It (miniseries)

For 2017 supernatural horror drama film adaptation, see It (2017 film).
It

Artwork for the VHS and DVD release
Genre Horror, fantasy, drama
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 192 Minutes (Original Version), 187 minutes (DVD Version)
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 over two nights on November 18 and 20, 1990 on ABC. The miniseries was filmed in New Westminster, British Columbia in mid-1990.[1][2] 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. 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

In Derry, Maine, 1960, a young boy named George "Georgie" Denbrough is lured to a storm drain by a strange, yet seemingly kind, man dressed in a clown costume named Pennywise. After a brief conversation, Pennywise reveals his malevolent nature and murders Georgie. Georgie's older brother Bill is taunted by Pennywise as well. He and six other outcast children, who form a group called the Losers Club, discover they are all being tormented by the ambiguous clown. The rest of the group consists of the overweight but smart Ben Hanscom, asthmatic Eddie Kaspbrak who lives with his overprotective mother, Beverly Marsh who lives with her alcoholic father, comical Richie Tozier, Jewish boy scout Stan Uris, and African-American student Mike Hanlon. In turn, all of them are bullied by the psychotic Henry Bowers and his gang.

The Losers soon theorize that Pennywise is not a human being, he is instead an otherworldly creature that surfaces every thirty years in Derry to murder children and therefore they dub him "It". To avenge Georgie and others killed by It, the Losers venture into the sewers where the clown lurks. They are followed by Henry and his friends Victor Criss and Belch Huggins, who threaten Stan, only for It to kill Victor and Belch, but spares the terrified Henry, whose hair turns white. It, as Pennywise, catches up to the Losers and grabs Stan, bragging that he is immortal and eats children. Guessing It's powers are based around imagination, the Losers fight back using the same power, melting Pennywise's face with imaginary battery acid and Beverly smashes a hole in his head using a silver projectile. Pennywise escapes wounded, and the seven make a promise to return and kill him should It resurface. Henry is arrested and institutionalized when he confesses to murdering his friends and the children It killed.

Thirty years later, in 1990, Pennywise returns and begins murdering children in Derry. Mike, a librarian still living in Derry, summons his six friends back to Derry to fulfil their vow. Bill has become a horror novelist married to actress Audra Phillips, Ben is an architect, Beverly is a fashion designer but in an unhappy relationship, Richie is a late night TV comedian, Eddie runs a limousine service but still lives with his mother, and Stan is a real estate broker. While five of them agree to come, Stan commits suicide in his bath tub and writes "It" on the wall in blood. The remaining six are individually scared by Pennywise, before reuniting for dinner, though Pennywise frightens them there too. They soon learn of Stan's suicide shortly after.

Elsewhere, an older Henry is visited and befriended by Pennywise who sends him to Derry to kill the Losers. Audra also arrives in town following Bill but falls victim to It's paralyzing "deadlights" and falls into a catatonic state. Henry wounds Mike, but is killed by his own knife during a scuffle with the other Losers. With Mike hospitalised, the five remaining Losers decide to destroy It for good. They confront It, who now appears as a monstrous spider. Eddie is killed by It, but Beverly mortally wounds It with her slingshot, and the Losers tear the spider apart. They remove the comatose Audra and Eddie's body from the sewers, burying him in Derry's cemetery.

The Losers go their separate ways, free from It's torment forever. Richie is cast in a film, Beverly and Ben get married and are expecting their first child, and Mike recovers. Bill manages to coax Audra out of her catatonia by going on a ride on his childhood bicycle, which had once freed a young Stan from his fear. With It gone, the Losers can move on with their lives and leave Derry behind.

Cast

Broadcast history

It originally aired on ABC in 1990 on the nights of November 18[3] and November 20.[4] Part 1 was the fifth highest rated program on Sunday nights with an 18.5 rating and watched in 17.5 million households.[3] Part 2 was the second highest rated program on Tuesday nights with a 20.6 rating and watched in 19.2 million households.[4]

Reception

Stephen King's It received generally positive reviews from critics and television viewers. Tim Curry's performance as "Pennywise" received high praise for capturing the novel's portrayal of the character. The film has a 62% fresh rating on Rotten Tomatoes based on 12 reviews.[5]

Music score

2-CDs release of complete score by Richard Bellis released November 15, 2011 in two parts.[6]

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

References

  1. ↑ "Archive for Statesman - www.statesman.com". Retrieved June 4, 2015.
  2. ↑ ""It" (1990) – Box office / business". IMDb. Retrieved June 4, 2015.
  3. 1 2 Hastings, Deborah (November 21, 1990). "TV movies score big in Nielsen ratings". The Times-News. p. 12. Retrieved 2010-07-03.
  4. 1 2 Hastings, Deborah (November 23, 1990). "ABC posts first ratings win of the season". The Times-News. p. 10. Retrieved 2010-07-03.
  5. ↑ "It". Rotten Tomatoes. Flixster. Retrieved September 11, 2012.
  6. ↑ "Stephen King's It". Retrieved June 4, 2015.

External links

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