August 10 - It

Today’s film is a horror movie with a scene that happens on August 10. Watch it tonight and enjoy.

IT

Six kids have been murdered in Derry, Maine. This makes Mike Hanlon think ‘It” has returned. He calls Bill, a writer, who flashes back to the murder of his brother Georgie in 1956 by Pennywise the evil clown. Mike also calls Ben, now a successful New York artist, who used to be fat and bullied by the local gang. Ben ‘saw’ his dead father in the marsh transform into Pennywise. Mike also calls Eddie, who runs a limo company and has asthma, Pennywise tried to attack him in the shower. Mike calls Bev, the only girl in the group, who has become a famous fashion designer, she recalls seeing blood spurt out of her sink, which her father could not see. Mike calls Ritchie, now a well known stand up comedian. He encountered Pennywise in the school basement. In 1958 these six and Stan had come together in the “losers club’. Together their discussions, and a photo album that comes to life, had revealed that they and not the adults in town had an awareness of the existence of ‘It” an evil being that appears every thirty years and kills children. They draw strength from each other and enter the sewers, where “It” lives. The bullies follow. They grab Stan, but one of them is grabbed by “It”  and another driven insane. Stan is later grabbed by “It”, but it is injured when Bev shoots it with a projectile made out of a silver earring. They leave the tunnels on August 10, 1958 and swear to return if It ever returns. [1:25:00 to 1:26:25] After Mike calls him, Stan suicides. All but Stan arrive and have a vision of Pennyworth. The have dinner to discuss plans. Bowers, the bully, who had gone crazy, had confessed to all the killings and been committed. He now escapes. Audra, Bill’s wife stupidly comes to Derry and is captured by Pennyworth. Bowers attacks Mike, who kills him, but is injured. Bill, Ben, Bev, Ritchie and Eddie go into the tunnels. They track it to its lair and after Bev shots it again with silver they kill it. Audra is found in a catatonic like state. Ben and Bev get married. Audra finally starts to recover.

                       

A very scary story. The more so for leaving the terror to your imagination. Good use of flashbacks to gradually reveal the story.      

It  by Stephen King (Viking, New York, 1986) at pages 1110-1113 gives the date

Director - Tommy Lee Wallace

Producers - Mark Basino,  Allen S. Epstein and Jim Green

Screenplay - Lawrence D. Cohen and  Tommy Lee Wallace

Awards - The film won the Outstanding Achievement in Music Composition for a Miniseries or a Special (Dramatic Underscore) and Outstanding Editing for a Miniseries or a Special - Single Camera Production Emmys.

Released  - November 18, 1990

Running time - 192 minutes

Starring -

Tim Curry as Pennywise the Dancing Clown

Harry Anderson as Richie Tozier

Dennis Christopher as Eddie Kaspbrak

Richard Masur as Stan Uris

Annette O'Toole as Beverly Marsh

Tim Reid as Mike Hanlon

John Ritter as Ben Hanscom

Richard Thomas as Bill Denbrough

Michael Cole as Henry Bowers

Jonathan Brandis as Young Bill Denbrough

Brandon Crane as Young Ben Hanscom

Adam Faraizl as Young Eddie Kaspbrak

Seth Green as Young Richie Tozier

Ben Heller as Young Stan Uris

Emily Perkins as Young Beverly Marsh

Marlon Taylor as Young Mike Hanlon

Jarred Blancard as Young Henry Bowers

Drum Garrett as Belch Huggins

Gabe Khouth as Patrick Hockstetter

Frank C. Turner as Alvin "Al" Marsh

Olivia Hussey as Audra Phillips Denbrough

Sheila Moore as Ms. Sonya Kaspbrak

Donna Peerless as Miss Douglas

Florence Patterson as Mrs. Kersh

Tony Dakota as Georgie Denbrough

Chelan Simmons as Laurie Ann

Laura Harris as Loni

Copyright by Ivan Walters in 2014.