{"id":28066,"date":"2018-05-11T19:37:37","date_gmt":"2018-05-11T23:37:37","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/cinema-crazed.com\/blog\/?p=28066"},"modified":"2018-05-11T20:08:38","modified_gmt":"2018-05-12T00:08:38","slug":"children-of-the-corn-1984-special-edition-blu-ray","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.cinema-crazed.com\/blog\/2018\/05\/11\/children-of-the-corn-1984-special-edition-blu-ray\/","title":{"rendered":"Children of the Corn (1984): Special Edition [Blu-Ray]"},"content":{"rendered":"

\"\"<\/a>It\u2019s surprising for such an iconic author that Stephen King\u2019s tales are so tough to bring to the big screen. I don\u2019t know why \u201cChildren of the Corn\u201d has managed to become something of a semi-classic since 1984 because the only scary thing about it is how boring it is. \u201cChildren of the Corn\u201d has been a baffling horror presence since 1984, garnering a whole series of movies, including a remake, and sequels to the remake. There\u2019s even been a new film in 2018.<\/p>\n

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\u201cChildren of the Corn\u201d moves at a sluggish pace, has about some of the worst performances I\u2019ve ever seen from child actors in a film bar none. I\u2019ve seen better iterations of this formula in other films, with a much better sense of tension and plausibility. Seriously, go watch the original \u201cVillage of the Damned,\u201d or \u201cWho Can Kill a Child?\u201d That\u2019s how it\u2019s done. Peter Horton and Linda Hamilton play a doctors who decide to drive across the Midwest for Horton\u2019s character Burt can start a new job. Their trip comes to an end when they accidentally run over a refugee from a small town nearby on the road. \u00a0In an attempt to contact authorities, they go to the small town (with the body in the trunk, mind you), and learn that the entire town has been consumed by maze of corn.<\/p>\n

Even worse, the town\u2019s adults have been murdered with it now being ruled by two painfully obnoxious and shrill young boys, both of whom are fighting for rule. I\u2019m assuming this town is just right off the map in to nowhere land, because apparently no one ever travels there, there are no tourists, no one knows anyone outside the town, and the kids never think to close everything off to keep intruders away. Like a lot of King stories, the narrative here just lacks logic and common sense. We\u2019re supposed to believe in the prologue that everyone in town commutes to this one restaurant allowing the kids to slay the adults without breaking a sweat, but no one tries to contact anyone on the inside?<\/p>\n

What about mail and deliveries? What about other stranded travelers? For what\u2019s required Hamilton and Horton do a solid job in their performances, they\u2019re just brought down by really bad child actors, and a premise that\u2019s bereft of tension or suspense. All the Christ allegories, and pseudo-biblical nonsense is so uninteresting that by the time you make it to the climax, you won\u2019t care who is behind the rows.<\/p>\n

Arrow Video gives \u201cChildren of the Corn\u201d a lot of TLC with extras from previous releases attached with some new ones. There\u2019s an Audio Commentary with director Fritz Kiersch, producer Terrence Kirby and actors John Franklin and Courtney Gains, and an older audio commentary with horror journalist Justin Beahm and Children of the Corn historian John Sullivan. \u201cHarvesting Horror\u201d is a thirty six minute retrospective from Anchor Bay with some fine interviews with the cast and crew. \u201cIt was the Eighties!\u201d is a fourteen minute Anchor Bay produced segment with a very good interview with star Linda Hamilton who seems regretful about starring.<\/p>\n

\u201c. .. And a Child Shall Lead Them\u201d is a previously released fifty minute segment with Julie Maddalena and John Philbin. \u201cField of Nightmares\u201d is a previously released segment clocking in at seventeen minutes featuring an interview with writer George Goldsmith. \u201cStephen King on a Shoestring\u201d is an eleven minute interview with producer Donald P. Borchers, while \u201cWelcome to Gatlin\u201d is a fifteen minute bit of interviews with production designer Craig Stearns and composer Jonathan Elias. \u201cReturn to Gatlin\u201d is a previously released segment with John Sullivan hosting a tour of filming locations. The previously released \u201cCut from the Cornfield\u201d features actor Rich Kleinberg discussing a mythical lost scene from the movie. There\u2019s a storyboard gallery, the original trailer, and \u201cDisciples of the Crow\u201d a previously released short film adaptation of \u201cChildren of the Corn\u201d that predates the film by a year. Among the supplements not on the disc is a reversible cover, a poster, and the usual exhaustively detailed insert booklet.
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