by Alex Lloyd Gross
Courtney Gaines played Malachi, the teenager that wanted the outlanders killed and petrified audiences at movie theaters and later home video in the mid 1980’s.. The movie was Children Of the Corn and Courtney Gaines had just turned 18. The movie was set in Gatlin Nebraska. That is a fictional town. “It was actually filmed in Iowa, we had trailers parked in a clearing by the cornfield . I remember walking through cornfield and by the time I got to set I was in character”, Gaines said as he reminisced about the movie. “They spray painted the corn green because it was late in the season and it was turning yellow”, Gaines said.
“The actors were high school kids that were in theater programs and they were great”, To put the demon under the cornfield was simple. “We dug a trench and put in a wheelbarrow . We then covered it with a tarp and put dirt on top of it. It’s such a simple effect but it looked great, Gaines said.
So what’s he up to now? “I put out a new record at the end of August called Liberation Day. It’s got everything, some real bangers and some Americana and song called “Been Forgotten” that charted at 61 . We’re now pushing the single from the album.
He is also in The Barn 3, and his band plays a banger at the end as the credits roll . It’s called “Fear the Boogie”. The video is set in a cemetery and features animation and live people.
The movie is coming out on DVD, VHS and for right now it’s not going to be widely released in theaters. When questioned about the VHS format, Gaines confirmed that the movie will have a limited availability in that format. After all that gets sorted, they may look at a streaming deal, according to Gaines. People interested in this can go to Nevermore productions and order it there. The trailer looks really cool.
Gaines moved to Georgia from California. “I was ready to get out of LA after 35 years, this opened up the New York acting market for me “, Gaines said. It’s just a few hour flight from his home. His town has a lot of music clubs and that kind of opened the door for his music career. His music project is simply called The Courtney Gaines Group.
For them, touring is a possibility. Gaines said he is open to playing smaller theaters in this area and there are plenty of them. He is cognizant of not only ticket prices but parking for some venues has gotten out of hand. It’s enough to keep people home.
He does get recognized on the street but Gaines said it happened more in LA than in Georgia. “I’ve got a huge beard now so it does not happen as much, he said. He is open to doing horror conventions and autograph signings.