This episode of The Better of the Dangerous Guys focuses on Pennywise from Stephen King’s It and was written, narrated, and edited by Mike Holtz.
Someday across the sixteenth century, a shape-shifting alien life-form landed right here on Earth with nothing to eat apart from our kids. But it surely will get worse! It’s not simply sufficient to eat the youngsters, the being should scare them as a lot as potential first. It supposedly makes them style higher. Like whenever you put a lime in a Corona. Solely with concern and homicide. You get the concept. You would like you didn’t however you do. So, this supernatural being takes the form of no matter scares the youngsters probably the most. A spider? Their abusive fathers? The costs at Disney Land lately? Or its private favourite, Pennywise The Dancing Clown. As a result of most sane persons are desperately afraid of clowns.
The character was dropped at life by the God of so many different disgusting, vile, and downright loathsome creatures and issues that go bump within the evening, Stephen Effing King! Or simply Stephen King should you’re offended by cursing. Which, is bizarre that you simply’re offended by innocuous phrases whereas watching a video about an alien that likes to eat youngsters however I’m not judging.
Right now, we’re not delving deep into King’s model of IT, however quite the movie and TV variations of the character. Welcome, to “The Best of the Bad Guys”, the place I, Mike by the best way, will likely be rating the perfect of cinema’s worst villains on a case-by-case foundation. We’ll be speaking about each Tim Curry‘s and Bill Skarsgard’s variations of the character as we rank the perfect kill, scariest second, quotes, and even probably the most scary seems to be of that big-toothed piece of sh*t (bleeped): Pennywise the clown.
Get your popcorn anyplace however from the clown within the storm drain, settle in and be part of us as we rank all issues Pennywise. Beginning with….
PENNYWISE BEST LOOK
For Pennywise coolest look, you may give me all of the Andy Muschietti Mama-type oogey-boogies you wish to throw at me. You may give me gigantic Beetlejuice worm-looking Pennywise, the much better wanting of the 2 Spider-Pennywise’, Invoice Skarsgard big-head and means too moist lips Pennywise you need….however Pennywise has by no means been extra scary than good ole’ Tim Curry in some common ass clown make-up.
There’s simply one thing concerning the pure, haunting look of a grown man carrying these saggy, yellow parachute pants that in all probability odor like Jason Voorhees post-Jason Takes Manhattan poisonous waste bathtub dipped within the sins of OJ Simpson with the lipstick smeared into his tooth that freaks me the hell out. It’s imperfect, low cost, and off-putting in all of the ways in which make him so scary.
All of a sudden when this “Movie of the Week” wanting psychopath breaks out his alien tooth or Mario’s himself down a pipe, it’s way more scary than somebody who doesn’t look human to start with. It makes you’re feeling like this child-murdering psychopath wearing a clown go well with can get to you anyplace.
Which, is much more upsetting than any of his other-worldly kinds in a realistic-based concern kind of means.
PENNYWISE Finest Quote
I very, very a lot thought-about this scene a contender for Pennywise’ “Meanest Moments” however for a factor that feeds on younger youngsters….a catfish/fats shaming/sexual assault simply couldn’t evaluate. However my lord was an unholy triumvirate of terrible regardless.
On this scene, from half two of the 1990 mini-series, John Ritter’s Ben is all grown up and at last about to do tongue stuff with the girl of his goals. For much, far too lengthy. You’re feeling nice for the man, even when he’s form of Mark Wahlberging her mouth slightly bit. Severely, have you ever ever seen Mark Wahlberg kiss? It’s like watching the worm model of Freddy Krueger in Dream Warriors attempting to swallow Patricia Arquette entire.
Anyway, Ben and Bev are lastly making out feverishly when he seems to be into the mirror American Psycho Christian Bale model. Solely as an alternative of checking his weapons out, he realizes he’s received a smidge of clown make-up on his face and mouth and that Bev is carrying clown pants and gloves.
Don’t get me improper, these pants can be horrifying on anybody not tripping balls at a Juggalo conference….however on this case, he realizes that he’s been sucking face together with his greatest concern…Pennywise himself.
To make issues worse, Pennywise rears again (his make-up smudged as nicely, which one way or the other makes it really feel further gross), smiles huge, and says ”Kiss me, fats boy!”
The invasiveness and awfulness of that second being compounded with a fats joke is simply further merciless. I might have completed our make-out session after which by no means known as him again. It’s the principal of the matter.
In all seriousness, as imply and freaky as this scene is….the truth that Tim Curry may ship it in a means that was each humorous, quotable, and nonetheless scary is a tribute to why he’s so rattling particular as an actor.
PENNYWISE MEANEST MOMENT
This one is hard. Pennywise is an actual dick. You possibly can select from him impersonating youngsters lifeless dads, utilizing the severed head of a not too long ago deceased buddy to speak, or him catfishing Ben into a fast make-out session. However the factor is with regards to an alien that eats youngsters…there’s form of nothing meaner than that.
The plain second that involves thoughts is both of the 2 Georgie scenes. Sadly, we needed to watch that child die twice. In the event that they make one other remake that poor child goes to begin moving into Uncle Ben territory. Then to have Pennywise the Dancing Douche use his type a number of occasions to taunt Invoice….I may see how that would simply take the cake. Then there’s the second in IT Chapter 2 when Pennywise lures the skateboard child into the home of mirrors and makes Invoice watch helplessly as Pennywise eats one other baby he can’t save. Pennywise was once more, very Mark Wahlberg in Concern at this second, (Wahlberg’s voice) “Let me in ya’ house so I can eat this little skateboard kid right here. And Nicole, go get me a coke. I am the eater of worlds. Hey yo, Eddie. Say Hi to your Motha for me”. Wahlberg is catching strays on this video lots. He doesn’t deserve that. He in all probability does.
If we’re going for longevity right here, you would say Pennywise was as imply to Invoice as anybody. However so far as a single scene goes, I’ll give this one to the poor little lady below the bleachers in IT Chapter 2. This candy little child follows an ember below the bleachers as a result of she doesn’t wish to watch her brother’s silly baseball sport (in all probability for the fifth time that week) and runs into Pennywise. She shortly says f*ck that THERE’S A CLOWN UNDER HERE! Earlier than Pennywise begins crying on the spot like that manipulative important different you want your buddy would go away… and she or he takes the bait.
This poor little lady simply wished to have Pennywise do away with the birthmark on her face that she will get made enjoyable of for and as an alternative, he eats her face off. That simply makes me actually unhappy.
Fast aspect notice right here: You may additionally go together with one of many Derry massacres we hear about all through the films…however we by no means actually noticed these for probably the most half. Who is aware of, possibly the brand new TV Present ‘Welcome to Derry’ will go to all these locations we don’t really need it to.
PENNYWISE Grossest Second
I’d prefer to name this one the fortune cookie f*ckaroo (bleeped)…and we’re going with the unique scene within the ABC mini-series. Whereas the remake added some good touches (like severed heads floating within the fish tanks throughout them) with regards to gross-out gags, I’m a sensible FX over CG man any day of the week.
Within the scene, the now grown-up Loser’s Membership will get collectively for some laughs, cocktails, and Chinese language meals on the restaurant from the Drake and Kendrick beef. They’re having a good time till Bev opens up her fortune cookie and it explodes blood throughout her face. A sensible blood gag that you would be able to inform startles the Hell out of her in actual life…and us too.
All of a sudden everybody’s fortune cookies begin shaking on the desk and turning into little monsters of various types. There’s a shifting human eyeball, a crusty crab crawler thingy, a huge spider, and at last the worst of all…. an unformed child hen with all of its goo.
WHO THE HELL THINKS OF THIS STUFF? A skinless child hen inside a fortune cookie? I can’t consider something worse. Perhaps in the entire world. Human Centipede didn’t even do child birds inside fortune cookies. And this was on Cable TV!
PENNYWISE’S BEST KILL
You realize, there aren’t a ton of kills proven on display on this franchise as a result of it’s truthfully extra scary to observe Pennywise play together with his meals or “salt his meats” as he says. That’s an excellent gross means of placing it, clown man. However surprisingly this award goes to go to Andres Muschietti’s IT Chapter 2. Which, I’ve shockingly talked about excess of I anticipated to at present because it’s my least favourite of all 4 half installments. As soon as once more, the opening units the tone for all the film when a few homophobic douche nozzle Derry residents are beating up a homosexual couple outdoors the honest whereas some snot nostril brat roots them on. What are these guys associated to the Melaneys from Halloween Kills or one thing? I suppose at the very least that storyline would have had extra of a degree than what you probably did with them huh, David Gordon Inexperienced? I guess that man doesn’t even end his sandwiches…anyway we’re getting off-topic.
After the puppy-kicking mouth breathers drop the man into the river, he’s drowning and appears to the shore to see Pennywise hovering round like a cage fighter sizing up his opponent in spherical one the best way I do the donut show case within the morning.
You see his yellow eyes within the distance and it sends chills down your backbone. By the point his boyfriend has discovered him, Pennywise is dangling him within the air earlier than taking a shark-like chunk out of his chest.
What makes the scene so cool although isn’t solely the best way Pennywise seems to be by this waterfront at evening however the best way he chomps on his meat after the kill. That’s some mom effin nice sound work proper there, guys! I believe if we had extra of this Pennywise, quite than leap scare Jerry all through the movie, it will have been a much more scary movie as an entire.
PENNYWISE SCARIEST MOMENT
What I wish to say right here is each single time Tim Curry appeared as Pennywise the Clown all through the whole thing of the 1990 movie. As a result of to be trustworthy, there was nobody second that stood out above all others. However with every tiny little snippet the place he would present up, it was extra the anticipation of what he was GOING to do this scared me so.
Displaying up whereas a child is pressured to bathe after health club and cornering him earlier than flying down a pipe like some Outdated Spice industrial directed by Devil is insanely darkish. Even when all he does is threaten him. Standing on the aspect of the street laughing as a automobile drives by, digging graves, and popping balloons stuffed with blood within the library…..it was at all times concerning the lead-up for Tim Curry’s Pennywise. The film could have by no means actually had the price range to make good on its threats, for which I’m virtually grateful. I don’t suppose child me may have dealt with it.
However alas, I refuse to cop out and never do as promised. So, whereas I believe Tim Curry’s Pennywise is much extra scary as an entire, I’ve to confess that many of the singular scenes would reduce away or blur out far too usually to win this class. I’ve to offer this second in terrifying time to a second from 2017’s IT Chapter One.
Whereas most of the gags in Andy Muschietti’s IT movies relied far too closely on CG to actually seize me, regardless of a bevy of valiant makes an attempt….this scene, specifically, shook the dwelling shit out of me.
Because the Loser’s Membership clicks via projector slides in a small darkish room, the projector goes haywire and begins clipping shortly via photographs. With every projector slide or zoom in to a girl with purple hair’s face, the display glints to blackness. This creates a sped-up model of the nice ole’ Texas Chainsaw Bloodbath digital camera bulb gag, to virtually a strobe-like impact when out of the blue Pennywise pops via the display, now gigantic, crawling shortly in direction of the youngsters as they cowered in concern. All of the whereas, the display nonetheless glints between black frames and Shaq in a shoe-box Pennywise as he will get nearer to the digital camera. It conjures a literal bodily response in me to get away from the display.
Now, I perceive many will discover this second as Conjuring-esque, as most of the different leap scares within the two movies, however there was one thing about this second that genuinely gave me excessive anxiousness within the theater….and films simply don’t do this to many fairly often. Life does. However motion pictures? Not a lot.
The right steadiness of sudden anarchy and dimension disproportion that royally discombobulated my nervous system. Once more, to reference a few of the empty Conjuring-type scares, it will have been way more memorable had he really killed somebody at that second quite than simply disappearing into the daylight….however it was nonetheless a “wear your brown pants” second for me, personally.
However nonetheless, the true reply is simply each time Tim Curry was on display within the 1990 movie.
PENNYWISE MOST ICONIC MOMENT
It must be the unique gutter scene from 1990. Is that this not what all of us consider each time we’re strolling the canine previous a storm drain? Hell, generally I even odor popcorn within the air and do the little “I have to use the bathroom” shuffle previous them…and I’m virtually forty years outdated. The place do you suppose these dad jokes come from?
I selected the 1990 scene over the remake as a result of though everyone knows ole’ moist lips Invoice Skarsgard does a tremendous job as Pennywise, for me there’s nothing that may beat Tim Curry in his Greenback Common make-up and bloodshot eyes, wanting like somebody gave a hobo a bottle of Jack Daniels and a bong hit.
The remake had an amazingly traumatic second whenever you see Georgie’s arm get dismembered after which he’s pulled into the gutter…..and admittedly way more scary than simply the sluggish zoom-in to Pennywise as he seems to be like he’s attempting to make out with you….however as soon as once more, CG is these different motion pictures enemy. The wackadoodle face they throw on Pennywise when he goes for the chew utterly takes you out of the scene.
What makes the unique scene so iconic is that
A) It’s precisely how most of us bear in mind Pennywise in popular culture as a result of it’s such an odd sight…a clown in a storm drain attempting to lure youngsters?…..but additionally utterly plausible. Persons are tousled on the market, guys. In 1990 and 2024. Curry’s portrayal of the clown as soon as once more felt all too real looking.
B) Tim Curry’s swap forwards and backwards from charming to utterly terrifying. The best way he will get excited when Georgie asks in the event that they float won’t ever not give me the heebie-jeebies.
Often, right here’s the place I might focus on the perfect loss of life scene for our iconic horror characters however let’s be trustworthy….each motion pictures had horrible endings. We don’t must relive that right here. I imply who knew you would kill a world-eating killer alien clown by calling him a butthead. Like he’s the other of the pink slime in Ghostbusters II? And I believe we’re all uninterested in the “If you don’t believe in the monster, the monster is powerless” horror trope. However hey, that’s how it’s and that’s the best way it goes.
However, Pennywise is among the all-time scariest horror icons on the market and I had a horrible however superior time digging again into his shenanigans with you guys at present. I hope you loved yourselves as nicely and please remark under, what horror icons would you prefer to see on “Best of the Bad Guys”? And I’m certain you could have some completely different high quotes, kills, and funky moments so please tell us these as nicely! Till subsequent time!
A few the earlier episodes of The Better of the Dangerous Guys could be seen under. To see extra, click on over to the JoBlo Horror Originals YouTube channel – and subscribe whilst you’re there!
