I can actually remember when the movie SCARECROWS came out.
At the video store I owned/worked in I saw this title coming out, thought it
looked creepy enough and ordered it. Much to my delight the movie was
everything I thought it would be and more. Why? Because the image of a
scarecrow is much like that of a clown, it’s one of those things you see and
scare you but you just can’t pinpoint why. And if you don’t think scarecrows
fall into that category note that they’ve been used time and time again from
movies like DARK NIGHT OF THE SCARECROW to JEEPERS CREEPERS. They just feel
evil once you see them.
This movie opens in an airplane that contains a commando
group that has just robbed Fort Pendleton of $3 million and is on the lam.
Having hijacked the plane, it’s pilot and his daughter they’re en route to a
unload the cargo when one of them attempts to screw over the rest by dumping
the block of money out the side door, leaping out himself with a parachute and
tossing a grenade into the plane while doing so. Fortunately for us the grenade
is found and tossed out leaving his left behind crew angry and ready to catch
up.
On the ground Bert (B.J.Turner) gathers himself and seeks
out the container of cash he dumped. Along the way he notices that he’s in a
woods that contains numerous scarecrows as well as three metal crosses. Moving
along he finally finds the cash while listening over the walkie talkie headset
he still has on to the rest of the crew alerting him that they survived and are
on their way to get the money back. Finding an abandoned house and a truck, he
high tails it to the money, loads it in and heads out only for the truck to
stall. It’s here that he runs into even more bad luck when the first of the
scarecrows chases him down. Yes, the scarecrows are alive. Perhaps alive isn’t
quite the word but they are up and moving.
The rest of the team lands as well and goes on a hunt for
Bert. Led by Curry (Michael David Simms) they fan out and cover the same area
that Bert walked through earlier. They too find the scarecrows and the crosses
as well as the house. Gathering there they organize a search party while one,
Jack, climbs the roof to see what he can with night vision goggles. This is one
of the few unbelievable parts of the film (like scarecrows coming to life
isn’t). He sees the image of one of the scarecrows sans mask, a decaying
monstrous looking image, and yet doesn’t tell anyone or seem fazed short of his
initial startled jump. But hey, it’s a movie folks.
As the team begins searching for the missing money as well
as Bert, he shows up ready to kill them. Opening up with their machine guns he
falls but he’s not out yet. They question him as to where the money is but it
isn’t until they think him dead that they discover he’s been opened up stomach
to sternum and then sewn up with some of the money used to stuff him. He is, in
fact, a scarecrow himself.
As with films like NIGHT OF THE LIVING DEAD, the reason why
these scarecrows are up and about is never fully revealed. The movie does show
three men, the Fowler family, in pictures on the wall holding guns as if they
were hunters who lived in the house. But as to why they have come back seeking
out anyone who comes near them isn’t quite explained.
What makes the movie work is that it is well shot for a
night time film keeping the gloom, doom and darkness there but clear and lit
well enough so that everything is visible at the same time. The use of night
vision goggles, fairly new at the time, works well here too drawing the
audience in as if they were wearing them and seeing what the tactical team
sees.
But the thing that offers more creepiness than anything else
is the images of the scarecrows. Just seeing them hanging there is enough but
once they start moving around it gets even more nerve rattling. Close ups of
one mask that never does anything feel unsettling, even more so as each time
you look at it you notice more…like the body breathing. For me this wasn’t an
error but something so subtle that if not looking for it you might miss it. To
find out in the extras that the make-up effects person responsible for this was
only 18 and this was his first feature film was amazing. During his interview
you see one of the scarecrow masks in the background. I don’t think I could
have one sitting in my house for any reason. It’s that creepy looking.
The movie wasn’t released theatrically which is a shame. The
direct to video movement at the time it came out placed it in plenty of video
stores but it never had the chance to develop the major push that it deserved.
Numerous sequels to poorly made horror films got more attention and this one
deserves it. The fact that Shout/Scream Factory has done their best in
presenting it in blu-ray format with a few well done extras might make that
finally happen. With this release it will hopefully expand out from the cult
following it developed over the years with fans sharing bootleg and scratchy
looking copies of VHS tapes and finally get the respect it deserves. Kudos to
Shout/Scream Factory for saving it.
If you’re a fan of horror films then by all means you should
check this one out. If scarecrows or clowns do something to the pit of your
stomach, check it out with the lights on. And for those who feel more daring
than most, take the movie to the home of a friend who lives near a corn field,
pop it in, turn out the lights and try not to look through the drapes as the
movie unfolds. I’m guessing the trip from the front door to your car won’t be
nearly as easy as you thought after watching this film there.
Click here to order.
No comments:
Post a Comment