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Film: Children of the Corn III: Urban Harvest
Year: 1995
Director: James D.R. Hickox
Writer: Dode B. Levenson
Starring: Daniel Cerny, Ron Melendez and Jim Metzler
Review:
This is a film that I remember seeing when it hit VHS. It was then always seeming to be on the movie channels so my sister and I would put this on regularly. That made me nervous to revisit with a critical eye. My last viewing would have been in college, then now I’ve seen it a couple of times for review. This time as a Voyage through the FiVes.
Synopsis: two brothers connected to the murderous children’s cult of Gatlin, Nebraska are taken to Chicago by an adoptive couple.
The film starts in Gatlin. We see a sign for it and the cornfields. We get a teenage boy fleeing from a trailer. He is Joshua Porter (Ron Melendez) and he runs from his drunk father into the cornfield. He comes to a scarecrow where his adopted brother, Eli (Daniel Cerny), appears. He tells Josh to run as the father won’t hit him. This sequel embraces the supernatural aspect. The father is punished by becoming a scarecrow with vines from the corn. His eyes and mouth are sealed up.
The boys are taken in by a family in Chicago. The father is William (Jim Metzler) and his wife, Amanda (Nancy Lee Grahn). They are a little nervous, but excited. William takes a liking to Eli immediately. He is a commodities trader and Eli has brought some corn with him. William is impressed by this as an item he sells. Josh gets off on the wrong foot by breaking a glass sculpture and leaving the property without consulting William first. Amanda takes a liking to him though as he comes off as more ‘normal’.
Josh fits in at school much easier due to this. He befriends his neighbors. Malcolm Elkman (Jon Clair) becomes his best friend and he’s interested in Maria (Mari Morrow). Eli is sticking to the fact that he only needs his brother and he becomes upset when he sees him trying to fit in. He also butts heads with principal, Father Frank Nolan (Michael Ensign).
That first night, Eli takes his suitcase that is full of corn to the abandoned warehouse next door. He starts a prayer that turns one of the cobs black. He uses the kernels from it to plant rows. Amanda sees Eli coming back. She also sees what he is up to and tells her husband. When he checks it out, he is impressed and wants to sell it. With how quickly it grows and how great it looks, he could make a fortune. Eli is on board, for a completely different reason. Eli also takes his brother’s advice to make new friends.
That is where I’ll leave my recap and introduction to the characters. Where I want to then start is how this works as a sequel. I love the idea of leaving Gatlin and bringing this to a big city. This allows Eli to build a new cult. This one also doesn’t shy away from going into the supernatural where the previous two did. That makes this a supernatural slasher. There was an issue I had with information that the social worker, Samantha (Yvette Freeman), but reflecting more on it, it makes sense. These are things I give it credit for.
Now that I have that set up, I do like this opening concept of brotherhood. Eli and Josh have each other. They’ve put up with Josh’s drunk father. It makes coming to the city easier. Josh is excited to make new friends. Eli only does it mess with Josh and Father Frank. It also makes sense for the end goal to eventually go there. A cult could also be considered a brotherhood.
Let’s then look at Eli as the cult leader. I don’t think his performance is great, but he has an odd charisma that works. The one thing I didn’t like though was that there is an adult teacher, Jake (Brian Peck) with an odd cross around his neck like the children. They technically wouldn’t let him in, but I can also understand that he is embracing the idea so they’re sparing him for now. The other issue is that Eli is supposed to be a former survivor. There is more to this that alleviates the issue.
There are then a few other themes to briefly bring up. This uses the rural vs. urban style of life. There is the corruption of youth and rebelling against adults. This leads to generational conflict. You could also see this between Eli and Josh on a smaller level. That leads as well to the dangers of religious fanaticism and the unstoppable nature of evil with ‘He Who Walks Behind the Rows’. I do like the expansion of this entity and the implications that come from that.
I think then I’ll take this over to the filmmaking aspects. The cinematography and framing were generally good, subtly concealing effects despite some experimental, music-video-like elements. A cheesy but charming practical creature appears late. The brutal kills and their effects were good, as was the creepy choir music, fitting the cult theme. Technically, the film is well-made.
The acting is decent. Cerney is an above-average Eli, offering quippy lines and a creepy cult leader persona. Melendez, as the lead, is a bit flat, though he puts effort into showing his character assimilating to the big city. He often lacks sufficient emotion. Metzler and Grahn are solid as the parents. William's odd heel turn at work feels out of place though. The rest of the cast rounds out the film well, with Ensign a bright spot as the defiant priest. Young Nicholas, Ivana Milicevic, and Charlize Theron also appear.
In conclusion, this offers a unique take on the franchise by moving the action to a major city and fully embracing its supernatural elements. Despite some minor issues with character consistency and performance, the film excels in its technical execution, from cinematography to practical effects and an atmospheric score. The exploration of brotherhood, generational conflict, and religious fanaticism, alongside the expanded lore of ‘He Who Walks Behind the Rows,’ provides a solid foundation for this enjoyable supernatural slasher. Ultimately, it's a well-crafted sequel that delivers a satisfying viewing experience.
My Rating: 7 out of 10