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Clowns-only showing of Stephen King's 'It' is worst idea ever

Funny concept or bloody terrifying? Let's just hope they all arrive in the same car. One amazingly tiny, jam-packed car.

Gael Cooper
CNET editor Gael Fashingbauer Cooper, a journalist and pop-culture junkie, is co-author of "Whatever Happened to Pudding Pops? The Lost Toys, Tastes and Trends of the '70s and '80s," as well as "The Totally Sweet '90s." She's been a journalist since 1989, working at Mpls.St.Paul Magazine, Twin Cities Sidewalk, the Minneapolis Star Tribune, and NBC News Digital. She's Gen X in birthdate, word and deed. If Marathon candy bars ever come back, she'll be first in line.
Expertise Breaking news, entertainment, lifestyle, travel, food, shopping and deals, product reviews, money and finance, video games, pets, history, books, technology history, generational studies. Credentials
  • Co-author of two Gen X pop-culture encyclopedia for Penguin Books. Won "Headline Writer of the Year"​ award for 2017, 2014 and 2013 from the American Copy Editors Society. Won first place in headline writing from the 2013 Society for Features Journalism.
Gael Cooper
2 min read

Well, this is the worst idea to hit movies since "The Last Airbender."

Alamo Drafthouse Cinema is offering a clowns-only screening of Stephen King's "It," the classic horror story featuring Pennywise the murderous clown.

There are three clowns-only showings, all at Austin, Texas theaters on Sept. 9, the day after "It" opens in the US.

"For this special clown screening of IT, all attendees should arrive dressed as a clown in order to attend," the Alamo Drafthouse website explains. "Please arrive early and join us in the Barrel O' Fun (CNET note: The whaaat, now?) beginning at 5:30pm for an IT pre-party where we will have face-painters available for clown touch-ups, a photo booth, raffles for prizes, and other terrifying merriment. Please arrive in your own Pennywise best and be ready to float with us."

Alamo Drafthouse is a national treasure as far as theater chains go -- its zero-tolerance policy when it comes to talking or texting is Oscar-worthy. But this... this is bloody terrifying, emphasis on the "bloody." 

Imagine sitting in a theater full of clowns as a murderous clown stalks kids on the big screen. Although you'd be in clown-wear too, so maybe you could just blend in and hope they kill you last. Oh well, everybody's got to go sometime. Send in the clowns.

The most terrifying Stephen King creations of all time

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