The Bad Seed (1985) Reviews

• 1985 MFTV version vs 1956 theatrical version.

  dweilermg-12016-03-24

  In the 1956 version of The Bad Seed the Hayes Office got the ending changed so Rhoda died when struck by lightning while trying to retrieve the penmanship medal at the dock while her mom survived a suicide attempt. However the 1985 MFTV version ended the way the novel ended with the mom dying and Rhoda surviving, with her dad still wrongly believing her to be a perfect little angel. Still the original 1956 version had a wonderful cast and great acting. Also that curtain call scene after the ending where all the cast members came out to take bows and then the mom gave Rhoda a spanking was brilliant, a happy comedic addition to an otherwise shocking tragic movie. ♣

• Pretty bad

  alliesmom972005-02-19

  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.

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

  buggieball2006-06-07

  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!

• Not as bad as I expected it to be

  deewitt2010-06-29

  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.

• Dreadful Remake

  noirprncess2004-03-03

  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?