This is what I’m been watching recently.

In Theaters: It

As a horror fan, I’m been in the mood to see a new film that had both scares and intelligence and I was hoping that “It” would fit the bill.

I came to the film with no frame of reference. I never saw the 1990 miniseries and I never read the book by Stephen King, so I came to the new production with fresh eyes.

I’m sure many of you recall that “It” is set in a small New England town, formerly a mill town that has a hideous history of tragic events and death.  That history is repeating itself in the summer of 1988 as children and teens are going missing.

These events hit home for a group of young teens known as The Losers as the younger brother of one of their members is gone and presumed dead. The victim’s older brother Bill (played by Jaeden Lieberher) won’t give up though on either finding his brother or at least discovering what happened.

One by one, the members of the group have terrifying encounters with evil entities that reflect some aspect of their life. A bloodthirsty clown known as Pennywise dominates these occurrences. It is clear that Pennywise wants to kill them, but first he wants to tap into their most primal fears.

What or who is Pennywise? Why does he appear every 27 years? Why is he picking this group of kids? Why do no adults in the town have any sense of his existence? This is the first part of two movies, although you may not know that going into the theater, and those questions, I assuming, will be answered in part two.

At the same time the teens are trying to cope with this evil, they are harassed by a group of older teens, whose actions against them are escalating in violence. Think grown-ups could help them? No. Every adult in the film is either useless or part of the evil.

My initial reaction is the new film tries to recreate elements of King’s “Stand By Me,” while adding the Pennywise’s gore and perversion.  

I understand the effort here was to reflect something all kids have felt from time to time – that adults don’t understand their problems. The trope that all adults are evil or useless, didn’t ring true in this production.

I couldn’t help but compare how a similar theme of a teen’s inner life developing into a heroic effort that adults couldn’t understand was handled better in the Netflix miniseries “Stranger Things.” The comparison was especially easy as both productions share a cast member Finn Wolfhard.

A key part of the plot revolves around Pennywise drawing his victims into the town’s sewer system. The climax of the film was almost laughable as we are to believe that a small New England mill town has a sewer system that would rival New York City in the size and complexity of tunnels.

One should know going into the film, this movie tells the first half of the story. The second half, in which the teens, now adults, must return to their hometown to fight Pennywise again, will be the next installment.

At the screening I attended there were moans of disappointment when the audience realized the story was not complete. Perhaps the producers thought putting “Chapter 1” as part of the title and marketing materials might have affected the film’s box office.

There are some moments that will make you jump and plenty of disturbing scenes that revolve around the only female member of the Losers, Bev, (played by Sophia Lillis) whose father is molesting her. Overall, though, I didn’t find the film very frightening.

The film is rated R for some gore and language, as well as the references to sexual abuse.

Will I see the second half when it comes out? I might out of some sense of wanting to see a complete story. “It” leaves too many unanswered questions.

Streaming: The Founder
Netflix recently added the Michael Keaton film, “The Founder,” which proves once again that Keaton is not only one of our best dramatic actors, he is also one of the bravest.

Ray Kroc (Keaton) was a driven, cold-blooded businessman who stopped at nothing to get his way – does that character seem to ensure a good box office?

The film works, though, as both a historical drama – after all Kroc’s success changed the American restaurant industry forever – but also an engaging character study of a guy yearning to hit the big time and finally having his chance.

Keaton is amazing in the central role and paints Kroc as a guy who has put his ambitions above all else and yet still maintains an element of humanity that makes him recognizable and, in certain moments, likable.

This film did not get a big box office reception when released – does that surprise you? – but it deserves a viewing.  

On Blu-Ray, DVD: Eric the Conqueror
    Arrow Home Video again presents a great lesson in cinema history by offering viewers the chance to see director Mario Bava's Viking adventure film, but also present it in its proper context.

Thanks to the film historians who contributed to the extras that accompany the film – including the acknowledged expert on Bava, Tim Lucas – this film is part of a long Italian traditions of reacting to Hollywood films and producing films that could be called homages or simply rip-offs. In this case, the Richard Fleischer film “The Vikings,” with Kirk Douglas and Tony Curtis, provided the inspiration.

Bava, a great stylist who knew out to get the most out of a budget, presents an entertaining piece of cheese with Cameron Mitchell as the Viking leader who is fighting a British lord. The only problem is the British lord is his long separated, thought dead twin brother.

This is a fun film, the kind of fare Americans would have watched at drive-ins many years ago. If you’re a Bava fan, you’ll want to take the time to track this film down.