User reviews

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.

I thought this was a good remake of 1956's "The Bad Seed." It wasn't as good as the original, though, but it was very entertaining.

I never saw the original "The Bad Seed", but I recall my mother telling me about it and how chilling Patty McCormack's performance was. It is possible that just hearing about the original clouded my judgment, but here's my opinion.

In this version, Carrie Wells was anything but chilling, she was just plain whiny, spoiled, and annoying. I never felt disturbed while watching her, I just felt irritated. She never came across as "evil", just bratty. I just kept wanting to slap the you know what out of her.

I didn't find any of the other actors to be all that impressive in their roles, either.

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!

My first IMDb review is very fitting. I saw this when I was about 7 years old and they kept replaying it on TV. I was terrified back then!!! I have been looking for this movie for over a decade searching various google searchs etc. Finally I found the movie I saw! I watched parts again and obviously there is a lot of cheesy stuff but the concept of evil skips a generation / wicked little girl etc. is still pretty awesome. I am glad I found a movie I had seen as a kid and couldn't find for a long time. It is still an awesome concept if it were to be done again in today's times - but there is no doubt cheesiness involved with this movie. David Carridine is in it which surprised me this time around.

Why not leave a classic alone unless you can actually improve it? The little girl reminds me of a robot reciting her lines and lacks the believability of a "scary" murderous child. Additionally the changes in the script for updating purposes actually work AGAINST the story line not for it. For example, one of the charms of the original was the fact that any violence was left out of the view of the camera and to the viewers imagination. This version includes a visually graphic depiction of the little Miss Penmark's actions. Why bother to partially update the story instead of making a movie based on the original and using more "modern" and original ideas?

Of course, nothing beats the 1956 original version of "The Bad Seed." However, this one doesn't trail to far behind it! I remember watching this on TV when I was about 5 or 6 years old and it stayed in my mind ever since then.

After years and years of searching for it on DVD, I finally found it, however, it was only a copy! About 5 years after, Warner Bros finally released it as part of their "Archive Collection." So, i bought it again and it is of great audio and video quality in comparison to the copy i had first bought.

Honestly, I feel that this movie does not get the credit it deserves. For it's time, (the mid 80's,) and being a Made for TV movie, I think it's a masterpiece! I just don't understand why it took an extremely long time to surface on DVD? Oh well, it's available now and that's what matters!

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.

In a disturbing trend that continues to this day, a classic film was remade into a distorted and less-involving TV version. Memorable, sometimes legendary films (like "Whatever Happened to Baby Jane?", "Notorious", "Indiscreet", "Night of the Hunter", "I Saw What You Did" to name just a few...) get updated for a new audience and inevitably lose something in the translation. Here is a potentially strong remake that goes awry mainly do to casting, but also due to script revisions that drain a lot of the emotion out of the story. For unknown reasons, the father has been eliminated from the story and a key role (which won Eileen Heckart and Oscar nod in the original) is shaved down and treated as a throwaway. The story concerns Brown (in a solid enough performance) whose preteen daughter (Wells) is increasingly suspected of wrongdoings at school and around her home. Wells is adored by her grandfather Kiley and neighbor Redgrave and loathed by the booze-soaked handyman Carradine. Soon, Brown starts to believe that she herself is indirectly responsible for some of the acts that have been perpetrated. The biggest problem with this movie is Wells. She is a weak actress and an expressionless prop through much of the story. Also, she lacks the primary thing that the character needs to begin with! She isn't in any way cute or adorable!!! The child should appear as an idealized, beautiful creature. Wells is not in this category. (Although the world can breathe a sigh of relief that Tori Spelling wasn't put in it!) Appearance aside, she just doesn't have the chops to pull the role off. Her presence hampers Brown, who actually could have done pretty well otherwise (despite some really unflattering pants.) Redgrave tries desperately to inject some energy into this rather dull affair, but unfortunately comes off as ridiculous much of the time. Decked out in a series of horrific '80's workout ensembles and headgears, she is a far cry from the original character who was more of a surrogate mother figure. Carradine is so-so. He is so obviously "acting" and occasionally looks as if he can't remember his lines as he tries to portray someone "slow". It's a lazy portrayal, one that SCREAMS for a Geoffrey Lewis-type. (Where was HE?) Kiley comes off well, but he has no chance of saving it and Haney (always enjoyably crusty) scores as the prim school administrator. This is worthwhile only as a demonstration of how great movies should be left alone or only to see a shrimpy, almost malformed, meek Allen get bullied by a girl.

I recently watched The Bad Seed (1985) on a streaming service. The film follows a 9-year-old girl whose disturbing behavior may have led to accidents and deaths in her community. Her mother suspects that some aspects of the family's troubled past have been inherited by the girl, driving her actions.

This film is directed by Paul Wendkos (Special Delivery) and stars David Carradine (Kill Bill), Blair Brown (Space Cowboys), Lynn Redgrave (Gods and Monsters), and Chad Allen (TerrorVision).

This made-for-television movie has some solid scenes and characters, along with clear missteps. David Carradine's performance is awkward and unsettling, and while the overall cast delivers solid performances, the child acting is strong. However, casting Carrie Wells instead of Drew Barrymore or Alyssa Milano was probably a mistake. The horror elements are minimal, with only a few kill scenes, and the film relies on the cat-and-mouse dynamic between Carradine and Wells to carry the narrative, which works reasonably well.

In conclusion, The Bad Seed isn't particularly remarkable overall, but it's worth a watch for those looking for something different or if you're a fan of Carradine. I would score it a 5/10.

I found this movie a lot more enjoyable than the 1950s version. Where patty McCormick is known for the original, she is nowhere as good as the star of this version. Where this was a made for television movie, I enjoyed it much more than the original movie version. I have seen it a couple of times and look for it whenever it comes on television. I cant wait until it comes out on DVD. I would gladly pay top dollar for it. one of the few movies I have seen I would do this for. It is refreshing to see the girl as a bratty girl who is evil, instead of the usual devil spawn. Makes you realize what can be out there in the real world. I think many of us in our lives have seen kids who borderline on this girls personality. I think many of us can look at this girl and wonder if the brats we know out there could be just as evil. This alone makes the movie suspenseful if not scary.

This movie is hilarious. You have too see the look in the eyes of the little girl whenever she gets murdurous intentions. If you enjoy watching movies for sheer wackiness, this one is for you! Keep an eye on those tap shoes :)

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.

I enjoy all versions of "The Bad Seed," but this one has always been my absolute favorite. I thought Carrie Wells did a great job in the role as Rachel Penmark. She is very talented, charismatic, and so adorable. Blair Brown was wonderful as the sympathetic mother who was torn between the love for her daughter and the discovery of her true nature. Blair Brown and Carrie Wells actually looked like they were mother and daughter. Great casting. David Carridine, Lynn Redgrave, David Odgen Stiers, Anne Haney, Richard Kiley and everyone was great. Just an excellent cast. It's a shame this movie is so underrated. I think it should be shown more on television so more people can know more about it. It's definitely worth checking out.

This is the best Badseed film version of all of them. I don't know why the bad reviews by users. The acting by al especially Blair brown and Rachel are excellent. I think Rachel is so convincing and downright scary in her role. The filming is also well done. I wish this would be released on bluray. I saw the original version and thought it was way too old and laughable, maybe back in the 50s it would have been scary or a novel idea . I also thought the other version with Rob Lowe was not very good and acting was not that good or scary. There was another bad seed after that one and I was not a fan of that either,actually quite stupid. See this film you will not be disappointed.

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.