DARK NIGHT OF THE SCARECROW (1981)

Originally broadcasted on CBS on October 24, 1981, DARK NIGHT OF THE SCARECROW tells the somewhat disturbing (for network TV) story of a young, small town girl who is friends with an intellectually disabled man named Bubba.  One day a dog attacks the girl and, thinking that Bubba is to blame, four hot-headed rednecks (lead by a perverted mailman who secretly has the hots for the little girl) hunt down Bubba and find him hiding in a scarecrow outfit.  They kill him and stage it to look like self-defense.  Bubba comes back from the grave dressed as the scarecrow and fucks them all up.

For an early 80's TV movie, DARK NIGHT OF THE SCARECROW is very dated, but it's still watchable.  I remember watching it on TV when I was a little girl and it was terrifying, but watching it now as a ruggedly handsome adult I barely even peed my pants at all during the infamous tree-shredder scene.  The one thing that did surprise me was just how slimy Charles Durning's character was.  Jesus Christ, this dude was creepy as fook.  Leering at the little girl, stalking her, grabbing at her, shoveling down food, always wearing the mailman outfit day and night, jumping off a tombstone!

DARK NIGHT OF THE SCARECROW isn't the best horror TV movie ever and honestly it's not even scary at all, but the story is interesting and the story moves along at a nice pace.  Worth a watch for fans of older TV movies.