Sunday, September 11, 2011

Children of the Corn: Genesis and Averageness: A Movie Review

Director/writer: Joel Soisson.

Children of the Corn: Genesis is the latest sequel in a long line of films based on Stephen King's short story "Children of the Corn." This is the ninth or tenth film in a series that just will not quit. Now, Dimension Extreme is forced to make this latest film in order to retain rights on future productions of this franchise. Apparently, a film must be made once every ten years to retain the rights. So, here is a very low budget horror film starring Bill Drago and Barbara Nedeljakova of Hostel II fame. The mythos of a town overrun by murdering children is toned down in this film. Instead, Children of the Corn: Genesis sticks to a small cast, one set and a child with telekinetic powers to keep the film simple.

Tim (Tim Rock) and Allie (Kelen Coleman) get stuck on a dusty desert road after their radiator expires. The only nearby resident (Billy Drago) allows the couple to use his phone after some unpleasantries. Then, women are undressing in the kitchen, doors are shutting and the homeowner, known as the Preacher, unwittingly reveals his "sex den." The couple are now understandably upset. The Preacher then relates a story of a child, who is locked in a shed, who has the powers of evil. The Preacher fights this evil, while the pacing issues of the film move the film along at a snail's pace. Cue in some flying chairs, an unsafe car carrier and a plotline involving the evil child needing children and you have the film in a nutshell.

One of the few interesting aspects of the film is the child's powers. While locked behind a door, he is able to offer suggestions through dreams, while keeping everyone trapped on the farm. From a few shots, the child also has no problem with having others murder for him and late in the film a car carrier becomes his toy. Cars flip off the carrier on a busy highway, in one of the few thrilling scenes. The purpose of this show of power is to bring one character back to him in order for her to help breed his child army of pitchfork carrying brethren.

Much of the film serves to tell a tale of evil, "which lies behind the corn rows." However, this evil is rarely scary, nor able to create tension. Instead, this evil sits in a pile of straw; occasionally, he will stalk around the house in bare feet. The result is not very compelling. Instead, the film follows a circular pattern with all exits leading back to the farm's doorsteps. Writer Joel Soisson really needed to find a more sinister angle for this film, rather than this poor re-hash of tropes e.g. car break down, isolated locale, unseen evil.

Children of the Corn: Genesis was released on DVD and Blu-Ray August 30th and here is your warning not to buy it. Produced for a miniscule budget, this sequel, which follows Children of the Corn II: The Final Sacrifice, was produced because of contractual requirements and the film's quality shows this. This film adds nothing to the original mythos of the story and fans would be better off watching the original Children of the Corn from 1984, instead. Skip this film wherever it may grow.

Overall: 6 out of 10 (production values are okay, music is okay, acting is okay, everything is average).

Another review of this title at Fearnet (Scott Weinberg:

Children of the Corn: Genesis Reviewed at Fearnet

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