Scarecrows, Zombies of Straw

Creepy and haunting...I guess scarecrows should be. Unlike the lovable pal of Dorothy, 1988's "Scarecrows" will introduce us to a bunch of these things that resemble zombies more than jovial, dancing friends of the aforementioned Kansan.  Perhaps this film misses the top ten horror film list of the 1980s, but it does hold some scares and a most horrific ending.

A para-military gang pulls off a daring robbery at a U.S. Marine base. They get away after a raging gunfight with MPs and successfully commandeer an aircraft piloted by Al (David Campbell) and his lovely daughter Kellie (Victoria Christian). In a den of thieves can anyone be trusted? No! One of the thieves, Bert (B.J. Turner) pulls off a daring double-cross. He fakes a fire on the plane, grabs the loot, parachutes out, leaving a live grenade on board. By some miracle the grenade is neutralized and Al and Kellie are ordered to circle back. Now the ticked-off thieves, heavily armed, also parachute. They want their loot and they want Bert dead.

Poor Bert. He lands in a field occupied by some creepy zombies. Even worse, his former friends seek his head. After some spooky moments suggesting that this farm land is haunted, Bert is gutted and filled with straw by a zombie scarecrow. Meanwhile the plane lands and the beautiful thief Roxanne (Kristina Sanborn) marches Kellie to the field at gunpoint. The zombies begin toying with the gang and gut a couple of others. Once gutted (always with rusty blades), the thieves turn into undead scarecrows themselves. As the survivors hole up in a haunted farmhouse, it is apparent that the creatures seek to toy with them before moving in for the kill.

Will any of the thieves make it out alive? How about the nubile Kellie, does she stand a chance? Are these things merely seeking hearts...bloody, beating hearts? Many will be gutted and then there is the ending. No spoilers here, but the conclusion of this film is horrific and ominous. Directed by William Wesley and starring no one big, this is the type of film that will give you nightmares. Enjoy "Scarecrows," as this may be that one 1980s horror film that you and all your pals missed.