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“Stranger Things” Just Raised the Bar for the Upcoming ‘It’ Adaptation

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New Line is probably real worried right about now.

Netflix series Stranger Things has somehow managed to dethrone Pokemon Go as the number one topic of discussion on all my social media feeds, and I haven’t yet come across a single person who has anything bad to say about it. In other words, I haven’t been forced to de-friend anyone for having terrible taste, and that makes me feel pretty good about the company I keep. For anyone who loves the ’80s and all the wonderful entertainment it gave us, the series is nothing short of a nostalgic gift.

Created by the Duffer Brothers, who seemingly came out of nowhere and immediately established themselves as my new favorite creative duo, Stranger Things is set in the fictional town of Hawkins, Indiana, in the 1980s. After a young boy named Will goes missing and a mysterious little girl turns up in his place, the boy’s bike-riding friends set out on a quest to find him, along the way befriending the little girl and discovering that she has some pretty impressive powers.  The girl, nicknamed Eleven, is being hunted by the government agents she escaped from, and she claims that Will is alive – and she knows how to find him.

There are many side-stories going on in Stranger Things, involving Will’s distraught mother (played by Winona Ryder), the town’s sheriff, and a teenage girl whose friend, like Will, has gone missing, but it’s the pint-sized gang’s mission to find Will that is very much the central plot of the series. As they eventually discover, Will has been taken by an otherworldly creature that resides in “The Upside Down,” an alternate world that runs parallel to our own. At its core, Stranger Things is a kids vs. monster tale, the overall vibe of the series evoking gems like The Monster Squad, The Gate, and of course, a certain Stephen King story.

Above all else, Stranger Things is a love letter to the work of Stephen King, fueled by no shortage of Amblin nostalgia, and the plot most closely resembles that of King’s It. Though they don’t have a gang name, the kids in the series are very much cut from the same cloth as the lovable Losers’ Club, viewed by the “cool” kids in town as weird outsiders and frequently bullied as a result. But though they may be geeks, they’re the only ones who show no fear in the face of a monster invading their town, stopping at nothing to get their friend back and bravely doing battle with the creature who took him.

In many ways, and at many different moments, Stranger Things feels like a pseudo-adaptation of Stephen King’s It, which is somewhat concerning given the fact that a direct adaption of King’s It is currently in the works over at New Line Cinema. Filming recently began on the two part, Andy Muschietti-directed “remake” of the 1990 mini-series, and the out-of-nowhere arrival of Stranger Things has surely thrown a big ole wrench in the studio’s plans – if only because the bar, well, it’s just been raised quite a bit.

Did I mention that the first part of the new It is set in the ’80s? Uh oh.

Prior to Stranger Things dominating social media chatter and being universally praised by everyone it was intended to be enjoyed by, all Muschietti’s adaptation of It really had to be was better than the original mini-series, which most agreed was not too daunting of a task. In fact, even the biggest fans of the mini-series seem to be excited about the re-adaptation, hopeful that it will be better than what we got back in 1990. But now, in the wake of Stranger Things tapping directly into King’s novel and mining it for something both familiar and new, it’s hard not to feel like a direct adaptation of the book now seems kind of passé. At the very least, it’s hard to imagine Muschietti topping what Netflix has brought to the table with their latest hit series, even if he has Stranger Things star Finn Wolfhard on his team.

Needless to say, if you can’t wait for the new It, cozy up on the couch with Stranger Things. It’s everything you’re probably hoping Muschietti’s It will be, and that makes me feel a little bad for New Line right about now. The bar, I must insist on repeating, has just been raised.

BIG TIME.

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Writer in the horror community since 2008. Editor in Chief of Bloody Disgusting. Owns Eli Roth's prop corpse from Piranha 3D. Has four awesome cats. Still plays with toys.

Editorials

5 Deep Cut Horror Movies to Seek Out in April 2024

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horror
Pictured: 'The Uncanny'

New month, new horror recommendations from Deep Cuts Rising. This installment features selections reflecting the month of April 2024.

Regardless of how they came to be here, or what they’re about, these past movies can generally be considered overlooked, forgotten or unknown.

This month’s offerings include telepathic plants, ecological horrors, and a lot of killer cats.


The Uncanny (1977)

horror

Pictured: The Uncanny (1977)

Directed by Denis Héroux.

The Uncanny is a two-for kind of deal: it works for both National Pet Day (April 11) and Tell a Story Day (April 27). Here we have Peter Cushing‘s character talking at length about the evils of cats, with his three examples fleshing out this singular anthology. And while this film is often mistaken for an Amicus production, it was, in fact, made by The Rank Organisation. However, Amicus co-founder Milton Subotsky was also a co-producer.

The Uncanny has a tendency to be one-note in its execution and story styles; vengeful felines come up more than once in the film. Even so, these macabre, cat-centric segments told in EC Comics fashion are more entertaining than not.

Watch The Uncanny at streaming sites such as SCREAMBOX.


The Kirlian Witness (1979)

horror

Pictured: The Kirlian Witness (1979)

Directed by Jonathan Sarno.

The Kirlian Witness (also known as The Plants are Watching) fits the bill when looking for something to watch on International Plant Appreciation Day (April 13). Similar to Eyes of Laura Mars, this film’s story is built on pseudoscience. More specifically, Kirlian photography. Nancy Snyder‘s character Rilla hopes to use this technique — revealing the energy field, or aura, of people and other animate things — to solve her sister’s murder. However, the only witness to the sister’s death, apart from the mysterious killer, is a plant. Rilla’s bizarre investigation eventually leads her to a startling discovery.

Jonathan Sarno’s film is a certified slow-burn, but it’s also intriguing and good-looking. This oddball of crime-solving horror is, at the very least, unique.

The Kirlian Witness is available for rental/purchase (under its alias) at digital retailers like Apple TV.


Scream for Help (1984)

horror

Pictured: Scream for Help (1984)

Directed by Michael Winner.

For Scream Day this year (April 24), why not visit Scream for Help? In this teenage thriller filtered through Death Wish, a Nancy Drew type suspects her stepfather is up to no good. And when her suspicions are proven right, she and her mother have to fight for their lives.

Scream for Help had the makings of a standard ’80s teen-slasher, but this turned out to be more like an “afterschool special meets home invasion” flick. And a hilarious one at that. It was likely not Michael Winner’s intention for this film to be so laugh-a-minute — star Lolita Lorre, bless her heart, has the funniest deliveries — however, trying to keep a straight face during his cinematic hot mess is impossible. Tom Holland‘s script was straight up murdered. Still and all, this is an entertaining disasterpiece that would have been an entirely different film had the original director, Richard Franklin, stayed on (rather than going off to direct Link).

The HD restoration of Scream for Help is available on Blu-ray from Scream Factory, but the digital version is standard-def.


Penumbra (2012)

Pictured: Penumbra (2012)

Directed by Ramiro García Bogliano & Adrián García Bogliano.

While it’s advised not to stare at the sun during the solar eclipse on April 8, fans of satirical horror are encouraged to give Penumbra, an Argentinian-Mexican film featuring an imminent solar eclipse, a watch. The unsubtle artwork suggests a straightforward survival story, however, the actual product is quite different and twisty. Cristina Brondo plays a prickly businesswoman who may have made her last sale; her new client has ulterior motives.

Surely some viewers will be put off by the protagonist of Penumbra, whose behavior in anticipation of the ominous eclipse is problematic. Yet, strangely enough, her being an imperfect victim adds something to the film, whereas a more pristine character would have made the whole experience less gripping.

Penumbra is currently available on AMC+.


Strange Nature (2018)

Pictured: Strange Nature (2018)

Directed by James Ojala.

For a less known eco-horror film to watch this Earth Day (April 22), Strange Nature tells its story with both urgency and force. Here, the late Lisa Sheridan (of FreakyLinks) played a struggling single mother looking into a local anomaly: mutated frogs. Soon enough, the cause of this abnormality extends beyond the water and creates other threats for the town’s human residents.

This truly indie production has its obvious limitations, yet the story — one based on a real life incident in Minnesota — and characters compensate for any visual flaws. The practical effects for the mutant beast are also admirable, given the meager resources available.

Strange Nature is currently streaming on Tubi.


No genre is as prolific as horror, so it’s understandable that movies fall through the cracks all the time. That is where this recurring column, Deep Cuts Rising, comes in. Each installment of this series will spotlight several unsung or obscure movies from the past — some from way back when, and others from not so long ago — that could use more attention.

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