Village of the Damned (1995)

Director:

John Carpenter

Writers:

John Wyndham (novel)
Stirling Silliphant (1960 screenplay) ...
(more)

Release Date:

28 April 1995 (USA)

Genre:

Horror | Sci-Fi

Tagline:

Beware the Children

Plot:

A small town's women give birth to unfriendly alien children posing as humans.

Plot Keywords:

Baby | Small Town | Birth | Alien | Children

Awards:

2 nominations

Cast

Christopher Reeve	...	Dr. Alan Chaffee
Kirstie Alley	...	Dr. Susan Verner
Linda Kozlowski	...	Jill McGowan
Michael Paré	...	Frank McGowan
Meredith Salenger	...	Melanie Roberts
Mark Hamill	...	Reverend George
Pippa Pearthree	...	Sarah, George's Wife
Peter Jason	...	Ben Blum
Constance Forslund	...	Callie Blum
Karen Kahn	...	Barbara Chaffee
Thomas Dekker	...	David McGowan
Lindsey Haun	...	Mara Chaffee
Cody Dorkin	...	Robert
Trishalee Hardy	...	Julie
Jessye Quarry	...	Dorothy
Adam Robbins	...	Issac
Chelsea DeRidder Simms	...	Matt
Renee Rene Simms	...	Casey
Danielle Keaton	...	Lily (as Danielle Wiener)
Hillary Harvey	...	Mara, 1 Year
Bradley Wilhelm	...	David, 1 Year
Jennifer Wilheim	...	Mara / David, 4 Months
George 'Buck' Flower	...	Carlton
Squire Fridell	...	The Sheriff
Darryl Jones	...	Highway Patrolman
Ed Corbett	...	Older Deputy
Ross Martineau	...	Younger Deputy
Skip Richardson	...	Deputy
Tony Haney	...	Dr. Bush
Sharon Iwai	...	Eye Doctor
Robert Lewis Bush	...	Mr. Roberts
Montgomery Hom	...	Technician
Steven Chambers	...	Trooper #1
Ron Kaell	...	Trooper #2
Lane Nishikawa	...	Scientist
Michael Halton	...	Harold, Gas Station Attendant
Julie Eccles	...	Eileen Moore
Lois Saunders	...	Doctor at Clinic
Sidney Baldwin	...	Labor Room Physician
Wendolyn Lee	...	Nurse #5
Kathleen Turco-Lyon	...	Nurse #3
Abigail Van Alyn	...	Nurse #1
Roy Conrad	...	Oliver
Dan Belzer	...	Sam, Young Husband
Dena Martinez	...	Cindy, Young Wife
Alice Barden	...	Woman at Town Hall
John Brebner	...	Man at Town Hall
Ralph Miller	...	Villager
John Carpenter	...	Man at Gas Station Phone (as Rip Haight)
rest of cast listed alphabetically:
Jeff Scott	...	Lab Technician (uncredited)

Directed by
John Carpenter

Writing credits
John Wyndham		(novel "The Midwich Cuckoos")
Stirling Silliphant		(1960 screenplay) and
Wolf Rilla		(1960 screenplay) and
Ronald Kinnoch		(1960 screenplay) (as George Barclay)
David Himmelstein		(screenplay)
Steven Siebert		uncredited
Larry Sulkis		uncredited

Produced by
Andre Blay	....	executive producer
David Chackler	....	co-producer
Sean Daniel	....	co-executive producer
Shep Gordon	....	executive producer
James Jacks	....	co-executive producer
Sandy King	....	producer
Michael Preger	....	producer
Ted Vernon	....	executive producer

Original Music by
John Carpenter
Dave Davies

Cinematography by
Gary B. Kibbe

Film Editing by
Edward A. Warschilka

Casting by
Reuben Cannon
Peter Jason
Sandy King
Cheryl Miller

Production Design by
Rodger Maus

Art Direction by
Christa Munro

Set Decoration by
Rick Brown
Don De Fina

Costume Design by
Robin Michel Bush

Makeup Department
Steven E. Anderson	....	makeup artist
Rob Hinderstein	....	special makeup effects artist
Charlotte Parker	....	key hair stylist

Production Management
Jeffrey Sudzin	....	unit production manager

Second Unit Director or Assistant Director
Christian P. Della Penna	....	first assistant director: second unit
Christian P. Della Penna	....	second assistant director
Jeff Imada	....	second unit director
Colin Michael Kitchens	....	second assistant director: San Francisco (as Mike Kitchens)
Artist W. Robinson	....	first assistant director (as Artist Robinson)
Charles Simmers	....	second second assistant director (as Charles K. Simmers III)

Art Department
Kristin Argue	....	drapery
Dwight Williams	....	construction coordinator

Sound Department
Rick Alexander	....	sound re-recording mixer
Ron Bartlett	....	sound effects pre-dub re-recording mixer
James Bolt	....	sound re-recording mixer (as Jim Bolt)
Joseph F. Brennan	....	boom operator (as Joe Brennan)
Michael C. Casper	....	sound re-recording mixer
Thomas Causey	....	sound mixer
John Dunn	....	supervising sound editor
Julia Evershade	....	supervising adr editor
Stephanie Flack	....	dialogue editor
Evelyn Hokanson	....	foley mixer (as Evelyn Nickle)
James Morioka	....	first assistant sound editor
Fred Runner	....	sound mixer: second unit
Charles B. Unger	....	assistant sound editor
Bill Meadows	....	sound recordist (uncredited)

Special Effects by
Roy Arbogast	....	mechanical special effects coordinator
Roy Arbogast	....	mechanical special effects supervisor: second unit
William Butler	....	special effects technician
Evan Campbell	....	special effects makeup crew
Keith Urban	....	special effects assistant
Keith Urban	....	special effects: second unit
Bruno Van Zeebroeck	....	mechanical special effects coordinator
Bruno Van Zeebroeck	....	special effects coordinator
Dick Wood	....	special effects: second unit
Michael Wood	....	special effects: second unit (as Mike Wood)
Larry Odien	....	animatronics (uncredited)

Visual Effects by
Sheena Duggal	....	Inferno artist: ILM
Sheena Duggal	....	flame artist: ILM
Howard Gersh	....	digital effects artist
Benton Jew	....	visual effects art director: ILM
Jacqueline M. Lopez	....	visual effects producer
Mark Moore	....	concept artist
Jim Morris	....	senior staff: ILM
Bruce Nicholson	....	visual effects supervisor
Michael Olague	....	visual effects gaffer
Chad Taylor	....	Sabre artist: ILM
John Torrijos	....	computer graphics assistant
Alan McFarland	....	miniature effects lighting (uncredited)

Stunts
Bobby Bass	....	stunts
Robin Lynn Bonaccorsi	....	stunts (as Robin Bonaccorsi)
Troy Brown	....	stunts
Kurt Bryant	....	stunts
Hal Burton	....	stunts
Rocky Capella	....	stunts
Steven Chambers	....	stunts
Eugene Collier	....	stunts
Paul Crawford	....	stunts
Laura Dash	....	stunts
Lisa Dempsey	....	stunts
Thomas Dewier	....	stunts
Shane Dixon	....	stunts
Jon H. Epstein	....	stunts (as Jon Epstein)
Al Goto	....	stunts
Brian Imada	....	stunts
Jeff Imada	....	stunt coordinator
Jeff Imada	....	stunts
Brad Lackey	....	stunts
Peter Lai	....	stunts
Kevin Larson	....	stunts
Billy D. Lucas	....	stunts (as Billy Lucas)
John Lucasey	....	stunts
Mike Martinez	....	stunts
Johnny Martin	....	stunts
Jeff Mosley	....	stunts
Jimmy Nickerson	....	stunts
Alan Oliney	....	stunts
Chuck Picerni Jr.	....	stunts
Denney Pierce	....	stunts
Jim J. Poslof	....	stunts
Jim J. Poslof	....	utility stunts
Mic Rodgers	....	stunts

Camera and Electrical Department
Brian Bibbe	....	second assistant camera
Dustin Blauvelt	....	camera operator: second unit (as Dusty Blauvelt)
William Boatman	....	camera operator
Arthur R. Botham	....	director of photography: second unit
Joseph Emanuele	....	best boy electric: second unit
Joseph Emanuele	....	lamp operator
Brian Kibbie	....	second assistant camera (as Brian Kibbe)
Jon Kranhouse	....	camera operator: second unit
Steve Peterson	....	first assistant camera
William Waldman	....	camera operator

Casting Department
David Giella	....	casting associate
Helen Taylor	....	casting assistant

Editorial Department
Mato	....	color timer
Paul C. Warschilka	....	first assistant editor: film

Music Department
Bruce Robb	....	Musician: Hammond B3 organ/percussion
Bruce Robb	....	music editing
Bruce Robb	....	music mixer
Bruce Robb	....	music producer
Bruce Robb	....	music supervisor
Bruce Robb	....	music contractor (uncredited)
Bruce Robb	....	music engineer (uncredited)

Transportation Department
William Hogue	....	driver

Other crew
John Alfred	....	first assistant accountant
Benu Bhandari	....	script supervisor
Karin Costa	....	assistant to director
Ernie Malik	....	unit publicist
Cheryl Miller	....	production coordinator
Glenn Nicol	....	production accountant
Stefanie Pleet	....	location manager
Mayo Sanchez	....	assistant to producer
Sean Sobczak	....	production assistant
Sean Whitler	....	set production assistant
Mariana Tosca	....	body double (uncredited)
Virginia Travers	....	lead stand-in (uncredited)

Production Companies

• Alphaville Films
• Universal Pictures

Distributors

• Universal Pictures (1995) (USA) (theatrical)
• Filmes Lusomundo (????) (Portugal) (theatrical)
• United International Pictures (UIP) (1995) (France) (theatrical)
• United International Pictures (UIP) (199?) (Spain) (theatrical)
• American Broadcasting Company (ABC) (1997) (USA) (TV) (broadcast premiere)
• CIC Video I/S (199?) (Denmark) (VHS)
• CIC Video (1996) (Germany) (VHS)
• CIC Vídeo (199?) (Brazil) (VHS)
• CIC-Taft Home Video (199?) (Australia) (VHS)
• Columbia TriStar (????) (Brazil) (DVD)
• Egmont Entertainment (2003) (Finland) (DVD)
• MCA/Universal Home Video (1995) (USA) (video) (laserdisc)
• MCA/Universal Home Video (199?) (USA) (VHS)
• Mainostelevisio (MTV3) (2001) (Finland) (TV)
• Oy Europa Vision AB (1995) (Finland) (VHS)
• Pioneer (1997) (UK) (video) (laserdisc)
• Universal Home Entertainment (1998) (USA) (DVD)

Special Effects

• Industrial Light & Magic (ILM)
• K.N.B. Effects Group (special make-up effects)
• Slagle Minimotion (live-action miniatures)

Other Companies

• Back Seat Casting Associates  casting
• Cherokee Studios  original music recorded and mixed at
• Hayes & Van Horn Casting  San Francisco and extras casting
• Movie Movers  cast trailers
• Reuben Cannon & Associates  children's casting
• Robb Brothers, The  music production
• Varèse Sarabande  soundtrack

Also Known As:

John Carpenter's Village of the Damned (USA) (complete title)
Le village des damnés (Canada: French title) (France) [fr]
A Cidade dos Amaldiçoados (Brazil) [pt]
A Cidade dos Malditos (Portugal) [pt]
Das Dorf der Verdammten (Germany) [de]
Den fortabte by (Denmark) (video title) [da]
John Carpenters Das Dorf der Verdammten (Germany) (complete title) [de]
Kirottu kaupunki (Finland) (video title) [fi]
Kirottujen kaupunki (Finland) (TV title) [fi]
Selo ukletih (Serbia) [sr]
Village of the damned: el pueblo de los malditos (Spain) [es]
Villaggio dei dannati (Italy) [it]

MPAA:

Rated R for some sci-fi terror and violence.

Runtime:

99 min

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

2.35 : 1

Sound Mix:

DTS-Stereo | DTS

Certification:

Canada:14A (Ontario) | Iceland:16 | South Korea:15 | Italy:VM18 | Finland:K-16 (cut) (1995) (VHS) | Finland:K-16 (uncut) (2000) (DVD) | Philippines:R-18 | Australia:M | Germany:16 | Norway:18 (video premiere) | Portugal:M/16 | Spain:13 | UK:15 (video premiere) | USA:R | Singapore:PG

Filming Locations:

Inverness, California, USA

Company:

Alphaville Films

Trivia:

Director Cameo: [John Carpenter]man at pay phone

Goofs:

Continuity: During the graveyard scene between David and Alan, it is clear (because of changes in the amount of light, and the angle of sun in the background, as well as cloud cover) that this particular scene was shot over a period of several hours or possibly days.

Quotes:

Mara Chaffee: You are thinking of the one who died
David McGowan: She was to be my partner
Mara Chaffee: Yes it's true. Without a mate you are of less importance to us and your development of emotions is disturbing. We can't leave you behind David, it's time we resolved this.

Movie Connections:

Referenced in Horror Business (2005) (V)

Indifference to violence

John Carpenter's remake of the 1960 original has little to add but it's more violent and explicit. The plot is the same; 10 women get pregnant simultaneously during a group pass out. Several years go by and the children all look similar and stick together. They appear to be anything but normal and once they start killing the residents of the small village it's clear they have to be stopped.

Carpenter is really a master of suspense and some scenes work remarkably well, however this is not one of his best films. Not much happens here and the film drags a bit, plus the inclusion of a government intervention and a possible world wide epidemic of these children does little to further the film. Still, Carpenter manages to create a decent amount of suspense and uneasiness by playing on the film's simple premise; that little children are the evildoers here. The soulless stares and glowing eyes are enough to creep you out. The social statement about people (and children) becoming indifferent to violence is a valid input, since the film couldn't really go for the same underlying meaning as the original, which was made during the cold war; the children personifying the threat from the east penetrating the west.

An average John Carpenter film is still a lot more interesting than most other horror films out there. Village of the Damned is not one of his best but it's a good film nonetheless.