Carrie

It’s not really a bad thing that I first watched the new Carrie and only then returned to the original that was created under the wings of a movie legend – Brian De Palma. That’s because the new Carrie only seemed decent before I watched the original. I had no clue just how original De Palma’s horror is. It’s perfect, considering when it was made. It barely mentions telekinesis only to showcase an array of brutal scenes at the end that every one of us has been waiting for. It’s really worth it. I’m taking one star away from the new Carrie just by default. When I realize that this movie is nearly 40 years old and it still has a lot to offer, I’m almost terrified to think what the youth of today, the target audience of the new version, would think about it. You’d hardly find as many original ideas as the original Carrie came up with in a modern horror movie. (07/25/2015)

The first King’s film adaptation turned out to be quite good, great, in fact (which is something you can’t say about most adaptations of his books, but let’s be happy with the few good ones – and when the stars align, they can be great). For most of its runtime, Carrie is a drama rather than horror, but the tension escalates with every minute and and it keeps you expecting something unpleasant coming. The story is quite predictable (and it must have been so even in the 70s), but that’s well compensated by the psychology of the characters – the mother is especially good. PS: At least one and a half stars go to Sissy Spacek, she’s great in the role. (05/22/2008)

I found it hard to rate this film, it’s subtle and precise as a drama, effective and terrifying as horror. Perhaps deliberately, perhaps unintentionally, De Palma completely abandoned King's mystery style and his story of a high school girl tormented by her mother and ridiculed by her classmates is an example of the kind of slow build-up of tension we know only from Kubrick's The Shining. Some of the scenes and the characters' actions may seem silly, predictable and tedious, but what we actually have here is a well-served teen drama that has everything in the right place, and the occasional glimpse of supernatural horror seems to prepare us for the impending climax. Sissy Spacek is absolutely fantastic in her role and her deranged and fanatical mother exudes a hearty aura of fear and madness thanks to Piper Laurie's performance. The last half hour is masterfully directed and perfectly reflects the unpleasant atmosphere that builds up during the film. Carrie probably won't bring modern audiences to their knees, but compared to today's would-be horror films, it has enormous charm. 75% (03/14/2012)

Absolutely brilliant in its direction, Brian De Palma's style is incredibly progressive and purposeful, at times, it feels like being on a roller coaster. It starts with a phenomenally shot scene in the showers, continues with several silent scenes (only music and image), and ends with the division of the screen into several frames and the sped-up voices of the actors. Insane, but incredibly daring. Some of the script tricks are hard to understand, but the story itself is relatively simple. However, it is the director's skills that truly stand out on this relatively flat and straightforward film. Sissy Spacek is not particularly terrifying, and even the final scene did not make me cover my eyes – although it is impressive, no doubt. However, there are several significantly better adaptations of Stephen King's books that easily overshadow the slightly above-average Carrie. (01/30/2007)

The ending was changed and the plot was chewed to the bone, but even so, the film Carrie does not owe anything to the book version. Brian de Palma is great and the way he shot the prom scene blew my mind. But his Carrie isn't just about a bucket of blood. Far from it. The dispute between the daughter and the mother is portrayed so engagingly, is so visually striking and underlined by Donaggio's beautiful music, that it is not boring for even a moment. And I don't need to tell you that Sissy Spacek is unique in the lead role (but she is). (03/20/2013)