All I knew about this movie going in was that it had been remade with Mark Hamill in 1995 (the remake also starred Christopher Reeve and Kirstie Alley, and was respectably directed by John Carpenter, but in 1995 all my friends and I cared about was Mark Hamill). I had the impression that the whole idea of a town full of evil kids was fairly corny. I did not expect the original "Village of the Damned" to be so down-to-earth, and so very unsettling.

Things begin quietly — very quietly — as everyone in the village of Midwich, England, suddenly and collectively passes out one afternoon. Tractors crash into trees, record players run down, bathtubs overflow, irons burn holes in shirts … even the animals are out cold. Britain's military rolls in and is standing there wondering what to do when suddenly everyone in Midwich wakes up again. There seem to be no ill effects (well, except for the poor guy who fell asleep flying a plane).

And then, two months later, all the Midwich women of childbearing age realize they're pregnant.

The movie's adapted from "The Midwich Cuckoos," a novel by John Wyndham — who also wrote the wonderful "Day of the Triffids," another tale of mayhem lurking just beneath the peaceful British countryside. Here the action moves at a fairly tranquil pace, introducing an array of mostly likable, relateable characters inhabiting Midwich.

Our heroes are scientist Gordon Zellaby (George Sanders) and his wife, Anthea (Barbara Shelley), with Anthea's brother Alan (Michael Gwynn) providing a military connection. After the mass loss of consciousness, everyone pretty much just dusts themselves off and says "Mustn't grumble" and gets back to work.

Continue reading →