Original and Remake: The Bad Seed

I thought October's Original and Remake should be a horror themed post. I've already made posts on King Kong,  Psycho and Carrie. Continuing with the times this time it's The Bad Seed. It's based on the novel of the same name by William March and the stage play and for this post I'm focusing on the 1956 big screen adaptation and the recent 2018 made for TV remake. 

The Bad Seed (1956)

Directed By: Mervyn Leroy

Starring: Patty McCormack, Nancy Kelly, Henry Jones

Running Time: 130 Minutes

The Bad Seed (2018)

Directed By: Rob Lowe

Starring: Mckenna Grace, Rob Lowe, Patty McCormack

By far the original is the one to watch. Patty McCormack gives an outstanding performance as evil child Rhoda Penmark. Nancy Kelly is fantastic as Rhoda's mother, Christine who is unsure if her daughter really is a murder. The rest of the supporting cast is excellent, from the caretaker Henry Jones as Leroy Jessup who strongly believes Rhoda killed her classmate to their landlord and neighbor Evelyn Varden as Monica Breedlove who claims Rhoda's innocent. I'm sure it wasn't easy in the 1950's to get this film made, in fact the ending a notice pops up stating 'It's Only A Movie!' and the cast comes out to take final bows. The remake is completely campy, it's too campy even for a Lifetime movie. Personally I believe the real problem is this - when an actor not only stars in a movie but also directs (or produces, writes, ect.) the project usually isn't good. Rob Lowe not only stars in this film but he also makes his dictatorial debut and it's messy. The acting is over the top and weird upbeat music is put in somber scenes, making it a weird movie. The real standout is Mckenna Grace who plays the role of the evil child, Emma Grossman (yes, that's her last name). While she doesn't quite nail the role as Patty McCormack did she still manages to play the part with equal parts evil and annoyance.  In this version Rob Lowe plays Emma's father, He's a widower, one of the many differences from the original. In the remake Emma murders not only one person but several. I have to note that Patty McCormack has a cameo playing Emma's therapist. She tells Emma she reminds her when she was her age. It's not a bad scene and it's kinda neat to see Patty again. However, if you are to see one version I'd suggest the original. 

Until Next Time,

Ashley A.