Main Cast: Naomi Watts, Karen Black, William Windom, Brent Jennings, Jamie Renee Smith
Release Year: 1996
Country: US
Run Time: 85 minutes
MPAA Rating: R
Plot
This fourth installment in the horror saga bears little resemblance to Stephen King's original tale. Unlike the third episode, which was set in Chicago, this one is again set in a small Nebraska town where a medical student notices that the local kids are all ears when it comes to the words of a mysterious preacher who seems to encourage them to murderously stalk the adults. ~ Sandra Brennan, All Movie Guide
Review
For the fourth entry in the seemingly unending Children of the Corn series, a young Naomi Watts slums her way through a mid-90shorror flick full of flash cuts, Exorcist-styled possessions, and other yawn-inducing fright flick clichés. Aided by screen veteran Karen Black, King Kong's future crush is merely set dressing for this ho-hum entry that echoes many of the plot points already covered in the first three films. A few death scenes are worthy of notice, including a nasty one where a guy gets cut in half by a stretcher (!), as well as a syringe crucifixion that includes a violent hit to the face by a scythe (a tool that's used in much of the series' advertisements, but rarely utilized in the films). Seasoned audiences will notice a shift in the series at this point as the Dimension production company name and stamp of blasé approval is prominent in the opening credits. Dull, tired, and devoid of any interest outside of seeing a prominent actress still getting her start in the business, Children of the Corn IV: The Gathering is a spoiled bit of horrorific produce that should have never made it on the shelves. ~ Jeremy Wheeler, All Movie Guide
The second in the series to go straight to video, Children of the Corn IV is considered to be a standalone film, as the plot is unrelated to the previous films.
Plot
Several children in a small town become possessed under the command of a wrongfully murdered child preacher named Josiah who seeks revenge on the town that killed him. The kids assume the identities of dead children from that town's history, and attempt to resurrect Josiah from the dead.
While the film may seem unrelated to any of the previous films, according to IMDb.com it was revealed by director Greg Spence that a crucial deleted scene features two characters telling Grace that the children called their preacher Josiah by another name: "He Who Walks Behind the Rows". This movie relates to number three by the insects, with the beetles off of Eli's corn spreading evil.
Cast
The following are the cast members and their roles:
