The Town That Dreaded Sundown (1976)

Featured Audience Ratings

• Tim S

  
  The Town That Dreaded Sundown is a semi-autobiographical story about the Phantom Killer who went on a murder spree in the 1940's in Texarkana, Texas. I seriously do not understand why this film has been heralded as much as it has. I wonder just how many people have actually seen… More
  The Town That Dreaded Sundown is a semi-autobiographical story about the Phantom Killer who went on a murder spree in the 1940's in Texarkana, Texas. I seriously do not understand why this film has been heralded as much as it has. I wonder just how many people have actually seen it lately. Being that it has never been released on DVD, I really wonder how many people have actually seen it in the last twenty years or so. It's so appallingly bad - everything from dialogue, story, tone, direction - you name it. It's just so horrifyingly dull. I give it a star mainly for the imagery of a hooded figure, which was later ripped off over and over again by other horror films, and the fact that Dawn Wells is a murder victim in it. Other than that, just plain bleh.

• Stephen M

  
  A surprisingly successful low budget horror movie based on the true story of a hooded serial killer who terrorised Texarkana in the mid-1940s. Whether by accident or design, the occasionally wobbly supporting performances, the flat style of direction, the score and the authentic… More
  A surprisingly successful low budget horror movie based on the true story of a hooded serial killer who terrorised Texarkana in the mid-1940s. Whether by accident or design, the occasionally wobbly supporting performances, the flat style of direction, the score and the authentic semi-documentary voiceover give the film a pleasantly old-fashioned feel, in keeping with the period reconstruction. Only once or twice is the effect spoiled by the modish use of slow motion, and I could also have done without the comedy interludes which, though mildly amusing and far from terrible, hurt the tone of the picture, I feel. The scenes featuring the killer - including perhaps the most imaginative use of a trombone in cinema history - are, however, very well executed, surprisingly brutal and genuinely frightening. Good performances from Andrew Prine as the local Deputy Sheriff and Ben Johnson as a hotshot Texas Ranger drafted in to co-ordinate the manhunt.

• Luke B

  
  Real life serial killer films probably owe a lot to this film. It's by no means perfect, but offers a lot of memorable imagery. The voice-over is too prevalent and ruins the pacing a bit, as does the frequent comical interludes. They are accompanied by slapstick music and palm to… More
  Real life serial killer films probably owe a lot to this film. It's by no means perfect, but offers a lot of memorable imagery. The voice-over is too prevalent and ruins the pacing a bit, as does the frequent comical interludes. They are accompanied by slapstick music and palm to face acting. It does a god job at capturing the murder scenes, which are eerily similar to those in Zodiac. Interesting for it's time, but has been overshadowed by more well-rounded efforts since.

• Cassandra M

  
  I've seen this a couple of times now and really enjoy it. The first time I was right on the edge of sleep throughout, in fact I think I even drifted in and out a little, but despite not being fully clued in on the action I found the film to be pretty much totally gripping. I… More
  I've seen this a couple of times now and really enjoy it. The first time I was right on the edge of sleep throughout, in fact I think I even drifted in and out a little, but despite not being fully clued in on the action I found the film to be pretty much totally gripping. I watched it again recently, with the benefit of being more awake and I gotta say, this is pretty awesome stuff. From the get go it has a nicely authentic rural period feel and a neat documentary style edge given by the folksy, compelling narration of Vern Stierman. It doesn't take long before getting to the meat of the film, which is a series of brutal murders committed by a terrifying hooded maniac. Though lacking much in the way of actual blood or gore, every scene with this imposing fiend (played to the menacing hilt by Bud Davis) is a nail biting delight and he kills with such a mean spirited passion that it wholly makes up for the lack of detailed grisliness. Trying to catch this evildoer is the police force of Texarkana, helped out by elite lawman J.D. Morales, played in gruffly sympathetic fashion by veteran Ben Jonson. The great Andrew Prine, plays the other lead in inspired fashion, giving the same committed and keen ability that he brought to classic hippy witchcraft classic Simon, King Of The Witches. There's comic relief too, courtesy of director Charles B. Pierce playing the enthusiastic but witless Sparkplug Benson. This is really something of a classic, the killer is one of the greats of the genre and his choice of garb bears interesting resemblance to Jason Vorhees in his pre hockey mask period. He also comes up with one choice of weapon so twistedly inspired that its hard to believe it hasn't been ripped off in any later films. Its interesting to see a film where local police and outsiders collaborate without friction, as opposed to the usual cliché and also to see a generally sympathetic portrayal of law enforcement. Pretty much the only criticism I have of this is that the comedy is at times too broad and the structure of the film is very simple, where I would have enjoyed a little more character insight or delving into small town life. This aside, The Town That Dreaded Sundown is, in my opinion, a real gem of a film and I highly recommend it.

• El Hombre I

  
  A mood piece in which the characters don't stand out as much as the situation. It's too bad the comic relief was in either bad taste or just plain dumbed down which breaks the spell of being engaged in what could've been a truly terrifying movie. The fact that this… More
  A mood piece in which the characters don't stand out as much as the situation. It's too bad the comic relief was in either bad taste or just plain dumbed down which breaks the spell of being engaged in what could've been a truly terrifying movie. The fact that this is a true story is used by the filmmakers to cover a bunch of flaws that would be unforgivable in a normal movie. Still, I guess it's historically important in film history preceding the age of slasher flicks and given that it's true adds to the creepy factor. <a href="http://s273.photobucket.com/albums/jj203/goji9000/?action=view¤t=TTDS03.jpg" target="_blank"><img src="http://i273.photobucket.com/albums/jj203/goji9000/TTDS03.jpg" border="0" alt="Photobucket"></a>

• Christopher B

  
  A good little film that reminds me of an older version of Zodiac and Memories of Murder. There's some strange (but enjoyable in a weird Memories of Murder way) comic relief thrown in, but the third and fourth murders are brutal. I've heard this compared to a slasher film,… More
  A good little film that reminds me of an older version of Zodiac and Memories of Murder. There's some strange (but enjoyable in a weird Memories of Murder way) comic relief thrown in, but the third and fourth murders are brutal. I've heard this compared to a slasher film, but I really think the violence is closer to Fincher's Zodiac, haunting and real. Those scenes are real accomplishments.

• alan j

  
  A true story that really does not go anywhere.....an early slasher flick that seems short on suspense; the attempt at 'dukes of hazard' humor is awkward and detracts from the mood the movie tries to set. Ben Johnson is always a marvel to watch, and the rest of the cast… More
  A true story that really does not go anywhere.....an early slasher flick that seems short on suspense; the attempt at 'dukes of hazard' humor is awkward and detracts from the mood the movie tries to set. Ben Johnson is always a marvel to watch, and the rest of the cast tries their best..there just is not a whole lot of story shown on the screen, and many key points about the real phantom killer and the crime spree are omitted. An ok watch for what you see get; you jut don't get enough...

• Patrick D

  
  I really interesting slasher, that was released before Halloween.

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