Movie Review: Carrie (1976)

A chilling horror film that is both a psychological and physical terror ride, Carrie combines the worst nightmares of any young girl: awkward puberty, bullying by the meanest of classmates, parental religious terrorism, and prom night turning into torment. That Carrie White discovers a way to extract a brutal revenge on all who abuse her through telekinesis just makes Brian De Palma's task of creating a frightfest so much more fun.

Based on the Stephen King novel, the movie opens with withdrawn and friendless high schooler Carrie White (Sissy Spacek) discovering her first period in the gym shower, and being traumatized when her mean classmates, including Chris (Nancy Allen) and Sue (Amy Irving) throw tampons at her. As the gym teacher Miss Collins (Betty Buckley) tries to make amends and help Carrie out of her shell, Carrie begins to discover that she has the telekinetic power to physically move objects through mind control. Carrie's real problem is her uncompromisingly stern mother Margaret (Piper Laurie), a sexually repressed religious zealot who abuses her daughter.

Sue feels some regret at the mistreatment of Carrie, and to make amends, convinces her popular boyfriend Tommy (William Katt) to ask Carrie out to the prom. But Chris is much more intent to continue the bullying, and plots with her boyfriend Billy (John Travolta) a most humiliating climax to Carrie's prom night. Carrie enjoys most of her evening with Tommy, the one and only successful social event in her life, but when Chris turns the prom from dream to nightmare, Carrie unleashes her telekinetic power to extract a most violent revenge.

Sissy Spacek was 26 years old when she portrayed high school student Carrie White, and her performance is unforgettably disturbing. Acting with haunted eyes, a frail physique, and long, uncared-for hair, Spacek's sheer presence foretells disturbing obscurity and impending doom in equal measures. Spacek is matched by an unhinged, over-the-top performance from Piper Laurie as Carrie's mother Margaret, a religious fundamentalist who embraces all the most twisted interpretations of sin and guilt associated with sexuality and dumps them on her daughter. The scenes of Margaret terrorizing Carrie with her religious dogma are more disturbing than all the blood that De Palma throws onto the screen.

And De Palma is the third star of the movie, using slow motion, camera rotation, and point-of-view shots to great effect. He boosts the impact of the horror sequences by juxtaposing them with tranquil scenes, or by deliciously prolonging the set-up prior to unleashing the inevitable shocks.

Carrie's secondary characters are brought to life by a lively group of actors, many of whom achieved varying degrees of fame. This was John Travolta's last film prior to shooting into superstardom with Saturday Night Fever, while Nancy Allen, Amy Irving , P.J. Soles and William Katt would go to on build modestly interesting movie profiles. Betty Buckley had an excellent stage, screen and television career, and Priscilla Pointer (Irving's real-life mother) was most famous for a role on TV's Dallas.

Many hidden meanings can be layered into Carrie's story, from her entire experience being a metaphor for the sacrifices of womanhood, to the societal damage caused by religious extremism and the equating of sexuality with sin. The hints of subtext bubbling below the surface provide an added edge of enjoyment to the unfolding tragedy.

Carrie is a classic horror film, compact, on-target, unsettling and unforgettable.

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Movie Review: Frantic (1988)

Director Roman Polanski, hiding out in France, delivers a classic Hitchcockian tale of an average man unwittingly dropped into the middle of dangerous international events.

Frantic works, thanks to an understated Harrison Ford performance, a deliberately measured pace that allows the characters to develop, and action scenes that stay within the bounds of reason. Polanski's stylistic touches are also a definite plus.

Dr. Richard Walker (Ford) arrives in Paris with his wife (Betty Buckley) to present a paper at a medical conference. Within hours, his wife has been kidnapped, and her violent abduction appears to be related to a mix-up in the Walkers' baggage. Walker does not know the language, gets no help from local authorities and even less help from the American embassy. His only ally emerges in the form of Michelle (Emmanuelle Seigner, or Mrs. Polanski), the mule in the middle of the Middle East-connected smuggling conspiracy that has entangled Walker.

The basic plot elements of an innocent man entering a foreign world, literally and figuratively, then having to extricate himself from a complex web not of his own making, is pure Hitchcock. Frantic also comes with a nested McGuffin, as first a piece of luggage, then a souvenir found in the luggage, then an item hidden in the souvenir, serve no purpose except to power the plot forward.

And with the character of Michelle, who admittedly is more cool than icy, Polanski does not forget about the blonde girl who is definitely involved in the messy situation, but who may or may not be helping resolve it.

Frantic is a welcome reminder that not all heroes need to be ex-special forces, and that sometimes, the most difficult challenge is to understand why your sheltered world has suddenly been shattered.

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