#23 - The Town That Dreaded Sundown (2014)
65 years ago, a masked killer called "The Phantom" went on a killing spree in the small town of Texarkana, and was never caught. In 1976, a film based on these murders called The Town That Dreaded Sundown was released, and since then it has been shown in the town every Halloween. This year, however, a new series of murders begins during the annual screening, and the killer seems to be a copycat of The Phantom. Jami, a young woman about to head off to college, becomes entangled in the crimes and sets out to solve the years-old case.
This is both a remake of and a sequel to the 1976 film of the same name, and the actual original movie features heavily in the plot of this one. It's a neat idea that I don't believe I've ever seen done before, and it works pretty well. The movie is a pretty standard slasher, with the characters racing to figure out the identity of the killer before he can strike again. I liked this more than I was expecting to - it's not breaking any new ground, but it is pretty well done. The blood and gore effects are convincing and the killer is appropriately scary and brutal. The cinematography is often surprisingly good, with creative sets and great lighting that keep the movie looking good from start to finish.
Unfortunately, the story is pretty generic, and I thought the resolution of the mystery was kind of dumb. The most unique thing in the movie - a scene where the killer stabs a guy to death with a trombone - was taken directly from the original film, so I can't even give it credit for that silly (but kind of awesome) idea. Overall I think this is a well-made but somewhat forgettable film. If you like slashers, I think you will enjoy this one and I recommend seeking it out. If not, I'd skip it.
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