Touted as a remake of the 1976 original, the new The Town That Dreaded Sundown, on the evidence of this-just-released trailer, turns out to be a much-belated sequel. The latest opus from Jason Blum's prolific Blumhouse shingle, the director is Alfonso Gomez-Rejon (American Horror Story) and the writer is Roberto Aguirre-Sacasa (last year's Carrie). For those of a certain age, the first glimpse of the Orion Pictures logo since 1998 will be almost as exciting as what follows.
Charles B. Pierce's original was an unusual '70s slasher in that it was set in the '40s, just after World War II. Based (natch) on a true story, that one was about a killer with a bag over his head picking off the local youth.
Gomez-Rejon's new attack picks up the story 66 years later, with the killer re-emerging for some new blood. Is it the same guy as before? Is it a ghost? Is it a copycat? All will become clear... One character points out that "You can't kill the Boogeyman," so it's appropriate that the film is making its debut in the run-up to Halloween.
Addison Timlin, Gary Cole and Spencer Treat Clark are among the cast, which also includes horror veterans Joshua Leonard (Blair Witch) and Veronica Cartwright (Alien).
The Town That Dreaded Sundown premieres at Austin's Fantastic Fest next week, and will play at the London Film Festival on October 14.