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Children of the Corn
Studio: Anchor Bay
Year: 1984
US Rating: R
Film Length: 92 Minutes
Aspect Ratio: 1.85:1 – Enhanced for Widescreen TVs
Audio: Dolby TrueHD 5.1 Surround Sound, Spanish and French Language Tracks
Subtitles: Spanish
Year: 1984
US Rating: R
Film Length: 92 Minutes
Aspect Ratio: 1.85:1 – Enhanced for Widescreen TVs
Audio: Dolby TrueHD 5.1 Surround Sound, Spanish and French Language Tracks
Subtitles: Spanish
“And A Child Shall Lead Them…”
The Film: 3.5 out of 5
In the agglomeration of films adapted from Stephen King short stories, Children of The Corn surely stands as the progenitor; an inaugural effort from which a barrage of others were born. King’s novels had already begun to see adaptations, with films like The Shining, Carrie and Cujo making successful leaps to the big screen. But his short stories, of which there are many, were untapped (aside from The Boogeyman) before Corn.
A decidedly lukewarm critical reaction met Children of the Corn’s theatrical run, but the modest box office success ($14.5 MM back in 1984) was enough to make the venture worthwhile. There have been a slew of sequels to this property, one theatrical and five direct-to-video releases, and a television remake is in the works by the 1984 original’s producer, Donald P. Borchers, who will direct for the SyFy Channel. Not bad for a simple, shoe-string budget horror film.
Children Of The Corn tells the tale of two travelers, Burt (Peter Horton) and Vicky (Linda Hamilton) who stumble into a bizarre Midwestern farm town called Gatlin, Nebraska – a town where the adults have been slaughtered by the religious zealot Isaac (John Franklin); his henchman Malachai (Courtney Gains), and the rest of the town’s children – all in reverence and worship of something mysterious which the children refer to as “He who walks behind the rows”. On their travels, Burt struck a boy on a desolate cornfield lined street, but the boy had been murdered – his throat cut ear to ear. As Burt and Vicky head into Gatlin to phone for help (in the 80’s and 90’s, the poor souls in horror films could never find a phone that worked – today it’s cell phone reception that lures characters ever closer to their deaths), they discover a creepy, abandoned town. Heading out of town, they come across a creepy abandoned home with a young girl, Sarah (Anne Marie McEvoy) who draws pictures of the future and they begin to realize that there is something wrong.
Burt insists they split up (always a bad move); he heads back into town while Vicky stays behind with the girl they found in the house. Vicky is then abducted by Malachai and his prepubescent goons, setting in motion the showdown between the children, led astray by the evils behind the cornfield, and the vicious Malachai.
Children of the Corn isn’t a bad film, it simply lacks cohesion in its foe, definition in its supernatural element, and compelling protagonists. The rejection of King’s screenplay for the film, which reportedly focused more on the children’s uprising, and the Burt and Vicky characters, adds to the underwhelming sense one gets from watching this film. But all is not amiss. There is effective use of abandoned locations, which provides a suitable ambience and atmosphere for the cut-off, and helpless travelers. There is even much to be said for the film’s pacing through the first and second acts, which present a careful, evenly balanced positioning of the young Job and Sarah (two kids immune to the religious fervor and who wish to escape), and the unwitting adults heading into the realm of the child mob.
The direction in the hands of Fritz Kiersch, however, is functional, but unimaginative. We see some good use of light versus dark, particularly in the barn scene near the end and the garage scene early on, but otherwise, it’s all a little plain. Children of the Corn also fails to deliver the chills and scares expected of a story born from the earlier works of Stephen King. At the core of the story is a premise with real potential – but any real tension is replaced by a standard formula of bad-guy chasing good guy functions.
The leads of the film, Peter Horton (thirtysomething, Brimstone) and Linda Hamilton (The Terminator) fill the horror-movie shoes well enough, though the irrational decision making by the Burt character limit much of the empathy the audience should feel for them both. The children, on the other hand, serve their roles quite well. Courtney Gains (The ‘Burbs) gives the Malachai character a red-headed brute, capable of cold-blooded, angry killing. Gain’s has been seen on television in numerous guest appearances through the years, however, and is better than his one-note character in Corn. Playing Isaac, the televangelist-styled religious crazy, is John Franklin. Franklin, writer of 1999’s direct-to-video sequel Children of the Corn 666: Isaac’s Return has a unique look in the film. Appearing as a young boy, Franklin was actually 24 when this film was made. Undoubtedly, his look and unsettling performance has given Children of the Corn much of its value as we, the horror loving audience, reflect back on our memories of this film. As the seer Sarah, and her brother Job, are Anne Marie McEvoy (Cabbage Patch Kids: First Christmas) and Robby Kiger (The Monster Squad) –both playing their parts, as the only good kids in town, well.
It has been 25 years since Children of the Corn graced movie theaters. In that time, numerous stories from the twisted mind of Stephen King had made their way onto the big, and the small, screen. Through many of King’s stories, runs a similar element – the actions, and comeuppance, of people who succumb to religious grandiosity; figures who obscure and obfuscate the truer notions of religious texts in self-serving, violent, and intolerant ways. Peter Horton’s sweaty and bloody lecture near the end of the film seems to sum up nicely what King has weaved into many of his stories – stories that were adapted into films like The Mist, The Stand and even The Dead Zone.
In the end, Children of the Corn is a product of the eighties and one of a few films that helped further catapult King’s name as a horror master, even if it was the weakest of those early adaptations.
The Video: 4 out of 5
Anchor Bay has produced something quite marvelous here with a superb High Definition transfer of this low-budget, horror fan favorite. The film is presented in its original theatrical aspect ratio of 1.85:1 and it looks splendid. Immediately noticeable is the pristine New World Pictures logo which opens the film, followed by 90 minutes of much better than expected flesh tones, levels of detail, color balance, black levels, clarity and more. There are a few scenes that don’t quite match the cleanliness of the rest, but I would think it has more to do with lighting and film stock than the quality of the transfer. There are some specks in the title sequence – dust particles that standout on the credits against the moving background –and an occasional speck here and there, but that’s about all that I can raise as an issue from this excellent presentation. The transfer maintains the look of film, completely fitting for the technology used in ’83, and there is no waxing or scrubbing of the image found. Bravo!
The Sound: 3.5 out of 5
The Dolby TrueHD 5.1 audio doesn’t deliver much power, or surround action, but what you do get is a fair audio representation of this eighties film. Some rumbling from the subwoofer aside, the main action of the sound comes from the front channels. Audio in the center channel carrying the dialogue is generally free of issues (a little muffled, which is common among horror films from this decade), and the front left and right speakers handle the rest of the action well. This really isn’t a film that relies upon sound – beyond Jonathan Elias’ score which is influenced by Goldsmith’s Omen soundtrack, to accomplish its effect, though a little more oomph would have helped. Directional surround effects are limited to once or twice, most notably as the unsuspecting traveler’s car speeds past the camera.
The Extras: 4 out of 5
Audio Commentary with Director Fritz Kiersch, Producer Terrence Kirby and Actors John Franklin & Courtney Gains: The director and producer provide interesting anecdotes from the filming of their low-budget flick, which raises the value of the commentary. The actors provide information from the other side of the creative coin to present a good, if sometimes patchy commentary. This was originally recorded back in 2000/2001.
Featurette: “It Was the Eighties” (HD): - (14:09) – A good, and at times revealing interview with Linda Hamilton, which serves up some good stories from the prep and making of the film from her perspective.
Featurette: “Stephen King on a Shoestring (HD): - (11:20) - Interesting featurette with an interview with Producer Donald Borchers, recalling the birth of the film project and the obstacles faced in getting it made.
Featurette: “Welcome to Gatlin: The Sights and Sounds of Children of the Corn (HD): - (15:28) - Focusing on the sounds and score used for the film, it showcases Jonathan Elias’ score – sounding better than it does in the actual film, and presents interviews with Production Designer Craig Stearns, and composer Elias.
“Harvesting Horror: The Making of Children of the Corn”: - (36:14) - Presented in standard definition, this comprehensive featurette reflects upon the production of the film, from location scouting to casting and much, much more.
Fast Film Facts: Watch the film as facts pop-up throughout.
Original Theatrical Trailer:
Poster & Still Gallery: View as a slideshow or navigate yourself
Original Storyboard and Original Title Sequence Art: As with the still gallery, you can select the storyboard frame to view or watch as a slideshow.
Final Thoughts:
Though failing to conjure up thrills and scares, Children of the Corn remains an entertaining excursion into 1980’s horror happenings. And with a delicious high definition transfer, and a juicy set of extra’s, this release is an inviting proposition. The darkness that King seems to frequently see in the simple, innocent, and quiet life of small towns is in full parade here, though at the hands of children murderously run amuck. The touch of King is diluted by a less than thrilling screenplay and average-at-best direction, but even still – there is something for horror fans to dig into with Children of the Corn – even with the absurdly bad special effects used in the ending.
Overall Score: 4 out of 5
Neil Middlemiss
Kernersville, NC
Kernersville, NC
