Cornfields so creepy!

[Jula]

Stephen really knew how to turn a cornfield into the creepiest place on earth in this story, but what is it that makes them so creepy really? Is it the story itself that makes them appear so? Or maybe it's the gangly way the blades reach out from the stem like long, withered arms in the late autumn?

In the past I've generally never thought of cornfields as something to be wary of, but now I guess it would depend on the season and time of day. Whenever I happen to drive by one and look out the window I can't help but shiver a little and think back to...Children of the Corn! :oo:

[lilredkdn]

I would say the creepy part about them is that when you walk in them, you can't see anything that isn't immediately surrounding you. Would make a good place for someone to jump out and either scare the crap outta you or just kill you. That's what scares me about them.

[Natjen26]

I think it's because it's so easy to hide between those long stems. Scary place! :oo:

[aptpupil]

Personally, I think it's the fear of the farmer catching you and kicking your ass for trampling all over his prize crop while playing hide and seek with your friends.:laugh:

[the_last_gunslinger]

I think part of the mystique of cornfields can be derived by the fact that once you immerse yourself within its corny depths, all sense of location leaves. You can't see anything, can hear only the wind brushing through cornstalks. Occasionally you may hear a small animal scamper through thick patches directly behind you.

And after watching the film, I began associating rusty sickles and old farm equipment with cornfields, and they can be creepy in their own way.

[marew1]

I've walked through a corn maze at Halloween and indeed it was creepy!

[Jula]

I think part of the mystique of cornfields can be derived by the fact that once you immerse yourself within its corny depths, all sense of location leaves. You can't see anything, can hear only the wind brushing through cornstalks. Occasionally you may hear a small animal scamper through thick patches directly behind you.

And after watching the film, I began associating rusty sickles and old farm equipment with cornfields, and they can be creepy in their own way.

I totally agree! 0_o

[barbiespoodle]

I made the mistake of watching Children of the Corn shortly after I move to the middle of no where with a huge corn field behind me, want to talk about getting freaked out? Took me a long time before I dare braved that corn field when the corn was high to walk back to my friends house.

But yes, to those of us who have been in large corn fields when the corn is high, you do lose all perspective of which way you are going and feel so closed in, it is so creepy not being able to see what is even two rows over, take it from me, always take a dog with you, lol. All I can say is that Mr King must have been in a few corn fields to be able to come up with a story like that.

[arista]

Ever been detassling..that is creepy..

[Cowboy]

Here is a picture of me riding, that is my house in the background. That is a very large cornfield in front of my house and I am actually riding between it and another corn field. It is cool, but I know what you mean about the creepiness of it. Once it gets tall enough, you can always hear the corn rustling against each other and October nights are pretty cool when a breeze blows and the dried stalks make very eerie sounds. Sometimes the deer moving through the corn can be heard and that makes you wonder what is out there sometimes.
http://i161.photobucket.com/albums/t218/cowboybum/homepics036.jpg

[themikenesedude]

There was an acquaintance of mine several years ago who told me in October that there was a "haunted trail" somewhere in the States, where everyone would run around unlit cornfields and get snuck up on. (Y'know, like the "Haunted Trail" in Balboa Park; San Diego, CA; with actors, effects, etc.)

I don't know if that guy was just telling me a story because it was close to Halloween or if there is a haunted trail like that.

Anyway, if there would be a haunted cornfield trail I'd have a lot of fun running around it on Halloween.

[Jula]

I've walked through a corn maze at Halloween and indeed it was creepy!

Omg! Which horror haunt was thus? :o

[mit48]

great picture,you must have a lot of land

[mit48]

Yes,i work for hours looking at a cornfield,sometimes it gets to you.

[Liasis]

hahahaha as I was reading this thread I seen Cowboys picture on a horse and I was about to say... try riding a horse through a sugar cane field. That stuff rips you up. At least corn crops arent like razor blades (as far as I know). I doubt anyone could make a story about Children of the Sugar Cane lol...

[Cowboy]

Omg! Which horror haunt was thus? :o

Actually, I know of several corn mazes around Halloween in the mid-west. If you have never done one at night, they are pretty cool.

[JRLauer]

I guess I'm the only person here who doesn't find corn fields creepy. I grew up in the midwest where corn fields abound. I didn't find them creepy then and after I read the story and saw the movie, my opinion didn't change.

[sgmonje]

He uses the cornfield in a lot of his stories, The Stand, this, among others, personally it always made me want to get a huge group of people together an play hide and go seek in a big cornfield haha Anyone up for it?

[Terry B]

Having grown up in the Midwest US - I always thought the site of a lush, green field of corn was a good thing. :wink2:

[jordystams]

yes they are

[Agincourt Concierge]

NOOOOOOOO.......don't like this movie at all.......

[flutterbypurr]

Beautiful story...until the ending. the supernatural was overkill, and ruined the whole thing for me. I loved the idea of twisted without supernatural.

[hemingway2z]

This I like very much ! I would see again and again . Did you know the Amish farmers will not eat corn ? Thier opinion of corn is that it is only for chickens and horses , ummm?
But the country boys will say thar ain't nutin better than a corn fed girl, ummm? The childern of Childern of the Corn, alwyas in rebellion of course, ummm?

[michal]

I used to jog in the fields behind my house as a teenager. I didn't stop completely after reading Children of the Corn, but I can tell you one thing:

When the corn got high I was running FAST.

[rosetaylor01]

The Haunted Nighttime Adventure on Friday and Saturday nights is the best, most intense time to come! Enjoy our bonfire before you attempt your way through the haunted cornfield with Live Actors, Fog, Specialty Sound, Action Creatures and Light Effects. It is Geared for Adults. Not for the kiddies at heart! This haunt takes 40-45 Minutes to complete.

[mousenmile]

I think part of the mystique of cornfields can be derived by the fact that once you immerse yourself within its corny depths, all sense of location leaves. You can't see anything, can hear only the wind brushing through cornstalks. Occasionally you may hear a small animal scamper through thick patches directly behind you.

And after watching the film, I began associating rusty sickles and old farm equipment with cornfields, and they can be creepy in their own way.


I agree. You can very easily get lost in a corn field. I have a corn field out across the road for me. and it does make you feel isolated. So was its purpose in The novel. And the movie just brought it to life. I listen to audio books and it too puts you right into the story. Try one sometime!

[lenona]

When this movie first became available on VHS (yes a long time ago) I rented it to watch. I don't think I made it passed the first 15 minutes of it. It was too creepy for me to continue watching. Thus, I have never had the nerve to read the book. On that note, I will have to believe all the comments made here are true.

[MyLife4YouSK]

I agree. You can very easily get lost in a corn field. I have a corn field out across the road for me. and it does make you feel isolated. So was its purpose in The novel. And the movie just brought it to life. I listen to audio books and it too puts you right into the story. Try one sometime!

You never told me this, Micki! Mini convention in the corn! :biggrin2:

[amusedgalaxy]

Cornfields are creepy, no doubt, but I was more scared of the children! I think it says a little about fearing religious zealots! So good to see some familiar names floating around! Hi CJ! Hi Mickey!!

[GBPack1]

I was always a little weirded out by cornfields, but after seeing the movie, it took it to a whole other level! I agree, those kids were super creepy!

[Micke]

Saw this movie yesterday and it was okay. So why just okay? Well for starters the story is better and more gory. The actors was not the best and I didn't like the way they showed the movie at all.

But it was an okay horror movie with some jump-scenes.

5/10

[cwinter4]

I always think of children of the corn whe i drive by cornfields especially if it's foggy!

[Mr. Palmer]

I love cornfields.

When I was growing up, my grandparents cultivated one in their garden. I use to be amazed at walking through the stalks.

Of course, I once ran into a spider web that was housing a big yellow-and-black arachnid. It scared the pee out of me!

Now, whenever I drive by a cornfield, I'm reminded of those good times and the film itself.

Love live cornfields!

[SixPins]

I've always found them to be very omnious. They are a great setting for horror pieces because they are so atmospherically eerie.

[hemingway2z]

One of my favorites. good to watch when mom and dad are angry at me. Gets to calm down a bit.Did you know corn is for horses and chickens ,'nd of course corn bred counrty gerls.

[Jojo87]

When I driving and seeing cornfields, I start to thinking about Children of the corn. Because we have also cornfields here. The movie was really good.

[Bilibramboy]

l saw the movie again yesterday, with my nephew and his girlfriend. Well was great.. but time is bad for some movies...

Anyway, l think corn is scary because is tall enough to hide living things and easy to get lost in there... l dont like it.

While we saw the film, we were eating popcorn, of course. LOL.

[bookslinger]

Hi, haven't been to the boards in a long time, but it is true what THe Last Gunslinger said, once inside you loose all sense of dirrection. Add to that the claustrophobic atmosphere, and the corn itself is even vaguly shaped like a human. Start that to rustling, add a full moon, and a few hundred years of scarecow history - yeah they can be scary all right. Don't forget the mice either, lots and lots o' mice.

[qu33n0f3mpir3]

i remember a teacher calling us the children of the corn all the time, lol

[MyLife4YouSK]

Hi, haven't been to the boards in a long time, but it is true what THe Last Gunslinger said, once inside you loose all sense of dirrection. Add to that the claustrophobic atmosphere, and the corn itself is even vaguly shaped like a human. Start that to rustling, add a full moon, and a few hundred years of scarecow history - yeah they can be scary all right. Don't forget the mice either, lots and lots o' mice.

Mice don't scare me. It's He Who Walks Behind The Rows that freaks me out! Oh and the aliens from that Mel Gibson movie.,was that called "Signs" ? Good creepy flick!

Ps. Hi Dani! 2 more posts until SKT-time!??? ;)

[God]

I just watched this last night. Made me laugh in parts. "OWT-LAANDER!!!"
Seriously though, I think cornfields are creepy because I actually had a little bit of a run-in with he who walks behind the rows and he wasnt a particularly friendly fella.

[Presque Vu]

Mice don't scare me. It's He Who Walks Behind The Rows that freaks me out! Oh and the aliens from that Mel Gibson movie.,was that called "Signs" ? Good creepy flick!

He was tres creepy indeed! But HWWBTR takes the cake alright!

[Abbie]

I made the mistake of watching Children of the Corn shortly after I move to the middle of no where with a huge corn field behind me, want to talk about getting freaked out? Took me a long time before I dare braved that corn field when the corn was high to walk back to my friends house.

But yes, to those of us who have been in large corn fields when the corn is high, you do lose all perspective of which way you are going and feel so closed in, it is so creepy not being able to see what is even two rows over, take it from me, always take a dog with you, lol. All I can say is that Mr King must have been in a few corn fields to be able to come up with a story like that.

Did you get over the fear? I like how SK has us confront of fears by presenting them to us so raw and clear!

[ScarecrowJoe]

there was an awesome cornfield on fringe last night. dood walked into it and just got sucked into the ground. and there was this scarecrow with a crow on the shoulder. one of the fringe doods looks at it and says "i bet he knows what happened." not sure if he meant the crow or the scarecrow, but either way.

[carolhommerson]

i thought the cornfields were really creepy.

[hemingway2z]

mom and dad never could handle the country life they were too special.the goblens and gooleys are about this month .does dropping corn kernals on the ground have any meaning in the realm witchery?some salt on a doves tail will trapp him.others say candy left on the ground keeps the demons of your mind a ease? or salt on the ground just upset the guy whom has to sweep it all up.kids in the corn field yeah a group of childern in the corn field late at night yeah that a scary thought indeed.

[ibstella]

Cornfields never bothered me, even after "Children of the Corn". We had one back in the day that we had to go through to get to the local party spot. No one was ever scared.
Why are they scary?
Well, long roadtrips can be...taxing is as good a word as any I guess. Esp. if you just keep driving and don't stop for sleep. If you've ever driven across Nebraska and Iowa on a roadtrip, you'll see a lot of cornfields. Like nothing but hundreds of miles of cornfields. We broke down in the middle of Iowa cornfield country during one such trip...3am...some strange little town that we couldn't even pronounce the name of, with a population of maybe 500. An older local came by, checked on us, came back an hour later with a towtruck right behind him. Took us in for the night, fed us breakfast, took us to our car, and insisted on giving us his watch - "just in case"!
When my kids were younger, I use to have them yell, "Malachi!!!!" as we drove past the old cornfield in my hometown. They still remember and get it now that they are older and familiar with "Children of the Corn". They still yell it too. They will probably still be doing it when they are senior citizens. Sheesh...I probably started some crazy tradition.

[Mr. Jingles]

I just watched this for the first time over the weekend. That Isaac kid scared the bejeezus outta me! He reminds me of the guy that was in "The 'Burbs". Can anyone confirm this?
BTW, "The 'Burbs" is such a great cheezie funny movie!

[Mike in Canada]

Having lived beside cornfields when I had small children, "Children of the Corn" as a great movie to let them know that cornfields are not the place you want to wander into and get lost.

Worked like a charm ! I never had to worry about the kids and the cornfields ever again.

[peaceluvnsploosh]

I've always found them to be very omnious. They are a great setting for horror pieces because they are so atmospherically eerie.

i TOTALLY agree!

[gage04]

I used to play with my cousins out in the cornfields behind my grandparents house, we used to play hide and seek for hours. It did get majorly scary and if you were out towards dusk it always felt like someone was right behind you....ooo..chills.

[Dan is Dead]

perfect places to hide and have a nice cult gathering

[king family fan]

Want to see some wild cornfields.I was told the cornfields in Michigan are cornfields from hell. I enjoy hearing these things,watch Children of the Corn.LOL

[MorbidFixation]

Seeing as I'm surrounded by them, it makes for some good times sneaking up on people. I think the scary thing is how you can see nothing--and all you can hear is the occasional rustling. It's alright when there's light, but let me tell you, surrounded by them at midnight near a creepy old house (with a tub of something that looked like blood, with gold cups inside it) is nerve-racking.

[LEELEEBG]

My first fall in my new house in the country was creepy ..I worked afternoons and wasn't getting home til almost 1 am...When I would drive by the cornfields I always felt like someone or thing was watching me.:evil:..If the wind was blowing just right I would roll up the windows because I was getting freaked out. (always had children of the corn in the back of my mind) After awhile I wasn't too freaked out that is until I was driving home one night and got that creepy feeling of being watched, I rolled up the window and turned the corner only to be hit in the driver side door/and window area by a deer.:eek2:...Scared the living crap out of me. Always wondered was it a freak accident, or was the deer running from someone or thing...:ghostface:

[Cowboy]

When reading 1922, I thought of this thread. I liked the description Sai King gave of the cornfields.

[GNTLGNT]

Friggin' scarecrows bother me more than a cornfield-and King DOES use them repeatedly to great atmospheric effect...especially IMO in The Stand...

[LEELEEBG]

love the pic...hey whats that cleared out area in the middle of the cornfield???? Could you be one of those childern of the corn...

[SamanthaS]

Just bought this on ebay and watched it today. It was a creepy, funny good time! Glad to have it in my SK collection.

[Bavarian Raven]

i found cornfields a safe place, not a terrifying place.
i hid from three thugs one time by fleeing into the corn fields near my grandparents farm. lol. i had years of experience playing in those fields and managed to give them the slip no problem.

but i can certainly see why its a great place for a horror story setting. easy to loose your sense of direction if your the type of person that gets lost easily.

[aKINGreader4ever]

Hello All,

I think the creepiest part of a corn field, is the desolation, it's usually in the outskirts of a city and when you think about it anything could happen and nobody would know about it unless you had a cell phone. As I read some other replies, I agree when it gets taller you can hear it rustling and that is a definite 10 plus on the creep-o-meter. I just thought Children of the Corn was creepy period, btw- luv the photo above, what state is that in?
-Kris-

[Gabriel J.M.]

I think what makes the corn so creepy is the involvement of religion in adolescents and kids. They became fanatic and dangerous, killing their parents. That made the cornfields a dangerous place. And then, they are so high, which serves as a hiding place. :)

[aKINGreader4ever]

Hey All:laugh:,

I remember watching the movie and thought, man what is up with this community:eek2:. A lot of my friends didn't like Children of the Corn, I did because it was so bizarre and down right creepy. If I recall correctly wasn't one of their own to be sacrificed due to his age, he was going to be 18? That town was not a good place to be if 18 or above, and the cornfields added to the movie; because that's were their rituals happened. Even though the story is fiction, there is something about cornfields that raises the needle on the O'creep-o-meter:ghostface:. The isolation, the way they sound in the wind, and a great hiding place:eek2: makes 4 a great horror flick among other things. Even though the critics ripped Children of the Corn, it was still a great scary movie, what did U all think about it?
-Kris-:cool2:

[leftrightwriterman3613]

Now this is Stephen King at his best. I loved the atmosphere he created for this story, and the fit was so comfortable to read. His characters were chosen and created with cunning and care, and the pace was hypnotic. For me, it was some of his best work!

[Christiane17]

I don't know if it would be appropriate to post this in here, but I'm thinking a little laugh would make cornfields less creepy. MsMod you decide. 15811

[JoeyXofSPYDERX]

The sci-fi original remake was super great....I could actually go for another one of those...wish they would do a sequel to that one. The writers and director did a fantastic job...kudos!

[Heather83]

he has a way with making things creepy that's what makes him a great writer

[LadyGreyDoom]

Having grown up on a farm, cornfields are some of the creepiest places ever! Day... night... alive and green... or dried up and yellow, cornfields are creepy! ...and kinda fun to run around in until you scare yourself silly.

[StephenKingAddict]

Cornfields have always freaked me out because they make me claustrophobic & because I was lost in a cornfield as a small kid on my Grandparent's farm lol Then I watched all of the Children of the Corn movies & I guess I have permanent Cornfield-Phobia now. However, I LOVED the story & movies, either way. :alien:

[twellwood70]

As a kid we would play hide and seek in the corn fields. But it was very creepy as you would hear something walking towards you with the small swishing sound of the corn stalks brushing against them. Only to find out that the others were no wheres near you at the time. One time I crept up on another kid that I thought was just in front of me. Then a white tailed deer leaped out!! Talk about bad dreams for the next two nights....