2017 is going to be a tough year for the King and I’s relationship. My displeasure for the direction of the Dark Tower film is well known and now, well, sigh…ya see, for all of its faults, I like the original tv miniseries ‘It”. I thought it got more right than wrong and even though it played way too heavily on Hallmark sentiment to strengthen the leads more emotional interactions, it represented some of the best of “event television” for the day. You couldn’t DVR or binge-watch or stream ‘It’. You either had to catch it when it aired, or make sure you knew had to operate your VCR. Make no mistake, I’m not totally chalking up the original’s charm to the era in which it was made. The original child cast was pretty strong and their adult counterparts were well known actors which added to our familiarity with the characters. All that aside, what really brought ‘It’ into its place in the lexicon of memorable horror movies was beyond the shadow of a doubt, Tim Curry’s performance as Pennywise the soul eating, world devouring evil that plagued Derry, Maine and its inhabitance. Ya see, Curry was so menacing, so ominously wretched in his portrayal, that the makeup was secondary. In fact, Pennnywise, for all intents and purposes, was dressed like a normal clown. THAT is probably what bothers me most about this new leaked photo. Its not that it isn’t creepy or even effective, its that its just trying too damn hard. Curry’s Pennywise could gain the confidence of a child, lull them into desperately wanting to see those rides and spectacles in the sewer. This Pennywise couldn’t avoid getting patted down at the state fair. I’m not harping on the design nor am I damning Bill Skarsgård‘s performance before i even have a chance to see it. I’m just stating my initial impressions. Looks like we have till September 8, 2017 when the film starts its theatrical run to keep on guessin.
