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
- Writers
- Stars
- Awards
- 1 win & 3 nominations total
AnneMarie McEvoy
- Sarah
- (as Anne Marie McEvoy)
Mitch Carter
- Radio Preacher
- (voice)
- Director
- Writers
- All cast & crew
- Production, box office & more at IMDbPro
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Featured reviews
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.
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.
Spooky, thought-evoking revelation into the dark world of the occult.
I saw this film sitting on my Dad's lap when I was about seven years old. (I was a horror film fanatic from a very early age on.) We used to sit up watching late night scary movies while my Mom went to her ceramics classes.
Dad and I loved this movie. There is no sex or nudity in this film. Even though the images are pretty graphic, if your older children are mature enough to handle a little fright, this should be okay for them. Besides, since the children are the "bad guys", your kids should be pretty happy!!
My favorite actors in the film are the two star children (Joby and Sarah). They really make the film eerie with their innocence and sadness over losing their families. Malachi would be the scariest character. Even the way the other children in the movie gasp when they hear his name makes me shudder. I would not want to face him either!! Another aspect that makes this film so scary is the music. The director adds clips at just the right moments but doesn't forget to leave ample silence. There is nothing greater to add to the suspense than a good dose of silent screen. Then all your senses get a jolt at once when the big horror scene comes alive.
The most suspenseful scene is when the boy stumbles out onto the highway clutching his sliced throat. It's a real hair raiser!! But, without revealing too much, I guess I will close by saying that this is by far one of the best horror films I have ever seen. A little strange, but, then again, this IS a Stephen King film. Need I say more??
Dad and I loved this movie. There is no sex or nudity in this film. Even though the images are pretty graphic, if your older children are mature enough to handle a little fright, this should be okay for them. Besides, since the children are the "bad guys", your kids should be pretty happy!!
My favorite actors in the film are the two star children (Joby and Sarah). They really make the film eerie with their innocence and sadness over losing their families. Malachi would be the scariest character. Even the way the other children in the movie gasp when they hear his name makes me shudder. I would not want to face him either!! Another aspect that makes this film so scary is the music. The director adds clips at just the right moments but doesn't forget to leave ample silence. There is nothing greater to add to the suspense than a good dose of silent screen. Then all your senses get a jolt at once when the big horror scene comes alive.
The most suspenseful scene is when the boy stumbles out onto the highway clutching his sliced throat. It's a real hair raiser!! But, without revealing too much, I guess I will close by saying that this is by far one of the best horror films I have ever seen. A little strange, but, then again, this IS a Stephen King film. Need I say more??
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
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
Ya Got Trouble, Right Here In Gatlin City
Maybe if those kids in Gatlin, Nebraska had gotten a visit from Professor Harold Hill and a boys band out of it, maybe they might not have killed all their parents. This Stephen King view of the mid-west sure makes one nostalgic for The Music Man.
It's one strange place that married couple Peter Horton and Linda Hamilton have come on their cross country journey. It reminded me of driving through Pennsylvania and the Amish country where you cannot get off the Pennsylvania Turnpike for ages, but on either side of the roads, nothing but woods and on the overpasses, Amish carts.
Here it's nothing but corn and when Peter Horton thinks he's hit a child on the road he goes for help and there's none. The town has been taken over by the devil himself working his evil through a young child preacher played by John Franklin. All the adults have been killed and the children are his disciples.
Of course some of the older ones are reaching puberty and the guy who was the high school bully Courtney Gains chafes under Franklin's leadership. He tries a palace coup d'etat, something along the lines of what old Lucifer himself did in heaven and everybody pays.
Children of the Corn is a good adaption of the Stephen King novel, it will please his legion of fans and maybe convert a few others.
It's one strange place that married couple Peter Horton and Linda Hamilton have come on their cross country journey. It reminded me of driving through Pennsylvania and the Amish country where you cannot get off the Pennsylvania Turnpike for ages, but on either side of the roads, nothing but woods and on the overpasses, Amish carts.
Here it's nothing but corn and when Peter Horton thinks he's hit a child on the road he goes for help and there's none. The town has been taken over by the devil himself working his evil through a young child preacher played by John Franklin. All the adults have been killed and the children are his disciples.
Of course some of the older ones are reaching puberty and the guy who was the high school bully Courtney Gains chafes under Franklin's leadership. He tries a palace coup d'etat, something along the lines of what old Lucifer himself did in heaven and everybody pays.
Children of the Corn is a good adaption of the Stephen King novel, it will please his legion of fans and maybe convert a few others.
"Outlander!"
Children of the Corn is a classic example of a movie that was much more frightening when I was a kid. Now I suppose it pales in comparison to the better horror flicks I've seen. It's still not a bad genre flick and I recommend seeing it. Children of the Corn has its moments. Isaac and Malachai are still creepy looking cats (both played effectively by John Franklin and Courtney Gains). The musical score with the children chanting is an eerie effect too. The café scene and the accidental hit and run are the standouts of the movie, it's pretty grisly stuff. The rest is a bit mediocre. Peter Horton and Linda Hamilton are pretty good as the young couple trying to escape the murderous children. And an appearance by R.G. Armstrong is never a bad thing. The movie is a "loose" adaption of a Stephen King short story, but the sequels are just absolutely King rapes. So do not bother with those.
Did you know
- TriviaOn 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.
- GoofsIn 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.
- Alternate versionsThe 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.
- ConnectionsEdited into Children of the Corn III: Urban Harvest (1995)
- SoundtracksSchool is Out
Performed by Linda Hamilton (uncredited)
Courtesy of Frank Guida / Rockmasters/ International Network
Details
Box office
- 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
- Runtime
- 1h 32m(92 min)
- Color
- Sound mix
- Aspect ratio
- 1.85 : 1
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