Carrie: 1976

Release date: November 3, 1976 (USA)

Director: Brian De Palma

Cast: Sissy Spacek, Piper Laurie, John Travolta

   I know it's November, but I just love horror films so much it's hard to stay away. It's like a drug. This sort of thing just plays with my mind and I can't tell the difference between TV and reality. I'm about to don a Scream outfit and butcher Neve Campbell in a broom closet. But let us venture away from the masked killer genre of horror, but not too far. We will be dealing exclusively with high school. High school drama, boys, girls, gym, prom, revenge, and John Travolta. Those two last one's are the most important parts to a good, old-school, high-school slasher flick. This is Brian De Palma's "Carrie".

   Once upon a time there was a girl named Carrie White, who lived with her psychopathic mother, Margret White in a weird and spooky house that everyone stays away from. Carrie is hated by almost everyone at school, but her luck begins to turn around for once when mostly popular student Tommy Ross asks her to the prom, and when she suddenly is endowed with telekinetic powers from beyond in order to exact her revenge on all the kids who tormented her in the past...MUUUHAHAHAHAHAHA! So, yeah, just your average, ordinary, quirky high school movie. I don't even know why I'm including a synopsis for this review in particular, because almost everyone knows the story about "Carrie". It's classic, and as far as I know, not many directors have borrowed this story-line about unpopular girls gaining powers to exact revenge on others. 

   It's not very simplistic of a story, but it's not so crazy that the audience can't connect to the characters. In fact, Brian De Palma does an exceptional job of revolving a film around high school kids that relates to adults. However this may have a little to do with the fact that most of the "high school students" that were cast are almost all out of high school. I know it is very strange, but it's true! Adults like the kids in "Carrie" more because they're older. If you want to test that, look at the recent remake of "Carrie" starring Hit-Girl I mean Chloe Grace Moretz. But I digress, If I wanted to compare the two films realistically I would probably do a back to back review of both of them...

   I can't really explain the joy that Brian De Palma brings to the horror genre with "Carrie". He can make a scene scary. He can do it very well (I'm looking at you, ending scene)! But there is something that he brings to the table, that I don't think I have ever seen in a horror film so far. There are certain scenes in the  movie that are dedicated to developing character, and it's done in a very subtle and quirky fashion. That might seem like a death sentence for a horror film, but the writing is so flippin' good that it works. Nearing the climax Tommy is dancing with Carrie and the conversation that follows is so good! And for a moment you forget what the entire movie is building up to. Scenes like this, where Tommy and his friends go out to buy tuxedo's and where Ms. Eleanor Snell is teaching gym class, are so well done and contrast from the dark and dismal predicaments and settings Carrie finds herself in. "Carrie" is able to accurately depict life being in High School by placing rather comedic sequences next to horrific and depressing one's

   "Carrie" is both a technically and aesthetically appealing film. The story is incredibly crafted, backed up with stunning performances by both Sissy Spacek and Piper Laurie as Carrie and Margret White. It's a wonderful example of a "revenge" movie centering more around the characters and less around the whole "revenge" aspect. Brian De Palma has done an excellent job accurately depicting High School life (for the most part) and centering a simple plot of "prom drama run rampant" around a character that we can connect with and follow through her rise and fall journey.

7.7/10

Watch The Trailer Here

Next Review: Carrie 2013