User Reviews

It is a classic offbeat horror-melodrama merging harmoniously the family Gothic extravaganza, supernatural power, and a woman's movie of a peculiar kind… It remains the cinema's best adaptation of a Stephen King novel…

The film initiated De Palma's inclination for surprise diverts between playful imagination and reality, as in the opening, which swifts from a soft-core porn fantasia of girls taking a shower in the locker room to the fact of Carrie's menstruation for the first time—the first sign of "otherness" that will reserve her as an horrifying monster from her small-minded colleagues…

All the oppression that Carrie undergoes both at home (with a bible beating maniacal mother played by scary Piper Laurie who develops twisted bizarre ideas) and at school to suppress tension which takes the shape of super telekinetic power, the ability to move objects with the strength of her mind… We observe with ambivalence as Carrie's insatiable revenge jumps the line into uncontrolled mass murders ever filmed…

Sissy Spacek is amazing as the mocked, helpless girl pushed over the edge… Her face and body twist like a living special effect to unleash her pent up rage, as well as her character's alarming progress from painfully shy high-school teenager to Angel of Vengeance

Carrie boomed Sissy Spacek's and John Travolta's career. I understand why.

Carrie starts off at a gym locker room, where we find out how much the other kids hate Carrie. But, we find out that Carrie has some powers. Like in other Stephen King book-movies, the supernatural aspect is only minor compared to the rest of the story, but it comes into play at the end. Carrie's mom (Piper Laurie) is an over-protective religious zealot who makes The Royal Tenenbaums seem normal. So Carrie tries to cope with her horrible life, but it's getting tougher and tougher.

Spacek is exceptional as Carrie, and I now know why she was nominated for Best Actress. Her emotions are real, not some fake tear drops that make us think she's sad. Either she has great motivation, or she's one of the best actresses of the century (or both!). Laurie was equally good as her mother who locks Carrie up in a closet everytime she thinks that Carrie has sinned. This movie wouldn't be half of what it was if the acting wasn't so great. When Carrie was sad, you were sad. When the other kids ridiculed her, you felt like you wanted to kill the kids. When she smiled, you smiled. Emotions that raw couldn't come from just any movie.

If you know me, I'm a stickler for character developement. Carrie didn't take much time, but from the opening scene you knew about Carrie and her weakness. So are the secondary characters; they're nicely developed even if their role isn't that major. Travolta had a miniscule role, but he was fine in it; it led to Grease and Saturday Night Fever.

The prom scene has got to be one of the most memorable scenes from a horror movie. That red tint is awesome; it's like a premonition. In fact, the movie is full of premonition: the red tint, the freaky looking voodoo doll, "They're all going to laugh at you." I'm assuming that director Brian De Palma meant to put that in, so it just isn't about some supernatural powers, it's also about foreshadowing. Also, I dig that camera movement during the dancing.

The blood and gore wasn't held back, but they just put in what was necessary. De Palma obviously stole from Hitchcock's Psycho, mainly the music cue whenever Carrie is using her telepathy. Also, her school, Bates High, is another Psycho refrence.

Carrie was also very creepy. It wasn't a thrill-a-minute, but at the ending, that was Scary with a capital S. The last ten or twenty minutes were scare-inducing for sure. That last jump scene in the dream...wow! It's still jumping at me. If there was one complaint I had to do about the movie, it's that it took too much time to get to main scene and the prom went on a little too long, but other than that it's a first class horrror/thriller that any horror buff needs to see.

My rating: 8/10

Rated R for nudity, some language, and blood.

I just came back from a special showing of Carrie in the student's cinema of my university and I must say one thing: THANK YOU to the director, for this is one of the best, most moving films I've ever seen. I honestly don't understand the "it's not scary" mentality!

Now, whether you want to call this horror film or thriller or whatever else is up to you, but I think Carrie's scope cannot reaches beyond just one genre! It is a thriller, but at the same time a very humane movie. You can feel the girl hurting, you hate her mother, you dislike her friends! This movie wasn't made for cheap scares: every scene is brilliantly captured. The scary parts may be rare but when they are there you just can't move from your seat!

The acting is also excellent, Sissy Spacek of course deserving most of the credit, but that is not to say that the other actors aren't great too.

Concerning the script, all the credit goes of course to Stephen King. When you see this movie you can really tell the difference between an artist like him an some cheap Hollywood writer (Scream?). There is so much more to the story than: -Booooo! -Aaaaaa!

So, if you want to see a "scary movie", go see Scream or some other shallow horror film. However if you are looking for a terrifying but also moving film, Carrie is just right for you. And please, if you must put this work of art into one genre, its better if you put it in social drama rather than horror film. Of course it's not scary! It's MUCH more than just that.

Watching the TV remake of Carrie last week just made me miss the original version all the more. There were so many elements that made the 1976 movie a classic, but I will try to name just a few...

First of all, the original actresses could never be replaced. Sissy Spacek as Carrie White goes without saying. Sissy gave Carrie a child-like quality that no other actress can touch. You not only root for Spacek's Carrie, but you want to reach in and hug her. Equally irreplacable was Piper Laurie who brings a manic energy to her role as the religious-wacko Mrs. White. I loved how Piper and Sissy's southern accents enhanced their characters. I don't know if it was Stephen King's intention or not, but the way Carrie said "Momma" was just so southern. It was fun seeing Piper and Sissy reunited onscreen as southern sisters in the Grass Harp.

Two supporting actresses in the film who get little credit are Amy Irving and Betty Buckley. Irving brought an intelligent, thoughtful depth to the character of Sue Snell. Buckley as the caring gym teacher stole every scene she was in. One of the most touching moments was Miss Collins taking Carrie in front of the mirror and telling her that she is a pretty girl. Then the terrible realization on her face as she wonders if it is another cruel joke. And who didn't love it when Buckley slapped Nancy Allen's face?

Maybe the single most important element in Carrie is the suspense-building music. I can't express how perfectly the music framed every scene. It should have won an oscar for the soundtrack alone. The two beautiful themes still stick in my mind, "Born To Have It All" which was playing in the shower scene and "I Never Dreamed Someone Like You (Could Love Someone Like Me)" which Carrie and Tommy danced to at the prom. Even the cheesy band playing at the prom fit the mood just right with the lyrics, "The Devil's Got a Hold Of Your Soul".

Carrie is campy nostalgia. It really is a time capsule of that era in history. The polyester, the gym shorts and knee socks, the afros and farrah-hair just take you back to 1976. Where else can you see the stars of Welcome Back Kotter and Eight Is Enough in the same movie?

Perhaps one of the only genuinely good Stephen King adaptations, ‘Carrie' follows the tragic tale of Carrie White (Sissy Spacek), a young girl who is continually made to suffer at the hands of her bullying classmates and not helped by her overbearing, religious mother Margaret (Piper Laurie). Carrie, however, is not like regular teenagers as she has been blessed(?) with telekinetic powers and as the inner rage grows within Carrie so, it seems, do these potentially lethal abilities.

Brian De Palma directed this amazingly stylish adaptation of Stephen King's first novel which is arguably the best Stephen King adaptation ever to be made. Sissy Spacek's performance is one of the greatest to ever grace a horror film. Somehow managing to perfectly embody the typical school life of the usual high school outcasts, Spacek was able to bring to everyone the appalling life that so many teenagers are forced to tolerate. From the opening scenes where Carrie is utterly humiliated at the hands of her classmates after Carrie's hysterical reaction to her first menstruation, to the painfully wretched ending it becomes nigh on impossible not to sympathise with Spacek's character. Spacek was quite rightly Oscar-nominated for this performance. Spacek's performance was enhanced by fellow Oscar-nominee Piper Laurie in the role of the religious-nut Margaret White. In some ways the naivety shown towards Carrie and what is happening to her is amusing but at the same time it is terrifying to think that any mother could allow her daughter to go though such a generally horrendous life. Piper Laurie was able to make this all too abhorrent character her own with a thoroughly convincing and unsettling performance.

De Palma cleverly directs this movie. Instead of immediately introducing us to Carrie's powers he focuses on the torment (and the tormentors) of Carrie first. This allows the viewer to feel for Carrie and will her towards revenge while ensuring that she is not made into a one-dimensional killer. The movie is very well paced and is presented in a brutally clear fashion. De Palma refrains from using any visual effects with the exception of the infamous `Prom Night' scene which was incredibly well crafted and immersed the viewer in this horrifying display of rage. The final twenty minutes of Carrie are some of the most intense and gripping moments to have been portrayed in horror cinema. These scenes without a doubt helped to build one of the most artistic and and incredible climaxes in all of film.

‘Carrie' is not for those who just want to see people sliced up or prefer fast-paced horror as it is presented as a heart-breaking drama with a horrifying twist. The magnificent cast (which features John Travolta in an early role) was also graced with fantastic performances from Betty Buckley as the kindly gym teacher and Nancy Allen as Chris, the deplorable ring leader of this atrocious bullying. In my opinion ‘Carrie' is unquestionably worth a look for horror fans. 'Carrie' is very well directed, with a superb screenplay from Larry Cohen and featuring two of the greatest performances in horror. My rating for ‘Carrie' – 9/10.

"Carrie" is a melding of two great artists, in this case, Stephen King, who wrote the novel and Brian DePalma, who directed the film. This is a tense, exciting thriller that is also a sturdy character study. It's hard to make a film that can accomplish both, but DePalma does it.

King's novel mostly dealt with a telekinetic girl who is cruelly treated by her classmates. DePalma and screenwriter Lawrence Cohen follow the novel fairly closely, with the exception of the ending, which is a great deal more sensationalistic and better, in my opinion. (King himself liked the finale and the film, as stated in his exceptional study of the horror genre "Danse Macabre")

As is the case in most DePalma films, the technical credits are superb. The cinematography (by Mario Tosi)is extremely effective; colors and shadows have never been shot more effectively in a DePalma film since. The film score is by Pino Donaggio, and it marks the first collaboration between Donaggio and DePalma. (Bernard Herrmann died shortly after "Obsession" was completed) Donaggio is among the most underrated and overlooked composers of his time. His scores for "Dressed to Kill", "Blow Out" and "Body Double" are all exceptional and all deserved Oscars. "Carrie" is no less brilliant, as it accomplishes what all great scores are supposed to do: enhance the film without giving anything away. Paul Hirsch's editing is also extremely effective as it was in "Sisters", "Obsession", "Blow Out" and "Raising Cain".

But it is the performances that make "Carrie" stand out. Carrie is played by Sissy Spacek in a performance of such power and strength that she received an Oscar nomination for Best Actress (the first actress ever to be nominated for a horror film; the second would be Sigourney Weaver for "Aliens")She manages to hit all the right notes. A lesser actress would have veered toward melodrama. Spacek plays the role more realistically and the film is much more effective that way. (Just in case you didn't know, Spacek was a DePalma regular, but off-screen; she was the art director for several of his early pictures). Also, "Carrie" marked the return of Piper Laurie to films after a too-long hiatus (her last credit was "The Hustler") Here, she plays Carrie's mother. Again, a lesser actress would have veered toward melodrama, but Laurie resists the temptation. Her performance is a real knockout and also garned an Oscar nomination (she should have won, but typical Academy genius set in and gave the prize to Beatrice Straight who was in "Network" for a whopping 10 minutes and really didn't do much.)Also, as a side note, this film also is a start for some future DePalma regulars such as John Travolta (his first major studio film) and Nancy Allen (her first major role)

What I really liked about "Carrie" is the absolutely perfect ending. I had commented before that "Sisters" had an absolutely perfect ending. The one thing about Brian DePalma is that he knows how to end a picture. "Dressed to Kill" had a really good one, although some people hated it as well as "Blow Out". "The Fury" has the greatest ending of all the DePalma thrillers.

A small note to finish: In 1999, "Carrie 2" was made by profiteers at MGM. Despite a rich premise, the film was an artistic failure. DePalma had nothing to worry about. The sequel (retread might be a better word) lacks everything that makes DePalma's original so good. Rent or buy the original, on tape (in pan-and-scan or widescreen)and DVD (widescreen)and forget the sequel, even if they give it away.

**** out of 4 stars

When picked-on high schooler Carrie White discovers to her horror that she's been made the butt of a nasty prank, she unleashes her secret powers at the school prom and all hell literally comes loose. This sequence, filmed in split-screen, is a canny marvel of technical wizardry, twisted imagination and production design (check out that gorgeous blaze that erupts behind Sissy Spacek). The cinematographer lights everything up like fluorescent goodies in a candy-box (the continuity problems with Carrie's appearance here can be overlooked). But Carrie's anger is all encompassing--it's a high school holocaust--and some of her victims are innocents, like the gym teacher (played very sensitively by Betty Buckley). Carrie has become as bad as her enemies, and director Brian De Palma doesn't seem to understand the irony (he's also too interested in girl-peeping, although to his credit nobody comes off looking foolish). The picture is fun on the surface, but has a depressing undermining that is never quite resolved. Spacek's performance in the lead is flawless; Piper Laurie exceptional as her deranged mother (it was her comeback role, Oscar-nominated, yet it nearly typed her as a horror-movie actress); Nancy Allen, P.J. Soles, and William Katt are excellent as Carrie's classmates; Amy Irving is intriguing as schoolmate Sue who just wants to do the right thing (Pauline Kael of The New Yorker complained that Sue's role in the disaster wasn't made clear, but I disagree. I think she's conflicted and guilty and wants to help, wants to see Carrie bask in some of the glory which she helped create). Although an improvement over the Stephen King source novel, "Carrie" isn't perfect and is weighed down somewhat with dirty jokes and cheap laughs. Certainly it is a stylish picture, with beautiful (if repetitive) music by Pino Donaggio, and the final sequence is still being copied today. *** from ****

Now this Stephen King's horror classic has been confirmed for a remake which stars Chloë Grace Moretz and my diva Julianne Moore (highly likely to take on the role of the religion- maniac mother), both reinterpret two Oscar-nominated performances from Spacek and Laurie, with the juicy fodder, a belated Oscar finally seems to be approaching for my goddess (finger crossed). So it seems to be a properly perfect time for me to watch the original version for the very first time.

Brian De Palma, has been considered Hitchcock at his time by his devotees, the similarity is both haven't received much awards-crammed recognition, but arguably De Palma is a lesser player as his oeuvre encompasses more run-of-the-mills, but CARRIE is by any standards not among them, and it could be his PSYCHO (1960) because De Palma shows off his artistry in a full-fledged sweep. For instance, there are many eye-dropping stunts: the opening credit, slow-motion of volleyball girl's changing room until Carrie's first bloody period running through her fingers; the multi-prisms perspective images after the blood splattering all over Carrie after a long-stewed happiness-hanging-by-a-thread preparation; the havoc of massacre at the prom is more supernaturally gratifying than scary.

The mother-daughter face-off and subsequent house caving into debris scenes may be attributed to produce a more crowd-please impression (despite of its low-budget SFX and the well-expected surprise at the coda), the film could hardly be pigeonholed as a horrorfest, as Carrie is ubiquitous in every school, every class, a bully-defying story has much more drama empathy even after 35 years after its debut, which could nicely explain the ground for a remake now.

Sissy Spacek is against the grain to portray a teenage girl due to her actual 27 years old age, the immense age difference is rarely perceivable if one doesn't know it before and Ms. Spacek is on fire in it, renders an extraordinary transformation from vulnerability to malice. Piper Laurie as well doesn't betray her Oscar nomination to give birth to a conflicting mother role which is hauntingly unforgettable. All in all, thanks to Stephen King's story to surmount many genre clichés and continue to stagger us with the rosy remake in 2013.

This movie is famous for being really scary but while it is that,the story is not as scary as it is sad. It's about a bullied misfit in 1970s high school with special paranormal abilities. The conditions for the story start from bad at the beginning, then it slowly climbs towards good by the climax, when it suddenly drops down to bad again and gets worse to a very sad ending. The climax scene is pretty effective with being frightening by being really chaotic and really brutal. The last few scenes are definitely the scariest,saddest, and most powerful. The story is very moving, so you can see why it's a classic. The direction and screenplay are kind of average until we get to the prom scene, but then they get really good. The effects and music are also very scary, but the music sounds exactly like that of Psycho. I thought this was a great film, but more of a tragedy then a horror film.

A few years ago, I saw the modern remake of this same film. Now it's finally time for this one, which I just saw a few minutes ago. Made in 1976, the film became a classic and has survived the test of time. In fact, I would say that it is one of those old horror films that any fan of the genre must see.

I will not go on too long to describe the story, I think it is well known. It was inspired by an original Stephen King novel (according to the information available here, the writer really liked this film, and even considered the ending to be better than the one he had originally written), tells the story of Carrie White, a young teenager who is extremely naive and who has lived all her life under the supervision of her mother, overprotective and religious fanatic, obsessed with the sin of the flesh and the weakness of the female sex. She is the target of mockery from schoolmates and it gets worse after she panics with her first menstruation, in the gym locker room. She simply knew nothing about her own body and sexuality because the mother was sure that a sinless woman (as her daughter had to be) would never be "tainted" by the blood that, for her, was the mark of Eva's original sin. Well, things get worse from there, with Carrie discovering that she has telekinetic powers amplified by fear or anger, and an anthological ending in a prom that goes terribly wrong.

The secret to the success of this film is largely due to the main character. For us, it is clear that Carrie is a victim: victim of a wicked and crazy mother who mistreats her and carries on a permanent psychological terror; victim of cynical and selfish schoolmates who never think of the reasons why she behaves that way and never give her a chance to integrate; and finally victim of an extremely rare mental power that she doesn't know well or know how to control. Carrie is never truly a bad person or a wicked being. She has no pleasure in the pain of others, she is the one who is suffering. It moves us, it causes a strong empathy with the character, which we would like to help. The way it all ends seems filled with a poetic justice that also satisfies us, despite feeling for Carrie, and seeing that she will never be understood by anyone.

Sissy Spacek was extraordinary in her work and obtained, in this film, her great work as an actress. Despite continuing and making other films, it is Carrie who immortalizes Spacek and makes her memorable. She gave the character a lot of psychological depth and drama, as well as having the strength for some nude scenes so brutal, due to their harshness, that other actresses with more experience would surely refuse them without thinking twice. The film also features the participation of Piper Laurie (in the role of Carrie's mother), Amy Irving and John Travolta.

Directed by Brian De Palma, a director recognized for his meticulous spirit and attention to detail, its a film with good production values and an excellent pace, with time for everything, without haste or speed. Cinematography deserves a close look with a series of truly successful moments, from the use of colors (white and red, as at the prom) to the work of the camera (the scenes at the prom, the kaleidoscope, the punctual resource to division of the screen), everything was extremely thought out and done with great care. For more than one occasion, the film "blinks the eye" to Hitchcock, the most evident feature being the famous sound effect of the film "Psycho", used here by De Palma. The sound, visual and special effects worked perfectly, even though the fire in the house, at the end of the film, makes it quite evident that the house is a miniature and not a real building, all it takes is a certain sense of scale. The costumes also deserve applause, they fit perfectly into the big picture. The soundtrack, by Pino Donaggio, is one of the most beautiful in classic horror cinema. Truly a magnificent melody that is in the ear.

This film probably speaks to anyone who was bullied or humiliated in high school, and there's great power in its well-known dramatic scene. It's entertaining in a campy sort of way, but Stephen King's writing and Brian De Palma's direction are both so unsubtle that the interesting premise isn't very elevated in execution. That's too bad, because Sissy Spacek is memorable as the title character, Piper Laurie is strong as her overbearing mother, and there are several others in the supporting cast of interest, including John Travolta and Amy Irving.

Unfortunately, the story is too simple, and its characters are too extreme. The mother practices religion straight out of the 16th century, the kids in high school are so cruel they'll kill a pig with a sledgehammer, and it's not enough that the picked on girl is so awkward, she also has to have an incredibly powerful psychic ability. Meanwhile De Palma's ogling in the ridiculous shower scene, obsession with referencing Hitchcock, and tendency to prolong scenes gave the film an amateur feeling. Loved the jump scare towards the end, that was a nice touch, and this film is worth seeing, but it's far from great.

Carrie White (Sissy Spacek) is an introverted isolated girl. She gets picked on by all the other girls. Her mother (Piper Laurie) is a crazy religious type who locks Carrie in the closet. Lead girl Sue Snell (Amy Irving) tries to make amends by getting her hunky boyfriend Tommy Ross (William Katt) to take Carrie to the senior prom. Chris Hargensen (Nancy Allen) refuses to take the punishment and is banned from the prom. Chris plans revenge on Carrie with the help of her boyfriend Billy Nolan (John Travolta). The plan triggers Carrie's supernatural powers.

Director Brian De Palma makes this Stephen King story into a prom epic. The scene is iconic. However this movie is more than just one scene. This is about the great Sissy Spacek. She is absolutely perfect as the shy insecure Carrie. This is about her character. This is about the awkward years. This is a horror, a thriller and so much more.

It's a decent movie the problem with this movie along with movies at that time the get actors that are in their mid-twenties or early thirties to play teenagers and most look older than the teachers and administrators. It's just not realistic in that way Sissy was 26 playing Carrie who was in the book 9-10 years younger and you could see this woman trying to play a kid. Same with most of the cast unfortunately that's what they do in Hollywood. If you want adults to play kids narrow the age gap so it's not so obvious to the paying audience. The movie follows closely to the book which is not the case with most movies that adapt a book to play as a movie.

Carrie White (Sissy Spacek) is a misunderstood young high schooler with a freakishly obsessive Catholic mother (an amazing performance by Piper Laurie) who borders on Neo-Nazi. She is horribly bullied at her high school, especially by the sadistic Chris Hargenson (Nancy Allen), and basically ignored by every person who isn't putting her down. So when token nice girl Sue Snell (Amy Irving) decides she wants to build Carrie's confidence by giving up her place at the prom and telling her kind hearted jock boyfriend Tommy Ross (William Katt) to invite Carrie, Carrie's mentor Miss Collins (Betty Buckley) smells trouble. Sue promises all is well and Tommy ad Carrie run along to the prom. But when Chris and her dimwitted boyfriend Billy (John Travolta's second role) devise a horrible and humiliating prank, they don't take into account what has manifested inside of Carrie after all those years of torment, and how it will effect them in the films horrifying and very memorable climax.

Brian De Palma's famous horror film, adapted from Stephen King's chilling novel, is often noted as the ultimate in teenage revenge films. De Palma used his distinctive style to make a chilling and original horror film that really is the best example of 1970's horror, the style, music, clothes, acting, dialogue and pretty much everything in the film is like a time-warp. The editing very original and you can tell the makers of the film enjoyed creating it.

The acting is very fine, some of the best in any horror film out there. Sissy Spacek is great as the sympathetic freak, but at times you wanna slap her, she's so incredibly pathetic. Like when she's screaming about her period, running around nude. I can understand that she didn't realise what was happening, but running around like a lunatic, and bleeding on people through your vagina isn't gonna inspire sympathy from them. But since I read the book, I understand that was the intention. Piper Lurie was absolutely fantastic as the looney mother, and all the other performances were pretty passable. I have to mention PJ Soles. Her character was so awesome, I'd even go as far a to say that she was one of the (many) highlights of the film. Her character added a quirky charm the film that couldn't be matched by anybody else.

Some of the themes explored was Carrie's journey into adulthood, shown through the way she learnt to control her powers and discovering different parts of her body and different things she can do, most obviously her first period and her telekinesis.

Overall, CARRIE is an outstanding horror/drama. Any horror fan, or general film fan should check it out. 9/10

At its heart, Carrie is not a 'horror film', but a film about horror.

The subject matter is physical and emotional abuse; time and time again DePalma returns to the theme of abuse to create a sense of anxiety and dread. And although our hapless heroine is the primary target of abuse (from her mother, her peers, and 'authority') abuse is also meted out liberally to others---violence against women (Travolta/Allen), and public humiliation by authority figures (Buckley/her gym class) also add to the discomfort level (the John Travolta-Nancy Allen relationship is defined solely by abuse---and they in turn are the initiators of Carrie's humiliation).

Except for Betty Buckley's gym teacher, all the characters are cartoonish archetypes---and almost all of these achetypes are brilliantly drawn. Sissy Spacek and Piper Laurie deservedly have been singled out for praise, but DePalma even managed to get the right performance out of decidedly untalented performers like Nancy Allen, William Katt (who is immeasurably aided by the kind of meticulous lighting that would have made Joan Crawford envious), and P.J. Soles.

Buckley deserves special mention, because she does amazing things with a completely underwritten role. By humanizing what could have been just one more cartoon (the lesbian gym teacher---lesbianism is never mentioned, but Buckley's subtle performance affirms what she has acknowledged in interviews--that she played her character as a lesbian) she provides a central point of reality that keeps the film from spinning completely out of control.

DePalma's intent was clearly not to scare the audience, but to make the audience watch the film from a distance, deliberately plagarizing two of the most notable sequences in film history---Hitchcock's shower sequence and Eisenstein's use of the three-perspective split screen. The shower scene takes place early in the film, cuing the audience into the fact that this is a film ABOUT film. And in the climactic prom sequence, DePalma distances himself, and the audience, from the bloodbath on the screen by reminding us through the 'theft' from Eisenstein that its just a movie at the most critical moment.

There are two significant flaws in the film. For some reason, DePalma interjected a 'fast forward' comedy sequence involving the purchase of tuxedos--the sequence serves no purpose in the film, other than to restate the obvious fact that this is 'just a movie'.

The second flaw is Amy Irving's performance. Its not horrible by any means, but it just doesn't work. Irving has grown as an actress since then (she was the only decent thing about the execrable sequel to Carrie) but the demands made of her in Carrie were beyond her skills at the time it was made. 'Chris' was supposed to be the conscience of the film, but winds up as wishy-washy.

Oh, and DON'T watch this film on commercial television--rent the video. DePalma engages in some sacriligeous imagery that is ALWAYS cut from the film when it is shown on television---imagery that justifies the penultimate sequence of the film itself, and brings closure to it.

High school misfit Carrie (Sissy Spacek) unleashes her telekinetic fury on her tormentors. This was a huge hit in 1976 and scared e silly. It doesn't scare me now (except for the closing sequence), but I still think it's a good solid horror film beautifully handled by Brian De Palma. It moves quickly, has some beautiful imagery (everything is shot in soft focus with muted color) and has almost uniformally good performances. The only bad one is by John Travolta way out of his depth playing a hood.

Amy Irving (as a student who befriends Carrie), William Katt (with a very 70s afro), Nancy Allen (playing a real bitch), Betty Buckley (so young and full of energy) and P. J. Soles (silly but bearable) are all perfect. But Spacek is superb matched by Piper Laurie who is very scary and marvelous as her deranged, religious mother.

Also the film is (by today's standards) very restrained in terms of blood and gore. And the final sequence will make you jump (also notice the cars in the background during that--they're moving backwards!)

Only complaints--De Palma REALLY hates some of the high school kids--you feel like like he's working out some personal issues here.

And did we really need the slow-mo shower sequence at the beginning?

That aside--this is a great film. See it letter boxed.

Carrie-**1/2- Worthwhile- Directed by: Brian De Palma. Written by: Lawrence D. Cohen, Stephen King (novel). Starring: Sissy Spacek, Piper Laurie, Betty Buckley, Amy Irving, Nancy Allen, William Katt, John Travolta, P.J Soles, Priscilla Pointer.

Stephen King's creative novel is turned into a high-powered De Palma thriller in this story of a high school outcast (Spacek) who learns she has telekinetic powers and finally snaps after being pushed too far by her cruel classmates and her Christian extremist mother.

Carrie is a horror film by all means and succeeds pretty well as a horror film and even goes a step further by providing social insight into an alienated girl's true feelings toward society under the craziness of her mother (Laurie in a great performance). It even has Hitchcock elements in it that add to the intelligence to the experience. Yet De Palma is not the most fluid storyteller and his dramatic shift between sentimental, anti-bullying tale to bloody horror film does not gel the way it should.

Also, De Palma uses a split-screen during the film's violent sequence. It's as if the carnage on the first screen is not enough for us and he wants to see more blood. He almost insults his filmmaking by saying he is not putting enough on the screen in one image but needs two to give the message of the sequence. His Hitchcock elements do not always work, simply because he does not have the same skill the master of suspense had.

There is no doubt that Spacek's character represents a minority of kids out there and De Palma gives Carrie a voice amongst the growing suspense that makes a few noteworthy social points but this is a horror film that acts as a parody of Hitchcock and a new brand of feminine horror which many films would capitalize on later. King loved the adaptation and I wish I could have liked it as much as him.

I'm really not sure what I'm supposed to take away from this.

As in, I understand the feminist interpretations, the religious symbolism (really how could you not) and all that, and I very much understand that Brian De Palma is just a little bit of a creep, but what I don't understand is why I should care about any of it.

What I mean by this is that this film feels less like a horror film and more like a really average and boring high school drama for nearly the entire runtime, with an admittedly really great finale, but still one where I don't care about any of the characters. And yes, obviously you're not supposed to care about any of the bullies, but I don't care about Carrie, or Tommy, or Miss Collins, or anyone else either.

It has a pretty serious case of Tomb Raider syndrome, where the writers seem to expect you to care about the protagonist based purely on how much trauma/damage she endures, which I quite simply don't. And when I don't care about any of the characters, and the plot is completely indistinguishable from any other high school film where the shy girl comes out of her shell - at least until the very end, then I just can't fathom why this is still considered one of the best Stephen King adaptations - or hell, even one of the best horror films of all time.

It's got some good direction, and Sissy Spacek does sell the character really well, but that's honestly kind of it for what I can say I found really impressive.

And man is Brian De Palma creepy in that opening scene...

Youthful energy. That's what this is -- and what it is about.

Spacek, King and Depalma are all at their most committed exuberance. Sometimes callow, but sometimes so rawly honest one often tingles quite apart from the story. See it on this basis alone. DePalma's camera has a sense of dance -- Scorcese does too, but DePalma's is more emotional. Spacek is so clean in her acting that her ability frightens. How strange it went away, like a poltergism.

The story has a haunting tone, also centered on youth and yearning. Menarche as a horror, the innocent acceptance/fear of the basest religion, the brash director intelligently spoofing Hitchcock. Odd mix that, so an odd and intriguing experience.