Recently I watched both these original films and was struck by how different they were in tone.
The original (Children of the Damned) was based fairly closely (as I remember) on John Wyndham's book "The Midwitch Cuckoos" (a cuckoo is a bird that lays it's eggs in another bird's nest). It's a very taught little thriller that starts with the mysterious and disturbing "blackout" of everyone and everything in the village of Midwitch. Even outsiders mysteriously black out when they enter the area of the town. The town awakens hours later, and we find out that the (human) females of childbirthing age are now all pregnant. Fast forward several years and the children, all blonde and strangely stoic, are exhibiting weird psychic powers (during which their eyes glow with a very cool effect for the time!) We eventually find out little packs of blondies have been discovered around the world, but they have all been killed off by their people. These kids are eventually blown up (by George Saunders no less!) saving the rest of us from world domination.
Children of the Damned (alternate title: "Those Damned Kids!") was filmed just a couple of years later, but took the original idea on a totally different tack. Here the kids aren't blonde, but exhibit the same abilities to communicate with each other telepathically, control minds, and force people to do awful things to themselves and each other. They're now an international lot (English, Chinese, Indian, Russian, etc.), and gather from their respective country's embassy's to a derelict church in London. Even though they use their powers to kill off folks who threaten them, the movie takes a philisophical turn from the original where the kiddies are just super-evolved (but moody) humans, and it's us low-brows who are the threat. Eventually the kids are again destroyed (shot, blown up and generally disrepected by the British army), but this time the result of a mass-suicide by the kids themselves.
I loved the first movie, I'm still trying to decide how to think of the second. Even though the script (and title) tries to make direct ties to the original, the only real resemblance was in the nature of the children's powers (and the cool eye-glow, which we only saw once). In a way, they would have done the story better service by changing the title and trying to avoid too much similarity to the first movie. In terms of suspense, acting and general script coherence, the first one wins hands-down. The second one has numerous faults, not the least of which was an unsatisfying conclusion (really? these murderous little scowlers are the good guys???), but i have to give them credit for wanting to try something different.
Anyone else have thoughts on these movies?
Having never seen the second film, your description does make me want to seek it out. It's interesting how two people can use the same source material, to present different visions.
The Simpsons did a spoof of this called THE BLOODENING that was amusing.
When I was a kid it never struck me as a good horror film (I wanted monsters) but as I grew older I grew to appreciate it.
I love the first movie! Barbara Shelley is one of the genre's most beautiful ladies and she makes a good impression as the mother of one of the little darlings. She tries to impress the importance of feelings on her child with some effect.
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