A decent British Sci-Fi sequel following the happenings of the Midwich women who were mysteriously pregnant by strange forces. Six impossibly intelligent children from all over the world with dangerous psychic powers, ray-gun eyes, genius IQs, and murderous dispositions hide in a church in England after the military tries to experiment on them. They are a sample of what man will evolve to in a million years and born all around the world. They result to be mind-controlling demons or aliens . Besieged, they warn the military to back off before carnage ensues. Two investigators (Alan Badel, Ian Hendry) bring the children togetherm and while they are being examined by sv¡cientists they escape. When the army gets involved, they find this force has precise boundaries. Meanwhile, government officers along with scientists, and military attempt to stop their plans of conquest. All new suspense shocker... even more eerie and unearthly than "Village of the Damned"!. So young, so innocent, so deadly - they came to conquer the world!. Beware the eyes that paralyze!!!
This nice sequel titled ¨Children of the damned (64)¨ by Anton Leader boasts a good cast, such as: Ian Hendry , Alan Badel, Alfred Burke, Patrick Wymark and Barbara Ferris . A suspenseful and interesting premise dealing with several strangely emotionless and unsettling children, continuing the former premise of the 1960 film in which disturbing kiddies all were born at the same time in a small village in Midwich. This classic Sci-Fi thriller contains chills , suspense , intrigue and creepy events about some precocious deadly children and their quest of power. Eerie and strange plot well developed by writer John Briley, based on John Wyndham novel titled "The Midwich Cuckoos" that focuses a British village visited by some unknown life form which leaves the women of the village pregnant. Special mention for the children who cause real terror, adding the creepy effects of their glowing eyes that were made by matting a negative image of their eyes over the pupils. Intriguing and atmospheric musical score by Ron Goodwin and packing appropriate cinematography from David Boulton photographing splendidly the scenarios from the church and city . The picture was professionally directed by Anton Leader. Rating : 6/10. Good due to provide tension enough and pleasant screams for the viewer .
Other renditions based on John Wyndham novel titled ¨The Midwich cuckoos¨ are the following : Village of damned (1960) by Wolf Rilla with George Sanders, Barbara Shelley, Martin Stephens,Michael G. Wynne , Laurence Naismith, Peter Vaughan. Dealing with a small village in England is completely subdued by an alien presence for an entire day. The scene is a village called Midwich in which a rare event overcomes the idyllic location . When the mysterious blackout is lifted, life for those affected returns to apparent normality - except every woman of child-bearing age inside the zone has suddenly and inexplicably fallen pregnant. Dealing with a thorny issue: women become pregnant by brood parasitic aliens, in fact long time ago, M. G. M shelved the project, because it was deemed potentially inflammatory and controversial, specifically due to its sinister depiction of virgin birth. It's subsequently made an acceptable remake (1995) titled ¨John Carpenter's Village of the damned¨ with the same premise still interesting enough to watch it and starred by Kirstie Alley, Christopher Reeve and Mark Hamill ; however, it suffers from unimaginative account because being a copy from original film with more violent and explicit scenes and fails to provide the intelligent atmosphere from previous story . And a TV series
The Midwich Cuckoos (2022) with Keeley Hawes, Synnøve Karlssen, Lara Rossi, Max Beesley. Furthermore, radio shows in 1982, 2003, & 2017.
