Scarecrows
Director: William Wesley
Cast: Ted Vernon, Michael David Simms, Richard Vidan
Reviewed by Brian M. Sammons
Scarecrows was one of those movies I caught on late night cable TV many years ago without any fanfare, or even ever hearing about it before. Afterwards, it became one of those movies that horror fans just never seemed to bring up or talk about. Was it because the movie was that bad? Well no, if it was truly horrible it would have become the stuff of legend, like say, Troll 2. Was it too much like some other, better known evil scarecrow flick? Well no, as probably the only better known scarecrow film is Dark Night of the Scarecrow, a made for TV movie from 1981, and that movie is really nothing like this one. Did it not have good marketing or a wide release? Well while I don’t know if it ever played at a theater, I do know it was all over cable television, and I remember seeing the VHS cover a lot in video stores in the late 80s and early 90s. So why is this almost a forgotten film, relegated to cult status at best? Well grab a pitchfork, and maybe a Zippo lighter for good measure, and let’s find out.
The movie starts with a group of mercenaries robbing the US army payroll and then hijacking a cargo plane to make their escape. In short order, one of the robbers tries to double-cross the others, and jumps out of the plane with the money and a parachute. The other thugs follow, but they all have the misfortune of landing in an isolated, and haunted, farm. Once there, their trespass is quickly discovered by a trio of scarecrows who take their privacy very seriously.
Now what sets this movie apart from other evil scarecrow flicks, is a number of things. First off, it is very ably directed and acted for such a low budget flick. And despite being low budget, nothing ever comes off as cheap. Then there are the special effects, which are good and bloody, and sometimes border on amazing. When you add in the fact that the person doing them was just 18, right out of high school, and had never done special make before, that is freaking amazing. Lastly, there’s the story. Not only does it have a paramilitary edge to it that few horror movies do, but it is actually creepy and chilling. That’s because there’s much more going on here than just killer scarecrows. There is a tangible evil permeating the atmosphere of this farm, not to mention some wonderfully weird moments. Voices whisper on the winds, trucks drive without engines, and the very surroundings seem to be against the criminals. The whole thing is eerie and unsettling and I love it.
On to the extras that Scream Factory have included on this new Blu-ray release. There are two audio commentaries here. one with director William Wesley and producer Cami Winkoff, and the other with screenwriter Richard Jefferies, director of photography Peter Deming, and composer Terry Pumeri. Likewise there are two interviews here. The first one is with makeup special effects guy, Norman Cabrera that runs 16 minutes. The second interview with actor Ted Vernon and is nearly nine minutes long. Original storyboards, still gallery, and the theatrical trailer are also on here. So not a bad list of special features for a movie time, and most everyone, has seem to have forgotten.
I love this weird and creepy little film. I love that Scream Factory not only took the time to bring this movie out, but gave it the full HD treatment, and loaded it up with extras. So if you are looking for something a little different, but very good, then this is the movie for you. Scarecrows is highly recommended.
