Review: Stephen King’s ‘IT’

A group of seven pre-teens (played by Jonathan Brandis, Emily Perkins, Brandon Crane, Seth Green, Marlon Taylor, Adam Faraizl, and Ben Heller) in 1960 are plagued by a creature known as ‘IT’. Primarily under the guise of Pennywise the Clown (Tim Curry), ‘IT’ has been murdering children in Derry in Maine, including the younger brother of Bill Denbrough (Brandis). IT plays on your worst fears and nightmares and apparently eats the souls of children. Lovely chap. After going head-to-head with the sicko clown, the ‘Lucky 7’ make a pact that should ‘IT’ ever return, they will come back and defeat it once more. Thirty years later and the one of the seven still living in Derry, Mike Hanlon (Tim Reid, rock-solid) calls everybody back because it appears that ‘IT’ is alive and back to old tricks. However, will all the remaining 7 show up? Can they stop ‘IT’ once and for all? John Ritter is Ben Hanscomb (played as a kid by Brandon Crane) who has become a boozy architect. Annette O’Toole is Beverly Marsh (played as a kid by Emily Perkins) who has swapped an abusive father for an abusive lover in her adulthood. Richard Thomas is the grown-up stutterer Bill, who has become a best-selling writer of the supernatural, with a worried wife named Audra (Olivia Hussey). Harry Anderson is the grown-up jokester Richie Tozier (played as a kid by Seth Green) who is now a TV comedian incredibly nervous about going back to Derry having been tormented by ‘IT’ in the guise of a werewolf. Dennis Christopher is grown-up mama’s boy and asthmatic Eddie ‘Spaghetti’ Kaspbrak (played as a kid by Adam Faraizl). Richard Masur plays grown-up boy scout Stan Uris (played as a kid by Ben Heller). Lurking about in both timelines is crazy delinquent Henry Bowers (played at different times by Jarred Blanchard and Michael Cole) who wants to kill the 7 for his own reasons as a kid, and becomes a henchman for ‘IT’ later on in life.

Many people’s favourite Stephen King novel was turned into this TV miniseries from 1990, which originally ran in two parts. Anyone around my age knows it, has seen it, and will never ever forget it. Those familiar with the book might gripe about it, but so far as Stephen King adaptations go, this is certainly one of the stronger ones purely based on what is on screen, as I am yet to familiarise myself with the epic tome (Seriously, the damn thing is huge).

Directed by Tommy Lee Wallace (who directed the regrettable outlier “Halloween III: Season of the Witch”), there’s definitely some flaws, including one big-arse spidery one that even the cast seem to agree sucks. One of the first horror films/shows I ever saw (I was a late bloomer in that regard), this still has a staying power to it. That power probably comes from the basic story and for many (myself included) a fear of clowns. Needless to say, you’ll never look at storm drains or laundry blowing in the wind the same way again after this. Along with the original “Roots”, “Shogun”, and “The Winds of War”, this is one of my favourite miniseries of all-time. King really tapped into something here, not just on a fantastical level but also the whole idea of kids being killed by a monster. And let’s face it, there’s always been something a little grubby under the surface here too that might just be the most horrifying thing. Sure, it’s never outright stated that Pennywise is a child molester, but it will occur to you that he/it could be, especially given there’s also physical abusers like Beverly’s father in the story. Meanwhile, the Maine locale with all that green bushland is really unnerving to me. I’ve always been suspicious of such areas, probably due to this. I love the story’s blend of coming of age story and horror, it’s like “Stand By Me”, “Carrie”, “Sometimes They Come Back” and your worst nightmares combined.

Pennywise is one of the most memorable horror characters of all-time, and while I can’t speak to how well it stacks up with the book, Tim Curry is absolutely show-stopping here in what I consider his best performance ever. He’s unnervingly creepy, lurid, otherworldly evil, and genuinely funny all rolled into one. It’s not a subtle performance, but why would you want Tim Curry of all people to be subtle? Aside from Curry, the cast is a mixed bag but the younger actors are a pretty solid lot all-round, with Emily Perkins, Jonathan Brandis, Brandon Crane, and the inimitable Seth Green particularly standing out. Jonathan Brandis is a very missed talent full of promise, it’s such a shame what happened to him. He makes for a very likeable younger Bill. Speaking of likeable, Brandon Crane is an underrated talent having also played one of my favourite third wheels, Doug Porter on my favourite TV show “The Wonder Years”. There’s a lot of Doug Porter in his young Ben Hanscomb (or vice versa). He’s rock-solid in the part, and John Ritter frankly never had a better part than he does here as the adult Ben. Take a look at Ritter in this and then something like “Sling Blade”, and if you don’t think he was talented…well, that’s on you. I must say though, that I didn’t quite buy the character as played by Crane ending up a boozy architect. Something didn’t quite convince there, through no fault of the actors. Young Emily Perkins you might remember for her terrific work in the “Ginger Snaps” flicks, and she’s perfect as young Beverly Marsh, probably the best casting of the young actors in my opinion and she and Annette O’Toole probably come off as the best older/younger pairing of the lot, with Seth Green and Harry Anderson not far behind. It’s kind of funny that Green’s encounter with Pennywise involves a werewolf, given his most famous TV character on “Buffy”. Playing a smart-arse who can’t shut up is pretty much pitch-perfect casting, and veteran magician/comedian Harry Anderson is an easy sell as his adult version. Anderson is also involved in one of the best bits with Pennywise, as the latter taunts a clearly fearful Richie…through the use of absolutely terrible comedy: ‘Excuse me sir…is your refrigerator running? Well you better go and get it!’. Priceless. (The scariest moment probably involves Pennywise’s encounter with Ben Hanscomb, masquerading as Ben’s father. One of the best ‘jump’ scares ever in my far from humble opinion).

It has to be said that not all of the cast is sterling here, with veteran actress Sheila Moore standing out for all the wrong reasons for her ridiculous performance as Eddie’s worry wart mother. Also, as much as she made for a lovely Juliet back in 1968, Olivia Hussey overdoes her character’s confusion to a pretty hammy degree as the grown-up Bill’s wife Audra. Hell, speaking of the grown-up Bill, Richard Thomas is a bit hammy too, and his ponytail is absurd. Dennis Christopher is believably terrified and meek as the grown-up Eddie, though. It’s a bit of a shame that the best of the adult actors playing the grown-up protagonists (Richard Masur) has the least amount of screen time and probably plays the least interesting character. Sorry, but Stan’s kind of a bore. Look out for the Cigarette Smoking Man from “The X-Files”, William B. Davis as the school principal in one scene.

The first 90 minutes (i.e. the First part) are clearly the strongest, that goes without saying. However it really is only in the final few moments that the film falls apart, and it’s only because of the damn spider. After everything we’ve been through you expect much better FX than the budget could probably afford, and also a more interesting true embodiment of evil than just a big spider. I know the book suffered in that respect to some extent from what I’ve heard, but…ugh, it’s just a spider. Everything leading up to it though? Top-notch stuff, with all of the scenes of the adults arriving in town for the reunion really well-done. And even if I did eat Asian food, the Chinese restaurant scene in this has me definitely staying the hell away from fortune cookies for life. Yikes. The music score by an Emmy-winning Richard Bellis (a TV veteran) is memorable, as is the soundtrack with some oldies classics like Curtis Mayfield’s infectious ‘It’s Alright’ a particular favourite of mine.

This isn’t perfect, and I’m sure the book is better given it doesn’t need to worry about budget, visuals, or poor performances by bit-players. It’s still memorable though, ask anyone who grew up around the time this was first shown. We all remember it with equal parts fondness and terror. As adapted by Lawrence D. Cohen (The King adaptations “Carrie” and “The Tommyknockers”) and Wallace himself, the basics of the King story are so irresistible that even in miniseries format it’s compelling stuff. Tim Curry is outstanding (How did he not get a Golden Globe or Emmy nomination/win?), and you’ll forever have chills down your spine whenever you hear Beethoven’s ‘Fur Elise’.

Rating: B+