Children of the Corn V: Fields of Terror (1998)
In the fifth installment of the hugely successful franchise a young woman who tries to rescue her estranged teenage brother from the clutches of a mysterious cult of children must face the wrath of its charismatic leader.
Genre – Genre Classics
Producer – Walter Josten
Director(s) – Ethan Wiley
Writer(s) – Ethan Wiley ; based on the book by Stephen King.
Cast – Stacy Galina, Alexis Arquette, Eva Mendes, Greg Vaughn and Angela Jones
Blue Rider’s Role – Producers
Distributor(s) – Dimension Films, Buena Vista Home Video, New Films Interenational, Gativideo (Argentina) and Flashstar (Brazil)
Release Date – 1998
Synopsis – Six college students take a wrong turn and find themselves lost in a strangely deserted rural town, only to discover that this deceptively quiet place hides a murderous cult of children controlled by evil forces. Yet even as bodies begin cropping up all around them, the young friends decide to stay and rescue the children–or die trying!
Career Launch:
This was Eva Mendes’ first movie role.
Critics’ Kudos:
Jarret Friend, Horrorwatch: “This crop of the Children of the Corn is more brutal than ever. The actions and brutality of the followers of the Corn God alone are worth the rent of this one. There is one truly tasty highlight: Eva Mendes plays Kir, a totally hot bitch who is totally a bitch, but damn is she fine. This movie is stronger than the other sequels.”
Guy McPherson, Apollo Guide Review: “If you have seen the first four, go for it. After all, it is the newest and most shocking chapter. David Carradine plays the David Koresh-like leader of a cult of children. We learn that children are born innocent and are only corrupted by adults. Fair enough. But I don’t see the necessity of all the killing. Can’t we all just get along?
“There is a really nice performance by Stacy Galina. She has a kind of Kate Jackson-circa- Charlie’s Angels aura about her. She is the smart one (and the best actor) of the four that get caught up with the children.”
Viewers’ Ratings:
According to polling at The Internet Movie Database (through March 8, 2007) the demographic groups liking Children of the Corn V best were women aged 18-29 (who rated it 6.4 out of 10) and boys 17 and younger (6.2).
Major Cast and Crew Credits and Awards:
Director is Ethan Wiley (Blackwater Valley Exorcism, House II: The Second Story).
Writer is Ethan Wiley (House, House II: The Second Story, Deadwater); based on the book by Stephen King.
Stars Stacy Galina (Big Man on Campus, Knots Landing); Alexis Arquette (Pulp Fiction, She’s All That, The Wedding Singer, Of Mice and Men, Spun, Bride of Chucky, The Trip, Lords of Dogtown; won a 1997 best actor award for Never Met Picasso); Eva Mendes (Once Upon a Time in Mexico, Ghost Rider, Stuck on You, A Night at the Roxbury; nominated for five awards for Hitch, 2 Fast 2 Furious and Training Day); Greg Vaughan (Poison Ivy: The New Seduction, Charmed, Stuart Bliss; Soap Opera Digest Award nom for The Young and the Restless) and Angela Jones (Pulp Fiction, Man on the Moon, Curdled, Pariah).
The cast includes David Carradine (Bound for Glory, Kung Fu, North and South; Golden Globe nominee for Kill Bill Vol. 2); Richard Roundtree (Se7en, Brick, Roots; Golden Globe nominee and MTV Movie Award winner for Shaft); Fred Williamson (M.A.S.H., Starsky & Hutch); Ahmet Zappa (Pump Up the Volume); Diva Zappa (Elizabethtown, Play Dead); Adam Wylie (Kindergarten Cop, Child’s Play 2, The Swan Princess; 10 Young Star Award noms and five wins for shows including Picket Fences, Dennis the Menace and The Adventures of Brisco County Jr.; four YoungStar Award noms for shows including The King and I, Balloon Farm and Michael Landon: The Father I Knew) and Season Hubley (Escape From New York, Hardcore).
Executive Producer is Jeffrey Kurz (The Prophecy II).
Producers are Blue Rider Founders Jeff Geoffray (Wake of Death, Behind the Red Door, Around the World in 80 Days and 24 other films and TV projects) and Walter Josten (Shergar, O Jerusalem; Emmy for The Incredible Mrs. Ritchie; 30 other films and TV projects).
Original Music by Paul Rabjohns (Halloween: The Curse of Michael Myers, Fei Ying Gai Wak, Men at War).
Cinematography by David Lewis (Leprechaun 4: In Space, Leprechaun 3, Night of the Demons 2, Betrayal of the Dove, The Set Up, Shergar).
Film Editing by Peter Devaney Flanagan (Mimic, Chaos, Children of the Corn 666: Isaac’s Return; nominated for Mexico’s Silver Ariel Award for Un Embrujo).
Production Design by Deborah Raymond and Dorian Vernacchio (Phantoms, Wishmaster, Leprechaun 4: In Space).
Costume Design by Malou Mangnusson (Milo, Boban the Hockey Star).
Visual Effects Supervisor: Susan Norkin (Impostor, Bats, From Dusk Till Dawn 2 and 3).
Links:
Internet Movie Database entry for Children of the Corn V: Fields of Terror