Ep 167 - CARRIE (1976) AT 50: Stephen King, Sissy Spacek, & The Prom From Hell

CARRIE (1976) d. Brian De Palma (USA)

THE RAGE: CARRIE 2 (1999) d. Katt Shea (USA)

CARRIE (2002) d. David Carson (USA)

CARRIE (2013) d. Kimberly Peirce (USA)

Based on Stephen King's first published novel, 1976's Carrie holds the distinction for being the first filmed adaptation of one of his works. A truly landmark American horror movie that combines supernatural terror with a powerful story about adolescence, cruelty, repression, and revenge, the film stars Sissy Spacek as the titular and telekinetic Carrie White, a shy, awkward high-school student bullied by her classmates and controlled by her extremely religious mother, Margaret White, indelibly played by Piper Laurie.

Brian De Palma's direction is central to the film's impact, using slow motion, split screens, dramatic camera movements, and unsettling visual compositions to build suspense and emphasize Carrie's psychological experience. And screenwriter Lawrence D. Cohen perfectly translates the spirit of King's novel without being slavishly faithful to the plot and narrative incident.

Spacek makes Carrie both frightening and deeply sympathetic, and Piper Laurie's operatic turn as the zealot matriarch became instantly iconic, with both actresses nominated for Oscars that year, a true rarity for the time. And they are surrounded by numerous young performers at the beginning of their soon-to-be illustrious careers, including Amy Irving, Nancy Allen, William Katt, Betty Buckley, and a certain young upstart named John Travolta.

Ultimately, Carrie stands as one of the great achievements of 1970s horror, a relatively small production that has earned a lasting place in cinema history. Beyond its justifiably famous prom sequence and supernatural leanings, King's rich portrait of loneliness, peer pressure, and the desperate longing to be accepted resonates as strongly with viewers today as it did 50 years ago. What makes Carrie so rewarding to revisit, time and again, is watching De Palma and his creative team turn teenage anxiety into a true cinematic nightmare classic.

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JENN ADAMS is a writer and podcaster from Nashville, TN. She co-hosts The Loser's Club: A Stephen King Podcast, The Lady Killers: A Feminine Rage Podcast, Murder Made Fiction, and The Girls on The Boys. She is a contributor and columnist for Bloody Disgusting, Rue Morgue and Dread Central and creator of the Strong Female Antagonist blog.

JOHN W. BOWEN has been a colum