Scarecrows
(1988)
Picture:
C+ Sound: C Extras: D Film: C-
William
Wesley’s Scarecrows (1988) arrives
at the end of the 1980s slice & dice cycle, but tries to mix that kind of
Horror (using more than one protagonist with mixed results) with a subplot of
soldiers-turned-criminals being increasingly violent and desperate, the Richard
Jeffries/Wesley screenplay does neither very well. However, it is atypical enough of the cycle
that fans may still want to see it once.
The
anamorphically enhanced 1.85 X 1 image is soft and shows its age, its low
budget and still has the advantage of no bad digital effects. It also has Director of Photography Peter
Deming, the only known name here, who shot Evil
Dead 2 and has since lensed My
Cousin Vinny, Lost Highway, a
couple of Austin Powers films, The
Jacket, I Heart Huckabees and From Hell. He is the #1 reason to see this at all. Originally issued in theatrical analog Ultra
Stereo, the Dolby Digital 2.0 Stereo claims to have Pro Logic surrounds, but
has more distortion than expected instead and no real surrounds. There are no extras.
- Nicholas Sheffo
