The Town That Dreaded Sundown

The Town That Dreaded Sundown is a 1976 horror film. It stars Ben Johnson (better known for his Westerns), Andrew Prine (who has Star Trek:TNG and Star Trek:DS9 connections) and Dawn Wells (Mary Ann from Gilligan's Island). It's loosely based on a true story involving a serial killer. That killer was never caught. I am not surprised I had never heard of this one. There's just not much to it.

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DVD Talk says, "its mix of terror, humor and police procedure is uniquely entertaining." Stomp Tokyo says, "The Town That Dreaded Sundown is a sad little movie that no one needs to see, but its true-story origins and "factual" presentation have given it a more positive reputation than it deserves." 1000 Misspent Hours points out some good elements and says, "a movie that any serious horror fan should probably see, even though they probably won’t like it very much." DVD Verdict calls it a "simple yet seminal film". The Rotten Tomatoes critics rating is 50%.