6/10
The scale and the scope of this with its geopolitical commentary was next level for what it is. The grainy, 70s American Dream is on early display and the imagery is as classic Americana as it gets. This is an age old slasher and we get that quickly. There is a real story beneath the Town That Dreaded Sundown but feel it was lost in the embellished mayhem inherent in a flick like this. There’s an incessant sense of humor but that does not distract from the clinical narration and the grisly murders in a small town. Texarkana was under siege and this film does a good job of evolving the scenario. A bag-headed phantom strikes again and again whilst being pursued by the police. I’ll never look at a trombone the same way again.
Loved the lo-fi gritty storytelling but hated that it was limited to its era. The sequel goes above and beyond. As one of the earliest slashers, this was a banger. There’s no real conclusion to this story other than the sequel but it’s a Texas Chainsaw Massacre type of joint.
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