October 1957: "It" awakens and the small town of Derry, Maine will never be the same. Stephen King brings to life every childhood fear and phobia as seven children face an unthinkable horror which appears in various forms, including “Pennywise” (Tim Curry), a clown who lives, hunts and kills from the towns sewers. Years later, the surviving adults who are brave enough return to stop the new killing spree, this time for good.
Stephen King's IT is to me his most chilling novel and the made for tv two night event that adapted it had to tone down some more disturbing parts of the book but it remains a moody and entertaining watch. The first half is without question the best where we see the children form a bond that is endearing and the group has a similar feel to the ones in Stand By Me or The Goonies. The late Jonathan Brandis is symapthetic as the grieving Bill who lost his little brother Georgie and has a stutter. A young Seth Green gives a fun performance as the comedian of the group, "Beep Beep Richie". This collection of young talent felt quite natural in their roles and you root for their characters then and when they have to return as adults to Derry to put an end to the evil demon IT.
Tim Curry is the standout performer as Pennywise. He is at times funny, creepy and truly terrifying if you are someone that is affected by clowns. Pennywise is just one of the forms that IT takes but it is without a shadow of a doubt the one it enjoys using the most. The second half features strong work by the likes of John Ritter, Annette O' Toole, Harry Anderson, Tim Reid and Richard Thomas. 8/10
Stephen King's IT arrives on Blu-ray with a 1080p transfer in the aspect ratio of 1.33:1. - IT is present in it's original uncropped ratio and it is a stunner when comparing it to the stretched out widescreen DVD and Fuzzy VHS releases. Colors exhibit lush saturation with no signs of bleeding. Bold primaries like the red of Pennywise's nose and hair, a yellow rain slicker, and the 50's fashions pop. Contrast balance was excellent. Black levels were deep and inky throughout the 187 minute running time. Details in freckles, the makeup and wrinkle lines on Pennwise's face, stitching and textures on clothing were revealing in their clarity. The image shows no signs of print damage or speckles that I could see. A fine layer of grain is noticeable in scenes that adds to the feel of this transfer. Warner has really stepped up their game for this latest batch of catalog release. 9/10
Audio is provided by a DTS-HD Master Audio 2.0 track. - Dialogue was crisp and clearly presented. Stereo separation was engaging during more eerie moments. The score has a nice amount of depth too it. The mix is well balanced. No signs of popping or hissing. 8.5/10
* Audio Commentary - Director Tommy Lee Wallace and Actors Dennis Christopher, Tim Reid, John Ritter and Richard Thomas
