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Carrie [1976]
RRP: £9.99
Our Price: £1.28 (subject to change)
Editorial
Amazon.co.uk Review
This terrifying adaptation of Stephen King's bestselling horror novel was directed by shock maestro Brian De Palma for maximum, no-holds-barred effect. Sissy Spacek stars as Carrie White, the beleaguered daughter of a religious kook (Piper Laurie) and a social outcast tormented by her cruel, insensitive classmates. When her rage turns into telekinetic powers, however, school's out in every sense of the word. De Palma's horrific climax in a school gym lingers forever in the memory, though the film is also built upon Spacek's remarkable performance and Piper Laurie's outlandishly creepy one. John Travolta has a small part as a thug, De Palma's future wife, Nancy Allen, is his girlfriend, and Amy Irving makes her screen debut as one of the girls giving Carrie a hard time.--Tom Keogh
Classic, important and brilliant film. But is the Blu-Ray region free?
Review date: 2008-10-17 Rating: 10 out of 10
I have been searching the internet trying to find out if this disc is region A or region free. Can anyone tell me if this disc will play in a UK PS3?
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Reviews
Creepy but sad film
Review date: 2008-09-01 Rating: 8 out of 10
Carrie is a film that is scary one minute, and sad the next, this shows what a brilliant film Carrie is.
The story focuses on Carrie White (Sissy Spacek), the girl who has telekinesis and everyone hates because she different. At the end of a gym lesson at school, Carrie has her first period in the shower and her peers make fun of her until the gym teacher Miss Collins (Betty Buckley) warns the girls off. Miss Collins becomes aware that Carrie is unaware of the menstration cycle and is sent home early but not before making an ashtray flip from the desk in the headmasters office. When she arrives home, Carrie's mother (Piper Laurie) believes that Carrie has sinned and has been given the period as a punishment by God.
From here the film shows Carrie struggling to cope with school, her mother and her telekinesis that leads to an unforgettable bloodbath at the leavers prom and a ending that leaves the audience in a state of shock.
Deeply disturbing,and very eerie
Review date: 2008-07-17 Rating: 10 out of 10
what needs to be said about this masterclass of a horror film seems to have already been said,but i love this film and think that it is an effective adaptation...and along with Misery/The Shining being one of the best horror films and certainly one of my favourites.
the film is effective due to the menacing soundtrack and the touching portrayal of Carrie by the talented Sissy Spacek which really lures you into her story...occaisonly it can be humourous but it can be really disturbing and very hard hitting...there is a real mix.
and what makes this film shine is that it doesnt rely on heavy gore effects(blood splatters though)a maniac who hacks down stupid actors,nor cgi...instead it relies on story,plot,acting and execution.
a gem of a horror.
A very good adaptation
Review date: 2008-04-21 Rating: 8 out of 10
Barcode: 5050070000061
I'll start by saying that i am a massive Stephen King fan. I've read loads tons of his books over the years and he remains to this date my favourite author of all time. But Carrie was never one of my favourites of his. Despite it being one of his best known books, it just never fully clicked with me. Maybe it was because it was his first book and felt too 'raw'. Elements of it are extrmely strong though and the horrific reality of Carrie's tale is heartbreaking.
Thankfully, this film adaptation doesn't mess with the original novel too much and despite looking pretty dated the acting performances stand the test of time - Sissy Spacek as Carrie and Piper Laurie as her mother obviously standing centre stage. The relationship between them is played to perfection, the mother's religious values overbearing on the timid Carrie who as the film progresses gains confidence and eventually defies her mother by going to the school prom.
This progression in the lead character was always what i found most crucial to the story. The way that in the moment she finally gains social acceptance, everything is suddenly swept away is just heartbreaking, made even worse by the way sympathisers Tommy and the gym teacher die too.
John Travolta plays the 'bad guy' role with considerable ease and his girlfriend Chris is the perfect Queen-Bee, wrapping him round her finger to get her way in her torment of Carrie.
Looking at it as a whole, it is a film full of symbolism and themes, the startling finale where Carrie's mother turns against her own daughter the most evident while the red smattering of blood over Carrie's prom dress picks her out almost as the devil-incarnate, something Carrie's mother almost certainly sees her as.
This is a film that deals at great depth as to what it means to be human, to have those feelings which are so ingrained in our psyche and how we deal with them. This film takes King's book and treats it in a very respectful way, thankfully maintaining much of his style and for that i am thankful. It gave me a new outlook on Carrie as a story and as a cinema and literary classic, is well worth checking out.
ONE OF THE BETTER KING ADAPTIONS
Review date: 2007-11-02 Rating: 8 out of 10
Carrie White (Sissy Spacek) a senior in High School, is considered a social outcast and pretty much ignored by her peers. Her home-life is even worse. Her religious mother Margaret (Piper Laurie) is convinced Carrie has become a sinning woman and treats her like a captive. When Carrie goes through her first period in the locker room after gym, the whole school begins to humiliate her to no end, including popular Chris (Nancy Allen) who turns on Carrie and revokes her prom tickets from her. Margaret is pleased at that, as it means Carrie can stay home and not become corrupted by the sinning going on at prom. Carrie thinks she is being unfair to her, and she tells friend Sue Snell, (Amy Irving) who agrees to lend her boyfriend Tommy (William Katt) to escort her to the prom. Once there, Chris makes Carrie's humiliation so extreme that it leads to a shocking revelation about Carrie that no one at the school wishes would've been discovered.
The Good News: This is a little more graphic than I remembered it was. We get lots of impaling, a couple of people set on fire, and other such graphic happenings. There isn't a whole lot of that I want to spoil, so that will be up to the viewer to find out. We also get a lot of great action scenes towards the end. Everyone knows that the prom is one of the highlights of the genre, so that part is no doubt a part many will want to see. It's also got a 70s feel to it, the way it is filmed and the way it is executed, that you become completely fascinated by it and don't want to turn it off since it might show something you don't want to miss. It is action-packed and full of ingenious surprises that keep you on the edge of your seat and wondering what will happen next. This is done greatly by the perfect cast assembled. Piper Laurie looks and sounds like such a complete nut that you actually begin to want Carrie to finish her off. Her rantings and ravings are perfectly done that makes the viewers sympathize against her. She plays the part so well that the performance is etched in your mind for a long time afterward. Her house is like a containment camp for the religiously devout: crucifixes in every possible location, "Last Supper" paintings placed in ominous places, and her special confessional is just weird. All of this is building up tension, and it actually succeeds from others that haven't before. It's also great at building tension earlier, when we see what happens to her at school. That is some of the scariest images of a high school ever committed to screen, and it really makes you feel for her. The initial bits used to show her gift are also some creepy images, and the events are pretty creepy. This is more of a character-based movie, so there's not much else until the spectacular third act.
The Bad News: The main thing I want to say is that it takes a long time to get going. There is at least a long portion of the film that takes place before we get anything remotely interesting. That can be an eternity for those that like faster moving films. There are also so few jumps that after repeated viewings, it loses some of its initial impact. The film is a little dated so it shows itself very quickly. Also, some of the religious discussions can be a bit much for those that aren't that versed in religion or don't believe in it. The religious aspect of the film is a large part of the film, and if you don't believe in what is presented, it can lead to some unpleasant experiences.
The Final Verdict: A little overrated, but that doesn't take anything away from it. A little slow in the beginning like all of King's works are, but there is a lot of good stuff towards the ending. King fans are encouraged to check it out, as are those that like the 70s feel for horror.
Product Details/Specifications
Actor(s):
Amy Irving
John Travolta
Sissy Spacek
William Katt
Piper Laurie
Creators:
Sissy Spacek (Primary Contributor)
Piper Laurie (Primary Contributor)
Mario Tosi (Cinematographer)
Brian De Palma (Producer)
Paul Hirsch (Editor)
Louis A. Stroller (Producer)
Paul Monash (Producer)
Lawrence D. Cohen (Writer)
Stephen King (Writer)
Director(s):
Recording label: MGM Entertainment
Manufacturer: MGM Entertainment
EAN: 5050070001242
Binding: VHS Tape
Number of items: 1
Format: HiFi Sound, PAL, Widescreen,
Release date: 2000-02-01
Number of discs: 1
Audience rating: Suitable for 18 years and over
Running time: 94 minutes
Theatrical release date: 1976-11-03