"It" (1990) TV mini-series 1990-

Director:

Tommy Lee Wallace

Writers (WGA):

Stephen King (novel)
Lawrence D. Cohen (teleplay) (part I)
(more)

Seasons:

1

Release Date:

18 November 1990 (USA)

Genre:

Drama | Horror | Mystery | Thriller

Tagline:

Your every fear - all in one deadly enemy.

Plot:

In 1960, seven outcast kids known as "The Loser Club" fight an evil demon who poses as a child-killing clown. 30 years later, they are called back to fight the same clown again.

Plot Keywords:

Clown | Children | Bully | Demon | 1960s

Awards:

Won Primetime Emmy. Another 1 win & 2 nominations

Cast

Jonathan Brandis	...	Bill Denbrough - Age 12 / ... (2 episodes, 1990)
Brandon Crane	...	Ben Hanscom - Age 12 / ... (2 episodes, 1990)
Adam Faraizl	...	Eddie Kaspbrak - Age 12 / ... (2 episodes, 1990)
Tim Curry	...	Pennywise (2 episodes, 1990)
Emily Perkins	...	Beverly Marsh - Age 12 / ... (2 episodes, 1990)
Marlon Taylor	...	Mike Hanlon - Age 12 / ... (2 episodes, 1990)
Seth Green	...	Richie Tozier - Age 12 (2 episodes, 1990)
Ben Heller	...	Stanley Uris - Age 12 / ... (2 episodes, 1990)
Harry Anderson	...	Richie Tozier (2 episodes, 1990)
Dennis Christopher	...	Eddie Kaspbrak (2 episodes, 1990)
Richard Masur	...	Stanley Uris (2 episodes, 1990)
Annette O'Toole	...	Beverly Marsh (2 episodes, 1990)
Tim Reid	...	Mike Hanlon (2 episodes, 1990)
John Ritter	...	Ben Hanscom (2 episodes, 1990)
Richard Thomas	...	Bill Denbrough (2 episodes, 1990)
Chelan Simmons	...	Laurie Anne Winterbarger (2 episodes, 1990)

Series Directed by
Tommy Lee Wallace		(unknown episodes)

Series Writing credits
Lawrence D. Cohen		(unknown episodes)
Stephen King		(unknown episodes)
Tommy Lee Wallace		(unknown episodes)

Series Produced by
Mark Bacino	....	associate producer (unknown episodes)
Allen S. Epstein	....	executive producer (unknown episodes)
Jim Green	....	executive producer (unknown episodes)
Matthew O'Connor	....	supervising producer (unknown episodes)

Series Original Music by
Richard Bellis		(unknown episodes)

Series Cinematography by
Richard Leiterman		(unknown episodes)

Series Film Editing by
David Blangsted		(unknown episodes)
Robert F. Shugrue		(unknown episodes)

Series Casting by
Victoria Burrows		(unknown episodes)
Mark Tillman		(unknown episodes)

Series Production Design by
Douglas Higgins		(unknown episodes)

Series Art Direction by
Eric Fraser		(unknown episodes)

Series Set Decoration by
Sandy Arthur		(unknown episodes)

Series Costume Design by
Monique Prudhomme		(unknown episodes)

Series Makeup Department
Donna Bis	....	hair stylist supervisor (unknown episodes)
Susan Boyd	....	assistant hair stylist (unknown episodes)
Jayne Dancose	....	makeup artist (unknown episodes)
Eryn Krueger Mekash	....	special makeup effects artist (unknown episodes)
Bart Mixon	....	special makeup effects artist (unknown episodes)
Sydney Silvert	....	makeup artist (unknown episodes)
Jo-Anne Smith-Ojeil	....	assistant special makeup effects (unknown episodes)

Series Production Management
George Horie	....	unit production manager (unknown episodes)

Series Second Unit Director or Assistant Director
Patrice Leung	....	first assistant director (unknown episodes)
Sandra Mayo	....	second assistant director (unknown episodes)

Series Art Department
Craig Henderson	....	construction coordinator (unknown episodes)
Hank Mayo	....	concept designer (unknown episodes)
Ignacio McBurney	....	on set dresser (unknown episodes)
Dan Platt	....	sculptor (unknown episodes)
Aaron Sims	....	character designer (unknown episodes)
Grant Swain	....	property master (unknown episodes)

Series Sound Department
Joe Campana	....	assistant sound editor (unknown episodes)
Al Gomez	....	foley mixer (unknown episodes)
Ted Johnston	....	sound effects editor (unknown episodes)
Richard Patton	....	production sound mixer (unknown episodes)
Tom Ruff	....	sound re-recording mixer (unknown episodes)
Clancy T. Troutman	....	sound designer (unknown episodes)
James G. Williams	....	sound re-recording mixer (unknown episodes)

Series Special Effects by
John Deall	....	special effects crew (2 episodes, 1990)
Bob Comer	....	animatronics (unknown episodes)
John Thomas	....	special effects coordinator (unknown episodes)

Series Visual Effects by
David Emerson	....	optical camera (unknown episodes)
Michael Joyce	....	model shop supervisor (unknown episodes)
Bret Mixon	....	roto supervisor (unknown episodes)
Tim Scannell	....	rotoscope artist / camera operator (unknown episodes)
Gene Warren Jr.	....	special visual effects supervisor: Fantasy II (unknown episodes)

Series Stunts
Kevin J. Andruschak	....	stunt double (unknown episodes)
Ken Kirzinger	....	stunts (unknown episodes)
Michael Langlois	....	stunts (unknown episodes)
Mike Mitchell	....	stunts (unknown episodes)
Jacob Rupp	....	stunts (unknown episodes)

Series Camera and Electrical Department
John Clothier	....	Steadicam operator (unknown episodes)
Chris Helcermanas-Benge	....	still photographer (unknown episodes)
Nick Kuchera	....	key grip (unknown episodes)
Jeff Upton	....	gaffer (unknown episodes)
Peter F. Woeste	....	camera operator (unknown episodes)

Series Casting Department
Sid Kozak	....	casting: Canada (unknown episodes)
Louise Mackiewicz	....	extras casting assistant (unknown episodes)

Series Editorial Department
Ulla Hoeller	....	assistant editor (unknown episodes)
Nigel Hollick	....	assistant editor: Canada (unknown episodes)
Reine-Claire	....	assistant editor (unknown episodes)
Bob Shugrue Jr.	....	assistant editor (unknown episodes)

Series Music Department
John Beal	....	music supervisor (unknown episodes)
Jimmy Bryant	....	orchestrator (unknown episodes)
Ray Colcord	....	musician: synthesizer (unknown episodes)
Craig Pettigrew	....	supervising music editor (unknown episodes)

Series Transportation Department
Lawrence Albright	....	driver (unknown episodes)

Series Other crew
Ted Bauman	....	location manager (unknown episodes)
Jean Bereziuk	....	script supervisor (unknown episodes)
Jodi Duncan	....	stand-in (unknown episodes)
Jeff Gaffin	....	accounting executive (unknown episodes)
Gretchen Goode	....	production coordinator (unknown episodes)

Production Companies

• Green/Epstein Productions
• Konigsberg/Sanitsky Company
• Lorimar Television
• Warner Bros. Television

Distributors

• American Broadcasting Company (ABC) (1990) (USA) (TV) (original airing)
• Argentina Video Home (1991) (Argentina) (VHS)
• Warner Home Video (1993) (USA) (video) (laserdisc)
• Warner Home Video (1998) (Netherlands) (VHS)
• Warner Home Video (1998) (USA) (VHS)
• Argentina Video Home (1999) (Argentina) (DVD)
• Argentina Video Home (1999) (Argentina) (VHS) (re-release)
• Warner Home Video (2002) (USA) (DVD)
• Warner Home Video (2003) (Netherlands) (DVD)
• Fazer Musiikki Oy/Fazer Video (1991) (Finland) (VHS)
• Mainostelevisio (MTV3) (2003) (Finland) (TV)
• Sandrew Metronome Distribution (2003) (Finland) (DVD)
• Warner Home Video (2003) (Germany) (DVD)
• Warner Home Video (????) (Spain) (VHS)
• Warner Home Vídeo (????) (Brazil) (VHS)

Special Effects

• Fantasy II Film Effects (special visual effects) (as Fantasy II)

Other Companies

• Clancy's Sound Vibrations  sound supervision

Also Known As:

"Stephen King's It" - USA (complete title)

Runtime:

192 min | Australia:168 min (25 fps) | Germany:182 min (25 fps) (2 parts) | Spain:179 min (25 fps) | Sweden:181 min (25 fps) | Argentina:190 min

Country:

USA | Canada

Language:

English

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.33 : 1

Sound Mix:

Stereo

Certification:

Australia:M | Canada:13+ (Quebec) (video rating) | Finland:K-16 | Germany:16 | Singapore:PG | Spain:13 | Sweden:15 | UK:15 | Argentina:13 | Iceland:16 | Netherlands:12 (DVD rating) | South Korea:12 | USA:Not Rated | USA:TV-14 (TV rating) | Portugal:M/16 | Ireland:18 | Canada:14 (Nova Scotia) (video rating) | Canada:PG (DVD rating)

Filming Locations:

Buntzen Lake, Anmore, British Columbia, Canada

Company:

Green/Epstein Productions

Trivia:

When the typewriter types out "He thrusts his fists against the posts and still insists he sees the ghosts" over and over, that's probably an homage to Jack Nicholson typing out "All work and no play makes Jack a dull boy" over and over in The Shining (1980).

Goofs:

Errors made by characters (possibly deliberate errors by the filmmakers): The first time Stan recites the entire Boy Scout Oath, he misses the line "To obey the Scout Law". This line goes between the lines "To do my duty to God and my country" and "To help other people at all times".

Quotes:

Mike:...If you want to see Henry Bowers, you'll find him up at Juniper Hills.
Bev Marsh:Ever since the trial where he confessed to all the murders of all the children.
Ben Hanscom:He was down there with us, down there in the sewer.
Richie Tozier:That creep was going to kill Stan.
Eddie Kaspbrak:He was going to kill us all.
Bill Denbrough:I remember when they pulled him out, his hair had turned white...
Ben Hanscom:He was babbling about a bright light...
Bev Marsh:...and a clown.
Mike:And no one believed him.
Bill Denbrough:Except when he said that he murdered all the kids.

Movie Connections:

Referenced in "Welshy Reviews: Killjoy (#1.7)" (2011)

Solid adaptation of a great book

This is a very entertaining made for TV mini-series. It does a good job at jamming a book with more than 1000 pages into 2x90 minutes movie running time. The most important parts have been adopted, unnecessary fat was thrown out, little amandments have been made, sometimes for better, sometimes for worse. The writers really tried to remain faithful to the novel and even mentioned side characters or story lines in short sentences for those who have read the book. The coolest thing, however, is that director Tommy Lee Wallace somehow managed to transfer that unique spirit of nostalgia, friendship and fear into his movie. Of course, the incredible cast deserves a lot of credit for that, too. Amazingly the child actors of part 1 upstage their adult companion pieces of part 2. The greatest performance of all, however, is given by Tim Curry, who really gives "It" a face, and a very scary one. He makes this movie what it is. In my opinion, it's the role of Curry's career, even outshining his part in "The Rocky Horror Picture Show".

Now for the bad sides of "It": as a made for TV project this movie obviously couldn't get too graphic and violent and that's a bit of a pity. Stephen King's book is awfully graphic and the movie would have been twice as scary if they had shown a bit more gore. Mostly Pennywise just appears and shows his sharp teeth and that gets lame after a while. The other big minus of this film is its ending. It has to be said that the ending in the book is so bizarre it's unlikely it could ever look good on celluloid. Still, those crappy special effects were just disappointing and made me (and everyone else I know) go: "Is that what I've been waiting for the last 3 hours? That is the big climax?"

Bottom line is that for a TV movie with such strict time limits "It" did a very good job at bringing this scary book to life. Nevertheless, I think the story should be retold properly and turned into a mini-series à la "Twin Peaks". The only problem is that it's going to be hard to find someone who can fill Tim Curry's giant clown shoes.