Best Film Ever

Episode 302 - It

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“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
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    • Synthia
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    • Andy Dickson
    • Chris Pedersen
    • Duane Smith (Duane Smith!)
    • Randal Silva
    • Nate The Great
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    • Richard
    • Ryan Kuketz
    • Dirk Diggler
    • Stew from the Stew World Order podcast
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    • 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/

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