It! (1967) - Episode 6 - Decades of Horror: The Classic Era

“There are certain unseen things that are more real than those which you can see and touch. I know that.” Join the Decades of Horror: The Classic Era’s Grue-Crew - Chad Hunt, Erin Miskell, Jeff Mohr, and Joseph Perry - as we go for It! … NO, NOT THE STEPHEN KING It. Give us a break! After all, we are The Classic Era Grue-Crew. We’re talking about the exclamation-point-ended, 1967-released, Roddy McDowall starred-in, pseudo-Hammer produced, tree-golem monstered IT!

Decades of Horror: The Classic Era
Episode 6 – It! aka Curse of the Golem (1967)

Written and directed by Herbert J. Leder, whose other accomplishments include Fiend Without a Face (1958) and The Frozen Dead (1966), It! builds on the Jewish folklore of the golem. What if a nervous nebbish of an assistant museum curator named Arthur Pimm (Roddy McDowall) discovered the long lost Golem of Prague? What’s more, what if he discovered the power to control the golem? What would this nervous, nebbishy, assistant museum curator do with such power? Well, it’s definitely not what we would do.

When the omnipotent golem runs amok, as all indestructible creatures are want to do, how would you stop it? Even though it might sound like Superman, Kryptonite won’t do the trick. I mean come on, IT!’s made of clay. Can IT! be drowned? Can IT! be burned? Can IT! be destroyed by any man-made means?

By the way, what the heck is Mr. Pimm doing with his mother? I guess he does look a bit like a shorter Norman Bates, but his mother has much nicer jewelry than Mrs. Bates does. And what integral part does Pimm’s mother fetish play in the plot of IT!? Or does it!?! (See what I did there?).

Find out why Erin talks so much about The Legend of Hell House when we’re discussing IT! Speaking of Erin, how does Pimm’s infatuation with Ellen Groves (Jill Hawarth) lead Erin to bond with her in sisterhood. Erin also philosophizes on whether she is a pickle or a hamburger. It’s not what you think! Hear about Chad’s bro-mance with the square-jawed American (Paul Maxwell) that comes to Ellen’s rescue! And what possible connection can there be between IT! and Lucio Fulci?

Of course as usual, if you’re paying attention, you’ll hear which of us makes these memorable comments:

• I’m picturing Pimm punching the golem to the moon!
• Too much cheese before the podcast.
• Oh, he dug up his mother and took her coffin with him and they’re off with that silly statue to do whatever.
• I AM THE MASTER!

We plan to release a new episode every other week. Our upcoming schedule includes The Thing from Another World (1951), Freaks (1932), The Queen of Spades (1949), and Waxworks (1924)

Please let us know what you think of Decades of Horror: The Classic Era and what films you’d like to hear us cover! We want to hear from you! After all, without you, we’re just four nutjobs talking about the movies we love. Send us an email  ([e-mail], [e-mail], [e-mail], or [e-mail]) or leave us a message, a review or a comment at GruesomeMagazine.com, iTunes, the Horror News Radio App, or the Horror News Radio Facebook group.

To each of you, a great big “THANK YOU FOR LISTENING!” from each of us!