Dark Night of the Scarecrow (1981) (TV)

User Rating:

6.8/10   

Director:

Frank De Felitta

Writers:

J.D. Feigelson (screenplay)
J.D. Feigelson (story)

Release Date:

24 October 1981 (USA)

Genre:

Horror | Mystery | Thriller

Plot:

In a small town, a wrongfully killed man exacts revenge on those who murdered him beyond the grave.

Plot Keywords:

Scarecrow | Girl | Revenge | Small Town | Grave

Awards:

1 nomination

Cast

Charles Durning	...	Otis P. Hazelrigg
Robert F. Lyons	...	Skeeter Norris
Claude Earl Jones	...	Philby
Lane Smith	...	Harless Hocker
Tonya Crowe	...	Marylee Williams
Larry Drake	...	Bubba Ritter
Jocelyn Brando	...	Mrs. Ritter
Tom Taylor	...	D.A. Sam Willock
Richard McKenzie	...	Judge Henry
Ivy Jones	...	Mrs. Willams
James Tartan	...	Mr. Williams (as Jim Tartan)
Ed Call	...	Defense Attorney
John Steadman	...	Mr. Loomis
Dave Adams	...	Deputy
Ivy Bethune	...	Mrs. Hocker

Runtime:

100 min

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.33 : 1

Sound Mix:

Stereo

Certification:

Iceland:16 | Australia:M | USA:Unrated

Company:

Platinum Productions

Quotes:

Otis P. Hazelrigg: Bubba didn't tell you that, Bubba didn't tell you anything. Bubba's dead.
Marylee Williams: I know.

One of my favorite made for TV movies...

First off I have to say this is one of the best scary movies ever made for television, hands down. This movie truly scared me the first time I saw it. In October of 1981 when this movie first aired I was staying with some second cousins on there ranch and we all stayed up to watch it. After it was over we watched the local news and went to bed, and boy I hardly got a wink of sleep the entire night. I can remember laying in the bed just staring around the room all thru the night thinking of the ending to this movie. I just kept thinking that scarecrow was coming into the room at any moment. Keep in mind that I said early I was on a ranch were there might actually be a scarecrow.

This movie stayed with me for a long time and I only saw it once more in the early 90's and even then much older I still got the creeps from it. About 6 years ago I was going thru the TV guide and saw that it was going to be on TBS and I took the time to record it. This movie still gets me every time that I see it. There is a great mood that is set right from the start with the opening credits and the music that is playing, and that mood never goes away thru out the movie. It is so surprising that this was a made for television movie. The performances that the actors convey, especially Charles Durning and Larry Drake are great. I mean you truly hate Charles Durning character so much that you want him to die. It shows how great of an actor he is. I wont give away the ending but I just love it, there is a great justice and truth that the guilty parties didn't get away with murder.

This is one of my favorite television movies of all time simply because I will never forget that first time I saw it. I have grown to love horror movies over the years and wish I would have of watched more of them when I was a kid in the 70's. I've noticed that a lot of the television horror movies out of the 70's and early 80's have quite a following.

There are a couple of people who have left reviews who say this movie is terrible and I completely disagree with them. I guess it goes to show that not everyone will love the same movie you love.