An enjoyable, if obviously-flawed, amalgamation of horror and science fiction.
Village of the Damned (1995)
Tomatometer
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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
Reviews for Village of the Damned
Carpenter, whose batting average is dipping dangerously low, shows no grasp of character development, plot line or time passage.
Needless and undeveloped subplots dissipate the clean suspense of the original, and the exponential increase in violence and gore cannot conceal this.
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.
Carpenter's updating of the classic 1960 chiller is mediocre at best, and at times plummets into unintentional humor.
A good-looking, well-wrought film with some knockout special effects, some dark humor and crisp portrayals.
It's terrifying to think a studio would make such nonsense. Possible retitling? 'the Death of Luke Skywalker'?
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.
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