Director – Brian De Palma (Scarface, Phantom of the Paradise)
Starring – Sissy Spacek (Hot Rod, The Man with Two Brains), Piper Laurie (The Faculty, Twin Peaks), and Amy Irving (Twilight Zone: Rod Serling’s Lost Classics, The Rage: Carrie 2)
Release Date – 1976
Rating – 4/5
UHD Release – 4/5
I often review indie productions and new theatrical releases when they hit store shelves. I love my job and I love getting to share my thoughts on movies especially indie productions. However, I often find myself getting over excited when I received a classic horror title for review when it gets a new format release. Several years back I was lucky enough to review the first two Evil Dead UHD releases and recently I was able to review Army of Darkness.
It’s an amazing feeling being asked to review classic genre films as they get re-released on a new media so when Scream Factory sent over their UHD release Carrie I couldn’t fucking wait to dig into it. Carrie is not my favorite Stephen King adaptation but it’s a fucking classic that I still enjoy and I want to thank Scream Factory for sending this one over.
**Spoiler Alert** The film follows outcast Carrie White (Spacek) who is abused by her extremely religious mother and tormented by her fellow classmates as school. As prom season approaches, she finds herself the center of a horrible joke in which she is falsely awarded prom queen before pigs blood is dumped on her. Mortified and betrayed, she lets her anger take control and soon unleashes a telekinetic terror on those that wronged her. **Spoiler alert**
Carrie has a lot of offer viewers which is why I think it’s still popular among movie goers and not just horror fans. The cast is what has always impressed me with the film but the story, atmosphere, and character development is among some of the best in genre history which is why Carrie is always lumped in with other classic horror icons. The film truly is a classic regardless of your tastes in cinema.
The acting in this one is fucking iconic. If you completely ignore Spacek’s flawless performance, you will see find a film overflowing with talent. We have killer performances from Piper Laurie John Travolta, William Katt, and P.J. Soles just to name a few. The cast is fantastic, and every scene is filled with unforgettable performances. Honestly, I could be here all-day writing about the cast if I had the time to do so.
The story for this one has so much going on. We have a popular kid who is not really an asshole, his girlfriend who feels sorry for Carrie and tries to give her an experience in high school that she would miss otherwise, a bitchy high school girl who holds a grudge, and her older boyfriend who orchestrates a horrible prank. We put all these characters, the religious aspect, and pseudoscience angle all come together to work in several different ways. It’s a film that embodies horror but can be enjoyed by others with a fondness for other genres as well.
Finally, the film has several on screen deaths and a lot of blood but the deaths are a bit underwhelming. They fit the film and work for the story but the effects and imagery is a bit underwhelming. I’ve always been a bit disappointed in the lack of creativity with the death scenes but I will be the first to admit that I’ve seen this movie at least a dozen times, if not more, so maybe I’ve grown accustomed to them. Overall, Carrie is a fucking classic and Scream Factory is one of the few boutique labels that I would trust with putting this out on UHD. I highly recommend snagging this one especially if you are a collector.
Special Features:
DISC ONE (UHD):
NEW 2022 4K Scan Of The Original Camera Negative
In Dolby Vision (HDR 10 Compatible)
Audio: DTS-HD Master Audio Mono, Stereo, 5.1
NEW Audio Commentary With Joe Aisenberg, Author Of Studies In The Horror Film: CARRIE
DISC TWO (BLU-RAY):
NEW 2022 4K Scan Of The Original Camera Negative
Audio: DTS-HD Master Audio Mono, Stereo, 5.1
NEW Audio Commentary With Joe Aisenberg, Author Of Studies In The Horror Film: CARRIE
NEW Newspaper Ad Gallery By Drive-In Asylum
Theatrical Trailer
Carrie Franchise Trailer Gallery
DISC THREE (BLU-RAY):
Writing CARRIE – An Interview With Screenwriter Lawrence D. Cohen
Shooting CARRIE – An Interview With Director Of Photography Mario Tosi
Cutting CARRIE – An Interview With Editor Paul Hirsch
Casting CARRIE – An Interview With Casting Director Harriet B. Helberg
Acting CARRIE – Interviews With Sissy Spacek, Amy Irving, Betty Buckley, Nancy Allen, Jack Fisk, William Katt, Piper Laurie, Priscilla Pointer, PJ Soles, And Brian DePalma
More Acting CARRIE – Interviews With William Katt, Nancy Allen, Betty Buckley, Piper Laurie, Edie McClurg, And P.J. Soles
Visualizing Carrie – Interviews With Brian De Palma, Jack Fisk, Lawrence D. Cohen, And Paul Hirsch
Bucket Of Blood – An Interview With The Maestro Pino Donaggio
Horror’s Hallowed Grounds – Revisiting The Film’s Original Locations
A Look At Carrie, The Musical
TV Spots
Radio Spots
Still Galleries – Rare Behind-The-Scenes Photos, Posters, And Lobby Cards
Stephen King And The Evolution Of Carrie Text Gallery
