Episode 108: Bargain Bin #14: Children of the Corn (1984)

OUTLANDER! We’re lost on the back roads of Nebraska, following the disorientating street signs to the Bargain Bin to revisit the cut-price kid cult King flick Children of the Corn from 1984.

Newly-graduated doctor Burt (Peter Horton) and his girlfriend Vicky (Linda Hamilton) are in the process of relocating to Seattle, but their route takes them past the small rural community of Gatlin – a town where, unbeknownst to them, the children have risen up and slaughtered their parents to establish a rabid religious sect that worships an entity known only as He Who Walks Behind the Rows, who speaks through the pint-sized evangelical orator Isaac (John Franklin) and whose demands for sacrifice and total obedience are enforced by the lanky and violent Malachi (Courtney Gains).

Debuting director and former advertising standout Fritz Kiersch adapted Stephen King’s short story for a post-Roger Corman New World Pictures, agreeing to a low budget in order to gain a foothold in feature films. A modest box office success, the film went on to generate an extensive and unlikely franchise of more than 10 follow-ups, due to its enduring appeal on video and TV. But will Gali, Devlin, Patrick and Matt find themselves a juicy cob of horror entertainment, or just an empty husk?

Check out the interview on The Ghost of Hollywood with Fritz Kiersch here to hear more about the production of this film.



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