Feb 26

Feb 26 Brian De Palma

Director Brian de Palma adapts Stephen King’s first published horror novel into ‘Carrie’, filmed in 1976. Starring Sissy Spacek as Carrie White, the innocently blonde and shy high school senior is constantly bullied for her skittish personality and discovers her instinctive and destructive telekinesis powers, caused by her reaction of feeling isolated and tortured and primarily rooted from her psychotic mother’s Christian fundamentalist dictatorship in her household.

Carrie’s mother (played by Piper Laurie) shrills religious fanaticism onto Carrie for her newfound menstruation, and sees it as a curse from the anti-Christ. Carrie is punished for having her period under Satan’s power and is dragged into her into the closet for sinning, locked from the outside and forced to pray to the bleeding statue of Christ. Everything outside of Carries home is seen in the darkness of Satan’s power.

The most popular boy in high school asks Carrie to prom, she accepts unknowing of the evil scheme that is plotted around her date. As Carrie dresses herself up for the prom night, her mother has a psychotic mental breakdown for a phobia of sexuality and sin. “Take off that dress – we’ll burn it together and pray for forgiveness.” – Carrie’s mother, Margaret played by Piper Laurie

As a sweet, blonde awkward teenage girl trying to survive in her high school world, Carrie’s personality as the main protagonist in Brian de Palma’s film resists any stereotypes of horror film main characters.

Brian de Palma draws from classic Vincent Price sinister horror styles of portraying demonizing personalities in characters outside of the protagonist; in ‘Carrie’ it was seen in specific popular high school kids and faculty. Carrie’s telekinesis took its gory toll and spiraled beyond her power when she discovers the ominous dark plot rooted behind Carrie’s invitation by the popular kids to her prom night.