If there was a horror film that had certain nostalgia, you could say "The Children" was one of those cult films you would hear horror fans talking about and explaining how it was a childhood favourite. For me that wasn't the case, as I just watched for the first time, but I found it to be a surprisingly effective little low-budget feature which saw some of the film crew (lead by music composer Harry Manfredini) to go on to be apart of Sean S. Cunningham's 1980 iconic "Friday the 13th".
When a school bus drives through a yellow mist of nuclear waste, a group of children of a rural town go missing, unknowingly to the town's folk they find out they have been transformed into zombies that are aching for a hug. But the results are toxic for whoever encounters them. It's up to the town sheriff to these lurking menaces.
Everything about it is low-grade schlock and it plays out generic, from the acting to its direction, slight story (with a "Night of the Living Dead" vibe), adds ghastly make-up FX, dreary photography and even parts of the writing. But simply put its fun; in a daft, but also deranged and kooky manner. Sometimes humorous and at times unintentional, but still there are moments of gusty exploitation (that's zombie kids being mutilated by swords and axes!), suspense (those kiddie cuddle build-ups) and a constant eeriness (the appearances of the kids). Even the narrative throws a sudden shock twist here and there. The cast do feature some names with a likable Gil Rogers, Martin Shaker in a wooden turn, the very flirtatious Joy Glaccum and an amusing Peter Maloney. The forlorn woodland locations help alienate the horror, while Manfredini's music score is overstated, but not without its moments.
Crazy, offbeat, ultra-cheap, but it's hard to resist these killer kids.
"They'll turn up."
When a school bus drives through a yellow mist of nuclear waste, a group of children of a rural town go missing, unknowingly to the town's folk they find out they have been transformed into zombies that are aching for a hug. But the results are toxic for whoever encounters them. It's up to the town sheriff to these lurking menaces.
Everything about it is low-grade schlock and it plays out generic, from the acting to its direction, slight story (with a "Night of the Living Dead" vibe), adds ghastly make-up FX, dreary photography and even parts of the writing. But simply put its fun; in a daft, but also deranged and kooky manner. Sometimes humorous and at times unintentional, but still there are moments of gusty exploitation (that's zombie kids being mutilated by swords and axes!), suspense (those kiddie cuddle build-ups) and a constant eeriness (the appearances of the kids). Even the narrative throws a sudden shock twist here and there. The cast do feature some names with a likable Gil Rogers, Martin Shaker in a wooden turn, the very flirtatious Joy Glaccum and an amusing Peter Maloney. The forlorn woodland locations help alienate the horror, while Manfredini's music score is overstated, but not without its moments.
Crazy, offbeat, ultra-cheap, but it's hard to resist these killer kids.
"They'll turn up."