A
dysfunctional married couple named Burton (David
Anders) and Vicky (Kandyse McClure) are driving
along their way to California as they pass the
country of Nebraska and in the town of Gatlin
they spot a bloodied kid out of a cornfield but
Burton wasn't paying attention to the road and
runs him over. Vicky is paranoid by this that he
killed someone but he finds out that his throat
is badly slit and that someone in the cornfield
is watching them so they speed away with the
corpse in their trunk.
But when they try to dirve in for help they
discover that nothing has been in business since
1963 and the town is dead and then are attacked
by children who do sacrifices at cornfields lead
by a cult preacher named Isaac (Preston Bailey)
and Malachai (Daniel Newman) in which they poison
children's minds about adults being evil and
deserve to be killed.
Burton manages to escape in the cornfield in
which the kids are scared to go in since there's
an evil lying in the field.
This remake was quite different
than the original in which we have the married
couple always fighting to the extreme which was
not like in the original. It looked very intense
so a good pointer there but however this story
lacked the dark feeling of the original one. Yet
this flick was more loosely based on one of the Night
Shift chapters in Stephen King's
book since he used his hand in co-writing this
remake.
There's some nice moments after the couple
realises that they are possibly being watched in
the cornfield which does leave a chill down your
spine plus good moments on the children spying on
these dysfunctional couple wherever they go in
Gatlin. Plus it's impressive when the children
are scared of the cornfield which makes it very
mysterious that something evil is lurking in
there.
However, the story is a bit pointless with a bad
ending and it doesn't explain itself too much on
why this is all happening towards the ending of
the flick especially. But there is good moments
with the character Isaac brainwashing children
about his religion which goes to show that alot
of religions can be very brainwashing which King
of course adds the psychological elements there
without a doubt.
Bottom line is that the film is fairly bland with
some good mysterious twists and nice performances
but the story drags alot making you hope that a
remake sequel won't arise.
The acting is quite good in which
we have a real energised performance by lead
actor David Anders as he shows a good
obnoxious attitude to his part in the film along
with his arrogant attaitude and sarcasm too
really bringing this part to life. He really left
a nice impression by acting in front of the
camera and most of you would agree while watching
him perform.
Kandyse
McClure lived to play the dysfunctional
nagging wife in which her intensity and paranoia
along with her raging aggressions were at the
highest level you could ever imagine. She is
someone you'd really feel like smacking and not
wanting to be around. Of course she was in
another Stephen King TV movie remake
called Carrie as the nice Sue
Snell in which she totally proved her versatality
in this one. I found her to be the best character
out of the whole cast.
Preston Bailey looked a little
too young and innocent like to play the lead role
of Isaac since in the original the other one was
a bit more evil like but he does know how to act
brainwashing with his beliefs to the other
children and very deceiving too in which makes
his role very necessary. Think of the innocent
looking child Damien in The Omen.
Daniel Newman as Malachai looked very
similar to the original actor who played this
part and almost performed just as evil and nasty.
He had the right evil looks too and not letting
anyone down with the performance still going with
the punches in the film. He certainly studied
this role very well and performed it like you'd
almost imagine in the original but in his own
style of course.
Two
teenage kids are fornicating in a ceremony with a
brief butt shot on the male and a breast shot on
the female.
A
pig's neck is slit open with blood gushing out.
A dead boy's throat is slit open with his body
bloodily stuck to the road.
There's the odd bloody gunshot.
A boy's wrist is snapped in half.
A child's throat is shot open and blood spitting
out.
Some corpses are on crucifix's
There's a nicely done direction
with bit part child actor Robert Gerdisch talking
to the cast with his brainwashing religion as
children while some people drag a pig there to
sacrifice which looked quite powerfully done.
There's many good takes on both David Anders
and Kandyse
McClure in their vehicle with him not acting
serious about stuff and her getting discouraged
as well as nagging at him. There's a nice camera
shot looking down on the vehicle swerving in the
road hitting a child as well as graphic shots
running over the child which looked believeably
brutal too. There's great raging anxiety coming
from McClure freaking out and screaming
at him after what had happened which was highly
energised as well as her getting sarcastic with
him and a nice blocking moment with him smacking
her in the face.
There's a good shot on Anders looking
into the cornfield and spotting a suitcase and
then a camera facing him with Daniel Newman
looking over him with a knife.
There's a good shot on Newman appraching
out of the cornfield and then looking at McClure
when she doesn't see him and then trying to dodge
away to make sure she doesn't see him.
Plus there's nice shots peeking in a corn field
on them as if something is watching them and then
him trying to keep her quiet fearing that someone
is watching them which leaves a nice creepy feel
to it.
Then a nice shot on both Preston Bailey
and Newman standing in the middle of the
road watching them after they speed away with a
nice cheesy quick shot closing in on them.
There's more great dysfunctional dialogue between
both Anders and McClure when
they go to a closed down diner and spotting
nothing has been updated in decades with good
shots on everything. It truly looked like that
they were gonna lose it with each other causing
their marriage to be at stake.
There's a nice moment with Bailey and Newman
at the cornfield talking to the children and what
their deeds are to do which looked not too bad
but nowhere as effective like in the original.
There's more good aggressions between McClure and
Anders in the middle of a ghost town and their
discussions on their hatreed towards one another.
There's also a good moment on McClure trying
to call out towards Anders begging him
not to leave her alone while he walks away from
her as well as good camera circling shots around
her when she gets out of her car as well as a
group of kids circling around her with her
freaking out as well as many great shots on the
kids vandalising her vehicle which makes you gasp
on the expensive costs they're damaging that it
looked believeably brutal at what they're doing.
Plus there's a good shot on Newman
raising a dagger in the air with a good shot on Anders
screaming as well as him plunging it down along
with good shots on Bailey on a rooftop
of a building doing his commands and watching
over them.
There's some nice moments with Bailey
still on the roof and McClure screaming
obscenities towards them plus a nice shot on
Bailey throwing a knife towards him. There's also
some descent choreography with McClure
battling against supporting actors Jake White
and Ryan Bertroach when they try to
attack him with weapons along with the nice shots
on the cast of children watching this all in
shock.
There's lots of nice takes on McClure
running away in the field with the children cast
running after him as well as good shots on him
running in a cornfield with the supporting cast
of kids acting scared of the cornfield which
looked impressive.
There's a good moment with the cast of kids at
their meal time and Bailey about to say
grace with a good shot on bit part actress
Lexie Behr as a little girl snickering along
with a good shot on him showing an evil glare at
her which looked good.
There's many good shots on the cast of children
trying to track down McClure with him
trying to find other passages to run away from
along with a dialogue on bit part child actor
Paul Butler talking to Newman about him finding
the man but it looked a little too cute to seem
evil.
There's a nice camera shot looking up on
McClure with vines pulling him as it seemed
a bit suspenseful. There's also a great shocked
reaction on him when he finds a corpse in the
cornfield with him screaming in a rage which
looked highly energised.
The
music is very much like the original film with
some army sounding drum beats along with hearing
the chanting music too. There's lots of
adventureous noises and sounds throughout the
film as well. All of this was brought together by
Jonathan Elias whom was the same
composer for the original flick.
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