"Scarecrow Slayer" is the second film in The Asylum's Scarecrow series, and is directed by company founder David Latt. It is ostensibly a sequel to the original "Scarecrow," yet has no connections to the original other than the main actor.
The original Scarecrow film felt bifurcated into two short films edited together. The first half was relentlessly brutal to and the second half was a comedy. The Scarecrow assumed the role of Freddie Krueger and killed all bad guys and then some. Scarecrow Slayer is at least more consistent. He was funny and had martial arts skills. The film isn't that enjoyable at any point. The scarecrow when he does show up does little aside from kill victims like any other slasher antihero.
The film opens with a flashback in which Tony Todd's (yes, that Tony Todd) father is killed by a scarecrow that comes to life. The child grows up convinced that the Scarecrow is real and records his thoughts in audiobooks. Eventually and conveniently the scarecrow returns as the resurrected soul of a college kid hung out as part of a prank. The scarecrow attacks Tony and then stalks the main heroine who was his girlfriend during natural life in a hospital and then a frat house. The fraternity brothers apparently have military experience and weapons which of course do nothing.
The film has one cool scene. The scarecrow's creation can apparently be replicated under the correct settings like how Michael Meyers is controlled in Halloween 6 as the spirit of Samhain. A second scarecrow is created, and the two fight. I don't believe any of these low budget scarecrow films have scarecrows fighting. It would have been more amusing has the scarecrow been sarcastic as he was in the first film. Even real marital arts films have grunts and kicking sound effects.
Director Latt shoots the film at night with good use of open space or neon lights in the field and hospital. The film invokes for experienced horror viewers the sensation of dread that better films convey. The scarecrow could be in any location or pop out of a corner. He didn't enough for my taste as I found myself muting the DVD to simply observe the scenery. None of the actors save Todd are notable or talented. The main actress was hired for her appearance and has few other acting credits. I say pass unless you're marathoning scarecrow films as I am presently.
The original Scarecrow film felt bifurcated into two short films edited together. The first half was relentlessly brutal to and the second half was a comedy. The Scarecrow assumed the role of Freddie Krueger and killed all bad guys and then some. Scarecrow Slayer is at least more consistent. He was funny and had martial arts skills. The film isn't that enjoyable at any point. The scarecrow when he does show up does little aside from kill victims like any other slasher antihero.
The film opens with a flashback in which Tony Todd's (yes, that Tony Todd) father is killed by a scarecrow that comes to life. The child grows up convinced that the Scarecrow is real and records his thoughts in audiobooks. Eventually and conveniently the scarecrow returns as the resurrected soul of a college kid hung out as part of a prank. The scarecrow attacks Tony and then stalks the main heroine who was his girlfriend during natural life in a hospital and then a frat house. The fraternity brothers apparently have military experience and weapons which of course do nothing.
The film has one cool scene. The scarecrow's creation can apparently be replicated under the correct settings like how Michael Meyers is controlled in Halloween 6 as the spirit of Samhain. A second scarecrow is created, and the two fight. I don't believe any of these low budget scarecrow films have scarecrows fighting. It would have been more amusing has the scarecrow been sarcastic as he was in the first film. Even real marital arts films have grunts and kicking sound effects.
Director Latt shoots the film at night with good use of open space or neon lights in the field and hospital. The film invokes for experienced horror viewers the sensation of dread that better films convey. The scarecrow could be in any location or pop out of a corner. He didn't enough for my taste as I found myself muting the DVD to simply observe the scenery. None of the actors save Todd are notable or talented. The main actress was hired for her appearance and has few other acting credits. I say pass unless you're marathoning scarecrow films as I am presently.
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