"The Town That Dreaded Sundown" is based on a true story about the brutal murders of some people in a small Arkansas town in 1946. Unfortunately, and much to the chagrin of the fine people of this community, it is also about the police force investigating the murders. The cops are portrayed as mostly idiots who make Barney Fife look like a top cop.
A killer wearing a cloth sack over his head stalks mostly teenagers in a lovers lane area and murders them. This in itself could have been the basis of an interesting thriller. But the filmmakers chose to play with the facts of the case and tried adding unneeded comic relief. Even the facts of the murders themselves have been changed in some cases. That would explain one absolutely ridiculous scene in which a woman is tied to a tree and the killer happens to find a trombone and ties a knife to the end of it and mimics playing it as he thrusts the knife into her.
Ben Johnson adds a touch of respectability to the proceedings as a Texas ranger called in to solve the killings. His adequate performance stands out in a movie filled with lousy performances.
As for the killer himself, he is menacing for a few moments wearing the cloth hood chasing the helpless teenagers. Those few moments are the most effective in the movie. But every time he breaths the hood moves in and out making him look ridiculous. Apparently the real killer had a hole for his mouth. Here the filmmakers choose only to give him holes in the eyes. It ruins the desired effect.
** SPOILER WARNING ** For those that care enough to watch this junk and don't want anything spoiled I suggest skipping this section. The killer was never caught. In real life investigators believe they knew who the killer was but couldn't charge him because his wife seemed to be the only one with damaging evidence against him. But in the film he simply gets away (in a ridiculous chase scene). His motives were never known. Perhaps the filmmakers should have tried to invent something to give the audience a decent explanation.
Or better yet, perhaps the filmmakers should have left the whole thing alone and moved on to another bad movie.
A killer wearing a cloth sack over his head stalks mostly teenagers in a lovers lane area and murders them. This in itself could have been the basis of an interesting thriller. But the filmmakers chose to play with the facts of the case and tried adding unneeded comic relief. Even the facts of the murders themselves have been changed in some cases. That would explain one absolutely ridiculous scene in which a woman is tied to a tree and the killer happens to find a trombone and ties a knife to the end of it and mimics playing it as he thrusts the knife into her.
Ben Johnson adds a touch of respectability to the proceedings as a Texas ranger called in to solve the killings. His adequate performance stands out in a movie filled with lousy performances.
As for the killer himself, he is menacing for a few moments wearing the cloth hood chasing the helpless teenagers. Those few moments are the most effective in the movie. But every time he breaths the hood moves in and out making him look ridiculous. Apparently the real killer had a hole for his mouth. Here the filmmakers choose only to give him holes in the eyes. It ruins the desired effect.
** SPOILER WARNING ** For those that care enough to watch this junk and don't want anything spoiled I suggest skipping this section. The killer was never caught. In real life investigators believe they knew who the killer was but couldn't charge him because his wife seemed to be the only one with damaging evidence against him. But in the film he simply gets away (in a ridiculous chase scene). His motives were never known. Perhaps the filmmakers should have tried to invent something to give the audience a decent explanation.
Or better yet, perhaps the filmmakers should have left the whole thing alone and moved on to another bad movie.