Written by Earl E. Smith
Directed by Charles B. Pierce
Starring Ben Johnson, Andrew Prine and Dawn Wells
USA, 1976
Infamous as either the first slasher or a proto-slasher, depending who you ask, I’ve been meaning to check out THE TOWN THAT DREADED SUNDOWN for years. Loosely based on real murders in Texarkana in 1946, the movie starts out promising grim realism as a detached narrator (Vern Stierman) dispassionately sets the tone against meticulously detailed period sets, costumes and vehicles.
So, this was all promising, but the movie goes off the rails when law enforcement gets involved. Then we’re suddenly treated to slapstick comedy routines set to the kind of music that says, “Hey, pay attention, this is supposed to be funny.” I’m not against comedy relief in horror flicks – some of the best horror movies seamlessly blend horror and comedy and are better for it – but this was so cartoonishly bad as to render the rest of the movie pretty inconsequential. Which is unfortunate, when you’re playing the “based on a true story” card.
On the bright side, Dawn Wells makes an appearance. On the not-so-bright-side, it’s only for a couple minutes.
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