CHILDREN OF THE CORN

US, 2020, 93 minutes, Colour.

Elena Kampouris, Kate Moyer, Callan Mulvey, Bruce Spence, Stephen Hunter, Jayden McGinley, Andrew S.Gilbert.

Directed by Kurt Wimmer.

The first version of Children of the Corn was made in 1984, at the time when so many adaptations of Stephen King’s stories were being made, successfully so. And, this has continued in the succeeding decades, for cinema and television.

This is a rather slight Stephen King story. It has been written and directed by Kurt Wimmer, best known for writing action screenplays rather than for directing.

In some ways, this is an old-fashioned horror film, the setting up of the atmosphere of the cornfields and a strange presence, the threat to the cornfields by so much industrialisation and pesticides, the creation of a cornfields’ monster. And, there is the portrait of the small town in Nebraska, the glimpses of the adults, dealing with the destruction of the corn. But, more, there is the portrait of the children, seemingly possessed by the power in the corn.

This film was filmed in New South Wales, farm and town locations, and several of the cast, the adult males, Australian character actors, Bruce Spence, Callum Mulvey, Andrew S.Gilbert.

Top billing is given to Elena Kampouris s Bo (the daughter in the My Big Fat Greek Wedding sequels), who is meant to be a character of commonsense, enterprise, offering advice to the adults, mediating with the malevolent leader of the children. She is played, frighteningly effectively by Kate Moyer. One difficulty with the atmosphere of the film is the director’s decision to give so many close-ups for Bo, her fears in terror, trying to force the audience to identify with her.

There is a sense of menace throughout. There are some very gory killings of the adults, especially the bulldozing of soil over adults in a pit, a mass grave. Ultimately the corn stalk creature emerges, menacing. As with so many stories, there seems to be a satisfactory resolution – until a final image of horror.

1. Remake, the original in 1984? Stephen King story?
2. The locations, the Nebraska town, the cornfields, homes, streets, barns, meeting halls? New South Wales locations standing in? The musical score?
3. The horror elements? The mystery in the cornfields? The background of the fertilisers and the destroying of the crops? Evil powers and the creature in the corn? The effect on the children? The initial killings, the reaction of the farmers, the possession of Eden and her leadership?
4. The atmosphere of the opening, the rustling through the cornfields? The later images of the fields, vast, aer go ial shots, the decay and destruction? The final burnings?
5. The opening, the boy emerging, confronting Even, into the orphanage, killing everyone? Saying she was safe? The police, the sheriff, the meetings, the issue of Eden and the pastor looking after her? The situation with the crops, the meeting, the speech about the insecticides, the decision to sell the crops to the company and destroy them? The reaction of the children?
6. Bo, her brother, the other children, relationship with her father, plainly to leave to study, concern about the crops? The meetings, her opposing her father? Her friends, contacting the journalist, The planned campaign, the confrontations with Eden? The plan for the trial, with her father at home, her brother, his drinking? The cuffs, taking him to the trial?
7. The character of Eden, her age, orphan, possessed, her command, unemotional, the Red Queen and Alice in Wonderland? Her power over the children? Are ruthlessness? The sheriff, and him up, his death? Putting the adults in the pit, covering them with earth? The confrontation with the pastor, accusing him, gouging out his eyes?
8. The focus on Bo, the continual use of close-ups on her face, terrified (overreliance on her terrified face)?
9. The revelation about the journalist, hanging her up, transporting her, tearing her apart?
10. The buildup to the confrontation, the barn, Bo, the gasoline, it’s leaking out of the barn, Eden and her demands, the match, Bo and the threats? Her escaping, in the car, Eden in the back of the car?
11. The buildup to the finale, Bo and the cigarette lighter, Eden, the creature coming out of the corn, the confrontation, the other children? The dropping of the cigarette lighter, the flames, through the corn, the creature destroyed, Eden in the corn?
12. The aftermath, the horror trope, the creature and taking over Eden, the confrontation?