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Movies / Upcoming / Village of the Damned
Village of the Damned

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Village of the Damned (1995)

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30 %
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Reviews Counted:30

Fresh:9

Rotten:21

Average Rating:4/10

Runtime: 1 hr 39 mins

Genre: Horror/Suspense

US Box Office: $0

Synopsis: The third remake in John Carpenter's career (after MEMOIRS OF AN INVISIBLE MAN and THE THING), VILLAGE OF THE DAMNED comes from the novel, THE MIDWICH CUCKOOS written by John Wyndham, and the 1960s... The third remake in John Carpenter's career (after MEMOIRS OF AN INVISIBLE MAN and THE THING), VILLAGE OF THE DAMNED comes from the novel, THE MIDWICH CUCKOOS written by John Wyndham, and the 1960s black and white film about the horrors of the nuclear age. Updated and spiced with the usual Carpenter edge, this remake is every bit as scary as the first one. In a sleepy town, ten strange children are born at the same time, all of them possessing platinum blone hair, piercing green eyes and supernatural powers. The intelligent, quiet children are disliked by the townspeople, and when people begin to die the first suspects are the "special" children. This was the last film Christopher Reeve made before his tragic paralysis, and he gives an excellent performance as one of the doctors who must stop the children from destroying the town. Once again John Carpenter creates a horrifying film with his talent for mood and unexpected frights, proving once again he is a modern master of horror. [More]

Starring: Christopher Reeve, Kirstie Alley, Linda Kozlowski, Michael Paré

Starring: Christopher Reeve, Kirstie Alley, Linda Kozlowski, Michael Paré, Mark Hamill, Meredith Salenger

Director: John Carpenter

Director: John Carpenter
Screenwriter: David Himmelstein
Producer: Michael Preger

[See More Credits]

Reviews for Village of the Damned

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1 - 20 (sorted by critic A-Z; Australian critics are listed first)
Text View | 1 2 >> >|
Arrange By:Fresh | Rotten | Comments | Name | Source | Date
 
 

An enjoyable, if obviously-flawed, amalgamation of horror and science fiction.

Full Review Source: ReelViews | comment Comment
01/01/00
James Berardinelli
James Berardinelli
ReelViews

There's nothing more static than a stalled fright vehicle.

Full Review Source: Globe and Mail | comment Comment
04/12/02
Rick Groen
Rick Groen
Globe and Mail

Carpenter, whose batting average is dipping dangerously low, shows no grasp of character development, plot line or time passage.

Full Review Source: Washington Post | comment Comment
01/01/00
Richard Harrington
Richard Harrington
Washington Post
Top Critic Icon Top Critic

Needless and undeveloped subplots dissipate the clean suspense of the original, and the exponential increase in violence and gore cannot conceal this.

Full Review Source: San Francisco Examiner | comment Comment
01/01/00
Gary Kamiya
Gary Kamiya
San Francisco Examiner

Horribly, horribly bad. Avoid.

Full Review Source: Filmcritic.com | comment Comment
01/01/00
Christopher Null
Christopher Null
Filmcritic.com

This film is devoid of any real tension or thrills.

Full Review Source: Sci-Fi Movie Page | comment Comment
01/01/00
James O'Ehley
James O'Ehley
Sci-Fi Movie Page

It is a film with tone to spare, but like many of John Carpenter's works, it could stand to trade some tone for a little substance.

Full Review Source: rec.arts.movies.reviews | comment Comment
01/01/00
Scott Renshaw
Scott Renshaw
rec.arts.movies.reviews

Carpenter's updating of the classic 1960 chiller is mediocre at best, and at times plummets into unintentional humor.

Full Review Source: Austin Chronicle | comment Comment
01/01/00
Marc Savlov
Marc Savlov
Austin Chronicle

A trip to a village of the darned tedious.

Full Review Source: San Francisco Chronicle | comment Comment
01/01/00
Peter Stack
Peter Stack
San Francisco Chronicle

A good-looking, well-wrought film with some knockout special effects, some dark humor and crisp portrayals.

Full Review Source: Los Angeles Times | comment Comment
02/13/01
Kevin Thomas
Kevin Thomas
Los Angeles Times
Top Critic Icon Top Critic

Carpenter can't cloak the hilarity of this hoary horror tale.

Full Review Source: Jam! Movies | comment Comment
01/01/00
Bob Thompson
Bob Thompson
Jam! Movies

Click to read the article

Full Review Source: Palo Alto Weekly | comment Comment
05/14/03
Jeanne Aufmuth
Jeanne Aufmuth
Palo Alto Weekly

Click to read the article

Full Review Source: rec.arts.movies.reviews | comment Comment
01/01/00
Mark R. Leeper
Mark R. Leeper
rec.arts.movies.reviews

Click to read the article

Full Review Source: Netflix | comment Comment
11/07/02
James Rocchi
James Rocchi
Netflix
N/R

Click to read the article

Full Review Source: Flick Filosopher | comment Comment
01/01/00
MaryAnn Johanson
MaryAnn Johanson
Flick Filosopher
N/R

Click to read the article

Full Review Source: New York Times | comment Comment
05/20/03
Janet Maslin
Janet Maslin
New York Times
Top Critic Icon Top Critic

May not be an improvement on the original, but it's all Carpenter.

comment Comment
10/09/02
Jeffrey M. Anderson
Jeffrey M. Anderson
San Francisco Examiner

Carpenter botches another remake,

comment Comment
01/22/03
Ken Hanke
Ken Hanke
Mountain Xpress (Asheville, NC)

It's terrifying to think a studio would make such nonsense. Possible retitling? 'the Death of Luke Skywalker'?

comment Comment
09/20/02
Clint Morris
Clint Morris
Moviehole

The story is set across a decade and would be easy to pick apart, but such activity would divert attention from the film’s chief asset, its general mood and atmosphere, which improves on multiple viewings.

comment Comment
06/15/07
Douglas Pratt
Douglas Pratt
DVDLaser
 
 
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