DVD Reviews

Children Of The Corn (2009)

If you think back to the original Children Of The Corn (now unbelievably 25 years old), one wouldn’t really think there was a need to remake it.  It was a small film, but nonetheless gained some cult horror success after its release, after all it spawned several wretched sequels.  Based on a short story by none other than author Stephen King in his “Night Shift” collection, Corn is the story of a married couple who travel through the town of Gatlin, Nebraska, only to find that the adults have been wiped out by their offspring.  Under the guidance of Issac, a boy preacher who spews his religious orders from an unseen god, all the kids have turned into extremists and zealots.  Sure, the original was a pretty bad movie, but it nonetheless maintained a creepy allure that made it memorable.  Why go back to the well again?

Well, for starters, this new version of Corn is a slightly different animal than it’s predecessor.  The original producer of Corn back in the 80’s, Donal P. Borchers, realized over time that the film they churned out was ultimately a compromise, and that they had made the wrong creative decisions in order to please the masses (like having a happy ending).  Now serving as the writer and director of this remake (intended for a TV release, not theatrical like the original), Borchers works off a version of the script that was drafted by King for the original film, and fulfills a vision that is more in-line with the short story.  The major difference is within the traveling couple, Burt (Heroes’s David Anders) and Vicky (Battlestar Galactica’s Kandyse McClure), who instead of being newlyweds in love with one another, are volatile spouses who can’t wait to be rid of each other.  This change-up alters character’s fates, and ultimately the resolution at the end of the story.

Even though the time-setting in the piece is the same, clearly this version of Corn is a little glossy.  But in discovering that it’s also a cheap production, makes it feel like an honorable remake.  One aspect that I thought makes this version stronger, is more answers and development as it pertains to the children and their ways/beliefs.  This film goes into more detail about how they live, when they are scheduled to die, and holds nothing back about what ritual they engage in to re-produce their numbers (something I’m sure the televised version goes easy on, but here on DVD it’s uncut and uncensored).  With that said, this remake is unquestionably edgier, but still isn’t that great a flick.

Visually, the image presented is pretty good.  Good lighting and settings produce a respectable amount of detail and color.  The sound is a credible 5.1 mix, but it seems at times too powerfully overbearing on the front end.  Corn comes with a long feature called “Rough Cuts” which is broken up into four parts to make it easier with selection.  The first one, New Directions focuses on Donald P. Borchers and his story of why he decided to remake the film (citing a discontented Stephen King during an interview about the original).  Cast Of The Corn interviews the primary actors of the movie, and what they’re thoughts are on the classic version as opposed to the new one, as well as their experiences on set.  To Live And Die In Gatlin takes a look at Production Design and Special Make-Up FX through interviews with the Designers for both.  Fly On The Wall is perhaps the driest feature, showing random footage of shooting days on the set with cast and crew.

If you know anything about Stephen King, then you’re probably aware that many movies based on his work were ultimately less to his liking.  The best example of this was “The Shining” which was originally adapted by Stanley Kubrick in the 80’s, and remade by King (who hated Kubrick’s version) and director Mick Garris in the 90’s.  It’s a similar case here, but you find out during Borchers feature that King wanted nothing to do with the new effort.  Borchers claims he hopes King can look upon this film and be prouder of the result.  He may never know that answer, but as a King fan I can definitely say that Children Of The Corn is a lackluster film in both decades, just stick with the short story.

 Review By Ryan Young