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The Bad Seed

  • TV Movie
  • 1985
  • Unrated
  • 1h 40m
IMDb RATING
5.5/10
570
YOUR RATING
Carrie Wells in The Bad Seed (1985)
DramaHorrorThriller

A freak fatal accident forces a widow to realize that her 9-year-old daughter was born to kill.A freak fatal accident forces a widow to realize that her 9-year-old daughter was born to kill.A freak fatal accident forces a widow to realize that her 9-year-old daughter was born to kill.

  • Director
    • Paul Wendkos
  • Writers
    • Maxwell Anderson
    • William March
    • George Eckstein
  • Stars
    • Blair Brown
    • Lynn Redgrave
    • David Carradine
  • See production info at IMDbPro
  • IMDb RATING
    5.5/10
    570
    YOUR RATING
    • Director
      • Paul Wendkos
    • Writers
      • Maxwell Anderson
      • William March
      • George Eckstein
    • Stars
      • Blair Brown
      • Lynn Redgrave
      • David Carradine
    • 20User reviews
    • 3Critic reviews
  • See production info at IMDbPro
  • See production info at IMDbPro
    • Nominated for 1 Primetime Emmy
      • 2 nominations total

    Photos4

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    Top cast15

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    Blair Brown
    Blair Brown
    • Christine Penmark
    Lynn Redgrave
    Lynn Redgrave
    • Monica Breedlove
    David Carradine
    David Carradine
    • Leroy Jessup
    Carrie Wells
    • Rachel Penmark
    Richard Kiley
    Richard Kiley
    • Richard Bravo
    David Ogden Stiers
    David Ogden Stiers
    • Emory Breedlove
    Chad Allen
    Chad Allen
    • Mark Daigler
    Weldon Bleiler
    • Fred Daigler
    Christa Denton
    Christa Denton
    • Rhoda Penmark
    Sarah Fairfax
    Sarah Fairfax
    Anne Haney
    Anne Haney
    • Alice Fern
    Carol Locatell
    • Rita Daigler
    Eve Smith
    • Mrs. Post
    Katharine Tobin
    • Student
    Rebecca Birken
    • Younger Christine
    • (uncredited)
    • Director
      • Paul Wendkos
    • Writers
      • Maxwell Anderson
      • William March
      • George Eckstein
    • All cast & crew
    • Production, box office & more at IMDbPro

    User reviews20

    5.5570
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    Featured reviews

    2buggieball

    Girl born bad brings havoc on those around her for personal gain

    This is a remake that should have never been made. The original IS original! And the acting is superb. This horrible remake is very choppy and some of the scenes seem to be "fillers" and leave little room for the mystery of the story. The acting is robotic. The talents of Blair Brown, Lynn Redgrave, Richard Kiley, and Keith Carradine are wasted here. The "bad" girl is very stereotypical and not at all believable. Even the dialogue does not seem genuine--people do not talk like that. Unlike the original,nothing seems to be shocking as each new plot twist is revealed. It seems you can always tell what is coming next. Skip this stinker and stick to the original!
    8helpless_dancer

    Kids are so untrustworthy

    Sociopathic young girl resorts to murder to get what she wants. Her paranoia caused her to commit another violent act, which led her mother to making a dramatic decision. Great movie with a smashing finale; much better than the original. I usually consider Carradine to be a 10 cent actor, but he played the moronic handyman to perfection.
    sbarr10

    Somewhat disappointing

    Keith Carradine as the gardener was superb. Lynn Redgrave as meddlesome Monica Breedlove and Richard Kiley as Richard Bravo were good. So was Eve Smith as Mrs. Post, the head of Rachel's school.

    Unfortunately the performances of Blair Brown as Christine Penmark and Carol Lacatell as Rita Daigler seemed lacking in dimension when compared to the dynamic performances of Nancy Kelly and Eileen Heckart in the original.

    Even worse, Carrie Well's delivery struck me as very flat when compared to Patty McCormack's in the original.
    5deewitt

    Not as bad as I expected it to be

    The reviews of this new version of "The Bad Seed" were so terrible that I watched the DVD to see what went wrong.

    I saw the original film when it was released in 1956 and found it lacking--not in its story but in its acting and direction. Based on a hit Broadway show, which was inspired by a book, its origins were plainly visible. There was no attempt to adapt the play to the screen and give it movement and cinematic fluidity, and the cast, an ensemble of well-known and award- winning actors borrowed from the stage show, was still playing to the second balcony. The performances were so loud and over-the-top that they often made me wince. Even worse, the chilling finale of the play was altered due to the censorship of the times.

    This new version puts the play's ending back into the script, which is a vast improvement. A few changes have been made to the script but nothing that harms the basic story of an outwardly sweet but amoral little 8-year-old girl with no conscience--a "bad seed"--who murders to get what she wants. Contrary to other reviewers, I did not find this version to be that awful. Granted, it's not what it could have been and it does have a cheesy look to it, but the concept of the story still makes me shudder.

    I thought this new version would be more graphic, given the times we live in, but thankfully I was spared the grisly details. Unless you're a devoted fan of the original movie, I think you'll find this remake worth your time. It still has the power to shock.
    Mr. Ssssshhh

    A time to kill...my little child.

    It's an interesting and entertaining film with great performances on such a simple story. I think this is as scary and exiting on its own way, sometimes clitché, but I liked the way how it ended. A big plus for actress Carrie Wells who acted very good as the murderous child. Well, what more can I say? I haven't seen the original movie yet but I think that this 90's version is worthseeing.

    </I just wanted you to know that this movie was later adapted into an off-broadway play called "Ruthless" featuring a young Britney Spears as the 9 year old murderous Rachel Penmark.!>

    Big Deal, that play worked as good as this film did.

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    Storyline

    Edit

    Did you know

    Edit
    • Trivia
      Patty McCormack, star of the 1956 film, was offered the role of Monica Breedlove. However, after reading the script, she promptly turned down the part.
    • Crazy credits
      [caption written for closing angle on Rachel, never used; left on cutting room-floor] THE BEGINNING
    • Connections
      Remade as Law & Order: Killerz (1999)

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    Details

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    • Release date
      • February 7, 1985 (United States)
    • Country of origin
      • United States
    • Language
      • English
    • Also known as
      • Die Saat des Bösen
    • Production companies
      • Hajeno Productions
      • Warner Bros. Television
    • See more company credits at IMDbPro

    Tech specs

    Edit
    • Runtime
      1 hour 40 minutes
    • Color
      • Color
    • Sound mix
      • Mono
    • Aspect ratio
      • 1.33 : 1

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