Episode 302 - It

“We all float down here.”

Join Ian & Kev, along with BFF of the BFE: James DeGuzman, for our 302nd episode as we descend into the sewers of Derry, Maine, and confront childhood trauma, red balloons, and Stephen King nightmare fuel with It: Chapter One (2017). Megs and Liam? They said they weren’t afraid of clowns… right up until Pennywise offered them a balloon. We’re hoping they resurface soon.

This week we discuss:

• Why It tapped into a new generation’s fear of clowns — and whether it’s earned or just clever filmmaking.
• Bill Skarsgård’s terrifying turn as Pennywise — physicality, psychology, and drool. 
• How the film balances coming-of-age warmth with soul-shaking horror — friendship vs. fear.
• King’s original novel vs. the adaptation — what gets streamlined, what gets lost, and what gets under your skin.
• Does this film prove that horror is strongest when it’s tied to universal childhood anxieties?
• How the film is able to position that early coming-of-age feelings of romance without coming across as creepy
• The Losers’ Club: perfect casting? We break down who stands out and who feels underserved.
• Why the sewer sequences and the house on Neibolt Street raise the bar for modern horror set pieces.
• Ian talks about narrative structure and why splitting the story into “kid chapter” and “adult chapter” was the smartest possible move.
• James brings the expert scare analysis — and takes the BFE to task over their anti-horror bias
• Does Pennywise’s final reveal hold up — or does CGI drain the fear away?
• And finally, whether It: Chapter One is the Best Film Ever — or just the best nightmare you’ll keep watching anyway.

Become a Patron of this podcast and support the BFE at https://www.patreon.com/BFE

We are extremely thankful to our following Patrons for their most generous support:

• Juleen from It Goes Down In The PM
• Hermes Auslander
• James DeGuzman
• Synthia
• Shai Bergerfroind
• Ariannah Who Loves BFE The Most
• Andy Dickson
• Chris Pedersen
• Duane Smith (Duane Smith!)
• Randal Silva
• Nate The Great
• Rev Bruce
• Cheezy (with a fish on a bike)
• Richard
• Ryan Kuketz
• Dirk Diggler
• Stew from the Stew World Order podcast
• NorfolkDomus
• John Humphrey's Right Foot
• Timmy Tim Tim
• Aashrey
• Paul Komoroski

Buy some BFE merch at https://my-store-b4e4d4.creator-spring.com/.

Massive thanks to Lex Van Den Berghe for the use of Mistake by Luckydog. Catch more from Lex's new band, The Maids of Honor, at https://soundcloud.com/themaidsofhonor.

Also, massive thanks to Moonlight Social for our age game theme song. You can catch more from them at https://www.moonlightsocialmusic.com/