The 90’s are often overlooked when it comes to horror franchises. Most people tend to romanticize the slashers and creature features from the 80’s when they reminisce about the scary films that call to them the most.
So it’s no surprise that 1999’s installment in the Children of the Corn franchise rarely comes up in discussion. Kari Skogland was tasked with making the first franchise sequel that bothered to try to expand upon the lore established in the very first film. Unfortunately, this led to Children of the Corn 666: Isaac’s Return.
Let’s start with the benefits. This straight-to-video sequel is the first to feature John Franklin as Isaac Chroner since he first appeared in the original 1984 film. Stacy Keach, who I will always see as Christopher’s father in the FOX sitcom ‘Titus’, brings personality to his role as an otherwise forgettable small town practitioner, Dr. Michaels.
Dimension Film’s straight-to-video attempt was pitched to Kari Skogland who, despite not being a fan of horror herself, opted to take on the project as a personal challenge. Utilizing camera tricks instead of CG or post-production special effects, and two corn fields in LA to take on the appearance of rural Nebraska, Skogland set out to direct a story by writers Tim Sulka and Isaac himself, John Franklin. The story follows Hannah Martin, played by Natalie Ramsey, as she returns to the town of Gatlin, Nebraska to find answers from her past. Upon her arrival she picks up a mysteriously vanishing hitchhiker, is taken by a local cop to be checked out at their hospital where mental patients seem to roam free, and gets romantically entangled with Isaac’s 19 year old son. If this sounds a bit chaotic, I assure you that it is.
The first act of the film feels like footage from a low budget haunted house attraction. When Hannah reaches the hospital, not only are background actors running around like wasted jump scare fuel, but random items are strewn about including, but not limited to, the likes of a cliché baby doll. When Hannah begins to explore the doctor’s office for clues, she naturally comes across an animal fetus preserved in a jar. Basically, if it’s “spooky”, the hospital has it.
The second act depends heavily upon the cornfields themselves, with a lot of the film’s plot revolving around discussions Hannah has with locals after crashing her car into the corn. This happens more than once, meaning Kari Skogland really got her mileage out of what she had to work with. This is Children of the Corn after all, so I have to let this slide. But once you realize it’s two locations and not a small county somewhere, it becomes obvious. The road used to get into town is the same Hannah uses to get across town.Which could have been fantastic if it had been woven into the story like Rachel Talalay did in Freddy’s Dead when the teens tried to escape Springwood only to find that all the roads led back to the center of town. Alas, she didn’t. These roads through the corn are simply there for the sake of showing off the corn itself.
Speaking of the teenagers of Elm. Street, that’s another issue I have with Children of the Corn 666: Isaac’s Revenge. A more accurate title would have been Teens and Young Adults of the Corn. While children are occasionally seen in the cornfields chanting their creepy little lines, every antagonist would be tried as an adult if their actions ever had legal repercussions. No children are seen committing a kill in this film, which is the very draw to the franchise itself, and a low bar to cross.
By the time the final act rolls around, any resemblance to the original film hinges solely on Isaac’s presence. With the story focusing more on a vague prophecy than the fear of getting slaughtered by small town youth. Isaac’s son and Hannah meet, distrust one another, and then have sex… All for the sake of the film ending with Hannah pregnant with what may or may not be the offspring of some paranormal entity.
I hate to say this but there are no memorable deaths, no moments that make the film stand out, and no real reason to explore this entry. I found myself waiting for a worthwhile climax only to wind up asking, “Wait, it’s over?” The 82 minute run time somehow felt both too long and too short. The film is a slog to get through, yet the story somehow needed more time to cook. I find myself wondering why it even got made for any reason other than keeping the film rights going over at Dimension Films, who promptly ignored the events of this film when they released another sequel the following year.
Kari Skogland did what she could with minimal locations to shoot in, and source material that was given to her by an actor who really wanted to see the franchise go in a new direction. Sadly, that new direction fell flat and justifiably gained an abysmal 0% Rotten Tomato score years later. However, Kari would later return to horror for episodes of Penny Dreadful, The Walking Dead, and Fear the Walking Dead. In recent years, she’s leaned into working on hit shows like The Handmaid’s Tale, Punisher, and The Falcon & Winter Soldier. The last of which she directed every episode for. All of these projects reviewed better than Isaac’s Return. Avoid this passable entry at all costs… But look for Kari Skogland’s work elsewhere to see where she shines best.