Carrie

Watching the DVD extras gave me more insight into the technique behind this film. That should have upped my rating, but the film is just so corny and camp that I couldn't give it more than "enjoyable, decently made." Critics seem to love the beginning shot -- this slow-mo pan of women in a locker room in all states of undress with Carrie in the shower getting her period for the first time (foreshadowing, anyone?). I got the fact that the shower scene underscores the erotic overtones of the film, e.g., the overly religious mother (played perfectly by Piper Laurie) who confesses her inner sexual thoughts at the end of the film, the romance and beauty of the prom before all hell breaks loose. And it is a powerful scene, it just seemed gratuitous. Of course that may be the point and I'm just missing it. While there is some great acting (Sissy Spacek is a marvel), there is also some bad acting, especially on the part of William Katt as the prom date. What a dumb, smirky grin! If he's supposed to be so enlightened and nice, why does he have such an evil grin, especially in the prom scene? As horror films go, it's good enough, and not that horrific even when Carrie unleashs her power and burns everything at the end (especially if you compare it to the incredibly creepy The Exorcist).

year: 1976
length: 98 min.
rating: 3.0
IMDB link: http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0074285/combined