30 September Slashers: Day 16-Dark Night of the Scarecrow

Besides being a destination to meet you favorite celebrities of yore, blow abominable amounts of cash, and stand in wall to wall lines, the horror convention is also a valuable resource for finding out about upcoming horror films and/or films you might have overlooked. At Horrorhound Indy 09’ I was treated to a little known slasher film that although garnering an impressive cult following, I had been unaware of it’s existence. Since being exposed to the film, it has since become one of my favorites and like the other films released this week, it has yet to see a proper DVD release. Get ready for harvest because tonight’s installment of 30 September Slashers is the rural horror flick Dark Night of the Scarecrow.

Day 16: Son In Law Slasher…..Dark Night of the Scarecrow

The film is set in a small farming community and begins with Bubba, a mentally challenged giant who befriends a young girl named Marylee(think Frankenstein and the girl with the flowers, minus throwing her ass in the well). Needless to say, some townsfolk don’t take kindly to him playing games with her. When she is nearly killed by a dog, mailman Otis(no way near as nice as the mailman from Mr. Rogers) and three of his cronies assume that Bubba murdered Marylee and decide to distribute vigilante justice. Bubba runs and hides from the angry mob and dresses up like a scarecrow. The vigilantes find Bubba and gun him down, only to find out minutes later that the little girl was alive because Bubba saved her(whoopsieee!). The gang decides that framing Bubba would be their best bet and they do so by putting a pitchfork in his hand, saying he attacked them. They get off on all charges but since this is a horror flick, you and I both know damn well that they won’t get off scott free.

This film plain and simple hits it right out of the ball park. The characters meet their ends with a number of farm implements including death by grain engulfment and combine, and their deaths are at the hands of a scarecrow dressed fiend. This film is different from other slashers because it also uses supernatural elements to explain the killings. The acting in the film is great with Charles Durning (Pappy O’Daniel from Oh Brother, Where Art Thou) as Otis, leading the cast. One of the vigilantes is played by none other than Lane Smith, who plays a farmer and is notable as playing the dad in Son in Law. The film is rather chilling in that the mailman victim being pursued is far more evil than the actual masked killer.

Unlike the other films covered this week, Dark Night of the Scarecrow is set for an official DVD release. After an aborted release date last fall from Dark Sky films, VCI Entertainment will finally release the film on September 28th. I can’t praise this film enough and the writer, J.D. Feigelson is a hell of a nice guy and gave an informative Q & A after the screening of this film last March. Now lets get back to films that are already out on DVD, tomorrow we will take a look at the slasher Alice Sweet Alice.