It (2017) A review by Shlomoh Sherman October 25, 2017

It (2017) Director: Andy Muschietti Writers: Chase Palmer & Cary Fukunaga (screenplay) Stars: Bill Skarsgård, Jaeden Lieberher, Finn Wolfhard Plot Keywords: clown - based on novel - sadism - supernatural - supernatural power Plot Synopsis: A group of bullied kids band together when a shapeshifting demon, taking the appearance of a clown, begins hunting children. Genre: Drama - Fantasy - Horror Taglines: We all float down here! Motion Picture Rating: (MPAA) Rated R for violence/horror, bloody images, and for language See Parents Guide for this film below Official Sites: http://itthemovie.com/, https://www.facebook.com/ITMovie/, https://www.instagram.com/itmovieofficial/, https://twitter.com/ITMovieOfficial Country: USA - Canada Language: English Release Date: September 8, 2017 (USA) Filming Locations: Toronto, Ontario, Canada, Bangor, Maine, USA Box Office: Budget: $35,000,000 (estimated) Opening Weekend: AUD 7,467,255 (Australia) (September 10, 2017) Company Credits: Production Co: New Line Cinema, KatzSmith Productions, Lin Pictures Technical Specs: Runtime: 135 min Sound Mix: Dolby Digital - Dolby Atmos - DTS (DTS: X)- Dolby Surround 7.1 Color: Color Award: Golden Trailer Awards 2017 - Best Horror Movie, New Line Cinema

Review: I've been a fan of Stephen King for many years. There was a time during which I would read his every newly published book. But somehow, he became too prolific for me to be able to catch up. Besides, I later became enamored with his contemporary, Dean Kuntz, whose books have much more idealized, hopeful endings. IT was always one of my favorite King stories. Having read the book, I was pleasantly surprised to find out that the book was being turned into a TV miniseries. I will say that the miniseries was excellently done. Although scripted by different writers, there are many similarities between the 1990 series written by Lawrence D. Cohen and the 2017 movie written by Chase Palmer and Cary Fukunaga. There are also significant differences. Most of you reading this are, of course, already familiar with the plot. But for those few of you who are not, I give you IMDB's outline. It -- In the summer of 1989, seven children come together and become a club creating an unbreakable force and bond. Using this bond the children dubbed 'The Losers Club' fight to save their town of Derry [Maine] from an eponymous being that can shapeshift into the children's greatest fears, commonly in the form of a clown named Pennywise whose mission is to kill and devour children. Throughout their summer of excitement and fear, they face several personal troubles with bullies, family, and confidence. I watched this film very closely and what I ascertained from the 2017 film, I had missed in the 1990 series, and that is: long before the appearance of the evil clown, these seven children had been victims of their own personal monsters. Each of the children has at least one parent whose treatment of him and her can only be described as abusive. Bill Denbrough, the unofficial leader of the Losers, suffers the tragic death of his younger brother, Georgie. When Georgie is dragged down a sewer drain by an evil entity, the tone of the story is set. Bill suffers guilt for making a paper boat for Georgie which the kid takes out to the street to play with. The boat floats down the street and falls into the sewer drain. Here is where Georgie [and the audience] first encounter Pennywise, and here is where Georgie meets his death. Bill also suffers from a stuttering disorder for which he is mocked by the town bullies. He is also the victim of his father's wrath brought on by the death of Georgie. Eddie Kaspbrak is a hypochondriac, suffering from what he believes is asthma. He later discovers that his overbearing mother is the true source of his hypochondria. Stan Uris is the son of a rabbi. He is studying for his BAR MITZVAH, learning his HAFTORAH which is a section of the Prophets that a BAR MITSVAH reads on the Sabbath closest to his 13th birthday. It is not merely read but chanted in melodies which reach back thousands of years. Stan's father is upset that he is not doing very well in his studies, indicting him with being more interested in spending time with his friends than living up to his religious obligations. Beverly Marsh is a girl ostracized over rumors of promiscuity. In truth, she has been sexually abused by her father for a long time. Benjamin Hanscom is a new kid at school and consequently does not have any friends. He likes reading and researching so he spends a lot of time in the library. He is also very overweight. Ben is bullied at school. Richard Tozier is a bespectacled best friend of Bill Denbrough. His loud mouth and foul language often get him into trouble Michael Hanlon is an African American homeschool student and outsider. Orphaned in a fire and raised by his stern grandfather, he is reluctant to take up the family trade as a butcher. Aside from each having to deal with an overbearing parent, as a group, they are beset and harassed by the bully, Henry Bowers, and his gang. In spite of all the difficulties of their own personal victimization, it is these seven children who join forces to defeat the monstrous clown. Watching the film, I realized for the first time that none of the adults in Derry are aware of the presence of the monster, and the children do not tell the elders. The film takes marvelous advantage of CGI, unavailable to the 1990 series. The film also rightly is given a R rating due to its use of profanity, the F-bomb being liberally dropped by the children to express their anger and frustration at their life situation. Both Bill Skarsgård and Tim Curry have given us their own interpretation of Pennywise, each significantly his own. The evil in Curry's Pennywise is gleeful. You can sense a substratum of giggling throughout his performance. The evil in Skarsgard's Pennywise is entirely nasty and malicious. He absolutely hates the children, probably because their own innocence is a counterpoint and disavowal of evil. As the film draws to a close, you realize that only half the story is being told. In the final moments of the movie, Beverly informs the group of a vision she had while catatonic, where she saw them fighting the creature as adults. The Losers swear a blood oath that they will return to Derry as adults if It returns and destroy the creature once and for all. Beverly tells Bill she is leaving the next day to live with her aunt in Portland. Before she leaves, Bill reveals his feelings of love and they kiss. On the screen, the title appears: IT: CHAPTER ONE For those who have read King's book, the character of Pennywise does not appear as much as we might expect. In fact, some have noted that his appearance is minimal. Instead, we hear the kids TALK about Pennywise, and IT appears to the kids in different forms other than that of the clown; mostly in the image that each kid fears the most. King lets us know that the town of Derry is one plagued by violence, unusual for a town of its size. Every 27 years, especially the crime rate soars. Rape, incest, breaking and entering, auto theft, child abuse, spouse abuse, and assault reach their peak. Quoting King, "Derry was cold, Derry was hard. Derry didn't give much of a shit if any of them lived or died ... Derryfolk had lived with Pennywise in all of his guises for a long time ... and maybe, in some mad way, they had even come to understand him. To like him, need him, LOVE him? Maybe. Yes, maybe even that too." [Source: https://books.google.com/books?id=rwXN_57dZhAC&pg=PA110&lpg=PA110& dq=Derry+is+a+town+of+violence+and+identified+with+It&source=bl&ots=H-UGtuRAP4& amp;sig=htMM2ptJ1dPKczlAlnbMcBQrtzA&hl=en&sa=X&ved= 0ahUKEwjZoL3U8onXAhXJi1QKHRS4ARsQ6AEIPzAD#v=onepage& q=Derry%20is%20a%20town%20of%20violence%20and%20identified %20with%20It&f=false] It is this aura of the everyday horror of Derry itself which probably enables Pennywise to reappear. At least one reviewer [Ryan Hollinger - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UTSnIYnj3pQ] has noted that Derry itself IS It, and its inhabitants have long been held captive in IT's embrace. This is alluded to in the description of Derry's massive sewer system which seems to stretch out endlessly. Other of King's stories set in Derry: The Body (1982), Insomnia (1994), Bag of Bones (1998), Dreamcatcher (2001), Fair Extension (2010). KUDOS to writers Chase Palmer and Cary Fukunaga who did a more than adequate job translating King's story to the screen. Not all of King's stories do well as films. Some of them are an embarrassment. KUDOS to Jaeden Lieberher as Bill Denbrough. Expect to see more of him KUDOS to Sophia Lillis as Beverly Marsh. This young actress has a beautiful smile. She handles the role with sensitivity and grace. It cannot be easy for a young actress to portray an incest abused survivor. KUDOS to Bill Skarsgård as Pennywise. He's no Tim Curry. He's more horrible which means he is great in the role. His brother, Alexander Skarsgård, is best known for his role as Eric Northman, a 1000-year-old, Viking vampire, in HBO's series, TRUE BLOOD. Many actors were considered for the role including a female actor but Skarsgård won it. Gossip is that he confided to friends that the role has caused him Pennywise nightmares and it is therefore not certain that he would reprise the role in any sequel. Over the course of weeks, I asked many friends to come with me to see the movie and every one of them declined. Even those close to me who love horror movies said that the IT movie would be too scary for them and cause them nightmares. It reminded me of when THE EXORCIST came out and there were very few people I knew who were willing to see it with me. By now, the character and image of Pennywise have become so well known that real-life professional clowns have been offended, stating that the Pennywise character will encourage people to think of clowns as scary and murderous. See Trivia below. As if clowns haven't scared many people long before Stephen King came up with the story of IT. An article at Business Insider [http://www.businessinsider.com/] asks "Does anyone really like clowns? Clowns have long been associated with a dark and disturbing history — murder, financial ruin, infidelity, and pedophilia." The entire piece is worth reading, but here is at least one historical event that contributed to a negative perception of clowns. In the '70s, John Wayne Gacy — a registered clown — was arrested for sexually assaulting and killing more than 35 young men in the Chicago area. He told investigating officers, "You know clowns can get away with murder." Gacy was executed in 1994. I will leave you with part of the September 1, 2017, review written by Rhiannon Irons (Australia). You can read his full review on IMDB website. "The IT Factor: I had the pleasure of seeing an advanced screening of IT in Brisbane. The film is absolutely brilliant. Bill Skarsgård has taken Pennywise and made the role his own. Creepy, disturbing, humorous, IT really possess the creep factor, giving audiences a new reason to fear clowns. The entire casting choices were sensational. All actors really held their own, creating a sense of comradery between the characters. Like most people, I do hold the miniseries with Tim Curry close to my heart, but after seeing this adaptation, I was beyond pleasantly surprised. So much so that upon IT being released into cinemas, I'll be back in line to see it again." There is no doubt that Stephen King is a master of storytelling, especially tales of horror. Since many of his tales involve the helplessness of children, I believe he is embedding strong social messages that speak out behind the killings and gore displayed on the screen. But unlike my other reviews, I will not urge you to see the movie unless clowns don't scare you. And to those of you willing to see it, remember - WE ALL FLOAT DOWN HERE!!!!!!!!

Did You Know? Trivia: Some filming took place in Port Hope, Ontario, Canada. This was also a filming location for another Stephen King film, the miniseries Storm of the Century (1999). Despite popular belief, Bill Skarsgård's costume is actually a more accurate depiction of Pennywise and not Tim Curry's costume. Pennywise is said to have a silver suit in the book. 27 is a number which is often associated with this story. This film was released 27 years after the original 1990 television mini-series. In the book, it is mentioned that "It" returns to Derry approximately every 27 years. Jonathan Brandis, who played young Bill in the original film, died at 27 years old. This movie was released one month after Bill Skarsgård (Pennywise) 27th birthday. The official US release date is 9/8/2017. 9+8+2+0+1+7 = 27. Although Bill Skarsgård was on set for the majority of production, he didn't actually begin filming his scenes until more than half of shooting was complete. The time before he actually started filming was spent working with Andrés Muschietti and the producers in order to perfect his mannerisms as Pennywise, as Skarsgård stated that he felt an immense amount of pressure to play the role perfectly due to Tim Curry's well-regarded performance in It (1990). The cast of the "Losers Club" were asked whom they wanted to play their adult parts: Finn Wolfhard (Richie Tozier) said Bill Hader, Sophia Lillis (Beverly Marsh) said Jessica Chastain, Chosen Jacobs (Mike Hanlon) said Chadwick Boseman, Jack Dylan Grazer (Eddie Kaspbrak) said Jake Gyllenhaal, Wyatt Oleff (Stanley Uris) said Joseph Gordon-Levitt, Jeremy Ray Taylor (Ben Hanscom) said Chris Pratt and Jaeden Lieberher (Bill Denbrough) said Christian Bale. About six months before the film was released, Stephen King (the author of the original novel) was shown a screening. Afterwards, he said that the film exceeded his expectations and that the producers had done "a wonderful job." Director Andy Muschietti kept Bill Skarsgård separate from the child actors up until they had to shoot scenes together. On the day of their first scenes together, the production staff warned the kids about how scary Skarsgård could be while in character. The kids brushed this off, claiming that they knew he was just an actor in a costume and that they were professionals and would be fine. However, when the time came for Skarsgård to be Pennywise for the scene, the kids were genuinely terrified. Grossed the largest box office record for any Horror film with $117.1 million dollar opening weekend A lot of the lines were actually improvised by the kids. Most of the Richie/Eddie banter was improvise. Jack Dylan Grazer (Eddie) actually wrote a lot of Finn Wolfhard's (Richie) jokes. Besides the opening scene in the sewer drain with Georgie, Pennywise does not blink. There were rumors at one point that Bill Skarsgård would not be returning to play Pennywise in the second film due to concerns that the role was negatively affecting his mental health. However, a week before the film was released, Skarsgård confirmed that he was officially attached to the sequel and had already began meeting with director Andy Muschietti to discuss ideas for the character and the film. John Oliver was such a fan of the novel that he was cast as an extra in this film. Oliver can be seen in the town's diner. While Bill Skarsgård declared himself a huge fan of Tim Curry in general and Curry's specific performance as Pennywise in the TV version of It (1990), he also said that he did not try to incorporate any of Curry's work into his own portrayal of Pennywise, because he felt that he could not "do Tim Curry anywhere near as well as Curry himself did" and he did not want his performance to echo this and become a distraction. The sequel, which tells the story of the Losers Club as adults, is set to be released September 6, 2019. Other actors who were rumored to play Pennywise included Johnny Depp, Tilda Swinton, Richard Armitage, Tom Hiddleston, Jackie Earle Haley, Jim Carrey, Kirk Acevedo, Willem Dafoe, Paul Giamatti, Hugo Weaving, Doug Jones and Channing Tatum. Tim Curry was offered the chance to reprise the role during early development, but turned it down. The movie posters in the background mark the passage of time throughout the summer of 1989. June(Batman (1989)), July(Lethal Weapon 2 (1989)), and August(A Nightmare on Elm Street 5: The Dream Child (1989)). Contrary to the novel, in which the children's journey with Pennywise begins in 1958, the movie will begin to follow the Losers Club from around 1989 (four years after the final encounter between the club and Pennywise in the novel) and supposedly with the second clash in the mid-2010s. The trailer for this film enraged real-life professional clowns, who stated that the Pennywise character will encourage people to think of clowns as scary and murderous (though the filmmakers and actors have said, clearly, that Pennywise is not a clown at all, but a representation of "It"'s pure evil, who takes on the form out of a mix of sadism and childishness). Rallies to defend the good name in general of clowns in the U.S. were planned following the month It (2017) was released in theaters. In order to prepare for his role as Henry Bowers, Nicholas Hamilton studied the performance of Jarred Blancard's performance of the character in It (1990). Marlon Taylor, Jarred Blancard and Brandon Crane, who played the respective roles of Mike, Henry and Ben in It (1990), all reached out to the new actors for this film (Chosen Jacobs for Taylor, Nicholas Hamilton for Blancard and Jeremy Ray Taylor for Crane) and spoke to them. They all went on to say they were very pleased with the casting and are excited to see the film. Despite Nicholas Hamilton (Henry Bowers), Logan Thompson (Victor Criss) Jake Sim (Belch Huggins) and Owen Teague (Patrick Hocksetter) having to constantly bully their co stars on set, off set they all hung out and would constantly pal around. All of the teenage cast said that they have became the very best of friends during filming. In WHO FRAMED ROGER RABBIT (1988), Judge Doom is the main villain of the film who's responsible for the death of one of the main characters. Tim Curry auditioned for the role but didn't get the part because Robert Zemeckis felt that his performance was 'too scary'. Beverly's haircut and look is modeled after the 1980s visage of Molly Ringwald, who Richie pays reference to in insulting Beverly. Bev was compared to Molly Ringwald who starred in Pretty in Pink (1986). On her bedroom wall was a poster of the band Psychedelic Furs, who sang the title track, Pretty in Pink. When the Losers Club are at the 4th of July festival, a clown can be seen performing on a nearby stage. The clown's suit greatly resembles serial killer John Wayne Gacy's clown suit. The film has the biggest opening weekend in the supernatural horror genre, grossing $117,200,000, breaking the previous record set by Paranormal Activity 3 (2011). It made double in its opening weekend revenue. This film marks the second time a European actor portraying Pennywise. Tim Curry, who is British, portrayed the character in the 90s miniseries and Bill Skarsgård, who is Swedish, portrayed the character in this film. IT (alongside Randall Flagg) is regarded as the most evil and popular of Stephen King's villains, and an immense icon in horror. In 2006, Wizard Magazine ranked IT the 15th greatest villain of all time. Shipped to cinemas under the code name "POUND FOOLISH" a literal opposite to Pennywise. Bill Skarsgård went on to star in another Stephen King adaptation called Castle Rock (2018) which is an original Hulu TV series. The film became the most profitable horror film of 2017, beating out Annabelle: Creation (2017) and another surprise horror hit, Get Out (2017). IT apparently originated in a void containing and surrounding the Universe, a place referred to in the novel as the "Macroverse". IT was similar to the Ancient Enemy and was possibly Dean Koontz's inspiration for that villain, as both were shape-shifting monsters who lived in the sewers and believed themselves to be gods. The end of the novel leaves the fate of Pennywise ambiguous, and even the first line of the story hints that he may still be alive. However, author Stephen King has sworn to never write about Pennywise again, claiming that the character is too scary, even for him. Some of the more graphic parts of the children in the book were left out of the movie, including Patrick giving Henry a handjob, Patrick suffocating his infant brother, Bev continuously being beaten by her father, and the infamous orgy scene with Bev in the sewer. Stan's first encounter with It comes in the form of a painting in a style much like that of Italian painter, Amedeo Modigliani. Stan's character is Jewish. Modigliani was actually Jewish. All the black racial slurs towards Mike in the book were taken out of the movie. It's most true form is bright orange lights that exist in the macroverse called Dead Lights. Seeing these will cause any human to go insane. They make a brief appearance in the movie when Pennywise opens his mouth while holding onto Bev. The first one to die in the film is Georgie Denbrough (younger brother of Bill Denbrough), right after loosing the paper boat. One of his last lines is "Bill is gonna kill me!". This could almost be considered an omen, since the actor who plays Pennywise (who eventually kills him) is played by Bill Skarsgård. The scene toward the end where The Losers part ways in a series of fades suggests a reference to the final shot of River Phoenix's Chris Chambers at the end of STAND BY ME. Goofs: In the first pharmacy scene, the beauty products on the shelves have modern day packaging. Most noticeable are the Dial and Ivory soaps and the Olay products. In one of the pharmacy scenes, a dome style security camera can be seen on the ceiling. This style of camera was not in use in 1989. When the boys are at the pharmacy buying things for Ben, behind them there are Nivea products that come out after 2010. Including a skin conditioner to use in the shower. And some Garnier creams, which was founded in 1904. The TV shown in the background in the Denborough house is actually a Toshiba TV from the early 2000's. Also - the VCR (RCA) that is on top of the TV in the Kaspbrak house is from the late 90s/early 2000's. While Bill's poster for Beetlejuice looks similar to the original one-sheet, it is a reprint from several years later that does not have the same credits layout as what would have been available in 1988 The movie theater says "Lethal Weapon 2" is playing on July 4, 1989, but the movie didn't come out until July 7, 1989. When Beverly is floating in the sewers, the camera keeps changing back and forth to her, and on several occasions, she goes from wearing red leggings to no leggings underneath her dress. The town of Derry is set in the state of Maine, however, when a war memorial is shown in the town, it commemorates men who fought and died in the great war "for king and country" revealing the actual filming location as being in Canada. When Stanley is reading in the synagogue and closes the book, the book was upside down as can be seen by the Hebrew letters. Quotes: Pennywise: Hi Georgie! Pennywise: What a nice boat. Do you want it back? Georgie: Um... Yes, please. Pennywise: You look like a nice boy, I bet you have a lot of friends. Georgie: Three... but my brother is my best's best. Pennywise: Where is he? Georgie: In bed. Sick. Pennywise: I bet I can cheer him up! I'll give him a balloon. Do you want a balloon too, Georgie? Georgie: I'm not supposed to take stuff from strangers. Pennywise: Oh! Well, I'm Pennywise, the dancing clown. "Pennywise?". "Yes?", "Meet Georgie". "Georgie, meet Pennywise". [Georgie laughs] Pennywise: Now we aren't strangers. Are we? Beverly Marsh: Let him go! Pennywise: NO! I'll take him! I'll take all of you! I'll feast on your flesh as I feed on your fear... Or... you'll just leave us be... I will take him. Only him, and I will have my long rest and you will all live to grow and thrive and lead *happy* lives, until old age takes you back to the weeds. Ben Hanscom: Derry is not like any town I've been in before. They did a study once and, it turns out, people die or disappear at six times the national average. And that's just grown ups. Kids are worse. Way, way worse. Stanley Uris: When you're a kid, you think that you'll always be... protected, and cared for. Then, one day, you realize that's not true. If you open your eyes, you will see what we're going through. 'Cause when you're alone as a kid, the monsters see you as weaker. You don't even know they're getting closer. Until it's too late. Richie Tozier: I'm sorry, who invited Molly Ringwald into the group? Ben Hanscom: Your hair is winter fire/January embers/My heart burns there, too. Georgie Denbrough: But, Bill, if you'll come with me, you'll float too. Bill Denbrough: Georgie? Georgie Denbrough: You'll float, too, you'll float, too, you'll float, too... YOU'LL FLOAT, TOO! Richie Tozier: Hey Eddie, are these your birth control pills? Eddie Kaspbrak: Yeah, I'm saving them for your sister! Stanley Uris: It's summer! We're supposed to be having fun! This isn't fun, it's scary and disgusting. Bill Denbrough: Look, you don't have to come in with me, but what happens when another Georgie goes missing, or another Betty, or another Ed Corcoran, or... one of us? Are you just gonna pretend it isn't happening like everyone else in this town? Because I can't. I go home and all I see is that Georgie isn't there. His clothes, his toys, his stupid stuffed animals... but he isn't. So, walking into this house, for me, it's easier than walking into my own. Beverly Marsh: [beating at Pennywise's hands around her beck] I'm not afraid of you! Pennywise: You will be. Mr. Marsh: I worry about you, Bevvie. Pennywise: This isn't real enough for you, Billy? I'm not real enough for you? It was real enough for Georgie. Crazy Credits: After the main credits, the It logo appears on screen, but this time with 'Chapter One' added beneath it. This reveals the movie's real name to us, and also shows us that this is only the beginning. At the conclusion of the credits, as the title card is displayed, Pennywise's maniacal laugh can be heard. The Warner Bros./New Line Cinema logos are darker than usual, have an eerie glow around them, until it starts storming around them, with a red balloon floating beside the NLC logo. And the Ratpac logo takes place on a cloudy and raining background. Soundtracks: Love Removal Machine Written by Ian Astbury and Billy Duffy (as William Duffy) Performed by The Cult Courtesy of Beggars Banquet Records Ltd. You Got It (The Right Stuff) Written by Maurice Starr (as Larry Johnson) Performed by New Kids on the Block Courtesy of Columbia Records By arrangement with Sony Music Licensing Please Don't Go Girl Written by Maurice Starr (as Larry Johnson) 666 Written by Dave Allison, Ian Dickson, Steve 'Lips' Kudlow (as Steven Kudlow) and Robb Reiner Performed by Anvil Courtesy of Peer-Southern Productions Bust A Move Written by Matt Dike, Marvin Young, Luther Rabb and Jim Walters Performed by Marvin Young (as Young MC) Courtesy of The Bicycle Music Company Hangin' Tough Written by Maurice Starr (as Larry Johnson) Performed by New Kids on the Block Courtesy of Columbia Records By arrangement with Sony Music Licensing Six Different Ways Written by Robert Smith Performed by The Cure Courtesy of Elektra Entertainment Group By arrangement with Warner Music Group Film & TV Licensing Courtesy of Fiction Records Limited/Polydor UK Limited Under license from Universal Music Enterprises Antisocial Written by Bernie Bonvoisin (as Bernard Bonvoisin), Norbert Krief and Jimmy Pursey Performed by Anthrax Courtesy of Island Records Under license from Universal Music Enterprises Dear God Written by Andy Partridge Performed by XTC Courtesy of Virgin Records Ltd. Under license from Universal Music Enterprises PARENTS GUIDE FOR IT (2017) MPAA - Rated R for violence/horror, bloody images, and for language Certification SEX AND NUDITY It is implied that a teen girl is sexually harassed. In one scene, the girls father attempts to assault her and she kicks him hard in the groin twice to escape. Beverly hides in her bathroom from her father who tried to rape her, and she hits him on the head with the toilet tank lid. A preteen boy kisses a teen girl and she kisses him back. A young teen girl buys tampons at a drug store and flirts with an older man, telling him he looks like Clark Kent. Fours of the boys and Beverly stand in their underwear on a cliff to dive into water; the boys wear only briefs, Beverly wears a bra that shows cleavage, with underwear. VIOLENCE AND GORE Georgie reaches into the sewer for his paper boat, Pennywise opens a slobbering mouth with five rows of sharp teeth, biting his arm off (he screams as blood spurts into the rain water in the street); the boy tries to crawl away, but is pulled into the sewer. Henry receives a box in the mail containing his lost switchblade that he uses it to stab his sleeping father in the neck and blood gushes all over the armchair and chest after a struggle. We see several sheep being killed with a bolt gun. A child is seen with a monster attached so his face, with blood pouring from both sides. This scene is mildly scary but it is still not overdone and excessive and is still easily seen as fake. A boy is scratched on the abdomen by a monster. Pennywise is shown nibbling on and waving a child's dismembered arm. Blood is seen on the clown and on the arm. In general there is blood and gore in 2017's It but if your child knows the difference between reality and fantasy, there shouldn't be a problem. Most of the blood and gore is easily recognizable as fake and over the top as with most Horror movies. It is a movie after all. A 13 year old child's stomach is clawed showing some claw marks. The characters open a door and see a girl cut in half hanging by her hands, scene is short and very dimly lit and is hard to see. A 13 year old child is bullied by older children, who cut the letter 'H' into his stomach with a switchblade. (Out of focus) Beverly's father is seen lying in a large pool of blood after she hits him on the head. A bully is seen slitting his father's throat while he sleeps, there is some blood shown. PROFANITY A use of a religious profanity. A teen girl is called a "Slut" a couple times. Young boys use foul language in fright and in normal conversation. Strong profanity mostly revolves around 'fuck' and 'shit'. Other language includes 'ass, damn, tits, asshole, slut, bitch, pussy, dick, hell, and fag'. 'Jesus' is used as an exclamation a few times as well as a teenage boy shouting 'swear to God' once. Two middle finger gestures. ALCOHOL, DRUGS AND SMOKING A girl, assumed to be less than 13, steals cigarettes and later uses them to smoke. FRIGHTENING AND INTENSE SCENES Pennywise distorts himself and moves in unnatural ways. Some of this is quite comical, however. The ending is very heartbreaking and bittersweet, especially with the accompanying sad musical score. There are many scary jumpscares. They usually happen at the least expected time. There is a scene where Pennywise's mouth and hand are ripped open showing Mantis or Werewolf like skin In one scene, after Pennywise gets stabbed in the eye, he turns around with his mouth ripped open, showing a little bit of IT, and pairs of sharp teeth can be seen. Then he rips his hand open with sharp spider like claws. Pennywise has a pole shoved through his head; his face becomes disfigured. No blood Beverly is grabbed by a black string substance. She is pulled close to the sink as blood sprays out into her face and covers the whole bathroom. In one scene, Pennywise jumps and grabs Beverly by the neck and then opens his mouth in an unnatural way to reveal tons of rows of teeth and IT's dead lights. IT changes its form according to the children's fears multiple times throughout the movie including a clown, dead Georgie, a deformed leper, a headless boy, a werewolf, a mummy, a praying mantis, and Beverly's father. IT is about a child eating alien that takes form of a clown. This movie will be mildly scary to anyone who has a fear of clowns. Not really suitable for anyone under the age of 13. Contains disturbing imagery and violence against children. Perhaps no one has made clowns scarier than Stephen King and Tim Curry. - - How the Original IT Miniseries Traumatized a Generation of Kids "However memorable certain scenes might be, the core of the film’s scare factor is Tim Curry’s horrifying performance." https://www.vanityfair.com/hollywood/2017/08/it-tv-miniseries-1990-abc-tommy-lee-wallace-interview https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=C3dpSi4tWhg -- See the Pennywise trailer. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=x5KXbMXcBYA -- IT ending explained. Will there be a sequel? Read my review of IT: Chapter Two HERE https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UTSnIYnj3pQ -- Childhood Morality and Horror Analysis Read about IT On the Internet Movie Data Base

Cast: Cast overview, first billed only: Jaeden Lieberher ... Bill Denbrough Jeremy Ray Taylor ... Ben Hanscom Sophia Lillis ... Beverly Marsh Finn Wolfhard ... Richie Tozier Chosen Jacobs ... Mike Hanlon Jack Dylan Grazer ... Eddie Kaspbrak Wyatt Oleff ... Stanley Uris Bill Skarsgård ... Pennywise Nicholas Hamilton ... Henry Bowers Jake Sim ... Belch Huggins Logan Thompson ... Victor Criss Owen Teague ... Patrick Hockstetter Jackson Robert Scott ... Georgie Denbrough Stephen Bogaert ... Mr. Marsh Stuart Hughes ... Officer Bowers