gizmomogwai I was surprised never to hear of the Texarkana Moonlight Murders until last night; I had studied the case of the Zodiac Killer and never knew an unknown prowler was terrorizing lovers lanes in the US 20 years earlier (I guess the fact that the so-called Phantom Killer never sent a single cipher is what makes him less interesting today). Nevertheless, after the Zodiac terrorized America, the Texarkana murders got the big screen treatment with The Town That Dreaded Sundown (1976), a film that, I understand, got played in Texarkana every Halloween for years. The question is why, given the horror is undermined by bad attempts at comedy and that comedy is based on a rather unflattering portrayal of the local yokels. It turns out it's no wonder why the Phantom got away- according to this movie, it was because the Keystone Cops were on the case. The "Sparkplug" character was intolerable, far too stupid to be funny- he has no idea where keys go, and the fact that he drives a car carrying our hero detective into a swamp right when they've apprehended a main suspect is bewildering. In drag, he and the fat detective with the moustache as decoys also look like the least convincing teenagers I've ever seen in film. Given the creative liberties taken with the story, it's disappointing the Phantom never "got" Sparkplug- I surely would have been rooting for the killer in that scenario.It's a shame, because the rest of the film is fairly competently done- not so much as a slasher film but as a murder mystery, which is more of what I was after. They should have stuck with that approach.

Kaat1220 Andrew Prine turned in a solid performance, but Bud Johnson appeared as if he were reading from a cue card. If you can tell someone is trying to act, they are not doing a great job.Although Dawn Wells was only in the movie for a brief time, she gave a solid and memorable performance as Helen Reed. I must say that while I did enjoy this movie for the horror, there is one actor who stole every single scene, and that is Charles B. Pierce as Spark Plug.A director who can actually act - a rare breed. He was absolutely adorable and hilarious.Spark Plug rules!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Mr_Ectoplasma "The Town That Dreaded Sundown" focuses on the small community of Texarkana, Texas, which was plagued by a series of gruesome murders in the 1940s that are to this day unsolved. Charles B. Pierce's cult classic is an interesting and everlasting piece of cinematic history for two reasons: firstly, it is based on a real life series of crimes; and secondly, the film itself presents the events in a clinical, detached, straightforward manner in the semblance of a true-crime documentary, yet without actually being a true-crime documentary. This unusual narrative approach really sets "The Town That Dreaded Sundown" apart from its peers, and its release in 1976 marks it as one of the prototypes for the slasher film as it's come to be known.The criminal investigation aspect is heavy-handed in the film, which is another unique nuance, as the film manages to balance the investigative side of the story with the outright horror of the crimes committed. On an aesthetic level, the film feels as though it were made in the late 1950s-early 1960s, partly because it's a period piece, but also partly just because of its visual elements, which recall the grit of that era's B-movies. It is stark and colorful, and at times reminded me of a more serious Herschell Gordon Lewis picture, especially with the hackneyed comedy elements that bubble to the surface at times.Overall, it is not hard to see why "The Town That Dreaded Sundown" entered the lexicon of horror, because it is truly a unique piece of film history, bolstered by the meta-fact that it was a film based on history. The clinical documentarian approach is chilling in all the right ways, and the film is engaging in spite of some dragging of its feet. Not a flawless film, but certainly one to be remembered. 7/10.

LeonLouisRicci Ultra-Low-Budget-Drive-In-Movie that has Gained a Huge Cult Following. It has Now Been Recognized as Being Influential to the Slasher Genre and a Solid Addition and Early Entry to Films About Serial Killers.Obscure Director Pierce Known Also for The Legend of Boggy Creek (another Cult Fave) from 1972, Shows Signs of Talent and Embryonic Abilities. Here a Brutal Killer is Presented Without Much Restraint and Seems to be a Forerunner of "Slasher Movie" Type Detachment.The Director Doesn't Shy Away from Gore and Splatter and there are a Few Scenes that are Quite Unsettling. The Movie has Taken Many Slings and Arrows about its Decision to Incorporate Comedy Relief and in Retrospect it was a Mistake and Holds the Film Back from Greatness. Ben Johnson does His "Melvin Purvis" (Dillinger 1972) Bit, even Stopping to Buy Some Cigars, and is OK and Adds a Bit of Class. Andrew Pine as a Deputy is Solemn and Welcome. But Again, Director Pierce's On Screen Appearance as Spark Plug is Universally Acknowledged as a Big Error in a Film that Doesn't Have Many. The Docu-Style Adds Creepiness and Works Fine. The Film has Gained in Reputation Fast Because it is Finally Available in Pristine Prints on Blu-ray and Seeing it as Originally Presented Only Enhances the Experience and Brings an Appreciation for a Forgotten Film that has Lingered in the Memory of Drive-In and Grind-House Patrons and those that Only Know it by Word of Mouth or Awful Video Releases & Bootlegs.