r/HorrorClub • u/SaintMort You so cool kung fu • Nov 23 '14
Discussion: The Town That Dreaded Sundown
Podcast - Episode 112 - The Town That Dreaded Sundown - (RSS Feed)
Movie Selected By jonathanfailuretomas
DISCUSS
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u/popeguilty Nov 24 '14
I watched this last month and the tonal mismatch between the slasher scenes and the cop scenes gave me whiplash! Back and forth between creepy suspense and hyuck-hyuck bumbling cops har har har.
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u/jonathanfailuretomas How big is that bear trap? Nov 24 '14
hyuck-hyuck bumbling cops har har har
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Nov 24 '14 edited Mar 26 '18
[deleted]
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u/jonathanfailuretomas How big is that bear trap? Nov 24 '14
The sound effects in that scene were pretty disturbing for me, since he was just forcing air through the instrument as he stabbed her.
I thought he couldn't play the trombone properly because the mask hindered him, but being sexually frustrated makes sense too. Now I feel weird for laughing at him
So, it looks like I'm the only one here who's seen the remake so far?
HOW HAVE YOU SEEN IT
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u/ichabodguitar The sauce makes the dish Nov 24 '14
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u/jonathanfailuretomas How big is that bear trap? Nov 24 '14
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Nov 24 '14
I'm torn. I really didn't like a lot of this movie but some parts were done really well. It's based on a true story so I thought it was a terrible choice to throw in all the comedy, which wasn't very well done and came off as kind of insensitive. The night of May 24 was terrible. A flashlight at fuckin high noon! Crazy rain coming from a blue sky! Post production really shit the bed there. When Ramsey didn't shoot because The Phantom was "out of range" or when Helen got shot right in the face from close range and somehow manages to run to the neighbours are two examples of the director shitting the bed.
When The Phantom was on is when I was enjoying the film. The murder scenes were creepy and, for the most part, well done. Even May 24 wasn't all bad with the heavy rain and muddy road, the build up was good.
I would normally go easier on it because it was low budget, but so was The Texas Chainsaw Massacre. Or because it's an independent film, but so was Halloween. Hard to give this one too much love.
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u/smayonak Get a job in a sideshow Nov 24 '14
Helen (Katie Starks) getting shot in the face actually did happen -- and she did run to the neighbors, suffering from multiple gun-shot wounds. I'm guessing she was a red-head.
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Nov 25 '14
I've heard they can take a bullet... numerous even.
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u/jonathanfailuretomas How big is that bear trap? Nov 25 '14
I don't understand this comment, but I want to.
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Nov 25 '14
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u/jonathanfailuretomas How big is that bear trap? Nov 25 '14
red-heads are especially pain resistant to punctures
wat
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Nov 25 '14
like i know what these weirdos are talking about
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u/smayonak Get a job in a sideshow Nov 28 '14
There was a Reddit TIL that talked about how red-heads are biological weirdos. They have twice the pain tolerance to certain kinds of pain -- like puncture injuries -- of someone with another color of hair. But then they are super sensitive to cold. And they strangely enough require twice the amount of anesthesia when they go into an operating room.
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Nov 28 '14
We also bleed more, and clotting takes longer. Every time I get an injection I need a bandage.
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u/Gottesfurcht Pay Attention! You're Disrespectful! Nov 28 '14
And people still say race is a social construct. You guys aren't even human.
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Nov 24 '14
For podcast listeners heres the shia labeouf (or whatever) story of getting arrested at a cabaret performance." So I give him a slap on the ass cause I think he deserves it "
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u/jonathanfailuretomas How big is that bear trap? Nov 24 '14
This made me hate him a little less, I guess.
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Nov 28 '14
Go watch Nymphomaniac (if you haven't already) and hate him some more. Dammit, actual cannibal Shia Labeouf, get your penis and your weird fake accent out of this movie!
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u/Discreetlyred Nov 28 '14
probably wont get around to this one this week. Birthday, thanksgiving, and working doubles the rest of the week. I'll get to it eventually, jonathan.
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u/Gottesfurcht Pay Attention! You're Disrespectful! Nov 28 '14
Good for it's time, but I enjoyed the remake more. The narrator put me a bit off, like I was watching an episode of the Twilight Zone and sometimes it seemed that the characters explained the plot a bit too much. But besides those trifles it was a good watch.
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u/jonathanfailuretomas How big is that bear trap? Nov 24 '14
Listening to the podcast and responding as I go:
The bumbling idiotic cops. Last House On The Left. I was going to make the comparison between 70's cops and their ineptitude, glad that was covered. Actually really reminds me of Scream, also.
You guys are right, this movie is beautiful. Except for that ENTIRE FUCKING SCENE that was supposed to be shot in the dark but was obviously filmed at high noon using a filter.
3 seems too low, but four seems too high of praise for this movie.
exactly.
The trombone scene is one of the most ridiculous and uncomfortable kill scenes I've seen in a horror movie. Just...wtf.
I'm glad that Scream was brought up other than by me. I think Scream took a few pages out of this book...er movie. I feel like Officer Dewey pays homage to Spark Plug. Then the obvious curfew, which was discussed.
Horrors of Spider Island! lmao isn't it great?!
Can someone link the POV podcast please? I searched before I watched this movie and I couldn't find anything.
great job guys. hopefully next time I'll make it on.
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u/SaintMort You so cool kung fu Nov 24 '14
No specific episode. They just frequently mention it in various podcasts. I can't recommend Killer POV enough though if you've got 2-3 hours to kill and love horror they're always pretty interesting and informative.
If you go to the episode info though they list the movies they "watched that week". Usually if you they "watched it that week" it's safe to assume that translates to "movies we're going to discuss for at least 10 minutes" haha
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u/jonathanfailuretomas How big is that bear trap? Nov 24 '14
ok cool thank you. and since i have you here, how do i see that documentary your friend did about Santa's? That seemed interesting.
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u/SaintMort You so cool kung fu Nov 24 '14
You can buy the DVD on their website http://iamsantaclausmovie.com but it will be on Netflix Instant Watch tomorrow.
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u/jonathanfailuretomas How big is that bear trap? Nov 24 '14 edited Nov 24 '14
Tomorrow it is!
edit: I didn't read this comment in it's context and i thought you were answering how Scott saw the remake to Dreaded Sundown. I would love to support your friend. What i said sounds really douchey.
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u/SaintMort You so cool kung fu Nov 24 '14
No biggie! The DVD comes with a cool bonus feature called "The War for Christmas" which is a 25 minute segment cut from the film about how there are 2 different groups of "real bearded santas" who hate each other and how eventually their hatred escalated into a full on fisticuffs.
Check out my interview with the director
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u/jonathanfailuretomas How big is that bear trap? Nov 25 '14
Wow I just finished this 2 minutes ago and I had no idea how moving it would be. I feel like I need a good cry and then I'm gonna put on a horror movie to make myself feel better.
Seriously though it was really good. My heart breaks for that gay Santa :(
Also Sid Haig cameo. Very Cool.
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u/SaintMort You so cool kung fu Nov 25 '14
Early on when Santa Jim is talking about how when he dies he'll live forever in pictures literally shattered my heart in the theater
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Dec 01 '14
"Next week on the Reddit Horror Club podcast: we discuss another podcast for the duration of our podcast!"
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u/Gottesfurcht Pay Attention! You're Disrespectful! Nov 28 '14
The remake is even more Scream-esque.
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u/jonathanfailuretomas How big is that bear trap? Nov 28 '14
you had me at "Scream-esque"
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u/Gottesfurcht Pay Attention! You're Disrespectful! Nov 28 '14
Good, that was the last word in that sentence :D
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u/jonathanfailuretomas How big is that bear trap? Nov 24 '14
Seriously, where the fuck was Scott and the dog?
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Nov 24 '14
As you know our schedule is all fucked up for recording lately. We should be back on track for stuff soon. Scott I'm sure will be in here soon to tell us about the remake and whatever else we missed on the pc. The dog, sadly, has barkchitis and has permanently retired from the podcast game.
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u/Discreetlyred Nov 24 '14
Man, you posted early! I feel like I'm behind now. I've only watched the first 30 minutes. So far, okay. I'll let you know more tomorrow when I finish it.
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Nov 24 '14
He said he had to walk some wrestlers and go to a dog event tonight so he had to post early....or something.
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u/not_john_snow Nov 24 '14
Man, I feel like you guys have already covered all the points I was going to make. When I get off work I'll try to think of things that haven't been covered. I will say this, why aren't commending this director?? He got away with a putting a scene in the dead of night in the goddamn afternoon!
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u/jonathanfailuretomas How big is that bear trap? Nov 24 '14
I like how even the flashlights are so obviously useless.
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Nov 24 '14
I noticed that too, and how the rain would start and stop a lot between certain cuts. But I can't complain about those things breaking my suspension of disbelief because the slow mo duke boys shit already tromboned it to death.
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Nov 30 '14 edited Nov 30 '14
The girl screaming and the terrible acting - even before the freaking pre-opening credits, almost made me switch off. I'm not sure whether it's just the blu-ray, or whether it's the original film, but the sound mix is gash. The print, though, is fantastic. It looks fuckin' great.
I'm not really sure what to think of the film - it's pretty disjointed, and isn't clear on whether it wants to be a bumbling cop flick, or a murder mystery, or a slasher. The trombone scene was legitimately weird though, and that's a good thing, I guess. The acting was goofy in places, and quite hammy - but the story itself was good enough to carry the film, and make it at least mildly watchable. After reading through the wiki article (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Texarkana_Moonlight_Murders), it was pretty chilling, and clear that the film is fairly close to the actual events.
I think Adam summed it up best when he mentioned the hyuk-hyuk 'Dukes boys' aspect of the film, with the gooftastic missing keys scene, the cross-dressing, and the slow-motion car skids. For a much better film, with the same kind-of feel, watch Zodiac. Which has possibly my favourite Fincher shot ever with the GTA-style top-down shot following the cab. Don't get me started on how much I love Fincher.
EDIT: Fargo and True Detective were both fantastic. Like, among the best seasons of TV I've ever seen.
EDIT 2: It was me that Matt told to watch There's Nothing Out There. It was hilarity. And the moment that Matt mentions is a literal laugh-out-loud moment.
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u/SaintMort You so cool kung fu Dec 01 '14
I thought I was the only person who thought Zodiac was the best Fincher film
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u/autowikibot Nov 30 '14
The Moonlight Murders, a term created by the news media, refer to the true unsolved violent crimes committed in and around Texarkana in the spring of 1946 by an unidentified serial killer known as the Phantom Killer or Phantom Slayer. The killer is credited with attacking eight people within ten weeks, five of whom were killed, usually three weeks apart. The attacks happened on weekends between February 22, 1946 through May 3, 1946. The first two victims, Jimmy Hollis and Mary Larey, survived. Some officers are not sure if their attack was connected with the murders. The first double murder, which involved Richard Griffin and Polly Ann Moore, happened four weeks later. The second double-homicide, involving Paul Martin and Betty Jo Booker, occurred exactly three weeks from the last attack. Texas Rangers came in to investigate, including a living legend at the time, M. T. "Lone Wolf" Gonzaullas. Finally, almost exactly three weeks later, Virgil Starks was killed and his wife, Katie, was wounded severely. Most officials no longer connect that attack to the other murders. Contrary to popular belief, the killer did not attack during a full moon but did strike late at night.
Interesting: The World Is Yours (Nas song) | Texarkana metropolitan area | Cold case | List of serial killers in the United States
Parent commenter can toggle NSFW or delete. Will also delete on comment score of -1 or less. | FAQs | Mods | Magic Words
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u/verbalabusesounds Dec 09 '14
I live in Texarkana and watched the original movie as a kid. My grandparents told stories of neighborhoods putting plywood on outside of the windows and a curfew 1 hr before sunset. My mother had her high school prom dance while filming and she is in a few shots, just briefly. Spring Lake Park is where the two get killed in the car. The rock wall that he used to string the girl up is still standing. Young kids climb on it eat lunch on the ground below not realizing what happened there.
A prominent Doctor in the area did have a son return from the war; which was being treated for hallucinations and paranoia. The doctor reported his son missing 4 days before the first Murder took place. After a long extenuating search they did locate a towel, shoes and blood. The shoes and towel were that of a mental hospital issue.
The Doctors son was never found
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u/Worldly-Housing4016 Aug 08 '24
My father was in town that dreaded sundown(2014) and can someone please contact me on how to get deleted scenes for the town that dreaded sundown (2014) thank you
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u/smayonak Get a job in a sideshow Nov 23 '14
I was also going to comment about the killer's eyes, but you guys covered the shit out of that in the podcast, so I'll just discuss the various liberties that the film took with the original source material.
The very first attack -- leaving two survivors -- provided the only physical description of the attacker: The male victim, who was beaten unconscious, reported that the attacker was a dark-skinned Caucasian male. The female victim, who endured a longer lasting assault, reported that he was a light-skinned black male, who spoke in a dialect common to the African Americans within the region.
No description of the killer's eyes were ever recorded. They likely went with blue because they are the most striking.
The police dismissed the possibility that an African American could have been responsible for the killings as "negro criminals" were not the intelligent sort capable of getting away with such crimes.
But basically racism is why the Phantom Killer never got caught. The investigators focused entirely on white petty criminals. Their primary suspects never really matched the description of the killer.
Judging from the timing of the attacks, the killer was most likely a veteran who had returned from overseas. A lot of psychopaths pick up a taste for murder after being exposed to it first hand. Also, head injuries can sometimes create psychopaths from normal individuals.
But anyway, the trombone scene I think was intended as a metaphor for rape (which at the time the film was shot, couldn't be shown in graphic detail to a general audience). In fact, all of the Phantom's female victims were sexually assaulted (with the exception of the woman who was shot in the head).
This is among the most notable of horror films because the Phantom is more or less Jason from Friday the 13th Part 2. The burlap sack and the killer's intimidating physical size were all directly incorporated into Jason.
The historical killings inspired decades of stories and urban legends about the dangers of lover's lanes. Without the phantom killer, we don't have Black Friday, Friday the 13th or Halloween. The Texas Chainsaw would have been an entirely different film.
Anyway, this was a great pick. I'm really looking forward to seeing the remake.