The Town That Dreaded Sundown (1976)

While the wonderfully titled The Town That Dreaded Sundown (1976) can neither live up to it's title, nor, it's atmospheric poster, it's certainly worth a watch for fans of the Slasher genre.

One of the movies strongest assets is it's Boogeyman, "The Phantom Killer", who wears a burlap sack over his head (which collapses and inflates in accordance with his heavy breathing, giving him the appearance of a kind of down and out Darth Vader) as he stalks and dispatches the teenage population of the small town of Texarkana.

Another reason The Town That Dreaded Sundown stands out in the teenage wasteland that is the Slasher genre is that it's a rare example of a period Slasher.

Set In 1946 and based loosely (very loosely) on a true story, we ride along with the Sheriffs Department and a maverick detective from out of town, inventively known as 'The Lone Wolf' and enjoyably played by Ben Johnson, as they track and attempt to catch the illusive killer.

The movie certainly attempts to take advantage of its true crime origins, firstly in its advertising, which relied heavily on the "Based on a true story" claim, along with the fact that the killer had never been caught, and as such remained “at large” (despite the intervening years between fact and fiction meaning the phantom would be somewhere between 65 and 80 years old). And secondly, in the film itself, which employs a documentary-esce narration, used to provide us with not only exposition but also reassurance of the films legitimacy as a historical record.

The B-movie quality of the film is heightened by a number of continuity errors and various shots that come resplendent with crew and equipment.

However, what is far more damaging than any technical gaff is the film’s bewildering lurches into comedy; Including a zany car chase scene, a policeman in drag and the use of a comedy trombone sound effect.

Overall, An enjoyable (if not very scary) Slasher movie. Notable for its true crime origins and period setting. Worth watching for the inventive use of trombone in one of the more unsettling murder scenes.