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8 Things You Should Probably Know About Pennywise from ‘It’!

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Stephen King

Earlier this week, the world was given its first glimpse of Bill Skarsgård in full costume as Pennywise the Clown, otherwise known as It. There was quite a bit of negative backlash over his look, with many lamenting the fact that he looks too evil as opposed to an everyday clown like Tim Curry’s Pennywise. Not that it matters, but my opinion on the subject is that these criticisms are unfounded. You have to understand, this is a publicity shot. He is meant to look frightening in this particular shot. He very well may have an alternate appearance where he looks more like a friendly clown (he is a shapeshifter, after all). Also, it’s not like ABC didn’t release promotional images of Tim Curry looking scary back in 1990.

That being said, the negative backlash seems to validate the theory that horror fans will never be happy. We have created a culture of dissatisfaction that is never content with anything that is given to us. In all honesty, we should all be grateful we are getting a new adaptation at all. It is understandable to be wary. It’s not like we haven’t been burned by remakes many times before, but the latest image that was released is a solid image of Pennywise. My point is: we shouldn’t be too quick to judge. It’s one photo. Wait until you see the movie. And for the love of God go see it in theaters, otherwise studios won’t take any more risks on multi-film Stephen King adaptations.

That is the end of my rant. Time for the listicle portion of this article. Below are 8 basic facts about Pennywise that you should know before going to see the new film, which will be released next September. I’ve tried to keep it as light on spoilers as possible (spider climax aside), so many of these facts will be known by seasoned veterans of the novel or even the 1990 ABC miniseries, but newbies may find a few things pretty interesting.

1. It originated before the universe itself in an alternate dimension known as the “Deadlights.”

Not much is known about the Deadlights, but that is where Pennywise claims to be from, sometimes going so far as to claim that he is the Deadlights. Anyone who sees the Deadlights goes instantly insane, and only one person has ever seen them and survived (those who have read the novel or seen the 1990 mini-series will know who that is).

It Deadlights

2. It’s true form exists solely in the “Deadlights.”

No one has ever seen Pennywise’s true form. While the giant pregnant female spider that appears in the climax of the novel is considered as close a representation to its true form as anyone will ever see,  as it the Deadlights is a realm beyond the physical and thus unable to be contemplated by the human mind.

It Spider

3. It terrorizes the town of Derry, Maine every three decades(ish).

It came to Earth in an asteroid during prehistory but didn’t wake up until the year 1715. From there, it hibernates for roughly 30 years (the shortest hibernation being 24 years) and wakes up again to feed on the fear of the citizens of Derry. It’s awakening is usually spurred by an act of extreme violence in the town.

Derry Maine

4. It takes the shape of the thing its victim fears most.

What better way to feed on fear than to actually scare your victim? The miniseries played with this idea a bit, but Stephen King’s novel takes it a lot further. Pennywise actually takes the form of the shark from Jaws in one memorable scene. This is one aspect of the novel that I really hope the filmmakers behind the remake really take advantage of.

Pennywise It

5. However, It must surrender the the laws of whatever shape It takes.

Pennywise’s strength is also his weakness. For example, if he were to take the shape of a werewolf (as he does in the novel), silver bullets would harm him.

It Werewolf

6. It can be invisible to whoever It doesn’t want to see It.

Most of the time it’s just the kids who are able to see Pennywise and no one else. It only shows itself to the person (or persons) it is targeting. So while one person in a crowded room may be able to see It, no one else will. It’s enough to drive you crazy!

Invisible

7. It prefers killing children because they are easier to fill with terror.

This one is an no-brainer. If It lives off of the fear of humans, who better to scare than those of us who are most easily scared?

Laurie Ann Winterberger

8. It’s weaknesses are courage and heart.

For the sake of spoilers, I won’t go too much into the Ritual of Chüd, but suffice it to say that if you want to defeat It, you’ve got to have the two traits listed above.

Heart

A journalist for Bloody Disgusting since 2015, Trace writes film reviews and editorials, as well as co-hosts Bloody Disgusting's Horror Queers podcast, which looks at horror films through a queer lens. He has since become dedicated to amplifying queer voices in the horror community, while also injecting his own personal flair into film discourse. Trace lives in Austin, TX with his husband and their two dogs. Find him on Twitter @TracedThurman

Editorials

‘Leprechaun Returns’ – The Charm of the Franchise’s Legacy Sequel

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leprechaun returns

The erratic Leprechaun franchise is not known for sticking with a single concept for too long. The namesake (originally played by Warwick Davis) has gone to L.A., Las Vegas, space, and the ‘hood (not once but twice). And after an eleven-year holiday since the Davis era ended, the character received a drastic makeover in a now-unmentionable reboot. The critical failure of said film would have implied it was time to pack away the green top hat and shillelagh, and say goodbye to the nefarious imp. Instead, the Leprechaun series tried its luck again.

The general consensus for the Leprechaun films was never positive, and the darker yet blander Leprechaun: Origins certainly did not sway opinions. Just because the 2014 installment took itself seriously did not mean viewers would. After all, creator Mark Jones conceived a gruesome horror-comedy back in the early nineties, and that format is what was expected of any future ventures. So as horror legacy sequels (“legacyquels”) became more common in the 2010s, Leprechaun Returns followed suit while also going back to what made the ‘93 film work. This eighth entry echoed Halloween (2018) by ignoring all the previous sequels as well as being a direct continuation of the original. Even ardent fans can surely understand the decision to wipe the slate clean, so to speak.

Leprechaun Returns “continued the [franchise’s] trend of not being consistent by deciding to be consistent.” The retconning of Steven Kostanski and Suzanne Keilly’s film was met with little to no pushback from the fandom, who had already become accustomed to seeing something new and different with every chapter. Only now the “new and different” was familiar. With the severe route of Origins a mere speck in the rearview mirror, director Kotanski implemented a “back to basics” approach that garnered better reception than Zach Lipovsky’s own undertaking. The one-two punch of preposterous humor and grisly horror was in full force again.

LEPRECHAUN

Pictured: Linden Porco as The Leprechaun in Leprechaun Returns.

With Warwick Davis sitting this film out — his own choice — there was the foremost challenge of finding his replacement. Returns found Davis’ successor in Linden Porco, who admirably filled those blood-stained, buckled shoes. And what would a legacy sequel be without a returning character? Jennifer Aniston obviously did not reprise her final girl role of Tory Redding. So, the film did the next best thing and fetched another of Lubdan’s past victims: Ozzie, the likable oaf played by Mark Holton. Returns also created an extension of Tory’s character by giving her a teenage daughter, Lila (Taylor Spreitler).

It has been twenty-five years since the events of the ‘93 film. The incident is unknown to all but its survivors. Interested in her late mother’s history there in Devil’s Lake, North Dakota, Lila transferred to the local university and pledged a sorority — really the only one on campus — whose few members now reside in Tory Redding’s old home. The farmhouse-turned-sorority-house is still a work in progress; Lila’s fellow Alpha Epsilon sisters were in the midst of renovating the place when a ghost of the past found its way into the present.

The Psycho Goreman and The Void director’s penchant for visceral special effects is noted early on as the Leprechaun tears not only into the modern age, but also through poor Ozzie’s abdomen. The portal from 1993 to 2018 is soaked with blood and guts as the Leprechaun forces his way into the story. Davis’ iconic depiction of the wee antagonist is missed, however, Linden Porco is not simply keeping the seat warm in case his predecessor ever resumes the part. His enthusiastic performance is accentuated by a rotten-looking mug that adds to his innate menace.

LEPRECHAUN RETURNS sequel

Pictured: Taylor Spreitler, Pepi Sonuga, and Sai Bennett as Lila, Katie and Rose in Leprechaun Returns.

The obligatory fodder is mostly young this time around. Apart from one luckless postman and Ozzie — the premature passing of the latter character removed the chance of caring about anyone in the film — the Leprechaun’s potential prey are all college aged. Lila is this story’s token trauma kid with caregiver baggage; her mother thought “monsters were always trying to get her.” Lila’s habit of mentioning Tory’s mental health problem does not make a good first impression with the resident mean girl and apparent alcoholic of the sorority, Meredith (Emily Reid). Then there are the nicer but no less cursorily written of the Alpha Epsilon gals: eco-conscious and ex-obsessive Katie (Pepi Sonuga), and uptight overachiever Rose (Sai Bennett). Rounding out the main cast are a pair of destined-to-die bros (Oliver Llewellyn Jenkins, Ben McGregor). Lila and her peers range from disposable to plain irritating, so rooting for any one of them is next to impossible. Even so, their overstated personalities make their inevitable fates more satisfying.

Where Returns excels is its death sequences. Unlike Jones’ film, this one is not afraid of killing off members of the main cast. Lila, admittedly, wears too much plot armor, yet with her mother’s spirit looming over her and the whole story — comedian Heather McDonald put her bang-on Aniston impersonation to good use as well as provided a surprisingly emotional moment in the film — her immunity can be overlooked. Still, the other characters’ brutal demises make up for Lila’s imperviousness. The Leprechaun’s killer set-pieces also happen to demonstrate the time period, seeing as he uses solar panels and a drone in several supporting characters’ executions. A premortem selfie and the antagonist’s snarky mention of global warming additionally add to this film’s particular timestamp.

Critics were quick to say Leprechaun Returns did not break new ground. Sure, there is no one jetting off to space, or the wacky notion of Lubdan becoming a record producer. This reset, however, is still quite charming and entertaining despite its lack of risk-taking. And with yet another reboot in the works, who knows where the most wicked Leprechaun ever to exist will end up next.


Horror contemplates in great detail how young people handle inordinate situations and all of life’s unexpected challenges. While the genre forces characters of every age to face their fears, it is especially interested in how youths might fare in life-or-death scenarios.

The column Young Blood is dedicated to horror stories for and about teenagers, as well as other young folks on the brink of terror.

Leprechaun Returns movie

Pictured: Linden Porco as The Leprechaun in Leprechaun Returns.

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