THE TOWN THAT DREADED SUNDOWN

A brief, earnest male narration (Vern Stierman) introduces us to the relatively small town of Texarkana in Texas. We're told of how the close-knit community rebuilt itself after the upheaval of the Second World War and how, by 1946, the town was beginning to feel optimistic about its future once again.

But then, in early March, a young couple are attacked in their car on Lovers' Lane. Although both survive the attack, neither can offer the local Sheriff or his deputies any concrete evidence to go on. The only thing they learn from the attack is that the would-be killer wore a white sack and was a particularly strong male.

The police are baffled. The townsfolk in turn are disconcerted: they've never known such trouble in their midst. However, three weeks pass without further incident and it seems that everyone but Deputy Ramsey (Andrew Pine) has put the incident to the back of their minds.

That is until, three weeks to the day and on the first night of the next full moon, the masked fiend strikes again. His quarries this time are a newly returned soldier and his local gal. Both are shot dead, with Ramsey arriving on the scene just late enough to witness the killer flee in the dead man's car.

As panic sets in, Sheriff Barker (Robert Aquino) enrols the help of famed ranger Morales (Ben Johnson). He has a proven track record for successfully captaining manhunts, and swiftly sets about getting the rather hapless local lawmen into shape. His methods include a vow of non-communication with the media, a curfew after dark and even having a group of policemen dress in drag to act as bait on the night of the next full moon.

While he and Ramsey do indeed correctly predict the date of the phantom's (Morales' term) next strike, they unfortunately lie in wait at the wrong locations. This allows the killer to slaughter two more innocents upon their departure from an ill-advised local prom.

Elaborating any further seems unfair, as that would be taking this synopsis into the later stages of Charles B Pierce's disquieting film.

Loosely based on an actual post-war manhunt, THE TOWN THAT DREADED SUNDOWN is an odd mix of drama, horror, black humour, real-life crime and faux documentary. In this regard alone, it draws comparison to Jeff Gillen and Alan Ormsby's DERANGED.

But that's where the similarities end. SUNDOWN has an odd, episodic feel that shouldn't work but strangely does. The characters are not fleshed out any, but performances are sufficiently strong that we feel as though we get beneath their skin anyway. Johnson is haggard compared to his appearance in THE WILD BUNCH several years earlier but remains an authorative presence; Pine is the stand-out as the well-intended but limited local lawman.

Visually, SUNDOWN derives a marvellously moody atmosphere from its dusk-set woodlands murder set-pieces. Meanwhile, the period detail to the daytime scenes is convincing throughout: if there are anachronisms, they completely passed me by.

The comedy elements of the film are jarring, lightening the tone absurdly at times with moments of slapstick that verge on SMOKEY AND THE BANDIT silliness. Bungling deputy Benson (director Pierce) gets the daftest scenes, providing a comic relief that is in equal parts welcome and distracting. Perhaps the occasional "Curb Your Enthusiasm" type frivolous music was a stretch too far during these scenes. The early homage to Samuel Fuller is far more subtle.

Conversely, the terror scenes are shot in a stark matter-of-fact manner that totally complements Stierman's deadpan voiceover. Largely playing out without score, the phantom's attacks are brutal and unforgiving without ever resorting to unnecessary explicit detail. Fear is the key here, and is palpable even when the methods become bizarre: witness, for example, the scene in which the killer straps a blade to a trombone and kills a tied-up female in novel style. Leaving the killer silent and without identity throughout was also a simple but effective masterstroke.

Although the pace is unconventional due to the film's episodic, newsreel-type approach, Pierce ensures the film is quietly gripping at all times. Are the residents of Texarkana safe for one more night? Can Ramsey and the imposing Morales capture their bogeyman? Is the killer one of their friends or colleagues? Questions the film doesn't need to ask, because you're subtly drawn into doing so for yourself as events slickly progress.

Frightening, absorbing and confrontational in its refusal to provide easy answers, SUNDOWN is a film that feels very much of-its-time (1976) in-so-far as its unhurried, naturalistic play-out and Pierce's willingness to credit peripheral characters and even background extras with more to do than simply stand around looking wooden. His town feels real, and so then does the fear it feels.

Shout! Factory's release of SUNDOWN proffers the film as the main dish in a very appetising 2-disc blu-ray and DVD combo pack.

Disc one in the set is a region A encoded blu-ray. The uncut film looks very good in 1080p HD, presented as an MPEG4-AVC file in its original theatrical ratio of 2.40:1 and enhanced for 16x9 televisions.

Blacks are deep and solid, exhibiting no trace of problematic compression issues. A nice gradient of shades are employed throughout which, along with natural flesh-tones and a very fine layer of grain, make for an authentically filmic presentation. Colours are bold and detail is remarkable when held against my copy of an old TV broadcast of the film.

While the print used does possess its fair share of debris in the form of little white and black pops here and there, the overall impact of the film here is that it's never looked anywhere near as good as this.

English 2.0 audio has been given the DTS-HD Master Audio treatment and benefits from a largely clean and consistent playback, with only minor instances of low background noise to speak of.

The disc opens to an animated main menu page. From there, pop-up menus include a scene-selection menu allowing access to the film via 12 chapters.

Extras begin with the film's original 2-minute theatrical trailer, which is specklier than the main feature's print but still reasonably attractive.

Photo/still galleries rarely get my pulse racing. But the 3-minute selection provided here is generous and well-produced enough to be considered worthy of a look.

A new on-screen chat with Pine, who looks not much different than he did 30-odd years ago, follows. His honesty regarding the film's merits is refreshing, while he also makes time in this 10-minute 'talking head' style chat to cover more from his acting career.

"Eye of the Beholder" is a 12-minute featurette in which cinematographer James Roberson is given the opportunity to give his opinions on what he seems to think wouldn't have been as welcoming a film without his input.

Co-star Dawn Wells remains pretty and bubbly in her all-too-brief 5-minute interview, discussing her vague memories of the film, her surprise due to its enduring popularity and recollections of a run-in of the canine variety while filming.

All of the above are presented in 1080p HD.

A text essay on the true-crime history behind the film's origins is a nice addition for fans.

Finally we get a feature-length audio commentary track from Justin Beahm with historian Jim Presley moderating. The pair provide a fairly fluent, easy-going talk which takes in titbits of trivia surrounding the film's production along with discussing differences between Earl E Smith's screenplay and the case it based itself upon.

Disc two is a region 1 encoded DVD. On it, you get all of the above (in standard definition) along with one added - and very desirable - extra feature: Pierce's little-seen 1979 film THE EVICTORS.

In it, newly-weds Ben (Michael Parks) and Ruth (Jessica Harper) are sold a dilapidated old house in a quiet village in Louisiana. Despite their estate agent Jake (Vic Morrow) being an entertainingly creepy fellow, they move in and are happy for a short time.

But, before long, Ruth gets a sense that she's being watched. Her suspicions heighten as the stalking becomes more apparent whenever Ben's absent, and the house's violent history is revealed.

Although awarded a PG rating in the US, THE EVICTORS is an effective little chiller with a superb cast and great build-up. Pierce, who also directed THE LEGEND OF BOGGY CREEK, once again proves to be adept at directing scares within a period setting (this film is also set around the time of the Second World War).

It all peters out by the final act and the finale does disappoint, but that doesn't prevent the film from coming recommended on the whole.

All in all, Shout! Factory give THE TOWN THAT DREADED SUNDOWN the type of Special Edition release its long deserved.

Highly recommended.

Review by Stuart Willis