Pennywise: The Story of It
2021 / John Campopiano / Screambox / NR
Quick Thoughts
It is a TROLL.
The evolution of horror after Nightmare on Elm Street.
George A. Romero!? Whaaat?
King's explanation of experiencing the circus is phenomenal.
The sugar daddies.
Poor Bev.
Tim takes a stand on prosthetics, and you've gotta love that bulbous head.
The It miniseries of the year 1990, haunts children and adults to this day. If you grew up in the generation that followed the release of It then you know the power of this film's presents at a sleepover. Many children’s parents forbade It, but kids will be kids and Tim Curry’s clown now lives rent-free in the sewers of their minds. This documentary explores what made that miniseries so great, and how the team behind It came together to create this truly menacing Stephen King adaptation.
A couple of Christmases ago I received Stephen King’s novel It, and to this day it sits on my bookshelf, unopened and unread. This is not for a lack of interest but rather a lack of time and determination (...and I know about that weird scene in the sewers which kind of kills my excitement). The novel is a really chonky-boi, so I find it quite interesting how well Lawrence D. Cohen adapted the novel for TV. At the time, the idea of a miniseries wasn’t necessarily common; most everything was either a tv show or a 90+ minute film.
This look into the classic It miniseries is a great way to understand the effort, and culture that surrounds filmmaking. The actors give insight into behind-the-scenes banter, and the special effects artists disclose just how painstaking some of the sets and sequences could really be. I’m referring to that sewer spider that comes off as completely bogus, but according to the effects team, the monster never got its moment to shine. I especially like hearing how intuitive Tim Curry really is, and if not for his resilience we could have ended up with a drastically different looking It clown, which I doubt would leave the same cultural impact.
From It's storybook origins to It’s silver-screen debut, this clown will continue to scare and intrigue audiences. With 2017’s revamp we were able to explore a new fresh version of the It monster and let CG accentuate the story. Bill Skarsgard does a fantastic job at playing It but there’s a jolly tone that’s missing when you compare him to Tim Curry’s birthday party enthusiasm. The one thing I would have l liked for this film to do was bring in some of the actors, writers, and directors of the new movies in order to understand just how they perceive the classic It miniseries.
Which clown is the most iconic?
Tim Curry's It
Sid Haig's Captain Spaulding
David Howard Thornton's Art
Bill Skarsgard's It