A Killer Clown

Who says that clowns are a comforting sight to watch? It’s not everyday that you see someone dress up like a goof, wear makeup with a big red nose, do idiotic tricks like juggle a few balls and make animals out of balloons, not to mention having a laugh that is either very annoying or extremely creepy, that makes you want to either pull your hair out or run out of the room. With that said, it is understandable why there are many who would be frightened. The reality is that there are people out there who are either terrified of clowns or find them absolutely amusing. With “It,” however, you will know why there are many out there who hate clowns. A fair warning: This is no fun day at the circus.

When a series of murders start to take place again in a small Maine town of Derry, Mike Hanlon (Tim Reid) suspects that an old supernatural foe that he and his childhood friends encountered and battled has come back. He begins to call his friends to remind them of an oath they took if it ever came back. The friends would return to their hometown to face their nemesis and try to destroy it once and for all.

The series has a solid storyline that flows steadily throughout – not to mention a solid cast, including the late John Ritter and a nerdy young Seth Green. There are many flashbacks involved, going back and forth from the characters as adults to their childhood. The clown known as “It” was so scary that as you continue to watch, there will be moments that make you look over your shoulder constantly.

“It” is a miniseries based on a Stephen King novel. King, known as the master of horror is famous for scaring the socks off of people. He has definitely not failed with this story. Although “It” starts of exceptionally well, it does have flaws that will leave you scratching your head with frustration and disgust. For instance, the acting was not even close to being superb. There were several scenes that seemed if there wasn’t any effort involved. The dialogue was of gum that runs out of flavor very fast.

Another frustrating aspect to this miniseries is that there were a few scenes that were an absolute buzz kill in general. There is an old saying that “if it isn’t broke, don’t fix it.” Unfortunately, that was the case with “It,” which was solid from beginning to middle – but when it reached the end, it was like a tire that had gone flat. At that point, the flavor and life was sucked out of a perfectly good viewing.

Even though there were many scary moments throughout this series, it all gets lost to how ridiculously idiotic it all ends. A positive aspect is that it will make you realize even more why you are and will always be freaked out by clowns, but after a while, it gets old. Let’s get real. We all have to face our fears sooner or later. Unfortunately, when all is said and done, the only thing scarier than a clown is a large spider in the room.

After watching “It,” maybe going to the circus isn’t such a bad idea. Besides, you would probably get a few laughs, or better yet, watch a clown who in your eyes is scary make an absolute fool of himself.

Here’s a poodle.