Title – Carrie (1976)
Director – Brian De Palma (Passion)
Cast – Sissy Spacek, Piper Laurie, Nancy Allen, John Travolta, Betty Buckley
Plot – Bullied school girl Carrie White (Spacek) must deal with the constant harsh realities of school life and the even harsher reality of her mother Margaret’s (Laurie) overbearing Christianity. Carrie however harbors a deep supernatural secret that threatens to turn the High School Prom into something else entirely.
“They’re all gonna laugh at you”
Review by Eddie on 21/11/2013
Upon watching Carrie for the very first time in today’s modern age one wishes that it were possible to go back and witness the film in a packed cinema screening upon release for it would have been a grand and previously unseen experience, for Carrie is a film that feels ahead of it’s time and stands the test of age to still be shocking and frightfully spot on in it’s depiction of teenage isolation and discovery of oneself.
Carrie needs no real introduction as many know the story of bullied social outcast Carrie White, played so well by the then 26 year old Sissy Spacek. Spacek will forever be known for her role in this picture and what a great feat to lay hold on as her performance in the film is so eerily spot on you almost forget that she in fact isn’t Carrie. Other performers in the film also resonate with special mention to Piper Laurie as Carrie’s god fearing and overbearing mother Margaret and Betty Buckley as Carrie’s gym teacher Miss Collins. The film also features early performances from John Travolta as idiotic teen Billy Nolan and Nancy Allen as evil school girl Chris.
Much of Carrie’s success must be related back to director Brian De Palma who directs the film with that voyeuristic style that made him famous in films such as Dressed to Kill and Body Double. If a film were to open the way it does as with this original Carrie today it would lose none of it’s downright creepy vibe and would remain just as controversial. De Palma sticks to his guns throughout the entire runtime and is aided by a now equally classic film score from Pino Donaggio giving the film a unique moody atmospheric feel.
I have no idea why it took so long into my life to catch this original horror classic but I am glad I have before I partake eventually in the newly updated version with Chloe Grace Moretz. I can see already that the film will have a tough time justifying it’s existence as Carrie is the quintessential version of the Stephen King story and a movie that still shocks as it did upon release.
4 buckets of pig blood out of 5
Related articles
- November 3 1976 Carrie creeps out audiences (craighill.net)
- Carrie: A Remake Not Worth the Blood or Bother (entertainment.time.com)
- Carrie (1976) (rockitraccoon.wordpress.com)
Jordan and Eddie (The Movie Guys) 
Such a great film! 😀 Really hope the new one is alright, won’t be the first time a remake completely ruins the original xD
I think the casting of Moretz is a little suspect, I can’t imagine it having the same punch as the original that is for sure.
Eddie
I know, it’s such a shame. But I guess with films like this you just can’t beat the original.
That’s it sometimes if it ain’t broke why fix it, I think one day they will learn a lot of the time people don’t even want remakes and this shows in the box office a lot of the time.
Eddie
Truer words have not been spoken ^^
DePalma is a master at suspense! I even think his lesser received film, Blow Out, was fantastic. The part in Carrie when the camera follows the rope up to the bucket of blood is amazing. Each time he cut back to the prom king and queen, he slowed down the action (slo-mo) by 50% for each shot until they were barely moving. The first time I saw it I was leaning out of my seat, waiting for it to happen. I always picture Carrie as a story that happened in the 1970’s. My daughter asked me why they were all running around naked after gym – I had to tell her that in the 70’s, you were forced to shower after gym class for hygenic purposes. It was not a good thing!
Blow out is one I have been meaning to catch for a long while now, I have heard many a fantastic thing about that movie and how it builds suspense.
That is a tad awkward conversation but if it’s the truth it’s good to hear De Palma didn’t just have it in there for no reason.
Eddie
I hated it! I had my mom write me a note saying I had psoriasis so I wouldn’t have to take a shower after gym. Its bad enough we had to run around in those terrible gym shorts, LOL. If you don’t know what I’m talking about look up some clips of 1970’s basketball games – the shorts were not meant for men.
Oh mate from an Australian perspective the shorts used in our Australian Rules football back in the day were of the same not meant for men mould.
Eddie
lol, If your mom got you red shorts, after a few washings they’d turn pink – not very manly – and it got you bullied for the rest of the school year 😦
I have never seen this film… Not hugely into horror, so that would probably explain it.
I myself am no horror buff John but this one transcends the usual and is well worth checking out.
Eddie
By not hugely into horror, I mean I have seen only around 10 horror films… Rosemary’s Baby is probably the best one.
A good one to have as your favourite if it’s from such a short list.
Eddie
I know i’m in the minority here but I didn’t like this movie. I just couldn’t get into it.
Sad to hear mate, you a fan of De Palmas other work?
Eddie
He made Scarface, Carlito’s Way right?
Yep that’s the one, his had a pretty eclectic career with some big ups and some big downs. Scarface is arguably his career peak.
Eddie
I’m 48, so I was able to see the original “Carrie” in theaters in the late 1970’s. In fact, I’ve seen every major incarnation of the Carrie character since then too! It’s all covered in my review of the most recent film version, as well as a review of last year’s off-Broadway revival. Pleased that you enjoyed the original Eddie—we jumped out of our seats when that hand came up! ML
Hi Mark, that hand scene got my heart pumping that is for sure! Glad to hear you got to see it and remember it so fondly then following on with it’s other incarnations. So you have not yet seen the updated 2013 version?
Eddie
I saw it on opening weekend here in the States. ML
How’d you find it as a long time fan? Acceptable or utter rubbish?
Eddie
On a scale of buckets of pig blood, HA. Awesome.
Not so awesome for poor old Carrie.
Eddie
For some reason Stephen King’s work usually fails to translate to the screen, but in the case of Carrie it does, big time. It’s a deeply unsettling film that I’ve only seen once and will go out of my way to never see again, but other than The Untouchables it’s DePalma’s best directing job. He REALLY captured the source material.
King’s gift is the ability to take a sun-drenched, quintessentially American vista and slowly, horribly, twist it. In the case of Carrie he had to twist less than usual: start digging just beneath the surface of any high school in the country and you will quickly find a certain percentage of teenagers walking around in nightmares.
De Palma did do a great job of getting the feel right and the use of music ect to heighten that tension was an added bonus.
Eddie
Hate the idea of the remake as this version was so good and I can’t imagine another actress playing Carrie. Great review!
I have that feeling that the remake will be quickly forgotten about.
Eddie
Covers so much of what I think too. My joint fave performance of hers along with the superlative Badlands.
Badlands, the mere mention of it makes me want to watch it, just a fabulous film on so many levels.
Eddie
I know. I’m a huge fan of the first half of his career, but it”s still my favourite film of his. Hypnotic and artistic doesn’t begin to cover it.
And it is his birthday after all 🙂
Did you see the remake? would be interested to know what you thought!
Hi Blockbuster
We both missed it actually as we were probably a little worried what they would do with the material – did you catch it when it was in theatres?
Eddie
Yes, only just got round to writing about it- I loved it. It benefited from a little modernisation. I’m a huge fan of the original but Moore and Mortez gave amazing portrayals as Margaret and Carrie White.
Carie was a little unbelievable as Chloe Graze Mortez really is too pretty for the part. it was 100% more gory than the original and they added bits in for Margaret White that seemed a bit ott.
It will never beat the original but I’m glad it was made!
That’s great to hear! I reckon Jordan will be pumped to check this one out once it makes its way onto home release I might have to get on board as well.
Eddie
I’ve seen this version of Carrie nine times since September. I love this movie so much! I actually find it to be better than the book (even though that was pretty good). It’s more than just a supernatural horror film; it can be defined as a high school film and a film of adolescent angst. No one can play the title character better than Sissy Spacek! I can relate to her with my troubles with bullies at school. It’s hard not to feel bad for what Carrie has gone through most of her life.
The 2013 remake wasn’t too bad until the ridiculous final act. I’m going to avoid the 1999 sequel and the 2002 TV remake, and continue to watch the original 1976 classic (which I actually written a review for it, if you wanna check it out) for the rest of my life. It’s devastating as it is very disturbing!
It’s a real gem of a film! Holds up really well even by today’s standards.
E