THE
TOWN THAT DREADED SUNDOWN (1976)
Directed by Charles B. Pierce
Warner Home Video VHS
Reviewed 04.21.05
Review by Joseph A. Ziemba
THE FILM
When I was seven, there was this
misplaced tape at our neighborhood
rental shop. Smack dab in the center
of the “Drama” section
was a frightening big box depicting
a man with a canvas sack over his
head. The balding owner (who looked
like Gene Hackman) never moved that
tape, ensuring a shudder each time
I passed towards the kids section.
I remained scared of Mr. Smock Face,
right up until the place went out
of business a few years later. Nearly
twenty years and hundreds of horror
films later, that image still has
the power to make my heart race.
With film number four, Charles Pierce
returned to the pseudo-documentary
magic that made The
Legend Of Boggy Creek (1974)
such a classic, this time backed
by Sam Arkoff’s waning American
International Pictures. The
Town That Dreaded Sundown is
a solemn depiction of the Texarkana,
Arkansas “Moonlight Murders”
of 1946, a series of odd slayings
which remain unsolved to this day.
Anyone with a pulse can pick out
the mood killers that unfortunately
plague this film (bumbling cop comic
relief, abrupt Dragnet
type score). That aside, when something’s
done right, it’s done right.
There’s no need to question
it. Town is a blunt and
unnerving film, despite its feeble
shortcomings. Turn the lights down
low.
In a wash of town square activities,
wedding “I do’s,”
and movie theater waiting lines,
a friendly narrator introduces us
to Texarkana, circa May 1946. After
we get a feel for the post-war workings
of small town USA, The Phantom (clad
in jeans, wool shirt, and canvas-sack
ala Jason from the later Friday
The 13th Part 2) makes his
first appearance, attacking a couple
at lover’s lane, but leaving
them to live. We meet Deputy Norman
Ramsey who relates that The Phantom
left the girl “bitten...rather
chewed” on her back, butt,
and breasts. The town calls in Captain
J.D. Morales from Texas, the nation’s
top expert in criminal investigation.
Three weeks later, The Phantom strikes
again, this time killing another
couple by gunshot in bizarre fashion.
Insert ridiculous cop antics from
“Sparkplug” Bensen,
played by Charles Pierce himself.
The search for the killer continues,
becoming one of the largest manhunts
in America’s history. As the
violence and strange killings escalate,
The Phantom becomes more elusive,
always placing his crimes within
19-22 days apart. Small town paranoia
has never been more necessary.
The facts of the case itself are
enough to spook you...it’s
a testament to director Pierce’s
decisions on a technical level that
really make this film successful.
Through its docu-type cinematography
and use of contained locations,
Town holds some chilling
oomph. The film is never overly
gory and always slightly dirty;
the manic close-ups of The Phantom’s
in-and-out breathing and beady eyes
do more for mood than any amount
of onscreen bloodshed could hope
for. Pierce irks us into suspense
at a random rate, jumping from VFW
innocence to trombone-knifed bafflement
in the blink of an eye. The acting
was surprisingly effective in a
“real” type of way,
including a turn from Dawn Wells
(Mary Ann on Gilligan’s
Island) as a tree-hugging victim.
Keeping all this in mind, the light
hearted Bensen bits are brief and
easy to overlook; they detract from
the tone, but it’s nearly
impossible to derail what this film
has going for it.
It’s no wonder why The Phantom’s
kisser scared me as a kid; what’s
more surprising is this film’s
effect on me as an adult. Realistic,
chilling, and highly effective.
AUDIO AND VIDEO
The print itself is a pan-scan nightmare;
cropped, stretched, and often too
dark. Fortunately the picture quality
was fantastic, especially for an
old rental VHS. The colors are somewhat
washed out and the photography plays
up the gritty subject matter of
the film with ease. The mono sound
was just fine. If you’re wondering
about the awful looking screens,
this is curiously the first tape
to ever give my screencap deck a
problem. Macrovision is not playing
around.
EXTRAS
Warner Brothers says “no”
to cross promotion.
FINAL THOUGHTS
Something of a marred masterpiece,
The Town That Dreaded Sundown
is a must-see for early slasher
connoisseurs and those seeking scares.
Believe me, you’ll get them.
I eagerly await a sparkling DVD
release. |
Puddle un-fun
Macrovision crunch
Officer Official
No time for sleep
|
