Stephen King's It [Blu-ray]

Director: Tommy Lee Wallace Tommy Lee Wallace

Overview

Originally titled Stephen King's It, this two-part TV movie first aired on November 18 and 20, 1990. The story starts in Maine, where a small child is lured into the hands of what audiences everywhere can be assured is one mean clown. The 30-year struggle against an evil supernatural force that masquerades as a circus clown named Pennywise (Tim Curry) begins in 1960 and spans until 1990. Featured are a group of six young men and one young woman who call themselves "the lucky seven" and are the unfortunate targets of Pennywise from pre-adolescence into their mid-forties. The lucky seven emerge physically intact but emotionally scathed after their first battle with Pennywise -- who is a self-labeled "eater of worlds...and children." When Pennywise returns 30 years later, the seven are forced to remember their terrifying past and faced with the prospect of destroying him once and for all. ~ Tracie Cooper

Product Details

Release Date:	09/20/2016
UPC:	0883929527571
Original Release:	1990
Rating:	NR
Source:	New Line Home Video
Language:	English
Time:	3:07:00
Sales rank:	12,971

Special Features

Commentary by Director Tommy Lee Wallace and Actors Dennis Christopher, Tim Reid, John Ritter and Richard Thomas

Cast & Crew

Performance Credits

Richard Thomas	Actor
John Ritter	Ben Hanscom
Annette O'Toole	Beverly Marsh Rogan
Tim Curry	Actor
Tim Reid	Michael Hanlon
Harry Anderson	Richard 'Richie
Dennis Christopher	Eddie Kaspbrak
Richard Masur	Stanley Uris
Seth Green	Richie Tozier (age 12)
Richard Bellis	Composer
Jonathan Brandis	Bill Denbrough - Age 12
Brandon Crane	Ben Hanscom - Age 12
Adam Faraizl	Eddie Kaspbrak - Age 12
Ben Heller	Stanley Uris - Age 12
Emily Perkins	Beverly Marsh - Age 12
Marlon Taylor	Mike Hanlon - Age 12
Olivia Hussey	Audra Denbrough
Chris Eastman	Belch
Gabe Khouth	Patrick Hocksetter
Venus Terzo	Cyndi
Frank C. Turner	Al Marsh
Caitlin Hicks	Patti Uris
Tony Dakota	Georgie Denbrough
Steven Hilton	Mr. Denbrough
Sheelah Megill	Sharon Denbrough
Chelan Simmons	Laurie Anne Winterbarger
Merrilyn Gann	Mrs. Winterbarger
Susan Astley	Aunt Jean

Technical Credits

Lawrence D. Cohen

Tommy Lee Wallace	Director
Lawrence D. Cohen	Screenwriter
Allen S. Epstein	Executive Producer

Editorial Reviews

One of the first of Stephen King's epic TV miniseries, It is an ode to the fears, fantasies, and friendships of youth. The sprawling story follows a group of childhood friends who return to their Maine hometown as adults to battle a demon from their past. A well-detailed adaptation of King's in-depth novel, It is beautifully structured, moving freely between past and present and perfectly realizing King's perennial, deeply resonant theme of the childhood fears that lurk beneath the veneer of adult life. It's an idea personified with devilish glee by Tim Curry, whose Pennywise the Clown is one of the demon's favorite forms. Clocking in around four-hours, It features a fine ensemble cast -- including John Ritter, Annette O'Toole, Harry Anderson, Tim Reid, Dennis Christopher, Olivia Hussey, and Richard Masur -- which is appropriate for what is perhaps the most character-driven of all King horror.

Barnes & Noble

Stephen King's much-maligned It TV miniseries might not be quite as horrible as it's generally considered to be, though the final 30 minutes is every bit as brutally stupid and lame as just about everyone recalls. If you can get past Richard Thomas' stomach-turning yuppie ponytail, much of the first few hours is pretty engaging, with such strong horror moments strewn throughout as bloody balloons, off-the-wall fortune cookies, and even a wolfman pop-up to keep the creepy momentum going. Sadly, the forward motion comes to a dead halt late in the third act, where the plot takes over and the screams stop. By the time the flashlight-stomached spider monster shows up at the end, the silly shock of it has already been tempered by a lackadaisical buildup. True, the book itself isn't known for the strongest ending, but considering the time audiences already invested in the miniseries, the televised product tends to have a much more immediate visceral letdown. The acting is a hodgepodge affair that stacks up for the most part with only a few miscasts to slow the sucker down (again, John Boy anyone?). Of course, the crown of the series is owned by Tim Curry, whose playful menace as Pennywise scarred countless clown-fearers through the years. Leaps and bounds above The Stand miniseries that followed this one, It remains a miniseries event that pushed the boundaries of the medium thanks to its love of blood, clown-dog demons, and overall endangerment of children -- certainly a match made in televised heaven that even the King would enjoy!

All Movie Guide - Jeremy Wheeler