When I was perusing the reviews of The Town That Dreaded Sundown, I came across one that labeled it a "requel." Not quite a reboot, not quite a sequel, but somewhere in between. We've got a lot more of these coming out it seems like - it's a little more fashionable nowadays than a straight remake. I'm convinced "requel" would catch on if it wasn't such a terrible sounding term.
This Town That Dreaded Sundown is definitely well aware of its 1976 predecessor - in fact, that version plays a significant role in this updated film. The Town in question is Texarkana (on the Texas/Arkansas border) - the 1976 film was looking back into that town's history, and was based on a (for real) mid-forties murder case where a killer dubbed "The Phantom" killed a half-dozen people and then stopped just as soon as he started. The case was never solved. Understandably, the case shook the small town, but was mostly forgotten by the mid-seventies. But the first film brought back all of those fears/emotions associated with the case. Now, forty years later, that 70's film has been embraced by some and has become an event in town - it's shown annually at the drive-in, and the local kids show up to get drunk and cause a ruckus. Naturally, some of the old-timers have a problem with this - they remember that it's based on a true story and think it shouldn't be taken so flippantly.
So this 2014 film takes place in a world where the first film exists, so there is an extra level of meta-ness when a new killer starts offing people in the same manner as the 1976 film. It's like Russian nesting dolls or something.
Anyways, our story revolves around Jami (Addison Timlin), a young woman traumatized by the death of her parents as a child (not by the killer, it's worth noting). The film opens at the showing of the '76 Town, where Jami is on a first date with high school big shot Corey (Spencer Treat Clark). She's rather uncomfortable though - she's not into the horror stuff, and asks Corey if they can leave. He obliges, and they head out to Lover's Lane. Just as they are getting into their make out session, a man donning the same sack mask as the Phantom in the Town film points a gun at them and demands that they get out of the car. He tells Jami to turn around and brutally stabs Cory to death. Jami manages to escape... or did he let her go? After a couple of days recovering at the hospital, Jami is sent home with a police escort. The law has asked her that she not talk to the media, in order to help the investigation. But the phantom wants coverage, and begins to harass her at home, saying she must tell her story, or he'll kill again.
Jami thinks she can get to the bottom of it, if only she can solve the 1946 murders. She befriends another youngster at the library (so you get a little romance), and the killings continue. A Texas Ranger comes to own to help the local police... and of course, it all comes to a head when Jami and the Phantom cross paths.
Overall, this Town is a well-made film. It looks really good, and there are some excellent shots of the small town and nearby wide open fields, with crazy colors in the sky. These establishing shots are a little more artsy/moody than you would expect from a modern slasher. It's got some creative camera work, effects, and lighting, and is just well-crafted overall. Director Alfonso Gomez-Rejon (most well known for many episodes of American Horror Story) does a good job giving the town a real sense of desolation and gloom without going too far overboard.
But the main thing that comes to mind looking back at the film is that it's got a pretty significant mean streak. I mean, the kills are all pretty brutal - almost everyone's suffering lingers on a bit longer than necessary, and you can really feel/hear each strike/stab/scream/whatever. But on top of that, most of the people who are killed are in the middle of something really good. Especially sad is the couple who (I think) is on the verge of getting engaged. As if getting viciously murdered isn't bad enough... it just feels unnecessarily harsh. The gore is well done but never over the top, but it gets about as sloppy as it can without losing a sense of seriousness. (I feel if you make things *too* gory, you get too enthralled with the effects and don't care about the victims, you know?) Also, the phantom isn't afraid to just shoot people. So while it's a slasher film at heart, it's a little weird to have a killer that uses a gun. I mean, he switches to a bow and arrow at one point, so I guess that's still kind of stabby.
But all of the horror stuff works. The Phantom looks legitimately creepy (gotta love the sack mask), and the film does a good job establishing that he can show up just about anywhere. And even when his appearance is telegraphed, it's usually pretty cool. (There's a bit with motion sensor lights going on and off that works really well.) I mean, it's less "fun" slasher and more "brutal," but you need that sometimes.
One other noteworthy thing is how footage of the older Town is integrated into the film. You get occasional flashbacks and sometimes just a few frames of the old film. This Town is very conscious of its status as a remake, and doesn't shy away from side by side comparisons. And it works - not just as fan service, but it actually makes sense in the context of the story as well. I haven't seen the original, so I can't really compare the two. (Until just now I thought I had several years ago, but I was thinking of Dark Night of the Scarecrow. For some reason, the two titles seem similar to me. Both sack masks, at least?) But this Town seems to respect the source material but also tries to do it's own thing, which is admirable.
Ultimately, I liked The Town That Dreaded Sundown. It's a little more mean-spirited than I usually like in my slashers, and I wasn't a huge fan of the ending. Otherwise, it's a well-crafted film that doesn't make you rue the remake/reboot/whatever trend.
I would recommend this film.
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