Scarecrows (1988)

Though perhaps not worthy of classic status, William Wesley's Scarecrows recalls some epic 1980s-era slasher films, with its liberal blood gushing and semi-New Wave art and costume design. Set in a haunted cornfield, a group of military criminals are stranded after trying to escape to Mexico with $3 million in stolen cash. Dressed in Terminator or Alien-like solider of fortune gear, the group combs the dark field while sporting headphones and night goggles, lending the many shots from their points of view an eerie, green glow. While Roxanne (Kristina Sanborn) guards a hostage, other team members Corbin (Ted Vernon), Jack (Richard Vidan), and Curry (Michael David Simms), each die at the hands of murderous scarecrows coming to life after stepping off their crosses. Great shadowy segments show the scarecrows' burlap masks undulating slightly due their zombie breathing. It doesn't quite matter that the viewer never learns why these scarecrows seek revenge on the living, because the most fascinating and disturbing scenes occur when the dead soldiers return to their friends in attempts to trick them into an unholy alliance. In the first grisly sequence of this sort, one recoils to discover a man whose innards have been replaced with money. Worse, his friends cut him up to extract some blood-soaked cash. As body parts fly, blood puddles up, and zombies face the camera up-close, Scarecrows looks increasingly like Hellraiser, though it lacks a needle-poked, iconic anti-hero. Scarecrows' slow pacing is frustrating but 80s horror fans will be all too willing to excuse some corny plot digressions for a glimpse of truly stylized nightmare. —Trinie Dalton Amazon.com

A Nifty Horror Film Which is *FINALLY* Widely Available on DVD

I was thrilled to discover that MGM had released this film on DVD. For years, it was only available on VHS and almost impossible to find. Apparently only very few VHS original tapes were made and if you were lucky enough to find it on VHS at all, it was on either a poorly made "bootleg" copy or a very beat-up ex-rental. Now it appears to be widely available on DVD and that is a benefit to all who enjoy a very good (although underrated) horror film.

This is a little known "sleeper" and although it is a low budget film, the atmospherics are terrific and the action...filmed entirely at night...is gripping. The plot is detailed elsewhere so I won't get into that, other than to say that this is one great and spooky film (and loads of fun if you enjoy the genre).
October 25, 2008

fright night

it"s a good scary movie, if you like medium horror. Not recommended for children under 13 or those easily upset. October 20, 2008

I forgot how utterly screwed up this movie was......and THATS A GOOD THING!

I had copied this years and years ago on VHS so I basically put it on my shelf and let it collect dust and was pleasantly surprised when I found it had been released on DVD.

I was even more surprised when I put it in my machine and sat down and watched this sucker and realized how utterly twisted and sick and gory it is.......and these are THE GOOD POINTS, there are hardly any bad points to this movie, straight up, it is an 80's horror flick that deserved it's DVD status.

It is rather slow going in the beginning but once it gets rolling, it never stops till the end. September 20, 2008

Don't bother with this one

The only good thing about this movie was the cover art. Otherwise it was a terrible movie. Bad acting, weak plot, very predictable and not even scary. I ended up turning it off half way through. Yes, it's that bad. I'd say don't waste your time or money on this terrible movie. August 8, 2008

This is lovely!

A real, good, absorbing, creepy horror movie. Just the way I like them!
No silly attempts at injecting humour into it, which ruins so many horror movies today, but loaded with menace and atmosphere, and so what if the story itself is a bit preposterous? (Spirits of three long dead people living on by inhabiting scarecrows) It works! And that is the main thing.
The main premise of the plot is a group of robbers hijack a small plane and force the pilot and his daughter and their dog, to fly them away, but one robber bales out with the money and the rest go after him, and that's where the real story begins. I like the way that it's not all explained away and resolved with a neat, but boring, ending. The ending is great and most satisfactory. A must-see for all those who like a more in-depth horror movie with no real clear cut distinction between goodies and baddies and not one favoured over the other by the spooky and unnatural forces at work.
When I first watched it years ago, it was on a very dark vhs tape recording, seeing it on dvd for the first time (I have the region one version) was a revelation.
Great to see some of these old much loved movies getting dvd releases now. May 28, 2008

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