The Town That Dreaded Sundown (BluRay/DVD Combo)

A Must-See for True Crime Fans
The Town That Dreaded Sundown is an effective little thriller worth seeking out and viewing more than once. It is the true story of a hooded killer who went on a rampage in Texarkana, Arkansas just after World War II. If you are a history or true crime fan, you will appreciate the narrarative style of telling this story. For example, the film goes into detail on how life was in Arkansas before, during and after the murders and important dates of the case are displayed to the viewer throughout the film. The movie itself gives alot more than it was given budget-wise to make. The attack scenes and the final confrontation between the protagonists and the villain, are tense and effective without the use of bloody make-up FX. Fans of horror films relating to true crime who have already seen all the movies about Charles Manson,Ed Geine, Burke and Hare, etc. will also want to consider viewing this film. The writer (Earl E. Wynn) and director (Charles B. Pierce) colaborated on...

Unsolved Mystery
I am a true fan of horror movies. I love the "Texas Chainsaw Massacre" series. I am a fan of "Halloween." Every Friday the 13th I rent every "Friday the 13th" movie and stay up all night watching them...always with the lights out. Despite my wide-ranging horror film experience, I can honestly say that "The Town That Dreaded Sundown" scared me more than any other film to date.

Shot in 1976, this film presents the true story of a Texarkana, Arkansas crime spree in 1946. World War II had ended bringing the military boys back home and Texarkana was enjoying peace and prosperity. From the murky depths of night, a killer mysteriously emerged to taunt and terrorize the inhabitants of the quiet town. Young couples were attacked in their cars on lovers lane in intervals of 21 days...and even a famous Texas Ranger couldn't solve the case.

The story is presented in documentary style, with a narrator weaving direction through the onslaught of terror. There is no shock value to...

Chilling
First an explanation: This movie loses one star for the lame attempts at humor inserted by director Charles B.Pierce, who should have known better. Beyond that criticism, though, this semi-documentary about a rash of brutal murders that held the small town of Texarkana , Arkansas in an icy grip of fear way back in 1946 is a top-notch suspense thriller. The killer is depicted as being as capable of "mad -dog" brutality as he was in reality ( the scene with the trombone will haunt you for days), and the low budget actually accentuates the grim circumstances unfolding in this movie. This film is very, very scary. It has also received recognition as being one of the more accurate depictions of a true life crime case that has ever hit the screen. If you like to be scared, then pop this one into the vcr, turn off the lights and get ready to have your nerves assaulted. Charles B.Pierce demonstrated with this feature that he knows how to play an audience. It's a shame he hasn't...

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