IMDb user comments for
Village of the Damned (1995)

advertisement

Filter:

Best Chronological Prolific Authors Loved It Hated It Hide Spoilers:

Page 1 of 9:

[1] [2] [3] [4] [5] [6] [7] [8] [9]

Index

86 comments in total

---

35 out of 54 people found the following comment useful :-
Very Exceptional Moment When a Remake Beats an Original, 26 December 2004

Author: chambara8112 from Europe

There are very few horrors in Hollywood that are truly scary from an adults point of view like this one. it looks almost like it was done by an European contemplating the violence in contemporary America but in fact, it's surprising that was John Carpenter himself who's very well aware of that marginal point of America (frivolity of violence) that is so deeply implied in this movie. So this brainy stuff in horror is one of the aspects why this film didn't make good in box-office.

Beginning: i love the way how we are introduced to our essential characters then the family and full of harmony feeling that follows as if we're treated to something romantic, and in one moment everything is destroyed. The black-out scene is so chillingly frightening in a very serious tone achieved especially due to that sweet beginning. What follows is what you actually get and that's a very tragical feeling that something bad is gonna happen which is masterfully directed almost in a non-speakable way. That feel of dread flows through the "childbirth scene" that features little flashes of happiness for their characters (for a short time). One of the most beautiful scenes is the "baptizing of that baby" showing us our human side in contrast to that inhuman-or should i say extraterrestrial.

OK first death scene: brilliant, brilliant, brilliant. From the "boiling-water scene" to jumping off a cliff it's almost without words which makes it all the more powerful conclusion. Here i must say i'm a big Carpenter fan and i've seen all his movies but this scene (along with that one at a cemetery w/ Alan Chaffee & David) is one of his most spectacular i have ever seen and only proves that Carpenter is indisputably far better filmmaker than before. After the interrogation with K.Alley we are treated to a beautiful film-montage of the village shifting to a truly majestic scene of the marching children which accompanying an enchanting music with an appropriate sound nuances directly for the children‘s theme. Second death scene was done in a very old-fashioned style (which is more or less beautiful and disturbing than just frightening), that is important for us just to get to a point when they represent a real threat with complete lacking of any empathy and compassion for others which leads me to mention a cute scene with David learning something about humanity: in that scene you can take David as some kind of a symbol of hope that there still can be a little of humanity or take Linda Kozlowski character as a symbol of a parent that's actually responsible for that humanity to the future, anyway beautiful scene. Interesting moment is the suicide of Salenger's Melanie Roberts character – was she compelled by some outer force (extraterrestrial) or was it her own decision (which doesn‘t make much sense). There's truly magnificent scene with David and Reeve's character at a cemetery concerning human emotions - i almost thought that i was watching some Jean Cocteau film, and those who say that Garry Kibbe is a low-class cinematographer should see at least this scene, definitely this film is one of his best collaborations with Carpenter. There are many really old-fashioned scenes that were fancy maybe in 50's or 60's but in a way they're still very elegant and impressive, mainly because Carpenter took from those days only what is at its core virtually timeless, so i don't think there's a way that Village Of The Damned could seem to be dated, on the contrary there's a chance that this will probably find its audience in the future! And by the way for a Carpenter film you gotta have an acquired special taste. What i also admire is that carnage scene at the end of the movie which is a really classic Carpenter scene affluent of the rhythm and style similar to 'Assault On Precinct 13'. Anyway going through with this remake is an experience of a life time that the 1960 version by far ain't equal to. I have seen Carpenter's VOTD 8 years ago and still i can't put those images from this film out of my mind, i was really convinced that i was in that village and believed those events were happening, that's something i can't say about a lot of pretentious movies in Hollywood today.

I think Carpenter really outdid himself with this very powerful film that not only beats its inferior original but even in its way Carpenter's early stuff like 'Halloween', 'The Thing' or 'Prince Of Darkness'. You know, it's very easy to prefer a film that is shocking and very serious like 'The Thing', but Village Of The Damned is pretty much opulent in his portrayal of violence in a more brooding sense, it's not so much a horror within itself(The Thing) as it is rather a low viewpoint of the true horror outside and about the way how to deal/struggle with that. So from this perspective it very easily transcends something like 'The Thing' but in fact they're both great, even though 'Village Of The Damned' doesn't try to be that extremely documentary-like serious and 'The Thing' doesn't succeed in that intelligent satiric portrayal of violence and old fashioned artistic film beauty.

i can't help but this film is simply a true masterpiece that is criminally under-appreciated.

---

20 out of 25 people found the following comment useful :-
Indifference to violence, 2 June 2005

Author: Bjorn (jbjorns) from Iceland

John Carpenter's remake of the 1960 original has little to add but it's more violent and explicit. The plot is the same; 10 women get pregnant simultaneously during a group pass out. Several years go by and the children all look similar and stick together. They appear to be anything but normal and once they start killing the residents of the small village it's clear they have to be stopped.

Carpenter is really a master of suspense and some scenes work remarkably well, however this is not one of his best films. Not much happens here and the film drags a bit, plus the inclusion of a government intervention and a possible world wide epidemic of these children does little to further the film. Still, Carpenter manages to create a decent amount of suspense and uneasiness by playing on the film's simple premise; that little children are the evildoers here. The soulless stares and glowing eyes are enough to creep you out. The social statement about people (and children) becoming indifferent to violence is a valid input, since the film couldn't really go for the same underlying meaning as the original, which was made during the cold war; the children personifying the threat from the east penetrating the west.

An average John Carpenter film is still a lot more interesting than most other horror films out there. Village of the Damned is not one of his best but it's a good film nonetheless.

---

18 out of 26 people found the following comment useful :-
Gripping, 17 June 2000

Author: (reelmartin@earthlink.net) from Mesa AZ

My mother turned on Village of the Damned one evening because Christopher Reeve was in it. I knew absolutely nothing about it beyond the fact that there was a movie by that title. After ten minutes I was completely hooked. After it was over I thought about it and realized there were some flaws, but still, while it lasted I was fascinated. I recommend it.

---

14 out of 19 people found the following comment useful :-
Creepy, 6 March 2002
Author: jsnyang48

The movie is pretty well pasted with a clever script and some creepy scenes. We also get some good acting from the adult actors and one of the child actors (David), but when we consider the other children, they seem to be creepier when they're 3-years old. When the movie brings you to the part where they're somewhere around 8 or 9 years old, the movie starts to loose the creepy elements. Basically because the children's acting starts to loose its balance as they tend to act mature. I think those children are creepier when they're unable to speak than they are when they try to talk in the manner of adults (eg. the scene where they all lined up infront of the campus, they were muted and still, and that had a creepy effect along with the score!!!). But besides that, the movie does have powerful special effects and some really neat scenes. The movie did a great job on the visuals and the scores!

9.5/10 -0.5 for loosing the creepy effect, but later as the movie reaches its climax where we get the children lining up in front of the cops, from then, the acting didn't seem so weird anymore and they're "mature" way of talking didn't seem to mess up the eeriness.

---

20 out of 31 people found the following comment useful :-
A great remake of a 1960's classic sci fi story., 1 December 2004
Author: palexandersquires from United Kingdom

I have just bought this DVD, and I find it an brilliant version. I am very lucky to have the 1960 original on a video, I found the whole film to be thrilling and it has good effects. well done John. I also found the children to be more striking than the original version I also liked little David, he seemed to be like a normal little boy. and Myra ,the girl seemed to be the children's leader. All the children were good little actors and I ask myself now, will there be another village of the damned? after David and that that lady go away in the car, what happens next???? This film will also be my tribrute to Christopher Reeves as well. I also have the book by John Wyndham called The Midwhich cuckoos I miss George Saunders in this 1995 remake. but Christopher Reeves plays a good scientist. I also think that the professor is very brave sharing his home, with one of the children. Very scary!!!!

---

25 out of 41 people found the following comment useful :-
Great Movie, 7 December 2004

Author: Benoit Cote from Canada

John Carpenter 1995 remake of the classic Village of the Damned is also a classic. whatever what people may have say, this movie is awesome. the late great Christopher Reeve acting are amazing. its just sad to know that its is last movie before his horrible horse accident. but Reeve is not the best actor in the movie. i would give that title to Lindsey Haun. Lindsey acting as Mara, the leading child is simply amazing. this version is, in my opinion, way better than the original 1960 movie. a lot of people wont agree here thought...i totally recommend that movie, since its my 3rd all time favorite (first being 1982 Poltergeist and second, 1986 Aliens). i give Village of the Damned, a 10/10

---

10 out of 13 people found the following comment useful :-
Different Remake and Feel of the 1960 Black and White film., 20 June 2005

Author: Lucien Lessard from Canada

In the quiet small town in Southern California. Something terribly goes wrong in the small village of Midwich. After an unseen force invades a quiet coastal town. Ten woman mysteriously find themselves pregnant. Local Doctor (Christopher Reeve) and an mysterious government scientist Dr. Susan Verner (Kristie Alley) decide to help each other. When the woman simultaneously give birth... and the reign of terror begins.

This is a remake of the 1960 Classic film. The new version is directed by John Carpenter (Escape From New York, Escape From L.A.). Carpenter gives this version with much more explicit violence. Although the original was much more eerie but Carpenter manages to top several key scenes from the original. One of the Highlights of this remake is the Strong Performances by Reeve, Alley, Linda Kozlowski, Mark Hamill (as a Priest!), Thomas Deeker as David and Lindsey Haun "The Leader of the Emotionless Children".

The Remake does look better in Color than the 1960 Black & White original. This new version was a Box Office disappointment. The film plays better on Video than it did in Theaters but it is a must see in Widescreen, especially Gary B. Kibbe's terrific cinematography. Carpenter cut several scenes before the film's release. Scenes like 9 infants getting up together in the same time (Which is a Babies Puppet F/X from K.N.B EFX Group), 8 Children Attacked and Probably Killing Three Other Children. There is good visual effects by Industrial, Light and Magic. Carpenter Co-Composed the film's music.

DVD has an sharp anamorphic Widescreen (2.35:1) transfer and an terrific-Dolby Digital 5.1 Surround Sound. DVD Features are the Original Theatrical Trailer, Bonus Trailer from Other Films and Production Notes. It would have better if the DVD has an audio commentary by Carpenter and Deleted Scenes. We might have these features on a Future DVD but highly doubtful from this Underrated film. One of the few underrated film by John Carpenter. Panavision. (****/*****).

---

19 out of 31 people found the following comment useful :-
best movie i've seen in a while, 27 April 2002

Author: angeljuuhachi from United States

Critics didn't seem to like Village of the Damned(1995) but when I asked everybody I know, they all liked it. Gee, I wonder why. Village of the Damned is about 9 platinum-white haired children who can control bodies and read minds. Their quest for survival leads to horror and destruction. There are really good acting performances by Christopher Reeve, Kristi Ally, and Mark Hamil. The two best ones were Lindsey Haun as Mara and Thomas Dekker as David, two of the main children. Lindsey Haun is stunning in this movie.

I don't know if any other child could've pulled off a role like that. She was emotionless, cold and commanding, yet still beautiful and stylish. She's now 17, and still just as awesome. Thomas Dekker did good in the middle of emotionless and empathetic .

Village of the Damned is not like a slasher movie with tons of blood. It cuts down yet still looks real. It sends chills down your spine when you watch it, and the glowing eyes are cool. And like my friend said, "Even if the entire movie completely sucked, Lindsey Haun would still manage to keep the entire movie awesome.

---

22 out of 37 people found the following comment useful :-
oh, its another john carpenter movie, 13 June 2002
Author: (kingofhorrormovies@hotmail.com) from s.salem's hill,KUWAIT

I ve seen all john carpenter's movies and "V.O.T.D" is one of his best COINS (imho) and i really liked it, the story of course is a remake of the same title(1960),and based (lightly) on true events before i review :i have to say that i dont like people remaking movies,most of them are trash,however, this one is definitly exceptional and J.C did a great job remaking/directing this movie the camera work is perfectly executed(shooted) on the other-side of the coin the cast were at their best(C.REEVE,M.hamell....) the death scenes were awesome but needed more which i have no obejections the kids were really cool,and believable in their face expressions

ALL IN ALL :this movie is a real shiny coin in carpenter's collection if you are a big fan of his collection,dont miss it for other genre fans:its an entertaining flick

---

16 out of 27 people found the following comment useful :-
Great John Carpenter movie!, 10 October 2003

Author: Movie Nuttball from U.S.A.

John Carpenter's Village of the Damned in My opinion is one of his best and darkest films! The cast was really good which includes Christopher Reeves, Mark Hamil, Kirstie Alley, Linda Kozlowski, Michael Paré, and Peter Jason! I really liked Christopher Reeves and Mark Hamil's characters especially Hamil's. I don't know but there is just something about his character that is unique. The film is top notch with excellent music and direction by John Carpenter! If you are a Carpenter fan and love horror movies then I recommend Village of the Damned!

Movie Nuttball's note: It was so cool to Christopher Reeves and Mark Hamil in a movie together. It was like Luke Skywalker from Tatooine and Superman from Krypton joining each other for a movie! It is really cool to check out!

---

---

Page 1 of 9:

[1] [2] [3] [4] [5] [6] [7] [8] [9]

Add another comment

---

Related Links

Plot summary	Amazon.com summary	Ratings
Awards	Newsgroup reviews	External reviews
Official site	Plot keywords	Main details
Your user comments	Your vote history