Review of Children of the Corn (1984) by Sean W — 13 Aug 2014

You need to take my four-star rating with a pinch of salt here. Having grown up watching this film, and being obsessed with horror, I suppose I am a little biased when reviewing Children of the Corn. Yes, the script is flimsy. Yes, the special effects are dire. Yes, the story doesn't make a great deal of sense, particularly towards the end. But somehow, there is just something cool about this film that secures its place in my collection as a cult classic.

First of all, it's pretty chilling. Linda Hamilton's great to watch, and John Franklin and Courtney gains creep you out like they're supposed to. The opening massacre in the coffee shop of all adults carried out by children is possibly the most disturbing of all. The first two acts of the film, in spite of the daftness, keep you with it.

But in the third act of the move, this is where things start to get a little messy, and its high concept deviates into silly religious hokum. The plot deviates greatly from its source material, the original short story by Stephen King, and the movie ends with what seems to be a hastily thrown together action-sequence, where our heroes battle 'He Who Walks Behind The Rows', the demon that inspired the children to slaughter their parents. Complete with very questionable special effects, poor dialogue and nonsensical biblical passages, it brings what has been a fairly fun and chilling ride to a less than interesting conclusion.

This is the best one of the lot. Just give it a go, laugh at its badness, and call it a night.