Halloween 2017 - OUTRO

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"IT" and "IT (2017)" are pretty special since they both balance each other out. What one does really well the other does rather poorly, and what one does rather poorly the other one does really well.

I remember watching "IT" when I was an impressionable little kid so, of course, it scared me quite a bit but not because of Pennywise. I never found clowns scary, nor anything else in the movie, but the tone and the way the movie was edited and paced irked me and got under my skin. It's kind of weird but, even to this day, I find the scene where they are looking at the book and Pennywise becomes alive in the photograph utterly terrifying. Maybe it's because it happens so suddenly that it leaves me no time to breathe or analyse what's going on. Looking back to it, just as with many other horror movies from this time, the movie hasn't aged well at all. It's very hokey and pretty silly, especially when the giant stop-motion spider shows up, but it's still a very personable film (I know it's a mini-series but I've always saw it as a full feature). It's consistent through and through and it makes good use of it's rather laughable source material.

Comparing the original "IT" to "IT (2017)" is kind of pointless, since the newest version is only half a movie and we kind of know where things are going, but despite all of its shortcomings it still manages to stand on its own without needing the 90's version. It tries way too hard, however. Don't get me wrong, I don't regret going to see it but I was never scared or disturbed at any moment. I remember only jumping in my seat once, and it wasn't even that much of a jump, it was more like a light bump. Everything else is set up so over the top and so loud and noisy that the scares did nothing for me. This doesn't mean it's a worse movie, far from it. The characters are a lot better and the actors they've picked to play them are all great. I even liked the approach they did with the bully, even if they tried too hard to make him look like Kieffer Sutherland (which is odd because this isn't "Stand by Me"). Also, and with all due respect to Tim Curry, I liked this Pennywise better. This Pennywise is fun, and quirky, and while he's still pretty silly he still looks terrifying enough to come across as an intimidating creature. And most important of all, he changes forms in a fluid and escalating way, increasing how much of a threat he is.

Both "IT" and "IT (2017)" are pretty alright horror movies, that compensate the shortcomings from the source material with either charisma and good editing, or likeable characters and a good monster. Neither is better than the other, and both are good fun to pop in around this time of the year.

As for a discussion piece for the comments, I'd like to bring up the issue of remakes. Do you think we're taking it too far and remaking too many IPs, or is it a good way to ease people into ideas that haven't aged all that well? Do you think we've reached remake peak or are there other things worth remaking? And since there seems to be nothing stopping them, where do you think is the limit to remaking a movie?

Please, let me know what you think of it in the comments. I appreciate and every single one I receive.

Thank you!

You can check the update on Movie Slate's blog right here.