Children of the Corn (Blu-ray)
Reviewed by Uncle Creepy
Starring Peter Horton, Linda Hamilton, R.G. Armstrong, John Franklin, Courtney Gains
Directed by Fritz Kiersch
Distributed by Anchor Bay Entertainment
I’m probably gonna get a bit of shit for this, but aside from nostalgia’s sake I honestly do not get all the love for this film or how it has managed to spawn what seem like countless sequels.
For those not playing along or for newbies who are wondering what the fuss is all about, Children of the Corn is based upon the far better Stephen King tale of a small town whose children decide to off their parents in favor of taking orders from an Amish version of Damien Thorne, Rag from Hardbodies and the infamous “he who walks behind the rows”.
There’s not a lot of violence nor a lot of acting demonstrated on anyone’s part, and the direction is as uneven as it comes. For every single thing director Fritz Kiersch does well and creepy, there’s a dull and inane counterpoint waiting to bore us to death until things pick up again. This makes for an inconsistent experience that barely reaches the middle of the road point between one and five. Still, the film has a fanbase, and if you have the tech, this 25th Anniversary Edition (has it really been that long? *shudder*) is without question the one to own.
Reason number one: the picture quality. Anchor Bay continues its tradition of remastering excellence with this release. Every shred of corn-loving goodness is presented here in startling detail. Colors are bright, depth of detail is considerable, and the blacks are ever so deep. I’ve seen this movie more than my fair share of times (sometimes against my will), but I have never seen it like this. The Children of the Corn is a testament to how good a film can look when there’s a bit of hard work and love involved.
Reason number two: the sound. The Dolby TrueHD 5.1 track may be even better than the film transfer itself. You’re gonna have sound jumping out of every corner of your home theatre system. Really, really cool.
Reason number three: the plentiful amount of extras. Michael Felsher’s Red Shirt Pictures once again goes above and beyond by delivering three new featurettes (about forty minutes worth), all shot in beautiful HD, in addition to the vintage supplemental features that have been around for the last several years. While every new featurette is good, the highlight here is easily “It Was The Eighties!, in which Linda Hamilton talks about working on the film and offers some great behind-the-scenes stories about the cast and crew. It’s all good stuff, and if you ask me, it’s better than this flick deserves.
So there you have it, kids. Another trip down another mediocre road but presented in a way that makes it hard not to admire. Bravo, Anchor Bay. You’ve done it again.
Special Features
2 1/2 out of 5
Special Features:
4 1/2 out of 5
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