CARRIE is a bloody mess

RATED- R

RUN TIME- 100 MINS

WRITER(S)- LAWRENCE D. COHEN AND ROBERTO AGUIRRE-SACASA 

STARRING- CHLOE GRACE MORETZ, JULIANNE MOORE, AND GABRIELLE WILDE
DIRECTOR- KIMBERLY PEIRCE



Synopsis taken from IMDb
A re-imagining of the classic horror tale about Carrie White, a shy girl outcast by her peers and sheltered by her deeply religious mother, who unleashes telekinetic terror on her small town after being pushed too far at her senior prom.

Almost everyone knows about "Carrie" and how the story plays out. If by chance you're not knowledgeable of the tale, I advise you to not read this review. I'm going to specifically mention things that may ruin it for anyone not familiar with the content.

For starters, Kimberly Peirce, the director of 1999's controversial film "Boys Don't Cry", and most recently, "Stop-Loss" (2008), took on the task of directing this re-imagining of the bloody tale. I find it only fitting that this movie is directed by a female, honestly. From where I'm coming from, I would think that logically, having a woman behind the camera could help put a new sense of realism and urgency to the situations at hand. That's what I thought, anyway...

The first thing that stood out to me was how everything is modernized. I expected it to be done, and I'm glad that it wasn't overdone. The girls locker room scene being uploaded on YouTube is a nice touch, and definitely sets the movie up right. However, aside from this flick being successfully placed in modern time, there's not much else it exceeds at. In fact, it comes up short in a lot of ways.

Such as, Carrie (Chloe Grace Moretz) and her relationship with her mother, Margaret White (Julianne Moore) is totally disappointing and flawed. I understand the need for a new take on the situation, but I'm not too happy with how this was done. From the go, Carrie is defiant and back talks her mom. The relationship between these two characters is the foundation of the entire story. So to have Carrie not be submissive and scared of Margaret doesn't work. I guess, to put it more simply, Carrie is too lively and not beaten down enough.

Not to mention, after Carrie realizes her abilities and overuses them to death, she uses them on her mom to basically throw her around and control her. Taking the control out of Margaret's hands and giving it to Carrie is a big mistake. The character of Carrie doesn't work as a strong and empowered person, it kind of takes away the point of the revenge at the end. And she uses her telekinetic abilities so much, that if you don't know what's coming at the end of the movie, you can tell it's going to involve her powers. The payoff is null and void because of how fabricated and fake everything is made to seem.

I dislike her semi-friendship with Sue Snell (Gabriella Wilde) as well. What should have been a key relationship in the story felt flat and hollow, with no heart and soul. Completely unconvincing acting.

 Also, I really didn't like how the prom scene was executed. The setting looked good, and looked like a genuine school prom. I also like Carrie's relationship with Tommy Ross (Ansel Elgort), and the differences there. But, the way Carrie's revenge is done is just downright watered down and lame. First of all, I hated the movements she made when she was using her abilities against her schoolmates. I also dislike how she saved certain people from her reign of terror, such as Ms. Desjardin (Judy Greer).

I didn't feel the rage and hatred, and hurt. It wasn't authentic. Add to that, the worst thing of all about this flick is the fact that Carrie flies. I literally face-palmed myself in the theater! I found it utterly stupid. Doing something that has such a high cheese factor has to be done elegantly, and in a way to make it seem even less ridiculous. 

Overall, I didn't like the cast. This motion picture has the cast of a PG-13 movie. Everyone is so Hollywood and fake, none seem like real characters that you can relate to. I like Chloe Grace Moretz as an actress, but I feel that her talents were wasted in a film that she wasn't suitable for. Even though she's made to look homely, it still doesn't work because she's too attractive. 

All I can really say is that I'm disappointed like hell with this one. I had people telling me that it was going to "suck", but that's what everyone says when a remake is coming out. So, I went in with an open mind, expecting it to be good, hoping it to be good. And I came out extremely let down. Maybe, if this film were on it's own, and had no predecessor, I could like it. But, when you have an existing film done by the great Brian De Palma, I can't help but compare. 

I understand why this movie went in the direction it did. It was the only logical step to take in putting a new take on the story. However, there's hardly any worthy advancements, and what is there is forged and expected.

I would say that this is a remake of the original film, not a re-imagining. The De Palma film is a re-imagining of the book by Stephen King.

In the end, this is just another remake that doesn't live up to it's name. 

CARRIE: THE MUSICAL

Although the "Carrie" remake did pretty well this past weekend, coming in third and grossing $16, 101, 552, I'd say it's opening weekend was a success. However, I wasn't at a showing of the film, because I was one state over, in North East, Maryland at The Milburn Stone Theater attending the musical adaptation of the tragic story. I'll be seeing the new movie later this week, but with a musical of this criteria, I had to prioritize. 

Not much to my surprise, there's some serious talent involved in this stage performance! And with such a broad cast, it was a genuine relief to see it go over so well. AJ Melendez, a former American Idol Juniors finalist plays Tommy Ross, Carrie's prom date. Melendez not only is convincing in his performance, but has a great voice for the role. 

Then you have Christy Wyatt, who plays Carrie's only friend, Sue Snell. Christy not only plays the biggest role in the act, but also was narrator of the entire show. With a solid stage presence, and elegant vocals, she carries the show quite well. Add to that, Wyatt is also a resident of Delaware, like me, and many others of the cast. Having graduated high school as a vocal and musical theater major, she's been in numerous stage performances and is currently a freshman studying the Elementary Education major at the University of Delaware. 

When I asked Christy what preparations she had to make in order to get into the role of Sue, she said, "I think I'm a lot like Sue in real life. I'm very studious and I often keep to myself. Like any teenager, I can relate to making bad decisions and wanting to make things right after the fact, so it was easy to draw from that for my character." 

And of course, you have the main focus of the musical, Carrie, played by Megan Valle. The high school senior has a dance background of 14 years, and plans to go to college for a BFA in musical theater. And if her singing and acting in this musical have anything to say, she's going far, I hope. She plays the character of Carrie with almost perfection. She's got the look, and really is suitable for the role. She's utterly convincing in her execution of the character! 

Valle told me, "I tried to pull from certain events or feelings that related to Carrie. Everyone in their life has been bullied or called certain names, and I took that emotion that I felt during that certain incident, and exemplified it during the show." 

All around, being entirely truthful, the entire cast is phenomenal, and it's easy to tell they work for it. Throughout the entire show, there wasn't one hiccup in a single performer! This really stood out to me, because I usually always encounter some sort of screw up amongst the cast whenever I attend things like this. So, it was a serious relief and surprise to see this local show done with such precision. Everyone on stage should give themselves a pat on the back. It's no surprise that every performer, individually and collectively, received a massive standing ovation when it all ended! 

The music is great, and really gets the audience going, and keeps them interested and invested. Although some of the lyrics can be a bit dark, this musical never loses it's quirkiness due to the high-energy acting and vocals of every single person on the stage. 

If I were to use criticism, all that I can really muster to mention is that although the music is big, the effects aren't. And I would have liked to see a more fitting stage setup. But, the thing is, the tunes and showmanship out weigh any negatives that you can find or point out. It's a whole hell of a lot of fun, and everyone in the crowd enjoyed themselves, just like I did. It's worth seeing over the music alone, but you get so much more. I'm really glad that I got to see a film that I hold dear, turned into a show that is done with complete professionalism. 

But don't take my word for it, take Christy Wyatt's. "I don't think there's a kid out there who wouldn't find some part of this show that they like. It is really unlike anything out there..."

If you didn't get to see it last weekend, it's not to late! This coming weekend there will be another show from Friday to Sunday. If you're in the area, check it out. Trust me, you've got nothing better to do. Swing over and show some support. And enjoy yourself.

For tickets and other information, click here.

THE BEST STEPHEN KING FILM ADAPTATIONS by Brandon Engel

NOTE FROM GRIMM:
The following post was intended to be posted Saturday on Stephen King's birthday. However, it's late on my end due to lack of internet connection the past few days. 

On the 21st, Stephen King will be turning 66, and by the looks of it, he’s still going strong. Sure, the famed horror author has attempted to retire in the past, and the injuries he sustained after being hit by a vehiclist has made it physically difficult for King to sit and write for extended periods of time. Nevertheless, King has forged ahead. Dr. Sleep, the long awaited sequel to The Shining, will be released just days after his birthday, on the 24th. Not only that, but a second film version of King’s Carrie will hit theaters just a week before Halloween, on October 18th. The new film will star Chloë Grace Moretz, the young scene stealer from Kick-Ass and Kick-Ass 2. We can hope, too, that if Dr. Sleep proves successful, it too will eventually make the jump to big screen. King’s work has a long history of film adaptations inspired by his novels.

Here’s a look at some of the best film adaptations of King’s writings:

 The Shining (1980) 

It’s true, Stephen King himself was not a fan of this film. He felt that the work downplayed the supernatural elements of the the story in order to highlight Jack Torrance’s insanity. And King felt that even Jack Torrance’s descent into madness was botched - since Jack Nicholson had already built a reputation playing mad men, Stephen King felt audiences would easily predict where the plot was going. But despite King’s complaints, and the lukewarm critical reception the film received upon it’s first run, and the fact that the film wasn’t entirely faithful to the book (i.e., there are no supernatural hedge animals in the film, and Jack Torrance’s death is switched from a heated boiler room to the freezing hedge maze), the movie is heralded today as one of the best horror films of all time. The film features many memorable scenes: the rotting old lady in the bathtub; the mutilated twins in the hallway; the blood pouring out of the elevator. Fans of the supernatural aspect will be delighted to know that Dr. Sleep will feature young Danny Torrance grown up, still using his abilities on a daily basis.

Christine (1983)

Forget Herbie. The most memorable living car came from Christine. Only Stephen King could write a story about a murderous, possessed car without producing something accidentally laughable. However absurd the premise may sound, Christine works, and the red and white bloodthirsty Plymouth is truly terrifying. It’s a testament to King’s popularity, the film was already in production prior to the book’s initial release. Kevin Bacon was originally offered the lead role in the film, but he opted to star in Footloose instead. King revisited this trope in later works, but they’re hardly worth viewing; Trucks and Maximum Overdrive don’t really stand up to this tale of a serial killer vehicle.

Misery (1990) 

Misery marked the beginning of an excellent working relationship between Stephen King and Kathy Bates. The book follows an author, Paul Sheldon, played by James Caan, who survives a car crash only to be kidnapped by an obsessed fan, Annie Wilkes, played by Bates. Annie then hides the author in her home in order to torture him and she forces him to write for her. Kathy Bates did such a phenomenal job of playing the terrifying, stalkerish Annie that King began to write roles specifically for Bates. Another notable collaboration between the two was the film Dolores Claiborne, starring Bates in the titular role as a New England woman who murdered her abusive husband to protect her daughter.

The Green Mile (1999) 

This one is a bit of a departure from the rest of the list, as it’s hard to classify as a horror film, since both the novel and movie have the tendency to tug on heart strings. Regardless, this is one of the most emotionally complex and enriching pieces of writing from King, and it translated to the screen beautifully. Then, John Coffey, played by Michael Clarke Duncan, opens his mouth, a swarm of bugs pours out, and we remember that he’s on death row and two little girls have been raped and murdered. The Green Mile induces a fear quite similar to Misery, a fear that spurs from the wrongdoing of other people, and the horrible unfairness that can get someone killed. The film was an important one also for Tom Hanks, who played prison guard Paul Edgecomb. Edgecomb discovers both Coffey’s innocence and his supernatural abilities, but cannot save him from his unfortunate fate.

Carrie (1976) 

Carrie not only shot Stephen King into the limelight, it was also the first film Brian De Palma directed. Sissy Spacek originally played Carrie, the geeky telekinetic who falls for a grotesque practical joke at the hands of her high school classmates. In an extreme response to her humiliation, Carrie destroys the town using her newfound powers. Carrie in the book was described as being overweight, but in typical Hollywood fashion both Sissy Spacek and Chloë Grace Moretz are more appealing to the camera. While Piper Laurie offered a harrowing performance in the original film as Carrie’s mother, Margaret White, the new film has Julianne Moore filling in for Laurie (and rumor has it that Jodie Foster was initially considered to play the part.) We have to wonder whether the film will follow it’s predecessors twist on the ending - leaving the parents alive to grieve - or if the second version will return to the book’s original ending which saw Carrie’s entire town burned to the ground.

Author Bio: Brandon Engel is an entertainment blogger with DirectTVcomparison.com whose interests include vintage pulp novels and black and white horror films. Among his favorite authors are Arthur Machen, Stephen King, Oscar Wilde, and H.P. Lovecraft.

FIRST IMAGES FROM CARRIE (2013)

First images just released last week thanks to Entertainment Weekly magazine.

Stephen King's Carrie (Book 1974)

This was a book that I've had on my list for a while. And since I'm always chipping away at the Stephen King books I still need to get through, I figured it only fit that I finally bump Carrie to the top of my list.

This book surprised me by it's size. For those of you who don't know, Carrie is a small book. It looks more like a short story, especially since most of King's books are gigantic. Not as thin as say Cycle Of The Werewolf (my favorite short story by King) but t's still a slim book.

Instantly what I liked about this book was how it was a past-telling book. It starts off with everything that happens at prom and all already having happened. And while you're reading about Carrie, the book breaks off into segments from magazines and books as well as interview segments all depicting incidents that occurred that night and how they're lives have changed. And there's segments about the condition Carrie has.

Carrie however, was depicted as looking totally different from movie Carrie. Movie Carrie is slim, skin and bones and long blonde hair. In the book Carrie is chubby, has bad acne and has red hair. So that was an instant notice for me because I've seen the movie dozens of times so Sissy Spacek was the face of that character to me.

The book starts off with Carrie being picked on in the locker room for getting her first minstrel cycle and due to her mom being a religious fanatic Carrie was never told what a period was. So the movie was true to the opening scene in the book.

Carrie's relationship with her mom is pretty much the same, only a little crazier and a little more harsh. Carrie's mom is a friggin' whack job. The conditions in which Carrie was forced to live her life were cruel and unfair for any child. There's no wonder she was 'the weird kid' at school.

Everything pretty much goes down the same with the bully's in Carrie's gym class being punished for picking on her and Chris, the lead and main Bully instantly wanting revenge when she loses her opportunity to go to prom.

Carrie gets hooked up with Tommy, the cutest boy in school and they go to prom together. The bucket scene was the same but since it was a book it had great detail and made for a better visual in your head than on screen. The humiliation at this moment for Carrie is horrible, for once in her miserable life she got to be the center of attention only to have blood dumped on her.

I like the way it goes down in the book more than the movie because in the book she actually leaves prom hysterical. And then she kinda realizes that they should all be punished for proving her mom right that they'd all laugh at her and never accept her. Carrie actually looks the doors from the outside and is outside of prom looking in as shes murdering people with her mind causing all sorts of devastation. The visual of her standing outside the doors looking in covered in blood and murdering people. Great story telling and I liked that more than her being in the prom while doing it. However, I can see how being inside would make a better scene visually.

I thought the book over all was great. Another King classic.

THIS BOOK GETS 3 REAPERS OUT OF 4