Greetings And Salutations, and welcome to my review of It!; here's the breakdown of my ratings:
Story: 1.50 Direction: 1.25 Pace: 1.25 Acting: 1.50 Enjoyment: 1.25
TOTAL: 6.75 out of 10.00
I am, have been, and will always be a Roddy McDowall fan. When I saw the movie stared the great man, I had to give it a look-see, and I am glad I did. It's not a great movie, but it is highly entertaining, thanks mostly to McDowall.
The story is your basic 1970s fodder. Man finds a monster he can control and uses it to kill his way to his heart's desires - who needs hard work? That said, I did enjoy the opening sequence as it kind of rings true. There's a raging fire at a museum's storage facility, and the only thing to survive is a seven-foot statue. Most of the treasures unearthed are indeed done so accidentally. It's an odd-looking effigy that looks crude in its workmanship but somehow manages to exude menace. Pimm quickly realises there's something supernatural about the figure and sets his mind to finding the truth. And once the murders start, Perkins - an American buyer - and Scotland Yard set out on another path of truth-finding. One thing I would have included in the story would be more on Pimm's background. I loved this character, even the individual's excentricities like stealing the jewels for a day or two so his mother could wear them. Is this something she would bully him into, or is it a recently formed transgression - Something he decided was a good idea after retrieving his mother's corpse from her grave? Oh, yeah! And why did he do that? These questions are unanswered, and I don't think that was a good idea. It makes the peculiar events feel excessive to the story's concept and not one of its components. However, McDowell does well with the scenes though he's no Anthony Perkins. I liked how Pimm realised he'd gotten too deep into the evilness of power and wanted to make amends. Most people in stories of this ilk are completely consumed and never see the error of their ways. It was refreshing.
The director of this little treasure is also the writer, and he's equally skilled in both fields. The direction could have been better. Though he subdues the lighting and adds thunder and lightning, it's not nearly atmospheric enough. There should be an underlying dread to all the preliminary and primary scary scenes. You should feel unnerved, but, sadly, you don't. But the worst thing is the painting. When the Golam topples a bridge, we get to see the aftermath. Though not having a great budget, instead of a set model, we see an artist's rendition of the devastation. Regrettably, the limited money didn't stretch to a good artist. I paused the scene for a few minutes but still couldn't recognise what I was looking at - It was a mess. They must have spent the cash on the cast and the Golam's outfit. Even though it's simplistic and not too frightful, it looks okay, and you cannot tell it's rubber. There are times when its arms are down and others when they're at forty-five degrees, and you cannot distinguish any creasing in the material. In too many similar films, the monster's garb unintentionally lets the film and the creepiness down.
The cast is more than adequate. McDowell, as always, is superbly entertaining. And though he appears to perform most of his roles with tongue firmly in cheek, his characters always come across as believable and relatable - as does Pimm in It! And even though he's broken in a twisted way, you still warm to him, which is a strange feeling to possess for the murderous villain of the picture.
It! Is a Sunday afternoon watch on a cold rainy day. You're happily stuffed with Sunday dinner, the fire's warming up the room nicely as rain streams down the window pane, and you need something easy and enjoyable to waste a little time. Should you have a copy of It! Or have found it on a streaming service, then get under the duvet, grab a warm drink, and enjoy It!.
Please feel free to visit my Absolute Horror list to see where I ranked It!.
Take Care & Stay Well.
Story: 1.50 Direction: 1.25 Pace: 1.25 Acting: 1.50 Enjoyment: 1.25
TOTAL: 6.75 out of 10.00
I am, have been, and will always be a Roddy McDowall fan. When I saw the movie stared the great man, I had to give it a look-see, and I am glad I did. It's not a great movie, but it is highly entertaining, thanks mostly to McDowall.
The story is your basic 1970s fodder. Man finds a monster he can control and uses it to kill his way to his heart's desires - who needs hard work? That said, I did enjoy the opening sequence as it kind of rings true. There's a raging fire at a museum's storage facility, and the only thing to survive is a seven-foot statue. Most of the treasures unearthed are indeed done so accidentally. It's an odd-looking effigy that looks crude in its workmanship but somehow manages to exude menace. Pimm quickly realises there's something supernatural about the figure and sets his mind to finding the truth. And once the murders start, Perkins - an American buyer - and Scotland Yard set out on another path of truth-finding. One thing I would have included in the story would be more on Pimm's background. I loved this character, even the individual's excentricities like stealing the jewels for a day or two so his mother could wear them. Is this something she would bully him into, or is it a recently formed transgression - Something he decided was a good idea after retrieving his mother's corpse from her grave? Oh, yeah! And why did he do that? These questions are unanswered, and I don't think that was a good idea. It makes the peculiar events feel excessive to the story's concept and not one of its components. However, McDowell does well with the scenes though he's no Anthony Perkins. I liked how Pimm realised he'd gotten too deep into the evilness of power and wanted to make amends. Most people in stories of this ilk are completely consumed and never see the error of their ways. It was refreshing.
The director of this little treasure is also the writer, and he's equally skilled in both fields. The direction could have been better. Though he subdues the lighting and adds thunder and lightning, it's not nearly atmospheric enough. There should be an underlying dread to all the preliminary and primary scary scenes. You should feel unnerved, but, sadly, you don't. But the worst thing is the painting. When the Golam topples a bridge, we get to see the aftermath. Though not having a great budget, instead of a set model, we see an artist's rendition of the devastation. Regrettably, the limited money didn't stretch to a good artist. I paused the scene for a few minutes but still couldn't recognise what I was looking at - It was a mess. They must have spent the cash on the cast and the Golam's outfit. Even though it's simplistic and not too frightful, it looks okay, and you cannot tell it's rubber. There are times when its arms are down and others when they're at forty-five degrees, and you cannot distinguish any creasing in the material. In too many similar films, the monster's garb unintentionally lets the film and the creepiness down.
The cast is more than adequate. McDowell, as always, is superbly entertaining. And though he appears to perform most of his roles with tongue firmly in cheek, his characters always come across as believable and relatable - as does Pimm in It! And even though he's broken in a twisted way, you still warm to him, which is a strange feeling to possess for the murderous villain of the picture.
It! Is a Sunday afternoon watch on a cold rainy day. You're happily stuffed with Sunday dinner, the fire's warming up the room nicely as rain streams down the window pane, and you need something easy and enjoyable to waste a little time. Should you have a copy of It! Or have found it on a streaming service, then get under the duvet, grab a warm drink, and enjoy It!.
Please feel free to visit my Absolute Horror list to see where I ranked It!.
Take Care & Stay Well.