The IT spot: Rereading, part 3

So, I've breezed past Bev Marsh beating the crap out of her POS husband Tom (from Tom's POV, mostly), and Bill explaining to his wife that he has to go home to deal with the promise he made as a child, yet can barely remember.

These spots are more faithful, though abbreviated, in the mini series, especially Bev's bit. Her husband remains in the novel, following her to Derry to exact revenge. I miss that in the miniseries, as he doesn't suffer half as much as he deserves there.

More interesting, and less present, is the return of Bill's stutter. As a kid it's ever present (aside from a few key moments), and as an adult it gets worse over time. Not that it's noticeable in the performance of Richard Thomas, who mostly sounds like he's choking, if he bothers to try at all.

Moley moley moley mole.

SPOILERS

One of the most important factors in this section is Bill explaining things to his wife Audra: of all the married or attached members of The Loser's Club, he's the only one who tries. He even admits that he could probably remember everything right then if he started talking to Audra, but is afraid to do so.

With Bev and Tom, it's obvious why there was no explanation, but Eddie and Stan were married too. Why not explain more, or try to dig out the memories?

Stan, of course, does remember enough, or at least, that's what Mike later speculates, which is why he kills himself. Stan's mind was too tidy to let go as a child, and too ridged to handle the return as an adult.

Eddie loved his wife as well, but any effort to explain would have trapped him in the house with her, so fleeing was best.

Bill was the one to face IT in the Ritual of Chud. He was in the Macrospace with IT and the Turtle Maturin. His connection to the Turtle is strongest. I think that's why he could have dug out the memories then, if he really tried. Or at least why he believes he could have.

The other important factor is that the Loser's club Ka-tet is already broken, and the sense of that is filtering down. Bill and Mike aren't sure if Stan will come (and of course, he doesn't). That's something we face every moment we're with young Stan: we know he will kill himself, and break the club, leading to any number of horrors they have to face as adults. If he had lived, would Eddie have survived? Would Mike have been stabbed? Would the destruction of IT been easier, the town's death more cataclysmic?

Interesting questions, friends and neighbors, but not ones we'll get the answers to.

SAFE

I've officially finished rereading The Shadows Before. Now to head on to Derry: the First Interlude. I can't remember which interlude this is, but no matter what, it'll paint the bloody history of Derry in it's true blood-red colors.

I missed this book.

Friday News Round-up

So, there's a lot going on in entertainment right now. Jonathan Demme, director of The Silence of the Lambs and Philadelphia, has passed away from cancer at the age of 73.

For those who don't know me, I am a big fan of 90% of the trilogy of Lecter books, and the movies that actually have Sir Anthony Hopkins.

We don't talk about the book ending, because it is stupid and wrong.

People call the movie a thriller, and thus it was allowed to win Oscars. The academy famously hates genera pieces, especially horror. But we all know that any movie where there's a cannibal, a guy making suits out of women's skin, and stalking in the dark is a damned horror movie.

When this version is more likely to get an Oscar, you know you have problems.

In happier news, Jeff Goldblum is coming back to Jurassic Park.

I'm happier than Weird Al and Mike Nelson put together!

Ian Malcom was the beginning of Goldblum's signature stuttering style capturing America by storm. After being proven oh-so-right about his claims in The Lost World (and definitely by the failure of the park in Jurassic World) I'm interested to see what he's been up to. Still speaking out against the park? Relegated to crazy nay-sayer since the park functioned successfully for years? Leader of a Peta-esq group dedicated to freeing the monsters and stopping Ingen once and for all?

This has nothing to do with my questions, but damn, he was hot back in the day.

Lastly, Joe Johnston is going to direct the next Narnia movie (and soft reboot) The Silver Chair. Johnston previously directed Captain America: the First Avenger, Jumanji, Honey I Shrunk the Kids, and Jurassic Park III.

The movie may stink, but this shot is competent!

The Silver Chair is an underrated entry in the Narnia series. I've always felt it would translate best to film since it's a very linear quest-based story with 3 main characters, a definable villain, and a clear climax, unlike some of the other novels, which can meander a bit.

I'm looking at you, Dawn Treader.

I'm sad that the original Eustace, Will Poulter, is now too old to continue. Maybe we'll at least get Liam Neeson back as Aslan, but that's doubtful, apparently. No idea why, Aslan doesn't do much in Silver Chair, and it's not like they need him on set.

All in all, a mixed bag, but at least there's a few things to be excited about.

The IT spot: Rereading, part 2

There are some marked differences between the IT novel and the 90's miniseries.

Not Pennywise, however. That was right on the nose.

But there are a few things early on in the novel that are markedly different from the novel, for seemingly little reason. The aftermath of Ben and Eddie's phone calls are my latest example. I get why they were changed, dropping one character for time, eliminating lengthy character building for quick (but clunky) exposition. While I understand the changes, I don't approve. They could have been handled better.

SPOILERS

Unlike the mini-series, we mostly see the aftermath of Ben and Eddie's calls, and the effect it has on the people around them from their point of view: a trusted bartender and Eddie's wife, respectively. Ben's bartender faces a man who thinks he is already dead, and is drinking accordingly. It's a somber, chilling scenario, very unlike Ritter's drunken carousing.

You stop kissing and start thinking about your mortality right now, young man!

Eddie's wife is less impactful, as she vanishes from the story after Eddie heads to Derry. The backstory of a soft-hearted man who loved too easily is established in his relationship with his friends, and little is lost from that perspective. We have the wife being frightened by her husband's odd behavior scene done earlier and better with Stan's wife. The scene is more about establishing Eddie's feelings about his dead mother (more guilt then oedipal), and while an important element in the book, it's safely delegated to a few scenes and lines in the mini-series.  We get to know Eddie better in the book, and I'm glad we have the extra dimensions there, but it would have felt like overkill in the movie.

Played by the guy I didn't realize was the lawyer in Django Unchained, Dennis Christopher. Seriously.

SAFE

The main difference between the mediums is the all-around silliness of the adults in the series verses the terror in the book: God bless the actors for trying, but the script wasn't done very well, and they all pale in comparison to their child counterparts.

With the exception of Ritter as Ben.

The first part of the mini-series is by far the best: better acting, closer connection to the story, better effects. The adults ending is pretty far removed from the book, not well explained, and badly acted. But we'll get into that later.

Now, off to read about Bev's abusive husband and the horror that stems from an all-to-real place for many women and men.

I never said these blogs would be all fun and games.

The IT spot: Miscelenea

So, I've found a few IT things that don't fit a regular update. Enjoy!

Professional clowns are worried IT will hurt their business. Nobody else cares.

Manic Tuesday

I'm gonna be honest with you: I didn't read enough of IT to make another post, nothing in the regular news grabbed my interest, and my oft-bemoaned river of movie news has become a trickle.

But I did just re-watch The Wolverine, and it's put me in an X-Men mood. Enjoy some internet silliness! Spoilers, probably, btw.

The IT Spot: Rereading, part 1

Yesterday I began a fantastic journey; not down a yellow brick road or a rabbit hole, but into the festering sewer's beneath Derry Maine. Once again, I'm going to IT's lair.

I've groped through the mucky darkness before. The first time I found IT I was eleven; the same age as the protagonists in the flashback segments. Forty one years separated us, but otherwise we were quite close: I was an asthmatic loner, like Eddie. I liked to see and tell stories like Bill. I was chubby (or so my mother insisted) like Ben. I was into horror like Ritchie. I was Jewish (enough) like Stan. I had trouble connecting with women like Bev. And like Mike I was an outsider for my looks (though getting tape thrown into my curly hair was worlds away from the racist prejudice Mike experienced, of course).

I'd picked up the book (the copy I still own) at a library book sale, intrigued by the cover.

I'd never read a 'grown up' book before, but it was on sale, and my Mom didn't say no. I decided to read it some months later, after a teacher told me I'd scored highest on a reading test, with college level comprehension. How to best display that? By reading the biggest book I owned!

I re-read the book roughly every 2-3 years. This reread isn't just because some time has passed, of course.

At least I'm not shy about it.

Spoilers are past this point, but I'll let you know when it's safe again. Just skip down the page.

SPOILERS.

I'm not very far in yet: I've had the death of Georgie, and Stan's suicide (my mind always echo's Adult Bill's mental cries of understanding the death, and wishing he'd followed suit upon seeing IT again). I've also covered Ritchie's promise to return, and just begun Ben's binge.

For many years I'd mentally skip over the death of Adrian Mellon at the hands of IT and the homophobic, murderous gang of boys. I don't know what it is, but for some reason I jumped right from Georgie's death to Stan's suicide. Maybe it was the shock of an adult deciding to kill themselves rather than face IT. Maybe it was because the brutal murder was a bit much, and the quiet suicide was easier to digest.

When I convinced my brother in law Grizz to read the book for the first time, I'd forgotten this scene. I still feel bad about not remembering, not warning him. This is one of the few bad memories I have attached to sharing horror with anyone, let alone my favorite book and someone I consider my equal in the love of all things scary.

I apologized at the time, and there's no need to remind him. But when I reread that section yesterday at him home, with his husband and mine enjoying D&D, I remembered.

Real horror, no thanks. Let me dwell in the land of monsters, where my loved ones are separated from death by the impenetrable page.

SAFE.

I'm excited to take this journey again, though this time I'm a lot closer to the age of the adult losers. Thirty nine and forty. No doubt I'll reread again at that age, finally 'caught up' to my childhood icons. I too will marvel at the passage of time, and wonder at what memories have vanished into my crypt.

The difference is I'll know exactly what lurks beneath the surface. When the call comes to return to the sewers, I won't resist.

I've always been a sucker for things going bump in the night.

Half-o-Ween

It's now approximately six months since Halloween, and six months until next Halloween.

Uggggggggggggggggghh.

I feel so restricted this time of year. I can't wear my Ghostbuster's uniform to the RenFest (well, I could, but it would be uncomfortable and stupid).

 Verily, I fear no specters!

I can't just leave my black roses out or the dog will try and eat them.  I can't put out my Freddy claw due to lack of space. I can't set up my Chucky and Tiffany dolls in the bedroom since certain husbands think they're creepy.

I haven't been creeped out by Chucky since he became a stay at home dad.

It's the horror doldrums. The summer blockbuster season is around the corner, and we're a long way from autumn's slew of good, bad, and so bad it's good releases. 

Don't get me wrong: I'm excited for Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2 and Thor: Ragnarok, but it's been a long time since Get Out.

So good, even non-horror fans liked it.

IT doesn't come out until September, and that's only on my 'cautiously optimistic' list.

Also on the list: Lin-Manuel Miranda's live action Little Mermaid and Jumanji: Welcome to the Jungle.

There are a few returning faces I'm a little excited about: Annabelle 2 is on the way, but I'm behind in that series. Cult of Chucky isn't coming out until Halloween, almost. And, while perusing a list of upcoming horror movies, I discovered Insidious Chapter 4, Saw: Legacy, Wrong Turn 7, Hellraiser: Judgement, Jeepers Creepers 3, Children of the Corn: Runaway, AND another Halloween movie are incoming.

That is a LOT of sequels.

Also, JonTron apologized, so welcome back, relevant clips!

I've missed a few things that looked interesting, like A Cure for Wellness and The Belko Experiment. They seemed to go in and out of the theater with little comment, but maybe I've missed some real gems.

Unlike this fucking thing.

More and more I find myself watching Markiplier play games rife with jumpscares, hoping for a semblance of plot or nuance. Bahamute and Markiplier played a cinematic horror game, Until Dawn, but that thrill is long since past.

Worth a watch, or a play if you're adept at gaming.

I've finished Joe Hill's latest. I'm working during Motor City Nightmares.  I need scares badly.

It might be time to organize my own horror film night!

It's a pain to gather my friends and convince them they'll enjoy the flicks as much as I do. Mostly because that's a lie. Aside from my brother in law Grizz, nobody that I spend large amounts of time with loves horror as much as I do. Bahamute tolerates the films for my sake (and can enjoy a really good movie on it's own merits), and most of my other friends range from liking so bad it's good, to being a 'just around Halloween' horror observer. You know who you are.

Homer and Marge judge you.

Horror for me is a year-round event. My King books are prominently displayed. My horror DVDs get their own rack, which is directly across from the front door. Sandman and Swamp Thing, Freddy and Jason, Gorey and Ito. I return to their wells as often as I dig for new ones.

I'm not the only one returning to a horror well.

This time of year brings the same fear it always does: I've become immune to horror. The books and movies coming out are all tame, predictable, nothing but jump scares and tropes. Maybe I'll never be scared for real, for the first time again.

It always passes. Get Out showed me that real fear is still out there, waiting to be found, and that the art isn't dead. I just have to look harder.

With that in mind, now comes the enjoyable, infuriating task of trying to find a good horror movie to shar with my friends, without spoiling it for myself. At least there's always old chestnuts like "Are You Afraid of the Dark?"

Then again, maybe not.

Wish me luck. It's going to be a dull six months otherwise.

It's coming...

WHELP, FIRE TIME

Watch it. Watch it. FUCKING WATCH THAT CLIP OR I WON'T CONTINUE THE BLOG.

Good.

I was gonna have a great blog today about horror, and lamenting that it's the Halloween equivalent of midwinter night, THEN THIS HAPPENED.

Tom and Jerry in Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory. Specifically the Gene Wilder movie, as the character designes and songs are the same.

This may be the worst trailer I've ever seen.

Apparently, nobody is happy.  Good. What was Warner Brothers THINKING?! Whelp, Gene Wilder is finally dead, time to start shitting on his grave.

To borrow a phrase..."For some moments in life, there are no words."

Just repeat to yourself "It's Just a Show...

..BUT I CANNOT RELAX BECAUSE IT IS AWESOME!"

Okay, I may have mis-quoted.

So, the new MST3K episodes that I kickstarted are finally out. I've only watched the first 4 of 14 total episodes, but I'm enjoying them. Sure, all the old voices are gone, but literally, every single character has been recast or replaced at least one previously.

Yes, even Tom Servo.

Time will tell if the new host, Jonah, will measure up to Mike and Joel. I like him, but I don't see him becoming a host the fandom will go to war over, a la Joel vs. Mike.

The movies are the same level of schloch we're accustomed to, including (the only) Danish Kaiju flick...

A surprisingly racist bigfoot film...

A terrible sci-fi fluff piece...

And a disaster movie starring Rock Hudson and Mia Farrow.

Spoiler alert: it sucks.

They're in color, so that's a nice change. There's also a bunch of guest appearances, which I'm not going to spoil, but are totally worth it.

Frankly, this is at least as good as any of the Rifftrax Presents riffs, and fans of the riffing genera will probably like it. I urge you, if you have netflix, watch some of this great show.

And to whet your appetite, here's a sample of them riffiing the opening of Stranger Things:

The Trippining part nine: sweet endings

Today we head back to Michigan. I'm feeling much better after last night's bout with dehydration, so there's a small bright side. yaaaay.

FiL made us home made waffles for breakfast. Mmm. No pictures. Those things are loooooong gone.

Not sure if we're gonna do anything before heading to the airport. We're supposed to get back at 11:30pm tonight. So...that's fun.

-

Spoiler alert: we got home safe and sound. I took a few parting pictures.

Some final shots on the drive to the airport:

Not many people leaving on our flight:

Mid-flight action!

A so-so dinner during our layover at Atlanta. The shrimp-burger patty was fine, but the buns were awful.

Some evening action shots, courtesy Bahamute:

All in all, it was a fantastic, much-needed trip. I'll miss all my amazing family in FL, but I am happy to be home.