The John Carpenter version of the Village of the Damned/Midwich Cuckoos is not a success. A previous reviewer has complemented the director on his original ideas. Unfortunately there are few evident in the film, and most were derived from the original film, or the book.
Village of the Damned is of course based on the best-selling book by John Wyndham. Incidentally, it is a work of fiction, and NOT based on a real event. The original film version (1960) was an entirely successful thriller. It fully exploited the potential of the material- the confusion caused by the "day out"; the fear and trepidation, and in some cases the humilitaion, of the unexpected pregnancies; the realisation that there was something truly unnatural about what was happening; the town trying to adjust to the changing situation; the slowly increasing sense of menace as the children grew older and more assertive; the rising fear as the community realised that the children were not just different, they were dangerous. Little of this development is evident in the 1995 remade.
This version was closer to a B-grade horror film. The physical shock elements largely superseded the psychological. Rather than suggesting a slowly rising sense of menace, Carpenter prefers to show a barbicued local. I suppose that this type of film is easier to make.
The telepathic connection between the children- indeed their oneness- was not indicated. In fact the symptoms of humanity shown by David, and his insubordination and eventual flight, are totally at odds with the basic storyline.
The actors and acting were variable. The children were generally very good. But many of the adults were either miscast, or acting poorly, or both.
There were a number of very odd changes to the story. If the children were afraid of being killed if they remained within an isolated community, why move out of town to a disused barn? This would make it so much easier for the authorities to kill them without hurting the locals. The other communities of "cuckoos" were simultaneously killed, so it is immediately expected that the Midwich children will follow. Surely if the US Government had intended to kill them as well they would be attacked at the same time as the other world governments acted.
The entire American government and scientific community was represented by one doctor- whose specialisation of epidemiology seemed rather odd. There was apparently no discussion of what the children were- or where they came from- until virtually the end of the film. Their extraterrestrial origins was then only hinted at- courtesy of a suitable gruesome alien body and accompanying "self-autopsy" by the doctor.
I have to say that this film was a considerable disappointment. A much better result could have been achieved with the material.
Village of the Damned is of course based on the best-selling book by John Wyndham. Incidentally, it is a work of fiction, and NOT based on a real event. The original film version (1960) was an entirely successful thriller. It fully exploited the potential of the material- the confusion caused by the "day out"; the fear and trepidation, and in some cases the humilitaion, of the unexpected pregnancies; the realisation that there was something truly unnatural about what was happening; the town trying to adjust to the changing situation; the slowly increasing sense of menace as the children grew older and more assertive; the rising fear as the community realised that the children were not just different, they were dangerous. Little of this development is evident in the 1995 remade.
This version was closer to a B-grade horror film. The physical shock elements largely superseded the psychological. Rather than suggesting a slowly rising sense of menace, Carpenter prefers to show a barbicued local. I suppose that this type of film is easier to make.
The telepathic connection between the children- indeed their oneness- was not indicated. In fact the symptoms of humanity shown by David, and his insubordination and eventual flight, are totally at odds with the basic storyline.
The actors and acting were variable. The children were generally very good. But many of the adults were either miscast, or acting poorly, or both.
There were a number of very odd changes to the story. If the children were afraid of being killed if they remained within an isolated community, why move out of town to a disused barn? This would make it so much easier for the authorities to kill them without hurting the locals. The other communities of "cuckoos" were simultaneously killed, so it is immediately expected that the Midwich children will follow. Surely if the US Government had intended to kill them as well they would be attacked at the same time as the other world governments acted.
The entire American government and scientific community was represented by one doctor- whose specialisation of epidemiology seemed rather odd. There was apparently no discussion of what the children were- or where they came from- until virtually the end of the film. Their extraterrestrial origins was then only hinted at- courtesy of a suitable gruesome alien body and accompanying "self-autopsy" by the doctor.
I have to say that this film was a considerable disappointment. A much better result could have been achieved with the material.