It (1990)

It, released in 1990 is a television mini-series based on the 1986 novel by Stephen King of the same name. It was aired as a 2 part 3 hour television movie. It was originally planned as a four part eight hour, but ABC got scared of that level of commitment to a horror film. This was also the first Stephen King television movie released since the 1979 release of 'Salems Lot, directed by Tobe Hooper (Texas Chainsaw). Sadly much of Stephen King's original story had to be cut and reduced to fit into the time constraints of the 3 hour time slot. So a lot of the many sub-plots had to be cut or reduced. As of this point there has been no completely faithful version of It released, though this one comes close to capturing Stephen King's original atmosphere of the book. One of the biggest disappointments in this version is the complete removal of the house on Neibolt Street, and all of the subplots that were tied to that location in the book. The house on Neibolt Street is quite an important setting, which was heavily focused upon in the new reboot of the story (which we will discuss more in the near future). There are a lot of other parts that were cut as well, some of varying levels of importance, but to fit a nearly 1300 page book into a 3 hour time slot is a very daunting task, and sadly means that a lot of material was destined to be casualties to the time constraints. Some scenes were destined to be cut in order to be made into film, based purely on their subject matter, but we all know what that scene is, and it actually needs to be talked about because of the important roll that it played, and each film adaptation has attempted to get the same effect which is the strengthening of the characters. The cast of kids in this film, is one of the best ensemble cast of child actors in a film, right up there along the great casting of Stand By Me, and The Goonies. The film features talented child actors like Seth Green and Jonathan Brandis (who was on his way to becoming a huge star, before taking his own life). The adult actors were all pretty big names in the world of television films, but honestly compared to the wonderful child actors were a bit of a let down. That isn't to say that they were bad by any means, but they were definitely great for what they were, which is television actors. This also brings up an important thing to remember when considering the critiques of this film, this is not a huge budget Hollywood film, this is a made-for television production. As a made for television production, I really do feel like this is an amazing film. There are limitations because of being made for television, but I feel within the parameters of those limitations that an amazing work of art was created. The film even within the limitations of the format and the time constraint does a great job at capturing the mood and the spirit of the novel, in a way that was not captured in the newer modern version of the film. The effects I feel created a much creepier atmosphere. Many people have issues with the stop motion effects at the end of the film, during the climatic scene, however I absolutely love the stop motion animation, and how it pays homage to Ray Harryhousen style of effects in classic films like Jason and Argonauts and Clash of the Titans. Tim Curry really stole the show with his amazing performance as Pennywise, and a lot of his acting was done improvisational with little direction given. This film also relies less on cheap scares like jump scares and relies more on traditional horror elements. in 2015 Stephen King in regards to the film was quoted as saying, "You have to remember, my expectations were in the basement. Here was a book that sprawled over 1,000 pages, and they were going to cram it into four hours, with commercials. But the series really surprised me by how good it was. It's a really ambitious adaptation of a really long book." Would I recommend this film? Yes, this is one of my favourite films, and has stuck with me over the years, since seeing it as it originally aired. I also have fond memories of renting this on VHS from the video store back as a kid multiple times. This might not be a must see for all film viewers, but it is definitely one that is near and dear to me. This is the version of It that I will be returning to over the years. If a person looks down on, and can't appreciate the limitations of the made for television media, then this is a film that should probably be skipped, because it needs to be viewed for what it is. If you can accept the film for what it is, if you can appreciate what the filmmakers were able to achieve in a 3 hour film, and with low budget effects, maybe even appreciate and respect the style of effects used, then this film is amazing and should definitely be watched. If you are expecting cheap thrills and jump scares, then watch the remake (again which I will be talking about in far more depth soon), but if you want good classic horror made with a television budget and time constraints then this is the definitive version of Stephen King's classic novel. Remember because of It and John Wayne Gacy many kids of my generation have a deep seeded fear of clowns.