The Town That Dreaded Sundown (1976)

Based on a chilling true story, this film finally got the quality release it deserves from ShoutFactory aka ScreamFactory.

Now let me start off by saying that this is one gem that I’m glad I finally caught up with. I’m one of those guys who likes a movie that feels full of grit and this one definitely did. It, while in stunning high-definition, still displays the 70’s raw style that I’ve grown up loving. The picture is comparable to the original Texas Chainsaw Massacre, Last House on the Left or even Jaws. If you’re looking for the new style of extremely polished imagery, you’ll need to look beyond the release date and delve in to the shocking story itself.

As you watch through the film, it will probably occur to you during a few scenes that they’re definitely just imaginative fabrications because honestly there’d be no way to know what happened on most locations. I don’t consider them back fabrications, just really imagination from a writers point of view. They do a good job of bringing us there with them to get a feel of what it is imagined to be like. There’s a particular scene involving a horn that is admittedly just tied in but really brings to life how twisted and off-the-hinges the killer must be. Another great example that is specifically to attract us to fear this maniac is how they incorporate the very controversial tagline that this killer was walking among the townspeople. There are scenes that show the boots of our killer doing normal things out in public as if just an every day citizen does. I’ll not go in to anything that could spoil it for you but there are things in the way this film presents itself that can’t help but fascinate you and captivate your friends as well. Call this film horror or crime/drama or all of the above, it absolutely accomplishes the goal I’m to imagine it set for itself; get under your skin. If you do what the greatest of films will do to you and put yourself in the shoes of the characters, it really will show you exactly why this town dreaded sundown.

The audio quality is just as to be expected; raw but good. It’s as dynamic as a film from that era is going to get, I’ve zero complaints.

The extras are certainly not lacking either, with interviews, commentary, documents and even a second film on the DVD from the same director, “The Evictors”. It’s a really solid bonus that is on the DVD disc in the set.

The good people over at ScreamFactory have done this film true justice and have helped this unnerving story come to life like never before. The people of Texarkana will forever accept it as a part of their history and now we will too.

Here’s a couple of great links to read more about the true story but I suggest you don’t until you see the film first!

http://www.trutv.com/library/crime/serial_killers/unsolved/texarkana/index_1.html

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Texarkana_Moonlight_Murders

There’s a remake in the works as we speak. We’ll update you on any news with it as we get it!