Carrie (1976)

Director:

Brian De Palma

Writers:

Lawrence D. Cohen (writer)
Stephen King (novel)

Release Date:

3 November 1976 (USA)

Genre:

Drama | Horror | Thriller

Tagline:

You were warned never to push Carrie to the limits. Now you must face the evil consequences.

Plot:

A mousy and abused girl with telekinetic powers gets pushed too far on one special night.

Plot Keywords:

Prom | Student | Teacher | Bucket | Pig Blood

Awards:

Nominated for 2 Oscars. Another 3 wins & 4 nominations

Cast

Sissy Spacek	...	Carrie White
Piper Laurie	...	Margaret White
Amy Irving	...	Sue Snell
William Katt	...	Tommy Ross
Betty Buckley	...	Miss Collins
Nancy Allen	...	Chris Hargensen
John Travolta	...	Billy Nolan
P.J. Soles	...	Norma Watson
Priscilla Pointer	...	Mrs. Eleanor Snell
Sydney Lassick	...	Mr. Fromm
Stefan Gierasch	...	Mr. Henry Morton
Michael Talbott	...	Freddy DeLois
Doug Cox	...	The Beak
Harry Gold	...	George Dawson
Noelle North	...	Freida Jason
Cindy Daly	...	Cora Wilson
Deirdre Berthrong	...	Rhonda Wilson
Anson Downes	...	Ernest Peterson
Rory Stevens	...	Kenny
Edie McClurg	...	Helen Shyres
Cameron De Palma	...	Bobby Erbeter - boy on the bicycle
rest of cast listed alphabetically:
Terry Bolo	...	Bad Girl (uncredited)
Michael Towers	...	Vance or Towers (prom band) (uncredited)
Glen Vance	...	Vance or Towers (prom band) (uncredited)

Directed by
Brian De Palma

Writing credits (in alphabetical order)
Lawrence D. Cohen		writer
Stephen King		novel

Produced by
Brian De Palma	....	producer
Paul Monash	....	producer
Louis A. Stroller	....	associate producer

Original Music by
Pino Donaggio

Cinematography by
Mario Tosi

Film Editing by
Paul Hirsch

Casting by
Harriet B. Helberg

Art Direction by
Jack Fisk
Bill Kenney		(as William Kenney)

Set Decoration by
Robert Gould

Costume Design by
Rosanna Norton

Makeup Department
Wes Dawn	....	makeup artist (as Wesley Dawn)
Adele Taylor	....	hair stylist
Ron Snyder	....	makeup artist (uncredited)

Second Unit Director or Assistant Director
Donald Heitzer	....	first assistant director
Bill Scott	....	second assistant director (as William Scott)
Dick Ziker	....	second unit director (as Richard Ziker)

Art Department
Gary Seybert	....	property master
Michael Casey	....	leadman (uncredited)

Sound Department
Lois Freeman	....	assistant sound editor
Bert Hallberg	....	sound mixer (as Bertil Hallberg)
David Rust	....	boom operator
Dan Sable	....	sound editor
Dick Vorisek	....	sound re-recording supervisor

Special Effects by
Greg Auer	....	special effects (as Gregory M. Auer)
Ken Pepiot	....	special effects (as Kenneth Pepiot)

Stunts
Dick Ziker	....	stunt coordinator (as Richard Ziker)
Janet Brady	....	stunts (uncredited)
Glory Fioramonti	....	stunts (uncredited)
Mags Kavanaugh	....	stunt double (uncredited)
Mary Peters	....	stunts (uncredited)

Camera and Electrical Department
Dustin Blauvelt	....	first assistant camera (as Dusty Blauvelt)
Joseph Cosko Jr.	....	second assistant camera (as Joseph Cosko)
Jim Dyer	....	best boy grip (as James Dyer)
Gene Griffith	....	key grip (as Eugene Griffith)
Joel King	....	camera operator
Ken Miller	....	dolly grip (as Kenneth Miller)
Joe Pender	....	gaffer
Jerome L. Posner	....	best boy (as Jerome Posner)
Dave Friedman	....	still photographer (uncredited)
Wynn Hammer	....	still photographer (uncredited)

Costume and Wardrobe Department
Agnes Lyon	....	costumer

Editorial Department
Maria Iano	....	apprentice editor
Michael Kirchberger	....	assistant editor

Music Department
Michael Arciaga	....	music supervisor
Natale Massara	....	conductor

Transportation Department
Gary Littlefield	....	transportation

Other crew
Wendy Bartel	....	secretary to Mr. DePalma
James L. Carter	....	production assistant
Angelo Corallis	....	craft service
Dow Griffith	....	location manager
Patricia Heade	....	production secretary
Hannah Scheel	....	script supervisor
Robert Sinclair	....	auditor

Production Companies

• Redbank Films

Distributors

• United Artists (1976) (USA) (theatrical)
• UA (1977) (Japan) (theatrical)
• Columbia Broadcasting System (CBS) (1978) (USA) (TV) (original airing)
• CBS / Fox Video (1984) (USA) (VHS)
• MGM/UA Home Entertainment (1984) (USA) (VHS)
• United Pictures Finland (1991) (Finland) (theatrical)
• SF Film (2002) (Denmark) (DVD)
• Cinema Mondo (2005) (Finland) (theatrical)
• MGM Home Entertainment (2007) (USA) (DVD)
• Chapel Distribution (1997) (Australia) (theatrical)
• 20th Century Fox Home Entertainment (Brazil) (DVD)
• Carlotta Films (France) (re-release)
• Criterion Collection, The (laserdisc)
• Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer (MGM) (video)
• Paramount Home Video (video)
• Warner Home Vídeo (Brazil) (VHS)

Other Companies

• Get Set  set decorating

Runtime:

98 min

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1

Sound Mix:

Mono

Certification:

Canada:R (Nova Scotia/Ontario) | West Germany:16 (re-rating) | West Germany:18 (original rating) | Portugal:M/16 | Finland:(Banned) (uncut) (1977) | Finland:(Banned) (cut) (1978) | Finland:K-16 (uncut) (1993) | Finland:K-18 (uncut) (1991) | Brazil:16 | South Korea:18 | Argentina:16 (re-rating) (2000) | Argentina:X (original rating) | Argentina:18 (re-rating) (1983) | Spain:18 | New Zealand:R16 | Australia:R | Canada:13+ (Quebec) | Canada:18A (Alberta) (2000) | Canada:PA (Manitoba) | Chile:18 | France:-16 | Iceland:16 | Netherlands:16 | Norway:15 (2000) | Norway:18 | Peru:18 | Singapore:M18 | Sweden:15 | UK:18 | USA:R (certificate #24688) | Ireland:18 | UK:X (original rating)

Filming Locations:

Culver City Studios - 9336 W. Washington Blvd., Culver City, California, USA

Company:

Redbank Films

Trivia:

In Carrie's house, the statue of a religious figure shot with arrows represents St. Sebastian. It is not a crucifix and does not represent Jesus Christ.

Goofs:

Continuity: When Miss Collins begins calling the roll, the first shot reveals a girl dressed in dark blue sitting among several girls higher on the bleachers. In the next shot, she's sitting in the front row next to Helen. But in the shot after that, she's in her original place.

Quotes:

Margaret White: I should've killed myself when he put it in me. After the first time, before we were married, Ralph promised never again. He promised, and I believed him. But sin never dies. Sin never dies. At first, it was all right. We lived sinlessly. We slept in the same bed...
[...]

Movie Connections:

Referenced in "Charmed: Hyde School Reunion (#6.17)" (2004)

Soundtrack:

Education Blues

A classic!

Perhaps one of the only genuinely good Stephen King adaptations, ‘Carrie' follows the tragic tale of Carrie White (Sissy Spacek), a young girl who is continually made to suffer at the hands of her bullying classmates and not helped by her overbearing, religious mother Margaret (Piper Laurie). Carrie, however, is not like regular teenagers as she has been blessed(?) with telekinetic powers and as the inner rage grows within Carrie so, it seems, do these potentially lethal abilities.

Brian De Palma directed this amazingly stylish adaptation of Stephen King's first novel which is arguably the best Stephen King adaptation ever to be made. Sissy Spacek's performance is one of the greatest to ever grace a horror film. Somehow managing to perfectly embody the typical school life of the usual high school outcasts, Spacek was able to bring to everyone the appalling life that so many teenagers are forced to tolerate. From the opening scenes where Carrie is utterly humiliated at the hands of her classmates after Carrie's hysterical reaction to her first menstruation, to the painfully wretched ending it becomes nigh on impossible not to sympathise with Spacek's character. Spacek was quite rightly Oscar-nominated for this performance. Spacek's performance was enhanced by fellow Oscar-nominee Piper Laurie in the role of the religious-nut Margaret White. In some ways the naivety shown towards Carrie and what is happening to her is amusing but at the same time it is terrifying to think that any mother could allow her daughter to go though such a generally horrendous life. Piper Laurie was able to make this all too abhorrent character her own with a thoroughly convincing and unsettling performance.

De Palma cleverly directs this movie. Instead of immediately introducing us to Carrie's powers he focuses on the torment (and the tormentors) of Carrie first. This allows the viewer to feel for Carrie and will her towards revenge while ensuring that she is not made into a one-dimensional killer. The movie is very well paced and is presented in a brutally clear fashion. De Palma refrains from using any visual effects with the exception of the infamous `Prom Night' scene which was incredibly well crafted and immersed the viewer in this horrifying display of rage. The final twenty minutes of Carrie are some of the most intense and gripping moments to have been portrayed in horror cinema. These scenes without a doubt helped to build one of the most artistic and and incredible climaxes in all of film.

‘Carrie' is not for those who just want to see people sliced up or prefer fast-paced horror as it is presented as a heart-breaking drama with a horrifying twist. The magnificent cast (which features John Travolta in an early role) was also graced with fantastic performances from Betty Buckley as the kindly gym teacher and Nancy Allen as Chris, the deplorable ring leader of this atrocious bullying. In my opinion ‘Carrie' is unquestionably worth a look for horror fans. 'Carrie' is very well directed, with a superb screenplay from Larry Cohen and featuring two of the greatest performances in horror. My rating for ‘Carrie' – 9/10.