Dir: Fritz Kiersch
Cast: Peter Horton, Linda Hamilton, John Franklin,
Courtney Gains, R.G. Armstrong, Robby Kiger,
Anne Marie McEvoy
Rated R, Approx: 92 minutes
Anchor Bay Entertainment Video and DVD
Sometimes Hokey, this
Stephen King Adaptation May
Still Be Worth Your Time.
producers would soon begin buying up any and all King properties that they could get their hands on. With critical
and commercial successes such as Carrie and The Dead Zone helping to cement the name King in the household
world outside of readers, the 1980s were on their way to a plethora of adaptations ranging in quality from great (like
the aforementioned titles) to forgettable (Cujo); This bloody extension of King's creepy short story falls somewhere in
the middle. Far from a masterpiece, this popular little title does have its moments. It has gone on to form a train of
endless and painful sequels but there's still enough creepiness to enjoy about this original to merit a viewing.
Gatlin, Nebraska while trying to report a murder to local authorities, they discover a sadistic cult of children all of
whom have slaughtered the adult population in an effort to appease 'He Who Walks Behind the Rows', a devilish
deity in which the children worship. Led by the sinister Isaac (John Franklin), the children stalk the young couple
through Gatlin as they frantically attempt to escape from the adolescent murderers.
literature are two entirely different mediums and what may work for one doesn't necessarily translate well in the other.
As far as Children of the Corn goes, it's easy to say that King's short story is superior (and it is) but the movie
gets a lot of King's story right. Whereas the secret of Gatlin is more or less reserved for the haunting ending in the
short story, it really wouldn't do to feature two people wandering around a deserted town for 70 minutes before things
start to happen. What I'm getting at really is that screenwriter George Goldsmith does an excellent job of extending
and adding to King's story while keeping the overall feel intact. The main characters are changed from a savagely
bickering married couple who can't stand to look at each other anymore to a young, love struck and likeable married
duo. Goldsmith adds a brutal and unsettling prologue to the premise as well as two young children who fear the
stern Isaac and try repeatedly to escape from his watchful eye. None of this material feels like stuffing and while a
subplot about one of the children bearing psychic powers remains largely undeveloped, Goldsmith deserves credit
for keeping things as close to King as possible even though his product isn't exactly perfect.
marred by clunky direction
slight awkwardness running throughout the entire film that especially hampers scenes of suspense and shock. Even
the opening scene, as disturbing as it is, seems a tad clunky. The sight of children brutally killing adults works almost
in spite of itself as Kiersch captures the massacre in graphic detail but there's a hokiness to it that's tough to finger.
Unfortunately this one reaches its silliest moments during the climax when 'He Who Walks Behind the Rows' finally
makes its appearance. Featuring a barely glimpsed creature (that's incredibly hard to take seriously), deadly corn
stalks and a whopping lack of suspense, there isn't much to enjoy about the climax and if getting to that point wasn't
a relatively enjoyable and mildly effective experience, this one would've been a complete loss.
about twenty minutes or so before she begins grating on the nerves (its not exactly her fault, Goldsmith's screenplay
fails to make her character into anything more than a terrified damsel), Horton makes up for it with a largely
appealing charm and charisma which makes him an apt hero. As the twisted cult leader Isaac, Franklin is
occasionally creepy and always at least charming-even when the character gets a little goofy (look for the moment in
which "He Who Walks' possesses him to see exactly what I mean). As the power mad right hand man Malachai,
Courtney Gains (who plays a similar role in the sorely underrated masterpiece The 'burbs) makes for a despicable
villain and gives the main characters a suitable source of conflict.
This movie has a pretty bad reputation and yet, it's nowhere near as bad as you may have heard or as sloppy as
many of its tired sequels. Those looking for a slightly macabre way to kill a night should find this one a suitable
experience but you've been warned, proceed with the sequels at your own risk! Children of the Corn II: The Final
Sacrifice followed in 1992 and while some will argue it a slight improvement over this one, I would dispute it to be
slightly worse.
* * * out of 5
Reviewed by Matt Serafini 7/19/02
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