It has been 29 years since Stephen King’s It first made an appearance on television screens in a made-for-TV special that aired on ABC. Since then, the series has been rebooted with a theatrical release of It: Chapter One (2017) and It: Chapter Two (2019). The question arises of whether the original miniseries stands its ground, or if it will float away and be forgotten in time, overtaken by the remakes.
The 1990 It miniseries is essentially one movie, but was broadcast in two parts to cut down the three-hour flick for the televised release. The movie begins with the character Mike calling the “Losers” as adults, informing them that Pennywise the Dancing Clown has returned, which triggers flashbacks of their childhood encounters with the clown. The characters spend half of the movie trying to progress the slow storyline and their experiences before reuniting in Derry, Maine for the second half of the movie. Having two parts could have been effective if they sped up the storytelling, used the gap between movies to reflect the age gap of the characters, or simply expanded the storyline by producing more than two episodes. However, 1990s It seemed to just drag on. The 2017/19 version avoids this by separating the parts based on the ages by the characters.
The characters in the original — as children or adults — don’t have the same likeability as those in the recent remake. When the child protagonists, Bill and Georgie, interact, the older brother Bill is angrier and more annoyed about his brother’s presence. When Bill talks about Georgie’s disappearance later, there is no real sadness or remorse. Because of this lack of sympathy, I actually wanted Bill to be taken by Pennywise.
The standout performance from the 1990s It was Tim Curry’s portrayal of Pennywise. Pennywise has a more friendly and playful appearance than the new adaptation, building on the notion that clowns are for children. Yet, Curry is able to be creepy and be feared. For example, when Richie (as an adult) waits in the library, Pennywise is waiting with him and offers him a balloon. However, a lot of balloons appear, covering the ceiling. A couple of balloons burst, revealing them to be filled with blood. Pennywise follows up by cracking jokes — just like a regular clown. I can understand if more cases of coulrophobia (the fear of clowns) arise from this film, as it’s difficult to see them in the same way after watching.
Regarding the effects of the movie, it is kind of obvious that it was a made-for-TV production. The effects are subpar when comparing it to other films and are not scary in terms of what we expect in 2019. However, it is impressive knowing that real effects were used instead of relying on CGI.
When deciding to watch the original It, I had high expectations that left me with disappointment and a desire to rewatch the new flicks. I am glad they remade It, as the ‘90s flick does not do justice to the source material by Stephen King. I love the creepiness, effects, and storytelling of the emergence of Pennywise when the Losers are children, his reemergence 27 years later when the Losers are adults, and the subsequent defeat of Pennywise.
