YMMV / The Town That Dreaded Sundown

• Complete Monster: The two Phantom Killers from the 2014 version, Deputy Foster and Corey Holland, seek to emulate the infamous real-life Phantom Killer of Texarkana and the film based on his crimes. The pair fake Corey's death as the first victim by murdering a drifter and substituting his body. The two then proceed to butcher a returning soldier and his girlfriend, followed by slaughtering two young band members. Growing bolder, the two murder a member of the police force and a woman he picked up for the night before focusing on Jami, the main character. They kidnap and murder Jami's current lover Nick, and gun down her grandmother, a bystander, and a store clerk before capturing Jami herself. After Jami's capture, Corey explains that he didn't want to be seen as a nobody, while Foster wanted to ensure his grandfather was remembered as a victim of the original Phantom. After each gives their Motive Rant, Foster shoots Corey in the head in order to frame him for everything before trying to kill Jami.
• Narm: The original has a number of comic relief scenes, most of which are more annoying than funny, and then there's the infamous bladed-trombone murder.
• Narm Charm: That being said, many people find that the trombone murder is such a Refuge in Audacity that it becomes frightening again, as it shows just how unhinged the Phantom Killer is. Charles B. Pierce recalled that many viewers at the premiere were visibly unnerved by the scene.
• Once Original, Now Common: It was one of the earliest examples of the Slasher Film, predating even Halloween (1978) (which is usually considered the Trope Codifier for the genre) and inspiring elements of the Friday the 13th series. However, many modern horror fans find the film to be rather dull compared to those franchises, with its lower body count and greater focus on the investigative process than the killer himself.

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