Back in 1990 IT the mini-series terrified a lot of us and also delighted us at the same time as Stephen King’s epic novel came to life on the small screen, Pennywise the clown also stole our hearts (in a strange way) with the amazing performance from Tim Curry, now 31 years later we get the chance to delve deeper into the making of the movie with the new documentary Pennywise The Story of IT.
Now fellow fans of classic horror will be excited to hear that Kaleidoscope Home Entertainment has announced the release of Pennywise: The Story of IT which will be available on Digital Download on 3rd October and Blu-ray & DVD from 24th October and we had the chance to preview the documentary to bring you our thoughts.
Exploring the 1990 cult hit mini-series, based on Stephen King’s iconic novel IT, this documentary tells a story heard by few and showcases a wealth of behind-the-scenes footage and photos seen by even fewer and for fans of the book and the cult movie this documentary is a fascinating look at a TV mini-series that once seen is never forgotten.
I remember back in the 90s when I first saw the TV mini-series and back then I hadn’t read the Stephen King book but was already a fan of some of the previous movies that I’d seen and been completely terrified by such as The Shining, Pet Sematary and the superb Stand By Me to name but a few. But it was the adaptation of IT that I have to admit was the one that made me pick up a King book and get lost for ages in the many pages.
Pennywise The Story of IT has a run time of just over 2 hours, but let that put you off, you will be glued to the screen as you learn more about how the mini-series came to life back in 1990 with a look at everything from the massive task of bringing King’s book to the screen, casting the younger and older versions of the “Losers Club”, interviews with Tim Curry (Rocky Horror, Hunt For Red October, Congo, Home Alone II) during the time of production of “IT”, the Pennywise makeup and catching up with him to chat about the movie then & now, also some great snippets of the time making the film with director Tommy Lee Wallace (Halloween III, Fright Night II) and cast members, triple Emmy Winner Seth Green (Family Guy, Robot Chicken, Austin Powers), and Emmy Winner Richard Thomas (The Waltons, The Americans, Wonder Boys), plus a look at that infamous “Spider” that fans love or hate!
This is a documentary that any fan of IT and the horror genre will want to check out, with so many previously unseen behind-the-scenes footage and photos this is well worth the time to watch, be warned though if you are afraid of clowns then you may need to look away from time to time, the film does delve into the fear of clown by investigating the cultural phenomenon of coulrophobia (the fear of clowns) and Tim Curry’s magical portrayal of the notorious clown monster.
Pennywise The Story of IT really digs deeper into the Pennywise phenomenon than ever before. The UK DVD and Blu-Ray release will also be packed-full of bonus material, with the Blu-Ray containing more than 45 minutes of special features and an exclusive limited edition art poster.
Pennywise: The Story of It will be available on Digital Download from 3rd October and Blu-ray & DVD from 24th October
We all float down here!
Movie title: Pennywise: The Story of IT
Movie description: Exploring the 1990 cult hit mini-series, based on Stephen King's iconic novel IT, this documentary tells a story heard by few and showcases a wealth of behind-the-scenes footage and photos seen by even fewer.
Date published: September 26, 2022
Country: UK
Duration: 2h 6m
Director(s): John Campopiano, Gary Smart
Actor(s): Tim Curry, Seth Green, Tommy Lee Wallace, Richard Thomas
Genre: Documentary
Summary
A must-watch for any fan of Stephen King and the 90s mini-series adaptation of the momentous “IT”
Karen Woodham is the founder and owner of the Blazing Minds. She is also a Cinema reviewer and works with RealD 3D reviewing the latest 3D releases and IMAX, she has also had several articles published in various publications including the first edition of SFW Magazine. In 2015 she became an Award Winning Blogger and also has her website listed as one of the UK’s Top 10 Film Blogs.
