"Humongous" is a lost slasher. But an awesome one. This is prime 1980's slasher all the way, folks, and if any obscure 80's flick deserves a proper DVD/blu-ray release, it's "Humongous". A follow-up to director Paul Lynch's "Prom Night", this is pitch perfect 80's horror that gleefully follows in the footsteps of "Friday the 13th" and other slashers of the time. And this one's got it all. Great story. Great atmosphere. Great monster. It's a prime example of early 80's horror.
It starts off with a bang, as we learn in the ominous prologue that some rich lady in the 40's owns a huge mansion on Dog Island. She's having a party, and is brutally raped at a party. She owns dogs, and at the sight of their mistress being attacked, break loose and kill the lug. The woman becomes pregnant, and in true horror movie fashion, gives birth to a monstrously deformed child. Slowly growing insane, the woman becomes a sad recluse on the lonely island, as her child grows huge, hence the name "Humongous".
Flash forward 30 years or so. A bunch of rich kids on a yacht get lost in the fog, and end up, of course, on mysterious Dog Island. The island appears to be deserted, but they hear the dogs. But soon they realize they are being silently watched. And hunted. Sounds great, right? It is. I love "Humongous". I love everything about it. It's got some of the best atmosphere I've ever seen in an 80's horror film. What it lacks in acting more than makes up for in mood and atmosphere. It's great stuff. Many complain about the darkness of this movie- there are some scenes that it's just downright hard to see what's going on. We are still waiting for that official DVD transfer they keep promising. However on the plus side, the movie offers some great atmosphere and camerawork, and it has a pretty scary killer. It's by far one of the better slasher in the woods, easily ranking alongside such notable entries as "Friday the 13th" and "The Burning".
"Humongous" was an HBO staple in the early 80's, and it's where I caught it late one night- oh, around 1984 or so. I found it very scary then, and am pleased to say I found it just as entertaining today. Especially now that it's finally been released on DVD- it looks better than ever. Give it a whirl. You won't be disappointed.
