Seeing this movie on cable is nothing compared to actually seeing it uncut and rated R. Unlike the ludicrously-conceived sequel, which hit theaters in 1999, this movie does not have a strong emphasis on blood or gore, and there is an evident emotional factor as well. The viewers can actually sympathize with Carrie White as she goes through her adolescent period, endures the hardhips of being the center of ridicule and banter, and her feelings of happiness when Tommy asks her to the prom. Sissy Spacek plays her character to a T, making the emotions believable and realistic. Piper Laurie, who plays her mother, is the pinacle of the tight-fisted parent who allows for nothing degrading to enter into her child's life or mind. Brian de Palma has truly done a marvelous job in recreating the Stephen King classic, and while some factors of the movie and the book differ at different times, there is still a remaining quality of justice done to the novel. This movie will also make some people think twice before making fun of anyone again. To all who see this, I hope you enjoy it.
**Video and Audio Quality**
To keep it plain and simple: Carrie on DVD looks more like VHS quality, and Carrie on Blu-Ray looks more like DVD quality. So it never reaches the crisp, crystal clear look of today's Blu-Ray releases, but it is definitely cleaner and finer quality than the DVD. So if you want the best Carrie experience then watch it on Blu-Ray!
**Special Features**
The Blu-Ray disc contains only the theatrical trailer. The DVD, however, is loaded with interviews by all the main cast members, director Brian DePalma, and others who worked on the film. There's a lot to learn from watching the interviews, including the conflicts and challenges they all underwent to make the film, a behind-the-scenes look on the special effects, and a deleted scene that was to be the prologue of the movie. There's also a photogallery and comparison between Stephen King's version of Carrie and Brian DePalma's version of Carrie, plus more.
**The Combo Pack**
It would have been better for everyone had they included the DVD special features on the Blu-Ray disc, but having it all on a combo pack is the next best thing, so if you're a Carrie fan or just love a beautifully crafted classical tale, this is a must have! Own this unforgettable drama/horror movie on Blu-Ray + DVD Combo Pack today!This is one of my favorite films. If you've never seen it how lucky you are to still have it ahead of you! If you haven't seen it for years, and remember it as just a dumb teen horror movie, you have the pleasure of discovering how well made and acted it is.
I was one of those who just thought this was a dumb teen horror movie, and was thus surprised when it was the first film we studied in one of my college film courses. Learning how deftly layered and brilliantly directed this movie is was in large part my first awakening to how interesting and well-done horror and other dismissed genres can be.
Although this film was considered horror when it came out, now, more than 20 years later, I think you have to look at it as more of a macabre tragic drama, because certainly no one will be scared by it. Many on the IMDb complain that "nothing happens" in the first hour, which I blame on its continuing place in the "horror" genre. Unfortunately, those people are missing all of the character development and thematic content that makes the ending so moving to those who have followed it.
The film is unflinching in its portrayal of female jealousy and sublimated sexual rage. The appearance of Carrie's powers coincides with her first period, i.e. the onset of sexual maturity. The following events are all about sexual attraction and jealousy, following Carrie's emergence as a woman, the dynamics of the other girls at school and their sexual/romantic intrigues, and the White family's bizarre sexual mores. The drama with the girls at school is all about dates and sex and going to the prom. Carrie's sympathetic gym teacher tries to get her to wear makeup and pay more attention to her hair. Meanwhile, Carrie's mother equates her menstruation with acceptance of sin, and later refers to her breasts as "dirty pillows." Once you start to look at it this way, you'll be surprised at the number of incidents and bits of dialogue that relate to this theme, and how carefully focused the entire screenplay is.
Sissy Spacek's performance really is multi-layered and heartbreaking, and gets better the more you get into the film. The early scenes at the prom, when you see her trying her best to get out of her shell, and how scared she is of being hurt, are all the more tragic knowing what is going to happen to her a few minutes later. When she is announced as Prom Queen, you see from the look on her face that she has finally come to believe that she has been accepted and liked. That the image of her walking silently through the burning school still remains so iconic and startlingly creepy is testament to her performance and this film's power.
The other amazing thing is DePalma's direction. The sequence beginning with the announcement of Carrie as Prom Queen is a masterpiece of building tension -notice the music and editing as the sequence gathers speed, culminating with the spilling of the blood. You will also notice that this entire sequence is dialogue-free. It is so tight, audacious and over-the-top that you have to admire it. I know DePalma later expressed regret over the split screen effect, but I remember how effective it was when I first saw the film -it left me feeling like so much is happening at once that you couldn't possibly take it all in. It's really overwhelming and distancing at the same time -as opposed to most horror films that try to bring viewers INTO the terror.
The mere fact that this movie is still around almost 25 years later is a testament to its brilliance. It is much more respected now than when it first came out-in part I think because the "horror" label worked against it. Look at the horror aspects the way they should be -as a metaphor-and you'll start to get into it. The closer you look the better it becomes.
Read Best Reviews of Carrie (1976) Here
Steven King's novel depicting the trials of a bullied girl blossoming into womanhood while being victimized by a deranged mother is a masterpiece.At school, the misfit Carrie White is friendless. Her feminine beauty is invisible to her classmates, who view only her inability to meet the standards of adolescent society. At home, the harassment tears her soul apart. Her mother is a deluded, man-hating and sexually repressed sociopath who unleashes her repressed sexuality by sadistically inflicting punishment on her blossoming daughter in the name of "Jesus."
When Carrie, ignorant of the facts of life, experiences the onset of her period at school, the scene is set for the perfect storm in horror movie history. Carrie believes that she is dying. Her classmates, like the pack of animals that they are, sense blood and go on the attack. At home, it becomes yet another means for the sadist to humiliate her prey. The school is ultimately clueless as to how to address the issue, thereby providing the perfect battlefield for the Armageddon to come.
Carrie is emotionally powerful horror film, an outstanding metaphor for the trauma of adolescent change, and no other film matches it's perfection.If you enjoy this film as much as I do, I have bad news: The Blu-ray transfer is mediocre at best. Scenes are soft and often grainy, lacking any of the real clarity high def can bring. Sound also doesn't really benefit; it's slightly sharper but that's about it. Unless you don't already own the film, stick with the regular DVD. The upgrade, even at such a low price, isn't really worth it.
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