DARK NIGHT OF THE SCARECROW (1981)
Directed by Frank De Felitta
Truegore DVD-R
Reviewed 08.10.06
Buy it from Truegore Video!
Review by Joseph A. Ziemba

THE FILM
Wait! Oh yes, wait a minute Mr. Postman. Unless your name is Postmaster Otis P. Hazelrigg. Oh, it is? Please get the hell off of my property.

The TV Horror Trolley is once again in motion, but you might not know it. Originally broadcast by CBS on October 24, 1981, Dark Night Of The Scarecrow explores the consequences of reckless small town prejudice in the format of a supernatural slasher. That's the gist of it. Sometimes, a gist is not enough. If Bill Gaines' E.C. Comics crew revamped Shirley Jackson's "The Lottery" over dinner, then caught a nightcap of Friday The 13th Part 2 for kicks, this film may have resulted. If that sounds good, then let's get sinister. As for Otis P. Hazelrigg? I thought you'd never ask.

Otis P. Hazelrigg (the prolific Charles Durning) is the postmaster of a small southern town. He's also a low-down, dirty scumbag. See, Otis doesn't take too kindly to Bubba (Larry Drake, This Stuff'll Kill Ya!), the town's retarded nice-guy. After Bubba witnesses a child's seeming murder, the presumptuous Otis blames Bubba. Otis gathers a four-man posse and says, "Let's get the dogs and guns." Bubba's Mom tells him to hide in "the same spot as last time." Corn field. Scarecrow suit. Guns blaze. Tragedy. Pleading self-defense, Otis and the boys get off scot-free. That is, until a certain Scarecrow arises in the dead of night.

With hints of pedophilia, splashes of blood-red violence, and a mature intensity, Dark Night Of The Scarecrow isn't your typical TV movie. In fact, it's an exception. Although the template-driven plot and extended runtime can't match the taught anxiety of Bad Ronald, Scarecrow still consumes you. Performances? Definitely flawless. Imagery? Repeatedly frightening. Fat guys running through a field? Slightly humorous. The Halloween party and warbling synths enriched the Autumn aura and paved the way for a cryptic climax that could only leave a smile in its wake. A dark night, indeed.

Otis sneaks a peek at a Boudoir centerfold before placing the magazine in someone's mailbox. Wait! Wa-ay-ay-ait, Mr. Postman; nobody likes a skunk. Especially vengeful Scarecrows.

AUDIO AND VIDEO
Half and half. Dark Night Of The Scarecrow saw a very rare release from Key Video in the mid 1980s. This DVD-R offers an extremely sharp representation of that tape, but adds a thick dose of jagged compression to the mix. Colors were huge and bright. The stereo sound was excellent, but jumped out of sync from time to time.

EXTRAS
I'm still waiting for just a card...or just a letter.

FINAL THOUGHTS
Everybody loves vintage TV horror films. Dark Night Of The Scarecrow climbs high, rarely stutters, and gushes with creepy flavor; it's one of the best. Definitely worth your time and money, regardless of the format.

Plight of Bubba


Don't ask, don't tell


Otis, beware


Postal gripe