We all float down here… or we’ll lose our minds trying to make sense of Andy Muschietti’s blockbuster horror films based on Stephen King’s classic novel. In this episode, Andrea and Alex investigate the depths of Derry’s sewer system, summer holidays and sexual awakenings.
Artwork by @thelastjohnyontheleft
REQUIRED READING
It Chapter 1 and It Chapter 2. Dir. Andy Muschietti, 2017 and 2019.
EXTRA CREDIT
Danse Macabre. Stephen King’s treatise on horror.
Why do Students Get Summers Off? A history of getting to play hooky in the summer.
The American Small Town in the Age of the US Empire. The dream and reality of the American small town.
Return of the Repressed. Robin Wood’s iconic essay about the American horror film.
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Holy shit I laughed a lot during that. I know I thought the movies were kinda bad, but that gave me a lot of context as to why I perhaps felt that way. That articulate vitriol just made my day. Thanks so much
“Stephen King is not a pretty man”. You’d think two feminists would hesitate before judging someone on their looks.
I never read the book or watched the original miniseries, but I agree with you on how overrated these movies are. I also find Stranger Things to be overrated, and this seemed to draft on the back of that. I don’t quite see it as analogous to Avatar because there are lots of fans of both who didn’t just forget about the films afterward. I recall some pop culture writer pointing to it as an example of “meme horror”, which I objected was a meaningless label, but fans were making memes.
I don’t recall Lovecraft using a “magical negro” trope. I also think that being the only black kid in a town would function differently from the more common dynamic (at least outside of places like small-town Maine) of there being a black minority whose individual members can be reduced to instances of that larger group in the eyes of the majority. Although I don’t think these films actually explore that much either.
I loved the ending of the book! I’m a sucker for a story that throws the universe open at the end though.
I also really enjoyed listening to Andrea hate something. Great episode.