6.2 | / 10 |
Users | 3.8 | |
Reviewer | 3.0 | |
Overall | 3.5 |
A young couple is trapped in a remote town where a dangerous religious cult of children believe everyone over the age of 18 must be killed.
Starring: Peter Horton, Linda Hamilton, R.G. Armstrong, John Franklin (I), Courtney GainsHorror | 100% |
Thriller | 32% |
Video codec: MPEG-4 AVC
Video resolution: 1080p
Aspect ratio: 1.85:1
Original aspect ratio: 1.85:1
English: Dolby TrueHD 5.1 (48kHz, 24-bit)
English SDH, Spanish
50GB Blu-ray Disc
Single disc (1 BD)
Region free
Movie | 2.5 | |
Video | 3.5 | |
Audio | 3.0 | |
Extras | 3.0 | |
Overall | 3.0 |
He who walks behind the rows seeth all.
Yet another film adaptation of a Stephen King horror yarn, Children of the Corn plays out
with the intensity of a high school basketball game. A Horror picture but not one that is
necessarily
up to the standards that define the very best the genre has to offer, Children of the Corn
never manages to put it all together and move up to the big time. All the right pieces are in
place,
including a good story, decent enough acting, solid direction, and the Stephen King connection
sure
to sell a few more tickets (or in this case, Blu-ray discs), but like that high school matchup, the
level
of play and talent on the court just can't compete with the professionals. That's fine, because
there's
a place in cinema for all sorts of releases of varying quality, from the Oscar winner to the
direct-to-video bore. Children of the
Corn falls somewhere in a very happy middle ground. It never embarrasses itself, playing
out
as a fine all-around picture that squeezes enough terror, emotion, intrigue, and drama out of its
unusual and unsettling story to keep up interest, but despite a good premise, the film never
moves
past the expected twists and turns and never strays from the well-beaten path that has seen
many
a picture -- some better, some worse -- tread its weary dirt.
Because I can point at the cross, I'm qualified to be your leader!
Children of the Corn slices onto Blu-ray with a 1080p transfer framed inside a 1.85:1 window. For the most part, this is a fine looking catalogue title. The majority of the transfer takes on a clean, clear, sharp, nicely detailed, and naturally-colored appearance. Detail can impress throughout; the corn stalks reveal a wonderful texture, not to mention appearing as a natural and pleasant shade of green. Some of the run-down locales around Gatlin where weather-worn and rotted wood, chipping paint, and other unkempt places and objects also more often than not deliver an impressive visual presentation that brings the town to life. Still, the occasional scene takes on a hazy, undefined, noisy, drab, and soft appearance. For example, a scene featuring Sarah and Job playing Monopoly in chapter five looks rather good, but a cutaway shot to Malachai takes a noticeable downturn in quality. Children of the Corn also features grain throughout, though it does spike at times and the heavier field often accompanies the lesser-quality shots. The transfer also features print anomalies that creep up on occasion -- speckles, dirt, noise, and a few random lines hinder a few shots -- but generally, the transfer is free of major deficiencies. Blacks sometimes tend to drown out details but never appear too bright, and flesh tones remain consistent throughout. Though not a perfect transfer, this mid-1980's Horror movie looks rather good on Blu-ray.
Children of the Corn premieres on Blu-ray with a lossless Dolby TrueHD 5.1 soundtrack. Jonathan Elias' score plays nicely throughout, a front-heavy presentation but one that is clear and pleasing to the ear in every respect. Directional effects are present but not in abundance; a car driving from right to left is about the extent of speaker-to-speaker action in this one. In fact, most of the track never strays very far from the center channel, and the back speakers rarely deliver any content. Sound effects aren't bad, but play as somewhat disappointing. A blowing wind and the rustling of corn don't do much outside of delivering the basic sonic reproduction of such occurrences, while other sounds, like that of a barking dog, play almost as if they were canned and detached from the rest of the track. The film's finale, which features plenty of sonic activity, plays adequately in volume and delivers a bit of an atmosphere and, combined with some rear-channel activity, creates a fair sense of immersion. These final minutes, and a few other scattered moments throughout the movie, deliver a subtle rumble of bass, but nothing to compete with even the more mundane Horror or Action movie Blu-ray soundtracks. Nevertheless, this film is primarily dialogue- and music-driven, and each of those presentations is certainly adequate. The remainder of the track conveys the information required of it but without much in the way of the crystal-clear clarity or the uncanny realism that define the very best soundtracks.
This Blu-ray release of Children of the Corn features several bonus features. First is a feature-length commentary track with Director Fritz Kiersch, Producer Terrence Kirby, and Actors John Franklin and Courtney Gains. This track plays out as an average multi-participant piece with plenty of minor, major, and comical recollections from the set, discussions on the sets and locations, problems with the corn, the set-up of plot and thematic themes, the film's success, and more. A passable commentary, the film's longtime fans will likely enjoy it enough to warrant a listen. Next up is Fast Film Facts, a pop-up trivia track that appears intermittently and reveals some additional behind-the-scenes tidbits. Also included are four featurettes. Welcome to Gatlin: The Sights & Sounds of 'Children of the Corn' (1080i, 15:28) is a retrospective piece with Production Designer Craig Stearns that looks at the challenges of creating a "good story" in the context of the religious overtones, the shooting locations, set design, and the joys and challenges in creating a Horror film. The final minutes of this piece feature Composer Jonathan Elias speaking on his score. It Was the Eighties! (1080i, 14:09) features actress Linda Hamilton recounting her experiences in making the film, speaking of the performances of the other primary cast members, and theorizing on the film's staying power. Stephen King on a Shoestring (1080i, 11:20) looks at the process of bringing King's story to the big screen with Producer Donald P. Borchers. Harvesting Horror" 'Children of the Corn' (480p, 36:14) is another retrospective piece that features Director Fritz Kiersch and cast members John Franklin and Courtney Gains speaking on a broad range of topics that cover most of the film. Also included is the film's theatrical trailer (1080p, 1:27), three still galleries (Poster & Still Art, Original Storyboard Art, and Original Title Sequence Art), and BD-Live (Blu-ray profile 2.0) functionality.
Although Children of the Corn turns into a standard chase movie in its third act, it keeps up a good pace and delivers a suitable finale to an otherwise average Horror picture. From the mind of genre maestro Stephen King, Children of the Corn features a compelling story that translates to the silver screen with only ho-hum execution. Not a bad movie either within its genre or in the whole of cinema but certainly not an all-time classic, the film enjoys something of a cult following and, in the great tradition of the Horror genre, has been followed by several sequels, most of which have gone straight to video. "The original that started it all" is now on Blu-ray with uninspiring but not terrible results. Featuring a decent 1080p image, a bland but effective lossless soundtrack, and a nice collection of bonus materials, genre fans should be pleased with this release from Starz.
1984
Remastered
1984
1984
Remastered | Reissue
1984
1984
Unrated Director's Cut
2010
1995
Unrated Theatrical and Rated Versions
2013
Collector's Edition
1978
Collector's Edition
1981
Unrated Director's Cut
2009
1987
1982
Unrated Director's Cut
2006
2017
2015
1987
2003
Original Unrated Cut
2005
2016
30th Anniversary Edition | Includes "Terror in the Aisles"
1981
[•REC]⁴: Apocalypse / [•REC]⁴: Apocalipsis
2014
Collector's Edition
1988
1981
2012