<p>Dark Night of the Scarecrow (1981) </p>
<p>A film review by Jason Pitt </p>
<p>For Critical-film.com </p>
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<p>Originally airing on Television in late October 1981, “Dark Night of the Scarecrow” is a more than competent horror tale that is lifted above its very simple story by some great performances from some very respectable actors. Charles Durning, Lane Smith, and Larry Drake (“Dr. Giggles”, and “Darkman” villain, Robert Durant) round out the impressive cast, which gives the film a more professional quality, generally lacking from television productions. </p>
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<p>After a little girl is wounded and assumed dead, after being attacked by a dog, a vigilante group targets the man they suspect to have killed her. Their target is a mentally handicapped man named Bubba, who happens to be the girl's best friend. After chasing him down, they find Bubba hiding in a Scarecrow, and continue to execute the defenceless man with a series of gunshots that even ‘50 cent' couldn't stand. They soon realize that the small girl has survived, after being rescued by Bubba. The group is soon terrorized by visions of Bubba's tattered scarecrow, and begin to meet their own mysterious demises. </p>
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<p>What makes “Dark Night of the Scarecrow” so good, is that the limitations placed on the film due to its television origins limit the level of gore on display. The deaths are never graphic, and as such the film relies more on atmosphere than a high level of violence, and there are a few incredibly atmospheric and suspenseful scenes. J.D. Feigelson's script keeps the simple story focused, with a few small detours such as the suggestion that Durning's character may have pedophiliac tendencies. These few sequences are not developed enough to provide any sort of additional character depth, and appear just briefly enough to serve as a slight distraction. These sequences are few and far between, and don't do much to lessen the overall impact of the film. </p>
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<p>Larry Drake only appears during the films first act, which is unfortunate as his performance as Bubba is nothing short of remarkable. He imbues more depth into Bubba in twenty minutes of screen time than any other character in the film. He inspires sympathy, and the viewing audience is genuine affected by his ultimate demise. These sequences set the film up marvellously, and carry it through to the film's satisfying denouement. </p>
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<p>“Dark Night of the Scarecrow” certainly has its cult followers, and is often mentioned as a film that scarred the psyche of its younger audience when it originally aired. I don't doubt this, as a film with as much atmosphere as this, combined with the subtle imagery of the titular scarecrow, probably would have left a mark on me, had I even been born when it aired. Within a film-going society that has been desensitized by films of the school of ‘more gore', however, “Dark Night of the Scarecrow” will seem tame. Many people fail to understand the intricacies and effectiveness of suspense and atmosphere, and as such would probably not appreciate a film like this. This is unfortunate, because “…Scarecrow” is still a very effective piece of filmmaking, albeit a bit dated. Unfortunately it is nearly impossible to find, as it is currently unavailable legitimately on all formats. If you can appreciate ‘classic horror' before it was all about the amount of violence the filmmakers could get away with, I suggest you see it. That is… if you ever have the opportunity. </p>
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<p>(Four stars) </p>
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