On film, Arkansas is known by Sling Blade and Mud, but there are a few other fun and amazing movies that was made right here in the Natural State.
War Eagle, Arkansas
War Eagle, Arkansas is a movie that the state should be proud of. Ten years old now, it still should be right up there with Sling Blade and Mud as the best movies about Arkansas.
War Eagle, Arkansas was written by Graham Gordy, best known for writing most of the series Rectify, the third season of True Detective (filmed in northwest Arkansas) and The Love Guru.
It follows high school senior Enoch, who is considering leaving his small town for a college in Tennessee on a baseball scholarship. He has a speech impediment, and his best friend is Wheels, who's a wise-cracking kid with cerebral palsy, teaches him how to stand up for himself.
This movie is a sweet look at small-town live in the south, all without relying on stereotypes. These are real people, they just happen to have southern accents. - Zach Keast
The Town That Dreaded Sundown
The Town That Dreaded Sundown is a horror classic. It helped launch the slasher movie craze of the late 70s and 80s. Knowing that it takes place in Texarkana and a lot of it was shot here in Arkansas, adds an extra layer cool and creepy to it.
The movie is loosely based on the Phantom Killer and a string of murders from the 1940s that actually happened in the border town.
The quality is low and the tone is all over the place, but where the film really shines is in the moments of terror caused by the killer. You can really see the impact it had on later horror franchises like Halloween and Friday the 13th.
The Town That Dreaded Sundown isn’t a fantastic movie, but it’s one every horror fan should watch and every Arkansan should know about. - JD Roberts
A Face in the Crowd
Most of America may know Andy Griffith as Matlock or Sheriff Andy Taylor, but A Face in the Crowd is where Griffith got show why he was revered as one of America's most talented actors.
Directed by Elia Kazan (On the Waterfront, East of Eden), Griffith shines as Lonesome Rhodes, who uses his cult of personality not only to become famous but gaslight all the people around him.
This film is a great example of how toxic masculinity can corrupt someone and the people they love. The film also stars Patricia Neal and Walter Matthau when he was young.
Who knew Andy Griffith and Walter Matthau could be young?? - Michael Buckner