Damned Kids!

 

CHILDREN OF THE DAMNED-1964-Two doctors, Neville (Alan Badel) & Llewelyn (Ian Hendry) try to figure out what do to about a young boy named Paul, who has phenomenally high intelligence. His mother says Paul (Clive Powell; also in the original film)) has no father and isn't human. A UNESCO doctor tells the two that there are 5 more just like Paul scattered around the world. They are from Russia, India, China, Nigeria, Moscow, USA and all seem to be fatherless and have mysterious powers. When Webster (Alfred Burke), a sneaky government worker tries to take Paul from his aunt Susan (Babara Ferris), Paul causes a small car crash. The kids get together and hold up in an abandoned building with Paul's aunt and use her as a conduit to talk. When the police kill their dog, the kids’ eyes glow and they make the shooter kill his partner and himself. When it's discovered they are not human, it's decided they must be destroyed but Lewelyn doesn't agree. Another scientist learns that the kids’ DNA is what mankind's will be like in a thousand years. Things go awry in the tragic finale. 

There doesn't seem any reason for this pointless sequel that offers no explanation for the children unless you accept it's the same as in the first (and much better) film. It's also interesting to note that the two doctors appear to be a gay couple (Homosexuality was still illegal in England at the time). This is only one of two feature films directed by American Anton Leader.

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He Who Walks Behind The Rows

 

 (themoviedb.org)

CHILDREN OF THE CORN V: FIELDS OF TERROR-1998-A young kid has an episode in a cornfield. Then he goes and kills a farmer and a bunch of kids bludgeon his wife to death. Later a guy (Ahmet Zappa) and his girlfriend are killed by some strange kids in the cornfield. 2 more couples (Stacy Galina, Alexis Arquette, Eva Mendes, Greg Vaughan) appear looking for the first pair and one girl's brother Jacob. After their car breaks down, they wander into a town full of asshole hicks (Kane Hodder is a bartender). To top it off, the unhelpful sheriff is played by Fred Williamson. The idiots miss the only outgoing bus and their car is set on fire. They find a semi-abandoned house and stay the night. Later they meet Luke (David Carradine), a way-out guy who seems to have a community of children he wants to save from adulthood, but little punk Ezekiel (Adam Wylie) seems to really be in charge. The only good part is the hacked confrontation between Luke and the sheriff.

From Ethan Wiley, director of HOUSE 2: THE SECOND STORY (1987) and writer of the original HOUSE (1985) and BLACK OPS (2008). These corn kid sequels are of course all “based on” Stephen King's short story.

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Devil Kids

 

 

 (imdb)

THE HORRIBLE HOUSE ON THE HILL-(aka PEOPLETOYS)-1974-A van crashes, but 5 kids who were passengers survive. Meanwhile, a crude dictatorial jerk nicknamed Papa Doc (Gene Evans) bosses everyone around: his wormy assistant Harvey (Sorrell Brooke) and his alcoholic wife, his own bitchy wife Lovely (Carolyn Steller), his daughter Julie (Joan McCall) and her fiancé Rick (Taylor Lacher) and dimwitted servant Ralph (John Durren). The kids trudge through snow not knowing that one of the adult passengers didn't die and is following them. When he catches up with them, the kids kill him in a long very slow-motion scene. It's obvious these aren't your average kids. In fact, they are homicidal and have escaped from a mental institution! One girl (Gail Smale) thinks she's a nun and another likes fire. A young black kid (Tierre Turner) talks like he's an army officer. Another boy David (Leif Garrett) just seems weird, and a very young girl Moe (Dawn Lyn) seems normal. Poor Ralph gets hanged trying to fix the generator. Then Harvey gets an axe in the back courtesy of David. Later the nun and Moe put piranhas in Lovely's bubble bath. Harvey's wife is set on fire. After killing Doc and making a snowman out of him, they kill Rick & Julie, and go off to find "new toys". 

This very strange but pretty well-made horror film (with good acting) was directed by Sean MacGregor (CRY BLOOD, APACHE (1974)). Leif Garrett had a brief career in the late '70's as a teen pop idol. His sister Dawn Lyn had played Dodie on the later seasons of TV's MY THREE SONS. This played on cable TV as THE DEVIL TIMES 5.

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Killer Kids

THE CHILDREN-2008-Three couples take their kids to a secluded house to celebrate Christmas.

All the kids are very young except for one couple's “misfit” teenage daughter. After a lot of boredom (for the viewer) a germ or virus turns the young tots into killers who terrorize the adults. There's lots of false scares and unintentional humor in this dumb British production but it's one of the few horror films where you actually see a kid get killed (not a plus...). 

There was a movie in the '80's with the same title and nearly the same premise. Director Tom Shankland has done mostly English TV since this.

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Italian Horror

THE LAST HOUSE IN THE WOODS-2006-In the 1980's Italy churned countless cannibal exploitation movies featuring cheap extreme gore, nudity and real animal killings. It's been a long time since the last one but director Gabriele Albanesi (his first feature film after music videos and shorts) seems to want to revive the genre' with his TEXAS CHAINSAW (and Bava and Argento) inspired splatter film.

While discussing their relationship problems a couple Aurora (Daniela Virgillo) and Rino (Daniele Grassetti) are terrorized by three thugs. Rino is beaten badly but before the trio can do harm to Aurora the thugs are chased away by Antonio (Gennaro Diana) who happens to be driving by with his wife Clara (Santa De Santis). Antonio takes the couple back to his house and then the trouble begins. (you know right away by the title anyway...) It turns out Antonio and Clara are the parents to killer cannibalistic children. One is a little boy with sharp teeth and the other two are giggling sadistic "monsters". (they look like something from a Coffin Joe movie) After being knocked out Aurora awakens to find Rino with his leg cut off and the family munching on it. They then proceed to cut off his arm with a chainsaw! Meanwhile the punks return and seem to be Aurora's only hope for survival! It features a bloody beating, a guy trying to hold in his bleeding intestines, a bloody knife fight, flesh ripping and a surprise in the basement but the grossest scene involves the crushing of a tumor on one of the killer's neck. Director Albanesi sets up some great scenes with color, darkness and unusual music (at least for this kind of movie) but some scenes go on too long and the shock ending didn't make a whole lot of sense. Still it's better than most recent horror films made in the US.

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Killer Kids

BLOODY BIRTHDAY-1981-Three brats are all born right as there is a lunar eclipse. Ten years later they have become little murderers. They are kind of creepy but also rather annoying. They shoot their strict school teacher (Susan Strasberg), bludgeon the sheriff to death and use a bow and arrow to kill. They later terrorize an older girl (Lori Lethin) and her younger brother (KC Martel). Somehow the little dorks can drive cars, shoot guns and move heavy dead bodies with no problem. Jose Ferrer has a small role as the doctor who delivered them. Director Ed Hunt also made STARSHIP INVASIONS and THE BRAIN.

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