I'm still emotionally drained from Rickmancing the Stone

Here's some Rick and Morty stuff.

The IT Spot: Rereading part 26

Time for some hard truths and realizations.

The short (so short it misses the whole point) summation of this segment is Eddie is told by Mr. Keene (the druggist) that his asthma is psychosomatic, and caused by his mother.

I'm almost sure this is him in the new movie. Note the resemblance to Stephen King.

Eddie thinks Keene is calling him crazy, and flees. Afterwards, Henry Bowers finds him, and breaks his arm so badly he goes to the hospital. During his drugged out haze, he sees his ma send the other losers away while IT cavorts in the waiting room. Afterwards he gets some backbone, tells her that he knows about his asthma, that she knew too. He then states that it would be best if he kept up his meds, and kept seeing his friends. His mother knows she’s trapped, and agrees to the terms.

SPOILERS

The short explanation, however, leaves out just how devastating everything in the segment was for Eddie. He goes through the worst pain of his life (up to that point), both physical and emotional. He learns adults can be cruel, both in lies and the truth. He finds out that his mother is hurting him, intentionally, because of how twisted her love is. He also realizes that the eyes of the leper and his mother are the same: both want to consume him. And he has his arm forcefully broken by Henry Bowers.

The other important take away from the segment is how Eddie manages to stand up to his mother, and address some very hard truths. He barely makes it through, but terrifies her while doing so. The whole time there is talk of power, in Eddie, radiating from Eddie, and even from Bill when the losers try to visit. This is the power of Matuin, the Turtle, and IT’s counterbalance.

The turtle hasn’t been explained in the novel yet, so here’s a reminder: Matuin, the Turtle, created our universe, possibly via vomiting up the world and dying. Matuin is the one thing IT fears, but IT thinks the Turtle is dead…or at least hopes so. But Matuin isn’t dead, and is the greater force guiding and helping the Losers, as much as it can. But Bill remembers at one point ‘The Turtle couldn’t help us.’

The Turtle is a big player in other King works, namely The Dark Tower. The short, SHORT, version there is that all worlds are connected via beams running through the Dark Tower (physical and metaphysical). Each beam has a guardian on both ends. Matuin is one of them.

Also, the creators have said aside from easter eggs, the Turtle won't appear in the new film.

What is all boils down to is the kids are getting ready to go into the final battles with IT, and Matuin is doing his last push, giving them his power and guidance (remember the smoke hole?). But at a point, Matuin can no longer help them. And that point is coming soon.

As for the adults, they’re getting closer and closer to the realization/remembrance of these facts, but we’ve still got a ways to go.

SAFE

And before we get there, it’s time to watch a psychopath die and Bev almost get killed…again. Sadly, it’s not Henry who bites it. 

I’m at page 771 of 1090. We’re looking at the final stretch, people. Thanks for staying with me thus far.  At this rate, I’ll finish juuuuuust before the movie comes out. Maybe by then we’ll have some news on the casting of the adult losers. Still pulling for Seth Green as Adult Ritchie and Robert Sean Leonard as Adult Bill.

The IT Spot: New Trailer!

Wednesday we were granted this trailer teaser:

Again, Pennywise does look creepy. But not enticing, which is missing a huge point of the character. That's how he got Georgie, which is pretty important as it's what kickstarts the whole 'Bill seeking revenge' aspect to the Loser's club.

So, we got the "real" trailer 7/27/17:

...I'm not sure how I feel. Much like the last time, I'm sure my opinion will change as I go over the individual images. What a fun journey for us all!

First, there's not as much new content as I expected. A lot of this footage/audio was displayed in the last trailer. Like, at least a third.

There were new things in the VO that revealed a bit: Mike talking about his Grandfather believing the town was cursed. That could mean the Black Spot incident doesn't have to be shifted timeline-wise (the original incident happening to his father, who in this timeline would be too young to have served in WWII). The change from father to grandfather isn't a huge deal, at least for me.

Yet another trailer, and no trace of Bill stuttering. I think it may have been trimmed (the audio seems to jump a little). I'm sure it sounds annoying, but not even a hint of it? The character is literally called 'Stuttering Bill.' It's the reason he's a even in the Loser's club. He needs to stutter.

Georgie's strangled, perhaps watery repetition of 'You'll float too' is also different. Probably just a gimmick for the trailer itself

 There are some images however, that bear further scrutiny. And by some, I mean A LOT. Here there be spoilers and speculation, so if you want my overall opinion jump to where it's safe below.

Eddie breaks his arm in the novel, so we can assume this is his cast. This is evocative of the scene at the end of the book, where the kids cut their palms and hold hands, making a blood pact to return if IT's not really dead. But their clothes look pretty clean if that's the case. It could be before they've gone in (I think it happened prior as well, minus the cutting), or it could have been 'cleaned' digitally.

The other main thing is the change on the case from Loser to LoVer. I'm assuming this is a nod to the infamous sex scene that will not (I hope) be included. There's no way, the film would be rated X if it was.

 I just like seeing the balloon float past the logos. Small touch, but nice. Wonder if that will be in the film proper?

 Here is a mashup of several things: Ben getting Henry Bower's H carved in his stomach, and Bev watching adults see their plight, and go by unseeing. I guess it makes sense to condense. However...

The balloon is a bit much. GET IT? IT IS THERE, AND EVIL! GET IT?!!

See those yellow Penny-Eyes up there (no damnit, I'm not sorry)?

See how they're now blue? That's a direct callback to the novel where Georgie almost takes off after seeing yellow, animal eyes in the sewer. He then 'realizes' the eyes are blue (like his father's), and is enticed to stay. A nice, subtle touch, and good attention to details.

I'm not sure if this is a callback to the book (I'm only 3/4 of the way through my reread), but it seems familiar. 

Not sure what this is, specifically. I think it may be from the scene where Bev's father (possessed by IT to an unusually high degree) tries to see if she's still 'intact' after running around with boys.

 Ah Eddie. You little shithead. This is another callback, as Pennywise gifted him a knife at one point.

Bill, giving a speech on the steps of the House on Neibolt street. Bill gave a LOT of speeches in the book.

A nice shot, but if Pennywise looked more 'normal' this would be much creepier.

I have no idea if this is a particular scene or not.

 It's good to see so much of the house on Neibolt street, looking so classically creepy.

Here Bill is saying "We will win." with Ritchie at his side. If you've been reading my IT spot rereading blogs, you'll know how important Ritchie is to defeating it, and how this is a great call-forward.

I'm not sure why Mike is leading the charge into IT's chamber, aside from him possibly being the fastest Loser (which is made clear in his entry to the Apocolyptic Rockfight).

Next  we see a montage of individual attacks on the losers. I believe they are as follows:

Mike, with the burned hands from the victims of The Black Spot. No longer Rodan, but with licensing issues, I can understand the condensation. Also, not as many kids in the 80s would know who that was, unlike in the 50s.

Stan, with the drowned, dead boys of the Standpipe (watertower). At least, I think that's Stan. It's hard to tell.

No idea, but it looks creepy.

I think this MAY be Patrick Hockstetter and his refrigerator of death. Those COULD be skins/the flying leeches that kill him. More on that in an upcoming IT spot.

Ben getting attacked by what seems to be mummy linens. The MummyIT never actually touched him, but okay, it's a movie, we've got to get visually appealing.

 Not sure which kid this is, but somebody is getting a whipping. It's most likely Stan, as IT almost got him several times, since he had the hardest time coping.

 Henry Bowers firing his gun (in vain, his friends all died in the sewers).

As for this scene, I'm not sure. This could be in the Neibolt house, though there's nothing like it in the book. I'm willing to forgive that, because it's really, really creepy.


We get some head-turning action (it's subtle, but it's there):

 And we have a...special appearance, I guess you'd say.

 

 Yep, that is the OG, Tim Curry Pennywise, just hanging out. Nice!

 Also, I can't see perfectly, but I think Ritchie's shirt says Freese, which was the toy store in Derry he got chased through by the Bower's gang, before almost being killed by Paul Bunyan.

And last, another shot of Pennywise being all creepy and shit. Much less creepy than other bits

SAFE

So what do I think overall? Honestly, my opinion is still cautiously optimistic. Pennywise still looks too creepy at the outset, and Bill isn't fucking stuttering. But there are a lot of details that show the people in charge read the book, and care about the details.

It also doesn't hurt that Joe Hill, AKA one of my favorite authors, recently stated the movie is terrifying. Of course, being the son of Stephen King, he may be biased.

We'll just have to wait and see.

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 BONUS!

Want to support other scary clowns? Help make the Killer Klowns from Outer Space Orchestra re-recording a reality!

Stranger Ranger, #1

So, my favorite show Stranger Things is gearing up for season two. We've had 2 some awesome teasers and trailers:

There have also been little news tidbits from the cast and the creators. Most recently, the Duffer Brothers gave some info on how they're already working on season 3, and planning the eventual end of the show. They want to go on long enough, leave the audience wanting more, but end when the story is over and not drag it out.

I've been burned before.

The new season doesn't air until nearly Halloween, a time of year jam-packed for me. But I'm already making plans to set the whole day aside for this. Helps that it's a weekend.

In the meanwhile, much like my IT Spot posts, I'll update with any new Stranger Things news as it comes up.

For now, I'm gonna geek over the inclusion of Sean Astin in this season some more.

You stop that

Egon isn't dead. But Harold Ramis is.

There's talk of another live-action Ghostbusters (what else is new?), and they're considering adding a CGI Egon.

 His daughter is apparently fine with it as long as the work is "exceptional." I just can't imagine a world where a Ghostbusters movie featuring the original team could be fantastic without Ramis's direct, LIVE input.

Granted, we've had another wildly sucessful interpretation of the character, via The Real Ghostbusters and Maurice LaMarche.

It's too soon. With Star Wars recreations, we had some space to breath (ha ha). This is too soon, much too soon. The world isn't ready.

I'm not ready.

Maybe in 20 years. But not now. Just let him rest a while longer, okay movies?

Also, his daughter followed up the article with this tweet, which puts it better than I ever could:

 

The IT Spot: Rereading, part 25

So, at last we enter the smokehole.

This whole post will be spoilers, as nothing like this is in the mini-series.

The gist is that Ben read about a native American ritual, where when a tribe needed guidance they'd sit in a smoke-hole, breath in the smoke until only a few were left, and had visions to direct them. The kids figure this may help them fight IT, and utilize their new in-ground secret clubhouse for the purpose.

Shit gets real.

The kids draw straws to see who stays out to pull them from the smoke, and the burned straw is made whole again. They know: this is something they all have to try and do together. The seven of them are meant to do this together.

Remember a while back, I advised that Ritchie was far more than the wiseacre of the group, being very smart and insightful under his humor. This the first meaningful instance of that coming to fruition. Ritchie thinks about the fact that Ben found the book, and the whole straw thing, and really reflects on the fact that they're being driven towards something, willingly or not. In the end, only he and Mike can stand the smoke long enough to have visions.

I think Mike is there for two reasons; one, he needs to solidify his bond with the others, as he' still the new guy. Two, he's the one with an appreciation of history: and those two boys are in for some history.

After breathing in the smoke, Mike and Ritchie find themselves transported to prehistoric Derry, or what King poetically refers to as 'ago'. They wander for a short time, marveling at the plants and wild rivers.

But then, IT came.

The closest thing the boys can connect IT's arrival to is a meteor or a spaceship hitting the earth. Ritchie tries to quantify the experience after the others pull them out of the hole. "It came from...outside. I got that feeling. From outside."

What he's trying to explain is that IT isn't from our universe, and feels so. King later does a piece or two from IT's perspective, and we learn Ritchie is correct. IT (as well as IT's counterpart, The Turtle) is from the Macroverse: a universe outside of ours. Think Lovecraft and you'll be in the ballpark.

The kids realize that IT has essentially always been. And how the hell can they hope to defeat something that's essentially immortal and ageless?

IT said something earlier in the book while chasing adult Bev that calls forwards to this:

“Tell your friends I am the last of a dying race,' it said, grinning its sunken grin as it staggered and lurched down the porch steps after her. 'The only survivor of a dying planet. I have come to rob all the women...rape all the men...and learn to do the Peppermint Twist!”

I think IT is being truthful here, to an extent. We see other IT-like beings in at least one more King book, and later events reflect this as well. But for now, it's enough that the kids (and the adults remembering these events) are finally beginning to have an appreciation of how impossible killing IT really is.

Tune in next time, when Eddie catches a break.

Weekend Weekday update

There's so much news right now, I hardly have time to blog. Here's a glib response to some of the bigger items:

In literart news, George R.R. Martin says there will be a new GOT book in 2018. But it might be a history of the fictional dynasties, not The Winds of Winter. So, no news there.

Thanks to Comic Con, we've got trailers galor! First, the most important one, Stranger Things season 2!

Stranger Things season 1 is my favorite show. No 'in this genera' qualifiers. It's my favorite. And this season has more of the things I love. Horror? References? GHOSTBUSTERS?! It's like it's tailored to me!

But there's more great stuff: Thor Ragnarock (AKA Asgaurdians of the Galaxy):

Holy crap, Hulk speaking. I'm very excited.

And also, the highly anticipated Ready Player One (based on the book Bahamute is very pleased with):

And yes: that IS the Iron Giant.

There's a lot more, but I don't have time or opinions on a Dr. Who being a woman, a Star-Trek show I won't have access to, and things I don't watch or haven't gotten to yet.

 All in all, it's been a good weekend.