Now Available from Scream Factory.
Was Kimberly Peirce’s adaptation of Stephen King’s “Carrie” entirely necessary? Not really. But while Brian DePalma did set the bar high with his adaptation of the novel in 1976, Kimberly Peirce’s modern interpretation of the titular novel holds up surprisingly well. It’s not by any means what I’d call a masterpiece, but in a world where we have the 2002 TV remake, Peirce’s version is not without its charms. It doesn’t garner exactly the big emotional punch of DePalma’s but there’s a very charming and interesting sincerity to this interpretation.
After merciless taunting from classmates and abuse at the hand of her religious fanatic mother, Carrie White lets her anger get the best of her … and her telekinetic powers are unleashed. And when a prom prank goes horribly wrong, events spiral out of control until the terrifying conclusion of this powerful, pulse-quickening horror story.
Director Peirce integrates the whole modern use of social media to add to the anxiety behind Carrie’s ultimate unraveling. In some respects it works very well, and in other respects they implemented it so much better in “The Rage.” Despite being woefully miscast, Chloe Grace Moretz is a very good in the role of Carrie White, a self-conscious young girl filled with insecurity and repressed rage that make her the target of her high school bullies. The highlights though are Judy Greer as Coach Desjardin, the well-intentioned guardian of Carrie, while Ansel Elgort is very good as the ill-fated Tommy Ross.
If anything, what hinders “Carrie” is its lack of real teeth, pulling back when it could be absolutely relentless. Rather than massacring her entire high school class, Carrie leaves behind some survivors, and Coach Desjardin manages to miraculously be spared by Carrie, rather than become a tragic footnote in the chaos. Nevertheless, 2013’s “Carrie” is a decent fourth adaptation effort.
The 4K release from Scream Factory includes an Audio Commentary from Director Kimberly Peirce who offers a solid track where she discusses the production of the film, going back to the Stephen King source material to adapt the material for the screen again, the way the story was modernized, working with the performers, the special effects work, et al. The Devil’s Hand – Designing Carrie is a new twenty three minutes interview with Production Designer Carol Spier who discusses getting involved with the project, attempting to stick closer to the Stephen King source rather than recreating the De Palma film, and more. They’re All Going To Laugh At You – Adapting Carrie is a new thirty three minutes interview with author Joseph Maddrey in which he discusses the Stephen King source material, how it evolved into the novel, how the various feature adaptations have handled the material, and more.
There’s a two and a half minute Alternate Ending, with optional audio commentary from director Kimberly Peirce, and eleven minutes of Deleted/Alternate Scenes, much of which is unused footage with optional audio commentary from director Kimberly Peirce. Creating Carrie is a twenty one minutes featurette in which the cast and creative team discuss the Stephen King source material, the fresh interpretation for this adaptation, the facets of the characters, and more. The Power of Telekinesis is a four-minute piece where the cast and creative team discuss the portrayal of telekinesis in the film and their own personal beliefs about the concept. Tina on Fire Stunt Double Dailies is a two-minute look at the special effects work that went into creating a believable person on fire, with commentary from director Kimberly Peirce. Telekinetic Coffee Shop Surprise is the two-and-a-half-minute viral coffee shop prank/stunt, as well as the original Theatrical Trailer.