Halloween 2024: Day 5

“Children of the Corn” by Stephen King

In each of the wide black pupils someone (a sinner, presumably) was drowning in a lake of fire. But the oddest thing was that this Christ had green hair… hair which on closer examination revealed itself to be a twining mass of early-summer corn.

I should probably have read this before watching any adaptations, but, well, I didn’t. It’s a lot bleaker than either of the ones we’ve seen, and the horror is much more about what has happened to the children than it is what happens to the hapless couple that wander into Gatlin.

I don’t think this story is filmable, which makes it even more baffling that it has spawned eleven films.

Children of the Corn II: The Final Sacrifice

“This signifies that the spirit will part the corn and let through one who finds truth within himself.”

“What if the unknowable pagan god that inspired the children of Gatlin to murder all of the adults is actually a Native American superstition?” was not a question I was expecting this series to raise, but here we are. This movie is so racist, you guys. It references koyaanisqatsi as part of our local wise Native American’s culture—she doesn’t even go here! This is Nebraska!

The writing’s more competent than the first film (they’ve heard of pacing), but the things they’ve chosen to write are worse. I got some vague enjoyment from watching emo Micah and his murderous flock of children flounce around town, but that’s about it.