It (2017)

[camper]

Originally Posted by GaragePoet

uhh, it's definitely been a while since i read it but i don't remember that at all

It was the event which kept the group (as children) united in the tunnel. Without that, they would never have defeated It the first time because the group was falling apart. That is how important it was to their success and the story.

Which, in and of itself is disturbing.

Could it be newer versions of the book have it edited out or modified? If so, I wish I got that copy.

[BarnDoor]

The gang-bang scene won't be included, and I very much doubt they'd include the Patrick Hockstetter character in all his 'glory' either.

This is one of my favourite books, and I just don't think it could ever be done justice on screen. It's simply too dark in places, and that's a large part of its brilliance.

[camper]

Originally Posted by Kevin Holly

Honestly, this is a remake I don't really mind, in that I don't really like the original film (I honestly have never found it scary, although that may be just be due to me not being in on the whole being afraid of clowns/dolls/puppets/dummies game; oddly enough, I am terrified of

[Show spoiler]spiders, and, really, all insects,

though), whereas I do really like the book. It's the book the King is most famous for (perhaps unfortunately), and I'd like to see it done justice.

I also would love a remake of this, but I will not be happy with it because there is SO MUCH greatness in that book that a single 2 hour movie couldn't do it justice. I would want a treatment similar to the Shining remake, where it was a several hour program and incorporated nearly everything EXCEPT the child gang bang and other similar scenes (like the little boy felating the bully before getting killed into the fridge by It afte the bully was 'done' and punched him then left).

IMHO, it is Kings best novel. Read it 4 times. (Jerusalem's Lot (Not Salem's Lot, the vampire story which takes place in the same town) is his best short story, IMHO)

Also, the

[Show spoiler]spider

was extremely disappointing. I have no fear of them whatsoever, so that made the story completely anti-climactic to me.

What I would LOVE would be for this to be done on HBO for a few seasons in order to REALLY capture the book in its entirety. No embellishing to stretch it out, just take it from cover to cover.

Honestly, that is the method in which MOST King stories should be told, they wouldn't need to cut them down to make them fit into a film nor would they need to edit the heck out of them for a one week special event TV show on ABC.

[Todd Tomorrow]

I found the book far too long and not that engaging and it was the first Stephen King novel I didn't finish.

[deepbreathsanddeath]

We're getting a 4 hour NBC mini series adaption of Rosemary's Baby but we get a 2 hour feature film adaption of IT? Daf**k?

[dissention]

Originally Posted by camper

I also would love a remake of this, but I will not be happy with it because there is SO MUCH greatness in that book that a single 2 hour movie couldn't do it justice. I would want a treatment similar to the Shining remake, where it was a several hour program and incorporated nearly everything EXCEPT the child gang bang and other similar scenes (like the little boy felating the bully before getting killed into the fridge by It afte the bully was 'done' and punched him then left).

IMHO, it is Kings best novel. Read it 4 times. (Jerusalem's Lot (Not Salem's Lot, the vampire story which takes place in the same town) is his best short story, IMHO)

Also, the

[Show spoiler]spider

was extremely disappointing. I have no fear of them whatsoever, so that made the story completely anti-climactic to me.

What I would LOVE would be for this to be done on HBO for a few seasons in order to REALLY capture the book in its entirety. No embellishing to stretch it out, just take it from cover to cover.

Honestly, that is the method in which MOST King stories should be told, they wouldn't need to cut them down to make them fit into a film nor would they need to edit the heck out of them for a one week special event TV show on ABC.

Last I head, it was going to be two films. Even in that last interview with Fukunaga, he refers to two parts. The original plan was one film, but that was abandoned, along with David Kajganich's streamlined approach.

I vacillate between IT and The Tommyknockers as King's best work. The Tommyknockers is a mess, but it's so potent and reads like a fever dream splashed onto the page; you can tell he was at his lowest point when writing it & that's what gives it such power. He's never written anything like it, though I'm usually in the minority with such a high opinion of that novel. It'll be interesting to see what NBC does with their new "event series" of it.

[Kevin Holly]

Originally Posted by camper

I also would love a remake of this, but I will not be happy with it because there is SO MUCH greatness in that book that a single 2 hour movie couldn't do it justice. I would want a treatment similar to the Shining remake, where it was a several hour program and incorporated nearly everything EXCEPT the child gang bang and other similar scenes (like the little boy felating the bully before getting killed into the fridge by It afte the bully was 'done' and punched him then left).

IMHO, it is Kings best novel. Read it 4 times. (Jerusalem's Lot (Not Salem's Lot, the vampire story which takes place in the same town) is his best short story, IMHO)

Also, the

[Show spoiler]spider

was extremely disappointing. I have no fear of them whatsoever, so that made the story completely anti-climactic to me.

What I would LOVE would be for this to be done on HBO for a few seasons in order to REALLY capture the book in its entirety. No embellishing to stretch it out, just take it from cover to cover.

Honestly, that is the method in which MOST King stories should be told, they wouldn't need to cut them down to make them fit into a film nor would they need to edit the heck out of them for a one week special event TV show on ABC.

I agree, 2 hours is not enough. They would have to, for the sake of making it legal viewing, eliminate the two scenes you mentioned, but I say leave the rest in.

[ChainsawJedi]

This is one book that never really clicked with me. Overlong and it seemed to lose itself towards the end (isn't there a giant turtle in it and a spider, too, or am I just making that up?).

I think King lost his mojo around this time and never really got it back. His early stuff is terrific, though.

[camper]

Originally Posted by ChainsawJedi

This is one book that never really clicked with me. Overlong and it seemed to lose itself towards the end (isn't there a giant turtle in it and a spider, too, or am I just making that up?).

Nope. You're not making it up. And even though it is my favorite of his, those two elements not only took the wind out of the sails, but nearly sunk the boat as well. IMHO, of course.

I think King lost his mojo around this time and never really got it back. His early stuff is terrific, though.

I wouldn't disagree with this, it certainly is the high water mark of classic king and the last of his truly horrific horror books. Almost was back there with Desperation, but not quite.

While he did write a few great stories after that (Misery, Delores Clairborne, Green Mile) I found them to be severely wanting compared to his earlier work. Though I do admit, I never got into the Dark Tower series so I'm not considering them. Insomnia, IMHO, is his absolute worst.

I haven't picked up Dr Sleep yet, because I do believe King has lost most of his mojo and I'm afraid it will somehow taint the Shining, like a bad movie sequel can sometimes taint a movie you love.

[dallywhitty]

It is perfection. I'm one of the few who likes the more abstract, fantasy-like stuff that occurs towards the end of the novel. People complain about It's true form being a giant spider, but the book makes it clear that this isn't the case. The spider is the closest a human being can come to comprehending It's true form (which is actually the deadlights, something which drives anyone insane upon sight).

Besides, spiders are scary and if I was to go roaming around a sewer only to find the lair of a gigantic spider, I'd be terrified.

Originally Posted by camper

I haven't picked up Dr Sleep yet, because I do believe King has lost most of his mojo and I'm afraid it will somehow taint the Shining, like a bad movie sequel can sometimes taint a movie you love.

Read Doctor Sleep! I actually prefer it to The Shining, which is brilliant but so repetitive. There's only so many times you can read about Danny having a vision and his parents hounding him for information.

[JeffTheMovieGuy]

Originally Posted by camper

My favorite King novel.

I thought the original mini-series was terrible. Curry was too comical, not serious or creepy enough. Pennywise was not funny in any respect.

If they do make the movie, I hope they leave the too detailed pre-pubescent gang-bang scene out of it. Which is odd, because that was the only thing that actually kept them alive in the tunnels when they were kids.

Always made me wonder if King was doing more than drugs and booze when he wrote that bit.

I don't remember correctly but wasn't it done to lose their innocence and unite as one?

[klauswhereareyou]

Originally Posted by dallywhitty

It is perfection. I'm one of the few who likes the more abstract, fantasy-like stuff that occurs towards the end of the novel. People complain about It's true form being a giant spider, but the book makes it clear that this isn't the case. The spider is the closest a human being can come to comprehending It's true form (which is actually the deadlights, something which drives anyone insane upon sight).

Besides, spiders are scary and if I was to go roaming around a sewer only to find the lair of a gigantic spider, I'd be terrified.


Read Doctor Sleep! I actually prefer it to The Shining, which is brilliant but so repetitive. There's only so many times you can read about Danny having a vision and his parents hounding him for information.

I went into Doctor Sleep very skeptical, but I really liked it.

[octagon]

I reread The Shining a week or three before starting Doctor Sleep and not only did I enjoy Doctor Sleep, I was actually a little surprised as just how seamlessly they fit together. One doesn't have to read them as one continuous story (Doctor Sleep would read pretty well as a standalone, I would think) but they definitely work that way.

I liked the Dark Tower series well enough but kinda thought he had lost his touch with things like Dumas Key and Under the Dome and The Cell. They weren't bad, exactly but they were...tired.

He really seems to have rebounded with 11/22/63, Joyland and now Doctor Sleep.

It's nice, actually. I've missed him.

[ChainsawJedi]

I've continued to read his stuff over the years but I don't find what he writes to be scary anymore. And it's not because I'm an old man, now, and I don't believe that over-exposure to horrific elements in art can make you immune. I just don't feel he can come up with the goods these days.

I like him as a person and as a writer he is exceptionally talented. Perhaps that's why I still read his stuff.

I'm currently not far off finishing Duma Key and it's taken an inordinate amount of time for anything remotely scary to start happening. That's unforgivable, in my opinion. Not got Dr Sleep, yet, though. Remarks about it here are certainly encouraging.

[Talzin78]

Originally Posted by ChainsawJedi

I've continued to read his stuff over the years but I don't find what he writes to be scary anymore. And it's not because I'm an old man, now, and I don't believe that over-exposure to horrific elements in art can make you immune. I just don't feel he can come up with the goods these days.

I like him as a person and as a writer he is exceptionally talented. Perhaps that's why I still read his stuff.

I'm currently not far off finishing Duma Key and it's taken an inordinate amount of time for anything remotely scary to start happening. That's unforgivable, in my opinion. Not got Dr Sleep, yet, though. Remarks about it here are certainly encouraging.

Me personally as a "Constant Reader" I never found King to be a Horror writer, but a fiction writer who has written horror. The Stand, Different Seasons (all 4 stories are great reads). Misery, Rose Madder, The Green Mile all great stories that have a Horror or Supernatural element to them but not Horror in my book. Don't get me started on Dark Tower connections throughout.

I like my Horror to be unnerving like The Exorcist or early Clive Barker short stories such as Rawhead Rex (only short story to actually turn my stomach)

19

[The Great Owl]

I think that Stephen King's recent story anthology, Full Dark, No Stars, is the darkest book that he has released in decades. It's full-tilt horror and bleakness across the board.

I'm looking forward to seeing how the movie adaptation of "A Good Marriage" plays out.

[Talzin78]

Originally Posted by The Great Owl

I think that Stephen King's recent story anthology, Full Dark, No Stars, is the darkest book that he has released in decades. It's full-tilt horror and bleakness across the board.

I'm looking forward to seeing how the movie adaptation of "A Good Marriage" plays out.

Loved that story, I was not aware that a movie was being made. Please tell more.

[octagon]

Oh yeah, forgot about Full Dark, No Stars.

Definitely on the 'return to form' side of the line.

[dallywhitty]

Originally Posted by octagon

I liked the Dark Tower series well enough but kinda thought he had lost his touch with things like Dumas Key and Under the Dome and The Cell. They weren't bad, exactly but they were...tired.

He really seems to have rebounded with 11/22/63, Joyland and now Doctor Sleep.

It's nice, actually. I've missed him.

I loved Under the Dome. And Full Dark, No Stars. And 11/22/63. And Joyland. And Doctor Sleep. I'm a real King fanboy.

Cell is one of my least favourites, though, so I'm not exactly eager to see the film adaptation.

[camper]

Originally Posted by JeffTheMovieGuy

I don't remember correctly but wasn't it done to lose their innocence and unite as one?

More to unite them by a group activity. I don't think the innocence loss was a part of it, but I'm sketchy on the details because it's been a while. I do remember it being central to their survival because the group was unwinding and it was something drastic, and the only thing Beverly could think to do. Because she 'loved' them.

I ordered the book a day or so because this thread got me wanting to read the story again. Been at least 12 years since I have.

Originally Posted by ChainsawJedi

I've continued to read his stuff over the years but I don't find what he writes to be scary anymore. And it's not because I'm an old man, now, and I don't believe that over-exposure to horrific elements in art can make you immune. I just don't feel he can come up with the goods these days.

I like him as a person and as a writer he is exceptionally talented. Perhaps that's why I still read his stuff.

I don't think I'd like him as a person, but he's incredibly talented and a favorite writer of mine. Amazing characterizations, despite predictable flaws and unrealistic views towards sex.

But I agree his new stuff doesn't have the 'grab' his old stuff does, and the old stuff is still pretty scary.


So...Dr Sleep...Full Dark, No Stars. Sounds like two to get. Looking forward more to the short stories collection, King is a MASTER at them, writes those better than anything else he writes and better than anyone else, IMHO.

On another note, Heart Shaped Box by Joe Hill (his son) was reminiscent of early king, but not as polished. A decent read and pretty well done...but still lacking the ripe flair of his father while being not far from the apple tree.