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Children of the Corn

  • 1984
  • R
  • 1h 32m
IMDb RATING
5.6/10
62K
YOUR RATING
Children of the Corn (1984)
Trailer for this adult nightmare
Play trailer1:17
2 Videos
99+ Photos
Folk HorrorSlasher HorrorHorrorThriller

A young couple is trapped in a remote town where a dangerous religious cult of children believes that everyone over age 18 must be killed.A young couple is trapped in a remote town where a dangerous religious cult of children believes that everyone over age 18 must be killed.A young couple is trapped in a remote town where a dangerous religious cult of children believes that everyone over age 18 must be killed.

  • Director
    • Fritz Kiersch
  • Writers
    • Stephen King
    • George Goldsmith
  • Stars
    • Peter Horton
    • Linda Hamilton
    • R.G. Armstrong
  • See production info at IMDbPro
  • IMDb RATING
    5.6/10
    62K
    YOUR RATING
    • Director
      • Fritz Kiersch
    • Writers
      • Stephen King
      • George Goldsmith
    • Stars
      • Peter Horton
      • Linda Hamilton
      • R.G. Armstrong
    • 321User reviews
    • 173Critic reviews
    • 45Metascore
  • See production info at IMDbPro
    • Awards
      • 1 win & 3 nominations total

    Videos2

    Children of the Corn (1984)
    Trailer 1:17
    Children of the Corn (1984)
    Jane Levy of "Castle Rock" Is Bringing Pennywise to Your Next Party
    Video 1:48
    Jane Levy of "Castle Rock" Is Bringing Pennywise to Your Next Party
    Jane Levy of "Castle Rock" Is Bringing Pennywise to Your Next Party
    Video 1:48
    Jane Levy of "Castle Rock" Is Bringing Pennywise to Your Next Party

    Photos262

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    Top Cast20

    Edit
    Peter Horton
    Peter Horton
    • Burt
    Linda Hamilton
    Linda Hamilton
    • Vicky
    R.G. Armstrong
    R.G. Armstrong
    • Diehl
    John Franklin
    John Franklin
    • Isaac
    Courtney Gains
    Courtney Gains
    • Malachai
    Robby Kiger
    • Job
    AnneMarie McEvoy
    • Sarah
    • (as Anne Marie McEvoy)
    Julie Maddalena
    Julie Maddalena
    • Rachel
    Jonas Marlowe
    • Joseph
    John Philbin
    John Philbin
    • Amos
    Dan Snook
    • Boy
    David Cowen
    • Dad
    Suzy Southam
    • Mom
    D.G. Johnson
    D.G. Johnson
    • Mr. Hansen
    Patrick Boylan
    • Hansen's Customer
    Elmer Soderstrom
    • Hansen's Customer
    Teresa Toigo
    • Hansen's Customer
    Mitch Carter
    Mitch Carter
    • Radio Preacher
    • (voice)
    • Director
      • Fritz Kiersch
    • Writers
      • Stephen King
      • George Goldsmith
    • All cast & crew
    • Production, box office & more at IMDbPro

    User reviews321

    5.661.9K
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    10

    Featured reviews

    7veryape-887-913905

    An adult nightmare.

    Children of the corn is a 1984 film based on the short story by Stephen King. The story is that a couple who go to Gatlin, Nebraska find themselves in a living nightmare as they are hunted by a cult of children who have been taught by their "preacher" Isaac that everybody over the age of 18 must be killed.

    This film starred: Peter Horton, Linda Hamilton & John Franklin

    In my opinion this is an entertaining film and doesn't deserve all the stick it gets, it isn't great by any means however it's a good film too watch when your bored also a good film to watch with your friends on a night in. I do recommend this film if you have read the short story or if you are a Stephen King fan also to all you 80's cult fans.

    ***/***** Good film.
    6TheOtherFool

    Pretty cool

    Maybe not so scary, but pretty cool horror movie after the short story written by Stephen King.

    The children of Gatlin, under the influence of 'priest' Isaac, kill all their parents as it is the wish of the Lord who apparently lives in the corn. 3 years later a couple (Peter Horton and Linda -Terminator- Hamilton) are stranded in that same place. The kids, led by Isaac and his first man Malachai, set up a plan to sacrifice them to their God.

    The movie gets a great start with the children killing their parents, after that it isn't much horror but more of a suspence movie. You got to see this only for the Malachai kid. Great casting!

    6/10.
    richard-wheeler

    This movie was bloody scary!!

    After going through the Stephen King's movies, like Pet Sematary, Christine, Salem's Lot, Carrie, It, The Grave Yard Shift, Thinner, The Shining, Needful Things,Fire Starter, all that stuff! Now, I found Children of the Corn!

    This movie had some sick parts, like with the kids sliced up body was found dumped in the road! YUK!!!

    Isaac ( John Franklin) was SO creepy how the way he stared! I feel so sorry for the kids in this movie because, they are being controlled by some possessed kid!

    I own this movie on video, at home because, I love scary movies, especially Stephen King's films!

    Give this gory film 8/10
    8Fella_shibby

    Atmospheric n surrealistic. A bit outdated but much better than In The Tall Grass.

    I first saw this in the late 80s on a vhs. Revisited it recently.

    I found the film very atmospheric n surrealistic during the 80s.

    The movie hasn't aged well, specially the lousy effects n lousy climax. Rather than showing the lousy entity, they shud have left it ambiguous.

    One of the best part is that almost the entire film is shot in broad daylight, a thing getting rarer in today's horror films. Today's horror films r laden with shaky cam, flickering lights stuff.

    One thing the series is noteworthy is for the new faces which later got much recognized.

    This one is Linda Hamilton's second film.

    The plot ain't original n never utilized properly. For more creepy n sinister kids, one shud check out Who Can Kill a Child?

    Now lets start the marathon of the entire franchise.
    Jack the Ripper1888

    Classic Classic

    Of course, horror movies are usually not scary. I have an extremely high tolerance for 'scary' movies, and I am usually not scared quite so easily. The most recent film to make me shiver with fear was WHAT LIES BENEATH and I saw that quite some time ago. CHILDREN OF THE CORN, did not really scare me, however, it did have a very good shock factor. It made me jump once or twice and I was generally enthralled with the story.

    Having not read the Stephen King short story (I can't find a copy of the book) I found this film to be wholly original and terrifying in the film's idea. I just watched this movie for the first time last night, which is really something because I have already seen most of the classic horror films that people say are really good. CHILDREN OF THE CORN is probably one of the last really *good* horror films of the early 1980s that I have just seen.

    I thought the film's ideas were creepy and the execution is done wonderfully. You will never eat corn the same way again. CHILDREN OF THE CORN gets 4/5.

    More like this

    Children of the Corn II: The Final Sacrifice
    4.4
    Children of the Corn II: The Final Sacrifice
    Children of the Corn III: Urban Harvest
    4.3
    Children of the Corn III: Urban Harvest
    Pet Sematary
    6.5
    Pet Sematary
    Cujo
    6.1
    Cujo
    Firestarter
    6.1
    Firestarter
    Children of the Corn IV: The Gathering
    4.3
    Children of the Corn IV: The Gathering
    Children of the Corn V: Fields of Terror
    3.9
    Children of the Corn V: Fields of Terror
    Silver Bullet
    6.4
    Silver Bullet
    Christine
    6.8
    Christine
    Creepshow
    6.8
    Creepshow
    Children of the Corn
    3.8
    Children of the Corn
    Cat's Eye
    6.3
    Cat's Eye

    Related interests

    Florence Pugh in Midsommar (2019)
    Folk Horror
    Roger Jackson in Scream (1996)
    Slasher Horror
    Mia Farrow in Rosemary's Baby (1968)
    Horror
    Cho Yeo-jeong in Parasite (2019)
    Thriller

    Storyline

    Edit

    Did you know

    Edit
    • Trivia
      On the dashboard of Burt and Vicki's car is a copy of "Night Shift", the Stephen King short story collection in which "Children of the Corn" originally appeared.
    • Goofs
      In the beginning of the film, the children kill the adults. This is followed by the opening credits. When the credits end, we are introduced to Burt and Vicki at their motel and told it's three years later. When Burt and Vicki arrive in Gatlin and encounter the children, none of them seem to have aged four years.
    • Quotes

      Burt: Any religion without love and compassion is false! It's a lie!

    • Alternate versions
      The director's initial cut was much longer than the version that eventually made it to theaters and video. Among the missing footage:
      • A longer prologue where several other adults are killed on-camera, most noticeably a police deputy at the local police station whose throat is slashed and then stabbed in the chest, and a farmer who is hacked to death outside his barn by a group of pick-ax wielding teen kids.
      • A scene between Sarah and Job's parents before the slaughter. They talk over the breakfast table about Sarah's drawings of the upcoming massacre and how they think something awful is about to happen.
      • A scene where Isaac prays to He Who Walks Behind The Rows only to receive a horrific vision of his impending fate.
    • Connections
      Edited into Children of the Corn III: Urban Harvest (1995)
    • Soundtracks
      School is Out
      Performed by Linda Hamilton (uncredited)

      Courtesy of Frank Guida / Rockmasters/ International Network

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    FAQ25

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    Details

    Edit
    • Release date
      • March 9, 1984 (United States)
    • Country of origin
      • United States
    • Language
      • English
    • Also known as
      • Los niños del maíz
    • Filming locations
      • Sioux City, Iowa, USA
    • Production companies
      • Hal Roach Studios
      • New World Pictures
      • Angeles Entertainment Group
    • See more company credits at IMDbPro

    Box office

    Edit
    • Budget
      • $800,000 (estimated)
    • Gross US & Canada
      • $14,568,989
    • Opening weekend US & Canada
      • $2,042,821
      • Mar 11, 1984
    • Gross worldwide
      • $14,568,989
    See detailed box office info on IMDbPro

    Tech specs

    Edit
    • Runtime
      • 1h 32m(92 min)
    • Color
      • Color
    • Sound mix
      • Dolby Digital
    • Aspect ratio
      • 1.85 : 1

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