Arrow Video will be releasing Children of the Corn on Blu-ray

Last Updated on August 5, 2021

I got into horror when I was very young; I remember asking to be taken to the theatre to see FRIDAY THE 13TH PART VII: THE NEW BLOOD when I was just four years old (I didn't make it to that one, but I did see JASON TAKES MANHATTAN the following year). But as I made my way through the horror sections of the local video stores, there was one very intriguing movie that my mom told me I had to wait to see. That movie was Fritz Kiersch's 1984 Stephen King adaptation CHILDREN OF THE CORN. For some reason, mom just didn't want her little kid to be watching a movie about killer little kids. Go figure.

It wasn't too long before I did see CHILDREN OF THE CORN, though, and I became a devoted fan. Not just of the first movie, but of the franchise that grew out of it. They're not great, several are downright bad, but I enjoy each one.

Today Arrow Video announced the films they'll be releasing on Blu-ray in September, and among their United States / Canada releases is a new special edition of Kiersch's CHILDREN OF THE CORN.

A young couple travelling cross-country find themselves stranded in the small town of Gatlin, where they meet a mysterious religious cult of children. With no adults in sight the terror brews as the new arrivals find the secrets of the prospering corn fields and the children who inhabit them. Led by the mysterious Isaac and the unhinged Malachi the blood-curdling secrets of the children of Gatlin are soon revealed to their new ‘outlander’ guests.

Featuring stellar performances from Linda Hamilton (Terminator) and Peter Horton (thirtysomething) and based on a short story by Stephen King, The Children of the Corn is a horror classic that has spawned multiple sequels and imitators, but none as harrowing as this masterpiece of horror.

This release will include the following features: 

– Brand new 2K restoration from the original negative

– High Definition Blu-ray (1080p) presentation

– Original Mono and 5.1 Audio Options

– Optional English subtitles for the deaf and hard of hearing

– Brand new audio commentary with John Sullivan of childrenofthecornmovie.com and horror journalist Justin Beahm

– Audio commentary with director Fritz Kiersch, producer Terrence Kirby and actors John Franklin and Courtney Gains

– Harvesting Horror: The Making of Children of the Corn – retrospective piece featuring interviews with director Fritz Kiersch and actors John Franklin and Courtney Gains

– It Was the Eighties! – an interview with actress Linda Hamilton

– Return to Gatlin – brand new featurette revisiting the film’s original Iowa shooting locations

– Stephen King on a Shoestring – an interview with producer Donald Borchers

– Welcome to Gatlin: The Sights and Sounds of Children of the Corn – an interview with production designer Craig Stearns and composer Jonathan Elias

– Feeling Blue – an interview with the actor who played “The Blue Man” in the fabled excised sequence

– Theatrical Trailer

– Reversible sleeve featuring original and newly commissioned artwork by Gary Pullin

– FIRST PRESSING: Collectors booklet featuring new writing in the film.

That sounds like a great batch of extras, and it's really cool to see CHILDREN OF THE CORN getting this sort of care and attention.

A September 19th release date has been set for this Blu-ray. If you'd like to own a copy, it can be pre-ordered through DiabolikDVD.com.