Children of the Corn
Starring
Peter Horton, Linda Hamilton, Courtney Gains, Robby Kiger, John Franklin, Ann-Marie McEvoy
Rating
Rating within genre
Rated
R for gore and some adult language
Directed by
Fritz Kiersch
Written by
George Goldsmith
Stephen King *short story*
Genre
Horror-suspense *stereo-indie*
Film
Color; 1 hr. 33 min.
Date of Release
1984
Filming Locations
Whiting, IA (USA)
Synopsis
When the boy preacher Isaac Croner comes to Gatlin, NE the local children are set on a religious mission to worship He Who Walks Behind The Rows, the demon god of the cornfields they tend - a bad thing for the parents of Gatlin, as the mission is to kill everyone over the age of nineteen. Three years later a young couple enters town in search of help, and find themselves in the midst of the same deadly mission that began years ago....
Summary
One of the creepiest and most frightening movies ever, adapted from the short story by Stephen King, 'Children of the Corn' is guarenteed to have a lasting effect and make you think twice about organized religion. Good performance by Courtney Gains and Robby Kiger, and outstanding directing on behalf of Kiersch. The movie has only some gore, using the good old fashion of pure suspense through well placed sounds and silences, eerie music, and the terrifying concept of religion gone wrong. The film was followed by five sequels, but none anywhere near as great as the original. SEE IT. And prepare to be freaked.
Notable Quotes
"He who walks behind the rows will decide your fate." -- Malachai
"Disobediance to me is disobediance to him! Do it NOW or your punishment shall be a thousand times, a thousand deaths, each more horrible than the last!" -- Isaac
"When I grow up I'm gonna have all the money in the world." -- Job
"Me too." -- Sarah
"You can't." -- Job
"Why not?" -- Sarah
"Because I'm gonna have it all." --Job
"I'll get it first." -- Sarah
"Will not." -- Job
"Will too!" -- Sarah
"Oh yeah, how?" -- Job
"They are tired of your talk, Isaac. I have shown them what I can do. Cut the woman down....and put Isaac in her place." -- Malachai
Reviews
Stygian Films: "Outlandishly creepy and well made. By far the best horror movie of the 80s."
Random review: "The major strength of this film is its atmosphere. The religious and ritual beliefs held by the children of the corn is what many find frightening, more so because of the fact that they are children. The characters in the plot are intriguing, including Issac and Malachai. For once, one of King's novels aided in the making of an artistic horror flick that is very enjoyable to watch."
IMDB: "Spooky, thought-evoking revelation into the dark world of the occult."
Mickey Durneme: "Not as gory as you might wish, but the atmosphere more than makes up for it, and along with the 'freaky' musical score, makes Children Of The Corn a real Stephen King classic."
Dr. Blood: "...this film is full of both enough tension and atmosphere to keep you watching to the end."
Cast List
Peter Horton.................................Burt
Linda Hamilton.............................Vicky
Courtney Gains.............................Malachai
Robby Kiger.................................Job
Ann-Marie McEvoy.....................Sarah
John Franklin................................Isaac
R.G. Armstrong............................Diehl
Julie Maddalena............................Rachel
John Philbin..................................Amos
Jonas Marlowe.............................Joseph
Mitch Carter.................................Radio preacher
Dan Snook...................................Boy
David Cowen...............................Dad
Suzy Southam..............................Mom
Eric Freeman................................Israel
D.G. Johnson...............................Mr. Hansen
Patric Boylen................................Hansen's customer
Elmer Soderstrom.........................Hansen's customer
Teresa Toigo................................Hansen's customer
And a child shall lead them.....
Also recommended
The Green Mile
Village of the Damned (remake)
Village of the Damned (original)
Children of the Damned
Lord of the Flies
Also see The Official Stephen King Site
Be sure to check out Children of the Corn Fan Site