The Abandoned

Why We Love It

"I've never seen a film quite like this before. I've seen plenty of based-on-real-killer films (most of which are nothing like the original murders), and the recent David Fincher film "Zodiac" follows very much in the vein of this movie (and Zodiac has some similarities to the Phantom). And this film is a definite inspiration for "Friday the 13th" with the pillow case mask. So, in at least one way, this film really kicked off a trend of stalking psychos. And while the first real serial killer film may have been "Black Christmas", this film isn't one to ignore: there's a really good scene of a woman being chased through the woods that is not unlike what we'd see a hundred times in the next thirty years." -IMDB

"The Town That Dreaded Sundown and The Evictors is the perfect double feature for a humid summer night. Mix up a pitcher of sweet tea and hit play. The Town That Dreaded Sundownconveys the sense of horror of a senseless killer on the loose. The Evictors is a proper Southern Gothic horror film with a cast that can look scared." - Inside Pulse

"Or...scream and scream again! Thank you so much to SHOUT! FACTORY for these sensational new releases--finally the movie god seems to be smiling down upon the BluRay and DVD markets. The picture quality on this BluRay is fantastic--this title was made in 1976, and it seems to have a great quality of remastering. I enjoyed the audio commentary track (which is admittedly a bit dry), the trailers included, and the interviews with two of the film's stars were nice to watch. Plus, you get Brian Albright's excellent, if short, essay on the films of Charles B. Pierce--this is not a visual essay, you simply navigate through the prose with your remote control, but it is worth a read for genre/regional enthusiasts. The bonus DVD includes this title as well as THE EVICTORS, which, for my taste, is not quite a true horror film but is nonetheless fascinating in retrospect--this is technically how a horror film should be made (a sense of mystery, eerie music, little blood/gore but a lot of scares) and yet the end result is not technically "horror".
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. Shout! must have done their homework on this one. Overall, it's another high quality presentation that I find little to complain about. As for the movie itself, I think that it will improve through repeated viewings, so don't be put off if you find that it isn't to your liking at first. I think the film is something of a neglected classic, despite the fact that (for me personally at least) it ended a bit abruptly and didn't seem to have a very long running time. Maybe it didn't need to be very long, however. In any case, it is a suspenseful movie, and worth adding to your collection if you like these old titles--the atmosphere is quite intense, and the characters are likable (well, most of the characters!). It is unfortunate that Pierce did not develop his directorial capabilities further, because his understanding of how to create mood and suspense seems to me to be genuine." -Amazon