Movies
At Least One Clown Group is Actually Arranging Protest of ‘IT’
It’s no secret that clowns, as in real clowns who presumably don’t kill children, are not the biggest fans of Stephen King. They’ve been pretty outspoken about IT and its depiction of a terrifying, child-eating clown ever since the new adaptation was announced; presumably, they were also outraged in 1986 and again in 1990.
King himself recently responded to the claims that the fictional Pennywise is killing the clown industry, writing on Twitter that “The clowns are pissed at me. Sorry, most are great. BUT… kids have always been scared of clowns. Don’t kill the messengers for the message.”
Now, with IT arriving in theaters this week, VICE reports today that at least one clown group is planning on protesting the release of the film. Over in Canada, the Thunder Bay Clown Club plans on assembling outside of the town’s Silver City Theatre before tonight’s premiere, where they will “hand out pamphlets denouncing the negative view of clowns.”
“We feel that this has done great harm in the business of clowning and for clowns,” said Thunder Bay clown Dianne McNicol. “A number of clown clubs have actually folded due to the negativity surrounding it. You need to remember that clowns are people too.”
“All of this hurts us because we do such good in the community, but we embrace it, we understand what’s happening,” she continued “That’s what we want to give this information and say: ‘Don’t promote IT, don’t go out on halloween and dress your kids as scary clowns, don’t perpetuate the idea of evil clowning.’”
The club says that their main goal is to spread the message that there’s a huge difference between real clowns and the scary clowns depicted in films like IT. Unfortunately for them, business is drying up as more parents and children have become conditioned to the idea that, well, all clowns should probably be kept away from kids.
All press is good press, so we can only assume Stephen King is smiling right now.
We know Pennywise is.
Movies
‘Boorman and the Devil’ Documentary Trailer Chronicles Complicated Relationship with ‘Exorcist II’
Critically acclaimed documentary Boorman and the Devil chronicles how one of the world’s greatest filmmakers made one of the most hated movies ever: Exorcist II: The Heretic. A new trailer highlighting some of the troubled production woes has arrived.
Boorman and the Devil opens at The Quad in NYC on August 28 before opening wider in various cities on September 4, including: Los Angeles, Columbus, Houston, Pittsburgh, Philadelphia, Seattle and more.
After the success of Point Blank and Deliverance, Warner Brothers offered John Boorman the opportunity of a lifetime: the chance to direct a sequel to their smash hit, The Exorcist. The result was one of the biggest disasters in movie history. A critical and financial failure that not only changed how Hollywood did business, but nearly ended Boorman’s filmmaking career… but to be an artist is to be a risk-taker.
Now, John Boorman, Linda Blair, Louise Fletcher, Karyn Kusama, Joe Dante, Mike Flanagan, and more reflect back on the ambition of the film, the artistry and craft, and the value of big creative swings.
“I am beyond thrilled that Yellow Veil has come on board to help us share this story with a larger audience,” said director David Kittredge. “Like myself and the rest of our team, they’re huge cinema-lovers. It’s so exciting that a film which is not only a love letter to John Boorman, but also to ambitious filmmaking, will be handled by people who share the same passions that our team shares.”
“I first saw the film at an early festival screening and the post-screening buzz was just electric. Everyone was loving Boorman and the Devil,” added Yellow Veil co-founder Justin Timms. “To be able to team up with David and the filmmaking team on this release is incredibly exciting, and we can’t wait to spread that post-screening electricity with audiences across the country.”
Boorman and the Devil is produced by Kittredge’s Triple Fire Productions, Travis Stevens (Jodorowsky’s Dune, Starry Eyes) of Snowfort Pictures, and Jim Fall (The Lizzie McGuire Movie), with Alan Koenigsberg of Milton Ventures Media serving as co-producer.
Daniel Kurland wrote in his review, “Boorman and the Devil goes above and beyond to be the definitive text on Exorcist II. This documentary will delight horror and Exorcist fans alike, but it also provides incredible insight for anyone who is just marginally interested in film production.”
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