Village of the Damned ~ Lost in Adaptation

A comparison of the 1960 horror movie to the book it's based on: The Midwich Cuckoos by John Wyndham.
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Original music by: / djilneige

[@Dominic-Noble]

I'm stoked so many people got the original Mary Sue reference! Also just wanted to reiterate how appreciative I am of all the kind comments. It really does help the channel a ton

[@mr.incorporeal7642]

Just fyi, "derpy" is a super ableist term. It largely comes from the way edgelords of the recent past would mock people's intelligence by mimicking the stereotyped sounds that people with certain mental disabilities sometimes make. Just saying since you usually seem very mindful of that sort of stuff (which is always appreciated), but I get that everyone slips up occasionally.

[@krankarvolund7771]

I don't know for others, but personally I know it from OSP's trope talk on mary-sues ^^

[@NoahChinnBooks]

The male version of the Mary Sue is often referred to as Marty Stu. ;)

[@Dominic-Noble]

@@mr.incorporeal7642 I wasn't fully aware of that. Preesh the heads up, I'll try to keep in mind in the future.

[@Dominic-Noble]

@@NoahChinnBooks I see what you did there.

[@harmonicajay91]

"Why were you crawling on all fours and barking, Mr. Zellaby?" (Bomb rings) "Oh, thank God."

[@victoriashevlin8587]

That was genuinely fantastic. I'm taking it with me to my grave.

[@Bookdragon11]

I loved that part 🤣🤣.

[@SarahEMorin]

That was great

[@Readera]

💖💖

[@Wordweaver166]

Yes, that exasperatedly relieved "Oh, thank God" really was my best laugh here. The commentary and analysis was great too, though. Very poignant.

[@katrijndekeersmaecker1904]

An entire community of women having unexplained simultanious pregnancies is an absolutely amazing and terrifying horror concept. I WANT this story from a female lens. The power fetuses have to alter their carrying parent's body has so much potential for horror.

[@LauraM-kr9wv]

John Carpenter's remake actually tried to do that, spending more time particularly with one of the mothers. It's obviously not perfect (although I'm one of the few that actually really likes the film) but it tried a lot harder than the original in that respect.

[@jazzphotos]

I also really liked John Carpenter's remake. My only beef with it is that it felt a little tame. But I agree about how awesome it would be to see it from more of a female one, including a writer and/or director

[@sakuraryuji01]

In umbrella academy this sorta does happen on a global scale. But what you see narrative wise is what the children grew up with after that and all their issues.

[@YggdrasilAudio]

There's a Swedish graphic novel series that has a spin on that concept. The series is called SH3 and probably won't be translated, so I'm just gonna spoil what happens: The arc starts with several women in the same area turning pregnant out of nowhere, and since it takes place in a world of super-powered individuals, the authorities starts to suspect a super-sex offender of some sort. The plot gets creepier and creepier, with more and more members of the central cast becoming affected, and abortions somehow being impossible. The reveal is extra-horrifying. Basically, one of the main characters is a superman-type being who's been raised on Earth, while actually hailing from another planet. After he lost his virginity to a one-night-stand in high school, his sperm has simple been spread in the area, since they are also indestructable and able to fly. In the third volume, a plot thread about a lesbian couple gets introduced, and it's pretty interesting to see how they slowly grow more accepting of the idea and want to do the best of the situation, only for one of them to suffer a freak side-effect of the government's attempt to stop the spread of the sperms.

[@YggdrasilAudio]

Another similar story is the graphic novel "The Goddamned 2: The Virgin Brides", though that one is more explicitly a twist on the biblical virgin birth.

[@yourearsaregreen]

Suddenly being pregnant (or being pregnant at all) is one of the most horrifying things I can think of, never mind having to raise the satan-alien child too

[@michaeliv284]

For me, it's losing my memory

[@Tamlinearthly]

Ira Levin said that when considering pregnancy-themed horror the idea of aliens occurred to him but this book had already beaten him to the punch, so instead we got "Rosemary's Baby."

[@edienandy]

Rosemary’s Baby is much much better anyway

[@merchantfan]

@@edienandy I think Ira Levin was in general pretty good at writing female characters. Several of his books have female protagonists and they always come off complex and reasonable

[@ashleightompkins3200]

@@merchantfan If often doomed. He also wrote the Stepford Wives which has a rather famously dark ending.

[@merchantfan]

@@ashleightompkins3200 Yeah though most of his works veered pretty dark. Boys from Brazil was chilling

[@vanessar9722]

Waking up, suddenly being pregnant is like my personal nightmare... but ofc we need to know how the men are coping. XD

[@alejandramoreno6625]

I once had that nightmare and still gives me chills. I can't imagine anything more horrifying.

[@Bllue]

I remember feeling horrified by this when I saw the american movie, and I was a teen then. I would probably have nightmares for weeks if I'd been introduced to it more recently.

[@xRaiofSunshine]

BLEEEEGHHSANBKV D:

[@lillianb8762]

For real! This is complete and utter nightmare fuel!

[@elenachristian9860]

Think of the MEN!

[@sophiekathleen1332]

He reads the original Mary Sue fan fiction. I love this channel.

[@MtnNerd]

It's a pretty good parody fic

[@ChurchHatesTucker]

He actually improved it.

[@carsfan1995]

I thought that was Beowulf

[@gigigonzalez1654]

Osp uses the same words for the summary but I am not sure if it comes from somewhere else.

[@starbuckr5381]

@@gigigonzalez1654 it comes from "A Trekkie's Tale", which was a parody of Star Trek fanfiction and basically codified the concept of the Mary Sue as we know it. Here's an article with the opening paragraphs and some background info: fanlore.org/wiki/A_Trekkie%27s_Tale

[@ladyfoxytales]

"Burdened with excessive Catholicism" is an amazing sentence.

[@catherinecrawford2289]

I grew up with several kids who were so burdened. 😇

[@agm5424]

Have I read the book before hearing about the authors past I would have interpreted the whole "I'm so happy to be pregnant with God knows what" aspect as an effect/manipulation of the mothers by the "children" inside them.

[@mirjanbouma]

That would have been a good addition to the plot! But then the writer would have had to focus a bit on the women 😱😉

[@mehmeh2255]

That would be a really cool way to twist the knife, I like the idea

[@bahghoul]

That's what I thought when I read the book! I assumed the cuckoos were controlling their mothers while they were still in the womb.

[@alanpennie8013]

@@bahghoul I think the author would have likely concurred that this was probably true.

[@MistyWarden]

That was exactly what happened in the 1995 version. Several of the women were distraught and intended to terminate before all simultaneously having weird visions that changed their minds.

[@theoneandonlymichaelmccormick]

So John Carpenter remade a movie about interstellar aliens with supernatural powers that come to earth to be raised by humans...and he cast SUPERMAN in the leading role? That can’t have been unintentional.

[@casanovafunkenstein5090]

John Carpenter is one of my favourite directors but that film is hilariously bad. I spent the whole run time distracted by the question of how and why a set of children in rural America were able to obtain matching British school uniforms from the 1950s. Did they sew them themselves or did they all pester their parents to get them for them?

[@marocat4749]

@@casanovafunkenstein5090 Yes haha, its,its carpenter so its competent but not very good. But watchable if weird. Butonly i youare ok with weird old movies .

[@PhoenyxAshe]

@@casanovafunkenstein5090 - My initial thought was "well, they could have a Catholic school in the area"... but never having seen that film, I don't know if the town would have been large enough to support such a school.

[@casanovafunkenstein5090]

@@PhoenyxAshe to put it in perspective there are less than two dozen women of appropriate age who give birth to the aliens, so it's basically the middle of nowhere

[@EkoBahamut]

There were a few things I liked about Carpenter's version, among them, that there was one of the kids that didn't turn evil, because they apparently all came up in pairs, and the kid that was alone (because a scientist stole one of them for study and dissection) was ostracized by the group. and In the final scene, he was the only alien kid to survive in the end.

[@jessicapatton6523]

If I ever get enough confidence to properly try writing one of the things on the top of my list is the ‘mysterious mass pregnancy’ plot but from the women’s point of view. Given I’m a woman who doesn’t want children and is genuinely grossed out by the thought of being pregnant I get the feeling the tone will be very horror.

[@StarsManny]

The thing that impregnated you would make you feel delighted to be pregnant and protective of the offspring. Otherwise it wouldn't work.

[@jazzphotos]

@@StarsManny you're assuming the thing *doing the impregnating is hyper aware of human emotions and all that stuff. So that's a weird assumption to make.

[@alitaniak7404]

@@StarsManny not necessarily! You could do something that takes away the agency of choice from the unwilling mothers (much like them not choosing the pregnancy in the first place). Instead of being influenced into being elated at the mysterious pregnancy and protective of the prospective child, perhaps they can't actively seek to terminate the pregnancy without suffering horrible psychic punishments or physical debilitation until they stop the attempt. Make them very much aware that this is no normal pregnancy (especially amongst those that weren't sexually active or had no interest in having kids), but unable to do anything about it. And even if they're not actively protective of the children once born, they can't somehow bring them to harm either, either directly or indirectly. Though, a totally different tack would be to keep your suggested delight at the sudden pregnancy, but have that only extend to the point where the child is born and then the compulsion wears off in a snap. You then deal more with the mental aftermath of realizing that this parasitical being forced you to not only carry it to term, but made you feel *happy* to do so, only letting your mind go when it no longer needed your body to grow. There's a lot of psychological and body horror themes that could be explored here tbh! Many ways this plot could realistically play out ("realistically" for sci-fi/horror, that is).

[@kathrynblakeley9823]

It definitely would be interested to see it from a woman’s perspective

[@kathrynblakeley9823]

It definitely would be interested in to see it from a woman’s perspective

[@basementdwellercosplay]

I think the mothers being overly happy to be randomly pregnant with the alien kids in modern recreations or reimagining it by explaining the kids made them think this so they would be very well cared for and not hurt. I don't think the writer meant that considering the past he had but it'd make sense as why the mothers aren't even bothered by the change Edit: I forgot this comment and recently watched the film, deciding to watch this to see how it deferred from the book. I thought that David was supernaturally controlling his mother cause as soon as he's born she's devoted him no matter what even though she was scared while pregnant

[@friend_trilobot]

I thought the same! That would be a cool thing to imply in a remake but i doubt that was the intention

[@cooperminion825]

There was a remake in the 90s

[@Tarnuris]

That is how I interpreted it when I read the book. I remember various ideas being thrown around here but the very sexist one mentioned here being adopted only BEFORE the character realised the full power of the children and then largely dropped. Certainly the mothers later on were being emotionally controlled.

[@limbobilbo8743]

Dominic wrote down that dominatrix joke. Filmed himself three times, twice as children, then but it in black and white, then uploaded it. Respect man, respect

[@mrclueuin]

Mad respect! 🤜🤛

[@mhfromnh1421]

in short-shorts.

[@lastminutewonder9602]

Personally i lost respect for him.

[@limbobilbo8743]

@@lastminutewonder9602 boooooooooo

[@crimsonphait]

so many chances to have lost an amazing joke, im glad it came to light

[@Astr-Dreamer]

Hey guys, just a reminder please don’t tell him to hurry up and finish doing other books adaptations, A lot of this take a lot of time and effort You just telling him to hurry will cause possible burnout, he’s a human being, not an entertainment machine. Edit: The entitlement people in the replies you don’t pass the vibe check 🤡

[@rubysu9265]

Preach!

[@mirjanbouma]

Yes!!!!

[@Wolfrich666]

i mean its his hobby, we just watch it, we have no right to rush him

[@jimballard1186]

@@Wolfrich666 Is it his hobby, or his job? I have no idea what his primary means of support is.

[@Wolfrich666]

@@jimballard1186 either way, rushing people that way is never a good idea

[@Shadow1Yaz]

“Captain! I am not that sort of man!” As a person who’s name is Mary Sue, I super liked that. 😆

[@boxorak]

Must be fun knowing you share your name with a terrible writing trope. :p

[@turkishvan2]

"Birds can be real assholes" Especially when you include the fact that the eggs laid by the victim bird are either thrown out by the brood parasite parent, by the brood parasite baby once it hatches, or the baby victim birds are killed by the brood parasite baby upon hatching, thrown out of the nest by the brood parasite baby's instinctive reaction when it feels something on its back, or just out-competed in food acquisition by the larger brood parasite baby. End result, along with tricking another bird into raising a baby, brood parasites result in the death of the original babies. BTW, not all cuckoos are brood parasites. The roadrunner (yes, it's a cuckoo) is an example of a non-brood parasite species. All honeyguides are brood parasites, though

[@star3catcherSEQUEL]

"The hidden message was that Jesus was also a space alien parasite..." Giorgio Tsukalos: *heavy breathing*

[@thetacopunch]

Who?

[@andreagriffiths3512]

“I’m not saying it was aliens...but it *was* aliens!!! 🤣🤣🤣🤣

[@KarlKristofferJohnsson]

@@thetacopunch Have you seen that meme with the guy saying "Aliens"? That guy.

[@thetacopunch]

@@KarlKristofferJohnsson ooooooooooooooh, i see, i just know him as the "aliens" guy

[@LadyEowyn]

You win the comment section with this. 🤣🤣

[@thomasraines1396]

That “Zellaby fanfiction crossover” bit was hilarious.

[@TF2CrunchyFrog]

Yep, and it sounded he went to the source, the original Star Trek fanfic about "Lieutenant Mary Sue" that coined the term "Mary Sue". Ironically, that fanfic was specifically written to _be_ a satire of that type of self-insert character that is so perfect everyone loves the Mary-Sue (or Gary-Stu if male) and who upstages every canon character. Bonus points if the Mary-Sue melodramatically sacrifices themselves to save the world, only to be brought back to life by a magical talisman/true love/insert plot device here.

[@thomasraines1396]

@@TF2CrunchyFrog wow

[@emmacallery1789]

I like your acknowledgment that Zelabe was a mary sue despite being male.

[@daveryder9617]

He was a 'Gary Stu'...

[@omegon2540]

Males can be sues too Eg jotaro(seriously in part 3 his only weakness is that he is sort of a douche)

[@moonprincesst.s.h.4ever115]

"Like... damn, dude, you gotta be really, really blatant to be roasted in the 1960's!" 😂

[@natyfop]

the part with the original star trek self-insert-fan-fic applied to this author was hilarious

[@nate1066pollock]

It also totally made sense. There's an episode of Star Trek called "Charlie X" that is very similar to this story.

[@bluezebra8675309]

It was brilliant!

[@sinom]

For everyone (like myself) who doesn't know what "dying of exposure" means, it's a blanket term for death because of the weather/elements. Like dying by heatstroke or freezing to death. It can also include drowning and dying because of radiation, but I don't think that was what he meant in this case.

[@saschamayer4050]

Thank you for the clarification. 🙂👍

[@adiahaalexander9359]

It's crazy, it never would have occurred to me that someone wouldn't know what that meant

[@Kobolds_in_a_trenchcoat]

This is true but how likely are people to die of exposure over what seems like 12-24 hours or so in England? I know England can be cold but outside of winter is england really THAT cold? Cold enough for non-elderly people to die of simply being outside for a few hours? I legitimately don't mean to diminish this, I know homeless people do die from exposure, I just question how many would have died over what seems a fairly short time span in what would likely be a not particularly bad time of year to be outside for a few hours. It can't have been more than a day or two or we would likely see people die of thirst too.

[@adiahaalexander9359]

@@Kobolds_in_a_trenchcoat I don't know where the movie takes place, I've never seen the black and white version but there are places here in the States that if you are outside overnight with the wrong clothing on you'd definitely die of exposure.

[@Roadent1241]

@@Kobolds_in_a_trenchcoat I mean, in Autumn/Winter, yes the cold, windy and wet will get you. Otherwise it'll be the heatwaves. If you just stand in the sun for a few hours you get a mild sunburn, imagine what half a day of just sun blazing down on you will do. That's just cooking you. Also our elderly do die INSIDE in winter as well due to having no heating lol, or inside in summer with no way to ventilate or cool down due to our lack of home-ACs, half or a full day is not 'a few hours' and even a few minutes of something harsh and strong can kill someone.

[@paganarh]

Now all we need is a summer blockbuster Village of the Damned vs Children of the Corn: The Final Showdown

[@sammohunk]

That will be a one-sided bloodbath as the children of the corn themselves have no powers. They only have He Who Walks Behind the Rows - and he will gladly sacrifice the lot and then accept the alien children as his new disciples.

[@troyschulz2318]

@@sammohunk Not unless the aliens use their mind powers to make Him kill Himself.

[@lilchristuten7568]

@@troyschulz2318 He's supposed to be satan masquerading as God (at least that's the impression that I got from the series) so the alien children wouldn't have the ability to do anything to him.

[@gracehaven5459]

This conversation is what the internet was made for hahaha

[@MrJHM007]

I have heard a radio theatre play that combined the two stories. It is named "Beyond Belief: Teenagers of the Corn", it is part of The Thrilling Adventure Hour, and it is hilarious.

[@elseanorofark2563]

Physiologically speaking, it would have been more interesting if a certain amount of immunity from the alien mind control would have transferred to the mothers during gestation. It could've been used as a small, and exploitable, weakness against the seemingly unstoppable children without resorting to bombs. Just my thoughts.

[@Eris_Norregard]

But that would mean the mothers - women - would be the ultimate heroes of the story and we can't have that now can we?

[@thequietdreamer2186]

21:55 Not going to lie, I laughed a little too hard at that “Oh, thank God!”

[@RedRock22Productions]

Earned a video a like from me.

[@adamgrogory]

How to make horror: Step 1: Children Step 2: Give them weird eyes Step 3: Profit

[@Carewolf]

Step 2 is optional

[@elenafriese891]

Is... Is this a Frankenstein joke?

[@tudoranalex]

@@Carewolf Yes, children without eyes in a horror movie are way more terrifying.

[@dragongirl7978]

Lol you're not wrong 😂😂 Though you can honestly just do it with weird behavior. Or by making them quiet.

[@fairlyironic]

I remember seeing this as a child and wondering why on earth any of those women kept the babies. I mean, I know that terminations weren't legal at the time but surely they could turn them over to the government after birth. The explanation about the author's attitude towards women kind of explains it. Dude did not understand women at all.

[@KawaiiStars]

i thought from the movie that because it was a catholic village, they felt very discouraged, just like in real life where women don't want to be ostrasized from their VILLAGES/parishes

[@phastinemoon]

Just as an additional history piece - abortions and birth control have always been around (just with a lot of complications and dangers) and in a lot of small, isolated towns or settlements throughout history have always had people who provided these services and just DGAF what the law says. Of course, it has also almost always been a word-of-mouth secret among the women, who don’t see it as something the menfolk/husbands need know about. So the author probably doesn’t know about that, anyway.

[@robertmoore1061]

I absolutely love this story and one reason is I am interested in Natural History. It is obvious the mothers should reject their babies but you have to understand the Cuckoo in nature. The mother carries on feeding the cuckoo chick despite it being larger than the mother prior to leaving the nest. It has already killed the other chicks. Often in nature mothers will abandon their young for no reason but not the cuckoo. The cuckoo seems to have some weird control over the mother. The idea that we could be subjugated by an alien race in the same way is a totally brilliant concept.

[@robertmoore1061]

I absolutely love this story and one reason is I am interested in Natural History. It is obvious the mothers should reject their babies but you have to understand the Cuckoo in nature. The mother carries on feeding the cuckoo chick despite it being larger than the mother prior to leaving the nest. It has already killed the other chicks. Often in nature mothers will abandon their young for no reason but not the cuckoo. The cuckoo seems to have some weird control over the mother. The idea that we could be subjugated by an alien race in the same way is a totally brilliant concept. @@KawaiiStars

[@KawaiiStars]

@@robertmoore1061 honestly i can see that happening, actually, nursemaids were like this aswell, often poor mothers would have to give their children away, to nurse a noble baby, but often they got attached to the baby more than their own

[@zenfrodo]

You need to add another answer to your poll: "Wasn't aware there was a book at all".

[@c-puff]

My biggest exposure to the Midwich Cuckoos are "The Delightful Children from Down the lane" from Kids Next Door.

[@JonSnow-yf1gl]

Those guys creeped me out as a kid

[@marocat4749]

Still are creepy, and after the movie,as messed up.

[@Carewolf]

Oh, that is what those creepy kids were!

[@jackspringheel9963]

They also had a cameo (sort of) in a Simpsons episode

[@Oliviagarry69420]

So that’s what their referencing! Same with me and the one with the Simpsons!

[@meaganblack1529]

Even the teen mom was OLD, because Grampa didn't understand women's bodies (or minds). I read this at 10 or 11, and was already menstruating and freaked out by the idea of getting mysteriously pregnant--which could've happened to me at 8 or 9, according to the rules of this book, since I was "ready".

[@AbsolXGuardian]

Well I think that would actually depend on the details of the rules of the book. Ignore the author's dumb ideas and think about it from the alien's perspective. It would make a lot more sense to assign it as "people who could carry a pregnancy to term" as opposed to "people who could get pregnant". Although it's supposed to be scary either way.

[@eshbena]

Actually, for reasons that science can't yet explain (seriously) menstruation has been having it's onset at a much earlier age than it used to. Fifty years ago it was incredibly rare for girls to start their periods before age 13. Now girls as young as 8 are getting theirs and no one knows why it changed. At least they didn't the last time I researched this. But, it's actually true that back when he wrote this book there just weren't girls getting their periods before they turned 13.

[@AbsolXGuardian]

@@eshbena yeah. And back when laws and custom had women getting married as soon as they menustrated, that was 15-18. And that was def because of malnutrition, although why precocious puberty is more common now compared to 50 years ago is unknown, given the level of nutrition in the global north is roughly the same.

[@charischannah]

I think the going theory is that it's something to do with nutrition levels--you have to have a certain amount of body fat before you can start menstruating. Precocious puberty, where kids as young as 8 start menstruating, is less common (maybe 10% at most?)--these days the average age seems to be around 12. But that doesn't mean it's safe to have a baby then--a kid that age who is menstruating could get pregnant (which is a horrifying thought), but teenage pregnancies come with risks due to age. It's safer to wait until at least your twenties to get pregnant.

[@ayajade6683]

@@eshbena we have current research pointing towards it having to do with modern diets having more of the needed nutrients for growth being more easily obtained causing major growth to occur earlier and from another paper pointing towards preteens and teens being in the healthy bmi range earlier.

[@Irondrone4]

11:00 One of my personal philosophies in life is that there's a Simpsons reference for any occasion. When a show's been around as long as the Simpsons and has had to come up with so many jokes to fill so many episodes, you're bound to cover practically everything under the sun.

[@ryandowney8743]

Whenever you call your cat Sir Terry I keep imagining The Queen knighting a cat.

[@daniellado2523]

Just commenting to combat the insane KZbin algorithm, and praying that it doesn't try to burying these videos into obscurity.

[@caelmack]

Same here, cheers

[@hseile7314]

Me too

[@lizzetloyola1318]

Adding to the battle against the algorithm

[@deanbennett65]

Must combat algorithm!

[@auldthymer]

same

[@thetacopunch]

That section with zelabi being a Gary Stu in a Star Trek fan fiction, just *chef kiss* perfect

[@josephmorris3778]

It's a bird! It's a plane! No, it's me commenting to help with this video's engagement!

[@riverofpower5659]

"You know what that German shrapnel did to my downstairs mix-up" is yet another phrase that I never knew I needed to hear.

[@rachelsyrup]

Reminds me of a Twilight Zone episode where there was a boy that could read minds and would "disappear" people who didn't like him. Or turn them into jack-in-the-boxes.

[@elenachristian9860]

He sent them "out into the corn". Creepy little shit!

[@Carewolf]

I only know that story from Johnny Bravo :D

[@SupportMensMentalHealth]

I remember that episode lol

[@jamesskelton3488]

The kid that played Johnny in that episode went on to play Will Robison in Lost in Space. Also was Leneir in Babylon 5

[@Vonn_Loren]

"It's a Good Life" is the title of the episode.

[@Aurantix]

"Sir Terry if you eat that piece of paper...!" 🤣🤣🤣

[@marocat4749]

He just loves books :P

[@TheKeeperOfTheQuill]

The idea of this story both fascinates me (because it is an interesting concept) and makes me wildly uncomfortable in a "I'm a woman and this is my nightmare sort of way" XD

[@Ellthom]

Woman: Honey I am pregnant by some strange force unknown to us Man: Yea but what about me Yea that sounds about right.

[@johnkat5041]

Stories that feature entities that are not inherently evil but still cause harm always mess me up but i love them so much

[@alanpennie8013]

The story is very much an extended, It's a Good Life.

[@Kobolds_in_a_trenchcoat]

@@alanpennie8013 I read that as "It's a wonderful life" and wondered how the heck the two are even remotely similar for a second.

[@dark_knight_-tb4qd]

Well, I guess we got the answer to that "What's the male equivalent of a Mary Sue?" question from Sea of Monsters.

[@theylorlr6677]

The Percy Jackson book?

[@dark_knight_-tb4qd]

The LiA episode of it.

[@drackestalentorgen166]

Gary Stue....it has been established for a long while though some people still call them Mary sues

[@Tezunegari]

@@drackestalentorgen166 Marty Stu is a variation I've seen as well.

[@Ravenwinds]

I nearly choked on food at the lyrics in the end credits song. Also you warning Sir Terry not to do something which I assume he did do in the post credits was peak cat dad behavior.

[@williammartin3451]

I think this is where Umbrella Academy may have gotten some of its inspiration

[@katherinealvarez9216]

Sounds like it.

[@Amanda-zn7ox]

I'm getting Stranger In A Strange Land vibe from this story. Supernatural aliens and superpowers, mass murder, author self-insert that commentates on the state of the real world and is the smartest character.

[@mirjanbouma]

You're not alone!

[@alanpennie8013]

@@mirjanbouma It was the style of the times. Though Wyndham is way less self - indulgent than Heinlein at his worst.

[@mirjanbouma]

@@alanpennie8013 thank you, I had not considered that angle, I appreciate it. That makes sense.

[@francesconicoletti2547]

@@alanpennie8013 for some reason, some people remember the science fiction of these times a apolitical. Cannot think why.

[@gibbcharron3469]

@@francesconicoletti2547 Primarily nostalgia and a lack of a direct connection to the politics of the time, presumably.

[@tayani2695]

My only criticism of this video is Dom saying he doesn’t deserve us. You deserve every one of your Beautiful Watchers, Dom, it’s you who’s too good to us!

[@scouttyra]

Wholeheartedly agree!

[@PlanetZoidstar]

My only criticism is his jab at middle-aged white men. Like them being middle-aged white men is the problem. I'd say the writing habits of the certain famous middle-aged white women (J.K Rowling, Stephanie Meyer and E. L James) are more problematic than anything from Michael Cryton or John Wyndham. But I wouldn't hold their sex, race or age against them. Just their writing habits. Given his habitual self-flagellating at being a white man it makes me think Dom has some self-loathing issues he has to work through.

[@ThePkmnYPerson]

@@PlanetZoidstar Maybe he just felt he's talked about Harry Potter, Twilight, and 50 Shades enough so decided to reference Jurassic Park instead.

[@PlanetZoidstar]

@@ThePkmnYPerson I get, but it's the part of Jurassic Park he decided to focus on - the age, sex and race of the author. When really I thought we got past judging people based on those. Say what you will about Stephanie Meyer and E.L James, he didn't use their age, sex or race to disparage them.

[@ThePkmnYPerson]

@@PlanetZoidstar I see.

[@a.rustici1972]

That “Oh Thank God!” Skit made me laugh out loud! Great job! Thank You Dom! :D!

[@SirChrisJames]

Lost in Adaptation introduces me to movies and books that I would have never experienced or even heard of otherwise. Such a gem of a show.

[@Version0111]

Still waiting on Good Omens. Not telling you to get on it, just letting you know there is still interest in that video so you don't think it's too late.

[@Tiger89Lilly]

I think it has already been paid for by a patreon I think Dom is just waiting for it to ease up on the copyright (I think that is the wrong word but you know what I mean)

[@Version0111]

@@Tiger89Lilly I do know what you mean. Thank you for clearing that up.

[@wajmgirl]

I’m excited too! Honestly... I hope he dresses up. I think he’d look great as Crowley and Azirahale!

[@ilikecheese775]

I don't really mind the wait because Dom's always worth waiting for.

[@Pikachu2Ash]

Also, worth noting is that he has a long Patreon list that he is going off of right now. You can read it on his website. www.dominic-noble.com/the-patreon-to-do-list

[@donsample1002]

I can remember reading this when I was 13, and rooting for the children.

[@alanpennie8013]

The author was genuinely conflicted. Ultimately he thought both sides were in the right, it was a case where friend/foe thinking supplanted morality.

[@KarlKristofferJohnsson]

I have neither read the book nor seen the movie (nor the remake), but now I suddenly want to make a new remake that brings back the gray morality of the book and also gives more focus to how the women are reacting to their sudden pregnancies.

[@jeffdavis8590]

Loved the OG Mary Sue reference. Also always happy to see another episode of Lost in Adaptation.

[@edisonlima4647]

The mental battle at the end of the movie is more tense, but the idea that at the last moment they show humanity, implying that maaaaaybe there was another way to ave this, but this revelation too late due to KABOOM... that sounds like quite a provocative ending.

[@vilwarin5635]

or maybe they showed humanity to trick him

[@Cesaryeyo]

"Unexpected expectancies" love those little plays on words

[@mirjanbouma]

The word play was on point in this video!

[@mjshades05]

I actually remember seeing the 1960s adaptation when I was a kid. I loved the climactic battle of minds at the end as the doctor focused on his mental brick wall! Haven't seen this movie since then, but I still remember that scene!

[@cpkgrownup9496]

I love the cut aways of Dom acting out scenes. They’re always very entertaining. Almost as enjoyable as the kitty outtakes. Lol

[@RøwBærTøw]

The Simpsons have been around for 32 years ... you'd have an easier time finding things the Simpsons DIDN'T do.

[@adambriton5394]

That mistress raven bit is the funniest and most roundabout way of calling someone a mary sue

[@TheSodaBurst]

PLEASE release a full version of that song at the end. it made me laugh so hard

[@BShaw]

I really like the Christopher reeve version, I love how villainous Kirsty alley is in it

[@imdrum6881]

"Maybe this is all some kind of communist plot" I was not expecting that, this is on my opinion definitely the best parody song yet

[@rainbowleigh8848]

This book inspired the x men characters the stepford cuckoos. The clone daughters of emma frost. Their names are Sophie, Pheobe, Irma, Celeste, and Esme.

[@GrifterMage]

So...five girls, and the first letters of their names spell out SPICE? Seriously?

[@pwlpc]

@@GrifterMage Yes their name is a Spice Girls reference. Although not always as Irma was briefly redubbed Mindee by another writer. But that got retconned so that her name is Irma again, though she prefers Mindee as call name. And only three of the Cuckoos are left

[@monicaenns9967]

Just sending an aplause to Il Niege 👏👏 Great job on all the songs!

[@JoyfulOrb]

Loving the gorgeous lapis lazuli blue nails, Dom!

[@mathnerd3364]

A KZbin ad for nexplanon popping up right as the Dom was explaining about women waking up pregnant was perfect comedy.

[@GriffinPilgrim]

It's a weird double message, isn't it; those uncivilised folks just killed all the children like the savages they are...and as it turns out they were 100% correct to have done so, we should have as well.

[@alanpennie8013]

Definitely. I think the author's take was that Western Civ. was great and all, but deluded about the hard choices that sometimes need to be made.

[@timothymclean]

It doesn't seem contradictory at all. There's a long literary tradition of writers framing their own culture as superior to the "savages" around them, while using those savages' (alleged) strength of character and body as a mirror to critique the (alleged) recent descent into decadence. That tradition can be traced to the dawn of history; that's not hyperbole, it's in Herodotus's _The Histories,_ arguably the first historical work ever written. Broadly speaking, particularly in the older versions of this rhetoric, savagery and decadence are framed as opposite ends of a spectrum. "We" (however the writer defines "us") used to be at the golden mean, possessing strength without barbarism and civilization without decadence. But now we've fallen, and our civilization is in danger of collapse if we can't reverse that trend. It's worth pointing out that historical authors making that argument were _far_ more likely to live in the start or middle of golden ages than right before any kind of civilization-ending collapse. Anyone who quotes Tacitus and Sallust to explain the decline of Western civilization is either ignorant of Roman history or hopes you are.

[@pancakeofdestiny]

I'm curious what you would think of The Chrysalids. SPOILER It has a similar morality shift near the end in which the good guys massacre their enemies, although in this case the good guys are people with psychic powers while the enemies are normal humans.

[@mffmoniz2948]

It's always nice to see a new video. I discover new stories or new depths to something I was familiar with. The Mary Sue was hilarious and the Dom, I mean, Dominatrix bit was quite the surprise plot twist.

[@davidsamet6969]

The 95 movie also made the odd decision to have one of the women miscarry causing the dead baby to be taken away. However, instead of being buried, the body is taken to study where it develops a more alien physique. This leads to the question of why this happened and if the other children are using some sort of shapeshifting ability, which might explain why the all look alike.

[@elenachristian9860]

It also leads to the horrific death of Kristie Alleys character.

[@ariellakahan-harth8831]

The transition skits in this... priceless. Just priceless. I would read that entire Zellaby Star Trek fic.

[@theresaw-c1318]

Fun fact the fanfic he read was a parody of the fanfic that started the like mary sue term

[@maladypond]

"No, really, that's the end of the book." Somehow, I've never read this one, just heard about the movies from friends over the years. But, now, I think I must! Another excellent LiA! That thumbnail, though. Captured the feeling of the story succinctly! Also, Nyquil Zone, haha

[@hollow49]

What's fascinating about the Midwich Cuckoos to me is that Wyndham published a sort of mirror in the novel The Chrysalids with a somewhat similar setup (telepathic children in conflict with non-telepaths) but there the heroes are the children. The two were published back to back, so it's likely that Wyndham was intentionally exploring two sides of the conflict, rather than this being a case of his personal viewpoint changing over time.

[@Version0111]

I remember when the 1995 movie came out, for some strange reason there was a thing that happened all over America where people (especially comedians) would make fun of fair haired children (especially if they were well behaved) by calling them "Children of the Corn". It was clear they were referencing Village of the Damned but they still used the wrong title even when people corrected them. It was a weird thing that happened for a while and then suddenly stopped.

[@Version0111]

@@AskenOrbital I am aware of what Children of the Corn is about, and in no adaptation of that movie are any of the children depicted as fair haired. These people weren't making fun of random children for being evil, they were making fun of children who looked like the children in Village of the Damned because of what they looked like. That would be like meeting a short Italian man with a red hat, overalls, and a mustache and calling him MegaMan. You could say it's referencing that he looks like a video game character but let's be real.

[@lunaraindrop]

"Yep. It's casually racist grandpa time again!" I love how you described this. It is spot on. (Also, yay! I actually got a notification this time!)

[@DarkCatalest]

I was actually introduced to this story through the 1995 movie and I loved it. I'm actually going to watch it again. Thanks for tonight's entertainment Dom!

[@TheAeris07]

Same here used to have it on VHS back in the day.

[@livendus]

It's nice to finally know the origin of those glowy-eyed blond children.

[@Bllue]

The bloopers with sir terry are so necessary please never stop including them

[@bebel9]

I wonder if The Umbrella Academy was in any ways inspired by this story... Still, great episode as always!

[@vihaze6725]

Quite possible. Gerard Way has said that he's a big fan of old horror movies.

[@Maxbroforce]

I lost it at the skit of Mr. Zellaby and the children! Superb work as always Dom!

[@Klayasae]

Another thoroughly entertaining video! I love learning about books and movies I've never read or even heard of from you, you do an amazing job of breaking it all down while keeping it interesting and fun! Also shout out to the ending tune, I laughed so hard at the "don't expect child support" line!

[@Panda_Roll]

Is it strange that my exposure to this story came from the 1995 re-make with two things that stuck in my mind being the horrible wigs the kids had to wear... and that one guy that was grilling hotdogs when they all fell asleep doing so on the grill.

[@sockgoblin2942]

Fun fact: some of the kid’s hair wasn’t a wig. They bleached the ever loving heck out of some of the actors’ hair to the point that one girl got chemical burns. I’m not sure how many were wigs and how many had natural hair, but I did read from one of the actresses that they were given bleach jobs.

[@Panda_Roll]

@@sockgoblin2942 They bleached... a kids hair for that movie?! What parent agreed to this X___x

[@BrunoWolfMetal]

@@Panda_Roll the ones getting a paycheck

[@elenachristian9860]

@@Panda_Roll Watched a mother hold her little girl down for an impromptu shearing of her long hair for a TV movie.

[@Panda_Roll]

@@elenachristian9860 A hair cut is one thing but bleach might harm their scalp. They're children =/

[@dseray9494]

The name of that film keeps changing to the voyage of the damned treader in my head

[@TheAmityElf]

Oh, that's a crossover I'd read.

[@charischannah]

Given that a number of people don't make it back and some of the story is quite dark, it might not be inaccurate.

[@kyidyl]

You can tell a dude wrote it bc a, no one gets an abortion and b, no one has trauma about non consensual impregnation.

[@philpaine3068]

The "leader" kid was played by Martin Stephens, who a year later gave an amazing performance in The Innocents, an adaptation of Henry James' The Turn of the Screw. He retired after a few years of child acting, and then subsequently pursued a very interesting life. Having seen the film recently, it occurred to me that Zellaby's chosen method of defence against telepathic probing was very, very, ahem, British. If he had chosen to concentrate on a pornographic image, it would have been much more effective than a stupid brick wall, not to mention being a better way to spend the last few minutes of your consciousness.

[@SilverAnicore]

Oh god, I remember watching this on TV when I was a child myself. If somebody tried to tell me that this movie is the reason I don't want children, I'd at least hear them out tbh.

[@fariondragon]

Why wouldn’t you hear them out if they just didn’t want children for any other reason?

[@Grim_Sister]

Your ponytail has turned from Sokka to season 1 Zuko. And I love it!

[@RoseKoneko]

Oh my god, the song at the end killed me. Thanks Dom. Your videos are always fascinating and entertaining to watch. This hit me at a really bad week and legitimately lifted my mood.

[@anitanielsen1061]

It’s SO hilarious how they parodied the original Star Trek fanfiction, COMPLETE WITH THE TONE AND ACCENTS! That’s what OSP did, too!

[@sebbezp01]

Dom dont say that you were lucky with your fans. You as a creator make and maintain a community based on how you interact with them. If you are kind and understanding your community Will be too. If you are an edgelord your community Will be aswell. View your community as a reflection of your personality and morals. Also ive been a fan since The starship trooper episode, always happy to see another video from you!

[@lightsideofsin8969]

While you're right that good people tend to attract good people, he did get a little bit lucky too :) A lot of channels about books attract pretentious butts who are just there to feel intellectually superior. I'm super happy that that's not the case here :)

[@sarahgent2674]

I read this book when I saw that you were doing it, and the weirdest change that totally makes sense and you didn't mention, is that in the book Zellaby's kid is just normal and it was essentially a coincidence that his (previously barren) wife got pregnant around that time.

[@Quinn-cw4pt]

Still one of my favorite reviews! Love it when he does older films like this - brings them attention, interesting historical facts (how censorship and society has evolved, etc). Agree that the concepts John Wyndham wrote about were fascinating, but wow was he a product of the times...one of the reasons adaptations can be interesting is seeing how they take those concepts but evolve out of the '50s mindset

[@bryanabbott6169]

I remember watching the end of the movie, where there was concern about the children in the Inuit community, when one of the characters assured the others that the blond haired infants would be killed off because such traits was considered evil. Yeah, the author's views was problematic, to say the least.

[@Dutchtica]

The Christopher Reeves film was my only exposure to this story tbh. Aside from the Simpsons. And I really liked it regardless and mostly because of Christopher .he's just so dang likeable dangit

[@jenniferschillig3768]

Wasn't that one of the last movies he made before his accident?

[@jatkinson85]

@@jenniferschillig3768 Yeah it was, he had the accident in 1995.

[@harmonicajay91]

"We know allll your secrets. Constable Wiggums has been cavorting around in control top pantyhoes." "Heh, not like that's a crime?" "I'm afraid it is, Chief."

[@beanieplatypus]

Not gonna lie, the cat bloopers have a special place in my blacked little heart

[@IndigoPhoenix21]

Just taking a second to appreciate Dominic's hair. Beautiful 😍

[@Hawkatana]

Something else to notice, the line about "The indecisiveness of Western Democracy" and Zeleby's "strong man making all the important decisions" behaviour kinda shows some... *Interesting views* from Wyndham. None of them good.

[@vassily-labroslabrakos2263]

Srsly I think Wyndham outdoes Lovecraft in the racism department

[@Popcultureguy3000]

@@vassily-labroslabrakos2263 He wasn’t talking about _that,_ tho that is definitely in their with the other races of the world killing their cuckoos like they were animals realizing a snake egg was mixed in their nest. Hawkatana was pointing out Wyndham seemed to think authoritarian strongmen could only deal with the extraterrestrial threat. He’s saying Wyndham seems to either be a commie or an boot licking fascist.

[@Hawkatana]

@@Popcultureguy3000 Mostly the latter.

[@bethanymcmurtrey9542]

"Birds can be real assholes." Dom, as a former parakeet owner, are you speaking from experience?

[@silver5515]

Birds might have wings, but they aren't angels. Story: we were eating breakfast, whilst watching the birds at the bird feeder outside. Suddenly a magpie grew tired of seeds, and served itself a sparrow. I did not consume any more food that morning.

[@jessicawilson1751]

I used to volunteer at the Shedd Aquarium in Chicago, IL. Almost every person working there had at least one story about being attacked by red-winged blackbirds. There was even one weekend that the outdoor stingray touch exhibit had to be shut down because a pair of the birds had nested in the pavilion and attacked guests.

[@danidailey989]

John Wyndham also wrote The Chrysalids, a book that a lot of Jamaican high school students used a literature book.

[@TheGreatDevlin]

I always get to these videos exactly a day after they release