IMDb RATING
5.4/10
3.1K
YOUR RATING
A nuclear-plant leak turns a bus-load of children into murderous atomic zombies with black fingernails.A nuclear-plant leak turns a bus-load of children into murderous atomic zombies with black fingernails.A nuclear-plant leak turns a bus-load of children into murderous atomic zombies with black fingernails.
- Director
- Writers
- Stars
Michelle La Mothe
- Dr. Joyce Gould
- (as Michelle LeMothe)
John P. Codiglia
- Jackson Lane
- (as John Codiglia)
- Director
- Writers
- All cast & crew
- Production, box office & more at IMDbPro
Featured reviews
I saw this movie at the theatre when I was twelve years old and it scared the crap out of me. At the time I thought it was a cool movie but now if I saw it I'm sure it wouldn't hit me like that. I'm sure I would still like it though because I am very nostalgic about old horror movies which are my favorite genre of films. I would love to find this movie for sale so I could see it again. There was just something so creepy about this film. I mean it was foggy and those children just creeped me out.The location of the film is perfect as it was a creepy little wooded town in the middle of nowhere. If you don't mind B movies and you like horror a lot like me than this is definitely a movie you should check out.
I saw this when I was five years old--my parents were oddly fine with letting me watch any horror flick I wanted. This has had some long-lasting issues, to say the least.
My memory of the movie is a bit hazy. I've described it to many people over the years, searching for someone who knew the title. Alas, no one ever recognized it. Never thought to search it online (one of those things, I guess) until now. I remembered the poisonous fog, the school bus, and the burning hands of the children. Unfortunately, my memory also included purple hamburger-like patties in the palms of the children's hands--the source of their awesome burning power. Strange what you think you remember.
Back on point, awesome awful nonsensical horror film of the 80's.
My memory of the movie is a bit hazy. I've described it to many people over the years, searching for someone who knew the title. Alas, no one ever recognized it. Never thought to search it online (one of those things, I guess) until now. I remembered the poisonous fog, the school bus, and the burning hands of the children. Unfortunately, my memory also included purple hamburger-like patties in the palms of the children's hands--the source of their awesome burning power. Strange what you think you remember.
Back on point, awesome awful nonsensical horror film of the 80's.
This B-grade horror flick has some surprising special effects, and a completely predictable twist ending. When a school bus drives into the fog from a nuclear plant leak, the children inside are transformed into black-fingernailed zombies that incinerate anyone they touch, apparently from the inside-out. My fondness for this movie probably stems from the circumstances in which I saw it--I was 12 or 13, alone in front of the TV at my sister's house at around 2 AM,watching a "rated R movie(!)" I had been expressly forbidden to see. I'm not sure whether I was more afraid of the movie or an adult catching me, but either way, it was good fun. I'm looking forward to the day this one is finally released on DVD.
On Monday, I checked out this used video/cd/video game store.
wow! My jaw dropped in amazement on, when I saw this on the shelf...for only $3. I never got to see this as a kid, & it has been on my 'Must-see' list for a long time now. I have been trying to find it on Ebay as well.
Well, I enjoyed it, its a good fun & cheesy movie. You weren't expecting an Oscar nominated movie were you? Yes, the acting is bad & yes, some of the dialogue is horrendous, but this was such a fun movie.
It has its creepy moments & an alright 'twist' ending, that leaves it open for a sequel? hmmm.
This is worth checking out or owning if you love those bad cheesy films from the 80's, like what I do. For finding a pretty rare & hard to get (go to Ebay & see how much this sells for) for only $3, you can not go wrong. :)
wow! My jaw dropped in amazement on, when I saw this on the shelf...for only $3. I never got to see this as a kid, & it has been on my 'Must-see' list for a long time now. I have been trying to find it on Ebay as well.
Well, I enjoyed it, its a good fun & cheesy movie. You weren't expecting an Oscar nominated movie were you? Yes, the acting is bad & yes, some of the dialogue is horrendous, but this was such a fun movie.
It has its creepy moments & an alright 'twist' ending, that leaves it open for a sequel? hmmm.
This is worth checking out or owning if you love those bad cheesy films from the 80's, like what I do. For finding a pretty rare & hard to get (go to Ebay & see how much this sells for) for only $3, you can not go wrong. :)
A leak at a nuclear plant releases a toxic cloud that poisons all the kids from Ravensback after their school bus drives through it. The kids end up being like zombies with black fingernails and they cause their parents to melt when they touch them. Jeez, talk about your nuclear family! It is up to Sheriff Billy Hart (Gil Rogers) and local dad John Freemont (Martin Shakar) to stop these radioactive little moppets. I saw this as a kid in the early 1980s and it freaked the hell out of me and my sister. It is such a simple premise (NIGHT OF THE LIVING DEAD KIDS), but the filmmakers pull it off with the creepy kids saying nothing more than "Mommy! Mommy!" or "Daddy! Daddy!" with their arms extended. Also, the method of dispatching them (cutting off their hands) is done really effective and it is rare to see kids the subject of on screen carnage. It is a nice production too, with lots of great rural locations. There are also some really bizarre choices when it comes to the town folk. Harry Manfredini provides a score that sounds exactly like his F13 compositions.
Did you know
- TriviaCo-writer / producer Carlton J. Albright struck several deals in the course of making this film. One involved giving to the favored charity of the cemetery caretakers in order to use the cemetery seen in the film. Another involved hiring a local girl as a production assistant so her father would agree to the use of his house.
- GoofsWhen the Sheriff first comes upon the school bus, it's parked across from the cemetery. When the sheriff returns with Tommy's mother, it's now parked next to the cemetery.
- Quotes
Dr. Joyce Gould: I just don't know how Leslie's gonna take it when I tell her Tommy's missing.
Sheriff Billy Hart: Don't tell her.
Dr. Joyce Gould: ...That's one way to deal with it...
- Alternate versionsThe Vinegar Syndrome home video release, as well as streaming releases, feature an additional scene set in a diner in which the sheriff speaks to a waitress.
- How long is The Children?Powered by Alexa
Details
- Release date
- Country of origin
- Language
- Also known as
- The Children
- Filming locations
- Aston Magna House, Great Barrington, Massachusetts, USA(The Shore family home)
- Production company
- See more company credits at IMDbPro
Box office
- Budget
- $400,000 (estimated)
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