It’s In The Blood
Wednesday, October 14th, 2009
I told her to wear a bib at All-You-Can-Eat Barbecue Rib Night!
Before I begin my review of Carrie, let me say that it holds several places in my heart. The book, Stephen King’s first published novel, is amazing, as is the story behind it’s publication. As pointed out in the movie Knocked Up, Nancy Allen is butt ass nekkid before the opening credits end, so YAY! Lastly, ThatCostumeGirl’s mother went to see this movie late in her pregnancy, and the ending shock of the film somehow pushed an infant ThatCostumeGirl into the world. Thanks King and DePalma! That’s good work right there!
Carrie White (played here to absolute perfection by Sissy Spacek, who has one of the coolest names ever) is your typical teenage girl with three differences. One, she’s incredibly unpopular for someone as attractive as she is. Two, her mother rules her home with a crushing religious hand. Three, she’s telekinetic. She can moves objects with her mind. That last sentence almost sounds like wish fulfillment instead of the plot of a classic horror film, but not so fast!
Carrie’s mother, acted incomparably by Piper Laurie (Man, she’s got a cool name too!) has kept Carrie so sheltered and locked away from the real world that when Carrie gets her first period, at the age of 17, she has no idea what’s happening to her. In a scene that’s probably played out in high schools the world over(sadly), she’s teased and made fun of for her ignorance. It lays the foundation for one of the greatest revenge stories ever told. If you knew that the people you picked on in high school could crush you with the power of their mind, would you have acted differently?
One of the girls, Susan Snell (Amy Irving) feels so bad about her part in the hazing that she enlists her boyfriend Tommy Ross(William Katt) to take Carrie to the prom. He does so, because he’s geniunely a nice person, which makes what happens to him all the more horrible. Feeling slighted about her punishment for teasing Carrie is Chris Hargensen (Nancy Allen), who plays the total bitch to the hilt. She, also uses her boyfriend Billy Nolan (John Travolta)in her over-the-top vengeance scheme so that the story takes on a terrible symmetry while the inevitable plays out.
Brian DePalma here uses all the tricks that will make him more famous later. There’s a split screen shot near the end of the movie that’s fantastic, as well as shots with back and foreground in focus, removing depth of field for an eerie look. The real trick of Carrie, however, is that it is firmly rooted in the 70s. The dress, the speech, etc, and yet, I have absolutely no problems watching it today, because who can’t identify with someone who was picked on as much as Carrie White no matter when the story takes place? I mean, obviously, I’m a huge nerd, and I can watch this story and think “Thank God I didn’t have it that rough.” But, at it’s evil little heart, this horror film is a revenge fantasy, and a great one at that. This movie is actually so good as to render it somewhat timeless, and that sits well with me.
And, that ending. Anyone who has seen this movie will tell you that even if you don’t like the film, you should watch it all the way through. I won’t say what happens here, and telling you when will do no good…you’ll still be surprised.
So, watch this movie. Watch it with some friends. Good friends, not the type that’ll pour any kind of animal blood on you.
You never know how someone might get back at you.
Posted on October 14th, 2009 at 6:36 pm
This is one of my favorite horror movies of all time. I agree that the performances given by both Sissy Spacek and Piper Laurie are perfect. One of my favorite parts in the movie is when Margaret White is telling Carrie about the night she was conceived. Smelling the “filthy road house whiskey on his breath” and she liked it…SHE LIKED IT! lol. I think the scene at the end is pretty darn scary, but even scarier I think is when Carrie’s mom is coming at her with the knife. Pretty creepy her marking the sign of the cross in the air with the knife right before going to kill her. And the smile she had on her face while she was doing it. I think that is the worst I felt for Carrie the whole movie. Imagine your own mother..somebody who is supposed to protect you and love you..coming at you to kill you? Pretty harsh. The ending though..yeah the first time I saw it..it scared the crap out of me, and it still does to this day. Just the sign in the lot with the arrow pointing down and reading “Carrie White burns in hell”. You can’t get much more twisted than that. I read somewhere a few years ago..an interview with King and he said the first time he saw the movie himself was in a theater in Harlem I think? It was in a mostly black neighborhood, he said…and he knew that the movie was gonna be big when at the very end when the hand reaches up and grabs Sue, and it shows her screaming and her mom holding on to her trying to snap her back to reality…a woman in the theater sitting next to King said, “That girl ain’t NEVER gonna be right again.” lol.
Did you ever watch the remake? I’ve never seen it and I really don’t think I wanna. This is one movie that I don’t think could ever be outdone as a remake in my opinion.
Great review, Bryan. Two enthusiastic thumbs up! : )
Posted on October 14th, 2009 at 6:41 pm
This is the only version I’ve seen all of. I saw the end of The Rage, but I don’t think I’m going to waste my time with the rest of it. A little creepier for me, and I wish I had mentioned it in the review…When Carrie gets home from the prom, Margaret hiding silently behind the door. That shit’s horrifying!
Posted on October 14th, 2009 at 7:01 pm
Ooh. Yeah when she’s behind the door, man. That shit is scary as hell. Glad you mentioned that one. She stays there the whole time Carrie is taking the bath. One funny thing..lol..I dunno why, but it always bothered me that Carrie didn’t let the bloody bath water out and run some fresh water to give a good second going over. I guess DePalma didn’t think that would have been as compelling? Ha.
Oh Bryan..I’m loving your reviews. I hope that if you ever watch that Trick ‘R Treat movie I told you about..you’ll do a review of that one as well. ; )
Posted on October 14th, 2009 at 7:04 pm
Oh shit. I forgot to ask you something since we are on the subject of Carrie. Something I’ve always wondered, Bryan….the part of the movie where Tommy and his friends are Tux shopping….and there for a second everything speeds up real quick and they have chipmunk voices…was that an editing glitch that they just left in…or was that on purpose? I’ve always wondered about that ever time I see it. If you don’t know..I’d love it if you could find out. : )
Posted on October 14th, 2009 at 7:17 pm
I’m glad you enjoy the reviews, but the one a day thing is a conceit for October. They’ll be scaled back later, but there should still be plenty about. The sped up appearance of the tux scene, according to the commentary was done that way on purpose, I believe to highlight the inanity of what they were doing.
I do have a copy of Trick ‘r Treat and will be watching it soon. Though I think the review will probably come out next month. Not only did I notice Anna Paquin, but when I was flipping about in it, I noticed the woman who plays Maudette Pickens in it as well.
Posted on October 14th, 2009 at 8:32 pm
I totally missed Maudette. That’s crazy, because I’ve watched it twice. Can you tell me where you spotted her? I’d love to go back and see it. Thanks for answering the tux question, Bryan. : )
Posted on October 14th, 2009 at 8:35 pm
I haven’t watched the movie yet, but I saw her answering the door for trick or treaters wearing something inappropriate. You know…the same shit she does on True Blood.
Check that…the woman I saw was Gladys the DMV Demon from Reaper, not Maudette…sorry about that.