the plot: One Sunday morning in Gatlin, Nebraska, the town’s children rise up and slaughter all the adults. Led by the mysterious boy preacher Isaac (Franklin), the children form their own society based around the worship of “He Who Walks Behind the Rows,” a weird force that dwells in the cornfields on the outskirts of town. Three years later, Burt (Horton) and Vicky (Hamilton) pass through Gatlin while on a road trip. When the couple hits the dead body of a child sacrificed to the corn guard with their car, they venture into town for help. The fanatical children soon target the couple, with Isaac’s second in command, Malachai (Gains), leading the charge. Burt and Vicky receive help from Job and his sister, Sarah, the only two children in town not beholden to Isaac. When Malachai captures Vicky, Burt must face off against the children in order to rescue his girlfriend. Malachai has plans of his own, though, as he leads a coup to depose Isaac. But neither Malachai nor Burt are prepared when He Who Walks Behind the Rows suddenly appears, ready to bring doom to Gatlin.

why it’s good: Based on a Stephen King story, the original “Children of the Corn” is a decent horror flick, if only because of the army of creepy children that populate the film. Chief among them is John Franklin as the psychopathic Isaac, who chews as much of the nearby scenery as he can stomach. Unfortunately, even though Isaac is easily the most compelling character in the movie, he’s given few lines and little in the way of back story, a move that’s supposed to make him enigmatic, but really just feels like lazy writing. Although the parts with all the kids running around killing people are fairly suspenseful, and the idea of a religious cult based around a weird kid is intriguing, the actual appearance of He Who Walks Behind the Rows at the end is enormously hokey. A big, billowing cloud gussied up with some pink special effects lighting, He Who Walks Behind the Rows isn’t scary, interesting or even cool looking, making the film’s climax entirely uninteresting. A pre-“Terminator” appearance by Linda Hamilton is similarly uninspiring, and it’s hard to see how the passable “Children” ended up spawning what seems like a never-ending string of sequels—seven, at last count.

why you should own it: “Children of the Corn” is worth a rent for 1980s horror fans, but even Stephen King completists can pass on actually owning “Children.” Anchor Bay’s DVD is as lackluster as the film itself, with no extras on the disc.