Children of the Corn
IT (NOVEL BY STEPHEN KING)
Release Date: September 15, 1986 (Setting is 1957 - 1958 and 1984 - 1985)
Series: Stephen King Universe (the works of Stephen King)
Horror Crosses: Lovecraft’s Cthulhu Mythos
The Story: In the town of Derry, in the 1950s, a supernatural entity terrorizes until a group of children band together to defeat it. In the 1980s, those former children must again stop the entity.
Notes: This story has references that link it to Lovecraft’s Pickman’s Model. It also has references to The Stand, Children of the Corn, Rita Hayworth and the Shawshank Redemption, The Dead Zone, The Tommyknockers, the Dark Tower, and Christine.
NIGHT SHIFT “CHILDREN OF THE CORN” (SHORT STORY BY STEPHEN KING)
Release Date: February 1978 (Contemporary Setting)
Series: Stephen King Universe (the works of Stephen King)
The Story: A couple find themselves in a seeming ghost town and soon find it inhabited by a cult that worships a demonic being who demands all those who have reached their 19th birthdays or older be sacrificed.
Notes: The story actually was first published in a 1977 issue of Penthouse, but since I listed all the other Night Shift stories, I felt it better to place this here. This story was adapted to screen in 1983 (in the short, DISCIPLES OF THE CROW). DISCIPLES OF THE CROW can be found on video as part of THE NIGHTSHIFT COLLECTION. The film was remade again in 1984 and 2009. The more famous adaptation is the 1984 film, CHILDREN OF THE CORN. The 1984 remake better fits in the main TVCU, as the same events as the short story from a different perspective, as it has had several sequels, starting with Children of the Corn II: The Final Sacrifice in 1992, and most recently Children of the Corn: Genesis (2011). There is also a reference to The Shining (1980), which is a valid crossover within the TVCU. The 1984 film has also been referenced in The Night Flier (1997) and Haven, and those are valid crossovers within the TVCU.
PRIME EVIL: NEW STORIES BY THE MASTERS OF MODERN HORROR “THE NIGHT ,
The Story: Reporter Richard Dees of the Inside View is investigating a serial killer who turns out to be a vampire.
Notes: Dees had appeared in the Dead Zone previously. The vampire of this story is the grandfather from Popsy. He also appears, named Andrews, in Kim Newman’s You Are the Wind Beneath My Wings, working for the Shop and teamed with Rainbird from Firestarter. The Inside View is a rag that appears often in King’s works. The small, mostly deserted town of Jerusalem’s Lot is also mentioned in this story. This story was adapted to screen in 1997, with the spelling changed to THE NIGHT FLIER. While the story is in the Horror Universe/TVCU, the 1997 film is also considered to be in the TVCU as the same story told from a different perspective. The 1997 film has references to Children of the Corn (1984), The Lawnmower Man (1992), Needful Things (1993), and Thinner (1996), which are valid crossovers within the TVCU.
CHILDREN OF THE CORN II: THE FINAL SACRIFICE (FILM)
Release Date: January 29, 1993 (Contemporary Setting)
Series: Stephen King Universe (the works of Stephen King)
The Story: A journalist takes his son along for a road trip to investigate the mysterious town of Gaitlin.
Notes: This is a sequel to the film which takes place in the Horror Universe/TVCU. It follows Children of the Corn (1984), and is followed by Children of the Corn III: Urban Harvest (1995).
CHILDREN OF THE CORN III: URBAN HARVEST (FILM)
Release Date: September 12, 1995 (Contemporary Setting)
Series: Stephen King Universe (the works of Stephen King)
The Story: Two of the young cult members are adopted by a family.
Notes: This is a sequel to the film which takes place in the Horror Universe/TVCU. It follows Children of the Corn II: The Final Sacrifice (1992), and is followed by Children of the Corn: The Gathering (1996).
CHILDREN OF THE CORN: THE GATHERING (FILM)
Release Date: October 8, 1996 (Contemporary Setting)
Series: Stephen King Universe (the works of Stephen King)
The Story: Kids in town are possessed by the now deceased members of the original cult.
Notes: "Do you have any quarters?" I've seen this movie, and all the others of this series, numerous times. I love them. I can't help myself. They are all on Netflix, and SyFy plays them often as well. This is a sequel to the film which takes place in the Horror Universe/TVCU. It follows Children of the Corn III: Urban Harvest (1995), and is followed by Children of the Corn V: Fields of Terror (1998).
CHILDREN OF THE CORN V: FIELDS OF TERROR (FILM)
Release Date: June 21, 1998 (Setting should be prior to the events of the next film, which is set in 1997)
Series: Stephen King Universe (the works of Stephen King)
The Story: A group of college students uncover the cult of children. They risk their lives to try to rescue the children.
Notes: I've seen this movie, and all the others of this series, numerous times. I love them. I can't help myself. They are all on Netflix, and SyFy plays them often as well. This is a sequel to the film which takes place in the Horror Universe/TVCU. It follows Children of the Corn: The Gathering (1996), and is followed by Children of the Corn 666: Isaac's Return (1999).
Release Date: October 19, 1999 (Set 19 years after the events of Children of the Corn, so 1997)
Series: Stephen King Universe (the works of Stephen King)
The Story: Hannah returns to Gatlin and awakens Isaac from a 19 year coma.
Notes: Isaac was in a coma for 19 years, since the events of the original film. Since the film that this is a sequel to came out in 1984, which would have been only 15 years ago, but the original short story was published in 1978, which was 21 years ago, it seems to me that the writers were basing the dates of the original story on the literary release, confirming that the film series is meant to be part of the same universe as the literary versions. This is a sequel to the film which takes place in the Horror Universe/TVCU. It follows Children of the Corn V: Fields of Terror (1998), and is followed by Children of the Corn: Revelation (2001).
CHILDREN OF THE CORN: REVELATION (FILM)
Release Date: October 9, 2001 (Contemporary Setting)
Series: Stephen King Universe (the works of Stephen King)
The Story: Jamie goes to visit her grandmother in Omaha, to find her grandma's home occupied by possessed children who summon a demon to kill Jamie.
Notes: This film follows Children of the Corn 666: Isaac's Return (1999) and is followed by Children of the Corn: Genesis (2011).
CHILDREN OF THE CORN: GENESIS (FILM)
Release Date: March 17, 2012 (Contemporary Setting)
Series: Stephen King Universe (the works of Stephen King)
The Story: A young couple try to free a captive child with disastrous results.
Notes: This is a sequel, not a remake, even if the plot is the same as the original story. That's why it's called Genesis. It's in a way going back to the beginning, as in where it all started and the original premise. This film follows Children of the Corn: Revelation (2001) and is the final film in the series. It's interesting to note also that the original film was remade in 2009, and yet, this is a sequel to the 1984 film, not to the 2009 film that came out three years prior to this film.
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