We are going back to the small screen in your living room again. But we’re also going back to 1990, when ABC broadcast a miniseries for the first time based on Stephen King’s epic horror novel - IT. I remember ‘IT’ was a huge television event. It was especially big because Richard Thomas was starring in it as the adult Bill Denbrough. I had only known him as Johnboy in a much earlier show called THE WALTONS (goodnight Johnboy). John Ritter came back from his THREE’S A COMPANY, and Harry Anderson took off the judge robes of NIGHT COURT to play the comedic character Richie Tozier. But none of them topped the performance of Tim Curry as Pennywise the Clown. If Curry knows anything, it’s how to bring the crazy into the roles he plays. I think the actor brought to life every fear that people have of clowns and added some new ones. ”They All Float!!”
How the story goes is that a group of kids find a monster, that poses as a clown, living among them outside of town. They fight the monster and cripple it. But, as time passes, and they grow up and move away, the adults are called back to fight the same monster again.
Not to spoil it for those of you that haven’t watched it, but the very first scene had me hooked like a marlin on Captain Quint’s fishing line. I’m talking about the scene where the little kid is playing near the street, and what looks like a clown inside the drain is talking to him, trying to get him to reach down there. Now clowns are bad enough to some of you, but clowns talking from inside sewer drains? That should raise the hair on the back of everybody’s neck.
This 1990 commercial might not sell you on watching this 2 part mini-series for the first time for Halloween month, but if I share any other scenes, it might mess up the surprises too much.
I didn’t read the novel. After seeing the TV movie, I’m probably a little uneasy about reading it. Anyway, ‘IT’ also starred Dennis Christopher, the late Jonathan Brandis, Seth Green, Emily Perkins and Annette O’Toole.
Check it out if you have a few hours to kill. And if you don’t, well, just watch THIS SCENE.
Image Source: horrornews.net
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