the town that dreaded sundown spring lake park
A serial killer, known as the Phantom Killer, the Phantom Slayer, or simply The Phantom, struck Bowie County, Texas, just outside of Texarkana. Between February and May, 1946, he wounded three people and murdered five, including shooting a 15-year-old saxophonist in the head and the heart. Whereas in the film, the only sounds from the killer are his belabored breaths and screams, the actual Phantom spoke through his mask. February 22, 1946. As the camera zooms to his face, his breath again becomes a visual force as the mask pulls against his lips and propels away. A hooded killer terrorized citizens in rural areas surrounding the border between Texas and Kansas. THIS IS THE OLD/ DARK VERSION. Another couple, aged 29 and 17, were both shot in the back of the head while parked together. Sparkplug dons makeup, his finest hat and dress, a Tommy gun and one overinflated balloon boob. Unlike so many horror films, any will to scream at the characters to run is evaporated as soon as the killer rears his crazed eyes. Images of The Town That Dreaded Sundown. Paul's body (found at around 6:30 a.m.) wa… Usually the Scream Factory has a ton of features, this one has only a few. Sometimes the most effective way for a film to invoke fear is by ditching the expected cues altogether. Bring your blankets and lawn chairs, there will be plenty of room for social distancing at Spring Lake Park. According to the Texarkana Gazette, Swinney told the arresting officer who nabbed him for attempting to sell a stolen car in June 1946, “Hell, I know that you want me for more than just stealing cars.” He also asked if he would “get the chair,” an extreme punishment for car theft. Swinney spent years behind bars, but not for the killings. But try watching Psycho or Halloween on mute. Sparkplug drives a car into a pond. The thought of tossing a picnic blanket over a patch of grass where the murders could possibly have occurred in order to watch a film about said murders is so dark that you almost can’t help but laugh. Did you attend the premier or know anyone that did? Rumors overflow. This is of course a movie based on the true story of a serial killer, who was dubbed the Phantom Killer, who terrorized the Texarkana area back in the mid 1940's. Director Charles B. To make the viewing as creepy as possible, it takes place in Spring Lake Park, near the spot where the Phantom Killer killed two of his victims in April 1946. With all of this going on, it may take a second viewing to realize that this scene uses no music or non-diegetic flourishes to build terror. And perhaps that’s why the killings ring so brutally true. The Town that Dreaded Sundown. It mercilessly bounces between gruesome murders and godawful gags that create a disorienting guise over the film’s dark core. The Town That Dreaded Sundown is a 1976 American thriller film directed and produced by Charles B. The final Fall, "Movies in the Park" willl be this Thursday night at Spring Lake Park in Texarkana, Texas. Be sure and look for Kicker 102.5 d.j. Despite a city-wide curfew at night, teenagers still park on backroads with the gumption to believe that nothing could ever happen to them. She provided inconsistent but detailed evidence to investigators that he was the killer, but as his spouse, she was not forced to testify against him in court. The true horror is that the story was based on fact. Pierce. Jump scare over. Then every time the Phantom returns he’s stronger, more deranged, more lethal. Either way, this is a true-crime story that will never die, much like the horror film that it inspired. As I slowly look through the Scream Factory Collector's Edition releases, I realize I am missing out on something big. The film portrays him as a biter who chews on women’s breasts and backs, but a doctor specifies he does not rape any of his victims. The Original Town That Dreaded Sundown Released in 1977, The Town That Dreaded Sundown loosely adapts the Moonlight Murders that took place in the Spring of 1946. Every year the city of Texarkana hosts a Halloween screening of The Town That Dreaded Sundown at Spring Lake Park, a location where two teenagers were shot and killed on April 13, 1946. « But these odd diversions aid the horror elements, purposefully or not, to catch the audience with its guard down when the killer strikes. The Town That Dreaded Sundown is a 1976.. American slasher film by producer and director Charles B. The girl thinks she hears something moving outside, but before they have time to react, the Phantom pops open the hood and rips out pieces of the engine. Stream The Town that Dreaded Sundown herePurchase The Town that Dreaded Sundown from Scream Factory hereComing tomorrow from 31 Days of October Horror: Carnival of Souls (Herk Harvey, 1962) by Logan TaylorFollow our list of the 31 Days of October Horror on Letterboxd. Shout! His girlfriend, who claimed to have been along during the attack on one couple, gave vivid details to lawmen - then destroyed her value as a witness by marrying the suspect. The film starred 1971 Academy Award winner Ben Johnson along with television stars Andrew Prine and Dawn Wells. In reality, the attacks played out differently. Simply put, the film allows you nothing to root for. Sorry, your blog cannot share posts by email. Before the "Phantom-attacks", which occurred about eight months after World War II, Texarkana was pleasant and citizens were preparing for a good future. Spring Lake Park 4303 N Park Rd Texarkana, TX 75503 United States + Google Map Phone: 903-223-8021. Pierce. Based on the unsolved 1946 case of the Texarkana Moonlight Murders, The Town That Dreaded Sundown centers on a post-World War II Texarkana police force as it follows dead-end leads about the Phantom Killer, whose vicious attacks have paralyzed the town after nightfall. The Texarkana Texas Parks and Recreation Department will be hosting "Movies in the Park" this Fall beginning with the movie "Trolls World Tour" on October 15. But between the moments of terror come strange comedic interludes. In real life, it is played at Spring Lake Park which is not a drive-in theater. Without the obligatory crescendos leading to their iconic moments the jumps and scares almost certainly fall flat. Prior to the "phantom attacks", which came eight months following the end of World War II, Texerkana was a peaceful and bustling town to many, with its citizens preparing for a bright, war-free future. Much like leaving a dark theater and returning to blinding daylight, the sensory deprivation is an unrelenting force that temporarily stuns you until the soundtrack returns. Directed by Charles B. The police deploy armed officers as couples on stakeouts hoping to lure the Phantom out. Investigators had one hot suspect, a low-end career criminal whose motives mixed robbery with sex. Most experts believe the killer was Youell Swinney, a man with a previous record of robbery, assault, counterfeiting and car theft. Shout! Many of the old timers still refuse to go into the park after dark. The entrance to Spring Lake Park must have done their homework on this one. It becomes a police comedy and a high school drama for longer stretches than anticipated. The 1976 classic, The Town That Dreaded Sundown. The original is occasionally shown around Halloween in Spring Lake Park, which is mentioned in the movie, and is near the site of one of the actual "Phantom Killer" murders. Without even a score to latch onto, every drop of rain, every boot stomp, scream and thump during the murder scenes envelopes you in a helpless trance. This is of course a movie based on the true story of a serial killer, who was dubbed the Phantom Killer, who terrorized the Texarkana area back in the mid 1940's. To make the viewing as creepy as possible, it takes place in Spring Lake Park, near the spot where the Phantom Killer killed two of his victims in April 1946. 6: ‘Taste of Cherry’ (1997), Arthouse Drive-In Ep. Either way, this is a true-crime story that will never die, much like the horror film that it inspired. Wherever it is, there probably isn’t a soundtrack. Again, a .32 was the murder weapon. In the mid-1970's, a horror movie, The Town That Dreaded Sundown was made about the crimes. Citizens demand personal police protection for their daily errands; gun stores run out of guns; locksmiths can’t meet all of their appointments. ... And The Town That Dreaded Sundown was the 1977 horror movie inspired by the Phantom’s killings. He was never caught. © 2021 Split Tooth Media, LLC. You feel every molecule his breath moves. As for "The Town that Dreaded Sundown," the widescreen transfer of this title appears to be the correct shooting aspect ratio, and the image is quite clear on a widescreen TV. Pierce who also co-stars as a bumbling police officer named A.C. Benson, also known as "Sparkplug".Pierce's fifth film is narrated by Vern Stierman who had previously narrated Pierce's 1972 film The Legend of Boggy Creek. A serial killer, known as the Phantom Killer, the Phantom Slayer, or simply The Phantom, struck Bowie County, Texas, just outside of Texarkana. The Town That Dreaded Sundown. He died of cancer in 1994. Awful things like that only happen in movies, they seem to say. In a nearly silent scene, the notes that emanate from the instrument are little more than rockets of hot air shot through a cold horn, a hollow buzzing that personifies the desperation of his random attacks. Director Charles B. A 1976 horror movie was loosely based on the 1946 events, called The Town That Dreaded Sundown. Characters are killed as soon as they’re introduced. The non-participatory assaults don’t feel like movie killings. Aside from a possible lunar pattern of targeting teenagers parked in lovers lanes, the investigators have no idea when, where or how he may strike next. Sergeant Griffin (Jimmy Clem) decides to cuddle up to make the “date” look less like a stakeout and pops one of Sparkplug’s balloons in the process. Local Acts of Terror: The Legacy of ‘The Town That Dreaded Sundown’ October 13, 2020 10 Best Final Horror Movies by Great Directors October 13, 2020; Humans are the Scariest Monsters in … Contact. GO HERE FOR THE NEW ONE: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wJJd8VlUX3g The film is somewhat loosely based on the actual crimes attributed to an unidentified serial killer known as the Phantom Killer; it claims that \"the incredible story you are about to see is true, where it happened and how it happened; only the names have been changed.\" The actual Phantom attacked eight people between February 22, 1946 and May 3, 1946 in or near the town of Texarkana, Texas, which is on the border of Texas and Arkansas. The first attack by the Phantom Killer took place on what date? Fear and dread turn to desperation when the national media follows famed Texas Ranger J.D. He empties his lungs through the mouthpiece with each stab; he retracts the slide with gulping inhales that radiate violence from a cellular level. For a few quick seconds, the camera zooms out to show the car from the main road. With this fluid sense of mood and pacing, the pivots back into horror are stark heel turns that enhance the killer’s ability to strike fear into a town’s collective gut in a matter of seconds. The newspapers called him The Phantom Killer, and referred to his crimes as The Texarkana Moonlight Murders. Few films ride the crests between sheer terror and awkward slapstick comedy quite like The Town That Dreaded Sundown. Instead, the sounds the Phantom Killer creates in the process are what stick out as the defining horror. Do you have connections to any of Phantom Killer's victims? These attacks take place in a vacuum where there is no pomp or Hollywood gloss; the assaults are presented in a dressed-down fashion that shows the Phantom to be as desperate as his kills are disturbing. The Town That Dreaded Sundown ... Others still believe that the killer is still out there, perhaps sitting in Spring Lake Park as the town shows the film for free every October. If you need m. ore information call the Parks office at (903) 798-3978. Bring lawn chairs or a blanket, along with a friend. The wife was shot in the face twice, but she survived after she managed to escape to a neighbor’s house. The final Fall, "Movies in the Park" willl be this Thursday night at Spring Lake Park in Texarkana, Texas.The R-rated (due to violence) The Town That Dreaded Sundown will be shown. By stripping away all of the Hollywood aspects during the attacks there is no dissociation from reality to rely on. But perhaps the most troubling part of the events that inspired this film lie in how it is remembered at its point of origin. Pierce in 1976, and its intense meta-sequel of the same name, directed by Alfonso Gomez-Rejon in 2014. The true horror is that the story was based on fact. Naivety and self-assured safety were as much of a villain as the Phantom. As the film’s narrator summarizes, the townsfolk share one chief concern: “Am I, or someone close to me, his next victim?”. The young women in both grisly killings had … Every October near Halloween, the movie The Town That Dreaded Sundown, which is loosely based on Texas Ranger Captain M. T. "Lone Wolf" Gonzaullas' investigation into the murders, is the last movie shown to the public during "Movies in the Park" at either Spring Lake Park or at the Southwest Center. It is narrated by Vern Stierman, who had narrated Pierce's 1972 film The Legend of Boggy Creek. The Phantom’s victims are mostly helpless, and they can’t do much but listen to his breathing as he decides their fate. Or killing him.” Soon a cash reward is offered for information leading to the Phantom’s arrest. His endgame is simple: “I plan on catching him. Obviously, the killer was looking for victims who were out parking. The Town That Dreaded Sundown has become a "cult classic" over the years, even leading to a 2014 remake. As for "The Town that Dreaded Sundown," the widescreen transfer of this title appears to be the correct shooting aspect ratio, and the image is quite clear on a widescreen TV. The following month, on April 14, teenagers Paul Martin and Betty Jo Booker were found dead in Spring Lake Park on the Texas side, with their bodies found some distance away from their car. The R-rated (due to violence) The Town That Dreaded Sundown will be shown. Overall, it's another high quality presentation that I find little to complain about. According to the Texarkana Gazette, people there have grown so fond of the movie that it has become a tradition to show The Town That Dreaded Sundown each year around Halloween. Every year the city of Texarkana hosts a Halloween screening of The Town That Dreaded Sundown at Spring Lake Park, a location where two teenagers were shot and killed on April 13, 1946. You probably know some of this story, thanks to one (or both) of two films: the classic proto-slasher THE TOWN THAT DREADED SUNDOWN, directed by Charles B. The following month, on April 14, teenagers Paul Martin and Betty Jo Booker were found dead in Spring Lake Park on the Texas side, with their bodies found some distance away from their car. The killer begins to expand his hunting grounds beyond the backroads and into the outskirts of town with increasingly random attacks. Of his first surviving male victim, he demanded him to “take off [his] fucking pants” while shining a flashlight in his eyes. The victims were Betty Jo Booker, 15, a saxophone player, and her friend Paul Martin, 16. 65 years after a masked serial killer terrorized the small town of Texarkana, the so-called "moonlight murders" begin again. The Town That Dreaded Sundown (1976) Goofs. The Town That Dreaded Sundown was made about the crimes. His at-large presence gradually shuts the town down. The thought of tossing a picnic blanket over a patch of grass where the murders could possibly have occurred in order to watch a film about said murders is so dark that you almost can’t help but laugh. Other suspects remain, but James Presley’s 2014 book, The Phantom Killer: Unlocking the Mystery of the Texarkana Serial Murders: A Story of a Town in Terror, attempts to prove Swinney was the definite culprit. Then a married couple was attacked in their home, and as the film accurately depicts, the husband was shot through a window while reading the newspaper. Texarkana Moonlight Murders-Wikipedia The annual showing of The Town that Dreaded Sundown attracts a crowd of several hundred people who anxiously wait for the show as a Halloween tradition (something that features in the 2014 remake of the same name). In The Town That Dreaded Sundown (1976), the most infamous scene involves the burlap-sack masked Phantom Killer murdering a teenage girl with a jury-rigged trombone. This is of course a movie based on the true story of a serial killer, who was dubbed the Phantom Killer, who terrorized the Texarkana area back in the mid 1940's. The Town That Dreaded Sundown is a 1976 American horror film by producer and director Charles B. Post was not sent - check your email addresses! Fittingly, a movie on the Phantom was titled The Town That Dreaded Sundown. Dreaded Sundown" premiered at The Paramount Theatre, later renamed to Perot Theatre. Her 16-year-old boyfriend was shot four times and died on the side of the road crawling for help. Based very loosely on true incidents that took place just after World War II around Texarkana (Miller County), it was one of the first movies in the “slasher” genre. Pierce ’s fifth film, The Town That Dreaded Sundown (1976), is based on the true story of the “Texarkana Moonlight Murders,” with varying degrees of looseness from the facts. Ben Johnson stars as Captain J.D. The Town That Dreaded Sundown ... Others still believe that the killer is still out there, perhaps sitting in Spring Lake Park as the town shows the film for free every October. The Town That Dreaded Sundown, Movie, 2014 . On April 14, another double murder occurred. These applause-sign-like cues are a basic linguistic function of horror that thrive on audience participation. In his first attack, he sneaks up on a couple parked in the pouring rain. Pictures provided by: Terra. Swinney never admitted to anything — even after the police dosed him with enough truth serum to knock him out before he could say a word. The concession stand will be open and snacks will be available for purchase. On the night of Sunday, March 3, 1946, Sammy Fuller and Linda Mae Jenkins park on a lovers' lane. Dubbed the “Texarkana Moonlight Murders” by the press, eight people were attacked and five were murdered within the span of three months. ... Paul Martin and Betty Jo Booker-Shot on North Park Road near Spring Lake Park on the Arkansas side of Texarkana in the early hours of the 14th April 1946. Again, a .32 was the murder weapon. Is … (Of course this was a much Younger Mario). As objectively horrifying as it is to see a high schooler with mascara tears plodding down her cheeks be repeatedly stabbed in the back by a hulking man who converted her instrument into a weapon, the most haunting occurrence from the attack is not the sight itself. Overall, it's another high quality presentation that I find little to complain about. Firstly, I want to say a couple of things about the Scream Factory release. My great aunt's best friend was the one portrayed in the movie dying by a knife wielding trombone in Spring Lake Park. Based on one of America's most baffling murder cases. The Phantom Sound of Terror: ‘The Town That Dreaded Sundown’, Follow our list of the 31 Days of October Horror on Letterboxd, “The Dialectics of Werewolf Sex” — Cinesthesia Chapter 9, Under the Blood Moon: ‘Messiah of Evil’ (1973), Split Picks: Stan Brakhage’s ‘Commingled Containers’ vs. ‘Delicacies of Molten Horror Synapse’, Arthouse Drive-In Ep. Their fates are sealed as soon as an ominous dateline appears. They said they were setting a trap for the Phantom - a likely story. The ideal horror viewing experience raises the adrenaline, collapses your comfort zone and ultimately reassures you that you’re going to be just fine, but where does the line between fictionalized horror and a literal reign of terror meet? 4: Orson Welles’ ‘Macbeth’ (1948), Farb Out, Manny: A Cinesthesia Lil’ Shorty, Split Tooth Media is looking for contributors. Viewers are given no chance to grow attached to these people on screen. It begs the question of at what point does an urban legend based on actual blood simply become a fabric of a town’s foundation? They were both found within three miles from Martin's Ford coupe, which was parked outside Spring Lake Park, with the keys still in it. News of the bizarre and horrific killings transfixed an entire nation on the small town of Texarkana, Texas in early 1946, and the case remains one of the most notorious unsolved crimes in U.S. history. The film’s use of sound is its greatest attribute. ... Spring Lake Park. A remake of the latter was released in 2014. He once made Nick Frost laugh and was called "f***ed in the head" by Slayer. Hosted by the Texar With Ben Johnson, Andrew Prine, Dawn Wells, Jimmy Clem.