Children of the Corn (1984)

User Rating:

5.1/10   

Director:

Fritz Kiersch

Writers:

Stephen King (short story)
George Goldsmith (screenplay)

Release Date:

9 March 1984 (USA)

Genre:

Horror

Tagline:

An adult nightmare.

Plot:

A boy preacher named Isaac goes to a town in Nebraska called Gatlin and gets all the children to murder every adult in town...

Plot Keywords:

Worship | Corn | Cult | Horror Movie Remade | Psychotic Child

Awards:

1 win & 3 nominations

Cast

Peter Horton	...	Burton Stanton
Linda Hamilton	...	Vicky
R.G. Armstrong	...	Diehl
John Franklin	...	Isaac Chroner
Courtney Gains	...	Malachai
Robby Kiger	...	Job
Anne Marie McEvoy	...	Sarah (as AnneMarie McEvoy)
Julie Maddalena	...	Rachel
Jonas Marlowe	...	Joseph
John Philbin	...	Richard 'Amos' Deigan
Dan Snook	...	Boy
David Cowen	...	Dad
Suzy Southam	...	Mom
D.G. Johnson	...	Mr. Hansen
Patrick Boylan	...	Hansen's customer

Also Known As:

Stephen King's Children of the Corn
Children of the corn - Les démons du maïs (France) (DVD title) [fr]
Colheita Maldita (Brazil) [pt]
Djeca kukuruza (Croatia) (video title) [hr]
Dzieci kukurydzianego pola (Poland) [pl]
Grano rosso sangue (Italy) [it]
Horror Kid (France) [fr]
Kinder des Zorns (West Germany) [de]
Kukuricné deti (Czechoslovakia) [cs]
Les démons du maïs (France) (video title) [fr]
Les démons du maïs I (Horror kids) (France) (video title) [fr]
Los chicos del maíz (Spain) [es]
Maissilapset (Finland) [fi]
O dolofonos me to drepani (Greece) [el]

Runtime:

93 min

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1

Sound Mix:

Mono (Ryder Sound Services)

Certification:

Netherlands:16 | Spain:18 | South Korea:15 | Canada:13+ (Quebec) | USA:R (certificate number not listed) | Australia:R (2984) | Finland:K-18 | France:-12 | Iceland:(Banned) (original rating) | Iceland:16 (cut) | Norway:18 | Singapore:NC-16 | Sweden:15 | UK:18 | USA:R | West Germany:18 | Finland:K-15 (re-rating) | Germany:BPjM Restricted

Filming Locations:

California, USA

Company:

Angeles Entertainment Group

Trivia:

Though real corn was used for most of filming, polyurethane corn had to be used for the more difficult action sequences.

Goofs:

Continuity: When Burt and Vicky are driving around and end up at the gas station, the sun is near sunset. But a few scenes later on, the sun is high like it's late morning, even though it takes place later on in the same day.

Quotes:

Vicky: [Malachai and his fellow Corn-Children have located Vicky at Job and Sarah's house. Malachai and Company storm in just as Vicky emerges from upstairs] ... What do you want?
Malachai: [with a diabolical smile] We want to give you Peace.
[to the other Corn-Kids]
Malachai: Get her!

Movie Connections:

Referenced in Welcome to Gatlin: The Sights and Sounds of Children of the Corn (2009) (V)

Soundtrack:

Runaway

"Outlander!"

Children of the Corn is a classic example of a movie that was much more frightening when I was a kid. Now I suppose it pales in comparison to the better horror flicks I've seen. It's still not a bad genre flick and I recommend seeing it. Children of the Corn has its moments. Isaac and Malachai are still creepy looking cats (both played effectively by John Franklin and Courtney Gains). The musical score with the children chanting is an eerie effect too. The café scene and the accidental hit and run are the standouts of the movie, it's pretty grisly stuff. The rest is a bit mediocre. Peter Horton and Linda Hamilton are pretty good as the young couple trying to escape the murderous children. And an appearance by R.G. Armstrong is never a bad thing. The movie is a "loose" adaption of a Stephen King short story, but the sequels are just absolutely King rapes. So do not bother with those.