The Town That Dreaded Sundown

source: The Town That Dreaded Sundown

Trailer—The Town That Dreaded Sundown

The Town That Dreaded Sundown

Based on the true story of the Texarkana Moonlight Murders, this follows the case closely as a Sheriff's Deputy (Andrew Prine) and Texas Ranger (Ben Johnson) try to catch the killer dubbed The Phantom. The film does take a few liberties in order to be more cinematic (Prine narrowly missing the killer; the heroic duo confronting the killer on a railway line) but holds true to the fact that the killer was never caught. What really sets this apart is the amount of period detail that - coupled with the voice of a narrator - almost makes it seem like a documentary. The only down side is some forced comedy involving the bad driving habits of a Barny Fife-like deputy (oddly enough played by the film's director Charles B. Pierce). The film is begging for a widescreen release.

I was 7yrs old, being "baby sat" by my older cheerleader sister and her friends which wasn't bad, but hated all their boyfriends. My parents were out so we went to the drive-thru picture show in town I was told to lay down in the back seat to get in. They pulled up to the speakers, got me popcorn and coke and they went off into the slew of cars to do what Teenagers do and left me to become the #1 fan of slasher movies, I thought this was awesome, have watched every one every since. Years and years later found this jewel on VHS and bought it on the spot. It's cheesy, badly acted, and directed but is one of my all time favorites for its memories and an innocent time in my life that started it all for my love of the Cinema. Never will forget it!

The film has a 50s detective story feel to it that compliments nicely along side interesting shot choice. However, the film's inconsistent tone was far too distracting. It was never funny when it tried nor was it frightening, it simply was. Not to mention most of the performances having the ceiling of adequate and a floor of downright embarrassing. On top, the choices in sound were distractingly stock. In all, an ok movie.

The story is true. I was younger of course the first time I saw the movie but I have heard the story all of my life. I have family members that were killed by this person and they are depicted in the move. My grandmother went to her grave swearing she new who this person was and that a bounty/warning had been put out on him. She lived in the Atlanta/Bloomberg area, near Texarkana, during this time period. Her husband, my grandfather was working in the oil field and with law enforcement during this time and said he knew exactly who it was and if he ever found him no one else would. I'm sure there are still some older members of the community that know more than they tell as well. Somethings just go to the grave. I would like to purchase a copy of this movie to have and show friends when the conversation allows.

Half of this film is done like a creepy documentary with a "serious guy voice over" and killing reenactments which are utterly brutal, nasty, misogynistic, and very very suspenseful. That half of the movie I would give ten stars. However the other half which follows a bunch of dumb cops with silly, out of place comedic shenanigans, complete with silly out of place comedic music to boot is an awful eye- and ear-sore! But, oh those killing scenes!!! You've got a guy who looks just like Jason from Friday the 13th Part 2 killing, biting, torturing couples but unlike F13 the the camera lingers on the attacks. He doesn't just pop out, stab someone and disappear, we get to see the whole nasty affair! Then its back to "Barney Fife" and the bumbling cops charade. Blechhh! Cool ominous ending though. Any horror movie fan should definitely check it out!

I saw this movie when it first came out in Miami, Florida. When the 6feet 8inch. psycho killer wearing a potato-sack as a mask with the eyes cut-out, appears, and butchers the lover-lane couple, with his heavy breathing and the potato sack mask going in and out, a young woman in her 20s ran out of the theater hysterical, and a few other women were screaming! Made a few years before the slasher films of the 1980s, this film was way before its time. The killer was brutal, sadistic, and very realistic. The murders were done in a very realistic manner, and with a cast of almost complete unknowns, it had a documentary feeling to it. Veteran character actor Ben Johnson was excellent as usual, and a nervous looking Andrew Perine did a creditable job, but it was the killer who stole the show. Excellent movie, tame by today's standards, but a horror classic never-the-less.

Ben Johnson leads a Texarkana manhunt for a hooded serial killer. Aproximately every three weeks in 1946, random killings occurred, mostly in lovers lanes. The film has excellent post WW2 atmosphere, and is only weakened by voice overs, and some"Barney Fife" type humor that fails completely. The attacks are sometimes depicted rather darkly, but the hooded killer who does not speak, is memorable. One does sense a feeling of dread among the townsfolk throughout, and the police frustration is also well documented. Sometimes less is best, as is the case with "The Town That Dreaded Sundown". With no idea of who the masked menace is, his motivation, or as the open ended conclusion speculates, is he still out there, ones imagination is left to wonder. - MERK