Circle round everyone, as we embark on a magical journey with the 1976 horror classic, ‘Carrie’ for this week’s edition of Throwback Thursday, ScienceFiction.com’s ongoing column that looks back at great examples of the sci-fi/fantasy/horror genres of the past! Huzzah!
With it being October and all, we figured what better way to kick off the season of the spook with a horror gem like ‘Carrie’. The movie was based on the novel by Stephen King (aka someone whom we should all admire and fear) and directed by Brian De Palma (who went on to direct ‘Scarface’ – holy sh*t that’s a talented man). Talk about power couple!
The original film starred Sissy Spacek (as Carrie White) and Piper Laurie (as Margaret White), both of whom received Emmy nominations for their roles in the movie. ‘Carrie’ is amazing and I don’t use that word lightly. For those of you that have yet to discover this cinematic time-capsule of awesome, I highly suggest you stop tweeting for five seconds and watch this movie immediately.
The story centers on Carrie (Spacek), a timid 17 year old girl facing the womanly issues of going through puberty in high school without a friend in the world. She is constantly at the unmerciful hands of her cruel classmates and suffers from a lot of physical and mental bullying. Her mother (Laurie) isn’t any help in the ways of growing up, as she’s too concerned with her relationship with God (and everyone else’s for that matter). She truly believes that pretty much anything Carrie does is a sin (even getting her period is a rule breaker with this lady) and forces her to pray in a locked closet for forgiveness. Carrie slowly starts to discover, however, that she has certain ‘gifts’ that may help her deal with the harsh environment around her. But when the girls at school take a prank a little too far, a series of unfortunate events unfolds, all culminating at Carrie’s tragic prom (think Red Wedding from ‘Game of Thrones’ but in high school).
Spacek’s portrayal of a shy loaner with telekinetic powers blew my mind. I re-watched this movie last night so it would be fresh and it was as good as ever. When watching, you really feel for this poor girl and you REALLY want things to turn around for her. At times, it seems like she really could have a normal life if she could get away from her crazy mother and learn to use her powers to her benefit. She begins to gain confidence in herself and it’s really hopeful for awhile. We all hated high school and had our own versions of mean girls, so of course, you’re rooting for Carrie the whole way through.
The score to the film is also pretty exceptional, it’s sweet but then really creepy at the same time. Kind of like Carrie in a way, so in my opinion, they really nailed it in that aspect.
The film as a whole really has withstood the test of time and deals with issues that are still extremely relevant in today’s society. I remember my first viewing was with my mom (she’s not evil, she’s totally awesome and doesn’t lock me in a closet like ‘Harry Potter’ or our girl Carrie) at the age of 15 and I’ve loved it ever since.
The film really is a warning to all bullies: that if you mess with the wrong ‘nerd’, you will get the proverbial horns. Or in this case, you will die at prom and you will deserve it. So there. OMG like Totes unfair.
This movie has something for everyone – suspense, high school teen-angst-bulls*it, pretty cheerleaders, buckets of blood, telekinetic powers, triumph over evil, knife fights, shower scenes and John Travolta. Did you hear that guys, JOHN FU*KING TRAVOLTA. Case closed.
Rent this movie or stream it on Netflix before the release of the revamped ‘Carrie’ hits the big screen tomorrow!
