Village of the Damned/Children of the Damned
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Movie Reviews of Village of the Damned/Children of the Damned
Movie Review: "You are thinking of a brick wall. You are thinking of a brick wall.."
Summary: 5 Stars
Despite having a name that sounds like a German-Japanese dinosaur movie and a drastically reduced budget after MGM got nervous over the possible reaction from the Catholic Legion of Decency, Wolf Rilla managed to deliver a genuine low-budget classic that makes light of its limitations in Village of the Damned. Surprisingly faithful to the source (The Midwich Cuckoos) despite the many changes, it's another variation on novelist's John Wyndham's big theme, the battle for supremacy between two species - in this case the human race and the intellectually superior children spawned after a mysterious alien intervention that sees a small village rendered unconscious in a memorably staged sequence that combines the mundane with the inexplicable. Rather than exploiting the premise and the dangerous telekinetic abilities of the children for shock effects (although they do demonstrate them in a couple of memorable sequences), for the most part the film is as much concerned with the twin dilemmas of whether the children are a potential boon or a threat to the human race and of finding a way to defeat or destroy an enemy that not only knows what you're thinking but which is still a part of your own family. With an excellent screenplay, tightly constructed and imaginatively directed with a great ending - "You are thinking of a brick wall. You are thinking of a brick wall.." - it holds up remarkably well nearly a half century on.
Children of the Damned is morally and politically more ambitious still, exploring the notion that humans are perhaps far worse than the cuckoos in their midst. Unfortunately it's also very dull, good performances from Alfred Burke and Ian Hendry notwithstanding. There's no real involvement or forward momentum, and it exists in a vacuum - the events in the first film are never even acknowledged. But the saving grace of the Region 1 DVD at least is screenwriter John Briley's audio commentary (neither commentary is included on the foreign issues), dealing with the themes of the movie as well as taking detailed diversions into the effect of the blacklist on Hollywood, the exile of US talent to Britain and the artistic and political freedom that MGM UK's sheep farming activities gave them! (There's also a brief harbinger of things to come with a photo of Gandhi overlooking Indian politicians debating killing the children in the film: Briley would go on to write Attenborough's biopic.)
Movie Review: Alien Brats!
Summary: 5 Stars
I saw "Village of the Damned" for the first time back in 1965 and had nightmares for a while. On this day, the hairs on the back of my neck still stand up when the eyes on those little alien brats light up! You know a movie is a classic when it makes such an impression after all those years. When I saw that this DVD has the sequel as well, I just couldn't pass it up! This is a great DVD for classic movie buffs (like myself) out there! Definetely get it!Movie Review: Two Sci-Fi/Horror Classics on One Disc
Summary: 5 Stars
Village is a timeless horror classic. Children is slightly weaker, but still a great cerebral sci-fi thriller. The transfers are excellent widescreen and the disc includes a commentary and trailer for each film.Movie Review: Back to the fifties
Summary: 4 Stars
Read the book by Wyndam and remember the old-fashioned sets of this old British film. Wallow in the nostalgia of my childhood and yes it frightened me! Pathetic really but so enjoyable!Movie Review: VILLAGE 5 CHILDREN 2
Summary: 4 Stars
VILLAGE OF THE DAMNED is a cult classic from the sixties that remains one of the most chilling films of my childhood. It's story of a dozen blond-haired, eerie-eyed children still packs a wallop. Unusually brisk for a British film of that period, the movie opens with a stunning scenario involving the mysterious goings on in Midwich, England. George Sanders is his usual suave self and the lovely Barbara Shelley plays his pregnant wife. Yes, during this blackout many women of Midwich were mysteriously impregnated. And it seems like other such occurrences have occurred across the globe. It's pretty spooky stuff and a classic of its kind.
Its "sequel" is not quite so good. There is no mention about how these kids came about, and there is no reference at all to the first movie, and the kids don't have blonde hair and the leader (young Clive Owen) isn't half as effective as Martin Stephens was in the original. This one is slower moving and too politically charged. The ending is also rather muddled. Too bad..the first is such a good movie, this is a disappointing followup.