Dark Night of the Scarecrow (1981 TV film)

[dracenstein]

Been wanting this film for ages and only found out it was on dvd a few days ago and it came yesterday. Really good and scary film. The small town's postman (I suppose I should say, mailman) (Charles Durning) hates a mentally retard man who has formed a friendship with a young girl and when she is attacked by a dog, Bubba (the retard) saves her and takes her home, but the postman, Otis Hazelrigg, and his three good friends assume Bubba attacked the girl and form a lynch party and hunt him down. Bubba's mother has disguised him as a scarecrow, but the gang find out and shoot him dead. When they radio back to town, thet find out the girl is alive and Bubba had saved her. Shocked, Otis puts a pitchfork in Bubba's hands and a wind suddenly blows up. After being exonerated at court, another sudden wind blows up. The next day, one of the gang finds a scarecrow in his field... And you can probably guess the rest. I remembered three of the killings, but not the next-to-last. It is surprising how little the scarecrow is in the film. You can hear him moving, specially for the second death, but you don't see the scarecrow move until right at the end. I suppose part of it was so that you would think that somebody living was doing the killings (like the frustrated prosecutor, or Bubba's mother). This is supposed to be the first of the killer scarecrow horror film sub-genre. One thing about the end, I have always remembered it (not having seen it for years and years) ending with the girl playing with Bubba (mirroring how the film started) in the field at night and Bubba turns around and he is wearing the scarecrow mask. But the real ending was the scarecrow looking for the girl, finding her and for the first time you see the scarecrow walking, then turning his head to look at the girl (you). Going to have to watch it again with the commentary.

[shootemindehead]

Has it not been on DVD for ages? Anyway, a good film. One of my favorites from my childhood.

[dracenstein]

Apparently, yes, but I have never seen it in the shops. I was only reminded about it about a week or so ago.

[Mike70]

thanks to the both of you for reminding me of this. I remember watching this as a kid and being really creeped out by it. this has now become one of those films that you totally forget about until reminded and then want to see really badly. I'm going to get a copy of it and give a view.

[slickwilly13]

Afterwards, you guys can play the hiding game, then eat some fried chicken. But do not hide in the silo or you may find yourselves buried in corn or grain.