Night of the Scarecrow 1995
Directed by
Jeff Burr
Made by
Steve White Entertainment
Night of the Scarecrow Plot Summary
Read the complete plot summary and ending explained for Night of the Scarecrow (1995). From turning points to emotional moments, uncover what really happened and why it matters.
After a devastating drought, a small town strikes a dangerous bargain: immunity for The Warlock in exchange for a bountiful harvest. At first, fields bloom and life seems restored, but the warlock’s influence soon pushes the community toward excess and self-indulgence. When the mayor Silas Goodman’s own daughter is drawn into this hedonistic spell, the town’s sense of balance begins to crack and the decision to act grows urgent.
Determined to end the threat, a coalition of townsfolk, still uncorrupted, steals the warlock’s magic book, drugs him, and crucifies him. They burn his body and bury the charred bones in a coffin beneath the cornfield, hoping the land will keep producing. Silas marks a page in the spellbook showing how to destroy the warlock if his spirit should ever return, and he enacts an edict that all his descendants must erect a The Scarecrow as a constant reminder of the warlock’s rule.
In the modern day, Silas’s descendant Mayor Goodman plans to build a mall on the cornfield. Two drunken workers driving a bulldozer at night accidentally break the stone coffin, releasing the warlock’s spirit, which possesses the scarecrow. The scarecrow begins a killing spree to recover the magic book, restore his body, and exact revenge on the town. A pastor recounts the town’s history to his niece, Claire Goodman, and her boyfriend, just before meeting his end at the hands of the scarecrow.
The pursuit of the book leads to a brutal confrontation. The Scarecrow stalks the mayor and his wife, demanding the book’s location, while Sheriff Goodman tries to shield Claire and her companion. He reveals a family secret: every first-born Goodman inherits the magic book and is instructed to search the attic for something crucial should danger arise; they eventually locate the book there.
With the sheriff fallen, Claire and her ally escape, and the book reveals the only way to destroy the scarecrow is to destroy the warlock’s bones. An attempt to dissolve the bones in acid goes awry when the boyfriend spills it. In the film’s climactic moment, Claire defeats the scarecrow by pulverizing the bones beneath a rock crusher, ending the threat and closing the cycle of dark power.
Night of the Scarecrow Timeline
Follow the complete movie timeline of Night of the Scarecrow (1995) with every major event in chronological order. Great for understanding complex plots and story progression.
Deal with warlock for harvest
During the drought, the desperate townsfolk strike a pact with a powerful warlock who grants them immunity in exchange for a bountiful harvest. The arrangement seems to work at first as crops flourish and the community savors its sudden good fortune.
Warlock corrupts the townsfolk
Soon after the deal, the warlock begins to exert influence and corrupts the town into hedonism and excess. People revel in pleasures and neglect old customs, while the seeds of dark power spread among the streets.
Mayor Silas Goodman's daughter seduced
The mayor Silas Goodman's daughter is swept into the warlock's orbit and seduced by his promises of unlimited pleasures. Her actions help embolden the warlock and deepen the town's moral rot.
Plan to dispose of the warlock and steal his book
The townspeople devise a plan to dispose of the warlock and safeguard their harvest, culminating in stealing his magic book. They believe that possessing the book will ensure the warlock can no longer threaten them.
Drugged and crucified the warlock
During a ritual, the townspeople drug the warlock and crucify him in the town square. The act is meant to end the threat once and for all, and it marks the turning point from chaos to grim retribution.
Bones buried under the cornfield with a charm
The warlock's bones are buried under the cornfield, and a charm is placed to keep the field perpetually bountiful. The town seals the rite with ash and soil, hoping the harvest will endure.
Silas marks page and issues scarecrow edict
Silas marks a page in the spell book showing how to destroy the warlock and issues an edict that all descendants must erect a scarecrow as a warning. The town records and family oath bind future generations to protect the seal.
Modern day mall plans on the cornfield
In the present day, Mayor Goodman decides to build a mall on the old cornfield. The plan ignores the town's dark history and sets the stage for a new confrontation.
Coffin broken; warlock's spirit released
Two drunken workers driving a bulldozer at night break the stone coffin, releasing the warlock's spirit which then possesses the scarecrow. The possessed figure begins stalking the town to recover his missing magic book.
Scarecrow's killing spree to retrieve the book
The Scarecrow goes on a killing spree to retrieve the magic book, terrorizing residents and destroying any who stand in his way. The town's fear grows as the killer scavenges clues about the book's location.
Pastor reveals town history; is killed
The pastor reveals the town's story to Claire Goodman and her boyfriend, explaining the legacy of the warlock and the scarecrow. He is killed by the Scarecrow before he can aid them further.
Mayor and wife killed over book whereabouts
The Scarecrow kills the mayor and his wife when they refuse to divulge the whereabouts of the magic book. Claire and the sheriff are left to carry on the fight in the face of this tragedy.
Family book reveal and attic discovery
Sheriff Goodman explains that all first-born of the Goodman family are given the magic book and that clues to its location can be found in the attic. Claire and her allies begin to piece together how to use the relic to end the threat.
Sheriff dies protecting Claire and escape; book retrieved
The Sheriff defends his family and enables Claire and her boyfriend to escape before being killed. They flee with the book, carrying the last hope of stopping the Scarecrow and the warlock.
Destroying the warlock's bones and final confrontation
The book reveals that the only way to destroy the scarecrow is to destroy the warlock's bones. The crew attempts to dissolve the bones with acid, but the boyfriend spills it. Claire defeats the scarecrow by pulverizing the bones under a rock crusher, ending the nightmare.
Night of the Scarecrow Characters
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The Warlock
A powerful, manipulative figure who grants immunity to the drought-stricken town in exchange for control. He corrupts the townsfolk with luxury and hedonism, and is ultimately crucified by the uncorrupted residents, with his bones and magic book left as the key to future peril.
The Scarecrow
The undead-animated scarecrow possessed by the warlock’s spirit, stalking the town to retrieve the magic book and exact revenge. He is ultimately defeated when the warlock’s bones are destroyed, ending the curse.
Claire Goodman
The town’s young protagonist, the mayor’s daughter who becomes central to uncovering the town’s dark history. She survives the Scarecrow’s rampage, pursues the magic book, and embodies resilience against an ancient curse.
Barbara Goodman
Mayor Silas Goodman’s wife and a casualty of the Scarecrow when the family refuses to divulge the book’s location. Her death deepens the town’s resolve to confront the haunting legacy.
Mayor Silas Goodman
The town’s leader who organizes action against the warlock and to bury his power. He marks a page in the warlock’s book to indicate how the threat might be destroyed and establishes an enduring edict that future generations must erect a scarecrow.
Sheriff William Goodman
The town sheriff who defends the community and reveals the family’s connection to the magic book. He dies protecting Claire and the town, ensuring the book remains hidden for a time in the attic.
Dillon Goodman
A member of the Goodman family whose presence reflects the ongoing legacy of the town’s history, tying the past to the present through the family line.
Stephanie Goodman
A member of the town’s circle who appears in the extended cast, representing the connected lives around the central tragedy and history.
Lorraine Goodman
Another member of the town's fabric, illustrating how the past’s shadow touches everyday life in the modern era.
Night of the Scarecrow Settings
Learn where and when Night of the Scarecrow (1995) takes place. Explore the film’s settings, era, and how they shape the narrative.
Time period
The narrative spans two eras: a drought-era past where a warlock is granted immunity in exchange for harvest, and a modern-day present where descendants confront the warlock’s legacy as redevelopment—specifically a mall—threatens the land.
Location
Cornfield Town
Set in a rural town centered around a vast cornfield, the locale blends harvest-driven routines with dark legends. The cornfield acts as both a livelihood and a reminder of an old pact with a warlock. The town’s institutions and leaders navigate prosperity and peril tied to the field’s supernatural history.
Night of the Scarecrow Themes
Discover the main themes in Night of the Scarecrow (1995). Analyze the deeper meanings, emotional layers, and social commentary behind the film.
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Pact & Corruption
A desperate deal with a supernatural force seeds corruption in the town. The promise of immunity and harvest leads residents to indulgence and moral decline, showing how quickly power can distort a community.
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Legacy & Retribution
The warlock’s bones and a magic book become heirlooms of doom passed down through generations. The town’s attempt to bury or control the past clashes with the inescapable return of evil, culminating in a final reckoning.
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Supernatural Justice
The Scarecrow embodies vengeance as the embodiment of the town’s unresolved past. Crucial clues and the hidden book drive a battle between living guardians and an evil revenant, underscoring how justice is achieved through myth and metal.
Night of the Scarecrow Spoiler-Free Summary
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In a wind‑swept Midwestern town where endless rows of corn whisper old superstitions, the landscape itself feels like a character—its golden fields masking a history of desperate bargains and forgotten curses. The atmosphere is steeped in a slow‑burning dread, blending rustic charm with an undercurrent of something ancient stirring beneath the soil. Flickering porch lights and the ever‑present harvest moon set a tone that is both hauntingly beautiful and unnervingly claustrophobic, hinting that the past is never truly buried.
When a group of intoxicated teenagers inadvertently break a long‑sealed tomb, the dormant spirit of an ancient warlock awakens and takes refuge in a lone scarecrow standing sentinel over the fields. The possession transforms the humble farmhand figure into a supernatural threat that seeks out the bloodlines of those who condemned the warlock a century ago. Into this rising menace steps a fresh face to the town, Jordan, whose outsider perspective clashes with the ingrained legends, and Claire Goodman, the mayor’s determined daughter, who carries the weight of her family’s legacy. Their uneasy partnership becomes the story’s emotional core, balancing curiosity, fear, and a reluctant sense of duty.
The film weaves together the tension between modern ambition and buried myth, as the town’s leaders eye commercial development while the very earth beneath them remembers older pacts. Jordan and Claire must navigate a community that is both protective of its heritage and blind to the darkness rising from its fields. Their journey is marked by uneasy alliances, whispered warnings, and the ever‑present hum of the cornstalks, suggesting that the true battle may be as much against unseen history as against any visible foe.
Against this backdrop of rural isolation and looming supernatural peril, the story promises a chilling exploration of how a single misstep can unleash forces that demand more than just bravery—perhaps a willingness to confront the shadows that have long shaped the town’s identity.
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