"IT", 9/9/17, Odeon Glasgow

Based on the Stephen King novel which sees a group of young teenagers (known as The Losers' Club) fight against the otherworldly child-killing evil in the form of Pennywise the Dancing Clown that looms over their small town of Derry, Maine, and their later return as adults, this new adaptation elects to concentrate on the children and their encounters in the summer of 1989 when the creature they come to know as It awakes from its cyclical slumber to once again feed.

The film has reset events into the years 1988/89 whilst the original novel follows King's own childhood years of the late 50s. The reason for this change is obvious, and the proposed follow up film (which will primarily follow The Losers' Club as adults) will be set in the present, as the novel was when it was published in the 1980s.
No doubt there are those who will compare it with the 1990 television mini-series that starred Tim Curry, but that is really unfair if only because of the inherent limitations a television series must face. Rather, I look upon the film as a new, original, take on a great novel and here treat it as such.

Beware of potential spoilers ahead.

There have been some serious alterations from the novel beyond the time period and whilst most are appropriate and purposeful, there are a few which jar with me; given how much of the novel is spent on the childhood experiences of a summer, the film doesn't spend enough time on these, instead choosing to hint at them and omitting sequences which aid in the set up of the future adults whilst establishing the forming and bonding of the group (the iconic building of the dam, for one) though there are some equivalent reinterpretations present. Even small things such as nicknames ("Haystack" and "Trashmouth") are all but omitted, though the film is littered with easter eggs to other events or details from the novel. 

The biggest alteration is the ultimate form and nature of It which, apparently, the film's director never liked (even the term "deadlights" goes unmentioned). Given the Lovecraftian essence of the creature and the form of the ultimate final confrontation in the novel, I am interested how they intend to approach the finale of the story and how they can better the 1990 mini-series' approach - besides in special effects. Of course, readers of the novel will know the confrontation (the Ritual of Chüd) would be exceedingly difficult to present on film, but I ache for an imaginative reinterpretation of them on celluloid. 

Other inventions that don't quite sit right include Beverly becoming the lure for the boys' descent into the sewers, leading to their confrontation with Pennywise. The teenage Beverly Marsh is a strong character, here and in the novel, and this event diminishes her somewhat. The sense of "damsel in distress" is unfortunate and also lessons the role of Henry Bowers who is the novel's original reason for the entry into the sewers. He and his gang could certainly have featured more than they do.

We do learn that the film's full title is "IT Chapter 1" and I do wonder, however, how many of the changes/inventions that I quibble about will come to some sort of fruition of service in the second chapter. I have been reading articles about proposals for the proposed second feature which are positive but these are inevitably subject to change and until the film is made and released I have to - ultimately - reserve judgement as to what the final outcome will be. 

The film, nonetheless, is a superior King adaptation and is a strong movie in other regards. What it is most successful at is capturing the sense of childhood, innocence and its loss which is one of the most powerful aspects of the novel. The camaraderie between the members of The Losers' Club is palpable and it makes one nostalgic for one's own similar experiences. Director Andy Muschietti succinctly builds characters into multi-dimensional creations with surprisingly very little, no doubt aided by a supremely talented young cast.
The casting of the club members is inspired with Jaeden Lieberher leading the way as an endearing Bill Denbrough. Sophia Lillis' Beverly Marsh is an attractive, deep girl on the cusp of womanhood and her approach to the role is beautifully judged. This could be said of all members of the young cast, who manifest the varying aspects of the children with diversity, honesty and commitment, from Finn Wolfhard as Richie Tozier to Wyatt Oleff as Stan Uris and all the teens between. Despite limited screen time, and through careful script/editing choices by his director, Nicholas Hamilton as Henry Bowers is able to effortlessly give us a complex school bully, though his fellow gang members are less dimensional. The limited adult cast lend on air of danger when one realises that they are but pawns in It's game and it's a positive that the film revolves utterly around the children and so the adults, appropriately, require far less rounding as characters.
Of course, the most iconic character is Pennywise itself and Bill Skarsgård creates a disturbingly alluring, creepy and original take on one of Stephen King's most infamous characters. The sense of age and corruption he exudes in the role is inherent and his physicality is as inhuman as it is perturbing. 

The film is really quite lean and efficient and could afford a little more padding to afford more character development and history, be it for The Losers' Club members or Henry Bowers and his gang but the pacing is generally well judged. 

The visual palette is dynamic and the production design is beautiful, even in its terror and the re-imagining if It's lair is creative and disturbing, even though it is quite different to what King wrote. Of course, we may yet see even more of It's habitat so there may be surprises yet to come. It is a credit that the use of CGI is actually limited and that the environments were physically created as this lends an air of reality to events, even on their unnaturalness and makes the CGI appropriately more otherworldly when it does crop up.

Another strength is the superb musical score of Benjamin Wallfisch which radiates terror, suspense and - at the opposite end - brief moments of tenderness and warmth and its presence is integral to the success of the movie as a whole.

Despite the loss of some infamous scenes from the novel, "IT " is its own creation and honours the spirit of King's book, even with the deviations and inventions it makes. It is blessed with a stunningly gifted cast and with creatives who, together, create a real, tangible world that contrasts wildly with the terrifying force that intrudes. The film is not "Hollywood glossy" and has no excessive gore but relies on more traditional techniques to build and execute terror. The script is well-crafted and the direction is lithe and un-fussy, aided by sharp editing and that pervasive musical score. "IT" is a return to the greater form of horror movie, whilst never neglecting the essential human characters at its core.

'Carrie' by Stephen King, read by Sissy Spacek

This is the first audio book review for my blog and, since it is my blog, why the hell should I not review audio books here?

I've read 'Carrie' several times before over the years. It still holds up as a great story. It's length isn't overlong and King's writing (this is his first published novel) is paced well, his descriptions not too florid or overly detailed and the dialogue truthful. Of course, this being Stephen King, there are extraordinary situations and events in the book and I'm sure that most people know about what happens when outcast Carrie White is taken to the Ewen High School prom (It's Bates' High School in the film)!

I've gotten into audio books of late simply because I find that, sometimes, the symptoms of my fibromyalgia preclude me from reading, taking in and understanding the written word. It is easier, for whatever reason, for me to take it in aurally.

The audio book begins with an introduction, read by King himself, on the origins of the book and this is indeed somewhat insightful.
Sissy Spacek reads the novel proper and I'm sure most readers will be aware that she played Carrie in the film version. Her narrative skills are quite excellent and she tells the story well, providing enough vocal variety in characters to ensure that interest never wanes. She is a skilled actress and storyteller and her characterisations are perfect. To think that she has come back to the story some 30 years after the film with fresh insight (admittedly the book is somewhat different to the film) is more credit to her. She does not simply re-treas the character she and others created in the film version but instead works with the words that King put down.
Spacek's portrayal of the various teens, news clippings and other documents, not to mention the primary roles are wonderful and she excels in the scenes featuring Carrie and her Zealot mother, Margaret White and the scenes between the two are especially powerful and chilling.

My only issue with this otherwise faultless production is the editing which, on occasion, seems a little sloppy with different takes clearly edited together during ongoing passages. The balance between speakers should also have been looked at closer since Spacek's voice seems to come from one direction then another throughout.
That said it's a great audio book and I do recommended it.

The audio book is available from Simon and Schuster audio.

An Update. Of Sorts ...

I haven't blogged in a while and that is primarily because I have had little to blog about and I have also been dealing with a medical issue or two which is not necessarily what people wish to read about. Suffice to say that, as you should know, I have the condition fibromyalgia which affects my life in various ways; and never in a good way.

Anyway ...
As my readers will know I have an enduring passion for theatre and music which inevitably produces a love of musical theatre. Now I don't like everything and I much prefer intelligent works over dross (and there is much of that out there!). Likewise I enjoy productions that push boundaries, that take a risk and have something to say. That is not to say that I don't enjoy works that are unashamed entertainment but I am not a big fan of some of the older musicals. By modern standards they are tame, dated and, to my mind, often unexciting.

I am always exploring new works and discovering older, under-appreciated, ones and to that end I just want to make everyone aware of the ill-fated musical version of Stephen King's 'Carrie'.

There are various websites that describe in detail the torrid history of the production which has various flaws against it but also numerous things that make it stand out. Perhaps it was ahead of its time in what it was trying to achieve effect-wise but it certainly has, at its heart, a tragic story which deserves telling upon the stage.
The writers of the stage show are currently reworking it with hopes for a future staging. And I hope that happens as the musical, even in its flawed state, has much to recommend it from some of the musical composition, to some of its original staging and of course the tragedy of Carrie herself.

Originally co-produced by the Royal Shakespeare Company (which received much flak for doing so) the central story must have appealed to artistic director Terry Hands as much as a great Shakespeare or Greek tragedy would. In many ways it is an age old story retold in a modern way.

So I hope the musical, which has achieved cult status, is able to be reworked and revived in a successful staging that it so deserves.