Carrie (1976) [DVD] [1976]

When entering the disc to watch Carrie in her remastered beauty I thought to myself when did I last watch this movie? I think it must have been when I watched it for the very first time. It clearly made an impression on me as I pre ordered it the day Arrow announced they were releasing it. When it got announced I read through a lot of comments made by many fans and instead of being excited they were really hacking at Arrow Video for just rehashing what Scream Factory had already released a year ago. That's where I find collector's to be quite selfish because they all want it to be to their way and if it isn't then theirs hell to pay. Im completely the opposite because Arrow for years have released a lot of films that I couldn't care less about but a lot of fans have and that's great that the fans get to own a film in a special edition and in HD that they thought they never would. Also it isn't easy to buy Scream Factory Blu-Rays at decent prices. Seeing as the company does not send to any country other than their own and maybe Canada you have to resort to eBay prices and that means having to spend a lot more than you usually would on a Blu-Ray. All that politics aside it came for Mr postman to hand me my limited edition Carrie Box and relive the memory and enjoyment back when I first watched it. Is the all singing all dancing Arrow release worth it? Of course it is. I had a whole different experience this time seeing it because it doesn't quite feel like a horror film till say the last 30 minutes. There are some interesting moments but nothing that I would quite say to call it a horror movie, more a teen drama. I don't care about whether a film scares me or not as im not in it for the jumps. I'd rather be more creeped out and left unsettled than reach for the pillow. Carrie certainly gets under your skin especially the opening scene in the shower which was beautifully shot by DePalma. So other than a great film what does the disc have to offer? Well if your lucky to get the Limited Edition box you get some extra goodies. The booklet is very classy, printed on some kind of special paper, I can't think of the right word but it feels nice and so nice you barely want to touch it. You get about A5 cards with pictures from the film, with a extra one of Arrow upcoming release of "The Slayer". What im loving is the new A3 size poster of the original and newly commissioned artwork being added into the set a lot like what Scream Factory gives you. Extras wise I think they are very good but not astounding. Only because there is a no real big documentary. I like a 70-80 minute basically longer than the film documentary telling you warts and all about the films production. The old and new interviews are very good, taking you through the casting process which I won't spoil as theirs some fun facts in there for you. I have yet to hear the commentary by Lee Gambin. There's a lot of archival bits thrown in which again is a great insight and even a Carrie musical featurette which I never knew existed. I can't remember if the MGM DVD release had a documentary and if there was then it should have been on here making it feel more complete, but with the amount of goodies you get in this release then you can't massively grumble as its heavy with extra content. The quality of the picture is excellent but I would be lying if I said there was no grain. I think this is something we have to live with as theirs many old films coming out and all having this problem. These films were not made with HD cameras so its all about it adapting to there new way of how they remaster a film. It looks gorgeous at times and whether you like grain or not it actually works well into the film. I hope Arrow continues this journey into Limited Editions as I believe its paying off and this is a great example of it.

This 1976 film has achieved a secure reputation as a mystical shock-horror film. This is a far cry from Hammer films though as it explores at its heart the effect of prolonged abuse and how, in an imaginary way, a girl with special powers might eventually react. Thus there is a believable element to this story which increases its compelling nature as a drama. Carrie is the victim and is brought up by her mother who has extreme religiously motivated views as regards general behaviour and especially sexuality as it applies to the adolescent Carrie. Her mother, although this is never explained, is probably at least second generation in this sequence herself so the story has an inevitability about it as events conspire and spiral towards the conclusion. Thus Carrie is subject to considerable bullying at school but is eventually befriended by well-meaning peers and one member of staff as the annual school dance approaches. This proves to be a horrifying event for the innocent Carrie who then unleashes a terrible response motivated by extreme anguish rather than revenge. This is not a revenge movie in normal terms but can be seen as something of a psychological exercise in consequences. Interestingly, there is a clear parallel with Saint Sebastian's martyrdom in terms of Carrie's mother 's final fate. The casting and acting throughout is compelling and the plot keeps every development within the bounds of possibility if not always of probability. To find out what happens readers will need to purchase the film. The above is not a spoiler! However, this review is not intended to discuss the actual film in any further detail as by now it will have both its supporters and detractors. Entering into those conflicts is not the purpose of the review which is aimed squarely at the many supporters of this film. Essentially, for all of those who are keen supporters of this film and who have bought the previous DVD version of this disc, the only issue of vital importance will be whether the Blu-ray offers an improvement technically sufficient to justify the additional expense. For this reviewer the answer is a clear affirmative. The upgrade offers a clear advance on both image and audio quality with the imaging being a marked improvement. The colours are firmer and there is an increase to the perceived depth of the imaging. The whole film simply becomes more 'real.' The film, which is so concerned with close characterisation, benefits considerably from this enhancement of reality. The degree of improvement experienced from this BD will also inevitably depend on the replay equipment used. The following technical information is intended to be a guide to aid in assessment. The screen used for this review is only of moderate dimensions being a 40 inch television screen. However, the television is a high performing 4K unit which delivers a compensating positive effect. The moderate screen size lacks the impact of larger screens but is less critical of film faults. However, the contributing player is, unusually, able to separate the audio and visual HDMI signals before they leave separately to the television and pre-amp. That feature enhances both the visual and audio elements of the output. The audio, not so critical in the case, delivers an unusually wide-ranging and revealing performance. Its precision is equally revealing of film scores. Readers with alternative equipment will have to interpret this review bearing in mind their own equipment and its comparative advantages and disadvantages. The disc offers purchasers with suitable replay equipment a substantial improvement over the previous DVD. In summary this BD is a transfer from good quality 1976 film stock and has responded well to the upgrade. This is an essentially unique and compelling film which deserves its following and this effective Blu-ray presentation.

Not much else needs to be said about this absolute classic Stephen King adaption, which is in my opinion the best screen adaptation of his work and I’m sure many true fans will agree. Sissy Spacek gives an astonishing performance as the teenage girl who’s traumatic development into puberty also develops psychic powers. So much more than just a horror which it is labelled as, this is also a very moving and at times unsettling coming of age story. Carrie’s tragic and sheltered life with her controlling and abusive mother, played with disturbing excellence from Piper Laurie, certainly makes you feel for her character and anyone who has experienced any form bullying will certainly sympathise with her. Brian DePalma directs with style and panache, with ground breaking camera work which includes his trademark split screen effect. This 4k Blu Ray release from Arrow is quite simply perfect. With great new artwork in a sturdy and high quality cardboard slipcase, an excellent booklet, poster and postcards, this is a must have for any horror or Stephen King fan.

***Warning*** Product might not contain on-disc essay extra or the collectible booklet! ***Warning*** With that said I am highly impressed that a special version of Carrie even exists, now I have not checked my copy yet but supposedly it's an extended cut or directors cut that adds extra scenes that the theatrical did not have. Also has the extras that Amazon has listed, apart from my warning above of possible missing content so I advise Amazon that the extras list should be revised as I don't have the 8 page liner booklet which you can find mentioned in other reviews of the same product. Overall I am pretty satisfied at the purchase and would highly recommend the film to anybody who loves horror films :)

For a film that is 39 years old still in my book down as one of the best horror films ever made and still shocks me like it was the first time i had ever seen it, Carrie played by the very talented Sissy Spacek and Carrie's mother played by a very talented Piper Laurie, what makes this so great is it isnt very high on blood and gore its more of a disturbing and shocking film and leaves you feeling all sorts of feelings when the film ends, from the bullying to the prom to Carrie's mother who is one of the most disturbing characters i have ever seen on film there is so much in this film that just ticks all the right boxes for a decent horror, this is also my favourite Stephen King film 10/10. Picture 4.5 out of 5 Sound 4.5 out of 5

In this 1976 supernatural revenge horror, shy, bullied high school student Carrie White (Sissy Spacek) is once more humiliated at school but Carrie’s classmate Sue (Amy Irving) feels guilty and tries to make amends little realising the tragic outcome her actions will cause. Sissy Spacek is superb as the naive and confused Carrie as is Piper Laurie as her fanatical mother, while the support cast are excellent. Although this is not fast paced, it is entertaining and maintains plenty of interest right to the end, but the music is hit and miss. The build up of tension and the ‘basic’ settings help create a reality that tends to be missing from many modern movies [gain a *]. The single disc offers play, scene selection, subtitles [English HoH and most Baltic countries plus Portuguese] and special features [2 documentaries, a featurette, photo-gallery, original trailer and evolution of Carrie]. Try to get through the menu as quickly as possible as it shows you the main sequence [lose a *]. [I wish the makers would stop doing this!!]. This 18 X rating features gratuitous full frontal nudity and mild swearing from the start and all done in slo-mo with a decidedly 70s soft porn soundtrack, this does start pretty sleazily but soon gets into its stride, the violence building gradually throughout to the end climax.

Not quite the classic it’s made out to be,don’t get me wrong it’s quite good but has major issues. Firstly the school pupil characters are pretty awful,they are just dirtbag one dimensional cliches on the whole which is just annoying to watch. I know it’s deliberate to polarise the innocence of Carrie from the crassness of the others but it’s done so ham fisted it almost spoils the movie. Then there’s the drawn out thin story line which doesn’t interest me,nothing much to it really,it’s rather banal and uninteresting. On the plus side Carrie is a likeable lead and you empathise with her plight (superficial though it may be) and yes the ending is satisfying and nicely stylised and edited,in fact the infamous moment where she ‘changes’ is very memorable and brilliantly done — The eyes! I always found the movie mean spirited and very dated but quite effective in the parts involving Carries abilities. It’s a 3/5 film for me.

This movie has always stayed with me. Yes it's rather dated, and the effects compared to today's are lame, but still it conveys a certain level of genuine creepiness that, well, current horrors rarely deliver. I suppose this comes from the music, Brian de Palma's direction, and the focus on Carrie's relationship with her Christian fundamentalist mother, played wonderfully by Piper Laurie. Ultimately the tension and abuse Carrie has had to endure both at school from bullies, and at home at the hands of her crazed mother, culminate in perhaps one of the most famous scenes in movie history. Its build-up is just as amazing, as it ratchets up the tension immensely to the final "bloody" act. So, put away your brash, overboard modern day Hollywood horrors ladened with gore and nothing else. If you want a real horror movie that stays with you, that affects you in ways you might not understand, get this movie.

Très beau film, je recommande

The first and best Carrie movie. The 2013 one was good but nothing compares to the original. Happy to watch this on blu-ray, it looks great!

El producto llegó antes de lo esperado, y con la grata sorpresa de con la versión especial, Movie Cover, del diseñador gráfico Orlando Arocena. Harvest Mouse, LLC, muy recomendado como vendedor.

Allt som förväntat

I just saw this original "Carrie" after having seen it on TV decades ago. I decided to make it my traditional Halloween evening film. I was afraid that on the second time around, since I had such a vivid memory of the first viewing, that there would be longish dull stretches. But there were none! And that is REALLY important for a classic, where you can savor every single scene. I will tread lightly for those few who have not seen it once. The pace is incredibly tight. Not once are there a few minutes where the story lags. Of course, Sissy Spacek is absolutely the perfect actor to play Carrie, at the perfect age, but she could not carry the movie alone. Piper Laurie is a truly scary character. I would not stay in the same house with her for more than five minutes. When she visits a neighbor, I imagine that the neighbor's skin began to crawl after only a few seconds. And yet, the difference between her and a lot of mothers is probably not that great. She is just creepy enough to push one over the edge. Aside from Spacek, I suggest the actors who contribute the most to the film are those who play Carrie White's classmates, Amy Irving, William Katt, John Travolta, Nancy Allen, P. J. Soles, Michael Talbot, and Edie McClurg. Betty Buckley is believable as the gym teacher, but the teens steal scenes from her. This was Travolta's first important movie role, even before he was cast as Vinnie Barbarino on "Welcome Back, Kotter." He is good, but Katt and the four girls are even better. And, for you who have not yet seen it, this film has one of the very best climaxes of any horror film I have ever seen. I think for that we must thank Stephen King, who, I believe, used the same ending in more than one of his other books. I happened to look up the careers of the actors I mentioned, and I believe a lot of credit has to be given to the casting director, since for virtually every actor, including Betty Buckley, this was one of their first film appearances.