October 2nd
Dark Night of the Scarecrow 1981
Tonight’s gem is a made-for-TV movie from 1981. Dark Night of the Scarecrow is a wonderfully chilling film to check out this time of year. It happens to be one of the best TV horror films ever made and a personal favorite of mine that scared the crap out of me when I originally watched it at 13 years old and it still holds up to this very day. It was released a few years ago in a 30th Anniversary Blu-ray edition that if you can find and rent is worth the trouble.
The film is written by J.D. Feigelson and Butler Handcock. It was masterfully directed by Frank De Felitta. It stars the great Charles Durning, Robert F. Lyons, Claude Earl Jones, Lane Smith, Tonya Crowe and Larry Drake as “Bubba” in a heartbreaking performance.
Plot Synopsis
A retarded man is unjustly accused of attacking a young girl. Disguised as a scarecrow, he hides in a cornfield, only to be hunted down and shot. Later, after it is revealed he saved the girl from a vicious dog attack, members of the search posse are killed by a mysterious scarecrow.
Watch the trailer here,
Love this movie! Picked it up on DVD a couple of years ago at HorrorHound Cincinnati.