2017’s “It” is the highest-grossing horror film of all time. For FILMSTARTS editor Pascal, the first film adaptation of the legendary Stephen King novel from 1990, which is shown on TV today, is the much better choice.
With “IT,” director Andy Muschietti has achieved something historic: with worldwide box office receipts of over $701 million, the Stephen King film adaptation is the most successful horror film in cinema history. International critics also had a lot of enthusiasm for the horror shocker. In the official FILMSTARTS review, “ES” received an outstanding 4.5 out of 5 possible stars. And of course the shocker was able to secure a place in our ranking of the best horror films of all time.
The best horror films of all time
In my opinion, however, the much better adaptation of the Stephen King epic was made by Tommy Lee Wallace (“Halloween III – The Night of Decision”) in 1990. The two-part TV series “It” simply has more feeling for the inner lives of its characters and also works much better and more frightening than a horror film. If you haven’t seen the three-hour classic yet, you can catch up on ProSiebenMaxx today, October 30, 2023 from 8:15 p.m.
If you would rather watch the horror epic with FSK 16 without commercial breaks or in the original English version, you can also go to online retailers such as Amazon, where the film is available on Blu-ray and DVD.
“It” on Blu-ray and DVD at Amazon*
That’s why “It” from 1990 is much better!
For me, Andy Muschietti’s “IT” is a complete failure. The Argentine director never manages to do justice to the psychological depth of the original. In “IT: Chapter 2”, which was released in cinemas in 2019, in my opinion, Muschietti completely trashed Stephen King’s original. Schametti relies on dumb jump scares that don’t elevate Pennywise (Bill Skarsgård) to the expression of childish fears, but rather let him hop through the scenario as a grimacing jack-of-all-trades. As a result, the film not only lacks atmosphere, but also substance. Schametti confuses fear with fright.
Stephen King’s novel is not about horror as a mere slogan, but rather about its diverse meanings and forms. The horror is closely tied to the mental state of the characters and their individual fears (of death) and trauma. Andy Muschietti, on the other hand, is happy when the audience cringe in the cinema seats. Tommy Lee Wallace made the much better “It” film in 1990. Not because he moves closer to the original, but because he knows how to capture the feeling of the original more coherently.
Wallace doesn’t speculate on the big shock, but unfolds a classic horror fairy tale, which is repeatedly mixed with surreal horror sequences. Where Andy Muschietti divided childhood and adult life into two films, the time levels in the 1990s version – as in the novel – constantly change back and forth, which makes the emotional fall much more tangible. In my opinion, the scars of the past are much more present and are presented to the audience much more intensely and urgently, which is also due to the performances.
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In contrast to the thoroughly flawless performances of James McAvoy and Jessica Chastain in “It: Chapter 2,” the adult actors in 1990’s “It” are allowed to shine with a very appealing, ambiguous imperfection. The uncertainty, the often awkward, sometimes slightly whimsical impression that Richard Thomas, Seth Green and Annette O’Toole convey says much more about the deep-rooted suffering of the characters than McAvoy and Chastain do with their cramped howling-at-the-button push would ever be able to express. Furthermore, Tim Curry as Pennywise is simply a sensation and literally digs shafts into the audience’s guts with his deeply disturbing, highly engaging performance.
From my point of view, it can be said in summary: Both “IT” and “IT: Chapter 2” by Andy Muschietti as well as Tommy Lee Wallace’s “It” do not manage to do justice to Stephen King’s original in terms of content. The novel is too extensive and too complex for that. In contrast to Muschietti’s new film, the original two-part TV series can capture the feeling of the book and functions as a deeply tragic horror fairy tale that does not rely on sensational effects, but rather on an effective atmosphere. In this case, however, it would be better to keep a cloak of silence over the strangely harmony-demanding ending.
That’s what “It” is about
In Derry, a sleepy little town in the American state of Maine, a nameless horror is wreaking havoc. In the form of a clown, it lures small children to itself and kills them in a cruel way. However, seven young people manage to first escape the scary creature and then work together to put it to flight. But the horror isn’t over yet.
30 years later, the terrible events begin to repeat themselves. Bill Denborough (Richard Thomas) now has no time to waste in tracking down his childhood friends and getting them together again. Only together are they able to finally kill the “It” and free their hometown from the sinister curse once and for all.
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This is an updated republication of an article that previously appeared on FILMSTARTS.
*The links to the Amazon offer are so-called affiliate links. If you purchase through these links, we receive a commission.
2023-10-30 12:00:55
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