Stephen Kings IT, your thoughts....

Doggett · December 30, 2008, 07:23:20 PM

I'm wondering what people thought of it. I kinda liked it. It was quite good. I'd recommend it. What did you think of it ? Did it contain any flaws. I haven't read the book (although I'll get it soon) so I can't compare it to anything.

It was better than most made-for -television films. I though it was a good idea to have the first half children and second half adults. It's always nice to see (the late) John Ritter and Annette O'Toole.

It had a rubbish ending, though.

Some "IT" fun...

http://uk.youtube.com/watch?v=ohDEd14_NUo&feature=related

Mr. DS · December 30, 2008, 07:35:19 PM

I think the adaptation did a good enough job keeping it scary enough for a "made for tv" miniseries. Of course it moves in leaps and bounds from the book but the central idea of an evil clown terrorizing children is pulled off nicely. Tim Curry absolutely shined as he does in most roles.

HappyGilmore · December 30, 2008, 09:17:06 PM

For what it was worth, It was a well done tv-movie. The whole cast did a good job, especially, I felt, Tim Curry.

I personally haven't read the book, yet. None of the stores I've been to have had it. The biggest complaint I've heard over the years is how much is left out. To be fair though, the book clocks in at over 1,000 pages. To do a movie, especially a tv-movie to include everything seems obscene. Time constraints, budgets, etc make a straight up adaption a little far fetched. Lord knows I wouldn't want to watch it if it were a ten hour miniseries.

Not to say there haven't been longer miniseries. Supposely, Sci-Fi Channel is working on a remake.

akiratubo · December 31, 2008, 01:10:21 AM

The minseries was ok. It was as good as any TV adaptation of the book could have been. Tim Curry really hasn't gotten the respect he deserves as a "monster" actor. He was great as Pennywise here and as Darkness in Legend.

HappyGilmore · December 31, 2008, 09:48:54 AM

Quote from: akiratubo on December 31, 2008, 01:10:21 AM
The minseries was ok. It was as good as any TV adaptation of the book could have been. Tim Curry really hasn't gotten the respect he deserves as a "monster" actor. He was great as Pennywise here and as Darkness in Legend.

Tim Curry, all around, is just flat out underrated as an actor, on the whole. Even movies he's done that have been terrible, he's been the highlight of said movie. Like in Scary Movie 2. He was hilarious in it.

schmendrik · December 31, 2008, 10:11:37 AM

Never saw it all the way through but it looked like a decent adaptation. I'm a fan of both Tims who appeared in this: Tim Curry (Pennywise of course) and Tim Reid (Mike Hanlon), a guy who you see now and then on TV but not nearly often enough.

Doggett · December 31, 2008, 12:31:07 PM

Tim Curry's great in Command and Conquer Red Alert 3

Psycho Circus · December 31, 2008, 12:39:55 PM

Tim Curry was awesome in this movie! They really couldn't have picked anyone better for the role. I prefer how the book goes, particularly towards the end, but tv/film adaptations usually follow a different path. I've always liked anything with clowns, evil ones especially, but IT is cool. I just hate the ending more than anything, it totally spoiled the entire thing.

Doggett · December 31, 2008, 12:53:07 PM

It's a big spider ain't it ?
Jurassic park is the best book ever. Don't know why I mentioned that....

Iseuelt · December 31, 2008, 01:00:48 PM

It started a life long phobia of clowns! I actually enjoyed this movie quite a bit and to annoy my friends I remind them that "We all float down here". I don't remember the ending that well, so it must not have been anything I found to exciting or particularly clever. It's been years since my last viewing so I'll have to check it out again just to remind myself.
I agree that Tim Curry is underrated, I even found him entertaining in "Clue".

Frogger · January 01, 2009, 09:07:39 PM

Quote from: Iseuelt on December 31, 2008, 01:00:48 PM
It started a life long phobia of clowns! I actually enjoyed this movie quite a bit and to annoy my friends I remind them that "We all float down here". I don't remember the ending that well, so it must not have been anything I found to exciting or particularly clever. It's been years since my last viewing so I'll have to check it out again just to remind myself.
I agree that Tim Curry is underrated, I even found him entertaining in "Clue".

The end I found slightly annoying but overal a very great film.

Allhallowsday · January 04, 2009, 02:17:26 AM

The first chapter of IT, the book, may be the best bit of writing STEPHEN KING has ever done (and there are quite a few good bits). The book then devolves into a bloated mess, but one must understand how KING was paid, and he himself had pointed out he had a tendency toward "literary elephantiasis." The miniseries is better in many ways from the book, including in what's missing, and the first half of the TV miniseries, focusing on the children, is wonderful. The second part is not so great when they're adults, and the ending is, uh... Just like the book.

Pennywise - what a terrific part for TIM CURRY! And Pennywise is the best part of the film.

Mr. DS · January 04, 2009, 07:19:06 AM

Good points AllHallows. I liked the first part much better as well. The ending had me confused. So Pennywise can no longer be seen in clown form. That means his true form, aka the spider, is the only thing they can see. Is that it or is there something else I'm missing?

Magnus · January 04, 2009, 02:31:40 PM

My wife who does not like horror but LOVES Tim Curry actually watched it. It has been a while since I saw it, but I thought the whole spider part at the end was wierd. I would have prefered to have kept the evil clown and ditched the spider.

ds21 · January 23, 2009, 04:25:42 PM

Tim Curry = amazing