It’s Halloween a time where all film fans take time out to enjoy a night of truly terrifying horror movies and that’s exactly what I intend to do. Dark Night of the Scarecrow blu-ray review is up next, this one’s a television film from 1981 and has a rather scary title.
- Dark Night of the Scarecrow (1981) – Import
- Genre: Horror
- Directed by Frank De Felitta
- UK Rating N/A
- Discs: 1
Plot
Bubba is a grown man but has the mental age of a child, in fact her likes to play with young Marylee Williams. However following a tragic accident involving Marylee he is held responsible. That leads to four of the townsfolk including the mailman hunting him down with the intention of teaching him a lesson that means he won’t be able to carry out any further assaults.
Style / Direction
The film is directed by Frank De Felitta, this is a television film and therefore is shot in 4:3 aspect ratio. The locations used are very good and give the right vibe for a supernatural tale. Pacing wise its spot on, in fact I don’t really have any criticisms of the filmmaking.
Music / Audio Effects
The music is composed by Glenn Paxton and suits the style of film perfectly.
Acting / Characters
There acting is all very good, allowing the story to flow nicely. The likes of Charles Durning as mailman Otis P. Hazelrigg adds a touch of weight to proceedings whilst Tonya Crowe as the young girl Marylee Williams puts in an excellent performance.
Cast
- Charles Durning as Otis P. Hazelrigg
- Robert F. Lyons as Skeeter Norris
- Claude Earl Jones as Philby
- Lane Smith as Harliss Hocker
- Tonya Crowe as Marylee Williams
- Larry Drake as Bubba Ritter
- Jocelyn Brando as Mrs. Ritter
- Tom Taylor as D.A. Sam Willock
- Richard McKenzie as Judge Henry
- Ivy Jones as Mrs. Willams
- James Tartan as Mr. Williams
- Ed Call as Defense Attorney
- Alice Nunn as Mrs. Bunch
- John Steadman as Mr. Loomis
Conclusion: Dark Night of the Scarecrow (1981) Film Review
Dark Night of the Scarecrow is a television film that has grown in status over the years meaning now it holds cult status among many horror fans. The reason is pretty simple, it’s a good story well told and well acted and that is why I recommend you take a look at this one especially now it’s been restored and released on to Blu-ray.
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Conclusion: Dark Night of the Scarecrow Blu-ray Review
The film has been fully restored and I have to say the picture quality is flawless, I have no complaints with this Blu-ray release, its absolutely excellent. Add to that there a rather good selection of extras including a documentary that details how the story was written and how it finally got made into a television movie despite being rejected several times.
Extras
- Production Documentary (30 mins)
- Q&A With Larry Drake, Tonya Crowe & J.D Feigelson (46 mins)
- Rebroadcast Promo
- Behind the Scenes Photo Gallery
- Director & Writer Commentary
- CBS Network World Premiere Promo
Popcorn Cinema Rating:
Dark Night of the Scarecrow (1981)
MOVIE RATING: WELL WORTH WATCHING
BLU-RAY RATING: EXCELLENT
POPCORN CINEMA: RECOMMENDED
Dark Night of the Scarecrow (1981) Trailer
For those of you yet to see the film I’ll leave you with a little taster…
Clip may not be representative of the Blu-ray version
That concludes the Dark Night of the Scarecrow blu-ray review, if you have any thoughts on this film you can leave them in the comment section below:
Summary: Dark Night of the Scarecrow (1981) Blu-ray Review - Import
Movie title: Dark Night of the Scarecrow (1981)
Duration: 96 mins
Director(s): Frank De Felitta
Actor(s): Charles Durning, Robert F. Lyons, Claude Earl Jones, Lane Smith, Tonya Crowe, Larry Drake, Jocelyn Brando, Ed Call
Genre: Horror
- Movie Rating
- Blu-ray Picture Rating
- Extras
Summary
A really good supernatural story well told and acted
Pros
- Good Story/Acting
- Picture Quality is Excellent
Cons
- Not Available On Blu-ray In The UK
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