The Child (1977)

User Rating:

4.3/10   

Director:

Robert Voskanian

Writer:

Ralph Lucas (writer)

Release Date:

March 1977 (USA)

Genre:

Horror

Tagline:

Let's play hide and go kill...!

Plot:

A newly-hired housekeeper in a remote area is alarmed to discover that her boss's eleven-year-old daughter...

Plot Keywords:

Zombie | Death | Period Piece | Jack In The Box | Scarecrow

Cast

Laurel Barnett	...	Alicianne Del Mar
Rosalie Cole	...	Rosalie Nordon
Frank Janson	...	Mr.Nordon
Richard Hanners	...	Len Nordon
Ruth Ballan	...	Mrs.Whitfield (as Ruth Ballen)
Slosson Bing Jong	...	Gardener
Rod Medigovich	...	Priest / Creature
Wendell Hudiburg	...	Pall Bearer
Chris Tieken	...	Jefferson
Ralph Lucas	...	Creature
Jim Dickson	...	Creature
Chick Cavanaugh	...	Creature
Anoosh Avan	...	Creature

Also Known As:

Kill and Go Hide
Zombie Child

Runtime:

82 min | Germany:85 min (DVD version)

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Color:

Color (Eastmancolor)

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1

Sound Mix:

Mono

Certification:

UK:18 (re-rating) (2000) | UK:X (original rating) | Finland:K-18 | Norway:18 | USA:R | Germany:18 (DVD rating)

Company:

Panorama Films

Trivia:

The film was shot mostly on short ends.

Movie Connections:

Featured in Sultan of Sexploitation, King of Camp (1999) (V)

You have to love these rarely seen obscurities

`A powerful combination of the evil-child subgenre and the Zombie Movie' Aurum Encyclopaedia of Horror

`Zombie Child has it all: Murderous kids, cannibal zombies and lashings of gore. Another unbelievably ghoulish offering from the legendary Harry Novak.' David Flint. Divinity

To sum up Zombie Child in two words, cheap and weird. What do you expect from producer Harry Novak? For those who are familiar with the ‘Sultan of sexploitation's work, you may remember his other horror productions, Axe, Mantis in Lace and The Mad Butcher. Don't let this put you off. Zombie Child does have the occasionally atmospheric scene or effective sets to redeem it.

Alicianne Del Mar (played by the lovely Laurel Barnett) arrives in the heart of the forestry to look after the difficult child, Rosalie. Her has broken down and she is now stranded. What are those creatures wandering around the grounds at night? Why does everybody act so strangely? It transpires that Rosalie's mother has recently died and ever since her departure, her only daughter has found comfort visiting the nearby graveyard at night. She admits that the ‘things' in the woods don't scare her because they are her ‘friends'. Alicianne soon realises that these ‘friends' are the murderous zombies who have killed everyone that have, in some way, annoyed the spoilt little girl. The climax involves the old favourite boarding up every possible entry as the horde of ghouls gather around an old mill to get at Alicianne.

Zombie Child is so peculiar, not to mention obscure and hard to find, you end up liking the film. The eerie misty cemetery scenes and some of the murders are quite well executed for a film whose low budget is obvious in every shot. You even begin to appreciate the silly looking zombies who appear like they've wondered in off the set of the terribly cheesy Astro-Zombies (Ted V. Mikels, 1969).

If you manage to find this old gem, I recommend you check it out. Just wait until you see the acting of the nosy neighbour. Especially in the scene preceding her death. I wonder what was her motivation...