My second film of choice is the British science-fiction film Village of the Damned (1960).  Based on a chilling John Wyndham novel (The Midwich Cuckoos), the movie expertly blends horror and speculative fiction with a decidedly British flair. And though it was not the first sci-fi film to establish a group of children as a possible enemy of mankind (Jack Arnold’s The Space Children appeared two years earlier), Village of the Damned remains the most effective and frightening variation on that theme.

The residents of Midwich, England are rendered unconscious for a period of hours one day, and several months later every fertile woman in the town is pregnant.  Twelve children are born and bond together as they rapidly mature.  They share unspoken knowledge and are developing the ability to read the minds of others.  The townspeople regard the children as freaks to be avoided, but gradually begin to fear them.

Local scientist Zellaby (George Sanders) has studied them since their births (one of whom is his son) and tries to protect them but eventually realizes that they threaten mankind.  The finale, a battle of wills and mind control, is utterly fascinating.

Wolf Rilla’s film, following the lead of Wyndham’s novel, explores the effects of the mysterious pregnancies and births on a social level, which leads to distrust and outright hatred of the blond-haired offspring.  The film gradually becomes horrific, as the children protect themselves in proportion to their attackers and gradually reveal their powers.

A modern classic, Village of the Damned was unofficially remade three years later as Children of the Damned, placing the children in an urban setting.  Thirty-five years later, John Carpenter clumsily remade the original, providing scarier children (and one great dramatic moment at a cemetery) but unnecessary gore, action and secondary characters.  The original version is available on VHS and laserdisc, and runs a very compact 77 minutes.  My rating:  ✰ ✰ ✰ ½.  (4:4).