It (1990)★★★★★

I may be biased writing this, because you could probably say that this is the movie that started it all. The details are fuzzy, but I remember seeing this when I was about five, so it may have been when it aired the first time. I think I was supposed to be asleep, and whoever was watching didn’t see me sneak up behind them (I do that sometimes) until the commercial break.

Anyway, next thing I do remember is that for the next several years, I thought there was a clown under my bed that was going to eat me. I still sometimes leap into my bed from three feet away so nothing grabs my ankles. And sometimes I still have to turn on all the lights in my house in the middle of the night so I can fall asleep.

I can see why this was done as a two-part miniseries originally; it was probably too much for me to watch in one night (but of course I did it anyway). I did start getting antsy towards the end of it, but I think the pacing makes sense for something to be watched over two nights. There’s so much character development over the course of the film that you start to feel like you’re a part of the Losers Club, too, so even the slow parts keep you hooked.

The cast is perfect – both the children and the adults. I believed that the kids would have grown into the adults on screen, and I believed everyone’s terror and angst. It was really impressive to watch. Oh, and Tim Curry was absolutely the right choice for Pennywise. I don’t think I’ve ever disliked a role I’ve seen him in, but still. That evil clown haunted my dreams for years.

Twenty-six years after It’s release, I still get shivers down my spine watching this. Because it’s terrifying, yes, but also because it’s, well, a story about family (and the family you make with your friends), love, and loss. And you know how I feel about those.

Oh, and happy birthday, Josh! I love you!