6.9 | / 10 |
Users | 0.0 | |
Reviewer | 4.0 | |
Overall | 4.0 |
"Pennywise: The Story of IT" is a feature-length documentary from the makers of "RoboDoc: The Creation of RoboCop" and "You’re so cool, Brewster! The Story of Fright Night." Featuring over 40 interviews with the cast and crew (including Tim Curry) of Tommy Lee Wallace’s 1990 TV classic "Stephen King’s IT," this documentary will explore the legacy of the show as well as the cultural impact that Pennywise has had on a generation of fans. With hours of never-before-seen, behind-the-scenes footage and exclusive photos, "Pennywise" will be the ultimate celebration of this much-loved classic and will also be a lasting tribute to the remarkable work of the one of cinema’s greatest character actors, Mr. Tim Curry.
Starring: Tim Curry, Seth Green, Richard Thomas (I), Tim Reid (I), Emily PerkinsHorror | 100% |
Documentary | 2% |
Video codec: MPEG-4 AVC
Video resolution: 1080p
Aspect ratio: 1.78:1
Original aspect ratio: 1.78:1
English: DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1 (48kHz, 24-bit)
English SDH
Blu-ray Disc
Single disc (1 BD)
Slipcover in original pressing
Region A (B, C untested)
Movie | 4.0 | |
Video | 4.5 | |
Audio | 3.5 | |
Extras | 2.5 | |
Overall | 4.0 |
Was there anything scarier in the early '90s than the IT television miniseries? If you were old enough to watch real horror movies, the answer is a resounding "yes". But if you, like me, were too young, had yet to push past the boundaries of the PG-13 realm and were stuck watching primetime television and non-R-rated movies, ABC's two-part, three-hour adaptation of Stephen King's 1,100-page horror masterpiece of the same name was the be-all, end-all of terrifying sights and frights. Yet today, nearly thirty-five years later, director Tommy Lee Wallace and screenwriter Lawrence D. Cohen's IT pales in comparison to the horrors my memory conjures when I remember first watching it. Tim Curry's unsettling performance still stands tall but the rest of the film feels dated, hurried and poorly constructed, showing its age and the limitations of network horror at every turn. Where does that leave Pennywise: The Story of IT, Chris Griffiths and John Campopiano's two-hour look-back documentary on the production of the original 1990 miniseries? In good shape actually. The movie itself may not hold up very well (at least by my standards), but this nostalgia-fueled trip back in time is well worth the effort and the price of admission.
There aren't many surprises to Cinedigm's 1080p/AVC-encoded video presentation. 21st century interviews generally look great, archive production footage holds up and miniseries clips are excellent. A handful of interviews struggle (the lighting in Seth Green's segments is problematic and struggles with a hint of softness) but the vast majority of the sit-downs and talking heads feature lifelike colors, striking fine detail, handsome contrast and deep black levels. Some banding and other minor issues creep into the documentary, but it's infrequent and never amounts to much of a distraction. On the whole, Pennywise: The Story of IT's Blu-ray presentation delivers and then some.
There isn't much to Cinedigm's DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1 surround track. Interview voices are clear, natural and nicely prioritized, archive footage and miniseries clips are more inconsistent but deliver the best their original audio mixes can, and dynamics are solid. Otherwise there aren't any real jolts of rear speaker prowess or low-end heft to speak of. There are bits of soundfield wizardry on occasion (mainly when the IT score kicks in or film clips feature Pennywise at his demonic worst) but nothing that pulls the documentary out of the tried-and-true, front-heavy talking head soundscape such productions are known to have. None of it proves distracting, but none of it proves very remarkable either.
How scary is the IT miniseries? That depends on how much the frights of yesteryear still unsettle your soul. For most of us, the miniseries is a quaint bit of nostalgic horror that offers more good memories than modern day terrors. That said, Pennywise: The Story of IT is well worth watching, regardless of how well you believe IT holds up some thirty-five years after its airing. Cinedigm's Blu-ray release holds its own too, thanks to a solid AV presentation and a small but decent selection of special features.
2010
2013
2015
2021
Special Edition
2018
2020
2011
2011
Dead Meat Collector's Edition
2019
Special Edition
2016
2007
2009
Dracula's Transylvania / The Legend of Dracula
1975
1985
30th Anniversary Edition
1978
Elvira Collector’s Edition
2020
1989
1985
1986
1984