Plot: What’s it about?
Jamie Lowell (Claudette Mink) knows that her grandmother has always been reclusive, but when she is unable to reach for an extended time, she decides to look into the issue. As it turns out, her grandmother has vanished it seems and her last place of residence was well, not the kind of place most people would want to live. The tenement is a run down and dilapidated dump, where even in broad daylight, things still seem dark and soaked in filth. In addition to a collection of odd residents, Jamie also discovers some eerie children, who have no parents and seem to do as they please, which spooks her a little. As she explores the building, she decides to wait in her grandmother’s apartment and hopes she will return soon enough. At the same time, Jamie also talks with some of the inhabitants and tries to learn why her grandmother left, although these folks aren’t the kind of people you want to have to rely upon, not in any situation. The people she talks with soon begin to turn up dead however and if she isn’t careful, she could be next on the list. Will Jamie ever learn the truth about her grandmother and even if so, can she survive in this hellish complex?
The concept of endless horror movie sequels has been around for some time, but these days, the sequels usually never make it to theaters. Instead, we see countless direct to video releases and in that market, Dimension seems to be most active. One of the franchises they keep milking is Children of the Corn and with this newest installment titled Revelation, Dimension has notched on the seventh volume in the series. As is often the case with sequels, it lacks the impact of the original and since the original was no classic, this one doesn’t even come close. I do think the right team could make a great film from Stephen King’s material here, but without a decent screenwriter and director, it simply cannot happen. This is not the worst movie I have seen however, as it has some nice visuals and even a couple memorable death scenes, but it is not too impressive in the end. The cast seems to be looking to collect a check and do little else, which doesn’t help matters much, although with this kind of material, you can’t expect the world. In the end, this release seems aimed at the rental market and with an excessive asking price, I think a rental is all I can recommend.
Video: How does it look?
Children of the Corn: Revelation is presented in a 1.85:1 anamorphic widescreen transfer. Of course, this was a low budget production and that often means lessened visuals, but in this case, that isn’t true. The image is very dark and shadowy, but this transfer handles it all with ease, quite impressive work. I did see some grain in a couple of the darkest scenes, but on the whole, the print looks as clean as can be. The colors don’t make too much impact, but come through as intended, while black levels are rich and sharp at all times. A few minor issues aside, this is a great looking effort and I have no serious complaints to make.
Audio: How does it sound?
The included Dolby Digital 5.1 track has solid overall presence, but lacks the depth and range I expected. The surrounds are used at times, such as the annoying off camera laughs, but they don’t have much power, so it often seems thin. I think this is the kind of movie where an eerie, atmospheric audio option would enhance the experience, so I was let down to an extent. The track is solid however, with clean and well presented dialogue & sound effects, even if the front channels shoulder most of the load.
Supplements: What are the extras?
This disc includes no bonus materials.
