by Josh Sewell
Pennywise: The Story of IT
(Not rated, but contains strong language, violence and scary images. Now streaming on Screambox and other rental services; available on Vudu for free with ads.)
Stephen King’s 1986 horror masterpiece IT played a vital role in my adolescent years – a frightening, funny and deeply moving saga that came along at the perfect moment in my young life. I discovered the epic tome when I was 11 (way too young, many would argue) and it was a welcome escape from the emotional devastation of divorced parents, social awkwardness, a new school and traumatic bullying.
The 1990 ABC miniseries adaptation also played an indelible part in my budding obsession with pop culture. While heavily sanitized (it aired on primetime network television, after all) and pretty dated in hindsight, it holds up surprisingly well thanks to a stacked roster of TV heavyweights (including Richard Thomas, Annette O’Toole, Tim Reid, John Ritter and Harry Anderson), as well as some perfectly cast kid actors (particularly a young Seth Green, Jonathan Brandis, Emily Perkins and Brandon Crane).
Oh, and Tim Curry just so happens to deliver one of the most terrifying performances in horror movie history as Pennywise, a malevolent, child-eating entity who takes the form of a clown. He gave an entire generation of young viewers nightmares. (I distinctly remember it was weeks before I could take a shower with my eyes closed thanks to that harrowing scene in the boys’ locker room.) The actor established a bar so high that Andy Muschietti’s big-screen remakes (which hit theaters in 2017 and 2019) couldn’t clear it despite a valiant attempt from Bill Skarsgard.
Even after 32 years, the film remains in the collective pop culture consciousness, and a new documentary sets out to understand why. Pennywise: The Story of IT, is an in-depth look at the miniseries from inception to its current place in the modern horror landscape. Currently available to watch via a number of VOD platforms, it has a permanent home on horror streaming service Screambox and is also available to watch for free on Vudu for a limited time – as long as you don’t mind watching a few ads.
The doc boasts exclusive interviews with almost all of the miniseries’ key players who are still with us (rest in peace, Brandis, Ritter and Anderson), including Curry, Thomas, Green, Reid, Perkins, Crane, Dennis Christopher, director Tommy Lee Wallace, writer Lawrence D. Cohen, special effects makeup artist Bart Mixon, and more. Co-directors John Campopiano and Christopher Griffiths spent years making the film, uncovering a treasure trove of archival materials and never-before-seen footage in the process.
Although die-hard fans like myself won’t be shocked by any revelations here, it’s still a nostalgic treat to experience familiar moments from a new perspective. It’s also a blast to hear the actors recount their time making the film, including Curry and Tony Dakota (who played the young, doomed Georgie) telling the same story of filming the iconic sailboat scene. When Pennywise grabs the kid actor’s hand, Dakota shrieked, “Tim, you’re scaring me!,” to which Curry replied, “That will save you a little acting then, won’t it?” You can’t say the guy didn’t commit to his role.
Grade: B+
Book Spotlight: Better Call Saul and Philosophy: I Think Therefore I Scam, edited by Joshua Heter and Brett Coppenger
(Now available.)
Better Call Saul, the prequel to Breaking Bad, aired its series finale last month, sticking the landing and cementing its place in the pantheon of all-time great television dramas. In fact, the show is so outstanding there’s an argument to be made that it’s even slightly better than its iconic predecessor.
Just in time to join the farewell conversation, Better Call Saul and Philosophy a collection of essays about the series and its fascinating characters hits bookstores. Editors Joshua Heter and Brett Coppenger compile the anthology, which explores the philosophical themes present in a complex look at a morally gray, yet ultimately decent attorney who, over the course of several years, transforms into an unscrupulous criminal who has no qualms about helping a murderous chemistry teacher-turned-meth kingpin build a drug empire.
The essays tackle a wide range of philosophical issues present in Better Call Saul, including the nature of good and evil; personal identity; free will and determinism; the law as it relates to morality; the ethical implications of the war on drugs; death and dying; and more.
(Not rated, but contains strong language, violence and scary images. Now streaming on Screambox and other rental services; available on Vudu for free with ads.)
Stephen King’s 1986 horror masterpiece IT played a vital role in my adolescent years – a frightening, funny and deeply moving saga that came along at the perfect moment in my young life. I discovered the epic tome when I was 11 (way too young, many would argue) and it was a welcome escape from the emotional devastation of divorced parents, social awkwardness, a new school and traumatic bullying.
The 1990 ABC miniseries adaptation also played an indelible part in my budding obsession with pop culture. While heavily sanitized (it aired on primetime network television, after all) and pretty dated in hindsight, it holds up surprisingly well thanks to a stacked roster of TV heavyweights (including Richard Thomas, Annette O’Toole, Tim Reid, John Ritter and Harry Anderson), as well as some perfectly cast kid actors (particularly a young Seth Green, Jonathan Brandis, Emily Perkins and Brandon Crane).
Oh, and Tim Curry just so happens to deliver one of the most terrifying performances in horror movie history as Pennywise, a malevolent, child-eating entity who takes the form of a clown. He gave an entire generation of young viewers nightmares. (I distinctly remember it was weeks before I could take a shower with my eyes closed thanks to that harrowing scene in the boys’ locker room.) The actor established a bar so high that Andy Muschietti’s big-screen remakes (which hit theaters in 2017 and 2019) couldn’t clear it despite a valiant attempt from Bill Skarsgard.
Even after 32 years, the film remains in the collective pop culture consciousness, and a new documentary sets out to understand why. Pennywise: The Story of IT, is an in-depth look at the miniseries from inception to its current place in the modern horror landscape. Currently available to watch via a number of VOD platforms, it has a permanent home on horror streaming service Screambox and is also available to watch for free on Vudu for a limited time – as long as you don’t mind watching a few ads.
The doc boasts exclusive interviews with almost all of the miniseries’ key players who are still with us (rest in peace, Brandis, Ritter and Anderson), including Curry, Thomas, Green, Reid, Perkins, Crane, Dennis Christopher, director Tommy Lee Wallace, writer Lawrence D. Cohen, special effects makeup artist Bart Mixon, and more. Co-directors John Campopiano and Christopher Griffiths spent years making the film, uncovering a treasure trove of archival materials and never-before-seen footage in the process.
Although die-hard fans like myself won’t be shocked by any revelations here, it’s still a nostalgic treat to experience familiar moments from a new perspective. It’s also a blast to hear the actors recount their time making the film, including Curry and Tony Dakota (who played the young, doomed Georgie) telling the same story of filming the iconic sailboat scene. When Pennywise grabs the kid actor’s hand, Dakota shrieked, “Tim, you’re scaring me!,” to which Curry replied, “That will save you a little acting then, won’t it?” You can’t say the guy didn’t commit to his role.
Grade: B+
(Now available.)
Better Call Saul, the prequel to Breaking Bad, aired its series finale last month, sticking the landing and cementing its place in the pantheon of all-time great television dramas. In fact, the show is so outstanding there’s an argument to be made that it’s even slightly better than its iconic predecessor.
Just in time to join the farewell conversation, Better Call Saul and Philosophy a collection of essays about the series and its fascinating characters hits bookstores. Editors Joshua Heter and Brett Coppenger compile the anthology, which explores the philosophical themes present in a complex look at a morally gray, yet ultimately decent attorney who, over the course of several years, transforms into an unscrupulous criminal who has no qualms about helping a murderous chemistry teacher-turned-meth kingpin build a drug empire.
The essays tackle a wide range of philosophical issues present in Better Call Saul, including the nature of good and evil; personal identity; free will and determinism; the law as it relates to morality; the ethical implications of the war on drugs; death and dying; and more.
Reach out to Josh Sewell on Twitter @IAmJoshSewell
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