Most Helpful Customer Reviews
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4 of 4 people found the following review helpful:
3.0 out of 5 stars
good special edition DVD, October 5, 2004
Gosh... what to say about "Children of the Corn"?
First off, let me say: this is no masterpiece. But, at the same time, it is no disasterpiece, either. I'm a big-time Stephen King fan, and while this is the film adaptation of his work that comes in for the most lambasting, it is really nowhere near the worst King film. (Look to either "Thinner" or to "Sleepwalkers" for that odious distinction.)
I'm not going to say much about the movie, really. It is what it is, and odds are that you already know whether or not you like this sort of thing.
Instead, I'd like to focus on the features done for this special edition DVD. First off, the picture and the sound quality are WAY better than might have been expected (or possibly even deserved). The film has probably never looked or sounded better, even when it was first released.
The documentary is about 35 minutes long, and relies on interviews with director Fritz Kiersch (who comes off as a knowledgeable and likeable man) and the actors who portrayed Isaac and Malachi (both of whom are funny and relazed about what they realize ain't exactly the finest thing since Citizen Kane). It's a good documentary, although perhaps a bit too quick to try and posit the film as an overwhelming success. The commentary track features the same participants, and is a good listen.
Not surprisingly, Linda Hamilton and Peter Horton ar enowhere to be found in the supplements, and don't even dream of an interview with Stephen King, for you will find one not.
All in all, this is a fine special edition for a not-that-fine movie.
But I can't help liking it, for some reason...
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4 of 4 people found the following review helpful:
4.0 out of 5 stars
It happened everywhere in Gatlin that day..., May 12, 2002
I saw this movie when it came out in '84 and have had some strange connection to it ever since. What's to like? Well, what has always struck me is how well the children are adapted to the surroundings. I actually BELIEVE that these children lived in Gatlin "before" the filming of the movie. They seem very at home and the small town feel is somehow legitimate. The sound is very good for an older flick, being given the 5.1 treatment, and the score itself is practially worth seeing the movie for... I just love that chanting "Omen-ish" score, always have. The transfer I'd say is above average, though in places it falters a bit, there is also a handsome insert book that comes with it which is unusual for a rather lowbudget movie. I really like all the leads here, specifically the look on young Sarah's face when "Vickie" is taken out to the clearing, she honestly looks to be in fear, I almost feel sorry for the young actress. What's to hate? Well, aside from the odd smalltown feel there really aren't many chills from a horror movie standpoint. Also, I've never really liked the end, often turning it off b4 the poor CG ending, but hey, this is '84 afterall. If you have a few dollars and are looking for a somewhat surreal look at small town life, you could do worse than giving Children Of The Corn a look.
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18 of 24 people found the following review helpful:
3.0 out of 5 stars
And a child shall lead them..., February 10, 2005
So how did such a mediocre film warrant six sequels (here's a hint...it's all about the money)? There's the original. Children of the Corn II: The Final Sacrifice (1993), Children of the Corn III (1995), Children of the Corn IV: The Gathering (1996), Children of the Corn V: Fields of Terror (1998), Children of the Corn 666: Isaac's Return (1999), and Children of the Corn: Revelation (2001)...that's a lot of corn, or as the Native Americans call it, maize...I've seen the original, but not the subsequent sequels...my gut instinct tells me to avoid them. Children of the Corn, aka Stephen King's Children of the Corn (1984), directed by Fritz Kiersch (Tuff Turf, Gor) features a solid cast including Peter Horton ("thirtysomething") and Linda Hamilton (Terminator 2: Judgment Day). Also appearing is R.G. Armstrong (Dick Tracy), Courtney Gains (Colors, The 'burbs) and John Franklin, who appeared 1991 film The Addams Family, along with its' 1993 sequel, as the very hairy Cousin Itt.
The film, which primarily takes place in the small farming town of Gatlin, Nebraska, begins with a flashback, relating a particularly gruesome incident in where the children depopulate the town of nearly all adults through a good old fashion bloodbath. Fast forward three years to the present, and we have Burton (Horton) and his girlfriend Vicky (Hamilton) traveling through the Midwest as Burton has recently graduated from med school, and has been offered an internship somewhere...but that's neither here nor there as the pair get lost, have an accident, and soon find themselves looking for aid in Gatlin...but guess what? Gatlin appears all but deserted...except for the children, who've formed some kind of weird cult, led by the incredibly creepy man-child Isaac (Franklin). Initially their idolatry seems to be centered on the corn, but later we learn it's not so much the corn as what lurks under the corn. Burton and Vicky soon find themselves in a world of trouble, as the corn is thirsting for holy sacrifices, and they're at the top of the list (I wouldn't mind initiating a religious ceremony with that Linda Hamilton...that is the soft and sexy Linda from the original Terminator movie, not the bony and intensely scary Linda from T2: Judgment Day)...
The film is based on a Stephen King short story taken from his book Night Shift, which I've never read, but I have read a number of his other books, many of which were later adapted to film, with varying degrees of success...anyone else besides me sit through Maximum Overdrive? Okay, Children of the Corn isn't as bad as that was, but it is lacking something...it's not the acting...Horton, whom I despise for no other reason than he was on that TV show `thirtysomething' was actually pretty good. As far as Linda Hamilton, well, I think she's a good actress, provided she's given something to work with, and that wasn't the case here. The real fun is watching the performances of Franklin and Gains, as Isaac and Malachai, respectively. Franklin is extremely disconcerting as the leader of the group, mainly because his appearance is that of a child, but a closer look would make you think twice as his face and voice seem to indicate some much older. Turns out Franklin, who suffered from some sort of hormone deficiency, was actually much older, like 23 at the time of the film's release. As far as Gains, he presents the most intense performance as Isaac's enforcer and right hand man, but I felt like he got into it just a little too much (in the featurette Gains speaks of his craft and how he brought his character to the screen...I do appreciate it when actors give to the screen, but I think Gains took his modest role a bit too seriously, trying to make more of it than it was...but since the production in general was pretty bland, this overacting wasn't necessarily unwelcome). These two guys come off really good as the antagonists, mainly because they're so completely annoying I wanted to beat them both to a pulp (wait for the scene when Malachai is walking down the center of the street calling for Burton to come out, yelling `Outlander!"...you'll understand what I mean by annoying). As far as the direction, I have no real complaints, as Kiersch seems capable...in the featurette he speaks a lot of what he was trying to accomplish with regards to the sense of direction, and in some areas I think he met his goal, but others I think his aspirations extended beyond his capabilities. So what's the problem with the film? It's the story...well, not the original story, but the adaptation of the story. As I said, I'm familiar with many of King's works, and I know he takes a lot of time to craft his tales, utilizing detail like it was going out of style. I think one of the things that makes his story so popular is his ability to paint a visual using words...and he also seems to do this in terms that are accessible to an extremely wide audience. And I think this is a main factor that ends up hurting many of the films that are adapted from his novels...they lack the focus on what's important to the story. I think this is why we are seeing his more recent works produced as television mini-series...because more time can be spent developing the story and presenting the details, in my opinion.
The Divimax edition, released by Anchor Bay Entertainment features a really sharp looking wide screen (1.85:1) print, enhanced for 16 X 9 TV's, and the audio is exceptionally clear and crisp. Special features include a new 39 minute documentary titled Harvesting Horror, an audio commentary by the director, the producer, actors Franklin and Gains, trailer, poster and still gallery, screenplay, storyboard art, title sequence art, and a mini reproduction of poster for the film inside the DVD case.
Cookieman108
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