Village of the Damned [1995]

Country of Origin: USA
Year of Production: 1995
Running Times: 99 mins
Length: 2805 metres
Format: colour     35mm      Panavision [anamorphic]
Ratio: 2.35:1
Sound: DTS Stereo     DTS

PRODUCTION
Production Companies: Alphaville Films / Universal Pictures
Executive Producers: Andre Blay, Shep Gordon, Ted Vernon
Co-Executive Producers: Sean Daniel, James Jacks
Producers: Sandy King, Michael Preger
Co-Producer: David Chackler
Unit Production Manager: Jeffrey Sudzin
Production Coordinator: Cheryl Miller

SCRIPT
Script: David Himmelstein, Larry Sulkis [uncredited]
Original Script: Stirling Silliphant, Wolf Rilla, George Barclay
Novel: The Midwich Cuckoos by John Wyndham

DIRECTION
Director: John Carpenter
2nd Unit Director: Jeff Imada
1st Assistant Director: Artist Robinson
2nd Unit 1st Assistant Director: Christian P. Della Penna
2nd Assistant Director: Christian P. Della Penna
2nd Assistant Director [San Francisco]: Mike Kitchens
2nd 2nd Assistant Director: Charles K. Simmers III

PHOTOGRAPHY
Director of Photography: Gary B. Kibbe
2nd Unit Director of Photography: Arthur R. Botham
Camera Operators: William Boatman, William Waldman
2nd Unit Camera Operators: Dusty Blauvelt, Jon Kranhouse
1st Assistant Camera: Steve Peterson
2nd Assistant Camera: Brian Kibbe
Lamp Operator: Joseph Emanuele
2nd Unit Best Boy Electric: Joseph Emanuele
Lab: FotoKem Laboratory, Burbank, California, USA

EDITING AND POST PRODUCTION
Editor: Edward A. Warschilka

MUSIC
Music: John Carpenter, Dave Davies

SOUND
Sound Recordist: Bill Meadows [uncredited]
Sound Mixer: Thomas Causey
2nd Unit Sound Mixer: Fred Runner
Sound Re-Recording Mixers: Jim Bolt, Michael C. Casper, Rick Alexander
Boom Operator: Joe Brennan
Supervising Sound Editor: John Dunn
1st Assistant Sound Editor: James Morioka
Assistant Sound Editor: Charles B. Unger
Supervising Dialogue: Julia Evershade
Supervising ADR Editor: Julia Evershade
Sound Effects Pre-Dub Re-Recording Mixer: Ron Bartlett
Foley Mixer: Evelyn Nickle

MAKE UP AND COSTUMES
Make Up: Steve E. Anderson

SPECIAL MAKE UP EFFECTS
Special Make Up Effects: K.N.B. EFX Group Inc

SPECIAL EFFECTS
Special Effects Coordinator: Bruno Van Zeebroeck
2nd Unit Special Effects: Mike Wood, Dick Wood, Keith Urban
Special Effects Assistant: Keith Urban
2nd Unit Mechanical Special Effects Supervisor: Roy Arbogast
Mechanical Special Effects Coordinators: Bruno Van Zeebroeck, Roy Arbogast

VISUAL EFFECTS
Visual Effects: Industrial Light and Magic
Visual Effects Supervisor: Bruce Nicholson
Visual Effects Producer: Jacqueline M. Lopez
Flame / Inferno Artist: Sheena Duggal
Live Action Miniatures: Slagle Minimotion Inc
Miniature Effects Lighting: Alan McFarland [uncredited]

DESIGN AND SET CONSTRUCTION
Production Designer: Rodger Maus
Art Director: Christa Munro
Set Decorators: Rick Brown, Don De Fina
Construction Coordinator: Dwight Williams

MISCELLANEOUS
Script Supervisor: Benu Bhandari
Unit Publicist: Ernie Malik

LOCATIONS
Locations: Inverness, Marin County, California, USA; Nicasio, Marin County, California, USA; Point Reyes Station, Marin County, California, USA
Location Manager: Stefanie Pleet

STUNTS
Stunt Coordinator: Jeff Imada
Stunts: Billy Lucas, Jon Epstein, Robin Bonaccorsi, Al Goto, Alan Oliney, Bobby Bass, Brad Lackey, Brian Imada, Chuck Picerni Jr, Denney Pierce, Eugene Collier, Hal Burton, Jeff Imada, Jeff Mosley, Jim J. Poslof, Jimmy Nickerson, John Lucasey, Johnny Martin, Kevin Larson, Kurt Bryant, Laura Dash, Lisa Dempsey, Mic Rodgers, Mike Martinez, Paul Crawford, Peter Lai, Rocky Capella, Shane Dixon, Steven Chambers, Thomas Dewier, Troy Brown

CASTING
Casting: Reuben Cannon, Peter Jason, Sandy King, Cheryl Miller, Back Seat Casting Associates
San Francisco and Extras Casting: Hayes and Van Horn Casting
Children's Casting: Reuben Cannon and Associates
Casting Associate: David Giella
Casting Assistant: Helen Taylor

CAST
Christopher Reeve [Alan Chaffee]
Kirstie Alley [Dr Susan Verner]
Linda Kozlowski [Jill McGowan]
Michael Paré [Frank McGowan]
Meredith Salenger [Melanie Roberts]
Mark Hamill [Reverend George]
Pippa Pearthree [Sarah]
Peter Jason [Ben Blum]
Constance Forslund [Callie Blum]
Karen Kahn [Barbara Chaffee]
Thomas Dekker [David]
Lindsey Haun [Mara]
Cody Dorkin [Robert]
Trishalee Hardy [Julie]
Jessye Quarry [Dorothy]
Adam Robbins [Issac]
Chelsea DeRidder Simms [Matt]
Renee Rene Simms [Casey]
Danielle Wiener [Lily]
Hillary Harvey [Mara at 1 year]
Bradley Wilhelm [David at 9 months / 1 year]
Jennifer Wilhelm [Mara / David at 4 months]
George 'Buck' Flower [Carlton]
Squire Fridell [sheriff]
Darryl Jones [highway patrolman]
Ed Corbett [older deputy]
Ross Martineau [younger deputy]
Skip Richardson [deputy]
Tony Haney [Dr Bush]
Sharon Iwai [eye doctor]
Robert Lewis Bush [Mr Roberts]
Montgomery Hom [technician]
Steven Chambers [trooper #1]
Ron Kaell [trooper #2]
Lane Nishikawa [scientist]
Michael Halton [Harold]
Julie Eccles [Eileen Moore]
Lois Saunders [doctor at clinic]
Sidney Baldwin [labour room physician]
Wendolyn Lee [nurse #5]
Kathleen Turco-Lyon [nurse #3]
Abigail Van Alyn [nurse #1]
Roy Conrad [Oliver]
Dan Belzer [young husband]
Dena Martinez [young wife]
Alice Barden [woman at town hall]
John Brebner [man at town hall]
Ralph Miller [villager]
Rip Haight (real name: John Carpenter) [man at gas station phone]
Anthony Billings [police officer - uncredited]

Body Double: MariAna Tosca [uncredited]

The residents of a small North American town are rendered unconscious by some unseen force. When they revive, all seems normal – except all of the women are pregnant. When their children are born, they too seem normal but soon start manifesting strange psychic powers. They're alien "cuckoos" left to thrive in the human "nest" and their intentions may not be entirely friendly...

A dreadful and entirely unneccessary remake. Dumbed down, patronising and, worst of all, bland and boring it's a long way from the best of John Carpenter's work and isn't a patch on the original 1960 adaptation. An unmemorable waste of everyone's time and a tragic waste of Carpenter's talents.

Australia
Video Distributor: CIC-Taft Home Video

Germany
DVD Distributor: Universal [31179]

Portugal
Theatrical Distributor: Lusomundo

Spain
Theatrical Distributor: United International Pictures

UK
Laserdisc Distributor: Pioneer [PLFEB 35791]
DVD Distributor: Universal [UDR90074]

USA
Theatrical Distributor: MCA / Universal Pictures
Video Distributor: MCA / Universal Home Video
Laserdisc Distributor: MCA / Universal Home Video [43278]; MCA / Universal Home Video [42524]
DVD Distributor: Universal [20444]

CENSORSHIP HISTORY

Australia
Rating: M

Finland
Rating: K-16

Germany
Rating: 16

Norway
Rating: 18

Portugal
Rating: M / 16

Spain
Rating: 13

UK
Rating: 15

USA
Rating: R [for some sci-fi terror and violence]

1996
Razzie Awards, USA
Worst Remake or Sequel [Michael Preger, Sandy King] - nominated

1995
April
28: USA – theatrical release

August
16: France – theatrical release

September
8: Portugal – theatrical release

October
28: Japan – theatrical release

November
7: Spain – theatrical release

1996
February
Day Unknown: UK - video release

1997
May
12: UK - laserdisc release [Pioneer [PLFEB 35791]]

August
6: UK - laserdisc release [MCA / Universal Home Video [43278]]

1998
December
15: USA - DVD release [Universal [20444]]

2000
November
7: Germany - DVD release [Universal [31179]]
13: UK - DVD release [Universal [UDR90074]]

Beware the Children

A Cidade dos Malditos – Portugese title
Das Dorf der Verdammten – German title
Den fortabte by – Danish video title
John Carpenter's Village of the Damned
Le village des damnés – French title
Village of the damned: el pueblo de los malditos – Spanish title
Villaggio dei dannati – Italian title

REMAKE OF
Village of the Damned [1960]

MAGAZINES

Imagi-Movies vol.2 no.3 [Spring 1995] p.6 [USA]
production notes [by Randy Palmer]

Studio September 1995 p.22 [France]
review [by Laurent Tirard]

NEWSPAPERS

O Independente, Vida 8 September 1995 [Portugal]
review [by Rui Brazuna]

KEYWORDS

aliens, book into film, children, esp, helicopters, psychics, remakes

Last Updated: 6 March, 2007