9½ Pies

Reviewed by Yankee

Plot Summary

A mousy and abused girl with telekinetic powers gets pushed too far on one special night.

Review

While many movies are tagged as great, there are less that are deemed as classic. Smaller yet are the number of films that are labeled timeless. A small fraction of those “timeless” movies live in a genre we know as horror. And even fewer yet in the genre of horror do we have ones that truly deserve such recognition. Carrie just so happens to be one among those chosen few…

Much like other greats from the 70's - Halloween, The Exorcist, The Omen, etc. - I was stuck seeing this for the first time on regular television where it was edited like crazy with the best stuff missing. Also much like those movies, despite being chopped down to nothing it was still scary and had me hooked. That being said, if you haven't seen this one yet, do me (and yourself) a big favor and go rent this or whatever it is that you people do these days to see movies in their entirety; NOW because it really is THAT good!

Carrie is one of those films that not only serve as a great testament to horror and the subgenres that it touches upon, but to cinematic film as a whole! Everything that you would need for an instant, timeless classic is here! I could go on and on but I think that's best saved for the pie filling…

Quotes:

Margaret White: Thou shalt not suffer a witch to live.

Margaret White: Go to your closet and pray!

Carrie White: It was bad, Mama. They laughed at me.

Billy Nolen: Just keep your tits on, and I'll let you pull the rope

Margaret White: These are godless times, Mrs. Snell.

Spook Factor: 1 Pie

One of the reasons why it's difficult for a horror movie to be timeless is because as time goes on, we are scared by less and less. Another factor is that past movies tend to feel like the time they came from regardless of when the story takes place. Carrie looks and feels like a 70s film and yet even today it is scary as Hell! Most of this movie won't give you much chill at all as it plays off like a drama, but from the climax forward it is one terror after another. One of the final sequences made me lose sleep for several nights!

Antagonist: ½ Pie

This was a tough one to score. We are in the non-typical situation where the main character is both the protagonist and the antagonist. Even more unique is that most of the main characters have the same role reversal as Carrie. It is typical Steven King to make us fall in love with a character only to have them become a monster; adding to the horror. Carrie White is the nicest girl in the world and also the most dangerous and powerful bitch you will ever anger once… once…

Story: 1 Pie

Of the many strong points in this film, the story ranks at the top! The script is masterfully loyal to its source (the novel) and manages what few book movies can do even today: capture the feel, the intensity and the heart of the book while trimming enough off to keep it feature length without losing plot. When a movie version of a novel can stand on its own and still feel complete, THAT is what I call a success!

Acting: 1 Pie

Did you read the credits above and notice the cast? Did you know that most of these people were nobodies when working on this film? Was there any doubt that the acting in this movie would be top notch? Search them out in the Internet Movie Database if you are unsure. Be amazed at the history of achievements earned by each of them. Watch this movie and see the potential they all had.

Directing: 1 Pie

Brian De Palma already had an impressive resume prior to making this film. He has since gone forward to direct other timeless classics, like Carlito's Way, Scarface and The Untouchables. The tapestry woven here is near flawless. He did such a fantastic job of bringing King's story to life that I can even forgive him for The Fury without a second thought. Bravo Mr. De Palma! You've earned my undying respect!

Soundtrack: ½ Pie

I recall when I was in fourth grade, my art teacher played some great classical symphonies for us in an exercise where we had to draw the story that we felt we were hearing from each piece. The music in Carrie draws a near photographic portrait of the movie you are watching. Every mood, every action and every emotion is met with the perfect musical compliment. The composer grabs hold of your emotion and… plays you like a violin!

Special Effects: 1 Pie

There are two main goals of special effects in a film; one is to make the story believable and the second is to enhance the film in a way that the story and the cinematography alone cannot. Check and check!

Gore: 1 Pie

If ever there was a classy, tasteful, yet disturbing way to have literally buckets of blood in a film and not have it called a gorefest… well, here it is! There is lots of blood and other goodies but completely and tastefully appropriate even for the snobbiest of horror buffs!

Replay, Rewatch, Rewind: 1 Pie

Timeless, in this case, not only means that it holds up on all accounts more than thirty years later, but also means that you cannot watch this one enough. It's just not possible! I can see this one every time it comes on IFC and then some…

Pros

A timeless, classic masterpiece that still delivers a great story, dazzles the eye, frightens you and, most importantly, entertains you!

Cons

The extent of the telekinesis during the big climax did ask a bit too much of me to accept. Some of the actions in the same scene did take away from the main character's credibility. Passionate acts should be emotional and instinctive, not calculated and concise during rage.

Final Word

The original Carrie is a MUST SEE! This is one that you can be proud to show to even non-horror fans because of its cinematic qualities. Its influence can be seen in most teen slashers that followed.

They're all gonna laugh at you!