Review by Quin
I think it’s probably occurred to at least some of you that eventually every movie might be remade. When these remakes inevitably come around, I think it’s good to go in with an open mind. It is indeed a fact that the existence of an alternate version of your beloved favorites will not ruin, lessen or cheapen the original or source material. If you think it does, that’s all in your mind and carries little weight when deciding if the movie is truly good or not. I believe the best place to start when evaluating a remake is to ask whether the original begs to be remade and if the remake improves upon the original. The Town that Dreaded Sundown does both of these things albeit in an only slightly more than half-assed way. Let’s call the finished product three quarter-assed – or is it one quarter-assed? Or non-assed? I’m starting to confuse myself, so I’ll clear up just exactly how I feel about this movie. But, first let me give you the background info.
It’s entirely possible that many of you have never even heard of The Town That Dreaded Sundown, and those of you who are aware of the title (which, by the way, is one of the greatest titles ever!) may have never seen the movie. The original came out in 1976 and was directed by Charles B. Pierce, the man who brought us The Legend of Boggy Creek in 1972. That film was a bit of a precursor to the popular found footage genre because it used a mockumentary style and claimed to be based on fact. The Town That Dreaded Sundown does things in a similar way; it begins with a voice-over and documentary style footage and lets us know that this film is based on true events. The main difference between TTDS and Boggy Creek is TTDS actually did happen.
For almost three months in 1946, Texarkana, Texas was terrorized by a serial killer known as The Phantom Killer. The 1976 film was about the murders and ensuing police pursuit, but ultimately the murders stopped and the case was never solved. Now in 2014 we have a retelling and updating of the events. In a post-Scream self aware setting, we learn about a town that has not only had to go almost 70 years knowing that unsolved murders have taken place there and that there are people who believe the killer has remained among them the whole time; but they have also had to live with the cultural impact the 1976 version of The Town That Dreaded Sundown has had. The town has an annual screening of the film at a drive-in located on the border of Texas and Arkansas. The drive-in even has a double sided screen with parking on each side. Many of the locals are unhappy about everyone celebrating this film and want it to stop. These people get their wish when the masked killer (or reasonable facsimile) comes back to startle, chase, murder and play a little trombone. He does all of this while looking almost identical to Jason Voorhees in Friday the 13th Part 2, before he donned a hockey mask. Obviously, TTDS came first, but it’s hard to believe they didn’t have The Phantom Killer in mind while they were in production.
Even though this is a remake, it still takes liberties building upon the original. It could technically be called a sequel, but because the lines are blurred between fiction and reality, it remains more remake than continuation. The remake aspect of the film are the murders and the investigation. The added storyline and setting it in the present definitely improve the original. The 1976 version has a great look and a feel of being real, but adding the character of Jami Lerner (played by Addison Timlin, who if you close your eyes sounds just like Nathalie Portman) and all of the people in her orbit, moves the plot along much better than the slow snail crawl that was the original. In this one Jami survives an attack by The Phantom Killer and is told to make them remember. While the police are trying to solve the crimes, she does some of her own leg work. In the process, we run through the gamut of suspects. Again, just like in the Scream movies, everyone is a suspect for at least a minute or two. This can get a little silly, but at least there is a payoff at the end, though I won’t say anything further about that.
For me, the two best things about this movie were the cinematography and the acting. There are some complicated long tracking shots that are fun for people who know the hard work that goes into creating these moments. The camera is constantly moving, which is often disorienting, but effective in creating the mood. This is the first film directed by Alfonso Gomez-Rejon, but fans of American Horror Story and Glee may know him from his work on those shows. Ryan Murphy, the creator of both of those T.V. shows is a producer on The Town That Dreaded Sundown as well. I’m not sure how much input he had creatively, but he has always attached his name to quality work and this is certainly no exception. (Oh, and while I’m talking about Ryan Murphy, sorry to go way off track, but doesn’t he look exactly like a young Doug Bradley? The answer is yes.)
The film is filled with some really great character actors and lots of familiar faces. I don’t think there is a bad performance from anybody. Ed Lauter plays the sheriff and this is his last film. He died last October, and the film was released exactly one year to the day. Veronica Cartwright plays Jami’s grandmother. More people whose names you might not know, but faces you do are Gary Cole, Anthony Anderson, Edward Herrmann, and Denis O’Hare. Also, Joshua Leonard from The Blair Witch Project plays a deputy.
Even if you aren’t as interested in a polished, well-made cinematic film and just want to see horror you will not be disappointed. Personally I found it jarring that the film rapidly straddled the line between smart mystery-thriller and typical slasher, but I also think that fans of either or both will be entertained and pleased. I would hope that this new version will spark more interest in the original; it is actually streaming on Netflix right now, has been remastered and looks really good. Then check this new one out and do your own comparison.
The Town That Dreaded Sundown is available now on Video On Demand from BH Tilt.