IT

 

Yes dearies, this is IT.

If any of you out there have mild or severe Coulrophobia; I having the latter, then you know exactly what movie I am talking about the fear factor it admits.

 

For my own sanity, I added the images last so I did not have to stare at them while typing. I honestly do not think my heart could take it.

 

Now, I also have severe Arachnophobia- a fear of spiders. However, unlike my Arachnophobia, I will actually watch movies on clowns. I am scared to death of them and they freak me out, even saying the word terrifies me to the end of looking over my shoulder and hiding under the table, but alas here I am to report on the scariest clown movie I have ever seen.

 

I felt like punishing myself on day and decided to go to the movie store and rent every movie I could that had a horror factor of clowns. Well, of course plenty scared me, but the one to terrify me to no end and become my most hated and yet sickly most beloved clown movie is Stephen King's IT.

 

IT, also refered to as Stephen King's IT, was made into the film adaption in 1990. The story revolves around a "inter-dimensional predatory lifeform" which has the ability to shapeshift into it's prey's worst and most horrid fears. Through the movie, however, it mainly takes on the form of -shivers- Pennywise, a sadistic and wise-cracking clown.

 

The group of people that the story revolves around call themselves "The Losers Club" and were tormented by this clown when they were children. The movie then turns to their adult years and the return of the foe they thought they had gotten rid of for good.

 

-shivers- Pennywise.

 

Although this movie loosely follows the plot of the novel, it is scary on its own. No, seriously, I am still trying to get up the nerve to read the book if that thing is scarier then the movie.

 

The main cast included Dennis Christopher, Annette O'Toole, John Ritter, Harry Anderson, Richard Thomas, Tim Reid, Richard Masur, Michael Cole and, starring as the lead role and the scariest clown to date; Tim Curry as, -shivers- Pennywise.

 

It was originally aired on television as a two-part mini series and received mixed reviews. The child actors and Tim Curry were praised for their acting but the second part was criticized for being melo-dramatic and not as terrifying and the first part.

 

Now there are plenty of differences, I hear, from the movie and the book.

A few examples include;

The film puts more of an emphasis on the Pen-- well, the clown's form then any other form the creature takes shape as. This is due mainly to the fact that clowns scare a very large general population.

Georgie, a main character's little brother, has a deeper and more violent death scene in the book then in the movie.

Forms that IT takes in the book include a werewolf, a leper, a mummy, and waterlogged corpses while in the movie it mainly remains a clown or "the deadlights".

 

Those are a few of the differences anyway. You can find these and more at Wikipedia.

So, now for my review.

When I first watched IT, yes, I was terrified. But, it wasn't until later, and more recently, that I found out who the actor was who played IT.
Now, I am a big Tim Curry fan. I liked him as Rooster in Annie, I loved him as Frankenfurter in The Rocky Horror Picture Show, I laughed at him as the Butler in Clue, I adored him as Cardinal Richleu in The Three Musketeers and my daughter has loved his voice overs in Curious George, A Turtle's Tale, her Barbie movies, and more.

However, while watching IT, for the second time with my fiancée, Derrick, he looked at me and said "Man, I can't believe Tim Curry plays IT."

I looked at him,
Stared.
Stared some more.
Blinked a few times.
and than said..
"Excuse me?"

He then said it again and the next time IT was on screen, I saw him. For the first time I actually saw Tim Curry through the paint and fell in love with him again as the one true actor to have ever played a clown so ferociously that it truly terrified me unlike any other clown movie before.


I mean, the movie isn't perfect. I do agree that the second part lacks, but I think it lacks mainly near the end when you see the creatures true form. It really brings you down from the terrifying high you are in for most of the movie. Yes, I am scared of what he was than, too but it just isn't the same as -shivers- Pennywise.

I honestly do not think this movie is a let down though when you look for terror, freakishness and a movie to feed your fear of clowns in that sick, demented manner that only a person who is truly afraid of clowns can understand.

Really, watch it. If you hate it than that is your opinion but if you hate it, my opinion is that you are more psychotic then that damn clown will ever be.

Well, there ya go. Remember fellow "afraid of clown"ers. Don't watch the blowing sheets on the clothes line.

And don't look down the sewer grate.



Sweet Dreams.