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Released by: VCI Entertainment
Released on: October 11, 2011.
Director: Frank De Felitta
Cast: Larry Drake, Tonya Crowe, Lane Smith, Claude Earl Jones, Robert F. Lyons, Jocelyn Brando
Year: 1981
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The Movie:
Before home video took off, made for TV movies were sometimes pretty interesting affairs. Often made fast and on low budgets, much like the indy/straight to video films of today, the made for TV arena was one in which filmmakers could try out ideas that, for whatever reason, might never have flown in the world of feature filmmaking. But there are also some really high quality entries, some that maybe could have worked with a theatrical run, a perfect example being Frank De Felitta's 1981 film for CBS, Dark Night Of The Scarecrow.
When the film begins, a small town 'simpleton' named Bubba Ritter (Larry Drake) is causing a bit of a fuss with some of the local rednecks because of his tendency to hang out with a young girl named Marylee Williams (Tonya Crowe). What these rednecks see as unclean is actually the absolute opposite, as Bubba doesn't have a mean bone in his body, but that doesn't matter to them when they're looking for an excuse to mess with him anyway. When Marylee is attacked by a dog, Bubba is accused of murdering her which gives the local toughs - mailman Otis P. Hazelrigg (Charles Durning), farmers Harless Hocker (Lane Smith) and Philby (Claude Earl Jones) and a mechanic named Skeeter (Robert F. Lyons) - all the reason they need to take the law into their own hands.
When the posse show up at the Ritter house Bubba's mother (Jocelyn Brando, and yes she is related to The Godfather!) tells them he's not there though they soon figure out that he's 'playing scarecrow' by hiding out in the field. A few gunshots later and Bubba is no longer with us - or so it seems. Soon after Bubba is murdered and his killers let off scot-free, a scarecrow pops up and members of the posse that put him down start getting killed off, one by one, in increasingly macabre fashion.
Dark Night Of The Scarecrow may not chill some of us the way that it did when it was broadcast decades ago - it doesn't seem nearly as scary to this reviewer as it did when he was a kid, but that applies to a lot of films. Adulthood can be a bitch sometimes. Regardless, it stands the test of time as a really well made film with some great ideas and a pretty impressive cast. The fantastic opening sequence really sets the stage for what is to transpire and while it might be a bit on the predictable side there are still some surprisingly strong moments in here considering that this was originally shown on CBS long before the standards of network broadcast television were as permissive as they are now.
The pacing is good, the movie well shot and the score quite effective but what really makes this one work are the performances. Tonya Crowe and Jocelyn Brando are both completely sympathetic and easy to believe in their parts, while Drake steals the show as Bubba, playing his character with such a simple sweetness that you can't help but feel for him. Durning, as the leader of the bad guys, is wholly despicable and perfect for the part, while the supporting efforts from Smith, Jones and Lyons round out the antagonists nicely. The movie even features a cameo from Alice Nunn, who many of us instantly recognize from and associate with Pee Wee's Big Adventure where she played Large Marge.
Time and adulthood might have dulled Dark Night Of The Scarecrow's scare power a bit, but the movie is really well done and that's as evident now as it ever has been. This release of the film, according to the commentary track, does include one key extra shot towards the end of the film. We won't discuss it here as it would sink this review firmly in spoiler mud, but let it suffice to say that it does answer one particular question as to the motives of a certain character in the film. Vague? Yep, but if you haven't seen this one before you don't need to know what happens in the last half hour.
The Video:
Presented in its original 1.33.1 fullframe aspect ratio, Dark Night Of The Scarecrow looks great on Blu-ray in this sharp VC-1 encoded 1080p high definition presentation. Detail is quite noticeably improved over the already very respectable standard definition version that VCI put out a year or so ago, with texture also receiving quite a boost. You'll notice this in the close up shots where there's more to ogle on various characters' faces and what not, but also in the costumes that are used in the movie, the scarecrow's burlap sack mask being the most obvious example. Colors look very nice and black levels are generally pretty strong and despite a little bit of noise evident in the movie's darkest moments the image retains surprisingly solid depth. Contrast looks to be set properly, skin tones look nice and accurate and it's hard to imagine the movie looking a whole lot better than it does here.
English language LPCM tracks are provided in 5.1 Surround Sound and 2.0 options with subtitles made available in English and Spanish. Again, the Blu-ray offers a noticeable improvement over the DVD, as both tracks have more depth and power behind them. Purists will opt for the 2.0 track but the 5.1 mix does a nice job of playing around with the directional effects and spreading the score out rather well. This isn't the most intense surround mix you'll ever experience but there are a few scenes that do benefit from the new mix, the farm equipment murder scene being a good example.
The Extras:
Director and Frank De Felitta is joined by writer J.D. Feigelson for a solid audio commentary that primarily focuses on the story itself. Carried over from the previous DVD release, here they talk about the different ideas that they had, some of which made it into the movie and some of which did not, and spend a bit of time talking about the cast, crew and different set pieces you'll see in the film, but generally this is more of a retrospective look back. Both men are getting on in years and have some good stories to share, the kind that comes along with the sort of experience they've gained over their careers. It's not a jam-packed trivia track or a scene specific dissection of the film but it is a good look back at the picture and worth listening to.
Also carried over from the DVD release is a great one minute CBS Saturday Night Movies promo spot for the film (1:07), a promo spot for a few other VCI horror titles (0:58). But wait - there's more! VCI has actually added some extras to this Blu-ray, starting with a featurette entitled Bubba Didn't Do It: 30 Years Of The Scarecrow (31:42, HD). Directed by Daniel Griffith, this is made up of interviews with a few cast and crew members but also features input from a few horror writers who speak to the effectiveness of the movie and its enduring popularity. The themes of the movie are discussed here as are the performances and the locations, the effects and the impact that the movie had. Also new to this release is a Dark Night Of The Scarecrow Cast Reunion Question & Answer Session (46:05, HD) with writer J.D. Feigelson and stars Tonya Crowe and Larry Drake. Here they answer questions about the movie's cult status, their thoughts on the film, what it was like working with one another on the film and much more. There's also a new Rebroadcast Promo (1:05) spot used to promote the movie on TV and a new Behind The Scenes Photo Gallery (10:03, HD). Animated menus and chapter stops are included on the disc as well and inside the keepcase is a nice full color insert booklet containing an essay on the movie by writer John Kenneth Muir.
Overall:
If the movie isn't as terrifying as some of us may remember it being from our younger days, Dark Night Of The Scarecrow is still a really well made and effective horror film deserving of its cult status. As to the quality of this Blu-ray release from VCI? It's a pretty impressive effort and not only a big upgrade in the audio and video departments but it's got some very worthwhile new extra features, all in high definition, as well. All in all, a pretty great release.
Click on the images below for full size Blu-ray screen caps!
