WHO CAN KILL A CHILD? (1976) - Required viewing

[The Burgomaster]

This is one of the best surprises I've had in my recent DVD purchases.

WHO CAN KILL A CHILD? is the uncut version of ISLAND OF THE DAMNED.  It's sort of a cross between VILLAGE OF THE DAMNED and THE DEVIL TIMES FIVE (which I didn't think lived up to its hype).

The story involves a husband and wife who go to a small island off the coast of Spain for a vacation.  They discover that a group of children have killed the adults without any remorse.

This is an unflinching and sometimes disturbing movie (it starts with actual footage of war atrocities during the opening credits).  Your homework assignment is to find a copy and watch it.

[Sleepyskull]

It has been added to my Netflix queue.

It will probably be a long time before I get to it though.

It looks very good.

[Jim H]

On another note, don't read the wikipedia entry on it.  All these people who decide the "Plot" section of an entry on a movie should detail ALL the movies events scene by scene need to be beaten.   

Sounds pretty interesting though.

[retrorussell]

It's a terrific film.  I read about it on various horror websites and had to go out of my way to rent it (it was in the section "Killer Kids"  ), but boy was it worth it.  Kinda takes a little while to get started, and there's really no explanation for the kids' behavior.  But it's very engrossing and you really feel for the main characters.

[Flick James]

This is one of the best surprises I've had in my recent DVD purchases.

WHO CAN KILL A CHILD? is the uncut version of ISLAND OF THE DAMNED.  It's sort of a cross between VILLAGE OF THE DAMNED and THE DEVIL TIMES FIVE (which I didn't think lived up to its hype).

The story involves a husband and wife who go to a small island off the coast of Spain for a vacation.  They discover that a group of children have killed the adults without any remorse.

This is an unflinching and sometimes disturbing movie (it starts with actual footage of war atrocities during the opening credits).  Your homework assignment is to find a copy and watch it.

That's it? I don't have to write a 1,400-word essay? I wish I had your for a teacher. My Master's degree instructors are a bit more demanding. 

[Jack]

I added it to my Amazon wishlist.  Do I get partial credit for the assignment?   

[RCMerchant]

I've read about this in mags and books...but haven't seen it! My neighbor Lori has Netflix-I asked her to rent me a double feature of DERANGED/MOTEL HELL and others-I must be nice to her! 

[Pilgermann]

I added it to my Amazon wishlist.

Ditto.

[The Burgomaster]

I added it to my Amazon wishlist.  Do I get partial credit for the assignment?   

We will give you an "incomplete" until you watch it.   

[Neville]

We Spanirds are very proud oif this film. It is one of those rare good films that seem to come out from thin air. Regretably, its director, Uruguaian (!) Narciso Ibáñez Serrador didn't follow this path and instead became the creator of several popular TV quiz shows in Spain, an occupation that kept him busy for the next decades.

Before, he had helmed another horror film, "La residencia", and created the TV horror anthology "Historias para no dormir" ("Stories that will keep you awake"), a sort of Spanish answer to "The twilight zone" and "Alfred Hitchcock presents". His last work as a director is precisely a chapter of an aborted reboot of these series called "La culpa", just a few years ago.

[Skull]

This is one of the best surprises I've had in my recent DVD purchases.

WHO CAN KILL A CHILD? is the uncut version of ISLAND OF THE DAMNED.  It's sort of a cross between VILLAGE OF THE DAMNED and THE DEVIL TIMES FIVE (which I didn't think lived up to its hype).

The story involves a husband and wife who go to a small island off the coast of Spain for a vacation.  They discover that a group of children have killed the adults without any remorse.

This is an unflinching and sometimes disturbing movie (it starts with actual footage of war atrocities during the opening credits).  Your homework assignment is to find a copy and watch it.

Actually the movie is a remake of The Birds (1963)... There are several scenes in the movie that parallels the 1963 film and its more effective here because the children seemed souless.

Great horror story and worth owning :)

[Skull]

We Spanirds are very proud oif this film. It is one of those rare good films that seem to come out from thin air. Regretably, its director, Uruguaian (!) Narciso Ibáñez Serrador didn't follow this path and instead became the creator of several popular TV quiz shows in Spain, an occupation that kept him busy for the next decades.

Before, he had helmed another horror film, "La residencia", and created the TV horror anthology "Historias para no dormir" ("Stories that will keep you awake"), a sort of Spanish answer to "The twilight zone" and "Alfred Hitchcock presents". His last work as a director is precisely a chapter of an aborted reboot of these series called "La culpa", just a few years ago.

I think the movie never got reception it deserved since the movie was known as ISLAND OF THE DAMNED and people (mostly American's) took it as a Village of the Damned rip-off...

[The Burgomaster]

I think the movie never got reception it deserved since the movie was known as ISLAND OF THE DAMNED and people (mostly American's) took it as a Village of the Damned rip-off...

During the 1970s, quite a few good European movies were released in the U.S. in edited versions with alternate titles.  Unfortunately, the U.S. distributors often ignored the fact that these movies were good and advertised them like they were low-budget, trashy horror films.  Another one I can think of is THE NIGHT VISITOR, which is a very good movie starring Max von Sydow.

[Skull]

I think the movie never got reception it deserved since the movie was known as ISLAND OF THE DAMNED and people (mostly American's) took it as a Village of the Damned rip-off...

During the 1970s, quite a few good European movies were released in the U.S. in edited versions with alternate titles.  Unfortunately, the U.S. distributors often ignored the fact that these movies were good and advertised them like they were low-budget, trashy horror films.  Another one I can think of is THE NIGHT VISITOR, which is a very good movie starring Max von Sydow.

Thanks for the Internet or I would never knew about such movies as WHO CAN KILL A CHILD? I think I'd bought WHO CAN KILL A CHILD? almost 3 years ago.

[Jim H]

We Spanirds are very proud oif this film. It is one of those rare good films that seem to come out from thin air. Regretably, its director, Uruguaian (!) Narciso Ibáñez Serrador didn't follow this path and instead became the creator of several popular TV quiz shows in Spain, an occupation that kept him busy for the next decades.

Before, he had helmed another horror film, "La residencia", and created the TV horror anthology "Historias para no dormir" ("Stories that will keep you awake"), a sort of Spanish answer to "The twilight zone" and "Alfred Hitchcock presents". His last work as a director is precisely a chapter of an aborted reboot of these series called "La culpa", just a few years ago.

Spain seems to have a good history of horror films.  Actually, a pretty darn good film industry (I've enjoyed just about every Spanish film that makes it stateside, anyway), just with a low output per year.  It's pretty interesting, actually - I think Spain is my favorite of the modern European cinemas, thinking about it. 

Neville, can you suggest any other Spanish horror films from the 1970s or early 1980s?  That seems like the best era for "serious" horror pretty much everywhere - and just about the only other Spanish horror films from the era I'm aware of are Naschy's films, which don't quite make it into the "serious" category.  :)