By: Frank

 

A child-like defective, an irate crew of rednecks, and a scarecrow: these ingredients make an unwitting small town host to murderous revenge from beyond the grave. When man-child Bubba is shot to death for nothing more than being different, he comes back from the dead donning the creepy scarecrow rags in which he died to exact the justice that his killers should have received in court. Through this simple story, Dark Night of the Scarecrow serves up atmospheric horror excellence that is rare, if not absent entirely, in modern television movies.

 

Dark Night was a Halloween television staple through the early 80's, and boy did it leave an impression on a young mind. My grandfather's small cattle ranch was almost a second home for me back then, and this film had the same effect Jaws

must have had on kids who lived near the beach. The windmills and farmhouses that rose along the fields around Grandpa's house were suddenly havens for blood-lusting scarecrows, anticipating the moment they could stab me to death with a pitchfork, Voorhees-style. If for some reason I found myself alone outside of my grandparents' house after dark, a jolt of adrenalized terror would set my legs into motion. I'd find myself safe on their couch in a matter of seconds, heart racing but alive. All because of ol' Bubba and that burlap sack with the three ragged holes. Who knew a dead, retarded fella could be so scary?

 

 

Dennis the Menace pissed off Mr. Wilson for the last time...

 

When I watch the film now, it's obvious that while Bubba is still scary, he's not the villain of Dark Night. A somewhat unique facet of the movie is that it turns the slasher elements on their head by creating a de facto protagonist out of the killer. Bubba is absolutely sympathetic; the antagonists are his victims, and they deserve what they get. The kills are as flinch-inducing as they are in any horror film, but in this case they also feel ethical, which adds a fun "Fuck yeah!" factor when someone gets rolled over with a tractor. It's not a totally unique concept, but seldom is it executed with quality acting and writing, as it is here.

 

 

The Southern Gothic undertones also make this quite different than your average disabled-person-seeks-revenge film ( Friday the 13th et al.) Larry Drake's ability to play a believable developmentally-disabled man, a skill that later won him two Emmy Awards for his portrayal of Benny on 'L.A. Law,' elevates Dark Night above average revenge-themed fare. The acting is excellent all-around. Extra kudos to Charles Durning for his work as the gun-toting mailman and local-yokel pack leader who finds himself at the top of the scarecrow's list.

 

As a horror fan, I enjoyed the atmosphere, kill scenes, and scarecrow costume immensely. Some of the shots are awesomely memorable. It would be wonderful to see a channel like ChillerTV resurrect this abandoned classic during October, and

show it on television as it was meant to be seen.

 

Dark Night also begs a DVD release from Warner Home Video. I'd put it alongside 'Tales from the Darkside' episodes "Trick or Treat" and "Halloween Candy" in terms of shaping the early-80's Halloween television experience that enamored horror kids like me. The new generation of retro horror lovers would eat it up, and the kids who loved it the first time around deserve to have their Halloween memories freed from the dusty warehouse shelf.

 

Fucking c'mon, Warner.

 

 

Rating: 4/5 Death Tractors

 

Good in a Good way

 

 

 

 

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