The Dark Night of the Scarecrow

Director: Frank de Felitta

Overview

Misguided townsfolk, blinded by bias and fear, mistakenly kill a mentally retarded man after someone accuses him of raping the young girl he had befriended. Shortly thereafter the entire town is beset by a supernatural terror. The story originally aired on television.

Product Details

Release Date:	09/11/2012
UPC:	0089859878527
Original Release:	1981
Source:	Vci Video
Region Code:	0
Time:	1:36:00
Sales rank:	15,649

Special Features

Director & writer commentary; CBS network world premiere promo; CBS rebroadcast trailer; Behind the scenes photo gallery; English & Spanish subtitles; Bubba didn't do it: 30 years of the scarecrow (2012 extended version) - directed by Daniel Griffith and produced by Ballyhoo motion pictures, includes 2012 video interview with composer Glenn Paxton

Cast & Crew

Performance Credits

Jocelyn Brando	Mrs. Ritter
Larry Drake	Charles Bubba Ritter
Charles Durning	Otis P. Hazelrigg
Claude Earl Jones	Philby
Robert F. Lyons	Skeeter
Lane Smith	Harless Hocker
Tom Taylor	DA Sam Willock
Richard McKenzie	Actor
Ivy Jones	Mrs. Williams
Jim Tartan	Mr. Williams
Ed Call	Defense Attorney
Alice Nunn	Mrs. Bunch
John Steadman	Mr. Loomis
Dave Adams	Deputy
Ivy Bethune	Mrs. Hocker
Dennis Robertson	Ray
Jetta Scelza	Mrs. Whimberly
Modi Frank	Waitress
Tonya Crowe	Marylee Williams

Technical Credits

Frank de Felitta	Director
Julius D. Feigelson	Screenwriter
J.D. Fiegelson	Screenwriter
Bobbi Frank	Producer
Robert J. Koster	Production Manager
Vincent A. Martinelli	Cinematographer
Glenn Paxton	Score Composer
Joe Wizan	Executive Producer

Scene Index

Disc #1 -- Dark Night of the Scarecrow
1. Best Friends [4:15]
2. Bubba Didn't Do It [5:53]
3. The Chase [4:10]
4. Vigilante Execution [7:53]
5. There's Other Justice [4:39]
6. Friiied Chicken! [4:13]
7. Bubba's Not Gone... [4:43]
8. A Scarecrow Appears [4:23]
9. Somebody Knows [5:26]
10. The Chipper [4:29]
11. Eye for an Eye [6:40]
12. I Know What You Did! [4:58]
13. I Seen It! [3:19]
14. Explosion [6:38]
15. Deadly Silo [6:25]
16. The Grave [9:25]
17. Scarecrow Justice [9:13]

Menu

Disc #1 -- Dark Night of the Scarecrow
   Play
   Scenes
   Extras
      Audio Setup
         5.1 Surround
         Original
      Commentary with J.D. Fiegelson and Frank De Felitta
         Commentary: On
         Commentary: Off
      Subtitles
         English
            Subtitles: On
            Subtitles: Off
         Spanish
            Subtitles: On
            Subtitles: Off
      CBS Network
         World Premiere Promo
         CBS Rebroadcast Trailer
      Behind the Scenes Photo Gallery
      Bubba Didn't Do It: 30 Years of the Scarecrow (2012 Extended Version)
      DNOTS Cast Reunion Q & A

Editorial Reviews

This spooky little gem is one of the best made-for-television horror films ever made. J.D. Feigelson's script is built on a familiar (and satisfying) supernatural vengeance motif but it finds a number of clever wrinkles to keep it engaging: a surprise revelation about one of the characters that occurs two-thirds of the way in is particularly effective. Along the way, this carefully crafted tale reveals it has more than scares on its mind as it uses this story to communicate a message about how ignorant fear and repressed desires can turn people into something worse than a monster. Frank DeFelitta's direction is wonderfully atmospheric, mixing traditional horror film stylization with a believably seedy evocation of the darker aspects of small-town life. He also crafts the film's scary setpieces with equal parts precision and flair. These scenes never linger on gruesome sights: instead, DeFelitta uses the characters' reactions to unseen threats to effectively build tension and trick the audience into thinking they are seeing more than they actually are. Best of all, the film has wonderful performances: Larry Drake is emotionally affecting as the gentle giant whose murder sparks the plot and Robert Lyons and Claude Earl Jones as two of the conspirators, both of whom become slowly consumed by fear as the phantom avenger starts bumping off the killers. However, the film belongs to Charles Durning and his intensely creepy turn as the manipulative fear-monger behind the innocent man's murder: his character starts out unlikeable enough but Durning digs deep to reveal extra layers of the character's manipulative nature and secret insanity as the film goes along. By the end, his character's monstrous, amoral acts are as terrifying as the unseen menace enacting its revenge. To sum up, Dark Night Of The Scarecrow is an effective and surprisingly thoughtful creepfest that stands alongside The Night Stalker and Salem's Lot as television's finest horror films.

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