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It (also known as Stephen King's It) is a 1990 American supernatural horrorminiseries directed by Tommy Lee Wallace and adapted by Lawrence D. Cohen from Stephen King's 1986 novel of the same name. It is the first of two adaptations of the novel; the second being the 2017 film adaptation and its upcoming 2019 sequel.

The story revolves around a predatory shapeshiftingdemon 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 human form of a sadistic, wisecracking clown called Pennywise. The protagonists are The Lucky Seven, or The Losers Club, a group of outcast kids who discover Pennywise and vow to kill him by any means necessary. The series takes place over two different time periods, the first when the Losers first confront Pennywise as children in 1960, and the second when they return as adults in 1990 to defeat him a second time after he resurfaces.

It features an ensemble cast, starring Richard Thomas, John Ritter, Annette O'Toole, Harry Anderson, Dennis Christopher, Tim Reid and Richard Masur as the seven members of the Losers Club, and Tim Curry as Pennywise. The child counterparts of the Losers that appear in part one are played by Jonathan Brandis, Seth Green, Emily Perkins, Brandon Crane, Adam Faraizl, Marlon Taylor and Ben Heller. Michael Cole, Jarred Blancard, Gabe Khouth, Chris Eastman, Olivia Hussey, Frank C. Turner, Tony Dakota, Michael Ryan, Tom Heaton and Chelan Simmons also play supporting roles.

Originally planning a four-part eight-hour series, ABC enlisted writer Lawrence D. Cohen to adapt the 1,138-page King novel. Cohen's script condensed the source work into a two-part, three-hour TV movie that retained the core elements of the novel, but Cohen was forced to abandon numerous subplots by virtue of the novel's length and the network's time-slot restrictions. Production on It began in early 1990, and the series was filmed over a period of three months in New Westminster, British Columbia in mid-1990.

It aired on ABC over two nights on November 18 and 20, 1990, attracting 30 million viewers in its premiere. Critics praised Tim Curry's performance as Pennywise. For his work on the miniseries, Richard Bellis received a Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Achievement in Music Composition for a mini-series or a Special (Dramatic Underscore).

• 1Plot
• 2Cast
• 3Production
• 7Musical score

Plot[edit]

1960[edit]

During a heavy rainstorm in Derry, Maine, Georgie Denbrough (Tony Dakota) plays in the streets with a paper sailboat made by his stuttering older brother Bill (Jonathan Brandis). It goes down a storm drain, where Georgie encounters Pennywise the Dancing Clown (Tim Curry). Pennywise entices Georgie to reach in to retrieve his boat, only for him to tear his arm off and leave him to bleed to death.

Later that June, Bill and asthmatic Eddie Kaspbrak (Adam Faraizi) befriended the cute, chubby new kid Ben Hanscom (Brandon Crane). They are later joined by Beverly Marsh (Emily Perkins), who lives with her abusive father (Frank C. Turner) and she and Ben are introduced to Bill and Eddie's other friends: the comical Richie Tozier (Seth Green) and Jewish boy scout Stan Uris (Ben Heller). As they all start to know each other, Ben develops feelings for Beverly, only to discover she has feelings for Bill. Besides being bullied by a gang led by Henry Bowers (Jarred Blancard), the children all encounter Pennywise.

In July, group is later joined by Mike Hanlon (Marlon Taylor), an African American new kid in town being pursued by Bowers' gang. They chase them off with a rock fight, Bowers vowing to kill the children, who are dubbed the Losers Club. While looking through Mike's history scrapbook, the Losers realize that Pennywise, which they refer to as 'It', because it has no gender and isn't human, is a demon who awakens every thirty years to murder and devour children. Bill realizes It murdered Georgie, leading the Losers into Derry's sewers to kill the creature.

Stan is ambushed by Bowers and his friends Victor Criss (Gabe Khouth) and Belch Huggins (Chris Eastman), but the latter are both killed by It. Henry is left traumatized, his hair turned white. Stanley regroups with the Losers, but is grabbed by It. The Losers take advantage of It's ability to access their imaginations and use it against him. Eddie imagines his inhaler is full of battery acid, melting half of the demon's face. Beverly fires silver earrings at It, the Losers believing it can kill the demon. It grabs Bill's arm, only for the glove to rip off and reveal a larger three-fingered claw that later disappears through the drain. After arguing and concluding It is dead, the group exits the sewers and make a promise to return and fight It, should it ever rise again in the future. Bowers, driven insane by seeing It kill his friends, falsely confesses to the murders and is institutionalized.

1990[edit]

Mike (Tim Reid) now works as a librarian in Derry. It (Tim Curry) resurfaces and murders several children, prompting Mike to contact his old friends to fulfill their vow. Bill (Richard Thomas) has become a bestselling horror novelist married to British actress Audra Phillips (Olivia Hussey), Ben (John Ritter) is an architect, Beverly (Annette O'Toole) is a fashion designer abused by her lover Tom Rogan (Michael Ryan), Richie (Harry Anderson) is a late night television comedian, Eddie (Dennis Christopher) runs a limousine service but still lives with his overbearing mother (Sheila Moore), and Stan (Richard Masur) is a married real estate broker. All of the Losers, save Stan, promise to return. Stan's wife Patti Uris (Caitlin Hicks) later discovers he has committed suicide in the bath (along with seeing the word 'It' written in blood)

The other Losers return to Derry, tormented by Pennywise, and reunite, later learning of Stan's suicide. Henry (Michael Cole) escapes from the asylum with help from It, to murder the Losers. Audra travels to Derry but is captured by It, hypnotized by the monster's 'Deadlights'. Henry ambushes Mike, but is stabbed by his own knife when Eddie and Ben fight him. Mike is hospitalized, giving Bill the two silver earrings he retrieved from the sewers. The five remaining Losers return to the sewers to confront It. Bill discovers Audra has been taken prisoner, but is supported by his friends.

They reach It's inner sanctum, find the catatonic Audra, and It's true form of a gigantic, otherworldly spider. Bill, Ben, and Richie are entranced by the Deadlights, while Beverly scrambles to retrieve the silver earrings after misfiring them. Eddie attempts to repeat the wound he inflicted on It as a child, but is mortally wounded. Beverly frees her friends, but Eddie dies. The others chase the injured demon, ripping out its heart and killing It. They remove Eddie's body and the catatonic Audra from the sewers.

The Losers go their separate ways once again, their memories of It fading over time. Mike recovers in hospital, Beverly and Ben get married and expect their first child, and Richie is cast in a film. Bill is the last to leave Derry, coaxing Audra out of her catatonia by riding down a street on his childhood bike 'Silver'. Audra recovers; she and Bill kiss in the middle of town.

Cast[edit]

Forms of It[edit]

• Tim Curry as It / Pennywise the Dancing Clown
• Florence Paterson as Ms. Kersh
• Steve Makaj as Captain Hanscom

The Losers Club[edit]

• 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
• Harry Anderson as Richie Tozier
  • Seth Green as Young Richie Tozier
• Dennis Christopher as Eddie Kaspbrak
  • Adam Faraizl as Young Eddie Kaspbrak
• Tim Reid as Mike Hanlon
  • Marlon Taylor as Young Mike Hanlon
• Richard Masur as Stanley Uris
  • Ben Heller as Young Stanley Uris

The Bowers Gang[edit]

• Michael Cole as Henry Bowers
  • Jarred Blancard as Young Henry Bowers
• Gabe Khouth as Victor Criss
• Chris Eastman as Belch Huggins

The Losers Club relatives[edit]

• Olivia Hussey as Audra Denbrough
• Sheila Moore as Ms. Kaspbrak
• Michael Ryan as Tom Rogan
• Frank C. Turner as Alvin Marsh
• Caitlin Hicks as Patti Uris
• Tony Dakota as Georgie Denbrough
• Steven Hilton as Zack Denbrough
• Sheelah Megill as Sharon Denbrough
• Susan Astley as Aunt Jean
• Claire Vardiel as Arlene Hanscom

Production[edit]

Development[edit]

ABC had acquired the rights to a television mini-series of It, for what would be the first made-for-television film based on a Stephen King work since Salem's Lot (1979), directed by Tobe Hooper.^[2]Lawrence D. Cohen, who had previously written the film adaptation of Carrie in 1976, was hired to write It.^[2] According to both Stephen King and Cohen, King had little to no involvement in the writing of the miniseries.^[2]George A. Romero had originally been signed on to direct the project, which at the time ABC had planned for an eight-to-ten-hour series that would run over four two-hour blocks.^[2] Romero left the project due to scheduling conflicts, after which ABC condensed it to a three-part series. Shortly after, Tommy Lee Wallace was brought in to direct. After Wallace signed on to the project, ABC had ultimately decided to condense the TV movie to two parts.^[2]

According to writer Cohen: 'Speaking candidly, ABC was always nervous about It, primarily the fact that it was in the horror genre, but also the eight-to-ten hour commitment. They loved the piece, but lost their nerve in terms of how many hours they were willing to commit. Eventually, they agreed to a two-night, four-hour commitment.'^[2] Given the length of the King novel, which runs 1,138 pages,^[3] a great deal of material was left out of Cohen's adaptation, including subplots concerning the personal lives of the adult characters, one of which had the main male characters each losing their virginity to Beverly.^[2][4] 'I can't even begin to enumerate my favorite scenes from the book that we had to cut, because there are so many of them,' Cohen reflected. 'I look at it as a glass half full situation. There are scenes in both nights that were created by Steve [King] on the page, and I'm delighted that they survived, like the fortune cookie scene and adult Beverly going to her childhood house. The way I see it, the best moments from the book made the cut and the rest are casualties of war.'^[2]

However, Wallace and Cohen retained the centrality of Pennywise in the source novel; as noted by film scholar Tony Magistrale in Hollywood's Stephen King, the made-for-television movie retains the 'association between the adult world of Derry and It [which] is further established in the masterful choice of a carnival clown as a unifying symbol for the various creatures representing the monster.'^[5]

Casting[edit]

The majority of the adult actors in the film, including John Ritter, Dennis Christopher, Tim Reid and Harry Anderson, were hand-chosen by Wallace and Cohen for their roles.^[2]Annette O'Toole was cast in the film at the suggestion of Ritter, with whom she had recently shot The Dreamer of Oz: The L. Frank Baum Story (1990): 'I think [John] may have talked to somebody, because I got an offer [to play Beverly],' O'Toole recalled. 'It happened really fast; I don't think I even went in for a reading. I was living in Oregon at the time, and the next thing I knew, I was in Vancouver hanging out with the coolest, most fun guys of all time.'^[2]

Emily Perkins and Marlon Taylor, who played the young Beverly Marsh and Mike Hanlon, were cast out of Vancouver, while Seth Green and Jonathan Brandis were cast out of Los Angeles for the parts of young Richie and Bill.^[2]

According to Cohen, he had written the script for the series without a specific actor in mind for the role of Pennywise.^[2] According to director Tommy Lee Wallace, before he was attached to the project, Malcolm McDowell and Roddy McDowall were in consideration to play Pennywise, but Wallace wanted Tim Curry for the role; Wallace had previously worked with the latter in Fright Night Part 2 (1988).^[2]

Filming[edit]

It was shot over a period of three months in Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada on a budget of $12 million.^[6] Given that the shooting entailed an adult cast with child counterparts, Wallace sought to have the adult actors meet with the children playing the younger versions of their characters: 'We made a point of bringing the adult and children actors together for a couple of days, even though it was costly, since the adults and the kids have no scenes together.'^[2] Filming locations in Vancouver included Stanley Park, Beaver Lake and Saint Thomas Aquinas High School Convent in North Vancouver.^[7] Wallace told The Hollywood Reporter that his job as a director 'was to give Tim the stage and not get in his way too much. He was like Robin Williams in the way he brought a spontaneous improvisation to the part.' Curry gave Pennywise a Bronx accent in order to sound like 'an old-time Catskills comic'. 'I just let it happen,' Curry said. 'Clowns are your worst fear realized. I think I scared a lot of children.'^[8]

Special effects[edit]

Original storyboards for Pennywise featured exaggerated cheekbones, a sharp chin, and bulbous forehead. According to director Wallace, 'Tim [Curry] objected strongly to all the rubber. He had recently been in several movies which covered him in prosthetics and I'm sure he felt all the glue and latex would just get in his way. He was right, of course. With those eyes, and that mouth, and his crazy, sardonic sense of humor, less turned out to be more in the makeup department.'^[2]

Special effects coordinator Bart Mixon began working on a head cast for the Pennywise character after Curry was cast in the role; he also designed three clay molds for testing. According to Mixon, he based the shape of Pennywise's head on Lon Chaney in The Phantom of the Opera (1925), 'stylized into a clown.'^[2] Three different versions of the clown's face were created, one of which resembled a hobo clown, another that was 'a little meaner,' and the final one seen in the series.^[2] To achieve the white complexion, Curry wore prosthetic make-up cream to make him appear 'almost like a living cartoon.'^[2]

The majority of the special effects in the film were done practically without digital alteration, aside from the shower scene in which Pennywise comes out of the drain; this scene was done with replacement animation, an animation technique similar to stop motion animation.^[2]

The spider figure in the conclusion of the movie was hand-constructed by Mixon and his art department team. Wallace recalled of the spider:

We labored long and hard designing a spider that was very beefy and muscular, almost reptilian in appearance. It looked great in the drawings, and I even recall a little clay model Bart did, which sealed the deal and won my enthusiastic approval. Bart and team went back to Hollywood to work the whole thing up full-size, and shooting started. When the SVFX team returned to Vancouver and unpacked the full-size spider, what I expected to see was the big version of that original model, the beefy, reptilian thing that was scary on sight. What they assembled on set was very, very different. Not chunky at all, very lean and mean.^[2]

In a panel at Fan Expo Canada in 2017, Tim Curry remarked of the spider, 'It was.. not very scary. Or convincing.'^[9]

Broadcast history[edit]

It originally aired on ABC in 1990 on the nights of November 18^[10] and November 20.^[11] Part 1 was the fifth highest rated program of the week with an 18.5/29 rating/share, and being watched in 17.5 million households.^[10] Part 2 was the second highest rated program of the week with a 20.6/33 rating/share, and watched in 19.2 million households.^[11] According to writer Cohen, It was considered a major success for ABC, garnering nearly 30 million viewers over its two-night premiere.^[2]

Reception[edit]

As of February 2018, on Rotten Tomatoes, the film held an approval rating of 57% based on 14 reviews, with a weighted average rating of 5.5/10.^[12]

Matt Roush of USA Today gave the series a positive review, writing: 'If Twin Peaks is a midnight movie for prime-time live, It is the mini-series equivalent of those Saturday matinee shockers that merrily warped a generation before Freddie and Jason began stalking their more graphic turf.. Accept It on its own popcorn-munching terms, and keep the lights on high.'^[13]

Ken Tucker of Entertainment Weekly praised the performances in the film, but had a negative response to its special effects and pacing, noting: 'It features a high level of ensemble acting rare for any horror film.. in addition to It's slow pace, I found the ending a big letdown—unimaginative special effects animate the monster in its final incarnation. But the cast is terrific, Curry's cackle is chilling, and King's usual buried theme—about the pain adults inflict on children without even realizing it (It?)—is always worth pondering.'^[13]

The Hollywood Reporter called It 'one big kicky ride thanks to the charismatic acting of Curry as savage, sneering malevolence.'^[8]

Sandra Harris of Movie Pilot said, 'There's some gorgeous scenery too and a nice interweaving of flashbacks with the regular scenes. For Stephen King fans, this film is a must for your collection. For fans of horror in general, I'd say you could do a lot worse. Take the phone off the hook and burrow under the duvet for three hours with the popcorn and the remote control.'^[14]

Ian Jane of DVD Talk highlighted the mini-series' combination of childhood nostalgia with horror elements and praised Curry's performance as Pennywise.^[15]

Bloody Disgusting's John Campopiano commended director Tommy Lee Wallace for 'relying less on jump scares and more on creating an unsettling atmosphere to contrast against the kids and their stories.'^[16]

In 2017, Rolling Stone writer Sean T. Collins called the miniseries 'legendary' and commented that it had become a cult classic. He said although the miniseries 'largely bungles Pennywise's powers', Curry's portrayal of Pennywise is 'the stuff sleepless nights are made of. He gloats, he giggles, he taunts, he devours the scenery like the monster himself devours middle-schoolers – and he generally sears his way right into the brain of the viewer.'^[17]

Dan Stephens from the UK website Top 10 Films awarded the film four out of five stars. In his review Stephens praised the film's story, character development, and suspense during the first half. But criticized the second half as disappointing and criticizing the lack of 'friendship and togetherness' of the main characters that was present during the first half, and clichéd ending.^[18]

Stephen King commented on the miniseries in a 2015 interview, 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.'^[2]

Home media[edit]

It was released on VHS and Laserdisc in 1991.^[19] The original VHS release was on two cassette tapes, one for each part. The VHS and Laserdisc releases feature It as originally aired. In 1998, It was re-released on VHS, this time, on one cassette tape (in EP format). The film was later released on DVD in 2002 and on Blu-ray on October 4, 2016.^[15] Both the DVD and the Blu-ray feature an edited version of the film, which presents It as one 'movie'. The suicide scene at the end of Part 1 is shortened, the hotel scene from Part 2 is missing, and the graveyard scene toward the beginning of Part 2 is also slightly shortened to remove the on-screen credits that originally appeared.^{[citation needed]}

Musical score[edit]

A 2-CD release of the TV movie' complete score by Richard Bellis was released on November 15, 2011.^[20] The music of the film ranges from orchestral music to trumpet-heavy music that accompanies the setting of Derry to unsteady electronic instrument arrangements for the film's scarier moments.^[20] Bellis won a Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Achievement in Music Composition for a mini-series or a Special (Dramatic Underscore) for his work on the film.^[21]

Track listing[edit]

References[edit]

1. ^Goble 1999, p. 260.
2. ^ ^{abcdefghijklmnopqrstuvw}Alter, Ethan (November 17, 2015). 'Back to Derry: An Oral History of 'Stephen King's It''. Yahoo!. Archived from the original on March 30, 2017. Retrieved December 28, 2016.
3. ^Graham-Dixon, Charles (October 6, 2015). 'Why Stephen King's IT scares off film-makers'. The Guardian. Retrieved December 26, 2016.
4. ^O'Connell, Sarah (August 17, 2016). 'I'm Every Nightmare You've Ever Had: 9 Insane Facts You Never Knew About 'IT'!'. Movie Pilot. Retrieved December 26, 2016.
5. ^Magistrale 2003, p. 185.
6. ^Broeske, Pat H. (April 5, 1990). 'Producers scare up 5 more King films'. Los Angeles Times. p. D6. Retrieved December 28, 2016 – via The Statesman.
7. ^Newton, Steve (January 31, 2014). 'Horror in Vancouver: Stephen King's evil clown stalks Stanley Park in 1990'. The Georgia Straight. Retrieved December 26, 2016.
8. ^ ^abHiggins, Bill (September 7, 2017). 'Hollywood Flashback: Tim Curry Played 'It's' Scary Clown in 1990'. The Hollywood Reporter. Retrieved September 11, 2017.
9. ^'[Exclusive] Tim Curry's Take on the New IT Reboot Nightmare on Film Street'. Nightmare on Film Street. September 1, 2017. Retrieved January 12, 2018.
10. ^ ^abHastings, Deborah (November 21, 1990). 'TV movies score big in Nielsen ratings'. The Times-News. p. 12. Retrieved July 3, 2010 – via Google Books.
11. ^ ^abHastings, Deborah (November 23, 1990). 'ABC posts first ratings win of the season'. The Times-News. p. 10. Retrieved July 3, 2010 – via Google Books.
12. ^'Stephen King's It (1990) - Rotten Tomatoes'. Rotten Tomatoes.com. Flixer. Retrieved February 12, 2018.
13. ^ ^abQuoted in Beam 1998, p. 108
14. ^Harris, Sandra (March 30, 2015). 'Stephen King's 'It.' 1990'. Movie Pilot. Archived from the original on May 18, 2017. Retrieved December 28, 2016.
15. ^ ^abJane, Ian (October 4, 2016). 'Stephen King's It (Blu-ray)'. DVD Talk. Retrieved December 28, 2016.
16. ^Campopiano, John (September 7, 2017). 'Why We Should Enjoy 'IT' 2017 Without Comparing to 'IT' 1990'. Bloody Disgusting. Retrieved September 10, 2017.
17. ^Collins, Sean T. (September 20, 2017). ''It': Everything You Need to Know About Stephen King's Killer Clown Story'. Rolling Stone. Retrieved September 11, 2017.
18. ^'Review: Stephen King's It - Top 10 Films'. Top10Films.co.uk. Dan Stephens. Retrieved September 25, 2017.
19. ^Stephen King's It [VHS]. Amazon. ASIN0790736039.CS1 maint: ASIN uses ISBN (link)
20. ^ ^ab'Stephen King's It Soundtrack'. Soundtrack.net. Retrieved June 4, 2015.
21. ^'43rd Emmy Awards Nominees and Winners'. Emmys.com. Emmys. Retrieved September 21, 2017.

Works cited[edit]

• Beahm, George (September 1, 1998). Stephen King from A to Z: An Encyclopedia of His Life and Work. Andrews McMeel Publishing. ISBN978-0-836-26914-7.
• Goble, Alan, ed. (January 1, 1999). The Complete Index to Literary Sources in Film. Bowker-Saur. ISBN978-3-598-11492-2.
• Magistrale, Tony (November 22, 2003). Hollywood's Stephen King. Palgrave Macmillan. ISBN978-0-312-29321-5.

External links[edit]

• It on IMDb
• It at AllMovie
• It at Rotten Tomatoes
• 'Back to Derry': An Oral History of 'Stephen King's It' at Yahoo!

It is a 1986 horror novel by American author Stephen King. It was his 22nd book, and his 18th novel written under his own name. The story follows the experiences of seven children as they are terrorized by an evil entity that exploits the fears and phobias of its victims to disguise itself while hunting its prey. 'It' primarily appears in the form of Pennywise the Dancing Clown to attract its preferred prey of young children.

The novel is told through narratives alternating between two periods, and is largely told in the third-person omniscient mode. It deals with themes that eventually became King staples: the power of memory, childhood trauma and its recurrent echoes in adulthood, the ugliness lurking behind a façade of small-town quaintness, and overcoming evil through mutual trust and sacrifice.

King has stated that he first conceived the story in 1978, and began writing it in 1981. He finished writing the book in 1985.^[2] He also stated that he originally wanted the title character to be a troll like the one in the children's story 'Three Billy Goats Gruff', but who inhabited the local sewer system rather than just the area beneath one bridge. He also wanted the story to interweave the stories of children and the adults they later become.

The novel won the British Fantasy Award in 1987, and received nominations for the Locus and World Fantasy Awards that same year.^[3]Publishers Weekly listed It as the best-selling book in the United States in 1986.^{[not verified in body]}It has been adapted into a 1990 two-part miniseries directed by Tommy Lee Wallace, and into a two-part film duology directed by Andy Muschietti; It was released in 2017 and It Chapter Two is scheduled to be released in September 2019.

Plot[edit]

During the summer of 1958, the small town of Derry, Maine is terrorized by a mysterious child-killing creature. The shape-shifting entity is encountered by seven individual children — Bill Denbrough, Richie Tozier, Beverly Marsh, Mike Hanlon, Eddie Kaspbrak, Ben Hanscom and Stan Uris. The children unite as the 'Losers Club' and decide to seek and destroy the creature they call 'It', which often takes on the appearance of a clown named Pennywise. Bill, in particular, has a personal stake in the form of his younger brother Georgie, who was killed by It the year before. In addition to It, the Losers are pursued by the local bully, Henry Bowers, and his compatriots. The Losers realize that the adults in the town are unable to help them, as they are ignorant and unaware of It's presence. Taking a fresh look at their hometown, the Losers understand that their union is beyond that of a simple friendship between children. The Losers confront It deep within the sewers underneath Derry and engage in battle. While the Losers do not kill It, they manage to force It into an early hibernation. The Losers swear a blood oath to return to Derry, should It rise again in the future. As they return to a normal life, the Losers gradually forget these events and each other, and eventually leave Derry.

Twenty-seven years later, in the summer of 1985, Derry is again shaken by a wave of horrific murders. Mike Hanlon, the only Loser to remain in Derry, understands that It has returned and reminds the other now-wealthy and successful Losers of the oath that they had given in their childhood. Only five of the other Losers gather the strength to return to Derry and continue the fight; Stan commits suicide immediately after conversing with Mike. The reunited Losers begin recollecting their childhood memories, and each of them encounters It in the process. Driven by a thirst for revenge, It draws in a pair of minions in a bid to kill the Losers — the adult Henry, who escapes from a psychiatric ward with It's aid and seriously injures Mike, and Beverly's abusive husband Tom Rogan, who kidnaps Bill's wife Audra. The Losers Club takes another descent into the sewers to destroy It completely. As the Losers Club battles with It in its lair, Derry is partially flooded and destroyed by the worst storm in its history. At the cost of Eddie's life, the Losers Club manages to defeat It. The Losers again return to a normal life and leave Derry and their memories behind. Mike additionally discovers that the names of the other Losers have not only faded from memory but also from his memoir and journal, indicating that their ordeal is finally over.

Development[edit]

In 1978, King and his family lived in Boulder, Colorado. One evening, King ventured alone to pick up his car from the repair shop and came across an old wooden bridge, 'humped and oddly quaint'. Walking along the bridge caused King to recall the story of 'Three Billy Goats Gruff', and the idea of transplanting the tale's scenario into a real-life context interested him. King was further inspired by a line by Marianne Moore concerning 'real toads in imaginary gardens', which in his mind came out as 'real trolls in imaginary gardens'. King would return to the concept two years later and gradually accumulated ideas and thoughts, particularly the concept of weaving the narratives of children and the adults they become. King began writing It in 1981,^[4] and finished the book four years later.^[5] King found influence in the mythology and history surrounding the construction of the sewer system in Bangor, Maine.^[6]

Themes[edit]

It thematically focuses on the loss of childhood innocence^[5] and questioning the difference between necessity and free will.^[1] Grady Hendrix of Tor.com described the book as being 'about the fact that some doors only open one way, and that while there’s an exit out of childhood named sex, there’s no door leading the other way that turns adults back into children.'^[6] Christopher Lehman-Haupt of the New York Times noted that It 'concerns the evil that has haunted America from time to time in the forms of crime, racial and religious bigotry, economic hardship, labor strife and industrial pollution', and that the novel's setting 'is a museum filled with the popular culture of the 1950's: brand names, rock 'n' roll songs and stars, the jokes and routines of childhood in that era.'^[1] James Smythe of The Guardian opined that 'Pennywise isn't the novel's biggest terror. The most prominent notions of fear in the novel come from the Losers' Club themselves: their home lives, the things that have made them pariahs.'^[5]

Release[edit]

On December 13, 2011, Cemetery Dance published a special limited edition of It for the 25th anniversary of the novel (ISBN978-1-58767-270-5) in three editions: an unsigned limited gift edition of 2,750, a signed limited edition of 750, and a signed and lettered limited edition of 52. All three editions are oversized hardcovers, housed in a slipcase or traycase, and feature premium binding materials. This anniversary edition features a new dust jacket illustration by Glen Orbik, as well as numerous interior illustrations by Alan M. Clark and Erin Wells. The book also contains a new afterword by Stephen King discussing his reasons for writing the novel.^[7]

Reception and legacy[edit]

It received a mixed critical consensus. Lehman-Haupt perceived a lack of justification in Stanley Uris's death and the reunion of the group.^[1] Hendrix described the book as 'by turns boring and shocking' and 'one of King’s most frustrating and perplexing books', and described the behavior of the child characters as idealized and unnatural.^[6] The book's sexual content aroused controversy.^[6] Smythe considered the book's descriptions of childhood sexuality to be 'questionable', and was particularly 'shocked' by a scene of the Losers Club engaging in an orgy.^[5] However, Hendrix identified this moment as 'in a sense, the heart of the book' and a thematic demonstration of the crossing from childhood to adulthood, and concluded that it is 'a way for King to tell kids that sex, even unplanned sex, even sex that’s kind of weird, even sex where a girl loses her virginity in the sewer, can be powerful and beautiful if the people having it truly respect and like each other.'^[6] The novel has been noted for its exceptional length. Smythe noted that 'the book is essentially two novels', and at 'fourteen hundred pages long in my printing (the only bigger novel I own is Infinite Jest), and famously weighing nigh-on four pounds, it's a challenge to hold, let alone read.'^[5]Publishers Weekly expressed particular indignation: 'Overpopulated and under-characterized, bloated by lazy thought-out philosophizing and theologizing .. there is simply too much of It.'^[6] The character Pennywise has been named by several outlets as one of the scariest clowns in film or pop culture.^{[8][9][10][11]}

Adaptations[edit]

In 1990, the novel was adapted into a television miniseries starring Tim Curry as Pennywise the Clown,^[12]John Ritter as Ben Hanscom, Harry Anderson as Richie Tozier, Richard Masur as Stan Uris, Tim Reid as Mike Hanlon, Annette O'Toole as Beverly Marsh, Richard Thomas as Bill Denbrough, Olivia Hussey as Audra Phillips, Dennis Christopher as Eddie Kaspbrak, and Michael Cole as Henry Bowers. The younger versions of the characters were played by Brandon Crane (Ben), Seth Green (Richie), Ben Heller (Stan), Marlon Taylor (Mike), Emily Perkins (Beverly), Jonathan Brandis (Bill), Adam Faraizl (Eddie), and Jarred Blancard (Henry). The miniseries was directed by Tommy Lee Wallace and scripted by Wallace and Lawrence D. Cohen.

The first of a two-part feature film adaptation, It, was released on September 8, 2017.^[13] It is directed by Andy Muschietti, with a screenplay by Chase Palmer, Cary Fukunaga and Gary Dauberman. Instead of a dual narrative, the first film is solely an adaptation of the section that features the characters as children, though the setting has been updated to the late 1980s. It stars Bill Skarsgård as Pennywise and Jaeden Lieberher as Bill Denbrough. Supporting roles are played by Finn Wolfhard as Richie Tozier, Sophia Lillis as Bevery Marsh, Jack Dylan Grazer as Eddie Kaspbrak, Wyatt Oleff as Stanley Uris, Chosen Jacobs as Mike Hanlon, Jeremy Ray Taylor as Ben Hanscom, Owen Teague as Patrick Hockstetter, Nicholas Hamilton as Henry Bowers, Logan Thompson as Vic Criss and Jake Sim as Belch Huggins.

The second film will adapt the 'adult' section and update the setting to the 2010s. Vmware thick client. It will star James McAvoy (Bill), Bill Hader (Richie), Jessica Chastain (Beverly), James Ransone (Eddie), Andy Bean (Stan), Isaiah Mustafa (Mike), and Jay Ryan (Ben). Skarsgård will reprise the role of Pennywise and the younger actors are set to return as well. Filming for the film wrapped in 2018 and it is scheduled to premiere September 6, 2019.^[14]

References[edit]

1. ^ ^abcdChristopher Lehman-Haupt (August 21, 1986). 'Books of the Times: It'. New York Times. Retrieved May 13, 2019.
2. ^King, Stephen, 1947- (1986). It. New York, N.Y., U.S.A.: Viking. p. 1153. ISBN0670813028. OCLC13497048.CS1 maint: Multiple names: authors list (link)
3. ^'1987 Award Winners & Nominees'. Worlds Without End. Retrieved July 22, 2009.
4. ^'StephenKing.com – IT Inspiration'. stephenking.com.
5. ^ ^abcdeJames Smythe (May 28, 2013). 'Rereading Stephen King, chapter 21: It'. The Guardian. Retrieved May 13, 2019.
6. ^ ^abcdefGrady Hendrix (September 25, 2013). 'The Great Stephen King Reread: It'. Tor.com. Retrieved May 13, 2019.
7. ^'It (25th Anniversary Special Edition)'. cemeterydance.com. Retrieved March 30, 2017.
8. ^Glenza, Jessica (October 29, 2014). 'The 10 most terrifying clowns'. The Guardian. ISSN0261-3077. Retrieved May 1, 2016.
9. ^'10 Most Terrifying Clowns in Horror Movies'. Screen Rant. September 23, 2015. Retrieved May 1, 2016.
10. ^'The Scariest Clowns in Pop Culture'. Nerdist. October 22, 2015. Retrieved May 1, 2016.
11. ^Martin, Amy. ''Hey Kid, Want A Balloon?' – Horror's 5 Creepiest Clowns'. Movie Pilot. Retrieved May 1, 2016.
12. ^'Lilja's Library – The World of Stephen King [1996 – 2017]'. liljas-library.com. Retrieved March 30, 2017.
13. ^D'Alessandro, Anthony (April 22, 2016). 'Warner Bros. Sets 'CHiPs', 'It' & Untitled PG-13 Comedy For 2017'. Deadline.
14. ^'IT: Chapter Two Young Losers' Club Cast Has Wrapped Filming'. ScreenRant. November 1, 2018. Retrieved February 18, 2019.

External links[edit]

• It title listing at the Internet Speculative Fiction Database
• It at Worlds Without End
• IT Review at Illuminati Blog
• A Chapter-By-Chapter Analysis at It: An Annotated Look at Stephen King