Village of the Damned (1995)

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Horrorphile - October 2008

John Carpenter's Village of the Damned

October 21st 2008 05:03

It’s hard to take Village of the Damned (1995) seriously. I’ve never read the John Wyndham novel it’s based on called The Midwich Cuckoos (he also wrote the more famous The Day of the Triffids), nor have I seen the original version of the movie from 1960. Although the premise itself is fascinating and ominous there is too much about John Carpenter’s remake which flounders in mediocrity and borders on risible.

Village of the Damned 1995 Christopher Reeve

Christopher Reeve as Dr. Chaffee

Director John Carpenter holds a special place in my horror heart, he made two of my very favourites: Halloween (1978) and the superlative re-envisioning of The Thing (1982). He’s made other solid productions; the post-apocalyptic cult fave Escape from New York (1981), In the Mouth of Madness (1995), loosely based on the writings of H.P. Lovecraft, and Christine (1983), based on one of Stephen King’s excellent earlier novels, which is a kind of horror-romance-satire.

But Carpenter has also shot himself in the foot on several occasions; the anti-trifecta of Escape from L.A. (1996), Vampires (1998) and Ghosts of Mars (2001) is enough to bury any respectable director’s career, but because Halloween and The Thing are so damn good, Carpenter walks away like a cat with nine lives.

Village of the Damned 1995 Kirstie Alley

Kirstie Alley as Dr. Verner

Village of the Damned is by no means as dreadful as the aforementioned three, but it’s certainly nothing to write home about. It’s better than your average television movie, but only just. Not as creepy as The Fog (1981), another small-town tale of unwanted visitors, but it should’ve been a lot scarier, and more intense. Carpenter can pull rabbits out of hats, I know, he’s done it before, but he pulls out a damn bunny out of the town of Midwich. Those platinum-haired, cobalt-eyed squeaky-clean extraterrestrial kids were about as frightening as child mannequins in a department store window.

If looks could kill ... they will

Still, Carpenter tries his hardest with the material. It doesn’t help when the two leads are Superman and Kirstie Alley, Mark Hamill is playing a priest, and Crocodile Dundee’s wife refuses to believe her kid’s an alien.

Mark Hamill as Reverend George

In a cosmic nutshell Village of the Damned is about the quiet peaceful township of Midwich. One fine morning a shadow passes over the landscape, shortly after the town’s entire population faint. Six hours later they regain consciousness only to discover ten of the women are pregnant. But there is something very strange. The pregnancies are “immaculate conceptions”. The women are hosts. They all give birth at the same time, although one is stillborn and whisked away by epidemiologist-with-an-agenda Dr. Susan Verner (Kirstie Alley).

Village of the Damned 1995 Meredith Salenger

Meredith Salenger as Melanie

Dr. Alan Chaffee (Christopher Reeve in his last performance before that tragic horse-riding accident) supervised the deliveries, and as the children grow at an alarming rate, he starts to question Dr. Verner who is hiding secrets. The children possess a fierce intelligence, are able to read the minds of humans, and have the power to will humans into committing suicide. They are driven to supersede the human race, and Superman, I mean Dr. Chaffee, must stop them before it’s too late.

The town's communal faint causes a few fatalities

It’s humanity against inhumane children, and those with feelings may not survive. Sounds similar to Invasion of the Body Snatchers (1955), but that lean mean sf-horror machine eats this for breakfast. If Carpenter had not been the director-for-hire, as it so feels like he is, perhaps he would’ve made a less compromised horror movie, and delivered an altogether darker and more terrifying scenario. There is horror under the surface, but the treatment is too played too safe. Imdb.com lists the movie as rated R, but it feels like PG-13 all the way.

The villagers in witch hunt mode

As the situation got more and more out of control I was expecting Christopher Reeve to dash off to find the nearest phone booth, and not to make a long-distance call. Kirstie Alley has done too much comedy for me to take her seriously in anything since Cheers. Mark Hamill confirms why he never really worked again after the three Star Wars flicks (although he does deliver top voice work for animated productions such as The Incredibles).

John Carpenter’s Village of the Damned is a Carpenter curio, not a Carpenter classic. Yes, there is a child’s handful of striking images, Carpenter’s above-average score, two genuinely effective suicides (Karen Khan and George ‘Buck’ Flower), and sexy Meredith Salenger in a wasted role as doomed Melanie Roberts. I was really hangin' for a lot more alien mischief, malevolence and mayhem.

Here's the original trailer:

Village of the Damned DVD courtesy of Umbrella Entertainment, many thanks!

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Posted By: Bryn - Category: movie reviews

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Comments

12 Comments. [ Add A Comment ]

Comment by Cibbuano

October 22nd 2008 02:07

20/20 Filmsight
Science News
Hunt Famous
Orble Post of the Day
Fat Cult
Techbreak

hey, man, I liked it!

It's flawed across the board, but I felt it was rather satisfying to watch.

I was disappointed to see that Meredith Salenger didn't get freaky, though. I thought it was moving that way...

Comment by Movie Mall

October 22nd 2008 03:36

Strange Corridor
Movie Catcher
The Invisible Sky

Meredith Salenger .... Oh, I remember her...
Very hot in Lake Placid. Gets freaky there, but in the tent...

Comment by David O'Connell

October 22nd 2008 03:50

Screen Fanatic

I didn't mind this Bryn. Agreed about Ghosts of Mars and Escape from L.A........ but mate, Vampires!!?? I love it, without doubt the funniest film Carpenter has ever made!!! Gratuitous gore, a great main theme, and James Woods having a ball, what more could you ask for?

(I know - the barest hint of an original idea and a semi-literate screenplay................... ....but this is John Carpenter remember!! (;

Comment by Bryn

October 22nd 2008 04:43

Horrorphile

Cibby, enjoy away, but for me it felt too much like the Sunday Movie with an edge. Simply too pedestrian for my tastes.

Movie Mall, Lake Placid, I'm tempted to sit through that again, just for her!

David, I can appreciate that Vampires has split Carpenter fans down the middle. I'm not a fan. I didn't dig the comedy. I prefer James Woods in the pitch black satire of Videodrome anyday ... So you think Vampires is funnier than Big Trouble in Little China??

Comment by David O'Connell

October 22nd 2008 04:59

Screen Fanatic

Yeah, you're probably right mate, Big Trouble is a lot of fun and a better film too, but Vampires has some quite warped humour that I enjoyed just as much.

Comment by Bryn

October 22nd 2008 06:03

Horrorphile

David, perhaps I was in the wrong mood to watch Vampires in. I wasn't expecting such a schlocky, tongue-in-cheek production ... What are your favourite Carpenter flicks?

Comment by Damo

October 22nd 2008 09:46

For the Sake of Argument
My Apologetics

The original 60's version was a British production that was character driven and creepy. One of the few movies that had you terrified of perfect little children.

It wasn't the violence that was so disturbing. It was the inverted world where disobedient child became our masters

I am reluctant to watch US version.

Comment by Bryn

October 22nd 2008 23:45

Horrorphile

Damo, and a few years after the original another was produced called Children of the Damned, similar but not the same set in London, instead of the fictional Midwich.

Comment by Cibbuano

October 23rd 2008 02:41

20/20 Filmsight
Science News
Hunt Famous
Orble Post of the Day
Fat Cult
Techbreak

Damo, I'd like to see the original - and read the Wyndham novel...

Comment by Bryn

October 23rd 2008 05:28

Horrorphile

Cibby, I'm sure Dr. What video would have a copy on VHS ...

Comment by David O'Connell

October 24th 2008 03:23

Screen Fanatic

My favourites are the same as yours I think Bryn. Definitely The Thing head and shoulders above all else, then Halloween.

Then The Fog, Big Trouble in Little China, Escape from N.Y and Vampires.
I like They Live and Prince of Darkness too. Even Memoirs of an Invisible Man is quite enjoyable.

I think Starman and In the Mouth of Madness are the only 2 films of his I've never seen, besides a couple of early tv movies.

Comment by Bryn

October 24th 2008 03:54

Horrorphile

David, I shudder to think what the re-re-envisioning of The Thing will be like, due for release later next year (?)
I've seen They Live and Prince of Darkness, but strangely cannot remember much of either ... I think I'll need to re-visit those again. Starman, apparently, is a very under-rated movie, but I've never seen it. In the Mouth of Madness was Carpenter out on a pseudo-surrealist limb, something he should be doing more often.

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