Ever Notice How Similar Children of the Corn is To Miri?
- Thread starter Kamdan
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A.V.I.A.F.
Captain
There are certainly a lot of similarities between the two, but the concept of a community of children (or even of one child) taking over or creating their own sub-society has a few other precedents. The Lord of the Flies (the original film 1963 or the novel are best), Village of the Damned (again the 1960 original is best). In other words, King could have been influenced by these as well.
Not as heavily as the aspects in Miri. The kids are by no means powerful, aside from knowing their surrounding better, along with the after-mentioned imagery of the old buildings are extremely similar. Sure the kids don't crucify Yeoman Rand, but have her kidnapped. Also it takes Kirk and Burt in Children of the Corn film to convince the children to stop what they are doing. None of that was in Lord of the Flies and Village of the Damned is closer in tone to And The Children Shall Lead.
Actually, it looks like a basket made from wheat. One of my favorite fanfic lines (from a Valjiir story) is one character asking about Rand: "Why is she wearing a basket on her head?" 
I always figured she kept a spare head in there.One of my favorite fanfic lines (from a Valjiir story) is one character asking about Rand: “Why is she wearing a basket on her head?”
I always figured she kept a spare head in there.One of my favorite fanfic lines (from a Valjiir story) is one character asking about Rand: “Why is she wearing a basket on her head?”
Well, if she can't get Kirk to look at her legs, looking at her giant conehead is a reasonable substitute.
Miri wasn't her finest hour though. As was pointed out on Youtube, she uses McCoy as a human shield, suffers terrible PMT, goes a bit scabby, and gets beaten up and taken hostage by a bunch of children.
God I loved Janice sooo much! Why did those fools ever write her out?
A.V.I.A.F.
Captain
I just watched this episode again today and I couldn't help notice how terribly unattractive many of the children were! I don't mean the ones that were made-up to look like they were dying from the disease, I mean their real looks were quite...unfortunate. Were ugly kids intentionally cast so as to help convey the sense of their extreme age (old people in children's bodies)? Or, were they cheaper to hire? Does this post make me a horrible person?
Not at all. Some of those kids had faces only a mother could love ('cept they're all dead).
A.V.I.A.F.
Captain
Yeeesh! Yes!
Thank-you, I am glad to know that I am not the only one!
Thank-you, I am glad to know that I am not the only one!
Some of them were actually the actors' children (one of William Shatner's daughters was in this episode).
But mainly I think it's because back then, most people on TV actually looked like real people, not fashion models (of whatever age).
But mainly I think it's because back then, most people on TV actually looked like real people, not fashion models (of whatever age).
A.V.I.A.F.
Captain
Oh, I totally get that physical appearance of most people on TV today is unrealistic or not representative of most people. But, some of these kids (not all of them), but many of the ones who had speaking parts...were really unique with regard to their physical attributes. I was wondering if anyone knew if that was intentional so as to help lend to the oddness of these characters.
^^^Both Michael J. Pollard and John Megna had carved out respectable acting careers prior to the episode, based, I would imagine, not only on their talent but also on their "unique" looks (as do many many fine actors). So I'd say these two, at least, were known to be quite capable and professional. Hell, Pollard was what 25 or 26 years old then? Megna was probably thirteen or fourteen. They'd been around.
Sir Rhosis
Sir Rhosis
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A.V.I.A.F.
Captain
They looked much older than the roles they were playing in Miri. that might account for the odd feeling I got when watching them in that episode. That, and the fact that they both really do look...unique. Megna played Dill in To Kill a Mockingbird...I never noticed that! He also died at the young age of 42 from "Aids-related causes." That is a shame. I feel awful now for calling him ugly. Thanks for ruining my weekend Sir Rhosis!
Seriously though, he was a fine actor. His role in Miri was to disturb and upset, and he accomplished that very well.When one, the physically oldest the kids had to have have been is 12/13 equivalent at the oldest, and two, that Michael J. Pollard, Kim Darby, and the actors that played Floyd ("Fibber! Fibber! Mine!") and the grupped out girl whose name I forget were all at least eighteen, and the men were all over twenty, it gets a little weird to realize that this falls directly in line with Hollywood's definition of "child."
Depends on the role no matter what decade. There was no shortage of beautiful "fashion model types" in the old days. And there are "real people" on TV today. Casting for looks didnt start in this Century,
"Children of the Corn" comes out of a whole subgenre of "rural paganism" horror stories. As in "The Wicker Man" (1973), "Harvest Home," "The Lottery," "Blood from Satan's Claw," etc.
I suspect that was more of an influence than "Miri."
It dawns on me, though, that somebody could turn "Miri" into a cool, post-apocalyptic, "28 Days Later"-type thriller. A virus turns all the adults into monsters, but leaves the children untouched, until they reach puberty, that is.
Sounds like a fun horror movie to me.
I suspect that was more of an influence than "Miri."
It dawns on me, though, that somebody could turn "Miri" into a cool, post-apocalyptic, "28 Days Later"-type thriller. A virus turns all the adults into monsters, but leaves the children untouched, until they reach puberty, that is.
Sounds like a fun horror movie to me.
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