Gone are Twilight star Kristen Stewart and The Eye's Pang Brothers as directors, but The Scarecrow won't leave you clutching at straws if you haven't seen The Messengers as it's set six years previously.

With the blood of Jason X and My Bloody Valentine on his hands, writer Todd Farmer is suitably qualified (and named) to come up with the backstory to his own original idea.

Blighted by drought and crows, corn-grower John Rollins (Norman Reedus) is about to lose his home and his livelihood. So it makes sense when new neighbour Weatherby (Richard Riehle - you'll recognise the face if not the name) suggests something as simple as sticking that ugly old scarecrow out in the field. What can it hurt?

Well for one thing, John's young son senses evil in the mannequin. But putting the thing up turns out to be the best promise John ever broke. Next morning, the winged vermin are all dead.

Better yet, the sprinkler system starts to work again and a gorgeous blonde passer-by treats him to an eye-popping striptease.

But before you can say "stone the...", John begins to suffer disturbing hallucinations. Nor can he explain why all the people who stand in the way of his happiness start to meet untimely deaths.

Things go from bad to Worzel when John discovers the truth about the aforementioned blonde and the jovial Mr Weatherby. So unless he can convince his God-fearing wife and kids that he's not mad, many a Rollins head will roll.

Not exactly your everyday tale of country folk, then. But since it's stuffed full of Stephen King's ideas, The Scarecrow won't win many prizes for originality either.

Still, if you like your movies on the B-side and your horror dripping in schlock, you'll undoubtedly make hay.

Elliott Noble