It (1990 film)

It
Artwork for the VHS and DVD release
Genre	Horror, Fantasy, Thriller, Slasher
Based on	It by Stephen King
Written by	Lawrence D. Cohen Tommy Lee Wallace
Directed by	Tommy Lee Wallace
Starring	Harry Anderson Dennis Christopher Richard Masur Annette O'Toole Tim Reid John Ritter Richard Thomas Jonathan Brandis Marlon Taylor Seth Green Adam Faraizl Emily Perkins Brandon Crane Ben Heller Tim Curry
Narrated by	Tim Reid
Theme music composer	Richard Bellis
Country of origin	United States Canada
Original language(s)	English
No. of episodes	2
Production
Producer(s)	Mark Basino Allen S. Epstein Jim Green
Cinematography	Richard Leiterman
Editor(s)	David Blangsted Robert F. Shugrue
Running time	187 minutes
Production company(s)	Lorimar Productions DawnField Entertainment The Konigsberg & Sanitsky Company Greeb & Epstein Productions
Distributor	Warner Bros. Television
Release
Original network	ABC
Original release	November 18 – November 20, 1990

It is a 1990 supernatural horror miniseries based on Stephen King's novel of the same name. The story revolves around an inter-dimensional predatory life-form, which has the ability to transform itself into its prey's worst fears, allowing it to exploit the phobias of its victims. It mostly takes the form of a sadistic, wisecracking clown called Pennywise the Dancing Clown. The protagonists are The Losers Club, a group of outcast kids who discover Pennywise and vow to destroy him by any means necessary. The series takes place over two different time periods, the first when the Losers first discover Pennywise as children, and the second when they're called back as adults to defeat Pennywise, who has resurfaced.

It aired as a two-part television film on November 18 and November 20, 1990 on ABC, and follows the plot of the novel. The miniseries was filmed in New Westminster, British Columbia in mid-1990. The film's cast includes Dennis Christopher, Annette O'Toole, John Ritter, Harry Anderson, Richard Thomas, Tim Reid, Richard Masur, Michael Cole, and Tim Curry as Pennywise.

Since its initial television broadcast on ABC in November 1990, the miniseries has received positive reception, proving to have a large cult following in recent years. Critics praised Tim Curry's performance as Pennywise and the performances of the child actors. Part 1 has been praised for the performances of the child actors and being genuinely scary, but Part 2 has been criticized for being too melodramatic. For his work on the miniseries, Richard Bellis received a Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Achievement in Music Composition for a Miniseries or a Special (Dramatic Underscore).

Plot

Part I (1960)

In the town of Derry, Maine, a little boy named Georgie Denbrough (Tony Dakota), aged 6 is lured to a storm drain when his paper boat drops down into it. He encounters a seemingly friendly man (Tim Curry) dressed in a clown costume who calls himself "Pennywise the Dancing Clown". Pennywise tempts Georgie closer with promises of candy and balloons, exclaiming that they all floated down into the sewer. He says that Georgie can float, too, before revealing his true nature. Pennywise seizes him and rips his arm off (this is not shown). His 11-year-old brother, Bill (Jonathan Brandis) is overwhelmed with guilt for inadvertently sending Georgie to his death and is terrorized when his picture comes to life, giving him a much worse stutter from the trauma.

Bill becomes the leader of a group of outcasts, all of whom have their own issues and encounters with Pennywise. Those within this group are Ben Hanscom (Brandon Crane), who is new to the town. He is a loyal, determined, overweight and ingenious builder from a home broken after the death of his military father. He is terrorized by visions of his father trying to goad him into the sewer plant. Another is Eddie Kaspbrak (Adam Faraizi), a hypochondriac, asthmatic boy who is frail and shy. Eddie is taunted and harassed by Pennywise (who shows a strong dislike towards him for being "girly"), while attempting to shower at school.

The group later includes a girl named Beverly Marsh (Emily Perkins), a tomboy with an abusive father (Frank C. Turner) and a deadeye with a slingshot. She believes Bill's stories when her bathroom is destroyed by a geyser of blood (courtesy of Pennywise) that he helps clean up before her father gets home. Richie Tozier (Seth Green) is a comedic redhead who isn't afraid to stand up to the school bully, Henry Bowers (Jarred Blancard), and his friends. He is a movie buff, which prompts Pennywise to attack him as the Wolfman. Stan Uris (Ben Heller), a Jewish boy scout and bird watcher, is the next to see It that summer when he is trapped by a mummy in an abandoned house. Mike Hanlon (Marlon Taylor), an African American student facing a difficult time as a new student and resident of Derry, often finds himself in the crosshairs of the racist Henry Bowers as well. The Losers engage the Bowers gang into a massive rock fight, finally beating Henry and his gang. Mike is last to see Pennywise when his photography book comes to life, showing him and the others Pennywise's history as he threatens the group.

As each of them face their greatest fears (as well as Henry's harassment), they vow to avenge the deaths of George and every other child killed by "It." They reason that since Pennywise feeds off of the imagination of its victims that it may likewise be vulnerable to the weaknesses of the forms it assumes. Beverly trains with a slingshot using silver slugs made from a pair of earrings. The Losers travel into the sewers followed by Henry and his two closest friends, Victor Criss (Gabe Khouth) and Belch Huggins (Drum Garrett), as payback for the rock fight a month prior. They enter in the main sewer hall and discover Stan is missing, as he had been pulled by Henry and Belch. Henry orders Victor to create an ambush on the remaining Losers but is killed by It. Meanwhile, just when Henry is about to kill Stan, a mysterious light bursts through a sewage pipe and both Stan and Henry watch in horror as Belch is dragged through the pipe and eaten. When the light returns, Stan escapes while Henry stands transfixed turning his hair white. Pennywise spares Henry's life and continues searching for Stan.

Stan reunites with the others and tells them the "deadlights" are far worse than Pennywise, and The Losers agree not to stare into the lights. Pennywise catches The Losers and grabs Stan. Pennywise says he is eternal, and eats children. He then says to Stan he is next. Just as Pennywise is about to kill Stan, Eddie wounds Pennywise by spraying him with his inhaler which he imagines to be filled with battery acid and Beverly cracks open the monster's head with her slingshot, revealing the deadlights. Pennywise somersaults in the air and vanishes into the ground. Before he is completely gone, Bill pulls Pennywise's glove and the glove slips off It's hand revealing a monstrous three-fingered claw and then It disappears in the drain. With their job done, the seven vow to return some day if ever It returns. Meanwhile, it is revealed off-screen that Henry escaped the sewers, and was arrested and sentenced to life in an asylum for confessing to the murder of all the children and his gang of friends.

Part II (1990)

Mike (Tim Reid) had become the only member of the Losers Club to remain in Derry after the events of the early 1960s. His memory of the events are still completely intact, and when he hears of the mysterious, unexplained death of a little girl, Laurie Anne Winterbarger (Chelan Simmons) who was brutally and bloodily murdered in her back garden (as shown in the film's prologue), he begins to suspect It (Pennywise) has returned. He calls up each of his friends, who have all become successful in their own right. Bill (Richard Thomas) has become a horror novelist married to a beautiful actress named Audra Phillips (Olivia Hussey); Ben (John Ritter) has become a famous architect as he'd always wanted; Beverly (Annette O'Toole) has become a fashion designer, in an abusive relationship with a man, Tom Rogan (Ryan Michael) who shows similarities to her abusive father; Richie (Harry Anderson) has become a late night TV comedian; Eddie (Dennis Christopher) owns a successful limousine service; and Stan (Richard Masur) has become a real estate broker. Notably, none of the Losers Club members had any children. Having moved on to comfortable lives and having barely a glimmer of the memories of that summer, they are all traumatized by the memories awakened by Mike's phone calls. While they agreed to return as promised, Stan is unable to cope with the fear and commits suicide by slitting his wrists in the bathtub, writing the word "IT" on the bathroom wall with his blood.

Upon the return to Derry, their reunion is lighthearted until terrifying events unfold that test their resolve. Beverly encounters a seemingly kindly old woman named Mrs. Kersh (Florence Patterson) in her old home who tells her that her father is gone, but the woman is a manifestation of It. Pennywise locates Bill at the cemetery where he is paying a visit to Georgie's grave. There, the clown taunts Bill but the latter makes it known that he remembers him and does not fear him anymore. Ben sees the skeleton of his father, which is still trying to get him to return to the sewers; later, the group's reunion dinner comes to life and tries to attack them. Pennywise, unable to kill them because his influence over them as adults is limited, pretends to be Belch's ghost and sends Henry to do the job (after killing the asylum night guard). Henry manages to attack Mike and wound him, which forces Bill and others to consider another direct confrontation with the clown. Eddie and Ben manage to kill Henry in a struggle with his childhood switchblade.

With Henry dead for good, It is prompted with the task of killing The Losers on its own. Meanwhile, Audra follows Bill to Derry but falls under the influence of It's deadlights and becomes catatonic. As the five remaining "Losers" find their way to It's cave they are confronted by his closest representation of his true form; a massive, hideous spider-like creature that mortally wounds Eddie by squeezing his rips when he steps forward to save Ben and Bill's lives. Once again, Beverly is able to use her slingshot on the creature; this time the strike rings true and mortally wounds It. In their rage, Ben, Richie, Bill and Beverly slaughter and disembowel It. They are able to leave, taking Eddie's corpses and the catatonic Audra with them. They later bury Eddie in the Derry Cemetery.

In the aftermath, Mike marks his own fading memories of the past as a sign that It was truly destroyed that time, and the adult Losers Club can finally return to their normal lives as the memory of the traumatic events fades entirely. Richie gets a part in a movie and he partners up with a man that's exactly like Eddie. Beverly and Ben get married and one week later Beverly is pregnant with her first baby. Audra, still catatonic from her encounter, is coaxed back to life aboard Bill's old bicycle "Silver" when he takes her to outrun It's fading influence the same way he helped to save a young Stan who was frozen with fear. Now that It is finally gone for good, they realize that they can now move on with their lives. As they leave Derry behind, Pennywise's evil laugh is heard one last time before the credits roll.

Cast

• Richard Thomas as Bill Denbrough
  • Jonathan Brandis as Young Bill Denbrough
• John Ritter as Ben Hanscom
  • Brandon Crane as Young Ben Hanscom
• Annette O'Toole as Beverly Marsh
  • Emily Perkins as Young Beverly Marsh
• Richard Masur as Stanley Uris
  • Ben Heller as Young Stanley Uris
• Tim Reid as Mike Hanlon
  • Marlon Taylor as Young Mike Hanlon
• Harry Anderson as Richie Tozier
  • Seth Green as Young Richie Tozier
• Dennis Christopher as Eddie Kaspbrak
  • Adam Faraizl as Young Eddie Kaspbrak
• Michael Cole as Henry Bowers
  • Jarred Blancard as Young Henry Bowers
• Tim Curry as Pennywise (billed as a special appearance)

Supporting cast

• Olivia Hussey as Audra Phillips Denbrough
• Gabe Khouth as Victor Criss
• Drum Garrett as Belch Huggins
• Frank C. Turner as Alvin "Al" Marsh
• Terence Kelly as Officer Nell
• Jay Brazeau as Derry Cab Driver
• Sheila Moore as Ms. Sonya Kaspbrak
• Tony Dakota as Georgie Denbrough
• Chelan Simmons as Laurie Anne Winterbarger
• William B. Davis as Mr. Gedreau
• Ryan Michael as Tom Rogan
• Laura Harris as Loni
• Garry Chalk as Coach
• Kim Kondrashoff as Joey

Broadcast history

It originally aired on ABC as a two-part television movie in 1990 on the nights of November 18 and November 20. Part 1 was the fifth highest rated program on Sunday nights with an 18.5 rating and watched in 17.5 million households. Part 2 was the second highest rated program on Tuesday nights with an 20.6 rating and watched in 19.2 million households.

Reception

Stephen King's It received generally positive reviews from critics and television viewers. Tim Curry's performance as "Pennywise" received praise for capturing the novel's interpretation of the character. The film has a 67% fresh rating on Rotten Tomatoes based on 12 reviews.

Home media

The film was released on VHS in early 1991 after the film's initial broadcast. The original VHS release had two separate tapes, one with Part 1 and the other with Part 2. A later VHS release, (circa 1997-1998) part of the now-defunct "Warner Bros. Hits" line, contains the entire film on one tape.

The film was released on DVD in 2002 on a double-sided disc with Part One on the front and Part Two on the back. The "To be continued..." and the 1st set of closing credits at the end of Part One and the 2nd set of opening credits at the beginning of Part Two (unlike the VHS release) were removed. The DVD version of It also features an audio commentary by the director and cast members. The film's aspect ratio has been cropped to give it a 16:9 widescreen aspect ratio.

In 2013, Warner Home Video released a DVD set called "Triple Terror Collection" that contains It as well as two other Stephen King productions: Salem's Lot, and The Shining.

A Blu-ray release has yet to be announced.

Music score

2-CDs release of complete score by Richard Bellis released November 15, 2011 in two parts.

Track listing

Disc 1

1. "Main Title I" – 1:52
2. "Enter the Clown" – 3:04
3. "Georgie Dies" – 4:17
4. "Ben Gets The News" – 0:51
5. "Punks" – 2:18
6. "I Hate It Here" – 1:53
7. "Bedroom Jazz Source" – 2:24
8. "The Slap" – 1:45
9. "Die If You Try" – 4:02
10. "Richie's Talk Show Play-Off" – 0:34
11. "The Beast - First Encounter" – 2:05
12. "Mike Remembers" – 0:58
13. "Mike Joins the Group" – 5:07
14. "Pennywise" – 0:39
15. "Circus Source" – 1:10
16. "Target Practice" – 2:51
17. "The Sewer Hole" – 3:13
18. "Stan Gets Nabbed" – 4:27
19. "The Fog" – 3:25
20. "The Pact" – 1:43
21. "Stan's Suicide" – 0:50
22. "End Credits I" – 1:00

Disc 2

1. "Main Title Part II" – 1:51
2. "The Graves" – 1:48
3. "Library Balloons" – 2:53
4. "Ben's Flashback" – 0:35
5. "Skeleton On the Pond" – 0:40
6. "Guillory's Muzak" – 1:27
7. "Hydrox" – 2:49
8. "Audra" – 1:45
9. "Fortune Cookie" – 1:54
10. "Silver Flyer" – 2:22
11. "Leftover Stan" – 1:52
12. "Henry and Belch" – 2:20
13. "Every Thirty Years" – 1:56
14. "Audra Arrives" – 2:02
15. "This Time It's For Real" – 4:26
16. "The Smell of Death" – 1:59
17. "Something's Coming" – 4:00
18. "The Spider's Web" – 5:11
19. "Hi Ho Silver" – 4:33
20. "End Credits Part II" – 1:00

Remake

On March 12, 2009, Warner Bros. announced that a remake of Stephen King's novel had started. Dan Lin, Roy Lee and Doug Davison were set to produce. The screenplay was then written by Dave Kajganich. On June 7, 2012, The Hollywood Reporter announced that the novel would be adapted into a two-part film, and It would be directed by Cary Fukunaga, with David Kajganich and Chase Palmer as screenwriter, Jon Silk, David Katzenberg and Seth Grahame-Smith as producers, and John Powers Middleton as executive producer. The names and timeline were to be changed, hinting that the remake would take place in the mid-1980s and 2010s as opposed to the late-1950s and mid-1980s like in the novel and early 1960s and 1990s like in the original TV miniseries. The cast had not been announced yet. In March 2015, Cary Fukunaga confirmed the start of the shooting was to start in June 2015 in the New York area with a budget of $32 million. As of May 2015, Will Poulter was in negotiations to play Pennywise. However, over Memorial Day weekend 2015 director Cary Fukunaga dropped out of the project due to "clashes" with the studio over his "artistic vision". Although reports indicated that the director actually left over budgetary concerns, he has maintained his claims that this was not the case, stating he had had bigger disagreements with the studio over the direction of the story. "I was trying to make an unconventional horror film. It didn't fit into the algorithm of what they knew they could spend and make money back based on not offending their standard genre audience. Our budget was perfectly fine. We were always hovering at the $32 million mark, which was their budget. It was the creative that we were really battling. It was two movies. They didn't care about that. In the first movie, what I was trying to do was an elevated horror film with actual characters. They didn't want any characters. They wanted archetypes and scares. I wrote the script. They wanted me to make a much more inoffensive, conventional script. But I don't think you can do proper Stephen King and make it inoffensive." King announced on his Facebook page that filming will begin soon. It was announced by the studio that the film will be released on September 8, 2017.

External links

• It (1990) at IMDb
• It (1990) at AllMovie
• It (1990) at Rotten Tomatoes