Charles B. Pierce

Charles B. Pierce

Born: June 16, 1938
Died: March 5, 2010
in Hammond, Indiana, U.S.
Charles Bryant Pierce (June 16, 1938 – March 5, 2010) was an American film director, screenwriter, producer, set decorator, cinematographer and actor, and is considered one of the first independent filmmakers. Pierce directed thirteen films over the span of 26 years, but is best known for his cult hits The Legend of Boggy Creek (1973) and The Town That Dreaded Sundown (1976).

Pierce was born in Hammond, Indiana, but moved to Arkansas early in his childhood. After working in production jobs at television stations, Pierce moved to Texarkana and started an advertising agency. He made his directorial debut with The Legend of Boggy Creek, a faux documentary-style film inspired by the legend of the Bigfoot-like Fouke Monster. The film was funded largely by a donation from an advertising client, and Pierce rented a local movie theater to exhibit it. The low-budget film grossed roughly $25 million.

Pierce followed the success with several inexpensive, regional films set in Southeastern and Southwestern United States. Among them were The Town That Dreaded Sundown, based on the true story of the Phantom Killer murders in Texarkana. Pierce continued directing films into the 1980s, when he wrote the story for the Clint Eastwood film Sudden Impact (1983). For that screenplay, he is said to have written the phrase, "Go ahead, make my day," which became one of the most famous movie quotes in history.

After years of pressure from producers, Pierce directed a Boggy Creek sequel, Boggy Creek II: And the Legend Continues (1985), which he considered the worst film of his career. The sequel was featured in a 1999 episode of the comedy television series Mystery Science Theater 3000, which ultimately increased Pierce's visibility. Pierce died of natural causes in Dover, Tennessee. His work has been cited as an influence on the horror film The Blair Witch Project (1999).

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Movies for Charles B. Pierce...

The Man From Boggy Creek
Title: The Man From Boggy Creek
Character: Self
Released: May 15, 2021
Type: Movie
A retrospective look at the life and work of the influential independent filmmaker, Charles B. Pierce.
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The Town that Dreaded Sundown
Title: The Town that Dreaded Sundown
Character: Man in Diner
Released: October 16, 2014
Type: Movie
A masked maniac terrorizes the same small community where a murderer known as the Phantom Killer struck decades earlier.
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The Aurora Encounter
Title: The Aurora Encounter
Character: Preacher
Released: August 1, 1986
Type: Movie
In 1897, residents of a small Texas town are visited by a benevolent extraterrestrial being whose presence divides the community.
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Boggy Creek II: And the Legend Continues
Title: Boggy Creek II: And the Legend Continues
Character: Dr. Lockhart
Released: February 13, 1984
Type: Movie
Having heard tales of Bigfoot wreaking havoc in the swamps of Louisiana, a zoology professor sets out to investigate these strange occurrences for himself, aided by a ragtag team. Hitting the road in their camper, the group encounter person after person who relay their strange and often frightening encounters with the beast, while the creature itself remains elusive...
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The Town That Dreaded Sundown
Title: The Town That Dreaded Sundown
Character: Patrolman A.C. Benson
Released: December 24, 1976
Type: Movie
When two young lovers are savagely beaten and tortured on a back country road in Texarkana, local police are baffled and must find "the Phantom Killer" before he can kill again.
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The Winds of Autumn
Title: The Winds of Autumn
Character: Ferd Hankins
Released: June 1, 1976
Type: Movie
In 1884, an eleven-year-old Quaker boy sets out on his own to seek revenge against a gang of outlaws who senselessly murdered his family.