of their new subscription-based Arrow platform, available in the US and Canada beginning October 1. Building on the success of the Arrow Video Channel and expanding its availability across multiple devices and countries, Arrow boasts a selection of cult classics, hidden gems and iconic horror films, all curated by the Arrow Video team.

Arrow begins streaming with headliners The Deeper You Dig, The Texas Chainsaw Massacre, Crumbs, The Hatred, Cold Light of Day, Videoman and The Herschell Gordon Lewis Feast. Also immediately available are perennial Halloween hits Hellraiser 1 & 2, Elvira, Ringu, tthe complete Gamera series,...

In a packed edition of Horror Highlights, we have a clip from Crystal Eyes, details on the To Your Last Death Blu-ray release, info on The Year Without Halloween book, the short film We Got a Monkey's Paw, details on Joe Bob Brigg's drive-in event, and the trailer for Chop Chop!

Watch a Clip from Crystal Eyes: September's Arrow Video Channel offerings bolster the already great lineup with an eclectic mix of titles that include Crystal Eyes, Graveyard of Honor, Return of the Killer Tomatoes, and more. Here's a look at a clip from Crystal Eyes and more details on Arrow's September lineup:

"London, UK - Arrow Video is excited to announce the September slate of titles on their subscription-based Arrow Video Channel, including the Argentinian giallo homage Crystal Eyes, Fukasaku's Graveyard of Honor, and Miike's 2002 remake. The stylish slasher Crystal Eyes, Fukasaku's classic crime thriller Graveyard of Honor...

September's Arrow Video Channel offerings bolster the already great lineup with an eclectic mix of titles that include Crystal Eyes, Graveyard of Honor, Return of the Killer Tomatoes, and more:

"London, UK - Arrow Video is excited to announce the September slate of titles on their subscription-based Arrow Video Channel, including the Argentinian giallo homage Crystal Eyes, Fukasaku's Graveyard of Honor, and Miike's 2002 remake. The stylish slasher Crystal Eyes, Fukasaku's classic crime thriller Graveyard of Honor and Miike's reimagining lead a selection of cult classics, hidden gems and iconic horror films coming to the Arrow Video Channel September 1st.

Crystal Eyes, Graveyard of Honor (1975), and Graveyard of Honor (2002) will be available September 1st on the Arrow Video Channel in the US and the UK. Additional new titles available September 1st include Ivansxtc (UK/US), The Holy Mountain (UK), Fando Y Lis (UK), El Topo (UK), and Return of the Killer...

Arrow Video has an exciting slate of September titles on their subscription-based Arrow Video Channel, including the Argentinian giallo homage Crystal Eyes, Fukasaku's Graveyard of Honor, and Miike's 2002 remake. The stylish slasher Crystal Eyes, Fukasaku's classic crime thriller Graveyard of Honor and Miike's reimagining lead a selection of cult classics, hidden gems and iconic horror films coming to the Arrow Video Channel September 1st.

Crystal Eyes, Graveyard of Honor (1975), and Graveyard of Honor (2002) will be available September 1st on the Arrow Video Channel in the US and the UK. Additional new titles available September 1st include Ivansxtc (UK/US), The Holy Mountain (UK), Fando Y Lis (UK), El Topo (UK), and Return of the Killer Tomatoes (UK/US). The Arrow Video Channel is available on Apple TV in the UK and US, as well as on Amazon in the UK.

In Crystal Eyes, it's Buenos Aires, 1985. It's the first anniversary...

To celebrate the release of The Iguana with the Tongue of Fire – available on Blu-ray today from Arrow Video – we’re giving away a Blu-ray and the official soundtrack on limited edition 12″ vinyl!

One of several ‘animal-in-the-title’ cash-ins released in the wake of Dario Argento’s box-office smash The Bird with the Crystal Plumage, The Iguana with the Tongue of Fire is a gloriously excessive giallo that boasts a rogues gallery of perverse characters; violent, fetishized murders, and one of the genre’s most nonsensical, red-herring laden plots (which sees almost every incidental character hinted at potentially being the killer).

Benefitting from a sumptuous score by Stelvio Cipriani and exuberant supporting performances from Valentina Cortese and Dagmar Lassander, The Iguana with the Tongue of Fire is a luridly over-the-top latter-day entry in the filmography of acclaimed director Riccardo Freda. An archetypal giallo from the genre’s heyday, Freda’s film...

To celebrate the release of The Iguana with the Tongue of Fire – available on Blu-ray April 8th from Arrow Video – we’re giving away a copy.

One of several ‘animal-in-the-title’ cash-ins released in the wake of Dario Argento’s box-office smash The Bird with the Crystal Plumage, The Iguana with the Tongue of Fire is a gloriously excessive giallo that boasts a rogues gallery of perverse characters; violent, fetishized murders, and one of the genre’s most nonsensical, red-herring laden plots (which sees almost every incidental character hinted at potentially being the killer).

Benefitting from a sumptuous score by Stelvio Cipriani and exuberant supporting performances from Valentina Cortese and Dagmar Lassander, The Iguana with the Tongue of Fire is a luridly over-the-top latter-day entry in the filmography of acclaimed director Riccardo Freda. An archetypal giallo from the genre’s heyday, Freda’s film is presented here in a stunning new...

The Iguana With The Tongue Of Fire will be available on Blu-ray April 9th From Arrow Video

One of several animal-in-the-title cash-ins released in the wake of Dario Argento s box-office smash The Bird with the Crystal Plumage, The Iguana with the Tongue of Fire is a gloriously excessive giallo that boasts a rogues gallery of perverse characters; violent, fetishized murders, and one of the genre s most nonsensical, red-herring laden plots (which sees almost every incidental character hinted at potentially being the killer).

Set in Dublin (a rather surprising giallo setting), Iguana opens audaciously with an acid-throwing, razor-wielding maniac brutally slaying a woman in her own home. The victim s mangled corpse is discovered in a limousine owned by Swiss Ambassador Sobiesky and a police investigation is launched, but when the murdering continues and the ambassador claims diplomatic immunity, tough ex-cop John Norton is brought in to find the killer…...

Even horror fans of an older vintage like me came to find out about giallo films at a later date; sure, certain big juggernauts would make their way through, like Deep Red and The Bird with the Crystal Plumage, but at the advent of home video, they were mainly outliers. As DVD blossomed, many more were rescued and rediscovered by a whole new generation (and the ones before that missed them) clamoring for creative kills wrapped in (sometimes puzzling) whodunit packages. Now that a blood river’s worth of titles have been rereleased, it’s time to try and pool them together and take a vantage view of their place in the horror landscape. Enter Federico Caddeo’s All the Colors of Giallo (2019), a great overview for newbies and vets alike, overflowing with three discs of crimson wonder by Severin Films.

Yes, several books have been written on this (predominantly...

For this final week of home media releases in January, I hope everyone has prepared their wallets, because we have a lot to get excited about, especially if you’re a cult film fan.

Vinegar Syndrome is doing the dark lord’s work this Tuesday, as they are putting out four different titles, including Cutting Class, Splatter University, There’s Nothing Out There, and Uninvited. Severin is celebrating giallo filmmaking with their releases of All the Colors of Giallo and All the Colors of the Dark, Scream Factory is showing some love to Screamers, and if you missed it in theaters, you can also finally catch up with Luca Guadagnino’s Suspiria on Blu-ray this week as well.

Other notable releases for January 29th include a new edition of Willow, Save Yourself, and Dead Silence (1989).

All the Colors of Giallo

'Giallo' is Italian for 'yellow', the color of the lurid...

Tuesday, July 17th looks to be another busy day for home media releases, as we have a rather interesting blend of titles, both new and old. As far as recent flicks go, Blumhouse’s Truth or Dare, The Housemaid, Rampage, and You Were Never Really Here are the big highlights of this week’s Blu-ray and DVD debuts. And for those of you who are looking to expand your cult cinema collections, Arrow Video is keeping busy with new HD releases of The Case of the Scorpion’s Tail and Doom Asylum.

Other notable releases for July 17th include the new EndoArm edition of Terminator 2 in 4K, the Church of the Damned/Bad Magic double feature Blu-ray, Amityville Prison, and The Antithesis.

Blumhouse’s Truth or Dare

Lucy Hale (Pretty Little Liars) and Tyler Posey (Teen Wolf) lead the cast of Blumhouse's Truth or Dare, a supernatural thriller from Blumhouse Productions.

What Have They Done To Your Daughters? will be available on Blu-ray August 14th from Arrow Video

In 1972, director Massimo Dallamano broke new ground in the giallo genre with the harrowing What Have You Done to Solange? Two years later, he followed up with an even darker semi-sequel the chilling What Have They Done to Your Daughters?

A teenage girl is found hanging from the rafters of a privately rented attic, pregnant and violated. Hot-headed Inspector Silvestri and rookie Assistant District Attorney Vittoria Stori are assigned to the case, the scope of which grows substantially when they discover that the dead girl was part of a ring of underage prostitutes whose abusers occupy the highest echelons of Italian society. Meanwhile, a cleaver-wielding, motorcycle-riding killer roars through the streets of Brescia, determined to ensure that those involved take their secret to the grave.

Also starring Mario Adorf (The Bird with the Crystal Plumage...

One of the major consequences of Western Europe s post-war Economic Miracle was the proliferation of international travel. Eager to tap into audiences desire to experience the glamor of the jet set lifestyle, the popular filmmakers of the day rushed to make the most of the exotic locales at their disposal.

Arguably no other giallo captured this trend as vividly as The Case of the Scorpion s Tail. The film begins in London, where Lisa Baumer learns that her husband has died in a freak plane accident. Summoned to Athens to collect his generous life insurance policy, she soon discovers that others besides herself are keen to get their hands on the money and are willing to kill for it. Meanwhile, private detective Peter Lynch arrives to investigate irregularities in the insurance claim. Teaming up with a beautiful reporter, Cléo Dupont, Lynch resolves to unearth the truth… before he too...

The term “giallo” initially referred to cheap yellow paperbacks (printed American mysteries from writers such as Agatha Christie), that were distributed in post-fascist Italy. Applied to cinema, the genre is comprised of equal parts early pulp thrillers, mystery novels, with a willingness to gleefully explore onscreen sex and violence in provocative, innovative ways. Giallos are strikingly different from American crime films: they value style and plot over characterization, and tend towards unapologetic displays of violence, sexual content, and taboo exploration. The genre is known for stylistic excess, characterized by unnatural yet intriguing lighting techniques, convoluted plots, red herrings, extended murder sequences, excessive bloodletting, stylish camerawork and unusual musical arrangements. Amidst the ‘creative kill’ set-pieces are thematic undercurrents along with a whodunit element, usually some sort of twist ending. Here is my list of the best giallo films – made strictly by Italian directors, so don’t expect Black Swan, Amer or...