Little seen but well remembered by those lucky enough to catch it, DARK NIGHT OF THE SCARECROW is a great example of the TV horror film that America did so well during the '70s and '80s. Larry Drake (the villain from Darkman) stars as a man with the mind of a boy who finds himself harassed by a bunch of bigoted rednecks for a crime he didn't commit. There are shades of STRAW DOGS (with Drake in the David Warner role) as the tensions escalate, but then the movies becomes something else entirely: a subtle and sinister ghost story.
Let's get it straight: DARK NIGHT OF THE SCARECROW doesn't really bring anything new to the table. The idea of a vengeful ghost has been a long time staple of the horror film, and there isn't much in this story that we haven't witnessed time and again. Where the film does excel, though, is in a kind of creepy, slow-burning atmosphere as the townsfolk gradually realise they're in the grip of sinister forces. Simple shots of a scarecrow standing in a lonely field are eerie in the extreme, and far more frightening to this viewer than the usual machete-wielding psychopath.
Charles Durning bags the lead role as one of the most infuriating bad guys you'll see, and you'll be howling for him to get his just desserts. By the time this subdued tale of supernatural revenge comes to its fitting closure, you won't have been disappointed!
Let's get it straight: DARK NIGHT OF THE SCARECROW doesn't really bring anything new to the table. The idea of a vengeful ghost has been a long time staple of the horror film, and there isn't much in this story that we haven't witnessed time and again. Where the film does excel, though, is in a kind of creepy, slow-burning atmosphere as the townsfolk gradually realise they're in the grip of sinister forces. Simple shots of a scarecrow standing in a lonely field are eerie in the extreme, and far more frightening to this viewer than the usual machete-wielding psychopath.
Charles Durning bags the lead role as one of the most infuriating bad guys you'll see, and you'll be howling for him to get his just desserts. By the time this subdued tale of supernatural revenge comes to its fitting closure, you won't have been disappointed!