IT (2017 Re-Make Theatrical Experience)

Zits and zombies... what a momentous occasion. 

Before I actually even begin to dive into anything that has to do with the IT re-make, let me just state something if you already don't know-that I absolutely despise re-makes. I loathe them. I generally gravitate around the idea that if you plan on being involved in modernizing a film or updating it by re-making it, for the love of God do not just do it shot for shot or completely ignore that there ever was an original or some sort of source material from which your inspiration came. Please. At least pay some sort of homage, take what you like, cut what you don't and respect the idea that this film may need this. It's only for the greater good of cinema and the art form in general. Otherwise you're just doing it for the money and not any sort of personal satisfaction knowing that you actually turned out something worth partaking in. That's where the new adaptation of Stephen King's novel IT steps in. 

I fold my hands and bow in pride.

My wife and I haven't been in the theater to really see much of anything in the last year and a half or so because, well-Hollywood is just shit nowadays. There. I said it. It has turned itself into a cash grab factory of awful rom-coms, neutered action flicks, cheap jump scare infested "modern" horror tunes and line for line reboots that no one ever asked for. But then something kind of unexpected and miraculous happened. The re-make for IT was announced and I was highly skeptical. I was throwing my hands up in worry about Pennywise either being overdone or not enough. I read the book again to make sure that this magic wouldn't and couldn't be lost. My dear community of undead....

I was dead fucking wrong.

 We went to see it earlier today with my pal Slasher Steve and much to our surprise (especially since there were quite a few teens in the seats) no one was on their phones, no one was yelling and screaming, talking, or being total jackasses during the film. Even during the previews, no one barely said anything. I couldn't have asked for more. Being floored by this atmosphere of politeness and common courtesy wasn't even the icing on the cake. The film was. Sweet Jesus, was this kick ass. I never thought in my wildest dreams that I would ever say that a re-make of IT would ever be better than the original. In comparison, now that I've seen this newer version just a couple of nights after re-watching the original mini series... the Tim Curry original isn't even remotely frightening at all. It's a children's movie about an evil clown named Pennywise compared to this. PBS could probably get away with airing it uncut right after the newest episode of Sesame Street, and no one would bat an eyeball. All of the child actors in here were flawless, Bill Skarsgard was superb, the cinematography was excellent and the screenplay stuck way closer to the book than the original did which made this so much more effective than it should have been.

Zits and zombies, I implore you... if even after all of the hype, the opening night frenzies and all of the money IT made during the initial weekend still haven't convinced you because your just to damn stubborn or to attached to the original-put down that can of Pringles and get your ass to the theater and see this. You deserve it. And so do the people that made this movie. We all float down here. And you'll float too.