It The Movie (Thread may contain spoilers at some pont).

[The Exploited.]

Just saw it (pardon the pun!).

What did you all think? I liked it a lot.

[Voros]

It was good. The scares are a bit by the book and lack the psychosexual edge of the book but I guess that is to be expected. I liked the kid actors and that they look like kids.

In terms of adapting the book I didn't like the changes they made to Mike who is more of a proper character, not sure why they gave Ben the bookish and historical role instead of Mike. I realize they didn't have time to communicate the history of the Black Spot and the gangster massacre but I still felt it was touched on too lightly and missed an opportunity for some deeper texture.

Aside from a pointless 80s synth pop track during the cleaning up blood montage they didn't OD on the 80s period fetishism. Missed the 50s setting of the book in that the teenage werewolf and Frankenstein monster are missing. And too bad the flying leeches, the most horrific death in the book is also gone.

They seemed to have also skimmed the kids ability to fight back via their imagination, making the fights between them and It rather confusing to someone unfamiliar with the novel I would think.

Thank god they removed the bizarre kiddie gangbang that must have been a product of King's cocaine vortex. Instead the ending was note perfect I thought.

[The Exploited.]

It was good. The scares are a bit by the book and lack the psychosexual edge of the book but I guess that is to be expected. I liked the kid actors and that they look like kids.

In terms of adapting the book I didn't like the changes they made to Mike who is more of a proper character, not sure why they gave Ben the bookish and historical role instead of Mike. I realize they didn't have time to communicate the history of the Black Spot and the gangster massacre but I still felt it was touched on too lightly and missed an opportunity for some deeper texture.

Aside from a pointless 80s synth pop track during the cleaning up blood montage they didn't OD on the 80s period fetishism. Missed the 50s setting of the book in that the teenage werewolf and Frankenstein monster are missing. And too bad the flying leeches, the most horrific death in the book is also gone.

They seemed to have also skimmed the kids ability to fight back via their imagination, making the fights between them and It rather confusing to someone unfamiliar with the novel I would think.

Thank god they removed the bizarre kiddie gangbang that must have been a product of King's cocaine vortex. Instead the ending was note perfect I thought.

Yeah, they took quite a few liberties... I liked it overall but as you pointed out the made some strange choices. It's a big book and I know they have to take out certain elements. Bring back the leeches!

I thought the same about Mike! They got rid of his Dad who was a central figure as to why he's hated by Henry so much. They also seemed to omit quite a bit of the racial abuse Mike goes through. Which I think they shouldn't have skirted around. At least they mentioned the burning of the club. And why make Haystack the bookish one - That should have been vloody Mike!!

I felt a little bereft of the relationship that the kids had. About building the dam and setting up the whole losers club. But they didn't really have time in the movie. You got a lot better sense of this in the original TV movie. Which I still have a fondness for.

I would have preferred it set in the 50's as well. But I suppose they are trying to open up their catchment market.

That's very true... You only get a glimpse of that, that 'It' is actually scared of them and that's why it's actually targeting them (and trying to scare them away).

Nice floating kids as opposed to spider-like cocoons I thought. I liked Pennywise I will say. They made him pretty damn scary.

[TrippyHippy]

It had a packed out, sell out audience when I saw it - and it's clearly a crowd pleaser.

For me, well, I found all the characters a bit stereotyped, although they were quite well acted (all child actors). The clown had a few scares, which made the crowd jump, but I've seen a lot of horror movies so it didn't quite have the same impact on me. I thought it was a bit over theatrical to be honest. In essence, it's not so much of a horror movie as a coming of age movie (I prefer horror to be a bit more bleak and unforgiving), and in this respect it was most similar to the previous Stephen King adaptation - Stand By Me. If you actually break it down, many of the characters within it are basically the same.

However, I found Stand By Me more affecting because it didn't resort to the Clown, for it's scares, but through more human interaction and real world scares. I'm not adverse to fantasy overlays or magical realism in stories such as these, but in this case it actually made me feel more disconnected to the story.

[Voros]

There is a definite similarity between The Body, the story Stand by Me is based on, and It. They both have King's distinctive sentimentality towards childhood as well.

I think in a different director's hands the horror elements would have been more powerful and woven into the childhood elements. As I said earlier there is a strong psychosexual element to the novel's horrors that are replaced with more conventiinal scares here. But I always found the horror sequences in the adult sections more disturbing than the children's, except for those damn leeches and of course the death of Georgie.

If Cary Fukunga, who was originally slated to direct, had done so I think we'd have a better film by far but this is solid. Fukunga directed the first season of True Detective and the excellent African child soldier nightmare Beast of No Nation. He does atmosphere very well.

Have to say though that Alex Skarsgard is excellent as Pennywise and they pull off the death of Georgie without pulling any punches. The dialogue for that vivid setpiece in the book is almost word for word too.

[The Exploited.]

It had a packed out, sell out audience when I saw it - and it's clearly a crowd pleaser.

For me, well, I found all the characters a bit stereotyped, although they were quite well acted (all child actors). The clown had a few scares, which made the crowd jump, but I've seen a lot of horror movies so it didn't quite have the same impact on me. I thought it was a bit over theatrical to be honest. In essence, it's not so much of a horror movie as a coming of age movie (I prefer horror to be a bit more bleak and unforgiving), and in this respect it was most similar to the previous Stephen King adaptation - Stand By Me. If you actually break it down, many of the characters within it are basically the same.

However, I found Stand By Me more affecting because it didn't resort to the Clown, for it's scares, but through more human interaction and real world scares. I'm not adverse to fantasy overlays or magical realism in stories such as these, but in this case it actually made me feel more disconnected to the story.

Yeah, it's done phenomenally well which is great as we will now see a sequel.

I'm the same I love horror (it's my favourite genre) but I don't get scared per se. But I do appreciate a good creep factor when it's done well like the original Ring or something. I thought there were some nasty bits in it (in a good way)... Like when Georgie was shot with the bolt gun and changed into Pennywise. Reminded me of 'the Thing', which incidentally is my all time favourite film, it's atmosphere is very 'bleak' which I love in horror as well.

Stand By Me is one of my favourite films too... One of the best coming of age films of all time. I do still get a bit of a lump in my throat every time I watch it. There's a lot going on in that flick. It's also very poignant about River Phoenix disappearing at the end (of course the movie makers couldn't of known). Needless to say it takes me back to my own childhood too.

Their acting is unreal also.. Definitely the best performance from Will Wheaton and Corey Feldman that I've seen them do.

The whole bond between the kids is fantastic too... I think you get less of that in 'it' due to the time constraints and Stand By Me is also more cerebral.

'IT' does feel like more of a dark fairy tale with a good dollop of horror as opposed to an all out horror flick. I wasn't all that hyped for it... I mean, I thought it would be okay at best. So, I was very pleasantly surprised leaving the cinema.

[The Exploited.]

There is a definite similarity between The Body, the story Stand by Me is based on, and It. They both have King's distinctive sentimentality towards childhood as well.

I think in a different director's hands the horror elements would have been more powerful and woven into the childhood elements. As I said earlier there is a strong psychosexual element to the novel's horrors that are replaced with more conventiinal scares here. But I always found the horror sequences in the adult sections more disturbing than the children's, except for those damn leeches and of course the death of Georgie.

If Cary Fukunga, who was originally slated to direct, had done so I think we'd have a better film by far but this is solid. Fukunga directed the first season of True Detective and the excellent African child soldier nightmare Beast of No Nation. He does atmosphere very well.

Have to say though that Alex Skarsgard is excellent as Pennywise and they pull off the death of Georgie without pulling any punches. The dialogue for that vivid setpiece in the book is almost word for word too.

Skarsgard was great I have to agree! Hard act to follow as well, because Tim Currey is just fraggin' inherently creepy as Pennywise.

That would have been interesting alright as I'm a big True Detective fan (1st season). So, I reckon it would have been very good indeed.

Both films have a similar vibe alright... Obviously, SBM is more about the relationships and growing up (while the body is only really a McGuffin). Both brothers die, the pivotal relationships and being ignored by the adults, etc.

Looking forward to the adult's story now.

[Simlasa]

I saw it tonight with my 10yr old friend and neither of us thought it was very scary, but we both liked it.
It's not as subtle as the book or the TV series... it goes more for the jump-scares and CGI over any building of atmosphere.
In terms of performance, Pennywise was well done... but the make up bordered on cartoonish. The same goes for the 'haunted house' which looks like a spook house from a theme park.
Some of the changes to the characters, like the ones mentioned about Mike, kind of bugged me.

I'm looking forward to the second half, which I hope can get across some of the aspects of the story that this first one chose to pretty much ignore.

[Voros]

Not sure I'd say the gory horrors of the novel were exactly subtle.

[The Exploited.]

I saw it tonight with my 10yr old friend and neither of us thought it was very scary, but we both liked it.
It's not as subtle as the book or the TV series... it goes more for the jump-scares and CGI over any building of atmosphere.
In terms of performance, Pennywise was well done... but the make up bordered on cartoonish. The same goes for the 'haunted house' which looks like a spook house from a theme park.
Some of the changes to the characters, like the ones mentioned about Mike, kind of bugged me.

I'm looking forward to the second half, which I hope can get across some of the aspects of the story that this first one chose to pretty much ignore.

Truth be told it would have been a better trilogy.... But that couldn't be guaranteed, so I guess they just opted for the two films (and hoped they could get the second made on the back of the first's). I'm okay with most of the changes too... But making Haystack the keeper of Derry's lore seems a tad egregious and makes Mike's role seem somwhat redundant. I'm interested to see how they sqare that in the adults side of things.

I'm happy they didn't do the funky town statue thing too. And the burning hands for Mike was pretty cool as opposed to the big bird.

I guess the haunted house theme kinda' goes hand in hand with the clown. But I didn't find it scary... The woman in the painting was far creepier.

But I thought it was pretty damn good overall.

[Simlasa]

Not sure I'd say the gory horrors of the novel were exactly subtle.

The movie isn't as gory as I've seen it hyped, but the 'subtlety' I liked in the book was about the wider effects of the creature... driving baser urges in the populace, prejudice and racism and cruelty... and forgetting the horrors soon after they occur. No one but the kids ever seem to realize the extent of it.
There are moments in the movie that speak to it, but, I think, only if you know the book and are looking for them.
Also, I thought there was a bit too much Pennywise... as if he is the monster rather than one of its many avatars.

But these are niggling complaints, I really did like it... despite not finding it scary at all. It's good dark fantasy.

[The Exploited.]

I love the way Pennywise turns out to be a female in the Book (or the creature). I just didn't see that coming at all... And even scarier that she was attempting to lay eggs. :eek:

Even though King refers to it as a female, I infer that it's only the closest thing we can compare it to, and probably goes beyond that. Much like the way we see the entity as 'spider-like' but it's only the closest thing our minds can grasp onto in order to perceive it true for. I Love that idea from King!

I also love the way IT has been there since pre-history and infects Derry with that bizarre apathy. Very Lovecraftian!

[Voros]

The movie isn't as gory as I've seen it hyped, but the 'subtlety' I liked in the book was about the wider effects of the creature... driving baser urges in the populace, prejudice and racism and cruelty... and forgetting the horrors soon after they occur. No one but the kids ever seem to realize the extent of it.
There are moments in the movie that speak to it, but, I think, only if you know the book and are looking for them.
Also, I thought there was a bit too much Pennywise... as if he is the monster rather than one of its many avatars.

But these are niggling complaints, I really did like it... despite not finding it scary at all. It's good dark fantasy.

I agree that the social aspect of It and the town of Derry as a character in itself is lost in the film. The gay bashing, the Black Spot are probably the most overt examples. It is...dear God...political in its implications! Something many posters on here claim has no business in entertainment. But it clearly adds to the richness of the novel.

Although flawed It is a pretty damn complex novel so I guess the loss of some of these themes is inevitable.

[Baulderstone]

Given the choices they made with this movie, I think they will have a hard time with the sequel. In the book, the adult story forms a frame. The adults have largely forgotten the supernatural events they were involved in as children, and as they slowly remember, the book flashes back to their childhood. The readers are filled on events as they remember them.

When you separate out all the adult parts, you get a lot of scenes of characters remembering the events of the previous movie, and you get a lot of scenes paralleling the previous movie. It's going to be hard for it not to feel repetitive.

[Simlasa]

When you separate out all the adult parts, you get a lot of scenes of characters remembering the events of the previous movie, and you get a lot of scenes paralleling the previous movie. It's going to be hard for it not to feel repetitive.

Maybe they'll just drop all the remembering stuff and just load it up with more scary scary jump-scares?!!! WAAAGH... oogity, boogity, boo!