It (1990 Miniseries)

• Directed by Tommy Lee Wallace
• Adapted by Lawrence D. Cohen from Stephen King’s 1986 novel
• Produced by Lorimar Television, DawnField Entertainment, The Konigsberg & Sanitsky Company, and Green/Epstein Productions
• November 18, 1990 to November 20, 1990
• ABC

In the 60s a group of preteen outcasts face off against a monstrous supernatural creature. Over two decades later they reunite to end its reign of terror on the small town of Derry once and for all.

It was one of many film and television adaptions of a Stephen King story to come out back in the day. That is not a complaint. His stories provided something different at the time even if the number of adaptions became something of a joke. Many shows, miniseries, and television movies were feeling a bit safe and stale in my opinion and his work moving to film and television allowed them to be edgy yet safe.

This was shot in Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada. If you watched enough syndicated television at the time (which was in its heyday with many shows being filmed there) It looks like Canada. I am convinced that the shooting locations for many shows filmed there at the time were extremely limited for whatever reason making what should have been otherwise unremarkable landmarks quite recognizable.

This film at points was a victim of its own production values. Anything with a more fantasy/science-fiction/fantasy tinge at this time was almost guaranteed to look cheap. Sometimes it was the money that they were willing to spend. At others it was because this, that, and the other thing they attempted was greater than something produced on television could be during that era. I think it is a little mix of both here which is unfortunate because there is more good than bad to be found.

What saves this miniseries though is the acting by the cast. Some of the children who formed the young versions of The Losers Club in the cast would go on to greater fame. The adults in the cast were all known individuals at the time.

Jonathan Brandis plays young Bill Denbrough who is the stuttering founder of the Losers Club and wishes to kill Pennywise because of the death of his younger brother Georgie. Emily Perkins portrays young Beverly Marsh who is trapped in a home with an abusive father and the only female member of the Losers Club. Brandon Crane plays the young Ben Hanscom. Ben is overweight and often bullied because of that. Crane interesting cameoed in It: Chapter Two as a working assistant for Ben Hanscom. Cool! Seth Green, who went one to film and voiceover work and Robot Chicken, plays young Richie Tozier who is the jokester of the group. He cracks jokes and has a penchant for doing impressions. Adam Faraizl plays the asthmatic young Eddie Kaspbrak who lives with an overbearing mother. Ben Heller is the young Stanley Uris who is more affected by the events of his childhood than the rest of the group. Marlon Taylor is the young Mike Hanlon who is the only African American member of the group.

Jarred Blancard plays Henry Bowers who is a local bully that eventually comes under the influence of Pennywise and leads a gang that torments the Losers Club with particular focus on Mike Hanlon. As Bowers, Blanchard had to use the n-word. Reportedly this upset the actor who apologized to Taylor between takes. He and Taylor became lifelong friends.

Richard Thomas is the adult Bill Denbrough and has become a bestselling horror author living in the UK. Annette O’Toole portrays the adult Beverly Marsh. In the present she has failed to break the cycle of abuse begun as a child. She finds herself living with an abusive man before being called back to Derry. John Ritter is the adult Ben Hanscom. Ben is now an architect who got in shape and still nurtures a crush for Beverly. Harry Anderson is the adult Richie Tozier who is now a late-night television comedian. Dennis Christopher portrays the adult Eddie Kaspbrak. Not much has changed for Eddie. He is an asthmatic limousine service runner and still lives with his overbearing mother. Richard Masur is the adult Stanley Uris now working as a real estate broker. Tim Reid is the adult Mike Hanlon. Mike is working in Derry as a librarian and the one that calls the whole group back together.

Michael Cole is the adult Henry Bowers. Bowers is locked in an asylum following his corruption by Pennywise and when the Losers Club reunites later in life, he escapes from the asylum to go after them.

The real gift to us in all this though is the great Tim Curry as Pennywise the Clown. He is one of those people that is just always good. As Pennywise he was perhaps the most frightening fictitious clown ever. Ronald McDonald has nothing on him. Tim Curry has a delivery that could make the ingredients on a cereal box seem disturbing. While in costume he so frightened the children on set that they avoided him.

John Ritter and Harry Anderson were the two most intriguing casting choices to me. I only knew them from either lighter stuff or outright comedies of the era. There are no larfs in this movie other than the scenes with Richie on the set of his show. They handled the material rather well.

The series does managed to maintain an ominous feel throughout. There’s a sense of danger for the characters. And the unusual narrative structure of moving between past and present helps rather than hurts the story. It is my understanding that what we see on screen is largely from the book in terms of structure and events. It works well here. Stuff that could never get past network censorship was left out.

But most importantly despite issues common for the time it manages to be creepy more often than not. There are some disturbing moments within this miniseries. If you lived through the television of the times, then you will definitely see the strong shock value that is present. If you started later then you will be more jaded and may not quite get it.

One of the weaker moments is the end in terms of special effects. It just looks like a cheap rubber bug. I think it got reused in several direct to video releases at the time. They are clearly on a set and you can be taken out of the narrative.

In the end despite its flaws, It is worth a watch. This miniseries was daring in its day and that effort shows and helps make it re-watchable decades later. I say watch it!