Arrow Blu-ray

[Gerald]

For fans of the movie who weren't aware yet:

Amazon.com: Children Of The Corn (Special Edition) [Blu-ray]: Peter Horton, Linda Hamilton, Courtney Gains, John Franklin, R.G. Armstrong, John Philbin, Fritz Kiersch: Movies & TV

It seems for now it is only out in the US. Looks like a good package. Makes me wish I was a bigger fan of the movie. It's not that I dislike it, but it doesn't hold a special place for me.

The coolest thing I find is that it has the Disciples of the Crow short film (made around the same time 1983/84). I remember liking that more than the feature film.

But for fans this looks like a must.

 

[kingricefan]

Just added to my wish list

 

[Gerald]

One thing with Arrow though, it used to be the booklets were in their releases for a long time. Now they are much shorter, if you wait too long you'll get one without a booklet.
Also their releases that are in a box (like the new Romero box coming out), won't have the booklets when they are released seperately - which seems a strange policy, but I suppose in those cases they just want to use them as an incentive to get the whole box.

I sometimes don't want every film in a box and buy one seperate, but I still hate to miss out on the booklet in those cases.
The books are not that big, generally around 30 pages, but they still have interesting articles which cover ground not always covered on the blu-ray itself.

 

[fljoe0]

I looked on Arrow's website and they have another interesting release coming out soon, Burnt Offerings, a 70s horror flick with Karen Black and Oliver Reed. It's a good movie and the version I saw (for the October Horror Challenge) a couple years ago didn't look too good. I'd like to see a new restored version.

Burnt Offerings | Arrow Films

 

[GNTLGNT]

 

[Gerald]

I looked on Arrow's website and they have another interesting release coming out soon, Burnt Offerings, a 70s horror flick with Karen Black and Oliver Reed. It's a good movie and the version I saw (for the October Horror Challenge) a couple years ago didn't look too good. I'd like to see a new restored version.

Burnt Offerings | Arrow Films

I have it. The image is not as sharp as you're used to with blu-ray, imo. I would say in terms of image not one of their best releases.
Great movie, I love it a lot.

 

[Gerald]

I wonder what it is about this particular story that it spawned the most adaptations of a King story. Is it the idea that it is a cult of purely children, so it becomes a nightmare for adults?
The idea was not new of course, as it was also in a film like Who Can Kill A Child? (1976) - an excellent Spanish film.

What is its lasting appeal though that there were made so many?

 

[fljoe0]

I wonder what it is about this particular story that it spawned the most adaptations of a King story. Is it the idea that it is a cult of purely children, so it becomes a nightmare for adults?
The idea was not new of course, as it was also in a film like Who Can Kill A Child? (1976) - an excellent Spanish film.

What is its lasting appeal though that there were made so many?

I have no idea what the appeal for so many sequels is.

Maybe since this was an early movie, Steve wasn't as careful (or knowledgeable) about selling the rights and maybe (I'm speculating) these sequels are just somebody taking advantage of being able to profit off of Steve's name. I'm only guessing but it's funny this hasn't happened to any of his other stories. Maybe he didn't put the right language in the contract or something. This would be a good question for Ms Mod.

 

[kingricefan]

I wonder what it is about this particular story that it spawned the most adaptations of a King story. Is it the idea that it is a cult of purely children, so it becomes a nightmare for adults?
The idea was not new of course, as it was also in a film like Who Can Kill A Child? (1976) - an excellent Spanish film.

What is its lasting appeal though that there were made so many?

I have no idea what the appeal for so many sequels is.

Maybe since this was an early movie, Steve wasn't as careful (or knowledgeable) about selling the rights and maybe (I'm speculating) these sequels are just somebody taking advantage of being able to profit off of Steve's name. I'm only guessing but it's funny this hasn't happened to any of his other stories. Maybe he didn't put the right language in the contract or something. This would be a good question for Ms Mod.

I was just going to say that the producers probably got the film rights pretty cheap and that it was in the contract that they 'own' the rights to as many sequels as they want.

 

[fljoe0]

I was just going to say that the producers probably got the film rights pretty cheap and that it was in the contract that they 'own' the rights to as many sequels as they want.

And who could have guessed there would have been 150 sequels?

 

[Gerald]

I was just going to say that the producers probably got the film rights pretty cheap and that it was in the contract that they 'own' the rights to as many sequels as they want.

But it isn't always the same producers. Only the original and the tv movie were from the same producer, Donald Borchers. Also the production companies vary from film to film.

My idea is that it is still a rather unique idea, there aren't so many films about murdering children, let alone children who murder as a group.

But probably miss Mod knows that unlike other adaptations this series in particular is one that Stephen can't stop from being made. Actually in Stephen King goes to the Movies he says that he quite enjoys them and that his children used to quote lines from the movie.

 

[Moderator]

This story was part of his early career and neither he nor his agent at the time were as aware of the need to include reserving the film rights. They were thinking more about only the publishing rights needing to be covered in the contracts. I don't know for certain, but think this may have been one of the ones that didn't have the film rights included and the publisher held the rights. Film rights, including sequel rights, can be resold any number of times depending on how the contracts have been drawn up which explains why there can be so many different versions and producers.

 

[fljoe0]

This story was part of his early career and neither he nor his agent at the time were as aware of the need to include reserving the film rights. They were thinking more about only the publishing rights needing to be covered in the contracts. I don't know for certain, but think this may have been one of the ones that didn't have the film rights included and the publisher held the rights. Film rights, including sequel rights, can be resold any number of times depending on how the contracts have been drawn up which explains why there can be so many different versions and producers.

 

[Gerald]

This story was part of his early career and neither he nor his agent at the time were as aware of the need to include reserving the film rights. They were thinking more about only the publishing rights needing to be covered in the contracts. I don't know for certain, but think this may have been one of the ones that didn't have the film rights included and the publisher held the rights. Film rights, including sequel rights, can be resold any number of times depending on how the contracts have been drawn up which explains why there can be so many different versions and producers.

So the publisher of the book, which in this case is Doubleday I assume, for Night Shift has the rights and sells them over and over to different producers?

 

[Gerald]

There are still some more films about murdering children. But quite often they're possessed, or spirits or the Anti-Christ. I felt that the children in Children of the Corn weren't possessed, they still knew what they're were doing, they were just fanatics.

Top Killer Kid Movies - Best Films With Evil Children

 

[Moderator]

So the publisher of the book, which in this case is Doubleday I assume, for Night Shift has the rights and sells them over and over to different producers?

No, once the film rights are sold that purchaser owns the rights. From then on, it's the producers/distributors of the film (whoever purchased the film rights) who can then sell them and then the next buyer, etc.

 

[fljoe0]

So the publisher of the book, which in this case is Doubleday I assume, for Night Shift has the rights and sells them over and over to different producers?

I think the rights we are talking about are only for Children Of The Corn and not for Night Shift. I think the rights for stories in collections are sold individually.

 

[Gerald]

No, once the film rights are sold that purchaser owns the rights. From then on, it's the producers/distributors of the film (whoever purchased the film rights) who can then sell them and then the next buyer, etc.

And rebuy them I'm suppose? Because Borchers returned to the series in 2009, having produced the original in 1984.

That's just a position you don't want to be in as the writer, because basically they can do with it what they want and you have no say over it.

 

[Moderator]

I think the rights we are talking about are only for Children Of The Corn and not for Night Shift. I think the rights for stories in collections are sold individually.

Again, don't quote me, but in the cobwebs of my mind I think they were able to control the film rights for all of the stories in that collection.

 

[Moderator]

And rebuy them I'm suppose? Because Borchers returned to the series in 2009, having produced the original in 1984.

That's just a position you don't want to be in as the writer, because basically they can do with it what they want and you have no say over it.

Yes, rights can be bought back. Stephen had to do that when he wanted to remake The Shining as the miniseries. Warner Bros. now owns the rights for that title as well as Doctor Sleep and any other directly related works previously written.