Children of the Corn

Children of the Corn

1984

Director- Fritz Kiersch

Cast- Peter Horton, Linda Hamilton, R. G. Armstrong, John Franklin, Courtney Gains, Robby Kiger, Anne Marie McEvoy

            The movie begins in the rural town of Gatlin, Nebraska, with the murder of all thetown’s adults by the children, led by the two creepiest kids ever. Isaac (John Franklin who was actually 26 even though he looks 12) is their leader and Malachai (Courtney Gains who appeared later in The ‘Burbs) is his blood thirsty enforcer. They worship a mysterious deity, “He Who Walks Behind the Rows”. The only adult they leave is a gas station attendant at the edge of town who serves to keep out “outlanders” (R.G. Armstrong from The Car and Race with the Devil).

Burt (Peter Horton, people of a certain age will remember him from the ABC show Thirtysomething) and Vicky (Sarah Conner herself, Linda Hamilton) are a young couple traveling across country so that Burt can start his new job. Enroute they run over a boy in the middle of the road who appears to have been murdered. Trying to be the responsible citizens they turn into the next town, Gatlin, to report the murder. What they find is Isaac’s murderous child cult.

I found myself getting frustrated a lot with Burt and his inability to see warning signs. Man at the gas station tells you to avoid the town? Meh. Town seems deserted? No problem. All the phone lines have been cut? Oh, there is probably some explanation. Apparently his spidey sense never tingles. For anything.

Despite this annoyance, the movie has a lot going for it. First off, is its casting. Linda Hamliton’s charisma aside, the child actors do a good job at being creepy. Secondly, are its occult themes; crucifixions, pentagrams carved on chests, the belief in prophecy and charismatic leadership. Finally is its musical score, which had a memorable, ominous overture,

Children of the Corn was a (relatively) cheaply made movie at $800k but it grossed over 14 million which goes to show not only how profitable horror can be, but also what an  entertaining film it is despite looking B-grade. It has an archetypal feel, like a story that has been passed down for generations. It also spawned a long line of sequels and remakes and was a very influential horror film in the 1980s.