It's been a good while since I've seen this film, but it has always been a favorite of mine for several reasons:
1. New Zealand.
2. John Carradine being his creepy self.
3. It's a bucolic horror/thriller on a par with the books and films of Tom Tryon's The Other and Harvest Home and Tom Reamy's only novel, Blind Voices.
4. NEW ZEALAND!
Based on a novel by Ronald Hugh Morrieson, The Scarecrow tells of Ned, Pru, and Les, three teenagers living in the small town of Thames on New Zealand's North Island in the 1950s. Their normal world is turned upside down when, first, a girl is found murdered in the woods near the town. Shortly after that a carnival arrives, bringing with it a dark stranger (John Carradine) who may have had something to do with the murder, and who may be hiding other horrifying secrets as well.
I'll come right out and admit that this is not a film for everyone. Some might find it slow, or the plot predictable. However, there are several factors to recommend The Scarecrow for at least one late-night weekend viewing. The film is not all horror; there are dashes of gentle humor and plenty of little touches that might make this any family film about growing up in a small town. All of the actors are fairly perfect for their parts. Carradine in particular, approaching the close of his long and illustrious career, is at his spooky best as the mysterious Salter. The cinematography is lush, the images awash with warm tones and wonderful slants of light, and director Sam Pillsbury (here making his debut) managed to bring this strange tale to full, vibrant life.
Overall, I give The Scarecrow
Four screaming Angelas.
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