I was watching Stephen King’s It today and I was thinking: This movie sucks. But so much of it seemed familiar, something I’d seen before. The kid with the asthma inhaler, the blood in the bathroom. I think it was something I saw when I was a kid. But I remember it being much different…
So, my question is: Has there been another film or tv miniseries based upon It by Stephen King?
Funny you should say that…When It came out in 1990 I was in 8th grade. My friend James swore up and down that there was another version of the movie, one rated X because it was much more grafically violent- (remember NC-17 wasn’t around yet) I think he said it actually showed the little boy’s arm being yanked off- and that his uncle had it. I’ve never known the kid to lie at all, but I was never able to turn up any evidence of there being “another version” out there, so I thought he was pulling our legs. Maybe he was right, though, and that’s what you saw?
Is this what you where watching ?
If so, it was a mini-serie, you might remember watching it on TV.
Isn’t that what the OP says?
Here’s a list of all the films based on Stephen King works, or films in which he had a hand in.
There was no other version of It, X-rated or otherwise. Maybe SZ saw the TV miniseries 10 years ago, but just forgot about it until seeing the film again?
Not exactly, he said he was watching a movie, which implies to me that he rented/bought/borrowed a tape or DVD version of the miniserie. The reason that his memory is different from his recent viewing (I think), is that the pacing of the story was different. TV being a different medium than cinema, can make a suspenseful pause, usually just before a commercial break, resuming the action with the viewer still tensed up. These breaks do not exist on the tape, unfortunately. I remember watching Salem’s Lot when it was first broadcast, my impression was “Wow, what a great vampire story !” So, when I rented the tape 6-7 years later, I was expecting a similar level of enjoyement. Unfortunately, that was not the case. The tension present on TV was completely absent this time around, there was no rhythm to it, it was flat (and before you ask, I enjoy rewatching movies, there usually always something new that I didn’t catch the first time).
Yeah, this thing was the miniseries that I rented today. But I remember seeing completely different filters, camera angles, and overall better acting.
It was actually wierd, the one I remember seeing. I was just channel surfing, so I never saw the clown. But, considering (if this was in 1990) I was about six years old at the time, I might have been scarred for life. I’ve met so many people who are terrified of clowns because of IT.
But then again, screw it. I’ll read the book. My imagination is ten times better than any made-for-TV movie monster with the zipper showing. Thanks anyways, people.
I only saw the mini-series as it was shown originally. I thought it was marginally scary. Barely. But I was an adult. (However, Tim Curry was the ULTIMATE Pennywise, I must say! God, he just rocks.)
Go for the book. It’s tremendously better than the movie (and FTR, only a minimal few of King’s movies are as good or as at least as interesting as his stories) but nothing to stay up with until your light bulb expends.
Both endings suck. So don’t get your hopes up too high.
I love Stephen King. I liked IT. I read it, maybe… twice. Most of his others I read until the pages disintegrated, if that tells you anything.
It’s been ages since I’ve seen or read It, but I seem to recall that some of the “monsters” that attacked the kids, especially the one with the inhaler, were based on things they feared. I seem to vaguely remember a passage where the asthmatic (sp?) kid under attack thought something along the lines of, “This is just like that movie . . .” Perhaps your friend saw the same movie that Stephen King and his character saw?
Stephen King walks into room and tags Morrison’s Lament
Hey, now I’m IT! 
Ok. I suck.
— G. Raven
Morrison, you suck!
I have nothing to add here other than an interesting annecdote. I lived/attended college near Bangor (the model for Derry) Maine when IT was released…
I had a part-time job at a military-billeting hotel in Bangor where I would do the books and hold down the fort during the night shift (from 11PM to 7AM). Easiest job I ever had, BTW!
I used to go into work at 11, do the books (which took 30 mins.) and then sleep on the couch until 7AM, study, or read all night.
The hotel happened to be about 500 meters or so from the standpipe mentioned in the book…
I brought IT in one night when I was working… BIG MISTAKE!! I finished doing the books at about midnight, and settled on the couch to read… behind me was a window. Framed in the window was the standpipe, as I said, about 500 meters away! I happened, that night, to read the section of the book where the ghosts of two children drowned in the standpipe threaten Stanley (is that right?). OMG:eek:!!!
CREEPED me out BIG time!!! No sleep for me that night (with the standpipe peeping over my shoulder!)!
Man!!
Actually, I LIKED the movie-not because it was supposed to be scary, but because I liked the characters. I love the Loser’s Club. I agree, it’s nowhere near as good as the book, but I think the casting was perfect.