Review of Children of the Corn (1984) by Zack S — 08 Dec 2009

The short-story by Stephen King that this is based on scared the life out of me as a kid, however I never saw the movie until now. It has a build-up that's effective and creepy, but it's hurt by the movie's prologue that explains the town's sordid history before our protagonists inevitably get stuck their, meaning we know what is going on before they do, making us wait until they figure it out.

The plot also asks a lot of the viewer in regards to the suspension of disbelief since it's hard to imagine that these dolt lead characters stick around in this abandoned hamlet for as long as they do until they are no longer able to skip town.

A lot of non-slasher horror movies from this era also suffer from the same symptoms this one does, in that the movie's first two acts are low-key and atmospheric before a third act that consists of an over-the-top special effects light show that is completely unengaging.

CHILDREN OF THE CORN has a neat premise and is watchable despite its shortcomings, but this story was best captured in its initial form on the page.