10 Days of Stephen King: Children of the Corn

Do you follow He Who Walks Behind The Rows?  Well, the kids of Gatlin, Nebraska do, and that spells trouble for the adults.  Welcome to Day 4 of the 10 Days of Stephen King!  Today's pick is one of my personal favorites...CHILDREN OF THE CORN.  Enjoy!

Based on the short story of the same name by Stephen King, Children of the Corn tells the story of a young couple who become trapped in a remote town in Nebraska where a dangerous religious cult of children believe that everyone over the age of 18 must die.  This film is a chilling, yet extreme, representation of religious fanaticism and hardcore cultism and a must-see for any true horror fan.

Children of the Corn marked the directorial debut of Fritz Kiersch.  However, his career never really took off.  He spent the next few decades directing B-movies such as The Stranger and The Hunt.  This also marked another first, as this was George Goldsmith's first adapted screenplay.  And just like Kiersch, his career went nowhere, with his last screenplay being written almost 20 years ago.  The cast, on the other hand, had better luck.

Starring in this film as the not-so-lucky couple who stumbles into the wrong town are Peter Horton (thirtysomething) and Linda Hamilton in her final starring role before taking on The Terminator as the infamous Sarah Conner.  Now, neither of these actors gave award-winning performances, but they were able to work off of one another well enough to be a believable, average couple.  My favorite performance, however, was given by the cult leader, Isaac, played by John Franklin.  He's creepy and menacing, and for someone who looks like a child, truly invokes a sense of fear.

Being one of my favorite Stephen King movies, I had to try extra hard not to be bias, because no matter how much I love this film, it definitely has it's flaws.  Scattered with some less-than-great acting, stretched-out scenes, and cartoony special effects, the average movie watcher may not be able to appreciate its greatness, but from the wonderfully shot opening slaughter to the final battle with Isaac and "He Who Walks Behind The Rows", Children of the Corn is a film that everyone should see at least once in their lifetime.

Josh's Rating:  8.5/10