The Town that Dreaded Sundown remake

Dire remakes outnumber their capable counterparts by oh, 20:1. So, with that said, it’s worth noting that the mod version of The Town that Dreaded Sundown doesn’t blow like a sad trombone, but in some ways at least, betters the original.

When tackling remakes, it’s probably better to reboot something that isn’t overwhelmingly held in the highest esteem. Lesser entries like Hospital Massacre or New Year’s Evil could stand a reimagining as they were not particularly imaginative to begin with. And The Town that Dreaded Sundown (1976) – other than giving us an early iteration of what would become Sackhead Jason Voorhees – doesn’t exactly move the needle as a stand-out, revelatory classic, but does possess a certain je ne sais quoi.

This 2014 version of Town, retells the events of the original, which are inspired by the real-life mid-40s Texarkana Moonlight Murders. It also pushes the story forward in a slightly different direction, which sorta works. After all, 1976 played sorta fast and loose with the facts anyway.

This version begins Halloween night, with the town still suffering Phantom Killer-induced PTSD decades later. Maybe some cognitive behavioural therapy is in order, instead of making it an annual tradition of showing the 1976 feature at the drive-in and reliving the horror.

That’s where we meet Jami and her date at Make Out Point, who are accosted by the by now all-too familiar burlap-sacked figure stalking them like the Son of Sam. Is this a copycat, or the (by now very aged) Real McCoy?

Cops try to figure out the perennial question, “who is that masked man?”

What’s most interesting about this version is how it incorporates and intersperses footage from the original Town That Dreaded Sundown film.

As per remakes, the kills are far more brutal. And it was certainly a good move to ditch the ponderous voiceovers of the first effort.

*** (out of 5)