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A nightmarish monster with a clown's appearance lurks on this striking poster for Tommy Lee Wallace's It
A group of seven friends from the town Derry in Maine need to revisit their birthplace as adults to once again slay the mystical evil that resides in its sewer system...
It is written by Lawrence D. Cohen (Carrie (1976)) and co-writer/director Tommy Lee Wallace (Halloween III: Season of the Witch (1982)), adapting the same-titled 1986 novel by Stephen King (Roadwork (1981)).
It is a recommendable and entertaining horror miniseries, though mostly due to King's eminent story and ideas. The execution is structured very like a TV series with cliffhangers and annoying fade cuts.
The acting performances are a mixed bag, except for Tim Curry's (Gingerclown (2013)) spectacular turn as Pennywise the clown. The novel has had significant trimmings done to make it serviceable to broadcasting, but Wallace's It is still a haunting and admirable work.
[It was first broadcast 18 November (USA; Brazil) and runs two episodes totaling 192 minutes. The budget was reportedly double the norm for a miniseries at the time. Shooting took place from May - July 1990 in British Columbia, including in Vancouver, New York and in Chicago, Illinois. The show performed excellently at ABC, totaling 30 mil. viewers, becoming the network's biggest hit of the year. It also drew huge viewership of more than 6 mil. when first screened in the UK on BBC One in 1994. It won 1/2 Primetime Emmy nominations. Wallace returned with And the Sea Will Tell (1991, TV movie). Curry returned with a voice performance in TaleSpin (1990, TV-series) and physically and theatrically in Oscar (1991); Richard Thomas (Billions (2017-19)) in Mission of the Shark: The Saga of the U.S.S. Indianapolis (1991, TV movie); and Jonathan Brandis (Aladdin (1994-95)) in Gabriel's Fire (1991, TV-series). It is fresh at 68 % with a 6.0/10 critical average at Rotten Tomatoes.]
+ Best Gore Movie of the Year + Best Horror Movie of the Year
Bill Skarsgård's iconic, snowy-white and blood-red makeup makes up this effective poster for Andy Muschietti's It Chapter Two
27 years after the events of It (2017), the kids that made up the Losers' Club in small town Derry, Maine, are called back to live up to their old oath, as it turns out that the town's clownish evil has returned.
It Chapter Two is written by returning Gary Dauberman (The Nun (2018)), adapting Stephen King's (Christine (1983)) same-titled 1986 novel, and directed by returning, great Argentinian filmmaker Andy Muschietti (Mama (2013)). Among the year's most anticipated titles due to the runaway success of the first film, a full-throttle, scary major horror film that audiences realized as rare and consequently flocked gleefully to, It Chapter Two has a lot to live up to. It doesn't disappoint, - although it doesn't reach the thrilling heights of its predecessor, either. This is because a killer clown is fundamentally more scary in relation to children or juveniles, (as are other monsters), and here they are mostly attacking grownups. Also the effects and scare tactics just work best the first time around. Then there's the film's super-length, which is certainly noteworthy, - when did you watch a nearly 3-hour horror movie last, right? The film manages to stay lively through its grandiose running time impressively well, SPOILER although its underground lair culmination, which sees It turn into a giant spider-like monster, isn't really scary. Neither is the much-hyped scene that supposedly uses more movie blood than any other in film history (true or not), again probably because it victimizes the able actress whom the film has already repeatedly attacked for 2½ hours before this happens. The cast is stellar and their likeness to their younger counterparts are flabbergasting, - and probably helped along with digital effects magic, (the young actors also reapppear in flashbacks, and new de-aging digital technology has been utilized to make them seem almost identical to their performances two years ago.) Bill Hader (The Disappearance of Eleanor Rigby: Him (2013)) stands out: He is given the part of comedian Rich Tozier (comedian-turned-actor Hader slips ably into a different avenue here), and though the character is given too many lines that start with; 'What the f*ck', 'No f*cking way' and 'I am not f*cking ...', Hader and Finn Wolfhard (Dog Days (2018)) as young Richie also have strong scenes that imply Richie's secret adolescent crush on pal Eddie. Bill Skarsgård (Allegiant (2016)) returns as the creepy, child-eating clown Pennywise in the film's central part. The best alternate, memorable shapes of It in the new film include an attacking old lady and a chained-up, leprosy-infested goon. It Chapter Two opens with intensely negative fury: SPOILER Master (gay) filmmaker Xavier Dolan (Mommy (2014)) begged for a part in the sequel and got one as a young gay male getting beaten up by homophobic youths and thrown in the Derry river, then eaten by Pennywise. Jessica Chastain (Stolen (2009)) portrays adult Beverly, and as the film opens we see that she has replaced her incestuous, violent father with a wife-beating husband. These tragic things happen in real life all the time and It insists upon this. SPOILER But the film closes up with the antithesis, a wealth of positivity, which still ties naturally to the strong story, and the result is nothings short of moving: Not least Chastain's getting together with fellow 'loser' Ben (Jay Ryan (Lou (2010)). There's a nice irony in the fact that the losers' club outcasts of Derry have all, - save for Mike Hanlon, who stayed behind to watch and learn about what happened, and who is the one to call them all back, - have all become highly successful individuals, seen from the outside. SPOILER The film also has enjoyable surprise cameos from master filmmaker Peter Bogdanovich (The Last Picture Show (1971)) and King himself. Following It, the highest-grossing horror film of all time (maybe until now), It Chapter Two understandably throws in everything but the kitchen sink in its attempt to best the first effort and exceed it. It is a loud monster of a train coming through, based on King's terrific fantasy horror tale, a wild carnival of ghouls.
Cost: Reportedly 60-70 mil. $ Box office: Not known yet = Not known yet [It Chapter Two premiered 26 August (Los Angeles, California) and runs 169 minutes. Shooting took place in Chicago, Illinois, British Columbia and in Ontario, including Toronto, from June - October 2018. The film has broken the advance ticket sale record for a horror film in North America, where it is expected to take in 90-100 mil. $ in its first weekend right now. SPOILER Muschietti has denied that Pennywise could return after the ending of the film, - but he has indicated that prequels could be made, as It in King's novel is said to have existed in Derry for a million years. Muschietti is rumored to return with The Flash and more sure to return with manga adaptation Attack on Titan. Skarsgård returns in The Devil All the Time (2020); Chastain in actioner Eve; James McAvoy (Glass (2019)) in His Dark Materials (2019, TV-series); and Hader with a voice performance in The Dark Crystal: Age of Resistance (2019, TV-series) and theatrically in Disney Christmas comedy Noelle (2019). It Chapter Two is fresh at 71 % with a 6.38/10 critical average at Rotten Tomatoes.] What do you think of It Chapter Two?
+ Best Adaptation of the Year + Best Horror Movie of the Year + Best Mega-hit Movie of the Year + Best Villain of the Year: Pennywise the Clown (Bill Skarsgård)
If you look into the red balloon on this poster for Andy Muschietti's It, you will see a hint of the film's terrifying villain
Derby, a New England town in 1988: A young boy goes missing during a heavy rain, seemingly lost into the sewer system. Months later, a group of friends band around the boy's big brother after each suffering similar, menacing experiences, wanting to expose and defeat the strange evil that haunts the town. It is the second adaptation of one of Stephen King's (The Running Man (1982)) most horrifying novels, the 1986 book of the same title, following the 1990 miniseries version by Tommy Lee Wallace. It is written by Chase Palmer (Shock and Awe (2004), short), Cary Fukunaga (Beasts of No Nation (2015)) and Gary Dauberman (Annabelle: Creation (2017)) and directed by great Argentinian filmmaker Andy Muschietti (Mama (2013)). The story has been relocated from the 1950s to the late 1980s, a smart move probably made in order to make it more relatable and relevant to younger audiences today. The time is evocatively recreated with clothes, products and culture, such as one fine montage to a famous song (Six Different Ways) by The Cure. The new version bests the also quite good and haunting miniseries and joins the ranks with some of the best King adaptations to date: I would place it after The Shining (1980) and Stand By Me (1986), and possibly The Shawshank Redemption (1994), but probably ahead of other great adaptations like Carrie (1976), Misery (1990) and Dolores Claiborne (1995). Muschietti's It is completely unfit for children; it is a violently intense and terrifying horror attack of a kind that only rarely comes around. The last instance of a major-studio, relatively big-budgeted horror of such high quality was James Wan's The Conjuring (2013). Audiences realize this and are flocking to see It right now for that very reason. Bill Skarsgård (Atomic Blonde (2017)) is likely to become a household name off the performance he delivers here as Pennywise the Dancing Clown, which is nothing short of haunting. It veers from Tim Curry's fine turn in the miniseries in ways that are hard to describe; Skarsgård's Pennywise is less verbal and human; instead he is more animalic, demonic and malignant. The crafting of the look - or looks - of Pennywise are also first rate and impossible not to get fascinated with. More than anything, the few minutes we spend with Pennywise here are what will make people go back and see It again and again in days, months and years to come, as they hold some undeniable, freakish appeal. The film has several attacks that are effective and terrifying. They are thrown upon adolescents whose lives are already fraught with peril: We are led in on the family situations of two of them, who struggle with bad parents, and they are all targeted by the school's violent bullies, led by an intensely hateful Nicholas Hamilton (Captain Fantastic (2016)). It in this way doesn't reflect a philosophy where kids become adults through peaceful progress and appropriation, but rather the opposite: Kids grow into adults through often violent processes, transgressive experiences and frightening realizations, - just as in King's book. One especially transgressive, strange and shocking scene from King's novel, (readers of it probably remember it), is also sacrificed in this adaptation, likely for more than one reason. Some critics have tried singling out the film as a coming-of-age story, which is mostly merited as a drama, - which is ridiculous. The coming-of-age here is the motor of the horror; the kids' daring and curiosity spark their gory entering into adulthood. It is gory and filled with spectacular and nightmarish effects that are more appropriate here than was the case in the somewhat overstuffed ending of Muschietti's otherwise scary previous horror, Mama. The sound work is also fierce and affecting. The group of kids that portray The Losers' Club do well. Relying on so many child performances is tricky, and not everyone is superb all the time, but they generally do very well, and some deserve singling out: Jaeden Lieberher (The Book of Henry (2017)) is the pro in the bunch, and he makes a fine Bill. Jeremy Ray Taylor (Geostorm (2017)) gives a brave and winning performance as the big kid Ben, and Sophia Ellis (37 (2016)) is endearing and powerful as Beverly, who has the worst home situation of the bunch, which the film to its credit doesn't shy away from.
Cost: 35 mil. $ Box office: 209.9 mil. $ and counting = Too early to say (but already a huge hit) [It premiered 29 August (Film4 Frightfest, UK) and runs 135 minutes. Development started in 2009 with David Kajganich slated to direct. Later Cary Fukunaga took over and developed a script that booked Will Poulter as Pennywise and used personal memories from Fukunaga's childhood. But his vision also clashed with New Line's plans, and Muschietti was approached. Filming took place from June - September 2016 in Bangor, Maine and in Ontario, Canada, including in Toronto. Skarsgård was kept away from the shoot for the first weeks and didn't interact much with the child actors during production in order for them to be genuinely scared of him. The film opened #1 to an astonishingly huge 123.4 mil. $ first weekend in North America, becoming the biggest horror opening ever as well as the biggest September opening to date. The colossal novel is planned as two films with Muschietti scheduled to return to direct the second film. It is certified fresh at 86 % with a 7.2 critical average at Rotten Tomatoes.] What do you think of It?
Marlene Dietrich was made a star by the film, and Emil Jannings ended his time as a star after Joseph von Sternberg's Der Blaue Engel
QUICK REVIEW: We are in a German provincial town, where we follow a high-school teacher, who, - in an attempt to correct his students, - strays into the men's club Der Blaue Engel, where the beautiful Lola Lola sings and dances. The quaint, bespectacled man's downfall from then on is one of film history's hardest, most profoundly sad tragedies. The current IMDb-review's caption for the film is, 'Humiliation, Degradation, Despair', and it seems a fitting one. Engel is a truly bleak film. The teacher is grippingly portrayed by the great, German actor Emil Jannings, who won the Best Actor Oscar in 1929 for his performances in The Last Command (1928) and The Way of All Flesh (1927), but later did Nazi-propaganda and was an active Nazi himself. Marlene Dietrich (Touch of Evil (1958)) achieved international stardom with her part as the depraved whore Lola Lola, whom she plays and sings with great feeling and authenticity. The film is reportedly the first, major German sound picture, and it was shot simultaneously in German and English for commercial purposes. The English version is the least viewed of the two, and I'm glad that I didn't see the wonderful actors struggle with the foreign tongue, when I saw it. Visually, with photography by Günther Rittau (Metropolis (1927)), Engel is underplayed, unsensational in often sneakily long shots, ending in the SPOILER almost traumatizing clown performance and the clown's final return to his empty classroom. Alas and alack, by that time the film has pierced your heart through and through seven ways from Friday. Austrian-Hungarian director Joseph von Sternberg (Dishonored (1931)) left Germany permanently, as so many of his other great colleagues at the time, after Der Blaue Engel, because of the hostile climate there. He carried on a long affair with Dietrich, cast her in 6 of his films in all and got divorced from his wife because of her. The film was remade in Hollywood in 1959 byEdward Dmytryk, but there seems to be little reason to look up this version.
The inimitable Emil Jannings towards the tragic end of Der Blaue Engel
Watch the lengthy, original trailer for the must-watch here, (unfortunately in unsubtitled German)
Budget: Unknown Box office: Unknown = Unknown What do you think of Der Blaue Engel? Any other similarly harsh tragedies from the era that you can recommend?
